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March 21, 2018

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10 Baby Essentials for Baby on Board

While in preparation for this little bean-to-be, I’ve put together a list of my TOP TEN essentials that I’m going to make sure I am digging out of storage for this wee one. After having Ez, I quickly learnt that have one of everything wasn’t what she needed, nor did we have the space for it all! (lol) Through it all though, these are the gems that have stood out the most and helped in our biggest times of need and late nights.

When on the road, going for a walk or finishing up your grocery list, these are a few favourites I do not leave the house without!

1. Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock – One kid in the seat and one in the hammock. This is an item that is new to me! I have seen them popping up everywhere I go and am eager to try it out! With a defiant toddler, I don’t think I could convince her to lounge in the hammock as I shop. Staying put in one spot is not her strong suit. The Binxy Baby Hammock is designed for you to be able to shop hands free and leave the baby comfy and well rested. Whether that be in the hammock itself or in the car seat resting on top of the hammock (strapped in of course), still leaving that room for you to fill your shopping cart! Again, this will be a new item for us, but with a toddler, I’m putting together the most foolproof plan I can for baby #2!

2. Beluga Baby Wrap – THE perfect baby carrier to help you live hands free. I honestly don’t think I could live without my Beluga Wrap. Haley, owner and creator of BB, has saved me time and time again with these amazing ONE piece’s of fabric. The luxurious 4 way stretch of the bamboo, beautiful prints and colours, and one of the best parts for me, how fast and easy it is to wrap! (The fact that her wraps ALSO can look like a part of your wardrobe – unbeatable!)

3. Baby Bear Designs – Pacifier Clip – Losing a soother is no fun for anyone. Up until Ezra was about one year old, her soother was always on a clip, no matter where we went. In the wrap, in the stroller, in her carseat, always on a clip! The chew beads that the clip is also strung with provided an extra teething tool for her in her fussy moments. Go take a look at their wide selection of colours and patterns – Amy even puts together custom orders just for your little one!

Below are a few of some tried and true items to help babe sleep better, at home, in the crib or just in your arms.

4. The Ollie Swaddle – Helping with those long nights and keeping baby snug through the night. When Ez was born, I actually never used a swaddle or anything that resembled it. She was defiant and determined to always have her arms flaring and toes up in the air. Although, she slept that way, so I can’t be angry about that! This time around I am hoping to have all hands on deck, including old-tried and true items but also new ones to try out. Being our second born, I have a small inkling that I will need all the help I can get! Two of the things that draw me in to the Ollie Swaddle is the unique fit it offers to every child and the easy access for diaper changes! I am looking forward to trying this tactic out – What about you? Did you swaddle your babes? How did it go? Let me know in the comments below!

5. Dock A Tot – A spot to call their own, one for sister and one for little. Since we received our DockATot, Ezra has not gone a day without lounging away in it. It is by far one of her most treasured items, as it is her own. It is not a space on the couch or a chair at the dinner table, it is her own little nook that she reads books, builds towers, and cuddles with BunBun. If anyone were to come over, you bet that she’ll inform you right away who’s ‘bed’ that is in on the floor covered in blankets. Soon there will be another little one to share this space, but for now, Ezra will gladly soak up and snuggle in.

6. Jelly Cats Stuffed Animal – Every little babe has their own special stuffy, meet Bun-Bun.

7. Modern Burlap – A light, breathable blanket to cuddle or layer with. When Ez was born, she was gifted the month of May from her Auntie Shannon. We used it for milestone photos, a soft surface for diaper changes while on the go and to wrap her up in when it was time to nap. To this day, her Modern Burlap blanket is a keepsake we will hold on to forever!

Last but not least, an item for healing, an item for feeding and an item to use in four different ways!

8. So Luxury Sitz Bath + Milk Oat Bath Soak – Adding a little bit of luxury with the healing remedies of the glorious Oat Milk Bath and Sitz Soak. So Luxury also is my absolutely favourite brand of bath soak for Ezra. Not only does this soak smell and feel amazing, there is such a nutrients and healing power in this soak that it clears the reddest of little bums!

9. Daisy Pops Breastfeeding – Comfortable, functional, and silky soft breastfeeding shirts.

10. Little Bean Threads All Over Cover – Multifunctional from car seat cover, nursing cover, scarf, or stroller cover, LBT has got you covered.

Personal Essential – Jesus Storybook Bible: Our home runs on three things, Love, Coffee, and Jesus. One of the staples in our lives is our faith and bringing up our little ones in these footsteps is the most essential thing to us. After Ezra was born I found a picture bible for her (and whoever came after) that had colourful pages but still explained each story on a level she would understand. Watching her explore and figure out the stories on her own is so precious.

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BONUS : Mommy Essential

1. Cake Maternity – A beautiful nursing bras that doesn’t completely make you feel like a milk maid! I am looking forward to wearing this bras with pride and a little bit of secrecy, knowing there’s something pretty and lacey underneath!

2. Belly Bags – When your mommy brain just isn’t working how it used to, they’ve got you covered with everything you’ll need from hospital to home.

3. Pink Blush Maternity – Items for you and your bump that you’ll feel beautiful in before AND after baby! When I first heard of Pink Blush Maternity I was intrigued, fashionable, functional AND I can wear it through my entire pregnancy? Does such a thing exist?! YES it does. Maternity dresses, Maternity Robes, and even more for mama and baby with amazing durability and flexibility. This dress pictured below is one of the items I own from them and I can say without a single doubt, I am over the MOON about the quality and support this company gives. They have everything from jammies to formal dining wear, yes, formal dresses that are MATERNITY! There is such a large variety of styles and sizes for each season, I wish I had known about them when I was expecting my sweet little girl two years ago!

If you’re looking for the dress pictured below – click here!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you tonight! Hopefully you came across something that you discovered for the first time or learnt more about it! Don’t forget to leave a comment below, I would love to hear some of your own suggestions on what helped you the most with baby number one and what you found wasn’t necessary/crucial for baby number two!

XOX – A very tired mama

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July 18, 2017

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Styled Shoots, Uncategorized

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40’s Lemonade Stand – Styled Shoot

A few months ago, myself and Natalia, The Venture Creative, were having a goals and inspiration girls night and came up for the vision for this shoot. We started to prep and plan different styled shoots, ideas for promotional materials, products we would like to review and companies that made our hearts jump and skip a beat! And thus, the ’40’s Lemonade Stand’ was born.

40’s Lemonade Stand Highlights:

Mason Jar/Lemon Sugar Cookies
Local Shops & Products
14 Lemons
DIY Lemonade Stand
Ethical Visions & Support
Sweet&Sour faces
First Date – Sharing a Sippycup
40’s Themed Outfits

Now my first concern here was, where and how and when am I going to make a Lemonade Stand, and from what? Do I go the route of a large wooden pallet, two wooden crates, or buy one.

Enter Superhero-Handyman-Hubby

I explain my thought process to Kenz and the different ways I could go about making the Lemonade Stand and his response, “I’ll just make one!” I think I just fell in love all over again. He took a bunch of left over wood we had from taking apart a bunk bed a few months back, (he also used this for the backdrop at Ezra’s First Flamingo – check it out), and went to work! I could not believe how perfect and beautiful it is! *insert happy cry* While he was building it, he had the face of it complete and I was thrilled! He then told me he had a lot more to do because he wanted it to be sturdy for Ezra and her cousins to play with for a long time to come. He added extra supports, squared it off and made sure everything was tight and secure. What a great man he is, always bringing my dreams to life! I will be making a separate post for your very own DIY Lemonade Stand in the near future so keep your eyes peeled!

View More: http://nataliareardonphotography.pass.us/lemonadestand

We had so much fun with this shoot, involving all three of our children was difficult but so much fun! Luckily we had both of our husbands there to help rangle the kids and make them smile. We really lucked out with the weather that day, the entire week before and after had been in the high 20’s and this day just happened to be overcast. The perfect day for a summer shoot out in the sun.

You may also like : Donut Grow Up – Styled Shoot

When I first started searching for who I wanted to involve in this project, there was a couple that came to mind right away and a few that I stumbled upon and am absolutely in LOVE with. Seriously, after you’ve looked through all the beautiful photos by Natalia Reardon Photography, scroll down to all the amazing LOCAL shops involved.

Through planning and executing this vision of the Lemonade Stand, I got to meet some of the makers behind the scenes. I had Kara from Nest&co Handcrafted over for a cup of tea when she brought over the adorable romper photographed above. I think this may be one of my favourite parts of organizing these style shoots is meeting and learning about the shops, how they came to fruition and the passion that keeps them going.

You may also like : Canadiana – Styled Shoot

Planning, Prepping and Preparing. 40’s theme, think bonnets, knee high socks and pearls. PEARLS! I remembered I had seen the most adorable mommy and me sets from Baby Bear Design just the other day, I rushed over and behold, there they were, perfect for the girls. Amy has a serious amount of awesome chewellery, teethers, children’s & adult apparel and she has big things coming down the shoot, check her and BabyBearDesign out here!

THE Bonnet. I originally was introduced to Fawn & Lace through Tara Teng, she posted a photo of her little girl in one of her bonnets and I was instantly in love! I contacted Parla and explained the vision behind the 40’s Lemonade Stand and if she would be interested in being involved. Now HERE is the real reason I wanted her beautiful bonnet to be featured in our shoot, to raise awareness and to promote what she is doing behind the scenes. Not only are her bonnets made from recycled materials but for each bonnet that is purchased, she puts $5 of your purchase towards women at risk and survivors of trafficking. Whaaaat? If you can’t already tell, this woman has such a huge heart and is doing amazing things. Go check out her handmade bonnets now and help support not only locally made and sourced items, but for women who need all the help they can get.

Here’s where you can pick up yours, but be quick! They’re only put out in limited releases. Her next release date will be at the end of July.

I got to meet another amazing shop owner along the way, Kim, grandma to Mia and one of the makers behind Mia’s Mocs. They’re goal and driving force is to provide great quality moccasins at affordable prices for new moms, moms with large families, low income families, families with special needs children and military families. You know those moments that just kind of catch you off guard, that you’re not expecting but it is such a joyful surprise when it does? This happened when I ran up to the door to meet Kim, and we ended up chatting for about 20 minutes about her daughter, grand daughter, my little Ez and the goal of Mia’s Mocs. It’s such a joy to get to know the makers, a snippet of who they are and who you are supporting and promoting. So thank you Kim and Alyssia!

The beautiful banner of lemons hung on the Stand was made by Little Sprout Creations and in the midst of her own hustle and bustle of putting together her daughter’s 2nd birthday, her shops 1st Birthday AND a giveaway, she still put time aside to make sure these lemons made it to the shoot. What a gem Jen is, the passion she puts behind her product and customer service is unreal. Thank you Thank you!!

Arn’t these cookies beautiful? Well, if you we’re wondering, yes they tasted even better than they looked! How is that possible? I couldn’t have imagined these cookies looking any other way. DesignerCookies really outdid themselves for this delicious treat for our littles, even though I’m sure they ate way too many during the shoot! Designer Cookies is a cookies company that makes custom sugar cookies to order based in Metro Vancouver. You can order yours here.

Seeing a photoshoot, and very much a project, come together and to fruition filled me with so much joy and excitement for the ones to come. We’ve got some amazing stuff down the shoot and I can’t wait to share it all with you.

XOXO

Here’s a couple post-shoot shots of Ez… How could I resist?! Is there really anything cuter than a naked babe in a basket?