CAPTURING A MOMENT IN TIME {WITH MINI WHITE PUMPKINS}

It's been a tremendously rainy, windy weekend here in Vancouver and sometimes these grey and cold days lend to more indoor time with the little ones and more time to reflect on the little moments. 

I had taken these quick shots a couple of weekends ago when the sun was out and the weather was obviously warmer. I wanted to capture the essence of autumn and the little pumpkins that I'd been trying to find around the city for a couple of weeks. I had no intention of posting them but then thought it might make sense to share how quickly I captured these (10 minutes!) and how you can create a mini photoshoot with literally a few little pumpkins and some sweet smiles! 

So, instead of thinking how hard it will be, just get your kids, pop outside with the pumpkins you've collected from the farm or the store and take a few snaps! I ask them questions as I click, such as "if your pumpkin was an animal, what would it be?" I find that when they are engrossed in telling a story, the smiles naturally come out and their faces light up. If you are shooting more than one kiddo, it helps to pop them on the a set of stairs so that they are captured at the same depth (or plane) on camera, which works to keep them all in focus.  

The pictures may not be perfect, but they recreate this perfect memory...our front steps, their mini pumpkins, fall 2016 and my very favourite little smiley faces. Sometimes the little moments are the ones we'll look back on and remember with the biggest fondness. 

Happy Monday friends!

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SCANDINAVIAN MAKEOVER OF WOODEN PLAYHOUSE

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WORLD GEOGRAPHY WITH LITTLE PASSPORTS

I finished high school and it was an easy choice – grab my passport and go traveling. I wanted to see more, know what was out there, meet new people, taste new foods; EXPLORE! So when Little Passports contacted me to work with them and offered to show me what big things can be taught from a little suitcase, I immediately said YES!

I met my husband (an Australian) abroad (in London) and once we were finished our time there, we naturally took time to travel. We have traveled to well over 50 countries. My first time overseas was at a year old and basically it never stopped. My parents are European and I was born and raised in Canada. We traveled. To see relatives, to explore different cultures, to learn how lucky we were to be raised in a safe and wonderful country…we traveled.

That was all BEFORE KIDS. Yes…you heard that. Our traveling has basically entirely stopped since having children. It’s not that it can’t be done; it’s simply that it’s not quite the same easy and carefree experience given we have two 5 year olds and a 3 year old. My desire for the amazing sights, sounds, smells, tastes and colours of other cultures still pulls at my heartstrings regularly. The conversations you have while traveling are the best kind. The people you meet. The experiences that just don’t compare to daily life. The memories that are created.

We will definitely pick up where we left off again…but until then, Little Passports is a great way to teach our children all about the world we live in. It’s such an easy process; you order online and receive a starter kit in the mail with a sweet little suitcase for your child to put all of their treasures. We chose the Little Explorers package, which was perfect for our preschoolers. There are also characters (Max, Mia & Toby, the dog) that write a letter to the recipients and our kids instantly fell in love with them. The girls especially loved the characters, Xavier, my three year old especially loved the suitcase and all of the kids enjoyed putting the stickers into their passport and seeing where the continents are on the map.

It helps that we have family and friends all over the world; I showed them where everyone lives and we talked about all of the places we dream of going together one day. I also found this amazing DIY that explains the concept of how our community fits into the wider world to explain the concept to young children.

The kids were extremely interested in the whole thing and once I told them another package would arrive in about a month, they were very excited to check the mail each day!

The second month, we received a package all about landmarks. It was great fun as I could tell the kids stories about going to some of these landmarks (take me back to the Eiffel tower and the great sphinx of Giza now please!) and the kids then wanted to re-learn all of the things we had talked about a month earlier.

By the time the third package arrived, the kids literally ran to the door yelling, "Mama, Max and Mia are ready to take us on another adventure! Mom! It's the music one!" They were SO excited to explore music of other countries and I was impressed that Putumayo World Music (who put out some of our favourite playlists) had been involved to produce a new cd about songs from different countries.

The learning from this package is endless and provides such a fabulous foundation to start telling the kids about our world. As a parent who has traveled extensively and is now trying to teach my children about other places, Little Passports is instrumental to this process. I would highly recommend giving them a try; what a perfect way to introduce geography to preschoolers!

You can take advantage of The Little Passports Back to School Sale by using code READY15 at check out.

*This post was created with Little Passports. All photos and words are my own.

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THE STORY BOX

SCANDINAVIAN MAKEOVER OF WOODEN PLAYHOUSE

I have seriously dreamt of making over this wooden playhouse (similar) since the day it was put together...three years ago. Sigh. Children...take what seems like a busy life and they magically make it even busier. It was in serious need of a major overhaul as the stain had faded and wood planks had fallen off. It was a case of "good enough" and "someday" but this summer, it finally got the makeover it deserved! To redo the whole playhouse took a little work, to say the least. We started by removing all of the curved features. Then, after the initial sanding, it took 3 coats of Behr Ultra White paint to get the house covered and then the fun began! We spray painted all of the trim (easy and quick!), fixed the boards, added a few extras and then it was simple decoration.  

Now...let me just show you what this beauty looked like BEFORE the playhouse makeover.

And...AFTER!  

Same same but, oh-so-different! What do you think? Do you like the lighter version with pastel hues a little better??? You can shop the stools (and our play table, not pictured) here!

It's true...so many adventures really do happen here. With three kids 5 and under, there are countless play dates, backyard summer escapes, imaginary pies, lemonade stands, muffins made. Keep in mind I really do have a 5-year-old whose favourite food is blue cheese! Don't you love this adorable wooden sign from Parade and Company? It pairs perfectly with the garland from Canadian maker Jae to the Wall. These peaches were hand picked from Papa's tree the day we left from our week in the Okanagan and apart from making perfect props for the revamped playhouse, they were the juiciest, most delicious peaches I have ever tasted. 

This gorgeous market basket is from Majorel Design and I love the flowers from Gypsy Petal so much. They are indestructible and the kids love playing with them!

So there you have it. Our wooden playhouse lovingly restored and refreshed for the kids to enjoy and make memories in for years to come. Who wants to come over and play?

MAMA & ME OUTDOOR SUMMER PHOTOSHOOT

After seven years abroad, my sister is home! This is cause for celebration on SOOO many levels (hello real life visits and wine chats on the couch!), and I am very very lucky to have her back here to beautifully photograph my growing family! She mainly photographs newborns over at Amanda Haddow Photography in Victoria but on this occasion she agreed that I needed some mama and babe shots, so we headed to the park with the kids, took a picnic and the kids ran around, picked flowers, made daisy chains and played. 

It is unbelievable how few photos moms take WITH their children and our family is really just the same. I would love to change this but since I am typically the one behind the lens, it may take some time to get used to being in the frame with the kiddies. I had the cutest shirt picked out for Xavier but he absolutely refused to wear it (or any shirt for that matter!) so we just went with it and thankfully that bare belly turned out to be the most adorable thing. Capturing his personality at this stage is really so much more important anyway, right?! Although we rarely get a 'perfect' picture, I look back at all of our photos together with so much love. Seeing how little the kids look in past photos is the best incentive to get out there and take more!

Just look at my gorgeous little ones! Nothing makes me happier than seeing their beautiful faces and delicious giggles captured to keep for years to come. 

We haven't been particularly great at taking photos all together (even these ones are missing my number one sidekick, my husband) but I have taken lots and lots of the kids over the years and have learned a few tips along the way. Here are my top tips for getting the best success when shooting with kids.

At the end of the day, it's the unexpected moments of pure joy or love or surprise that shine. Or in this case, pure goofiness. The outtakes are always so funny. C'est la vie when you have a three year old along for the ride!

All photos taken by my uber-talented sister Amanda (thank you! thank you! thank you!) from Amanda Haddow Photography. Visit her in Victoria for newborn photography or to book a mama and me session of your own!

Kaia's dress: Zara kids
Noelle's dress: vintage fabric, made by Nana
My dress: Lucky Brand
Blanket: Amazing find from Salvation Army
Basket: Majorel Design
Girls' shoes: Saltwater Sandals
Hat: Hat Attack, similar

KAIA & NOELLE'S 5TH BIRTHDAY PARTY!

My twins turned five a few weeks ago. Five years old. For some reason, this hit me hard! My tiny preemie girls are ALREADY FIVE. Gasp. Deep breaths. How does the time go so fast?! 

Kaia and Noelle are two of the most social, crowd loving kids I know. They love people and being around them. They wanted a big party, with lots of their friends, music and lots of decorations. They also LOVE exploring, walking and playing in the forest (thanks to having this at our doorstep in Vancouver). We decided on a forest party, at Stanley Park’s Ecology Society, where a space with beautiful natural light and lots of room to run around was available. For an hour, they take the kids (and parents if they want) into Stanley Park for a forest discovery walk, where the kids were fully in awe and happiness discovering all the creatures the forest has to offer. If you are looking for an amazing party venue in Vancouver, this one is perfect for so many ages! 

These simple DIY fairy and elf crowns added a little fun for the kids and got them into the mood for the outdoor part. 

After some simple instructions, our girls and thirteen of their friends headed into the forest for a little exploration and learning (did you know a woodpecker wraps its' tongue around its' brain to protect it when pecking?!...I had no idea!).

The kids loved the forest; where they learned to identify a few birds by sound, use magnifying glasses to see what lives in trees, went on a bug hunt, explored different smells in logs and trees and played a couple of games. After lots of fresh air and outdoor exploration, they came back for lunch and the most beautiful and delicious cake (thanks Butter Bakery!) surrounded by these lovely Gypsy Petal flowers (so excited to be able to reuse these over and over again!).

After lunch, we kept it simple – music, lots of balloons and a balloon tent, which ended up being the least expensive and most fun thing ever for a party. The kids ran in and out, danced and threw balloons. Overall, I'd say it was a success.

Happy Birthday beautiful girls! You have added so much magic to our lives over the past five years. We love you!

Styling by WINTER DAISY
Photography by Jo + Bo Photography and Melissa Barling

If you were wondering how to achieve the same look, here are the sources!

01.// Party tent; 02.// Fig leaf plant; 03.//Mylar number 5 balloon;  04.// Giant blush balloon; 05.// Fairy crowns DIY; 06.// Helium balloons; 07.// Hydrangeas; 08.// Paper straws; 09.// Kid size table and chairs; 10.// Dot napkins (similar); 11.// Paper plates (similar).