WINTER DAISY PICKS: LABOUR DAY ROUNDUP

View fullsize

It's a BIG weekend for sales all over the place and I'll be avoiding the reality that two out of three of my little ones are heading off to Kindergarten next week by picking up a few fun things for the start of school and finally getting the twins' room completed!

01.// Rattan swinging chair; 02.// Blush tassel blanket; 03.// Aqua bunny backpack; 04.// Round wood mirror; 05.// White campaign desk; 06.// Sequin love pillow; 07.// Smiley flower pillow; 08.// White shag rug; 09.// Feather juju hat; 10.// Canvas play teepee; 11.// White bird lamp; 12.// Mint belly basket; 13.// Sweetest crib sheet.

IF YOU LIKE THIS ROUNDUP, YOU MAY LIKE THESE TOO...

6 WHITE DAYBEDS

CANOPY FOR KIDS

STATEMENT GOLD MIRRORS

CREATING A PHOTO BOOK...

After my sister Amanda photographed me and my sweet children a few weeks ago in an outdoor summer photo shoot that I will cherish forever, I wanted to not only save these memories in my mind but also in a special scrapbook. Since I don’t ever seem to take the time to make cut and paste scrapbooks these days, I decided to go digital and make a photo book online. I wanted the look and feel of the book to complement the photos and decided to use Mixbook as they offer the most beautiful photo books with so many options to choose from. After scrolling through numerous options of themes, I found the perfect fit with something fresh and summery to document these special photos.

Once logged into the Mixbook site, it was really easy to select a template and get started. Importing photos was simple and the possibilities with what you can create and how you can customize the book really are endless. One of the keys things to remember while taking photos with your children is to shoot both vertically AND horizontally, especially when you start putting the photos together, it creates more interest and helps with creative layouts. I could even change the layout of the photos within the template to accommodate the direction of the pictures that I wanted to feature and the feel of the pages, which I particularly liked.

From previous experiences with photo books, I knew this time I definitely wanted to order hardcover and the lay flat option. If you are planning to not only store your book on the shelf, but also spend time looking at it with the kids, the lay flat option is a MUST! I love how the pages flow into each other and that all three kids can see both pages when they are sitting with me.

 The best part of the whole experience is when the completed photo book arrived to our door. The kids were super excited to see the photos in a book instead of on screen and loved reading the little captions too. The whole experience makes me want to do a yearly photo book to capture all of our photos in one place.

Apart from actual books, the site also offers photo cards, photo prints, online invitations and SO MUCH MORE. Maybe it’s time I turn one or two of these into some new canvas prints for my walls…

Mixbook is kindly offering up to 45% off with code VACAYBK. This offer does not apply to Mosaic or Montage. Offer expires 8/31/2016.

If you missed the summer photo shoot post and my top tips for taking photos with kids, you can find it right here.

*This post was created with Mixbook. 

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.

Love this review? You might like this one too...

THE STORY BOX

GET THE LOOK (PLAYHOUSE MAKEOVER)

If you're looking for a fun and rewarding summer project, the playhouse makeover is for you. Here are the sources that brought this project together, as well as 2 cans of Behr paint. The kids LOVE the result and so do we. Enjoy!

01./ Wall vases; 02./ Wooden playhouse (similar); 03./ Door mat; 04./ White chair; 05./ Light garland; 06./ Market basket; 07./ Chalkboard sign; 08./ Chalk pens; 09./ Play table.

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?