A Little Bit of Christmas............

I thought it would be nice this year to try and capture a few pictures of the house decked out for the holidays.  We spent yesterday at the local tree farm choosing our family tree.......a beautiful White Spruce!  The remainder of the day was spent pulling down the big tubs of decorations from the shed rafters and setting about to add some holiday sparkle to our little house.
Inspired by our new rustic table I wanted to focus on colours and details that would be traditional and have a distinctive natural vibe.  Living in a tiny house though, with 6 people and a busy daycare during the week also meant that any decorating I did didn't overwhelm the space or take up too much valuable floor real estate. :)  I still have a few more details and DIY projects I want to finish but so far I'm happy with how our little bungalow looks cosy and inviting.

This little arrangement sits by the front door to welcome everyone into our home. I originally made it for the front step but I liked it so much that I let it stay inside instead.

I downloaded the artwork, printed it onto some cardstock and put it into a silver frame.  The star I found at Dollarama and then perched in on some vintage books....a .Charles Dickons classic "A Christmas Carol"

Our little living room and dining room.............

I've had so much fun decorating our new table. Sheepskin throws, a grey linen table runner and vintage box filled with Pointsetta's put me into the festive spirit

I printed these little holiday sayings onto cardstock, added a few natural elements and tied them onto my lanterns with some jute

A little corner in the diningroom.  I just added a few little touches and a favorite picture from our beach vacation last summer

  

 

Our Christmas tree! A collection of handmade knit figures, pinecones, ornaments the children have made over the years and some special Villeroy and Bosch ornaments that I buy once a year.  I added in plenty of red balls, some tin stars and a few handfulls of jingle bells that Avery picked out at the store.   It may not be "design worthy" but each little decoration holds a special place in my heart.

A copy of The Nutcracker and some more beautiful Poinsetta's find a little corner on the media console

I didn't do too much downstairs but did manage to add a burlap pillow...."S" is for Sit........or maybe "S" is for Santa

I found this rustic crate at my parents house and "borrowed" it for the holidays.  I just love how the flowers look so pretty in it and I like to think of all the "stories" that this crate could tell if it could speak

Fall.......A Catch Up Post!

 Fall is by far my favourite time of the year.  I love the way life seems to slow down in the Fall, the kids are settled into school and extra cirricular activities and we all settle into a predictable schedule.  I also think Fall is one of the lovliest times of the year to photograph nature and the kids.
We always look forward to our Thanksgiving Weekend we spend in Muskoka.  Being a "country gal" at heart I always look forward to a walk in the woods.  I have this strong urge to feel the crunch of the leaves, the beautiful colours of the leaves, and breathe in that musty air that reveals the end of the summer and coming hibernation. Unfortunately when I announce that it's time for the annual walk in the woods I'm not always met with joyful enthusiasm.  This year, Claire asked me what I was looking forward to for Thanksgiving.  My answer was quick and simple.......I wanted EVERYONE to take a walk in the woods with me.....WITHOUT MOANING, GROANING, COMPLAINING, OR WHINING!  Much to my amazement my request was granted. And even better?  Everyone had so much fun!  We hiked into Hardy Lake which is a small lake surrounded by government land in the small town of Torrance.  My mother actually hiked into the same lake on Thanksgiving Day as part of her family tradition ever since she was a young girl.  It was just so cool that I could carry on the tradition with my kids!  The kids had a great time claimbing rocks, navigating swampy parts and checking out the beautiful lake when we arrived. Willow joined us and was a happy....muddy....and wet dog by the end. :)  It was the perfect way to work up an appetite for dinner.
Enjoy the pictures............

Can you spot them at the top?

Willow quickly discovered that if you jump off a rock into the lake you had better know how to swim.....silly puppy!

At Chudleigh's Apple Farm!  Where Avery experienced her first hay slide, decided that ponies where "too big" to ride, had a close encounter with a baby goat, and had a blast on a tractor ride. More great family memories and it seemed like yesterday that Claire and Evan (heck, even Alec) were experiencing their "firsts" at the apple farm. 

My three littlest ones! 

Avery thought it was hilarious to steal Daddy's hat

First  tractor ride!

Sampling the apples is always the best part!

Pumpkin patch fun!  Today we headed over to the local pumpkin patch to find some contenders for carving this Halloween. We weren't disappointed and although I told the kids we'd just get one this year somehow we ended up with 3 pumpkins, a handful of gourds, a squash and 4 pecan butter tarts. How did that happen?

Claire and Avery having some sisterly love!

The colours were so beautiful and the nippy weather made it the perfect Fall day

Avery thought it was more fun to be pulled around than walk......she's not spoiled......much!

Avery was quite interested in this old tractor

A Change of Seasons.............

I LOVE Fall and wait expectantly for its arrival every year.  There is just something about the kids returning to school, the cooler weather, those crisp walks in the woods where the leaves crunch under your feet, and all that comfort food that is so unmistakenly Fall.

And Avery is certainly enjoying the changes in season. She loves her little boots, cosy outfits and the colourful Autumn Mums that we placed by the door.  Avery is now 22 months old and is thriving in my Preschool Program. She can sing her ABC's, knows all her colours, shapes, can recognize most of her numbers up to 10 and count from 1-20.  She is certainly a charmer and has us all wrapped around her little finger...........and that is perfectly ok with this mama.

This is the cute face I get when I ask Avery to "smile" for mommy.  Too funny!

Summer Vacation Post

This post is going to be picture loaded but I wanted to capture our memories from the week we spent in the little village of Bayfield this summer. It really was a most magical week and while it already seems a long time ago I know that the memories we created and the family time we spent together will linger over the next months as the weather turns chilly and we settle into our busy Fall schedules.

Our little cottage in the woods

This is where the big kids slept, hung out, spent time reading and napping

So private....our little bit of paradise

Our little beach where we spent lazy afternoons playing with the kids

Evan caught on really quickly and looked forward to his evening paddle on the lake

We all learned how to kayak. So much fun and easier than canoeing

Voted as the "Top Ten Best Sunsets in the World"  

Avery LOVED the water and was a natural beach baby

Avery "smirking" for the camera.....or is she hiding some yummy treats in those cheeks!

My two girls!

Evan enjoyed a couple of fishing days with Adam. His favourite acitvity!

AND NOW A LITTLE TOUR OF THE VILLAGE..........

Everything was so picture perfect, quaint and filled with the nicest people.  The entire week I spent trying to figure out if there was any way we could afford to retire here.  Lol....time will tell I guess. 

First Day of School 2014

Yes, I'm blatently aware that I haven't finished up on my summer vacation photos and now I'm staring September in the face and realizing that I'm hopelessly doomed to ever get them posted.

In my defence it has been a pretty crazy summer!  Crazy in a good sort of way. There were lots of busy days filled with kids, kids and more kids!  Throw a few trips up to Muskoka, a camping trip where Avery felt the need to rise at 5am, a trip to the CNE, a visit from one of my dearest old friends (sorry Colleen.....I don't mean "old".....I actually think we look pretty good!) and you are looking at very little time left for such things as blogging.

But I refuse to let the first day of school escape me without taking (and posting) the kids pics.  They grow up so fast!  Claire headed off to Grade 6 and as usual was up at the crack of dawn, bag packed and looking beautiful as always. Evan headed off to Grade 4!  He was super excited to see his friends and except for a few "butterflies" he was ready to go and looking forward to achieving all the goals he has set for his academics.  Even Avery was excited to enter another year of Preschool with me and has already been busy learning the letters of her name, and mastering all her letters, shapes and colours. It should be a fun year!

I still can't believe it's Grade 6 already!

Brother and Sister Love!

Looking forward to a great year in Grade 4!

Best Family Vacation Yet!

 

Adam and I took a different approach to our family vacation time this year.  In the past we have used our week off together to take the kids to Disney, or Old Quebec City, or visit attractions during a very busy "stay-cation."  To be honest, as much fun as all these trips were I was always left feeling rather exhausted at the end of them.  This year I knew I needed something different and with fingers crossed that everyone else would agree I booked us the cutest little waterfront cottage on the shores of Lake Huron for a week.  Our itinerary was simple: sleep, eat, swim, cuddle, read, and spend as much time together as possible. 

THE RESULTS?

It was a huge success.  Our simple days began with everyone landing in our bed to lounge and play with Avery. Then we headed to the kitchen to make our farm fresh breakfast from a stash of bacon, sausage, bread and eggs.....all farm fresh and purchased about 1 km away at a Mennonite farm.  After breakfast we either settled into reading or headed out to explore the very cute village of Bayfield (more pics to come). The afternoons were filled with napping and then heading down to the shore to spend the rest of the day swimming, kayaking, building sand castles for Avery to crush and picking along the coast looking for treasures.  Dinner was filled with such yummy meals (thanks Adam!) and always topped off with homemade pie and ice cream.  After Avery was tucked into bed we played games of Monolpoly or Crazy 8's in the Muskoka Room or curled up to watch a movie together.

It was so nice!  And even though this vacation has come to an end we are already dreaming of next year and the memories we will make.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

I made these over the weekend for an upcoming baseball party for a 3 year old.....I've been working on learning to do script on cookies.  Overall I'm pretty pleased how these ones came out........

-

Evan's End of School Party....and Avery Discovers Candy Floss

Last Friday we celebrated the end of school with a backyard bbq and bouncy castle party.  As each of our children have finished Grade 3 we have always hosted their class of friends and the teacher for an evening of fun!  Evan was very excited that it was his turn this year.  Quite a few children had already left (or were leaving) to begin their summer holidays but we still had enough for a wonderful evening which was made even more special because Evan's teacher and her son joined us!

Avery was most excited by all the yummy treats!  She has officially been exposed to candy floss and another of her favourites.....popcorn!  Now I've spent the last few days explaining to her why we don't eat popcorn and candy floss at every meal! :)

Avery thoroughly enjoyed herself at the party!

I was an epic fail at making candy floss but Adam seemed to have better luck...although he was pretty sticky by the end of the evening!

Goodbye Grade 3.....Hello Grade 4!