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Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Canadian baby products that I love!

Hello friends,...

Today I decided to write about some Canadian baby products that I used and I recommend. Please note that this post was not sponsored by any of the brands/products listed below. This is just a mom sharing her findings with you!

I came to know and bought all products below at Baby Shows. These are baby products that Isabella used and we recommend.


ZippeeMax: this is a baby car seat cover made of a very soft fabric and it can be used as a shopping cart cover, nursing cover and as they mention on their website, the possibilities are endless. We got Isabella the black with white stars - black & white is a classy combination, right?



We got the one with the zipper and it was great to protect her from the wind and/or water if we were outdoors - we only zip closed for very short periods of time for proper air flow. Most of the time we left the zipper open and we could see her adorable face. Look at this pink one,....



You can find more information about this product on their website: http://zippeemax.com

Baby Nimbus: in fact this is a platform that help promote and support local doodlers to showcase their work. They have a variety of products, but what we like the most are the Canadian themed onesies - they are adorable and you can see the Canadian roots in most of them.

Isabella had the 'Fully Caffeinated Squirrel' onesie. It is hilarious! My husband and I love coffee, so we thought it would be fun our baby wearing such a whimsical top.


You can find more information and other designs on their website: https://www.babynimbus.com

Love Squared Kids: Ron is an enthusiast for hats,... in fact anything you can possibly think on wearing on your head,... caps, touques, bandanas, hats (all styles - believe me!!!!) and when he saw the slouchy beanies from Love Squared Kids he just couldn't stop asking me to get a matching set for the whole family (maybe not the whole family since they don't have dog fashion).

Anyways, the fabric is soft, light and the styles are soooooo beautiful. Isabella and I have the mauve (or rose) with white little stars and Ron got his favourite colour/theme: camo.





As you can see, it is possible to create a Mommy&Me style :)



Check their website: http://www.lovesquaredkids.ca

Lulujo: I am a fan of muslin blankets and swaddles,... they are so versatile and can be used for a lot of things: cover the baby (when is not so cold), cover for the car seat, nursing cover, I even use them as towels... We have a ton of them around the house. And the muslin blankets we have from Lulujo are great! They are eco-friendly - made of natural bamboo - lightweight and ultra soft. They come in different sizes and designs are soooooo cute. I could not believe how soft the fabric gets every time it is washed.

We got Isabella the one with the XO print.

Who doesn't like those cute pictures taken every month with baby's milestones???? I certainly do. With this in mind we got Isabella a Baby's First Year Milestones Blanket, we chose the one with pink flowers and cards set,... and here is a picture of my little baby when she was 4 months old. I was not a good photographer though,... but it was a great way to create memories and track her growth.

At this point in time she was rolling over by herself (and supper excited about it!) and it became a bit tricky to take pictures.



Fore more products, please visit the website: www.lulujo.com


Gertie the Good Goose: this is an adorable teething toy made of natural rubber and it features food-grade paint. It is BPA, phthalate and PVC free,... in other words, chemicals free!!!!!! Gertie is lightweight and the contrasting colours are perfect for catching baby's attention.





We bought Gertie at a Baby Show in 2017 and it was love at first sight (Bella & Gertie)! Gertie's shape was designed specifically for small hands, and I can tell that she was able to hold the toy by herself since the beginning. Isabella chews her beak and feet with no mercy, and it helps to alleviate the pain in her gums when she is teething.

We also had the chance to meet Gertie's creator at the same Baby show, she was lovely and took the time to talk to us and explain about what makes Gertie unique.

Gertie became part of the family instantly,... she made it in time to be part of the 4 month-old celebration!




Look at Isabella and Gertie together! She was 5 months old!



You can buy Gertie and her friends (yep,... there is a family!) at Amazon or Well.ca

Any other suggestion on Canadian products this mommy should know about? Please leave a comment here!

Monday, October 29, 2018

Getting Ready for Halloween

October is here and now that we already celebrated Thanksgiving it's time to think about Halloween.

In fact, I think I am starting a bit late this year. Anyways,...

This is Ron's favourite celebration of the whole year. He gets extremely excited about Halloween and if it were only up to him, the entire house would be the home of skeletons, bats and creepy creatures.

I have to admit that I am also excited about Halloween, specially because Isabella started understanding what is going on around her. The other day we went to the supermarket and she had fun walking in the middle of the inflatable outdoor decorations.

We already got a few necessary things for this year, but I still have things in my TO DO list:

  • Isabella's costume
  • Dad's costume
  • Mommy's costume
  • Treats
  • Decoration
  • Cookie cutters
  • Bake cookies

Costumes:

Last year we didn't plan in advance, except from Isabella's costume. The reason for this was because we had family visiting for the month of October (here is our beautiful niece holding Isabella) and we were a bit busy. Isabella was a such a small baby, but it didn't keep us from having a bit of fun. She was a cute baby unicorn.




I was someone from Gryffindor,... yep,... Harry Potter fan here (big time)!!!!!!! And daddy was,.... was,... well, he was someone 'friendly/scary'.







We also got Isabella a day time outfit, needless to say that she really liked it!







So this year we already got her costume - stay tuned on our Instagram for the big reveal on Halloween Day! And there will be a post telling you everything about her Halloween experience. I am also considering having a family theme. We still have to find our costumes for this family approach.

Decoration:

We have some decoration around the house to set the mood for halloween,... nothing big. Each year we set a budget to spend and add a few more items to our "collection". We already have our friendly vampire in our garden and some spider webs and sparkly spiders on the porch.





I like to add small things on our days to set the mood as well,... I mean, you don't need to spend a lot. We got some straws, ziplocks,....




I am also planning on baking some sugar cookies. I got so excited with the cookie cutters with the halloween theme when I saw them, I thought ir would be fun baking with Isabella! I love baking and I wish I had more time for it. I will share the pics from the result with you!

Halloween is so much fun!!!!! Isabella already has a Jack-o'-Lantern treat bucket. Right now she uses it to carry her colourful toys around the house. The other day she was "helping" mommy to fold the clothes and she stuffed it with the socks to be taken to her room. I thought it was a pretty smart move,... but I don't know if she was just playing or she really meant to take all of them in one trip - I like to think that she is a clever baby!!!!



Ok, this is it for now,... hope you guys have a lovely Halloween,... and keep warm!







Friday, September 21, 2018

It is Cake Smash time!

I can't believe how fast the first year has gone by. It feels like it was just the other day that we were bringing our newborn baby home from the Hospital.

Isabella had a great time during her birthday party (check here),... she played with her friends and had lots of carrots. She was so excited that she didn't nap a bit!

After celebrating Isabella's 1st birthday, it was time to look into the "Cake Smash thing". I think it is adorable to see the pics of the little ones having fun with a cake. Little did I know that most of time the cake smash photo session should take place before the 1st b-day party,... oh rookie mom!!!!

For those who (like me) don't know, a cake smash photo session consists of a baby literally smashing a beautiful cake and making a controlled mess. As I mentioned, it is a sweet mess (pun intended)!

We chose the package that started with the Milestone pictures (1 year old), then the Cake Smash when Isabella got in touch with the cake and had a blast and wrapped up with a  relaxing Bubble Bath.

I wanted a cake that looked like a giant cupcake and the ladies from Mangia Cake Desserts did a great job! It was beautiful and yummy. This was the first time that Isabella tasted sugar.



As for he theme, I love the clean backdrops with all possible shades of pink. Another prop that I wanted was the large letters that spell out ONE.



The photographer - Alona Rose - was really nice and made Isabella, mom and dad feel comfortable during the photo session. Everything that she prepared - props, backdrops, balloons - was pretty & elegant, I love the flowers and the balloons! Needless to say that she is a great professional,... look at some pictures:







We took the Birthday board with us, it was made for her Birthday party and now it is in her nursery.

A few tips: 1) think about the theme/color scheme you want for the cake smash in advance, try to search on Pinterest and Instagram for ideas; 2) Be prepared for you to get some cake on your clothes and maybe your hair :) It might be a good idea to have a spare outfit for you just in case! 3) Make sure your baby is well rested,...









So,.. did you like Isabella's Cake Smash Session?

Photos by Alona Rose: https://alonarose.com
Cake by Mangia Cake Desserts:https://www.instagram.com/mangia_cake_desserts/?hl=en
Birthday board: https://www.facebook.com/inspiredbyougraphicdesign/



Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Isabella's 1st Birthday Party


Isabella turned one (a few months ago) and I can't believe how fast she is growing. She is no longer that baby that depended on us for everything,... it is a bitter sweet feeling because at the same time that I miss that little baby, I am proud of the (tiny) human being she is becoming.

We decided to have a small birthday party at our home just for the closest friends and family. I chose the theme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - it is one of her favourite songs.

After picking the theme, I went online to order the party supplies: plates, napkins, cups, some centerpieces and balloons.



I was able to find this adorable invitation online, I knew it would be perfect for the colour scheme we chose.




Checking Pinterest I saw some birthday boards, and I became obsessed with them,... It is such a great idea to register this milestone. I contacted a Canadian company (great customer service!)  that designed it just the way I wanted, and the result is here:



I ordered it 20'x16'and it was the perfect size. I love it so much!!!!! See the contact for this company at the end of this post.

The menu was prepared at home and it included pulled pork sliders, carrots (Isabella's fave!!!) & tomatoes with hummus, tostitos, layered sandwich - vegan and regular (this is like a layered savory cake - I know it doesn't make sense, but our guests loved them), passion fruit mousse and "brigadeiros" - tradicional Brazilian chocolate truffles.



We ordered the cake from a traditional bakery. The shades of rose-pink matched the colour scheme of the party.



It was such a great time,... Isabella had so much fun from start to end. We would like to thank our friends for celebrating such an important day with us,... also a special thanks to Grandma Ivete, and her God-Parents Ivana and Izzet for helping us to prepare everything for this special moment. We love you guys!






Grandma came to help us and celebrate with our baby Bella! Such a great memory.




I just love this picture!!!!!



Isabella's friends (two of them in the picture), the little girl was fascinated with Isabella's headband!!!








Brigadeiros - Brazilian chocolate truffles

Passion fruit mousse.




Invitations: Little Monkey Design
Party supplies/decoration/balloons: Party City online
Isabella's personilized board: Inspired By You Graphic Design
Cake: La Casa Dolce
Isabella's dress: Gymboree
Mommy's dress: Rick's



Next step: cake smash!!!!




Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Summer Events in Toronto - Jazz Festival & Taste of the Danforth

I love Summer,... don't you? And also everything that comes with it,.. the sun, blue skies, outdoor activities, barbecue, and the street festivals.

There are many street festivals happening around Toronto and GTA during this time and it is a great opportunity to learn about other cultures, meet new people, try different food (and eat again the delicious ones).

Among all the street festivals in Toronto, there are 2 that we used to go every year: Beaches Jazz Festival and Taste of the Danforth.

The Beaches Jazz Festival is an event that celebrates many styles of music. It happens during the month of July, however the main event (in my opinion!!!!) will be happening this weekend - The StreetFest - July 27 & 28.

Basically Queen street east is closed to traffic from Woodbine Avenue to Beech Avenue (almost 2.5 km) and this season over 45 bands will entertain the public that enjoy music. Each band plays 4 times for 30 minutes. It is magical to walk on the street enjoying live music, it is such an energizing event.

This is also a good opportunity to have those munchies from the food trucks or "Street Fest Food". Honestly,... my mouth is watering right now thinking about the corn in the cob, fried cassava and the funnel cake (not really healthy).

This is an event that we love to go, chiefly with our great friends Ana & Jose. And they are up to a new challenge this year: introduce Isabella to the Jazz Festival. She LOVES music since the womb. My only concern is that the music might be a bit too loud for her. I will take her baby earmuffs that we got when we traveled to Brazil last year (the fireworks were too noisy for her).

Baby Banz Earmuffs


I searched on my computer for some pictures from the previous festivals we had been to and unfortunately I couldn't find any photo. This year there will be some pictures (for sure!) and you can see them on our social media channels - follow us on Facebook & Instagram!

For more information on the Jazz Festival click here.

The Taste of the Danforth is a street fest that happens at the east side of Toronto at Danforth st., aka "Greektown". This year it will happen from August 10-12.

Restaurants from the area, usually local vendors, set up small food stations on the street offering taste menus. When in Greektown don't miss the opportunity to try authentic greek food. Usually there are long lines for the gyro - we have one every year at the event. For those who don't know, gyro is a greek dish with meat (cooked in a vertical rotisserie), tomato, tzatziki (greek sauce) and French fries wrapped in a flat bread.



There are also performances from dance groups, artists and bands in 3 different stages along the Danforth.

So, what should you expect when going to this festival? Food, food and more food,... music and Opa!!!!,... the greek atmosphere all around you. It will be very difficult not to have a wonderful time at this event.

For more information on the Taste of the Danforth click here.



Thursday, June 28, 2018

We are Social!!!


Hi there,

I am so excited to share with you the new redesigned Kleinburg Diaries. I am a fan of simple & clean designs and I always dreamed about having something like this for my blog. TA-DA,... here it is!!!!

The dynamic will be the same and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave us comments and/or suggestions. If you wish to read about a specific topic just search for it using the labels section or if you prefer, the blog archive can be used.

To stay connected with our Social Media follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Bloglovin' & Pinterest (work in progress).


Find some cute pics on our Instagram page:



Our Facebook page is already up and running:



Follow the blog on Bloglovin and get the latest updates and posts:




How did you like the new look? I would love to hear from you!!!