Summer Recovery Kit Giveaway!

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I don’t know about you, but the summer has left my hair in need of some major TLC. I am major recovery mode right now, and I’m using all of the products I can get my hands on.

Before the weather gets colder and I have to start worrying about what THOSE conditions will do to my skin and hair, I’m trying to get myself back to normal.

This week I am giving away a Summer Recovery Kit on the blog so you can pamper yourself with a few products I have been using.

It includes:

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full Shampoo and Conditioner for Colour Treated Hair

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Shampoo and Conditioner

John Freida Radiant Red Colour Protecting Daily Shampoo and Conditioner

John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir (x2)

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (x2)

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My Summer Recovery Kit has over $90 worth of products, and it’s easy to win!

Just enter via the Rafflecopter link below to win! This contest runs from Monday, September 29th, 2014 at 12:00am until Sunday, October 5th, 2014 at 12:00am.

The winner will be announced on Sunday, October 5th, 2014 on the blog, and the winner will be chosen randomly using Rafflecopter. This contest is open to all Canadian and US residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Our Trip to Beaches Turks & Caicos

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In my life, travel is very important. I am not happy unless I am planning my next trip. My husband and I have been on a lot of adventures – walking through the ruins in Pompeii, leaving my wallet somewhere in Switzerland and having a man from a cuckoo clock shop drive me back to try find it, walking through an Austrian mountainside on a Sunday looking for lunch, and only to find a hotel that would only serve ice cream (because it was Sunday?) while watching a party take place in the lobby with everyone dressed in lederhosen…. We have been on some great and crazy adventures!

When we decided to have a family, I spent the last few months before trying telling my hubby “we need to do this before we have a baby because we will never have the chance again”. My poor husband – we laugh at that statement now, because if anything we have been travelling even more since we had our son!

Our son is two and so far he has been to the Bahamas, Bermuda, Lake Placid NY, and all kinds of different resorts in our province, and now on our latest adventure, Turks & Caicos.

Our travel has not slowed down at all, but it has been chosen much more carefully now that we have a son. We can’t drag him through the transit system of Greece until he’s at least 6 or 7 (so he can understand the craziness of the busses arriving on “ish” time which means whenever they feel like, and to see the bus driver not sitting on a seat but a milk carton), so until then we look for safe and fun adventures for him to experience with us now.

Our latest adventure was at Beaches Turks & Caicos. I have been so excited to write this post because we truly loved this trip!

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We had been to Sandals Antigua a few years ago, and it was an excellent resort with amazing service, so we knew that a Beaches resort would have high standards as well.

Our arrival was very smooth – we walked right to the Beaches arrival desk at the Turks and Caicos airport, and after waiting less than five minutes we found ourselves on an air conditioned transfer to the resort. The transfer took 15 minutes, and we arrived at the resort greeted by Beaches staff who offered us each a cool clean washcloth and a drink! We were seated in the lobby where we were brought the paperwork to check in. It took us a total of 10 minutes before having our room key in our hands. I can’t imagine anywhere else that has an easier check in process.

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Our room was amazing! We tried to explain to our son that this would be our “home” for the week, and he was had no problem calling it that by the end of our trip. It was such a large and comfortable space! We had a separate bedroom with a T.V., two bathrooms (how amazing is that?), two separate patio’s, a kitchen, and a large main room with a table, couch/trundle bed, and another T.V.

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Not only was having two bathrooms amazing, but having a separate bedroom meant we could put our son down for naps and then have the freedom to hang out on the patio, watch T.V., or just generally make a bit of noise! We could also put him to bed and then stay up late watching movies and eating food.

Having a stocked fridge was very convenient as well so we could keep milk, juice and fruit ready to go for him. This was the first room I had been in on a trip that had a washer and dryer!

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When we arrived to the room we were met with fruit and cheese platters which we greatly appreciated since we were all starving, and minutes later welcome letters arrived along with fresh chocolate treats. Our room had 24 hour concierge service, and that meant we could call to get help with anything we needed on our trip.

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The resort was divided into four Villages – Key West, which is where we stayed, Italian, Caribbean, and the French Village.

The Key West Village was beautiful. This section of the resort opened only 5 years ago so everything was very fresh and new. I have to say I really liked the French Village as well with their cute Parisian cafe and vine-covered buildings. Each Village had restaurants and pools themed to suit the Village. It was like having four mini-resorts to choose from.

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When it came to food, we had 19 different dining choices on the resort. It was overwhelming to decide where to go when we first arrived because there was so much to choose from. Each restaurant had a separate children’s menu we could order from, and they often even had children’s appetizers to go with their entrees! The chef’s served up everything from grilled swordfish, seafood risotto, to chicken fajitas and Caribbean jerk chicken. There were all kinds of choices every night, which wasn’t a bad problem to have.

We enjoyed Kimono’s restaurant the most. It was a hibachi restaurant with entertaining chef’s that had us all singing along with them while we ate. We also loved Neptunes restaurant which was seafood focused, and was surrounded by sand dunes near the ocean.

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Beaches Turks & Caicos actually has an office where any dietary or allergy concerns can be addressed and managed throughout a guests trip. All concerns are documented, and when a guest is going to visit a restaurant they would just need to make a quick call to this office, and the completed paperwork is sent to the restaurant so food may be prepared to suit the guest’s needs.

The best part of all-inclusive resorts is the steady availability of drinks and snacks! For a treat there was a little Parisian cafe with different goods each day like mini blueberry cheesecakes and chocolate dipped merengue. They also served hot and cold coffee drinks as well.

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There was also a 24 hour diner which served popcorn, cotton candy and ice cream! I visited this spot every day obviously.

Not only was there a large stretch of beach (12 miles long), but there were pools spaced all over the resort, and there was even a waterpark. The Pirates Island Waterpark (45,000 square feet!) had water slides, a surf simulator (the only one in the Carribean), a lazy river, and a children’s pirate play ship and splash deck. The water slides ranged from large and fast for the adults, to much smaller ones for children. We spent a lot of time at the waterpark because there was so much to do! There was a pool just for kids that had a swim up bar that served cute kids drinks like my son’s favourite The Mickey Mouse (banana, milk and strawberry).

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At The Pirate’s Island Waterpark there was a 50’s style diner (this is where I was going for my ice cream/pop corn/cotton candy runs), a games room, and Scratch DJ Academy where kids can learn how to mix, blend and scratch music. There was also an XBOX Play Lounge with dozens of consoles with games pre-loaded and free to play.

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The big draw for us at this resort was the relationship Beaches has with Sesame Street. For 10 years Beaches has had Sesame Street characters at the resort, and they interact with the children in so many ways! There was a character show each night at 6:30pm which we were not allowed to miss according to our son London, there were two Sesame Street Carnival Celebration Parade’s while we were there which was pretty impressive. The Seasame character’s can be found throughout the day just walking around to meet the children, or for scheduled events like baking cookies with Cookie Monster, bird watching with Big Bird, and story time with Elmo.

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We attended a Sesame Street Character Breakfast, and this was lot’s of fun! The tables were decorated with all things Sesame Street, and all of the character’s made an appearance at the event to take photo’s with the children, and there was a hilarious dance party. Each child had lots of opportunity to spend time with their favourite characters – Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Abby Cadabby, Grover and The Count.

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The Kids Camp at Beaches offers programs for infants, toddlers, pre-teens and teens. I toured the Kids Camp locations at the resort, and they were very impressive! They were bright, full of toys and activities, and the nap rooms looked very comfortable. I met the staff that worked there and everyone was very professional, and seemed to be having a great time with the children. The Kids Camp is complementary, and is a great idea if you want to go on a snorkelling trip, or need to have a romantic dinner which doesn’t include a high chair!

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After the Kids Camp closes, there is an aftercare program where professional nanny care is offered to guests for a charge. There is also a Special Needs Program where any child with special needs can have assistance from a nanny one-on-one so the child doesn’t miss out on participating on all of the activities at Beaches (there is also a fee for this service).

Our trip was amazing. The beach was beautiful, the water was a gorgeous turquoise color with fish swimming around us every time we stepped into it, and the resort was immaculate. None of the Beaches staff would pass us by without saying hello, and our concierge would call to check in on us to make sure everything was going smoothly.

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The shops on the resort had everything we could have forgotten – sunscreen, toys, diapers, wipes and of course there was a store dedicated to Sesame Street. The lobbies in each village had a T.V. playing cartoons with child-size furniture, and when we were lucky we could round a corner and see Oscar the Grouch or the Cookie Monster.

It felt so easy to be able to dine anywhere no matter how posh the restaurant was, and to be accepted with a toddler! Stroller parking was outside of every restaurant, and there were always enough high chairs and crayons to go around.

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We saw many couples on the trip without children, and it would be easy to have an adult trip at this resort with the layout they have. There were two specific restaurant for adults only, and there were so many pools you could easily find one that was quiet to read at, or one with a swim up bar and loud music to party at.

Beaches Turks & Caicos does not allow tipping to it’s staff, so there is no worry to pay any extra costs while there to thank the staff for their service.

My tips? Attend all of the special events listed in the daily newsletter each day. We went to the Managers Cocktail Party and had fresh appetizers we hadn’t had at any restaurant, and Sesame characters were on sale at the party. They had themed cocktails, and free massages by the pool.

The Friday night beach party was our favourite event. We sat casually outside where we were served drinks at our picnic table, we had a great cookout, and we were entertained with a Sesame Street show, and there were fireworks at the end of the night.

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If you have small children you should bring a stroller because of how large the resort is, or if you somehow forgot or don’t take my advice you can rent a wagon from the Kids Club.

I knew this trip was a success when I watched my husband pick up a Beaches magazine and he started taking about the other locations we should visit next, and I watched my son tell all of our family when we returned home about his island trip. He is still excited to talk about it a week later, and it’s easy to tell we made some great memories for him.

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For more details on a Beaches Turks and Caicos visit them here!

You can also ask me questions in the comments!

Blogs I Love! Yes Cheating On Me Is Allowed (Sometimes)

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Obviously I want you to keep and touch and read my blog, but there are some really awesome blogs out there that I love to check out every week to see what they are posting next, and I think you should check them out as well!

So what I am saying is it’s totally ok to cheat on me with other blogs, but I they have to be super fabulous like the ones I am recommending because they are full of amazing food, fashion, beauty and just general goodness.

There are a million blogs out there, and I have found the best way to keep up with the ones I love is by using a website called Bloglovin.com. This way you don’t need to follow each bog individually, but instead you can follow them on this site in a very organized way by seeing their new posts in a feed (sort of the way Facebook’s news feed works).

All of these blogs inspired me to start writing my own almost one year ago (my one year anniversary is coming up soon!), and they often tempt me to quit my real-life job so I can have lot’s more time writing about what I love like these ladies do.

Hope you enjoy my favourites!

 

 

Cupcakes and Cashmere

 

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This blog has a little bit of everything, and Emily has even launched a book about style, décor and entertaining. Holy multitasker!

 

 

Veronicka’s Blushing

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Veronika’s from Houston and has been blogging since 2009 about outfits, beauty products, home décor, DIY projects, and mom stuff. I really like some of her outfit and décor tips!

 

 

Pink Peonies

 

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Pink-Peonies

This blog is fabulous for fashion! Rachel is from Salt Lake City, Utah, and writes all about fashion and shopping.

 

 

A Beautiful Mess

 

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This blog is run by a team of sisters who own a lifestyle company. There are lots of décor projects, recipes, and crafts. The girls are based in Missouri, and they have released two books and an app!

 

 

Sincerely, Jules

 

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She leads a pretty fabulous life, and her Instagram account is especially fun to follow too. Fashion, shopping, and jet-setting!

 

 

Peace, Love, Shea

 

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Shea Marie is a model who lives in Hollywood and also works as a stylist, TV host and designer. She travel’s all over the world and documents her day to day life, along with lots of fashion and beauty advice.

My Beach Vacation Essentials

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When I’m packing for a trip, the most important thing is to have room for my shoes. Packing space is tight, so I’d much rather leave behind a moisturizer than cute sandals. Priorities, right? Anytime I get a great travel size product I throw it into a special basket, and I shop my stash before I leave on vacation.

There are a few things I make sure I have purchased before I go away, and the rest I use for the first time on my trip.

 

 

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I didn’t bring a lot with me this time around in the cosmetics department since I needed even more room for trucks, diapers, beach pails and buckets than usual since our son was coming with us. What I did bring really ended up being all I needed. Here is my roundup of what my essentials included!

 

 

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If you read the blog, you know I was just raving about Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day. I HAD to bring this on vacation, because I was heading to Turks and Caicos where the humidity was out if this world. Usually I can judge how humid things really are by the amount my hair is curling. Although some days I couldn’t help but have a little wave, overall I was pretty happy with my island hair in those soaring temperatures thanks to my Living Proof Perfect Hair Day.

Not only is my favourite Essie nail polish colour Ballet Slippers, but it was the perfect shade to use while I was away since I was bound to be chipping and cracking my nail polish throughout the week. It’s the worst to have a bright blue or orange polish on, and then have a chip that stands out (think Britney Spears photos – TMZ always seems to be pointing out her inability to have perfectly polished nails!). This polish got me through 7 days of minimal embarrassment before I made a spa appointment to have things fixed up! Plus it’s a colour that goes with everything, so you can’t lose.

 

 

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I totally steal my kids sunscreen. This stuff is awesome! I use his Aveeno Baby Sunscreen (SPF 55) on my face, and anywhere else I can reach. Using it on my face doesn’t make me break out which is great, plus I didn’t get a sunburn all week. It’s got a great scent too!

 

 

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Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream was great for my vacation. It’s tinted so it evened out my skin tone slightly when I arrived with very pale and uneven skin, and it didn’t come off on my clothing at all because it dried quickly. I thought it had a great scent (sort of beachy) and had a bit of shimmer which was nice for my vacation. It definitely did it’s job when it came to moisturizing, but I don’t think it actually firmed or corrected my skin in any way as it claims to do. It really did bring moisture back to my skin after days in the ocean and on the beach, but I don’t think I would use it to solve any of my skin issues.

 

 

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I don’t go anywhere without my Green Beaver Boreal Lip Balm. I usually carry two with me because I would literally wither away and die without my lip gloss. I have a lot of allergies so I can only use certain products on my lips, and this one is gluten free and has no scary ingredients. Unfortunately I have a reaction to any lip glosses or balms with SPF, so this may not be the best lip balm for you on the beach. SPF is obviously the way to go, but for me it’s not an option on my lips. This stuff is hard to find so I usually purchase it on Well.ca or at GreenBeaver.com. I didn’t get a burn on my lips all week, but I have to admit it may have had something to do the the copious amount I was applying to my lips!

 

 

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I thought about writing a totally separate post about trying Makeup Forever’s Smoky Extravagant Mascara. I really loved this one, and I am still using it! The brush is hard to get used to because it starts skinny and ends very plump, but once you get the hang of it it lengthens your lashes like crazy! It doesn’t plump them too much, but it really defines them and the mascara doesn’t flake off at all. It’s very easy to remove, and I didn’t even need to use my lash curler because the wand did the work for me. Big fan! Right now it’s taking over for my favourite Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara, which if you know me means this stuff is pretty awesome.

Why You Should Attend The Delicious Food Show October 17th – 19th

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I’ve just returned from what I would describe as a gluttonous week of vacation. Usually when I am at home I’ll grab a Starbucks for breakfast, possibly I’ll bring a sandwich for lunch or grab something quick to eat nearby, and in the evening I’ll either make a big dinner or go out somewhere fun to eat. Vacation eating for me was quite different last week! Two-course breakfast’s, huge lunches including appetizers, an afternoon snack of a small sandwich or ice cream, and then a three-course dinner with a late night ice cream run. All inclusive resorts are not kind to anyone’s metabolism or diet.

So here I am trying to get my eating plan back on track, and what comes into my inbox? Details on Toronto’s upcoming Delicious Food Show! It’s like the universe is trying to tell me something. Like keep eating?

 

 

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The Delicious Food Show is a 3 day event which includes all food-themed lifestyle and entertaining experiences, featuring hundreds of exhibitors, cooking demos, tastings, hands-on workshops, book signings, and appearances by Food Network and international celebrity chefs.

So when should you be sure not schedule a diet or a cleanse? The Delicious Food Show runs from Friday, October 17th from 10am – 9pm, Saturday, October 18th from 10am – 8pm, and Sunday, October 19th from 10am – 6pm at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto (Direct Energy Centre, Hall A, 100 Princes’ Blvd, Toronto).

What can you expect to do? You can sample, sip, and purchase new products from hundreds of exhibitors. There will be live cooking demos, tastings, and hands-on workshops.

You can also attend presentations and book signings with chefs including including Mario Batali, Tyler Florence, Dominique Ansel, Chuck Hughes, Nadia G, Mark McEwan, Lucinda Scala Quinn, Roger Mooking, and more.

 

 

Mario Batali

Chef Mario Batali

 

 

Chef Tyler Florence

Chef Tyler Florence

 

 

Chef Chuck Hughes

Chef Chuck Hughes

 

 

What can you expect from one of these presentations with a celebrity chef?

They are hands-on workshops and demonstrations where participants will be provided with an initial demonstration of the recipe or explanation of the demo, along with step-by step instructions directly from the chef themselves. The chef will share their tips and tricks as they work, and you are able to ask questions and participate in this interactive experience.

What sounds more fun then a show about eating? It sound much better to me then a baby show, or a home and garden show! You can just buy a ticket to walk around and just taste and see what the vendors have to offer, or really participate and sign up for a chef led demonstration.

Did I give you enough reasons to attend? I will for sure be attending, and I can’t wait to eat my way through this show! To sign up for the Celebrity Chef Special Events, or to purchase tickets click here!

For more information on the Delicious Food Show, check out these links below:

www.facebook.com/deliciousfoodshow
www.twitter.com/deliciousshow
www.instagram.com/deliciousfoodshow
www.pinterest.com/deliciousshow