Life Lately, November

Toys To Last, A Djeco Gift Guide

FYO Advent Calendars

Experience Gifting With Kids

 In the spirit of giving fewer better things, gifting minimally, and striving for quality over quantity - experience gifts are favourite of mine. We don't live and die by this but we do look to it as an option whenever and wherever possible (*definitely made easier pre-pandemic).

For our son's last birthday, we took a trip to Montréal. Although we did plenty of things during the trip for non-birthday reasons, his main birthday wish of going on a ferris-wheel was met with tickets to ride Montréal's La Grande Roue.

Ethically Made Pajamas For The Season

Getting Festive With Tim Hortons

New Year, New Everything

If you’ve long followed The OM Edit, or former ‘Peeks At Five Ft.’, then you know just how many “adventures” we’ve been on. That’s what I call them — our moves, team changes, free agency, last minute contract signing and everything in between like marriage itself, parenthood... you know.. adventures!

And while we love each new adventure as it comes, we of course have favourites. The next, easily finding it’s way into the top few.

All Wrapped Up

Winter is most definitely here (at least if you’re a fellow Canadian it sure is). Christmas is only days away. 
And it’s safe to say the madness of the the holiday season is ever so much underway. We’ve been simultaneously wrapping presents and packing suitcases like it’s nobody’s business.

The Giving Manger

The holidays are fun. They really are. But I’ve found that there was a period of time where they lost the magic a little. Don’t get me wrong – I still looked forward to it and opted into every festivity as possible but it was more about the presents and the parties. Then we became parents! And almost instantly it became magical again. 

Detox Water

I recently posted to my instagram stories, a video of Rheo drinking detox water. I received a ton of responses about never thinking to give it to kids or questions regarding what was in it. I tried answering most of them, but decided to also share a quick once over about the topic.

Scream For Halloween

In all honesty, I'm not a big Halloween person. Aside from my childhood, I can't say I ever really was. But since becoming a parent, it's made it onto my long and seemingly always growing list of "exciting all over again" parts of life. I was so looking forward to this occasion that I went cray-cray on pinterest (doesn't require much arm twisting) for mommy and me costumes. I literally searched up everything, right down to costumes incorporating baby wraps and/or carriers. I probably pinned enough to cover having 5 kids...and take them through to adulthood! Some were seemingly not attainable, but power to all the stay at home moms who post unrealistic goals for the rest of us on there. Others my husband wouldn't ever agree to do, even if I promised to do all his laundry, cook all his meals, and let him watch NBA games all day every day. So they continue to sit in my hidden idea boards. While out searching for winter baby accessories one day, I saw the cutest little skeleton 'jamas. Rhe, although he's grown a ton, was still quite small for the selection of costumes that flooded most of the stores so, I decided that was that - he would wear this little onesie and be a skeleton. Rather unimpressed with my idea, I told myself it didn't really matter - after all, it's not like we would actually be "going out" this year anyways. I would just wear something cozy, put his cute little bones on, and greet trick-or-treaters like cute little moms are supposed to do.

Well, fast forward to more pinterest. Halloween makeup ideas started surfacing my feed and I decided that our whole family would be skeletons because, well, now I was really beginning to think I was a professional makeup artist and could pull of such things. Skeletons times three. Or "til death do us part" as I dubbed it. 

This was the final outcome. Rheo was snuggled up in his "costume", I did the makeup on both my husband and I, and the outfits were simply pieces from our closet. My husband just put together a formal menswear attire with a peacoat and I tossed on a chunky knit, leather jacket and tulle skirt (everyone has those in their closet, no?) with some classic pumps. Even my husband was getting so into it. I kid you not, he had me fix his makeup numerous times! We enjoyed it all a little too much. Probably more than the kids. Needless to say I'm already preparing for next year and may need intervention by than. But seriously.

Now onto Thanksgiving (part 2) and Christmas.

Cheers to the start of festivity season.

XO, Olivia Murray.

Integrate Thanks

I'm not Scrooge. I like the holidays. Love them actually. And that includes Thanksgiving. While the idea is all warm and fuzzy, it's always been a little odd to me however. That one day a year (two if you're like me and double dip the American and Canadian holidays as well), to shout about how or what we're thankful for. By all means, get excited. But in this fast paced world we live in – it sometimes becomes okay to over look things we really should give thanks for, so today I decided to do a quick post on 5 easy ways (either acquired through experience or gifted lessons) to make giving thanks a part of your day.

1. Comparison. For the better. Now, this isn't saying to think you are better than others, but rather to take into consideration the old saying: “someone always has it worse.”

2. Review. Find three parts of your day that you're happy you experienced and be thankful for them at night's end. (Mine tend to be repeat offenders but hey, I'm just extra thankful for them I guess!)

3. Nothing lasts forever. If tomorrow you woke up and the only things you had were the ones you gave thanks for today, how many blessings would you count?

4. Currently. If you're reading this, you woke up with a beat in your heart and air in your lungs. Need I say more? Well, this also means you live in a country where you have the freedom to use technology and social means as you so desire. And for this very moment, you have free time – a thing I myself admit to taking for granted until parenthood.

5. Surroundings. Look around you. Chances are there's someone or something in your vicinity that you love and/or cherish. If they're not right beside you, they're on your last calls or recent messages, you have a picture of it or them, or said thing crosses your mind when you've got nothing else to do. Boom! Probably worth noting thanks for.

 

I've learned this past year to be thankful for even the things that might drive you crazy. Having embarrassing photos shared on Facebook beats having no parents at all (extra thankful for mine, as my mother started a battle against cancer last year!) Spit up on an overpriced top? Just means you're lucky enough to have a sweet little replica of you (mom life really makes you accept all kinds of new things you normally wouldn't let slide.) Chores? Indicates you have a roof over your head. Need to walk the dog, run to the grocery store, or take public transportation for the day? An unfriendly reminder that you're well and able. How lucky!

I hope all that you're thankful for remains in your life and that the following year brings additional items to add to your list.

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

XO, Olivia Murray.

Valentines. | Announcement.

Happy Valentines Day everyone! This entire holiday season I have been exceptionally grateful, completely full of both blessings and bliss. It was consumed with the appreciation of presence over presents and loads of love, versus long lists of wants or to-do's. As some people have noticed by my decreased wear of tight super-skinnies and like-never-before appetite, we received an extra special gift this year. And for those who hadn't already caught on, you can tell by below's "life currently" reenactment that we are preparing for an addition to our little family - something which we couldn't be happier, more excited about or have a deeper thanks for.

Valentine's Day is a holiday that originally came about honouring St. Valentine's work in the name of love and Christ. (A man who against law, allowed young couples to be married in the church, despite the idea that unwed soldiers fought better than those married). To date, the day is generally overlooked and blinded by consumerism or material love. However! We couldn't help but feel that as a young couple ourselves, set to wed this May, and alongside our families - absolutely overflowing with love - that it was the perfect day to wait until for sharing our news.

Be it friends, family, or significant others;
I hope everyone's day is filled with hugs or kisses, laughs or butterflies.

Love and be loved.
XO, V.

Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve! A holiday in itself. While for religious people, tomorrow is the all mighty day, tonight is pretty special as well because if you look around you, you'll see that you are already lucky, blessed, and presented with gifts. The ones that have no price tag. The ones that have no ribbons. The ones that have no bragging points on instagram. 

I know that #hedidwell will be trending on social media first thing tomorrow morning but it should be trending NOW because yes he did! How amazing it is, the lives that we lead full of freedom and adventure, rights, love, material things coming out our ***es, friends a plenty, family living surpass their years. For myself and many of the people dear to me - I see marriages and babies, promotions and cross the globe moves. I mean, can you imagine anything else so lucky as that? I'm just as excited about the handful of brownies I will be swallowing shamelessly tomorrow, the surprises that will be unwrapped, and the completely overplayed songs I will be running around singing just like the next person. Hello! We're only human. But. let's make a holiday out of today and appreciate the little treasures we've already been given.

Sweater: Cynthia Rowley 

Skirt: Pepper Sugar Boutique 

Booties: Pour La Victoire (no longer available, shop current collection).

Enjoy your high carb meals, lengthy card messages that grandma will make you read aloud, and Michael Kors watches. But above all be safe, stay grateful, and Merry Christmas everyone.

♛ Happy Holidays, Peeks At Five Ft.

Sugar And Spi...Pepper...

I hope your day is ass nice as your...

And if not? Exciting news! With the season of giving gifting at hand – a team vote was made in favour of pre-launching a few sample pieces for the upcoming, opening of our project, Pepper Sugar Boutique. Despite there being a month of work to go (wipes brow) it tickles my wardrobe and coveting mind to launch a little taste of what's to come.

Find the boutique:

On instagram at: peppersugarco.
On the blog at: homepage “SHOP” link.
Online at: full website (www.peppersugar.co).

Enjoy and happy Monday.

♛ Happy Holidays, Peeks At Five Ft.