The weather can be temperamental at this time of year, so I love layering a bunch of neutral pieces to create visual interest. Usually when I think of neutrals, it's black, white, and grey, but I love how this printed dress can work just as well as a neutral base to build off of.

*I interrupt this month of Fashion, to bring you some real life advice - What you really need for your baby registery. 

Registering for baby products can be overwhelming! So I asked some friends, who are new mothers, to share some of their favourite items from their registry to help you out (and me). 


Breast Pumps 
Medela pump in style breast pump $374.99
I registered for this product and have continued to hear good things about it.

AVENT manual breast pump $59.99


1 Medela Washable Breast pads |  2 Medela Lanolin Nipple cream |  3 OVer cover |  4 Nursing Pillow

Nursing Gear
Nipple Cream: "This is something that really helped me in the first week!"

Dr. Brown's bottles can be purchased in a variety of sizes, glass or plastic, and options for nipple sizes for each stage. A formula dispenser is great for on-the-go bottle feeding! Compartments hold the perfect amount of formula, so you can have baby's milk perfectly prepared wherever you are.
I was talking with a new mom at my last Dr. appointment, and she suggested getting a microwaveable sterilizer rather than electric, for it's convenience. Water tends to calcify over time in an electric version, and also takes longer.

"We purchased this product when our twins were about 1 month old - after a month of mixing formula to supplement along with the breastmilk. The baby breeza is essentially a Keurig for formula. It mixes a perfectly warmed bottle in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 oz. increments depending what you babe needs. If your a mom of multiples (because 20+ bottles a day is ALOT), or strictly use formula, it is definitely worth the price tag! The only con we have found was if formula builds up around the dispenser it will make a more diluted bottle, but with regular cleaning you won't have this issue."
Kiinde bottle warmer
Kirkland diapers seem to be the top of every budget conscious parent's list. Looks like I'll have a monthly date with Costco!

Aleva natural bamboo wipes 
"They are thick and really easy to pull out of the small packages."
*Money wasters: wipe warmers

I know, I know. I had good intentions to start blogging more regularly again, and then life happened. It seems that since the last time I posted, so much has happened!
I have been taking time to do things with more intention. I read this post and it really resonated with me and I wanted to share some tips on how you can be more intentional in your life.

5 tips for how to live with more intention:

1. Do things that make you happy
Of course there are things in life that need to get done that we don't necessarily enjoy doing, but keep a balance in your life by doing things that make you happy instead of falling into a slump of mundane daily tasks.

2. Prioritize
Choose how you spend your time wisely and prioritize what is important in your life. It's just that simple.

3. Try something new
Push yourself outside of your comfort zone to do something that you have always been afraid to do.

4. Learn a new skill
If you are like me, you may have a list of things that you have always wanted try/learn to do but keep putting it off. Be intentional about checking at least one of these items off your list. 

5. Take time for yourself
Enjoy some time away from social media and get back into your hobbies or activites, or take the day to pamper yourself and give your body time to reset.

I have been reading a book called Women in Clothes, written by three women, Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, and Leanne Shapton, and it has been quite a captivating read!


Reading through the accounts of 639 women has inspired me to find my own style, and not just follow what's trendy. Because to be completely honest, I am sick of seeing the same outfits on every style blogger, and every 20-something girl.

"It's all become so democratic. Anyone can look cool. Which is great. But it's harder and harder to find things that are really authentic or to create your own identity." [quote from Kim Gordon, Women in Clothes]

When creating an outfit or shopping for new pieces, I have been looking more at what works for me, and finding the right balance between comfort and style. I am letting go of the idea of trying to look "perfect", because there's something really beautiful in the imperfections. So, even though I want to look beautiful, I still want to feel like myself, and not feel like I have to hide my imperfections.

My best advice to you in finding your own personal style, is to experiment! It can be intimidating to step outside of your comfort zone, but just have fun. Fashion is clothing, but style is something personal. You get to tell your own story, and that's the best part of dressing for yourself, and no one else.

I have been enjoying thrifting a lot lately rather than shopping the regular retail shops, and came across this pair of Joe Fresh heels. I was excited to try them out this Sunday to church, but unfortunately they are a little too snug. So, I will be posting them in my Instagram shop, @thecanadiancloset this week, so keep an eye open if you're interested!

I've come across several bloggers talking about a capsule wardrobe over the past year, and it's caught my interest. Since moving in the summer, I have been in the habit of sorting through my clothes every few months to see what I don't need. The idea of wearing 30-37 pieces per season definitely sounds like something I could want to do.

I've been reading the book Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider, and it's been putting some things in perspective that I have been challenged by this year so far.

http://stockholm-streetstyle.com/

www.weheartit.com

[source] What is your go to accessory to adding that finishing touch to an outfit?

I'm feeling very blessed as we settle into our new home. There are things I had on my wish list as we were looking for a new place to live, and I am thankful that we were able to check a lot of those items off our list!


We are slowly making it feel like home, and I can't wait to give you the tour! For now, here's a look at half of our living room that isn't covered in boxes. Have a great weekend!

It's been a crazy past few days! We had our 2 year wedding anniversary on Monday, and talked about when we wanted to start having kids, what we wanted to happen before that, etc.
One of our biggest concerns was having a baby while living in our current apartment for various reasons. We decided to look at a house that went up for rent in a nearby area, and thankfully it was in our budget (other houses that have gone up for rent in the past few months were almost double!). Tuesday evening we met with the rental agent and knew that it was perfect for us the minute we walked in! We scrambled to get our paperwork together and met with him the following night to sign the lease. 
We just gave our notice to leave our current apartment and are now looking forward to moving into our first house on July 1! I can't believe it all happened so quickly, but we know that God's hand was in this situation and was guiding us the whole way through.

These are just a few photos I took while walking through, hopefully once we get the keys I can take some good before pictures. 
So that is our new little abode. We can't wait to get in there and start painting and making it our own. It is very fresh and clean already which is nice, so hopefully we can settle in and feel at home quickly.
I'll update you with my decor ideas for each room in the next couple of weeks, so check back soon!

I have enjoyed creating a bucket list for myself the past few years, and seeing what new adventures I can come up with to make it a year to remember. It's been an exciting year and I have loved sharing it with you. See original post here.

2013 Bucket list 
1. Visit one Wonder of the World - Taj Mahal, Agra, India (Oct. 2, 2013)
  
2. Travel to New York City  
3. Go on a spontaneous roadtrip ...maybe we'll have to take a spontaneous roadtrip to New York City before the end of the year.

5. Go kayaking or canoeing with my hubby - Found out my husband is not keen on either of these things, so I will have to find another paddle partner. Any takers?
6. Ride an elephant in India - Not such a great idea after all (read this article about why elephant riding should be taken off your bucket list)
7. Snorkel in the Great barrier reef (Oct. 10, 2013)

8. Drive the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne, Australia (Oct. 7, 2013)
9. See the Opera house in Sydney, Australia (Oct. 14, 2013)
10. Take a beginners ballet class (Feb. 2, 2013)

Other exciting things that happened this year: 

I participated in my first wedding show as a vendor.
We celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary.
My husband got his first flying position based in Toronto.
I fed a kangaroo.  
We got a kitten to add to our little family!

Last weekend I was surrounded by talented women who were all a part of this year's Valentine's day shoot. Here's just a little look behind the scenes, I can't wait to share the photos with you all!

It was a beautiful weekend with sunny skies and a warm summer breeze. It's finally beginning to feel like summer, so Danielle and I headed out to explore the Exhibition grounds in Toronto. Sometimes it's nice to have unofficial plans and just be able to head outside and enjoy the day.
Hope you had a great sunniful weekend as well!