Be A Part Of The Etsy Road Trip This Summer!

Etsy Road Trip

 

 

You may know about my obsession with all things Etsy via a few posts I’ve done here before, so you may understand why I am so excited that Etsy is on a road trip this summer!!

For the first time ever Etsy will have a travelling mobile marketplace visiting four cities over 10 days across Ontario.

Etsy will have a 30-foot custom AirStream trailer that will embark on a four-day Canadian road trip featuring local Etsy sellers, and wherever it parks you will also find musicians, food trucks, a photo booth, and more!

 

 

Etsy Road Trip

 

 

Starting on August 1st the mobile marketplaces will pop-up in Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto.

Online shopping is amazing because it’s so easy (almost TOO easy for some of us and our weary credit cards), but it’s also nice to see what you are purchasing before you buy it, so this is a great chance to buy from your favourite Estsy sellers while seeing their one-of-a-kind pieces in person.

Visitors can meet and mingle with some of their favourite sellers while shopping their one-of-a-kind pieces on the spot.

You can follow the online road trip by looking up #EtsyRoadTrip on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or by visiting etsy.me/roadtrip for the full program schedule.

And for those of you who want to check out the schedule, I was sweet enough to post it for you below. As always, happy shopping!

#EtsyRoadTrip Calendar:

Montreal – Friday, August 1 and Saturday, August 2

On August 1 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., catch Etsy at Olympic Park (4141 avenue Pierre-De Coubertin) as a part of Montreal’s #FirstFridays – the largest food truck gathering in Quebec. Sample tasty food and shop handmade clothing and statement accessories from Noemiah, grab a hand-drawn card or print from Kristy Boisvert, or pick a handmade sterling silver piece of jewelry from Angry Weather. A live performance by Corinna Rose will be the soundtrack to the party.

On August 2, Noemiah, Kristy Boisvert and Angry Weather will travel with the caravan across town to Old Port (333 Rue de la Commune Ouest) to join the Divers/Cite “Fireworks night at La Ronde” from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. with music by Little Scream and Corinna Rose.

Ottawa – Monday, August 4

There will be no case of the Mondays in Ottawa on August 4 thanks to Etsy. At Lebreton Flats from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Ottawans can enjoy a set from Kelly Sloan and the Claytones and snack on food from Bridgehead, The Merry Dairy and Streetside Curry. Meet local Etsy seller Burrowed by Caryne and shop her upcycled clothing that has been resewn into fashion forward pieces. Visit Tangente, who specializes in stylish and eco-friendly clothing and who will bring her sewing machine along for demos on-site. Say hi to Hello Yellow who will be selling candles from her recently launched company, Campy. Unique items from Infinite Purpose, Forestiere and Littlest Bird Workshop will also be available for purchase.

Kingston – Tuesday, August 5

On August 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., meet, shop and mingle with Kingston-based sellers Here and Now Shop, who designs and creates one-of-a-kind jewelry; Nicole Tarasick, whose Canadian-themed prints, pillows and tote bags are a great way to show true patriot love; Salvage Jewelry Co, with jewelry that incorporates upcycled scrap metals and vintage components to create modern and trendy jewelry; and Ox and Victor, who creates unique silver jewelry pieces with an edge. Special musical guests: the Bernstein Band Trio and a free lunchtime yoga class from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. provided by Lululemon!

Toronto – Friday, August 8 and Saturday, August 9

The Etsy road trip will end its tour in downtown Toronto. On August 8 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at King St. W. and Brant St., pick up a festival-favourite flower crown from Jordan De Ruiter, check out show-stopping neckties and bowties by Handsome + Lace, grab a handmade nail polish, nail art and jewelry from Nail Kandy, and hunt down accessories made from found, limited edition textiles from Grace Design’s travels. BeaverTails, We Got Balls and Gourmet Gringos will bring the food to the party and tunes will be provided by Emmy Rouge and Michael Rault.

On August 9 Etsy road trip will make its final stop at the historic Distillery District on South Trinity Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Watch Toronto seller Jordan de Ruiter craft a floral headband, check out Handsome + Lace’s handmade neckties and bowties, pick up your very own DIY handcrafted embroidery kit by Kiriki Press and stock up on Grace Designs’ accessory collection while listening to Taylor Knox Band. Eat a sweet treat from Choco Churros or have an afternoon snack from We Got Balls.

Summer Reading Material for Toddlers

The Boss Baby

 

 

No only do I need summer reading material for myself, but also for my toddler! When you are hoping to squeeze in some time reading magazines and books on the weekend or on vacation, you need to find a way to occupy your toddler too, so why not a book for them? My son is 2 now so it’s at the stage where he will pick up a book and flip through it on his own, pointing out the things he sees and reading it in his own way. I read him so many books at night it’s important to find a few that I like to read too! Here are a few of my summer reading picks for toddlers.

 

 

Potty

Potty by Leslie Patricelli

This book is perfect for the potty training stage. It’s short, sweet, and to the point!

 

 

Toot

Toot by Leslie Patricelli

This book is by the same author as Potty, and it’s a really cute read!

 

 

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Rinker

This one is a favourite at our house right now. It’s a little long, but it’s a great bedtime story for boys who love trucks!

 

 

The Boss Baby

The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee

One of London’s all time favourites! We picked this one up in Lake Placid, but you can buy it online with Amazon. It’s pretty accurate description of how the baby runs your house.

 

 

Rockin' Babies

Rockin’ Babies by Dr. Jenn Berman and Cynthia Weil

I’ve been reading this book to London since he was a newborn so it’s one of his favourites. It’s all about babies partying in their cribs, and traveling with their roadies (that would be you!).

 

 

Away We Go

Away We Go! By the Disney Book Group

I love this book because it is all about travel around the world, and London loves it too because of the bright photos.

 

 

The London Bus

Whizzy Wheels: London Bus By Marion Billet

This bus has wheels that spin on the book so it doubles as a toy!

Launching Today – Masabni Online Store

Palmyra Dress

 

 

I met designer Jennifer Masabni at World MasterCard Fashion week in Toronto a couple months ago. Her dresses struck a chord with me, and at the preview I attended I was praying for a cash register because I was desperate for some of her pieces!

Jennifer’s designs were very much in line with my personal style, and the fabrics she used were luxurious. As much as I love to buy dresses at the mall, you could tell these were elevated styles and designs.

Jennifer founded her company Masabni in 2010, and she is based out of Montreal, Canada. This was a bit of a challenge for me – her beautiful dresses were only available in select Montreal stores. I wrote her after World MasterCard Fashion Week asking how I could get a hold of one of her dresses. The great news is she now has an online shop!

Newly launched today, you can visit www.masabni.com to shop her collections online and have them shipped to your home. I can’t even describe the detail and care that goes into each of her pieces. I was very impressed with her designs, and the labour that goes into putting them together.

The Masabni Spring/Summer 2014 lookbook is on the website as well, and I am kind of obsessed with all of the looks.

You can shop her online store here.

Jennifer has sent me a few of her favourites which will be available for purchase online starting today – take a look!

 

 

[caption id="attachment_2258" align="aligncenter" width="2400"]Victoria Dress Victoria Dress

 

 

Palmyra Dress

Palmyra Dress

 

 

Florence Dress

Florence Dress

 

 

Favourite Toronto Mom Blogger Contest

Top 30 Toronto Mom Blogger 2014 Nominee

Top 30 Toronto Mom Blogger 2014 Nominee

Toronto Mom Now is running their annual Favourite Toronto Mom Blogger contest, and I have been lucky enough to be nominated!

I am definitely a newbie when it comes to blogging (it will be one year in the fall), but it’s been a great year so far, and I am so lucky to be included in this list of 30 blogs.

If you like the blog and you have a moment, head over to Toronto Mom Now to do some voting! You can vote for up to three blogs in this competition, and it’s a great way to find other blogs you may want to start reading as well.

Click on the link here to vote, and thanks for reading!!

My New Obsession: Kids Shopping Online with Alex and Alexa

Boon Odd Ducks, $12.19

 

 

Alex and Alexa is my new obsession. They have over 200 international clothing and toy brands, and it’s like a one stop shop for anything that’s cool for kids.

It was founded in London seven years ago, and it makes online shopping so easy because there is so much on one site.

It’s a safe and secure website which gives you peace of mind, and they not only accept credit cards, but Paypal as well which I find so convenient. Or dangerous – it really depends on if you have a budget or not! They have free delivery on all International orders over $160 USD (I know, that seems like a lot!), and free returns to all countries worldwide.

Standard Shipping is only $13.85 CDN! That is not bad at all. Especially since Burberry charges $20.00 CDN on their website for shipping, and Alex and Alexa sell Burberry. It doesn’t make any sense why it’s cheaper to shop for Burberry on a website other than the actual Burberry website, but at least there is a cheaper way.

They not only have an awesome clothing selection for infants and children, but they have toys and décor from around the world. This is much better than shopping at Babies R Us. I love the selection of gadgets for babies, and beautiful and unique newborn gifts.

The football section is amazing! It’s so hard to find kids uniforms, but they have a great selection, along with shoes and other memorabilia. They even have a signed cleat from Wayne Rooney. How awesome is that?

It was so hard to pick some of my favourites, but here is a sample of some of the items I liked the most when shopping yesterday. Give yourself lots of time to browse on this site – it’s totally worth it! www.alexandalexa.com

 

 

The Butter Flying Rainbow Cloud Mobile, $81.46

The Butter Flying Rainbow Cloud Mobile, $81.46

 

 

Boon Baby Bath, $106.39

Boon Baby Bath, $106.39

 

 

Djeco Soft Putting Game, $44.33

Djeco Soft Putting Game, $44.33

 

 

Boon Odd Ducks, $12.19

Boon Odd Ducks, $12.19

 

 

Beatrix New York Insulated Bottle, $31.59

Beatrix New York Insulated Bottle, $31.59

 

 

Sebra Pack of 4 Printed Swaddles, $35.46

Sebra Pack of 4 Printed Swaddles, $35.46

 

 

Babybjorn Cups, $22.72

Babybjorn Cups, $22.72

 

 

Sew Heart Felt Grey Pony Rug, $99.19

Sew Heart Felt Grey Pony Rug, $99.19

 

 

Seletti World Map Dinner Placemats, $28.26

Seletti World Map Dinner Placemats, $28.26

 

 

Maileg Princess and the Pea, $127.45

Maileg Princess and the Pea, $127.45

 

 

Lecons De Choses Skateboard Shelf, $116.92

Lecons De Choses Skateboard Shelf, $116.92

 

 

Lego Mint Storage Brick, $28.24

Lego Mint Storage Brick, $28.24

 

 

Ugg Chestnut Suede Erin Booties, $64.28

Ugg Chestnut Suede Erin Booties, $64.28

 

 

Burberry Check Strappy Dress, $126.34

Burberry Check Strappy Dress, $126.34

 

 

Doc Martin Union Jack Boots, $57.63

Doc Martin Union Jack Boots, $57.63

 

 

Kenzo Royal Blue Tiger Tee, $39.34

Kenzo Royal Blue Tiger Tee, $39.34

 

 

Roxy Mint Green Zip Hoodie, $41.01

Roxy Mint Green Zip Hoodie, $41.01

 

 

Ralph Lauren EZ Deck Shoes, $56.52

Ralph Lauren EZ Deck Shoes, $56.52