I swear by this product!: A gift for HIM

Shopping for a man is, well, let's be honest, difficult. It can be your significant other, father or brother and it always seems to be a challenge. If you're looking for a gift for one of the men in your life then have I got an easy one for you!

Everyone needs a really warm winter coat or a classic puffer vest and The North Face has them both. Sure you can spend big bucks on a Canada Goose or Mackage coat but everyone is wearing those!  I purchased the puffer vest for my husband many many years ago and it is still his go to for in between seasons. I recently also gifted it to my brother and it was very well received. They have completely different styles but this classic piece works for everyone regardless of style and age. 

Classic Puffer Vest via The NorthFace

A few months ago I was looking for THE perfect men's winter coat for my husband's birthday and after comparing with other brands I ended up with a North Face style once again. He's been thanking me (literally) ever day since.  It's super light weight yet very warm (it has a 800 fill down which is the warmest count they offer). It's got a slim fit and lots of additional features like a waterproof & breathable shell, interior pockets and a hidden hem cinch accessible from handwarmer pockets.

800 Fill Down Insulated Jacket via North Face

The picture does not do it justice. It is a rather plain looking coat but the quality of the materials, the fit and the lightweight nature of such a warm down coat makes this a great choice!

You can always gift it with a gift receipt in case he prefers one of their many other styles but this jacket and vest are classics, you just can't go wrong with either!

I've bought The North Face products at Simons, Sport Experts & Altitude.

My tip of the week!: Do you have a little artist on your hands? Buy this and thank me later!

Do you have memories of getting caught (and scolded) over drawing on the walls?

With new Color Wonder products by Crayola, parents (and kids) no longer need to worry about messy ink ending up in the wrong place. The special Color Wonder markers only work on the Color Wonder drawing pads. The ink is invisible until it hits Color Wonder paper. It's just like magic but even better!

Dora Color Wonder Colouring Pad

Disney Cars Color Wonder Colouring Pad and Markers

Color Wonder On the Farm Mini Colouring Pad and Markers

Disney Princess Color Wonder Colouring Pad and Markers

Color Wonder Mini Markers

They recommend these products for 3 years and up but my son started using these before his 2nd birthday.

We have the "On the Farm" Mini Coloring Pad and Markers. It comes with 3 markers and a mini pad in a easy to reuse box. I carry it with me whenever we go out to restaurants and such. It keeps him busy without the mess of real markers. I'd say this is definitely a must have and at under $5 quite a deal!

These products can be found at Walmart and ToysRus.

Top 5 gift ideas for a new mother

The biggest challenge when shopping for a newborn is refraining from buying every teeny-tiny-adorable piece in the store! The options are limitless but what about the new mom? A good friend of ours recently suggested I do this post and I thought it was a great idea! So here goes, my TOP 5 gifts for the new mom:

1) A tea or coffee gift set:
This is the gift my friend received; a David's Tea Assorted Tea Gift Box. She is an avid tea drinker and so this gift was really just for her! The nice comfort of taking the time to have a nice cup of tea and the bonus caffeine boost that comes with it is extremely welcome when you become a new mom!

David's Teas Assorted Tea Holiday Gift Box

David's Teas Assorted tea & Tea Mug

David's Tea Assorted Tea Gift Box

David's Tea Bubble Teapot

David's Tea Bubble Teacups

David's Tea Ice Tea Maker

Starbucks Coffee & Chocolate Pairing Experience

Starbucks Coffee Press Gift Pack

Starbucks Dark Roast Coffee Journey

Starbucks Ready Brew Coffee Tour

2) A baby journal:
New mom's find out pretty quickly that they need some way to keep track of their little ones daily routine (what time they sleep, eat and so much more). I ended up using a random notepad as it was all I had on hand but I would have loved this custom baby journal. Such a great way to have all those little notes in one place as a keepsake for later.  There are many options out there but seeing as I am recently crushing on Pinhole Press, take a look at these:

via Pinhole Press

via Pinhole Press

via Pinhole Press

via Pinhole Press

The inside looks like this:

3) Meals delivered to the door, homemade meals or a gift certificate towards a cleaning service :
Now this one should be at the top of this list...New parents do not have time to cook & clean...they hardly have time to take a shower! Showing up with a homemade meal or offering a gift certificate towards a "meals on wheels" service or cleaning service is like giving them gold!

It can just be a gift certificate towards a couple hours of cleaning, towards a week of meals or even a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant (just make sure it delivers as they won't have a chance to go out for dinner for a little while).

I've never used a service like these. Showing up with some homemade food has been my thing but if I wanted to offer this to a new mother and could not make it to her doorstep I think I would try Mamaluv.com.  They have packages to suit any budget and they offer delivery services in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.  

4) Birthstone jewelry:
I think this would be a sweet gift for a mother who has just had her second (or third) child. The pendants with each child's birthstone can be engraved with the child's name & birth date. They can also be ordered separately to be added with each additional child.

I found this style and more birthstone jewelry options below at redenvelope.com:

5) Gift certificate for a photo session in studio or (even better) at home:
I wish I had done a professional family photo shoot just the three of us in the first few weeks of bringing our son home but time flew by and between changing what felt like a million diapers and feedings every 2 hours (sometimes every hour!) we did not get a chance to have a professional photo shoot done until he was 4 months. New parents never have the time for these things and so having a professional photographer come to your home or a gift certificate in hand for a nearby photo studio is a true blessing and the photos taken will be treasured forever!

Here are a few Montreal photographers and photo studios:

via Sonia Jam Photography 

via Anita Huber Photography

via Boite Blanche Photo Studios

via Magenta Photo Studios

Oooooosh! How cute is that last pic!

Hello Monday!: A couple of inexpensive but great weekend finds for 5 year old kids

I loved this puzzle when I saw it.  I find 5 year old kids very curious and I find they love to share what they learned or what they know.  This Map of Canada Floor Puzzle on Indigo's website, I thought, was perfect for my 5 year old nephew as well as other 5 year old kids in my life, both boys and girls.  So I purchased multiple.

Via Chapters/Indigo

Not only is it inexpensive but it also looks like a lot of fun and a great way to learn about Canada and its sites and landmarks.  Then the kids can share what they learned about Canada with me!

How cute is this for a little 5 year old girl:

Best part is that you can get the apron personalized (It is free on Wayfair):

Via Fun Toy mall

Via Wayfair

Hello Monday!: Please let me introduce you to Pinhole Press

As I mentioned in a previous post, I love photo gifts and I have a couple go to favorite sites. Tiny Prints is one of my top 5 but Pinhole Press IS my favorite! Wait until you see their unique and affordable photo gifts! All gifts below are between $15-30! (And no, aside from being in love with their products, I am not affiliated with them in any way!)

Custom Photo Wall Decals via Pinhole Press

Custom photo Mini Book of Names & Faces via Pinhole Press

Custom Photo Flash Cards via Pinhole Press

Custom Photo Acrylic Framed Calendar via Pinhole Press

Custom Photo Memory Game  via Pinhole Press

Custom Photo Journals  via Pinhole Press

Custom Photo Scribble Pad  via Pinhole Press

There are too many products to mention them all in this post so definitely go check them out here! I think you could possibly get ALL your Christmas shopping done on this one site!