GIVE A LITTLE BIT | My Fave Holiday Tradition at Vaughan Mills

Messages of love at the Vaughan Mills Love Lock Wall.

Right now is that precise time of year when the fashion on my mind is exclusively inspired by jammies. The week leading up to Christmas, for me at least, involves a steady fashion menu of Roots joggers, cozy rompers, oversized sweaters and maybe the odd puffer for those last-minute panicked trips to the mall. Sure, I'll bust out the sequins and velvet and all of that festive hawtness starting Christmas Eve but right here, right now, I'm just down for anything that I don't mind spilling hot chocolate on. You feel me? Fashion, I'm afraid, is the furthest thing from my mind as I watch Home Alone (1 & 2, not 3 - ugh), pop advent chocolate and test-drive red wine. So when Vaughan Mills asked me to come back to celebrate the launch of their Love Lock Wall - this time as a blogger - I knew this was going to be the perfect first post back, since this event has come to mean so much to me. 

Our first time at Santa's Tiny Big Town in 2015, when they were still so little (sniff)...

For the last 4 years, my kids and I have gone to Vaughan Mills for what's become one of our absolute fave holiday traditions. We shop (of course), we eat (obvs), but then, we head straight to the Event Court to give a little bit. It's SO easy for kids to get caught up in the 'getting' this time of year, the 'giving' part sometimes gets a little lost. This trip always flips the switch and somehow makes us all care a lot less about gifts and a lot more about what actually matters: presents. My daughter just read that and was like, 'omg, mooooomm!' 

The amazing team at Vaughan Mills has made it their mission to give back in the most epic way to SickKids Foundation. As an official Catalyst Sponsor, Vaughan Mills has already raised over $600,000 (seriously) in only 4 years for this amazing cause, with an ambitious $1 million goal; all through Santa photo packages at Santa's Tiny Big Town and its Love Lock Wall experience.

C & I locking in our love at the Vaughan Mills Love Lock Wall.

That's me, trying to act natural. 

We arrive at Vaughan Mills and get right in line to get photos with Santa (which I can't stop, won't stop doing until they're in highschool - they'll thank me later). Santa's Tiny Big Town is stunning, Santa is the real deal, and unlike so many other places, you get your own private family moment with the big guy. The best part? 100% (!) of the proceeds from the photo packages goes directly to SickKids. Right beside Santa's Tiny Big Town is the Love Lock Wall, where you purchase a lock, dedicate it to someone you love with your own special message, and lock it on the wall. There's something about the act of dedicating the lock that always makes my kids quiet (this is a big feat) and thoughtful and truly, I think, helps them remember just how lucky they are. You can purchase 1 lock for $15 or 2 for $25 and with each lock purchased, you get to take home a beautiful 'keypsake' necklace to gift or to keep (um, yup, best teacher gifts EVER). Once again (you guessed it) a full 100% of the proceeds goes to SickKids. We lock on our locks, choose our necklaces (a moon and a star for their fave teachers) and then sit down for a concert by Shawn Hook (looove) who's come to celebrate the launch at Vaughan Mills. Scroll down to the video diary below to see how it all went down.

Want to give back this holiday season and share an amazing experience with your fam? Be sure to head to Vaughan Mills to visit Santa's Tiny Big Town and the Love Lock Wall. Oh, and while you're there, be sure to snap a pic of you locking in your love and share it with the hashtag #VMGives. After visiting SickKids hospital and getting to meet some of the families whose lives have been impacted by this amazing place, including kids who can't come home for the holidays at all (ugh I know), I really cannot think of a better cause than this. xx

 

C & A at the Love Lock Wall & Santa's Tiny Big Town in 2016. 

GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK | Why You Should Shop for GEN1 This Holiday Season

It might be what's inside that counts but when it comes to gift giving this year, might be time to reconsider the outside, too. The new Canadian Women's Foundation Shop for GEN1 collection features party supplies and gifting-made-chic finds that give back in a big way.

Before you go ahead and pick up just any random wrap, consider this: 100% of the net profits from the line are invested in emergency shelters, programs that help women rebuild their lives from abuse and prevention program designed to teach young people how to put an end to violence - for good. The Foundation's aim? Help build the first generation of women in Canada to experience true gender equality and live without the fear of violence. And you thought it was all just pretty packaging. 

Find the Shop for GEN1 line at WINNERS and HomeSense stores now, perfect for adding meaning to any gift or gathering this holiday season. 

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.