Add This Calabogie Inn To Your Must Stay List

We recently visited converted ski lodge turned boutique stay, Somewhere Inn, nestled ever so perfectly in Calabogie, Ontario. If you haven't already seen it on Instagram then keep reading before adding to your must stay list.

Off-Grid With Cabinscape

 It's an infamous theme around here, my suggestion to consider experiences over things. It's right up there next to my "buy better, buy less" preference, discussed many times over the years in this space.

We've been gifting the kids experiences for their birthdays for the past few years and try to implement the same mindset when it comes to other holidays, occasions and beyond.

We've done many staycations, little getaways and even some major travelling with our eldest but nothing has been quite like our latest experience and stay with family-founded company, Cabinscape.

Cabinscape is a Canadian owned and operated company, offering eco-conscious cabin stays for those looking to experience intimate, off-grid stays. Locations range from low remoteness (ability to drive-in and near to other cabins and/or amenities) to high remoteness (hike-in required, distant from other accommodations, towns and resources). Every micro cabin is custom designed and built with everything you need, while prioritizing a minimized footprint.

School Uniforms: Conscious, Small Business

 Another school year is right around the corner (or recently begun for some of our US friends) and that means back-to-school preparations. For many people, ourselves included that means uniform shopping. And whether you go straight to the uniform provider or big box stores making the same styles, they all share a similarity that's hard to avoid. Not the most comfortable materials, little to no conscious considerations, and most definitely not ethically made.

I would be lying if I said we were able to entirely avoid those options, but it's just not as easy as it sounds. Yet. As more parents look for alternative options to incorporate into the standard uniform, an increasing amount of businesses big and small are looking to cater to that need.

Here, I am sharing a few brands that offer uniform collections or uniform-friendly pieces all while checking the boxes of ethical and/or sustainable manufacturing practices and materials, as well as being small businesses.

Park Hill Studios by Open Space Studios

Toys To Last, A Djeco Gift Guide

Ethically Made Pajamas For The Season

100-Night ENDY Review

Brands We Love: Simple Littles

In effort to shop in a way that favours my communities this year, I've been keeping my eye out for new brands to add to my go-to list, especially some replacements for brands I'd normally turn to but have since chosen to no longer support.

Enter, newly launched Canadian label, Simple Littles.

Brands We Love: Svelty Cosmetics

rebrand: Introducing, If Only Home

"OM" MY WAY: Toronto’s Annex Hotel

Destination: The Annex Hotel, Toronto.

Stay Type: Overnight, Family Staycation.

Details: Boutique hotel, dog and kid friendly,

high-tech, self check-in/check-out, trendy location.

6 Favourite Toronto Spots, For Baby Items

Natural Trench Coat

So, colour isn’t my tool of choice. But I’ve come to realize that texture is! Over the summer I rekindled my personal love for both textures and textiles – with linens and natural fibres being my most favourite, especially for the warmer weather.

Responsible Brand: SKYE Footwear

My wardrobe isn’t entirely ethical, sustainable, or eco-friendly. It would be great if it was, but it’s still hard to get hands on many wardrobe or day-to-day items that are!

When we arrived in Vancouver, it didn’t take me long to rejoice in the extent of options both in apparel, beauty, and grocery that were greener. As someone who is plant-based, this is major for me throughout our many moves. Sure! You can order just about anything these days, but it’s a total win when you have local accessibility to better/greener/more responsible items of any kind — and the west coast has proven no shortage of that.

Skye Footwear is one of those brands. And one I needed to find, because if I had to pick one wardrobe item that was less likely to be conscious, it would be shoes (sneakers especially).

Responsible Brand: Free Label

I’ve long been a fan of eco-friendly brand, Free Label, for their feminine-chic designs that have the ability to carry you from yoga to errands to coffee shop meet ups. Because really, that’s what life actually looks like and a girl shouldn’t have to break the bank or clutter the wardrobe to accommodate that. Not only are the designs ridiculously flattering and versatile, but every piece comes with the comfort and promise of being vegan friendly, responsibly manufactured, and made only of sustainable-organic materials. With all that being said, I’m super excited to be teaming up with them today to bring you this post, sharing a little more about their efforts and showcasing the functionality of their collections.

Responsible Brand: FRANC

In the last little while, I’ve become a fan of a few new brands that aligned better with my buying morale. One of these brands is Toronto label, FRANC. Being ethically-made, responsibly sourced, and providing the opportunity to support local (for my fellow Canadians) is a great and some what less common opportunity worth jumping on. But don’t just take my word for it – let’s talk about behind the scenes of this new favourite of mine.

Little & Lively (Giveaway)

You could be new around here and probably still figure out my love for essentials — wardrobe, kitchen, beauty. And when it comes to children’s item, the same applies. 

I’ll spare you the long and detailed with all that and keep it to the point. It’s hard enough being a parent these days. Everywhere you turn there are too many choices, (new) rules, advertisements. Keeping up with it all can be ridiculously consuming. That’s why I have wholeheartedly adopted the “buy better, buy less” idea even in my choices as a parent. 

Life Lately, Lessons From Our Children

It’s so funny, all the things a child can come up with to ask. Often the answers are redundant to us because we forget even having ever learned them. But there is one topic in particular, Rhe is really fond of, that does have me fooled. Tomorrow!

Brands We Love: Children's Boutiques

In lieu of endless gift guides, I thought I would keep them to a minimal and go another route by highlighting some really loved businesses that are small or one-man shows, women owned and run, backed by moms or maybe even local to your community (country). During a time of excessive big box marketing, it’s easy to feel as if some of these smaller but no less significant businesses get “lost in the sauce” if you will. 

I’m hoping to avoid the blogger thing of telling you what you “need” to buy in effort to make a dollar, and instead sharing what I genuinely believe to better places to do the buying you’re inevitably going to do anyways.

Scrapping my original post about gift suggestions for children, I’m sharing my favourite boutique destinations for any and all times of the year. I also have a post coming soon with some of our favourite independent children’s brands that are worth checking out or maybe even carried at some of the following shops, so stay tuned.

Wardrobe Staple: Quality Midi Dress

Summer weather and events are often what first come to mind when you think dresses, but that's so over and done with. Dresses are an all season affair. And what I love most is a basic dress, for it's simplicity and versatility.