Life – Suburban Style Files

Our Electric Bike Adventure!

Published on September 18, 2019September 18, 2019 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

Back in July a couple girlfriends and I thought it would be fun to ride our bikes to a few of the local wineries. Well let me tell you, we greatly underestimated how lengthly and difficult it would be on our cruiser bikes… LOL! It took us 90 minutes to even get to our first winery, Vista D’oro. An hour in, when we still hadn’t reached our destination I actually phoned my husband to ask if he could pick us up at the end as there was no way we would be riding home as originally planned. At Vista D’oro we met Chris, a local business owner who was actually setting up to launch his electric bike company Fraser Valley E-Cycle the next day! We laughed, told him he was a genius and what a better idea that was compared to our cruiser bike adventure.

A couple weeks later Chris reached out to me to see if I would actually be interested in trying out one of his E-Cycle tours. I had never been on an electric bike so I was a little bit nervous, but before our ride Chris gave us a full explanation of how to operate the e-bikes and a full safety briefing. It really doesn’t matter how experienced or unexperienced you are, the electric bikes are incredibly easy to ride!

I can honestly say I had even more fun then I was even expecting to! Our bikes had three pedal modes for riding: traditional pedalling, the pedal assist system (PAS) which propels you along as you pedal, or throttle where you can sit back and literally let the bike drive itself. The E-Cycle was so user friendly and let me tell you, full throttle mode was pretty amazing after a glass of wine going up a steep hill… LOL!

You can completely customize your tour depending on that you would like to see. South Langley has five local wineries to visit, beautiful parks and great trails to ride through. On our particular tour Chris took us to three venues. The first stop was Glass House Winery. This is one of my favourite wineries. The tasting room is beautiful and afterwords we sat out on their picturesque patio sharing a bottle of rosé and the most incredible charcuterie board.

We then stopped at Backyard Vineyards for a wine tasting. It was so effortless to zip from one winery to the next on our E-Cycles! We didn’t even break a sweat 😉

Our final stop was the Fraser Valley Cider Company. The cidery is in its third year of operation and it has been really cool to watch how it has grown since the beginning. (I actually blogged about a visit there a couple years ago- read it here!) They have the yummiest ciders and it is just such a fun spot to spend an afternoon or evening at! Like a little local gem. We had lots of people asking us about our E-Cycles and I could honestly tell them we were having the best time! I’m a bit obsessed 🙂

There were a few different options for renting the E-Cycles:

HOURLY– 60 minutes $20

For a short trip, simply rent by the hour!
Includes Helmet & Safety Briefing

HALF DAY– 3 HOURS $40

departing at 10:30am & 2:30pm daily.
Includes Helmet & Safety Briefing

GUIDED TOURS– 4 HOURS (the option we chose!) $80

See all the best sites with the help of a local expert!
Includes Helmet & Safety Briefing

Chris was such a fantastic tour guide and honestly it was the best way to tour the local wineries. We all had such a blast! For any additional information, make sure to check out the Fraser Valley E-Cycle website 🙂

Thank you for reading,

Shannon xx

My Gorgeous Wooden Watch

Published on March 29, 2019 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

I love a good statement accessory as much as the next person! Something that I can wear in my day-to-day life that is practical, yet still eye-catching and attractive. This is why I was so excited when Jord watches (pronounced Yode) reached out to me to see if I would be interested in styling on of their gorgeous wooden watches.

Jord Watch

Jord was kind enough to gift me a watch of my choosing. After much deliberation, I decided on a watch from the Frankie series Purpleheart & Plum. The Purpleheart wood has a naturally rich purple colour with a fine grain pattern. It is really soft on my wrist and so easy to wear. This watch is absolutely stunning and easily my favourite accessory right now. The craftsmanship and quality are very impressive and I love that their watches are a combination of natural, and mostly re-claimed materials. It is honestly unlike any timepiece I have seen before, so unique!

Jord Wooden Watch Jord Giveaway Unique wooden Watch

Most of Jord’s watches have additional options for customization. You can mix and match the faces and woods, and the backplates and Cedar humidor presentation boxes can be engraved as well! Every watch comes with a one year warranty and free worldwide shipping. The company was an absolute pleasure to partner with. Part of the reason I started my blog in the first place was because I wanted to be able to easily share clothing, accessories, places and experiences that I enjoy. I can honestly say that I love my new wooden watch and would definitely recommend Jord to anyone that is looking for a high quality wooden watch! There are so many beautiful watches on the website to choose from, it was definitely a tough choice.

Wooden Watch Purpleheart & Plum

Lucky for you I have teamed up with Jord to giveaway $100.00 towards the purchase of any one of their stunning watches! Everyone who enters will receive a small discount code just for trying! You can enter this giveaway by following the link below:

www.jordwatches.com/g/suburbanstylefiles

wooden watches Jord Wooden Watch

If you have checked out their watches, which one is your favourite? I would love to chat in the comments 🙂

Thank you to Jord Watches for collaborating on today’s post. As always, all opinions are my own and I am so appreciative of the brands that support Suburban Style Files!

Shannon xx

Wooden Wrist Watch

Training with Vi

Published on February 18, 2019 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

Last January I experienced a pretty bad knee injury and I had to take a break from working out. Needless to say, a year later it has been a pretty slow go getting back into the swing of things. I am not the best at motivating myself and have always found that personal trainers and bootcamps have been the key to my success. I have a bootcamp that I love but unfortunately the class schedule no longer coincides with mine or my husbands work schedule or our weekly family commitments. This is why I am so excited that I discovered the Vi Trainer! Vi is a digital trainer that works as your customized and personal running coach. She that will train you towards your fitness goals, whether they be walking, jogging or marathon running!

You can download the Vi Trainer directly to your phone and she delivers a personalized workout plan to meet your fitness goals! Vi coaches you through your customized run and delivers real-time audio guided coaching. It is literally like having a personal trainer to keep you motivated throughout your workout. She senses when you start to struggle and gives you motivation! She even compares your workout to previous jogs or runs and adjusts her guidance accordingly. You literally plug-in your running goals and at your fingertips the Vi Trainer makes sure you stay on track.

With the Vi Trainer at my fingertips I actually have no excuse not to exercise now. I don’t have to follow a class schedule and have a customized running plan based on my fitness level. Click the following link if you would like to download Vi and try the app for a free 14 day trial: Train with Vi!

Thank you for reading!

Shannon xx

My Every day Skin Care Routine

Published on February 11, 2019 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

Today I am rounding up my favourite skin care products that I use on a daily basis. I am waiting on a couple of my favourite face washes to be shipped so I was unable to photograph them, but I will still list them 🙂 Once I entered my 30’s I truly realized how important it was to start to take care of my skin. My Mama has beautiful, youthful skin so I am praying that I will be blessed with this from her, but just in case… I have started to take some preventative measures!

Favourite Cleansers:

I have a few different cleansers that I like to use because they have different purposes IMO. I love the Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 and Tula Purifying cleansers because they are both fantastic at removing my makeup and leave my skin feeling super clean, without drying it out. The Rodan + Fields Unblemish Acne Sulfur Wash is truly amazing! I swear by it for breakouts. If I notice my skin starting to breakout at all, I use this one and it clears it up super fast! There are two other cleaners that I love by Rodan + Fields but I am currently out of them. I also use the Redifine daily cleansing mask and the Reverse deep exfoliating wash (not pictured). If you have been wanting to try Rodan + Fields but are unsure of which regime of their products would be best for your skin type, you HAVE to contact by girlfriend Terri Lynn Abbey! She was the one introduced me to the line and she is BEYOND knowledgeable and not pushy at all. The products are truly wonderful. You can get in touch with her or explore the products they offer HERE.

Favourite Toner:

I have tried a multitude of different toners and my current favourite is this Thayers Rose Petal with Aloe Vera one. It is alcohol free and smells amazing. I find a lot of toners can be over priced. This one is budget friendly and leaves my skin feeling super fresh and soft!

Favourite Serums:

I am absolutely obsessed with these products from the Abnormal Beauty Company. I recently just discovered this store when I was in New York city… only to realize it was a Toronto company and there were a couple of local stores here in Vancouver… LOL! I have since made a few trips in to stock up on more. Their products are cruelty free, gluten-free, vegan and incredibly well priced! I cannot recommend them enough. These three are the ones I am currently using on a daily basis. Poor Flush is the first product after my toner. A quick spritz on my cheeks to clear out any congestion in my pores. Next I apply a few drops of the Marine Hyraluronics over my entire face. This has a super lightweight (water) feel to it and my skin just drinks it up for extra hydration and gives it a really glowy feel. I use both of these morning and night. In the evening as a third step I have been using the Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion. I was looking to introduce Retinol into my skin care and it was recommended to me I start with this product. This serum is supposed to help reduce wrinkles and the signs of agin without being as harsh as retinol. I smooth a couple drops over my face in the evening. I have only been using it for a few weeks, but so far I have been loving it. My skin feels incredibly smooth.

Favourite Moisturizers:

I have three moisturizers that I love. Rodan + Fields Soothe Replenishing Cream is incredibly moisturizing and reduces any redness in my skin. I love the Natural Moisturizing Factors from the Abnormal Beauty Company as well! I actually grabbed this when I was in the store because it was $5.80… WHAT?!?! It is seriously amazing. Non greasy and leaves my skin feeling super smooth. I also cannot say enough about the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. This is the priciest of my moisturizers but it is really wonderful. It feels almost whipped going onto your skin and the idea behind it is supposed to be like a protein shot for your skin. It leaves my skin feeling strong and vibrant. It is really fantastic as well.

Every few nights I add in this Rodan + Fields Derma- Roller and renewing serum to my routine. My biggest issue has always been my skins texture. The roller helps with lines and wrinkles, tone and texture and to keep my skin’s surface feeling smoother.

A couple of times a week I use this Rodan + Fields Micro-Dermabrasion Paste for a really thorough exfoliation. My skin is so ridiculously shiny after a good scrub with these!

There you have it! I have not received any compensation to endorse any of these products. These are my honest to goodness actual opinions and I have been really happy with all of them 🙂

If you have any favourite products to recommend, let me know in the comments section. I would love to try them.

Thank you for reading!

Shannon xx

The Benefits of Collagen

Published on January 7, 2019 by Suburban Style Files1 Comment

A few months ago I started supplementing collagen into my diet. Collagen is one of the most important structural proteins in our bodies, but as we age we slowly start losing it. I was curious to see if all of the amazing potential health benefits I had been hearing could actually be true. I have to say I am really pleased with the results I have been noticing. My hair feels thicker and shinier, my nails seem to be growing stronger and I swear my skin has more of a glow to it.

The Benefits of Collagen:

(Information is quoted directly from the Vital Proteins website which is where I get my collagen)

“Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and helps give structure to our hair, skin, nails, bones, ligaments and tendons in our body. Thanks to collagen, we’re better able to move, bend and stretch. Collagen is also behind helping hair shine, skin glow and nails stay strong.

As we age, and the more stress we put on our body, the greater the impact on collagen production. Getting collagen in a balanced diet can help our bodies regenerate what’s been lost of broken down.

Collagen is a protein made up of amino-acids: glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and arginine, all of which help our body’s connective tissue, skin, hair, nails, as well as gut health stay as healthy as possible.

Collagen protein is different than whey and casein protein because of these high levels of amino acids. Muscular growth, joint health and an overall glowing appearance can be partially attributed to the amino acid blend in collagen that can’t be found anywhere else.”

How to Take Collagen:

I have been using the Vital Proteins unflavored Collagen Peptides above. I add a scoop into my regular coffee every morning and another one into my afternoon smoothie. The serving suggestion is 1-2 scoops a day. It completely blends in and you can’t even notice anything has been added. There are also recipes on the Vital Proteins website if you are looking for additional ways to add collagen into your daily diet. Not only does collagen have amazing benefits for your hair, skin, nails and bones, but it is also an easily digested source of protein.

Along with the majority of the general public I am sure, one of the goals I set for myself in 2019 was to try to maintain a healthier lifestyle. I injured myself last January and am currently waiting for knee surgery for a torn meniscus. Due to this injury I have been letting my fitness slide a bit and of course I completely overindulged in all things decadent over the holidays! I am slowly beginning to introduce low impact exercise back into my daily routine and eat cleaner. These Collagen Peptides are gluten free, dairy free, sugar-free, Whole30 approved, and paleo friendly so they fall right into line with what I am trying to stick to. I have also heard that an additional benefit of collagen is increased muscle recovery and joint health. As I am just starting to slowly workout again, I will have to wait and see if I notice any improvement in these regards.

I feel like it is important to mention I am in no way a dietician or health expert! I am simply sharing my personal experience and how pleased I have been with the results. I would love to hear about your experience with collagen if you are also supplementing with it!

Shop this post:

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides // Initial Necklace // Turquoise Sweater

Thank you for reading!

Shannon xx

Whitening Sensitive teeth at home!

Published on December 11, 2018 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

I was so excited when Smile Brilliant reached out to ask me if I would like to try their at home teeth whitening kit. A person’s smile is one of the first things I notice when I meet them. I personally went through 3+ years of orthodontics and previous whitening treatment for my own smile! This being said, if you know me at all, you will also know that I am a HUGE coffee lover. Well, coffee and sparkling white teeth do not necessarily go hand in hand! I have whitened my teeth in the past but my smile was definitely in need of a bit of a pick me up 😉

The Smile Brilliant whitening system allows you to make custom whitening trays from home with professional results. My kit included the materials to make the mold for my custom whitening tray, along with three tubes of 22% whitening gel and three tubes of Desensitizing gel. I ordered the T3 Sensitive System for light stains as I have previously whitened and noticed tooth sensitivity in the past. Each syringe of whitening gel allowed me four applications of whitening. I only used two tubes to whiten both my upper and lower teeth so I have ample left for touch ups in the future. You just use enough to cover your teeth with a thin layer and not too much or it just squeezes out of the tray and is wasted.

I was actually pleasantly surprised as I was preparing myself for crazy sensitive teeth. I definitely noticed a little bit but not so much that I had to take a break in between whitening sessions.

How to make your impressions:

To fabricate your custom teeth whitening trays, all you have to do is mix one of the catalyst pastes with one of the base pastes to create a solid coloured putty which you then place into the blue impression tray. The kit includes 3 of each (1 extra in case you make an error!)

Place the blue tray in your mouth making sure you are pushing your teeth evenly into the putty and it is covering all of your teeth and flows over your gum line. Leave the tray in your mouth for 3 minutes. (I have a pretty strong gag reflex and I was absolutely OK taking my impressions!) Use the from tab and carefully remove the tray from your mouth without wiggling. Check to make sure you can clearly see the impression of your teeth in the material.

Let your impression set for 30 minutes and then rinse them under cold water. One they have hardened, simply place them in the included pre-paid envelope and mail them back!

After the lab fabricates them, Smile Brilliant will mail you back your custom whitening trays and you can start brightening your smile! The trays are so easy to use because they are thin and fit snug to your teeth. I personally have three children and not a lot of down time to sit around beautifying myself… LOL! After breakfast in the morning I threw the whitening trays in while I dropped my kids off at school and daycare. I am all about convenience!! You are not supposed to eat or drink for an hour after so Smile Brilliant also suggests whitening before you go to bed.

How to whiten with your trays:

Brush your teeth with only water first. Place a thin layer of the whitening solution in your tray (1 syringe should last 3-4 applications). Plan the trays in your mouth for 45 minutes to 3 hours depending on the level of staining and how sensitive your teeth are. Rinse the trays out with water after.

Desensitize for 20 minutes if your teeth are feeling sensitive. After you remove your trays you can leave a think layer of the desensitizing gel on your teeth if needed.

I only ended up whitening for four days until I was happy with my results. I will not be giving up coffee or red wine anytime soon, so I am thrilled to have found an affordable whitening solution to keep my smile sparking 🙂

Before & After:

Im teaming up with Smile Brilliant to give one of you lucky readers your own custom whitening kit for FREE! ($149 value).

You can enter to win by clicking the link below:

www.smilebrilliant.com/g/suburbanstylefiles

They have also been so kind to offer me a 15% off code if any of you, my fabulous followers would like to try Smile Brilliant for yourself! Use code: suburbanstylefiles15

Thank you for reading!

Shannon xx

Professional Teeth Whitening

Dressy Floral Jogger Pants!

Published on July 30, 2018 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

I have always been first and foremost a dress lover! Lately though, I have been loving all of the cute dressy joggers and paper bag pants that I am seeing everywhere. I was immediately drawn to these floral print ones. They are the softest material and so easy to wear. Two of my coworkers actually went out and bought them the evening I wore them to work! I find that to be the biggest complement 🙂 The reason I started my blog was because I wanted to share things that I love and amazing deals that I find. These prints pants are definitely fall into that category!

Sleeveless Blouse // Floral Tie Waist Pants // Light Pink Suede Heels

They are the perfect pant for both Summer and Fall. I plan to wear them in cooler temperatures with a cute slide or ankle boot paired with a sweater or blazer. I am seriously obsessed with these pants. The best part is, they are under $50.00! I found them so flattering that I also picked up a few other styles and prints which I will link below:

Blue High-Rise Pant // Mauve High Rise Jogger // Striped Olive Jogger // Red Cigarette Pant

What do you think? Are you loving this dressy jogger trend?

Thank you for reading!

Shannon xx

Best Friends Style Series: Amanda!

Published on July 3, 2018July 2, 2018 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

This is the third segment of my Best Friends Style Series. My first post was about my gorgeous best friend Amber, which you can read HERE if you missed it. A couple weeks ago, I wrote about my beautiful best friend Christine. You can read about here style HERE.

Today I am featuring my amazing bestie Amanda. Amanda is so naturally stunning, she could throw a belt on overtop of a garbage bag and we would all be running out to buy one! Seriously, look at those cheekbones. Not only is she beautiful, but she is one of the nicest and most hilarious people you will ever meet. So even if you wanted to dislike her, because it seems so unfair for one person to be so perfect… you just can’t! She is actually super modest and doesn’t even realize how lovely she always looks. Her sense of style is understated and effortless!

Amanda’s Style Staples:

Pretty, printed pants

Flowy tops, nothing skin tight

Delicate, classic accessories

Well fitted clothes for her small frame

Gladiators, low wedges, sneakers

Amanda’s Favourite Stores:

Amanda is our natural beauty with no-fuss, effortless and simple style! I like to refer to her style as “Everyday Envy” (she likes to refer to it as “Mom Style”…LOL!) She never wears anything that is too loud or gets wrapped up in fleeting trends. Her style is more classic with clean lines, a touch of fun and delicate details. She is always perfectly dressed for every occasion.

I have rounded up a bunch of Amanda-style pieces below if you love her look and are wanting some inspiration:

One. Druzy Drop Earrings // Two. Dress with Lace Back // Three. Suspended-Neck Swing Top // Four. Top With Lace Yoke // Five. Dark Blue Floral Shorts // Six. Suede Zip Crossbody Bag // Seven. Alpha Layered Necklace // Eight. Tie-Waist Floral Pants // Nine. Stripe Knot Strap Jumpsuit // Ten. Fit & Flare Cami Dress // Eleven. Botanical Dress with Ties // Twelve. Black Floral Shorts // Thirteen. Native Open Sided Flats // Fourteen. Braided T-Strap Sandals // Fifteen. Multicolour Ribbed Knit Tank // Sixteen. Eyelet Ruffle T-Shirt // Seventeen. Stripe Asymmetrical Peplum Tank // Eighteen. Jersey Top with Lace// Nineteen. Chuck Taylor Low Top

Thank you for reading!

Shannon xx

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Best Friends Style Series: Amanda!

Published on July 3, 2018 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

Amanda’s Style Staples:

Pretty, printed pants

Flowy tops, nothing skin tight

Delicate, classic accessories

Well fitted clothes for her small frame

Gladiators, low wedges, sneakers

Amanda’s Favourite Stores:

I have rounded up a bunch of Amanda-style pieces below if you love her look and are wanting some inspiration:

Thank you for reading!

Shannon xx

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One year….

Published on June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 by Suburban Style FilesLeave a comment

I cannot believe it, but my little blog turns ONE today! This past year has flown by… It feels like just yesterday I was swallowing all of my nerves and pushing the “Publish” button for my very first Suburban Style Files post!!

I have always loved reading blogs and when a girlfriend suggested I start my own, I just shrugged it off with a “who would want to read what I have to say?! There are already so many blogs.” Then I got to thinking, why not? I had become so wrapped up in my world of being a wife and mama and caught up with work that it didn’t even occur to me that it could be something fun to do just for myself. Well, I am so glad I have because it has become such a great creative outlet for me. I have always been obsessed with fashion, travel, photography, food etc. This blog has been such an awesome way for me to share all of this with anyone who wants to read along.

I love the friendships I have found in this little online community. I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported me from the beginning and to the others of you who have joined in along the way 🙂 I am super appreciative to my husband for letting me drag him along to photograph whatever vision or idea I have come up with… or letting me ditch him and our kids for a trip to the wineries with my girlfriends… “Honey, it’s for the blog”…. LOL! And also to my sweet friends (and sometimes even my mama!) who have stepped in to be photographers/ models for me as well whenever I have needed you! This blogging thing is WAY more work and time-consuming than I ever imagined it could be, but it is also incredibly rewarding. If you are someone who has ever considered starting a blog, but keep talking yourself out of it, I say take the plunge and go for it! The more, the merrier!! Everyone is unique and has their own story to tell 🙂 I am so grateful for all of the support and love I have received. So from the bottom of my heart on my blog’s 1st birthday, a giant THANK YOU to all of you!

Also… if you have never tried to take a picture with a giant mylar balloon on a day with any sort of breeze… it is WAY harder than it looks… LOL!

Pink Ruffle Trim Dress // Studded Heels // Tassel Earrings // “1” Mylar Balloon

Thank you for reading!

Shannon xx

Category: Life

Our Electric Bike Adventure!

Like this:

My Gorgeous Wooden Watch

Like this:

Training with Vi

Like this:

My Every day Skin Care Routine

Like this:

The Benefits of Collagen

Like this:

Whitening Sensitive teeth at home!

Like this:

Dressy Floral Jogger Pants!

Like this:

Best Friends Style Series: Amanda!

Like this:

Best Friends Style Series: Amanda!

Like this:

One year….

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