Fighting the heat is one thing, and finding an iced tea that isn’t pumped full of sugar is another. Sometimes I wish Canadian restaurants served plain iced tea but alas the only way to drink it is to brew your own at home.
Kusmi Tea came out with their own iced tea and it’s refreshing with an icy twist. From “Icy Mint” to “Iced Grapefruit” there are so many flavour choices – or you could buy them all!
Step 1 | Boil Water.
Step 2 | Pour water into pitcher and add Kusmi Tea bag. Steep for 3-4 minutes.
Lately I have been fixated on denim skirts and dresses – then I got my hands on this one and may have worn it on repeat many times this week. I love how versatile denim is – it can be styled for a feminine outfit to a minimalist, modern outfit. I can’t wait for the weather to turn a bit cooler, the leaves change colours, and to be able to wear my extensive scarf collection!
What are you looking forward to most with fall coming up so soon?
I am 5 feet 9 inches tall and it’s usually one of the first things people notice when they meet me for the first time in person. As a blogger there are a few camera tricks to create that elongated look that everyone wants but in real life I don’t need any tricks to add a few inches to my height.
When dressing for a summer wedding – no matter if it is formal, semi-formal, or casual – you can never be overdressed for an occasion as special as a wedding. But with that in mind you most certainly do not want to outshine the bride, that is a big no-no.
How do I keep the balance?
I opt for a long dress with a cinched waist – it creates a long, clean silhouette that is quite flattering. And usually when I am browsing the “short” dresses in a store they fit perfectly on short women (you do the math and it probably wouldn’t look as classy on myself).
2. Find some killer shoes! They don’t have to be heels, though a kitten heel is very manageable for those who dread wearing them, but adding some unique footwear will take your look to the next level.
3. Accessories can make your outfit look great, tacky, or like it is missing something.
I feel like I could write an entire post on unspoken rules of accessories, but here it is in a nutshell: if you’re wearing statement jewelry, less is more; match the right necklace to the right neckline; think of your body as having zones (neck, ears, arms), if you have ruffles or sequins along your dress’ neckline then do not accessorize with a necklace focus your accessories on your ears and arms.
Don’t forget to add me on SnapChat (hcalver) for more behind the scenes of what goes on on Honey & Betts!
For some parents back to school shopping is a living nightmare – but I’ve found when I shop at Crazy 8 both my girl’s outfit needs are easily taken care of. I love that their personalities shine through with the selection of clothing, and I was impressed with the quality of Crazy 8‘s clothes.
And who wouldn’t want to rock their back to school style? Dress like the #1 music group for kids, KIDZ BOP. Crazy 8 is the official sponsor of The KIDZ BOP Kids “Life Of The Party” concert tour – enter their Crazy 8 + KIDZ BOP Talent Search for the chance to fly to Los Angeles and star in a KIDZ BOP music video and receive a $250 Crazy 8 shopping spree. See the contest rules here.
Woo! DIY project #1. We have had this cherry wood finish desk for 4 years in our home – and I have been wanting to refinish it since forever! The only problem? It is not solid wood making staining it impossible. So, why not wallpaper it?
This project took a total of 4 hours from start to finish. I will say it is a beginner DIY level, because let’s be honest I did completed it successfully. You will need:
Desk
Wallpaper
Clear Wallcovering Adhesive
Roller
Sandpaper
Wallpaper Smoother
Pasting Brush
Scissors
Ruler/Measuring Tape
Pencil
Clear Dry Erase Paint
Surface Sealer
Step One | Cut the wallpaper. I cut 2 pieces for the edges that were exactly the length of the desk’s front and back sides. Then I cut the two top pieces that wrap around the side’s sides (does that even make sense?).
Make sure when you are dealing with the top pieces that you keep in mind the wallpaper’s pattern. With my Brewster’s White Crocodile the pattern has to matched up perfectly when laid side by side or you would notice the clash of pattern consistency.
Step Two | Sandpaper the desk. Make sure to sand down not only the top but the sides, back, and front.
Step Three | It’s time to lay down some wallpaper! First, you will be applying the front and back pieces. Use the pasting brush to apply the wallpaper adhesive to the desk. Depending on what kind of wallpaper you are using, some require you to apply the adhesive to the wallpaper (and then booking the wallpaper) or some require it applied to the desk with no fuss.
The Brewster wallpaper I used required no fuss at all so I applied the wallpaper adhesive to the desk, applied the wallpaper where I wanted it, then took the wallpaper smoother and smoothed any air out.
The wallpaper took 1 hour to dry before I started the next step.
Step Four | I applied the surface sealer to harden, protect, and seal the wallpaper for future use of coffee cups, writing memos, and all that jazz. It took 1 hour to dry, and it dried to a matte finish.
Then I after the surface sealer I applied a layer of the Clear Dry Erase paint. It dried clear in 1 hour and now I have a perfectly usable dry erase desk top.
Things I have learned from the whole wallpaper experience:
Don’t use too much wallpaper adhesive. Less is more.
The sealer had a matte effect, something I didn’t realize but it didn’t ruin the project.
Now for the best part – creating your personalized work space! Whether it’s from your day planner to your coffee mugs to your tablet to your office supplies. The world is your oyster!
I cannot believe summer is almost over – instead of what to wear to the pool, it will be what to wear with wind chill and frozen windshields – though it’s saddening I am excited to start layering up and drinking hot tea again. Don’t get me started on PSL (Pumpkin Spice Lattes for those who aren’t up to date on the abbreviation)!
When I am heading to the pool I like to avoid the crowded change rooms, so I arrive in my swim suit. Wearing simple, stylish layers will disguise your wearing your swimsuit in a public non pool associated area. Just don’t forget to pack your undergarments in your bag or you may be heading home in a wet swimsuit!
If you haven’t had a chance to enter the Albion Fit Giveaway I am hosting, it ends Friday at midnight. So, hurry on over there to enter for a chance to win a $50 gift card!
As always you can watch the nitty gritty behind the scenes of Honey & Betts on Snapchat by adding my username: hcalver
We took a family weekend trip to Calgary, AB for a family wedding – and we wanted to take our girls to a few of the fun Calgary locations when we had free time. While we were there we tackled the best activities in Calgary for young families, our kids had a great time!
Day 1 | We ended up having a terrible sleep the night before the wedding at the hotel due to Abigail teething and us being unprepared at 2 am without Tylenol. Thankfully my best friend travelled with us to help watch the girls at night while we went to the wedding (she’s a gem, right!). We packed up Annaliese, left Abigail napping with Matt, and then hurried over to Rosso Coffee Roasters – our first crucial stop of the day.
9:30 AM | We went to the Rosso Coffee Inglewood location, there are 5 Rosso locations around Calgary, and ordered a latte and a sweet latte. Both lattes were buttery smooth and just what we needed to start our morning. Plus, I always appreciate satisfying latte art!
10:30 AM | We ordered to-go a chai latte, matcha latte, and mocha latte (for Matt). And onward we headed downtown for a quick stop at the Calgary Tower to tire Annaliese out before her nap.
11 AM | I’m so glad we stopped at the Calgary Tower because Annaliese loved it! I’m not a fan of heights and took a bit more courage for me to step out onto the see-through floor, but Annaliese enjoyed it so much and it was all she could talk about on the way home.
The 360 degrees view of the Calgary Tower shows you the view of downtown Calgary and if you look past the clouds you can see the Rocky Mountains in the distance. This ended our day of sight seeing as we attended the wedding in the afternoon and spent the evening at the reception.
Day 2 | After checking out of the hotel at noon, we packed up the girls and headed to the Calgary Zoo for the afternoon. I wish we had checked out earlier and spent more time at the zoo because it was fantastic!
12:30 PM | It was my first time so I completely underestimated the size of the zoo. We stopped into the Canadian Wildlife section first and just got to the cougar exhibit as they were setting up the cougars food – two white rabbits. Matt and Annaliese had front row seats, and it was Matt’s second favourite part (I’ll tell you our collective favourite part of the zoo later).
It was a warm, sunny day and Abigail slept for most of our zoo adventure in the stroller (mom win!). Animals we saw in the Canadian Wilds exhibit were cougars, grizzly bears, black bears, caribou, elk, owls, northern sheep, and mountain goats.
Though we live in Canada it was still amazing to see these beautiful animals, as it can dangerous seeing them on the highway through the national parks.
We continued to the TransAlta Rainforest and saw gorillas, monkeys, bats, snakes and walked through an open bird exhibit.
Then onto our favourite: Safari Through The African Savannah, which is half indoors and half outdoors. In here we saw meerkats, snakes, ostriches, giraffes, zebras, lions, and our favourite parts… Hippopotamuses!
Hippos are incredible creatures. These hippos’ hefty size was jaw dropping. The way they waddle on land was adorable – but I know, from Annaliese’s obsession of watching safari animals attack each other on Youtube, that hippopotamuses are one of the most dangerous animals in the water. They are fast, agile swimmers so it was fascinating to see them shuffle around on their feet.
3:30 PM | And that concluded the zoo trip for us – and trust me when I say the girls were very quiet in the back seat on the way home. They were exhausted from such a fun day!
I can’t wait to take another weekend trip to Calgary to find more awesome activities in Calgary for young families like ours – hopefully next time it will be a girls trip with my besties!
What do you think the best activities in Calgary for young families are? Let me know in a comment below!
If I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times – it is never too early to start taking care of your skin. For myself I have very dry skin, and a few things I do to combat my skin’s dryness is:
I use only water and a face cloth in the morning, and then cleanse with coconut oil in the evening.
Use a Norwex face cloth: “the micro silver agent in the cloth, goes to work with self-purification properties against mold, fungi and bacterial odor within 24 hours so that it is ready to use again.” – Norwex
Serums, eye creams, and face oils – they really do make the difference with dry skin and fine lines!
Be gentle with your skin – there’s no need to use a deep cleansing mask and exfoliating mask every night. Being too aggressive with your skin will increase the dryness.
Hydrate within 2 minutes of getting out of the shower – it sounds crazy, but keeping the moisture in your skin with a cream/oil barrier is key to avoiding dry skin later.
I’ve been testing out the Cliniderm line since they are tailored to skin that is troubled with dryness, rosacea, and atopic skin. I truly love the HydraComfort™ Hydrating Serum and HydraComfort™ Eye Contour Cream – they both make my skin feel and look plump and hydrated. And I’ve been lathering my body in the new Soothing Cream and Soothing Lotion after I step out of the shower – both absorb quickly and keep my skin refreshed all day long.
What are your summer skin secrets for dry skin and fine lines? Share them with me in the comments below!
Woo! DIY project #1. We have had this cherry wood finish desk for 4 years in our home – and I have been wanting to refinish it since forever! The only problem? It is not solid wood making staining it impossible. So, why not wallpaper it?
10:30 AM | We ordered to-go a chai latte, matcha latte, and mocha latte (for Matt). And onward we headed downtown for a quick stop at the 
