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If you know me, then hearing my “Spotify Wrapped” feedback from a few months ago won’t surprise you. With over 40,000 hours listened, 711 new artists discovered, and 370 different genres, I feel confident in recommending my top playlists that I’ve been singing along to lately.

The Workout Junkie

“Gym Rap | Workout Rap 2020” (TodaysGeneration) is literally the best workout playlist! I love doing HIIT workouts, pilates, and even some heavy weightlifting every now and then. When I’m burning calories, I HAVE to be listening to high energy and fast-rhythmed music to hype me up. This mix incorporates the best of R&B, Rap, and Remixes to get your adrenaline pumping. Drake, Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, J. Cole, Kanye West, Eminem, and Future are just some of the artists that this playlist features. If you enjoy working out to any of these artists, I highly recommend that you put this playlist on next time you hit the gym.

The Late Night Studier (AKA, Me)

“Study Indie” (Allison Feng) contains some chill, laid back music that’s perfect for those late night cramming sessions. This mix includes some of my favourite artists from Mac DeMarco, Beach House and Cage The Elephant, to Hozier, Tame Impala, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, and many more.

The Festive Listener

“Christmas Hits” (Spotify) has the perfect mix of old, new, and covered Christmas songs to get you in the holiday spirit. If you’re like me, and listen to Christmas tunes all-year round, then this playlist is perfect for you! Featuring iconic artists such as Michael Bublé, Mariah Carey, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, this festive mix of music is great to play while baking cookies, making hot cocoa, or decorating the tree!

The “I Like Everything” Music Lover

“Indie Vibes” (Payton Phillips) contains over 35 hours worth of music with songs from every genre you could imagine. I always have a hard time picking a favourite genre or playlist, let alone individual artist or song. After months of adding to this playlist and letting some of my friends collaborate on it with me, a very random and miscellaneous mix was developed. While artists like Gus Dapperton, Rex Orange County, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Mt. Joy and Wild Rivers take a strong lead in this playlist, others such as Mac Miller, Dr. Dog, Radiohead, MGMT, Dominic Fike, Joni Mitchell, and Frank Ocean contribute their work as well. Browse through this long list and find the artists that you love – or put it on shuffle and discover some new music!

This past year, my friends and I have been all about saving money and giving each other homemade gifts on birthdays and holidays! My first thought was just to bake for them (everyone loves homemade cookies), but then I remembered back to my DIY days in middle school, and how I could create art projects out of almost anything. Duct Tape wallets, toilet-paper roll jewelry hangers, Christmas decorations made from paper bags – you name it! For this project though, I had to get even more creative…

I started by visiting my local dollar store, where I purchased a small paint set and some brushes for $8. For the terracotta pots, I actually found one just laying around at my house, but you can buy these small clay pots at most dollar stores, and even Home Depot, for around $3.50 each. Lastly, I went to Canadian Tire and bought some cute plants from the garden section, and there were so many different types that it was hard to choose! I ended up getting a ribbon plant from the bamboo family, and another small leafy plant, of which I’m not too sure the name. These were $3.99 each, and I bought the 4-inch sizes to fit snugly in the terracotta pots.

I painted the pots with fun, bright colours and designs, and let them dry overnight on a piece of old newspaper. In the morning, I took a black marker and drew squiggles, faces, and other drawings on top of the paint, and let the pots sit for another hour before placing the plants inside.

Overall, this project was super fun and affordable, and gave me a much needed break from the stresses of school and isolation. I ended up doing two potted plants – one for my grandma, and my for my friend – and cannot recommend this project enough! If you want to add some colour (and life) to your bedroom, or give a trendy gift to your plant-loving friend, then these potted plants will do the trick.