Eye lash extensions are the rage these days – you’ve probably seen a hundred before and after eye lash extension photos in your Instagram explore feed (or is that just me?) – if you haven’t had your own eye lash extensions, you probably know a few people who have. But have you ever heard of the less popular but just as pretty sister to the eye lash extensions? Sugarlash Pro lash lift and lash tint?
Unfortunately, if you’re like me and use face oils in your skin care routine eye lash extensions are a waste of money. The face oils will not make your extensions last, but after talking with my lash technician it looked like the lash lift and lash tint was a better option for me!
Meghan, from @megalash_boutique in Beaumont, AB, was so gentle and having my lashes done was a relaxing and painless experience. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s heard the horror stories of a bad lash experience, and it seems like everyone and anyone can be one. But after discussing this with Meghan I found out that lash technicians are just like a wedding photographers, you get what you pay for!
Meghan has her own business of lash technicians under her guidance, and she uses a local brand of lash training that is changing the lash service industry for the better – Sugarlash Pro which was started by Courtney Buhler in Leduc, AB!
I love my lash lift and lash tint – my lashes look amazing and now that I am going on week 3 since my appointment my lashes still look fresh!
Have you tried the revolutionary Sugarlash Pro lashes before? What did you think?
For a really long time I used the Maskcara Beauty highlight, contour and illuminators – but alas the brand does not ship to Canada anymore and I need to “Bear Grylls” (Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.) my makeup.
After watching a lot of makeup Youtube videos I realized I needed a concealer for the look I wanted. But I haven’t bought concealer in 8 years, so I was a little worried about purchasing concealer for the first time online (if I can avoid going in-store, I do it) since I had no clue if the shade would be off or not.
I headed into Shoppers Drug Mart, and the boutique ladies there were awesome! Trust me, I’m the last person to want to go into a store and actually talk to an employee – we all have had awful experiences with sales based stores – but I can honestly say the ladies were so helpful and committed to finding my proper shade for using the concealer as a highlight.
As soon as I got home I tried their first recommendation, the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Super Concealer Camoflage + 24 Hour Wear (Very Fair 02), and loved it! It is medium coverage, but definitely is buildable for under the eye if your dark circles are persistent. And does not look cake-y on my extremely dry skin. I highly recommend it for anyone with dry, sensitive skin!
I have been to DOSC on 104 street, Drunken Ox Sober Cat, a couple times but only to their cafe – their flat whites are very good, though I don’t care much for their matcha lattes.
But this past weekend I tried out their beautiful restaurant with my best friends, and all I can say is wow! The food we ordered was delicious!
We did not get any of the small plates – though the oxtail poutine was calling my name – and went straight into ordering entrees. What I like about DOSC is that you order your meats separate from your sides – though I suppose a lot of restaurants have that option, I liked the layout of the menu a lot.
I decided to order the striploin, butternut gnocchi, and brussel sprouts. Everything was to die for! The gnocchi was perfectly paired with pickled shallots and fried capers. And the brussel sprouts had crispy pancetto sprinkled throughout – plus the brussel sprouts were extra crispy too!
Then to finish off the meal we all ordered a different dessert to try them most of the dessert menu – the pineapple cake, the white blondie, and the cheesecake in a jar.
We all agreed the blondie was the best, it was moist with a crispy exterior. The pineapple cake was good in the first couple of bites, but then tasted chalkier and chalkier as you continued – I suspect that is because of the nut powder they put on the side. And finally the cheesecake, I did not get a chance to taste – but overall we all agreed the blondie was the best out of the three.
I can’t wait to return to DOSC and try more of their dinner menu (and weekend brunch menu and breakfast menu)! I highly recommend stopping by DOSC if you’re downtown or looking for a new place to eat at.
One more month until I have my second ultrasound where we will find out the gender of baby #4! But most recently during the 16th week of pregnancy I felt baby kicks – so exciting!
These little baby kicks don’t feel like the conventional baby kicks that you do in the 3rd trimester, but like tiny flutters or bubbles. But it feels so special finally feeling the baby move!
Other than baby kicks, my energy is slowly coming back this week. Though I feel like I don’t get enough sleep at night – vivid dreams, constantly needing to pee, and waking multiple times in the night. It’s all preparing me for the newborn stage!
How would you describe the first time you feel baby kicks?
When Cacao 70 first came to Edmonton, I thought they were a little overrated. But I didn’t realize that they had different store concepts all over Edmonton – from dessert specific (Cacao 70 Sweet House), to offering both food and dessert (Cacao 70 Eatery), specialty dipped ice cream specific (Cacao 70 Dip Shop).
My favourite Cacao 70 spot is on Whyte Avenue – the only Cacao 70 Eatery in Edmonton. Mostly because I am obsessed with the lunch menu – I order this hot sandwich every time. Every. Time.
The lunch menu is delicious, but even more recently I discovered my love of their fondue platter. You choose from their many different fondue types (I love the classic dark chocolate), and then it is served with waffle bits, brownie bits, and fruit.
I will say that I learned the hard way that I am not a huge fan of their hot chocolate – I mentioned it briefly in my last visit to the Cacao 70 Sweet House location in the Edmonton Ice District. It is for those with an insane sweet tooth, the true chocolate lovers!
My go-to hot drink at Cacao 70 are their lattes, they make delightful lattes!
Have you tried Cacao 70 yet? What is your favourite thing to order? Let me know in the comments below!
It feels like this pregnancy is going by so slowly and so fast at the same time – the first trimester kicked my butt! I’m still recovering from fatigue (maybe it’s winter, maybe it’s growing a human, maybe it’s both!) but thankfully my nausea is gone!
In my last pregnancy post I said that every woman experiences pregnancy differently – with that said my other 15 weeks pregnant symptoms have been:
Major Food Aversions | My food aversions have decreased but the smell of cooking meat (chicken, beef, etc) is not my favourite right now. Though I can’t wait to eat it afterwards, cooking is not my forte at the moment.
Dry Skin | If I don’t take care of my skin, and trust me there are days when I want to skip washing my face, my skin develops major dry patches! So, as long as I’m on top of taking care of myself my skin remains hydrated.
Shortness of Breath | I recently realized how shallow my breathing has been over the last couple weeks, which doesn’t concern me too much because I know my uterus is growing more and more into my abdomen. But it can be frustrating when you want to do some deep breathing and I can’t. Oh well, I’ll be able to do that in 6 months!
Bumping | It’s my fourth baby, so my bump is finally rounding out and looking less like I ate too much… but I remember with my first my ab muscles were tight enough to keep my bump concealed until I was 20 weeks along.
This sweater is from Winners a couple years ago, and it’s so cute on my bump! I’ve noticed I’m wearing more and more regular clothes during pregnancy, and less maternity clothes. You can read more about how I dress my bump throughout the weeks here.
What were your favourite and worst pregnancy symptoms? Did your bump show at 15 weeks pregnant?
We are finally planning our trip (our babymoon) to Arizona at the beginning of the 3rd trimester! We want to be smart about travelling so I will need pregnancy travel insurance in case I go into emergency labour, which I don’t for see happening with all my overdue babies, but you should always be prepared! Especially if you’re going on a babymoon in the 3rd trimester!
We just signed with a new health insurance provider, but if you know us we want to shop around before we commit!
You don’t have to go with the same place as you already have insurance – and not all travel insurance while pregnant is the same! Here are some things you need to take into consideration while shopping around for travel insurance while pregnant:
Time of eligibility. All travel insurance policies are different – they mainly differ about when you’re eligible in your pregnancy to be covered for emergency labour and delivery costs while travelling abroad. Some state you are ineligible after being 30 weeks pregnant, some say after being 32 weeks pregnant (or 8 weeks from your due date, but same thing!). I’m sorry to say that you’ll be hard-pressed to find travel insurance for pregnancy after 32 weeks – so make sure you read thoroughly through all the travel insurance policies before you apply for your own! P.S How I find their pregnancy eligibility is I open the online policy and then use the finder application through “command + F” on Mac and type in “pregnancy”, it brings you to the right section of eligibility!
List of benefits. There are some Canadian travel insurance options that are similar and some that are very different – varying amounts and access of maximum benefit cap, to hospital room coverage, to physician services, to the many, many more options available! Like I mentioned before, read the benefits as well as the policy – weigh the options and see what fits best for your situation.
Single or family rate. When applying for travel insurance it is not specifically named “pregnancy travel insurance” – it’s just travel insurance so you are able to get a group rate, even if it’s only your spouse and yourself going, so everyone can be covered medically while you are away. Typically it doubles your quote, it could be $39 (single rate, covering yourself) or $78 (family rate, covering both your spouse and yourself) for 8 days coverage.
I will be 30 weeks pregnant at the end of our trip so I’m glad we have so many options for travel insurance but I still prefer the pregnancy travel insurance options that offer eligibility to women who are 32 weeks pregnant. Those insurance providers in Canada are:
The only site that left me in a conundrum was TuGo, that allows you to look at multiple options for each province, butyou cannot view the policy until after you purchase it… so I do not encourage you to purchase your travel insurance from TuGo because it’s a guessing game of what you get from the policy of your choosing!
The Alberta insurance options that TuGo partners with are: London Drugs Insurance, ATB Financial Insurance, Travel Guardian, Belairdirect, Simpson Group, and Western Financial Group.
I’ve tried to do independent research from the TuGo site on each of these insurers, but they all lead back to the TuGo website without mentioning their individual travel insurance policy. I tried! Hopefully, they are able to change the steps of purchase before you read your policy soon because the TuGo website has a nice flow to it.
I hope this helped you in finding the best pregnancy travel insurance for your next babymoon!
What is your favourite pregnancy travel insurance company? Let me know in the comments below!
This What Hotel To Stay At In Halifax post is sponsored by Discover Halifax. All opinions are 100% my own.
What hotel to stay at in Halifax, Nova Scotia? When I was searching for the best hotel for our visit to Halifax, I had a few criteria that I wanted for our hotel. It needed to be close to downtown Halifax, it needed to be close to the water or have a waterfront view, and it needed to be modern and comfy.
So at the end of October and beginning of November, my mom and I travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia to visit my sister who is studying there. It was the first time my mom and I had ever taken a trip by ourselves together, and the first time I was going to be away from my little girls for more than a couple days. For a couple nights in Halifax we stayed at the Westin Nova Scotian, and I can say it checked off all my requirements. It was magical!
Westin Nova Scotian Ratings:
Room size and decor: 8/10
Beds: 9/10
Bathroom: 8/10
Amenities: 9/10
Cleanliness: 9/10
Room Service: 8/10
We had a great sleep, and then woke up to go workout in the well equipped fitness centre. It had TRX equipment, treadmills, ellipticals, and weights. My favourite part was the fridge full of cold towels to cool down from your workout! I did the 400 challenge from AthleanX that morning and it was a huge comfort to have a cool towel afterwards.
We ended up ordering in breakfast because we had a full day planned. We both had the Eggs Nova with coffee and a smoothie – it was delicious! Though my mom has been to the restaurant located in the Nova Scotian (Elements by Hollis) and it is a great recommendation for dinner.
The location of the Nova Scotian is perfect for anyone looking to explore downtown Halifax or the boardwalk or take the ferry across to Dartmouth. The farmers market is located right behind the hotel on the boardwalk, I wish we had had more time to explore it while there.
Have you ever been to Halifax? What is your favourite hotel to stay in in Halifax? Let me know in a comment below!
