OUR FALL TRADITIONS...WHAT ARE YOURS?

With the official start of Autumn this week I have to say I am loving the crisp morning air, crunchy leaves and warm afternoons. While we’ve never really been a family with loads of traditions, as the kids get older I realize they live for special moments and eagerly await the months with holidays.

So, even though September and October are busy and full months with school starting and the change of weather, I have thought about ways to make these months special and the little things we’ve done over the years that have become traditions for our kids. They now ask and look forward to them.

Here are a few ways that we celebrate fall:

1. TAKE FALL PHOTOS

Every year we head to the same place with big trees and lots of leaves. While the photos are a lovely way to capture the kids growth each year, jumping in the leaves is a memory I hope they remember forever (I know I will!).

2017

2019

2. MAKE PLAYDOUGH

I don’t know about yours, but our kids STILL looooove play dough. Each fall, I make a fresh batch and get out the seasonal cookie cutters. I love these fall leaf and acorn ones for September and this Halloween set for October.

3. FALL DECOR

When it comes to seasonal home decor, I would say that I keep it light. I love to change things up by adding a few little white pumpkins on the table, some grasses in a vase and a fresh doormat at the front door. That’s it! Traditions can be as complicated or simple as you make them.

4. BAKING

After having the oven off for most of the summer, there is nothing better than warm fall baking. My go-to’s are breakfast crumble (dessert for breakfast basically!) and our favourite pumpkin muffins are a treat muffin that the kids honestly ask me to make them as soon as the temperature drops.

5. A GRATITUDE PUMPKIN

This is a brand new tradition for our family! I saw this idea online and loved its’ simplicity right away. Starting October 1st (or whenever you like!), you add new words of things you are grateful for to a pumpkin (or in our case, we’ll do a mini one each!) each day. Thanksgiving is in October in Canada so this is a great way to acknowledge all that we have to be thankful for, while steering at least some of the October attention away from the excitement of Halloween. ;) If you decide to start a gratitude pumpkin, I’d love to see! Tag #WDgratitudepumpkin on Instagram and I’ll share my favourites. Who wants to join the fun?

Do you have a special tradition in your home? I’d love to hear in the comments if you do!

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XAVIER'S SUSTAINABLE 7TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

It’s been a LONG time since we’ve shared a birthday party here, but given we are all practicing social distancing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic right now, I thought it might be fun to share a happy moment from our last home gathering for, quite possible, a very long time.

Xavier (our youngest) turned 7 and we celebrated with a small gathering at home. I wanted to create a party that was memorable and used as much sustainable decor as possible and I think we achieved both!

These giant leaves were from Our Little Flower Company and provided huge impact for the table backdrop. The garland is made from a giant roll of brown kraft paper and is recyclable.

You may have seen our letter board before (here) and we love using it for so many occasions. Xavier really wanted a turtle cake and although cake making is definitely not a strong suit over here, we made one and he was thrilled.

Xavier’s friends joined for the party and we had Animal Safari Rescue Centre come with some of their rescue animals to show the kids. It was an absolute hit and the kids learned all sorts of facts about the animals.

At the end of the party, little bags with National Geographic readers went home with the kids as well as these super cute animal stickers. A great day before the social distancing started. Happy 7th Birthday Xavier!

KAIA & NOELLE'S 5TH BIRTHDAY PARTY!

My twins turned five a few weeks ago. Five years old. For some reason, this hit me hard! My tiny preemie girls are ALREADY FIVE. Gasp. Deep breaths. How does the time go so fast?! 

Kaia and Noelle are two of the most social, crowd loving kids I know. They love people and being around them. They wanted a big party, with lots of their friends, music and lots of decorations. They also LOVE exploring, walking and playing in the forest (thanks to having this at our doorstep in Vancouver). We decided on a forest party, at Stanley Park’s Ecology Society, where a space with beautiful natural light and lots of room to run around was available. For an hour, they take the kids (and parents if they want) into Stanley Park for a forest discovery walk, where the kids were fully in awe and happiness discovering all the creatures the forest has to offer. If you are looking for an amazing party venue in Vancouver, this one is perfect for so many ages! 

These simple DIY fairy and elf crowns added a little fun for the kids and got them into the mood for the outdoor part. 

After some simple instructions, our girls and thirteen of their friends headed into the forest for a little exploration and learning (did you know a woodpecker wraps its' tongue around its' brain to protect it when pecking?!...I had no idea!).

The kids loved the forest; where they learned to identify a few birds by sound, use magnifying glasses to see what lives in trees, went on a bug hunt, explored different smells in logs and trees and played a couple of games. After lots of fresh air and outdoor exploration, they came back for lunch and the most beautiful and delicious cake (thanks Butter Bakery!) surrounded by these lovely Gypsy Petal flowers (so excited to be able to reuse these over and over again!).

After lunch, we kept it simple – music, lots of balloons and a balloon tent, which ended up being the least expensive and most fun thing ever for a party. The kids ran in and out, danced and threw balloons. Overall, I'd say it was a success.

Happy Birthday beautiful girls! You have added so much magic to our lives over the past five years. We love you!

Styling by WINTER DAISY
Photography by Jo + Bo Photography and Melissa Barling

If you were wondering how to achieve the same look, here are the sources!

01.// Party tent; 02.// Fig leaf plant; 03.//Mylar number 5 balloon;  04.// Giant blush balloon; 05.// Fairy crowns DIY; 06.// Helium balloons; 07.// Hydrangeas; 08.// Paper straws; 09.// Kid size table and chairs; 10.// Dot napkins (similar); 11.// Paper plates (similar).