Claire @ Eleventh Avenue, Author at Eleventh Avenue

In motherhood & parenting August 14, 2023

Second Trimester | Pregnancy Diary

I officially hit the third trimester as of Sunday! I’m blown away at how quickly the second trimester flew by because the first trimester was very slow. Only 2.5 months to go! If you recall, my first trimester was breezy but towards the second half and end of the second trimester, I started to feel many pregnancy symptoms. This trimester, Dan and I really sat down to look at our new future and made some family goals. Week 14: I purchased a pregnancy pillow in the first trimester and it didn’t affect my sleep but since my belly started to grow, I feel like it supported me in getting the best sleep! For those interested, I purchased this pregnancy pillow…

In fashion August 11, 2023

Fossil Haul Review

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I recently went on a little shopping spree on Fossil’s website because they had a massive sale… on top of their sale! It was an additional 40% off on their sales/clearance prices so a lot of their inventory was very affordable. For those who don’t know, Fossil is a well-known retailer of affordable and nice watches in Canada and the US. What many don’t realize is that Fossil has a great selection of leather bags for women and men and their quality and designs are fantastic. Honestly, one leather bag from Fossil can last you a decade, even if you are someone that tosses bags around like there’s no tomorrow. I believe the famous leather guy on TikTok, the one…

In lifestyle August 8, 2023

Is a Human Resources Career Right for You? | Diving into Human Resources

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Whether you’re a recent high school graduate trying to discover your career or someone that is making a career switch, I want to share my insight and experiences in pursuing a career in human resources. See if it’s right for you! How I got into human resources (HR) In 2012, I was working in a retail store while pursuing a degree in Marketing. I chose to speak on behalf of my colleagues and asked my manager to clarify some gossip about bonuses in the store. Later, I spoke to my manager about how some colleagues felt there is favouritism happening with the schedules and amount of hours they were getting per week. It was something that didn’t need to be…

In reviews August 3, 2023

Product Review: Rowenta X-cel Pocket Steamer

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I fell into the linen craze this summer and purchased 5 linen dresses. What I love about linen clothes is two things: It keeps you insanely cool in the summer heat because the natural fibre is known to be very breathable. When I went to Japan in the spring where the temperature was starting to heat up, I noticed a lot of locals wearing linen and now I understand why. It’s also very chic and an easy way to step up your fashion game and look rich. Unfortunately, my linen dresses came out extremely wrinkly from the dryer and when I put one on, I felt instantly embarrassed and knew there was no way to leave the house wearing a…

In finances July 31, 2023

How to Set Up Your Bank Accounts for Success

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Nobody wants to hear it but when you reach your late 20s, you start to reflect on your personal finances a bit more. Perhaps, hindsight kicks in and you wished you didn’t spend all your money and saved some of it. For me, I didn’t have financial literacy lessons from my parents so you can only imagine the damage I was doing when I opened my first credit card. In essence, I viewed credit cards as an extension of my bank account and before I knew it, I’d accumulated about $10,000 in my early 20s with only a part-time job to try to pay it down. Eventually, my dad bailed me out and from then, I knew I never wanted…

In books July 26, 2023

Monthly Reads | June 2023

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New segment alert! I absolutely love reading but writing dedicated review posts for every single book I read is not my forte. I figured a monthly round-up is the way to go with brief reviews of the book!All links directs to Goodreads. Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells Rating: 3/5. An average follow-up to the 1st installment and not as exciting as the 1st. I found it lost a lot of good opportunities for a surprise plot twist, or to create an eerie feeling when reading some of the scenes (especially during the tunnels!). I wasn’t a fan of the plot where Murderbot had to help a bunch of young adults and overall lacked a good storyline…

In beauty July 13, 2023

I Gave Up Treating My Keratosis Pilaris (KP) and Why You Should Too

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Keratosis pilaris (KP) is caused by the buildup of keratin — a hard protein that protects the skin from harmful substances and infection. The keratin blocks the opening of hair follicles, causing patches of rough, bumpy skin (Mayo Clinic). It’s also known as “chicken skin”. I first noticed I had keratosis pilaris in 6th grade when my peers started to ask what was happening on my upper arms – leave it to the kids to point out something, right? I then started to notice when my parents would point my keratosis pilaris out as well. Fun fact: I inherited KP from my mom; she had it when she was younger and it disappeared when she entered her twenties. The good…