Treat Yo’ Self — Deepi’s Picks
Now that the season of giving to others is over — cue heavenly choir singing Ahhh for 3–5 second — It’s time to treat yo’ self! You deserve a little something for getting through the stress of the holiday season.
“What stress?” Here are some common phrases I’ve said in my head, but mostly out loud.
I hate crowds!
I’m exhausted!
Why is there always family drama!
Shit, the mozzarella sticks are still in the freezer!
What the hell did I accomplish last year!
Then there’s the pressures of January and February to reinvent yourself — eat cleaner, be nicer, gym more, purge your life, figure out your passion and make it a business, freeze your eggs and so on.
Put that shit on hold for a minute while you troubleshoot the stressors in life into temporary oblivion — Enter self-care. Self-care comes in many shapes, sizes and millilitres, so let’s de-fucking-stress with things I’ve newly discovered. I call them Deepi’s Picks.
Liquid Self-Care
1) Corvina Wine by Pillitteri
I was recently invited to an excursion where a handful of us media folks got day drunk by visiting the Pillitteri Estates Winery on Niagara-on-the-Lake. There we sampled beautiful reds and whites right out of the vintage barrels and VQA standard ice wines straight from steel drums that tasted like liquid apricot. Highly recommend touring the winery. It’s delicious and engaging.
Distinctly Canadian is the Corvina Red made in small batches. On the nose you get aromas of vanilla, nutmeg, smoke, caramel and cloves. Then you get hit with cherries, figs, plums and some dark chocolate to taste. It carries an odd shade of red and complex flavour profile which doesn’t surprise me since this type of grape is a bitch to cultivate. They're like the high-maintenance orchid of the wine world. Corvina vines ripen late and are prone to rot, if they’re affected by the rain, so you really have to keep your eyes on these red wine grapes. Corvinas range from a light pinot to a rich port that’s low in tannins. In Canada, Pillitteri is only winery in the country that plants Corvina vines.
Final thoughts: It’s a velvety and smooth red that’s different — good different. It’s essentially the Canadian Amarone — one of Canada’s most seductive wines. The price hovers around 100 dollar mark. Remember, you’re worth it.
Creative Self-Care
2) Books from Chapters
What doesn’t Chapters Indigo carry? Let’s just stick to books. As an adult, I’ve never been into poetry until a good friend gifted me Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey. I read it cover-to-cover, sitting in the sun, in my parent’s backyard on a mesh outdoor stacking chair, while sipping chai. Not chai tea, which means tea-tea, just chai. Kaur has shaped straightforward poetry about womanhood, heartbreak, self-care and love into what any good writing should do, bring you back to a time when you experienced those things for yourself.
I just cracked open 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week that explores how turning off your screens one day a week can work wonders for your brain, body and soul. Author Tiffany Shlain teaches you how to unplug in a non-preachy way. Mentally, I’m ready to convert. Let’s see if I actually can. Maybe it’ll help with my migraines that magically appear without warning.
As adults, when meeting up with friends, I find the conversation is different. Catching up takes over the smaller, first half of the hang, the lengthier exchange is about real shit, adding value to one another's lives by sharing the things we know. Last night, my friend told me about the book Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk. I’m half way through the audiobook in one day. Gary offers both theoretical and tactical advice on establishing your personal brand, as well as scoring professional and financial success. He shares his own story, as well as many others that makes you think, why not me, why can't that be my journey. But it’s not about getting rich, it’s about living life the way you want, but you have to really fucking want it.
Final thoughts: Mixing it up with your book choice allows you to widen your taste in reading and learn something new. Just like discovering new foods, you need to try it in order to learn about it. When you think about it, reading diverse literature is really just reading other people’s thoughts and when is reading other people’s thoughts not interesting.
Fashion Self-Care
3) Jenny Bird Jewellery
I must confess I’m a little obsessed with Canadian designer Jenny Bird. The addiction started in 2011. Today, I’m upto 20ish pieces. Mostly earrings. I’m into the minimalism, clean lines and the weight of her pieces. Her designs are also well thought-out. For example, I just copped the Boss Hoops, they’re bigger than my face, yet lightweight and designed to sit flat against the ears to avoid giving you that elephant-ear look. Evidence below. I’m also into supporting local, she’s based in Toronto.
Final thoughts: For me, the last part of putting together an outfit — that makes me feel confident — are my accessories. They complete the look. Jenny Bird’s pieces are edgy but also extremely wearable for everyday, which makes me get the most out of them, unlike the black dress I own that I’ve worn zero times because girly dresses and I still can't get it together.
Travel Self-Care
4) Travelpro Platinum Elite Line
The masses say Samsonite produces the best luggage in the world, but I’m going with Travelpro. I’m an avid traveller who has tested out many suitcases throughout the years and I have no complaints about the mighty Travelpro brand. The features I care about most in a suitcase include a good handle, an overall lightweight case and having effortless mobility in all directions. Travelpro came out with a platinum line that seems to address all my concerns with an upgrade. We’re talking smooth-rolling wheels that give you precise control with 360-degree spinners, an extension handle with contour grip and rubberized touch points for comfort and with every model upgrade, they seem to shave off a little bit more weight off the case.
Final thoughts: Travelpro claims that their suitcases go through at least fifteen tests for distance, durability and temperature to make sure their fabrics, wheels, zippers, handles and overall bag design can exceed the toughest wear and tear and I believe it. The built-In USB port and lifetime warranty ain’t bad either.
Soul Self-Care
5) Galerie au Chocolat
I recently discovered this chocolate at the latest Gourmet Food & Wine Expo in Toronto. This brand only uses high-quality Belgian chocolate. Galerie au Chocolat is based in Montreal and dare I say, this is the best chocolate I've had that’s produced in Canada. So far, I’ve only had their Fair Trade Selection Bars that comes in over 15 flavours. The 72% Dark Earl Grey is my jam, as it’s speckled with actual earl grey tea.
Final thoughts: Galerie au Chocolat dark chocolate is made with only four pronounce-able ingredients: cocoa, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter and natural vanilla extract. When there’s so few ingredients, you can actually taste the quality and the actual cocoa. I can’t believe I just discovered this brand when they’ve been around since 85.'
Hair Self-Care
6) Organic Bubbles
I was sent to Allan Parss Salon to receive a treatment for my itchy scalp and instead the owner took one look at my hair and said, “screw the treatment, I’m giving you a haircut.” My hair was washed using Organic Bubbles shampoo and conditioner, a brand of hair care products designed by chemists and hairdressers. Free of paraben, silicone, sulphate and petroleum. Honestly, post-haircut, my itchy scalp instantly disappeared and felt clean and hydrated. I’ll credit Organic Bubbles products for alleviating the itch, but I also think it was partially because of the solid scalp massage I got throughout the process. The trick is to massage with your fingertips, not your fingernails, and really get in there with the product.
Final thoughts: I’m constantly trying out new hair care products, as I am hairstylists and I think I found my new salon and my go-to brand for shampoo and conditioner.
Skin Self-Care
7) BEE23 Natural Beauty
I discovered this all-natural skin care brand first at a pop up in Kensington Market. Then I kept running into the brand at farmers markets around the city. I met the owner who explained all the awesomeness put into these two-ounce jars. The balms are made with essential oils and natural ingredients, like beeswax, sourced from small, independent Ontario farmers. Plus, they’re made without elements of water, chemicals, fillers or synthetic preservatives which allows for a super long shelf life.
I love the BEE23 face balm, it melts into my skin, yet also acts as a barrier from harsh pollutants. It has that rich and luxurious feel without the rich and luxurious price tag.
Final thoughts: I can’t really complain about my skin, but during the winter I need something that makes my face feel hydrated, without feeling heavy and BEE23 face balm does exactly that. It’s highly concentrated, so a little goes a long way. For me, the face balm lasts six-to-eight months.
Body Self-Care
8) Hurom Juicer
This is my first juicer and it’s a game changer. I love that it’s compact enough to fit into my little kitchen corner and addresses my personal juicing needs. Hurom creates slow juicers designed to minimize the breakdown and oxidation of fruits and vegetables. This means the juice will contain more nutrients, so it's fresh, unprocessed and pure. Whereas, fast juicers have faster spinning blades that quickly breakdown fruits and veggies, but the heat from the blades can destroy the nutrients. Bonus, this juicer is quiet, while someone could lose their hearing when my blender is on.
Final thoughts: This machine is easy to clean because it’s easy to disassemble and assemble. Plus, I can repurpose the bone-dry pulp into homemade tea, muffins or even a face mask, so I can do my little part in reducing food waste.
