park essentials.

Protect: Green Beaver spray on sunscreen for adults and kids/Aveeno Baby sunscreen stick
Swim: Distinctly Home beach towel/Banz swim suits
Sit: Skip Hop Central Park Blanket
Snack: Nature's Path Organic Kamut Puffs/foogo sippy cups/Kleen Kanteen/mixed nuts (I get mine from Healthy Planet)

Well we're right into park season here in these parts and I always have a bag ready by the door with all of the essentials. I finally found some sunscreen I love that's environmently-friendly, in a spray bottle and not greasy. If you've never tried the face stick, check it out. Leo loves putting it on his face as well as the patio door and for some reason the kids don't squirm as much when I'm applying it.

Most of the parks in our area have splash pads now (yay!) so swimming gear is a must. Both Leo and Mila have Banz bathing suits, which I love because of the protection factor and of course beach towels are a must. I also bring a waterproof park blanket with me so we can sit to have snacks or a picnic lunch.

And speaking of eating, both of the kids are obsessed with these kamut puffs. They are baby crack and contain no sugar - like zero - so I don't mind if they eat them all day. I also always have a little container of mixed nuts either in the bag or the stroller so I don't get famished (Leo loves these as a snack too) and all of us drink from these stainless steel containers (well Mila is still getting the hang of it - mostly she throws it on the ground).

That's it! What are your park essentials?

ps - these are all things I own and are my opinions only.

florida 2013

Last week we went to Florida for what's becoming our annual family trip. Mark's parents rent a house for a few months near Ft. Myers and it makes for a nice getaway during the dreary months of February. The thing is - it turned really cold by the end of the week! As in 1 degree cold (33.8 for you Fahrenheit folks!). This happened last year too so I think if we go next year we'll head down a week later.

Also Leo just wasn't himself this trip. He was fine, but by the end of the week he started to act like a different kid. Yes, yes, he's two, but I wasn't diggin' it. Just out of sorts and barely napped. Oh well, hopefully I can get him back in a routine this week.

 I was going through these pics and one of my favourite one is in the last row above, middle picture. Mark's dad exercises daily on the floor and Leo wanted to do it too. So cute.

Mila turned six months while we were down there (Valentine's Day!) so I took a few shots of her. I want to have the same background of the other monthly shots so I'll have to do that this week! And Mark and I got to go on a date - wow! We went to a super random place by the beach. It was basically a gift shoppe/boat and jet ski rental place that had a really nice outdoor restaurant in the back with beautiful stone work and outdoor heaters that lit up like fire towers. We're not eating meat these days so we had some salads with shrimp (oh ya we're still eating fish). It was nice to get out on our own.

Hope you had a great week!

by the lake

I was just over at decor8 commenting on a contest and the topic of the contest: You have an entire day off completely for yourself with $20; what would you do? reminded me of the time I went to the beach in Toronto last July 1st to read and people watch all day. There are always interesting people at the beach, but one guy was dressed in a black jogging suit and he had a head band on his head. The head band had a tennis ball attached to it from a string. He was jogging like a boxer in a ring down the boardwalk punching at the tennis ball. I tried to get a pic but he was too fast for me. That was the best people watching moment ever. I couldn't concentrate on my book after that.

Speaking of the Lake. I have a new blog that talks about my adventures of living by the lake in Toronto. I don't live on the Lake; you have to be a kajabillionaire to have that luxury, but I can see it from my bedroom window (in the winter when the leaves area all gone). Anyway I wanted to write about my adventures living there so check it out.

Oh and if you haven't commented yet on this contest - what are you waitng for? You have until Friday.

later gaters,
~lealou

just beachy

I'm moving in TWO days and I've been packing and sewing trying to get a few things done in and among the countless boxes around here. Yesterday morning I managed to sew together this fun and flashy tote.

I have come to quite like this tote -- I wasn't sure about the fabric from Heather Bailey when it came in the mail because as I've mentioned before, colour is a bit scary for me, but I really love it now. It has been hanging on a nail on the wall where a picture once was so I get to stare at it every day. (I think more people should hang their totes as art now that I think about it!)



Anyhoo -- check it out here in the shop if you like it (more pics on Flickr here). I'm off to sew a couple more totes and then I have to move all these boxes. I have to tell you that I'm pretty pumped about this move because I will have a room of my own to sew and do whatever I want in (eating bonbons & popcorn are first on the list). Right now, I cut fabric on the floor and sew at the kitchen table -- blah!

Have a great night!
~lealou