Monday's Meme

Enter To Win A $300 Gift Card From Moose Knuckles Clothing

For those who haven’t heard of Moose Knuckles, it’s a Canadian company that sells clothing – especially toasty parkas. Moose Knuckles also carries shirts, vests, swim trunks, field jackets, flasks, duffle bags and so much more! 

Now for a bit about Moose Knuckles. Since 1921 their family has been protecting Canadians from the cold—a relentless quest that founded Moose Knuckles Canada in 2007. It was established based on the belief that they could make the leanest, toughest and most luxurious sportswear in the world.

Straight out of the gates, their first two iconic styles (the fur-trimmed Stirling Parka and the Ballistic Bomber) quickly became the benchmark of style for those who live in the cold. Since then they’ve been developing and expanding and they’ve never looked back.

Season after season they continue to create time honoured Canadian garments tailored for contemporary living. They build Canadian know-how, grit and heritage into every fibre, stitch and zipper.

They now deliver a full-range of weatherproof coats, lightweight jackets, knitwear, shirting, and accessories. Their impeccable tailoring, luxury materials, hardware, attention to detail and their wild attitude has earned them praise from the very best luxury retailers worldwide.

They cultivate homegrown Canadian talent and skill, and live to innovate, challenge and lead the industry. From their tradition-steeped factories in Winnipeg, to their expert furriers in Toronto, to their passionate design team in Montreal, everything they do is Canadian to the core.

Another thing that’s awesome about this company is that it ships Internationally with FREE shipping to Canada and the US. 

So here is my wish list for Fall and Winter 2017:

McCabe Canvas Jacket $147.50

Bouchard Reversible Vest LDS $92.50

Fairfeld Hoodie $475
Boy’s Bomber $395 CDN

So now for the best part! One lucky person is going to walk away with a $300 gift card from Moose Knuckles! 

This giveaway starts today Wednesday July 26, 2017 and ends 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday August 16, 2017. This giveaway is open Internationally. Enter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday's OOTW - Peaceful Waters

I have had a demanding, rough past seven days. My next door neighbour has worked on his truck with grinding instruments each night for two hours, my toddler won’t sleep and throws tantrums, I’ve dealt with idiots at web site hosting, the weather is freezing, and pretty much every task I have tried to do has blown up in my face. ARRRRRRRGGHHHH!!

*end of rant*

Anyhow these set of photos take me back to a calmer time on my vacation to Saskatoon. It might have been the last time I was totally relaxed. So not kidding. Anyhow, I am digging this spaghetti strap off the shoulder top. It allows someone as busy as me to enjoy the off shoulder trend without constantly yanking down the shoulder material so the top remains off my shoulder. And I love print mixing so I added my polka dot skirt, a fab bag, some pink wedges, and a pair of my earrings that I’m now selling in my shop. *shameless plug* What are you doing these days to relax? Let me know in the comments below.

Earrings: Joelle’s Jeweltree // Top: Old Navy (Similar) // Skirt: Reitmans (Similar) // Bag: eBay // Shoes: Aliexpress (Similar)

Peaceful moment interrupted by a Canada Goose photobomber! 😀

 

Monday's Meme

Be flawsome!

Svelte - Making All Women Look Great!

This is a sponsored post, however all opinions are my own.

I am not super skinny. Why? I like to eat and I don’t like exercising. Also I am a big person. But do I want to look good? Of course! Enter the company Svelte. For those who don’t know about this company, here is some information.

Svelte came about over a simple conversation about the female body and its ever changing needs. Founder Liliana Turecki realized that as she left her thirties behind, her body and her clothing needs changed. Clothes should be a source of confidence, not stress, they should work with your body, not against it. As an entrepreneur with two kids she is constantly on the go, and wanted clothing that was comfortable, versatile and that made her new silhouette look amazing, high quality pieces that she could dress up or down and that would be appropriate for meetings as well as school functions. While there are shapewear products designed to hide the tummy roll, they are often constricting and uncomfortable to wear, not to mention you have to wear several layers of clothing. Surely there was a way to look good without sacrificing comfort?

So with the help of her business partner, Liliana created a product from the inside out, taking in account her needs and those of thousands of others like her to create a line for real women. They experimented with fabrics and fit until they found the perfect blend that offered comfort and style while producing a smooth silhouette. Svelte shapewear leggings are of high quality, last forever and feel amazing. The 4-way stretch fabric offers a delightfully soft, comfortable and non-restricting way to shape your silhouette.

So Svelte sent me these great pull on Skinny Jeans. They are the perfect leg length on me and hug my curves wonderfully. My weight fluctuates a lot due to health challenges and these jeans will fit me at any of my sizes. They hold in my tummy and I love the indigo colour. My only complaint is that the pockets are placed too low for me. I have no bum so I need higher pockets or my bum looks flatter than it is. But if you have a bigger booty, then these jeans will make it look smaller and give it a lift. I also loved that they stay put when I sit down so I am not mooning people. These jeans are super comfortable and will definitely be a welcome addition to your wardrobe!

Make sure to keep up-to-date by following Svelte on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

So here are the photos:

Sunglassses: Coach // Earrings: Joelle’s Jeweltree Yes that’s my company! // Tank Top: Old Navy (Similar)// Jeans: c/o Svelte // Shoes: JustFab (Similar)

This is a sponsored post, however all opinions are my own.

Tuesday's OOTW - Cutting The Mustard

People are starting to make me angry. What’s all this talk about fall?!?! I realize that summer is almost half over but I don’t want to hear anything about fall for at least another month and a half, okay? 

So here is a summer outfit. I loved that I could find a summer shirt in a mustard colour. In the past mustard was just trotted out for fall, but now you can find it any season and I couldn’t be happier. Paired with a turquoise statement necklace, bright floral orange skirt, pale blue bag, and cute block heeled sandals, and I was definitely ready for a BBQ. But there were none, so I went with a walk in the gorgeous Saskatoon river valley with friends instead. But if you know of a great BBQ, send me an invite! I’m always hungry. 

What’s your favourite outfit of summer? Let me know in the comments below.

Necklace: Aliexpress (Similar) // Shirt: Old Navy (Similar) // Belt: Thrifted (Similar) // Skirt: Old Navy (Similar) // Bag: eBay // Shoes: Old Navy (Similar)

 

Monday's Meme

Friday's Faux Paw

It is good for a women to look and feel beautiful and/or sexy, but many go about it the wrong way. As I watch Joelle get ready to go out for drinks tonight, I see her wearing a very short lace dress with bare arms. Then she covered up her legs in black tights, and her bare arms with a sparkly sequined jacket. The result was a totally sexy, yet age appropriate look.

Others however have not realized that you can look sexy without looking like men will have to pay you for your company. The basic rule of thumb for those over thirty-five is if you show your legs, cover up your top and vice-versa. No super short skirts with knee-high high heeled boots, unless you wear some black opaque tights. And no see through tops showing off your bra. You can still wear a see through top, but wear a camisole underneath. My verdict for not dressing age appropriate:

 

How I Practice Self-Care

It’s been a rough few weeks. A show where I sold my jewelry ended up not making as much as I hoped, finances in our household are tight, Tim’s health has been poor, James isn’t sleeping well – hence none of us are sleeping well, one of my friends lost her baby, we laid to rest Tim’s Mom, both Tim and I are not eating well, and I’m overwhelmed by the disarray in or house. There is probably more, but I think that all of this is enough to stress anyone out. 

So how am I keeping sane? SELF-CARE. And lots of it! The past Joelle would be totally losing her s**t right now because she never looked after herself. As a matter of fact she thought it was selfish to do so. Then she got really sick with postpartum anxiety after having James.

After a lot of psychotherapy and use the Discover cbd oils to undo that way of thinking occurred and here we are. Now I place self-care at the top of my list and you need to as well.

The whole saying is true, “You need to put your own oxygen mask on when the plane’s going down before you can help others.” or something like that. A dead person can’t help others. And a frazzled, stressed out, insane person can’t be a good wife, mom, friend, productive member of society etc. And don’t think for one second you are being selfish by doing so. You are actually being selfish by not doing so because eventually you will be so drained you will need to rely on someone else to help you, thus possibly draining their energy supply.

So first you need to look at why you believe self-care is selfish. Take some time to sit down and write out the reasons you think looking after your needs is wrong. Next examine each thought and ask yourself, “Is that really true?” Then write out how you’d feel if you were better rested, less stressed, more positive etc. What you’re writing out is actually how you’ll feel after practicing self-care. Finally, write out all the things that you can do for yourself like taking a bath, buy bath bombs on laweekly painting your nails, reading, watching Netflix, going for a walk, getting a massage, spending time with friends, meditating, going on a mini retreat, etc. 

Now for the best part. DO THE THINGS YOU LISTED FOR YOURSELF. At first I felt hella guilty when I quit working at a reasonable time and went to bed with *gasp* things unfinished. Or when Tim looked after James and I had a bath. Or asking for help when I needed it. I used to be too proud and thought I could be super woman. Enough of that nonsense! I’m a regular mortal, and so are you. Self-care is like learning anything new – the more you do it, the easier it gets. My guilty feelings used to be at a ten, but after doing this for a year they are now at a one or two. Sometimes they are not there at all.

Yes it pisses me off that it self-care seems to come a lot easier for most men without the guilt and most women have to work harder at taking me time. But at the end of the day it’s just another difference between the sexes. There’s really not much anyone can do about this and it doesn’t really bother me any more. But I do know that when I wasn’t taking time for myself, I sure got more angry at Tim for taking time for himself. Just sayin’.

What I have found in married life is creating a schedule with Tim has helped tremendously. I am one to get really edgy if I don’t get alone time or I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to work on my own projects. With a schedule, I now know when I get work time and when I get me time. Knowing this also helps me get through the not-so-fun parts of my day so later on I can get things done for myself or have some fun.

So in closing, I hope this post will help you on your journey to self-care. Did I miss anything important? Have something to say in general? Please let me know in the comments below. And happy you time!

Just popping by...

Just a quick note to say “hi”! And to announce that I will be having an awesome giveaway coming up hopefully next week. You will not want to miss this one. I also want to thank everyone who takes the time out of their busy schedules to read and comment on our blog. It means the world to us!

Thanks!

Joelle & Zeke

Tuesday's OOTW - Number Onesie

My Mom rocks. I was visiting her in Saskatoon and still needed to put up an outfit on my Instagram feed. I thought my friend was taking photos of me. But after the photo shoot was done and I was trying to upload the photos onto my laptop from my camera, I discovered she hadn’t taken a single photo. She must not have known how to work my camera. After crying discovering I had no photos, my Mom braved the horrible mosquitoes and a fussing two-year-old to take the following photos of me. I’m glad she did because I love this onesie. It is made of a really great material, the pattern is pretty, and it’s easy to get on and off – which is very important when you’re in a public washroom with a toddler who loves to swing open the stall door. Also I had to buy the summer it earrings. I like them so much I am selling a few different colours in my jewelry company on eBay.  So swing over and grab a pair because 100% of the profits go to feeding my family. So do you like onsies? Let me know in the comments below.

Earrings: eBay // Onsie: Old Navy (Similar) // Bag: eBay // Shoes: Aliexpress (Similar)

 

Monday's Meme

Friday's Faux Paw

When you put on mascara, it is supposed to make you look better. If you choose clumpy mascara, you look like there is a hairy spider around each of your eyes. If your mascara clumps, either throw it out and buy a new one or if it’s new then buy a better mascara. Expensive doesn’t necessarily equal better. After applying mascara, use an eyelash comb (or save a mascara wand from a past tube and clean it) and run it through your lashes to get rid of clumps. Also if you find that your mascara flakes off under your eyes making you look like a raccoon, then once again buy a better mascara! Mature women, if you wear mascara try not wearing it on your lower lashes. This makes one look more awake (it detracts from dark under-eye circles) and draws the eye upwards and away from those crow’s feet that may be starting to show under your eyes. If mascara doesn’t enhance your eyes and instead makes you look worse, then why even bother wearing it at all?

Blogging - The Dos And Don'ts Of Working With Brands

Looking to monetize your blog? Working with brands is a great way to do so. Am I ready to quit making money elsewhere in order to blog full-time? Definitely not. But along the way I have learned what works and what doesn’t when working with brands. Today I’m going to share my dos and don’ts with you.

Do A Check To Make Sure You’re Being Professional

So often I see bloggers swearing on their Instagram Stories or worse yet calling out other companies by name who have done something wrong. This is so not professional. Think about blogging like having a nine-to-five job. Would you swear at your job? Would you dress inappropriately? Would you bad mouth others? If not then don’t do it when you’re representing your blog.

Do Your Research

With the invention of the Internet, it has never been easier to get information on anything you need to know and yet people have never been lazier. I can’t count how many times I have been asked things that someone could just Google. Make sure you do your research before you contact a company to request working with them. They don’t want someone to represent them who comes across uneducated or needing hand holding.

Do Contact The Company First

I see it all the time. Bloggers who are sitting around and waiting for brands to contact them and work with them. Don’t wait! If you see someone you want to work with, contact them. Make sure to be professional and be ready with your blog information and statistics. You’ll be surprised by how many times you will get a “Yes!”.

Do Try And Be Patient

Success never comes overnight. The bloggers who are making good money have been working their butts off for many years. Getting in a flap about not making money when you been only blogging for a year is not going to help you out. What is going to help you out is posting regularly, having great content, and working prefessionally with others.

And now the don’ts.

Don’t Lie About Your Statistics

Definitely make a PR kit. There is lots of information on Google about how to put one together. However when making your kit, DO NOT lie about your blog statistics. Companies have ways of finding this information out and if you lie and they do find out, not only will that company not work with you but word will travel and you will find yourself out of many more jobs.

Don’t Over Promise

Sit down and think about what you will offer brands when working with them. Come up with something reasonable that you can provide 100% of the time. For example if you decide that what you will do for a brand includes a blog post and posting a pic to all of your social media, then that’s what you do every single time. Whatever agreement you enter into with a brand, make sure you hold up your end. I always like to go above and beyond what I promise and that has served me very well.

Don’t Get Used

Time and time again I see bloggers being taken advantage of by companies. The latest trend is “The Brand Ambassador”. Yeah that may sound really cool and official but it’s a total joke. The company wants the blogger to buy their stuff at a “discount price” and then promote said stuff for free on the blogger’s social media and their blog. So let me get this straight. Despite the “discount” the company is still making money off the blogger. Then the company gets their stuff promoted for free. Wow! That sounds great! For the company that is. What exactly is the blogger getting? Discounted product. Am I missing something here because that totally sucks! The product should be free and in a dollar amount that represents how much the blogger wishes to be paid per hour. Then and only then is it worth it. And never pay for shipping or duties.

Don’t Be Underpaid

Sadly this happens way too much! I was just approached to promote a company for a $12 product. After I received said product I’d have to post three photos on my Instagram. Oh I’d get it for free, but let’s take a look at why this is a bad idea. My photo shoot of the product would take an hour. Then I’d need to choose the best three photos. Then I’d need to edit them. Then I’d need to plan when each photo is to be posted in my Instagram schedule. Then I’d need to post each one over the next few weeks. My time spent in total for these three photos posted on my Instagram feed is approximately 2.5 hours. Take $12 and divide by 2.5 hours and you get $4.80 which is the amount I’d be making for two hours of my time. What the heck?!? That’s way less than minimum wage! Yet I see many bloggers doing this all the time. Something is dreadfully wrong here. Needless to say I turned down their offer. And you should never waste your time on such things. Know your worth and don’t settle.

Hope this helps you out when working with brands. Have I missed something important? Please let me know in the comments below. Happy blogging!

Tuesday's OOTW - I Have A Palm Print Addiction

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends!

So yes I just might have a palm print addiction – see here, and here. I have to admit that it is my favourite print of the summer, Maybe it’s because it reminds me of a nice place where I could drink cold drinks and have someone wait on me get some sleep. I’m a simple girl. My palm print tunic fits on the larger side, so I got a small. I had this skirt forever and it matched perfectly so I thought they’d be best friends. And lately I’ve been all about green and pink together so I grabbed my me new green bag. What’s your favourite trend of this summer? Let me know in the comments below.

Sunglasses: Amazon // Hair Extensions: eBay // Shirt: Old Navy (Similar) // Bag: eBay // Skirt: Old Navy (Similar) // Shoes: JustFab (Similar)

 

Monday's Meme