I hate making regular, run of the mill posts after horrible shit has happened in the world. It seems so tasteless, so I want it to be known that I was/am just as shocked, saddened, angry, and devastated at what happened Saturday night in London as everyone else. I can’t accept that this is our new normal. It’s so messed up.
I caught a summer cold from my kid. They really are little germ machines and I can’t believe I am sick again. On Saturday we had another successful thrifting day. In Value Village we found an Ikea Ektorp ottoman with built-in storage for $12. The cover on it was beige and really dirty but it completely removable, so we went to Ikea and picked up a new cover in grey (the darker the better here) and now it looks like new. While the cover was 3x as much as the footstool cost us we ended up getting the ottoman for less that 1/3 of what a new one would have cost and we wanted one anyway. (For some reason the Ikea links aren’t working on mobile.)
Tom has the tendency to steal my stories or ideas and then relay them back to me like they are his or he heard them elsewhere :/ Weeks ago I told him that I wanted to get rid of our kitchen table and get a drop-leaf style from to save on space. I showed him the picture of the one I wanted. When we were at Ikea on Saturday he showed me the table that I had previously showed him and proceeded to tell me how perfect it would be for the condo. I was like, “seriously?” At least he agrees with me right? 😉
Roo ended up getting a new duvet cover for her bed. I’m not sure why she liked this one, maybe it’s the vampire guy or the little cat with steam punk goggles. Whatever the reason she thought it was great. There were some really cute new textiles right now for both kids and adults, with great prices. We couldn’t get Merle’s yellow shelf yet even though I tried, because there was no room in the suv due to Tom’s work crap being in the back of it. It’s a good excuse to go back because we kind of rushed through, and it would be nice to spend a few leisurely hours there in a less busy time of day. I hate being herded along with the crowds like sheep.
I’ve probably mentioned how Merle can’t talk quietly. When we were at Value Village they had a huge chalk-like drawing on the wall of a family holding hands and walking in the sun (family being mom, dad, daughter, son, and dog) and for some reason this pissed her off. She decided she would say really loudly (but her normal voice), “not every family has a son you know!…….Or a dog!…….And not every day is sunny!” Then she walked off in a huff. She gets the drama from Tom.
*On Instagram I told the story of this vintage Poison t-shirt (up in the 4th photo) which was given to me from a former employee. Back in 2004 I was pregnant with my first and going through a rough emotional time. He knew that I loved vintage band tees and brought me this one to cheer me up. It really meant a lot to me then and still does now.
I’m pushing this one close to the wire since the trip takes place the first week of June but better late than never right? Right? 😉 Hawaii is one of those destinations where people imagine themselves running off and living forever. I’ve never been but I know people that have, and they all seem to share that same sentiment.
The request is for 1 week in Hawaii with a side trip to Chicago for a work convention, and both need to be able to be packed within a carry-on. The clothes for this trip are summer clothes so there should be no issues fitting everything you need in to one bag when packed well (ahem, roll everything). In the main list I am including the Hawaii pieces and at the bottom I will show a couple of pieces that you can add to mix with the Hawaii wardrobe to have some work clothes. The two pieces I chose to include are a pencil skirt and a white button down. These pieces combined with several of the pieces in the list should give you enough outfit options for the work portion of the trip (except maybe shoes, see my shoe explanation below). I did a separate work clothes section to the “what to wear” outfit portion at the bottom of the post.
Hawaii is quite casual in general so shorts, sandals, tanks/t-shirts, and summery dresses are the norm, as is just wearing your swimsuit with a coverup. The swimsuit I included is actually reversible so it is like having two in one. One side bold coloured print, and the other side is black. I love a piece that gives you multiple looks from it, like scarves which can be used as sarongs, wraps, or shawls. It can lighten your packing list immensely.
June is considered one of the peak holiday months for Hawaii with nice, sunny weather (usually) with day time highs of 28°C on average. It can be windy and the evenings can cool down so a sweater or light jacket is important. I originally included a jean jacket as the light jacket option, but I swapped it out for a blazer so that it can be used for the work convention too. Putting a blazer over an outfit looks instantly more polished and put together.
I’m dancing about over the footwear decision because it is never necessary to bring more than 3 pairs. But due to the work convention I was contemplating adding a ballet flat but it would depend on what level of dressy the work part requires (like high heels). So right now I will stick with what I chose and use your discretion of what you would think is the most suitable choice.
Remember that your travel outfits are also included in these pieces so layer well to cut back on the amount you are packing. I included the jeans for the travel outfit option mostly, since they probably won’t be worn very much on the island unless there are some cooler days/evenings. But since I am a big jean wearer, I would just cuff them and wear them with some slides and a t-shirt, tank, or tunic top.
I’ve put together outfits options for the Hawaii trip and work portion in two separate collages located below.
I hope your trip is great and good luck at the convention!
10 years ago I was diagnosed with eczema and no matter what I tried I could not get it under control. My husband would bring home different products on a daily basis trying to find something that would do the trick. One day he brought a bagful of Aveeno products that the pharmacist recommended to him and they worked. Within a few hours I had a noticeable improvement, much relief, and I still use them to this day. I’m certain it is the Colloidal Oatmeal that helped me because it is known to alleviate symptoms of psoriasis, eczema and irritations, and oats are Aveeno’s thing. When my youngest was born she seemed to inherit my sensitive skin, suffering from eczema on her legs. We started using Aveeno products on her as well, thankfully with the same positive results.
When Aveeno Canada asked me if I wanted to try a few of their new body care products and see how I incorporated them in to my self-care regime I obviously said yes. The products are the Daily Moisturizing Body Yogurts & Washes, and they come in two scents; Vanilla & Oat, and Apricot & Honey. I really enjoy both scents, they are both subtle and natural without being overwhelming.
This line is formulated with Active Naturals Oatmeal and enriched with the nutrients found in Greek yogurt, this unique formula revitalizes and instantly saturates dry skin while leaving it feeling moisturized. It provides an indulgent experience that is good for skin, as well as the senses, to treat yourself at home, every day.
I was aware of how the oats worked in their products but I was curious about the yogurt so I looked it up. Yogurt has lactic acid in it. Lactic acid dissolves the glue that holds skin cells together so that they can slough off easier. This then reveals the skin underneath which is smoother, and healthier looking. I found this super interesting as I like to eat Greek yogurt, I just wanted sure how I would feel about rubbing it in to my skin.
I don’t get a lot of time for pampering myself. What I do get is crammed in to my morning shower, and bedtime routine, so I try to incorporate as much as I can in to those 15-20 minute windows each day. I use the Daily Moisturizing body wash in the shower and immediately follow with the body yogurt in the morning. Sometimes I’ll quietly read an ebook in the bathroom while it’s absorbing before I finish getting ready (who am I kidding. It absorbs fast and I just use that as an excuse to read quietly). I use the body yogurt again at bedtime and let it absorb while I am brushing my teeth, painting my nails, or doing a face mask. It is non-greasy and fast absorbing, with a gentle fragrance that won’t overload your senses at bed. My skin doesn’t react well to heavily scented creams and I have had no issues with these products. It keeps me soft, and hydrated which is something I battle. I don’t feel the need to reapply lotion throughout the day (aside from my hands which get washed often). I was starting to get an eczema flare-up on my left forearm and elbow (too much swimming in chlorine) and it cleared it up before it got out of hand. Even my daughter asks to use them and seems to benefit from them as much as I do. I will definitely keep adding these products to my daily Aveeno self-care routine.
This post was sponsored by Aveeno Canada but all thoughts and options are my own.
So one week in with our new couch and chair and I love it. It finally feels like we have a real living room. We can actually all sit together in one room at the same time, and we did a movie night for the first time in forever that we were all able to sit and watch together. It was nice. We watched Lord of the Rings if you are interested 😉
I’m kind of sad that I have to retire my toques/beanies for the season. I think that they have become my bad hair day crutch, and every time I try to wear my fedora it’s so windy it almost flies off my head. Maybe I need a haircut?
I had a small but successful shop at Value Village on Sunday. I was able to get a pair of checkered Vans slip-ons, and a pair of Adidas (even though I can’t figure out what kind they are). The girls found a couple of still in-the-box Minecraft plushies, and a Union Jack mug for Roo. We also donated our old, large coffee table, dining table (we need a small apartment size drop leaf table), two chairs, and a room divider so we have cleaned out a lot of clutter that this small space couldn’t handle. It’s so nice to be able to walk right in the condo without having to navigate around the crap we needed to purge. So I guess I’m already off to a productive week 😉
Here is hoping the rest goes as well. Have a good week guys!
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