HAPPY 2023 + WHAT'S COMING THIS YEAR!

Happy New Year everyone! We’re back to January and that means a new plan for the year. For the first time ever, I’m getting really specific about what you can look for here this year as the world (and our little business) continues to shift post Covid.

This year, we’ll be back to the blog (!!) sharing makeovers from our rental house, finished client projects (yay!), how to’s for kids spaces and our curated roundups too. I love to try new things here and I might add in a few recipes and as always, our travel adventures over on Instagram stories. If there’s anything else that you’d like to see, send me a note or leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

So, along with personal goals, our family goals and our goals for this online space, let’s celebrate the intentions we make at the beginning of a new year (even if different ones get accomplished). Here are 10 of the projects you can expect to see on the blog this year (in no particular order).

1. Client Work: Baby Girl Nursery

I can’t wait to share this project! This is first up (and coming to the blog this month). We took an office in a luxury townhouse and refreshed the space to create a beautiful baby nursery for a new little girl. This nursery project proved to be stressful in terms of getting the key items ready in time for baby’s arrival. My clients were amazingly patient and we were able to tie up the room and get it shot right at the end of 2022.

2. Rental House 3: Basement Stairs

While I never intended to share our rental houses, everyone seems to love these posts! From the kids’ art studio and our family living room in our first rental house to the homework room and our twin girls’ shared bedroom in our last house, these projects are full of heart and often have DIY elements and a lower budget. I haven’t done as well sharing Rental House #3 but this is the year I’m going to make that happen with the basement stairs a necessity (they are gross!).

3. Client Work: Shared Boys Homework Room

We have just received the amazing news that the furniture for this space has arrived!!! I can’t tell you how excited I am about this. This is a little space that was being used for storage and we are turning it into a homework area for two young boys. Here’s a bird’s eye view of the space!

4. Rental House 3: Fireplace Tile Makeover

Ok, I’ve sort of snuck little peeks at this space over on Instagram, but most of you probably haven’t seen it. In a room with so much potential, this yellowish tile has always bothered me and I am adamant to change it.

5. My daughter Kaia’s Tween Room

This is the only true before I have of this room! I can’t wait for you to see the after. Client projects often take over my own home (unsurprisingly) and there are only a few more things to finish on this space that I shared a sneak peek of last year.

6. Client Work: Shared Boys Bedroom

Gah! Bring on all the pattern on this one. A dream client and a super fun room to design, this room has bold pattern and bold blue to match it! As is the theme for all of the client projects over the past few years, the waiting game on a key piece has held up finishing this one. I feel optimistic that this will be ready for a reveal sometime this year.

7. Our Family Happy Place

I haven’t decided exactly what I’m going to share of this space, or how much will be on the blog this year, so it’s a little bit of a surprise, but one that makes our family so very happy. This project is very much about getting back to the simple things in life and finding bits of magic with our kids along the way.

8. Client Work: Girls Bedroom

The in-progress view below is halfway there! The beautiful overhead light has already been installed and we are waiting for the bed, a narrow bookshelf and window treatments to finish off this space. It’s such a pretty room; I can’t wait for you all to see it.

9. Rental House: Linen Closet

The rental house we are currently living in is my dream house but unrenovated. One of the beautiful things about the house is the original features and I feel that I have not done the original linen closet its’ due respect in terms of organization. I have personal organization goals this year and this project will tick that box as well as sharing the little beauty that this closet is in terms of untouched 1930s linen closet.

10. Rental House: Everyday Family Room

While the living room where our fireplace is may be the prettier room, this little nook here (just off the kitchen) and where the sunlight shines in is really where we spend more of our time. While the living room shines beautifully at Christmas time, this space is where we lounge everyday and where reading / chatting / knitting / cubing (my son is obsessed) happens. It’s the casual living space that we all love to lounge in. Given it’s a rental, the floors can’t change but I’m convinced that we can make this space a lot more polished than it currently is.

Other projects that may happen…

  • Rental House: Powder Room

    • a small but mighty tiny room that I’m not sure I can really photograph well enough to share. Sharing what I learned for a tiny space might be helpful?

  • Office

    • where all the design creation happens!

  • Girls Bedrooms

    • there are two that are completed but haven’t been photographed and another one that is starting but just at the beginning.

  • Boys Bedrooms

    • there are two that are completed and haven’t been photographed. Crossing fingers that we can share a couple more here too.

16 OF OUR FAVOURITE FAMILY GAMES!

If you follow our stories on Instagram, you’ll know by now that one of our family’s favourite thing to do together is play games. Our games cupboard sits prominently in our living room so the kids can easily access them at any time. Our kids are now 9 and 11 (the twins) and we’ve been playing games with them since they were toddlers. They often play games together independently, but we also play as a family and it’s become a weekly tradition for us that I hope continues throughout the years.

Below are the games that we love and play regularly and I’ll add the ones I’m tucking under the tree this year too!

  1. SKIPBO

    I remembered playing this game at a friend’s house when I was a kid and bought it when my kids were toddlers. Once you have mastered Uno, this game is a great next step. We’ve brought this game on weekends away and even the park! The kids still love to play it.

  2. RACKO

    Love this simple number ordering card game for kids. We didn’t discover it until last year but as soon as your little ones can count and order numbers to 20, 30, 40 and 50, this game is perfect. It’s quick and fun, a winning combo!

  3. BLOKUS

    A game for 2-4 players that’s recommended for ages 7+. It’s a patterning game and I love that the youngest player can win as easily as the oldest once they get the hang of it. A great intro to strategy games.

  4. SLEEPING QUEENS

    Kaia made sure I added this one to the list. She said it was her favourite a few years ago. It’s a simple concept that the kids seem to pick up quickly (and remember) but I feel liked tired Moms (that’s me!) need the rule book nearby to remember what each card does.

  5. MONOPOLY

    The classic game from our youth; our 9 year old would play this game daily if someone would play with him! We have and love the bookshelf addition and I imagine our kids playing Monopoly for many years to come.

  6. CLUE

    You likely remember this one from when you were a kid too and I had to buy the vintage edition for old times sake. Nothing like a game of mystery to keep little minds thinking! My twins especially love this game and play it often when friends come over.

  7. SCRABBLE

    This beautiful wooden version is a perfect coffee table decor piece as well as a very functional take on this classic word game. When we started playing Scrabble with our kids, we quickly learned the value of a quality board that holds the letters in place after a standard board kept getting knocked and wrecked. I highly recommend investing in a quality game of this one if you and your family are avid Scrabble fans.

  8. BANANAGRAMS

    This game was a gift and I love how it encourages flexible thinking with words. With simple letter tiles, you could use this game alongside learning to spell with younger kids. Although the concept is simple, this game requires quick thinking and is quite tricky to keep changing your words and thinking as the game progresses. In my opinion, it’s a step quicker (& harder!) than Scrabble or Lexicon.

  9. CHINESE CHECKERS

    Simple and fun. With a little strategy, this game is fun to play with 2 players and so much more complicated once you add more players. We play this game at least 3 times a week!

  10. CHESS / CHECKERS

    I have always dreamed of being an amazing Chess player, although I am not (ha!). Once we knew our family was a fan of games, we invested in this beautiful wooden game board and quality felted pieces.

  11. CATAN

    I like this game, but my kids love it. Learn to trade, build and settle the island of Catan.

  12. CARCASONNE

    By far my favourite game to play with our family! I’d say 8+ and this is a great first foray into strategy games. It’s a long game so you have to settle into this one for the evening, but it’s enjoyable and if you are like us, my husband and I can be competitive with each other while still playing with the kids.

  13. CATCH PHRASE

    Fun for a wider group and easy to sit down and play a quick round. If you are into games with friends, this one is fun for adults and kids 8+. Younger kids may have a tricky time with the speed of it and some of the content.

  14. TRIVIAL PURSUIT (KIDS VS. ADULTS)

    Fun fact: my kids almost always beat us adults! This game is great for learning random facts and testing your memory once you’ve played it multiple times. While my kids seem to remember everything they learn, they especially relish in the rounds where we’ve had the questions before and I forget the answer. Fun for the whole family.

  15. YAHTZEE

    A good game list wouldn’t feel complete without Yahtzee. A simple game that can easily travel with you, this one is great for improving math skills and teaching kids the concept of probability.

  16. TICKET TO RIDE

    This one is tucked under the tree and the reviews are great! Have never played, but can’t wait to try.

SHOP THE POST…



2022 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: BABIES!

Since having kids, the holiday time has truly become such a significant time of the year. The first year with a baby is a celebration in itself and when it comes to what a baby truly needs, it’s really just love! Here are our trusted and true favourite items that can be put into a stocking or tucked under the tree for a special start for what will inevitably become a magical time of year for your family.

Somewhere between 12-24 months, most babies enjoy knocking down cups. These pretty stacking cups are a firm favourite and I love that they double as bath toys! Easy to stack away on the bathtub or even pop in your bag for trips to the park or holidays away.

One of the most practical baby baths for small spaces, this foldable bath was a life saver with our baby twins. I loved the modern design and the fact we could bring it along for road trips.

Another stacking toy, but also worth it! I have no idea what exactly is so alluring about this toy, but babies (and early toddlers!) seem to be so drawn to it. It’s a great toy to start imaginative play with the animals and their houses.

There is nothing cuter than a baby in a hooded towel! Made from 100% cotton, this adorable lamb hooded towel is the sweetest cozy wrap for your post bath sweet baby.

Bear Stays up for Christmas is one of our most beloved holiday reads! I gifted this to my kids on their first Christmas and 12 years later, we still love it.

An absolute hold all, for laundry or blankets or toys or anything! A lidded basket is an essential for quick clean up and this one is pretty enough to put anywhere in your home.

I did not have a play gym anything like this pretty, but if I were to do it over again, I’d buy this one!

It’s never too early to teach kids to give back and that is why I love this company so much! Cuddle and Kind is a company I love to support and this cute bear is the perfect way to do that. For every doll sold, 10 meals are given to kids in need!

This toy is a top seller and has been for over a decade! All of our kids adored this toy and I would highly recommend it. It’s so easy for tiny fingers to grasp and hold and our twins used to pass it back and forth which was the cutest!

KAIA'S ROOM: THE PLAN AND A SNEAK PEEK!

A new tween room is coming! It’s been a long time since we last revealed a room and this one coming up next belongs to one of my favourite people ever; my daughter Kaia! So many of you have been curious how we’d address the girls’ rooms in our newest rental house, now that they’ve grown from their shared room in our last house.

With the move to Rental House #3, both girls have their very own rooms for the first time! The timing couldn’t have been better (they are 11 years old!) and although there are still sleepovers in each others’ rooms, there actually haven’t been as many as I thought there may be and both kids are loving the new space and privacy that comes with a room of your own.

One of the fun things about designing older kids rooms is that the kids themselves love to be involved. Kaia had some very firm ideas on this space and while she got the pendant light from the last room, she picked this fun and playful wallpaper herself as well as asking for a desk, pinboard and one of those hanging swing chairs.

Here’s an in progress sneak peek below. All the fun accessories (hello hanging chair, wall art, pillows, etc.) are still to come.

in progress girls room with floral wallpaper

The Plan:

Like all good plans, some items are subject to change. This design board is similar to what’s presented to a client on presentation day; it’s a great way to showcase the key items for a space all pulled together to give the overall look and feel of the room.

Since the full reveal is still weeks away (the delays have been looong for some items), today we’re sharing the key items that make up this tween room so that you can shop the room for yourself!

GET THE LOOK

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DIY: EASTER EGG CARTON FOR KIDS

We are just over a week until Easter 2022 and I wanted to share a super simple DIY that you could easily put together this weekend! With a few simple treats that you can buy from many stores, this little egg carton makeover will excite any little one on Easter morning.

Here’s how to make it.

Step 1: Cut an egg carton in half.

Step 2: If you want to add personalization or the little ‘Happy Easter’ message on the inside, simply make, cut out and glue on.

Step 3: Line each egg holder with left over raffia if you have it.

table setting with closed Easter egg carton with personalized child's name

Step 4: Fill!

Here are some ideas of what to fill your Easter egg cartons with:

  • chocolate mini eggs

  • hair ties, hair clips or scrunchies (we adore these Liberty print ones)

  • caffeine-free tea bags (our kids love tea!)

  • nail polish

  • scratch and win ticket (might be fun for teens)

  • rubber stamp or easter stamp

  • stickers

  • chocolate Easter bunny

  • mini jam or honey (fun if you have hot cross buns, croissants or scones on Easter morning)

  • any kind of toy (mini slinky, wind up chick toy, wooden animal, etc.)

  • eraser

  • coins

  • lip balm

That’s it! I’d love to see if you try this idea. Tag me on Instagram or use the #winterdaisyDIY