A Curly Hair Journey

October 12, 2021October 14, 2021 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

I am going on a journey….with my hair (again). After attempting to embrace my grey, I just didn’t feel myself so I went back to dying it. Now, after almost 50 years, I am going to try and embrace my curls. What I would like is to have beautiful, bouncy curls, instead of the frizzy, lifeless mess I have been living with for years.

I’ve heard so much about and seen some pretty fantastic results with people using the “Curly Girl Method”. So this my journey and hoping to finally love my curls.

I’ve done a lot of reading and there is no one way and one set of products to use. I wish it was that easy. I almost think my Grade 13 calculus class was easier than this.

The Curly Girl method is a set of suggested steps and products to use based on your hair type. And within hair types, you need to determine the curl shape, porosity, elasticity and curl variance. Yes, my head is spinning with all this new lingo.

I am still learning about all of these variables and I know that I am not even close yet . But once I get a better handle on them, knowing these can give me different suggested of products to use and how to use them.

And with everyone’s hair their own unique combination, the Curly Girl Method is a lot of trial and error. Even only a week or so in, I have already had a few things that just didn’t work.

Then how is this a “Method” you ask? As I said before it’s a recommended sequence of steps and products. Steps involving washing my hair, applying products and styling. Most products are determined by ingredients you should look for or avoid. And it’s different for everyone.

For some, they get the hair they have been looking for in just a few months. Others have said they took a year or even longer.

They also say, that sometimes your hair may get worse before it gets better. It’s scary to think about but it’s just your hair’s way of getting used to the new care routine. So if you see me out and about soon and my hair looks worse than usual, you’ll understand why.

I’ve already ready realized somethings that I have been doing wrong all these years. After washing my hair, I always used a regular towel and tried to get to a damp/dry state before applying any products. This is a big no no. Hair should be soaking wet when you apply the products. And then they recommend using a tshirt or microfibre towel to get rid of some of the moisture by scrunching the hair. I totally understand now why I had so much frizz but styling wet is definitely taking some getting used to.

Even just doing that, I am already noticing a bit of a difference. I’ve never been one to blow dry my hair or use straightener all that much (which is something they say to avoid) but this new way seems to take a lot longer to air dry. I’m sure I’ll get used to it all.

So what is my biggest goal? I hear women talking about going on day 3 or 4 without a real wash, with a bit of refresh each day and their hair looks great. At this point I don’t like my Day 2 hair and have always been in the habit of washing my hair almost daily.

So although this seems all so very vague, I admit it is. As I learn things, I’ll be posting more of what methods and products work and anything that isn’t working for me.

So hopefully you’ll follow along my journey and see what the results are.

Parenting/Life

The Beginning of the Teenage Years

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

This past month, the boy turned 13. He’s officially now a teenager. And so begins the teenage years.

As parents, we’ve all read and heard about the dreaded teenage years….the moodiness, puberty, the eye rolls. It’s not like I haven’t seen a bit of this already but I am sure the best is yet to come.

Gone are the days where Mom was cool and he wanted my attention 24/7. Now his days are filled with online gaming with his friends and meet ups at the park. But some days, maybe if I am lucky, he might want his good ole Mom at the end of the day to talk about his day and everything and anything that is on his mind.

These are the moments that I no longer take for granted. We all remember those days when they were little and wanted to change our name to anything but Mom, as we heard it 34968372 a day. So now when I hear him call for me, I make sure I take advantage of the time and conversation.

It’s not like I woke up on his 13th birthday and suddenly everything was different. The past year there have been subtle changes. He had a growth spurt and is now taller than myself and his Nana and he doesn’t let anyone forget it. His voice has about a 3 octave range these days. One moment it’s his sweet little voice and a moment later it’s a man’s voice coming out of him. He now has one of those appetites that make me wondering if I need a second job to support his hunger. Puberty is a crazy thing.

And so far, it actually isn’t all that bad. He likes his independence. We can both be in the house together but we can both kind of do our own thing. He doesn’t need my undivided attention all day. We are able to have conversations about things that actually hold my interest. I know that sounds terrible, but I can only appear engaged in a conversation about Pokemon or Lego for so long. (Am I right?) Although, I still get the odd never ending stories about his video game achievements.

I know there will come a time where it won’t be all sunshine and rainbows. We will butt heads, just like I did with my own parents sometimes. I won’t understand why he does what he does and he won’t understand why I don’t understand. This is just a given. But regardless, I will always instill a rule that I have had since day 1 – we never go to bed angry at each other. We may agree to disagree, and may need a late night conversation to reach that point, but never angry. Some people may think this is wishful thinking but I will try with all my might.

My parents always gave me the respect to make responsible decisions and I will do the same. We both know that if he gets into a situation that he needs to get out of, he can text me or call me and I will come and get him, no questions asked without fear of punishment. I know I wasn’t the perfect teenager (right Mom?) but I knew the difference between right and really wrong and made sure it stayed that way. It’s quite a different world now and a lot more right’s and wrongs. I can only hope he knows the same.

It’s hard sometimes to think about him being a teenager. He’s not my baby anymore, he doesn’t need me like he used to. In 3 years, he’ll be old enough the drive. In 5 years, he’ll be graduating high school, an official “adult” and starting his post secondary life, whatever that may be.

There is a quote by Gretchen Rubin that says “The days are long the but the years are short.” And I could not agree more. So I will appreciate the days and hold on to the years as much as I can. He’s not a baby anymore.

Parenting/Life

Do not attempt this at home: A hair dying adventure.

July 21, 2021 Cathy Unfiltered1 Comment

Let me preface this post with saying I am in no way telling you how to dye your hair. It is more just an insight of what can go wrong when you dye your hair at home and how I fixed it. It’s a laughing at my own expense. A tongue in cheek, if you will. And please laugh at my expense as well.

I’ve been dying my hair since I was 16 years old. It’s never been crazy colours, but it’s gone from brown to blonde back to brown to almost black and then all the colours in between. With 30+ years under my belt, you’d think I would be a pro. There have some great results and some not so great results, but never something I couldn’t live with, until now.

For years my motto was “Blonde hair with dark roots – acceptable. Dark hair with grey/white roots – not acceptable.” This was just a weird insecurity I had. And since the pandemic, I’ve seen many women totally rock the roots. So that being said, I was always dying my hair. For years I stayed fairly blonde because it hid the grey better when it grew in.

A few years back, I decided I didn’t want to fight the fight anymore and started to grow out my natural hair. It was a long and tedious adventure. And once I had quite a bit of grey grown out, I chopped my hair so I could grow it completely natural.

That lasted about 3 months, tops. I envy women that can go completely grey and can look younger than they did before. For me, it just aged me. So instead of going back to a blonde tone, nope, I made the decision to take it back brown. Dark brown.

If you can’t already tell, when it comes to my hair, I clearly lack any sane decision making. And before you ask, why don’t I stick to the professionals. I won’t lie, it’s the cost and the time. As soon as I see white roots, I don’t wait long until I cover it up. I’ve got the single Mom income with a wealthy women’s hair needs.

Suffering with roots though the pandemic wasn’t so bad, because everyone else was. But as things start opening up, my neurotic tendencies with my hair came back. I was starting to think that as much as I liked the brown tones, maintenance with blonder hair would probably be easier on me. And this is where my trouble this time began.

In the years I have been dying my hair, I know that with at home colouring, you can’t go from a dark brown to a blonde with one dye job. You have to gradually get lighter. So I thought that maybe if I put in some highlights, it would help hide the grey but also give me a bit of lighter look. Seems reasonable, right? So I enlisted a good friend to help me with this process.

I got the dye kit. One of those old fashion ones that have the cap to pull out the hightlights. If nothing else, we spent some time catching up.

We followed the directions properly. So it was definitely no fault of that. And when we were finished, at first it didn’t look too bad when it was wet. Maybe a little brassy for my liking but nothing I didn’t think a good purple shampooing wouldn’t fix.

I left my friend’s house and headed home to use the purple shampoo. I saturated my hair, left it in for 15+ minutes and was sure all was good and washed it out.

My first reaction again when it was wet, was that it wasn’t too bad. Still a bit brassy, but livable. And then it started to dry. And the more it dried, the more I started to resemble a bit of a pumpkin. And resembling a pumpkin, unless it’s your chosen Halloween costume, is never a good thing.

I’ve ended up with brassiness before, I even tried going from blonde back to brown and end up with a tinge of green, but never quite this bad. At this point, I was praying for another lockdown so I wouldn’t be able to go out in public. It was that orange.

I couldn’t get a picture that quite did it justice.

I can tell you one thing, I was not cutting this sh$t out. It had taken me too long to grow my hair back. And friends, if I ever say I want to cut my hair short again, slap some sense into me.

So what do I do at this point??? Well of course, Google to the rescue. As I somewhat suspected, I would need to completely re-dye my hair with an ash tone. There were suggestion of bringing in the professionals, but there was no time or budget for that.

I decided to sleep on it, but unfounded dreams that it would magically correct itself overnight. A girl can dream, right?

The next morning, I headed off to get myself another box of dye. I am not going to lie, when I was beyond nervous that this could not work. It was probably the longest 30 minutes of my life.

After I washed it out, I knew there was some good in the world. My dreams of going lighter had been diminished for a bit but at lest the grey was now covered and didn’t resemble a Florida orange grove.

So what did I learn from this…..not much…nothing I didn’t already know but chose to ignore. When it comes to my hair, I know what I have to do to get to the results I want, and that takes time and patience (which I don’t have a lot of). Skipping steps for a faster result, isn’t going to work, EVER.

What is your takeaway from all of this? I am not the person you come to when you want to change your hair.

Parenting/Life

Maybe I’m Languishing?

May 6, 2021May 12, 2021 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

Languish (verb): to exist in an unpleasant or unwanted situation, often for a long time:

After languishing in obscurity for many years, her early novels have recently been rediscovered.

He has been languishing in jail for the past 20 years.

The ruling party is languishing in third place in the opinion polls.

(Source: Cambridge Dictionary)

I think we all had high hopes for 2021. But here we are 5 months in and it’s definitely not close to meeting it’s expectations. We’re in our 3rd lockdown, our children are in virtual school indefinitely and the Covid numbers don’t seem to be getting any better. We knew all the garbage of 2020 wasn’t going to magically disappear but this far in, I didn’t think we’d be in this bad of shape.

Personally, I came into 2021 feeling optimistic. I felt like things would slowly but surely get better in the world. Rebranding the blog made me hopeful that perhaps it would be a little more successful and lucrative for me. I even bought a fancy planner for 2021. But as a metaphor of how things are going with that, it sits barely used.

For the past few months, I was worried that perhaps my anxiety/depression medication wasn’t doing it’s job and maybe I needed to speak to my doctor about changing the dosage. I wasn’t sad but just felt blah. My creativity level had reached an all time low. The thought of watching yet another series on Netflix seemed like torture. Everything and anything seemed like an effort.

Then I read an article in the NY Times about languishing. Reading the article by Adam Grant, was almost one of those light bulb moments. It was like he had stepped into my life and knew exactly how I was feeling. He wrote:

“Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield. And it might be the dominant emotion of 2021.”

Afterwards, I spoke to a few different people about it and it was always the same answer. They were clearly languishing too. I know this sounds terrible, but it made me feel a little bit better. It wasn’t just me. It wasn’t all in my head. People are generally in the state of influx…they aren’t happy and they aren’t sad, just existing. And this can be exhausting.

Since reading this article and kind of figuring out this feeling was probably going to be sticking around for a while, I have been trying to make a serious, conscientious effort to do things that will help boost my mental health and lessen this languish I am feeling. It’s the typical things most people do, like getting more exercise, eating better, reducing my screen time, etc but I am really trying to make the effort. And some days are definitely easier than others.

I guess what I want to say is, if you’ve been feeling this way, just know you aren’t alone. A lot of us are clearly languishing these days.

Parenting/Life

2020 – See You Later!

December 30, 2020 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

It was New Years Eve 2019 , I was at a house party (remember those?) waiting to ring in 2020. I was surrounded by friends and we had the radio going as well as the TV on, waiting for the ball to drop. We started the countdown with the radio and when we got to “Happy New Year”, the TV timing didn’t match the radio. So we did a second countdown. At that moment, my friend Sabrina made a comment about how that wasn’t a good way to start the year.

If only we knew.

Not only was it the start of a new year, it was the start of a new decade. Everyone seemed to have so many hopes and dreams for 2020 (including myself). Who would have known, the whole world would be unrecognizable a mere 365 days later.

At the beginning of 2020, after years of knowing something wasn’t quite right, I went to my doctor’s to discuss my depression and anxiety symptoms. I had been struggling for years and although I have always been one to promote people taking control and care of their mental health, I never did it for myself. When you’re less than a year post-partum and the words “you’re crazy” and “you will lose custody” are thrown at you from across the table, you tend to put up and shut up. Again, another case of hindsight being 20-20. I started medication in early January and with a few tweaks a few months later, I am finally feeling that I am in a much better headspace. I can’t even imagine how I would have done when lockdown hit without taking those steps.

Lockdown was hard for me. I’m a social person and not one to be home all the time. And I miss hugging people. I miss not being able to just jump in the car and see my family whenever I choose. (That’s been the hardest part.) But a good part that did come out of it, was reconnecting with old high school friends via Skype calls. Some of them, I hadn’t seen or spoken to in almost 30 years. With lockdown #2 upon us again, I am hoping for some more of these Zoom calls.

I had already been working from home for the past 3 years, so luckily in the grand scheme of things, my work was not affected. For that I am very thankful. One less thing to worry about.

By the summer, things still weren’t even close to normal (will they ever be again?). I usually take time to do things with the boy over the summer but the only thing we did was go on our very first camping trip together. Just the 2 of us, for one night. Was it perfect, no. Was it fun, yes, All I will say, as I am so thankful I bit the bullet and took the boy to Florida/Disney back in 2018. Not sure if I will ever be comfortable enough again to do such a trip with huge crowds.

I don’t know if it was my body getting used to medication or the pandemic, but through it all, I definitely lost all sorts of motivation. This is the first blog post since March. I sat down many times trying to put something together and had a total lack of inspiration or want to post. I had a vision for the blog for 2020, but now instead of dwelling on what I didn’t do, I will be focusing on the new year ahead and how I can make things better in this new world.

The only thing I feel like I did accomplish this year is finishing a bunch of Netflix series…..A LOT of Netflix series. I know I am not alone on that one. I feel like I am at the point now, that thee isn’t much left for me to even watch on there anymore.

I know everyone seems to talk like as soon as the clock strikes 12:00:01, January 1, 2021, life as we know will go back to “normal”, but we all know that isn’t going to happen. But I think we are all hoping that instead of things going from good, to bad to worse like 2020 did, things will eventually get better. Or I sure as heck hope they do.

We’re going into 2021 with a new way of life. Masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing are the norm. Multiple vaccines have been created and hopefully, the light at the end of this crazy tunnel isn’t too far away. But as for 2020, I’ve had enough. See ya later, peace out!

Parenting/Life · Uncategorized

Saying Goodbye to the February Blahs

February 27, 2020 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

There is the old saying that March will either come in like a lion and out like a lamb or the reverse. At this point, I really don’t care, I just want March come in so I can kick the February blahs to the curb. And of course, being a leap year, I’ve got an extra day of this stupid month.

Why was February so bad, you ask? Let me first say it wasn’t anything dramatic or life altering, it was just a whole bunch of little annoyances that added up for me. And historically February has always been the worst month for me.

Why? Here are just a few of the reasons for the February blahs:

Groundhogs Day – if that rodent doesn’t predict an early spring, it’s the threat of 6 more weeks of winter
Valentines Day – a single person does not need to be constantly reminded they’re still single
Lack of Vitamin D – it’s usually still dark when I wake up and getting dark when I’m done work
Weather – it’s usually one of the coldest and grayest months of the year.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – although I have not been formally diagnosed, I suffer from many of the symptoms

I found this year particularly bad for some reason for the February blahs. I’ve had no ambition and only made it to gym 2 times the entire month. This has put a real damper on my training for the half marathon I am planning to run in May. There was a total lack of creativity, hence I’ve haven’t had any blog posts this month. I’ve been overly cranky and had very little desire to do anything I normally enjoy. My symptoms of depression have been at an all time high. It was to the point that I didn’t ignore it any longer that I sought help from my family doctor. (That will be a whole other blog post coming soon.) And of course, we are ending off the month with a nasty bug invading our home. The boy had it really bad and I’m (fingers crossed) just fighting more of a cold.

I think it’s the weather in general that gets to me the most. It’s tends to be the coldest month of the year, and the weather is often unpredictable and makes planning any sort of travel (even just across town) dodgy at best. I’ve always gotten very anxious at the thought of driving in bad weather. And I hate having to constantly adding 50 layers of clothes and boots and parkas just to go anywhere. And we won’t even talk about my absolute hate for shoveling snow.

Don’t get me wrong, everything wasn’t bad this February. Fran from The Hungry Homemaker and I launched our podcast The Sticky Table Chronicles. We were super excited to launch this and I can’t wait to see how our vision for this project grows. I spent good quality time with friends and had some much need full belly laughs but those February blahs just got to me.

Sure it still snows in March, and it even snows into April. I know this because my birthday is in April and it always snows at least once after it. But it’s just so much closer to spring, the warmer weather and we can finally shed all the bulky winter wear.

So peace out February and the February blahs, it’s been real. I’m welcoming March with open arms.

Parenting/Life

Dear Past Decade, You Didn’t Break Me.

December 18, 2019 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

Dear Past Decade,

Hello 2020, you’re so close I can almost see you. So now it’s time to say goodbye to the last decade of my life.

From the very beginning, you tried to break me. You tested my limits, you brought me to my knees. Time and time again, I said I wouldn’t take it anymore yet you kept on dishing it, pushing me more and more. Well guess what, you didn’t break me, you only made me stronger. Made me proud of what I could be, what I have become. That’s not saying I’m perfect, in fact, I am feeling very far from that these days. But I have found some clarity and know what I need to move forward.

And I can’t say that the entire decade was a complete bust or failure. It was not. Along with the lows, there were so many highs. The boy and I have created so many memories that will last us a lifetime. We’ve laughed, we’ve done things I never thought I/we would do. I’ve learned so much about myself as a person and as a Mom and what I am capable of doing.

The boy has grown from an infant into a tween that I could not be more in love with or prouder. He’s taught me so many things about myself that I never knew were possible. He lifted me up when others tried to break me. I can’t wait to see what the next decade brings him as he matures into an adult. Gasp!!

Through all the highs and lows, I’ve learned so many things about myself and what I could achieve if I really put my mind to it.

Friendships were gained and lost. Actions spoke louder than words and to those that are still here by my side, I can’t thank you enough.

We lost some good people, we were reminded how important our health is and to take everyday as a blessing. There were times when my plate was so full with heartache and upset, I was afraid to think what could come next. But you didn’t break me and I will never ask how can it get any worse, because it can always get worse.

So 2020, you come to me with so much promise, so many adventures to have, so much goodness to be had. I can’t wait for it all to unfold.

Parenting/Life

Breaking the Stigma with K-Y

November 19, 2019 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

Disclaimer: I have partnered with YMC and K-Y for this post. All opinions are my own.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, dating into your 40’s sucks.  With dating apps being the norm these days, it’s kind of like that box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get. And, if you finally find someone that you connect with and start dating, it starts a whole new set of issues.  

Not only is the whole dating and connecting part different than it was in my twenties but taking a relationship to the next level of intimacy is completely different too.  My body and all its parts operate very differently than they did now that I am in my late 40’s.

I feel like I am being so vague and skirting the issue here and there’s no reason I should be afraid or ashamed to talk about the changes my body is going through or anything of a sexual nature at all but it’s just not the norm.  Women don’t tend to talk about anything about things like that. It’s rare for women to talk about entering into menopause aside from perhaps the hot flashes they experience.  With men, everyone knows the ongoing joke that if a man starts having issues with his sexual performance as he ages, he just popped a little pill and everything’s okay

Why should a woman be ashamed or embarrassed about what is just natural? Women should be empowered and be able to take control of their own sex life and always and not be ashamed of it.  

I know I have always been reluctant to talk about anything relating to being a woman and being a sexual being. In the past there have been times where I have even cancelled dates knowing I have my period because if there was any hint that the date could get remotely intimate, that last thing I wanted to do is have to explain any reluctance I had about things moving forward. It’s a natural, monthly occurrence that every man knows but it’s the last thing I’d ever want to bring up in a conversation.  

And now that I am in my late 40s, and things are changing with my body because of early stages a menopause there are even things that could interfere with an enjoyable sexual experience.

 There’s absolutely no reason a woman cannot be able to have an open conversation with the person that she’s dating about her needs when getting intimate.  We are supposed to be in the prime of our lives and full-grown adults; we should be able to ensure we are enjoying our sex lives.   

One issue that can take the pleasure out of a sexual experience is not being properly lubricated.  There, I said it and I shouldn’t be ashamed to say it. Did you know that two-thirds of the Month women are not optimally lubricated for sex?  That’s something that I did not know and as women, we shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk about it and do something to fix it.

 To help us, K-Y is encouraging Canadian women to take control of their bodies and take control of their sex life by putting pleasure and comfort at the front of the line and breaking the stigma of the embarrassment and empowering us to take charge of our bodies and enjoying sex on our terms.

I’m sure you’ve heard of K-Y before, it’s the #1 Doctor recommended lubricant brand, but did you know that K-Y has a full line a personal lubricant that a woman can use so that she is able to enjoy sex just as much as a man does?

In addition to their K-Y®  Jelly Personal Lubricant, they also have the K-Y® Warming Jelly Personal Lubricant, K-Y® Naturals® Intimate Gel Extra Moisture+ and K-Y® Sensual Silk® Personal Lubricant. So, there is something for every woman out there to enjoy.  

The last thing a woman wants is to be in a position where she’s uncomfortable and not enjoying her sexual encounters. It’s a two-way street both the man and the woman should be able to enjoy and if that means that you have to use something as such as lubricant to enhance pleasure then so be it and a woman should not feel embarrassed to say that this is what she needs she is with him.  

 There’s so much talk on social media these days about body positivity and women being able to express themselves in any way they want so this is no different.  Our bodies are forever changing and so are the needs of our bodies. My needs have changed dramatically from my twenties, they changed after I had my son and have changed even more since I’ve started showing signs of the early stages of menopause.  Yes, I’ve never been comfortable to talk about it until now. You don’t hear men being embarrassed to talk about their sexuality and the things that they want and they need so why should women be?  

Let’s break the stigma attached to talking about our wants and needs when it comes to our sex lives and live our best lives in all aspects.

And while we are embracing our best lives, and enjoying the pleasure we deserve, you can enter to win 1 of 4 $1000 Spa Gift Cards from K-Y for even more enjoyment.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by K-Y. In exchange for this post, I have received perks in the form of compensation and products. All opinions on this blog are my own.

Parenting/Life

Shop Local This Holiday With These Durham Region Shops

November 11, 2019 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

I like to be a crafty person and give personalized or one of a kind types of gifts but there are some things that I don’t have the talent or the creativity to make on my own. In the Durham region we have some pretty amazing makers that can help you find that hand crafted, unique gift idea that people on your gift giving list will love. And what better way to support your town than to shop local.

This is not a sponsored post, I have not received any sort of compensation in lieu of including these shops. They are just shops that I genuinely love their products and want to ensure you know about them too!

About Pink Lemon Décor

Decorating your home for everyday or the holidays should be simple and timeless! Pink Lemon Decor creates pieces that fit any space with a modern, clean look. This holiday season you can find simplistic, Scandinavian inspired holiday signs that you can use year after year or give as the perfect gift!

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

Market list: https://www.pinklemondecor.com/event-directory/

Shop locally at Gather, Bella Fleur, Markets by Dream Day, The Nooks

Website and Social Media

https://www.pinklemondecor.com/

https://www.instagram.com/pink_lemon_decor/

About Love Squared Kids

Love squared kids begin in 2013 and has evolved into a hip & happy headwear brand. Their products are 100% proudly Canadian made and designed with a focus on sustainable fabrics. With sizes that range from baby to adult staying cozy, cute and hip is easy for the whole family.

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

You can shop LSK locally at markets by dream day in Brooklin, the Nooks in Port Hope & This Is Made in Vaughan as well as at one of our many shows and online during our monthly releases at shopLSK.ca

Website and Social Media

http://www.lovesquaredkids.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/lovesquaredkids/

About Georgian Chocolate Co.

At Georgian Chocolate Co., they handcraft sustainably sourced chocolate. Their bars are finished in artwork by local artisans, because, great chocolate is an art!

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

List of all in-store locations: https://georgianchocolate.com/retail
Holiday Soiree, Barrie, November 17th
The Handmade Market, Niagara, November 22nd, 23rd, 24th
Hello Makers, Uxbridge, December 1st
Winter Maker Market, Barrie, December 7th, 8th
Spice Holiday Market, Barrie, December 7th
Picks and Giggles, Oshawa, December 15th

Website and Social Media

www.georgianchocolate.com – Shop online and use giftguide10 to save 10%. This code will expire on December 15

https://www.instagram.com/georgian_chocolate_co/

About Everyday Hustle

This amazing company is run by 2 sisters from Durham Region. All products are completely Canadian made (even the fabric). All products are ethically made. They focus on making staple pieces for your wardrobe that will last. They are trying to make ethical fashion accessible to everybody and every body.

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

In-Store:
This is Made – Vaughan, ON
Markets By Dreamday – Brooklin, ON
Aruma – Lanark, ON
Petit Nordique – Bowmanville, ON

Pop Up Markets:
Modern Mom Show (Nov. 22 / Nov. 23 in London)
Picks and Giggles ( Dec 15 in Oshawa)

Website and Social Media

https://shopeverydayhustle.com/

https://www.instagram.com/everyday.hustle/

About Dream Day Cookies

Sarah is the face behind Dream Day Cookies & Markets by Dream Day. She realized her talent for creating whimsical hand-piped sugar cookies after designing and decorating a Peppa Pig themed set for a children’s birthday party. Since then, her business has exploded. She now offers workshops, attends regular artisan markets and even has her cookies in a few storefronts.

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

You can find her; Friday Nov 15th at the Mama & Chicks Show
Sun Nov 17th at the Handmade for Littles Market
OR shop 6 days a week at Markets by Dream Day in Brooklin, which had over 75 local handmade vendors to shop from too!

Website and Social Media

https://www.dreamdaycookies.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dreamdaycookies/

About Little Monkey Designs

Specializing in personalized decor. Everything from Pillows, Blankets, Gowth Charts, bibs and more. Some sweet stocking stuffer ideas for babies including our rattles and bibs.

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

The full product line can be accessed via their website at www.littlemonkeydesigns.ca We also ship across Canada and the US, and can include a gift note to make gift giving even easier!

You can purchase a selection of ready made items (pillows, bibs, blankets and rattles) at “Markets by Dreams Day” in Brooklin or “This is Made” in Vaughan.

Website and Social Media

http://www.littlemonkeydesigns.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/littlemonkeydesigns/

About Mei Designs

Mei offers personalized items from decor pillows, coasters and drinkware; all of the items are made with permanent ink or if requested vinyl is used. They also make Glittered Tumblers sealed with resin – these are custom made and are a longer process than other items.

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

Brooklin Marketplace – Brooklin High School December 7th 9:30-3:30

Circa Pop Up – Oshawa Centre – December 20 Open – Close

Markets by Dream Day December 14th 10-5pm

Website and Social Media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/meidesignsca

Instagram: www.instagram.com/meidesignsca

About Splendid Greetings

Cute & Funny Holiday Cards, bookmarks and gift tags

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

Available via my website www.splendidgreetings.ca or at Markets by Dream Day

– Order cut off is December 15 for shipping and December 22 for local pick up.

Website and Social Media

https://www.splendidgreetings.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/splendid.greetings/

About Freckle Face Jewellery

Angie Henderson designs high quality, affordable fashion jewellery in Bowmanville Ontario.Her goal is to provide jewellery that inspires women to feel confident and gives them the opportunity to express who they are!
Her Exclusive Charm Bar has become a huge part of her business. It allows customers to make their own jewellery designs for a very affordable price. The Freckle Face Charm Bar has options for creating charm bracelets, necklaces and key chains. It’s a fabulous way to give something personalized to those important people in your life and you get to say you designed it! FUN!

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

In Store:
Gather, 51 King Street E, Bowmanville (large variety of my fashion
Jewellery)
The Nooks, 68 Walton St, Port Hope (Fashion Jewellery and a Mini
Charm Bar)
The Nooks, 208 Princess St, Kingston (Fashion Jewellery and a Mini
Charm Bar)
Markets by Dream Day, 66 Baldwin St, 3 rd Floor, Brooklin (Fashion
Jewellery and a Mini Charm Bar)
Simcoe Street Market, 359 Simcoe Street, Beaverton (Fashion
Jewellery only)
The Nooks, Gravenhurst Warf – COMING NOV 15, 2019

Pop-up Markets:
Nov 14 from 5-10pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville (Ladies night
out downtown Bowmanville)
Nov 15 from 10-4pm, Mamas & Chicks Merry Market at the General
Sikorski Hall, 1551 Stevenson Rd N., Oshawa ($5 at the door and kids
are free)
Nov 23 from 10-5pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville
Dec 6 from 5-10pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville (Moonlight
Magic downtown Bowmanville)
Dec 7 from 9-5pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville
Dec 14 from 9-5pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville
Dec 21 from 9-5pm, Gather, 51 King St E., Bowmanville

Website and Social Media

Coupon Code ‘supportlocal10’ for 10% off her website. Enter it at checkout. Note: it is only valid for ONLINE shopping.
www.frecklefacejewellery.com
www.facebook.com/frecklefacejewelry
www.instagram.com/frecklefacejewellery

Parenting/Life

Relaxation and Focus with Simply Earth

October 29, 2019 Cathy UnfilteredLeave a comment

A few months back I received a subscription box from Simply Earth filled with all kinds of essential oil goodies. At the time I really didn’t know anything about essential oils and was interested in learning more.

Simply Earth is a subscription box service that arrives each month with a different theme or focus, and recipes that have you create diffuser blends, rollers for your daily use and other oil infused items. This month, I received another box from Simply Earth and they did not disappoint.

The theme of the November box focuses on self care and comes with Lime, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus and Tranquilty blend essentials oils as powdered milk and lavender buds. These were the base for creating this month’s recipes:

1. Tranquilty and Lime Diffuser Blend – helps you to find peace in your day and center yourself during those crazy, hectic times. I’ve been diffusing this before bead and it’s made an improvement on my sleep quality.
2. Lavender Buds and Tranquility Bath – another one to help you to relax and help with your sleep.
3. Oatmeal Milk Bath – helps rejuvenate and made my skin feel super soft
4. Chai Tea Bath Salts – perfect after a long, crazy day to relax you.
5. Eucalyptus Shower Steamers – this one is perfect if you’re feeling the start of a cold or allergies to help open up your sinuses.
6. Lime and Ecucalyptus RollOn – I’ve been using this to help perk me up and help with focus during those busy work days.

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays ahead of us, I am taking as much time for self care as I can so I don’t end up getting sick and having the holidays ruined. This box from Simply Earth will definitely help me along with that.

There is still time for you to get your own November box and pamper yourself with all kinds of self care. Or it you’re looking for a gift for that someone special on your holiday gift lift, a subscription is a gift that they will enjoy all year long. Right now if you subscribe and use the code ABOYANDHISMOMFREE, you will receive a Big Bonus Box, an Essential Oil Recipe box, and a $40 egift card towards future purchases.

Disclosure: Although items were provided to us by Simply Earth, all comments, opinions and photos are strictly mine. This post contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.