Self-care has been big time on my mind as we have been recovering from moving houses- and I am soaking it in in all forms! As a mom of a bunch of small kids (and pregnant on top of it) I must say I need to sit down at least ten times a day!
In my pursuit of my own self-care I've been thinking a lot about why self-care is important when you're a mom.
I used to struggle with the concept of self-care so much. I felt so bad leaving my kids with someone else, I felt bad "abandoning" them, I felt selfish for doing small things for me. In the past, I basically let the lack of paying attention to my own needs pile up for so long I would snap and then my husband would send me on an imposed time out ????
But here are my two cents and please feel free to disagree with me:
What I have learned in nine years of motherhood of 6 young children, is that for me to be a good mom, I need to pay attention to what feeds my soul and restores my energy.
It doesn't need to be a weekend away, or a full day at the spa or what have you (although these are obviously nice from time to time if logistics allow it!) but small things, like a coffee alone, or a quick mani/pedi while my parents watch the kids for an hour, or 15 minutes on the treadmill, or even just strapping the kids in the car and getting the most decadent coffee possible, these small, regular things are so important. But the key is that there is regularity- not just stockpiled until we crack. What do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Struggle?
So in the pursuit of making time for self-care more of a priority, I have compiled my list of my favourite spots to relax in Toronto when I am tired and really need a break. Like I said above, if you can budget a full spa day that's amazing. But if you can't, a 30-minute manicure can be really helpful too- it doesn't have to be all or nothing!!!
On to my favourite spots (and please add to them in the comments below!)
1. RH Courtyard Cafe, Yorkdale Mall
RH's new Toronto location just opened a few months ago at Yorkdale Mall and it is a work of art. Not only is the retail store a restorative place to dream big (with big price tags, lol!), attached to the location is an equally breathtaking cafe. I ate the scrambled eggs and avocado with a delicious Americano, to the sound of indoor fountains and basked in natural light. It's also a super fun place to people watch- it attracts all kinds, from high end interior designers hosting meetings with their clients, to older ladies who lunch, to younger ladies with their babies, to the millennial fashion crowd with all their Nordstrom bags. It's a fun treat for all the senses!
2. Her Majesty's Pleasure
In all honesty, in the rare times I do go to get my nails done it is at my local spot with florescent lighting, 30-minute service, adorned with posters of 1980's nail models. But if I really want a treat, I will venture downtown to Her Majesty's Pleasure, another treat for all the senses (sans florescent lighting) with its beautiful design, delicious cocktails and coffee, and ability to get your nails, hair, makeup, whatever will make a mama feel her best, done in one stop. Pair this with a date night downtown, or girls night on King Street for a fun couple of hours sans the kiddos.
3. Sugar Beach
This fairly recent addition to Toronto's waterfront is cute and quaint. Honestly, I come here for the pink umbrellas. This is a nice spot in the summer to bring your Starbucks, and a book, for a quick restorative break.
4. Indigo at Sherway Gardens
I love me any Indigo location, but I REALLY love the Sherway Gardens location, which opened last year, and was designed as an art-gallery inspired "cultural department store." And it really is so much more than a bookstore. It's another spot to just get lost in inspiration, with an entire section dedicated to gifts for her, from gorgeous scarves, to leather handbags, to the most incredible selection of paper products, to all the monogrammed mugs an Instagram mom can dream up. It's just a delightful place to retreat and recharge your inspiration battery.
5. HomeSense
So while it isn't exactly spa-like in its environment, a HomeSense location to me is such a fun place to unwind, not think, and hunt for treasures. I recently talked about the "thrill of the find" concept over on my Instagram stories, and it seems like quite a few of you agree with me- that browsing a HomeSense, looking for fun unique things at great prices is actually RELAXING. I LOVE IT. And while it sometimes requires a bit of physical stamina to make it (I don't know about you but the locations I go to almost always have LONG lines), the thrill of the find and the fun of looking for beautiful things (and saving money all at the same time) is a strangely relaxing ritual for me.
What about you? Where do you like to go in Toronto when you need a little mom break? Let me know in the comments below.
If you have been following me for a while you know I have taken part a few times in Calling It Home's One Room Challenge. I have completed my home gym, and my laundry room in this mad dash challenge, and just this past spring I completed this amazing modern kitchen. If you've been following along, you know I attempted to complete not one, BUT TWO kitchens, for neighbours who built houses and both worked with me at the exact same time in this series I am affectionately calling A Tale of Two Houses. Due to realities beyond my control, the second kitchen didn't make it to the finish line. But now… I get to share it in its finished glory for you here!
We kept it tried and true and classic in this kitchen. A beautiful, classic grey on the island with all kinds of trim goodness, and white cabinets for the win.
We used the Cassidy faucet collection by Delta on the island faucet, the pot filler, and the main sink on the back counter. The gorgeous curves of these pieces fit in so nicely with the transitional style of this space.
And to keep things interesting we repeated the island colour in the pantry area for a nice pop of contrast.
I love creating spaces that reflect the personality and lifestyle of the people who live there. Interior design is so much more than paint and pretty things. Interior design sets the stage for lasting memories for families to make at home. It matters, and it's important- and designing homes for families so they can thrive at home is a job I take very seriously.
What do you think? Are you more classic and prefer greys and whites, or could you bo bold with a blue island? Tell me in the comments below.
I started my career designing a house on HGTV for a whopping $30,000 for the ENTIRE house including the kitchen. It was intense. I dove into dumpsters and flexed some serious DIY. Fast forward almost 10 years and it’s not difficult for me to spend $30,000 on a single room!
But good design doesn’t always have to cost a ton of money- and leveraging my many years of working with clients of all income levels and for a few notable tv shows where budgets are usually fairly lean- I share with you some resourceful ways to decorate your room on a budget with success!
1. Use paint
Paint is one of the easiest ways to achieve drama without a huge expense. For a really dramatic transformation, consider painting a room a really dark hue. My master bedroom is one of my favourite rooms in my house due to the cozy nature created by the dark navy blue that wraps every wall. It’s great for your budget as the drama created by the hue means you can be a bit more simple and demure with art. For $100 – $150 plus some sweat equity you can create some serious drama in a weekend.
2. Use white
I realize this is polar opposite to what you just read above. But do you ever notice how many beautiful home images on Instagram or magazines use a lot of white? It’s a really simple approach to make a sophisticated room. White is really easy to layer, and white is a simple staple colour to purchase at retailers of all price levels. I find when you keep a monochromatic colour palette the space can feel serene, textured and more expensive than it actually is.
3. Use Craigslist
I recently created an apartment space for an article for the Toronto Star where we sourced everything through the online sales platform Craigslist. While it takes some leg work (like contacting sellers and arranging transportation), it is a really great way to find beautiful items, from reputable brands, at a significantly reduced prices.
4. Build slowly with a plan
Rome was not built in a day and neither does your living room have to be. You can do it in stages, and save for pieces you love. But do it with a plan- prioritizing buying some key quality pieces and fill in the gaps as your energy and finances allow you.
5. Make sure one item in the room is really special to you
Regardless of your budget- make sure there is something in the room that is really special to you. This might mean it is a sofa you have been eyeing forever, or a lamp that you tore out of a magazine years ago and have not been able to stop thinking about. Make sure there is something that you will love and think of fondly every time you see it.
What are your strategies for decorating on a budget (that don’t involve dumpster diving!)? I would love to know in the comments below. And if you liked this, you might like my top 10 decorating faux pas. Download that by leaving me your email in the box below and I will send it over 🙂
TOP 10 INTERIOR DESIGN
FAUX PAS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM:
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know we embarked on a pretty ambitious renovation of our Toronto semi-detached home in 2015. We started it when we were a family of just 3 kids- and finished it as a family of 5!
You read that right- designing and renovating my own space took FOREVER (enough time to have not one, but two babies!) for a plethora of reasons (read: indecision, procrastination, busy working on client renovations, more indecision, more procrastination, more babies, LOL etc. etc. etc.)
Well I am so excited to share that while we renovated- we also filmed the experience. I partnered with Style At Home.com, one of Canada’s leading shelter magazines, and brought cameras in to capture what it is like to go through a reno in the city, do it with a ton of kids involved, and come out the end with a family home we LOVE.
The transformation is kinda crazy- I’d love for you to join us along for the ride. Watch below or click here.
I hope this video has given you some inspiration to make your own home amazing for your family.
To help get you started I’ve compiled all the items used in my house, PLUS a fun PDF on how to survive a renovation with kids.
Just enter your email below to get all the goodies in your inbox.
IT'S DONE! I made it. Praise God, because this was another race to the finish of this amazing blog series called the One Room Challenge, hosted by Linda at Calling It Home. We're all challenged to design and reno a room to completion in 6 weeks. I participated last spring to finish my laundry room before giving birth to our 5th child, (a whole other kind of race in itself!) and am so happy to have participated again. Deadlines like this can be pretty motivating, and the entire experience is a fun ride watching what everyone else does to their spaces, and cheering each other on in the process.
As I have mentioned previously, doing the ORC is kinda like childbirth at times- when you're doing it and things are going wrong and you're realizing you only have 7 days to finish a room and the paint was mixed slightly off hue and so now you have to buy more paint and now you have to delay your electricians and so now you have to delay your trim guy and so now you have to install the carpet at midnight after your teething / sick baby has FINALLY gotten to sleep and you forget how much dirt you still clean before you actually put said carpet tiles down etc. etc. etc.- when you're doing it, it cam be painful. But when it's done… you are blissed out and in love. Well, in love I am!
I wanted the space to feel cheerful and bright, so I started the design with the Frug rug from FLOR. They are modular carpet tiles, which are easy to swap out when mess occurs. I love the soft padding they create for working out- and my children have had so much fun rolling around in what they deem their new place space. Bright white walls in Snowfield by CIL Paints reflect tons of light and let the floor be the star.
As physical fitness has become a new priority for me (just started working out with a personal trainer and I have eliminated the sometimes twice a week habit of eating poutine), I am trying to make it as easy as possible for me to live a healthy lifestyle. For me that includes waking up early and starting the day with prayer and then exercise and a healthy beverage. So I am keeping a mini fridge stocked with lots of my favourite juices (love Jenn Pike's Juice Matters plans).
I am slightly obsessed with applied moulding right now (massive massive thanks to my trim installer Steve Leonard!) and continued the love of it in my gym with the Metrie Very Square collection. And I have to gush publicly over these sconces- which cost only $49!!!! Add a little bench from Bouclair and mirror from Home Sense and my home gym is complete.
And for kicks let's revisit the before:
And now to my happy face with another completed space!
Thanks for following along on my journey- to check out some seriously amazing transformation check out the featured 20 designers and the guest participants here! Photos by Larry Arnal.
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