Tutu Cute: BellaCoco Designs {Giveaway}

BellaCoco Designs

Photos courtesy of Katie McVey Photography.

There’s nothing cuter than little girls dressed up in tutus, flowery head bands and princess wands. Or little boys decked out in adult-looking fedoras and neck ties. And what makes them even cuter is when these accessories are handmade with love and care. That is why I jumped at the chance to review BellaCoco Designs from right here in London.

ABOUT BELLACOCO DESIGNS

They say it’s all in the name and this trendy baby accessory store didn’t get its name by accident; loosely translated Bella Coco means beautiful pumpkin which is the pet name Mary-Ann Fougere coined for her twin daughters.

Mary-Ann found herself at a loss when searching for cute barrettes for her daughter’s Christmas photos. The accessories she did find didn’t fit the image she was looking for. She wanted to adorn her girls in something a little less baby-like and a little more chic; something that even Mary-Ann might wear herself.

In the end, she couldn’t find what she was looking for so she decided to make them herself and BellaCoco Designs was born!

BellaCoco Designs Tutu

LET’S GO SHOPPING

From tailor-made tutus created with North American, soft, luxurious tulle to Kanzashi Flowers (a Japanese origami style) to lead-free hair clips, there are a variety of trendy accessories for young girls at BellaCoco Designs.

And we can’t forget about the boys; BellaCoco Designs also carries neckties, suspenders and newsboy/fedora hats for the little guy in your life.

BellaCoco Designs Tutu

THE “MIA”

When I told Little S that she was able to sit down and view pictures of colourful tutus and pick one out of her very own she was thrilled! Her choice was not an easy one given that there are 12 styles to choose from (and you can order a custom design but she didn’t know that). She finally chose The “Mia” which came as no surprise knowing her love of all things purple and fuchsia.

The product exceeded our expectations! Little S sure feels like a princess in this fun outfit. It is clear by examining Mary-Ann’s work that she takes pride in her creations and prioritizes quality.

BUY IT

The wide range of BellaCoco Designs products can be viewed and ordered online. You can also follow along with BellaCoco Designs on Facebook and Twitter.

CAPTURE IT

On Saturday, June 8th, 2o13, you can participate in a fun photo shoot with your little ones. BellaCoco Designs and Robert Russell Photography have partnered for a unique opportunity to capture your little princess in a BellaCoco Desgins Tutu. See details below:

Mini TuTu 2 Bella Coco Designs

WIN IT

One City Mom reader will win a custom-made Tutu from BellaCoco Designs. Open to Canadian residents. Please use the Rafflecopter form below for full rules and regulations and to enter the giveaway. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

City Mom

Getting in Shape with Power Stroller

Power Stroller

As you may know, my daughter will be 7 weeks old on Saturday and I just received the go ahead from my doctor to resume my physical activity.  I couldn’t wait to get back at it, but it is definitely more challenging now having a little one to think about as well; I can’t just get up and go to the gym like I used to.

Power Stroller

Luckily there is a class that allows me to combine my physical activity with spending time with my child so I don’t have to find childcare every time I want to workout.

City Mom has featured Bernice Robinson, Personal Trainer on her blog over the last couple of years and now Bernice has started a new company called Power Stroller.

Power Stroller is a progressive fitness training program; meaning, that as your level of fitness progresses, so does the level of training.  This enables you to maximize your strength, endurance, and cardiovascular performance while enjoying time with your baby and forming new friendships with other mothers.

With classes running everyday of the week at various locations around London and St. Thomas, it was easy for me to find one that fit into my schedule.

MY GOALS

I would like to firm up my muscles since I have lost a lot of toning over the pregnancy.  Bernice mentioned in our first class that muscles go through atrophy during pregnancy and we lose a lot of muscle tone.

I would also like to shed some of the baby weight I gained, which is about 15 pounds.

WEEK ONE

I will be participating in the 8-week program with Bernice.  It runs 2 days a week, Wednesdays and Fridays at Springbank Park and I will be sharing my results as I go so stay tuned!

This first week we discussed protein, clean eating and whole foods.  I learned that you should switch up your protein shakes each time you buy a new one.  So if you used Whey protein over a few weeks, the next time you should buy soy based protein powder for example.  There are also recipes listed on the website when you are a client of the program so I look forward to trying some of those as well.  It was really nice meeting all the other new moms in the group.

So far my first week has been very encouraging and I look forward to the coming weeks and the progress I will make.  If you would like more information on these programs, check out the power stroller site at www.powerstroller.ca.

What were your fitness goals after pregnancy and how do you combine fitness with spending time with your children?

Village Mom

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Stash Your Stuff with Storage Worx & Win!

Storage Worx

I’m no stranger to what it’s like in studentville at the end of the school term. Living in the heart of the city affords us a front row seat to view the leftovers of a school year well-lived. Many of the downtown streets become strewn with debris that finds itself homeless come springtime.

This is risky business as it can result in some pretty hefty fines for homeowners, landlords and even the students heading home. No to mention it’s not good for the environment.

Student Garbage

STORAGE WORX

Luckily Storage Worx has students covered this year.

Storage Worx is London’s  newest full-service self storage facility offering a full line of boxes & moving supplies, climate controlled units and contractor units. They are located in Meadowbrook Business Park just off Exeter Road.

Starting February 21 to April 20, 2013, UWO and Fanshawe College students can take advantage of a promotional offer to stash their stuff over the summer. Check it out:

4-Month Student Storage Package – $395
  • 4 Months of 5′ X 10′
  • Secure Climate Controlled Storage
  • Free Disk Lock (Yours to keep, A $12 Value)
  • Free Move-In with our truck and driver
  • Delivery back to your place when school starts
  • $15 worth of Free Boxes to pack it all in!
  • All you have to do is load & unload

Storage Worx makes moving out and moving in a seamless process from start to finish and students (and their parents) get to have peace of mind that their stuff will be safe, dry, clean and ready for them come next fall.

Check out the award-winning facilities at Storage Worx. And I don’t use the term ‘award winning’ lightly. Storage Worx received the national Self Storage Facility of the Year award for 2012. You’ll see why:

 Storage Worx Facilities

 Storage Worx Facilities

CONNECT WITH STORAGE WORX

Follow along with Storage Worx on Twitter and Facebook and stay up-to-date on their latest offers and storage information.

STORE YOUR STUFF & WIN

And there’s more, today you can enter to win an Apple 16 GB WIFI iPad mini with Storage Worx. Please use the Rafflecopter widget below and to check out the full contest details.

Contest open to legal residents of Canada only (except Quebec). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win. Contest closes: April 15, 11:59 pm EST, 2013.

Only one email address or IP address will be accepted. Multiple entries will be disqualified. No cash or other substitution, assignment or transfer of prizes permitted. Full contest rules are included in Rafflecopter entry form. Contest VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and happy storing!

City Mom

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Get Organized With Ease: JustJunk London

JustJunk London

You may remember back in October I did a Home Makeover episode with City Mom on Rogers TV where we turned a “closet” into an office. We re-purposed the space from a junk room to a functional work space. It was such a dramatic makeover and the extra space with built-in storage was a life changer.

It wasn’t all fun and games though. Although the designer and contractor did most of the work, we still had a lot of stuff to get rid of. First we categorized things to keep, donate, recycle or trash and from there we had to physically get stuff to the right places.

I recall many trips to The Good Will and a trip to the dump to dispose of our unwanted items. It was a lot of work! Though very worth it, I wish that we had have hired some professional assistance to make the job run smoother and quicker.

JUSTJUNK LONDON

JustJunk is a  is a locally owned and operated, junk removal service specializing in residential and commercial removals that help customers of all ages with anything from small de-clutter to entire house clean-outs.

JustJunk has been operating across Canada for the past ten years but starting this March they will be serving customers in London, Woodstock, and St. Thomas.

From hot tubs to pianos to yard waste, JustJunk is not limited to what they can remove. And the bonus is that JustJunk will always make it their priority to donate and recycle many of the items they remove. And they try to divert as much material away from landfills as possible. This gives you peace of mind knowing that your unwanted items are going to the best place possible.

HOW IT WORKS

Working with JustJunk is really easy! First you can visit justjunk.com/junk-removal-london and click on Book Online (note, you’ll save $10 by booking this way) and set up your appointment (no credit card needed). JustJunk will first provide a free, no obligation estimate based on the space in their trucks that you will require. Your quote will also include all the lifting loading and disposal.

Alternatively you can call 519-932-1444 to set up your on-site estimate. JustJunk London offers same or next day service and they guarantee quick turnaround time.

WHAT WILL JUSTJUNK LONDON REMOVE?

More like what won’t JustJunk remove? Check out this awesome list of items they can haul away and check out their website to see the long list of other types of items and services they provide.

  • Gravel
  • Plaster
  • Sod
  • Patio Stone
  • Shingle
  • Dirt
  • Concrete
  • Asphalt
  • Gravel
  • Tile
  • Brick
  • Lathe
  • Dirt Piles
  • Sidewalk

CONNECT WITH JUSTJUNK LONDON

Find out more from JustJunk London at Twitter & Facebook and on their blog junkdiary.com. Be sure to check out their cool finds from removal services; who knows, maybe you’re sitting on a treasure!

Whether your job is big or small save yourself the time, money and energy and leave it to the pros at JustJunk!

Disclosure: I received compensation for this post. As always the opinions expressed here are completely my own.

City Mom

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Urban Exposure: One Diva and a Cupcake

One Diva & a Cupcake

Earlier this week I posted about my daughter’s Bubblegum Birthday Party and the ‘how to’s’ behind the theme. The party would not have been complete without the bubblegum flavoured cupcakes we used instead of birthday cake.

Those cupcakes came from One Diva and a Cupcake from right here in London. They were so delicious. The frosting (real bubblegum flavoured butter cream) was to die for and the cake was moist and heavenly and the pretty pink design with gum ball topper really completed our theme!

One Diva and a Cupcake

ONE DIVA AND A CUPCAKE

One Diva and a Cupcake is owned and operated by Jennifer Cordeiro. Jennifer opened up shop in Hyde Park at Gainsborough & Hyde Park Road in March 2012. Previous to March, Jennifer was creating cupcakes at home through a commercial kitchen and things just got too busy. This wasn’t a bad thing for Jennifer; she spent two days looking for a shop location and when her current location became available she snapped it up.

One Diva and a Cupcake

Jennifer carries 40 different flavours of cupcakes at One Diva and a Cupcake, but you won’t find all 40 on-shelf every day. Their most popular varieties can always be found like Chocolate Skor, Cookies ‘n Cream and Caramel. Then she chooses four to six of the other flavours to feature that day. Think Cookie Dough, Chocolate Mint and Cherry Cheesecake. Is your mouth watering yet?

One Diva and a Cupcake

NOT JUST CUPCAKES

If 40 different flavours aren’t enough for you, there’s more! Cakes, cookies and boutique-style shopping are all possible at One Diva and a Cupcake.

From Christmas cookies to birthday cakes to One Diva and a Cupcake’s own line of soaps and body creams, this London gem is so much more than cupcakes. On my visit, I couldn’t stop from shopping the unique items Jennifer carries in the boutique. Jewelry, children’s crochet hats and designer looking purses were among the many items distracting me from my interview.

One Diva and a Cupcake

DESIGNED WITH THE DIVA IN MIND

When you enter One Diva and a Cupcake you feel like a diva yourself. With its warm purple walls (Jennifer’s favourite colour), damask accents and purple dangling accents, the interior is fit for a queen!

You’ll love it so much you’ll want to stay for a while and spend time in the café sipping on tea, tasting cupcakes or enjoying a light lunch!

And if that just isn’t enough time, you can rent the cafe too. One Diva and a Cupcake offers facility rentals at $50/hr for birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers and more. Offer your guests a light lunch and cupcake decorating or build your package to suit your needs. Why not decorate an apron or build a teddy bear? Or visit One Diva and a Cupcake to have your future read by a medium (available twice a month). How fun is that?

If you haven’t already go check out One Diva and a Cupcake and tell her City Mom sent you…you’ll be so glad you did!

CONNECT WITH ONE DIVA AND A CUPCAKE

Web:  twodivasandacupcake.com/

Facebook:  facebook.com/onedivaandacupcake

 

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