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

STORY TIME WITH THE STORY BOX

Anyone who has been following along for a while knows that I am an active advocate of literacy in young children. So, it comes as no surprise that I LOVE this new subscription to books delivered for kids. Say hello to The Story Box! When I was young, my house was full of books and when I had my own children, I knew I wanted the same. These days, we are so lucky to have so many ways to get books into our homes, without even entering a book shop. 

This subscription is online based and the ordering process is straight forward. There are three packages to choose from: the board box package, the picture box package or the family package. When the box arrived, I was not only impressed by the simple but lovely packaging, but also that each box is curated by a speech pathologist. A parent guide was included in our picture book package, which detailed things to do with your kids while reading the books as well as an add on idea for a craft after you've read the books. Genius!

The kids LOVE opening packages and this one really feels like a present. The books are high quality and all three kids instantly fell in love with Hooray for Hat, with Xavier quickly picking up the line, "Go away, I'm grumpy" with the biggest smile on his face. 

Not only fun for your own kids, The Story Box offers such a great idea for a gift subscription for any favourite little one in your life.

The Story Box has kindly offered to share the code READ for US$5 off the first order. Please note that shipping is currently only available within the United States.

* This post was created in affiliation with The Story Box. All words and photos are my own.

WINTER DAISY PICKS...THE LAND OF NOD

One of my favourite shops for everything kids is the Land of Nod. As part of their 4th of July celebration, they are offering free shipping within the U.S. today which is great news for all of our American friends. Here are today's quick picks for all things 

01.// Table lamp, pink; 02.// Twigs mirror, round; 03.// Flokati rug, round; 04.// Fish mobile, multi; 05.// Owl bin, crochet; 06.// Blanket, multi.

Love these picks? See more here, here and here!

A {GIVEAWAY} WITH PARADE & COMPANY

GIVEAWAY CLOSED - CONGRATS TO OUR WINNERS @karenjkim and @collettemm!!!

I love cute decor and if you are looking for original and modern decor for a baby nursery or kids' room, this giveaway is for you! Parade and Company has the sweetest selection of art prints, pillows, wood wall hangings and greeting cards for parents and canvas totes for the little ones. 

Leah, the owner, is the sweetest mama and graphic designer who dreamt up these goodies when she was pregnant.

Today, we've teamed up with them to give away either a 'monochrome' or 'pretty in pink' bundle package for TWO lucky winners.

To enter, please head over to follow Parade & Company on Instagram and see all of the details there. Entries close this Friday, June 24th and winners will be announced on Instagram the following day. Good luck!

* This giveaway is valid in the United States and Canada only. Winner will be announced on Instagram as well as here on the blog. This giveaway was created courtesy of Parade & Company.

RELAX WITH THESE 6 WHITE DAYBEDS

Daybeds remind me of long summer days on the porch drenched in warm sunshine reading an amazing book. Sinking into one is like that first sip of coffee when you wake up in the morning. It’s comforting, makes you happy and you never want the feeling to end. Everything about that just sounds so lovely and relaxing, doesn't it? Now, toss in a few kids running around and although it may no longer be relaxing, daybeds still make me really really happy and invite any little one to grab a book and hop on. Anything that is both lovely AND functional resonates in a kids' space and daybeds are exactly that.

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Given the number of options available, I am specifying daybeds for clients more and more often. For some reason, they don't get the attention they deserve as most people don't think of them as their first choice. The great thing about a daybed is you can put it in the middle of a wall and still have the comfort of having three sides on the bed, particularly great when a little one is transitioning from crib to bed (just flip it around for a couple of months to mimic a toddler rail!).

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Once the bed isn't used in the children's room, you can simply move it anywhere else in your home! Today, I've rounded up my top picks of white daybeds; ones that would transition from kid room to playroom to living space without missing a beat. Tell me what you think...would you consider a daybed instead of a standard twin?

01.// White daybed 02.// Jenny Lind daybed; 03.// Perfect porch daybed; 04.// Iron daybed; 05.// Storage daybed; 06.// Fretwork daybed.

Like what you see? Find more picks here, here and here!