If You Are An 80s Girl You Will Love This List!

My brother sent me this article in Buzz Feed yesterday because he thought of me - 35 Awesome Toys Every 80s Girl Wanted For Christmas.  Going through the list made us both feel nostalgic.  Do you remember any of these?  The following were my favourites.  What were your favourites?

I know I definitely played with this game for hours and years.  Actually, it is the toy that mostly stands out to me.

Via Buzz Feed

Popples were so fun and cute.  We found a bunch at my parents' house the other day stored in the basement. The ones we still have are the ones that turned into sports balls (soccer ball, basket ball, etc.).

Via Buzz Feed

I see these often in China Town.  I bought myself a Monchihchi change purse a few years ago with my cousin.  I couldn't resist!

Via Buzz Feed

These were really awesome.  I remember rolling around at the beach resort we used to attend every summer.

Via Buzz Feed

And last but not least, I had this phone and I held some of the best girl talk on that phone...did you have one?!?

Via Buzz Feed

This makes me wonder whether any of these gifts still exist and should be considered for kids these days, or even for an 80s child.  If I loved them then I should feel very comfortable gifting them to other kids.  Stay tuned for more information on these finds.

Kate Spade to Kick Us Off this Season

Funny enough when I opened the blog page to FINALLY start posting again, I realized that the last post we had was for a Kate Spade find and the post I was going to start off with is also a Kate Spade find.

It is now past 10 p.m. on Monday and as I was shopping online I realized KateSpade.com was having a 25% off your entire purchase promotion on their site until midnight today.

I had to share with my Facebook friends.  You have just under 2 hours to take advantage.

I just had time to browse the bracelets and here are my favourite finds as gifts for HER.  I love the looks and the personalized touches.

Via Katespade.com

Via KateSpade.com

Via KateSpade.com

And the bonus is the awesome packaging the bracelets come in.

Via KateSpade.com

Happy Shopping and good luck finding what you like because I am told the stock has gone down from yesterday!

Winners Kate Spade Saturday find!

I was looking for a quick cute gift for a girlfriend at Winners this past week-end. I was so happy to see that they now carry Kate Spade Saturday items! Such fun pieces! You can check out the Kate Spade Saturday line here!

My friend has just returned to school so these fun & modern Kate Spade desk accessories were perfect!

Round desk container via Kate Spade Saturday

Round desk container via Kate Spade Saturday

Kate Spade Saturday notebook (no longer available on Kate Spade website)

Kate Spade Saturday notebook (no longer available on Kate Spade website)

Kate Spade Saturday mini notebook set (no longer available on Kate Spade website)

The container was $12.99 from $40 originally on the Kate Spade website and the notebooks and notebook sets $6.99 each from the original $20 on the Kate Spade site. Pretty great deals considering my friend is a big Kate Spade fan! There were many other items from the line! Definitely worth going to check out if you love Kate Spade stuff too!

Another year, another Christmas gift for our child's caregiver

Another year has gone by and I had to find a Christmas gift to say thank you to my eldest son's weekday caregiver. I'm so pleased with how her gift turned out. I ordered this calendar from Pinhole Press. I've raved about Pinhole Press in the past here. They really have unique and great quality products.

Acrylic framed photo calendar via Pinhole Press

I love that it took me just minutes to make this calendar (just upload 12 photos and slot one in for every month), that it was so affordable ($24.99 - the 25% discount they were offering), that it's a colourful simple design and that it is so child friendly in the acrylic case/frame (which comes ready to hang! Perfect!).

Our gift to our son's caregiver

We used photos of our son playing with all the kids at his daycare which my husband took throughout the year and so it will be a nice keepsake for her and fun for the children to see a new photo of themselves every month throughout the year.  It will be wrapped up with our holiday card and a gift certificate to a nearby restaurant and there you have it!

I can't say enough about Pinhole Press's quality and assortment. If you still have someone on your list to buy for, head on over and check out their gift guides!

You can check out what we gave my son's caregiver last year here and here.

West Elm is in town!

I had to share a little secret I discovered late last summer...West Elm is now in Montreal! I call it my secret because it does not seem that many people are aware that they opened their first store in the province this year.

Montreal store via West Elm

I went by a while back and I am crazy for their collection...Some of their larger furniture pieces are a little too traditional for me but I love their mix of modern, clean & sleek accessories with their twist of ethnic & organic pieces. There is so much to fall in love with!

I thought I would post my top 5 West Elm gifts for the holidays as well as my top 5 favourite West Elm pieces for the home on my wish list this year!


TOP 5 GIFTS

GIFT FOR HER: Mosaic triangles jewelry box via West Elm

GIFT FOR HIM: Moscow mule copper mug via West Elm

HOSTESS GIFT: Diffuser via West Elm

GIFT FOR THE JET SETTER: Travel Kit via West Elm

HOUSE WARMING GIFT: Modernist bowls via West Elm

MY TOP 5 FAVOURITE PIECES:

Chevron tile wall mirror via West Elm

Onyx flatware via West Elm

Various gallery frames via West Elm

Carved wood coffee table via West Elm

Souk wool rug via West Elm

You should definitely drop by and have a look! The staff is super friendly and the vybe is so laid back!

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker: Best.Gift.Ever.

My husband is the ultimate music lover. He lives, breathes and works with music. I wanted to find a portable speaker he could play music on from his Iphone/Ipad/Laptop/Computer using bluetooth technology (no wires!) for his birthday. I did my research and chose the Bose Mini Speaker and have to say it is AMAZING. The sound is fantastic quality, it's very compact to travel with, it comes with a sleek charging base and it can connect via bluetooth to all your gadgets!

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker via Best Buy

Aside from using it in his office while working, we also use it in our main living space, we also carry it onto the back deck with us or even up to the bathroom to play music while giving our son a bath. The other day I was watching a movie on my laptop and the max volume was too low...with one click I connected to the speaker and had loud clear volume...It really is fantastic and quite affordable. This would make a great Christmas gift for any music lover, young or old!

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker via Best Buy

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker via Best Buy

Happy Belated Canada Day - A Gift for the Hostess

Happy Belated Birthday Canada! or as my son would say "Happy to you"

We had such a lovely day on Canada Day.  I just love how Canada's capital is filled with people on July 1st.  It is the only day we see so much activity in town and so much patriotism.  My favourite part - the flyby by Canada's Snowbirds.  Absolutely amazing!!

Via Forces

In the afternoon we attended an annual BBQ at a friend's house and I put together a hostess gift suitable for a BBQ with a Canada Day colour theme.  Thanks to Winners I got these items last minute and was able to put a nice package together.

Every hostess should have a beverage dispenser.  So fun, especially for outdoor gatherings.  So I got the hostess this beverage dispenser from Winners.

Amazon

I also got her this beverage.  The flavour sounded good (pomegranate blueberry lemonade) and I really liked the bottle as perhaps something that could be used after the beverage is done.  Plus it was red and perfect for the Canada Day theme.

Via Euro Bubblies

I stuffed the dispenser with red mesh and slid the bottle into it so that it holds.  I held the dispenser's lid with tape at its opening and secured with the bottle and then wrapped it all with cellophane.  It looked great.  I took an extra bottle of the beverage with me to the BBQ as one would be done fairly quickly.

Here is how it looked (not the greatest picture, I know...but my son misplaced by USB key that connects the camera to the computer so this is the only picture I have that I can upload for now).

Hostess Gift - Fruits & Passion - Big Sale

Scents fascinate me.  I can't believe how certain ones bring back memories.  They really have a way of transporting me in time for a short moment.  This is how I feel about the Cucina Coriander and Olive Tree Fruits and Passion kitchen products.  For some reason the scent each and every time I wash my hands, wash the dishes or use the cream, gives me a flash back of times I spent in my grandmother's kitchen.  I just love it!  These were good times and I love to relive them.

I received my first set of dish soap and hand soap as a hostess gift a few years back (thanks Anna!).  I have been addicted since and have bought them for others.  These products are now on sale so I am definitely going to stock up for myself and can think of a few upcoming hostess gifts I will purchase for.  A hostess can never have enough dish soap, hand soap or hand cream.

Via Fruits & Passion

Via Fruits & Passion

Via Fruits & Passion

Via Fruits & Passion

Via Fruits & Passion

Father's Day - Spa at Home

I have been watching way too many home renovation shows these days and now it has gotten worse given that I am home with my newborn. Watching these shows is sometimes dangerous because you start dreaming of things you want to do in your home or things you want for your dream home (like a mini sauna and meditation room just like in some places in Europe where it seems every home has a mini sauna!).

One specific renovation item I have seen over and over again and I have definitely added to my list as a must is a rainfall shower head.  I would love to have one and think my husband would as well.  This would be especially nice these days given that we are both sleep deprived and just plain tired.

I am looking for something similar to these, the effect of the rain fall but with enough water pressure.  I will let you know what I think when I find one.

Via Faucet Direct

Via Faucet Direct

 With the shower head I will also get him a shower gel with relaxing scents like:

Polynesia lime and coconut

Via The Body Shop

And a nice body brush

Via The Body Shop

I could have treated him to a massage, but the shower head is nice because it is permanent and can help him relax daily.

I know he already got his bike for Father's Day, but with this gift I would also be treating myself - haha!

My Mother's Day Gift - Marc by Marc Jacobs

I realized that I never posted about what I received for Mother's Day from my boys and how I was spoiled. Last year my husband had to make an effort to figure out what to get, but this year he had it easy as I had been talking endlessly about whether or not I should get this particular Marc by Marc Jacobs bag.  I needed something for the summer and just couldn't decide on a style or colour.  After much searching while in New York City, in Montreal and in Ottawa, I finally decided on the Classic Q Natasha bag in grey.

This is the bag in nude.

Via Neiman Marcus

Via Neiman Marcus

Via Neiman Marcus

This is the colour I got - gun metal.

Via Shopbop

This past weekend, now that I am no longer carrying a baby bump, I finally started carrying the bag and I absolutely love it.  It is perfect for many reasons.  It is not too deep so I don't lose anything; it has a separate pocket where I can store my keys and phone and find them quickly; and it is cross body and easy to carry.  I definitely recommend for anyone looking to have a practical casual bag that can also be used at night because of its size.

Every Mom Should Carry One of These - The Gucci Belt Bag

About five years ago I was visiting New York City with a good friend of mine who was already a mom and who was living there.  She took me to great places and one day we visited the Gucci store and she pointed to the Gucci belt bag and said it was the best purchase she made as a mom.  It allowed her to carry all the essentials and keep them very close to her, while freeing her hands and arms for her kids.  Plus it looked really great because of the green and red belt.  My husband bought it for me at my next birthday and it has come with me on ever trip we have made, every event I have organized (festivals and other casual fundraisers) where I was required to run around and oversee things, and now when I am out and about with my son.  It is really one of the best gifts I have received and I think every mom should have one.

My husband bought mine at Holt Renfrew but they don't show it on their website.

Via Neiman Marcus

They come in two different sizes. I prefer the smaller one because I also carry it cross body like a messenger bag, but that's just a personal preference.

Over the years Gucci has made the belt bag in different colours but currently on Gucci's website only the above and below are available.

Via Gucci.com

Via Gucci.com

If you don't get it as a gift, just buy it for yourself!