Polaroid Christmas Tree

If you own an Instax Polaroid Camera you know how fun they are to use. Here is a great idea I came up with for my brother’s Annual Christmas Party. This way you and your guests can have a blast snapping pictures and clipping them onto the Polaroid Christmas Tree.

Its is simple and fun to make!

Materials:

• Small 3M hooks (clear hooks and clear tape)
• Twine
• Christmas card hooks (I got these at Dollarama)

Process:

1. You need a wall or piece of a wall to use as your workspace. Make sure it is clean and dry.
2. Find the location of the middle of your workspace and that point will be the top of your tree. Place a 3M hook at this point.
3. Then take a piece of twine (length various depending on the size of the tree you want to make) and knot it onto the 3M hook.
4. Extend the twine to the left and the right to find the next two points of the tree. Then place a 3M hook at each point. Make sure to place all the hooks (except the one at the top) at a 45 degree angle. This will ensure that the twine does not fall off the hook.
5. Repeat step 4 each time going a little wider until you reach the base.
6. Finish off my knitting the twine onto the last hook.
7. Place the Christmas hooks randomly along the twine.
8. Use a wall sticker or any kind of Christmas decor for the tree topper.
9. Enjoy!

I got my Instax Camera on Amazon but you can get them (and the film) almost everywhere now: Amazon, Chapters, Michael, Walmart (just to name a few).

I would love to see pictures of your tree. Feel free to share them with me with me!

Personalized Candy Cane Decorations

For the last 2 Christmases I sent little gifts to Seth’s school for his classmates. We are not allowed to send cookies, treats or food items to school; a precaution for children with allergies. Which I am completely fine with.

I usually buy those craft packs from Dollarama but I found the last few times (Easter, Halloween) I bought them, there was one or two pieces that did not work well and we never got them 100% complete and I ended up buying something else. I think it may have been a design flaw.

Anyways, so this time I went onto Pinterest to see what ideas I could find. And I came across this candy cane decoration. I made a few little tweaks to what I originally saw. I loved the idea of having each child’s name on their candy cane. It makes it more personal and it will be something they can have for Christmases to come.

I got all my materials at Michaels Arts & Crafts. I used the materials listed below.

Materials

Red Beads

White Beads

Alphabet Beads

2 packs White Pipe Cleaners

Containers to place the beads. I used old ice cream containers

The only problem I encountered was I did not have enough of the letter A. I had to buy 3 packs of the letter in order to get all the names completed. I found that I got on average 9 letter A's in one pack of letters.

In total I made 30 personalized candy canes.

This is a fun activity you can do with your kids. Here is a quick video of me showing you step by step how I made them. Enjoy watching!

2016 Mattamy Christmas Gala

Adam & I before we left home

If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook you know that I work for a company called Mattamy Homes. On Saturday Adam and I were fortunate enough to attended the Mattamy Christmas Gala. Every year Peter (the owner) throws a grand dinner and dance for all his staff. This was the second year we were invited and it was also the second year we were both able to attend.

Adam arrived in Canada the day before the gala. We had some running around to do on Friday and Saturday in preparation for the gala. But with positive attitudes everything worked out really well.

We went shopping for a shirt for Adam on Friday and literally in 10 mins and hopping around between 5 stores we found one. We realized on Friday night that his zipper for his pants was broken and we needed to get it fixed or go buy a new suit. Eekk! So on Saturday morning we called Stitch It, they were so helpful, they said they would have it fixed and ready by 4pm. Perfect!

For me, I was worried about buying a dress that someone else might have. Last year I wore a dress that I had bought in Trinidad so I knew no one would have it. I looked around but did not find anything that caught my eye. Then one day last week I looked in my closet and found a really cute dress that my brother had bought for me for Christmas 2012 (before Seth was born). A dress that I had never worn! Perfect!

Saturday my mom and I enjoyed a pedicure at Tonyc Salon & Spa. We had a great time and enjoyed the quality time getting pampered. ( I will blog about that experience as well :) )

I could not get an appointment with my hairdresser for Saturday so I decided to do my own hair :)  wish I was very proud of.

Our outfits - check | Nails - check | Hair - check | Everything worked out really well.

The gala was decorated beautifully, the food and desserts was amazing (a 5 course meal) and I had the opportunity to introduce Adam to some of my new coworkers. I was also happy that I got to see people I used to work with in the Design Centre whom I have not seen since I made the move to downtown Toronto.

This night was so special as I reflected on how fortunate I am to have a job with an amazing company. A company where I have made some great friends that I treasure and a company where I have learnt so much and continue to learn more every day.

I am also grateful that Adam and I were able to attend the Mattamy Gala 2 years in a row! How amazing is that. With Adam’s job we are never guaranteed him being home at any point in time but with a positive mind and faith in God everything works out the way it should!

Spa date with mi mama

I had an incredible experience at the Tonyc Salon & Spa in Square One on Friday and Saturday. Of course I wanted to share this experience with you.

My mom and I booked appointments for a pedicures on Saturday and I booked a mani as well. Mom and I don’t get a chance to do any pampering together. So when Adam came and before she left we made sure to schedule a pedi date.

It only dawned on me on Friday evening that I should have done my nails on Friday so my mom would not have to wait for me while I did my mani. So I called the spa and they were able to take me Friday evening. No problem! I was very impressed.

It was my first time doing shellac, normally if I get a mani I like to do gels. But I wanted to try something new. The lady I got was Dianne. Super friendly and chatty lady. Her attention to detail was great and she was very helpful in helping me choose a colour to match my dress. After a bit of talking I figured out the colour which ended up being Teal lol … I love my Teal!

I was very happy with the experience and the service.

On Saturday my mom and I went to get our pedicure. The salon has accommodations for 2 people. A very cozy space with comfy chairs and mom and I were able to interact with one another while getting our pedicure. The girls we got on Saturday were Amanda (my mom always requests her) and Kristina. Both of them were super friendly. Kristina did a fantastic job on my feet and her attention to detail was amazing!

Things I loved about the spa:

I loved that they used all new materials on me. A new buffer, nail file, two separators and slippers. Everything is right in front of you to see. After the pedicure I was given the tools used on me. Great right!

I also loved how clean the spa was and how spotless it looked. This is something I do not make joke with. I am never impressed if I walk into a place and it looks grimy or I am not know if the materials and tools are clean. Cleanliness in a spa is super important.

I loved the girls we got they were super friendly and had a genuine interested in us. Their attention to detail was great.

I loved that mom and I had a nice little area where the focus was on us during the pedicures.

I loved that they offer you coffee or tea before they begin.

Enjoying my cup of tea

I definitely recommend Tonyc Salon & Spa for a great experience. If you go ask for Kristina, Amanda or Dianne.

Counting our blessings!

We have just 2 more sleeps until my hubby and Seth’s daddy is home :) I can’t wait!

Adam has been in England for the last few months. He started a new school adventure in September which has taken him to England for a year. Fortunately he is coming home in two days to spend Christmas with us :) yay! He will be home with us for a month.

If you know our story you know that Adam and I have been in a long distance relationship turned marriage for many years now. This will be our second Christmas that we get to spend together as a family!! What a blessing! Because of Adam’s job we do not always get to celebrate Christmas, birthdays, Easter etc. with one another on the actual days but what we do is celebrate them when we are physically together (I’ll share that in another post)

I know being the wife or child of a sailor is not easy. It's not easy for any of us but one thing that we do is always focus on the positive to help us through. This is something Adam and I have done and teach to Seth and it has made a huge impact on our lives and relationship.

So when Adam left for England in September we did not know if we would spend Christmas together. However we focused on when we would see one another again in 2017.

Then we were blessed with the news that Adam would be coming home to us in December for Christmas. Now we are focusing on his return in December.

If you are in a long distance marriage or relationship and you are struggling with the absence of your spouse or partner, I promise you it will be ok. I promise you if you and your spouse/partner is in it for the long run, every sacrifice you make now will be worth it in years to come.

My biggest tips for you is to focus on the positive things and count your blessings. When you fill your heart, your mind and your soul with all the positive things in your life and relationship it makes the journey so much better and so much more meaningful and as a results that much easier. Remember that it is not easy for any of the parties involved and each of you have a different perspective on the marriage/relationship.

Focusing on the positive does not need to be complicated. A simple thing as the ability to speak to one another on FaceTime is a HUGE blessing. When Adam and I began our relationship we did not have that luxury. We went months without talking to one another. When we did talk it was for maybe 5 mins (if the phone card lasted that long) and that was just to wish me Merry Christmas/Happy Birthday and to let me know where he was, that he was safe and he was alive. So treasure those calls because some people don’t get them. Make them meaningful, fill your conversations with love, appreciation and support for one another. Trust the journey you guys are on, support one another and love one another with all your heart.

Kars

xoxo