Summer – A Sassy Lifestyle Blog

Beach It In NB – Canada’s Best Beaches!

Beaching it in NB – Canada’s Best Beaches

If you‘re wondering where the best beaches in Canada are, let me, let you in on a little secret, they’re in New Brunswick!! Yes NB, that little, sometimes forgotten province that you need to drive through to get to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Yup that’s the one!

And although we have beautiful beaches up the entire Acadian Coast, the best of the best are in the south eastern part of the province. Why? Because this area has the warmest waters north of the Carolinas.

Why is the water in this area warmer than Main which is just to the south of us? The area, between NB and PEI, is shallower because it’s in between two land masses, so it warms up quicker.

I bet you didn’t think this was going to be geography lesson? Keep reading, the pretty beach pics are coming up, lol.

This is my last map, I promise; now you may have noticed that PEI’s south side also faces the Northumberland Straight and you may be wondering if the beaches along that coast are just as sandy and warm as the ones on the NB side? Well probably, but those beaches are most likely full of potatoes and really who wants to lay on a beach full of potatoes?? I know that I don’t. (Please note that the amount of potatoes on the PEI beaches may be slightly exaggerated for comedic effect? But honestly, who really knows?)

What isn’t in question are the beautiful, sandy and warm beaches from Murray Corner, Cap Pelé, Shediac to just past Bouctouche.

How warm does the water get? In August the average temperature in Shediac can reach 24 degrees Celsius. That’s pretty much bath water for most Canadians, lol.

Now the beaches in Nova Scotia aren’t littered with potatoes, but they are very rocky, unlike NB’s sandy beaches, so don’t bother going to those.

The dark colour of the sand gives the water the most beautiful shades of blue.

We are also blessed with the highest and lowest tides…in the world!!! You’re probably a bit skeptical about my accuracy after my potato beach statement? But this is a fact, you can look it up if you don’t believe me. This freakish phenomenon means that at low tide you can walk on the sandbars looking for sand dollars or starfish.

The three most popular beaches are Parlee Beach in Shediac, l’Aboiteau in Cap Pelé and les Dunes in Bouctouche. But there are many more that are just as lovely, like Grande Digue, Caissie Cape and Cape Bimet. Soooo many amazing warm beaches!!!

Living away from the Maritimes for the last few years, I now have a new appreciation for fishing boats, lighthouses and colourful buoys. They are post card perfect and very Instagramable.

For my Ontario and Prairie readers, these are buoys, see below. They get attached to lobster traps and fishing nets. Each fisherman will have his or her own colour or their specific number on them. You don’t touch another’s buoys! Unless you want to sleep with the fishes.

The blue water and sky are made even more beautiful with pops of the bright green shades of beach grass. If you can’t see the beauty in this, then we can’t be friends, you can stop reading at anytime now, I am breaking up with you.

Our pristine NB beaches are littered with oyster, mussel and clam shells with the prettiest shades of blues and purples.

Having grown up swimming in the ocean this is my happy place, I love floating about.

The smell of the salty air is intoxicating, I think anyone who has grown up near the ocean feels the same way, even those from the PEI potato beaches.

Another bonus is that there really aren’t things in the water here that can kill you, even our jellyfish are pretty tame and they are all but gone by July.

Sooooo, this just in! Apparently there are great white sharks a little too close to the Northumberland Straight for my comfort. They’ve been spotted and tracked to the north and south of us, but there have been no sightings or attacks in our area. I am hoping the tides will keep them at bay? I’ve also been told that they have always been this far north, but we didn’t know until they started tagging and tracking them. I am choosing to not dwell on this so that I am able to enjoy my swims without hearing the Jaws theme song in my head, over and over again.

In August one of my favorite things to do is to meet a friend or two at the beach for an early evening swim. Watching the sunset from the water is truly magical.

And there is nothing better after a hard day of beaching than a fresh seafood feast!! Like, fresh, fresh!!

I do have to warn you that all day beaching, sun-ing and swimming is exhausting!!! Oh and I have one other cautionary advice for you, when snorkeling, don’t forget to put sunscreen on your butt, speaking from experience…ouch.

I think this picture above tells the tail of how exhausting all that sun and sand is; I could barely keep my eyes open while we waited for our fried claims and scallops at Pirate de la mer.

My plan is to get in as much beach time in the next few weeks until the air turns and gets cooler, announcing the arrival of fall.

Thank you so much for reading! Please check out my Instagram and Facebook accounts at: oui-liette. And feel free to comment, like and share.

muah!

Liette

Sorry to PEI and NS for the shade in this post, I still love you! But NB beaches are just better 😬

Summer in Bloom – Bucket List

Summer in Bloom! Bucket List

If you live in Canada, you know how precious and short our summers can be. Before you know it the leaves will be changing and fall will be upon us. In order to make the most out of summer, let’s make a list of all the summer things we want to do and then let’s get out there and do them!

Here’s my list, let me know what’s on yours.

1. Camping or Glamping

So camping hasn’t historically been my thing, but I just went on my first glamping trip and I loved it! There is some sort of camping for everyone, some like roughing it, some meh…not so much, lol. Whatever your preference, get out there and do it!! Even better, do it locally so that you can help support your respective communities that have been hit hard by the shut downs. Also all the cool places that are usually booked a year in advance may now have some openings, as less people are able to travel?

2. Beaching or Laking (yes, I make up words, deal with it).

I’ve discovered that my soul needs to be immersed in large bodies of water; it’s my happy place. True story, when I was a little girl I wanted to grow up to be a mermaid.

I’ve been to the beach several times and I hope to be many more before the summer is over. I’ve expanded my horizons a bit lately and have been to a river and a lake.

We are so fortunate to live so close to amazing beaches, rivers and lakes, yet some don’t make time to enjoy them. Get out there! Live a little.

3. Picnic

Here is my recommendation, I am going to call a friend and make a date to do it too, since weekends can be so busy, let’s make a date to meet a friend for lunch in a local park. You bring the sandwiches and have your friend bring the dessert or drinks, so it’s easier. It’s a great way to catch up, reconnect and get some fresh air. It’s also a great stress reliever and break in during a busy week.

Another option is lunch at a Food Truck, this can technically count as a picnic! And it’s supporting a local business.

4. Drive in

Drive ins are just plain fun and they’re the perfect way to socially distance. We have two drive ins in my area, one of them have been showing retro scary movies on Thursday nights. My friend Dawn and I are scary movie friends, we both like watching them, usually through our fingers that our covering our eyes, lol. We have just made plans to go this week, the are showing the original Amityville Horror movie…yikes! I’ll post some pics on my oui-liette Facebook page of our movie night.

5. Day Tripping

For this goal, get in your car and drive. Drive to the city or town closest to where you live, go for lunch, walk around, browse local shops and markets; take pictures and just explore.

The four Atlantic provinces have just opened up to each other, which is perfect for day tripping. I have a few day trips planned for the next few weekends, I love road trips! Go out there and make some family memories.

6. Farmers Marketing (the act of visiting a farmer’s market)

This one is so important; I feel like our collective goal should be to visit farmers markets at least a few times a month. This could be a traditional farmers market with a bunch of local vendors or go to the an actual real farm!

We just spent the weekend in Waterborough, NB and shopped at a local strawberry farm market, I got the yummiest jams. I’ve also recently been to The Green Pig and bought a bunch of fresh stuff there.

Go to local u-picks, buy direct from farms! I am already planning my apple picking trip to Verger Belliveau Orchards… ok my mini shop local rant is over, moving on.

7. I Scream for Ice Cream!

This is an easy summer goal that doesn’t have to be super complicated or cost a lot of money. I’ve been doing maybe a bit too much screaming for ice cream lately?

On the next hot day, find an ice cream partner and go to your neighborhood pop up ice cream hut. You may as well splurge for an extra scoop. Or go buy a tub of locally made ice cream and make a fancy Sunday at home; either option will be good enough to check this one off your list.

8. Bonfire

There is a theme to all my bucket list goals, it’s to slow down and take some time to relax and spend time with your loved ones or just alone time. This is a perfect excuse to do that.

Put your phone down, but keep it close tough, because you’re going to want to take a pic of your bonfire, obviously, lol. Take time to sit and look at your roaring fire, sing some cheesy campfire songs and roast some marshmallows!

Before you bonfire, make sure that your area is green enough to safely do so. We’ve been under a strict fire band for most of the summer, but we just had some rain, so we able to fire it up!!

9. BBQ but make it fancy!

This one is super easy, so I am adding a level of difficulty to it; make your next BBQ a bit fancy by dressing up your table.

Here’s an easy and inexpensive idea, use fruits and greenery as a centerpiece. I am going to try this at my next BBQ. I’ll post my photos on my oui-liette Facebook page, like my page for updates.

Another easy way to fancy it up is to add a big bouquet of wildflowers to your patio table, send me your pics!!

10. Be a tourist in your hometown

I try to be a tourist in my own region at least once a summer. I try to visit all the touristy places that people come here from away to see, but locals rarely go.

It’s fun to explore your local region and pretend that you’re a tourist, you can even buy a tacky t-shirt, live a little!!

I recently climbed up the giant lobster in Shediac, NB. I hadn’t done that in probably 20 years or more, it made me laugh, which is the whole point. What giant thing is your town or area know for? Whatever it is, go take a touristy pic in front of it; I dare you!

Thanks for reading! I am currently working on revamping my Instagram page, go check it out! And I’ll add additional pics on my Oui-Liette Facebook page once I check off more items off this list; so go like my page and gram page if you haven’t already!!

Thank you! Muah!

Liette

If you want to read more, here is a link of a funny one; Funny Things A Maritimer Misses When They Leave, I wrote this one when I was living in Las Vegas.

https://oui-liette.org/2019/04/28/funny-things-a-maritimer-misses-when-they-leave/

Happy Canada D’eh!

This is just a fun post of memes that will remind you how great and funny it is to be Canadian!

In Canada spring is either a tease, an urban myth or a big fat lie!

If you’re Canadian these guys don’t need any introductions.

We have snow and ice in our veins.

Our wildlife

The most feared creature in Canada and every Canadian knows this to be true!

I hope you all have a great Canada D’eh!! Do your country proud and be nice, kind and most importantly, be polite…please and thank you!

muah!

Liette

Here’s a bonus Canadian post from last year… you’re welcome!

https://oui-liette.org/2019/06/26/you-know-youre-canadian-when/

Springing Into Summer! (once we’re allowed out)

Springing Into Summer!

Let’s face it, spring has pretty much been canceled this year! So let’s focus on early summer shall we?

I think it’s going to be epic! And I really, really, really need to believe that this week in order to not lose my mind. So let’s start planning all the fun things we’re going to do and wear once we’re allowed to leave our homes.

I’m far from a fashionista; I pretty much always dressed in black, but I‘m going to fake it for this post and declare that I think the trend this Springummer, (just made that up, hoping it will catch on, lol), will be lots of bright colors.

It makes sense if you think about it; we’ve just survived a global pandemic for goodness sakes. We’ve gone days and days…and days without bathing. We’re sporting inches of gray roots and have had to Google; how to remove gel or acrylic nails.

The very second the social distancing order is lifted, we’re all running to see our hair stylists and manicurists. It only makes sense that we will also be gravitating towards bright and happy colors.

I’ve prepared a Pinterest Springummer mood board for us; you’re welcome! Now do I expect us to walk out of our houses looking like delish funsicles? No, this is just for inspiration, I wanted to show how layering bright colors together can be so pretty and cheery; who would have guessed that acid green, mauve and light blue would go together??

4A6E426D-3642-4209-841B-C9D41F057D5C — Pinterest Springummer Mood Board

Now I am going to need you to go check out your closets and take inventory of all the bright colored things you currently have, don’t roll your eyes at me, I know for a fact that you have nothing better to do! So go! I’ll wait.

4CECB9DB-DAF8-42A4-9278-DD8D2785D6FF — More Pinterest ideas on how to use bright colors in moderation.

Once you’ve finished taking stock of what you have, we can start planning our big Springummer kick off; ok, admit it, Springummer is starting to grow on you!

I searched my closet and I really wasn’t lying when I said that I wear a lot of black; everything I own is either black or gray!! Ugh this is seriously sad. I did find a few colorful accessories, but I’ll obviously need a few new bright key pieces.

Here are my colorful things; the shoes are two toned, pink and red, they are the most comfortable slide ons ever; the purse is a raspberry pink, it looks red in the pic. My little clutch is a Kelly Green and my shoes are acid yellow.

34FDF590-A465-4098-9628-90A8CBB1AE5C — Not much color in my closet!

On the top of my list of things to buy, while stuck in my house, is a nice pair of hot pink dress pants!
Will I be brave enough to wear a red blouse with it, à la Sarah Jessica Parker, as seen below? Maybe? But if not, my future pink pants would look super cute with a light black blouse and red shoes!! I could definitely pull that off!!

E755A898-59DE-4BDB-9003-DBF28A92A865 — Pinterest Springummer Mood Board

OK, I’ll be brave and I’ll add a red blouse to my future pink pants, because I am loving this look! I am also loving the the green and blue combo, so will give that vibe a try as well.

C31A4D6C-BA61-41A1-A0E2-59AB2AA1008F — Pinterest Springummer Mood Board

Sooooo who’s going to try to be a bit more colorful this Springummer?? Anyone? I hope this post has got you thinking ahead and planning what you’ll wear when we can go out in public again.

Thanks for reading, I needed something light and fluffy this week. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook at Oui-Liette; just in case you miss me in between posts, lol.

Oh and I’ve been told that I should have a link to other posts at the end of each new post. This one is proving to be my most popular post of 2020; it’s funny, you should read it!! It’s called: Bad Ideas to Avoid During Socially Distancing: https://oui-liette.org/2020/03/22/5-bad-ideas-to-avoid-during-social-distancing/

muah!!! Stay Safe!!
Liette

Oh and thanks to all my Australia readers!! I think Australians and Canadians share similar values and sense of humor? So maybe that’s why I am getting so many Aussie readers?? I love it!! Thank you!!

Behind the scenes

I’ve been adding a few behind the scenes to my posts lately, let me know if you like them or not?

Since we are housebound, I didn’t have my regular photographer to take my pics, but that didn’t stop me!

754D1848-5D63-4B3C-A566-965EB0B19EED — Photo by moi! My roots are starting to show, my next posts will probably feature hats!

Do these look like they were taken in a professional studio?? I think they kind of do. I took them myself in my living room. I tapped a white cardboard to the back of my couch; I faced my window so I had tones of natural lighting.

Ideally I should have worn a colorful top, but this gray top was…well it wasn’t black. I did add an extra pop of color with my lipstick and I had the prettiest pink eyeshadow, but you can’t really see it in the photos.

Here’s my high tech backdrop! It kept falling off; duct tape doesn’t stick on velvet very well.

Shark! How to survive an attack.

Shark!

In this post I will share my in depth knowledge on how to survive a shark attack. You may be wondering what makes me qualified to give such advice? Am I a marine biologist?? No, I am in marketing, lol, but! I have been watching Discovery Channel’s Shark Week for years!!!

Ok, sure, make fun of my qualifications, but if you are ever face to face with a great white shark, you are going to regret not reading my post!! 🦈

Tip #1

Don’t look like shark food! If you walk…or swim away with one thing from this post, it should be this; don’t look or act like something a shark would eat! So don’t look or act like a seal or a turtle.

Sharks often hunt from below and swim to the surface and attack! If you are on a surfboard, guess what? You are going to look like a turtle. My advice, don’t surf!! But if you really need to surf, go to Moncton, NB and surf the tidal bore; there have been zero shark attacks in the Petitcodiac River…you’re welcome!

Tip #2

Don’t hang around with shark food! A shark’s fav things to eat are seals. Let’s say you are minding your own damn business on your kayak and you see a bunch of seals frolicking around…leave! Sticking around is as dumb as those white people in all those horror movies who hear a noise and stick around to investigate instead of getting the hell out of there.

And if you do see a bunch of seals and then they suddenly disappear, you are in serious trouble, paddle your little heart out before you get eaten!

Tip #3

Stay calm and fight! Ok the chances of me staying calm if under attack by a shark are zero, but apparently that’s what you have to do. Sharks don’t like humans because we are too bony, so if you are being bit, you obviously haven’t followed Tip #1 and they think you are a seal or a turtle.

If you do find yourself in the jaws of a shark, you need to poke them in the eyes or hit them on the snout…mmm ok, I don’t know if a sharks nose is called a snout; but it doesn’t really matter, just punch them in that general area. This will let them know you aren’t a seal and they should let you go; good luck…oh and stay calm.

Tip #4

Be pro-active! There are some researchers who seem to think that sharks are attracted to the color yellow, so don’t ride a yellow surfboard or a yellow stand up board thing; just to be safe, I would avoid wearing a yellow swimsuit in any body of water that may have a shark in it, just to be safe.

There also seems to be an increase in attacks at dusk and dawn and when the water is murky. I am currently watching: I Was Prey, and both survivors say that they sensed something was not right before they were attacked. One lady said she saw a sea lion pop out of the water and it looked her in the eyes with a panicked look on its face. Now, even though I am not a marine biologist, I am almost positive that, that sean lion was telling her to get the f@&k out of the water!! Guys you need to listen to your sixth sense and the sea lion!

Tip #5

Ok, that last tip has stressed me out, lol. So tip #5 is that maybe you shouldn’t swim in shark infested waters??

But to be serious for a minute, the chances of being bitten by a shark are very slim. Did you know that more people die from snake bites a year than by sharks? Yup, worldwide, 200 people die each day from snake bites. So don’t be afraid of sharks, be afraid of snakes, lol.

So to recap, don’t look like shark food, don’t wear yellow, don’t swim in murky water and sea lions are your friends.

The photo above is my little brother and I getting ready for our first big shark fishing trip, circa 1976 ish, lol. That’s me on the left in case you don’t recognize me without my lipstick.

Thanks for reading as always! Be safe out there and enjoy the rest of your summer!

muah!

Liette

Friday Favs! Summer Edition

Friday Faves! Summer Edition

Here are a few of my favorite things that I am digging this summer; yes, I said digging, it’s cool again right?…no?? Please note, I am not getting paid by these companies, I bought these with my own hard earned money. But if anyone wants to give me free stuff, I am open to that!! Lol

1. TKEES flip flops

Living in the desert, I live in flip flops. I found these online and thought they were pretty. They come in a multitude of nude shades, which I love; I didn’t get a nude pair though, nope, I stuck with black, because that’s how I roll. But I did get a nude pair for my friend Staci for her birthday and I may get a second pair in nude for myself, because hers are so cute.

What makes these different is that you can get your initials printed on them. They print on one of the straps; it’s small, subtle, but super cute!

You can find them at http://www.tkees.com

2. Nova Scotia Crystal Glasses

My mother and my grandmother collected crystal glasses and I have to admit, that I considered crystal to be old fashion. But then I went to a dinner party and my hostess had the nicest, none granny, crystal stemware. I went on a quest to find a modern, yet classic, crystal pattern that I would have forever.

Ok, the rest of the story is that she got hers when she got married and a lot of the ladies were like, oh I got some when I got married too, but never use mine; I need to take it out, bla, bla, bla. The voice inside my head while all this was going on was like; I don’t need to get married to have crystal, I can buy my own damn crystal!!! Something like that. Lol

I was referred to Nova Scotia Crystal, their crystal is hand blown and are works of art, and the fact they are a Maritime company is a bonus! For my American friends Canada has 3 provinces known as The Maritimes: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

I fell in love with their Luna pattern, because I love polka dots!

Since they are pricy, I have been getting two at a time every few months. I now have 6 of the Double Barrel Tumbler and they are soooo pretty. They are super heavy and even though they are hand blown crystal, they are not fragile, so I won’t be afraid to use them.

Pick your fav pattern and add them to your Christmas list and ask Santa to buy you a few! Next on my list will be 6 of these old school martini glasses.

Seriously, how pretty are these!!! Check them out at http://www.novascotiacrystal.com, they ship to the US too!

3. Beach Book

I am not a huge self help book person. I actually bought this book for a friend, but started reading it and I am now keeping it. I may let her read it when I am done?…maybe? Lol.

The title caught my eye, but once I started reading, I really bought into his theory that we all have the power to change or make our lives different, we hold the power. And that the messages we tell ourselves daily help to create our reality.

I am almost done and I am really digging it! 😬. It’s an easy ready, bring it to the beach or to the lake.

4. Anything cacti!

These plates and paper straws from Target make me want to throw a BBQ. Anything cactus themed is all the rage this summer. And these were super inexpensive!

True story, I bought a cactus water color in Moncton, NB, Canada; got it framed, in Moncton, and lugged it cross continent to the desert in Las Vegas. I felt like they needed to be in the desert, lol. But I didn’t think it through completely, it would have been much easier had I brought the print with me and gotten it framed in Vegas. Oh well, live and learn! Check out the artist on insta: birch.house.lettering, she is super talented. Oh and it’s always cool to support local artists!

My cacti are similar to these, but way bigger!

5. Summer Robe

So this is what I do when I can’t sleep late at night? I shop for odd things. One night I convinced myself that I needed a fancy Asian vibe robe; I was actually looking at Asian silk pajamas, but settled on this. My white fluffy robe is just way to hot for the summer.

It’s really pretty and will last for a long time so it’s an investment…right?? Lol, actually it wasn’t that expensive. Google it on Amazon if interested.

My weekend plans are to slip into my new robe, read my book, while sipping lemonade through my paper cactus straw from my Luna pattern crystal glass that I paid for with my own damn money, because I am worth it!!!

What will you he doing? Whatever it is, have a fabulous time!!! I hope you enjoyed my fav things of the summer! Be sure to sign up so you don’t miss a post, because that would suck!

muah!

Liette