A couple more deals

 I love to pass on good deals when I find them because let's face it, finding something you love AND saving money on it is the best!

Costco has these great hoodies from Tuff Athletics on for the most excellent price of $19.99 and they come in a ton of different colours. I bought two and I love them. I haven't really been able to wear them all that much yet because it's been too hot(contrary to what you are seeing in the background of these pics! A cloud came a long and blocked out the sun just as we went to take them) but I will be wearing them a lot come fall. I'm sure they will be long gone by then so I'm glad I found them now.

 I'm tall (5'9) and often have trouble getting shirts, sweaters etc that are long enough both in the torso and in the arms, but these ones are great. They are nicely fitted and as you can kind of see in the picture of my back they have thumb hole loops in the sleeves. 

They are very well made, come in many different colours and are only $19.99 so they get a big thumbs up from me. If you don't have a Costco membership find someone who does and check these bad boys out, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Aussie hair products are on sale right now at London Drugs, all products are only $2.99. I love the 3 Minute Miracle, this is a great product. You can almost feel your hair melt into super soft and smooth when you put it on. It has the classic Aussie grape smell (hello 90's!) but you can't really smell it once you have rinsed it out.

I also really like the Aussome Volume hairspray. It smells great and holds really well without looking flaky.

The Sprunch spray I got quite awhile ago and it's supposed to give you this nice beachy hair, but I just think it makes it feel crunchy and look unhealthy. This ones a pass for me.

And since I'm talking about deals, if you are in the area than you might want to check out Thrifty's to pick up some ice cream from Island Farms for $4.99 and Wal Mart for watermelon at only $3.97 for a whole one. Just as a side note I was having the worst luck finding good watermelon this year, it was either over ripe or pale pink and had no flavour. Wal Mart watermelon has been consistently good for me so that's where I have been buying them (plus they're stinkin' cheap!).

If you see any good deals on products you love please let me know and I will pass them on to this blog (or just take advantage of them myself ;) ).

Randoms and deals

We recently purchased some blinds from Home Depot so I had to share some pictures of the finished product. HD was having a big sale on blinds so it was the perfect time to cash in on something we really needed anyway. I won't show you pictures of every window but here is a small sample:

Our bedroom (above) is getting closer and closer to being completed, just need to do a bit of trim painting and get some artwork/photos up on the walls.

I am really happy with the blinds, the colour we ordered was chestnut and I think the dark colour really looks great with just about any paint colour. We also got the kind with the decorative fabric tapes rather than just having the string and I'm so glad we did, really finishes the look. If you can get in on an upcoming sale I would definitely recommend these ones, the brand is MaxxMar Window Fashions.

Now a couple little deals and such to share:

If you like to get hand soap from places like The Body Shop or Fruits and Passions than you will probably like this money saving hand soap that I think is just as good. It's Dial Naturals and it smells great and is on for a super deal at Wal Mart right now, only $1.77! I bought three. :) It's not normally really expensive, I can't remember the exact price but it was under $3. I have one in each upstairs bathroom and one by the kitchen sink.

This next share isn't on sale, it's more a product review. This Double Extend mascara from L'oreal has been out for awhile and I think I may even have used it at some point but after seeing it used (and raved about) on a make up tutorial I had to give it another try. One side is white and builds length on the lashes before you put on the regular black from the other side. This particular mascara makes tubes on your lashes and I like that for the fact that it doesn't seem to flake during the day, leaving you with raccoon eyes. It is easy to remove with soap and water, just hold your cloth over your lashes for a moment and then slide the tubes right off. Very easy. The colour I have is blackest black.

You may have heard me talk about BIC Bands before and they are having a second year anniversary sale. If you order two or more bands the shipping is free, just enter "2ND" in the coupon code section of your order to take advantage. The first 100 people to use the code also get a free limited edition "BIC Chick" band. These bands are great and are one of the few headbands I have used that really do stay put all day long. For me, most headbands slide off as soon as I put them on my head so I was happy to find these guys.

The wildlife in our backyard and an OOTD

 Considering we live only about 3-5min from just about everything we are really lucky to have such a private and secluded property. With that property comes a huge variety of wildlife which has been really fun to watch.

We almost never see deer and I'm actually really glad of that as the last place we lived was rotten with them and they are incredibly destructive to the plant life. I couldn't plant anything without it being eaten to the ground by the next morning. I found that out the hard way not long after we had moved there when I worked hard all day long putting in a beautiful rose garden only to have it destroyed in the night. There was very little they wouldn't eat so I pretty much just quit planting anything. Anyway, I digress.....

 This deer did show up in our backyard and Ella promptly named him Walter(where does this girl come up with her names?), but we haven't seen him since.

We also have a beautiful pair of Northern Goshawks living in our backyard, and according to the people we bought the place from they come back to nest year after year. Having them around keeps the birds from eating the cherries off of the cherry tree(score!) so we have had loads of cherries to eat lately.

You can hear their baby screaming to be fed in the mornings and we have seen them a couple of times flying low across the ground after a rabbit. The rabbit has just narrowly escaped both times and they hop around on the ground where he disappeared hoping he will come back out again but nothin' doin'!

There are also a couple of garter snakes living in our rock landscaping. One is a great big fat brown one(who I don't have a picture of) and then this one that isn't as hefty. 

Ella is nervous of them (I can sympathize!) and Marshall is oblivious to them(that honey badger don't care!).

The smaller one did leave behind it's skin(I suspect that's why I was able to take the above picture..still tired from shedding) and you have to check this out. Even the eyes shed...isn't that amazing??

So other than lots of birds and rabbits that pretty much covers our current wild animal population here. Always lots to see. 

Now time for outfit of the day(OOTD). I had a fun day on Sunday lunching and shopping with my Mom and two of my sisters as a bit of birthday fun for my Mom. I was fairly well behaved overall, which is hard when you like to shop. This top was one of my purchases:

Top: Suzy Shier 

Shorts: Winners - one5one

Flip flips: George from Wal Mart

Bracelet: Hello Berry

Not sure what's up with the exposure in these pics but I look super pale. I swear I have gotten quite a bit of colour with the sun we have been having and the last two or three days of overcast weather hasn't faded my tan that fast!

And a quick pic of Ella and I. :)

Ella's dress is from Old Navy.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Dinosaur exhibit at the Royal BC Museum

 This is a little late being posted but boy did we have fun checking out the Dinosaurs at the  Royal BC Museum. We usually check out most special exhibitions when we can as the museum always does such a good job and there is lots to see. It's harder to do with little kids because you don't get to read every little write up but you do get the main gist of each exhibit and the kids love it.

This big guy was at the front entrance and there were lots of tourists taking pictures around him.

The front entrance where you can see some people taking pictures of their friends under the dinosaur.

The T Rex skeleton. This was really big and most impressive.

This skeleton looks like his neck just ends but the head is actually just looking directly at me. There were lots of people around this one taking pictures so it was hard to get a pic without anyone in it.

And one of my favourites, this guy has been at the museum for as long as I can remember. They have a gentle breeze blowing on him so his hair moves slightly and there is a recording playing in the background so it sounds like he is making noise.

We didn't go into the rest of the museum as the hour we spent looking at dinos was enough for Marshall and it was time to go. We ended our Victoria trip by going for a walk along Dallas rd which is a lovely long walking path beside the ocean. It was a glorious day and the ocean smelled wonderful. Then it was a quick trip to Tim Hortons for coffee(me) and timbits(kids) before going home.

I definitely recommend you check out the exhibit if you get a chance. Hope you had a great weekend, I have more posts to come soon!

I love summer

 Isn't summer just the best? The sun, heat, outdoor activities, fresh produce, BBQ's, beach time, day trips to all sorts of exciting places, I could seriously go on and on, I love this time of year. Clearly I'm a sun bunny and living on the "wet" coast sometimes takes it's toll, dampening the spirits as well as the ground. When summer finally rolls around I take full advantage and spend as much time outside as I can soaking up my daily dose of vitamin D.

I played a lot of badminton as a kid and it was always so much fun so it has been something we have been enjoying here in the evenings as Ella learns to play. She isn't quite ready for the net yet but she is definitely getting better.

Our cherry tree is in full production right now and this little haul that Ella is carrying came from just a couple of branches. I have to head out there tonight for a serious picking before they get over ripe.

This little garter snake who we have dubbed "Sneaky Snake" from the Tom T. Hall kids song lives in our rock landscaping and comes out regularly to sun himself. Ella is nervous about him (I can sympathize!) and Marshall is oblivious.

Who can resist that sweet little mug!

 Spending so much time outside has led to lots of yard work getting done and I am thrilled to be crossing things off my list left right and center. I moved 20 wheelbarrow loads of gravel yesterday(the day had been overcast but the sun finally made an appearance just as I started - Murphy's Law right??) so that required an Advil along with my morning cup of tea, but the gravel pile is half the size now.

We are just finishing up breakfast here and then we are off to Victoria to check out the Dinosaur exhibit at the BC Museum. Pics and blog post to come!

Green thumb?

Apparently I decided yesterday that I have a green thumb...time will tell......

I have always wanted an orchid. I think they are so beautiful and as long as they are happy they just keep blooming. The trick is keeping them happy which I have heard can be hard to do...hopefully I am up to the challenge. The instructions that came with the plant include how to water it which is to put three ice cubes on the moss in the pot approx every two weeks. The strangest watering instructions I have heard but if that's the key to orchid success I will be following them. Isn't it lovely?

There are some great sales going on in the garden centre of Canadian Tire right now so if you get a chance to stop by hopefully you will have the same luck that I did. These great big hanging baskets are on sale for $14. I have been looking for hanging baskets for awhile and everywhere I could find them they looked pretty dismal..all shriveled up and dying. These ones have been well taken care of and still have lots of life in them. I ended up getting three to line my deck.

   

There were also hanging baskets of cherry tomatoes that were loaded with tomatoes, they were on sale for $12 so we will be having lots of these little gems in our salads.

I got a ton of work done this weekend, but still had a little time to play too. ;) How about you?

A couple songs for you:

Flo Rida ft. RedFoo - Run - I love Flo Rida for exercising

.It's Time By: Imagine Dragons - very catchy

And one last thing, I can't remember if I have ever mentioned Burning Love on this blog before but it's a spoof that Ben Stiller has created about shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. It is REALLY funny. They just aired the final episode so you can watch it right through. Each episode is about 10min. Enjoy!

Burning Love

Quick OOTD

Hi folks! Just a quick update with an OOTD. I wish the pics were just a little bit sharper but that is a risk you take when your photographer is five years old. I have to continually tell her to stop taking pictures. I think she likes the sound of the repeated click click click of the camera. Makes me feel like I'm being chased by the paparazzi (yeah right...).

Both tops: Old Navy. The plaid on top was $24.99 and the white t underneath was $8. Both still available.

Shorts: Winners, the brand is Seven

Flip flops: Old Navy from a few years ago

Sunglasses: Nine West

Necklace: Old from an eBay store

Bracelets: EllaMarsh EllaMarsh on Etsy

Ella took a picture of me as I was putting away the bench she stands on to take pictures...lol.

Did you get a chance to take advantage of Starbucks free Refresher drink today? It's a new drink they are rolling out and they were handing them out free between 12 and 3pm. I had the lime/mint flavoured one. It was really good, kind of tasted like a virgin mojito, and as promised...very refreshing on a day like today.

 

So tonight's dinner is going to be bad, I already know it...smokies on the BBQ, potato salad(new potato, not the heavy mayo kind), corn on the cob, greek salad and a few chips. So not bad tasting, just bad for any kind of weight loss program. I'll enjoy every bite on this Fun Friday. You have to indulge sometimes. I may even have a cocktail. I love summer. :)

Have a good one!

Outfit of the day and a couple of great sale items

I've gotten a bit of feedback about the outfit of the day idea and you tell me you like it so here is attempt number two. :)

This is a fun, easy and colourful summer style. Maxi dresses are breezy and light and a good way to beat the heat.

Cardigan: Winners, I wore it in the last OOTD, the brand is Say What?

Maxi dress: Winners again, I just got this one and it was only $19.99, brand is She's Cool.

Wedges: B-O-C

Necklace: Everything Luxury, an eBay store

Bracelets: EllaMarsh and Walmart

Thumb ring: it's old, not sure where I got it

I also tried a Pinterest inspired hairstyle today. It was very easy, just tie a low ponytail, pull the pony through itself once and then roll it almost like it's going to go through a second time. Fasten with some bobby pins and add a few flower pins. Easy, cute and super summery.

I have a couple products to mention that I found on great sales. This Dove dry shampoo is one of the best ones I have used, and I have gone through quite a few of them. A dry shampoo is a summer must, with the increased heat the scalp can get oily so fast. A dry shampoo isn't the same as fully washing your hair but it can definitely get you another day or two between washes. 

This particular dry shampoo is on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart right now for just $2! The scent is great too.

 I found this Maybelline Eyestudio make up palette on sale at London Drugs. Regularly $12, on sale for $7, a great deal and I love the colours.

The pigment is very good, especially the teal. I am wearing it for the first time today so have only had it on for a couple of hours but so far staying power is good with no creasing(I'm wearing a shadow primer under it).

Hopefully you get a chance to cash in on these great deals. In the meantime I leave you with this great summer song. It makes me smile every time I hear it. :)

Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen - Good Time

Mother/daughter fun

Being a girl is fun. :) The clothes, jewelry, make up and hair give you so many options to play and experiment with. Ella loves being a girl and loves shopping, having her nails polished, wearing her jewelry and having her hair done (make up has to wait, although I do allow her to play with lip gloss). Yesterday we made a trip into Shawnigan Lake for Ella's second ever professional hair cut. Her hair was slow to come in as a baby so I performed a few "cuts"(more like wisp removal) at home until she went for her first salon visit at age three. She hasn't been for another visit since then as we have just been letting it grow. Part of the fun of having a hair cut is the whole salon experience(I love it too!) so she was very excited to go.

 Lucy, owner and stylist extraordinaire of Thrixx Salon  has been doing my hair for years and was wonderful with Ella, chatting with her and asking her what she would like done. This was about Ella and what she wanted to do. After tidying up the ends and taking just a bit of length off Ella picked her favourite colour tinsel to be fastened into her hair(so fun) and finished the visit with a lollipop.

We finished our girly evening with an after dinner ice cream run. I really love being able to share these experiences with Ella. My baby girl. I sure love her.

I did some work on the blog last night (actually at 4am because that is when Marshall decided it might be a good time to greet the dawn and then didn't want to go back to bed until 6am) and I have managed to change the comments section so that anyone can comment now, not just people with Google accounts. I had been getting some feedback about that but it's changed now and I also added the option to follow this blog(you can see it on the right hand side about half way down) with Google friends connect. I think you have to have a Google account for that but it's a nice way to follow along. There is also the email option(top right hand corner) too.

Off to enjoy the sun!