Cutting Out Dairy And Gluten





You guys know how awful I am at sticking to a diet.
I've attempted the Keto diet - which barely lasted a day.
I've tried whole 30.
Same thing.
If you've been following me on Instagram, you know that a few weeks ago, I received the results form my sons food intolerance blood test.
He's been having some behavioural issues at school and we've been noticing things at home like irritability, lack of attention, hyperactivity, upset stomach and skin rashes to name a few.
He was referred to a paediatrician and she suggested we have a special blood test done to rule out any food sensitivities or intolerances.
Like I mentioned above, I received the results this week and turns out he has 34 intolerences out of the 220 he was tested for.
I've received a lot of questions regarding the blood test, so for those of you wondering, the test will cost you about $325.
With the results, we've discovered that Luca has a severe intolerance to Casein - which I've learnt is the protein found in milk/dairy products. 
He is also intolerant to wheat and other grain products.
There is actually quite a long list - but our first steps are to eliminate gluten and dairy from his diet.
We've decided we will all adapt to this diet as a family (as much as possible) to make it easier on Luca.
We actually don't see the Dr. again until the end of January but in the few weeks that we gave adjusted our eating we have seen some amazing improvements that we can report back to the Dr. at this appointment.
I've also seen major improvements in myself as well.
 I suffer from pretty bad migraines, stomach issues and eczema and all this has been far less severe.
I'm also never bloated anymore which is AMAZING!
I've been asked by many of you to share my tips and recipes etc with you and I promise I will when things slow down.

Kelsey,
oxox


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My Top 5 Favourite Christmas Movies


It's Christmas Eve morning and I'm basically more excited than the kids! 
I was up super early this morning, hyping the kids up for Santa's big arrival tonight.
When I think of Christmas time, I automatically think of cozy days at home snuggled up under blankets watching some of my favourite Christmas movies! 
I thought I would share my Top 5 Christmas Movies with you today.
I watch these year after year! 


Elf
I mean, who doesn't love Elf?
My kids love this movie now too and we watch it every year!
& Zoey Deschanel has been a girl crush of mine since forever!


The Family Stone
This movie is just SO good and has most of my favourite actors playing the lead roles.
This movie will make you laugh and cry.


Home Alone
I loved this movie as a kid.
LOVED - and now my kids love it just as much as I did!
While I was working a weekend shift last weekend, my husband took our three kids to the movie theatre to watch this (our local theatre plays old movies for $2 on Saturday mornings), and my husband told me our 4yo son laughed the whole movie! 


Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
This movie reminds me of my childhood.
I remember it coming on YTV every single year and watching it with my mom and brother.
It didn't feel like Christmas until we watched this movie. 



White Christmas
I'm not gonna lie - I had no idea this movie even existed until a few years ago! 
I know, you're probably thinking I lived in a cave or something, right?! 
This classic just makes my heart so happy!
I'm a sucker for classic movies, so I knew I would love it. 
And I mean - BING CROSBY! 
Need I say more? 


I hope you all have the merriest Christmas!!!! 

Talk to you in the New Year.

Kelsey, 
oxox.

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Gifts For Her Under $50

HAPPY FRIYAY!!!!
 I'd like to say TGIF but I work all weekend, so it's not really going to feel like much of a weekend around here for me!
What a week it has been!
2/3 kids have the stomach flu, so I've spent my days cleaning up vomit and snuggling sick kiddos then heading off in the afternoons to work until 10PM.
Luckily - Louis, Audrey (our middle child) and myself haven't been sick to our stomachs yet - but we all had some weird tummy aches and chills throughout the week. 
At least its happening before Christmas.
(Trying to look for the positive here)



Speaking of Christmas......
Can you guys even believe that Christmas is only a couple weeks away?!
Didn't 2017 just fly by!?
I'm pretty impressed with myself this year because I'm already half way done my Christmas shopping already!
(Thank you online shopping!)
I just have a few more gifts to pick up for the kids and a couple for the grandparents and I'm done!
I have my first Gift Guide for you below!
A few cute items for that special woman in your life - whether that be your bestie, mom, girlfriend, wife - I know she would love receive any one of these in the guide below!



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30 Day Healthy Living Challenge With Renew Life



Happy Tuesday Friends!

I've been super busy this past month between kiddos being sick and staring a new job!
I've received a lot of messages in my DMs on Instagram asking me why I chose to go back to work, so I'll let you know a little later on in this post.

About a month ago, Renew Life reached out to me and asked me if I would like to take part in a 30 Day Helathy Living Challenge.
You may remember I worked with them a few months ago on this post, where I talked to you guys all about gut health.
You all know I am trying to live an overall healthier life, body and mind, so of course I said yes to the challenge!

I started off sharing some of my goals for the challenge with you on Instagram like

-drinking 8 glasses of water a day
- using my new bella beat tracker daily
 -getting in 15,000 steps a day
- not consuming sugar
-  8 hours of sleep each night
 -trying a couple new healthy recipes from my new cookbook
-  taking a daily probiotic each morning
-working out at least 3 days a week

Having a list of goals really helps to keep me motivated.
Although I couldn't check off every thing on the list each day, having the goals written down helped me make overall healthier choices each day.
I'm not always the best at remembering to take medication or vitamins daily, so with the probiotic I made sure I had it ready next to my coffee machine each morning.
Since I've been taking a daily probitoic I've noticed tremendous changes in my body.
I have less bloating, a lot more energy and my eczema has cleared up!

During this 30 Day Challenge, I also decided to apply for a job outside of the home!
Like I said above, I was getting a ton of DM's asking why I would go back to work when I am already busy with this blog & 3 kids?
The answer is : I went back to work for my mental health.
I'm the type of person who needs to get out of the house, and be around others to be in a good state of mind.
Working from home certainly has its perks - but it can also be pretty lonely, especially now that all three kids are in school.
I decided to apply for a part time job, around the corner from my house so I could get out and be around other adults a few days a week,  have an excuse to get out of my yoga pants and help bring in even more income for our family! 

This past month has been one of my best months this year!
I'm happier and healthier and I challenge you all to 30 Days of Healthier Living as well!


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My Favourite Ugly Christmas Sweaters


Santa Sleigh Sweater / Poo Emoji Sweater / Tis The Season To Belieb / Kissing Reindeer / 3D Wreath Sweater / Tinsel Jingle Belle / Feliz Nah- I'm Good / Stuffed Reindeer Sweater / Squad Goals/


Can you guys believe that I've managed to have a blog post up every single day this week so far?!
I think I'm breaking a personal record!
Something about this time of year leaves me feeling so inspired!
On Monday, I shared a fun Christmas DIY with you guys here and mentioned that I think it was going to start a new Christmas trend haha
Only time will tell, but for now the Ugly Christmas Sweater trend is still going strong.
With Christmas only WEEKS away (yippeeee!), it's time to start shopping for your Ugly Christmas Sweaters!
I've linked some of my favourites in this post that range in price from $12 all the way up to $100.
My personal fave is the "Tis The Season To Belieb" sweater that is on sale for only $12.50 and comes in green and black as well!
You guys know how much I love Justin. haha


Which one is your favourite?



** This post may contain affiiliate links. **



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Nov 7- 10 Things I'm Loving

Happy Tuesday!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!
My house is clean, my fridge is stocked with all my favourite foods, I stepped outside of my comfort zone today and feel really awesome about it and everything in life just seems to be aligning nicely!
I've put together a list of 10 things I'm currently loving.
I know a few other bloggers that do these type of posts and I always love seeing what they are into.
Hopefully you guys enjoy this post the same way I do! 

 1.

These Christmas Postcards by Rifle Paper Co.

2.
This Couragecast with Tania Kolesnik is a must listen.

3.

I'm currently reading and loving this book. 

 4.

Obviously need to purchase this record. 

5.

I'm buying this game for everyone I know this Christmas.

6.
This toy is on every kids Christmas list this year. 

7.

Like most of the world, I am obsessed with this girl.
So much talent!  

8.

Currently binge watching this show on Netflix.

9.

Also really loved this show. Can't wait for a second season.

10.

This market opens up real soon an am really excited about it! 



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Ugly Christmas Tree Headband DIY


Ugly Christmas Sweaters have been trending for quite a few years now, but it's time for the sweaters to make way for the newest trend -  Ugly Christmas Headbands!!!!!

Okay, so maybe they aren't a trend just yet....but they totally should be!

I had so much fun making this fun Ugly Christmas Headband DIY and I want to share how easy this was to make with all of you!


Supplies Needed:

- blank headbands
- red ribbon
- mini Christmas Tree
- mini presents 
- mini reindeer 
- hot glue gun 
- white pom pom

I got my supplies at Michael's craft store but you can find this stuff at your local dollar store as well! 


First step is wrapping your headband with ribbon using a glue gun until it is completely covered. 


Next, I took this white Pom Pom looking item that I found in the Christmas section at Michaels and I twisted off the stem.
If you can't find this exact item, you could use pom poms, or any other item that resembles snow.
Use a hot glue gun to glue the "snow" onto the side of the headband.



Next, it's time to add the Christmas tree on top of that snow!
I bought a Christmas tree that already had little Christmas ornaments on it, but you could take this DIY a step further and buy one without and add your own custom ornaments!
The tree I purchased came with a stand attached by wire, so I had to cut the wire with pliers before I could glue it on to the snow.


The final step is gluing on your reindeer and presents!
Arrange them how you want and Voila!
This headband was so easy to make and is the perfect accessory to compliment your Ugly Christmas Sweater!

Stay tuned for a video I did in collaboration with Vanessa of Studio V Beauty, where we use this headband for a fun Christmas party holiday look!



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My Anxiety Story

I remember going to my first OB appointment when I was pregnant with our first child back in 2009.
He read me the referral my family doctor sent over and asked about my anxiety the doctor had written about on my chart.

I didn't know what he was talking about.

Sure, I was more paranoid than most of the people around me.
I remember being so scared I could barely breathe as a kid, because I was convinced at least 2 nights a week that a "bad guy" had broken into hour home - but I didn't have diagnosed anxiety.
I sure as hell had no idea that it was written on my chart, and I didn't really believe it. 

Fast forward to the first year of our daughter's life and things felt great! .
Sure it was new, and I was exhausted but I finally felt like I knew my purpose in life.
It was hard, no doubt, but I loved all the challenges I faced.

One night, after we had just put our one year old to bed, I was sitting on the couch watching a movie with my husband and I had a tingling sensation go up the side of my neck and into my face.
I dismissed it, but a few minutes later it came back.
I started panicking thinking something was horribly wrong and told my husband to take me to the hospital.

I thought for sure I was having a heart attack.

Luckily, we were living with my dad at the time while our house was being built, so he was home to watch Emma while Louis took me to the hospital. 

They hooked me up to a heart monitor and a few hours later the DR came to see me and told me that what I had just experienced was a panic attack.
He asked me if I had ever experienced one before, and I said "no".
I really hadn't, and to be honest I wasn't convinced that I had just experiened one either.
I wasn't stressed about anything when it happened, so how could it be a panic attack?

I went home that night and continued on with life.
No follow ups with any doctors about my anxiety.

By 2013, we added two more children to our family, and while it was a bit chaotic - I was managing really well.

It wasn't until about 2015 that my anxiety started creeping back.

2015 was a crazy year for us.
We bought an older house in a new city, sold our house the next week, and moved to the new place 2 weeks after that.

I didn't think my anxiety was an issue at the time, but looking back now I can see that it was.
I was constantly on edge, I didn't take my son out to playgroups like I used to take my daughters to, I couldn't sleep well, I would have heart palpitations and have this feeling of just constantly being overwhelmed.

Looking back,  I can't believe I didn't realise how overwhelmed I was.
By the time I was 24, I had three kids (two of whom needed to go to sick kids regularly for their vision), a job where I worked as a support worker for intellectually disabled people (many of whom suffered from their own anxiety disorder), a mortgage while everyone else I knew were still living at home without much responsibility. 

I had a lot on my plate.

I remember dragging all three kids in the car to drive 45 minutes to Sick Kids for a long day where everyone was over tired and just feeling completely exhausted and guilty.
I felt like it was my fault that they had vision problems, which is crazy, but that's what anxiety will do to you.

Those days were super emotional for me. 

Emma hated the drops and usually would scream for a whole half an hour after while I had a 4 year old and 1.5 year old to care for too. 

I should've asked family to take the day off work to come support me, but I had this fear in my head that if I asked for help, people would think I was weak. 

I'm writing this post right now because anxiety is something I suffer with and I am now finally, at 28.5 years old, comfortable to talk about.

It wasn't until very recently that I was actually able to admit to myself that I do, in fact, suffer from anxiety.

So many people experience anxiety and are too scared to talk to others about it in fear of being judged, or in fear of appearing weak. 

I am writing this post right now, because today has been a bad day for my anxiety and on days like today I just feel completely defeated.

I want others going through what I am right now, to know that they aren't alone.

Kelsey,
oxoxo

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Entry Way/ Pantry Makeover on a $200 Budget



I'm so excited to share our recent home project with you guys!
We purchased our open concept back split two years ago and so far we have updated our fireplace on a $10 budget, switched out all the doors and update the living room flooring.
There is a lot of work to be done on this house, but with limited time and money we haven't been able to get done as much as we had hoped, but that's okay!
With the kids all in school, I finally have the time to put some of our own touches on this house to make it really feel like our home.
This house probably isn't our forever home, but I really believe in making your house a home whether you'll be staying a few months or a few years.



You don't have  to spend a ton of money to transform a space.
Trust me, I know it can feel discouraging to have a small budget for home updates but big changes can be made with a small budget!
We dramatically changed the feel of this space with a few pantry baskets, a new mirror and a little bit of black paint!
In total this whole makeover cost us $200!

Paint = $35
Mirror = $60
Pantry Baskets/Jars =$105


BEFORE

 Of course, I have big dreams to rip out that outdated tile but it's just not in our cards right now so I had to be creative and I wanted to be bold with this transformation.
After hours of searching on Pinterest - I decided I wanted to do a black accent wall!
In the past, I have been known to stick with more neutral colours, but something about this house has brought out the decor daredevil in me.
{See Luca's Blue Door HERE}
I decided to paint the small wall off the stairs that faces our kitchen black as it wasn't a huge space, so if it looked horrible it wouldn't be that BIG of a deal to fix haha
Turns out, I loved the black so much that I decided to paint our garage door as well!


What do you think of black paint?
Would you try it in your house?

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Frock Box Review

Happy Friday, Friends!

I am so excited for this post today because it involves two of my favourite things:
1- Getting packages in the mail.
2- Pretty Clothes

A couple months ago, Frock Box, reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in trying out their monthly clothing subscription box and obviously I said YES!

The cool thing about this subscription service?!
They are CANADIAN!
Frock Box is based out of Alberta and ship to women ranging in sizes Small to 3XL.

At the end of this post I have a special coupon code for all my lovely readers that will give you  FREE styling on your first month Favourites but first I want to tell you a bit more about this wonderful company and how the process works.


When you sign up for Frock Box, you fill out a detailed style profile and be paired with a stylist who will select 5 items for you and ship them right to your doorstep!
You try on the clothes in the comfort of your own home, keep what you like and return the rest in the prepaid bag they send you!

Frockbox Favourites is $24.95/month with FREE shipping.
The pieces in the bag range from anywhere between $34-$69 a piece.
If you decide to keep one or more items the subscription fee of $24.95 is refunded, keep all 5 pieces and you get 25% off your orders total!

I love this whole concept because it gives you the chance to fall in love with clothes that you may not have ever given a chance otherwise.
Like this blush toned lace crop top Frock Box sent me below.
I would never in a million years pick out a crop top for myself but I am absolutely in love with it!

Enough talking though!
I'm going to share photos of the pieces Frock Box sent me below.




 I am a HUGE fan of the lace crop top like I mentioned above and I will be keeping the booties that you can see pictured in the first photo of this post.
The Pants are a little bit too tight so I will be sending those back and I am torn between which sweater I want to keep - I may end up keeping both!

Here is the code I promised you above:

KELSEYDIANEBLOG

I'd love to hear if you try Frock Box out and let me know what you think!


Kelsey,
oxoxox



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Keto Approved Egg Pizza



A few of my friends are on the keto diet and absolutely swear by it!
I gave it a try a couple weeks ago, and while I discovered that such a restrictive diet is not right for me, I had to share this delicious Keto approved pizza I made and fell in love with.
This is also a great pizza for anyone on a low carb or gluten free diet.


Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Salsa
1/4 Cup Marble Cheese
5 Pepperoni
Italian Seasoning

Directions
1. Melt Butter in frying pan over medium high heat.
2. Crack eggs in pan and let them cook for 10 minutes.
3. Once eggs are starting to set pour the salsa over top
4. Turn heat to low and add cheese and pepperoni on top. 
5. Sprinkle italian seasoning on top.
6. Cook until the peperoni is cooked and cheese is melted.
(about 5 minutes)
7. Enjoy!!


I hope you guys love this pizza as much as I do!
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Striped Sleeve Top



 
I'm sitting here typing this next to the fireplace under the coziest blanket I could find.
The cool crisp air is FINALLY here and I am so happy about it.
It is supposed to get up to almost 20 degrees celcius later on today though, so this weather is a bit tricky to dress for!
This morning I walked the kids to school in a coat, mitts and hat but by the afternoon I won't even need a jacket.
My favourite outifts for this time of year are simple ones.
A basic long sleeve tee paired with a pair of skinny jeans is my go to outfit.
I'm loving this striped long sleeve tee from Pink Blush.
I like the extra detail the stripes on the sleeve gives this basic tee.
The shirt has extra length too which would make this perfect to wear with a pair of leggings and high boots as well.

 **This is a sponsored post which means I was provided compensation and/or product for this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. **

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My Cozy Fall Day Playlist



Music is a huge part of my life so I thought it would be fun to share some of the music I'm currently listening to.
I actually am writing this post for the second time because I accidentally deleted the original post.
I made this playlist to listen to on a cool Fall Day where you feel like staying indoors with a warm cup of coffee curled up on the couch under the coziest blankets.
Click here
to listen to my Fall Playlist and let me know what you think :)


Kelsey
oxoxox



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Encouraging Sibling Bonds With Enchantimals



This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mattel Canada for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.



My girls can be like Night and Day, and just like many other siblings, they have been fighting like crazy lately. 
I don't know if it is their ages, or what, but they've started being really mean to each other, which is not cool with this mama. 
Everything was starting to become a competition of who was better at what, who had more of this or that. 
So when I was asked to partner with Mattel's to Meet the Enchantimals, whose core message focuses on caring and special bonds - it was a no brainer
Truth be told, in our home we don't buy gifts for the kids just because. 
Toys are purchased for holidays, birthdays or to celebrate a great accomplishment - so I knew receiving these dolls would be a great opportunity to use as a learning tool. 
 I told the girls that I had this opportunity for them to receive a new line of dolls to play with on two conditions: 
1  - They had to work on being kinder to one another until the dolls arrived. 
 2-  Once the dolls arrived, they could not fight over who got which doll - they had to share the dolls together. 
The girls were SO excited for their new dolls to arrive. 
They had a million questions about what the Enchantimals would be like. 
I explained to them that they were a group of girls who each have a bond with their special animal friends and who believed in being caring and compassionate. 
The dolls finally arrived one morning, and I won't lie, they started fighting over who would get to play with what doll as soon as we opened the box. 
I quickly reminded them that the Enchantimals didn't like fighting and if they wanted the privilege of playing with these dolls they had to treat each other like friends treat one another. 
After a little convincing, they started playing together with the dolls. 
They even asked if they could bring them with us when we went on a nature walk this past weekend.  
I love seeing them bond together over dolls and I'd like to thank Mattel for creating a line of dolls that helped bring our girls together! 
 

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My Favourite Kimono




I can't believe I've never owned a kimono before this one.
Kimono's are the perfect way to dress up any outfit.
I paired this floral kimono from Pink Blush with a pair of light ripped jeans and a basic white tank.
It's perfect for end of Summer/beginning of Fall where it is still warm throughout the days but nights are cool.



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