“Your eyesight has gotten worse”, my optometrist sternly said to me during my bi-yearly check-in. “Have you been wearing contacts?”
 
My answer, of course, was “yes”. While I’ve never been too finicky about my appearance (hold your comments, please), there’s a couple of things that I have never been able to do, and those things are 1) trying hats on in public and 2) wearing eyewear of any caliber.
 
For more than a decade, I have been quietly searching for the perfect pair of frames that don’t make me feel like a dingus*. And now that I’ve found them, I feel like now is the best time to introduce the first edition of “Things We Like”: a chronicle of all the things we (me + the K&P team) are stoked on every month. Beyond giving me the opportunity to find my favourites before you have to find yours, this series moreso gives me an excuse to listen to the clickclickclick of my keyboard as I attempt to generate a discourse re: how charming and funny I am.

I recognize that the “monthly favourites” format is nothing new and nothing innovative, my perspective and addictive personality is totally all NEW and therefore very important.

*Disclaimer: I think it is crucial to note that I think glasses are great and beautiful and people who wear glasses are ALSO great and beautiful! The right pair of frames really has the capacity to “complete a look” or “complement your personality”, and in practical terms, they also allow you to see the world clearly…which is TRULY A BLESSING! Unfortunately, due to my aforementioned Fear Of Eyewear (FOE), I have never been able to include myself in the fortunate mix of great/beautiful people with great/beautiful glasses…UNTIL NOW*
 
 

 
FAVOURITE #1: WARBY PARKER “ZELDA” FRAMES
Circling back to my glasses/the inspiration for this great piece of content, I forgot to mention that crux of my earnest conversation with my optometrist was the fact that I am rapidly losing my vision. I’m only 25, so this is bad. Essentially, Dr. Chung told me I HAD to start wearing glasses to give my eyeballs a chance to breathe. Contacts, I feel, are essentially little leeches that latch onto your eyeballs until they suffocate from lack of oxygen – and that’s so gross to me.
 
I figured giving my eyes a break once a week via glasses was better than her other suggestion, which was minimizing the amount of time I spend staring at screens. While I am a rational person, this is truly inconceivable. My job depends on my ability to stare at screens for 18+ hours a day and it’s a test of strength. I am career-oriented!! Anyway, in summary, my point is that I overcame my resistance to glasses and now I have these “Zelda” frames from Warby Parker and they’re the first pair of glasses that has actually made me excited to wear glasses…so thanks Warby Parker; this is my first favourite for January.
 
FAVOURITE #2: COCONUT CURRY
Because I wanted this to be a really well-rounded and relatable piece of content, I asked Dani Reynolds to contribute her favourite recipe. Eating is a basic right and food is always a positive thing for SEO purposes. Unfortunately, I don’t really cook anything outside chia seed pudding, and even that is essentially just congealed almond milk. Dani Reynolds says that this curry is really great for the winter months but I think she just wanted to photograph ramen noodle packages. She also added the next item to this list.
 
FAVOURITE #3: GLORIA STEINEM “MY LIFE ON THE ROAD”
I could bullshit my way through the curry recipe but it feels disingenuous to try and provide any kind of commentary on a fine piece of literature without having actually consumed it. I asked Dani Reynolds – who is a lot kinder than I am – to write a synopsis. Here it is:
 

By way of person anecdotes Gloria Steinem argues travel as a integral vehicle for personal growth. From social activism across India to First Nation’s pow wows in the US , she weaves tales of not only the places and faces she’s encountered on the road, but the ways in which they’ve shaped her views.

A suggested read if you’re considering a upcoming trip but not sure you can justify the time off work / monetary investment- in My Life on The Road Steinem offers tales of testimony to the power of adopting a traveler’s mindset. If anyone is qualified to speak on the matter it’s Steinem- a women who traveled so much that it was road signs that taught her how to read in the first place. 

 
FAVOURITE #4: COACH “WESTERN RIVETS SADDLE BAG”
In October, I decided the only way to get over my break up was to find a new look and revisit my #BohoDani phase (which I am beginning to think wasn’t a phase at all, but rather My True Self). I was unsure how to start because I was so distracted with crying, so I just started wearing a lot of brown and embroidered things. While this was well and good, I wasn’t fully committed to the look, even though it came naturally to me – like breathing. Fortunately, this all changed when I saw this Coach bag.
 
I realized it encompassed the KEY to kick-starting The New And Improved #BohoDani. I’ve been wearing it almost every day since because it perfectly fits my wallet and my keys, and therefore lightens the load of my signature tote bag lol. Because this is the first opportunity I’ve really gotten to discussing this bag and my revelation, I decided to take it even though it’s an ongoing favourite and not just a January one.
 
FAVOURITE #5: MARC JACOBS “DAISY ROLLERBALL TRIO”
Not only is the roll-on aspect super convenient, it’s the best for popping in your purse. I love variety and being able to switch it up ever so slightly between the 3 scents.
 
FAVOURITE #6: TIM HORTONS DONUTS
I’m not sure how this happened, but when the universe kicked 2016 to the curb, I found myself rejuvenated with a magnetic draw to Tim Hortons. It’s kind of inexplainable but I think about going to this Canadian Classic on the daily. When I go, I don’t always get donuts, but when I do they’re less chill than the ones displayed here. Also, for your reference, my favourite drink is a half coffee/half hot chocolate because it makes me feel like a small child. It is also comforting when the wind burns your face and you feel like all your energy is being sucked out of your body and all that can fix it is chocolate. I’m also down for a steeped tea.
 
FAVOURITE #7: BITE BEAUTY “AGAVE LIP COLLECTION”
And speaking of things being sucked out of your body, LET’S TALK ABOUT MOISTURE! Lol. Bite Beauty’s Agave Lip Collection has proven to be a godsend because I keep getting bedridden by the flu, and when that happens, my lips get dry / I die a little inside. I want to be always ready for a smooch (when I am in good health), and Bite Beauty has once again come through with the answer.