ART BOOKS FOR KIDS

Photo by Amanda Haddow Photography

In anticipation of sharing the first reveal of 2018, our home creative art space next week, I'm sharing a sneak peek of all of our favourite books that sit on the shelves there!

You know I LOVE children's books and for this space, I wanted to include books that were both informative to the art process and also ones that we could pull out in the throws of frustration that happen throughout craft making and the creative process. 

These books are ones we read again and again and I can't wait to keep adding new ones as the kids grow and get more involved in their own artistic endeavours.

For those who are wondering, yes, these books will get dirty, likely get paint on them but more importantly are used and loved. Remember to PIN the image below to save it for future reference!

1.// Tinkerlab; 2.// What Do You Do With An Idea; 3.// The Day the Crayons Quit; 4.// The Wonder; 5.// Beautiful Oops; 6.// Art Play; 7.// Mix It Up; 8.// Anything Is Possible; 9.// The Book of Mistakes; 10.// What To Do With a Box; 11.// Art; 12.// Art Workshop. 

Happy Friday friends...have a great weekend!!!

2018 BABY NURSERY INSPIRATION

Are you expecting? There's so much to get ready for apart from the baby's nursery, take a cue from these gorgeous baby nurseries that are totally on trend for the new year.

We love the use of vintage bassinets for a first baby bed and still can't get enough of THIS CANOPY!

Design by Johanna Bradford

Not sure where to start? Metallic side table, extra sized art, statement wallpaper...YES! 

Design by Emily Henderson

Tight on space? A baby and a toddler can live harmoniously (most of the time!) and I still love how we made it work with THIS MODERN CRIB! A special mobile above the crib is a lovely touch too.

From Rafa + Leo's Shared Room

Texture and natural materials will still be going strong through 2018 and this nursery absolutely nails both!

Design by Sharon Montrose

NEW YEAR + WE'RE BACK!!!

Helloooo and happy 2018!!! After the longest break since starting WINTER DAISY, the blog is back and I can't wait to share what's in store over the coming months (our first room reveal of 2018 next week!).

I'm currently on holiday in Australia and am here with my family for a couple more weeks, so while the blog is back, you can still catch our everyday adventures and some of the highlights of what we're up to over on Instagram (particularly in stories). I won't lie; it's been so lovely to take some time away, get a dose of sunshine and warmth, and feel refreshed knowing it's not long until we're back in the rain and cold (and back to everyday life!).

This year I didn't set any big New Year's resolutions but instead thought about everyday intentions: to live more in the moment, appreciate the beauty in our everyday chaos, inspire my own family, learn new things, be more patient to share a few. 

I also want to learn more about YOU!!! Do you set resolutions? Have you taken steps to achieve them yet? Any that are focused around your home or kids? Tell me one in the comments below!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Photo by Amanda Haddow Photography

Just like that...another year comes to a close. WINTER DAISY will be closed through the end of this year and will be back January 15th, 2018.

If you're looking for some inspiration for your kids spaces over the holiday, please sit back and read some of my favourite posts from this year!!!

Rooms:

1. Rafa + Leo’s Shared Baby and Toddler Room
2. Ella’s Big Girl Room
3. A Neutral Nursery (staged to sell)
4. Christmas Playhouse

Décor for Kids Rooms:

1. 10 of the cutest night lights
2. Super cute hooks for kids
3. Pillows!
4. Baby Cribs
5. 6 wooden playhouses

Books:

1. My Color is Rainbow
2. Mindful 1, 2, 3
3. Over and Under the Snow
4. Tap the Magic Tree
5. Bee
6. It Starts with a Seed
7. Holiday Books for Kids

2017 has been such a great year juggling the blog, designing client spaces and being a hands on Mama to my three little ones. I can't wait to show you some of the spaces that are in their final stages that I will be revealing next year. As always, thank you so much for being here! Happy holidays from our family to yours; I hope you enjoy celebrating in whatever way makes you happy. 

EASY WAYS TO ENCOURAGE ENERGY SAVING WITH KIDS

Teaching our kids about the environment is part of our every day lives. We limit packaging in the kitchen, recycle where we can, walk to local stores, compost our food scraps so it makes sense to teach them about saving energy too!

When BC Hydro contacted me to share about their newest challenge, Team Power Smart, where you can sign up to see if you can reduce your home’s electricity use by 10% (they’ll reward you with $50 off your bill!), I thought it would be a fun way to get the kids involved in thinking about saving energy in their daily lives.

Kids love to feel useful (and we are lucky ours love to help) so if you teach them how their actions can help our beautiful planet, it encourages a caring attitude and starts the conversation about how small changes they make can help shape their future.

Here are some easy ways to encourage your kids to save energy:

1.    Use a nightlight instead of leaving the hallway light on:

Little ones can be scared of the dark and a nightlight is a great way to help them feel more comfortable going to sleep.

2.    Use blackout curtains (helps babies sleep better too!):

It’s surprising how much warmer / cooler your home will seem with quality blackout curtains. You can start using these from Day 1 in a baby’s room and teach little ones that their curtains are helping to keep their room the right temperature so you don’t have to change the thermostat.  A dark room is perfect for encouraging a good night sleep too!

3.    Close the fridge door:

“Shut the fridge!” can be heard multiple times a day in our house. Anyone else’s kids open the fridge door and leave it open?!! It’s a simple step to help in keeping the energy in.

4.    Turn the lights off when you leave the room

We are all guilty of this but it’s so simple to quickly flick the switch when you leave the room you are in and teach kids to do the same. Quick reminders seem to do the trick for us.

5.    If they use electronic devices, teach them to turn them off when they are finished

Whether it’s the TV, an ipad, laptop or other device, teaching kids to turn off what they aren’t using helps to save the need to power up so often.

Interested in learning more about the BC Hydro Power Smart Challenge? Sign up here!

*This post was sponsored by BC Hydro, all words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting our partners!