Striped Button Down Shirt and Jeans by Petite Blogger, Jackie Goldhar

The weather over the last week or so has been absolute perfection! It’s been sunny, warm and the outdoors has been calling my name. There’s so many different ways to enjoy the summer weather. You can simply lounge around in the backyard, go hiking on one of the trails outside of the city, or enjoy one of the many patios downtown. Over the last couple of weekends, I can happily say that I’ve done all of these things!

This weekend, I spent the majority of my time outside in the backyard, but last weekend I was out and about. Whilst I enjoy spending time away from my home so I can be in the hustle and bustle of the city, sometimes there is nothing better than being able to lounge around in your garden and make the most of this time that you have by yourself. So as I was making the most out of my yard, I started to think about the possible improvements that I could implement to make my garden look more appealing. Things like the fence could do with a bit of work, so finding the best fencing contractors in my area is definitely at the top of my list, and other things like cutting the grass or planting some beautiful flowers are also some things that I would love to be able to get done too. But this is for another weekend, and I simply enjoyed spending time in the house that I could call mine. And when I’m not doing that, you can catch me all over the place.

Last Sunday, Matt and I decided that we wanted to go for an afternoon hike. We were willing to leave the city, but we didn’t want to drive 3+ hours north. Thanks to his research skills (I suck at that stuff) we ended up at the Mono Cliffs Provincial Park. The Mono Cliffs are located on the Bruce Trail and the park has a ton of hiking trails to explore. The terrain was quite varied, which made for a really fun afternoon. It took us about an hour and a bit to get up there, but there was a lot of ground to cover, so it was worth the trek.

While it’s always fun to escape the city, it’s also nice to stay local.

I will always tell you that one of my favourite parts about living in Toronto (well, technically just outside of Toronto) is the food. There’s no shortage of amazing restaurants and cafés to enjoy. On this particular day, we were craving sandwiches…and I, of course, wanted a good one. One of my favourite sandwiches everrrr is the Chicken Club, from Black Camel – and Matt told me he had never been! Whhhhhaaaattt!!! We ended up picking up a couple of sandwiches and eating them outside at a small park across the street. And of course, as I type this, I’m re-living the fabulousness that was that sandwich. Beautifully roasted chicken, flavourful pesto mayo, crispy pancetta and slow-roasted tomatoes. It’s perfection in a bun! Yum! Sadly, I didn’t take any photos of the sandwich, because I was too busy stuffing my face. I guess this is why I’m not a food blogger?

After lunch, we went for a walk through a posh mid-town neighbourhood and towards the coffee shop, Boxcar Social. Aside from having excellent coffee, they have a killer patio. Unfortunately, it was too sunny (and crowded) to shoot any photos out there, but the interior worked just as well.

What I’m Wearing

I kept my outfit pretty simple; just a striped button down shirt and jeans. I bought the shirt at Zara last year, but there’s so many comparable options this year. I’ll link a few below! The jeans are a semi-recent purchase and I love them! They’re by a new-to-me brand, Just Black Denim and they’re not only flattering, but super comfortable too. I also love that the length works on my petite frame. Considering the quality of the jeans and the fact that they’re made in LA, the price point is very reasonable. I bought mine at Sense of Independence and they’re still available online here.

I can tell you honestly, as cute as my outfit might seem, I had major regrets about my shoes. The shoes are Keds from a Kate Spade collaboration. They look great and feel comfortable at first, but after doing a bit of walking, my feet were a disaster! I have very, very sensitive feet, so I should have stuck to regular running shoes and socks. I didn’t want to complain too much, because I always bug Matt about the importance of good shoes…and yet I’m the one who always has problems with blisters! Go figure.