Last month I was a guest on My Lip Addiction’s podcast. I always wondered if I should get into that realm of reaching people all around the world with my voice. Especially since I’m a shy person. Yes, for those of you who don’t know me on a personal level. I’m a shy person. I have my days where I get…brave and venture out of my shell, figuratively speaking of course. Then I have other days where I’m flamboyant AF and the only way to bring me down is to call me out on my crazy loud behavior. Sorry not sorry.
The Podcast Life & Getting Over My Shyness
Just like everything else that’s digital in our world today, creating and managing podcasts is not easy. There’s a lot of technical, brainstorming and creativity that goes into it. Just like blogging. Anyone could write a post and call it out on Instagram. But what about everything else in between and behind the scenes of it all. I tip my hat toCat Forsleywho can do it all!
Cat Forsley is a beauty blogger at My Lip Addiction and has a strong background in music and arts. She also writes about fashion, wellness and of course is the host of an awesome podcast. I had the pleasure of being a guest on her podcast and it was a great experience! I normally shy away from doing YouTube videos (I’ve done some awkward videos)or anything that has to do with people seeing or hearing me but I’ve been getting over that lately. A part of it is just self realization and then another part is the company you keep. Talk to those who lift your spirit. Someone whose in the same industry as you are.
Today is Global Hug Your Kid Day and I’m excited to share some ‘first Hug’ stories with you.
When I first got pregnant, the very first emotion I felt was being scared. Being a mom is a big responsibility. The first thing I did though was hug my belly. Hug and rub. That first hug was to give my baby loving vibes and to remind myself that everything was going to be okay.
As soon as Baby D (my first child) was born, the first thing my midwife did was place him on my chest for skin-to-skin contact. Before they cut the cord, I hugged and cradled him. It was the most amazing feeling in the world and all I could do was just cry the biggest happy tears of my life. I kept thinking, “Oh my god, he’s here. This is it. I want to hold you forever.” They put him in his first Huggies Little Snugglers newborn diaper and gave him back to me.
The first HUG. [Huggies – No baby unhugged.]
Everyday at least once he’ll ask for a ‘baby hug’ (A hug from his baby sister)Baby D at birth
I didn’t clothe him right away. In his first pictures he was only in a diaper and a blanket. I wanted him to get all the skin-to-skin hugs
he could get.
Baby D is now 2 and a half years old and I still practice skin-to-skin with him. During bath time I’ll make sure I’m wearing a tank top and as soon as he’s out, in a towel, I hold him and hug him. We continue our hug all the way to our room where I have his clothes ready. Perhaps those hugs are why he’s super friendly and hugs everyone, including strangers. Many times we’ve gone grocery shopping and as soon as he’s out of his stroller or the grocery cart he’ll go up to someone and hug their leg. There was one lady and her reaction that I’ll never forget. When Baby D hugged her and I walked over to get him (he wouldn’t let go), I apologized to the lady as he came to me and she smiled with tears in her eyes and said, “Usually children don’t like me or come to me, so that hug was really special and sweet.” I didn’t even think that the power of his hug could move someone like that.
We always keep a Huggies wipes box + a diaper at the end of the bed for late night quick changes.
The power of hugs is real. It’s comforting when you’re down and can lift you even higher in spirit when you’re happy. When you greet people you love, always be aware of your hug. You can immediately make someone feel how much you missed them or love them by the way you hug. A strong and long hug is always a lasting one.
My first hug with Baby Z (my second child) was very similar to how Baby D got his first hug. The only difference was that the first hug was cut a little short because she was born at home, and I was on the floor, totally un-planned. That’s a story for another day. What I thought was really special though was when Baby D got his first hug with his little sister. I didn’t tell him, he just knew that the first thing he wanted to do when he saw her was to embrace her in a long hug and a kiss. He walked into the room, saw her and said “Aweee… baby!”.
Their first hug
That first hug is a very powerful and emotional one. My best friend just had her baby and when they first placed her sweet angel on her chest we did a video call and we both cried happy tears for that beautiful moment. I felt that hug. I knew how she felt. It was just such a beautiful moment and I was honoured to share it with her, along with her family by her side.
My hugging plan with Baby Z is right after her diaper change to give her hugs and skin-to-skin. Did you know a child could have up to 5,000 diaper changes in his or her life? That’s 5,000 opportunities for hugs! There will be days when you’re super busy and you might forget – I’m guilty of that – I now keep some sweet reminders around her changing table to remind me to give her skin-to-skin time. When I’m changing her diaper and read the Huggies label, it’s a reminder of its own.
I also try to use products that nourish and protect her skin, like Huggies Natural Care wipes and Consonant Baby Lotion. They both contain Aloe and Vitamin E. I’m also obsessed with this whipped shea butter bum cream byCharlotteCosmetics.So natural, that you can eat it!
Do you remember a hug that had a lasting impression on you? How about a ‘first hug’?
Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Huggies. However, all views and opinions expressed in this post are of my own regarding the products and experiences.
It is now 12 weeks since I had my baby girl. I’m itching to get back into an exercise routine. To be honest, I never really had a “routine”. Being active was second nature to me and I never really put any effort into staying healthy or to stay the XS small size I had a love/hate relationship with. Okay, please don’t kill me for saying this. For years I would have trouble gaining weight. This is before I had children. “You have a fast metabolism”, they said.
Fast forward after having two under two, and I’m having trouble losing it. Of course it’s in all the wrong places. My friends and I have countless times joked about a machine that could suck it out from one place and put it in another. Funny enough I found out a month ago a friend of a friend of mine actually did that and such technology exists! Crazyyy. And no, I wouldn’t try it. Surgery scares me. So here goes my steps to getting into an exercise routine:
Postpartum Fitness: 5 Steps to Getting into an Exercise Routine
STEP 1
Don’t start until you’ve healed and/or have stopped bleeding. Also, if you’re nursing, you don’t want to go to heavy either. You need to stay hydrated and not lose too much weight too fast. Some doctors say it could affect your milk production. Always check with your doctor before you do anything. Every body is made different and handles exercise differently too. Be safe!
STEP 2
Get some workout clothes you feel comfortable in. I shopped online and got some stuff from Shein.
The tights were great for my yoga routine and also wear really well if you have to go somewhere after. For a quick top to get on after your workout to look fly af, I paired it with my favourite white tank with the black lace. Click images below to shop
STEP 3
Before you do any core workouts find out if you have diastasis recti, commonly known as abdominal separation. A diastasis is defined as a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle into right and left halves. Ask a doctor to check or check yourself here.
Stay motivated. This will be the hardest step. You’ll want to give up and just cuddle and take those naps with your little one instead of working out while they sleep. But don’t fall into that rut. Stay motivated by finding new challenging workouts or don’t discourage yourself with things you can’t do yet and instead just go for a walk.
How do you stay motivated to get some exercise? Comment below with your tips! #Notgonnalie – I need that motivation right now.
The early days of being pregnant for the second time, I remember people asking me, what do you want? A boy or a girl? My main concern was, which would little one D get along with more? Would he be more jealous if it were a boy vs a girl or vice versa? Transitioning a toddler from being your one and only to ..”you’re a big brother/sister” can be difficult and/or naturally easy. Every child is different. I’m not sure if it was just luck, or if everything I did leading up to the birth and a month into her being here actually worked. He absolutely adores her. His transition and current status of being a big brother is working. He’s everything I wished for him to be towards his baby sister.Thank god!
Sibling Love: 5 Tips On Transitioning Your
First Child Into Being a Brother/Sister
I’m sharing the best tips and advice I either read about in baby forums or was told to try via friends and family. P.S I don’t consider myself some kind of baby/toddler expert. I’m constantly absorbing as much information I can on how to handle every stage of life for my LO’s. I also still believe a mothers instinct wins over any advice or tips. Here goes:
<Disclaimer: These tips may not work for everyone. Every child is unique and their personalities require less/more attention when it comes to preparing them for a sibling. A mother always knows best. And only YOU can determine what’s best for your child. Watch for cues from your child on what to do and say. Congratulations and good luck!>
Click image to view more details on Baby Z’s new favourite blanket.
Have the talk. As soon as I started showing I was pregnant I had a talk with my LO (Little One). As a matter of fact, I had more than one or two talks. Finding the right moment, when your LO’s entire attention is focused on what you’re saying is the best time to have that talk. Even if it’s for a few seconds. They do retain that information. Especially if you’re having that talk more than once. Opportunities like, before/after reading a book to your LO. During a car ride. At the grocery store while shopping for your new baby. These are all great moments to have that talk. What does the talk sound like? What do I say? I start off with rubbing my belly and saying there’s a baby in here. Are you excited for the baby? And then I just ramble on about being a big brother, how much fun he’ll have when baby can play and how much he’ll love being a big brother. I would end my talk with the same belly motion and saying again, baby is inside here. Baby is coming! I believe repetition is key. To a certain extent of course.
Ask questions. Little D is 2 years old. I’m always asking him questions. Allowing him to make decisions and so naturally I always asked, “what’s inside here?” (Pointing to my belly) Because of our talks he knew I was talking about the baby and he would reply “bay-beeee!” There were some days where he wouldn’t answer at all and just give me a weird look. I’d ask 3 more times and if still no answer. I’d try again in a few hours or the next day. Especially closer to my due date, i asked him like clockwork everyday during his bath time. Building his excitement for the baby’s arrival. Now that she’s here, my questions have changed to: “Is she cute?” “Do you love your baby sister?” “Do you want to give baby a kiss?”
Our baby/Your baby. The first time Little D met Baby Z we got a present from her to him. A lot of my friends recommended this. I’m not sure if it worked and if he understood, but since so many recommended it, I had to try it. We got an elephant rocker and told him baby brought it for him. He smiled and played with it for awhile, and quickly lost interest in it. The excitement wasn’t there. Since I didn’t get the reaction I was looking for, whenever I took them both shopping with me, I’d get him something small and say this is from baby.
See, see, no touch. I know babies are tough, but newborns to me, will always be fragile little humans. So naturally when my LO wants to hug or touch Baby Z, I get scared and my first reaction in the beginning was to say “No.” But I soon realized saying no isn’t the best approach. Something I learnt from his daycare teachers was to use the word “gentle” instead. Now whenever he comes close I say “gentle, gentle.” It sounds obvious right? But when you’re in the moment, sometimes the first word to say that comes to mind, especially if it’s no, doesn’t seem to feel wrong to say. But the word no, could lead to your child feeling angry, confused or jealous towards the new baby. Gentle on the other hand, welcomes your child to be around the baby but to not be rough.
Let’s do this together. When Baby Z cries, my LO and I both look for solutions. “Does she want a toy?”, “Where’s her Tee Tee (pacifier)?” – He use to reach for her pacifier to use it and now because I’ve included him in giving it to her, he reaches for it to place in her mouth. Even when she needs a diaper change, I ask him if he wants to help. Sometimes while I’m nursing her, he’ll come and sit beside me, or if he doesn’t, I always ask him if he wants to come. To make him feel like, we’re in this together. As your child grows and changes, their needs and wants change, and so will their emotions towards everything around them. The best we can do is to engage, ask questions and ensure your child is always a part of everything. Now when anyone is around Baby Z, he’ll grab them and point at Baby Z and say, “aweee. So cute.” Moments like this make me feel like all that work to make that sibling bond strong is so worth it. What are your fondest memories with your siblings? Any tips for mama’s?
A staple in every girls closet is the classic jean jacket. Goes over all your cute dresses and can turn any outfit from boring to fashionista status. My new favourite staple these days is the green bomber jacket! I’m loving the bomber jacket look and will definitely opt in for it when the colours pair well. Looks especially nice when paired with accessories like choker necklaces and aviator sunglasses.
This colour in particular looks best with nudes, browns and black. I love the graphics on this bomber! Even in my last trimester I’m able to rock this bomber jacket with ease. I had a lot of people stopping me and asking where I got it. I’m wearing the XL and it’s on sale for $25 from $75! I purposely got a bigger size so it could wear a little looser on me. I read the helpful reviews as well and most people said to purchase 1 or 2 sizes up.
Here’s a closer look at the details:
Shein has a huge variety of bomber jackets and amazing prices! Here are my favourites:
Check out these celebs rocking the look:
Jessica Alba
Do you own a bomber jacket? If so. how do you style it?
Merry Christmas! Some of you are sitting around the Christmas tree with hot cocoa, eggnog and other fancy drinks and treats. Most importantly spending quality time with friends and family. Opening presents and sharing precious memories. Not only is it Christmas Day for me but our wedding anniversary! Five years ago today we got married! At this very moment I’m cuddling my husband and have baby D sitting beside us reading Christmas books. Not. Actually, baby D has fallen asleep, taking his nap, so my hubs and I are watching bad moms. :”D
The #beautyBOUTIQUEholiday party was held at
the TIFF building in the beautiful malaparte room. When we entered the room the first thing we noticed were the beautiful white Christmas trees with lip gloss, mascara and other beauty product ornaments! How cute!
I love shopping at beauty boutiques for gifts. I remember for one of D’s birthdays getting him his favourite fossil watch, make-up sets for countless events like a pumpkin carving contest we held and so much more. Definitely my go to spot for gift shopping. They do an awesome wrapping job and you get to collect optimum points! Which in my opinion is the best rewards program out there. I might have a biased opinion because it was my first job and worked at Shoppers for years. #truth
At the party I got illustrated! I love watching the artists work their magic in minutes and this time we got an image and animated version of the illustration. Check it out:
And here’s the video version. I added one of my fave Christmas songs to it:
There are so many reasons for gift giving. Holidays, birthdays, special events, anniversaries and more. Some of my friends have come to me saying how hard it is for them to figure out what to get for people for various events. I find the less you know someone the harder it is. Especially if you want to make sure they’ll love whatever it is you’re deciding on getting them. Gift giving, it can be a pleasure or a pain in the butt. Pain or pleasure, I believe the one thing we always have to keep in mind is the fact that “the manner of giving is worth more than the gift”, said Pierre Corneille.
So give from your heart, with genuine intentions and it won’t really matter what the gift is. Make it count by expressing how and why you went about in picking that gift. I did this every year with one of my dearest best friends, Jenny. Every year we got each other a Christmas gift and a birthday gift. But it was never just one item. It would be a bunch of items that we either saw throughout the year for one another or picked because of the significance it had to a memory we had together, interests or wants. Then in our cards to each other we would write why and the story behind each item. Maybe not each item, but you get what I mean. I actually started doing that for every gift I ever got someone. Recently, we had a Secret Santa gift exchange at our office and I had gotten a male co-worker. Lucky me, he filled out his Elfster wish list. I got him one of the items he wished for, the other was sold out. I tried to find something comparable but didn’t have any luck. So I resorted back to what I usually think you can’t go wrong with for guys, socks.
It came time to exchange gifts and sucks to be me, the gift he had wished for didn’t mail in time. So during the exchange he got a note, with the tracking number for his wished gift, socks, a dancing robot toy ( a filler gift) and a card explaining that the robot was to keep him entertained while he waited for the actual gift. But boy did I feel bad. I was so sure I’d get it in time, since I ordered it literally 2 weeks ahead. After the exchange, the male co-worker who I had last year, called me “the sock lady”. In my defense, I had got him nice socks from The Bay with a chocolate or mixed nuts set of some sort. And he’s worn them multiple times to work, #justsaying. And this year I got the other guy, socks from Banana Republic and the other stuff. My genuine intention is that guys gotta keep their feet warm and some would rarely pick out nice unique socks for themselves. The dryer always eats them, so we need an endless supply, am I right?
Below, I’m sharing my top reasonable gift ideas for him and her.
Let’s get started. For him, haha socks! Socks from Banana Republic for a more mature taste or fun socks from Happy Socks. There are more expensive brands that are like Happy Socks for you prestige loving peeps as well. For her, a nice scarf or hat. Accessorizing in the winter can get tricky, especially when trying to stay warm. So never under estimate the gift of a nice but warm scarf or hat.
LUSH has lots of products to choose from that are natural and their packaging is very neutral. Skincare is the best! Some men just love to use regular soap and call it a day, but they have no idea on what they’re missing out on until you show them. So introducing them to some simple and easy to use skincare through a gift is the best! When they continue to use that product and keep going back for more, they’ll be forever grateful that you saved them from aging prematurely. One of my favourites, (guilty of using it) that my husband has been using and loves is the Breath of Fresh Air toner water.
What’s great is that it’s for all skin types, so no worries if you have no idea what skin type the person has. Very easy to use, all you do is after cleansing your face, just spray it on and either leave it or use a cotton pad to remove any residue left behind from your cleanser. For her, check out the amazing variety of bath bombs you can get! I have some of their bath bombs sitting in a basket in my washroom and gosh if there was smell-o-vision, I’d totally insert that scent right here. You know it’s natural when it smells that good for weeks. Bath bombs are a treat to get and when I think of treating myself to something nice, they are on my top 5 list along with flowers, chocolates, new clothes and make-up. I love how pretty they look and LUSH does a fantastic job packing them in cute gift boxes too!
A new scent is always appreciated by anyone.Okay, maybe not always. Since some could be allergic or just not wear fragrance. But that’s what gift receipts are for, right? You can skim through so many options on beautyboutique.ca. Just to ensure they get the scent they want, check out the fragrance sampler for him and her, comes with a gift card for a full size cologne and a bunch of small bottle sampler to try before they decide which full size they want. I ordered something from them recently and was pleasantly surprised at how fast shipping was and the very nice packaging everything came in. Not sure if that’s just for the holidays and for where I live, but I highly recommend.
I love gifts that are unique and conversation starters. Check out this wood watch by JORD. Definitely a show stopper and you’ll fall in love with the details more than he will. I have a wood watch and every time I wear it someone always without fail will ask me where I got it from or if they can try it on. Intrigued by the fact that it’s made from wood. P.S This is your last weekend to order to receive the watch by Christmas!
We all have that go to t-shirt, pants, shoes and even purse. Whatever your staples may be, you want them to last forever! I’ve teamed up with ThirdLove, a San Francisco company who specialize in under garments to bring you staple saving tips from them and some of my own.
Top 10 Tips To Save Your Staples
1. Bra Care:
If you don’t hand wash them, then always machine wash with the gentle/delicate cycle.
Don’t mix your whites with colours.
2. Underwear:
3. Wear an apron:
If you’re stepping into the kitchen to cook, you’ll want to wear an apron to protect your clothes. Anything could happen when you’re cooking. For an example, the oil you might be cooking with could splash onto your clothes. Or how about baking. I know when I’m baking I somehow always get flour on me. So do your clothes some justice and wear an apron.
4. Denim:
This goes for all your favourite denim clothes. Jean, jean jackets, denim dresses etc. I have a question for YOU my readers. I have a pair of jeans that no matter how many times I wash them they still bleed blue. What up with that? I’m too scared to wear them now, especially since I have camel colour leather seats in my car. Have you experienced this before? And if you did, what did you do to fix it?
5. Sew:
Learn basic sewing and fix any minor mishaps in your clothing. It’s a great skill to have. I can’t even begin to count how many times one of my favourite jackets or shirts lost a button and I saved it to sew back. Now, you might know how to sew, and just never find the time to actually do it. Like me. In that case, that shirt or jacket wasn’t your favourite after all.
6. Bleach? Forget about it.
Bleach has the power to wear out your clothes real quick. So use bleach only when you really have too.
7. Read the labels:
I guess this one is kind of obvious. If you read the labels of your clothes then of course they’ll last longer. Different fabrics and types of clothing need different degrees of care. Even though it sounds tedious, it’s a good habit to get into.
8. Handbags:
It’s always so much fun cleaning out handbags. I always find almost everything I was looking for in them.
9. Hang dry:
Hang your clothes to dry. I’m guilty of not purchasing a drying rack for years. Okay, we did have one, once upon a time and it fell apart. I never got around to replacing it. Our new laundry room has a window and lots of folding and organizing space. Yay! So I finally got one and have the perfect spot for it, by the window of course. Lots of fresh air to dry our favourite staples. Make sure to keep clothing separated so they dry faster and have good air circulation. You can also invest in a space saving drying rack for smaller rooms, like this one:
10. Don’t wash clean clothes:
I know you must be eager to add more to your laundry, but please don’t. You may not realize but that t-shirt you took off today and threw into your dirty laundry basket, wasn’t dirty. If it looks clean, doesn’t smell and the only flaw is its wrinkles, then don’t wash it. Some dryers have a refresh feature, where you can throw in clothes that have zero stains and a few wrinkles. My samsung dryer sprays clothes with a little water and then goes through the usual drying process. It’s an awesome feature!
Do you have any tips on how you save your staples? P.S Use promo code STAPLES for 15% off your entire order until the end of 2016!
I remember every single person who bullied me. Those are memories that are hard to forget. The sad part about majority reason of why children get bullied is that it’s because the person doing the bullying doesn’t know any better. Mostly they’re afraid of what they don’t know, or don’t understand.
Long story short, once upon a time I wore a hijab. Although I went to a very multicultural elementary school downtown Toronto, there were a few children who just didn’t understand why I wore it, didn’t want to learn and just felt better by calling me and my friends names, physically abusing us and just making our lives miserable. It went on for months until we stood up to the bullies. We didn’t want it to come down to fighting back, but it did. After that day, that was the end of it. Or so I thought.
First year of high school, I remember someone in Science class asking if I was bald underneath. Stupid question because I unfortunately never wore my hijab perfectly covering my hair. The worse part was that the Science teacher responded with ” …is it true? Are you all bald underneath?” Like what the —?? At that time because of all the bullying I had been through prior to high school, that comment meant nothing to me. I was numb to bullying and just answered the question with a mundane “No.”
#DidYouKnow 70% of reported bullying is because they either look or act differently? (race, weight, height, clothing, and any physical, religious and sexual differences.)
No one should be bullied and schools should have more programs that help students being bullied and help everyone understand the importance of why bullying is wrong. In elementary school when I addressed the bullying that happened to our vice principle, he created a mediation program. Where volunteers were given whistles/school bells and would walk around at recess time keeping the peace. If they found a situation where someone was being bullied we would blow the whistle or school bell and teachers would come take over. Proud to say my friends and I were the first people at our elementary school to be a part of it.
What I love about this campaign is that the money is to go towards educating students to understand that we are all the same. The same people but in different bodies. Check out this video.
Open your mind.
So why the funky green socks? They’re to represent that we are all unique and this is what makes us amazing individuals! You can purchase these socks at YoSox on Queen Street, or online. For every pair of socks purchased, Yo Sox will donate a portion of the proceeds to Canadian Safe School Network to help fund new anti-bullying programs for youth and to promote wellness.
Teachers/School Professionals: Here’s the link to some #StandTogether Educational Resources to add valuable lessons about bullying, diversity, and kindness into your classroom!
You can donate to the Canadian Safe School Network, here.
Just before Easter Colette was decorated with cute easter eggs, bunnies and let’s just stop and appreciate that awesome chalkboard art. Their holiday decor is on point. Also, they have feature drinks that they change according to the season or for different holidays.
The feature drink at the time I went was the Maple Fog Latte. I typically drink an earl gray with two milks and two sugars. Yup, double it up. London Fogs are my favourite. So imagine how happy I was to know this drink was made with an Earl Gray base.
I love this place and the interior is dreamy! Clean and chic. Very Parisian. I can’t wait to have brunch here next time!
If you’re stepping into the kitchen to cook, you’ll want to wear an apron to protect your clothes. Anything could happen when you’re cooking. For an example, the oil you might be cooking with could splash onto your clothes. Or how about baking. I know when I’m baking I somehow always get flour on me. So do your clothes some justice and wear an apron.
