Tia Things

Hi Gems, I am so excited to chat with you today about this book. And I don’t want to be dramatic, but I truly think The Women by Kristin Hannah might have changed my life. Dare I say it? This could be the best book I have ever read. And keep in mind, I read over 200 books a year, so that is saying something. What makes this even more surprising is that the book is completely outside my usual content, genres, and storylines. On paper, there is no reason I should have loved it. Yet here I am, weeks after finishing, still thinking about it daily. If you haven’t read this book yet, pause whatever you are doing and hit order immediately. Kristin Hannah has now officially earned her spot as a repeat author on my Kindle. She has such a gift for bringing details to life, and The Women was the most incredible introduction to her writing. Fun fact: one of her other novels, The Nightingale , is being adapted into a movie soon. For my audiobook lovers, you will be thrilled to know I listened ...

Hi gems, Happy, happy Monday! ✨ Today’s blog is about a topic you know I hold near and dear to my heart, and something that deserves way more hype than it gets: BOOK CLUBS . I know reading is often seen as a cozy solo activity, curled up with tea, a blanket, and maybe a pet who insists on sitting directly on your book. But reading in sync with a group of like-minded people? That’s a whole different kind of magic. The laughs, the inside jokes, the “wait, you interpreted THAT scene how ?” moments… chef’s kiss. Currently, I’m living my best double-book-club life, and let me tell you, they are the perfect yin and yang. The first is pure girlhood joy. It’s with friends, there’s wine (a generous amount), amazing books, and just as many hilarious tangents as there are plot discussions. We rotate hosts, potluck style, so every meeting comes with new snacks, new stories, and that lovely feeling of walking into someone’s home where laughter’s already in the air. The group is a mix of old frie...

 Hey gems! I am back with a bit more detail on how we budgeted and paid for a 300 person wedding (A BIG ITALIAN ONE LOL). I get asked often how we managed and there are a few key items to note! 1. Research: I knew what florist, photographer, etc. I wanted but we still sent out emails and did some research with a variety of options in order to understand budget ranges, offering, etc. This meant we were able to at a minimum create a budget with ranges and desired spend on each vendor. This was key to having a starting point to work off of.  2. Prioritize: Once the research was completed, we sat down to review the tasks to do, vendor options, etc. and assigned a priority to each. Those with higher priority meant we were open to spending a bit more, versus lower priority meant using the least budget possible because to us they just were of lesser importance.  3. Overshoot: When creating your budget, always round tot he higher end of the budget. For example, if a vendor is cha...

 Ah hello gems! Welcome back to a wedding tip blog and one of the key items is the DAY OF! The day you have been planning comes quick but it also passes in a blur. Here are some tips to make sure you are fully present and enjoying it to the fullest: 1. Prioritize your partner: From the moment you are together, and throughout the reception, ensure to focus on time with your partner. A lot of people are there to celebrate you but don't get distracted taking shots or photos with friends when the truly important item is making memories together. You want to look back and have a similar recollection of the day's events, especially that you were side by side. This was a tip we were given a few months prior to the wedding and it was so true! 2. Something will go wrong, accept that: Something will go wrong inevitably, no matter how much planning you do you cannot control all items and that is something that is better to anticipate rather than trying to avoid. Big or small, the unavoida...

Hi gems, after soooo much time away from the blog I am back with a life update! I have now been married for a month and had the most incredible honeymoon! We are just getting back home and resetting into a routine. The switch back to reality isn't an easy one but we are still on cloud nine from the events of the summer so that certainly helps! So with that said I think we are well overdo on a life update! Your girl is welcoming fall after a month in Europe and an incredible summer! Not only did my bestfriends get married in the most magical day, but we got to have a summer filled with so many celebrations. Summer 2024 will go down in the history books for sure as a summer of love. I also had another major life change earlier in the summer, I changed job! After five years at an agency, with the people I loved and who taught me so much. I got an opportunity at a company that is HUGE and rated a top company to work for. The job itself and benefits made it a deal I could not turn down....

 Hey gems,  Reporting live is your 2024 bride here! Happy to report most wedding planning is complete, but we certainly aren't done just yet! As the process of planning a wedding is always both fun and stressful, here are a few tips I learnt along the way: Photo by Brightsight visuals  1. Have a vision Yourself and your partner should have a vision along with some general guidelines for the event and how you see it coming to life. Big, small, theme, style, etc. This is something that we were pretty lucky to align on from the start, but even then, when family and friends start offering input and suggestions, pushing for you to say YES to what they are thinking is a brilliant idea, it is sometimes so confusing to stick to your original vision. There are plenty of ways to compromise and make everyone happy, but knowing what your basis vision is really helps field some of those moments.  2. Learn about your circle Listen, everyone says you learn who your true friends are...

 Hi Gems,  Wow it has been a while. The last time I wrote and published on here was in October which honestly feels like a lifetime. As the holidays came and went, we rang in the new year and I find myself thinking a lot about not only lessons learned this year but the direction I want to aim for when going into 2024.  As you may know if you follow my other platforms, I am getting married this year which feels surreal! It's been so far away for so long and here we are counting down less then a year! I also am so proud of Tia things on Instagram , TikTok and Youtube because I really have pushed myself to create more all while having fun! With all of this in mind, here are some of my goals going into 2024: 1. Have a life outside of wedding planning  Wedding planning has genuinely been so fun and even in the stress-inducing times, I would not change anything for the world. I am so proud of how much we have done, saved, planned, etc. as we put together our perfect day....

Hello hello beautiful people! My goodness it feels like a lifetime has passed since I last typed onto this page. I have had a tone of TikTok success and I won't lie, it took all my attention! Lately my life revolves around my full-time job, wedding planning and trying to save money... not easy considering the wedding planning.  Here are some high level updates as to our wedding planning and stay tuned for a tone more updates and wedding content coming! 1. The venue, the vendors and the plan are all set! I was pretty lucky that my fiancé and I had a very similar vision for our wedding- a big vision. Unfortunately, we were a bit naive as to what the cost of that would be, but we are certainly learning to plan and save money more than ever. It is also the first time we are in situations where we need to decline plans because they are simply too expensive. Overall, the quick first months of engagement were really successful in planning and locking in location, vendors and putting down...

 Hi gems,  Happy happy Wednesday!  Today we are chatting about The Good Sister, my May book of the month! This is definitely not my usual romance or fiction recommendation, it is a bit of a mystery thriller because as you read, you are putting together pieces of a puzzle that don't fit. You have an eerie feeling the whole book, and are waiting for the other shoe to drop! The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth, is a fiction novel that follows two sisters through the diary of Rose, and the live perspective of Fern. Fern is such an interesting character, this is the first time I have read a character that clearly was on the spectrum of autism but it was never clearly said, this was something that readers gathered through her actions, social interactions and such. The whole book seems to be Rose taking care of Fern after a difficult childhood, but things quickly go darker.  As Fern gets pregnant, you start to see a lot of red flags as Rose is clearly more and more controllin...

 Hi gems,  I am catching up on a few blogs today which means catching up on the books of the month! This book was a really exciting spin on the "best friend's sibling" and I thought it was a fresh take on time jumps as well. the Sister between us by Hailey Dickert was a really fun and creative book that took us from childhood to adulthood of our characters on an unexpected rollercoaster.  The two main characters, Jake and Leah, have known each other their whole lives. Leah is basically a permanent fixture of his family as she is best friends with his sister Chloe. They begin a relationship as teens, secretly OF COURSE! The whole story plays out really giving us a sense of a usual sibling's best friend romance but when a few turns happen, there is a really unexpected plot twist that comes with this. SPOILERS BELOW Chloe and Jake have a great family but there are a few battles like their mom having left them and later being in jail. Jake tells Leah but they keep secret...

 Hi gems, Happy, happy, happy Spring! The rain and mud are upon us but the good news is that we know soon enough the blossoms are coming! I’ve decided to start a new series on the blog where I will showcase a book of the month every month that is my top pick!  In March, although many great books came and went, the biggest standout is hands down Every Summer After by Carley Fortune ! This book brought my soul happiness! The book is set on a couple and through time jumps, flashbacks and more, you slowly put together crumbs of a story that leaves your jaw on the floor!  Throughout the epic childhood and teen years of the main Characters Persephone and Sam, you know there are missing pieces you haven’t gotten to see yet. Especially when they cross paths again after a loss as adults. There is an obvious missing piece that caused issues but readers only got that details at the end and let me tell you… jaw met floor!  I will be doing a whole YouTube video on this book with...

 Hi gems,  Happy, Happy Friday!  Today we are closing out the year with our biggest lessons learnt in 2022, it was Ana amazing year overall with many lessons learned over time!  1. Take the trip: If you are thinking of taking a trip, be it for a weekend or a month, GO! There were so many trips this year for me, it was such a blessing and I truly look back with no regrets. Make the memories, explore the world, take a break from your routine.  2. Stop Comparing: In the past, I truly used to compare myself to others and have a lot of anxiety about trying to catch up or be something I am not yet ready for. Whether it be in my career, personal life or love life, I felt I always was moving to the next step. I now am so happy, I feel as though I am living in the moment more than ever! 3. Don't hold on: I am having a huge moment of gratitude for the people who surround me lately, its something I have thought of so much as I move through huge moments of my life and learn...

 Hey gems,  Welcome back to my blog! Today we are talking all things engagement! My longtime boyfriend and I are engaged! It happened one evening after work, the day before we left on our trip! I got home to our living space filled with roses, candles and of course OREOS! Not only was it incredibly romantic but extremely shocking as I thought it would happen during the trip or later on closer to the holidays.  The moment was not only so romantic, personal and is what my dreams are made of! We have since started planning and are officially set for a summer 2024 wedding! It is such a surreal moment in life to have something you have been thinking of for so long happen and unfold!  2022 has definitely been a year that I will cherish forever, at 25 I did 10 trips, grew my career, got engaged and continued to build my friendships. As we close out the year, there is truly no regret on my mind as I dive into the possibilities of 2023! Cheers to you all my babes, Tia

Hi Gems,  Welcome back to Tia Things!  Tonight we are chatting about mental health and some ways I have learned to put it at the forefront of my life. Firstly, I can't say I have previously dealt with a tone of mental health issues, but this year, after many difficult moments of loss, grief, stress, anxiety, things started to pile on. I dealt with my lowest lows, and have since then worked on maintaining the most healthy balance I can.  Of course, one of the biggest challenges is the fact that you cannot control the issues, difficulties or outside factors that come your way, so here are 5 ways I keep my mental health as a top priority.  1. Speak your feelings: I have learned that bottling things up, holding on, or trying to just "push through", doesn't work for me. I need to verbalize my feelings and mental state in order to move forward, through and onward. So first things first, I express myself in the good, the bad and the everyday. This is also great because as a...

 Good morning gems,  welcome to another blog about... you guessed it BOOKS! I read a 5 book series by Claire Kingsley this week called The Bailey Brothers . The five books follow four brother through a tumultuous few years where everything from prison to unexpected pregnancies happen. The books really create a gorgeous family dynamic that makes readers root for the brothers from the get go. There is nothing like loving every character in a book and then watching each grow by having their own books! Book 1 & 2 follow the oldest brother Asher in his love story and eventually in a huge 7 year jump due to a very sad turn of events. This duet encompasses all brothers and the repercussions of a tragic day hit the family for the three following books. I don't want to spoil things but the romance for Asher is really kicked off immediately when his childhood best friend comes home from college and he gets his head out of his ass. When all is basically a hallmark movie is when a hug...

Hey Gems,  Books you MUST read this summer to get the summer love vibes and adding in beaches of course whenever possible! Some of these aren't set in summer, full disclaimer, I also added some general feel good energy! Spanish love deception Identity  Bad Cruz Book Lovers Love and Other words The Summer I Turned Pretty  Heart Bones  The Game Changer The Love Hypothesis Things We Never Got Over Get them now for a perfect summer read! T

Hi Gems!  After a little hiatus Tia Things is back and ready to roll out some fun content! If you aren’t already, follow my IG @tiathings for constant content! This summer I am prioritizing me time, self care and everything that goes along with it, including skin care! After a tones of trials, I found a combo of 4 serums that are AMAZING for my skin and general needs for most skin care routines! Step 1: Anti-aging  Yes, you heard right, this 25 year old is prepping her skin for the future! I am starting my morning skin care with The Ordinary Buffet serum. It’s nothing that will cause potential harm and a simple step added to my routine that will help keep my skin firm. Not to mention, this brand is SUPER affordable! Step 2: Dark Circles Something I’ve noticed in the last few months is that my skin really isn’t shielding me anymore. If I’m tired, if I am stress or damaged by sun, it all shows! Dark circles have been a new issue for me so I started using The Ordinary Under eye...

 Hey gems,  Since we bought our house I've been getting tones of questions about how we did that at the ages of 24 & 25. I was raised to talk about money and savings openly, to ask all the questions and learn. So here are some of my biggest tips for all of you saving for either a home, large investment, or simply growing your saving account.  1. Know your accounts and what they are for:  Depending on where you live some of these may vary, but TFSA is a key for all round adults and of course saves you from being taxed. This is my #1 priority to fill every year and from there I go to my second savings such as RRSP and others. RRSP is a huge priority for me as I have no pension at my job, those who do, may not feel the need to invest this way, but it is essentially saving for the long haul. Every day checking accounts for me are my spending money, I move anything needed away from them because knowing me- it won't be there long! 2. Auto transfers : Automatic transfer...

 Hi Gems,  I hope you are all doing well and ready for another book roundup. The Vincent Boys: This two book series will hook you in and keep you right to the end. For anyone who wants a cute, easy read to fill their weekend these are the books for you. Abbi Glines does it again with this simple but addictive love triangle series between three kids who grew up together and the small town drama that surrounds them. The second book is a heavier, more twist and turns that shake the characters but keeps the easy read that we all love. The Summer I Turned pretty: This series has been my all time favourite since I was 16 and here we are 9 years later and I still have the same love for it. This classic coming of age story brings you into a world that is so relatable it almost hurts. Belly has been friends with the same two boys her whole life, but the difference is now they both seem to notice her. Romance, teen drama and so much more bring this three bool series to a close as you gr...

Hey Gems, I hope you are all enjoying the start of 2022 so far! As the year kicks off, the books I have been binge reading have been by Colleen Hoover. She is the master of plot twists and depth characters. I thought a great blog to kick off 2022 would be a review of some of her masterpieces! Regretting you: Regretting You is a story which follows the life of a mother daughter duo as they navigate some devastating losses and shocking truths coming to light. Going through their losses in very different ways, being a teen and young mom, shocking realities shifting their lives and old friends coming back into their lives sums up the different levels in this novel. From new loves to old best friends, these two go through the novel by falling apart before falling together. Although this story is really heart wrenching at times, it is a softer novel from Colleen, much easier to read then other novels she is known for the shock.  Verity : OKAY WTF! This book is the definition of plot twis...