Happy Halloween

When you think of NYC and Halloween you think of kids trekking through apartment buildings collecting candy from their neighbours.

Not the case.

With Hannah dressed in her pumpkin t-shirt and orange socks we strolled through the UWS to see plenty of children popping into stores (from banks to depanneurs) in search of treats. And then we hit 69th street.

Two city avenues closed to traffic, haunted houses abound, this street is the definite life of the UWS party. Even though we're tourists, there was a real sense of neighbourhood and community. And some pretty funny costumes.

The most notable? A little girl dressed as a Fresh Direct delivery person, complete with a cart filled with boxes. Too cute!

Definitely a memorable way to spend Hannah's first Halloween.

Big Apple City

We made it. 

A six hour voyage in the car with minimal crying and lots of playing.

One lunch stop at Friendly's. Multiple diaper changes. Two baby food meals on the go.

And Hannah is truly a super star. She impressed her grandparents with her A1 personality and constant dadada-ing along the way.

We checked in at Hotel Beacon to a great suite (aside from the smoke smell) and I managed to get Hannah into her pack and play easily. But I then proceeded to ruin a great day by going into our room to get a fork for dinner. 

And she woke up. And proceeded to cry for 2.5 hours. And then ended up in bed with me. And woke me up every few hours to nurse.

Oh well. Tired eyes this morning but we had a great day scouting out Loehmann's and Filene's Basement (no purchases though) and even caught a What Not to Wear candidate being filmed during her shopping spree. An afternoon with 5 cousins, finished off with a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery.

And after Hannah's bath, back into the pack and play she went. Not happy at first but I caved and stayed with her until she fell asleep (an hour ago). Hopefully it will last through the night.

Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow has in store!

Weekend Recap

I apologize for being MIA this week.

Unfortunately I can't really make excuses for my absence aside from sheer tiredness. It's my own fault for staying up late most nights, as a result of a new addiction with Mad Men.

So it was quite a week...

I am proud to say that bedtime now consists of approximately 1.5 minutes of crying. Yipee!!! In fact, tonight was a mere 30 seconds! I figure I can let the cat out of the bag now since we are off to NYC tomorrow and at this point I probably won't jinx myself since the pack and play will probably take care of that for us.

We also participated in a study at McGill's Polka Lab for speech. A bit nerve racking for me, hooked up to monitors, while I had to make up a creative story for Hannah about artichokes, pencil sharpeners and toothpaste, all without using their real names. In the end, she graduated with a junior scientist PhD and a fun red t-shirt.

And now our bags are packed and we're ready to hit the big apple. On the itinerary: lots of family time with cousins, visits with friends, a hunt for a long black bridesmaid dress (hopefully achieved at Loehmann's) and tons of walking in the (forecasted) 19 degree warm weather. Fingers crossed that our nights will be quiet (and full of sleep) so I will have time to post from there.

If not though, here are a few articles to keep you reading in the meantime:

Montreal Maternity Fashion

Sauterelles et Coccinelles

Halloween Costumes

Cate & Levi

A Shoe In

Mark your calendars, ladies.

November 14th...its the big day.

Never thought you could afford a pair of Jimmy Choos? Well, thanks to their newest collaboration with H&M you can!

Shoes, purses, accessories and more!

We're guessing they'll go fast so get in line at one of the three Canadian locations featuring the line:

Ste Catherine/Peel - Montreal

Pacific Centre - Vancouver

Eaton Centre - Toronto

We're thinking a cat fight might be the order of the day, but if you get out on top you'll be riding high in a pair of new heels.

I Beck your Pardon

Some of you already know...but I am a die-hard fan of my Beco Baby Carrier.

I wear it at least twice a day while walking Winston, giving me two hands to hold on to the leash. Well, this past weekend, one of the clips broke.

We're off to the Big Apple next week and I MUST have my Beco to navigate the stairs of subway stations. So I put in a call to Enfant & Compagnie where the carrier was purchased. Within 24 hours, the owner (who I have previously written about for Sweetmama) got me in touch with the sales rep after offering to lend me her very own carrier for my week in NYC.

I am now expecting a replacement clip in the mail prior to my departure.

Amazing customer service. On all levels. Which makes me love the brand even more than I already did!

Service like this is hard to come by so Beco most definitely deserves a pat on the back.

Deals that aren't steals

Welcome to a new website in the world of discount kids' stuff.

Totsy makes it's debut with some super colourful PJs from Beeposh. Two
sets at 50% off...not bad!

If you'd like to become a member just let me know and I will send you
an invitation.

Bargains abound, cheers to happy shopping!

Kidnapped

Why should babies have all of the fun?!

Now toddlers and kids can get in on the online action with the newly launched Kidsteals website.

First order of business, Crocs at 55% off.

Looking forward to seeing what other brands this website will offer at discount prices.