Clam Diggers Make For Great Dance Wear

Earlier in the year I decided to make a return to ballet class after a 15 year absence. I had kept up with my other forms of dance: jazz, tap and hip hop but had never gone back to ballet after leaving it in my teens. There were a few reasons I wanted to get back into ballet. One of them being I wanted to get back to the basics of dance. The other reason, the main one driving my decision was that I thought it would be calming and relaxing.  Umm, I was so mistaken.  Needless to say after a 15+ year absence I didn't remember as much as I thought I would. My body doesn't respond like it used to when I'm telling it to get feet into fifth position and plie or to do an arabesque and balance on one foot.  About 10 minutes into the class I would be sweating like crazy both from the physical exertion as well as the mental stress of trying to keep up in an advanced class.  It was obvious after the first few weeks that tees and capris were going to be way to hot for this class. Not feeling comfortable going to dance class in shorts I started to think about alternatives. Last weekend I wandered into the Lululemon store at Sherway Gardens. If there was anyone who would have anything suitable I knew it was going to be at Lulu.

I headed right to their pant wall and quickly zeroed in on the Clam Digger style. The lovely and fit associate working in that section assured me that the length (a few inches shorter than a capri but longer than a short) was enough to feel a difference in temperature.  The Clam Digger is made from Lululemon's signature luon fabric which according to the website is "breathable with coverage, a cotton feel, and has 4 way stretch to provide support and allow freedom of movement."  I found the fabric to be very soft and comfortable to wear. It moved easily when I did which is important when dancing.  I also found them to be very lightweight which might be why they feel cooler than some of my other dance wear.  The only bad thing I have to say about them is the waistband seems kind of low. I'm hoping when I start dancing in them the waist doesn't fall any lower than where they sit now. I think they will be ok but won't know for sure until I start wearing them on a regular basis.

To test out my purchase I wore them to the gym for my workout the next day.  I did feel cooler compared to my usual workout gear so I think my mission was accomplished. The true test will come when I return to ballet class in September. At the very least I will look like a dancer based on attire, if not based on my talent and I think I'm ok with that.

Uniquely Basic at Uniqlo

It doesn’t seem like so long but about a year and a half ago, some friends and I took a trip to New York City. There was a lot of reminiscing about Sex and The City as we recognized certain locations while we were there. We did touristy things like walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and go to the top of the Empire State Building. We walked and walked and walked. By the end of the day we were so exhausted we couldn’t even manage to get ourselves dolled up and go out to a hip trendy New York club. Yes our days of youth were definitely behind us. One of my personal goals was to find some hip shops and bring back some truly “New York” items. The kind that people see and they know you didn’t buy them here. Sadly I didn’t see anything like that. Maybe you need to be a New Yorker to know where those kinds of places are. Despite that, the shopping was still good and I ended up spending more (of course) than I should have.

One store that really caught my eye was Uniqlo. First of all it was massive, even by New York City standards. The store went on forever and had 3 or 4 levels. It took hours to go through it all. Second, we noticed it for its stunning visual merchandising. Early in my career I was a Visual Merchandiser for places like The Gap and Jacob. My friend Rita does Visual Merchandising for a major Canadian retail chain. If ever there were two people who could appreciate the beauty of colour blocking, it was us. And Uniqlo does colour blocking better than I’ve ever seen anyone do it. It helps that all of their items seem to come in about 10 colours. I can’t imagine that finding a size could ever be an issue, they have tons of stock! It went from the floor to the ceiling. Rita was so infatuated with it she took pictures. After some time spent gawking at this colour blocking, inventory filled marvel, we got down to business and began to shop. To be honest I found it a bit overwhelming because there was so much stuff. If that doesn’t bother you though, you won’t have a problem. What I liked best about the store was that it was great for stocking up on basic items. They did have fashion pieces as well but I stuck to basics. Doesn’t it always seem like you never have enough basics? The prices were very reasonable and we each walked away with something. My best finds were black leggings for $10 and a long sleeve T which I love and keep kicking myself for not buying more colours for $15.

As far as I can tell from their website, this is the only US location for the chain. A Japanese chain, they have expanded into the United Kingdom, France, Korea, China, Singapore and their US location in New York City.

I’m dying to go back to New York City for many reasons, one being I want to go to this store again. I wish NYC wasn’t so far away. I’m hoping that a trip there is in my near future. After all the money I spent on Vancouver 2010, I have racked up quite a few Air Miles and am going to look into possibly redeeming them for a hotel stay. I won’t be going back only to shop, there are still some of those touristy things I need to do like take a tour of Radio City Music Hall and ride the Stanton Island ferry, perhaps see a taping of the Regis and Kelly show. If you are visiting NYC soon, I encourage to you stop in at Uniqlo. Even if you don’t have a Merchandising background, I’m sure you can appreciate their colour blocking strategy while you shop for affordable basics.  I am adding Uniqlo to the list of stores I want to see come to Canada.

Uniqlo
New York City
Soho Location:
546 Broadway, New York NY

Isn't it beautiful?

Get Gluten Free at Brookie Cookie

In the last year I have come across a few people who for one reason or another have decided to remove gluten and wheat from their diets. For those suffering from Celiac Disease, following a gluten free diet helps treat the disease. For others, removing gluten and wheat products from their diet has been a suggestion from a doctor or naturopath. Whatever the reason, having to remove such a commonplace ingredient from your diet causes some problems when trying to find foods to replace them. You are probably trying to find meal worthy foods to eat but I can’t help you with that. If its desserts you want then please read on.
Last month I was attending a wedding shower for a business colleague. There I had the pleasure of meeting Lynda, owner of a company called Brookie Cookie Company. They make cookies, obviously, but these cookies are made from gluten and wheat free products. So if you are on a diet that restricts you from these products, guess what, now you can have some cookies without sacrificing your diet. With wonderful recipes for Butterscotch Almond Biscotti, Chocolate Pizzelle, and Almond S Cookies, you won’t ever feel like you’re going without ever again. I would like to fully disclose that I have not had the pleasure of tasting these yummy treats. Several of the women at the wedding shower had sampled Brookie Cookie and were more than happy to vouch as to how tasty they are.

The website is in the process of being made ecommerce friendly. Until then, please email the company to find out where you can purchase your Brookie Cookie yummies. All ingredients are listed on the website so if there are other ingredients you are worried about, take a read through the selections.

For more information on Celiac Disease, visit the website of the Canadian Celiac Association.

Finally, I'm a Balmshell

I am a lipstick girl. I have been wearing lipstick or lip gloss for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, it was the one piece of makeup I could wear and feel confident that it had been put on properly and that I didn’t look like a clown when wearing it. Even now it is the one thing I refuse to leave the house wearing. Sometimes I worry that I am somewhat fanatic about it, but I’ve stopped caring. It’s my security blanket if you will. Because of this lipstick/gloss addiction I am always on the hunt for that one perfect lip stick/gloss. The one that even if it is the only thing I am wearing, will make me look like a million bucks.

If the above statement doesn’t prove my worth somewhat as a lip makeup expert than I don’t know what will! I came upon a pleasant lip gloss discovery a few months ago. I was attending TwestivalTO, a Twitter event that brings together followers and gives them a chance to meet in real life (IRL). I went with my friend Maria and we hung out all night with other Twitter people who had no idea who we were. Several sponsors had provided gifts for the event and Maria and I were quick to snatch up anything that looked good. My best score of the evening were testers of a lip gloss I had never heard of before called Balmshell. I was a little hesitant to start using the lip gloss as I had never heard or seen this brand before. Now that I have tried it, I am addicted! In my non professional opinion it is the best lip gloss I have ever used. It doesn’t make my lips stick together and it doesn’t feel like things are going to get stuck in my lips when I wear it!

What I’ve always been disappointed about in lip gloss is that the colour is usually so sheer, once it is applied you can’t even tell there is any colour there. This is not the case with Balmshell, at least not the colours I got (there were two samples in each package). I have a very neutral shade that I wear with lip liner and that is it. There is enough colour to it that I don’t need to mix it with lipstick. Sometimes I do but I don’t have to.

My love and admiration for this new product I had stumbled across led me to look up their website. The company was started by twin sisters, Jennifer and Fiona Lees, from right here in Toronto. They did not have a background in makeup but decided to go ahead and create the perfect lip gloss. I for one am ecstatic that they did and can’t thank them enough. I will be a fan for life. Their website says the products are sold at some Shoppers Drug Mart stores and Sephora. I have yet to see Balmshell in any of the locations I’ve been to but I will keep looking. If I can’t locate it in a store, I will buy it from their website ($20) as soon as I figure out what colour it is I have. If you happen to see Balmshell being sold at a retail location, please message me or leave a comment. I swear I will run there within 24 hours of someone confirming a location for me. My lips thank you in advance.

PS: They have a colour called “Shopaholic”. How cool is that?

Update June 17: I have found a few Shoppers Drug Mart locations that carry Balmshell. They are:

Mississauga, ON: Burhamthorpe and Cawthra
Etobicoke, ON: Queensway and Park Lawn
St. Catherines, ON: My co worker found this one. I have to get the street name from her.

Happy shopping!

What Are You Wearing Under There?

If you asked women what they dread shopping for the most, I assume answers to tie for first place would be either jeans or bathing suits. As for 3rd place, I’m going to go out on a limb and say under garments, specifically bras. It’s never been one of my favourite things to buy. It’s gotten better over the years, but it is still something I dread. When you think about it, a bra has a pretty important job to do. It isn’t really something you can skimp on. The fit has to be right or some pretty awful things and looks can happen. As with jeans and bathing suits, when I find one that fits properly, helps make me look skinny, and doesn’t break the bank, I usually end up buying the same style in more than one colour. Then I thank my lucky stars that it will be a considerable amount of time before I have to undergo this torture again.

Through the years, I have tended to stick to the same styles. I have my go to stores where I know I’m bound to find something. Even if it is going to take hours, I will leave with something which is the ultimate goal. The last time I was at my go to store in the US, I was told the most devastating news, they don’t make that style anymore. What? Are they out of their minds? What the heck am I supposed to do now? They have no idea the stress and anxiety this news has caused. I have to replace the go to style but with what?

Below are my top 3 choices for places to shop at for the dreaded under garment. A visit to either of these stores is likely to end with the purchase of some type of under garment that does the job it’s supposed to and doesn't make me burst into tears during the process.

Change

By chance I happened to wander into Oakville Place a few weeks ago and discovered Change has a store here. I’ve read about Change for years in my fashion magazines. It is Europe’s answer to fashionable affordable lingerie. Known for stylish items and reasonable prices, I knew I had to pay them a visit. Plus I was in need of said undergarment. There are some things you should be aware of if you have never been to a Change store before. First of all, their sizes are European. If you think it is hard to convert your Canada shoe size or shirt size to European sizes, think how difficult it is for lingerie where sizes tend to be all over the place anyway. A staff member was very helpful in this respect. Be prepared to be measured. Not the most pleasant thing but necessary to determine the right size. From there, it is still a guessing game for cup size. A fun game of trial and error now starts and hopefully you can get it right before trying on everything in the store. I did like a lot of their styles and the prices were really good. I saw several that were $28 and $38, certainly much better than some of those other places out there. I bought one item and am pretty sure I would go back for more. Lounge and swim wear round out their collection.

For a list of Canadian locations visit the Change website.

Gap Body

This seems to be a store that women don’t really think about when they need to buy new lingerie. Locations are more limited. The only full stores I know about are Square One and Bloor Street. Other Gap stores usually have a small collection of Gap Body, mainly lounge wear and underwear. Bras can be a slim offering or nonexistent at those locations. I have visited the Square One location frequently. I like it because it is at the back of the store, away from all the other merchandise. Last thing I need is some group of guys watching me pick out my under things. Usually this part of the store is quiet so you can browse in peace. The sizes are normal lingerie sizes and I find sizes to be pretty consistent across styles. The one downfall is there usually isn’t staff in this section. If you have questions or need help you’ll have to venture out into the regular store and hunt someone down.

There is a really good selection of styles and colours. The best thing is any promo that runs is usually valid on Gap Body items which gives you potential to save quite a bit of money. Get on their Canadian email list if you’re not already. I also happen to be a fan of Gap Body pyjamas. It is possible that I could buy more from Gap Body than their regular stores if only they would make Gap Body more readily available. Gap Canada is promising we will have a live shopping site of our own sometime this year; oh happy day! I hope we will see the full Gap Body assortment on that website. We will be able to shop for our underwear in our underwear from home. I don’t do this but have heard of others who do.

You can visit the Gap Canada website here. Stay tuned for a launch date on that long awaited Canada shopping site.

Victoria’s Secret

For the longest time this was where I bought all undergarments. It was my go to store until they stopped making my favourite, forcing me to branch out to other chains. This store was always a bit harder to get to since I had to get myself to the US to be able to buy anything. You can order online and I believe they ship to Canada, just beware of extra taxes and duties on your order.

Later this year, Victoria Secret will be opening up locations in Canada. This will allow for more spontaneous purchases. When I get fed up from lack of fit and styles, I will be able to frequent other locations to try my luck again, there by keeping the torture to a minimum. Personally I think this will be a great addition to the Canadian retail landscape. They bring a ton of styles and many different product categories from make up, reshaping garments, pyjamas, and lounge wear.

You can get a list of existing Canada Victoria's Secret Pink locations by visiting the website. Looks like the stores are only in Ontario right now.

If you have a favourite place to shop for lingerie, leave a comment to tell us about it.

Change image from blogTO
Victoria’s secret image from their website.

Enjoy Adventures Under Sea With The Octonauts

I realize this post is probably beyond my realm of expertise but I write about what I like and I like the Octonauts, a series of children’s books from Meomi, a design company made up of one Vancouver resident and one Los Angeles resident. A cross border partnership I guess you could say.

I can’t take the credit for finding this one on my own. Back in my pre Olympic days when I was focused 24/7 on going to Vancouver 2010 and blogging all about it, I got an email from Immedium. They are a publisher located in California for The Octonuats book series. They thought I would be interested in the books because they are written and illustrated by Meomi, a company comprised of partners Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy. Meomi is the company that designed the Vancouver 2010 mascots, who I’m sure you love as much as I do (mark my words I will marry Quatchi one day). Since The Octonauts were not directly related to the Olympics themselves, I didn’t see a story there for my Journey to Vancouver 2010 blog. I did however think it would be perfect for Not A Shopaholic. The idea for this post was born months ago and I’m finally putting the words into writing now.

When Immedium emailed me, they included PDF versions of the first two books; The Octonauts and the Only Lonely Monster and The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade. The first thing that stood out for me was the beautiful illustrations. I loved the combination of colours and the undersea world that was being created. It seemed so realistic and possible that these characters could actually exist. I found myself wanting to be friends with them. The characters are adorable and have cool names like "Professor Inking" who is an octopus oceanographer, and "Captain Barnacles Bear" the polar bear leader of the Octonauts group. I found the writing to be intelligent and rhythmical, the funny names rolled right off the tongue.  Each story contains good life lessons for children.  I would say for adults it serves as a good reminder for some basic lessons we may have forgotten along the way.

Book cover for The Octonauts and the Only Lonely Monster

The first book sees the characters fleeing their underwater Octopod when they think it is under attack. They quickly find out that it is not the case and embark on a worldwide undersea adventure to reunite a stranded animal with its own kind. In doing so they become friends and realize there is something unique about each of them.

A page excerpt from the first book

What a great collection to give to a child as a gift to get them and keep them interested in reading. The series is a must have for any children’s book collection. In a world where we are so electronic based, it’s wonderful to see such interesting, creative stories being written for children with stunning illustrations. For my next friend that has a baby, guess what you’re getting as a gift!

Other titles in the Meomi Octonauts Series are:

The Octonauts and the Sea of Shade
The Octonauts and the Frown Fish
The Octonauts and the Great Ghost Reef




All titles are available for purchase in Canada, both through stores and online at Amazon and Chapters/Indigo. Internationally the books are available through publisher Harper Collins UK. According to The Octonauts website, the series is going to be developed into an animated TV show. How cool is that?  Watch these quirky lovable characters come to life on TV at some point throughout 2010.

The Octonauts have a whole website dedicated to them. Visit the website for a more detailed summary of the book titles or to download some "Octogoodies" (their word not mine) like colouring pages.

Feel free to share your opinions on The Octonauts with us. You can leave a comment here on the blog or on the Facebook group page for Not A Shopaholic. I look forward to hearing from you.

Photos used are from the Octonauts website.  Thank you Amy for finding me and sending me The Octonauts information.

Headbands: My New Favourite Accessory

Whenever I go to the One of A Kind show, I always stop by the booth for this is J. I have been in love with their prints and headbands for a few years now. The same thing usually happens each time I visit. I hesitantly enter their booth. I hover around looking at the headbands too scared to try one on. I wait for one of the salespeople to declare I have the most perfect shaped head for their headband, so perfect in fact they suggest that I become their spokesperson! While this is all playing out in my head (sans headband) the reality is, headbands kind of scare me. I’ve never been really good with hair accessories or appliances. I only bought my first flat iron just over a year ago. It’s rare for me to even put my hair in a ponytail. But every time I see a headband from this is J, I feel drawn to them; I feel I must have one. I feel a headband is in my foreseeable future.

Sporting my this is J toque at the Vancouver 2010 Curling Semi Finals

Last year at the One of a Kind Christmas show, I decided to take the plunge and buy one of these beautiful hair accessories. I did my little booth visit hesitation thing and walked out with a catalogue that I looked over for the next few hours. Then I went back in, picked up my future headband and paid for it. I guess I did well because while I was paying for it, someone from the booth who looked like they were in charge asked the salesperson if they had picked it out for me. I was pretty proud that I had done so well on my first try. Since then I have added a second headband and the Lafleur Army toque to my possessions. I wore the toque while at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and got comments from total strangers on it! Yep, you bet I was promoting our Canadian designer talent while at the Olympics!

This Is J also offers an assortment in mittens and scarves to co ordinate with the toques, of course there are the aforementioned headbands, as well as pyjamas and blankets which I believe are a new addition. All of their products are made from custom made fabrics that are designed by this is J. You can get 1 piece or a few in matching prints to co ordinate if you want. I have lots of favourites and am trying to balance the number of headbands I buy to how often I would wear them. I’m happy to say I have worn both my Basha Flower in Black headband and the Lafleur Brown one a few times now and am getting more used to them. Now that its warming up here in Toronto, I will shed the hats and use my headbands more. Oh my, is that headband #3 I see in my future? I think so. And I’ll go with some pj’s next time too. The set includes a headband! Could it get any better?

Lafleur Army reversible toque, $39

The One of a Kind show begins in Toronto on March 31st and runs until April 4th. You can visit this is J at the show or their website where you can place orders if like me, its takes you a couple of visits to make a decision.
For a promo code to get $3 off of One of a Kind tickets purchased online, visit my newly created Not A shopaholic Facebook group page.

Product images from this is J website.