Hello December! Are you guys into advent calendars? For years I just went for the classic Lindt ones but once I had kids, I wanted to jazz things up a bit. We bought a reusable calendar at Homesense and we fill it with chocolate for the kids and a note. On the note is a fun activity or an act of kindness!
I had a few people on instagram ask me for our ideas so I compiled the list and will attach it here!
Happy December everyone!
Full Disclosure: Magic Linen gifted me linens in exchange for a review.
As always, all opinions expressed are my own! Thanks so much for supporting this space.
Guys, I have BIG news. Well, it may seem very small news to you but it is big for me. This year I started making my bed EVERY SINGLE DAY with throw pillows too. I spent most of my 34 years NOT making my bed everyday and only have the pillows we sleep on but something switched this year and I just HAVE to make my bed every single day, throw pillows and all. And honestly, it brings me so much joy at the end of a long day to come into my room with a beautifully made bed….petty, I know, but it’s the little things.
So when Magic Linen contacted me to review their linen sheets, I jumped at the chance. I had heard many great things about linen sheets but I had never tried them out myself…and I’m so glad because SPOILER ALERT, they’re AMAZING.
Firstly, they have so many stunning colours to choose from. It was honestly so hard!!
We went with classic white sheets for our bed and the duvet cover in natural with a pom pom edge which adds a fun touch! The cinnamon colour is stunning as well, definitely on my wish list!!
Now onto how they feel…so every time I get something new for our bed, my husband can get a bit skeptical. We both had never slept with linen sheets so it was a new thing for us. When James first felt them with his hand, he said they felt a bit scratchy but once you got into bed it was like OH MY GOODNESS, these are HEAVENLY. Both of us LOVE them so much. They are cozy yet cool yet keep you warm….what is this magic!! Our sleeping has improved and we both said we’ll only do linen sheets from now on!
Luca has the Charcoal Grid duvet cover and it fits perfectly with any decor! He also is obsessed. When I woke him up after his first sleep with it, he said “I’m so cozy mama!”
They also have beautiful pieces for the kitchen. I just love this tea towel set!
Let me know if you have any questions about the linens!
xo, Laura
And just like that, it’s fall!! If you know me, you know that I LOVE FALL. PSL’s, pumpkin patches, hocus pocus, trick or treating, give me allll the fall things…and now the joy of creating all the fall memories with my kiddos while they’re little and everything is magical.
I also LOVE fall baking and have actually posted quite a few fall recipes!
The other night I was craving a pumpkin cookie but I didn’t want a fluffy one, I wanted a thin and chewy one and you guys, this one is all that and a bag of chips! (any 90’s kids remember that saying :p )
Here you go, and just warning, they are ridiculously delicious. We ate 4 DOZEN of these over the weekend…whoops!
Makes just over 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup room temp butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup + 1tbsp pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mix butter + sugars (I use my kitchenaid for this).
Add vanilla + pumpkin puree to mixture.
Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add into wet ingredients.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Scoop about tbsp size ball on to cookie sheet and bake 12-14 mins at 350.
Cool before removing from pan and add some sea salt to the top if you like that salty/sweet combo!
Enjoy!!!
Endy gifted us this mattress but all opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting us!
Sleep is everything around here. Some people get by on very little sleep, that is not me and that is not anyone else in this family. We love our sleep. So when Endy contacted me to review their mattress, I jumped at the chance.
We had heard so many great things about Endy and wanted to see if the mattress lived up to all the hype. If you’re used to sleeping on a spring mattress, it can feel weird to make the switch to a foam one but honestly I will NEVER go back to sleeping on a spring mattress!
The mattress arrives in a big box and obviously our kiddos loved climbing over all the boxes!
But what was even more fun than climbing the boxes was unboxing the mattress. It was super easy to assemble and so fun to watch! All you have to do is open the box and cut the plastic off the mattress (they even have a plastic cutter in the box!!), unroll the mattress and voila, hello dreamy sleep!
Before we talk about what we think about the mattress, let’s talk about how it’s made. 100% Canadian. From materials to manufacturing to distribution, it’s all done in Canada.
Endy’s comfort foam makes their mattress one of a kind. It uses open air cell structure to “provide the perfect balance of comfort and support, control sleep temperature, relieve pressure, and eliminate motion transfer.” It’s also made with NO harmful chemicals! The foam is free from formaldehyde, phthalates, flame retardants, and heavy metals. As a mom of 3, you know I’m all about finding things that don’t have nasty chemicals!
Endy also has an amazing 100 night trial. So you can try the mattress out for over three months and if you don’t love it, you can get your money back. (Side-note Endy donates those mattresses to charities across Canada!)
So how did we like it? It feels like sleeping on a cloud..so dreamy! Honestly, I sleep 1000x better than I did on any spring mattress and my back doesn’t hurt anymore like it did on our old mattress!
I would say the firmness level is 7/10 and if you like it firmer, you can put the mattress on a box spring instead of slats.
I also want to give a special mention to the Endy Pillows. They are THE BEST pillows I have ever tried. They don’t lose their firmness (like the 99 other pillows I have tried) and they are soo comfy and adjustable! We also love their duvet and sheets!
If you’re on the fence about getting an Endy my advice is to DO IT! You won’t regret it and if you don’t love it after 100 days you can return it no problem. Right Now Endy is giving away a free sheet set with the purchase of a mattress. Definitely take advantage of that!!
Last November James and I went away on a little baby moon to LA! We had so much fun away kid-free (well I guess we weren’t truly kid-free because baby boy was in my tummy!). One of the days we had the pleasure to go to Universal Studios Hollywood!
I had not been to Universal Studios Hollywood since I was a kid and James had never been before. We had so much fun exploring the park!
There were so many new additions to the park since I was last there! It was crazy walking down the streets of Springfield, Ohio. I grew up watching The Simpsons every single Sunday night! Sadly, because I was pregnant I couldn’t go on a lot of rides but I could still see and experience all the fun sights.
My absolute favourite part was entering The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!! I’ve been a Harry Potter fan since I read the first book when it first came out. I’ve read the series multiple times and have watched the movies lots too. Let’s just say I was on CLOUD NINE the whole time.
Just entering into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is it’s own incredible experience. The music and the sights transport you right to Hogsmeade. It felt like I was walking through the books/movies. Honestly, I had the BIGGEST smile on my face!!!
They offer so many amazing experiences. You can buy a wand at Ollivander’s and then use it throughout the land to perform cool “magical tricks”. As you can see from above, the castle is absolutely stunning. I so badly wanted to go on “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” but I couldn’t because of being pregnant.
James went on the family friendly coaster, Flight of the Hippogriff and loved it! As you wait for the ride, you walk past Hagrid’s Cottage!! It looks exactly like the movie.
It was so fun exploring all the shops. There were so many delicious treats to buy in Honeydukes!!
And don’t even get me started on the Butterbeer!!! It was like Heaven in a cup. Seriously, so so so delicious. I want to go back RIGHT now for some. James and I enjoyed a pint of it in the Hog’s Head Pub. The Three Broomsticks Pub is also right next door if you want some delicious British eats!
After we visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter James boarded the World-Famous Studio Tour. I was so sad to not go on that one as I have such fond memories of it from when I was a kid!! James had so much fun.
While he was on it, I explored the rest of the park! At the Super Silly Fun Land they have an amazing water park for kiddos. In the lower lot, they have a fun DinoPlay park. I’m always on the lookout for what my kids would enjoy #momlife.
I loved watching the riders finish the Jurassic World ride with a massive splash! Next time we go back I’ll be sure to go on it along with the Revenge of the Mummy Ride!!
If you’re in Southern California, you have to get to Universal Studios Hollywood!! Let me know if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer anything!
xo,
Laura
I'm Laura. Wife, mama, pastor, diy-er + chocolate addict who's just trying to change the colour on your mood ring. Thanks for stopping by, XO!
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