SHOPS WE LOVE: FRESHLY PICKED SHOES FOR SPRING!

You may know Freshly Picked for their adorable baby moccasins and for gracing the feet of many celebrity kids, but did you know that they now have hard sole toddler shoes too?

Now that Kaia and Noelle are in school, Xavier and I head out for nature walks regularly. For this walk, I thought I'd let him take his new big boy moccasins for a try. Perfect for Spring (and summer and autumn too!), I love that the design of the hard sole shoes are made for a toddler who loves to slip on their own shoes! The lace-up look is super cute but the practicality of slip ons is ideal for my independent four year old.

When I asked Xavier what he thought of his new shoes, he said "really comfy", which is probably the best review you can get. Comfortable, practical and cute is a definite win for my mom life these days.

I love these new grown up moccs for my big boy, and you can choose from a wide selections of patterns and colours at Freshly Picked. Xavier is wearing the Next Step shoes in Weathered Brown.

*This post was created in collaboration with Freshly Picked. Photos and opinions are all my own.

HAPPY THURSDAY + WHAT WE'RE READING...

Have you ever stumbled across something that makes your heart skip a little beat? That you look at and are blown away by? That makes you feel like you just HAVE to share it with your friends? This gorgeous book, Mindful 1, 2, 3, written and illustrated by Tamara Hackett of Sweet Clover Studios did just that for me. I LOVE it...and am so excited to share the creativity, beautiful words and dreamy watercolour illustrations with you!

When I received the book, I opened it to find the sweetest words to go along with a simple concept of counting and numbers. Tamara's mission is to create purpose-filled resources for children and educators and this book is the perfect tool to initiate conversations about mindful moments in life, all while counting numbers! I found that my shoulders relaxed a little and my own mind switched to calm with each page I turned. When I read it to the kids the next day, they seemed to feel the same way. 

Here is an example of number 3, a page filled with words every child would love to hear.

Not only an enriching book unlike any counting book I've come across before, it looks beautiful on the bookshelf along with other treasures in the girls room too!!!

Tamara has kindly shared a freebie to go along with the book that I'm sure your kids would love. If you are interested in purchasing the book, you can find both the hardcover version and softcover versions below.

Buy the hardcover here!

Buy the softcover here!

I'd love to hear your thoughts...are you enjoying the new column about books we love? 

IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS TOO!

MY COLOR IS RAINBOW

OVER & UNDER THE SNOW

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE BLOG THIS YEAR

If you've just started reading or if you've been following along for a while, I wanted to say a big welcome and tell you a little bit about what you can expect here. Last post was a highlight reel of 2016 and now as we are fully launched into 2017, I wanted to share some new categories that are coming up on the blog. 

Kids Rooms (not new)...we'll continue to share my design work as well as decor finds, tips, how to's, etc. for children. This is usually shared on Tuesdays.

For the minis (more, so much more!)...we'll continue with a big focus on local, natural, lovely, the handmade or maker shops. I'll be sharing kids' clothing, accessories, toys we love and any product that wows us. Find this on Wednesdays!

Happy Thursday + what we're reading...this is a brand new category dedicated to kids books recommended by our kids to yours and I'm excited to share my first one this Thursday.

Friday Faves...This is a weekly round up of items that I love, from canopies to blocks, artwork to kids shoes! 

I'll also continue to share the odd DIY, some of our family moments, parties, etc on Mondays.

If there's anything that you'd like to see that isn't here, I'd love your thoughts!!! Please leave me a comment below and I'll see if I can find a way to include it coming up! 

Have a great week!

OUT WITH THE OLD, HELLO 2017!

It's been awhile...but I'm back! Even though we are all still struggling to wake up and get up in the mornings, already feeling the rush of back to school and Xavier missing his sisters like crazy, I am excited for what this year holds. 

Last year (starting in March) was my first semi-consistent year of writing the blog and I am so excited to say that it really EXPLODED! Beyond what I ever dreamed possible...so thank you for coming, sharing a piece of this journey, telling your friends about the site and adding a few of your own thoughts along the way. I wanted to share some of my 2016 highlights and next week I will be sharing what you can expect to see from the blog this coming year.

Last March, Ella's room proved to be super popular (you can still get the look here) and the canopy corner is still going crazy over on Pinterest (please come follow me!).

The summer months were full of fun things with my kids, reviews from companies that I love and this play room that filled our home with joy and so much sunshine streaming through the windows.

The playhouse that I painted over a long weekend while my Dad was visiting (and my husband was still recovering from hip surgery) proved not only to give me something to do (I am notoriously type A and struggle to sit still for long) but also to be our favourite place to play all summer long and your favourite photo of mine over on Instagram! So thank you for loving it and showing me that people want to see things they can do themselves with their own kids (if you feel inspired you can still get the look here).

In the fall, my girls started school and it was a big transition for the whole family. Creating Nayviah's room was a complete dream and I was so thrilled to have it shared over on SMP Living!

I also loved creating Emil's big boy room with this gorgeous loft bed that is an absolute dream for a little boy. Honestly, this job is the most fun ever!!!

The rest of the year was filled with work that you do not always see here on the blog. Styling jobs, photography shoots, working behind the scenes with brands and e-design clients whose rooms I do not (usually) get to photograph. The year was certainly topped off with being named Best Digital Influencer in BC Living's Kids and Family category! I LOVE what I do and am so grateful and thankful for your support that keeps me here!

I hope with this new year, I can bring more experience, so many more photos, new rooms and a lot more fun! I want to challenge myself to share more, better targeted to you! 

Now I'd love if you could help me by leaving a comment answering these questions. What do you love most about stopping by? What do you want to see more of? Are there any things that you didn't like about the blog this year?

Happy 2017 everyone!

EYE SAFETY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Winter has arrived and with it, the snow! It has been such a fun week watching the magic of the winter holiday season unfold in the eyes of the kids and I can't wait to head up to the local mountains for more snowy, bright fun. While it is so nice to finally see the sun, it's important to remember to keep our little ones' eyes safe when we're heading outdoors and participating in winter activities. I've partnered with Image Optometry to share some key tips to maintaining children's eye safety whether you are heading for a snowy vacation over Christmas or jetting off to Maui!

Key tips for keeping little eyes safe in the sun and snow:

• wear protective eye gear when participating in sports or outdoor activities
• tell children to never look directly at the sun
• have eyes examined regularly (Image recommends 6 months, 3 years and annually after that) to ensure any problems are picked up quickly
• set a good example through wearing your own protective eye gear
• encourage children to wash hands thoroughly before touching their eyes
• supervise children when using sharp objects, such as ski poles (to ensure injury to the eyes)

Image Optometry offers in store eye exams locally here in Vancouver or if you are looking for sunglasses for you and your little ones, you can find affordable sunglasses through 38dollarglasses.com. 

Image is offering a free pair of Vancouver Canucks hockey tickets when you book two appointments on the same date and at the same time...

Happy Holiday season friends!!