Glamorous Bachelorette Weekend in Toronto

Okay, so it's been a bit since my bachelorette staycation.  I know, I know! There was a lot going on and I did need a few days before I was fully functioning (lol). It was THAT fun. I felt like I was 19 again. Jumping on beds, running around town with my girlfriends, staying up until 5 AM. Ah.. the good old days! The only difference is that we had a gorgeous hotel suite to ourselves and didn't have to worry about waking up our parents! My girlfriends really made me feel soo unbelievably special and honored to be in their lives. Our weekend consisted of some of my favorite things-- champagne, guacamole from Baro (one of my fave restaurants in Toronto), sparkly dresses, photoshoots and more! We even had tarot cards readings and in-room yoga!

I'm going to break down all the goods, and dive into exactly what you need to have the ultimate glamorous bachelorette staycation in Toronto. 

WHERE TO STAY: Since we weren't going too far and we didn't have to worry about flights and transfers, we picked a luxurious hotel where we could truly feel like princesses! The St. Regis Toronto was the epitome of luxury and glamour! From the moment I pulled up the staff was waiting for me with a glass of prosecco in hand, and ready to accommodate my needs. I felt like a true celeb! It was so swanky and I loved it. Who wouldn't? And seriously, just the smell of the hotel is so breathtaking. You walk in an immediately you feel at ease, refreshed and like a true star.

The bed was fluffy and oh, so comfy and the staff were actually divine. They came to pull out our sofa bed every night, and put it back together the next morning. They brought us chocolate dipped macarons, and even a chocolate tower molded to the shape of the hotel! They were so accommodating and even brought us up buckets of ice to chill our bubbly! How soon can I get back here?!

PARTY VIBE: The girls were already upstairs and were setting up the room.  So I headed on up, glass in hand to our deluxe suite on the twenty-fifth floor, overlooking the gorgeous Toronto skyline. There were balloons, photo props, and pink party accessories! Night one got started. We had snacks delivered from my favourite healthy foodies, the girls from The Fix + Co. put together a veggie tray, and fruit tray with coconut bites and more. It was delish! You need room snacks, especially when the drinks come out. Popcorn, veggies and dip, fruit and protein bites were all essentials!

GAMES TO PLAY: The girls put together some really cute games for my arrival. Number one-- guess who brought the lingerie. The coffee table was adorned with undergarments which each of the girls had brought. I had to guess who brought one depending on their styles. If I got it wrong-- drink! (well, we drank if I got it right, too!). The next game was my favourite. They had asked Brandon a series of questions regarding our love story before. Think-- what's your favourite quality in Gab, where was your favourite vacation spent together, what was your first impression of Gab, etc. I had to guess his answers. It was really so sweet to hear his answers and to have his direct quotes read out to me. I could hear his answers in my head and having them read out exactly as he wrote them was hilarious.

"LOW-KEY" NIGHT: Our first night was supposed to be low key. That's a big LOL. They had made reservations at Baro Toronto-- one of my absolute favourite resturants. I loved that the girls picked Baro because this meant we did not have to switch places for after dinner dancing. We ended dinner at 11 PM and headed right upstairs to Escobar. You need a password to get in, but the hostess brought us up where we stayed for drinks and dancing.

DAY ACTIVITY: Day two consisted of brunch at LOUIX LOUIS. It's the restaurant at the St.Regis. The decor is stunning, just so luxurious and alluring. The ceiling looks like pink marble, the room is grand and the bar is massive. We had our breakie and headed back down to the room for in-room yoga and tarot card readings put on by One Love Tarot. We had a restorative yoga session, where we got to basically nap (lol) and then we hung out altogether before refreshing.

FANCY NIGHT: You need to have one fancy night for your bachelorette (even if it just is one night). For us, this meant we all got decked out in sequins. As soon as the girls decided on sequins, I visited my ladies at The Fitzroy for a dress rental. This piece was the most perfect bachelorette piece, ever! Just enough booty! We got ready and I had my favourite photographer, Laura Clarke, come over to take some fun shots of all of us in the room. Then we put on our outfits and basically had a hell of a time running around the city in our sequins while Laura took pictures. Having these moments captured meant so much to me! Especially I'm such a lover of capturing the moments. So many little giggles and laughs that cannot be captured by a selfie. We went back to our suite and the girls told me we were going to A Toi, which is the hidden restaurant/bar behind the coffee shop, Coffee Oysters Champagne. The decor, the menu, the drinks and the staff-- it's all an experiential vibe that makes you feel like you're walking into a scene from The Great Gatsby. It was sooo swanky, such Paris vibes. I was obsessed! You walk into a hidden champagne room and a secret door transports you back in time. You can't even leave back through the front door! My superstitious girlfriend was freaking! Such a good time if you're looking for a totally unique experience!

The next day we woke up and made our way back to the real world. It was such a dream to live such a luxe life for two nights! I'm seriously still in awe from the weekend and how amazing my girlfriends are! It felt so good to spend the whole weekend with them. Best part is we didn't have to far at all! Having a glamorous hotel suite to ourselves for two days was so perfect-- no flight necessary! We got to laugh, dance, cry and pop bubbly. Now that it's over it's basically all steam ahead to the wedding! Oh, baby, are we every getting close!

P.S. You can check out my Instagram highlights reel for the behind the scenes x-rated moments ;) (click GB WEB)

AND make SURE you watch the VLOG here:

*Thank you to The St. Regis Toronto for partnering with me on this occasion, and to The Fix + Co. for satisfying all cravings!

*All of these glorious photos were taken by the most talented Laura Clarke Photography.

Understanding that Self Care Isn't Selfish

How can you show up to be supportive, loving and genuinely a happy person when you are run down, exhausted and burnt out? I'll tell you... you can't!

Brandon just underwent knee surgery and to say it has been easy would be a lie. As we live together I am his main support. Don't get me wrong, both our parents have been showing up with open arms, meals and more! They have helped in an enormous way. But, I also have a full-time job and other commitments and deadlines. I guess I underestimated the extent of his surgery. For the first week, he could not walk, get up, or basically move without physical support of someone. He was so uncomfortable and in so much pain it was just hard to watch. I would lay beside him trying to make him relaxed and comfortable all well knowing that it was an impossible task. If he wasn't sleeping, I wasn't sleeping. If he was in pain I was in pain. I felt horrible just going out to do simple things like getting groceries, but things had to be done.

It came time to decide whether or not I would go to a staycation at Hotel X Toronto last weekend and I felt rotten. I really wanted to go but did not want to leave him. Then I realized, I needed it to stay sane! I was so exhausted, so burnt out and just anxious. So I went. Having this time away made me realize that you cannot be there for someone else if you are not there for yourself. If it seems selfish, I know. But it's not. How can you possibly show up for someone and be there ultimate caregiver when you cannot satisfy your own basic needs like rest and mental clarity?

So how do you do it? Here are a few of my realizations when it comes to putting yourself first and realizing that self-care isn't selfish: 

1. Just say no. 
Sometimes you may have commitments and you just have to cancel. It's okay to cancel if you are not up to it because in the long run you will be better off. Would you rather go somewhere and be miserable just because you said you'd go? No. Why put yourself through that and subject others to your misery. I had to cancel on some personal things but that's okay because it ultimately I knew I just couldn't be myself in those situations... there was too much on my mind.

2. Acknowledge that you cannot care for someone if you are physically ill. 
I was feeling ill. My stomach was nauseous from not sleeping and to say I needed a good shower was an understatement. Getting up every hour in the night was taking a toll on my body. I was exhausted all the time, relying on coffee to wake me up and not getting enough movement. I knew I had to set aside time to rest and then get my body moving just to find some mental clarity. In doing so, I was able to be there for B more fully, since I was sharp and more alert.


3. Energy transfers is a real thing. 
The flow of energy is strong. Your tension and inner anxiety can so easily be projected on others. Misery loves company, right? If you are miserable chances are you will make those around you miserable. Just like when you are happy it is easier to make others happy. When you need to ground yourself and get back into your grove, say by meditating, or by taking a long bath, do it. It will ultimately better your mood and the mood of those around you.


4. Realize you cannot do everything and that is enough. 
A good friend had to sit me down and tell me straight up: there will be dishes in the sink, there will be a pile of laundry and your house may need a good vacuum, but your impending house chores is not a reflection of your capabilities and worth. WOW. Did that just blow your mind? I keep telling her she needs to start a podcast (lol). But honestly, this was so good to hear. Instantly my shoulders relaxed and I felt like I could take a deep breath in for the first time. It's okay if things are not perfect. You are doing everything you can, and just that is enough.


So what did I do? I went. I went to the hotel while B was at home. Thank goodness we have an amazing support system that stayed with him the whole time, which ultimately made me feel better. But I still went out and enjoyed the 12 hours away. Eleni and I shared a room, we popped bubbly, learned all about the new Bio-Oil Dry Gel (more on that to come) and we had a great girly night in.  And naturally, we had to get a photo shoot in before breakfast. I mean... what else would we do!

So there we have it... I went and had fun. Is that so wrong? I came home more relaxed and even more ready and willing to care for B because I had that time to care for myself.

Do you have a hard time accepting that self-care is the first step in caring for others? Let me know!

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