Mating Season Outside

Who’s walking who here?

Loving the ducks and geese!

Lil’ climbing monkey.

The beautiful weather allowed us so many opportunities to be outside this week.  I couldn’t get enough of it, and neither could my little babe.  She wanted to go out from the moment she woke up every day.  She would actively turn off the tv, get her hat and shoes, and push us towards the door.  So naturally, we’d oblige since I prefer her to be out doors rather than in front of a tv.

Her favorite are the ducks and geese at the pond.  But I believe we’re firmly in the mating season as the male geese are extremely aggressive.  She started to walk right up to one with no regard for the fact that it was hissing at her.  I jumped in there right away – to stop her and to show the goose that I’m dominant and get it to stop hissing.  Man, that could’ve gone badly.   Figures, a male showing off for the ladies!

Happy Sunday!

Plenty of Smiles

Shirt – AE
Pants – Esprit
Sunglasses – F21
Shoes – Payless

There were plenty of smiles this week!

1. The beautiful weather!
2.  The fact that my outfit photos get interrupted by a toddler standing right in front of the camera asking, “What’s this?” and going “uh-oh!” because it’s beeping.
3. Playing ‘fetch’ with both the dog and the baby! *another bad mother moment, but oh so funny!*

Decorate Not Dictate

Jacket – Old Navy
Dress – bought in Spain
Scarf – Lace Affair
Socks – F21
Boots – Threadsence
I did a great shoot a few days back with a really fun couple, and I’ve got some amazing photos to edit.  I wore this number to shoot and crawled, jumped, and climbed in it.  I’m not one to let a skirt, or a nice dress stop me from rolling in the mud if that’s what it takes to get a great shot.  I figure, as much as I love them, they’re just clothes.  They’re here to decorate my life, not dictate how I live it. 
Speaking of those shots, the beautiful weather has delayed me in posting them, but I swear they’ll be up soon!
Quote of Today:
“Tonight it’s an SG1 and Civilization kind of evening!”

Tuck That Right In

Cardi – Old Navy
Dress – Trashy Diva
Shoes – Payless
Earrings & Necklace – c/o/ This Enchanted Pixie

I’ve got some really great friends! We had an impromptu Snakes&Lattes meet up. *For everyone, Snakes&Lattes is a cafe where you pay a small cover then play every and any board game imaginable – it’s nerd heaven….so it’s my heaven!*  Fun games and even met two new people that I’ll maybe see again at another meet up.  And I’ve got an epic BSG game planned for Saturday March 31st…with both expansions.   Okay, is my nerd showing?  Oops, I think it’s peeking out the hem of my dress.  Let’s just tuck that right back in there. 

p.s. yes, this is the same cardi as in this post.  I re-wear stuff.  I’ve only got one closet…for now. *insert evil laugh here*

True Story:
Baby’s developed a serious obsession with grapefruits.  
She eats one to one and a half per day.  
But don’t try to give her an orange instead.  
She’ll “Neo!” and shake her head to set you straight.

It’s What I Wore

Top – H&M
Blazer – UO
Pants – swapped
Boots – Feet First
Necklace – won from a giveaway
This was a quick outfit I threw together on very little sleep and absolutely no time to think whatsoever.  I see quite a few flaws, but I think it’s overall passable considering the total prep time was about 20 minutes…including hair, make-up, cup of tea, and warming baby some milk. Oh and the weird fog and humidity we’ve had is doing some weird stuff to my hair.  When I started the day, I had nicely straightened hair, but the time I started work it was a weird, flat wavy thing, and by the time I took these photos it’s was a complete write off. 
But I promised you guys honesty, so it’s only fair that I deliver.  
This is what I wore.
Quote of Today:
“Can the meteor just hit so I can go already?”

Flash Thanks

Top – Thrifted
Skirt – Spotted Moth
Cardi – Old Navy
Hat &Shoes – Ruche
Necklace – won from a giveaway and I can’t remember from who

Yesterday I had a really rough day,  I mean really rough.  I won’t go into the details because that’s not the pertinent part, but let’s just say I was not a happy camper.  Having money set aside for just such days, I tweeted that I needed one of my favorite stores to have a flash sale so I can partake of some retail therapy.  I didn’t really expect a response, you know?  Lo and behold, Lauren from Emerging Thoughts tweets and facebooks with a one hour flash sale in my honor.  I was touched!  *I also picked up a gorgeous Dear Creatures dress I was hoping to get*

We’re in the middle of Blog Positivity week and I can’t express how much I appreciate the relationships I’ve formed with some amazing people online.   Like Lauren from Emerging Thoughts.  She’s a wonderful lady with a great eye for curating her boutique, and a great personality all around.  I’ve never met her in person, only online.  Through blogs and social media,  I’ve made connections with bloggers, retailers and just great people all around.

I’d like to thank you all. 


True Story:
Baby has grasped the full extent and meaning of the word ‘No’, or ‘neoo’ as she says it. 
*accompanied by the obligatory head shake* 
Here’s a recent conversation.
“Do you want to eat dinner?”
“Neoo”
“Okay, well Mama’s going to eat dinner.”
“Neoo”
“Do you want to go take a bath?”
“Neoo”
“Well, Mama has to go to the bathroom”
“Neoo!”
“No?”
“Neoo.”

Interview with Kristen Ma from Pure+Simple

     As part of Blog Positivity Week, I’m sharing an interview from the creator of my favorite skin care product line, because being beautiful and staying positive are deeply interconnected. 
   If you’re a regular reader you know that I firmly believe in holistic living.  A healthy diet free of additives and a healthy life lived as chemical free as possible is, in my view, the key to longevity and health.   As part of that, and including my struggles with hormone imbalances in the past, I focused on also having my cosmetics be as natural and as gentle as possible. Therefore, I’ve been a loyal user of the Toronto brand Pure+Simple for years now.  Their gentle, organic, and natural cosmetics have served my sensitive and abused *I am an actor after all and have to often wear a lot of make-up* skin very well.  Today, I have an quick interview with the creator and founder of Pure+Simple, Kristen Ma.  Enjoy!
source
        1. What was the original thought, or motivation, behind Pure+Simple?

Pure
+ Simple was originally to be a place that consumers could shop with
the assurance that none of our beauty products contained toxic chemicals
and synthetic ingredients.  But as we evolved we saw that healthy,
holistic beauty is much more than chemical-free skincare, it also
involves addressing your internal health and balancing your
constitution.

2. How did you go about making your dream a reality?
We
began with a modest three room spa on Yonge and Eglinton (2375 Yonge
Street), which we still have.  This spa has a retail area in the front
that walk-ins could purchase natural skincare and cosmetics from.  It
was a tough start because this was over ten years ago and most people
had not learnt about the importance of avoiding chemicals in their
cosmetics.  But we did have a fierce, devoted core group of regular
customers.  They were mostly made up of hypersensitive skinned people
who could only use soothing, natural products.  We were able to develop
with their support.

3.
You’ve also written a book recently. 
Could you share a little about the key philosophies and ideas in the
book?
My book
Beauty: Pure and Simple is a guide to beautiful skin through holistic
wellness and natural/ organic skin care.  Because I am an Ayurvedic
Practitioner and esthetician, my approach is steeped in eastern medicine
(Ayurveda).   Through this, I explain general skin care but also how
ailments such as acne, rosacea, eczema and pigmentation have root causes
in the internal body.  Its important to understand the role of internal
inflammation, hormonal imbalance and dampness/ yeast in our skin’s
health.  I go in depth about internal solutions as well as natural
topical skincare solutions.

4.
You’ve also spoken very openly about your struggles with acne, what are
some key tools to help others struggling with the same thing?
Acne
is a complex beauty issue as it can be aggravated by many factors.  In
my book I explain the different types of acne and their causes – for
example, some break outs are caused by inflammation, while others are
caused by dehydration.  One thing I think is important is to know that
acne is not simply caused by bacteria or clogged pores, they are a
symptom of some other imbalance.
I think that
bowel detoxification is also key when treating acne and I ask about this
to all of my acne clients.  This must be paired with a proper diet –
but again, diet must be tailored to the cause of the acne, and different
people with different acne types with have different food
recommendations (based on Ayurveda).

5. Isn’t putting oil onto a face riddled with acne contraindicated?
Not
at all!  That is a common myth.  It depends on the type of oil – a good
natural plant-based oil should never clog pores and cause break outs.
 Also, oils such as coconut oil are light, soothing and even have
anti-bacterial properties.  Oils like this are great for acne.

I never
advocate dehydrating and drying out the skin or over-peeling, so our
approach would never be aggravating to your sensitivity.  I would say
our approach would be to heal rather than do harsh, deep pore methods of
treatment, unlike most approaches.

6. Do you have any advice, secrets, and Pure+Simple products for facing these aging, and aging prevention,  head on?

Well,
first I would say that getting older is simply a transformation – so
while I believe in supporting the sin while we age, fighting it is not
necessary.  But to age in the healthiest way possible, again its about
balance and caring for our internal bodies.  Topically, using skincare
that uses rich, nourishing oils is fantastic.  Our Pure + Simple
Ayurveda – Vata Face Oil is a wonderful blend of organic sesame oil,
ghee and restorative essential oils – its a great replenisher for the
skin.  Also, our Collagen Elastin HCH Serum is amazing!  It is the most
popular item across all of our spas because its so effective.  It
infuses moisture into the skin and helps to repair skin damage.  I love
that its a combination of natural ingredients with advanced technology.

I’d like to thank Kristen so much for being here on ModaMama.   Hope you enjoyed it as well.  You can check out her blog – Holistic Vanity for more tips, articles and information.  You can also read my review of my favorite Pure+Simple product here.

 If you have any questions for Kristen, please ask in the comments!

At Home

Sweater & Leaf Necklace – F21
Birdcage Necklace – c/o This Enchanted Pixie
Boots – Locale
Dress – From Ruche (sold out). Similar from Lace Affair.

I sometimes long for that perfect uniform that defines me, finding something that is the perfect expression of who I am and how I wish to be perceived.  I’ve written before about how I feel like a wild swinging pendulum in that respect, but I’ve also realized that I do have an outfit, or combination, where I feel most comfortable.  It’s boots and a dress.  A great dress and a comfortable, and cool, pair of boots are when I feel most myself and most relaxed.  I think it’s the femininity and softness of a dress, combined with the laid-back ease of boots that appeals.  That’s where I feel most at home.
Jeans and a t-shirt come no where close to making me feel this comfortable.  
I’d love to hear what combo makes you feel at home?
Quote of Today:
“She’s a touch OCD about the Cheerios.”

In Case You Miss Something

Getting the yard ready for spring, cleaning out the house, and generally decluttering.  All while giggling at this little independent, smart, and stubborn little girl.  She loves to go outside, and she loves to help, whether you want her to or not!  She’s definitely a riot. 

True Story:
Andrew put together the patio table with a wrench.  
Once he was done, she grabbed the wrench and went over all of his work.  
You know, just in case he missed something.

Smiles: Fearlessness

Here’s what has me smiling this week:

1. The beautiful weather that allows so many days spent in the park.
2. The fearlessness of my little babe going down slides, running up stairs….
3. The strength and health of my heart to take all her fearlessness.
4. The tea shop by my work that almond milk as an option. 

What made you smile this week?

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