fbpx

Brent Colmer - boy who blogs

Creator, marketer and influencer in Durham Region, Ontario.

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to get your free checklist to help increase your Instagram engagement!

Thanks for subscribing!

BROWSE BY TOPIC

BLOG

[AD] A Couple’s Adventure to Grand Bend Beach and Pinery Provincial Park

featured



When Aaron and I agreed to take a quick getaway to Ontario’s beautiful Lambton Shores, we knew we were in for a treat. Grand Bend Beach is often referred to as one of the best beaches in Ontario. I can honestly see why. It’s one of many beaches along Ontario’s Blue Coast. This was the best beach that I have been to in Ontario and I mean it! We set off for an adventure filled with beach vibes, forest trails, and a dash of Mexican flavour.

Grand Bend Beach
The beach is as fabulous as you might have heard. I have heard of Grand Bend Beach but I haven’t heard much about it. This actually made me pleasantly surprised. We really loved how much waterfront access there was and how clean it was. The soft sand was perfect for a barefoot stroll and the water was so clear that you could see your toes. I’m not kidding when I say this beach had us swooning. How lucky are we to have this in Ontario? We spent the afternoon exploring the area by foot and getting a sense of where things we located. Of course, I had my phone and my drone out to document our explortations. Yes, I was technically working but I definitely enjoyed the easy-going beach town energy. The beach area specifically is a vibe and one that just makes you want to relax and soak it all in. Plus, there was a really great platform, or building, along the beach to get a great view of the beach.

I’ve got two tips for you: if you’re planning to capture some sunset magic, make sure your camera’s ready—those golden hours go fast, but the glow? Totally worth it. We also went to the other side of the river for the sunset, over to the Marina, it was less busy on that side but we didn’t know that.. we just wanted to see that side so we took a walk over. Also, totally worth it!

Pinery Provincial Park
The next morning, we had breakfast at the beach and then we swapped the sand for the serene beauty of Pinery Provincial Park. If you are following me on social media, you very likely know how much Aaron and I love hiking and exploring different Ontario Parks. This provincial park was one of our favourites. It’s located a very short distance from Grand Bend Beach so allowed us to maximize our time and spend less time driving to the park but it was quiet and felt remote. We hiked and were mindful while checking out two different trails and trying to identify trees (that is our new thing lol!) For anyone who loves a good hike with views, Pinery is a must. It was well marked, clean, and the views of the waterfront and look out points were spectacular. The trails range from easy strolls to more challenging, there’s something for every fitness level. Honestly, we crushed those trails in about half the time of the posted time for each but that was a nice surprise because we got to see more of the park. If you’re lucky, you might even spot some wildlife along the way—though I think my singing along the trails and non-stop chit-chatting with Aaron might have kept most of the wildlife away.

Our Stay at the Luxury Lakeview Condos: The Bend located on Main St W
We stayed at The Bend while we were in Grand Bend and let me just say, this place is perfect! The location on Main St really allowed us to experience Grand Bend in the best way. We had underground parking but we could walk to the beach, to the shops and to dinner. The modern design, spacious layout, and that balcony view? Pure bliss. These luxury condos are new and there is even a rooftop with a hot tub. Something to consider? Maybe a Fall or Winter trip to Grand Bend.

Dinner Date at La Playita Mexican Restaurant & Bar
La Playita is Grand Bend’s little slice of Mexico. This spot sold us on the cute backyard patio, it’s a pretty big spot and I could tell by how busy they were that this would be a good spot to eat at! We had tacos al pastor, beef chimichangas and of course, margaritas. It was the ideal way to end our day, with just the right amount of spice, flavor, and that warm, welcoming vibe that makes you feel right at home.

Pro tip: ask for the Spicy Pineapple Coconut margarita, it’s not on the menu but our server tipped me off on this one.

Lambton Shores
Lambton Shores was everything we hoped it would be—relaxing, inspiring, and filled with those little moments that make life sweet. Whether you’re a couple looking to reconnect, a content creator searching for the next great shot, or both, this area has something special to offer. From the stunning sunsets at Grand Bend Beach to the peaceful trails of Pinery Provincial Park, it’s a destination in Ontario that you should check out. So, grab your bestie, your partner or your family and make a trip to Lambton Shores for a getaway that’s as picturesque as it is memorable. And don’t forget to check out more about this area on Ontario’s Blue Coast.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: 2023 SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

featured reviews

This is my chance to support small businesses by highlighting their products on my social media and by creating a backlink to their websites or socials (great for their SEO!) This year is the fifth year in a row that I have done this holiday gift guide which features Canadian small businesses. From cards and cookies to dog charcuterie and candles, I’ve included something for everyone.. including your favourite four-legged friend.

RUSTIC CANVAS CO.
You really cannot go wrong with giving a custom doormat. With Rustic Canvas Co. you can select a pre-made design or have a custom design made. This year we worked together on a custom design that included a home address on it! Other ideas could be a family last name or something festive like a holiday design or a pun!

CREATIVIEN STUDIO
I am such a sucker for cute cards. The one you can find in my post that says “I hope you love the Christmas present you told me to buy for you.” made me laugh out loud. That is so my family. I love the simplicity of the designs they have to offer. Beyond Christmas cards, they have greeting cards for all special milestones and events. They also have super cute paper goods and pencils!

BLAZING BOMBS
You can’t go wrong with giving shower steamers. As someone who only has a shower and no bathtub, I always get said when I receive bath bombs. However, Blazing Bombs has such a variety of products that you’ll certainly find something to obsess over. For me, that’s the shower steamers. This year I got the Grapefruit scented ones and let me tell you.. the scent is strong but in a great way. The scent doesn’t seem artificial at all… because it’s made with essential oils!

SOY CANDLES BY MARISSA
A Roasted Chestnut scented candle or any holiday scent is the perfect gift to give this year. Marissa’s holiday collection includes so many scents such as Gingerbread, Spiced Cranberry, Hot Cocoa and Christmas Tree. I love that she uses mason jars for her candle vessels because when I blow the candle out, I can quickly cover it up with the lid! Soy wax is a natural and renewable resource. People like using soy wax because they burn nicely and the soy wax is biodegradable and cleans up with plain old soap and water.

HEART AND SOUL DOG FOOD CO.
You cannot forget about the dogs this holiday season. While you’re eating your warm appetizers and picking away at your meat and cheese boards.. they’re just waiting for something to drop on the ground. This year, we’re bringing a dog charcuterie board to our family Christmas so that Nori (our dog) can share with her cousins! This board is fancy. It includes freeze dried cheddar cheese and freeze fried salmon as well as dehydrated beef lung, smelts, beef/blueberry sticks and turkey/pumpkin sticks. Talk about spoiled! Check out the vacuumed sealed bag and the cute way these are prepared on a tray for your favourite pup!

ORIGO FOODS
Okay I have tried freeze-dried candy before… but never freeze-dried fruit! This is a great (new to me) product. They have raspberries, bananas, apples, blueberries and strawberries. This family business is on a mission to make healthy snacking easy and delicious. They’ve created a nutritious snack that is full of flavour. My favourite… the strawberries!

FROSTED FLOUR CO.
These are some of the most detailed cookies that I’ve ever seen. They’re beautifully decorated and handcrafted designer cookies. In this guide, we’re featuring a holiday gingerbread man and a cute little house. If you want to be wowed by cookies, these are the ones to check out. They are too cute to eat… but you know I love a good cookie.

Want to see these products on my Instagram? Check out this Carousel post!

Want more ideas? Check out my previous Holiday Gift Guides for 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: 2022 SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

business

As far as my Christmas shopping goes, I feel good about what I have so far but I am not complete. November really did fly by! I have already been to a holiday party but most are later this month.

Looking back, I am so excited that this is my third year of doing a holiday gift guide. I really love doing this each year. This is my chance to support local brands by creating a backlink over to their websites or socials (great for their SEO!) and by creating content and awareness for them on social media through inclusion in a short-form video posted across my socials. This year is the first that I’ve done a video for the guide, but that’s where we are at in 2022! So here is my local holiday gift guide for local businesses in and around the Durham Region!

UNDER THE STAIRS PAPER CO.
I just love cute cards, I really do. I love buying them and I like getting them. The ladies (Julia and Diane) at Under the Stairs Paper Co. make funny greeting cards and paper goods. The style of their cards is cute and original, something you just have to see for yourself to appreciate. This year I included two holiday cards “tis the season — for social anxiety” and “get lit” as well as some fun ones, “sorry for being a dick.” and “whatever.” with two potted plants, one which is flourishing and the other.. not some much.

FALCON RUB
Me? Cooking? Always! Falcon Rub has spice blends that are unlike anything you would get at the grocery store. Their unique spice blends make for a delicious flavour profile on almost anything! They have a few blends including the keto and blazin’ versions but they also make preserves like jellies as well as nuts (cashews and almonds coated in Falcon Rub!) This year, we had to include the Chickie Time — their new friend chicken coating mix because I love me some fried chicken!!

LOVE SQUARED: LSK
Farah established LSK in 2013! Each year she continues to add new products and expand on her offerings of quality headwear and accessories. This year, Farah has released silk pillowcases, satin-lined hats and even luxe satin gift kits. This year, we included the black luxe satin gift set. It includes a travel storage bag with a sleep mask, scrunchie and a headband! This is such a great gift for those self-love cuties like meee, or those that travel. These would also be a super cute idea for bridal parties!

MAKERS ON ENFIELD
Talk about wood! Suzanne and her husband Al use their creativity and combined skill to select the wood, design/process and make it into something beautiful. They make and sell everything from heirloom pepper grinders, serving boards and coasters to cheese slicers, wall clocks, charcuterie boards and so much more. Don’t forget to treat your wood regularly with Makers on Enfield’s wax to keep it in top shape!

CANDLE JAM
This time of year, we can all use more candles. Candles can add an amazing smell and ambiance to any room. Not all candles are the same though! Virginia pours her own candles while her husband Frank carves all of the wooden vessels. Candle Jam uses organic soy wax that is kosher certified. The candles are made with 100% essential oils as well as some fragrance scents which are also paraben and phthalate free. The eco-series cotton wicks provide good burn stability. We are highlighting the wooden 3-hole (10-inches long!) sugar mold made in Spanish Oak. It’s a reproduction of an actual cane sugar mold that was used in Mexico for centuries. Other options include 8oz and 16oz glass jar candles with or without gold metal lids in a variety of different scents including lemongrass lavender, white tea & ginger and more!

PORT PLANT CO.
Gift the gift of a plant this season! We are featuring the top seller from last year, which is the living ornament. The air plant sits on white sand inside a hanging glass terrarium surrounded by a few mini pinecones and a little twig with cranberries. It’s tied off with a festive ribbon at the top to make for a cute holiday ornament. This would be such a cute hostess gift!

777 SAUCES
As a self-proclaimed grill master and chef… I can tell you that everyone needs to keep hot sauce on hand. A good hot sauce can take your dish to the next level with a little pack of heat and flavour, am I right? 777 Sauces uses locally sourced ingredients to create small batches of hot sauces. The smaller batches mean better quality with an all-natural, better flavour.

LUBU MAKEUP
Karen is a local make-up artist and hairstylist. She has her own premium cosmetics line that’s gluten, paraben, lead and cruelty-free made with high-quality ingredients. This year, I am highlighting Karen’s homemade body scrub. They each have a surprise crystal inside! You can pick from mint chocolate, creamsicle, cinnabon, coffee cake and spice or more of a floral scent with her ying and yang body scrub.

RUSTIC CANVAS CO.
I just love custom doormats! They’re so cute and the possibilities are endless. With Rustic Canvas Co, Stacey will make you a custom design. You can work with her to come up with a design that works and share inspiration directly with her! This year, we opted for one that will be perfect all year round that simply says “oh hello” in cursive. It’s simple and sweet!

THE PLAYFUL PINEAPPLE
Ashley makes some of the sweetest and sassiest gifts. She is slaying the Etsy game with over 18,000 sales with her cute mugs, magnets, keychains, stickers and ornaments. As a sassy individual, I really resonated with her playful designs and sense of humour. This year we are highlighting the daily reminders mug as well as the “you’re my favourite bitch to bitch about bitches with” acrylic keychain and the “survived another elfed up year” porcelain ornament.

Want to see these products on my Instagram? Check out this Reel!

Want more ideas? Check out my previous Holiday Gift Guides for 2021, 2020 and 2019.

KEEPING THE LOVE ALIVE: HALLOWEEN DATE IDEAS IN ONTARIO [AD]

events experiences featured lifestyle reviews

You know we love staying busy! It could be a day trip into another region, a drive in either direction on the 401 Highway, or a longer drive further North. No matter where we are going, we like to embrace the four different seasons that Ontario has to offer. As soon as October hits, it’s officially sweater weather in my eyes. With each season comes new, fun activities! From now until the end of the month, it’s time to get into the spooky spirit. The countdown to Halloween is on!

In an effort to find inspiration for our own Halloween decor and to keep our date nights exciting, we embarked on two Halloween activities to get us excited for the spookiest month of the year. In partnership with Attractions Ontario, Aaron and I were invited to check out what some of the local attractions had in store. We did the Rebels or Prisoners: Escape the Cabin escape room and went on the guided Pickering Ghost Walk at the Pickering Village Museum; as well as attended the media preview of the Legends of Horror program at Casa Loma in Toronto. Both were super fun and very different! It was our first time at both attractions and we really liked being there in the Fall, just in time for the Halloween events.

Pickering Village Museum (Pickering, ON)


I can’t believe I haven’t been to Pickering Village Museum before! Pickering is pretty close to home for us, so this experience was extra interesting. Soon after checking in to the gift shop and looking at the snacks (flavoured honey sticks, small bags of chips, canned beverages, and water), we were joined by others that had signed up for the guided group ghost walk. It was a small tour with about ten of us including some older kids and our guide. The guide took us through different buildings and spots throughout the village. These are old houses and buildings with a lot of history behind them. We were warned of a few things that seemed to occur and the tour guide shared stories with us in regards to encounters that other people including staff and volunteers have had. Sure enough, we had our own thrilling moments. First, we heard footsteps in the upstairs building. In another, a door slammed behind us and you could feel the door’s energy through you (well I did anyways!) It was a really engaging way to learn about some of Pickering’s history.

After the tour, Aaron and I stayed back to do the escape room. The setup is in a wooden cabin, it’s called the Rebels or Prisoners: Escape the Cabin. We just barely finished in time and had to use a hint! We also worked well together to accomplish the tasks and solve the clues. It was pretty hard though, I’m not sure we would have finished without a hint from the employee who monitored us. You get 45 minutes for this escape room and it can accommodate up to six guests and as few as two.

Casa Loma (Toronto, ON)


Casa Loma is beautiful! It’s home to the Legends of Horror program which is essentially an adventure around the castle. There are many different scenes, rooms, set-ups, and installations throughout the grounds. Inside, around the property, and through the castle’s tunnels leading over to the horse stable. You get to go through some pretty awesome setups including access to spaces never open to the public before. It’s about 1 hour from start to finish or 2km. This program has live actors, projectors, mechanical equipment and so much more. I wouldn’t say it’s super scary – the live actors won’t touch you. There are also family hours before the sun sets and before the live actors start. See more details about the Legends of Horror program online and be sure to check out Casa Loma – located in Toronto, Ontario.

There is so much more you can do this month to get into the Halloween spirit! Some of the things we want to check out include camping at Bingemans, Halloween Haunt at Canada’s Wonderland, and Pumpkins After Dark.

What if I told you that Attractions Ontario is hosting a LOCAL HAUNTS CONTEST. You could win one of 15+ prizes to some of the best attractions that Ontario has to offer including Bird Kingdom and The ROM. Check out more details and enter for your chance to win at https://attractionsontario.ca/halloween/

Documenting vs. Creating to Avoid Burnout

lifestyle marketing

Are you feeling burnt out lately on social media? You’re not alone.. a lot of folks feel this way. I have a tip for you! 🪄

One of my best tips for people trying to stay consistent or grow their community is to drop the pressure of “creating content” Because 2022 has been a whole other vibe. Creating content can feel intimidating if you’re not a photographer or great at editing a Reel.

Shift your content strategy by leaning into ✨ documenting ✨ your lifestyle instead. Forget the polished, over-rehearsed, captions that take 20 minutes to write. This means setting up a tripod while you work, documenting more candid activities and ultimately just capturing more CONTENT. Video and photos, don’t forget! This will make your monthly dumps or putting together a quick video so much easier.

Shooting content on iPhone vs. a DSLR

business tech

Are you taking pictures on your phone or with a fancy schmancy camera? Truth is, for most of us, our smartphone is more than enough to capture stunning imagery. Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons for each.

DSLR
Pros
Quality: DSLR cameras typically have larger sensors, which can result in better image quality!

Lenses: DSLRs allow you to use different lenses for various purposes, such as wide-angle, telephoto, or macro, providing greater flexibility and creative control.

Manual Controls: DSLRs offer extensive manual controls for settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, allowing advanced users to have precise control over their images.

Optical Viewfinder: DSLRs often come with an optical viewfinder, which provides a clear and lag-free real-time view of the scene, making it easier to compose shots.

Cons:
Size and Weight: DSLRs are bulkier and heavier compared to smartphones, making them less portable and convenient to carry around.

Cost: DSLR cameras and lenses can be expensive, especially when considering additional accessories and equipment needed for professional shooting.

Learning Curve: DSLRs have a steeper learning curve due to their advanced features and manual controls, requiring some time and effort to master their full potential.

Limited Connectivity: DSLRs typically have limited built-in connectivity options, making it more challenging to quickly share or transfer images wirelessly.

iPhone
Pros
Size: iPhones are lightweight, compact, and readily available, making them incredibly portable and convenient for spontaneous photography or video recording.

Convenience: Since most people carry their smartphones at all times, an iPhone offers the advantage of capturing unexpected moments without the need for carrying additional equipment.

Easy to Use: iPhones have intuitive user interfaces and automatic settings that make them accessible to beginners or casual photographers without much technical knowledge.

Easy Connectivity: iPhones have built-in Wi-Fi, cellular data, and various apps that make it easy to instantly share or transfer images and videos to social media or other devices.

Cons
Image Quality: While iPhones have made significant strides in image quality, they generally cannot match the level of detail, dynamic range, or low-light performance of DSLRs, especially in challenging conditions.

Limited Controls: While iPhones offer some manual controls, they are not as extensive or precise as those available on DSLRs, limiting creative control for advanced users.

Fixed Lens: iPhones have fixed lenses, which means you have limited options for focal length or specialized lenses, reducing flexibility for different shooting scenarios. Depending on your iPhone, you may have access to more features when it comes to lenses.

Battery Life and Storage: Continuous use of the iPhone camera can drain the battery quickly, potentially limiting the shooting time or requiring additional battery packs for extended sessions.

It’s important to note that both DSLRs and iPhones have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice ultimately depends on the specific needs, preferences, and budget of the creator. Don’t be fooled though — photography is a skill and things like lighting can be a huge factor when trying to capture the perfect shot! I’ll be honest, most of my content is shot on my iPhone. 📸 🤳

This website uses cookies for analytical purposes. By choosing to continue, I’ll understand you agree with privacy policy + cookies policy