Happy Easter

Happy Easter!  Did you do anything fun to celebrate?  We're not religious but we love traditions and the Easter Bunny will probably start visiting Rudy at home next year.  I already have a stash of plastic eggs (I think it was wishful thinking that she might understand it this year.) and we'll probably fill them with stickers, bouncy balls, fun shoe laces and other treats.  

Do you try to recreate your own childhood traditions with your children?  I loved dying eggs (I loved crafts even back then) and I loved searching for eggs at home with my younger brother.  Our Easter Bunny labelled them with our initials to keep things fair and they were always filled with little treasures.

I remember one year, the Easter Bunny left me a small unicorn figurine.  It had a small heart tied around its neck and I treasured it because I felt that it meant the Easter Bunny loved me.  Another year, I remember spending it with my cousins at their cottage.  We collected clams and cracked them open, hoping to find pearls.  

While Rudy probably won't remember the things we do for the next year or so, I think it's never too early to begin making our own family traditions.  We took her to a farm today and she enjoyed collecting eggs, visiting the animals and riding on some of the bouncy toys.

Just in time for Easter, she seems to have discovered her giant rabbit toy that we bought for her before she was born.  Here are a few of our favourite photos from the past weekend.  Next stop: Passover!

2014 Holiday Gift Guide

With the holidays around the corner and baby de Sa-Brown on the way, Corey and I have agreed to keep our holidays simple (aka- frugal) this year.  Since we both still enjoy wrapping and opening gifts, we've been wrapping and putting things away for months (mostly items we needed to purchase anyway) and, now that we've forgotten about them, we'll save them for the holidays to give to each other!

Despite having a bit of a low-key holiday ourselves, I just love browsing and window shopping for great gift ideas online.  Here are some of my favourites for 2014.  Whether you're splurging or looking for a stocking stuffer, there's something here for everyone on your list!

For Anyone

Who doesn't love a warm cuppa on a cold day?  I personally like rooibos teas because they are hydrating and I've been enjoying this green and fruity tea from David's.  I actually mix it with some of the (less yummy) teas I've been drinking during my pregnancy and the flavour is strong enough to mask anything bitter.

Speaking of David's Teas, I haven't tried it (I prefer fruity to dessert flavoured) but this birthday cake tea looks so festive!

While we're on the subject of edibles, I just discovered Short and Sweet Cupcakes, thanks to a friend's recommendation.  I hear their "sammies" are amazing and they deliver within Toronto!

One of my favourite scents to fall asleep to is Lavender and Chamomile from Bath and Body Works.  This pillow spray would make anyone's nighttime ritual very luxurious.

If you're on social media, you're probably no stranger to the fascinating Humans of New York blog.  Now there's a hardcover book version!

Perfect for the perfect host/hostess in your life, this set of gold flatware from West Elm would look fabulous on a festive table!

While I seldom wear socks, (I could seriously walk around barefoot all winter.) I might make an exception for some cozy alpaca socks on a cold winter day.

I love this Crate and Barrel wood and marble cheese platter.  I had never noticed it until one of my friends (who happens to have amazing taste) registered for it when she was getting married.  Wouldn't it also make the perfect backdrop for food photography?

Although I have yet to order from Minted, I adore their personalized photo collages which you can order with or without a frame.  I'm sure we'll make one once little Bruiser comes!

I love these chic reusable bags by Baggu!  I would keep one in my purse at all times!

For Him

I love Kiehl's products and Corey uses their facial fuel every day.  It smells fresh and manly and is super invigorating.  I confess to using it to help me wake up some mornings.

If you're going to splurge on someone, what could be more cozy and decadent than a cashmere hoodie?  I love the way Everlane clothes fit and I can't think of a guy who wouldn't love this!

I love the details on these lambskin and silk gloves.  Not ideal for the vegan in your life but perfect for a stylish carnivore!

Who wouldn't want to curl up in a cozy onesie?  Corey would love this!

This cheeky baggage tag makes me laugh.

This sarcastic t-shirt would make my brother laugh.

For Her

I love this mini travel styling iron.  I may even pop one in my "go bag" for the hospital.  ;)

Agate is still in style and I love a beautiful statement necklace!

I love drooling over the Argentinian leather goods on the Cuyana website.  This stunning wallet is one of my favourites.  I really like the unexpected colour of the lining.

I bought a chunky knit cowl from this shop years ago and it is still one of my fall/winter staples!

How sweet and dainty are these initial necklaces?  I think they'd make a sweet gift for a significant other or a bff.

I love this merino wool toque.  I dislike hats that end at the top of my head at this one seems to have the perfect amount of slouch!

For Little Ones

We are big fans of Plan Toys products at our house and for some reason, this weird alligator seems to be loved by kiddies.

I just love this handmade bird stuffy.  You can order one with pretty much any colour combination of clothes to match your nursery!

There's something so sweet about creating a baby book on Pinhole Press to help a baby identify photos of all the important people in their little life!

As fans of classic, wooden toys, Corey and I love this elegant balance game.

Have you heard of I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love by Nancy Tillman?  It's a beautiful book and it delivers a strong message from parent to child of acceptance and unconditional love.  I can't read it without crying these days.

For Furry Ones

We never like to forget our four-legged family members.  Cheetah has this exact collar and we get compliments all the time.  We love martingales because they offer the control of a "choke" collar (which many people with powerful dogs need) but the fabric is soft for the dog and the collar "expands" the moment the pulling stops.

It wouldn't be the holidays without an order from Nothing Added.  Favourites at hour house (okay, our dogs LOVE everything from this shop) include dehydrated anchovies (which cats also adore) and dehydrated chicken feet!

To help our pets brave the cold winters, our favourite shop for breed specific coats (we have winter coats, rain coats and sweaters) is Voyager's K9 Apparel.  Cheetah got his first winter coat this year and he's loving the snow so far this winter after moving here from Florida!

Well that's my list for 2014.  What tops your wishlist?

Another Halloween

I can't take credit for our pumpkin this year.  We've been so preoccupied with renos and work that we were happy to take one that my brother carved.  Frankly, I think he did a better job than I would have.

How was your Halloween?  Some of you may remember our excitement last year as we prepped and decorated for our first Halloween in a house.  We went all out with a strobe light, scary music and a smoke machine and so many of the neighbourhood kiddies commented that we were the "best house ever" that we felt compelled to do it again.

I was also insistent on having some non-food treats available for kids with allergies and a good friend told me I was "ahead of my time" when the Teal Pumpkin Initiative became popular this year.

Like last year, we had an assortment of stickers and chocolates.  I'm still always surprised at how quickly the non-food items disappear.  :)

We laughed at ourselves at the end of the night though.  We were sorting through the "leftovers" when we realized that, in addition to chocolates and stickers, we had been handing our condiments and salad dressing from Swiss Chalet.

Here's our little setup before it got too dark.

It's hard to capture the ambiance but it was pretty spooky with the music, strobe light and fog machine.  A few kids skipped us because the house was too scary... We were a little bit proud of that!

We also dressed up as much as time allowed.  One woman said I looked like Marilyn Monroe.  Obviously the fog and strobe light were distorting her vision but I'll take it!

We were a little saddened to see so few houses participating in Halloween this year.  I feel like it's sort of our duty to keep it going, since we enjoyed it as children.  If you're curious, there's a great list, which ranks the best neighbouhoods to visit.  I'm hoping to see our neighbourhood on the list in a few years!

Links I Love

Happy Passover and Easter for those who celebrate!  I recall last year at this time we were in the condo preparing for our move and we decided to make a silly ridiculous Easter Egg Hunt for Barkley.  

Now that we're having more nice days than cold, we've been enjoying long walks (dragging our lazy dog behind us) along the neighbourhood trails.  Everyone seems to be out and about lately and life seems happy as warm weather approaches.

By the way, here's what Barkley would like to be doing instead of joining us for walks:

These past couple of weeks have flown by in a frenzy of work, renos and wedding preparations.  I will have updates on our washroom progress soon and I'm hoping to have lots of wedding news to share in the coming months.

We've been in our new/old house for nearly a year and yet we're pretty sure the next year will be even more productive and eventful!  So I'm sorry for neglecting this blog but I can promise some exciting posts and updates to our new/old house in the months to come.  Our heads are just buzzing with ideas for this summer!

What are you doing over the long weekend?  Don't long weekends make you feel spectacular and relaxed?  I tend to have trouble relaxing but I have been feeling indulgent this weekend and even rented a couple of horror movies to watch without any guilt that I should be working.  ;)

Again, these weeks have slipped away from me and I just had to publish some of the links I've been hoarding for you guys!  More to follow... promise!

This sad story serves as a good reminder that we don't really know what's happening in the lives of others.  I think this also applies to idealized versions of lives that we see on Facebook.

How many of these do you already do?

Should we all start celebrating some of these unconventional occasions?  I think some of these are more important than birthdays and anniversaries.

These hashtags for thirty-somethings made me laugh! #PaperworkOnAFridayNight

Dogs + Magic = Amazeballs!

Did anyone else bawl their eyes out while watching this April Fools "Prank"?

This April Fools prank made me laugh.

I want this mirror fence.

Who else lives in an old house?  Ours was built in 1926.  Check out these 27 things that only "old house" people will understand.

10 ways to show love to someone with depression.

Don't you just love Toronto in the Spring?

This block puzzle would be a fun gift to DIY (or buy) for a child.

Oh no, it's almost bee season!  Here is a list of the worst places to get stung.  Hint: nostril-lip-penis... Ouch!

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