Week Five | Cinco

The one about cooking-as-therapy, spinning records, Ace-ing Toronto, and nope fellow Swifties, no Easter eggs around here after the engagement announcement.

Sep 28, 2025

In today’s issue:

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄’𝙢 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 *transforming dad’s old room with a broken heart*
𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙄’𝙢 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 *Ace-ing Toronto, one detail at a time*
𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙪𝙥𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙄’𝙢 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 *Work-life jenga (But make it chic)*
𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙/𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 *Let’s dive into hyper-fixation kitchen days*
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 *Sardines, pour emporter por favor*
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 *Back to my 90s stereo era*
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 *Clean home, no chemicals allowed*
01. Things I’m Loving

Okay mes amis, buckle up because we are back around here with this one, a heavy but also somehow beautifully healing story—I finally did something I couldn’t even imagine doing 5 months ago. You know that room I’ve mentioned? The one that became a literal dump space after losing daddy because I just... couldn’t?.

I partnered with COZEY and transforming a space from grief into a cocooning sanctuary felt like the most loving thing I could do. The whole process was part therapy session, part design challenge, and 100% necessary.

warning: bring tissues, but also maybe your Pinterest board porque the before/after is so beautiful - read here.

02. Places I’m Loving (As a Designer)

Oli and I had the sweetest stay at the Ace Hotel Toronto this summer, and let me tell you: design heaven, indeed ✨ From the brutalist-meets-warm-wood architecture details all over, to the lobby that feels like a living room you never want to leave, everything is 20/10.

Add in rooftop sunsets, the dreamiest brunch at Alder (yes, worth the hype), and staff that make you feel like family, and you’ve got yourself a place that’s less hotel, more your next creative sanctuary. Toronto, you win (this time).

03. Life Updates I’m Loving

Let’s chat worklife balance

After 8 years as a company owner full-time, I’m officially back to a full-time corporate life as a Marketing Manager at Moment Factory. This is a huge shift for a Capricorn that always thinks she never has enough on her plate (slow claps to me), hence the public disclosure that you can still expect beautiful design content every month for ELLE Canada - Quebec on web & print and DIY projects here and there at Home Network.

But here’s the twist: I’m transforming Hey Maca just at a softer, less pressure-cooker pace. Think more creativity and freedom, less hustle.

Because honestly? Balance looks a lot like doing both, but with boundaries, naps, and joy baked in.

04. Food/Recipes I Can’t Stop Loving

my famous **and family acclaimed** Spanish egg tortilla

I’ve been cooking a lot (or hyper fixating on a ton of things) and lately, my kitchen has turned into my therapist’s couch. Grief made me roll up my sleeves and cook— from late-night arepitas to the perfect brunch plates for my little family.

It’s soothing, grounding, and strangely magical to lose yourself in recipes and flavours.

Let me tell you: If food is love, then maybe cooking is healing.

05. Things in my Wishlist I’m Loving

Before you scroll down thinking “Maca completely lost it”, sardine girl summer is actually the coolest thing that happened to coastal fashion since the fisherman sandal wave. Here are my fave picks, linked just for you.

06. What I’ve Been Loving Listening To

I’m not just listening to music, I’m living inside sound again, lately. Slow mornings now mean spinning records at home, like my 90s teenage self who spent hours with a Discman and piles of CDs.

There’s something about lifting a needle, hearing that soft crackle, and letting an album play end-to-end — no skipping, no shuffle. Just… presence. And honestly? It feels like slow living, in stereo.

07. The Slow Edit I’m Loving

If you’ve ever flipped a label on a cleaning product and thought “excuse me, what am I looking at? What’s that chemical?”, same. I’ve been switching to Canadian brands that are safe, gentle, and still actually work (hi, Bio-vert!).

For our collective knowledge, here are the top nasties to avoid at all costs:

Phthalates – hiding in “fragrance” (hormone disruptors)
Ammonia – super harsh on lungs (and pets)
Triclosan – an “antibacterial” that’s anything but okay for the environment.
Octocrylene – is a hard pass (potential carcinogen)
Fragrance, or any parfum in face product is a cocktail of mystery chemicals, just no

My top 3 magical list (made in Canada):

Pro tip: if you can’t pronounce half the label, it probably doesn’t belong in your home.

More from Hey Maca ⟡ pour emporter
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01. Things I’m Loving

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