My {Herbivore} Holiday Wish List!

Don't forget to enter my Holiday Scentsy Giveaway - click here for details! The Giveaway closes Wednesday December 14th, 2011 @ 11pm EST :)
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For those still wondering {or care!}, yep -- I'm still vegan! Going on about 5 1/2 months now and loving it! Yes, it's a bit of a challenge at times in terms of convenience, but I get to experience a wonderful and expansive array of veggies, fruits, grains and other products {and by "other products" I really mean the vegan donuts & cupcakes from vegan bakeries! DELICIOUS!}

So what's a herbivore to want for Christmas this year? Well, in addition to my BIG WISH list {DSLR camera, VitaMix, Silhouette Cameo}. Here's my not-so-little vegan-friendly wish list in no particular order :)

1) Cool necklace from the Exaltation Shop on Etsy :) Only $21. You can also get one that says "vegan"!

{VIA}

2) The Happy Herbivore cookbooks offer low-fat, uber-healthy & delicious plant-based recipes that are quick & easy to make.  The author {Lindsay Nixon} just released new cookbook called Everyday Happy Herbivore. I'd love that too!

{VIA}

3) Since becoming vegan, one of my new favourite magazines to read is VegNews. It offers the latest information, news, articles and recipes -- even fashion trends -- that all comply with principles of compassionate and plant-based living. Subscribe here - and it even has a "tree-friendly" version!

{VIA}

4) It's no secret that I'm a wee bit obsessed with make-up {although my work colleagues probably think I just got out of bed without combing my hair some mornings!}.  I've been doing some research into vegan-friendly, cruelty-free make-up & beauty products. One company that keeps coming up with rave reviews is Everyday Minerals. The online only company offers a wide array of mineral-based make-up options. I'm anxiously awaiting the free trial kit of samples that I ordered this past weekend.  I saw this $20 "No Makeup Kit" with bronzers, eye shadow & lip balm in their gift section. I love little kits :) Isn't it fab?

{VIA}

5) Speaking of natural beauty products, the amazing LUSH now identifies their vegan products! SO AMAZING! I perused their website today and fell in love with this citrusy-smelling dry shampoo called "No Drought". My current dry shampoo is too fake-flowery. I'm super excited to try this :)

{VIA}

6) I'm also dying to try the Clarisonic Mia facial cleansing system. It's a sonic brush that gently but effectively deep cleans your face. It looks like a bit of a contraption, but I'm told is AWESOME. And I need a bit more amazingness & indulgence in my life :)

{VIA}

7) Lastly, no wish list would be complete without Lululemon. Although I do think they are a bit "sizist" sometimes, I'm still a sucker for their chic workout wear. Seriously, sometimes the only thing that makes me exercise is getting to wear the cute clothes :) Like this little puffer-style pullover is perfect for those brisk mornings. I like to be cool when I run, so even on the cold days, this would be just fine for me. Isn't it adorable?

{VIA}

I'm sure this list could go on for days, but I'll stop here for now :)

What's on your wish list this Christmas season?

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The Elf has Entered the Building...

Have you heard about "The Elf on the Shelf"? Well, it's sold out everywhere, but I managed to find one this weekend in a trendy boutique that sells cool kids clothes. What a score! {The best part was I had store credit there so it was FREE!}

If you don't know what this Elf on the Shelf business is all about, you MUST check out the website. 

{It's a bit bizarro with all the "Elf is keeping an eye on you" business, but the kidlets LOVE it!}.

Essentially, it's a book & an Elf in a box that is "delivered from the North Pole" for the Christmas Season. The Elf watches the kids to see if they are naughty or nice, and reports back to Santa every night. 

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The Elf reappears the next morning in a new location {a shelf, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the pantry...click here for some creative ideas from Complicated Mama!}. There's even an iPhone App for more ideas to set-up the Elf! There is seriously an App for EVERYTHING now!

The Elf cannot be touched by the kidlets or else he loses his Christmas magic ability to return to Santa nightly to make his reports. And if Santa doesn't know if you've been naughty or nice, he can't give you presents.  

This little bendy Elf has a LOT of power & influence in our house!

 

We're really excited about this new Christmas tradition in our house! We have yet to name our Elf because EZ only wants to call him Lightning McQueen. I guess we'll wait till next year to give him a proper Elf Name!

Do you have an Elf on the Shelf?

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Sounds of the Season

{It's Season for GIVING! Don't Forget to enter my SCENTSY GIVEAWAY!! Click here for details!}

Ok. I admit it. I've been listening to Christmas music since before Halloween. Seriously. Music is kind of a big deal in our house, so during the Holidays in non-stop Christmas music!

My *favourite* band introduced a new Christmas album this year and it was released in October. I've mentioned my adoration a few times on Facebook & Twitter, but She & Him deserve their own post on this here blog.

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I absolutely ADORE their soulful vintage sound which echoes my imagination of what Christmas was and should be like {simple and lovely with a punch of retro}, but with a hip and modern twist. Don't get me wrong, we can all use a little Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" now and again, but overall I find most new Christmas music is over-the-top and over-sung.

She & Him's rendition of "Baby It's Cold Outside" is one of my favourites - the male/female parts are reversed! But "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is equal in its awesomeness. Silver Bells is also pretty amazing. "Have Yourself an Merry Little Christmas" is one of my favourite songs ever, and their version is emotive and soulful.

I think I also love She & Him because "She" is Zooey Deschanel, a talented indie actress. She has a new TV show "New Girl" and it's pretty great. Big A likes to remind me that she was recently spoofed on SNL for being "the quirky girl", but that's what I love about her - she's unapologetic about who she is.

Here's a link from YouTube of She & Him's recent appearance on the Jay Leno Show!

Definitely pick up their album "A Very She & Him Christmas" this Holiday season, you won't be disappointed!

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Holiday Giveaway - Scentsy Style!

It's the Holiday Season and it's time for another GIVEAWAY! 

So...have you heard about Scentsy?  I have to admit that I'm kind of a big fan.  There are some amazing scents out there and some pretty cool warmers.  My favourite are ALL the holiday scents! I can't choose just one. I constantly have my warmer on when I'm home.  Who doesn't love when your home smells amazing?

What is Scentsy? Scentsy is based on candle warmers WITHOUT flames! Just plug in a glowing warmer and drop in a piece of the scented wax bar! No flames. No wicks. No problems. It's so easy and the fragrances are delightful!  

A good friend of mine - Sarah Gothe - sells Scentsy and has kindly sponsored a GIVEAWAY for Mummy Maggie Chronicles! How cool is that?

You will win the Jane Warmer {pictured below} and TWO scented bars of your choice!

Want to enter?  It's easy!

1. REQUIRED: Check out Sarah's Scentsy website and then leave a comment below telling me what scent you would like to try!

2. ADDITIONAL ENTRY: "Like" Mummy Maggie Chronicles on Facebook, and then leave a comment below!

3. Another ADDITIONAL ENTRY: "Like" Sarah Gothe Scentsy Page on Facebook, and then leave a comment below!

4. Another ADDITIONAL ENTRY: Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, then leave a comment below!

The Scentsy Giveaway will close on Wednesday December 14th, 2011 at 11pm. Open to both Canadian & U.S. residents.

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Pantone's Colour of 2012: Tangerine Tango

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I must say when I first read about this today, I thought ORANGE?? REALLY?! 

But I actually LOVE orange! A couple of my favourite colour combinations are orange & gray and orange & pink. This specific colour of orange is on the red side which will definitely look AMAZING paired with neutrals {gray, white, khaki etc.} either in fashion or interior design.

Orange is JUICY and emotes exuberance, vitality & optimism. I think the world these days could use a little more of those qualities, don't you agree?

Cheers to Tangerine Tango - the Colour of 2012!

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Our Christmas Tree! 2011 Edition

So the Christmas Season is here! Very exciting! We *finally* managed to get our tree up this past weekend! Big A likes real trees {and I do too, except the gay designer guy inside of me wants a Black Glittery tree or even a Hot Pink feather tree!}. 

Anyway, our tree is HUGE. In a good way. It's funny how life changes. When I was younger, all I wanted was one of those monochromatic decorated trees, like all white - but now I'm all about FUN COLOUR! Hence, the addition of pink and purple. Last year I added the blue. And the year before that I added the green.

We watched "Elf" while decorating the tree {which I rented for $5 from iTunes then realized it was on TV for FREE a couple of hours later. That's my life!}.

The kiddos had fun decorating the tree with our glittery shatterproof ornaments.  We still have a couple of remnants from our pre-kid Christmas tree days, but most of them broke in the Great Christmas Tree Collapse of 2008. I guess it was a sign of things to come.

Don't mind the shirtless EZ - he's figured out to put his own clothes on, which means he can also take them off. Don't worry, he was wearing pants! We have *some* self-respect & decorum in our house! But isn't that Santa hat adorable? Yes, it's sequined. Don't tell him when he's 15 that his Mummy used to make him wear sequins :)

Little A, on the other hand, would have NONE of the glittery Santa hats. There was too much to explore! She got into every little box and made sure she fully inspected each ornament's shatterproof-ness!

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Little A: Hockey Sister?

Now that Little A is walking/running around, she tries to engage EZ to play hockey with her -- AKA Little A steals EZ's hockey stick & "puck" and laughs hysterically!

SO CUTE!

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Little A {12 months}: Welcome to ONE-derland

Our little Snowflake has entered ONE-derland!

This past weekend we celebrated Little A's 1st birthday.

{Check out for my post about her birth :)}

It's amazing how much she's changed, even in the last couple of months.  Click here for Little A's one month photo & click here for months one, three & seven - What a difference!

 We took her to the doctor today, so here are her updated stats:

• 19 lbs 4 oz - 50th percentile in weight
• 31 inches - off the charts in height!

This little lady is going to be a super model, I tell ya!

She's wearing a 9 month onesie in the photos above. She's really thin & long, so it's hard to figure out what clothing size she is. But we somehow manage to keep her clothed, ahem! 

She has mastered walking and climbing the stairs, but when she tumbles she has the ninja-like ability to avoid bumping her head {unlike her brother!}. EZ is pretty good at playing gently with her, but sometimes he doesn't know his strength -- but she can roll with the punches, literally & figuratively.

She has 6 top teeth & 4 bottom teeth & loves to chew absolutely everything and anything she can get her hands on.

Little A at 12 months LOVES:

• Her big brother EZ - he can do no wrong in her eyes
• Chatting & laughing with everyone she sees
• Clapping & waving - she's a very social bebe
• Playing with EZ's cars & trains {luckily her caregiver gave her a doll for her birthday!}
• Eating veggies & noodles - she's actually ok with anything you put in front of her. I love this stage before the kidlets start to have opinions about such things!
• Playing with her cousins
• Climbing the stairs
• Her HATS! She needs her hat to sleep, and also to keep her little bald head warm. She does NOT like flowery brain-squeezer headbands though, much to my chagrin :(

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Shattered Glass Door {aka: Blaming the Hockey Stick!}

So the other night, EZ was playing around with his hockey stick.  The result is demonstrated in the photos above and below:

 Did I mention EZ isn't yet 3?!

Big A had just left out the front door and EZ really wanted to go with him. I just got home from work, so I was munching on dinner when I heard a loud bang. I didn't think much of it because EZ was "playing hockey" in the front entry way, and his stick makes a loud sound when it hits the floor.

Shortly after he slyly entered the living room and sat on the couch. Definitely strange behaviour, but kids are fickle, so again, didn't think much of it. 

Then I heard the crackling. Quiet, yet consistent. At first I thought it was Ginger eating a dog treat, so I went to investigate. The I saw the door. Oh dear. 

EZ came running and said that it was his hockey stick. I asked if he did it, and he said he hit it with his hockey stick. He felt so bad. I wasn't mad, just grateful the glass didn't fall onto the little dude. Lucky us!  He said sorry and that he didn't mean to do it.  It was adorable how apologetic he was. 

Even the next day, he said sorry when he saw it and the said, "My hockey stick did that." 

Big A came home right away and taped cardboard to it so it wouldn't fall over.  And now it's getting fixed. No harm done, but do we ever have a story to tell him when his older.

...Unless he pulls down the Christmas tree too...

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Cool Christmas Wreaths

Ok I admit it. I'm *so* NOT a wreath person. Generally, I find they don't look chic or expensive. I find that most people feel obligated to "decorate" with a wreath because it's easy and expected, and frankly, wreaths are widely available. 

Simply put, hanging a wreath on your door = easy. Decorating a tablescape or mantel = not as easy.

I'm going to have to swallow my words when you see the gorgeous and COOL wreaths I found on Pinterest. Aren't the just LOVELY?

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So...am I converted to wreaths? Maybe. I guess you'll see by my Christmas decorating :)

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Hipster Christmas

While perusing Pinterest earlier this week for Holiday decorating & DIY ideas, I came across these cute Hipster Holiday decorations. Enjoy!

Well-traveled Snow people via here

Cute Moustachioed Christmas ball via here

Too cool for school Pantone Colour Chistmas balls via here

 

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My Map Art is UP!

Remember this post when I told you about an amazing new Etsy shop - JennaSue's Map Shop? 

Well my gorgeous custom modern map art arrived quickly and we finally hung it in my Master bedroom this weekend, above my computer desk. I totally LOVE them! They are very chic.

Do yourself a favour and treat yourself to a cool map for your wall. Please mention that I sent you when you check out!

A close-up of Marrakesh...

A close up of Paris...

Now a word about my photography. Ideally, I'd love to take photos in the natural daylight, but alas, I'm a working Mummy, so I'm not home when the sun is out. Ever. I leave before the sun rises and get home after the sun sets, so my photos aren't in the perfect light. My apologies & thank you for understanding.

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I'm dreaming of a PINK Christmas

Yesterday, I was *really* in the Christmas spirit! I don't know why exactly because it's still warm out and I didn't do anything in particular to spark this spirit, but alas, I'm feeling Christmas-y.

I felt like decking the halls and trimming the tree, but we still haven't got our tree yet {Big A insists on a REAL tree}, so I took to my beloved Pinterest to see how others are getting their Holiday decorating started!

This year I want to change up our decorations a bit...and add a punch of pink {and other merry & bright colours too}! Life's too short for the expected :)

Here's what I found for "Pink-spiration":

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EZ is a Little Man!

EZ decided this past weekend that he wanted be a man and shave his face like his daddy. I think he did a good job with the shaving cream :) SO CUTE!

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It's POPPIN' - A Hip New Kid-Friendly App :)

As a Mummy, I'm always on the hunt for the coolest & latest App to keep my kidlets occupied engaged on the iPad and iPhone. EZ LOVES "his" iPad - he always corrects me that it is HIS iPad, donchyaknow.

Angry Birds is pretty awesome, but I'm not sure it's actually TEACHING my kiddos anything...except how to slingshot colourful birds into buildings, a very marketable social skill, I'm sure!

So when I learned that my childhood friend {and AMAZING blogger & a wildly talented graphic designer} has created a cool new educational app for your iPhone or iPad, I *HAD* to share it with MY lovely readers!

It's a super fun, kid-friendly app called:

"Make it Pop" by Tryangle Labs! 

First, who doesn't LOVE to *POP* things?

This amazing app is a great hybrid of good education & good design. It teaches kids numbers, colours & shapes but with a beautifully-pleaseing aesthetic with wonderful eye-catching and well-thought out visuals.  

It engages kids of all ages {and parents too!} with such fun & friendly graphics & audio in a variety of short games that they don't even realize that they are learning!

*POP* the bubbles which cluster together to form shapes!

*POP* the balloons to learn the Alphabet!

Mmmmm...*POP*  and COUNT the popcorn ...and pass the vegan butter!

Even the youngest of kids love to play on the iPad and iPhone. These app is easily accessible to kiddos of all ages :)

Okay. Full Disclosure...


I must admit that I downloaded this app during Church this past Sunday and then spent the next 20 minutes playing it on my iPad. In Church. Yep, that's how I roll. Clearly I liked playing it too - there's just something so satisfying about POPPING something :)


Anyhoo - I hope you check out this amazing new app. I know you won't be disappointed.
 

Download it here on iTunes.

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Modern Maps & A New Hearted Etsy Shop

One of my favourite things to do {when not wasting time on Pinterest - follow me here!}, is to peruse good ol' Etsy.com. I kind of banned myself from Etsy for awhile because I would buy something every time I went on!  


Recently, however, I've been thinking about how my Master needs art. I'm not an art person. I love art in museums, but I have trouble committing to art in my house. I'm fine with framed photos and mirrors, but art is hard for me to  hang on my walls.


But then I found JennaSue's Map Shop on Etsy -- and I was converted. I fell in LOVE with the simple modern elegance of the line drawn maps. I ordered TWO maps - Paris and then a custom-made map of Marrakesh! Perfect for my Modern Moroccan Master bedroom! 

 
She even had the proof of the Marrakesh map done within a day of ordering! AMAZING!

I can't wait to receive them!


Be sure to check out JennaSue's wonderful Etsy shop and add a bit of art to your life!

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A Few Random Updates

Hello Lovelies! Have you missed me? I've missed you! 

Since becoming a Working Mummy, my blogging has become less frequent as I try to balance it all. Frankly, it's been a real challenge to transition back but I know that I'll find my rhythm soon enough.

Random Update #1:

Little A is walking now.  Okay, she's more "toddling" around, but multiple steps are being taken in a row. That's walking right?  She's about 2 months ahead of where EZ was when he learned to walk. She needs to get walking so she can hold her own against her big brother -- not that he's tough on her, he's just ready for her play with him!

Random Update #2:

Who else is loving the change back to Standard Time? The mornings are so light & bright -- it makes it so much easier to get up and go in the morning.  We've also been blessed with great weather this week, though flurries are on the forecast today! I'm writing this and the sky is beautiful shades of pink and lavender. {Although doesn't the old saying go, "Red Sky in the morning, Sailors warning}... or something like that?}.  Anyway, it looks pretty now...

Random Update #3:

One thing about me is certain -- I can never leave well enough alone.  I always have some grand plan, or at least a little surprise change of plans up my sleeve. 

My latest idea is to clear off our debt {HALLELUJAH!}, but this would involve selling our house. I ADORE my house, but to live free from the burden of debt would be so liberating. We'd have to learn to live large in a smaller space...or live more simply.  My guess that we'd still live big in a small space :) Living simply sounds good, but I don't think I really understand its fundamental concept :)

Nothing's decided yet, we're just investigating ALL possibilities.   If we do move, we'd have to organize and clear out the hoard of clothing, books, and thrifted furniture that I had grand plans for.

  What a pain it would be to de-junk our basement and garage, but I also *REALLY* want to organize both spaces regardless if we put the house up for sale -- who wants to live like Hoarders, right? 

Needless to say, all our major house projects are on hold till we sort out our long-term plans.

Random Update #4:

I'm teaching a workshop at my Church's craft day this Saturday, and I decided to teach the DIY Alphabet Magnets from this post! So far I have 10 women signed up -- hopefully I can source enough wooden disks to cover an entire alphabet for 10 people! It should be fun!

So that's my brief update for now. More to come soon.

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Belated Halloween :)

Happy Belated Halloween, folks!  Things have been crazy around here lately {what a change! haha!}, so it just dawned on me that I had forgotten to post photos of our kidlets Halloween costumes.

I lost my camera {but found it since!}, so the above photos are from my iPhone. All apologies for the grainy, blurry photos. Luckily they're still adorable :)

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Little {A} Foodie

Last weekend I gave my darling Little A her first taste of sushi. It was vegan-friendly, so no fish, but she REALLY loved it! 

Little A is a Little Foodie in the making!

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