A VALENTINE WALL HANGING

 

Valentine's Day is not my favourite holiday. Before we had the kiddos, our celebration involved our favourite take-away meal and a film, a plan that really did not deviate from our standard weekend evenings in. I am a big believer that acts of love and kindness should happen every day with your loved ones. 

My attitude did change slightly when Monkey and Little Bean came along. I am still of the mind that love should be expressed on a daily basis, but now I embrace any holiday or excuse to focus our crafting energies. Taking inspiration from this Christmas decoration, Little Bean and I made this Valentine wall hanging yesterday. She was tickled pink! 

It's an easy craft with the added opportunity to go outside hunting for a stick. Here's a quick step-by-step guide ...

1. Using one piece of twine, tie a knot at one end of the branch and a second knot at the other end.
2. Draw (or trace if you have a heart-shaped cookie cutter) hearts on construction paper.
3. Cut out the hearts and with a needle, make a small hole at the top to feed through the white thread.
4. Tie the white thread to the branch at varying lengths.

Have fun!

(Source of inspiration)

A WEEK OF FIRSTS

This week was Monkey's first day at big kid school. He started Year 1, which is the equivalent to Senior Kindergarten in Canada. It was a big deal with a new school, new teachers and new classmates.

This week was also Little Bean's first day at nursery school. She's now going three mornings a week to the same nursery school that Monkey went to, and she's so very excited to be a big girl.

The first day of school photos 

This week was also the first in almost six years that I found myself alone with no children to play with or coax along during errands. It was a strange sensation. I felt light, as though something was missing, but I accomplished a lot in just two short hours -- my grocery shop was extremely efficient and the search for a birthday gift was executed with military precision.

With new school routines, it does feel like a fresh new year is upon us. With my new-found solo time, I'm eager to handle chores and errands so that the majority of our time together after school can be spent doing the fun stuff. Wait! Is it possible that I might catch and match John with the claim of being the 'fun parent' now?!

PLASTIC-FREE WITH S'WELL BOTTLES

 

It has become my mission to rid our family of plastic in all its forms. The child-friendly melamine dishes were replaced with bamboo, plastic cups were replaced by glass, storage containers were replaced with glass or stainless steel and drinking bottles with any trace of plastic were replaced by stainless steel.

A S'well bottle is a must in our family. Made from non-leaching and non-toxic 18/8 stainless steel, these fun bottles come in three sizes (9oz, 17oz and 25oz, which holds a bottle of wine!) and keep your drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. And, the kiddos love to pick their favourite designs.

You can feel good about supporting this company too. S'well has teamed up with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to provide good, clean drinking water to children around the world.

Next on my plastic-free mission is helping Little Bean say goodbye to her pacifiers, which she so loving calls her 'soo-soos'. This will be tough ... for us all.

CURRENTLY LOVING: PEPITO BY CHUS

 

I'm smitten with Pepito by Chus, a children's clothing brand from Barcelona. The clothes are classic, comfortable and extremely stylish -- it was nearly impossible for me to narrow down the styles to share. Take a look ...

A FUN GAME

Monkey is addicted to playing board games. His current favourite is Orchard: the card game. The concept is simple -- try to collect all the fruit cards before the raven reaches the orchard -- so it was easy for him to grasp the game. It is also portable, which makes it a great game to take along on family trips. Now, if only Little Bean would stop picking up cards when it's not her turn!

MINI MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

The moment the kids have been [somewhat] patiently waiting for has arrived. Yesterday, we put together a play structure for them to climb and explore. Monkey is hooked on planting the flag and, although she doesn't get far up the mountain, Little Bean likes peeking through the little crannies and giggling.

A CRAFTY MOBILE

Monkey and I have been busy building a lot of paper dinosaurs. He is in charge of glue distribution and I'm responsible for the paper folding -- together, we're quite a team. Little Bean was intrigued with the dinosaurs and happily snatched one whenever Monkey looked away from guarding his treasures. Unfortunately the delicate dinos were no match for her inquisitive hands.

To spare a great deal of tears, we decided to save and protect the dinosaurs by making a mobile. It's easy to make if you find yourself in the same situation. All you need are a few sticks from the garden and some fishing line to keep any precious crafts safe and out of reach.

A TRIP TO CANADA

We recently returned from a trip to Canada where we visited [most of] our favourite people and places. We spent time relaxing and feasting at Langdon Hall where our married life began; building a snowmen with what little snow remained; discovering [and dancing at] the Children's Museum; wandering the Royal Ontario Museum where Monkey first discovered his love of dinosaurs; strolling our old Queen Street West neighbourhood; chowing down at Terroni where you can eat well with kiddos in tow; and watching the sea creatures at the Aquarium where Little Bean first squealed at jelly fish.

We found an apartment rental through Kid & Coe, a website tailored to family-friendly home rentals around the globe, that was a wonderful landing spot after a day filled with visits and sight-seeing.

It was an exciting and happy time away. Here are a few pictures if you'd like to take a look ...

THE LITTLE MOUSE KIDS LOVE

Maileg is a Danish design company that creates sweet and whimsical children's toys that delight every age group. For Christmas, Little Bean got the Big Sister mouse in a box. She loves taking her mouse in and out of the box, and sometimes the box even ends up being her bracelet. Monkey was quite enamoured with the little mouse so he recently got Big Brother mouse, which he totes around everywhere. With additional accessories and friends to collect, the opportunity for imaginative play with these little characters is boundless.

REUSE IT: TREE STUMPS

Hurricanes Gonzalo and Fay uprooted trees all over the island, leaving small mountains of debris at every turn. A large Royal Poinciana tree (also known as Delonix regia, Flame tree and Flamboyant tree) came down in our friends' yard, which was an unfortunate sight because with its vivid red flowers and bright green foliage, it was an incredibly beautiful tree.

The tree stumps that Monkey is climbing on here came from this grand old tree. The kids love using them for climbing, jumping, rolling or just sitting and having a chat. It makes for a natural and creative outdoor play area.

Thank you to Glen and Valerie for sharing with us!

FLEETING BABYHOOD

My friend Jacquie forewarned me that your second baby grows up so much faster than your first. I never imagined that statement could be so true. 

Little Bean is now six months old and I find myself feeling incredibly nostalgic for her babyhood. To be honest, I started feeling this way when she was just four months old. She's such a delight with her huge smile that lights up her whole face, her new found belly laugh and her absolute adoration of Monkey. Perhaps it's because I know she will be my last baby, or perhaps it's because of her engaging disposition that I want to hold on to precious day-to-day moments. 

Monkey's babyhood was sweet and seemed to move at a steady pace. I welcomed each stage of development, eager to see what was next. Now, I feel like I'm pining for Little Bean's babyhood and it's not even over. 

A MORNING AT THE AQUARIUM

Monkey, Little Bean and I recently took a trip to Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. This place was made for kids. Little Bean was fascinated with the vibrant colours while Monkey spotted sea creatures of all shapes and sizes (including the largest lobster I have ever seen) and explored the many interactive exhibits. Here are a few snapshots of our morning at the aquarium ...

A quick tip ... Busy does not begin to describe this place. If possible, go on a weekday and be first in line or time your visit after 4 p.m. once the school trips have gone.

TIME FOR PLAY: A TENT

What a sweet little tent to create a reading nook, play house or corner store for Monkey. It folds up neatly too -- a must since space always seems to be at a premium at our house.

MINI RODINI

Mini Rodini makes incredibly comfortable clothes for babies and kids using the most fun and playful patterns. The Fall/Winter 2013 collection is filled with winter animals -- think penguins, fox and snow leopards. Our littlest kiddo has a pair of leggings with flamingos and one with colourful toucans -- they are adorable on her!

LEARNING TO SKATE

 

This winter Monkey is learning how to skate. He is thrilled with his new hockey skates. One evening during the holidays we took him to a neighbourhood ice rink to practice. It was a true Canadian winter experience with falling snow, chilly air, an early dark sky, kids playing hockey and a toboggan ride along snow-covered sidewalks. And Monkey's favourite part? Falling down and making snow angels on the ice of course! 

ACTIVITY ADVENT CALENDAR

As a kid, I used to savour the little pieces of chocolate in my advent calendar every morning in the lead up to Christmas. I was eager to start this tradition with our family this year, but I was not keen on giving Monkey a daily dose of extra chocolate so I was happy to stumble on this activity advent calendar. Brilliant!

It is simple to make with strips of paper and a jar or paper bag. On each strip of paper, write an activity related to Christmas such as wear red today, bake gingerbread cookies, read a Christmas story or make a tree ornament. Each day, your little one pulls out a piece of paper and you have a planned activity. Sadly, I was not organized enough to start at the beginning of December so this year we'll be doing the 12 days of Christmas, starting tomorrow.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2013: THE KIDDOS

1. Baby elephant print by The Animal Print Shop
2. Padraig slippers
3. Madame Constance doll by Moulin Roty
4. Tres Cool sweater by Oeuf
5. Volume limit headphones by KIDZ Gear
6. Raglan dress and leggings by mini mioche
7. Along a Long Road by Frank Viva
8. Mini kick scooter by Micro
9. Jenga
10. Everything but the Dalmatian Firehouse Collection

OUR BOOK LIST

Lately, Monkey and I have been spending quality time curled up with a few good books. Here are a few of his favourite stories right now ...

What books are you and your little one reading right now?

1. Time to Pee! by Mo Willems
2. Amos's Sweater by Janet Lunn
3. The Complete Adventures of Curious George by Margaret and H.A. Rey
4. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
5. Rapido's Next Stop by Jean-Luc Fromental

AN EVENING OF INSPIRATION

I had the privilege to attend the Children's Aid Foundation's 14th Annual Recognition Night last week. It was an evening to celebrate the academic achievements of the vulnerable young adults supported by the organization. Witnessing post-secondary school graduates and scholarship recipients proudly take the stage was incredible. These kids have faced adversity unlike anything I have ever known. Their lives have been difficult, and yet here they stood having overcome obstacles such as abandonment, poverty, abuse (among others) to create a better life for themselves. It was an emotional and inspiring evening.

The event was also an opportunity to recognize the efforts of volunteers who support the Children's Aid Foundation. The Corsage Project, for which I am a committee member, received the Community Partner Award for our work with high school graduates. A true honour.

Here's a glimpse behind-the-scenes at this year's Boutique Ball, an annual event for Corsage Project where more than 250 girls receive free formal wear to attend their prom -- a milestone that many would otherwise not be able to celebrate with their peers.