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what i did in vancouver…

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Vancouver-1

A couple weeks ago, I traveled to Vancouver for a few days to speak at IDS West's Social Sessions and to do a morning TV show. I had previously planned to bring my family with me and make a long weekend out of it, but it was turning into more of a work trip then I had expected so we decided to have the kids stay home and that come back again as a family next year when I could have a bit more leisurely time. I sadly couldn't hit as many spots from all your amazing suggestions this time (don't worry, I'm saving it all for our next trip!). But I did get to hit a few, very cute spots that I wanted to share with you…

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You might be thinking…wait..is that Ruby with you in that photo? While my alone time (and sleeping in till 8am!) felt nice, I missed my kids so much while away. So it was fun meeting up with Instagram pals Miko and Lyndsay and Miko's adorable daughter, Saya—who also happens to have bangs and loves treats like my Ruby. 

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We started with a trip to Basho Cafe which felt like traveling straight to Japan. It had so many of the details I miss about Japan—the best green tea sweets, simple and fresh meals, and the cutest details in the decor like cozies at the bottom of every chair leg.

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Then, we popped into some modern home decor shops like Vancouver Special and Walrus. I do so much online window shopping these days that it was nice to see so many of the cool items I come across online in a store in real life!

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And I loved this kid's book/craft store where they also hold art classes called Collage Collage (I might have also loved this shop because they had the Oh Joy book for sale there 😉

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When traveling with the kids, we always stay at a house rental (like Kid & Coe). But when traveling for business, I stick to hotels in an easily walkable area and stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel during this trip to Vancouver. My mom worked at the Four Seasons in Philly for almost 30 years, so we used to stay there on vacations as one of the perks of her job. The service there is still unparallel and one of my favorite hotels to splurge on for short stays when I can. The one perk about work trips is getting some personal time to myself—so I rented Trainwreck, got cozy in a bath robe, had room service, and slept in till 8am one morning! It rained for most of my trip, otherwise, I would have gone into that gorgeous rooftop pool, too.

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Vancouver-view

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After doing a fun DIY segment on CTV and speaking at IDS West, I walked around Gastown during sunset on my last evening with my friend Orlando (who also spoke at the conference). We remarked how gorgeous Vancouver is, did some window shopping, and had dinner at Bao Down—a fun and casual spot for Bao sandwiches…and we loved how punny their name is 😉 We both missed our loved ones and talked about how we'd come back with them next time fo sho.

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We came across this fun neon sign on the side of a building on the walk back to our hotels for the evening. And while my trip was short and sweet, it did give me some much needed time to myself to just be me and do some things I haven't done in a while (like randomly peruse around shops for no reason). I loved Vancouver and can't wait to go back and see way more next time!

16 comments

  1. Looks like a fun and relaxing trip. Those Baos look scrumptious and so does the Basho cafe. I’ve heard Vancouver is a gorgeous city. Glad you got some lone time 🙂

  2. Loved reading this. We had so much fun in our short hangout together – Saya’s looking forward to meeting Ruby next time (and eating more ice cream!) xo

  3. so happy you had a great time (although short) in vancouver! love your pics, esp the one of miko saya + lynds. 😉 sweet you had some time to yourself but come back again soon with your family! 🙂

  4. Trainwreck and room service – dreamsville! I love that your mom worked at the Four Seasons for 30 years. I’m so happy you enjoyed your stay in Vancouver and that we got to meet up! (And my Chinese grunge mom look made it onto the blog, hehe)! You are a pretty amazing and inspiring woman! Til next time!! Xo

  5. Pretty sure the Time Is Precious sign is attached to Kit & Ace, the technical cashmere line launched by the wife and son of lululemon founder Chip Wilson. Great basics there, the flagship store is in Gastown. Glad you enjoyed Vancoiver!

  6. Those Bao sandwiches look fantastic! I fell in love with steamed Bao in Chicago years ago, but I have a hard time finding it in many cities. Bao Down looks like they know how to do it well!

  7. Thanks for this fun post! This is my hometown and I have to check out Walrus and Bao Down – I am glad you had a chance to see Basho, Collage Collage and Vancouver Special – all faves.

  8. You totally fooled me with the first photo I was like, I thought I read you went to Vancouver without the kids! Upon closer inspection Saya and Ruby are not the same person 😉
    What did you think of Trainwreck?

  9. Wow! Looks like it was a pretty relaxing work trip! It’s always hard when you are away from your little ones, but the time to yourself is a little nice too. If I ever find myself in Vancouver, I will most definitely have to stop at Basho Cafe and have one of everything!

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