#HolidayDoubleSlay 2017 – Chillin with my Snowmies and Lane Bryant

By now you probably get it that I love the Christmas season. It is my favourite holiday and is only a few days after my birthday. It also is the busiest time of the year which is a lot of fun but does mean that we need to be mindful of making sure we still get rest and take care of ourselves. I’ve been known to burn myself out and the rest of the month of December is starting to resemble my last weekend – 5 parties, a basketball game and babysitting my newphew soooooo making sure I take time for myself will be important through the month.

So what do I do to take care of myself during the Christmas season, well I actually do a lot. For me I spend time on Sundays planning out my week so that means cleaning, making sure my laundry is done and food prepping for the week. It really helps to go into the week not feeling chaotic. During the week I keep my schedule with my regular work days (yes, I do have a pretty intense day job at a software company) and I head to the gym right after work Monday-Thursday. I then spend most of my evenings getting things done (I’m currently taking an online course), relaxing, and usually spend time with my man through the week.

I’ve had to learn to say no to some things in order to not be out every night. I used to be the girl who had a schedule that was full literally all of the time with no down time. I’ve also done the extreme of having nothing on so I’ve really learned how to have balance and it’s really important to maintain that balance. I also usually pack my bags and my lunch the night before and pull my outfit for the next day so I can sleep in as long as I can the next morning lol. I really find that taking a few minutes each day to tidy, prepare and get ready for the next day alleviates the stress in my life and just allows me to enjoy life. I do get asked a lot how I do it all – full time job, my modelling, blogging, working for a magazine, stay active, and so on. And really my answer is always that I have learned to maintain balance and plan ahead a little bit.

I also like to spend time with my ‘snomies’ during the Christmas season. From Christmas parties, my birthday and just chilling. And let me tell ya…I’m pretty thankful for this group of ladies right here! They are all also really inspirational in my own journey. Having really strong friendships and a strong tribe also goes a long way when it comes to self care because you have a support system who is there when you need them, encourages you, challenges you and that you can just let loose and have fun with.

One last piece for me when it comes to self care is…the first thing I do when I get home (after my hot shower post workout) is to get into something comfy to chill at home in and I’m always on the hunt for cute, comfy (and practical) pj’s and let me tell ya…Lane Bryant does not disappoint. I love to wear shorts and these are just so cute but given that Toronto is cold in the winter, having a long sleeve shirt keeps me at the perfect temperature. And let’s not forget a little bit of a sas to go along with the PJs…I’m definitely leaning on Team Naughty this year….It was actually really hard to choose which PJ’s I wanted because look how cute everyone looks?!?!