Natalie Ho

It’s been weeks since I did anything active with my body! Pathetic, I know. So glad I finally got myself to a hot yoga session over the weekend and boy do I feel energized. Last Sunday was the best kind of Sunday, the ones that are super productive yet relaxing.  I trotted around city after yoga to enjoy a nice brunch with Kyle and later shopped around for bags full of groceries and a much needed counter-top spiralizer (by the way, life changing, really!).

I long for days where I can lounge in comfortable yet versatile gear that can bring me from the studio to the streets. I absolutely adore this marbled print hoodie (on sale) and heathered grey leggings from Bench Canada. Not only are they great for pre-workout, but both are fabulous as everyday lifestyle pieces.

It’s incredible how many people I know juggle between a demanding full time job and a creative outlet, whether that is blogging, freelance photography, wedding florals or being an occasional make-up artist. I have been so privileged to have met so many talented people in the last few years and I want to personally thank each and everyone of you for your inspiration and passing on some of your energy because  I know first hand, the hard work that goes along with it!

Every successful blogger I know has a personal ‘story’. Why they started, how they manage their time, and ultimately what the end game is. I’m beginning a new Thursday series, “From My Desk”, to share my personal journey and experiences in building a startup company that just hit our 10th year anniversary, a fulfilling career in marketing and creating my mini masterpiece, my blog. Today, I’ll kick off by sharing my personal story.

I hope to inspire some of you take a chance, achieve your goals and stay motivated!

Whoa! So sorry I’ve been MIA for a week from the blog, it’s been a crazy start of the year – but crazy good! I’ve missed you all and so glad to be back up and running with streams of ideas flowing through my head. Every start of the year, I like to compile a list of DIY projects I hope to tackle and pick up a few more crafting skills along the way. More importantly, I want to be able to share my DIY journey with you and in 2016, I’d love to focus on a few more complex projects. As much as I enjoy a simple yet genius DIY (who doesn’t), I’ve been thirsting to develop some legit crafting expertise.

So today, I’m sharing 5 DIY Crafts to Try in 2016. A couple of these I’ve started to embark on and the others I have slated in for later months.

What DIY/crafting projects would you like to see me share this year?!

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great few days off! If you’ve enjoyed your holidays as much as I did, it probably meant that you indulged a bit more than usual. With holiday gifts, dinner parties, and Boxing Week shopping, I’m sure you’re looking for ways to save.

Just before the holidays, I shared a few shopping savings tips by using digital coupons for the purchase of luxury goods and presents. Did you know digital couponing sites such as RetailMeNot.ca are also great for non-gift items such as planning your next vacation, saving on your next spa day, or even preparing for RRSP season? There are a vast amount of promo codes and offers made available on RetailMeNot.ca and I’ll show you how I used the website to prepare for my next vacation.

Read further to see how to save on your next vacation and chance to win a $200 VISA gift card c/o RetailMeNot.ca!

I love hosting a great party at home. Though this year, we’re (finally) hitting the town to celebrate New Year’s Eve with some friends, I thought I’d cook up some inspiration for those of you who will be celebrating with friends at home.

I created a super easy DIY floral backdrop (paper flowers made with love by Paper & Peony leftover from my wedding) and Pinata Balloons hung overtop that’s just perfect as a photo backdrop.

At midnight, puncture the balloons for some celebratory confetti fun! Read further to see more photos!

A start of a new year for me typically involves new routines and fresh starts. I spent the last couple of days clearing junk and clutter from my closet, office, and bathroom shelves so that I can tackle 2016 with a brand new canvas.

The last couple of months of the year is always so hectic, the week following Christmas is more calm and a great time to study the bathroom shelves and discard products that are long past their expiry date. Did you know each beauty product has its own unique shelf life? Using products beyond their expiration dates may cause irritation, rashes, blemishes and various skin and eye infections. For skin care products such as cleansers and exfoliants, they are typically good for 1 year, whereas products such as toners, facial/body moisturizers and serums lasts between 6 months to one-year after opening.

After tossing out half of my cabinet, I made room for some new products that I’m thrilled to start the New Year with. Read further to see my review of mereadesso face + neck cleanser, mereadesso mereadesso tinted moisturizer and non-tinted all-in-one moisturizer and the Philips PureRadiance facial cleansing system.

It’s two days before Christmas and I’m officially signing off until next week. I hope you’ll find time to enjoy the company of family and friends! The holiday season is best when paired with great food and drink. If you’re still scrambling for some last minute entertaining ideas, take note from this festive tea party session I had the privilege to host with some of my favourite insta-babes!

It was an afternoon of sipping on decadent loose leaf teas from Sloane Tea (also a great gift idea) and munching on delicious french macarons handmade by the talented Stephanie of Petit Nuage. We were also surprised with handwritten, personalized mugs and plates from Donna, who also designed the typography on my beautiful wedding thank you cards.

This Christmas, try your hand at throwing a modern, yet cozy Christmas Afternoon Tea Party with elements of DIY and the best treats in town as special as your family and friends!

Want to beautify your hair before the start of 2016?! I’ve got just the treat for you! I was recently introduced to the Kérastase Résistance Collection dedicated to treating weak and damaged hair. Kérastase Résistance rebuilds the internal substance of hair often affected by chemical or mechanical substances to restore its strength and health. Force architect products is dedicated for damaged hair (erosion level 1-2) while Therapiste products (erosion level 3-4) is designed for very damaged and over processed hair. After use of these products, hair is restored and quality of the fiber is like new.

I recently started incorporating the Kérastase Résistance into my daily hair routine, including the use of BAIN FORCE ARCHITECTE shampoo, CIMENT ANTI-USURE as a treatment and SÉRUM FIBRE ARCHITECTE as a texturizer – the perfect simple 3 step process. If the Kérastase Résistance is not suitable for you, there is a wide range of other Kérastase collections that addresses any hair concern.

I’m excited to partner with Kérastase to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a variety hair prize pack loaded with amazing hair products valued at over $300!

I partnered with Joe Fresh to show you how to dress up an ordinary gift box that will stand out from the rest. Here are some ideas to inspire you in time for your holiday gift exchange.. Here’s how to make one of your own. This post originally appeared on Joe Fresh Post. 

Whether stacked under the tree or hand delivered to that special someone, these gift wrapping ideas are sure to impress.

You’ve spent ample time searching for the perfect gifts at Joe Fresh, why stop there? A few ordinary items can add a big punch to your holiday gift wrap. These do-it-yourself ideas are sure to impress every member of the family!

The holiday season is the perfect time to enjoy a cup of tasty hot chocolate! I love cozying up on the couch on a Sunday afternoon with the comfiest loungewear, fur throw, my favourite magazines in hand and a cup of hot homemade hot cocoa. This past weekend, I was inspired by the many holiday recipes nestled between the pages of the latest holiday issue of Ricardo Magazine. I couldn’t help but create a jar of homemade Hot Chocolate Mix and decorate a handful of marshmallows for an added festive touch!

This Hot Chocolate Mix is perfect stored in the pantry or jarred ahead of time as hostess gifts for your next holiday party visit! Accompanied with cute decorative marshmallows will sure make the best Christmas morning treats while unwrapping gifts. A special thanks to Ricardo for sharing so many festive recipes in the Special Holiday Issue (on newsstands)!

Keep reading to see how you can prepare a cup of festive hot chocolate and your chance to win an one year subscription to Ricardo Magazine!