LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY | Our Ultimate Dad's Day Gift Guide

You're welcome ;)

Originally posted in The CLOSET

You've got to hand it to dads. I mean, enduring ballet recitals, waiting out endless bathroom takeovers and braving the long teenage years is enough to make even the most sane guy want to midlife crisis his way into a red Camaro. Dads are expected to keep things fun when moms like me get naggy. Do this. Do that. I mean do this, that way. Do that, but you're doing that all wrong. My husband can only take so much direction, at which point bedtime hits and he starts spontaneously hurling packs of candy at my daughter and doing bad-ass ninja taekwondo with my son. Must be some evolutionary response to eons of nagging wives. 

I was lucky to grow up with the best dad who, though he's sadly passed away, will always be with me. When I find myself taking life too seriously, I think of the look my dad would have given me and it always makes me laugh. When I find myself rushing through my day, I remember how my dad and I would spend hours staring at the clouds, magically willing them to evaporate away. When I get too stuck in a routine, I'll whisk my kids off to do something exciting because nobody taught me the value of adventure more than my spontaneous dad. He was also the first one to arrive in any crisis and the first person I'd call if I needed a cry. I now watch my husband with my kids and feel so lucky that they're growing up with a wonderful dad, too. He makes crepes on Sundays, he takes them on bike rides through the city, and makes bedtime stories way more exciting than any author could ever have imagined. Dads might not parent exactly like moms, but it turns out that's a very good thing.

Whether he's an athlete, a techie, a wannabe hipster or just a laid-back kinda bro, we've rounded up the top gifts to show him how much you appreciate every little thing. We love you, dads! 

SEE OUR DAD'S DAY GIFT GUIDE HERE...

The Fashion Girl's Guide to Mother's Day

via The Body Shop

Originally posted in The LOOK

You really can't go wrong when it comes to Mother's Day gifts. Now that I'm a mom, I understand this all too well. My kids could give me the cheesiest, tackiest thing ever and as long as they took the time to pick it out, I'd think it was the best present anyone's ever gotten. I've never been given a handmade card, an at-home 'pedicure' or a homemade breakfast from my kids that I didn't totally love.

But let's be honest here. I'm a fashion girl. And fashion people have a tendency to dream. We dream of the gifts we'd like to receive and of course, the things we plan on buying for ourselves if nobody else does. As a fashion blogger, I come across cute things every day and they continually accumulate in my head - at a certain point it becomes too much for even the most disciplined shopper to bear. 

And so I've put some of my most-wanted finds together into this Mother's Day Gift Guide. They're things I've seen on other people's Instagram accounts, pieces I can't wait to put on, and a few things I'm hoping my husband might get me this Mother's Day since my kids are still too young to shop. If not, no big deal - I'll take my hard-earned paycheque and eventually buy a few of these gifts for myself. After all, this Mother's Day, I'm really most excited about that handmade card. 

Whether she's the sporty type or simply loves to shop, these fashionable Mother's Day gifts will help her live her life beautifully. Happy (almost) Mother's Day! Oh, and if you've ever wondered how the Royals celebrate Mom's Day, don't miss the hilarious home video below...

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MOM LOVE | Our Mother's Day Gift Guide + #Win a Gorgeous Pandora Pendant

Miranda Kerr and her adorable son - via Vogue UK

Originally posted in The Fashion Scoop

I've always adored my mom. She was as loving, warm and supportive a mom as any daughter could ever hope to have. But I never really appreciated her until I became a mom myself. I just didn't get the sacrifice. I didn't understand all the times she made me clean my room. I didn't get why she wouldn't pack things like Twinkies and fruit roll-ups in my lunch like most of the other moms. Apples and carrots? A-GAIN?! And all of those piano lessons and pleases and thank-you's. Blech. 

Now I have two kids of my own. In fact, I just sent them off to school with sandwiches, carrots and quinoa raisin bars in their backpacks. They like them, I swear. And now, I totally get it. I get almost every little thing my mom did for us growing up, and how she felt when we didn't act the way she'd taught us to act. As a formerly laid-back person, I now take what my kids do to heart, but it's only because they take up so much of it. I might work in fashion but by far, my most important job in life is to do what I can to help my kids grow into happy, thoughtful, responsible people. And I consider myself a happy, thoughtful, (mostly) responsible adult now in large part because of my parents and all that they did for me. 

I've rounded up some lovely Mother's Day gifts - from pretty little tokens to sentimental sparklers, we've got loads of great ideas for you below. 

Now for the exciting part...

#CONTEST ALERT!

We're giving away this gorgeous Rose Silver Pendant with a Sterling Silver Chain from PANDORA (valued at $110) just in time for Mother's Day! 

SEE OUR GIFT GUIDE AND ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY HERE...

happy fri :) xx

The Little Things | Under-$30 Gifts

A scene from ELF. Classic.

Originally posted in The CLOSET

It's always the last little things that take the longest. The randoms. The extras. The add-ons. You know, those under-$30 things that take up all your time and quickly add up to you splashing an extra few shots of rum into your egg nog after the kids have finally nodded off. Hypothetically speaking.

Whether it's stocking stuffers yet to buy, add-on presents you forgot to purchase, or gifts for the random people who help you throughout the year that you just haven't gotten around to picking up, I've done up a list of the perfect under-$30 gifts. You can always do gift cards (word from my teacher friends is that GC's are the best), but it's always nice to have personal options to wrap up, too.

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Gifts that Empower | Far & Wide Collective

All photos via Far & Wide Collective

Gives and gets are doubly met thanks to Far & Wide Collective, a brilliant Canadian company founded by Hedvig Alexander. She lived in Afghanistan for 7 years working in international development, and after seeing the amazing creative talent of the women who lived there, decided to switch gears. Her dream? Create a sustainable business model to connect artisans and female entrepreneurs in developing countries with the international market, changing both invidividual lives and whole communities in the process.

One look at Far & Wide Collective's online marketplace and I was hooked. With beautiful handmade works by artisans from countries like India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mexico and Swaziland, every piece tells its own compelling story. From jewelry and accessories to truly unique home décor accents, the expertly curated site is both fashionable and philanthropic, so you can pick up beautiful gifts while empowering the talented artisans who make them.

A gift is so much better when there's a story to go along with it, don't you think? Read on for a few of my favourite finds on Far & Wide Collective right now, ready to pick up just in time for the hols. Love this!

Enjoy and happy Friday!

A woman at work at Zarif Design, which employs 50 Afghan women and men who, from their homes and one workshop in the old city of Kabul, revive traditional Afghan textiles.

Black Warrior Bracelet, $86.  Inspired by the traditional bracelets worn by the warriors, this glass beaded flexible cuff with recycled plastic boning is woven together with recycled thread in Tanzania.

Black Beaded Collar Necklace, $53. This necklace is made from rolled-up recycled magazines. Can you think of a more perfect gift for the fashion maven? Made by Quazi Designs in Swaziland. 

Lapis Star Bracelet, $50.  The Aayenda jewelry line is designed by Afghan students who are trained and mentored in jewelry-making and gem-cutting in India.

Hedvig Alexander, founder of Far & Wide Collective, at the opening of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.

A series of beautiful handwoven sisal baskets from Kenya. 

Gold Plate Aquamarine Studs, $120. Made in Afghanistan by artisan Shugufa Yousofzai.

Colourful Otomi pillows from Mexico. The designs on these pillows and blankets (not pictured) are said to be inspired by ancient wall paintings found in the nearby caves of Tenango de Doria, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. They provide an income, some independence and a sense of community to the female artisans who create them.

White Jamdani Kaftan, $195. Made by House of Wandering Silk, which partners with a cooperative of 1,400 women in India, bringing them an improved economic status, medical assistance and a sense of community.