Exploring Canada’s Eastern Lands*

Canada remains a relatively untouched country for UK travellers, ands somewhere I personally would love to visit. Perhaps it’s because the US is more familiar, or because Canada is so big, but it’s a trip that few some to make. But this should change, for one simple reason: Canada is amazing! From the wonders of the east, to the stunningly flat middle, to the mountains and vibe of the west, it’s a country that has something for everyone. And if you’re worried about the flight time, don’t be: the eastern coast is one of the shortest transatlantic flights available! Below, we take a look at some of the exciting destinations located in the eastern portion of the country.

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Big City Fun

Toronto isn’t really in keeping with the rest of Canada. It’s a big city…that acts and looks like a big city! Indeed, the skyscrapers of the city mean it’s often used as a shooting alternative to New York City. Take a trip there, and you’ll find there’s much to see and do, from theatre shows to art galleries to sports events. Beware, though, the temperatures can get pretty chilly in the winter time (which can last for five months).

French Influenced City

People tend to think that the coolest Canadian city is Vancouver, but those people clearly haven’t been to Montreal. This is where it’s at! This is the city that produced Arcade Fire, and where Kit Harrington (Jon Snow from Games of Thrones) parties during the summer. There’s plenty of attractions, galleries, and museums, but the best way to experience the city is just to wander around and soak up the atmosphere. There are plenty of cafes, craft beer pop-ups, and delicious restaurants to keep you busy, as well as plenty of live music.

The Eastern Coast

The Eastern Coast of Canada is filled with natural beauty gems, small towns, and cities. Book yourself into Delta Hotels Beausejour, and spend some time exploring the area. The region is noted for its delicious seafood, dunes, dramatic cliffs, and wildlife viewings. While you’re there, make sure you check out some live music; this part of Canada has an interesting musical heritage, and it’s uncommon to hear traditional Celtic songs. There’s also St. John’s, which is the oldest city in North America!


The Thousand Islands Region

Love nature, and want to spend as much time as possible in it? Then check out the Thousand Islands region. It’s best in the summer when the region looks at its best and is teeming with events and activities. There are some thirty miles of trails that pass through creeks, woodlands, and nature preserves, so don’t forget your hiking boots!

Natural Beauty

Finally, don’t think that all the grand examples of natural beauty are in the west! They’re not. Eastern Canada is of course home to one of the world’s great sights, Niagara Falls. Pay a visit, go for a walk, and get lost in the captivating beauty of this dramatic spectacle. It’s better in the summer, but impressive whenever you go!

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Trade in and Cash Out*

Two things bought about the writing of this post- firstly discovering loads of old gadgets sat around doing nothing whilst having a tidy up the other day, and secondly I’m on a real money saving/making drive at the moment with the greater goal of car and home ownership, plus a wardrobe to replenish weighing heavily on my mind.

Once upon a time I was actually quite organised when it came to recycling old phones when I got an upgrade. There is serious cash to be made with a little bit of research and not a lot of effort. There are plenty of websites out there which offer easy price comparisons to make sure you’re getting the best deal for your model- I’ve even started to see deposit banks in supermarkets which means you can tie it in with your weekly shop.

I’ve actually just had a quick look and discovered that my soon due for an upgrade iPhone SE could net me upwards of £100 which isn’t to be sniffed at! You don’t need much information to get a quote either, just pop in whether your phone is working, what network you’re on and there’s often a few cosmetic questions too- is the screen cracked? for example.

Trading in your phone is also good for the planet- rather than sitting gathering dust and eventually ending up in a landfill, the company who buy your device will instead re-purpose it, either a refurbished model or by stripping down the parts or even just disposing of it in the correct way.
Unbeknown to myself (and I suspect to many) mobile phones actually contain precious metals such as gold and silver as well as other elements all of which can be recycled and repurposed in their own way.

What’s the best deal you’ve ever got when trading in or recycling an old phone or tablet? I don’t think I’ve broken £100 on anything yet but hopefully my luck is going to change!

Do you find this kind of post interesting? I’d like to share a few more money-saving/making posts in the future but only if people are going to actually join them.

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A Summer Wish List with Quiz Clothing*

Well, I think this might be some kind of record for absence of blogging for me. To say life has been a bit chaotic lately would be a complete understatement, but things are calming down now (I hope) and I’m finally getting some time and space to think about content again.

I’ve done a bit of shopping lately so I may well have some outfit posts on the horizon, but in the mean time, inspired by the current sunny weather and climbing temperatures, today I bring you a wish list from one of my top high street brands and one that has featured on the blog many times in the past- Quiz Clothing.

This wish list comes with the exciting news that Quiz have just expanded in to the USA following a successful expansion in to Spain- this means that more of you lovely lot will be able to shop their great pieces which currently includes a stunning selection of maxi dresses, jump suits, summer dresses and all of the occasion wear you could ever dream of.

Floral maxi dress: £29.99/$69.00 | Striped jumpsuit: £29.99/$69.00 | Tropical print playsuit: £26.99/$59.00 | Limited edition maxi dress: £34.99/$79.00 | Floral dress: £26.99/$59.00 | Striped jumpsuit 2: £29.99/$69.00

Right now it’s clear I’ve got summer, and holiday dressing on the brain. I’m eagerly counting down the days until I fly out to Portugal with Bob and I’ve finally ditched my winter wardrobe in favour of my summer one. It’s shown a serious lack of warm weather clothing actually, I’ve pretty much grown out of everything I own, which means there are probably plenty more wish list posts coming up as I am spending an obscene proportion of any down time I get scouring my online favourites for new pieces.

USA readers, what other UK brands would like to see make it on to your shores? Every one else, what do you think of my picks?

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