Home Decor || Our Master Bedroom Spring Refresh with @TheBrick #partner

Spring is finally here! Which means spring cleaning and refreshing the home decor of a few choice rooms in our home. I love to add light and airy pillows, throws and bedding when the temperatures change. Since I picked up a few new pieces for the master bedroom, every time I post it on Instagram Stories I get tons of product sourcing questions. So I thought I would link up our newly designed sleep sanctuary in one place.

platform bed environment beam large mirror bedroom target throw blanket quilt Nate couch

Mirror (short version HERE) || Rug || Coffee Table || Throw 

platform bed environment beam large mirror bedroom target throw blanket quilt Nate couchplatform bed environment beam large mirror bedroom target throw blanket quilt Nate couch

Embroidered Quilt || Tassel Pillow Shams 

Facetuneplatform bed environment beam large mirror bedroom target throw blanket quilt Nate couch

Couch || Rose Gold Table Fan || Oversized Glass Vase || Bedding || Ceiling Fan

platform bed environment beam large mirror bedroom target throw blanket quilt Nate couchplatform bed environment beam large mirror bedroom target throw blanket quilt Nate couch

Cage Lamp || Clock || End Table || Accent Table  Continue reading

Lifestyle || #McHappyDay || Giving back never tasted so good. #partner #cause

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I want to preface this with the fact that I didn’t get paid to create this post, instead it’s a charity I feel very passionate about. I’ve partnered with McDonald’s to spread the news about McHappy Day this May. Each year, $1 of each hot McCafé beverage, Big Mac or Happy Meal purchase goes towards Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) as well as other local children’s charities across Canada. When a child is sick or injured a family needs support and that’s when RMHC lends a helping hand across Canada. It’s a cause that has made an impact in the lives of Canadian families with sick children since 1981. Join me May 3rd to make a difference! Continue reading

Food || Greek Tacos || A family friendly recipe with @TheBrick & @GEappliancesCA #partner

GE Range review The Brick home decor canaidan blogger mommy Northern Style Kira Paran

I’ve got a little helper in the kitchen for this quick and easy recipe our family loves. We recently added the GE Series 30″ Free-Standing Double Convection Range to our kitchen and I couldn’t be more excited to share how we are grilling indoors without the use of a BBQ! With it’s duel purpose oval centre burner I can easily grill directly on the extra large cast iron griddle. It gives me the versatility of a chef with multi levels of heat ranging from the slightest melt or simmer to a full on grill or fast boil. It’s easily becoming my favourite appliance in the house.

For this recipe we grilled our steaks directly on the stove top and seamlessly transferred the cast iron griddle into the gliding rack to finish the steaks in an evenly heated convection oven. It was that simple.

GE Range review The Brick home decor canaidan blogger mommy Northern Style Kira ParanGE Range review The Brick home decor canaidan blogger mommy Northern Style Kira ParanGE Range review The Brick home decor canaidan blogger mommy Northern Style Kira Paran

Easily one of our family favourites the past year is this greek fusion taco recipe. Perfect as a summer dinner or a fancy appetizer for larger scale events. Fire up the GE stove top grill and get your sizzle on! 

You’ll Need: 2 large grilling steaks, 1 small container of mini tomatoes of your choice (yellow heirloom pictured) , goat feta, cucumber, Epicure’s Souvlaki Seasoning, greek yogurt, spiral slicer and a cast iron grill.

What You’ll Need To Do: 

1) Dice tomatoes, crumble cheese and finely cut cucumber. I used a spiral vegetable slicer on my cucumber.

2) Season steaks with Epicure’s Souvlaki seasoning.

3) Sear steaks on stove top high heat. I try to get all sides 1-2 minutes each, depending on thickness. I finish in the oven for 5 minutes at 400 (Celsius). You are going for a medium rare or personal preference.

4) Allow steaks to rest for 5 minutes, then cut into thin strips.

5) Serve all ingredients on a warmed soft taco.

Variations: Can be served on warmed peta bread. Tzatziki flavoured greek yogurt is great as a sauce. (Pictured below)

Ready in 20 minutes!

GE Range review The Brick home decor canaidan blogger mommy Northern Style Kira Paran Continue reading

Lifestyle || Baby Gear Rant || My nursery must haves with @TheBabyCubby #partner

Nursery must haves DOCKatot Mamaroo

With the arrival of baby number two, I’ve definitely formed a few opinions along the way around the concept of baby essentials. With my first born, I had my nursery stocked and ready two months before he arrived. With baby number two, I still haven’t fully completed her nursery yet! I went with a more “reactive” approach with the new baby. I wanted to purchase items she actually needed, instead of buying what I thought she may need and in the end probably never use.

With that being said, I think there are some “must haves” for any nursery: style, functionality and durability need to be the foundation to any LO’s room. I’ve teamed up with The Baby Cubby to discuss my nursery finds before the big reveal this month. I love that The Baby Cubby team is made up of parents who have been there. They know what it’s like and they are passionate about encouraging, inspiring, and reminding parents how important their role is in every babies development.  The Cubby Community Blog discusses real parenting topics that matter, it’s worth taking a peek if you don’t follow along already.

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Here is my MUST HAVE baby list:

The DockATot: I’ve gotten soooooo many questions on this particular item. I have had one long before Harper came along. I went with a “Grand” size so I could use it with my toddler and then use it again with the new baby. It is so convenient for naps on the go or just a safe place to put baby while you go to the bathroom! It’s easy to clean and light weight enough that it’s a travel must have as well.

The Crib: This is an item that will stay with you for a LONG time, so my advice go with a style you love! It’s the main furniture item in the nursery and if you’re like me, going with a 3in1 convertible bed… this piece isn’t getting changed out of the rotation any time soon. I splurged with the crib and saved with the bassinet. Most babies are only in a bassinet for 3-9 months on average, while a baby can be in a convertible bed for years! Food for thought.

The Mamaroo Motion Chair: If you saw my baby gear rant on Instagram stories a few weeks ago you know that I highly recommend and prefer the Mamaroo to any other chair system out there. My first born loved it! It was a saving grace when I needed to eat or go to the bathroom with a demanding new born. The Mamaroo bounces and sways like you do, mimicking the movements of real moms and dads while they soothed babies. I purchased one 4 years ago and it’s still going strong, unlike a recent swing I purchased for Harper. I know that a lot of people scoff at the high price tag but mine has lasted and paid for itself ten fold. And the swing I just purchased was just under the $200 mark has already broken on me after 4 months! You do the math.

The Gathre Leather Mat: I received this as a shower gift for Harper and I wish I could go back in time and have it for my diaper changing career with my first born. When they say “luxury” change pad, they mean it! This mini leather mat is stylish, wipeable, foldable and waterproof. This is perfect for a picnic, change table or for underneath the high chair to contain the mess! It is with us throughout our home and on the go.

The Ubbi Diaper Pail: Let’s start off by saying, don’t waste your money on the numerous diaper pail options out there that make you use their garbage bags!!!! It is not convenient or cost effective. That’s right folks, I can reuse my plastic bags from shopping trips in this diaper pail! Plus, it is not plastic like the competitors out there, slowly absorbing the smell and stinking over time. No one likes the smell of dirty diapers sitting in their trash, but with a the Ubbi diaper pail you’ll never have that problem again!  The Ubbi’s powder-coated steel exterior and rubber seals trap odours. Plus, I love the sleek modern design for any nursery.  Continue reading

Lifestyle || Connecting Through Netflix || A #streamteam experiment

Netflix found that in this day in age children are exposed to a number of different media sources including TV, movies, apps, games and more. One might argue ensuring these are positive influences which help to reinforce good values is an important part of parenthood. I urge you as a parent to take a look at Common Sense Media, entertainment can be a strong tool for teaching empathy as it showcases strong, supportive bonds between characters of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Mancave home decor the brick river recliner old navy plaid matching family christmas pyjamas

Early in the month, I shared on Instagram that I devoured the series 13 Reasons Why. Although this show isn’t age appropriate for my little people, it really opened up a dialogue with my sister and her early teen aged children. We talked at length about bullying, recognizing people as resources/supports and openness to talking about our mental health. It was a really powerful and empowering conversation. Continue reading