Emmeline: Three Months

Oh Miss Emmy,

I cannot believe you are already three months old! Your personality is coming out more and more and it's such a treat to have more awake time with you. You are still a pretty easy going little thing, but when you are not happy, you are NOT happy! There's not much of an in-between, that's for sure! Your daddy is pretty confident that you might end up having a stubborn personality just like your big brother. You can blame me for that trait later on ;)

You are still a wee little thing, weighing only 9.5 pounds. You are proving to be a very slow gainer, much to the frustration of your doctor. Your daddy and I think you are just perfect though. You are bubbly, alert, and hitting all of your milestones for this age. You refuse to take a bottle right now, but we're going to work on that! At least you are finally fitting in your 0-3 month clothing. I think I am going to be in trouble when it comes to shopping for you! Little baby girl clothes are just so darn cute.

You are a great napper, and still spend a big portion of your day sleeping. And at night, you love sleeping in your Dockatot beside me in bed, and often give me 7-8 hours of sleep. You are also a good little traveler so far and we took you to the mountains for the first time the other week (which makes the blanket in these photos so very fitting!).

You really seem to adore your big brother and are always looking at him when he is near and he can really get the smiles out of you. He likes to lay with you under your activity gym and he also reminds me to do tummy time with you, which he likes to do with you as well. Watching you two grow up together is going to be one of my life's greatest pleasures, I just know it.

Emmy, I still can't believe you're mine, some days.

I love you with all my heart,

xoxo
Mommy

Personalize Your Phone and Laptop with CaseApp {& A Giveaway!}

Ever since I one dropped my (previous) phone on concrete and smashed the screen to bits, I vowed to never go without a phone case again. As much as I love the sleekness of not having a case on my phone, and granted, screens can still crack even with a case on, I'm in the camp of some protection is better than none. And while I want to protect my phone as best I can, I'm just not a fan of huge, bulky cases. I also think it's fun to personalize your phone with a cute/pretty/loud/stylish case.

When CaseApp reached out to me asking me to design my own custom phone case and laptop skin, I was pretty pumped! At the time, I was currently rocking a clear phone case and I was ready to change it up. The hardest part about this whole process was deciding on a design. CaseApp has a ton of pre-designed phone cases and laptop/tablet skins, to which you can add font or your own photos/designs. Or you can completely design your own case from scratch. The options are pretty endless!

I went back and forth between different design options, but ultimately, this marble one kept catching my eye. I loved the pop of pastel and I decided that this time around, I wanted a sleek, yet eye-catching phone case.

CaseApp offers phone cases in two different styles: a "regular" slim-fitting one, which offers light protection from bumps, scratches and shocks, or a "tough" case, which offers protection against more aggressive falls and bumps. The cases also come in either matte or high gloss finish.

I opted for the tough case in a matte finish, and I'm so glad I did. It's not nearly as bulky as I feared it might be, and the quality is top-notch. The matte finish makes the phone less slippery, which I really appreciate when texting one handed, or transferring my phone into and out of my purse or diaper bag.

For my MacBook skin, I matched it to my phone case, but I added some text to customize it.

But I've saved the best part for last!  I'm giving away to one lucky person, their choice of either a custom phone case or custom laptop/tablet skin! Head over to my Instagram page to enter!

In the meantime, you can use code SLICEOFBRIE20 to receive 20% off your order on CaseApp. 

Code is good until March 31/17 so don't wait!

*I received a custom iPhone case and MacBook skin from CaseApp in exchange for this post,

 but as always, all thoughts and reviews expressed are my own. 

Thank you for supporting the companies that continue to make this hobby of mine possible!

Meet Me at the Barre

The other weekend, The Alberta Blog Squad was invited to have a private class at Barre Body Studio at their Ramsey location here in Calgary. I'm no stranger to barre, I've even done Mommy & Baby classes at one of their Edmonton locations, but it's not an activity that I get to go to very often. Plus, a private class with my girlfriends is always a good time. And the youngest honorary member of the Blog Squad, Emmy, even got to tag along! I had planned to wear her, but the little slacker slept through the whole thing in her carseat.

Anyway. Barre class. It's not a new fitness trend and I'm pretty confident it's not going anywhere anytime soon! I'm also pretty sure that if you haven't yet tried a class, you have at least heard all about it. And if you haven't tried a class yet, you should really get on that! (Psst - there's a discount code for you at the bottom of this post!)

Barre Body is a low-impact workout, consisting of a million repetitions (not even joking!) in order to build lean muscles, tighter behinds and stronger cores. The phrase "up an inch/down an inch" will haunt you in your dreams! Little pulses are no laughing matter. Classes often utilize equipment such as light weights (1, 2, 3 or 5 pound weights - I stuck to 2 pound weights and was sore the next day!), resistance bands, a ball, and a balance disk, but a lot of the class focuses on using just body weight as well.

In your one hour class, you are put through a warm-up, strength exercises for your arms, leg exercises which can consist of movements both on and away from the barre, cardio sprints and a core workout, ending with a cool down. If you think you aren't going to sweat just because this class is low-impact, you would be wrong! Our instructor Lanette, put us through a gruelling workout that had us all sweating by the end.

Barre is one of those classes that you go into thinking "this is no big deal, how hard can this actually be!?", only to find yourself swearing under your breath at the burning sensation in your gluten and thighs! This class works muscles you didn't even know existed! Which is why I love it. Plus, the inner ballerina in me loves me some barre work. Plié, first position, second position, etc...it all takes me back to my days of dancing. 

Anyway, the class is tough, but the beautiful exposed brick walls and pretty lighting in the studios at the Ramsey location distract you from the pain a bit. The locker rooms are equally as stunning, and offer guests complimentary hair dryers, deodorant, hand cream, hair elastics, as well as free lockers. There's even a private shower should you wish to use it. The entire ambiance of Barre Body is on point! 

What you should know before taking your first class at Barre Body:

• you must wear grip socks (bring your own, purchase a pair for sale at the studio, or rent a pair for $1 - proceeds go to charity)
• wear comfortable athletic clothing (think yoga/dance wear)
• bring a water bottle, you will need it!
• most importantly, don't be afraid! Even if you don't have a dance background, the moves will be explained and nothing is overly complicated (meaning you will pick it up quickly!)

Prices:

• 1-Month New Client Intro pass: $65
• Drop-in: $25
• 5-Card Class Pass: $112
• 10-Card Class Pass: $195
• 20-Card Class Pass: $390
• Mommy &b Me Class: $225 (I did this in Edmonton with Sully when he was 7 months old and highly recommend it!)

Locations:

• Ramsey: 1202 20 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
• Bow Trail: 4251 Bow Trail SW, Calgary, AB
• Whitemud Crossing: #184, 4211 - 106 Street, Edmonton, AB
• Holland Plaza: 11996 - 109A Avenue, Edmonton, AB

{Ange//Leigh//Jen//Kaella//Me//Alison//Becky//Laura}

And good news for you! Use code BRIE10 to receive $10 off either a 10-Card Class Pass, 

or a 1-Month New Client Intro!

Thanks again to BBS for hosting the Blog Squad, and to Ange for organizing it! 

Have you tried Barre before? Thoughts? Let me know in the comments!