May
2018

Recent Non-Fashion Purchases

categories: Shopping

Time for another round of reviews on my Amazon purchases. Whooo-weeee!

Magnetic Tiles

I am telling every parent I know about these; in my opinion, they are the best value-for-money toy, hands down, for ages 4 and up. Our Houston friends’ kids had these, and the entire junior cohort (ages 4-7, mixed gender) played with them constantly during our visit. I actually love playing with them as well – insert joke about my maturity level here – which is a bonus because I can’t say that about at least 80% of my kids’ toys. They are way more fun than regular building blocks, and you can build much cooler structures and 3D objects with them. I think they are great for stimulating imagination, and teaching kids about geometry.

The original brand, MagnaTiles, is very pricey. On Amazon, a 100-piece set retails for about $170CAD. A hundred pieces might sound like a lot, but you need at least double that to really get creative/adventurous. I did some research and found this much cheaper version; the reviews suggested that they were just as good as the MagnaTiles and, in my experience, that is actually the case – they seem identical, looks- and quality-wise. These cost under $70CAD for a 100-piece set; 32-piece packs are about $30CAD. Still not inexpensive, but the tiles seem pretty sturdy and I expect my kids will be playing with them for a while. They also take up less space to pack up when not in use as compared to regular blocks, which is a bonus. My house has a tendency to look like a toy graveyard at the best of times.

Mario Badescu Rose Water Facial Spray

This is one of those bougie skin care things that no one actually needs, but I saw Samantha Irby post a photo of it on her Instagram, and I am susceptible to the influence of women I want to be friends with, okay? I also have a vague threshold of about $25 for impulse/useless buys, and this cost just under than on Amazon, so. It was bought.

Was it any good? Well, yeah. It feels really nice. I still maintain that it’s not something you need, and I can’t speak to its magical, skin-transforming powers because my skin is having none of that transformation business at this point – but! – it’s a nice little pick-me-up if you’re into that sort of thing. I would say it’s akin to a sheet mask, minus the looking like a drugstore version of a serial killer part.

Edited to add: I bought the large size, which naturally I can’t find as of my writing of this post, and I think it will likely last at least 2-3 months. When I was in Phoenix, I found the small size (linked above) for $5 at Nordstrom Rack, so I purchased the purple and green versions as well. I’m basically addicted to the spraying action at this point. Fawncy!

Pom Pom Maker

This is another item that might have a very niche audience, but I had to mention it because I get a kick out of it. I initially found this on Amazon while looking for something else related to my knitting adventures, and I bought it in hopes that I would, someday, successfully knit a beanie. Beanie + pom-pom = legit hat. That, and the fact this gadget cost under $20CAD, was the extent of the thought process that went into this purchase.

Once I figured out the instructions – which were almost certainly written by a non-native English speaker – the thing was pretty easy to use and does make a decent-looking pom pom. I have only used the largest size so far, but I plan to dive into pom crafts at some point.

Have you found some cool bargains or gadgets on Amazon (or elsewhere) lately? Share everything in the comments 🙂


May
2018

Scottsdale, AZ: What I Wore

categories: Uncategorized

After trips to Mexico, Palm Springs, Houston and, now, Scottsdale in the span of just over a year, I like to think that I’m an expert at packing for a hot vacation. Needs obviously will vary a bit from destination to destination, but not much in my case; I am basically a sloth anytime, anyplace I’m on vacation. What matters more than location is whether the kids are going to be there or not; for kid-free trips like this one, I do tend to over-dress a little. YOLO, right!? Even so, were it not for the fact that I have an extensive skin care regimen (which is not precisely compatible with carry on restrictions) and plans to bring back quantities of US-exclusive candy, I probably could have done this trip without checked luggage. That is a Peak Minimalism moment for me, you guys.

Here’s a list of what I took with me (including the clothes I wore on the plane):

– 3 dresses – only because I like to “dress up” for dinner, even though I am not a “fancy dining” kind of person. I’m complicated, ok?
– 3 tops
– 1 pair of pants
– 1 pair of shorts
– 2 sweaters/cardigans
– 1 cover-up
– 1 bikini
– 4 pairs of shoes
– Pyjamas and unmentionables

I feel like I need to explain the shoes. I always wear closed-toe shoes on the plane because my feet get cold otherwise. On this trip, I knew I wanted to do a little bit of hiking – definitely not my norm and, as it turns out, not something my husband was feeling either – so I decided to bring along some runners. But the runners didn’t go with my plane outfit so … 1 pair of shoes became two. Similarly, I usually only bring one pair of sandals (and one would have sufficed here as well), but I had just thrifted some Rebecca Minkoff thong sandals, and they barely took up any extra space, so … 1 pair of sandals became two. Two plus two … well, you can do the math.

Anyway, here is what I actually wore.

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This was my plane outfit, and what I wore (minus the vest) until we checked into the hotel. It was the most comfortable. I wore the same thing on the way back except that I subbed in the black floral top I wore on Day 2.

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I wore this for dinner on our first night. This is one of my fave dresses and it was nice to be able to wear it without a sweater for once.

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Day 2, and a trip to the botanical garden. I always wear this hat in the summer when I’m outside, so it pays for itself in no time. It’s under $40 at Aritzia, and I believe they sell it every year. My first one got smushed in a suitcase once, but the hat is good quality and wears well otherwise; this is the second summer for this hat and it still looks great.

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Evening outfit for Day 2. I recently got the necklace at J. Crew Factory. It was a perfect accessory for another one of my favourite muumuus.

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Outfit for Day 3. I switched to the shorts in the afternoon for a quick shopping trip, post-poolside lounging.

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Last but not least, I had to bring out this recently thrifted Corey Lynn Calter dress. I hunted this dress on eBay, in and off, for years without ever finding the right deal; a few weeks ago, I found it at my local Goodwill for $8.50. Paired with my Aritzia belt, it was a lovely outfit for a lovely last dinner in old town Scottsdale.


May
2018

Scottsdale, AZ: What I Bought

categories: Travel

I wasn’t planning to do a lot of shopping in Phoenix; I’m spoiled for choice at home, and our vacation was short and I wanted to make the most of the little time we had. Both my husband and I wanted to check out Nordstrom Last Chance to see what the fuss is about, but that was the extent of our shopping plans. Scottsdale had other ideas.

Last Chance was right next door to an Ulta, and a 2 minute drive to a Nordstrom Rack. And a consignment store. And there was a Goodwill 5 minutes away from that. And … well, you can imagine how the rest goes. Everything was ever so conveniently close by; we simply had to pop in, you see? As the legendary Piaf would say, je ne regrette rien.

I didn’t actually spend a lot of time browsing in any given store, which is probably why I still managed to come home with only one suitcase; but I can see why Phoenix is a shopping destination for some. There were great deals to be had all over the place, no matter what your budget and tastes. If you like to shop new and designer, and don’t mind a scrum, Last Chance is your ticket. The prices are decently low compared to retail, though nowhere close to thrift, of course. The store itself is overwhelming, even for someone like me, but if you’re patient and don’t mind digging around, it can pay off. Things are not always in the best condition so be sure to look over your items closely; no returns are allowed.

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I scored a Marc Jacobs bag, mostly because I loved the colour and because it was one of the few bags I saw that was still in great shape. I have a couple of other small MbMJ crossbody bags that I used all the time, so I know this one will be functional for my lifestyle. It was $60USD plus tax compared to about $400 retail, which isn’t the greatest deal, but decent considering the condition and unusual colour.

I also got some Louise et Cie lace-up metallic oxfords for just under $30USD. Again, not a mind-blowing deal, but I am obsessed with this style of shoe and I find the colour to be interesting but versatile. I saw quite a lot of tempting AGL shoes of varying styles, but they were marked down to around $70USD which was too high for me. I also spotted a pair of Valentino ankle-strap pumps (a style that was hot within the last year or so) in my size for around $200USD, but after wearing them in-store a bit, I decided they weren’t comfortable enough for me.

A much better deal were the bikini tops and bottoms I found – each piece was about $6USD. I got 1 matching set, and another non-matching top and bottom (which I can mix and match with some of my existing bikinis). I forgot to take pictures for the blog, but you can see them on IG. Lastly, I picked up a forest green, knit top by Gibson; it was an impulse buy, but only $3USD which is basically almost free.

On the recommendation of a friend, I checked out My Sister’s Closet, a Phoenix consignment store. There are two locations – one located next door to the Nordstrom Rack on Camelback Road; the other a short drive away on N. Scottsdale Road. Both separate their clothing by designer/non-designer, and then by category; the N. Scottsdale location had far larger designer section, much of it very high-end. Prices were quite reasonable, particularly as there was some kind of sale going on when I visited. The stores reminded me a lot of my favourite local consignment shop, My Favourite Aunt’s. I didn’t end up buying anything on this trip, but I will definitely go back next time I’m in Phoenix.

As I mentioned earlier, I did end up checking out a few Goodwill stores as well; there are lots of thrift stores in the area, but there were a bunch of Goodwills located conveniently close to our resort and, as I am generally familiar with the way their stores are organized, they were easy to check out in very little time.

In my first store, I struck gold almost immediately:

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This is an Armani Collezione dress that was selling at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus last year. I did some online digging and it looks like the original retail price was around $1,300USD. I paid $25USD … so, yeah, you could say that I hit the jackpot.

The other stores I visited did not yield quite the same manner of treasure, but I did spot a bunch of designer labels, including 10 Crosby by Derek Lam, Elizabeth and James, Alice and Olivia, Joie, Carven and more. Overall, I found designer stuff to be more plentiful in Phoenix than, say, Houston; prices were comparable with my local Goodwill, though items were individually marked rather than standard priced. I am not sure I’m ready to say that Phoenix’s thrift scene is better than Edmonton’s … but it’s close.

I also picked up this cute Fossil zippered pouch/crossbody bag:

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Next time, I plan to devote a bit more time to the shopping scene in Phoenix because, judging from my limited “research”, it should pay off nicely.

Have you visited Scottsdale/Phoenix? What were your shopping experiences, and do you have any other tips for fellow bargain hunters?