Uncategorized - sparkleshinylove

Roxymandy August 11, 2014

Hunter Original Autumn/Winter 2014 Campaign

I bought my first pair of Hunter boots last year, and I seriously can’t live without them. When Hunter Original first launched I really didn’t catch onto the trend because I wasn’t sure if I would wear rubber boots. I wasn’t one of those normal kids who loved wearing rubber boots to splash puddles. Instead I avoided the puddles, and opted to wear shoes that weren’t weather appropriate just to be a brat. And a diva.

I actually bought my toddler a pair of Hunter boots first. When they arrived I thought they were so adorable, and he loved stomping around the house in them. I didn’t realize until later that he was going to want ME to jump in the puddles outside as well. Here I was again wearing inappropriate footwear. I hopped onto the Nordstrom site and ordered myself a pair of adorable Union Jack Hunter Originals (my son’s name is London, so obviously they were perfect), and I’ve been jumping in puddles ever since.

This year at London Fashion Week, Hunter Original launched their first campaign for Autumn/Winter 2014 which included a runway underwater! The line includes footwear, outerwear and knitwear which makes dressing for inclement weather look pretty chic.

I have added photos of the runway show below, but you can now shop the campaign at www.hunter-boot.com, and at global retailers in store now.

Roxymandy August 7, 2014

Panda Lantern Parade at the Toronto Zoo

I just signed up to be a Toronto Zoo member for the first time this year after suffering from much peer pressure on behalf of my friends. OK, so no one actually pressured me to join, but I have been on so many play dates located at the zoo it really made the most sense to become a member. I’ve actually enjoyed it a lot this year! I receive a newsletter in the mail from the zoo as part of my membership, and I noticed there were some fun looking after-hours programs at the zoo, so I decided to try one with my son and husband.

We tried out the Panda Lantern Parade last week, and we loved it!

In order to sign up we had to complete a form and mail it to the zoo to register. The other option to register was to fax in the form, and this was my only complaint about the program. I was surprised you couldn’t scan and email the form in! Since I honestly don’t even know where our office fax machine is, I thought it was worth the trip to the post office and we registered.

The cost was $12.00 per person, but children under the age of 3 were only $5.00. This does not include admission into the zoo – the cost was only for this excursion, so keep that in mind! You do not need to be a zoo member to take part in this or some of the other activities.

The program started at 7:00pm, and we were met at the door by our guide and two volunteers. They brought us into the Panda section which was closed for the night.

The maximum number of people for this activity is 25, and that is how many we had for this event. It wasn’t a bad group size at all because there was still lots of room wherever we went for everyone to see, hear and take part in the activity.

First up we went into one of the large tents located at the panda enclosure where we could leave our belongings, and we headed out to see the pandas.

If you have gone to see the panda’s at the Toronto Zoo before, you know how incredibly busy it can be in the area they are located in. I’ve only had a glimpse of them before, so this opportunity was great because we had lots of time to see them play while we were there. We listened to the staff explain the daily routine of the panda’s, and they answered the children’s questions about all things to do with panda’s. The question and answer period was long, but the staff was well prepared for the kids who had a short attention span. Just outside of the pavilion there was one of the volunteers waiting with a basket full of panda-related items the children could play with like puzzles, samples of bamboo, crayons and colouring books. Whoever planed this event definitely has a toddler.

Next we went back to the main tent to have a snack and make our lantern. The snacks included Cherios, animal crackers, cupcakes, cookies and juice, among other treats. We sat at a table and were taught how to make an eco-friendly lantern. It was a cute craft! Once our lantern was complete, it was time to walk back over to see the panda’s so we could say goodnight. This was adorable as it sounded. Our little guy walked right back over to the panda’s with his lantern, and when he got there he held it up for the panda to see.

We used our lanterns to walk back through the dark zoo to visit a few other animals on our way back to the gate. We were finished around 9:00pm.

I thought this activity was adorable, and I highly recommend trying out one of the zoo’s other upcoming activities. The Panda Lantern Parade is full for this summer, but I have listed one other program happening in a couple weeks that you can take advantage of at the Toronto Zoo below. For more available programs check here to see what’s coming up next.

Breakfast with the Bears
(Morning Program)
Rise and shine with the giant pandas and polar bears and enjoy a morning snack as our bear buddies get their day started.

DATES: Sunday August 24th

TIME: 8:00AM to 9:30AM

COST: $10 per person (includes HST)
**If you plan to stay at the Zoo following the program, Zoo admission fees will apply.

Please Note: Any children age 3 and under on the same registration are $5 each (HST included). Payment is required at time of registration. Cost does not include parking. Program can accommodate up to 25 participants per session.

Roxymandy August 6, 2014

Fall Leather Jacket Roundup

Please don’t get mad about what I am going to say next – I am so excited to do some fall shopping! I know, it’s August. And it’s not nice to talk about fall during the summer, but I can’t help but get excited about all of the new fall clothes coming out! I know you have seen it – summer clothes are being marked down, sandals are dropping in price, and slowly sweaters and scarves are starting to hit the shelves. I’m sorry but it’s happening, so keep enjoying summer, but get excited to stock your fall wardrobe.

Leather has been trending a long time now – dresses, shorts, skirts, pants, and of course, leather jackets. Much like ripped boyfriend jeans, cute biker and moto style leather jackets are everywhere so you need to make sure you have one in your closet. When I have nothing to wear (I know, it sounds tragic) I love throwing on a wicked jacket to make my outfit. Sometimes I don’t even want to take the jacket off because it makes my outfit. And there is always one overly polite person who keeps offering to take your jacket at times like these, and you have to keep lying over and over about how chilly you are so they don’t take your jacket away. Meanwhile you are sweating to death in the jacket, but it looks so damn good your willing to sacrifice.

Anyway, I’ve rounded up a few of my favourites at all price points in case you are missing a leather jacket in your wardrobe, or you are like me and have decided you need multiple.

Danier Bronwyn Linen Blend and Lamb Leather Jacket – $139.00

Danier Elisa Stretch Knit Jacket with Lamb Leather -$159.00

Forever 21 Textured Faux Leather Jacket – $41.80

Forever 21 Chic Quilted Faux Leather Jacket – $41.80

Guess Katy Long-Sleeved Jacket – $108.00

Zara Biker Jacket
– $129.00

Dynamite Faux Leather Blazer with Rib Inserts
-$49.90

Aritzia Mackage Lucia Jacket
-$249.00

Garage Faux Leather Moto Jacket -$29.00

ALLSAINTS Alford Leather Biker Jacket – $900.00

Bebe Kayla Embellished Jacket -$169.00

Victoria’s Secret Leather Moto Jacket – $350.00

Roxymandy August 5, 2014

My Favourite iPad Apps for Toddlers

My iPad has been an absolute lifesaver with my toddler, especially when we’ve been travelling. Flying with him can be tricky, and I am positive we would have never survived without the iPad loaded with Apps and videos for him. It’s like torture waiting for takeoff, so having the iPad ready to go has been great to keep him occupied. We were stuck in customs once for an hour, and our iPad was the perfect distraction for our son and all of the children around him in line!

We also had a long road trip to Lake Placid where we needed a distraction for the long hours in the car, and the iPad was amazing. We try not to let our son play with the iPad too much since I am selfish and I want to play with it myself (ok partially, mostly because I would rather have him play outside at this time of year than sit on the couch), but we have had to admit to ourselves that there have been times when we would have been lost without it.

There are so many Apps out there, and I end up deleting a lot of them because they are frustrating for my toddler. Some of them are too difficult for him to navigate, and some of them I will download and he is bored in seconds. I think all Apps include a lot of trial and error when choosing a good one.

I’ve added a list of Apps that have been the most successful with my son. His favourite right now is the Lego Duplo Trains App. Do you know how hard it is to find a good train App? Very very hard. I feel like I have been through them all, but that one is perfect for his age. You can find my list below, but if there are any Apps that you are using right now that you love for your kid, please add them in the comments section below – I would love to hear them!

Lazoo Zoo

This App allows you to travel around the zoo and feed the animals. Once they are fed they may change colours, grow hair, or change in some fun way. This one is very easy because you just need to drag and drop food in the animals mouth, and there are lots of animals to visit at the zoo.

Lazoo: Let’s Colour!

This App is part of the Lazoo series as well, and in this one you can colour or add stickers to a photo, and then if you press “Go” the photo comes to life. There are trains and planes that move once you hit “Go”, fish that will swim and sundae’s that will melt when you are ready to hit the button. There are a lots of different pictures to colour, and it comes with a great little movie as well with the Lazoo characters.

Elmo Calls

In this App Elmo phones and you can answer the phone and FaceTime with him. It’s great because I think kids probably get more excited seeing themselves on the screen! This App only has a few different calls Elmo can make, but the FaceTime keeps them occupied a bit longer. Elmo is a big hit at our place, and I think every child loves phones, so it’s a pretty awesome combo.

Talking Ben The Dog

We have had this App for over a year and it still doesn’t get old. Not educational in the least, but it’s a free App where the dog will mimic your voice or belch on command. It’s just a lot of fun. There are even a few spinoff animal Apps similar to Ben now, and he’s so popular you can find a stuffed talking version of him in stores.

Lego Duplo Trains

This App is great for boys who are obsessed with trains like mine is. It lets them build their own train, load the train and build tracks and bridges along the way. Plus it was free! I’ve probably downloaded a dozen train Apps, and this has been the best one!

Endless Alphabet

This one was suggested to me by my friend Jen! This one was the most pricy of the bunch at $6.99, but it really is an endless alphabet! Words from A – Z pop up and you have to match the letters in the word. You can press the button to hear the word out loud, and to explain what it is. Each letter makes a sound as you match it to the right spot. You get bonus points as a parent for downloading something so educational too.

Elmo’s Monster Maker

This App was $2.99 but it’s really fun! Elmo parades a group of monsters out, and you have to pick one to dress up. Then you can decide if Elmo plays with him, or of he should dance. It’s pretty cute for Elmo fans.

Endless Numbers

Similar to Endless Alphabet, this counting App comes in a lite version so it’s free, but has some great matching games with numbers. Again, the educational points you will score by downloading this are great, plus the little monsters in the App are super cute and entertaining.

Roxymandy July 30, 2014

Fall Fashion From Winners

I love shopping at Winners. I love hunting through the racks to find one of their amazing deals, or to find something that no one else will have. When I am looking for something to wear that is a little bit different, Winners always seems to pull through with a great find.

Once I get into the “Winners” zone I tend to hit more than one store in a day. Each store has something different to offer, and it’s so fun to be on the hunt for something awesome.

Is it just me that feels like this about Winners? I highly doubt it – I feel like shopping at Winners can be a bit addictive! If you see an amazing pair of shoes not in your size, the awesome price makes it worth it to drive to another Winners to find your size!

Fall shopping is my absolute favourite. I love buying sweaters and polished, warm outfits after being casual and beachy in the summer. It seems like fall outfits are more fun to put together since a summer outfit usually lacks complexity.

And the best part about fall? Back to school shopping! It’s been a little while since I have been in school, but I still go back to school clothes shopping. Fall is like a new beginning to the year, and obviously you need a cute, fresh outfit to begin something new!

Winners is starting to receive fall trends right now, and they have outlined some of the seasons hottest looks that are hitting the racks soon.

I’ve chosen some of my favourite looks from Winners and added them below – I obsessed with the faux Leather Top Handle Bag and the Wide Brim Wool hat. I must own both pieces!