Thursday, May 29, 2014

Inspire Me Thursday

Hello friends...this post has taken me a helluva long time to complete...mostly because my baby no longer naps long stretches...unless we're out walking...which we do, A LOT! We're having a pretty awesome time though. There were a few days last week that were absolutely gorgeous....our walks were magical...the flowering trees were raining down their pedals and the breeze was warm and sweet....motherhood/maternity leave has really given me a chance to slow down and literally smell the roses. We went to the local farmers market and procured some fiddle heads for dinner, filled up some pots with flowers and herbs and made our way around to all our fav swing sets.....it was perfect.  I'm also loving showing Eloise around her city now that the never ending winter has officially ended...

This is us in Kensington Market...we ate fish tacos and got some organic baby sunscreen from Essence of Life.
This is Eloise blissing out on the swings.
 And some yummy fiddleheads! I boiled them and then fried them in butter and salt just to make sure I got rid of any pesky bacteria...
 I love wine. Like seriously...
I need one of these this summer because sadly the sun is not our friend in this day and age...especially for my whiter than white family...
I love this idea...how pretty... I got a bunch of these from an estate sale a few years ago...what a great way to use them.
 


It is such a perfect time for mom jeans to come back into fashion...
The 90's are also soo back.
Check out this awesome thrifted blouse I got today for 5 bucks!
Summer! I welcome you with open arms...
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love Desiree
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Green Beauty: Pick of the Week

Hello lovelies...time for another green beauty pick! So happy to hear you're finding these picks helpful...I love hearing from you! Today's pick replaced the Loreal foundation I had been using since high school...it was a sad day when I read the label....(f%^k you Loreal!) I needed a replacement asap so with the help of my green beauty bible No More Dirty Looks and lots of internet reviews I went searching for Jane Iredale. I wasn't sorry. My skin has never looked better. I use the BB cream and the mineral powder but the BB cream was a real game changer.

The lo down: I'm glowing for real. It looks like I have an effortlessly flawless complexion which is definitely not the case. It's not too oily, not too drying, you don't need much, it stays on all day, and it's SPF 25.  Need I say more?  I use the mineral powder pure pressed base with it as well which is also amazing. The only draw back...the cost. The BB cream is 56.50...steep I know. The way I justify this expense is that now that I've gone green I use far fewer cosmetics, so the ones that I do use I can afford to splurge on...and the BB cream lasts a heck of a long time.

Where to find it: Pure and Simple on King St. or in Yorkville, Toronto or online at Jane Iredale

Thanks for reading!
Love Desiree

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Green Beauty: Pick of the Week

Hello lovelies...time for another green pick from yours truly! Red lipstick is kind of my thing.  I feel naked without it so you can imagine my horror when I read the list of ingredients in my favourite shades.... There was no way I was going to kiss my daughter with this dirty mouth so I immediately began searching for natural red lipsticks. I started out trying plain old beets...I had heard that beets would turn your lips red but that experiment turned everything red BUT my lips...I came across Ilia at The Detox Market and my life was changed.  This is by far the best lipstick I have ever owned.

The lo down: Ilia lip conditioner is the best lipstick I've EVER tried and the fact that it's all natural is pretty much the best thing ever. It's build-able colour so you can go for a more natural tint or a bold hue depending on how much you put on...It's long lasting and very moisturizing plus it wears off really nicely. I always hated getting the lip liner look as my lipstick wore off but this stuff just fades away...Another wicked thing about this stuff is that you can use it as a cream blush too.  I use it everyday on my face and on my lips. My colour,pictured above, is Crimson and Clover. It's 29 bucks (a recent increase, ugh)but it lasts me the better part of a year so I say it's worth it...at least until Eloise starts day care, then I may have to resort to the beets. :)

Where to find it: In person or online at The Detox Market located on King St. West Toronto or freshfaced.ca

p.s Fresh Faced also sell samples so if you can't get to The Detox Market you can buy samples online to try out all the shades. Not really worth it if that's all you're buying just because of shipping...but a good option since buying lipstick online is a risky business.

Anyhoo, thanks for reading! Hope you guys are enjoying these little testimonials...let me know how your quest for green is going!

Love Desiree


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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Green Beauty: Pick of the Week

Hello lovelies...I'm starting a new feature to help us all on our quest to find green alternatives to harmful cosmetics. I started this a while ago but then I got pregnant and lost all motivation.You may remember this post from last year when I trashed every dirty cosmetic I owned and since then I've tried A LOT of stuff. Some expensive stuff, some cheap stuff, and some DIY stuff. I'd like to share with you my findings...It can be a bit daunting and expensive to get rid of everything all at once so lets start slow.  My first pick is deodorant cos it's getting hot out there and just because you're going green doesn't mean you have to smell like a dirty hippie.
The lo down: My pits are sensitive folks. I tried some DIY stuff but I was finding it irritating so I decided to leave this one to the experts and after reading a helluva lot of great reviews I ordered Soapwalla. This stuff is the best natural deodorant I've ever tried. I went to the gym for an hour yesterday and I was pouring sweat...I definitely had some pit stains...but remarkably I didn't stink!It is much more money than your used to spending but I think 16 bucks is a small price to pay for the piece of mind that you aren't putting carcinogens in your armpits.

Where to find it: freshfaced.ca or The Detox Market on King St. in Toronto.

Thanks for stopping by! Next week we'll talk lipstick.... : )

Love Desiree





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Thursday, May 8, 2014

Inspire Me Thursday

Good morning lovelies...looks like a beauty of a day out there! I need a sunny day... It was with a heavy heart that I just moved Eloise out of her travel crib in our room and into her big crib in her room. : ( I wasn't ready for this kind of milestone, but my chubster already exceeds the weight limit! #bigbabyproblems : )

This week I am inspired by front doors...our front porch is in need of a serious makeover. Everything about it is all wrong. I think to start we need to paint the rock facade the previous owners covered the brick with (why??!) and then a pretty screen door would do the trick. Not exactly like the below pic...but you get the idea.
Botanical prints - I'm in the process of decorating our back room...my vision is conservatory meets sun room but that's a pretty unrealistic vision given that it's a crappy mud room in reality. I will continue trying much to James' delight.
Succulents are the shit. I grabbed a few at The Brockton Flower Shop and they've really cheered up my kitchen. Flowers are so fleeting...but succulents last a long while...hopefully.
Summer baby cloths! Half the fun of having a baby is dressing them up! I can't wait to show off Eloise's thunder thighs in some cute rompers!
Fresh vegetables! Hmmmm spring veggies are my favourite! Asparagus and peas are my jam right now. This salad will knock your socks off. I've been making variations of it for weeks now.
How about this gift wrap for mothers day... So pretty! Gotta bust out my flower pressing kit...lots of ideas brewing ova here.
This would be fun for Eloise's room...I have SO many fake flowers to use up! Just gotta find some paper letters. Craft stores I would imagine...
We found one of these chairs on the side of the road! The challenge is finding a place for it. I'm hoping the conservatory. :)
Hot.
My 8 year old self squealed when I saw this.

I hear my little one grunting so I best be going but thanks for reading and I'll talk to you soon...
Love Desiree


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