Monday, 31 July 2017

GRANVILLE ISLAND!

We are so lucky to be only a 15 min drive to a local favorite spot - Granville Island. Its a beautiful place which so much to see. We have been going there one or two times a month which has been super fun for the kids. There is alot going on there which makes is really interesting for us to explore, rain or shine. (And in Vancouver, alot of the time it's rain!)

Adorable dresses by a local shop Little and Lively, matching bows from The Prettiest Bow







On a rainy day we'll usually start the Public Market as well as the Children's Market. The public market has so many amazing vendors to look at including fruits and veggies, beautiful flowers, candy shops, bakeries and  handmade goodies.

Friday, 28 July 2017

ONE-DAY VICTORIA TRIP




A few weeks ago we got to take the ferry over to Victoria to visit with my cousins and go to a family reunion.

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

WE'RE HAVING A SALE!!!

Hey friends!

I just wanted to share that we're having a SALE in the shop!




Most of you know that this little blog started from my shop Petite Littles as a separate outlet for me to connect with my followers. But being a shop owner had been so amazing. I have grown alot in the learning process of how to run a small shop while being a mama. And it's a wonderful creative outlet for me. I love being a small shop owner!

Tuesday, 25 July 2017

STRAWBERRY PICKING EMMALEA FARMS

Every year we try to do at least a few trips berry picking. Its one of my favorite parts of summer - farm life is so much fun. Our kids love being outdoor and getting the freedom to run around.

Earlier in the summer we got a chance to do a little playdate with some of our favorite gals from This Sweet Happy Life. Our little ones love to get together and always have such a great time together. Strawberry picking was no different!

 We drove out to Emma Lea Farms and had such a fun time together. Any summer day seems like the perfect day to head out to a farm, but sometimes the cooler day makes for a more comfortable day in the sun. (There is literally no shade when you're out in the fields!) We were lucky that it wasn't too hot, and there was a really nice breeze. I am sad to admit though that the day after we went, Ellie was not feeling well at home and I'm pretty sure she had some heat stroke. 

Monday, 24 July 2017

CALGARY!

We just got back from our trip to Calgary last week and had the best time visiting with our family. We spent 2 weeks hanging out and making super fun summer memories. Summer memories really are the best ones, aren't they?

I grew up in Calgary and moved away to Vancouver when I graduated from high school. I've only been back a few times since we had our children, so this was really fun for us to get together with their cousins. We had some opportunities to hang out out with some of our childhood family friends which was SO nice. We just picked up where we had left off and I love that our children are now playing together. Generations of family friends hanging out is pretty amazing.

We also met the newest baby of our family, Emma. She was the squishiest little thing, and Maddie was totally in love with her. She asked to hold her the entire time, and pretty sure she was the baby hog the whole bbq.




The kids fell in love with the city as soon as we got here. They loved all the space in my sisters home, all the trails to ride bikes and playing with their cousins from the break of dawn (literally!) till bedtime.

Wednesday, 19 July 2017

DIY FLORAL HOOP


I love a cute DIY that's easy, inexpensive and quick to make.

I was kinda stuck on what to do for Ellie's party backdrop. I was going to do with a floral banner I purchased earlier, but the colors didn't end up going with her party dress, so I had to go with something else. I also had an idea to frame a big bunny print, but I didn't purchase one in time to print, and had to put that idea aside too.

So Saturday afternoon (the day before the party) I was on pinterest hoping inspiration would pop out, and it DID! I saw some adorable simple wreaths wrapped with greenery that I thought was SO pretty. I remembered I had these embroidery hoops stored (I originally was going to do something else with them) and thought I could use flowers instead of the greenery to go with the floral idea for the party.

This little project was actually really easy. I went to our local dollar store, and got some flower bunches I liked in a few different colours. I ended up using white, pinks, and yellow.

Monday, 17 July 2017

DISNEYLAND PART 1



We've been thinking recently of going back to Disneyland in the next year or so because it's just that much fun there. I loved taking the kids when they were still young enough to love the magic of it all. It's a pretty amazing thing to see it through your own child's eyes.

I've had quite a few friends ask for my insight and suggestions from our recent trips there. I thought I would share a few things I learned from our travels. I'll split it into 2 separate posts so I don't overwhelm you with too many pics. I'm going to warn you, there will be alot!

This post I'll be sharing the pics from our trip last in December when we went with just our two older children, Ben and Maddie. We left Ellie behind on this trip and she met up with us afterwards. We really wanted out older two to be able to enjoy all Disneyland had to offer without stopping for naps and coming home early. And it was great for the 4 of us to be able to do all the rides. (It's not always fun being the parent who has to stay with the little babe!)





For this trip we took, we splurged and stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. It was so amazing being so close to the park and having all the special perks of staying at one of the hotels. We were greeted with the cutest waiting area for kids (where they showed classic Disney clips) and a hot chocolate station! The kids loved adding marshmallows, whip cream and sprinkles to their drinks. And we watched carolers singing Christmas songs in their beautiful winter outfits.

We spent 3 days in the Disney Parks and it was the perfect amount of time there. We did 2 days in Disneyland and one day at California Adventure. When you book at the Disneyland Hotel, you are allowed an early entry (1 hour before the park opens to the public) into the park each day you are there. We took advantage of this each day. It made for some really early wake up calls, but being able to walk around the park without huge crowds was such a great way to start the day.











I think the most memorable part of this trip was how easy it was travelling with the bigger kids. Ben was 6 and maddie was 3 and they were both such great ages for travelling. We're thanking our lucky stars that there were no meltdowns and that they both had so much fun. We were able to ride almost all the rides together (Maddie is quite a tall lil gal, so she squeaked onto most big kid rides!)

We knew that it was going to be a crazy busy time of year to visit, but that was the only time we were able to travel, so we had to make the most of it. We did make the extra effort to take advantage of the Magic Hour from the hotel stay, which helped alot. We got to enjoy the park with minimal crowds in the morning.

One of my favorite moments was Maddie and Ben meeting the princesses. They are all super sweet and patient. They really take the time to make each child feel so special. Princess Aurora was the sweetest to Maddie - they were whispering in each others ears and showing each other their curtsies. Isnt that the sweetest?










The best thing about visiting during the holidays is that Disneyland looks so beautiful. The Parks are decorated with such pretty Christmas decorations and it is so festive there. We loved seeing Minnie and Mickey in their Christmas outfits! And every little nook and cranny there is filled with pretty ornaments and special Disney holiday decor.











One thing that I did not account for on our trip was checking weather reports! We were ready for mild weather during our visit, but it poured rain for 2 our of the 3 days. And I mean terrential downpour of rain. I ended up taking a trip to Target to buy boots for Maddie, ponchos, umbrellas and stroller covers. We were totally unprepared for the weather. If you go, make sure you check the weather and pack accordingly. The upside was that the two rainy days made for absolutely NO crowds. We barely waited in any lines becuase it was so empty. The day it rained the hardest ended up being one of the best days in the evening. The rained stopped in the later afternoon and that night we spend the whole time going on our favorite rides. One of our family favorites is Splash Mountain - and we got to ride it 3 times in a row without even leaving our log. The kids still remember that night and talk about how much fun it was.









We ended up going to one Character breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen. It was fairly pricey, but we ate really well that morning (I'm pretty sure Maddie ate her weight in berries! Haha!) and the kids loved seeing all the characters. They come by really often and are happy to sign autographs and take pictures. When we were there we saw Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Chip and Dale and Pluto. Just make sure you bring a sharpie pen with you from home so they can sign easily. I ended up getting Disney postcards from Target and used those for them to sign. Its SO much cheaper than buying the books (although the Disney autograph books are really adorable!) and it worked just as well for us.

This was also the first time for ALL of us visiting California Adventure. It took us a while to figure out the lay of the lands, but we had a great time there as well. Ben loved cars land and the rollercoaster there. It's probably the longest line you'll find at this park, but it's probably one of the most fun as well. I would recommend getting a fast pass there first thing in the morning. I hear they have a limited amount and often run out by the later part of the day.










These pics of the kids by the Ferris Wheel are some of my favorites! I never see groups of people here (probably becuase there are no rides or attractions here) which make it such a great picture opportunity. That big Mickey Mouse in the background is too cute!





We loved this trip and it was such a special time for just the 4 of us. Disneyland is really one of the most magical places ever! We can't wait to visit again.










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