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!!

SUBSCRIPTIONS AS GIFTS {FOR THE KIDS}

When you live in Vancouver (the world's most expensive city real estate wise), parents are living in smaller and smaller spaces with their kids. You'll see many of my room designs are small spaces, given I have clients that live in condos or parts of houses with their kids. We are fortunate to live in a house right in the city, but it is still small so we have had to work at helping steer grandparents and friends to keep gifts for the kids small...or better yet, a subscription!

Subscription based gifts are one of my favourite because the gift continues long past the holidays and it makes you think of the person who gave it to you each month it arrives. Kaia and Noelle were given a magazine subscription for their last year and it has been so much fun thinking of our friends when the magazine comes through the door each month.

So...if you are looking for a gift that is a little different or something for kids who live in a small space OR you just want to make sure you are remembered each month (ha!), here are some fun subscription based gifts for the kids.

1. Little Passports: Little Passports is a service that sends a monthly box to your kids filled with items to explore the world. I wrote an entire post on this subscription service earlier in the year and to this day, I still recommend it to friends. It is the subscription that got our kids the most excited each time it arrived and they just loved learning about different parts of the world and I loved sharing stories about where we've traveled. We chose the Early Explorers box and it was perfect for our kids aged between 3-5 years. Right now they have a sale for 15% off with code JOLLY15.

2. Green Kid Crafts: A subscription of 'discovery boxes', Green Kid Crafts is designed by teachers and Moms to provide fun and learning into convenient packages. There is a big selection of boxes to choose from covering animals, crafts and science. This one is sure to be a hit and give you some time on Christmas Day to actually relax. Order by December 7th to ensure your box will arrive by Christmas!

3. The Story Box: Anyone who knows me as a Mom knows how passionate I am about reading to kids. We have more books than I should probably disclose and our kids all LOVE reading them. The Story Box subscription is another one that we've tried (and loved!) and I give it two thumbs up for a gift idea. Still only shipping to US, this one delivers monthly books to kids in a wonderful way. The books are carefully selected by a speech pathologist, who is also a Mom. It comes with a parent guide to give parents ideas while reading the books with their kids as well as a little activity to try that again ties back to the book. Use code READ for $5 off your first order. 

4. Pipsticks: What could be more fun than a delivery of stickers every month!? Starting at $9.95 a month, Pipsticks is a monthly subscription of stickers that you can have delivered anywhere in the United States (free shipping) or nearly anywhere in the world (shipping charges apply)! Super cute concept started by a sticker-obsessed Mom. Use code OMG10 for 10% off first month of any subscription.

5. Bramble Box: Bramble Boxes are themed kits that encourage kids to investigate, create, discover and imagine through science, math, art and more! Declared to provide hours of fun, the boxes provide hands-on, open-ended materials to provoke thought, discussion and inspire imagination and role play. Shipping in US is free and to Canada only $8.95!

I'd love to know what you think. Have you tried any of these? Any other key subscriptions for kids that I've missed? 

Have you visited our 'Holiday Shop' yet? Click here to go straight there!

HOLIDAY FUN WITH KIDS: A GINGERBREAD HOUSE PARTY!

Chocolate, fondue and gingerbread houses? Yes please! Kind of screams a childhood holiday tradition to remember, doesn't it? When Chocolats Favoris reached out and asked if I would be interested in working with them to create a special and memorable experience for our kids using their chocolate, I couldn't resist dreaming up this super sweet (literally!) gingerbread house decorating party.

We invited a little friend over to join in the fun and I told the kids we would be doing this the night before the party and they were so excited they could hardly sleep. Between the Maple White Chocolate hazelnuts (Kaia's favourite) and the Milk Chocolate fondue (Noelle's favourite), you can see that they not only enjoyed the process, but devoured all of the goodies too!

I used a little paint palette to separate the candy into separate colours and this gave the kids easy access to the goodies without sticky fingers going into bigger bowls. I also made a few mini gingerbread men and trees so that the kids could dip the cookie into the fondue and try it while saving the actual houses for eating later. It worked out really well to have separate gingerbread houses for each kid and also icing bags and candy. The fondue was perfect to use as glue for the decorations although not a lot of the fondue ended up on the houses as the kids kept using the wooden sticks as spoons and devoured it! 

We played Christmas music, the kids iced the houses, added candy, licked fondue, nibbled on chocolate and generally had the best time. They are already asking if we can do it all again next year. For a huge selection of holiday goodies, head to Chocolats Favoris' newest location in Victoria, BC or shop online. With a range of delicious chocolates from covered nuts and chocolate bars, to fondues and the cutest advent calendar, they have you covered for those chocolaty gifts. 

*This post was created with Chocolats Favoris. All words, photos and ideas are my own.