UNIQUE WEDDING PARTY GIFTS!

Hey everyone! Happy New Year!

Are you settling in to 2017? Have any resolutions this year? Typically, I’m not a huge “new year resolution” kindof gal. To me, it’s too much pressure at the start of the year and six months in I usually find myself forgetting what my resolution was that I made on NYE just before midnight (likely a bottle of wine(s) in…whoops. Inside voice!).

This year, my mantra is “own it”. I’m owning my goals, owning my business desires, owning my outlook, owning my faults and owning my strengths. C’est tout. You?

On an exciting note, my brother and his girlfriend finally got engaged!!! Yup, awesome.

We couldn’t be happier. They’ve only been together for over 10 years! What? I know. When they posted their engagement pic on social media, their hastag was #pigsreallydofly! We’re thrilled, I’ve always wanted a sister and so excited for all the wedding fun. Speaking of wedding, Mr. Fix-It and I are heading to Halifax this weekend for a family wedding. So fun. It’s like a mini vacay for us. No kids. Just us. Can I get an AMEN!

With all this wedding busyness that’s been around the last few weeks, one of the random wedding conversations we had at the cottage over the holidays was about bridesmaids and groomsmen gifts.  Not the easiest thing to give.  You want to give something different and something useful. I did some digging and have rounded up a few of my favourites that I think fit the bill of being different and useful.

You can find these gifts at one of my favourite online stores uncommongoods, a collection of interesting products, created by artists. They look for designers that serve a purpose, solve a problem and stun the company with their beauty.  From fabulous products for your home, jewellery, gifts and one of my fav links to click is the “under $25 and $50”. 

And of course, they have awesome gifts for your wedding party! Here are some of my favs for the guys...

1.  Scotch Infused Toothpicks - What?! Mr. Fix-It would love if he got this. Love! 

2.  Neighbourhood Map Coasters - So cool. You can have snippets of your hood on the 

     coasters. 

3.  Beard Pack - It's pretty common for many of the groomsmen to have beards. Why not 

     have those beards looking fab on the big day.

4.  Whiskey Ice Balls - Yup

5.  Custom Etched Growler

 and for the ladies...

1. Agate Coasters - The agate is from Brazil. So pretty and girly.

2. Love Birch Cuff - This bracelet is just gorg.

3. Carry-On Cocktail Kit - Just get it. No words necessary! 

4. Wishing Ball - So many wishes and what a better time to give the girls you love a place to  

    store 

    their wishes.

5. Heart Umbrella - This umbrella is just adorable and unique. I would love to get this!

Couple showers are popular and now that the bride and groom have often already been living together, they don’t need the basics to start up their home. They need fun stuff!

1.  Beer Jelly - Craft beer infused. All you need is the baguette.

2.  My Family Cookbook - This is one of my favourite gift ideas. Would be awesome if you 

     could get your hands on the couple's fav family recipes and have them made into their 

     own family cookbook. Too cute.

3.  DIY Hot Sauce Kit - Just get it. This is awesome.

4.  Molecular Gastronomy Kit - This is all the rage in restaurants. Now the newlyweds can 

     have an extra fancy dinner party :)

5.  Water Garden - This is just cool, cute and funny!

Wedding planning can have a list a mile long. If you know anyone that needs to knock gift ideas off their wedding list, I bet they will find them at uncommongoods. Don't even get me started on their kids stuff and easy DIY kits for the win!

Keep it Beautiful.

*This post has been sponsored by uncommongoods. You know how I only promote brands and products that I love because I think you'll love them too. 

Stove Top Christmas Smell

Hey guys,

TGIF! Less than a month till Christmas. Yikes. Have you decorated? Shopped? Wrapped? We've got most of the house decorated but waiting on the tree (by the way, decorating the house is the only thing I can check off my list...nothing else. Please don't think I'm ahead of the holiday game, the game has just started for this girl). The tree is on the "next weekend list".Who doesn't love the smell of a Christmas tree? It's one of my fav scents. While I wait for the fresh Christmas tree smell to grace our living room, I thought I would create a little stove top Christmas smell. Guys, this is easy,easy, easy. The only thing I had to go out and get were cranberries...the rest was already in the fridge and cupboard. Promise...this all goes in a pot and in 5 minutes, your house will smell like the warmth and love of the holidays!

 The best part is that you can mix up the amount of ingredients. For example, I added WAY too many cloves. I thought I would need a lot to get that warm holiday smell. Yeah, use them sparingly. The first batch I made, the cloves took over the smell and gave me a wicked headache. Not exactly what I was going for. So...here are a few proportions to start with (I found this amount of cloves was way better) and then you can play around with them depending on what scents you might like to be more pronounced.

1 cup of fresh cranberries

2 slices of oranges

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp of cloves

a few springs of greenery (I snipped off some pine from the urn outside)

All in a pot at once, turn up the heat and simmer that delicious Christmas cocktail on the stove and let the Christmas smell run through your house. Easy peasy. You could also make up little packages of these in cellophane and bring as a hostess gift. 

Fresh. Fabulous.Sophisticated. Who needs difficult on a Friday?!

Have a wonderful weekend my friends! Make those lists and check them twice.

Keep it Beautiful.

Kids Party Series: It's a Digger Party!

Hi everyone!

Did you have a nice weekend? It's been a busy couple of weeks over here with school starting back but I'm happy to say (fingers crossed) that so far so good. Our big guy was excited to connect with his buddies again and our middle guy was filled with the nervous excitement of starting school. So was Mummy! They looked so cute in their new threads and packs. Adorable.

Our middle guy is having a birthday this week and so I thought I would do another round of party ideas. He has asked for a "Paw Patrol" birthday this year. In light of his birthday week, I thought I would share some ideas on throwing a "Digger" party if you have any little ones that are all over trucks and diggers. We had a digger party for our middle guy when he turned 2.

I had talked about how kids birthday parties can still be fabulous without having the stress in my last post. For the digger party, I stuck with a few theme colours, kept the food simple and fun for the kids.

Set the tables with a plastic tablecloth (easy just to wrap the entire table up in a bow and stick it in the bin when you're done) and disposable everything. A few toys from the playroom as the centerpiece and a trip to the party store and you have a couple of digger party tables.

 

 

Fruit, veggies and snacks are easy finger food for the minis.

These cupcakes were really easy. I just laid them on a bed of oreo cookie crumbs and added in a few more playroom toys and a yellow jellybean. Easy peasy and super cute!

 

The lootbags. Buckets are a great way for kids to transport their lootbags home and they can re-use them. These yellow sand buckets were $1 each and you can fill them with just about anything. These ones, I filled with construction stickers, bubbles, a toy digger, ball and candy.

Having a toddler party is already going to be a total zoo in the house. Keep it simple. It will be fabulous...promise.

I'm really excited to share the basement with you. Our contractor is wrapping it all up today. It's still pretty empty but we just ordered our couch on the weekend and I can't wait to show it all to you.

Need ideas for a toddler girl birthday? I did a pink party for my baby girl that you can get some ideas from here.

Keep it Beautiful.

Kids Birthday Parties

It seems like in the last 10 years, kids' birthday parties have gone from a small birthday at home with boiled hotdogs and pin-the-tail on the donkey to expensive, everything matchy and perfect parties. I'll admit, when my oldest turned one I was determined to pull off one of those perfect parties. I quickly realized that they can become stressful, expensive and your kids could care less whether the napkins matched the icing. I love to plan parties. I grew up with parents who put on great birthdays and hosted fab parties. I knew that I could somehow find a balance between creating a pretty birthday party without the stress.

Our oldest son turned 7 last week. Holy time flies. Between my three kiddies, I've planned a few kids parties and I thought I would do a little series of Kids Birthday Party posts in case you are looking for easy themes, with little stress.

In no particular order I thought I would start with my baby girl. When my oldest turned 1, we threw this big party with family, friends and neighbours. Of course, as child number 2 and 3 came, their parties got smaller and smaller. Typical first child and third child parenting ;) However, what I also learned was that I put way too much pressure on myself with my first. Enter in, an easy and cute party for a toddler girl.
 

Invites: My mommy friends who have little ones my baby girl's age. These are the kids who are in our baby girl's world anyway and I love their moms. Double win.
 

Menu: Snacks, cupcakes and wine for the mummies.

A quick stop at the dollar store and party store and we have the makings of a birthday party. I didn't plan any games, because really...at this age, all these little muchkins want to do is play with toys and hang with their mamas.

Décor - Stick with one or two colours. If you're looking for something soft, go with complimentary colours. Want to add punch? Go with colours that are on opposite ends of the colour wheel from each other.

My baby girl is really into princesses right now. But it doesn't mean that every thing from the table cloth to the cutlery to the balloons need to have a princess on it. Remember, she's 2. So, a few princess straws and she's happy as a clam to be able to choose which princess straw she gets.

Snacks: Keep them simple. A little fruit, a little junk = toddler food heaven.

Dessert: Cupcakes are easy for little fingers. Whip up your favourite cake recipe of bring on the mix. These...are mix and the kids ate them up. They were easy, cute and delish!

  Lootbags: Keep it easy. I added some princess necklaces and bracelets, bubbles, suckers and a mini stuffty.

Toddler birthday parties can be a total zoo so keep your décor simple. Stick with a colour theme and just go with it.

Here she is, our big girl!

Keep it Beautiful.

Decorate for Canada Day and Get Your Red & White ON!

July 1st is around the corner? Crazy how fast spring went. Why doesn’t winter go by so quickly? July 1 always feels like the kick off to summer. Not only is it Canada’s birthday but it’s also our wedding anniversary. Woot! This year we're celebrating 10 years. What?! That flew by! Our wedding day was a.m.a.z.i.n.g. The weather was perfect, we were so excited, our family and friends we’re beaming, the ceremony was gorg, I loved my dress, Mr. Fix-It looked amazing and the party was rockin! I mean rockin! Goodtimes. We’re heading to San Francisco in the Fall to celebrate our 10 years. Awesome!

Every year I wear my veil out and about. This was us on the dock last year. Crazy lady ;)

To continue the awesome party that we started 10 years ago, we usually have a Canada Day party. Its best when it falls on a weekend but this year it’s a Wednesday. So, we’ve decided to carry it over to the weekend and have it up at the cottage again. Goodtimes!
It was even more goodtimes when a giant box of goodies arrived on my doorstep from Giant Tiger to help kick off the party décor! It's a #MysteryBoxChallenge

Whether you’re having a big or small get together to celebrate C-day, it’s always fun to pick up a whole bunch of red and white. The more the better! You can always have way too many Christmas decorations but you can’t really have enough Canada day red and white. Celebrate the love! Bring on the patriotism.

This year, I’ve decided to focus on the bar. My dad built this fab outside bar on the deck at the cottage with a mini fridge, speakers…all the fixings. So I decorated it.

The leis on the chairs are a perfect item to give to your guests when they arrive and the wine glasses are plastic so good for outside. 

 Behind the bar you can have all your adult drinks and I filled the glass jug with nice cold water in case you need a little break in between ;) You could also fill it with a fun red juice for the kids or add a bunch of strawberries to reduce the sugar. My kiddies love the novelty of turning on the spout. Regardless of Canada Day party or not, it’s a great item to have outside on the deck for a hydrating hot day.

You can easily do this on a tight budget. The key is to get to the store now because all the good stuff will be gone if you’re too late.

Get your Canada t-shirts on, turn up the music, start a dance party and give ‘er. 

 Happy Birthday Canada!

*Disclosure: everything you see here is from Giant Tiger. They have tons of products to help you celebrate Canada’s bday. You know that I only promote products that I love and want you to know about. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that support this blog.

Happy Canada Day friends!

Gin & Tonic Popsicles - Your Weekend Dessert!

Happy Fabulous Friday everyone!

TGIF! I’ve got something fabulously delicious to share with you today. What’s your fav drink of the summer? Hands down I’m a beer girl. But my cocktail of choice on a sticky, hot summer day is a Gin and Tonic. Come to mama!

What’s better than a G&T? A G&T popsicle. They’re simple to make and so refreshingly delish. My mum and I whipped these babies up last weekend at the cottage...

Here's How To:

What You Need:

- 1/2 cup gin
- 10 oz tonic
- 16 oz 7-up
- juice of 1 lime

 

What To Do:

- Mix up all the ingredients. Fill 8 plastic popsicle cups just before the top. Place the stick/top on and pop those babies in the freezer.

- The popsicles need to freeze for 12 hours. They will take longer than regular "juice" popsicles because of the alcohol content. Another tip...you might be inclined to increase the alcohol content...sorry my friends...not a good idea, they wont freeze if there is too much of the fun stuff!

I made up some fruit juice popsicles for the kids so when it was time for a popsicle break for them, it was time for the adults to have one too :)

Have a fresh.fabulous.sophisticated weekend my friends. We're full steam ahead on the basement reno. We had a minor...okay what felt like a major hiccup (like the City denied our permit hiccup...ugh), but our contractor figured out a new plan and we're good to go. Phew! I'll give you an update on where we are next week, share our living room mini-gallery wall and a giveaway!

Keep it Beautiful

Daytime Ottawa + Hot Chocolate Bar!

Hey guys,

 

I'm very excited to be back on Daytime Ottawa (for non-Ottawa residents, it's a local television show) today talking about how to host a "Hot Chocolate Bar Party" as well as getting yourself organized with DIY dry-erase organization boards.

Have you guys heard of mini parties? They were very popular last year and continue to trend for 2015. A mini party is exactly what it sounds like. We're all busy and sometimes feel overwhelmed at the thought of organizing a huge party with our family and friends. Instead, throw a mini party. With March Break here, why not throw a "hot chocolate bar" party? Hit the hill for some tobogganing fun and then have everyone back to you your house for hot chocolate and nibblies. It's easy, it's yummy and kids and adults will love it. Who doesn't love a cup of hot chocolate? It's love in a mug!

All you need is a thermos, crock pot, pot full of hot chocolate etc., and any kind of topping you want. If you tune into the show today, you can see how I've organized mine with a few tips and tricks but here are a few suggested goodies:

Of course, you can't forget the whip cream and a little chocolate sauce, sprinkles etc for added drizzle :) Yum! The kids will love it!

If you want to add a little something to the adults' hot chocolate, here are a few options to take that hot chocolate to the next level for the après tobogganing!

Hot chocolate, tequila & peppermint snaps

Hot chocolate, brandy & Frangelico

Hot chocolate & rum

Hot chocolate & Baileys

Hot chocolate & Cognac

Hot Chocolate, Crème de Cacao & Irish Cream

Hot Chocolate, Kahlua & Vodka

Hope you can tune in. If you have a Rogers account, you can watch the show anytime by clicking here and choosing Rogers Anyplace TV. Or, if you're in Ottawa you can tune into Channel 22 and watch live at 11am or repeats at 2pm, 5pm & 11pm

I'll have more on the DIY dry-erase organization on the blog soon. Think paint chits and frames.

Oh, and how can I forget....
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I hope you have a green beer waiting for you in the near future!


Keep It Beautiful.

A Perfect Cupcake Recipe for A Perfect Baby Girl

Hey everyone,

Today is a special day in our house. Our baby girl is one! How did that happen? How did a whole year go by in a blink of an eye? She is beautiful, delicious, happy, snuggly, feisty, soulful, feminine, loves her brothers, attached to my hip and melts her Daddy's heart. She is perfect.

To celebrate her big day, I made these cupcakes. They are easy as 1 2 3!  If you are looking for the easiest cupcake and icing recipe, then tuck this in your recipe book!

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

 

What You Need

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups cold coffee or water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar

What You Do:
In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in coffee, oil and vanilla; stir in vinegar. Spoon into paper-lined or greased muffin cups.

Bake in 350ºF (180ºC) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from pan; let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
Vanilla Buttercream Icing:

What You Need:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 5 cups sifted icing sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

What You Do:

In large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Alternately beat in sugar and cream, making 2 additions of sugar. Beat in vanilla. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours; let come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Beat slightly before using.)

Isn't she a beauty?

Keep it Beautiful.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Hey everyone!

Sorry I've been so MIA this past week. It was March Break, I was home with the kiddies and it was oh-so-busy! My mum was visiting and was a huge help to me. Phew! Mum and I were also condo shopping for her and my dad. I loved looking into all the condos and their décor possibilities. Designing from a blank slate is a decorators dream!

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you all. Are you really Irish or just Irish for today? I can remember in my University days, standing in the bar line on St. Patrick's Day at 9am. How times have changed! These are the cupcakes my big guy and I made last night for school today and at 9am I was far from the bar and taking my son to school ;)

Do you love green? Do you decorate with green in your home? Here are a few green rooms that look pretty fresh.fabulous.sophisticated to me.



Real Simple

Tonic Living

 My Nana loved St. Patrick's Day. Her house was always "decked" in green. This morning I'm wearing my shamrock earrings that she gave me with pride and ready for my green beer tonight. Happy St. Paddy's Day.

Keep it Beautiful.