Making Memories & Capturing Moments - GIVEAWAY! Win 1 of 10 Family Lifestyle Photo Sessions!

"The days are long, but the years are short". When I look at my kids I feel this sentiment to my core, as I'm sure most parents do. In parenting, some days can feel so long and so trying, so isolating and so overwhelming. Then you look at your kids in a quiet moment and realize it's all flying by in the blink of an eye. You try to soak up every squeeze hug, every sloppy kiss, every sweet cuddle, because you know one day this phase will all be done. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

My mom was amazing at recording memories of our childhood. She was always taking photos, creating slideshows and photo books, and writing down memories and special moments. When I lost my mom I realized just how important this stuff is. It's our way of capturing our life for our kids. A way for them (and us) to look back and see how far we have come. I feel so fortunate to have the wealth of family photos, stories and memories that my mom compiled throughout our lives. I want to make sure I do the same for my kids. That's why I love having family photos taken, to capture our current moment in time. I find it especially important since I'm typically behind the camera. I want my kids to be able to look back and know I was here, and that I loved being their mom.

I love capturing memories so much that I thought it was only fair to share. I've partnered with Sara Elisabeth Photography to offer an Incredible Lifestyle Family Photo Shoot GIVEAWAY! Enter for a chance to Win 1 of 10!! Yes 10!! Lifestyle Family Portrait Sessions with Sara Elisabeth Photography. Each Prize includes: 1 Hour Session + Three 8x10 prints + telephone consultation + in-person proof session. Package Valued at $350!

Sara has taken our family photos twice and we have loved it both times (See Our Last Session Here). It’s evident that Sara loves kids and isn’t afraid to joke around and play with them to get a great shot. If you have busy kids like ours, this moving lifestyle session is perfect. No long periods sitting still and lots of chances to get their energy out. I can’t believe how little Ben & Lucy were in this last session, and I absoloutely love the addition of an extra little baby foot in this year's photo. 

For our session we went for a walk to the Junction to get ice cream and Sara captured fun moments along the way. It was possibly the windiest day ever, but we made it work. You can choose to go to the park, play in your backyard, bake some cookies or any other family activity that you would love to capture with your littles. That's the best part, it's customized to suit your family. 

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! **For an additional 5 entries sign up for Sara Elisabeth's Newsletter! 

*Contest is open to all Canadian residents 25+, but session must take place within the city of Toronto (no travel costs will be provided). Session is to be scheduled with Sara Elisabeth Photography at a time convenient for both the winner and photographer and must take place before August 31st, 2017. Each session is one hour and includes a telephone consultation, an in-person proof session, and 3 8x10 prints. Contest closes Thursday June 15th at 11pm EST. The winners will be chosen at random and messaged within 24 hours.

 Good Luck!

*As a special gift mention With Care at booking and receive $20 off your session with Sara.

Care

Outfit Details

• Lucy's Dress: Tiny Trendsetter 
• Ben's Hoodie: MarQ
• Penny's Bow & Booties: Bonjour Baby Baskets

*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.

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.

Starting Solids Favourite Products GIVEAWAY!

Every month when I teach Starting Solids I get asked about my favourite products for feeding baby. So I thought it would be fun to host a little GIVEAWAY for a few of my favourite feeding products. These are products that I use every day in my home with Penny, and some that have been favourites since I started solids with Ben over 5 years ago! 

This amazing prize pack includes:

An ezpz Mini Mat - I love all of the amazing ezpz mats, so I knew I had to include them in my favourites giveaway. We have pretty much every size they make, and use them daily now that Penny is a solids champ. I love that they suction to the table so she doesn't throw them, plus they can be tossed in the dishwasher, and stand up to daily use with no fading or signs of aging. When you're first starting solids (especially if you're doing baby led feeding) I usually suggest placing the piece of food directly on the table, as it can be hard for your baby to reach into the mat when they are first starting out. Once they have their grasp down, and are confident picking up food and eating well, then you can add your ezpz mat. 

2 Bumkins Sleeved Bibs - I've been using sleeved bibs since I started solids with Ben and honestly don't know why you would use any other bib. These long sleeve bibs save your babes precious clothes and your time doing stain removal. We still use sleeved bibs on our big kids if they're dressed for an event and need a snack. I especially love that these Bumkins ones have a tie back versus a piece of velcro, as my kiddos love to rip velcro open and smear food all over their clothes ;) 

A Kizingo Spoon - Penny has been loving this curved handle spoon that's easy for little ones to grip. The Kizingo has a shallow tipped bowl and a shorter handle making it perfect for little hands. I have definitely added this to my list of favs for little feeders

A set of NumNum Gootensils - These were one of my favourites at the very start with Penny. She loved to dip the blue spoon into food and then gnaw on the bumpy surface of the spoon. Ideal for little teethers! The orange spoon with the openings was the first spoon that she successfully fed herself greek yogurt with. The thick yogurt gets trapped in the holes making it easy for a small baby who doesn't always keep the spoon upright. 

Set of Bumkins Reusable Snack Bags - I love ensuring that our meals are as eco friendly as possible so these snack bags are a great addition to this giveaway. I haven't personally tried the bumpkins ones, but they look amazing! I love that their Nixi line is made from recycled fabrics and have these awesome prints. 

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 and Continental US residents 18+ and closes Thursday May 18th at 11pm EST. A winner will be chosen at random and messaged within 24 hours. Good Luck!

As a special gift use code withcare for 10% off these amazing feeding products locally and online at Diaper-eez. 

Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have questions about my Starting Solids Workshops and feel free to check out my YouTube for a few Starting Solids Videos. More to come!

Care

*Please note that Num Num spoons will be shipped directly from the manufacturer to winner, while other products will be shipped from With 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 - Habitat Inspiration & A Super Simple Ikea Hack

As promised, I wanted to share some butterfly habitat inspiration as a follow up to my post about The Junction Wings Project. So here it is! Don't hesitate to post questions in the comments. 

Now that you've welcomed (or will soon be welcoming) some fuzzy little caterpillars into your home, you need to start thinking about a habitat. Lucky for busy parents, your caterpillars will remain in their little cup with their food for the first week, so you don't need to rush out to prepare this right away. 

There are tons of ways to make a great butterfly enclosure, but keep in mind how old your children are and what might be needed to keep said children from killing said butterfly ;) The enclosure doesn't need to be fancy, but it needs to allow fresh flow of air, have a place for your cocoons to hang down while waiting for them to emerge, and keep your little butterflies safely inside once they hatch. You can make some simple DIY versions with mesh netting and various household items (see pics below). You can also use a mesh laundry hamper (like the one below from Ikea). Personally, having something that can't be easily crushed, and that doesn't sit on the ground, is top priority in our house. Our littlest is currently in the "destroy all things" phase, so keeping them out of her reach and safe is key.

This is our 3rd season welcoming butterflies and we're still loving out Ikea mini greenhouse. We usually add a few plants and a mesh top. Last year we used simple bulldog clips to hold the mesh top in place (I used a recycled lime bag), but I found it frustrating with curious kids. This year I decided I wanted to improve the mesh top, so I removed one of the glass panels from the greenhouse lid and traced it out on a piece of cardboard (the box it comes in works great).

I cut out the square of cardboard and then cut out the centre of the square leaving only a 1cm wide outer edge frame. I then wrapped some organza (any type of soft mesh or screen will work. If you don't have a scrap laying around, your local hardware, fabric or dollar store will probably have something appropriate) over the cardboard frame and stapled it into place. The screen frame then slid nicely back into place in the top of the greenhouse. You could do both sides, but we're going to leave 1 glass and 1 mesh. Once the cocoons are ready and attached to the lids of their cups I will cut an X in the mesh and carefully lower the cocoons through. The plastic lids of the containers sit in the holes of the mesh so the cocoons can hang down into the greenhouse awaiting their arrival. 

Once your butterflies hatch they will need to remain in your habitat for up to a week to dry out their wings and gain strength. Don't worry, the instructions that come with your caterpillar will give you all the details on the food options eg. sugar water & sliced fruit. Once your butterfly is flying around it's ready to be freed into the wild. We love letting our butterflies go in our garden every year. 

Here is some more butterfly habitat inspiration:

Hope you have fun making a habitat for your little critters. Don't forget to share your adventures with #junctionwings. 

Care 

Mommy & Me Salt Water Sandal GIVEAWAY! + Twinning Promo Code!

I'm proud to admit that I plan to twin with my kids until they no longer let me. I've heard at some point us moms become total losers, and then they want nothing to do with us. So until then, you'll see me over here planning our matching outfits ;) 

With Mother's Day around the corner I thought it would be fun to partner with Tiny Trendsetter to share one of my absolute favourite ways of twinning with my littles. Salt Water Sandals! I often get asked why I love Salt Waters so much and it's simple. They are cute, comfortable, and WATERPROOF! You can even toss them in the machine for a washing. As a busy mom of 3 I couldn't ask for a better summer sandal for me and my minis.

If you would love some twinning Salt Waters, Enter NOW for a chance to WIN my Mommy & Me Salt Water Sandal GIVEAWAY with Tiny Trendsetter. The Winner will get to choose one pair of adult Salt Waters, and one pair of infant/kids Salt Waters in the sizes and colours of their choice (from styles listed here at Tiny Trendsetter) and will be shipped directly. 

To Enter simply comment 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 worldwide for anyone 18+ and closes Thursday May 11th at 11pm EST. A winner will be chosen at random and announced within 24 hours. Good Luck!

Don't wait, Enter NOW! Plus don't forget to enter on Facebook & Instagram 

*As a special treat use code TWINNING for 25% off an adult pair of Salt Waters when you buy a baby/kids pair at Tiny Trendsetter.

Happy Twinning & Happy Mother's Day!

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.

Introducing With Care - Education & Inspiration From Pregnancy Through Parenthood (Formerly Fifty-Seven)

I'm so excited to announce the official arrival of With Care - Education & Inspiration from Pregnancy Through Parenthood.

Some of you might have noticed changes on my social media and website over the last few months as I was getting ready to launch With Care. Little hints that something new and exciting was coming. As you can imagine things don't happen quickly with several munchkins in tow, so thanks for your patience. 

For the last few years I have been running my classes and workshops through my business Fifty-Seven, and recently moved my blog to With Care. Although I felt like I had built up a community brand with Fifty-Seven, I felt a pull toward something else. Offering all of my Classes & Workshops, Community Events, Amazing Partnerships, Blog Posts and Videos in one place seemed like a dream. Well, I finally decided to do the work and make that dream a reality. After a long and gruelling rebrand I'm so happy with how everything has come together. One of my favourite parts is my logo, which was created by tracing my mom's handwriting. I love having a little piece of her with me on this journey. 

So what is With Care? Living a life With Care means choosing products and services wisely, with the earth and your family's health and wellness in mind. It means becoming educated and informed so you can make choices that work for your individual family. It means creating a home and life that makes your family thrive. I'm here to provide a little education & inspiration to help you do that. 

I would love if you would take a minute check out With Care and follow me on social media - Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest. I have lots of amazing Giveaways, informative posts and videos, as well as amazing classes and workshops coming up this spring and summer. You can also stay up to date by signing up for my newsletter. As always feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or topics you would like covered, or if you need any assistance registering for classes or booking a private in-home session. 

I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to my community. Thanks to all of the amazing families and businesses that I have worked with over the last 4 years. I can't wait to see where the next 4 take me.

I hope you enjoy what's to come With Care. 

Warmly,

Care xo

*I'd also like to send a huge Thank You to everyone who has made this project possible. My amazing friend Laurence, my cousin Sarah who made my logo, Danielle for my beautiful promotonal materials, and 2 of my favourite photographers Silvia (Anchor Studios - Pregnancy & Outdoor Photos) & Carrie (Four Bees - Newborn Photos) for these beautiful images.

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