Category Archives: Lifestyle

Banff || 36 Hour Travel Guide

Typically we travel as a family to Banff twice a year. I love to experience this magic mountain town during multiple seasons. This trip was short and sweet for Harper’s 6th birthday. Here is what we got up to in 36 hours before in one of our favourite Alberta spots.

Accommodation: Mount Royal Hotel

Location, location, location. Right on main street in the heart of Banff. Step outside the front doors and everything is right there. The roof top hot tub was a bonus with amazing views. This is our third stay at this hotel and we would definitely book it again.

Eats:

Blue Bird

This midcentury modern steakhouse was a vibe. So inviting, warm and sexy. The food was exceptional. Even our kids meals tasted great and usually at a restaurant those meals are an afterthought and let’s be honest gross. Dishes of note, the prime rib is a must with Yorkshire pudding. Please note, it was packed when we were there, I highly recommend a reservation. On Sunday they have a prime rib special of that aligns with your travel dates.

Brazen

Light, bright and such a gorgeous space for a date night. The kids were completely satisfied with their meals but the homemade ice cream sandwiches were the game changer for the two of them. Matt and I shared and sampled quite a few dishes. The stand out was definitely the ginger beef! Presentation was epic. And we are still dreaming about it.

Shopping: Jolene’s Teahouse, Spirit of Christmas, Banff candy store, Canada Goose and Patagonia.

Sights: Bow Falls

Misses: Sad to see Banff’s Santa Clause Parade was cancelled for yet another year. We have wanted to experience that for quite some time. Maybe next year. We love to go on the gondola up Sulphur Mountain, the views are exceptional but unfortunately it was down for seasonal maintenance. NightRise at the gondola sounds incredible and I hope to experience that someday. And we were just a few days early for the Christmas market. If you were going to Banff this December I highly recommend checking it out.

My Kinley Tunic from Plenty is here! #Sponsored

The day has finally come, my handpicked Kinley tunic from Plenty launches today! I’m over the moon to be included in this exclusive collaboration with one of my favourite Canadian stores. I own 5 different Kinley sweaters and wear them on repeat. I wanted to choose a neutral that could easily transition from every season. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Every piece of clothing styled with my Kinley is from Plenty as well. (except my footwear) My unique discount code for 10% off your entire order is Kira10. It is active until the end of this month.

Happy shopping.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored and paid by Plenty but my thoughts remain my own.

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Jasper Travel Guide 2020: Eat, Stay, & Explore

Eats: This trip to Jasper we decided to go off the beaten path and head up to the Maligne Waterfall 20 minutes outside Jasper township. Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen is Jasper’s only smokehouse and opened in 2019. Dine in or grab n’ go with great picnic and takeaway options. We choose a window seat but next time I think I would opt for the patio along the water. There were picnic bench options and fireplace seating, all of which had an incredible view of that waterfall!

Accommodations: We tried the newly-renovated Pyramid Lake Resort, just outside of Jasper’s township but within the food delivery zone for many of Jasper’s restaurants. It was the perfect mix of scenic, with the hustle and bustle of Jasper a short drive away. The peaceful mountain views were incredible. This resort is open year-round with all rooms overlooking the lake. In summer, you can rent a kayak, canoe, paddleboard or mountain bike from the resort.

Spirit Island, Jasper National Park, Maligne Lake

Activities: Journey to Spirit Island on this family-friendly boat cruise. It’s a must-do experience while in Jasper. This was my second time but our families first. The kids LOVED it! And that blue water, breathtaking.

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Is the road trip making a comeback amidst Covid19? My Banff Alberta Travel Guide for Summer / Fall 2020

This week we decided to dip our travel bug toes by going on a short little road trip to Banff, Alberta. I’m not going to lie to you I was a bit apprehensive amidst the pandemic. As a family, we decided to go on a couples trip and leave the kids behind for this fist summer road trip so we could experience the potential changes Covid19 has had on one of our favourite mountain destinations. Here’s a list of our accommodations, restaurants and activities we tried on our 2 night stay and I will note any safety precautions changes we saw at each:

Accommodations

We stayed at the newly renovated Mount Royal Hotel in downtown Banff. The location is prime time to say the least. We were in the heart of the iconic Banff Avenue, surrounded by the majority of the restaurants, shops and nightlife we love to visit. From here, we also enjoyed effortless access to Banff’s world-class natural attractions and year-round adventure activities. It was a short drive of only a few minutes to the Gondola and cave/ basin. Notable Covid19 related changes to the hotel, we did not have house keeping come into our room during the 3 days we stayed. They had removed many high touch items like glassware and replaced those with disposable. The elevators had hand sanitizer at the door and the expectable was groups of 3-4. We did the elevator alone each ride and used the sanitizer on the way in and out. Some of the other transmission-reducing tactics we experienced were the plexiglass barriers at the front desk. All staff was wearing personal protective equipment, contactless payment and we called down for an express check-out. There was plenty of on-site signage and pre-arrival communications aimed to be clear and straight-forward so we as guests could get on the same page as staff supporting each other with these measures and changes.

Restaurants & Attractions

We didn’t go to as many places as we would have normally pre-pandemic. We took the approach of sticking to a few favourites that would be indoors. And focused on walks outside, it was amazing having the iconic Banff Avenue closed both directions to traffic. This allowed for ample room to walk the Avenue and socially distance. We only went into a handful of shops instead of almost all of them like we usually do. Hand sanitizer was available at the entrance, some stores provided disposable masks but I suggest you have one on hand to wear in stores. Plenty of directional arrows in the stores and reminders to maintain distance. They all had lowered capacities, so we did experience a few outdoor line ups to browse stores so they could easily limit the number of guests in store for our and their staffs safety.

We booked tickets online in advance for the Banff Gondola. They spanned my pass on my phone through a plexiglass screen. Please note this mom price hack, kids go free before 12 PM with the Family Experience. And ages 5 and under ride free anytime! They loaded every second gondola and cleaned each before a new group entered. Staff was also wearing masks and there was plenty of safety protocol signage.

Magical Mountaintop Sunsets

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Simple Holiday Gift and Traditions with @Duracell and @LondonDrugs

A few years back we decided as a family to tone down the excessive gift giving and try to focus on traditions that create quality time together. With that said, yes there are still gift giving moments included in the way we celebrate the holidays. But there just isn’t the same level of stress we experienced in the past. This year I’m so excited to partner with Duracell and London Drugs to share how we make lasting memories that don’t break the bank.

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