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2023 Reading Adventures: 11 Books I’m Reading That You Should Too

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The Best Views in Edinburgh: A Guide to the City’s Must-See Lookout Points

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Christmas Party Outfit Staples (Already in your wardrobe!)

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A Cute Countryside Walk with Alpacas

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Ode to the Black Turtleneck

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Trek Like a Princess: My review of royally approved hiking boots

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  • 2023 book list Yasmine Hardcastle West Coast City Girl
    Stuff + Things

    2023 Reading Adventures: 11 Books I’m Reading That You Should Too

    / February 12, 2023

    What’s on your reading list this year? With a mix of fiction and inspiration and everything in between, I’m particularly enthusiastic about my 2023 book list. Here’s the list for the first half of the year.

  • Best views in Edinburgh. View of the Citadel and Old Town in Scotland's Capital. Photo: Yasmine Hardcastle
    Scotland,  Travel,  United Kingdom

    The Best Views in Edinburgh: A Guide to the City’s Must-See Lookout Points

    / January 1, 2023

    Edinburgh is my happy place for many reasons, one of which is all the ways to take in the views of the city. We recently took a road trip up to Scotland, with a 48 hour stop in the Scottish…

  • Christmas party capsule wardrobe West Coast City Girl
    #GetThrifty,  Style

    Christmas Party Outfit Staples (Already in your wardrobe!)

    / December 4, 2022

    I have some amazing news for you and your budget: you already own your Christmas party outfit(s). No joke. So put your wallet away and open your closet. It’s time to #GetThrifty and have your existing wardrobe work for you…

  • Alpaca walk Derbyshire
    England,  Stuff + Things,  United Kingdom

    A Cute Countryside Walk with Alpacas

    / November 13, 2022

    A few weeks ago, I celebrated my 39th birthday, thus kicking off my 40th year. As one of my gifts, the Brit surprised me with an alpaca walk in the Peak District. Read on for a cuteness overload and to…

  • Black turtleneck feature on West Coast City Girl
    Stuff + Things,  Style

    Ode to the Black Turtleneck

    / September 25, 2022

    It's officially autumn, which means sweater weather! Specifically, turtlenecks, and I love turtlenecks — a black turtleneck in particular. Cozy yet chic, it's the ultimate clothing multitasker, but doesn't have to be expensive. Super versatile, it's essential for any woman's wardrobe,…

  • National Trust, Blogger Yasmine Hardcastle walking in the countryside of Ickworth in Suffolk
    Stuff + Things,  Style

    Trek Like a Princess: My review of royally approved hiking boots

    / February 19, 2022

    Fun fact: I lived in Vancouver my entire life and never owned a pair of hiking boots. Trail runners, yes. But it wasn't until moving to the UK that I finally bought proper boots. And who better to look to…

  • Cotswolds
    England,  Travel

    The Ultimate Quick Getaway: 24 Hours in the Cotswolds

    / January 20, 2022

    Everything you may have imagined England to look like outside of London, The Cotswolds is a delightful day trip or weekend city break at any time of year. This is our 24-hour winter experience in one of the most picturesque…

  • COVID travel in 2021 suitcases at YVR Airport
    Travel

    Pandemic Travel: Airport Etiquette and My COVID Travel Experience

    / September 21, 2021

    It's taken me a few months to decompress from moving to England during the pandemic. COVID travel is no joke, and it was a very eye-opening experience. This is my experience from May 2021, and some dos and don'ts in…

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About

Hello, I'm Yasmine, welcome to my blog. I'm a Canadian expat living in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside. I firmly believe we don't have to sacrifice budget or wellness to enjoy our beautiful world. Let's explore!

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westcoastcitygirl

Yasmine | Blogger
This is the face of someone who feels quite please This is the face of someone who feels quite pleased with herself. 💁🏻‍♀️

After a week off work to do a lot of dolce far niente, I spent my Sunday afternoon editing and scheduling some (very belated 🙈 ) new @citygirltalks episodes, and it feels good to be caught up! And it has me starting the week feeling inspired, motivated, happy, you name it. All the good things. 😊

Have a wonderful week, friends!
How far would you go to raise your glass? I flew a How far would you go to raise your glass? I flew across an ocean and spent 45 minutes on the Skytrain to enjoy a beer flight in Port Moody. (Only partly joking. 😅 )

While I was in Vancouver last month, I got to take part in pulling together some campaign content for the @bcaletrail @translink @westcoastfoodca Dine the Line Tasting Passports. A happy circumstance as I’ve missed BC craft beer, the Skytrain, and the gorgeous and talented @jjosuephotos. ✅ ✅ ✅ 

This is the last weekend for Metro Vancouverites to tap their Compass cards and get passport stamps at participating breweries and small businesses for a chance to win some great prizes. (A staycation weekend or a free month-long transit pass!) Please take part so I can live vicariously through you from across the pond!

Find out more about the Dine the Line Tasting Passports over at @bcaletrail. (Not an ad, just sharing the love!) 🍻 

#Translink #BCCraftBeer #BCAleTrail #ExploreBC #VeryVancouver #WestCoastFood #CraftBeerLover #WestCoastCityGirl #RaiseYourGlass #PortMoody #BrewersRow
It’s the 🇬🇧‘s birthday today — happy b It’s the 🇬🇧‘s birthday today — happy birthday @omega_498! I love that we get to spend our trips around the sun together. 😘❤️🥂
How I’ve stayed warm this winter. 🍫 ☕️ (N How I’ve stayed warm this winter. 🍫 ☕️ (Not sponsored, just reality. 😂 )
Reason #1 of why I love living in England: the vie Reason #1 of why I love living in England: the views. 😍 
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#ExpatAdventures #CanadianExpat #CanadianInTheUK #BolsoverCastle #Bolsover #EnglishHeritage #MedievalCastle #DerbyshireDales #Derbyshire #Countryfile #CountryLife #Smarvelous #VisitDerbyshire #DerbyshireViews #CastleViews #WestCoastCityGirl #CanadianBlogger #DerbyshireBlogger #PrettySkies #BluebirdDays #UKViews #UKBloggerSquad #UKBlogger
It’s Burns Night… and we don’t have any whis It’s Burns Night… and we don’t have any whisky in the house. 😳 

This will be remedied tomorrow, but in the meantime, a top tip for where to enjoy a dram in Glasgow:

@piperwhiskybarglasgow

Located in Glasgow’s bustling city centre, The Piper Whisky Bar has 300+ malts for whisky lovers to sip and savour. We discovered this gem in October when we had some time to kill before a dinner reservation. 

It had also started to rain, and where better to get out of the wet and warm your bones than a cosy pub? I hadn’t had @laphroaig in a while and this dram went down a treat. 

Where will you enjoy your next dram? 🥃
Frosty morning walk in Derbyshire 😍 ❄️ Frosty morning walk in Derbyshire 😍 ❄️
#Flashback📍 Disneyland 30/12/19 I was going to #Flashback📍 Disneyland 30/12/19

I was going to make a 2022 recap, but got distracted by my phone reminding me that three(!) years ago today, the 🇬🇧 and I were in Disneyland. So you get a little blitz of the happiest place on Earth instead. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Two months after we got back from that trip, we moved from the Island back to the Lower Mainland, and then the world shut down for two years. 

It didn’t feel “right” to share my California content at such a time, and then my dad got sick and then we moved across Atlantic. Excuses, but I only have so much capacity. 😳

So I’ve been sitting on all that content — and I’ve even updated it to reflect current times. It’s a lot of lost SEO sitting in my WP drafts. I also feel like I lost my blog voice when I was working so much on other people’s content. 

So my goal is that 2023 be the year I properly re-find my blog voice. Work in progress over here. 💁🏻‍♀️

If you got this far, thanks for reading. And now a question: What is one of your 2023 goals?

#WestCoastCityGirl #Disneyland #Travelgram #TravelMemory #TracelCouple #VisitCalifornia #VisitAnaheim #Anaheim #DisneyLove #SheBlogs #CanadianBlogger #CaliforniaDreaming #DisneyParks #Mouseketeer #CanadianExpat
Feeling reflective and content in this last week o Feeling reflective and content in this last week of 2022. 

The year started with some stress but evolved into much abundance, learning, and finally getting back to my happy place: Scotland! 

On that trip, a highlight was revisiting Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands. 

Swipe ⬅️ for some recent and past road trip stops at Glencoe for some lovely Highland views. What is one of your 2022 highlights?

📍 Glencoe, Scottish Highlands
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citygirltalks

City Girl Talks Podcast
Happy World Book Day! Swipe ⬅️ or look ⬇️ Happy World Book Day! Swipe ⬅️ or look ⬇️ for my 2023 book recos. ⁠
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📚 Atlas of the Heart (Brene Brown)⁠
📚 The Bullet That Missed (Richard Osman)⁠
📚 The Rose Code (Kate Quinn)⁠
📚 Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman⁠
📚 The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (Michelle Obama)⁠
📚 The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida (Shehan Karunatilaka)⁠
📚 The House of Fortune (Jessie Burton)⁠
📚 Time to Think (Nancy Kline)⁠
📚 Atomic Habits (James Clear)⁠
📚 Accidental Duchess (Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland)⁠
📚 Spare (Prince Harry)⁠
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My full list is on the blog. Link in bio!⁠ #WorldBookDay2023 
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#WhatImReading #CityGirlTalks #CanadianPodcast #UKPodcast  #BuzzsproutPodcasts #WestCoastCityGirl #ReadingList #BookList #Bookworm #BookLover #WorldBookDay
🎙️ NEW EPISODE: What will you read over a cup 🎙️ NEW EPISODE: What will you read over a cup of something lovely this year?⁠ 📚 
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In this short and sweet first episode of the year, I've shared my initial 2023 reading list and book recommendations. ⁠
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📲 Link in bio to listen, review and subscribe! Thanks for your support. 💗⁠
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#BuzzsproutPodcast #PodcastersOfIG #InstaPodcast #FemalePodcaster #FemalePodcast #CityGirlTalks #WestCoastCityGirl #CanadianPodcast #UKPodcast  #LetsHavefun #LetsRead #WhatImReading #podcastinglife #podcastlife #podcastersofinstagram #newepisode #podcastsofinstagram #BookList #2023Books
Whatever you celebrate, wishing you and yours a sa Whatever you celebrate, wishing you and yours a safe and happy festive season. Thank you for listening to #CityGirlTalks and for your support in 2022. 💕 
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#HappyHolidays #MerryChristmas #HappyChristmas #HappyHanukkah #CanadianPodcast #PodcastLife #BuzzsproutPodcast #UKPodcaster #ExpatPodcaster #GirlTalk #ItsThatTimeOfYear #AttitudeOfGratitude
EDIT: I’ve since found out that apparently AI ar EDIT: I’ve since found out that apparently AI art apps like this are essentially stealing art from artists in order to create these images. I am curious about this as there must  or should be a way for artists to license their work and earn money from apps being “inspired” by their work. 

Little late, but hopped on the @lensa.ai avatar trend. Swipe ⬅️ for my favourites of the bunch. 💁🏻‍♀️

My partner thinks that #9 is how I’ll look in 15-20 years — which I’m good with, but here’s hoping the grays continue to stay at bay. 😬 😂 🤞 

Have you tried the Lensa app?

#LensaAI #CityGirlTalks #Avatars #SheBeFierce #FemalePodcast #LensaApp #PhotoEdits
Channeling some poise from the Princess of Wales o Channeling some poise from the Princess of Wales on a day of editing two #CityGirlTalks episodes, decorating the Christmas tree and realising I’ve possibly missed the deadline to send Christmas cards to Canada, as Royal Mail is on strike… 😬 

Photo via British Vogue
*CONTEST CLOSED* Tag some book-loving friends for *CONTEST CLOSED* Tag some book-loving friends for a chance to win a signed copy of a delightful novel to cozy up with at the beach, on the plane, or wherever you love to read! @citygirltalks and recent podcast guest @janiswildy have partnered to give one lucky winner an autographed copy of Janis' debut novel 'The English Bookshop'.

HOW TO ENTER: 
* Follow @citygirltalks and @janiswildy 
* Like this post
* Tag a friend or two or more below! (Each comment counts as a separate entry.)

That's it, good luck! 

Fine print: Contest closes at 11:59pm PT on 16 August 2022. Winner will be announced on stories and contacted via DM. Open to 18+ residents of Canada and the continental USA. Must have a public IG account. This contest is not affiliated or run by Meta/Instagram. 

#CityGirlTalks #TheEnglishBookshop #Giveaway #Contest #BookGiveaway #WhatImReading #AnglophilesUnite #Anglophile
NEW EPISODE: The latest #CityGirlTalks episode fea NEW EPISODE: The latest #CityGirlTalks episode features @janiswildy, author of the delightful novel ‘The English Bookshop. Loved our chat, which includes:

* Janis’ top 3 tips for someone wanting to write a novel 
* Our mutual love of all things English
* Following your career dreams 
* The fear and ultimate joy of solo travel
* Waking up to your life and feeling magnificent 

🎧 Link in bio or visit citygirltalks.buzzsprout.com to listen and share!

#CityGirlTalks #JanisWildy #Anglophile #WestCoastCityGirl #CanadianPodcast #Anglophilia #BuzzsproutPodcasts #PodcastLife #NewEpisode #WritingTips
Us purple gals always have a way of finding each o Us purple gals always have a way of finding each other. 💟 New episode with @janiswildy goes live tomorrow!  Stay tuned! #CityGirlTalks
Looking for your next good read? Recent guest @cla Looking for your next good read? Recent guest @clairelindsayvo is a voracious reader and she shared some excellent book recos on her episode. Swipe left ⬅ or scroll below for Claire's recent reads.

Girl, Woman, Other by @bernardineevaristo
Dirty Birds by @morganeliasmurray 
Seven Fallen Feathers by @tanyatalaga_author 
The Law of One by Jim McCarty
Pussy: A Reclamation by @mamagena 
Non-Violent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Save and share with a fellow bookworm! 
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#CityGirlTalks #WhatImReading #BookRecomendations #BuzzsproutPodcast #Goodreads
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Yasmine's bookshelf: currently-reading

The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources
The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources
by Lynne Twist
The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith
The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith
by Gabrielle Bernstein
Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life beyond Your Wildest Dreams
Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life beyond Your Wildest Dreams
by Gabrielle Bernstein
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone
by Diana Gabaldon
A Queen for All Seasons: A Celebration of Queen Elizabeth II on her Platinum Jubilee
A Queen for All Seasons: A Celebration of Queen Elizabeth II on her Platinum Jubilee
by Joanna Lumley

goodreads.com

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