Rae Chen

 There is nothing better than sitting next to a fireplace on a chilly summer night. (Except maybe sitting next to a fireplace on a chilly summer night with a slice of cake, but po-tay-toh, po-tah-to.) Outdoor fireplaces are a great way to add atmosphere and warmth to any outdoor gathering, and they couldn’t be easier to install than they are today.   

Moms, as a category, are super tough to buy for. And it’s not even that they’re hard to buy for as people! No, the problem is that when they’re your mom, nothing is quite good enough.

It took me ten seconds to open my Misfit Shine 2, ten minutes to set it up and fully customize it, and ten hours to fall completely, utterly in love with it.  

The thing about Canadian summers is that, for most us, the heat doesn’t really hold. Our summers last from June through August, and at the end of each day, Canada takes a minute to remind us that we’re really just a chilly iceberg pretending to be cozy and warm for the day! That’s why patio heaters are so important, and here are a few different kinds you can use to cozy up this spring and summer.    

If a patio is created and no one posts about it on Instagram, does it even exist at all? That’s one question that I’d love to be able to answer for you, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to test any theories. If I’m on a patio, my compulsive need to Instagram it is going to win over every single time.    

Party planners will tell you that the legendary perfect party involves everything from the right guest list to the perfect décor. But as an actual, living human being, please let me confirm for you what we’re all secretly thinking: the key to an awesome party (as in everything else in life) starts with the food.    

I’ve been thinking about starting a petition to get Best Buy to change its company line. What do you guys think of Best Buy: Come for the computers, stay for the sparkly, sparkly stones? Like with Best Buy’s handbag selection, I find that a lot of people aren’t aware the Best Buy carries diamonds. It’s a shame, because Best Buy has a large selection of them—and not just diamonds, either!  

The biggest style mistake that I see high school and university-aged kids making nowadays is the one where they refuse to carry a backpack to school. And okay, purses are cute, and an awkward backpack can ruin an entire carefully-crafted outfit, but there is no quicker route to back pain in your thirties than a single-strapped book bag in your twenties!  

 When I tell people that I’m a style writer for Best Buy, their response is always the same: “Really? But what is there for you to write about?” It seems to surprise them that Best Buy carries more than just electronics and appliances, and they’re always pleased to find out just how much more that you can get at Best Buy than just electronics!  

I have had my backpack for long enough that I can’t actually remember the backpack that came before it. This one has seen me through summer vacations, weekend getaways, and—most importantly—through trips to my hometown’s biggest dog park. (It’s so big that the North Saskatchewan River runs through it, and in the summer the river is full of puppies.)  My bag is a Burton bag.