sparkleshinylove

Where to Shop – baby Gap’s Collaboration with Paddington Bear

 

Paddington Bear

 

Gap has announced that this January they will be launching a collaboration with Paddington Bear for Baby Gap.

 

It will be a limited edition collection of clothing and gifts inspired by the bear.  In 2014 the Paddington Bear movie will be released as well with my British crush Colin Firth as the bear’s voice.

 

 

Paddington Book

 

The collection will have 36 pieces in total, and will run up to size 24 months.  The one piece I will need to get my hands on is the classic toggle jacket which mirrors the one Paddington wears, which will go for $50 USD.

 

The collection includes onesies and classic yellow rain boots as well.  I snagged some photos below of some other pieces in the collection which have already been launched in Europe.

 

 

 

Paddington Bear Embroidered Flutter Dress

 

Paddington Bear Tulip Shift Dress

 

 

 

 

Paddington Bear Sherpa Boots

 

Photo #1 and #2 courtesy of Paddington.com, Photo #3, 4, and 5 courtesy of gap.eu

 

 

 

 

 

My Review of Ojon’s Dry Recovery Revitalizing Moisture Mist

Ojon

 

I tend to neglect my hair.  I’ve always been a lover of shampoo that smells good and is on sale instead of purchasing based on the actual needs of my strands.  I am really cheap when it comes to buying new pairs of socks that match, and my hair care.  I’m starting to take better care of my hair (I’ve moved up from Herbal Essances to Joico!), but my socks remain mismatched and full of holes.  It’s my Achilles heel.

 

Anyway, back to hair!  I’ve heard good things from people about Ojon’s (how do you pronounce that?) Dry Recovery Revitalizing Moisture Mist, and I had a gift card to Sephora so I thought I’d give it a try.  Normally I stick to shampoo, conditioner, and a bit of Moroccan Oil with each blow dry.  What I liked about the Moisture Mist is that you can spray it in while your hair is damp, or you can even spray it on while your hair is dry!

It retails at Sephora for $29 which for me is a little steep considering how I feel about spending cash on my hair, but with all of the flat ironing and curling I did this holiday season I figured it was worth the extra cost to repair some damage.

I was able to check the smell of the spray right in the store because you could spray it on your hair dry, and it had a pretty light scent that I liked.  The first time I used it, it was on my damp hair before a blow dry and I didn’t really see a difference, and the next day I used it on my dry hair and still didn’t see much going on.

At the end of my first week of using it (both on dry hair and damp hair) I couldn’t believe what a difference it made!  I only sprayed it on my hair below the roots just in case there was build-up, but it didn’t make my hair look or feel greasy at all.  My hair felt so much better, and actually looked healthier!  My hair felt a lot less dry, and it looked less damaged at the ends.  I really didn’t expect to see these results after only a week.

My new routine with it is I use it on my damp hair before a blow dry, and on my second day hair I spray my ends after straightening.  There really seems to be some recovery going on which I love, and it seems like the bottle will last a long time so the cost was worth it.

The spray is also supposed to detangle hair, and tame frizz and flyaways, and I have noticed that it’s doing all of those things for me as well.  The spray claims that in research results that the study found that it improved the ease of combing by 66% (after paired with Ojon’s shampoo and conditioner) – I found it to be a great detangler, but I’m shocked they could not release any study results on it’s ability to hydrate because I had such amazing results!

 

 

Photo courtesy of Sephora.com

Where to Shop – NYE Outfits

Zara Sequinned Top - $35.99

Zara Sequinned Top – $35.99

 

This is the best time of year to do some online shopping with all of the after-Christmas deals out there, and the best excuse for purchasing something (an excuse is something I often do not require!) is New Year`s Eve.  It seems appropriate to start the New Year with something new, even if you are doing something casual like staying in.  Here are a few of my favourite pieces I found while scowering the internet for something to buy!

Colorblocked Tunic Dynamite

Dynamite Tunic $36.90

 

 

 

Skirt H&M

 H&M Skirt $59.95

 

Shiny Leather High Heel Pointed Shoe with Ankle Straps Zara

 

 Zara High Heels $49.99

 

Tunic with Black Detail Dynamite

Dynamite Tunic $26.90

 

 Gemstone Bib Necklace $17.80 Forever 21

 Forever 21 Gemstone Bib Necklace – $17.80

 

Dazzling Studs Swing Dress Forever 21

 Forever 21 Dazzling Studs Swing Dress – $45.80

 

 

 

Anthropologie Inked Brushstroke Tank

Anthropologie Inked Brushstroke tank – $118

 

Dazzling Sequined Dress Pink $29.80

Forever 21 Dazzling Sequinned Dress – $29.80

 

 Sam Edelman Arlea

 Sam Edelman Arlea (The Bay) $131.25

 

 

What to Do – New Year’s Eve

Still don’t know what to do for New Year’s Eve?  Here are a few events that are mostly family friendly (I included one that wasn’t for the kid-free readers!).

Party at the Castle – Casa Loma

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Celebrate the New Year at Casa Loma’s annual New Year’s Eve event. It includes DJ Rouge spinning Top 40, R&B and house music, as well as complimentary champagne when the clock strikes midnight.

Dress code is semi-formal, and the event is 21+.  The cost is $83.50 per person.

Casa Loma, 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto

info@westofcontra.com or call 416-533-3553 x50 for tickets.

 

 

New Year’s Eve at Nathan Phillips Square

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This event is free for all ages.  There will be a fleet of foodtrucks, a giant game of street curling, a photobooth with your chance to appear in Sportsnet Magazine, a KISS 92.5 DJ, and two musical acts playing.  Fireworks at midnight.

Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto

 

 

 

11th Annual NYE Countdown at the Toronto Zoo

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From 5pm -8pm the Toronto Zoo is having special entertainment, animal visits, a magic show and a kids countdown.  Parking is free, and Adults and Seniors are $20, Children 3-12 are $12, and Children 2 and under are free.

 

Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Ave, Toronto
www.torontozoo.com
Oshawa Celebrates 2014 – The Legends Centre
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The Legends Centre in Oshawa is running a New Years Eve event for families from 6pm – 9pm.
There will be live entertainment, jumping castles, swimming, skating, children’s activities, and music.  There is a NYE countdown at 8:45pm.
Legends Centre, 1661 Harmony Road, Oshawa

 

 

New Year’s Eve Skating Party at The Harbourfront Centre

 

 

At Toronto’s Harbourfront there will be free skating at the outdoor rink, music, and late night snacks.  This event starts at 10:00am and runs all the way to 2am.
Harbourfront Centre
, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto

 

 

Photo #1 courtesy of www.clubcrawlers.com, photo #2 courtesy of www.torontosun.com, photo #3 courtesy of www.oshawa.ca, photo #4 courtesy of www.toronto.com

Toronto’s Best Creative Play Cafe’s

Starbucks is one of my favourite places to stop for a drink or meet up with friends.  Unfortunately it’s not what I would call kid friendly, or very relaxing to hang out at when I’ve got my son in tow.

There are a few cafe options in Toronto that not only promise to be a place where bringing your kids is encouraged, but they also offer good food and drink options for the parents hanging out there as well.

 

Red Fish Blue Fish Creative Cafe is located on Harbord Street in Toronto.  They have a free craft table which kids can use for creative play.

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It’s fully stocked with everything from sparkles to pipe cleaners.  The main level has the craft area, a section with books, board games, high chairs, and spots to enjoy food or drinks.  There is also an outdoor patio, and upstairs there is space for the different programs they run.

Vegan, lactose free and gluten free meals are available at the cafe, and there is plenty to choose from on the menu.  They have everything from lattes, to cupcakes, to chipotle lime quinoa.

 

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Their programs include yoga, drama classes, cooking classes, art, and language classes.  They also have programs for parents and mothers to be.

They also offer birthday parties on Saturday’s and Sunday’s which could be as simple as using the upstairs space, or using entertainers and class instructors from the cafe.

They are open Monday – Friday 7:30am to 7:00pm, and Saturday – Sunday 8:00am to 5:00pm.

73 Harbord Street, Toronto
www.redfishbluefishcafe.com

 

 

Smock Cafe in Toronto has a similar craft room to Red Fish Blue Fish, but it also has someone on staff monitoring the room to help provide guidance and encouragement.  The cost to use the craft room is $8 per child, but they can use the room for an unlimited amount of play time.

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They offer classes for adults including learning how to knit, plus classes for childbirth prep, child Spanish and French classes, and they even run camps for kids.

They run different events as well which include storytelling, sing alongs and special guest performers.  Birthday parties at Smock include a theme, a craft, drinks, snacks and balloons.

The food at Smock is local and organic whenever possible, and has choices for both adults and kids.

They are open Monday to Saturday, 9:00am – 6:00pm.

287 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto
www.smockcafe.com

 

 

Lil’ Bean N’ Green is located in Leslieville in Toronto, and offers pancakes in the shapes of animal faces and thin crust gourmet pizzas.  They have a play area available for use when the cafe is open, and classes/events are held in a separate room.

 

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They offer pop-up shops with relevant products for parents, and classes include yoga, sing alongs, sign language and French classes.

This month they even had a Daddy Day which included beer tastings, and a complementary photo with Santa event.

Lil’ Bean N’ Green is located at 1133 Queen Street East in Toronto.

They are open Monday – Friday from 8:30am – 6:00pm, and Saturday-Sunday from 9:00am – 6:00pm.

www.lilbeanandgreen.com

 

 

Photos #1 & 2 courtesy of Redfishbluefishecafe.com, photo #3 courtesy of smockcafe.com, photo #4 courtesy of lilbeanandgreen.com