Jan
01

10 Back-to-School Products That Will Last You Through The Year (And Next Year)

Early morning wake-ups, the frantic packing of lunchboxes, running to the bus stop to greet friends… Sound familiar? It’s almost time for students to head back to the classroom, and as a parent, guardian, or student yourself, it’s key to ensure everyone is prepared for the big return. Back-to-school season can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. We searched the internet for some must-have back-to-school products (that will *actually* last more than a year) to help students of all ages feel their best as the school year starts again.  

Sony's WH-1000XM5 Headphones

Numerous sources have ranked these over-ear noise-cancelling headphones as one of the top pairs to buy among the best. Their noise-cancelling feature optimizes its noise-cancelling abilities to adapt to your external environment to provide the best listening experience possible. Bluetooth pairing capabilities make it seamless to connect to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop wherever you are. With up to 30 hours of listening time with noise-cancelling enabled, these will last from your morning commute to the gym to those late-night study sessions.  

Bento Box Lunch Container

Make packing your lunch bag easier with a bento box! Bento boxes are easy to pack in your little one’s backpack, eliminating the need for packing multiple food containers that kids might lose. These leak-proof containers are freezer and microwave-safe, with 4 compartments for snacks and lunch that will last your child all day.  

Bed-in-a-Bag Comforter and Sheet Set

Bare Home Bed-in-a-Bag Down Alternative Comforter & Sheet Set - Light Blue/White - Twin If you’re moving into your dorm this week and still need bedding (we won’t judge!), this Bed-in-a-Bag set has everything you need to sleep comfortably. Available in bed sizes from a Twin to a King, these sets include a comforter, flat sheet, fitted sheet, pillowcase, and pillow sham. The best part is that these sets come in 30 different colour combinations so that you can match your bedding to your dorm, no matter the theme!  

L.L Bean Expandable Lunch Box

If you buy a new lunch bag for your kids every year, it might be time to invest in one that won’t fall apart. This expandable lunch box from L.L. Bean has room for lunch and snacks to last your kids a full day at school. The internal mesh pocket can hold an ice pack in place to keep food cool in addition to the insulating materials.  

Beis Daytripper Backpack

Fashionable Rucksacks, Knapsacks & Travel Backpacks It might be worth considering investing in a backpack that will grow with you as a student. The Beis Backpack may be a little pricey, but this bag has room for everything high school and college-aged students need. With a padded laptop sleeve, 2 water bottle pockets, a front pouch, durable waterproof fabric, and padded straps, this backpack will last you through a full day of classes throughout your educational journey.  

LARQ Filtering Water Bottle

Students need to stay hydrated during the day to help with brain function, so using a filter bottle to drink the best water is only proper. The LARQ filtering water bottle is one of the best filtering bottles in the game, using Nano Zero filter technology to remove lead, heavy metals, chlorine, and particulates. The double-insulated interior helps to keep water cold for up to 24 hours, surviving the morning commute to after-school practice.   

Personalized Labels

We know our little ones might tend to forget their belongings at school or mix them up with a classmate’s. That’s why these personalized labels will be great to stick on your child’s belongings, from their backpack to their indoor shoes, so they’ll never get mixed up again.   

Erasable Highlighters

We all have those moments when we’re taking notes or studying and accidentally highlight the wrong information. Luckily, these erasable highlighters(!) are great for staying on top of your studies, while being proactive of managing minor highlighting mistakes that might happen.  

Faux Leather Macbook Air Sleeve

Protect your laptop with this stylish laptop sleeve! Its waterproof and non-scratch exterior will survive whatever you throw at it. The sleeve can also be used as a laptop stand to help you improve your posture and reduce neck strain by looking up at your laptop screen, instead of down.  

Large Stationary Pencil Case

These days, taking notes is all about using aesthetically pleasing colours and highlighters, so it’s only fitting that you have a pencil case to store all of your stationery! Find what you need easily with multiple pencil compartments, pockets, and zippers to store everything you need to write the best notes in your class.
Jan
01

A Hair Stylist's Guide To The Most Popular Hair Trends For Fall

[bc_video video_id="6193522898001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"]
Doing your hair is a great way to feel normal again, and it appears that hair for fall is more relaxed but certain trends need to be customized.
Every fall we see new haircuts and trends that are exciting and feel fresh, but given the times we are living in, the main trend that we are noticing is that people are asking for a look that that will grow out well.  I thought it would be a perfect time to discuss what is ‘cool’  for fall but will be long lasting, as well as how to choose what’s right for you. Bob Nothing feels fresher than a bob. It is a classic that has been around for decades and not even the wrath of 2020 can take down the power of a good bob!!!  The great thing about a bob is that because the line is so clean all the way around, you can actually grow it out in different stages so its shelf life is quite long.  A good bob can go from chin length to a lob to just past shoulders to long. I think the one thing people worry about with a bob is that their face can look round, but let’s look at Taraji P. Henson and she’s wearing the heck out of this bob!!! It works on her because there’s volume.  A lot of people with rounder features in our faces always feel like a bob is too exposing, so you want to try to accentuate the height by possibly adding a few layers or as in this case, some movement.  I think there are two tricks for people that have rounder faces who are thinking of doing a bob. 1.  Add volume where you can 2. You can also try going longer than chin length and that will feel right as well.  That said, Taraji looks beautiful in that chin length bob Now someone like Kaia Gerber - who has a heart shaped face, can pretty much wear any type of bob. It looks great straight on her, but I also really like it when she wears some texture in it.  The texture can help to soften any stronger features. Also, I think it’s important to note that I don’t really believe in hard rules with facial shapes, I think people should have the freedom to try anything with their hair, but the idea is really to make things the most flattering.   Warm Balayage Another great look for fall that can grows out really well is a warm toned balayage. Warmer tones are tones like golden, caramel or auburn… Perfect for fall, we always love deeper tones because often hair colour gets bleached out throughout the summer, so it’s perfect timing to darken things a touch.  The great thing about a balayage’d look is that you get this great rooted shadow which allows for regrowth to go a longer time between visits to the salon. One of my faves is Chrissy Teigen and her beautiful golden balayage look.  What you want to keep in mind more than anything when choosing a hair colour tone for fall is that it should work well with your skin tones and not clash.  Chrissy for example has a beautiful golden tone which allows her to have a warmer balayage. Priyanka Chopra is another good example of someone who has beautiful warm balayage. You see again on her, the color matches both the rich tones in her eyes as well as her warmer skin tone.  It doesn’t clash. On Rema (model) here, her skin tones pull a touch of pink and so in this case I would focus on using beige tones as opposed to strong golden tones in order not to compete with her undertones.  Same thing here the deeper your skin tone.  If you tend to have a cooler skin undertone you want to stick with cooler tone hair colours.   Soft Fringe A great way to update your look for fall is always a fringe.  If done well, they can even just end up growing into layers around your face so you get longevity with this look.  I love the way Camilla Cabello uses her fringe simply as a detail to her overall look.  It adds to the haircut and creates an interesting style.  Camilla has a longer shaped face so a fringe really helps to soften that length. It’s important to remember with fringe to play with your cheekbones. Sometimes it’s nice to just add a few shorter pieces to accentuate your features.  Sometimes a bit of a soft side swept fringe is also just what one needs for a fall update. In order for it to grow out and have longevity, you don’t want your fringe to be cut super straight across or heavy (unless that’s your look).  Those types of strong bangs are a little harder to grow out. That said, they do eventually grow into layers.   Natural Texture I think in times like these, the idea of spending hours styling your hair might feel a bit excessive - so now is the time - and as a professional, i’m giving everyone the okay - TO NOT overly style your hair! I’ve been pushing for people to wear their natural texture for years and it seems like the moment has truly finally arrived!! Don’t worry, glam will be back, we’re just taking a bit of a breather.  Let’s take a cue from Tracee Ellis Ross and Selena Gomez.  Both are great examples of just wearing your natural texture. The best way to approach working with your natural texture is to first apply a great leave in conditioner or styling product that best suits your texture.  Then let it dry and if you do have to get on a zoom call, it’s never a bad idea to run a bit of an iron just to give it a little shine and definition if you need….but still, keep it simple!!!  Now those who have beautiful curl types like Tracee Ellis Ross, you don’t need the help of an iron.  It all depends on the strength of your curl or wave pattern.  But the key is to make your natural hair texture look its best with as little maintenance as possible!  
Jan
01

Here's How Tech Can Keep Your Family Organized This School Year

[bc_video video_id="6193214529001" account_id="2226196965001" player_id="rkljM4WDEg"] With the new school year kicking into full gear, tech expert Lisa Chang is sharing these tips to get you and your family organized.

1) Organize your time and devices 

  • Electronic Calendar Organization - keeps your family in sync and on schedule.  It’s known that kids respond best to structure and when they know what to expect, so a shared calendar system is truly ideal.
  • Built into your operating system the iCalendar or Google calendars are flexible and networked so you can see activities/appointments/etc as they change in real time.
  • Made in Vancouver, Family Organizer by Picniic is an app designed for all family members to easily access with features such as family locator, shared family calendar, to-do lists, shopping lists, recipe and meal planner, parental controls, and more.
  • Keeping everything charged, sanitized and in one spot
Click here to purchase Click here to purchase  

2) Get ahead on meal prep and nutrition goals 

Whatever your schedule, I highly recommend identifying chunks of time in your week where you can meal prep ahead of time and freeze meals. It will make your life easier, I guarantee it. Once you have identified the time to do this, put it on your calendar and stick to it.
  • Apps like Mealime help you plan easy, healthy meals, so youre not stressed about figuring out what to 
  • Eat Healthy hand-picked apps by App Store editors to help adjust your eating habits through meal planning, cooking delicious meals. 
 

3) Set up your rest routine

It is so easy to overschedule ourselves and think that we have to do everything that is presented to us.  Nobody can do it all, and further, we are not designed to work or study all day every day. As important as work and school are, the fundamental thing we all need in life to be happy, healthy, and successful is a balance. In order to be balanced in life, we need to offset work and school with REST and RELAXATION.  We all need to be refreshed, or our well will run dry.

a) Wake up and fall asleep with a clear mind - having proper lighting and ambient noise in your room is key. 

  • Relax Melodies: Sleep Sounds app Made in Montreal, Relax Melodies is recommended by doctors and neuropsychologists for a better nights sleep.  You can customize your own sleep sounds because no one’s sleep pattern is the same.

b) Free your mind and the rest will follow:

  • Audible App - begin or end your day with a motivational book or podcast, Meditation, Comedy and more are available for you to listen to

4) Connect with the family

There's no better way to make sure everyone is on top of what they should be doing, than by spending time with them and connecting.
Jan
01

Fall fashion survival tips

Our kids can take all our attention during the back-to-school period, but many of us still have to go to work and look presentable. Stylist Iva Grbesic offers fashion tips for surviving the first week back.

Tip 1

Pick out your outfit the night before. This will save you time the next morning because you've already committed to what you’re wearing and can focus on getting the kids out the door.

Tip 2

Third piece rule. You'll see this strictly followed on mannequins in in-store displays like the ones found in Banana Republic, J.Crew or The Gap: outfits comprised of three pieces (not including shoes). Your top is the first piece; your bottom is the second piece; and your third piece is the extra that makes the outfit, such as a jacket, blazer, sweater, vest, scarf or statement accessory. This third piece makes an ordinary outfit look polished and put together.

Outfit: WHBM (White House Black Market) Shoes, Guilhermina Lunchbox, Modern Mary

Tip 3

Dressing in three colours. The basic premise here is not wearing more then three colours in one outfit. The goal is to achieve a visually-appealing outfit easily. Black and white are technically not colours, so when working with these shades you have some flexibility. For example, you can wear four colours if one of them is white. A patterned piece counts as one colour. To keep things easy, select a colour from the print and match another piece of your outfit or your accessories to it. A few of my favourite colour combinations are:
  • Camel, red, black and white
  • Navy blue and white and any one of these four colours: red, green, yellow or orange
  • Robin’s egg blue, red and white
  • Grey, navy and white

Outfit: Skirt, necklace and cardigans, LOFT Blouse, WHBM Shoes, Guilhermina

Tip 4

Weekend uniform. Kids don’t stop on the weekend, and many have organized activities. Start with your key piece — for me this season, it has to be leggings. Now, add a top, fashion trainers and your third piece. The following week, I’ll still be in my leggings, but I will switch out my shoes for booties, a long sweater and vest.

Outfit: Leggings, sweater, necklace and grey vest, Reitmans Sleeveless coat and long-sleeve shirt, Banana Republic Boots, Aldo Trainers, Skechers

Iva’s outfit: Vest and blouse, WHBM Jeans, LOFT [embed]bcid:4471539703001[/embed]
Jan
01

Quick tips to simplify your routine and stay healthy for fall

Trying to get back on track with your health for fall? Follow Dr. Joey Shulman's quick tips for you and your family to stay healthy all year long! Tip #1: Eat healthy snacks Having healthy snacks on hand are great for keeping you and your family on a healthy track. Make sure you always have healthy options whether you're on-the-go or at home, such as nuts, fruit, or healthy bars. Also check out some nut-free snacks to pack for school lunches. Tip #2: Get organized Being organized is vital when you're planning to stay on track. Plan out lunches and dinners ahead of time with your children (or just for you!) to make grocery shopping a lot easier. Planning ahead can also help your kids get excited for meals. Tip #3: Stay hydrated Buying a water bottle that you like will make you more likely to drink more water throughout the day. Always keep an empty one in your bag, in the car, or at the office. Tip #4: Wash your hands As back-to-school time approaches, so does flu season. Make sure you and your kids are staying healthy by washing your hands before and after meals. Try to also have hand sanitizer at your disposal in case you don't have access to a sink. [embed]bcid:4432573697001[/embed] For Joey's 7 healthy fall recipes, click here.  
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