… But, don’t wait much longer, K?

Today is the LAST DAY of Old Navy Canada’s Kids & Baby Sale. Now I did pop by at the beginning of the sale to grab a few summer essentials for Ryder (Reid, bless his heart, has more than enough hand-me-downs to make do. One of the benefits of having a shopaholic mother, I suppose; there’s always enough stuff to go ’round).

Halfway through the sale, I was quite annoyed to see an announcement declaring “Further Reductions on Kids & Baby!” I quickly calculated how much more I would have saved had I waited – alas, the $8 difference didn’t inspire me to schlep into the store to have my receipt adjusted.

But this morning, being the last day of the sale, I decided to jump online to see if there were further last-minute savings to be had. Success! When you shop online and use code ONSAVE15, plus the further reductions, you can make out like a bandit! Start the car!

Now to be fair, sizing is limited and you do have to pick through to find what you’re looking for. But if you’ve got some extra time on your hands, and growing kids that you can buy for one-size-up at ridiculous prices, now’s the time. Here are a few of cheapest Best Bets:

Toddler Boys (6m – 5T)
Golf Shirts – just $4.69 after discount.
Regular Fit Jeans – just $7.65 after discount.
Muscle Tees – just $3.40 after discount.
Solid Heel Flip Flops – just $2.11 after discount.
Drawstring Jersey Shorts – just $3.74 after discount.
Micro Performance Fleece Pullovers – just $3.37 after discount.
Fireman Raincoats – just $14.44 after discount.

Toddler Girls (6m – 5T)
Jersey Tanks – just $3.40 after discount.
Shoulder Tie Empire Dresses – just $5.10 after discount.
Flutter or Ruffle Sleeve Graphic Tees – just $5.10 after discount.
Printed Full Length Leggings – just $5.07 after discount.
Gladiator Jelly Sandals – just $5.58 after discount.
Jersey Pocket Shorts – just $3.40 after discount.
Cross-Back and Halter Swimsuits – just $6.80 after discount.

Of course, older boys and girls styles are on sale too, but since I have little experience shopping for big kids, you’ll have to navigate on your own :)

Click here to visit Old Navy Canada.

If you know a new mom you’d like to shower with love, here’s a HOT Pick – just in time for Mother’s Day:

Ju Ju Be “Be Hip” Messenger-Style Diaper Bags for just $49.99 from MTF Price Matters. The bags normally retail for between $79.99 to $89.99, so this is a fantastic price!

The diaper bag features:

- Removable diaper changing pad.
- 2 exterior insulated bottle pockets plus a soft pocket for phones or ipod…
- 2 front pockets with closures to keep everything in.
- Foam padded bottom… just in case mom decides she wants one for work, too :)
- Adjustable shoulder strap includes a memory foam pad and a grippy textile underneath…
- Teflon … so stains don’t stick.
- Crumb Drains … bye-bye mess!
- Metal Hardware … don’t trust any of the cheap plastic stuff.
- Light Colored Linings … you can actually see what’s inside, it’s not just a big black hole in there.
- Quiet Magnets … Velcro’s noisy. Yuck!
- Bottle Pockets … with Thinsulate by 3M. Keep it warm? Keep it cold? Sure!
- Machine Washable … air dry.

Available patterns:

Shipping is a flat $5 across Canada, and while there seems to be good stock at the moment (123 bags total) I have no doubt these diaper bags will sell quickly. My pick? “Pretty Tweet” – how sweet!

Click here to shop at MTF Price Matters.

The launch of SHOP.CA is just around the corner! To celebrate the beginning of friendly, hassle-free online Shopping, we’re throwing a Twitter Party!

Join us for a fun night where we’ll chat about your favourite online Shopping tips, learn more about the amazing brands that you’ll find on SHOP.CA, and get excited for what promises to be a Canadian Shopping Revolution!

WHEN: Thursday, May 10th from 8:30 – 10:00pm EST.

WHO: All are invited to party, but prizing is open to Canadians only.

HOSTS: Join @SHOPdotCA, @Listen2Lena, @FeistyFrugal, @MyChaos, @SassyModernMom and @SimplyStacieNet using the hashtag #SHOPdotCA

PRIZES: Over $2000 in Prizing, including a Samsung 40″ 1080p LED HDTV, 5 x $100 SHOP.CA Gift Cards and Luxury SHOP.CA Gift Baskets featuring brands such as Clinique, SoyaBoutique, Artsy Pear, Lise Watier and more!

Don’t forget to RSVP for your chance to win a fabulous prize! Then, mark your calendars, and we’ll see you on Thursday night!

There’s no use denying it – Zellers is leaving us. In just a few short months, the stores will be gutted and re-branded to a “huge American retailer that shall remain nameless”… oh sod it, Target is coming to Canada (as if you don’t already know).

A few weeks ago, I shared the Zellers Memory Showcase Facebook tab. Simply submit a fond memory at Zellers, and if it’s one of the lucky anecdotes brought to life EMD-style, you’ll also receive a $250 Zellers gift card.

Here’s just one of the hilarious videos from the re-enactment gallery -  who hasn’t trembled at the thought of being locked in a changing room? (Though girlfriend in the video is ug-ly… probably best to have left her in.)

Don’t forget to check out the other videos featured on the tab – they’re quite the chuckle. And while you’re there, be sure to grab the coupon for $10 off $40 or more on Women’s, Men’s and Kid’s apparel, sleepwear and accessories!

Zellers, it’s been real. Thanks for the many memories!

This post is sponsored by Zellers. All opinions are my own.

I really think it’s time to incorporate a little minty freshness into my life. You like?

Will you be cool-as-a-cucumber in mint green this season? 

It’s no surprise that I’ve been waiting (impatiently) for the launch of SHOP.CA - the beginning of friendly, hassle-free online Shopping. But waiting for anything is never really much fun… unless you can make it interesting. I CAN.

One of the benefits of being SHOP.CA’s Official Shopaholic is having access to AMAZING giveaways for my readers… including THIS one:

Canadians, here’s your chance to WIN a Samsung 40″ 1080p LED HDTV valued at $849.99 – courtesy of SHOP.CA! 

Here’s the deal. You know that SHOP.CA is coming to Canada. And, you likely know that soon you’ll be treated to a revolutionary new way for Canadians to Shop online. But in plain English, SHOP.CA is all about sharing. It’s pretty simple: the more you share about products on SHOP.CA, the more SHOP.CA Rewards you earn. And what better way to find out about those products than through SHOP.CA’s Facebook Fan Page. Here, you’ll find:

- Hot offers, Facebook-only promos and updates on new retail partners
- See what other Canadians are loving on SHOP.CA and find your own inspiration
- Stay in-the-know on the latest trends and best products

(You can also stay in the loop by following SHOP.CA on Twitter.) (more…)

I’m filing this one under: AGING SUCKS.

And, it does the WEIRDEST things to your body.

Case in point: I’ve been a size 7 shoe for almost my entire life – certainly ever since my foot stopped growing around the age of sixteen. If you don’t believe me, you can ask my bestie – a confirmed size 7 whom I often swapped footwear with during our clubbing days (noticeably CFM* boots).

(*If you don’t know what CFM boots are, you’ll have to Google it. Sorry, I’m too old to use that kind of language.)

Anyhoo, I noticed a strange trend over the past few months – shoes that I’ve worn for YEARS suddenly felt very uncomfortable near the toes. The shoes clearly were too tight – my feet ached in protest if tried to slip them on for any length of time. Huh?

So last night, I had my husband bring up a storage box filled with old shoes – the ones I was hesitant to give away (hoping the style would recycle in the not-to-distant future). There were shoes and shoes and shoes.

And none of them fit. They were ALL too small. What.the.hell.

Exhibit A: These Barbie by David Dixon shoes were worn when I was 35 weeks pregnant. Do you know what women’s feet look like when baby-to-be is due? They’re swollen, take on manatee-like proportions and often lack a certain sex appeal.

(Of course, I’m still rocking my creepy skeletal feet, but trust me, they were quite larger than what I’m used to.)

And so when I came across the shoes last night I naturally thought, “These will fit for sure! If they fit while I was pregnant, certainly I can get into them now!”…. Yeah, not so much. Waaaay too tight.

So what gives? According to Terence Vanderheiden, D.P.M., “Feet can increase in size as you get older. Your feet are not really growing, but the tendons and ligaments tend to get stretched out and this leads to a larger foot size.” Also, weight gain (perhaps from 2 pregnancies in 2 years?) can also place pressure on the feet, slowly stretching and loosening the muscles.

The result: Mama needs some new shoes!

I have decided to embrace my newly size 8 feet and look forward to re-building my shoe collection, one pair at time. To begin, let’s start by coveting these colour block looks from Town Shoes:

Have your feet changed size over the years? I’d really like to think I’m not the only one!

When I was a little girl, there were only about 3-4 months out of the entire year that I could enjoy strawberries. And boy oh boy did I ever look forward to the summer season – in addition to sweet berries; cold, juicy watermelon; fuzzy peaches and perfect plums, the farmer’s market nearly overflowed with local, tree-ripe produce. We devoured the fruit to our heart’s content, knowing that eating “in season” meant enjoying it while it lasted. And was it ever GOOD.

Today, I can get strawberries any old day of the week. In the dead of winter, if I please. Because they come from countries like Mexico and the US; making it highly convenient to “enjoy” them all year round.

(Notice the sarcastic quotes around enjoy?)

The thing is, imported strawberries simply aren’t as sweet as their local counterparts. They don’t keep as well – having endured the long journey in the cargo hold of an 18-wheeler. The fruit bruises easily and sometimes gets that telltale brown blush which lets you know that at one point, they were almost frozen. They ALWAYS come with a subtle warning to “Wash Before Use”, because other countries have different regulations for pesticide use.

And I suppose the kicker is: if you have a question or concern about the food you’re consuming, you’re pretty much out of luck. Trust me, as much as the strawberry growers in Mexico care about their crops, they really don’t care about you.

So why the heck are we talking about strawberries this morning? It all comes down to the importance of buying products and services from companies created by Canadians, for Canadians.  (more…)

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only. 

Almost everything in life has an in-between stage. Such as:

1. The horrid in-between stage while you’re growing out your hair. You know; when it barely grazes your shoulders, but it’s enough to make it kink out in 13 different directions.

2. The challenging in-between stage called the “tween” years – enough said.

3. The tough in-between stage when you’ve got about 40% remaining of a piece of chocolate cake. You told yourself you would only have a bite or two, but now you’ve finished just more than half. Do you polish it off, promising silently to take the stairs later? Or, do you summon your willpower and push it aside?

Thankfully, even diaper bags have an in-between stage: meet the Sashay Satchel from Petunia Pickle Bottom. It’s a happy median between carrying most of Babies R Us’ inventory on your shoulder, and the carefree time when all your children are potty, snack and spill-trained. Of course, that can be a rather long in-between stage, no?

To glide about in graceful nonchalance is to sashay, and to sashay is to know the newest revelation from Petunia Pickle Bottom- a satchel-style bag that delivers on its namesake. Moving effortlessly from satchel to backpack, and from diaper bag to handbag, the Sashay Satchel defines modern style.

Now that Ryder is potty trained and Reid never poops in public, I no longer feel the need to carry a traditional diaper bag. In fact, if I could ditch all of their toddler paraphernalia immediately, I would gladly do so. But the reality is, I still need extra compartments, hidden pockets and the large organizational capabilities that come with PPB bags. Because instead of toting baby bottles and wipes, I’m now carrying along water bottles, Polysporin and bandages, and copious amounts of snacking foods. And ahem, I prefer to do it in style.

So why am I so obsessed with Petunia Pickle Bottom? Think bold lines, daring colours and designer details. Fall in love with silk brocades, hand-woven tweeds and plush chenilles. Stay organized with spacious interiors, thoughtfully designed pockets and hands-free straps. This is PPB. (more…)

I’ll be honest – since I love to Shop, I put up with a lot.

Specifically: Inflated designer prices. Convoluted return policies. Suspicious sizing. Indifferent customer service. Taxes, surcharges, delivery costs, membership fees, tariffs, restocking fees and more.

I’m not exactly sure why I’m such a martyr; perhaps, as a Canadian, I’ve been programmed to believe that the best products – and deals – can only be found south of the border. And so I subject myself to the perils of cross-border Shopping in a quasi-masochistic way; scanning US websites in a desperate attempt to find one that will bring the product(s) to my door for an amount that does not rival a car payment.

Those surcharges really are the bane of my existence.

Sometimes, I get creative. It was almost 5 years to the date that I began looking for gifts for my then-bridesmaids. They had all done such a wonderful job helping me plan my wedding; I felt it was only right that I reward them with something fabulous. And I knew exactly what I wanted to gift – the Limited Edition Coach Patchwork Carly. The golden-hued handbag is in the classic Carly shape – while being highlighted with patches of python, leopard, suede and signature prints. Back in 2007, it was kind of a big deal.

Alas, at the time, getting Coach on your shoulder necessitated a trip to the US or a visit to a knock-off retailer – the second being a big no-no, of course, unless you wanted to sport oblong “O”s instead of “C”s. And since Coach.com did not ship to Canada, I felt my hands were tied.

So I went on a mission. First, I looked into purchasing a PO box in Buffalo. That idea was immediately rejected, because if I could drive to Buffalo to pick up my parcel, then I could cross the border and just buy them from the Coach store in the States. Next, I contemplated a cross-border delivery service – one that ships the purses to a US address, and then in-turn re-routes them to my home. This seemed like a winning solution until I discovered the final cost after shipping, brokerage fees and extra charges: almost $170 for four purses! (Many of these services base their charges on the value of the goods, and Coach handbags aren’t cheap, obv). (more…)

Thought the HIGH-larious videos from Zellers were over? Nope! And I, for one, am happy to see the chuckles roll on!

Once again, rather than avoid the subject, the company is actively participating in its transition by reaching out to customers via social media. This time, the Executive Managing Director of Zellers is back, and he’s reenacting Canada’s fondest, funniest and most fantastic Zellers memories.

I too have a fond Zellers memory: about two years ago, while attending my first (and last) “Moonlight Madness“, a little boy came up to me and tugged on the sleeve of my jacket. Glancing down, I put on my most pleasant face and said “Hello!” in a sing-song voice. He leaned in really close and said “These people are cra-zy” and did the twirly thing with his finger around the side of his head. I laughed, but when I looked around, realized that we truly were surrounded by crazies; people piling their carts full of pillows, grabbing canned peas like we were in a war-torn country, and elbowing each other for under-the-bed organizers. (One lady had eight – how many beds could she possibly have?) I had a good giggle with this strange 6 year old and remembered to stay far away from shopaholic shame.

Do you have a fond memory involving Zellers? Share your story in the Zellers Memory Showcase tab on their Facebook page. If it’s one of the lucky anecdotes brought to life EMD-style, you’ll also receive a $250 Zellers gift card!

Good luck – and while you’re there, be sure to grab the coupon for $10 off $40 or more on Women’s, Men’s and Kid’s apparel, sleepwear and accessories!

Two words: SHOPAHOLIC’S DREAM.

Friends, I’ve got some really exciting news to share this afternoon. So exciting, in fact, that I may just go on and on because there is just too much awesomesauce to handle. Are you ready? You’re going to LOVE this.

Now close your eyes… and imagine if there was a company – a CANADIAN company – that could offer:

- An authoritative selection of products
- Unparalleled customer service
- Shopping the widest selection of brands
- ONE shopping cart and ONE check out
- FREE shipping and FREE returns

PLUS, a social media-driven shopping environment so you can shop with your friends; a rewards program based on real dollars that lets you earn every time you buy; rewards for sharing, posting reviews and building your profile; and none of the hassles of cross-border shopping (ding! ding! ding!)

I’m pleased to introduce SHOP.CA – or as we like to call it, the Canadian shopping revolution. It’s the end of cross-border shopping, and the beginning of friendly, hassle-free online shopping - created by Canadians, for Canadians.

(I think the heavens just parted a bit, with rays of sunshine beaming down on us.) (more…)

Feeling lucky? You must have a bit of ol’ Irish in you. And since tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve decided to celebrate early with my best picks for cheap chic – influenced by one of my all time favourite hues: bright, bold and boisterous GREEN.

The following items can all be found in Canada for less than $100 each; making these choices affordable and incredibly hard to resist! In fact, I’ve pretty much decided to buy those H&M trousers this afternoon – a girl’s gotta get her shamrock on before the big day!

“May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks! May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours… that stay with you all the year long.” Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it before: Old Navy knows how to throw a party, y’all.

(Insert any track from “Dance Hits 2000″ here.)

If you happened to catch one of their #OldNavyFamilyDay celebrations on Monday, you’ll agree with me all the way. From the Crazy Cookie Bar to the Accessory Creation Stations (which were a HUGE hit with all the kiddos – standing room only!!) the entire store was packed with families, shoppers and little ones busting a move on the Funky Floor. Here’s Reid showing the party people how low he can go (very low, from the looks of it). You’ll also notice big brother Ryder in yellow, standing around trying to look cool. #nicetry

Other photos from the event, courtesy of the über talented Racheal McCaig:

(more…)

(Technically, the website only published nine (9) malls, but who’s counting? Except everyone, of course.)

You know how some people have a bucket list? I have a “mall bucket” list. As in, must visit these malls before I kick the bucket. Because life wouldn’t be complete, you know, unless I went bowling at the Cevahir in Istanbul.

Yesterday, Business Insider released a list of their picks for the 10 9 Coolest Malls on the planet. While there were some familiar favourites (West Edmonton Mall, holla! #CanandianPride) I did manage to experience at least four jaw-dropping moments. And so the following destinations have been added to my list:

1 UTAMA: Located in Selangor, Malaysia, it’s the fourth largest shopping mall in the world, featuring an indoor rain forest with koi ponds. (more…)