MaddyLoves

My latest blog post is one I've been getting asked a lot about... my review of the mattress we got for our toddler! Check it out -

HOME | Review of our Fawcett Goldstream mattress I am back with a home review! I spent a really long time researching mattresses for my daughter so I just wanted to share my thoughts on the mattress we ended up ordering, as well as my research pr…

I haven't blogged a while but I wanted to share a review of kids clothing brand Little & Lively, which is based out of British Columbia, Canada. They make all of their beautiful clothes out of their propriety SootheKnit fabric, and its all manufactured right here in Canada.

Little & Lively also kindly offered my friends and readers a 10% off discount code for ordering through my link. Check it out!

KIDS | Review of Little & Lively bamboo clothing for kids and adults I am super excited to share with you my post today. As longtime readers will know, I love supporting local small businesses. I’ve written about small businesses extensively on my blog and on …

We recently spent 2 days in Victoria, BC, and had the pleasure of staying at the . It’s been a long time since we stayed in a hotel and we were both very impressed with Abigail’s Hotel. Things started off on a great note when we received a complimentary upgrade to a room in their coach house. The room was really spacious, with a huge bed, sitting area, and a really nice bathroom with a huge bathtub with jets. The highlight of our stay was definitely the gourmet breakfasts, which are included with every stay. Every morning we woke up to a fresh, multi course breakfast which was anchored by delicious main course options which change daily. Due to Covid, the hotel offered complimentary breakfast delivery to your room rather than eating in the main dining room. We opted for this and it was such a nice treat to enjoy breakfast in bed on our first vacation in a year. In addition to the breakfasts, Abigail’s Hotel also offered complimentary hors d’oeuvres in the afternoon. Lastly, the hotel offered many amenities that most western hotels have actually gotten rid of in recent years, such as slippers, sewing kits, toothbrush kits, even bath salts, and more. Having everything conveniently available to us really just elevated an already very impressive stay. If we find ourselves in Victoria again, we will definitely find ourselves back at Abigail’s Hotel.
Price wise, we paid approximately $350 a night after taxes and fees, but we paid on our Amex which happened to have a promotion at the time where we would receive a $50 credit if we paid for a hotel stay using the Amex card, so we managed to save some money there. It was a nice bonus, but even without this credit we would have gladly paid the price to enjoy this luxurious hotel.
Not sponsored, no affiliation to the hotel or to Amex, just sharing my own thoughts for a trip we paid for out of pocket!

Birthday dinner #3 // The last of my birthday dinners was my annual gathering with my family. We went out to a restaurant for dinner as a family for the first time since February 2020. It was so nice to be back at one of our fave spots, Ho Yuen Kee on Fraser for their lobster sticky rice. The food was incredible as usual, and it was so nice to be able to eat out with my family again.
Yes I have three different birthday dinners each year because of annual traditions with different groups of people. And I just love celebrating my birthday!!.

Birthday dinner #2 // My annual birthday dinner with Barrie took place at again this year. It always takes me a while to figure out where I want to go for dinner because Barrie is quite frugal and doesn’t like spending a lot of money on food, but my birthday is the one day a year I get full reign of choosing the restaurant. I had an incredible experience doing omakase at Octopus Garden last year so I was hoping for a repeat experience this year. Unfortunately it ended up fine but not as good as last year. Barrie is quite picky with the textures of his food, and I knew that there would be at least 1-2 things that he might not necessarily enjoy, which is why last year we opted for him to do the a la carte rather than the full omakase meal. This year, they changed the requirement that everyone at the table must get omakase, and you can’t have some doing omakase and some doing a la carte. While I had an okay time, Barrie didn’t enjoy his omakase experience at all. If we do go back to Octopus Garden, we’ll likely opt for just the a la carte menu instead.
The highlight of our meal were the sashimi and the sushi. The fish is so fresh and delicious, almost sweet. The lowlight was the one lonely scallop we had as our “entree.” I left my $150 meal feeling okay and not entirely full.

Birthday dinner #1 // I started my birthday celebrations early with a really nice dinner out with friends last weekend. I really missed eating out, and it was definitely a lot more enjoyable after receiving my second jab the week before. As at tomorrow (my actually birthday!), I’ll be two weeks past my 2nd dose!
The food at was as good as I remembered it pre-COVID. The service and drinks were fantastic too. I love their sourdough bread, especially smothered in the delicious soft butter. I ordered the octopus appy and then the duck breast for the main. Overall super yum and a great experience with friends.
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I just noticed that my blog posts weren't being published to my page! So sorry for those following me here. I wanted to share my latest blog post, which is an initial thoughts post of the The Curated Teddy Coat, as well as an update with some recent events that have taken place. https://maddyloves.wordpress.com/2020/09/14/fashion-review-of-my-classic-teddy-coat-in-camel-from-the-curated/

Thanks for reading!

FASHION | Initial thoughts about my new Classic Teddy Coat in Camel from The Curated Hello! I’m back today with another fashion post. I’ve noticed that my blog has transitioned from skincare and makeup to more fashion, and I apologize to any long term readers who aren& #…

I hope everyone is doing well in the midst of this pandemic. I struggled with whether I should even blog about skincare and fashion since it seems so frivolous at this point, but writing is how I practice mindfulness and cope with stress. I hope that by continuing to blog, I can maintain a sense of normalcy in my life, and if you enjoy reading my reviews, your mind can also take a temporary break from the onslaught of negative news. [ 1,191 more word ]

SKINCARE | Top beauty products under $50 I hope everyone is doing well in the midst of this pandemic. I struggled with whether I should even blog about skincare and fashion since it seems so frivolous at this point, but writing is how I p…

I am back with another handbag / fashion post. In today's post, I will be reviewing two of my most popular handbags, and then comparing them to each other. The two bags are my Chanel Classic Square Mini in black caviar with light gold hardware and the Chanel Reissue Mini in black distressed calfskin with shiny gold hardware. Chanel Classic Square Mini… [ 1,871 more word ]

HANDBAG REVIEW | Chanel Classic Square Mini vs. Chanel Reissue Mini I am back with another handbag / fashion post. In today’s post, I will be reviewing two of my most popular handbags, and then comparing them to each other. The two bags are my Chanel Classic …

I wanted to do this quick overview of some of the Vichy hydrating serums that I'm currently using in my life. Its no secret that Vichy Mineral 89 (C$41.95 for 50mL) is an absolute staple in my skincare routine. It's the ultimate step 0 serum as it is super hydrating, very lightweight, and overall improves the health of my skin over long term use. [ 536 more words ]

SKINCARE | All about Vichy hydrating serums I wanted to do this quick overview of some of the Vichy hydrating serums that I’m currently using in my life. Its no secret that Vichy Mineral 89 (C$41.95 for 50mL) is an absolute staple in m…