Staycation Vibes: Unplugging, Unboxing, and Fall Previews

The renovations on our house have started, so Andre and I decided it was a good excuse to get away and take a little staycation. We didn’t have any plans aside from booking a hotel room. We went wherever the wind took us, and you’re coming along for the ride!

We headed out to the Fairmont Tremblant, which was about a two-hour drive. We could see the ski lift from our room, which they turn into a luge in the summer. It’s very Switzerland-esque! Once we got settled, we went to the pool, and I got some reading in. My current book is The Coworker, which is really good. Freida McFadden is one of my favorite authors! After we finished up at the pool, we went up to our room, where I indulged in a little self-care. I colored my hair, bleached my teeth, and did a face mask. You might think it’s weird to color my hair in a hotel room, but I actually made less of a mess there than I do at home. That evening, we had martinis at the hotel bar, then enjoyed a delightful dinner in the nearby village. We had spaghetti, pizza, and escargot, and it was all delicious!

We had a great time on day two. We got up and had some coffee by the pool - they have a beautiful terrace outside! We had brunch on a cute garden patio in the village, then shopped around at all the little stores. We ended up getting some door hooks and two wood plaques for the house. I thought we could put the hooks in one of our bedrooms or bathrooms, and use the wood plaques as coasters on our coffee table so we don’t ruin the wood. After we finished shopping, we went back to the hotel and hung out at the pool. Andre got a workout in, and then we had some lunch. I had a burger with macaroni and cheese on it, and it was absolutely amazing. Andre had a fried chicken sandwich with maple syrup mayo. Tell me you’re in Canada without telling me you’re in Canada, lol. After lunch, we took much-needed naps.

Post-nap, I went through my skincare routine, used my gua sha tool to do some depuffing, and got ready for the evening. I don’t have a lot of makeup left, which I love. I threw out, got rid of, and donated most of my makeup, and just kept a few things. If you’re ever overwhelmed by the amount of makeup you have, this is your sign to get rid of it. A lot of it is probably expired anyway! I use a complexion booster under my eyes as a concealer, then I mix together a tinted moisturizer, glowing primer, and a tinted serum for my face. If you’re not a no-coverage girl, but you’re not a full-coverage girl, this is it! I kept two blushes, one by Rare Beauty and the other by Tower 28. My best friend got the Tower 28 blush for me, and I get so many compliments when I wear it! I have a bronzer by the same brand, and I use it as contour or eyeliner. I also kept a highlighter, and that’s it! All the makeup I own now fits into one little bag. I love it!

After finishing getting ready, we went to have some drinks before dinner. We met up with some awesome people, and it was great to just enjoy each other’s company and be totally unplugged. It was one of those evenings that reminded us how important it is to slow down and savor these simple, meaningful moments.

The next day, we drove home. There was still some work going on at the house, so we took our time in an effort to dodge the noise. We went into town, did some shopping, then went to the grocery store. When we got home, the driveway and garage were done! The driveway was paved with recycled asphalt for a more low-maintenance, easygoing feel. If we had used straight-up asphalt, it would have gotten dirty super easily because you have to go through country roads to get to the driveway. They also ran electric wires under the driveway, so we can eventually put up a Dutton Ranch-style fence along each side of the road with lights. The garage door was wood before, and now it’s a black ranch-style door with windows. This now gets us started on more projects! We want to get new lighting and put black accents around the windows and awning detail - just to update the outside of the house a little bit.

We took a walk down to the mailbox because we got some packages that I was really excited about! There are these things called Cutie Cuffs that I’ve been seeing on the internet. They are slap bracelets with different characters on them, and they come in a blind box, so you don’t know what you’re getting. I’ve tried to order them before, but the order would always get canceled because they’re going viral. I was finally able to get my hands on some, and unboxing them is the most fun part of the process! The first one I opened was Pumbaa from The Lion King. I’m thinking I can put them on my backpack when I go to the parks. Pumbaa will be perfect for Animal Kingdom! The next two I opened were Marie from The Aristocats. She’s cute, but I didn’t like that movie as a child, so it didn’t hit home for me. The next one was Baymax from Big Hero 6, which I was the most excited about! The last Disney cuff was Rafiki from The Lion King. I also got some that were characters from the Harry Potter series. In that bunch, I got Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and two Fawkes Phoenix. I was slightly disappointed with the characters I got, but it’s about the hunt. I kind of like when these things happen so I can send treasures to you guys!

The other package I got had some Halloween things that were guaranteed to be a good time because they weren’t blind boxes. Last year, I got a ghost hair clip from Marshall’s that I wore all season long, and I loved it. This year, I saw an Oogie Boogie clip at the store, and I thought it was amazing. I also got Mickey and Minnie ghost clips that glow in the dark. As of right now, I’m not going to the Not So Scary party, but these clips will definitely be used! The last thing I got is more for Halloween Horror Nights, which are Beetlejuice sandworm hair sticks. I used to wear these all the time when I was younger (the real millennials will know). I kind of love them!

Speaking of Halloween… we’ve officially flipped the switch to fall on the Daily Grind Instagram page. The fall launch is going to be next level! Last year, it sold out in about five minutes. This year, we’ve ordered more inventory, and I’m beyond excited and proud of everything that’s coming. There was an insane amount of love and time poured into it! The feedback we got from everyone was that you wanted it sooner, so it will be launching before the end of August. We worked really hard to make that happen! There are things other than covers that will be launching, which will be divulged very soon. You’re going to freak out!

For the past four years, we’ve done a Daily Grind series along with the daily videos on my YouTube channel throughout October. We will be doing that again this year in the form of a 31-day challenge, and it will be the biggest year we’ve ever done. It’s going to be insane!

There have also been a lot of questions about the Daily Home. Don’t worry, it’s not going away! We had a huge summer sale and sold out of a ton of candles. Right now, all we have left from the original collection are the Morning Routine and Daily Grind candles. There will be some fall goodies launching soon as well, so make sure you stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed coming along on our staycation, unboxing packages with me, and learning more about what’s coming this fall. It was so fun to get away and share the behind-the-scenes with you. These little escapes always recharge my creativity, and I’m even more excited for what’s next. Thank you for being part of this journey. Your support means the world to me!

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