FURKID by Paws & Play – April Box

Another month, another Paws & Play box.  Actually this is the last box of our 3 month subscription and it was going to be the determining factor if we extended our subscription or not.  I was hoping that it would blow me away and I wouldn’t be able to resist re-subscribing (you can read our review of the February and March boxes here and here).  To find out if it convinced us to stick around or not, keep reading!

Paws & Play is a Canadian monthly subscription box for your furkid; each month you receive a variety of high-quality products for your pet and you can personalize your box based on your pets preferences (i.e. strong chewer, soft or crunchy treats, gender, etc.).

This month’s “box” came in a bag again, I’m not quite sure why as I feel it would have fit in a box.  As a result the product card was a little worse for wear.

The total value of the box came to a total $51.95; I found most of the listed prices pretty reasonable, aside from maybe the toy.  As mentioned, we purchased a 3 month subscription for $109.95, which calculates out to each box costing $36.65.

They also included a separate card this month showcasing a rescue pet and their story – this month’s being cutie Tika.

First up was the Hyper Pet Gnarly Gnaws Bone. ($14.95)  It had a squeaker in it and I think these are met for strong chewers (which she is not).  Maggie doesn’t really destroy her toys (unless they have fur on them) and unfortunately she didn’t much interest in this.

Next was the Petcurean Catfish Barbue Jerky for Active & Opinionated Dogs ($16.95).  Love the opinionated dogs thing – that’s a good way to describe Maggie.  I knew she’d like these as she likes jerky treats and fish and she gobbled one right up.  These were a hit!

Our third item was Northern’s The Big Biscuit ($4.95). This is a hard crunchy treat and our profile was set up not to receive crunchy treats so I was a little miffed to see this included.  I broke Maggie off a piece but as expected she turned her nose up at it.  There’s that opinionated dog thing kicking in.

Also included was a Fur + Body Revitalize & Sustain Dog Refresher ($12.95).  This is a spray that can be used to deodorize your pet’s coat if it’s getting a little less than fresh and you don’t have time for a bath.  We don’t have anything like this so I thought this was kind of neat.  I gave it a try and it smelled pleasant and seemed to work pretty well.  I like that its made with organic and natural ingredients too.

Lastly was a This & That Duck Wing ($1.95).  Looks appetizing doesn’t it?  😉  I was a little concerned because there was no packaging on this, it was just loose in the bag. I had to reference the product card to determine what it was but it didn’t give any details as to to where it was made.  In addition, I googled “This & That” and couldn’t find anything about them online so that was disappointing; I like to know where the products I’m feeding Maggie are coming from.  I’ve never given Maggie wings to chew on before and the shape of this made me a little nervous, but she was going crazy for it.  So I gave it to her and as you can see, she really enjoyed it at first:

Thank goodness I was watching her because within a few minutes of her chewing on it, she started coughing and I had to pull it out of her mouth because she had started to swallow it yet it wasn’t completely chewed.  After that I chucked it right in the garbage (much to her dismay).  I know there’s a choking hazard with any type of chew but this didn’t seem to be breaking down like a bully stick normally would, which is why she nearly choked on it.  Scary moment for me and I definitely won’t be purchasing any duck wings (or any other kind of wings!) for her going forward.

And that was this month’s box.  Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be renewing our subscription.  I really like doing these unboxings with Mags, she gets so excited when we go to open them up.  But on the other hand, I find we’re only using about 50% of the items that we receive and I’m feeling a little frustrated that our profile preferences have been ignored twice now.  I might do some more investigating on other pet subscription boxes just to see if there’s a better option for us.  If you have any recommendations, please let me know below!

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Did you know that Mother’s Day is less than 2 weeks away?  Eeek, it always seems to sneak up on me.  This year I’m attempting to get ahead of the game and I’ve put together a gift guide in case you need some ideas too.  I thought I’d break it out by price point because everyone has a different budget but that shouldn’t mean you can’t get your Mom a great gift!

$25 AND UNDER:

My experience is that Moms’ like to keep organized, so why not gift a book that specializes in that exact subject?  Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class On The Art Of Organizing And Tidying Up ($13 – SALE) has been touted by many as life-changing | A beautiful journal ($25) makes a wonderful gift for anyone.  Maybe your Mom doesn’t write but she make lists or just jots down important things; doing it in something that looks like a piece of art makes it that much more enjoyable | Perhaps a Herb Gardening Kit ($25) because flowers die and how awesome would it be to snip a sprig of rosemary or thyme right from your own little kitchen garden? | You can never go wrong with a gift card to Shopper’s Drug Mart.  They sell everything from snacks to lipstick and anything in between.

$50 AND UNDER:

Candles are nice but the scent from diffusers lingers longer and you don’t have to worry about them burning your house down if left unattended. 😉 Illume’s Blackberry Absinthe version ($32) is the perfect mix of fruity and musky without being overpowering | Sunglasses are a Spring/Summer essential so pick Mom up a classic Wayfarer pair in this beautiful gold and tortoiseshell design ($42) | Not only is this S’well water bottle ($45) sparkly, it keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours or hot for up to 12 hours. | What about a pretty little polka-dotted jewellery box ($50) to hold all of her precious treasures?

$75 AND UNDER:

Treat Mom to a day at the spa with a WaySpa.com Gift Card ($75).  These are great because they can be redeemed at over 5,000 spas across Canada, the US, Mexico and the Caribbean | I couldn’t resist throwing in another Kate Spade item because these Cluster Stone Stud Earrings ($64) are perfect for Spring! | My mom recently introduced me to L’Occitane’s Verbena line and and I love the scent – it smells so fresh and clean.  This Verbena Star Gift set ($76) gives her the chance to try out some of the best products in the line. | Any makeup-loving Mom would appreciate this Lancome Spring Essentials set ($65) that comes complete with 7 of Lancome’s best beauty products (that palette looks gorgeous!).

$100 AND UNDER:

You can give your mom the gift of memories with one of these Fuji Instax Mini 8 ($86) Cameras.  How fun would it be to instantly print your photos? | Or stick with a classic fragrance like Coco Chanel Eau De Parfum Spray ($85); this is one of my Mom’s personal favourites | Having a zip wallet you can throw your phone into is so convenient, I don’t leave home without mine.  Fossil makes this vibrant version: Sydney Phone Zip Wallet – $86 | Last but not least, how about this goes-with-everything, rose-gold watch with a ceramic bracelet ($76 – SALE)?

I hope my picks spurred some ideas for you!  Usually I buy my Mom a gift and we spend the day together – we going shopping, hit up a movie or enjoy lunch/dinner together.  Do you do anything special with your Mom for Mother’s Day?

Have a great day!

What Should I Buy?: Filling my Z-Palette

I purchased my first Z Palette a little over a month ago and I’m starting to research products to fill it with.  I purposely bought the Dome palette so I wouldn’t be limited in what I wanted to include, as it has an extra deep base.  Although now that I’ve started window shopping, I suspect this won’t matter too much as I foresee additional Z palettes in my future #wantallthethings

MY CRITERIA: I see my palette mostly consisting of eyeshadows, with a blush or two thrown in and maybe a highlighter or bronzer.  I don’t plan on traveling with this palette and I kind of want do a mix of neutral everyday shades and pops of colour.  Ideally I’d like to not have to de-pot anything, which is why I focused on products that are available for purchase in a pan format.

In addition, I’m only purchasing products from Canadian retailers, either in-store or online.  While I would love to add some Makeup Geek products to my collection, the extra costs associated with exchange, duty and shipping make it hard to justify right now.  So I’ve narrowed my choices down to Mac, Inglot, and Anastasia Beverley Hills.

MY OPTIONS:

• MAC

Eyeshadows: Paradisco (Frosty bright pinky-coral with pearl); Gleam (Lustre barely pinked gold); Swish (Frosty bright pink with icy shimmer); Fig.1 (Matte eggplant purple); Nocturnelle (Frosty pinked-up chrome purple); Plum Dressing (Veluxe pearl pinky-plum with metal); Stars & Rockets (Veluxe pearl purple with a pink pearl); Deep Truth (Frosty True Dark Blue); Satellite Dreams (Deep plum with pearl); Steamy (Frosty bluish-green with gold pearl); Patina (Frosty taupe brown with golden pearl); Satin Taupe (Frosty taupe with silver shimmer); Swiss Chocolate (Matte muted reddish-brown)

Blushes: Plum Foolery (Frosty plum); Peaches (Pure Peach)

• Anastasia Beverly Hills:

Eyeshadows: Macaroon (Titanium Pastel Lavender); Emerald (Metallic Rich Forest Green): Prussian Blue (Titanium Reflective Peacock Blue)

• Inglot

Eyeshadows: #399; #420 (sold out); #407; #341; #339

Blushes: Blush #20:

THE VERDICT: I won’t be purchasing these all at once but slowly over time, unless I do an online purchase on Inglot of course.  I will update my purchases as they happen.

If you have any shadows/blushes/bronzers/highlighters that you would recommend or advise I’d stay away from, please let me know below – I’d so appreciate it!

Have a great weekend!

This & That Fridays – April 15

Have you seen the new Lite Brites collection by China Glaze?  I came across Young Wild & Polished’s swatches on Instagram and wow, they all look so beautiful!  I need to see them in person but I think Bite Me and What I Like About Blue are on my list.

The second season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is out on Netflix so my weekend plans are set.  Hopefully Season 2 is as good as Season 1.

Two things I love for Spring here, lightweight sweaters and ombre.

This is too funny!  And I can relate – out of all the sports out there, I find baseball the most painful to watch.  It’s so slow and it drags on and on…I can’t get into it.  Go Jays though!

I bought this sweater from Joe Fresh a few weeks ago and I can’t stop wearing it.  It’s so comfy and easy to wear and looks great with leggings and jeans.  The only drawback is that it needs to be hand-washed.  But I love it so much I’ll sacrifice a bit of hand-washing.  I bought it in pink but I think I’m going to pick up the green too.

Waffle iron pizza?  Yes please!

Did you hear that Hudson’s Bay is now carrying Teeez Cosmetics?  I have one of their lipsticks that I received in my Luxe Box and I really like it.  And their packaging is amazing!  Excited to try more of their stuff.

Need to catch up on my posts?  Here’s what I published this week:

• Saturday Cocktail – Cherry Limeade
• Sephora Shopping List
• March Loves & Letdowns

Have a great weekend!

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March Loves & Letdowns

I’m a little behind on this month’s favourites – but on the bright side I’m actually doing it this month.  I completely forgot to do February favourites!  Oops!

I’m going to jump right in – here’s what I loved this month:

Gap Open Front Cardi: I love cardi’s any time of year, but especially for Spring and Summer.  This one is super lightweight so it’s perfect to throw overtop of a t-shirt or tank in the morning when it’s still a little chilly out.  They offer this sweater in a wide variety of colours; I selected it in Heather Grey colour but I’m tempted to pick up another in Turquoise or Blue.

Bath & Body Works Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla Hand Soap: I can’t get enough of this hand soap – it smells exactly like my favourite warm drink from Starbucks – their Cinnamon Dolce Hot Chocolate.  Love it!

Tarte Maracuja Oil: This was included in a Tarte set I bought on Black Friday and I was a little hesitant to use it as I haven’t really had much success with using oils on my face.  My skin is super sensitive and I usually break out when I try to use them.  This one is different though!  I’ve been using this off and on throughout the month as a night-time moisturizer and mixed into my foundation in lieu of primer and it works so well!  I totally expected it to leave me greasy and oily by the end of the day when I mixed it into my foundation but it just made my skin look glowy and healthy and my foundation applied like a dream.  Used as a nighttime moisturizer, I couldn’t believe how supple and smooth my skin felt the next day.  I’m about halfway through my little mini bottle of it but I plan on purchasing the full size, or at least another of the same size.

CoverGirl TruBLEND Blush (Light Rose): This might be one of the best drugstore blushes I’ve ever tried.  Be warned this particular shade is quite light so it probably wouldn’t work well for those with darker skin tones.  But for any of my fair-skinned friends, I’d recommend this.  It’s a really soft pink-ish peach and you can build it to your desired intensity.  On top of that the formula is great – it’s silky, soft and buttery.  Highly recommend this!

Frilly Lilly Argentinian Lemon Shea Butter Creme:  I’ve found my new favourite hand cream!  Frilly Lilly is a local mani/pedi/waxing boutique with locations in Alberta & British Columbia, and California.  I’ve been using this cream for probably a month and a half and it has really helped my chronically dry hands.  It’s not at all greasy – it absorbs quickly but moisturizes really well.  I also love that it doesn’t leave white marks on darker clothes if you touch them before it’s absorbed (one of my biggest pet peeves with hand cream!).  I picked up the Argentinian lemon scent and at first I wasn’t sure about it but I’ve grown to really like it – it’s very refreshing.

NYX Butter Gloss (Angel Food Cake / Strawberry Cheesecake): I’ve talked about how much I love the NYX Butter Glosses before and that hasn’t changed.  I gravitate towards lip glosses and these are some of the best I’ve tried.  They’re glossy and pigmented and so easy to wear.  Angel Food Cake is a lovely nude/mauve shade and Strawberry Cheesecake is a warm medium pink.  I really haven’t been wearing any other lip products aside from these this month!

L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer (Blonde):  I have to admit I’m kind of lazy when it comes to brows – half the time I forget to do them.  However this eyebrow pencil is so good I’ve pretty much done my brows every day this month.  I can’t believe the difference between this and my previously beloved e.l.f eyebrow pencil – they don’t even compare!  Not only is the shade perfect for me, the precise tip makes it so easy to fill and define my brows (hence the name).  I’ve heard others say that this is a dupe for the Anastasia Brow Wiz – not having tried it, I can’t confirm but if that’s true, but I see why everyone was going crazy over them if they are indeed similar.

Letdown:

NYX HD Concealer: I’ve been researching new concealers for a while and I had heard some good things about this one.  Unfortunately this did not work for me.  The reason: it’s ridiculously drying!  It seemed a little dry when I initially applied it but it only got worse as the day went on.  I used this to cover blemishes so I can’t imagine using this as an undereye concealer – it would totally emphasize and enhance any fine lines.  So this was a disappointment and the search for a new concealer continues…

Maggie’s love: Pet Kind Wild Pacific Salmon Treats

Maggie wanted to join in and share her love for the month.  She’s really been enjoying these salmon treats that I found at Homesense for $6.99.  Love that these are a Canadian product and made with wild pacific salmon.  And they stink so of course Maggie just loves them.  This is the second bag we’ve gone through and I haven’t seen these again at Homesense, so I’m going to have to track down a retailer here that sells them.

What were your loves and letdowns for March?

Thanks for reading!

Saturday Cocktail – Cherry Limeade

Happy Saturday!

What’s a weekend without a cocktail or two?  Not much if you ask me! 😉  Today I’m sharing my version of one of my favourite drinks from the Yard House.  Unfortunately here in Canada we don’t have any Yard House locations…actually perhaps that’s a good thing because I would eat and drink there way too often.  If you ever visit them I’d highly recommend their Queso Dip – it’s pretty much the most amazing thing ever.

Another one of my favourite items on their menu are their Cherry Limeades.  I discovered them last year at their Vegas location and I was hooked. It’s the perfect drink for summer…or anytime really.  So I thought I’d try to make them at home for the time when I really feel like one and can’t make it to a Yard House location hundreds of miles away.

According to they menu, the cherry limeade contains Cruzan Black Cherry Rum, Amaretto Disaronno, citrus agave, fresh lime, and a sugared rim.

Here’s the recipe for my at-home version:

1 Shot Bacardi Torched Cherry Rum
1 Shot Disaronno Amaretto
Splash of Rose’s Grenadine
Minute Maid Simply Limeade
Fresh lime

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with the desired amount of ice.  Shake it like a polaroid picture (sorry, couldn’t help it).  Pour into a short glass.  Top with limeade. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and garnish with a slice of lime.  Enjoy.

Adjust the sweetness to your liking using more or less grenadine.  Adjust the tartness with the fresh lime juice.  You can also add salt to the rim but I was being lazy and didn’t feel like bothering with that step.

Where’s your favourite cocktail?  Let me know below!

Have a great weekend!

Pizza Night @ Without Papers

Last weekend was Date Night for D and I – we were going to the hockey game and decided to go to dinner beforehand.  I had a craving for pizza so we decided on Without Papers.  We’ve visited once before, quite a few years ago and decided it was time to pay them another visit.  As usual, I made reservations using my Open Table account (which if you don’t already have, I’d highly recommend signing up for.  Find out why here).

Without Papers is a local pizzeria located in the trendy neighbourhood of Inglewood.  It’s located on the top floor of one of many historical buildings within the area.  There’s a bit of a hike up a steep flight of stairs to get to it, but once you’re upstairs its bright and airy, with the kitchen, bar and hostess stand near the back and a variety of pub tables and a bar seating around the staircase (such a smart use of space!).

When we arrived we were greeted warmly and promptly seated at a table in the corner, next to the window.  Our waitress came by and dropped off glasses of water while we perused the drink menu.  Their drink menu is pretty limited to beer and wine, so we both chose beers.  I ordered a Stiegel Radler, which is a grapefruit beer, and D ordered a Peroni which is an Italian beer.

While we waited for our drinks we eyed up the menu and decided to start with a caesar salad, and each get our own pizza.  I chose the Hawaiian 5-0 which was made up of Canadian back bacon, pineapple, jalapenos, aged cheddar and mozzarella.  D chose the Hutch which was topped with Calabrese salami, Genoa salami, pepperonata, and mozzarella.  This also came with a warning that this was spicy, which is part of the reason why he chose it (he loves heat!).

Our salad came shortly after we ordered our pizzas and it looked really good. I’m pretty picky when it comes to caesar salad – a) the dressing needs to have flavour and not be too garlicky b) there needs to be the right amount of dressing (not overloaded so it’s soggy but not dry either) and c) the lettuce needs to be crisp and fresh.  This version had the perfect amount of dressing and the dressing was delicious – creamy and with the right amount of garlic.  The only disappointment was with the lettuce itself – I prefer the dark, leafy part of the lettuce and it was mostly the stalks (I think that’s the word?). Not sure if this is normal for them or just a one-off.  Either way, it was still pretty good and we finished it off.

Then our pizza’s came.  I remember the pizza’s being good the last time ate here, but I don’t remember them being this good.  The pizzas have a super thin crust and are loaded with toppings.  This means that the crust can get a little soggy once it’s sat for a while but that doesn’t bother me one bit.  I must admit I removed the jalapeno’s from mine but I like that they leave a hint of heat behind.  Because of the light crust, you can easily eat more of your pizza than you would usually which is why I love thin crust pizza.

I had a slice of D’s pizza and his was really good too – albeit a bit too spicy for my taste.  He piles Sriracha and chill flakes on almost anything he can and likes the feeling of his mouth burning.  Me not so much.

Despite devouring almost all of our pizzas, we wanted to end our meal with a light dessert, and chose the Tiramisu.  It was really good and the perfect size to share.  The best thing about our meal is that we left full but not stuffed, which is surprising given how much we ate!

Now the one thing I have to mention that I was disappointed with was the service.  While our waitress was prompt and efficient, she was almost to efficient.  While I don’t like wait staff that don’t know when to stop talking, a little bit of conversation/pleasantries are nice.  She never asked us how we were or explained any of the specials or features, or asked if we had any questions.  When Darren’s pizza arrived, it was the incorrect order, and she apologized, whisked the pizza away and brought the correct pizza out shortly thereafter, so we appreciated how quickly that was dealt with that situation.  However, once we finished our pizzas, she took our empty plates away and then promptly brought us our bill.  She never asked if we wanted anything further (such as um, dessert?) so when she came by to ask if we needed the debit machine, I actually mentioned to her that we’d like to see a dessert menu.  She apologized and said she had simply forgotten and brought us the menu right away.  However, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that she wanted us out of there ASAP, which was annoying.   I hate being rushed when out for a meal.   I’m not sure if she was at the end of her shift or just anxious for us to move on, but either way, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Despite the customer service snafu, we were really pleased with our meal overall and would definitely return.  The delicious pizza made up for the oversight in service, and I’d totally recommend it as a place to curb your pizza craving in Calgary.

Where’s your favourite pizza from?  Let me know below.

Thanks for reading!