One of the benefits of having lived in so many different cities and countries is having the opportunity to discover local or regional brands that I didn't know about before.  I've found so many new and lovable brands since moving to Canada!

For my US friends, these are all available in the US too, either online or have stores popping up!

Some of my favorites are:

Petite Pehr is a Canadian brand started by two Moms that is also available in the states, but is ubiquitous here in children's shops.  They make a variety of adorable wares such as these fabric bins and wonderful crib sheets that we have and love.  But my favorite are their swaddle blankets.  The fabric is light and breathable, comparable to Aden and Anais, but they are more oversized and the patterns are wonderful.

Mini Mioche is a Toronto children's line that boasts modern baby and children's clothing in unisex patterns and colors that are eco-friendly and organic.  The fabric is so soft and wears nicely (even with a very active and messy toddler).  They do the best elevated basics. Our favorites are the harem pants and this little gown. Right now they are only brick and mortar in TO, but available in the US online!
Jewels and Aces is another Canadian favorite that I discovered is local to Toronto.  I'm smitten with all of the jewelry.  They are effortless, subtle pieces that are perfect for day-to-day. I squealed with delight when I saw the hand written note and beautiful paper; it just made me fall in love with this little shop even more.

Kit and Ace opened a store down the street from me and I have yet to walk by without wanting to meander in and spend some quality time.  The brand just gets me.  The clothes have the comfort and movement of athletic apparel but with street style.  The tees are all blended with cashmere and I promise they will be the most comfortable tee you've ever worn (I'm loving this one for being so flowy and nursing friendly)  And don't even get me started on how well merchandised the store is! They are starting to pop up everywhere, but they got their start in Canada!

The first warm day of the season has us packing our food and headed outdoors! It's safe to say that enjoying a picnic is one of our favorite family activities.

I may have returned from Paris a few weeks ago, but I've yet to take off my rose colored glasses.
The unmistakable joie de vivre is my most treasured souvenir.  But in an effort to keep a good thing going, these are some French-inspired things I am loving.  Perhaps you'd like to indulge your Francophile tendencies too!?

1)  If you love Garance Dore, and who doesn't, then you'll love her podcast.  Pardon My French is fun, quippy and fun to listen to if for no other reason than her accent.

2) This Instagram Account provides such a lovely portrait of Paris; I love to follow along and reminisce.

3) Petite bateau has many of their hard-to-resist basics on sale.  I enjoyed visiting their flagship stores, but love that you can get their items stateside too.

4) I brought home with me some new beauty products that I've become obsessed with; both are coincidentally rose scented.   And after some tracking down, I learned that you can get the body wash here (for my US friends) and here (for my Canadian friends).


5) This French Lemon Tart has been pinned to my must-bake file.

6) And for all my pregnant friends out there, this is the ultimate investment piece!

I'm a few weeks into the third trimester and feel like pregnancy stuck up on me.  One day I woke up and my belly had seemingly grown exponentially.  And even though this is the second time, I think I had forgotten that "oh-I'm-so-pregnant" feeling.  Funny how that happens!  This weekend I'll be celebrating baby boy with some family and friends and I feel so thankful to have made friends in Canada who have supported me so much during this pregnancy.

Being pregnant is such a beautiful and wonderful experience, but not without it's massive challenges. I know it's cliche, but having the support of a community of mamas far and wide has been what has helped me most (hello calling my own Mom everyday).  That being said, I've also found that the little things really can go a long way in making the nine month marathon most enjoyable.

For the past 7 months, I've been keeping a list a little list of my favorite maternity items.  Some are the same as my last pregnancy, but many are new and I wish I had known about them the first time around! Here are some of my favorites:

I can't believe I'm officially in the third trimester of this pregnancy as of tomorrow!  And I think a bit of nesting has kicked-in because this week, I felt compelled to pull together some nursery ideas for baby boy #2.  He won't be in the nursery right away, but it's so fun to start dreaming and collecting ideas for when he is.

Having a little bunny to shop for has only made Easter preparation more endearing.  I have loved curating a basket of goodies for the past couple of years.   I've started a tradition of adding a rabbit themed book (last year it was this one), a couple of Schleich animals and a Jellycat bunny along with the other little items.  I have so much fun picking out things for a kid's Easter basket!  

I can’t help but thinking about Easter already.  I get such a kick out of picking out things for JR’s Easter basket and thinking about an Easter menu which is always full of coconut (my favorite)!  Last week, I tested a recipe for coconut lover's rice krispy treats and it was a hit at the gathering.  It was so easy and so festive.  The recipe is here. 

image via bare feet kitchen

Happy Weekend!  xx

We are within a few weeks of James Robert's 3rd Birthday! This year, he is so excited about the milestone- especially know that he understands it is accompanied by cake and candles (a boy after my own heart)!

Time for another edition of loving lately! I so enjoyed all of your feedback on the last post like this, that I couldn't resist doing it again. Proving that sometimes it's the little things that bring the most joy, this is a collection of what that I'm loving lately:

Last weekend in Michigan we hit the 20 week mark! Black knit top c/o Pink Blush Maternity

If I'm going to add something to my pregnancy wardrobe, I prefer it to be versatile, comfortable and bonus points if it isn't rouched (which, I think, extends the life of the garment to be wearable after the bump).  I was recently introduced to Pink Blush Maternity and added this very cozy black knit top to my maternity staples.  Check out their maternity stuff here or their non-maternity stuff here.  I especially love this top and these robes. And if you're interested in winning a $75 gift card to shop their site, find me on Instagram (@megan_leanderson) and enter to win.  I'll be picking a winner later today.

We recently got a Nespresso machine (talk about life-changing) and switched to using clear glass cups.  I've found that our old coffee cups were too big, and it is nice to see the drink through the glass. Nespresso sells a glass mug, but I don't like the handle as I find it's hard to hold (especially for little hands who like to drink fluffies).  Ikea has a look-alike that has a better handle for only $2 a pop.Win-win!


I finally updated my recipe index to a visual format.  I hope that this will make it easier to search and find new (and old) recipes to try and love.  It was funny to look back and see how my photography skills have changed over time!  Click the recipe tab at the top of this page to check it out.


These earrings from Fura + Tena have been in  my online shopping cart for a few weeks; I love their collection of stud earrings.  While my everyday pearls are still a stand-by,  I'm ready for something more fun and unique.  Wouldn't they be the perfect Valentine's Day treat?


I'm loving all the video tutorials about the Honest Beauty line and am intrigued to try some of their products, particularly the Magic Balm. It's supposed to be like an Instagram filter for your face, in real life.  I'm thinking a little natural wrinkle diffusion could be helpful right about now. Has anyone tried it before?

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead! xx

Happy Friday!  We're hoping to take James Robert skiing for the first time this weekend.  I'm bummed that I won't be able to go with him learn how to go down the slopes with him, but I can't wait to see the look on his face when he goes.

Lately, we've been doing our best to help prepare James Robert for the massive changes that will happen when we bring his little brother home.  I do hope that all of our talk about it will help ease the transition and help him be excited for his new role.  I know he will be such a great big brother, but I also know it may be tough on him.

One of the most helpful things we've done is read him books about becoming a sibling.  We were lucky to receive some wonderful books from family and friends over the holidays, so I wanted to share some of our favorites.  Please do let me know if you have any others to recommend that we could add to the mix!

First things first, watch Marianna's tutorial.  I promise if it seems like a lot of work, after doing it twice, it will be like second nature.

To save as much time as possible, I like to put my hair up in this towel when I  get out of the shower.  It soaks up so much water and cuts the hair drying process in half.

I tried the mousse that she recommended and found that it had a lot of hold which provided volume, but weighed my hair down more than I'd like.  Therefore, I suggest using her technique with Aveda's smooth infusion instead.  When I put my front layer in the velcro roller (life-changing I tell you!) I like to give it a quick spray of the hairspray.

At the end, I finish everything off with a pea-size amount of the Redken Outshine. My hair stylist recommended this as a great way to tame the static that plagues hair this time of year and I love it.  It helps fly aways and doesn't feel heavy.

hair on day 3

And let's be honest.  One of the only things that I like about winter hair is that I can get away with wearing a cute hat which doubles as a great way to cover a few day old blow-dry.

Hope this works for you if you try it- let me know!  

Happy Friday!  I have some non-pregnancy and pregnancy related things that have been brightening my days lately that I'm excited to share (and who doesn't need that when the days are cold and dark?)!