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Entries in Made in Canada (20)

Wednesday
Jul082020

100 NIGHTS WITH ENDY | My Real Review

How we feel every time we go to sleep on our Endy mattresses. 

Before kids and pets, I always had this feeling: I’m pretty sure it was called ‘well-rested’.  It’s tough to recall - kinda like trying to remember the feeling of hugging people you just met or sharing popcorn at the movies. But I know it was there and I know it was real. I remember yawning in the morning; that smug, satisfied kind where you yawn and then your mouth slowly stretches out into a smile before you either fall back into bed or casually plan a long, impromptu brunch with friends. Since our babies turned into kids and now tweens, there’s been loads of yawning for sure, but it’s the frustrated kind, followed by some twitching and then a few dozen jugs of coffee and then a bunch of sighing throughout the day. But well-rested? Let’s just say it’s been a minute.

We got our last mattress when we moved into our first apartment 15 years ago. I remember going to the mattress store and feeling so grown-up as we inquired about things like ‘pillow top’ and ‘pocket coils’; this one had both, so we were sold. And I’m not gonna lie: I loved that mattress. But as the years went by, it slowly morphed from a young, springy thing into a tired burrito (for the record, I remain a young, springy thing). I’d start on my side but somewhere around 3 am, I’d end up log-rolling into a well-worn dip in the bed, mouth wide open, pressed directly against my perpetually sleep-deprived husband. I’m a cuddler so this was not really a huge problem for me. While I can sleep through just about anything, James has a few issues that make sleeping extra tough: stomach problems (sensitive), inability to turn his mind off (highly intelligent), back pain (captain of his highschool football team). Age - both our mattresses and his... err, I mean ours -   meant we needed a new mattress. But change is scary. Especially when it comes to something as important as sleep. Were we ready to give up this piece of our shared history to give something else a go? I think you know where this is headed…

 

I’d heard all about Endy and SO many friends of mine had raved about their experience, so when the opportunity to partner with them came up, it just felt right. I did a bunch of research and loved that Endy mattresses are made and manufactured in Canada, plus their comfort and support sounded like just the thing we needed. I like my mattresses on the soft side and James prefers a firm mattress and everyone I asked said that Endy was the perfect balance of both. Unlike memory foam mattresses that sink in the summer and feel hard as a rock in the winter, Endy foam is temperature insensitive so it maintains a consistent feel through every Canadian season. They’re also CertiPur-US Certified AND the only mattress brand in Canada to be GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meaning they meet the most stringent health and environmental standards. Plus, Endy mattresses are bomb at minimizing motion transfer which I knew James would love since I move around a lot and stay up too late watching The Bachelor and other intellectual programming, always (always) waking him up when I trip over something and gracefully crash into bed. Research done, I told Endy we were ready to do this. Just a week before COVID hit, we thanked our old mattresses for the memories, donated them to a local thrift store and waited for our delivery.

Our Endy mattresses arrived on our doorstep that afternoon in some impossibly small boxes. Like, how?? They sent a king-sized mattress for us, a double mattress for our 11 year-old daughter  (who had an even older mattress from James’ university days), plus 4 brand new Endy pillows. James had to go to work that day and I’m impatient, so the kids helped me carry the boxes upstairs and we did the unboxing. It was so easy and honestly so much fun. You cut off the plastic with a little tool that comes in the box, and the mattresses just sort of unroll themselves.

Now the real test: would the mattresses live up to all the hype? 

For the first week, Imma be honest. I was worried. James instantly fell in love with the firmness of the mattress but like I said, I prefer a softer feel and missed that sinking feeling of our old mattress. Now it was my turn to wake up in the middle of the night and look over at James blissfully snoozing away while I stressed about COVID and insomnia. With Chlo’ in her new room and her new bed, she was in heaven, too.

I talked to some friends and they gave me that knowing look and told me “just wait” and “you’ll see.” And sure enough, within a few days I was already over our old mattress. Unlike memory foam that makes you feel trapped, our Endy mattresses give just the perfect amount for our bodies, making them cushy and comfy like you get at a really nice hotel, while still providing just the right amount of support. That ‘perfect firmness’ claim is on point. And it just kept getting better. By month two, James had stopped complaining about his back and shoulder pain and we were both constantly saying, “I l-o-o-o-ve our mattress.” Our new dog, Ollie, constantly sneaks upstairs for naps on our bed (the Endy pillows are his fave). And not sure whether this is a pre-teen thing or if I have the mattress to thank, but 100 days in, Chlo’ is now sleeping in on the regular.

Now that elusive “well-rested” feeling - something I never thought I’d experience again - is finally coming back. And we can sleep extra easy knowing we’re supporting a great Canadian company. Endy works with dozens of charity partners to donate new and gently-used mattresses to families and individuals in need, including new refugees to Canada, women and children exiting the shelter system, and youth transitioning out of homelessness. They’ve donated over 5,000 mattresses - if you stacked them up, that’s 2 times taller than the CN Tower. So good.

Looking for an amazing sleep? With the Endy sale on now until July 13th, now is the perfect time to invest in yourself. Head to https://glnk.io/ykyj/realliferunway to save 10% off your entire Endy order. Check out endy.com for more info. And yes, the pillows and duvet are 100% worth it, too. You're welcome ;) 

 

Thursday
Aug252016

SAVING IN STYLE | My Made in Canada Mission at Le Château Outlet

I'm not gonna lie. When Le Château asked me to go on a shopping trip at their Le Château Outlet store, I wasn't sure what I'd find. As anyone who reads my blog knows, I am no label snob. But I wondered, if it weren't for my blogger job, would I normally ever shop at a Le Château Outlet? With so many of our stores falling to US retailers, I'm all about supporting Canadian brands. And Le Château's Made in Canada collection has made me a fan, so why not try the outlet? Challenge accepted.

Armed with a gift card and a mission to spend it, I head to my local Le Château Outlet. Just like Le Château stores, I find the hunt is always worth the effort. I bypass the prom dress section and head straight for the shoes, honing in on a gorgeous pair of Made in Italy leather sandals for $99.99 and genuine Spanish-made gold espadrilles for $49.99. I always get distracted by the shoes. My basic tees are in rough shape so I'm stoked to find perfectly drapey grey, black and white Made in Canada tees, all super soft and beautifully constructed. Yes to all 3, please. I add a fun knit polka-dot dress, a two-tone jumpsuit and some gorgeous checked pants (all made in Canada) to my fitting room stash.  I'm super impressed by the quality and fit, and end up walking out with the tees, the jumpsuit and the checked pants (which I loooove). While I definitely had to do a little hunting, it was totally worth it for these Made in Canada pieces. Um, and maybe 1 pair of Made in Italy shoes. Sorry not sorry :) 

Want to check out Le Château Outlet for yourself? Shop 24/7 online here or check out Canadian Outlet locations here, then be sure to share your scores using #SavinginStyle #LeChateauOutlet. 

Made in Italy heels for $89.99 plus some sweet summer sandals for $19.99

Love this shimmery silver clutch.

That perfect drapey tee every woman needs, only made in Canada.

 

A Made in Canada dotted dress. 

Mwah. Love this. 

A statement silver choker makes the cut

Checked pants: check. 


Wednesday
May062015

BLANK SPACE | My Dream Closet Makeover Reveal with Home Depot

I'm sure that if you were to ask my friends and family about me, they would all agree on one thing: I'm disorganized. Oh sure, I can fake it with the best of them - frenzied 11th hour clean-ups before book club, last-minute car clear-outs before picking up friends, and of course those sneaky dinner party distractions (think low lighting, flowers and chilled out tunes to  distract from the clutter), all of which I've perfected throughout the years. But open a closet and you're bound to either get smothered by a massive pile of unfolded laundry or get knocked out by an errant stiletto to the head. To compound the problem further, I'm a fashion blogger - a profession where we're often paid in clothing and gift cards, so let's just say I've got a lot of stuff. Plus, we recently downsized from a big country house with loads of storage room to a 1940's house in the city that's high on charm but seriously low on closet space. Tragic.

I try my best to tame my overstuffed drawers and my OOC accessory collection but I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not one of those hyper-organized people I envy so much. I'm just not. And while I applaud the woman who can cut her wardrobe down to 15 Easy Pieces, I simply have no desire to limit myself like that. I'm a fashion girl - I like having options.

So, I was stuck with this...(I won't even show you what's behind door #2)

and this...

and accessories stuffed into bags and baskets like this...

We've been renovating our house since we moved in and were in the middle of renovating our ensuite. There was an unheated crawl space off our ensuite/above the garage (you can see a bit of it in the pic below to the right of the shower) which we decided to finish with insulation, heated floors, hardwood and paint. The room was definitely awkward but the potential for a great walk-in was there somewhere. 

We were just debating what to do the space and our ever-shrinking budget when Home Depot emailed. They asked if I'd be interested in working with them on a closet makeover for my blog. Um, yes?! The timing could seriously not have been better. My heaving closets all gasped at the possibility. Like that Kelly Clarkson song 'Moment Like This' back when American Idol was awesome, I'd been waiting for this day my entire adult life. The possibility of getting the closet of my dreams was finally within my grasp. But would they be up for the challenge?

My husband James was away, so I headed to the Kitchener Home Depot with my mom for my first visit (always good to enlist the help of a stylish wingwoman in cases like this) and met with Patsy in the Closet Organizing department. We showed her pics of the space and then went to work to find the perfect closet system. We settled on the Martha Stewart Living Collection but after a few meetings, realized we had a square peg/round hole situation with our unique space. We wandered over to the Kitchen department and decided almost instantly that custom was the way to go. Visions of a dreamy modern white lacquer walk-in entered my head and never left. I knew that custom cabinets would be more expensive than going for pre-fab but decided it would be well worth the investment to get exactly what I wanted.

Patsy passed our file over to Scott in the Kitchen department and he got right to work. I told him about our many challenges - from a limited budget to the sloped ceilings, staircase and bulky floor-heater and he handled each hurdle like a pro. Scott worked with us over the course of a few meetings until he came up with a design that was just right.

Scott and Patsy (aka. Closet Dream Team)

Once the drawings were done, we had someone from Home Depot come out to take measurements. We learned our lesson the hard way in our old house and knew that having a pro measure was totally (I mean, totally) worth it.  The Expressive line by Fabritec is custom-made in Québec (bonus) so now all we had to do was wait. Six weeks later, our cabinetry arrived and was installed exactly like the pics! Since our floors and walls were uneven, we decided to have the cabinets float a few inches off the ground. Love this look!

Now for the fun part. Here's how our closet looks now! Read on for a few tips that I now rely on to keep my things organized. See? With the right closet design and some smart storage solutions, even someone as tragically disorganized as I am can experience closet bliss... 

The view from our ensuite into our new walk-in.

We already have some hanging space in our bedroom but still wanted a little extra hanging room in our new closet. James installed these hanging bars himself - a super inexpensive alternative to having them built into the design. Colour coding and wooden hangers make everything look more luxe.

Found this great rattan and glass serving tray at HomeSense and love how it adds warmth to all the cool white lacquer. 

My in-laws have a country property filled with deer who shed their antlers . Every time they find an antler, they (my in-laws, not the deer) give it to us. I love how well this tiny one works as a ring holder.

Our steep sloped ceilings meant lots of low cabinetry. I'll use these oversized pull-out drawers to hold my casual pants, jeans and tees.

A disco ball and silver ankle boots. Just because. 

I might use some of these open shelves for sweaters later on but for now, my hardworking heels deserve some time in the limelight. 

Kate Moss 4-eva. If you have room in your closet for a chic black-and-white pic, it's a dream closet must. I ripped this pic out of an old issue of W Magazine and threw it into an Ikea frame. BTW, the gold sea urchin attacks would-be home invaders from trying to swipe my jewelry. Consider that a warning...

A lucite necklace holder from Umbra is perfect for hanging some of my longer necklaces. 

Happy feet. 

My favourite Ela clutch. 

The corner cabinetry is perfect for holding more shoes, clutches and some pretty boxes. 

No dream closet is complete without fresh flowers. Just picked up this round glass vase from Homesense yesterday for $6.99. My kids are so going to smash it despite a gentle lecture last night on staying out of mommy and daddy's closet. Sigh...

Pinterest is amazing but every editor needs some hardcopy inspiration, too...

A narrow top drawer and a divided clear tray is perfect for holding rings and earrings, plus stylist essentials like double-sided tape, lint brushes and jewellery boxes. 

I have this thing for glasses. Now it's time to find Fonzie. He thinks he's camouflaged...

Now onto James' side. Yes, he gets half, although you might notice that a few of my things have crept over onto his side, but I only did it to add colour. Or at least this is how I justify it. 

James owns fewer shoes, but more shirts. Luckily, this closet easily accomodates both. Again, colour coding is key.

Sweater stacks. 

Okay, so I have a lot of belts. Olivia Palermo made me do it.  

I'm in love with this guy. He adds a nice masculine touch to the space. I think I'll call him Busta Rhymes.

No more random bags and boxes stuffed with accessories - I used this great Ikea basket to make it easy to see all of our scarves from now on.  

A few bamboo trays make the perfect tie holders in a narrow top drawer. A clear acrylic tray keeps his cufflinks and tie clips organized - look in the bathroom section at Homesense or Solutions for some great options. 

Black and white books, just because.

Another antler turned watch-holder. Love the way his HBC watch looks against the grain. Um, how Canadian is this?!

 

A huge thanks to Home Depot for making my dream closet a reality! The best part? My once over-stuffed drawers are now half full - and I'm optimistic I'll be able to keep them that way. Closet reno in your future? Be sure to visit Home Depot before you start. Can't wait to hear what you think of our new closet so please leave your comments below! Okay, time to go back to my walk-in. Think this closet makeover calls for glass of wine. Oooh, or maybe a wine fridge. Hmmm...I'm sure I can make room for that somewhere...

 

Tuesday
Apr212015

BENCH |  #LOVEMYHOOD

It's a running joke in my house that I have a Kinesiology degree. Why? Well, I ended up doing my post grad in fashion and am now a full-time fashion blogger. While I exercised regularly my whole life, having kids changed all that and now, cute gym gear has become more important to me than the act of working out itself. I've gotten in the habit of laughing off my laziness but as I get older, turns out I just can't get away with skipping the gym anymore. My sedentary state has produced undefined arms, less than rock-hard abs, and a sitting-is-the-new-smoking phobia since most of my work is done from the cushy confines of my couch. 

When Bench asked me to work with them, I jumped at the chance (literally, see above). I'd already decided I wanted to recommit to an active lifestyle and so, the partnership seemed like the perfect kickstart. I didn't own a single Bench piece so couldn't wait to see what the buzz was about. I headed to my closest Bench store and tried on everything in sight, leaving with a perfect pair of leggings, gorgeous green and white tanks, and a black cinch-waist spring jacket. I'm not big on overt logos so had mentally written off Bench as 'not my thing' in the past, but was happy to discover the store is stocked with loads of subtly branded pieces. 

It's been a few weeks and I can honestly say that I LIVE in my marled made-in-Canada Baddah leggings (the BEST, seriously - ask anyone) and am super impressed by the quality of everything I picked up at Bench. I've figured out that hardcore workouts just don't work for my busy lifestyle right now. And so, I simply try to fit in activity whenever I can. I play tag at the park with my kids, do ModelFit videos in my living room after they go to bed, and have even managed to squeeze in some treadmill time at the gym. Do I look like Gigi Hadid yet? Not even close. But my new workout gear helps me look good while I try to get there.

Thanks for getting this girl in fighting form, Bench. And seriously, I really #LoveMyHood.

 

My Bench spring picks. 

Let's just call this the 'before'. 

My favourite pair of leggings EVER. No joke. 

Serious selfie before I attempt to run. Please don't pass out. Please don't pass out...

Yup, still got it. 

Downward dog.

Think Fonzie's form might be better than mine. #PlankOff

Friday
Jan162015

LABEL LOVE | FRAANKLIN

The Souvenir Toronto girls show off their FRAANKLIN scarves. Via FRAANKLIN on Instagram

Have you heard of FRAANKLIN yet? My stylish cousin just introduced me to the Toronto brand and I have to share the label love with you. FRAANKLIN scarves are total stunners. The team works with its designers in Germany and NY, then sources the finest materials from around the world - New Zealand wool, German blends and Inner Mongolian Cashmere. Scarves are then produced in-house under strict socially responsible standards. 

Aside from that, here's all you really need to know - no matter what material you choose (yes, even the acrylic ones), FRAANKLIN scarves are so cozy, so generous, so luxurious-feeling, they will ruin you for every other. I wore mine all week and have never enjoyed the winter weather quite so much. Whether you're gifting or simply want to treat yo-self, here are some of my top picks rocked beautifully by those in-the-know (I'm especially smitten with the reversible line - I'm convinced every cool girl needs at least one). 

Happy, happy Fri! 

via big.chantelle on Instagram

Grey Plaid Reverse Houndstooth, $85, FRAANKLIN

via 6 by Gee Beauty on Instagram

Hunter Green Reverse Plaid Herringbone, $85, FRAANKLIN

via dearlynnjewelry on Instagram

Contemporary Royal Plaid, $65, FRAANKLIN

Lauren Soper via FRAANKLIN on Instagram

Merlot Plaid Reverse Herringbone, $85, FRAANKLIN