Weekly Photo Dump

Hi friends, I’m here! Whoa, I feel like I have so much to share and I have no idea where to start. SO- let’s purge a ton of photos from the past week and see where that gets me, ok? Mmmk..

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Rewinding back to Monday: I made a batch of homemade au gratin potatoes to go with honey garlic chicken and steamed asparagus for dinner. It was an easy meal to put together before heading off to work for the evening WHICH was super slow, but I opted to stay longer and wound up making a tiny bit of $$. Yay!

I also finally got my first pair of Lularoe leggings in the mail from my mom. I was able to snag a pair for her and myself while I was home last month and had them delivered to her house in NY. The verdict: YEAH, they’re buttery soft and come in tons of super fun prints but I gotta admit I love me some compression leggings. You know, to suck it all in. These are one size leggings so they give a ton and make me feel wiggly jiggly when I walk. I’d still buy more though because they’re cute.

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Tuesday: Wes had his 18 month shots in the morning, so I dressed him in his Superhero pants to be strong 😉 Turns out he didn’t even cry during the shots and didn’t want a bandaid either! I have a big, strong boy. I say big because he weighs 28 lbs and measures 33.5″ tall. His charts show he’s between the 90th-100th percentile for all his measurements.

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[Toque: Will&Co; Maxaloons: Munchkin & Sprout Creations; Oxfords: VI&JAX]

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I took Wes to the bookstore afterwards for a couple of books as a reward for doing so well at his appointment and he had way too much fun checking out all the books and toys. It was really hard to get him out of there but we did manage to find 2 good books.

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Oh, and it was election day. I don’t even want to comment about it. PS: This hat is a JOKE people. I tried to stay up at late as I could to see the results, but only made it until 12:30…Good thing I didn’t waste any more precious sleep time to see the outcome. grr

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Wednesday: I used to eat my smoothie bowls before Wes would get up, but now that I know he loves them so much, I wait. Because: baby chocolate smoothie mouth is adorable. DANGEROUS TO NEW FURNITURE. But adorable.

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And the kid is absolutely obsessed with his pups.

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[Beanie: CharleeDee; Moccs: Posh Panda]

We met up with a new neighbour friend for a coffee date and Wes managed to last 2 hours at Starbucks! I really did luck out with such a good kid. We headed to the library after for some kid-friendly time.

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Burgers for dinner, which of course everyone loves. PS: I ate a burger THEN went to a Hot Barre class. #machine.

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Thursday: Nothing too exciting. Gym and grocery shopping. At least my kid looked cute. PLUS- he’s really starting to love his time at childcare while I’m working out. It makes me so happy to see he’s socializing while I can get a little bit of me time.

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[Joggers: Little D Threads]

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Free grocery store cookies are the best!

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We made a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies when we got home and I ate them in a bubble bath while Wes napped. So obviously Thursday was rough. I started watching The Crown on Netflix and I like it so far.

Here’s a secret: I took a bath every single day last week. Do you have any idea how much of a sanity saver it is? Granted there are a TON of things I could/should be doing around the house, but I am relishing the quiet time and pampering myself. Also, it’s a great way to warm up with I get that chilled-to-the-bone feeling.

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We got a Nespresso machine recently, so I’ve been enjoying baths WITH a delicious fancy cup of coffee everyday. I swear these have impacted my mood for the better.

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Tyler came home with an assortment of new beers to try, so my evening was just as rough. I mean, I married the right guy (for me). I bake, he buys beer. win win win win win.

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Friday: Since Tyler had the day off, we ran a bunch of errands. AKA: Lowe’s, the mall, Costco. Super exciting.

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[Romper: Archer and Antlers]

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And Canadian Tire so Tyler could pick up some different Xmas lights for the exterior of the house. Wes fell in love with a wreath and wore it around his neck throughout the store.

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Exceedingly good weather calls for taking advantage of mid-November park trips. He’s starting to really love the slide, but there were some older kids there that did NOT know how to share so it made it difficult to enjoy.

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I picked up another assortment of beers to try while Tyler cooked us a steak dinner. NOMS.

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Saturday: Morning lounging and snacking before I headed to work. I was only there for about 90 minutes which sucked because I wanted to make some money, BUT, it was nice because I got more of the day to hang out with my guys.

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[Cabin booties: Will&Co]

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Sunday: I had to work again. BOO. But at least I got to spend some QT with my main man while I got ready. After work, I did a quick workout in our basement (Wes participated in squats and jumps and supervised the rest) then we headed over to friends (cough cough and NEIGHBORS) house for pizza.

I’m getting back into teaching group fitness and have an interview this week (interview by means of teaching a class) so I spent a majority of the evening practicing and planning the format. I’m really excited to get back into it but also a bit nervous since I have to re-certify here in Canada and I HATE taking exams. The theory and practical aren’t until next month and I’m sure I’ll do fine, but still. ANXIOUS.

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[Cosmetic bag: Wild Roots & Co]

Ah crap, I think I left out like a billionty things. Note to self: jot down notes of things I want to share.

Oh Hey

Not sure if anyone caught it from my last post, but….we moved last week! It’s been a lot of hard work (mostly on Tyler’s part) and stress, but we are now settled into a beautiful and huge new home in … Continue reading

Randoms

Whoa, time flew by since my last check in! I feel like we have been so busy, and yet I don’t have too much to report. Stupid Calgary weather has our daily events all screwed up. Too much rain and hail and thunder and lightening AND I DON’T LIKE IT ONE BIT.

But, things could be worse so I can’t complain. I thought I’d start the week off by sharing some great [and random] goodies! In no particular order…

  1. WeeNation. I’ve share past boxes we’ve received from them here and here. We got yet another one not too long ago and it was a good one!

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It included a Love Child Organics bag of Love Ducks (Wes is obsessed), Barbeque Sauce after sun lotion, Jax & Lennon bloomies, and a couple of other great items! The box was a summer theme and did not disappoint. Wes has outgrown bibs and the stroller wraps aren’t his jam so I’ll be either gifting those or saving them for future babies.

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I highly urge you to check our Wee Nation if you haven’t already. They curate some of the best monthly boxes depending on your babes age (and time of the year), plus they find some great small Canadian shops to incorporate in each box! I really love that. And I love that there is often a goodie for mom in it each month as well. This box had a bath bomb that I can’t wait to use.

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^^Moccs from Posh Panda ^^

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I love whenever we receive one of these boxes in the mail because it is something that Wes and I can open together and he will usually take each item out and run around with it….because he can haha.

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Be sure to also check Wee Nation out on Instagram (they have a code to get `10% off!)

2. Love With Food. I hadn’t heard of this snack subscription box before, but was super excited to try it when we were offered a box!

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Love With Food has a really great premise behind their subscription boxes: not only are they providing a variety of samples of good snacks, but they are also looking for quality ingredients AND donate a meal to feed a hungry child for every box purchased.

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I was more than pleasantly surprised when I opened our box. We have had it for just under a week and I’ve already eaten just about everything in it! There’s a great variety of sweet/savory plus there are gluten free options (and a strictly gluten free box available as well!)

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Love With Food’s promise with each box:

  • No artificial flavoring, coloring, or MSG
  • No trans fats and hydrogenated oils
  • No high fructose corn syrup
  • Snacks are natural, organic or gluten-free

Wes has even shared some of these snacks with me! I gotta admit, I loved them all and look forward to my next box.

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The people at Love With Food are offering all of YOU a beyond sweet deal–> use code NUTCASE40 and receive 40% off your first box. WHAT A STEAL. Moral of the story: you get good snacks, help feed the hungry AND get a heck of a discount. Plus, they ship everywhere so this doesn’t exclude anyone!

3. Bubbles & Balms. Oh man, you guys. This is my GO TO shop for soaps. They offer a variety of other skin care products as well which I’ve reviewed here and here, but my consistent order is always at least a half dozen or so soaps. There is absolutely nothing better than an all natural product that smells amazing AND is made locally by a duo that love what they do.

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I bought a ton of their bath bombs to gift my girlfriend at her bridal shower and already regret not snagging a couple for myself as well. Bath bombs are THE bomb.

4. Beachbody. I’ve been rotating through my programs lately and still loving the daily challenge. This month is a KILLER month as far as promotions go: two of my FAVES are on sale plus a bunch of others: Country Heat, Cize, PiYo, 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, and 22 Minute Hard Corps. If you’re looking for some great home-workout programs to add to your workout routine, I’d love to chat with you more to see what would be the best fit for you.

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Please message me if you’d like more info! I live by these workouts and I think my post-baby body is a pretty good testament to how effective these programs can be.

5. Invivo Wines. I got a bottle of their Pinot Noir a couple of weeks ago and was more than eager to pair it with a delicious dinner at home with Tyler.

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There’s something about Pinot Noir that gets my juices flowing, because I almost *almost* want to swear off beer completely and just stick to the vino once I take a few sips of this stuff. It has the BEST aroma and pairs well with just about any dish. And I gotta admit, we polished off the bottle faster than we expected, which called for an early evening. But boy was it worth it!

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I had never heard of Invivo, but was impressed with their fact sheet:

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Turns out, 4th Spot Kitchen and Bar carries Invivo too! It sparked my fancy so we headed out there for dinner the other day.

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I got a beer…whoops!

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6. VIANDJAX. This is a small shop for baby/littles clothing that’s based out of Strathmore, AB. Wes was lucky enough to become a brand rep for this shop and we received a pair of moccs for Wes to test out. He absolutely loved the laces (a little too much which prevented him from just leaving them alone and actually WALKING) and I’m excited to pair them with upcoming fall outfits for him.

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Unfortunately, Wes took a nasty spill on the concrete just before these photos (hence the bribery of chocolate chip cookies) and you may notice the big ol’ bruise that was forming on his forehead.

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^^Romper from Archer and Antlers^^

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viandjax shop is currently closed, but make sure to follow them on Instagram for upcoming updates and their fall launch! PS: Aren’t the moccs just so darn adorable?! I can’t stand it.

Ok, that’s it for now. Thanks for making it through the whole post!

Catching Up

Oh hey there! And a happy Monday to you! This will just be a quick, photo-heavy post to recount what we’ve been up to lately! Monday: It was a holiday here, so we all hung out and stayed pretty low … Continue reading

Small Shoppin’- Posh Panda

Happy Thursday everyone! The week is almost to a close ALREADY. How does it happen so quickly? 

Today I want to share with you an awesome small shop based out of Lethbridge, Alberta. Posh Panda is run by Kayla, a mother of two littles. She creates some of the cutest leather moccs and boots and I have been lusting for a pair ever since I started following her on Instagram. She locally sources all of her leathers and manages to find some of the best quality stuff!

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As luck would have it, I was able to get a pair of black moccs just in time for Wes’s first birthday! Not only did I get the pair so last minute, but I was also able to meet Kayla in person to pick up the moccs since she was in town to purchase more leather! Although our meeting was brief, I could tell how much care she put into each pair (poet?). Plus, she had one of her babes with her and she was dressed to the nines! So cute.

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Kayla had just redesigned the fit to accommodate both skinny and chunky ankles, and my son being on of the latter, was able to perfectly fit into the size 5/6. They were snug- but not tight- around his ankles and had lots of wiggle room to grow into.

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I love the new branding on the bottoms! PS: Wes dresses better than I do.

Most important factor: the stay on! He wriggled and crawled all over the house for hours and neither even came close to making their way off his feet. That’s such great reassurance for taking him out of the house because I’m pretty sure it would be the worst feeling ever to lose one while on an outing!

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He only cried because Layla wasn’t coming in his room! 😉

Not only does she make these classic moccs, but she also creates the most adorable lace moccs, moccs with bows, and boot moccs! There’s a size chart listed on her brand new website, but if you’re ever unsure, Kayla is super quick to respond to inquiries and could accommodate for special sizing.

If I ever have a girl, I need a pair of these Light Grey Striped Bow Moccs.

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I still can’t get over how incredibly soft the leather is for these! Like butter. Now if only my boy would stop growing so darn fast so he could wear these for a long, long time.

Cleaning is super easy- just use wipes!

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I think our next purchase will be these Iron Gray Classic Moccs or these Red Moccs (great gender neutral colors and perfect for holiday outfits!)

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I can’t stress enough how important it is to shop small- not only are you supporting your local economy, but you are getting a higher quality product! Kayla is no exception- I can tell she works her butt of for her brand. Her new website is gorgeous, the product is on point, and her service makes you feel like you’re not just a customer, but a friend.

Make sure to check her out on Facebook and Instagram too!

American friends, don’t forget! Your dollar goes farther in Canada, so these would be a bargain 🙂

Thanks again to Kayla!!