We all know I am a big fan of a costco find, but add in a great promo price… now I’ve gotta share it with you! From September 28 to October 12, 2020 the eureka stick vacuum (NEC160c) will be at promotional pricing both instore and online. Online from $149.99 to $109.99. And In-store from $139,99 to $99.99. This cordless 2-in-1 stick vacuum has a detachable hand vacuum for small areas cleaning. Multifloor capabilities with quick pick up on our hardwood, to carpet. 60 minutes run time. And the best part for me is being lightweight enough for Alastair to help. A mini cleaning crew is just what I need in these QuarenCLEANING times. Head over to my Instagram to see the steps you’ll need to complete to enter for your chance to win one. Or head over to costco, these vacuums sell out at regular price, with this promotional I’d start the car! Happy cleaning!
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by eureka but my thoughts and opinions remain my own.
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!
Pyramid Lake Resort Pyramid Island Pyramid IslandPyramid Lake Resort
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.
Maligne Lake River Cruise 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.
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.
I have seen Olay products in my life as early as I can remember. I loved watching my Grandma go through her nighttime skincare routine as I sat patiently observing on her bathroom counter top. It is easily one of the first beauty brands I recognized because of my Grandma’s ritual daily use. Flash forward 30 years and I’m so proud to continue to speak to Olay products in my life. This isn’t the first mention of their quality products on my blog, for years I have proudly partnered with this brand showcasing my favourites. But I’m not going to lie to you when they approached me and asked me to try the Retinol24 line I was very nervous. A few years ago, I did try retinol and didn’t have a great experience. I had red itching irritation and I was quite concerned that may just happen again. That’s why I wanted to try this product for a long period of time, photograph my skin weekly and then speak to it. I’ve used this daily for way over month with no irritation on my face. I’m so excited to see brighter, more even skin and even a decrease in fine lines!
Now you may be asking yourself what is retinol? In short, retinol is a form of Vitamin A. They can brighten and smooth skin while fading signs of damage, like scars, sunspots and wrinkles. But many retinoid products can cause redness, flaking, or dryness like what I had experienced in the past. This might mean the retinoid level is too high, you’ve been given the wrong type of retinoid for your skin type, or the formula was not optimized for daily use. In the past, I’ve used a pricey high percentage retinoid product and had just that: a sensitive skin reaction. I was apprehensive about using it again, but I am so excited to report that Olay’s Retinol24 was gentle enough for me to use everyday with no irritation on my face for over 30 days.
When Olay approached me to test the new Retinol24 line over the next month I was so excited to jump at the opportunity to transform my skin! I’m going to share EVERYTHING with you.Before and after photos… close up with no makeup on. I know for myself, I can get a bit frustrated when I only see ads for skincare that are edited, photoshopped or the model is wearing skin makeup! I want to see the skin, am I right? With that said, I’m both excited and nervous to bare it all. So please come back in about a month to see my results, for now let’s chat all things Retinol and answers you may want to know before starting your own skin transformation.
What is retinol? Actually, retinol is a form of Vitamin A – there are many other forms which are collectively named retinoids. They can brighten and smooth skin while fading signs of damage, like scars, sunspots and wrinkles. Many retinol products can be irritating, causing redness, flaking, dryness and sensitive skin – the opposite of a new-skin glow. Don’t. Panic. This might mean the retinol level is too high, you’ve been given the wrong type of retinol for your skin type and concern, or the formula was not optimized for daily use. In the past, I’ve used a pricey high % retinol product and had just that: so much irritation. I quit it and definitely was a bit apprehensive about using it again.
How does retinol works? It works by encouraging your skin cells to turn over faster than they would normally, making way for new (and improved) skin. Basically it’s like spring cleaning for your skin: out with the old and in with the new. I was almost shocked in my first week how much dry dull skin came off!
