Grow A Butterfly! Buy Your Caterpillars NOW for Junction Wings 2019 - Community Fundraiser

It’s officially spring, so that means it’s time to place our orders for Junction Wings 2019!! If you’ve never heard of this incredible community fundraiser, you need to check it out. Basically for $10 you get an adorable little caterpillar in a container with food and instructions on how to care for it. You take it home and watch it grow into your very own special butterfly. It truly is magic.

My family has been taking part in this fundraiser for several years, and every single year I am amazed at this process and how much our kiddos learn from it.

Check out my post from a few years ago for a super simple Ikea Hack Butterfly Habitat, so you’ll have the perfect home for your little friend to emerge into as a butterfly.

Don’t wait! Place your caterpillar orders by this Friday April 5th! ***ORDERS EXTENDED TO APRIL 8TH AT 5PM*** ( I always recommend buying a few, since some won’t work out. Think of it as a good insurance policy.)

Caterpillars will be available for pickup in the West End on Saturday May 11th & Wednesday May 15th. The pickup location and all details will be sent out via confirmation email with each caterpillar purchase. You can arrange for someone else to pick up your caterpillars on your behalf, but please let the Junction Project know in advance. Full Details & Buy Caterpillars

I hope you and your family enjoy this as much as mine does every year. Maybe it’ll become one of your spring family traditions, like it is in our home.

- Care

Cake Smash Fun + Photo Session GIVEAWAY with Anchor Studio

As a 3rd baby there are lots of things that I haven't gotten around to doing for Penny (eg. a baby book or a real first birthday party), so when Silvia from Anchor Studio suggested a Cake Smash session, I decided to go for it. I knew it would be a special way to mark Penny's 1st year, and get some sweet shots of our growing babe. I didn't realize just how adorable it would all turn out. Take a look.

For a great cake smash you obviously need a cute baby and a pretty cake. While I usually love to bake, I've been so busy and knew I wouldn't be able to get it done. I decided to push the mom guilt aside and opt for the next best thing, a locally made cake with all real fresh ingredients. I picked up this sweet Strawberry cake at Bake Sale in Bloor West. They have 3 locations across the West End and even offer delivery. 

Turns out that babies rarely actually smash the cake and so there are usually leftovers. As a cake addict this was good news to me. As you can see Penny did manage to put her foot in the cake at the very end, but she had a bath right before, so I figure it was a pretty clean foot and therefore the cake was still good to eat ;)

I have to be honest and admit that I very very rarely enjoy store bought cakes. My biggest issue is bad icing. I'm a huge buttercream snob, so the fact that I was blow away by Bake Sale's delicious strawberry buttercream says something. 

In celebration of Penny's 1st Birthday I have partnered with Anchor Studio to offer an Amazing GIVEAWAY! Enter for a chance to WIN a Mini In-Studio Photo Session (30 mins) that includes 10 high resolution digital images. This can be used for a Cake Smash session (can take up to 1 hour) or any other family or individual session except newborn sessions. Cute props will be provided for any holiday sessions.

Enter NOW by simply commenting below with your name and email address, or alternatively you may comment below and submit your email address to care@with-care.ca for entry. Plus make sure to check out our Facebook page & Instagram feed for 2 more ways to enter! 

Contest is open to all Canadian residents 18+, but session must take place at Anchor Studio at Dupont & Dovercourt in Toronto (no travel costs will be provided). Session is to be scheduled with Anchor Studio at a time convenient for both the winner and photographer. Contest closes Friday May 26th at 11pm EST. A winner will be chosen at random and messaged within 24 hours. Good Luck!

As a special gift mention With Care at booking and receive 10% off Anchor Studio.

Care

*This is a sponsored post which means I was provided compensation and/or product for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly - Take Part in Junction Wings: Deadline April 30th!

Every spring our family takes part in the most fun community fundraiser ever - Junction Wings! Basically it's the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar (without the inappropriate food choices) come to life in your very own home. 

For only $10 you get a caterpillar in a little container with some caterpillar food (we always get a few. Think of it as an insurance policy so you can avoid a disappointed kid). Your fuzzy friend(s) will remain in the little cup eating until they're nice and big and tired. Then it will attach to the lid of the container and spin it's cocoon. At this time you can move the container lid with the attached cocoon to an appropriate butterfly habitat (stay tuned on a post about butterfly enclosures coming soon). 

About 10 days later a beautiful painted lady butterfly emerges.

Your butterfly will need to remain in the butterfly habitat for a few days while it's wings dry out and it gains strength. 

Then it can be released outside. The whole experience is so magical and such a fun activity to do with your kids. We look forward to this event every year and are so excited that it's almost time to bring a few hungry caterpillars home. 

If you live in the city and are willing to drive to the Junction to pick up your little fuzzy friend(s), you are more than welcome to take part in this event. Simply Buy Your Caterpillars Here by 9pm on Sunday April 30th, and stay tuned for pick up dates and locations in May. 

Can't wait to share our creative caterpillar names this year. Past years have included : Carolyn Sinclair, Banana and Chickaletta. Who knows what winners the kids will chose this year. Stay tuned, and make sure to share your caterpillar adventures (#junctionwings) so we can all follow along. 

Care

Have A Bump Or A Baby? Don't Miss The Bump To Baby Show 2017!

Spring is here and that means it's baby show season! With so many shows and so little time, it can be tough to decide which ones make the cut. If you want to skip the huge crowds, long line ups and over zealous vendors, you need to check out The Bump to Baby Show. This highly curated event held at the beautiful Wychwood Barns brings together the best vendors from around our city, all with a focus on helping parents make healthy choices for their families. Plus it's FREE!! You can't get much better than that.

In addition to an amazing marketplace (*Full List of 60 Marketplace Vendors) the show has expert speakers and fun family friendly events. I am so honoured to be one of the speakers at the show, alongside my amazing colleague Taya Griffin (Lactation Consultant) & Joy McCarthy of Joyous Health.

Attendees can check out a Prenatal Yoga Class with & She Moves (pre-registered event), a Family Yoga Class with Spynga, a fun Puppet Show with The Waldorf Academy, as well as a music class for kids ages 0-4 years with Music Together. Check out the Play & Learn page for full schedule, details and registration. 

The Bump to Baby Show is like no other in the city. So if you're expecting a little one, or have a young family, don't forget to add this amazing event to your calendar.

Hope to see you on May 7th between 10am and 4pm for the family friendly baby show you can't miss. 

Care