Bringing Sexy Back to the Kitchen with Sugar Baby Aprons

We're bringing sexy back to the kitchen with the dainty and lovely collection from Sugar Baby Aprons.

Fusing together two things I absolutely love, Cooking/Baking and Pretty Designs, Sugar Baby Aprons is bringing back the sexy domesticated diva a la 50's Pin-up allure with their collection of foxy and appealing aprons.

Throw away your old frazzled apron and brighten up your kitchen and add some spark to your baking dance with these super cute aprons.

I received the Pink Perfect Damask Apron (ARV $45.99) and was absolutely thrilled to start baking in this gorgeous frock. Prices start from $39.99 depending on the style.

Ready to bake!

This fun and flirty apron puts a little flair and sassiness in your kitchen!  So adorable that you’ll want to wear it not only to cook in but to serve your guests too!  Double it’s usage by using this retro style apron while you house clean.  Wearing something this adorable can only make you whistle while you work for sure and feel pretty while cleaning!  Is that possible? Of course it is! Well, it can be now thanks to Sugar Baby Aprons.

It also came with the matching heart-shaped pot holder. Super cute!

They've got a fabulous collection to suit all tastes and styles.  They even have a Parisian one that I can't wait to get my hands on!

Good riddance to the monotonous lady of the house!
Because there's nothing more sexier than a confident, hard-working woman. Cheers to that!

To learn more about Sugar Baby Aprons, visit them at www.sugarbabyaprons.com.

Courtesy of the lovely ladies behind Sugar Baby Aprons, one of my spicy readers will win one of their own Sugar Baby Aprons!

To enter this contest, simply enter via rafflecopter below.
Contest ends May 19, 2013.
*Open to Canadian Residents only.

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A Tea-lightful Mother's Day #Giveaway with DAVIDsTEA

Mom will surely be "tea-lighted" when she opens her gift this year to find this adorable DAVIDsTEA Bubble Teapot and the vibrant pink illuminating from the fabulous new Spring Collection box.

Form, meet  function.
The DAVIDsTEA Bubble Teapot {ARV $19.50} comes in different designs including a plain white or black that are super adorable but I personally am loving these dainty designs (as seen above). It has a fitted infuser with 0.3mm holes that will keep smaller leaves from sifting through while giving larger leaves room to expand. When your tea is steeped, just lift the infuser out of the teapot so it doesn’t get too strong. It makes the perfect pot every time, and looks darn good while doing it. What more could you ask for? Microwave and dishwasher safe. (capacity: 24oz/700ml)

And if that wasn't enough, The Spring Collection {ARV $25.50} will be sure to whisk mom away in the comfort of her own home with five exotic teas.
First, let super-fruity Pom Tango take you away to the fruit markets of India. Next, take a trip to Argentina with an energizing hit of Honeydew Maté. For an island escape, rich and creamy Coconut Oolong is the perfect taste of paradise. And refreshing, mango-spiked Daydreamer will take you straight to the beaches of Thailand. But if you really want to party, try some Copabanana. Trust me – it’s the hottest tea north of Havana. (25g of each tea)

The wonderful folks at DAVIDsTEA are giving away a fabulous Mother's Day Combo with a DAVIDsTEA Bubble Teapot (*Design/colour dependent on availability) and The Spring Collection {TRV $45} to a lucky CAC Reader!
To enter the contest, simply enter via rafflecopter below.

Contest ends May 10th, 2013.
*Open to Canadian Residents only.

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Mother's Day Gift Ideas Under $25 at Target Canada

I can't tell you how ecstatic I was when the doors of Target opened all across Canada.  

Target has made shopping so much more easier for me as a busy mother that still looks for good quality items, and for some miraculous reason, this is the one large retail shop that my 4 year old seems to never have a tantrum of some sort in *knocks on wood*. Must be the Red! Or the fact that the target logo can be quite hypnotizing. Well done, Target.

Have you been to your local Target yet?

Mother's Day is fast approaching and there truly is no better place to get so many wonderful gift ideas at fantastic pricing than at Target.

Here are some of my favourite gift ideas under $25 spotted during my most recent trip to Target.

Kate Young is one of my favourite Target Designer Brands featuring chic and on-trend items for every savvy and stylish woman. These gorgeous clutches and accessories would make lovely gifts! Some fab finds under $25!

And if that wasn't enough pretty for you, their selection of jewelry pieces are to die for!
They've got a variety of jewelry to suit all taste. These ones are perfect for Spring/Summer and will add the perfect touch to Mom's wardrobe. They start at $5.99 with most under $25!

If she loves bags, they have quite a few under $25. These Merona Clutches (seen here in sand colour) are only $24.99. They have deals all the time so watch out for more discounts!

Hello Spring/Summer! 
These are super lovely outfits! Many of their blouses, pants, tops, dresses from their amazing line-up of designers including Kate Young, Massimo, Merona and more are priced under $25!
You will definitely find something that Mom will love!
If you are looking for something for an Expecting Mom, they've got a gorgeous collection of Maternity wear too.

What woman doesn't love cardi's? They can change up a wardrobe in an instant.
I personally love cardigan's and these Merona ones in an assortment of appealing prints will make any woman happy.
Target sizes range from XS to XXL.
These cardigans are priced so well at only $24.99!

If you know a mom that loves taking pictures and proudly displaying them as much as I do, these charming selection of frames would make a great gift. Prices start at $5.99 with the artistic hanging frames at only $24.99.

Mmm, something smells delightful.
Scented Candles are never a bad gift idea. Well, for most that is. I am addicted to scented candles and personally find them to always make for a lovely gift idea.
This collection I came across including Diffusers, Scented Candles, Vases, even notepads are simply adorable. Prices start at $9.99.

And how about pairing a candle with a comfy throw?
I know the weather is getting warmer, but every woman loves curling up at night underneath a cozy throw blanket. They've got some throws in different colours and prints available under $25.
Perhaps even pick up a book in their book section and a box of tea too? Perfect combo!

I'm weak for pretty prints so when I saw these stone dishware items starting at only $3.99 (microwavable and dishwasher safe) in an array of dainty designs I knew I just had to have it!
And yes, I did leave this trip with a few of them. 

For the mother that enjoys a slow-cooked, delicious meal and not much time on her hands, these slow cookers are a fantastic gift idea under $25! Check out that white and light blue damask printed one. Super cute!

Perfumes tend to be a tricky gift purchase as not every person enjoys fragrances and of course, everyone has their own scent preference. But if you know that mom well and know what she will love, I'm sure you'll find a great perfume to suit her taste with the collection they have.
There are quite a few under $25! If perfume is not her cup of tea, they also have bath and body product gift sets and/or make-up gifts for under $25.

Whatever her taste or style, the wonderful thing about shopping for a Mother's Day gift at Target is that you will leave with the right gift because they have everything you need.

While you're shopping for a gift, why not pick something up for yourself too?
Look what I left with.
 This pretty pastel green blouse is light, airy and a great piece to add to my Spring/Summer wardrobe to be mixed and matched.
Well, this and the dishware and some make-up and also some stuff for the kids... it's so hard to leave Target with just one thing. *sigh*

Happy Shopping!

Disclosure: “I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® #cbias #SocialFabric. 
All opinions expressed in this post are my very own."
 

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Mother's Day Nayme Necklace Giveaway

 

"Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever." - Unknown

How about giving that lovely and special woman in your life something that she can wear near and dear to her heart that actually means something and is as precious and one-of-a-kind as she is.

I recently was enamored with a Toronto-based custom jewelry brand called Nayme that specializes in creating personalized necklaces with each pendant designed to symbolically represent the meaning of your name. 

You can read more about my thoughts and see my custom Nayme here.

This Mother's Day, along with Nayme Inc., I am giving one of my readers a chance to win a custom Nayme Necklace for their Mom or even as a treat for themselves (value of $130).

To be eligible to win, simply leave me a comment below telling me Why Your Mom is So Special to you plus more chances to win with additional entries via rafflecopter below.

*Contest is open to Canada only.

Ends April 28, 2013.

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What's in a "Nayme"?

What is the meaning behind your name?
Was there a reason you were named what you were or behind the name you chose for your child?

For many, your name goes far beyond what others call you. It holds a distinctive meaning to you, your parents and the special people in your lives.

There's a new symbolic twist to the insipid old name necklaces that once use to be on trend, made famous by none other than style icon, Sarah Jessica Parker as "Carrie" on Sex and The City.

Given a more tasteful and charming significant facelift, Toronto Founder of Nayme, Louise Henry, had a goal in mind and that was to bring back the exclusive meaning behind a personalized gift helping celebrate life's special moments.

"I always knew that I wanted to start my own business. I admired those who pursued their passions, worked creatively and built something from the ground up. After graduating from university, I decided it was the perfect time to pursue my dream. The idea for a personalized gift was sparked while I was in one of those little tourist shops in Florida during the summer of 2012.  Even though I knew I wasn’t going to buy that personalized “Louise” key-chain or mini license plate, I couldn't resist looking to see if my name was there. This got me thinking: wouldn’t it be nice if there was a quality gift designed around my name that carried more meaning?"  - Louise Henry, Founder.


The Nayme Necklace (pronounced “name”) is a sterling silver necklace, with each pendant designed to  symbolically represent the meaning of a name.
Made in Canada, each pendant is crafted from quality .925 sterling   silver, accompanied by a delicate, Italian-made .925 sterling silver chain.

Each necklace comes beautifully wrapped in a black ribboned gift box, detailing the name, its origin, meaning and Nayme’s unique representation of that meaning.

It was a simple process for ordering online. You enter the name, it pulls up the meaning behind the name including a detailed description of the product including images of how it will look like once you receive it.
Not only was the ordering process easy but the shipping was quick *and it's FREE in Canada*!

I was smitten the moment I first laid eyes on this brand and thrilled to have received this lovely personalized necklace made just for me, Carol... a bird in flight.

What a beautiful package! What made it even more lovely was opening it to see your name and the meaning behind your name on the box itself along with the tranquil and sweet bird in flight pendant.
Nothing beats personalized gifts. Nothing.

Isn't this stunning? Knowing that it symbolizes the meaning behind my name and truly reflective of who I am as a person ("Like a Bird") and the power behind the word FREEDOM associated with it, makes it that much more substantial.
It's not just another piece of jewelry dangling off my neck for fashion purposes, it's so much more.

Each Nayme Necklace retails for $130 CDN each. Given it's quality and personalization, I think it would make the perfect gift for that very valuable person in your life.

I love my name and knowing why I was named what I was from my parents and being able to wear it proudly in this symbolic and lovely way is just wonderful!

And a lovely surprise just because my readers are so special to me. 

Within the next few weeks leading up to Mother's Day courtesy of Nayme, one of my readers will get the chance to win a custom Nayme Necklace.
Whether for yourself, your mother (or mother figure), daughter or other special woman in your life, you won't want to miss out on this opportunity.
Please be on the lookout on the blog or Facebook and Twitter as I announce the Mother's Day Nayme Necklace Giveaway.
 

What's the meaning behind your name?

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Thank You, Mom

Sometimes the words don't often come when they're suppose to.
Sometimes I'm hoping to hear those words come out of the mouth of my own little creation just so that I know I'm doing my job right.
Sometimes I often wish I had said the words every single time I felt it to my mom.


It's 4 more days till Mother's Day.
As I sit here, 5 months pregnant, sipping chocolate milk next to my 3 1/2 year old daughter as she giggles and looks scrupulously upon a puzzle she is trying to complete, I can't help but beam and feel an overpowering sense of accomplishment and love.

There are moments when I don't feel that.
There are moments when I feel like I'd like to just run away from it all and sometimes there are even moments when I find myself pondering why I decided to start a family at such a ripe age.
I felt overwhelmed, overworked, weary.

In 4 months time, on top of welcoming our newest little addition to our family, another momentous occasion begins -- Ava starts Junior Kindergarten!  This is all happening within days of one another and boy am I ever anxious. Just 1 month or so before that, we are moving out of our first family home into a brand new one.
Wow, talk about strenuous, huh?

I can't help but think about my mom.  She had 3 children, worked while pregnant with 2 out of 3 of them including taking public transit and walking in all types of weather to help provide for her children all while ensuring we had our breakfast before she left for work and then making sure she was there to pick us up when we got out of school.  She drove us to endless locations: appointments, classes, sleepovers, birthday parties, etc. even when she was extremely exhausted from work, preparing dinner and making sure the house was kept up.

She sustained many heartaches & surprises along the years with her family and also when my father was diagnosed with Lymphoma Cancer.

Through it all, she always remained calm, collected, warm & positive.

My mom with her 2 daughters, Carol (Me) & Charlotte

She never allowed us to see her worries and sadness (although as the eldest, it was easy for me to pin-point when she was feeling that way).
She made sure that we never felt like failures even when we did fail at something.
She made sure to applaud us for all our accomplishments and root us on when we were ready to give up.

She cried with us, she laughed with us, she defended us, she comforted us, she stood by us. She was always there.

And now she's a Grandmother. And that unconditional love she gave us, she now gives our children.
She has taught me how to be the best Mother I can be.

With her Grand-Children (L-R): Ava, Aiden, Alyssia.

Thank you, Mom.
For everything.

I came across this video for the P&G London 2013 Olympic Games Titled 'Best Job' and knew I had to share with all the deserving, hard-working & loving moms out there.

Grab your kleenex!

Being a Mom is definitely the hardest but BEST job in the world.  Agree?

Wishing all the Beautiful and Amazing Moms a Wonderful and Happy Mother's Day!

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