Lifestyle | My #ThyroidCancer Story....

I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in April of 2017 and as a result, I took time away from the blog. There may have been a few blog posts I did, here and there, but truthfully, I wasn't able to keep up with the blog as I was feeling overwhelmed with everything.


Now that I am approaching my 1 year scan, I am ready to talk and share in more detail what has happened, how I found out, what prompted me to look for answers on why I wasn't feeling well. I also wanted to share my "in the moment" experience as it was happening to me.


I wanted to:

• Share things that helped me cope and stay positive
• Shed light on accurate info about Thyroid Cancer since there are many misconceptions
• Reinforce that every Cancer story and experience is so personal and unique
• Provide Thyroid Cancer/Disease awareness 

Therefore, I am scared/excited to share that I have finally recorded and posted my first two videos in a series of videos I will be posting on my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/MakeupbySand



I feel extremely blessed that I am here to share and just felt that it's the right time. Please stay tuned to the blog for updates on the videos that I will be posting on YouTube! I hope you find the time to take a peek. In the meantime, feel free to check out the newly posted videos below:



My Intro Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTy9xGgna70

My Real Time Video Pre-Surgery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ZQUBYKRLo

If I have learned anything during this experience is that life is short and you must start doing the things you want to do and not wait to live your life. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!!

Books | My haven for books (and more)! Indigo @ CF Sherway Gardens

So...yeah...it's been awhile, but like with everything in life, you need to take a step back and gain perspective. As the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder! (LOL)

Anyway, before I could come back to blogging, I needed to recharge and decompress. In my time away, here's what I have been up to:

1. READING! (When I was younger, I always had a book I read before Bed and I'm glad to say that the love of reading has been reignited).

2. Obsessed with my new fave TV Show: Power! If you don't know about this show, you need to LOOK. IT. UP!

3. Spending time reviewing lots of makeup videos (Basically getting re-inspired)!

I think it was important for me to take some time away, before I could come back and feel excited to share things that make me happy and smile! One thing I've learned is if you feel forced to do something, you lose your authentic self, which is what I didn't want for the blog.

So without further ado, I am sharing one of my many loves, which is my love for books! A perfect time for me to share my 1st visit and my overall experience of the NEW(ish) Indigo Bookstore at CF Sherway Gardens!

First Impression:

• Loved the layout, if you are into books, you can get lost in there, in a good way!
• Each section of the store is it's own room/space with comfy chairs and gift ideas
• The shelving displays are angled which displays the books perfectly, they're calling to be picked up
• Bright, airy and modern
• They have a PIANO on the second floor! (Yes, I played it with ZERO experience but IDGAF)

Here are a few pics from my visit to Chapters CF Sherway Gardens: 

1. Angled Shelving and Accessories for Inspiration

2. Beautiful Candles, Photographs and more!

3. My other love, COOKING and this section was amazing!

4. The EPIC Mug Wall - With the best sayings and quotes

5. Every notebook in every colour and size!

I also like how the space overall has a great vibe and flow. A few things I loved was:

• They have a beautiful American Girl section which I legit got lost in, and wished I could buy them all. (If you are not familiar with what American Girl is, you need to find out, the detail in their packaging and look of their dolls is epic).

• The epic MUG Wall! These mugs are perfect for work, for tea, for coffee and most of all...Makeup Brushes! Can I get a #YASSS :)

I would highly recommend to visit to Indigo CF Sherway Gardens! It's perfect for gift ideas, inspiration and a great place to find the next best book.

Happy Reading my fellow #booklovers!

Lifestyle | It's been awhile! Hair, Books & Makeup :)

Yes, I know, it has been awhile. Lots of changes in the start of the year that were super positive but also important things that took my time away from my blog. This doesn't mean I haven't been "cooking" on some new blog posts and fun things for everyone, just needed some time off the blog to live this thing called life.

Soooooo, here is what's been new with me and what's coming up on the blog....Take a look!

OMBRE/BALAYAGE

I finally took the plunge! I stayed in my comfort zone for the last few years by sporting dark(er) brown hair and took the leap to a golden/blonde ombre. Firstly, I'm not scared of colour since I used to colour my hair all sorts of colours and shades! But in the past few years, I got too comfortable (aka rut) and just rode out dark brown for as long as I could. Secondly, even though I am familiar with the whole process, I still am surprised to see my hair since I got used to seeing dark brown day in and day out. I love it and I feel more vibrant. Therefore, I would recommend anyone who's been sitting (safely) on the fence about changing their hair colour, just jump and do it! 

Here is my before and after:

This is a Phone pic, therefore not clear. Base is not that dark ;)

Interesting fact: Make up choices and typical go-to looks had to alter slightly, read more here on my blog post regarding changing your hair colour and changing your makeup: Click Here!

MY OWN PERSONAL BOOK CLUB
I love books and reading, and have finally committed to make a move to read through the high volume of books I have purchased/gifted in the last few years. I mean, I could be sleeping on potentially the best book I have ever read, but I don't know that because I haven't started to read them yet! I finally made the move and am doing pretty good so far.

Here the books that have been completed. (It's a list over 30 books, just saying!):

1. The Sweet Life by Dulce Candy - Great book if you are a beauty lover and in the business of blogging or would like to start a YouTube channel.

2. Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova - This book had me! I mean when you read a book and can actually picture yourself in the house and around the characters described in the book, it means it's a good book and well written! Lisa Genova is one of my fave authors and I have read 3 of her 4 books and I have not been disappointed. I will be adding the 4th one soon (Love Anthony) but need to get through my current unread books first!

3. Not that Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham - In progress - Loved her on her show the Girls, heard a lot about this book and love anything with reflection and wit! We shall see how it goes!

BLOG UPDATES:

1. New Product Reviews

2. My 1st Spa Review - Caudalie Skin Spa Facial

3. Spring/Summer Looks

No, I don't have SNAPCHAT but I LOVE the filters! :)

I am excited and re energized about blogging again. This winter was brutal but thankful for the Sunny days that have re-inspired me! Those who know me understand that I am thee happiest when I blog and I love and live for the makeup posts that I do and yes YouTube is coming, just needed more time to make it right!

Lots to come, thanks for checking in and keeping me inspired! :)

Celebration | Happy Birthday/5 Year Anniversary to #BlogbySand!

I am beyond thrilled to celebrate the Blog's birthday/anniversary! Happy 5 Years!!!

I intentionally started the blog in January so that it always tied to the start of the new year! My first post was dated January 2nd, 2011. I started this blog 5 years ago, yet the idea to start the blog was with me for many years prior to the actual start date. In that time frame, I was trying to gain the courage to start and share my words/images/opinions and ideas. With anything new, you fear the unknown and you want to ensure you are giving it your all! Once I was confident and ready, I started the blog, and I haven't looked back.

In the last 5 Years, I have shared countless Makeup Hauls, Product Reviews, Makeup Looks as well as my love of Books and Cooking. I started this blog as a way to connect with people who shared the same interests as me and a way to share my own personal thoughts. There have been a few personal posts which I also debated sharing but found a lot of support and love when I did.

So without further ado, in the name of walking down memory lane, I wanted to share some of my fave images/posts from the last 5 years, so here goes:

1. Favourite Makeup Look: Holiday Nights

2. Favourite Product: Maybelline Master Drama Eye Studio Cream Pencil

3. Favourite Photo: Posted on Instagram

4. Favourite Book: Gone Girl (So Far)

5. Favourite Recipe: Green Soup with Chicken and Veggies 

Announcement Time!
I am happy to announce and share that in 2016, I will be reviving the start of my YouTube channel!! I started it awhile back but am glad to say that am looking to launch my first (third) video this month! You will get the same vibe that I have set for the blog, but in video format. I appreciate all the love and support I have received over the years and want to continue to share content that is relevant to you and that I enjoy sharing! I also appreciate any content suggestions for the channel as well and am excited for this next chapter!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy 2016!!

Lifestyle | My Day-Off #Movie Lists

I am a movie lover! Other than severe Horror, I pretty much will watch anything! I do have certain movies that I love watching on Repeat, obviously not in the same day but more so whenever the opportunity to relax presents itself, these are the films that are my go-to's!

I have broken this category into specific sections or genres. Check out my list below:

Image courtesy: Google.com

Movies from Novels:

1. Memoirs of a Geisha

2. The Other Boleyn Girl

3. Gone Girl

Image courtesy: Google.com

Xmas Movies:

1. A Christmas Story

2. Elf

3. The Family Stone

Image courtesy: Google.com

Laugh my Bum off Movies:

1. Tropic Thunder

2. Dodgeball

3. A Night at the Roxbury

Image courtesy: Google.com

Business Movies:

1. Boiler Room

2. The Wolf of Wall Street

3. The Social Network

Image courtesy: Google.com

Rom-Com's and Female Lead Role:

1. Sex & the City 1&2

2. Legally Blonde 1

3. Devil Wears Prada

Action/Thriller:

1. Bad Boys 2

2. Fast and the Furious

3. Man on Fire

All of these movies are great to watch! Now I did leave out a very special genre which is the 80's! I intentionally did this because those movies deserve a blog post of their own! 

Lifestyle | Some Positive Inspiration

Every now on then we all need a boost or a reminder of good things and positivity! We are lucky to find really cool inspiration and positivity very quickly, thanks to Social Media. I cam across a few that I love and check them out below:

Starting your day with fresh, clear and positive ideas will stay with you for the entire day. And for those odd bad days, end your day with looking, reading or doing things you love! Enjoy!

Lifestyle | #MondayFunday aka Family Day Weekend (The Coldest Weekend Yet)

In Toronto, how lucky are we that during the coldest, possibly the coldest weekend EVER, fell on Family Day weekend. I am far from a snow bunny or outdoorsy but if I was, I would have parked my a** at home, which is exactly what I did.

The thought of leaving the warm cozy cocoon of my warm house far outweighed my desire to go outside. So for my #MondayFunday* I did the following: (*Normally reserved for Sunday but long weekends are the exception!).

• Colour Coded my nail polishes (If you are Type A, you would love this).
• Shredded all the crap that has been on my desk for months (Do I need those expired coupons!)
• Finally folded my laundry. (Washed on time but never ever folded on time SIGH!)
• Cleaned out my Beauty Product cupboard (That was a mission and a half, do I need a crimper?)
• Ate a lot of Brookside Chocolate covered Acai/Blueberries (No, this is not fruit, me nuh care!)
• Read a few more chapters from Mindy Kaling's book: A must read!!

Now at this point you may wonder, where is the Family Day in all of this, well we ended up having our Family time on Sunday with Pizza and laughs. I was super glad that the weather did force us to stay in, chill out and re connect vs. being on Go Go Go mode all weekend. 

I hope you all had fun with your Family Day weekend and stayed cozy and warm!

Food | Penne Chicken Veggie Soup Recipe

One of the best things to have when you are not feeling well or on a super cold day is Chicken Vegetable soup. As a kid, we loved getting either the canned or the packet version of the soup. As I started to learn to cook for myself, I wanted to be able to make it from scratch whenever the mood struck. Here is my take on a classic Chicken Soup!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Bag of Penne Pasta or Noodle of your Choice
• 5 Carrots Sliced
• 6 Celery Sliced & Diced
• 2 Cups of Rotisserie Chicken - Shredded
• 1 Small Onion Diced
• A pinch of Thyme
• 2 Tablespoon Margarine
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon of Garlic or Fresh Garlic*Optional
• Water to fill 3/4 of Pot Used

Grab a Large pot and over medium heat add margarine. Add a piece of onion so you can gauge the heat of the melted margarine, but once you see the onion sizzle, add the onions, carrots and celery. Toss together and cook for about 5 mins.

Add the bay leaf and the thyme. Cook the vegetables until they are softened. Be sure not to over cook them.

Add the following seasoning (Salt, Pepper and Garlic). Toss together and heat for another 5 minutes. Now add the shredded chicken into the pot and combine the veggies with the chicken and mix well. Cover the pot with the lid and leave on Medium High heat for about 5 minutes.

Now slowly add water until the pot is 3/4 full. But you want to add the water, a cup or two at a time. Turn the heat to high. Each time you add the cup of water, you want to wait till that water boils before you add each additional cup. Once the last cup of water has been added, then wait for it to boil and then add your pasta noodles. Cook for the allotted time for the pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, remove from heat and cover with lid. 

Voila!! Your grown up version of Chicken Noodle Soup = Penne Chicken Veggie Soup! This is the perfect meal for whenever you are feeling under the weather or nostalgic for your childhood!

Food | Curry Chicken with Potatoes & Wild Rice

I love to cook and typically I spend the time to shop, prep and create an epic meal. But with life today, I have learned 3 different ways to make one of my favourite dishes, which is Curry Chicken and Rice! Each version tastes great and has subtle changes but in the end make for a delicious meal. I like that depending on my day or schedule, I can pick the version that works for me.

This is the quick-fast version and is a one-pot recipe that uses Rotisserie Chicken and cuts the cooking time in half, and it turns out great!! 

Ingredients:

•          1 Rotisserie Chicken, Skin Removed
•          1 Large White Onion or 2 Medium Onions, Diced
•          5 Roma Tomatoes (Or 1 Large Can of Stewed Tomatoes/ 2 Containers of Cherry Tomatoes)
•          10 Small Potatoes, Halved with skin on
•          2 Cups Wild Rice
•          1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
•          2 Tsp Chopped Garlic
•          1 Tsp Chili Flakes
•          1 Tsp Salt
•          1 Tsp Turmeric* Some people will opt to get Curry Powder, which is not the same as turmeric.
•          1 Tsp Garam Masala (Optional)
•          Handful of Chopped Cilantro (Optional)
•          Water, ¾ filled in the pot
•          2 Tbsp of Margarine or Preferred Cooking Oil

Since this recipe includes chicken that is already cooked and prepared, you only need to spend time on making sure that your sauce is prepared.

On high heat, in a large pot, add margarine and place a piece of chopped onion into the pot to ensure the margarine is hot. Then add the remaining onions. After a minute of stirring the onions with the melted margarine, add Garlic and chili flakes. Mix together.

Reduce the heat to Medium High and sauté onions until they are golden then add the remaining spices (Salt, Turmeric, Garam Masala). Stir and mix together. Add about a cup of water to this mixture after 5 minutes to de glaze the bottom of the pot.

Add 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice and the Tomatoes. Stir together until mixed. Lower the heat to Medium and partially cover the pot for 5 mins. Once liquid is released from the tomatoes, add Potatoes. Stir the mixture until the potatoes are properly coated.

After about 5 minutes or so, add remaining water to the pot. Increase the heat to high, uncovered until it comes to a boil. Add half of the cilantro to the pot. Stir and add the chicken along with the rice. Mix well and reduce the heat once it comes to a boil for a final time.

Reduce the heat to medium low, uncovered and keep checking on it until the rice is cooked along with the potatoes. Once cooked, shut off the stove, and cover with lid until ready to eat! Before serving, top bowl or plate with a touch of Cilantro and pair it with a crisp green salad!

Stay tuned for more Food Blog Posts for 2015!

Lifestyle | Happy New Year - Welcome 2015!!!

The start of the new year brings hopes, resolutions along with the multiple ways you may want to spend or celebrate the new year. Along with the new year comes with the the list of things you want to complete. 

My wish for myself personally is to do the following:

- Blog More

- Spend time with Loved ones

- Take at least 2 trips for 2015

- Continue making healthy choices

- Documenting and acknowledging more of the positives of the day

- Spend less time on irrelevant details and spend quality time

- Keep pushing forward no matter what

- Spend less time on Social Media, spend more time being social

- Write more and read more

Makeup wise, I would like to do the following:

- Attempt to do makeup videos

- Do more makeup looks as well as adding more creative aspects to the looks I do

- Review trends but make them work for me and for my clients (ie. Instagram Brow etc)

- Do more makeup reviews 

- Blog More (On both lists!)

These personal notes are more of a blueprint of what I would like to accomplish for this year. This is the perfect time to reflect and reset. Keep yourself in mind on what you need to do for you and everything will fall into place. I am going to share what I posted to both Facebook and Instagram yesterday:

Whether its a time to get glammed up, get the party started, get dinner or drinks, get pyjamas on, get little ones in bed, get your blessings in order, get your self set up in front of the TV/Netflix, get hyped for the new year ahead...whatever it may be...Be Thankful, Be Present, Be Supportive, Be Patient, Be Understanding, Be Optimistic, Be Kind and Be Open to the moments and not things that 2015 will bring. Happy New Year everyone!

Whatever you decide to do or reset for 2015, I wish you courage, support and love! Hope everyone had an amazing time ringing in 2015 and wishing and sending all my best to you! xoxo

Lifestyle | Vacation vs. STAYcation... Pros & Cons

There are many of us that count the days, the hours and the final minutes before a vacation. It's the same feeling we had as kids on the last day of school, knowing the end of structure, deadlines and being indoors is over and freedom is a second away!

Recently people have opted to take Vacation time and use that time to stay home and not actually leave to go anywhere! Fondly, a new term was invented to refer to this time off. It is known as a STAYcation!

Vacations away were popular and still are of course. There are many of those who love to plan, budget and swear that leaving to go away is the best thing. However, there are the other group of people who favour relaxing at home and having that time off locally is enough to recharge and relax.

Now I have done both, and to be completely honest, I love both! However here are the comparisons in my mind, the good and the bad for doing either.

Vacation Benefits:

• Exotic Destination
• Better weather options (if you go to a hot destination during Winter Months)
• Variety of AMAZING Food Options
• Numerous amenities (Room Service, Spa Service etc.)
• Entertainment Options (Casinos, Bars and Clubs)
• Couples only options as well as Family Friendly
• Relaxation options are endless and you go home with an amazing tan!

Vacation Downside:

• Depending on the travel rating, the destination may not be what you expected or read about.
• Tropical destination also carry the risk of tropical storms
• Food Options can be dismal or not exciting
• Too many amenities to enjoy (Think Vegas! A good and a bad)
• If the hotel has a down season, the entertainment options can be limited or closed
• If you are looking for relaxation and end up in younger demographic resort or vice versa
• With a beautiful Tan also comes the risk of an awful one! (Think "Glasses" Tan)

I have been blessed to have gone on a variety of vacations and I have enjoyed my time and my destinations accordingly! What I dread the most is the time when you board your plane and head back to your normal routine, it's such a downer! Especially when you get off that plane and the Toronto Weather welcomes you back with a cold weather slap, which is always refreshing (NOT!).

STAYcation Benefits:

• You can pretty much do whatever you want
• There is not cost, so you save money
• No worries about packing or waiting in lines for your plane
• You can do a variety of things, catch up on good TV or nothing at all
• If you are a home project lover, you can finally get those things checked off your list

STAYcation Downside:

• Sometimes the things you want to do you opt not to because you become too relaxed
• If you are a social butterfly, you can end up spending money but not as much as a vacay
• Weather can also be a factor. The one week you pick can either be cold or blah
• Being home might force you to do those tasks which end up tiring you out
• You may end up watching too much TV or overkill on Reality TV (which can be a good thing too)!

The good thing after a staycation is that it forces you to be creative and see your own city as a playground. Also, each day moves slowly because there is no time limit on what you have to do. So your days seem to last longer which makes your vacation seem longer.

Whatever you decide, time off is time off, and be sure to un-plug, disconnect and enjoy whichever option you pick! I think it`s good to alternate time off between Vacation and Staycation options. So my next vacation will be a trip away, we shall see!

Lifestyle | My 30 Day Detox from Celebrity Gossip

OK, I have finally decided to fess up and admit that I am a gossip lover! 

From seeking, reading, twittering, facebooking to instagramming, I am a little obsessed with Celebrity gossip. The thing is, as much as I LOVE it, I also hate Celebrity Gossip, like I mean, I detest it. I cringe to myself when I speak to a group of friends or colleagues and our normal conversations somehow become about the infamous, pseudo or wannabe celebrities! What starts out as a seemingly normal conversation has now turned into a conversation about people we will never meet in our lifetime, yet we all participate in dissecting, analyzing, gossiping and of course judging...therefore I cringe. 

However, when I get home, my night time ritual of web surfing allows my hate to fade. My once strong opinions about them, such as what they should be doing or not doing alters because now I seek their lives in photos, which I do INTENTIONALLY every night! I am like a fiend, I must have my fix! I feed this need to be a voyeur then have the strong need to expunge whatever I have seen. A true love hate relationship but I can honestly make the statement that I truly am a celebrity gossip addict.

Like with any bad habit that you find yourself participating in, you must do a number of things to modify or correct the behaviour. My steps of how I tackled this problem are listed below:

1. Admit there is a problem

2. Deter or delete any triggers of celebrity gossip

3. Replace the bad habits with good habits

4. Do it for 30 days to ensure success.

So, I took the time to tell a few people that I am not going to watch Celebrity Gossip or seek out their photos for the next 30 days! The common responses were:

“Are you serious? There is no way?”

“Well what will we talk about then?”

“Do you really think you can do that for 30 days?”

Or my personal favourite:

“How about I tell you about celebrity news and that way it’s not you seeking it, but me telling you?”

Clearly I had a lot of support (NOT!) Lol! After admitting my plan, I deleted a few celebrities off my Instagram and then cleared my web history and deleted the celebrity sites from my bookmarks. I thought, OK, I can do this. In order for me to survive, I had to purge on all the gossip I could get my hands on. Once I did, I felt confident in my plan!

Now, for all the extra time that was spent on gossip reading, I opted to Learn. So instead of going to my go-to celeb sites, I opted to go to regular vanilla flavoured News sites. I started spending more time focusing on me and my goals. I picked up some good books, corresponded with family, spent time with loved ones and cooked a new meal that I got off the net. At work, the conversations I had were more fulfilling and not so superficial. It was nice that I can hear about someone’s day versus what celebrity x wore and debating the merits of his or her body parts. #Truth #RealTalk. The month allowed me to make connections that mattered not empty ones.

I am glad I chose 30 days for this detox. There were many arguments on the merits of changing bad habits within a certain number of days. Some argued 21 whereas I read even 28 - 30 days can help. I chose to detox for 30 days since I wanted it to be a full month with 1 day of Celebrity Gossip overload, which I did indeed!

Once the 30 days were up, I have to be honest, I felt smarter, well-rounded as an individual and felt clear headed. After the detox, I occasionally go on the gossip sites and pick out a few articles to read. The time spent has been cut down tremendously. I realized I was more attracted to Entertainment News versus the hear-say gossip that I used to prefer reading about.

The detox worked for me! Go ahead and try your own 30 day detox and see how it can work for you!

Lifestyle | The #RealTalk of Food

Countless images, swirling and rotating through from top to bottom on our phones, tablets and laptops. We view, review, judge, discuss and eventually swipe our thumb downwards to the next one, or do the ever anticipated double click, the sought after "Like".

This occurs for the variety of images on various topics that we see daily with these handy devices. For this post, I wanted to talk about Photos of Food, specifically starting with the lost practice of Dinner time, what it meant and what it means now. Also, I wanted to share Social Night Rules and Etiquette tips to try the next time you are out and finally Instagram content of Images and what we should truthfully post.

What Dinner used to be about...

Dinner was a lovely time when family or friends got together around a dinner table and guess what actually TALKED to one another while enjoying a meal. Not a fancy meal, not a 5-Star Meal, not a picturesque meal but a regular meal. On occasion it would be fancy, but for the most part, it was about eating together no matter what was on the menu.

I remember those days so well as being my fondest memories with family. Sitting at our house or a relatives house, we would rush to the dinner table along with the rest of the cousins. We would be anticipating the food, the food accidents or the potential food fight, the funny food faces or giggle at the one cousin who never ate anything and got scolded for it.

At home, dinner time was the time of day where we would get together and sit and talk about our day, the good the bad and the ugly.

Now, it isn't quite the same. It's interesting and sometimes sad to see that there are a lot of people who have no recollection of this, or are too busy with their devices to have these kind of memories. I fondly look back to those times with others enjoying a meal, and I wonder will kids in the present, say years from now, "Oh I remember where I was when I hit that level in Candy Crush!" Seriously? #JustSaying! It's definitely a different time, but at what point did we become so connected electronically that we disconnected in person?

Social Night Rules
Now I am guilty also, if I am out with friends or family, I will tend to grab my phone and start taking photos like no tomorrow of my meal. To be truthful, I enjoy sharing photos but at the expense of the moment with friends or family is not cool and when I was called out on it, I realized I need to be mindful.  So here are some rules I use and what you can try to adopt when out with friends or loved ones.

1. Never ever take a photo of a meal, if a loved one has asked you for your undivided attention. Nothing can be more annoying then having someone fiddle with their "Filters" because they must post that pic right away, while you are waiting to continue your heartbreak or revealing a deep situation during dinner.

2. Decide if you want it to be a Phone Free day, as in, put in in your bag, pocket or away. And learn to be in the moment. Learn to laugh at what just happened vs. what was seen on your phone. It can be a thrilling experience to enjoy it live than to be bogged down taking photos the entire time. Especially if you are not a tourist.

3. If you cannot live without documenting aspects of your life as is the case with most of us now, then be mindful of the times you are taking the photos. Decide to do it at the start of the night, once when the meal comes out and then a night cap pic. That to me would be the best of both worlds, but you can pick and make it work for you. It's simple and can help you be more present.

Instagram Posts - So why does it have to be gourmet or 5-star?

Now with these cool Social media sites and apps, anyone can take a regular picture and evolve it into a work of art or Photography. But lately, all I tend to see is pics of 5 star like foods or meals? Why can't there be a gorgeous shot of good ole Kraft Dinner and hot dogs, or Indian Dal & Roti, which was a staple meal once a week at my house. Let's post what's true in addition to the glamorous food we get to eat. I think if we are more truthful to what we post, the more enjoyable it will be when looking back at them.

As I said, it's habits we have all picked up from this social media world we live in and we have to stop for  a second and perhaps take some steps back. Enjoy Dinner again without having to whip out the camera, develop proper social media etiquette and be real when it comes to what we post. On my instagram, my pics of meals are a mix of fast food or home based food pics that are authentic and organic to me, and guess what, it works for me. Because it's my #RealTalk of Food!