#theskinnygetsdressed

since opening The Skinny, meg and i have been busy trying to get our name out there and share our shop and its products. it's easy, albeit time consuming, doing the usual sort of things like facebook posts, instagram, giveaways, etc. but we really wanted to get a few unique ideas out that will not only showcase our awesome products, but also be helpful to those that may want a little extra out of a site. this is where #theskinnygetsdressed comes into play. i've dedicated this to a new series on fancy napkin, as well as on instagram and our Facebook account showcasing both small shops, unique items, and ways to style certain pieces from our various collections. 

i sincerely hope you enjoy, and that you get a little use out of this concept too! also! if you have any cool shops or items that you think would be great for this series, please reach out and send them my way! i'm always on the hunt for the newest and coolest ;)

#theskinnygetsdressed [1]
pants
sweater
cowl
moccs
panda mask

#theskinnygetsdressed [2]
buffalo check dress - poppy
black shoes
grey sweater jacket
black felt floppy hat
grey tights
wood tea set
tassel scarf

#theskinnygetsdressed [3]
plaid trouser - grey
high 5 sweater
black hi-top sneakers
red scarf
little monster pendant
wood play golf set
adventure print
dude hat

.holiday cards.

with the cold weather taking over our city last weekend, my husband's skiing plans got cancelled as well as my overnight stay at my parents lake house, i found myself with an abundance of extra time on my hands. at first we were super bummed about it, but honestly, it may have been a blessing in disguise as we seemed to finally check off a few items on the ol' to-do list! cup half full, right?! 

i spent the weekend shipping out an insane amount of packages after our black friday sale with The Skinny, then we cleaned and organized our basement, and finally spent the evening doing a little online shopping, including checking out what was the latest in christmas card selections. and i was so stocked when i came across minted! their selection of holiday cards and gifts are by far the best i've seen for personalization and i am seriously having a hard time deciding on which style i want to order for my own this year! here's a few of my fave cards and a few fave gift ideas too!

minted is having a sale now till monday with 15% off all holiday card orders over $150 with code: JOY15 

dots frame || while i don't normally enjoy a frame with any sort of writing or design on it, these gold embossed dots are just too cute to pass up!
happy holidays foil pressed card || nothing like a classic happy holidays in a pretty rose gold embossed colour to brighten your holidays
recipe notebook || i adore this idea of creating a personalized recipe notebook to fill with all of baba's old recipes to be handed down year after year
card & games notebook || last year i gifted each of my family members a personalized notebook with their names on it. inside i explained that each book was to record our family card game nights. see, growing up my grandma had this old tattered notebook filled with the date, who was playing, the score, who won + who lost, and all these great funny notes about that night. it become a journal of sorts and a cherished keepsake. give this with a deck of cards to complete the idea!
more the merrier foil pressed card || obviously this applies to me personally and is a big contender for our x-mas card this year :)
luggage tag card || just adorable! and super unique!!
personalized stationary || what person wouldn't love their own personalized stationary set?! a classic gift perfect for teachers, friends, your momma or even yourself!
personalized 2015 calendar || again, a fave gift of mine to give...especially to the grandparents! minted makes just the best calendars with the highest quality!

from having nothing to do to having gotten so much done it turned out to be a most excellent weekend!

.sweet potato gratin.

not much to say about this recipe other than it is out of this world! no joking around with this one. so easy, so tasty, and makes enough for a big family or some delicious leftovers. pairs well with a roast, but chicken would be great too. i seriously can't say enough good things about this dish. try it.

.danielle's sweet potato gratin.

[recipe from the ottolenghi cookbook]

ingredients:

6 medium sweet potatoes [about 3 1/4lb in total]

5 tbsp coarsely chopped sage, plus extra for garnish

6 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped

2 tsp coarse sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

directions:

1] preheat the oven to 400F. wash the sweet potatoes [do not peel them] and cut them into 1/4-inch thick disks. a mandolin is best for this job but you could use a sharp knife too.

2] in a bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, sage, garlic, salt and pepper. arrange the slices of sweet potatoes in a deep, medium-size ovenproof casserole dish by taking tight packs of them and standing them up next to one another. they should fit together quite tightly so you get parallel lines of sweet potato slices [skins showing] along the length or width of the dish. throw any remaining bits of garlic or sage from the bowl over the potatoes. cover the dish with aluminum foil, place in the oven, and roast for 45 minutes. 

3] remove the aluminum foil and pour the cream evenly over the potatoes. roast, uncovered, for a further 25 minutes. the cream should have thickened by now. stick a sharp knife in different places in the dish to make sure the potatoes are cooked. they should be totally soft.

4] serve immediately, garnished with sage, or leave to cool down. so so so good. 

.grilled asparagus, zucchini, and haloumi.

one of the things i miss most about my old life now that i'm in this new busy time with the twins and my toddler is the ease of being able to whip up some new recipes for dinner. lately i'm lucky if i can throw in one of the previously cooked meals i made before the babes arrived, so getting a meal actually cooked from scratch is a rarity. however! on one of those rare perfect days where all kids are sleeping, i attempted a couple new recipes and both were absolutely amazing! so much so, that i am going to post them both on here back to back so you can try them at home too.

first one up took a little prep time but was super easy to make. just give yourself some time to get each step done and you won't feel stressed at all. trust me - it is worth the wait and such a crowd pleaser. also! those tomatoes are flipping' to die for!

grilled asparagus, zucchini, and haloumi

[adapted from the ottolenghi cookbook]

ingredients:

12 oz/350g cheery tomatoes, halved

9 tbsp olive oil

24 asparagus spears

2 zucchini

7 oz/200g haloumi cheese, sliced 3/4-inch or 2 cm thick [original recipe called for manouri cheese, but any grilling cheese would work well. i personally love haloumi cheese]

1 1/4 cups arugula

coarse sea salt + freshly ground black pepper

**basil oil [see recipe below]

directions:

1] preheat the oven to 325F. mix the tomatoes with 3 tbsp of the olive oil and season with some salt + pepper. spread them out on a baking sheet lined with tin foil or parchment paper, skin side down. roast in the oven for 50 minutes, until semi-dried. remove from the oven and leave to cool.

2] trim the woody bases of the asparagus and blanch in plenty of boiling water for 4 minutes. drain and refresh under cold water, making sure the spears are completely cold. drain well again, then transfer to a mixing bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and some salt + pepper.

3] slice the zucchini very thinly lengthwise, using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler. mix with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and some salt + pepper.

4] place a ridged grill pan over high heat and leave there for a few minutes. it should be very hot. grill the zucchini and asparagus, turning them over after about a minute. you want to get nice char-marks on all side. remove and leave to cool.

5] heat the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan. fry the haloumi cheese for 3 minutes on each side, until it is golden. place on paper towels to soak up the excess oil. alternatively, grill the cheese on the hot grill pan for about 2 minutes on each side. 

6] make the basil oil [recipe below].

7] to assemble, arrange the arugula, vegetables, and cheese in layers on a flat serving plate. try to build the salad up while showing all the individual components. drizzle with a much basil oil as you like and serve.

basil oil: 

ingredients:

5 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup basil leaves

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

directions:

1] mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. keep any leftover oil in the fridge for future salads.

.they're here.

my boys. 

my sweet twin boys. 

my middle and my youngest children. 

they have arrived and we are enjoying them so damn much.

please let me introduce you to our theodore edward + axel arthur. born on october 5th, 2014, they are truly amazing.

photography || pinksugarphotography

.teaching a toddler.

one of my initial greatest fears while we spoke of adding to our family was making sure jack understood that he was always going to be as loved as he is now [if not more!] and just how special he was always going to be to us. that adding more kids to our family was not going to change our feelings for him in the slightest, but in fact add to our happiness. but how do you teach and explain that to a toddler just learning to talk himself?!

i have no direct answers to this question, but with jack's ever increasing interest in some of my friends newborn babies during playdates, i can't help but feel as though we must be doing something right for our family and in raising him. 

he is loving. he softly strokes their hair and chubby soft cheeks without being prompted. 

he is thoughtful. he brings books to the babies to read and tries to share his cheerios by putting them directly in their mouths [we obviously watch him closely, not too worry!]. 

he is kind. and sits by the babies as though he doesn't want them to be alone.

he is helpful. he brings blankets to cover them and tries to rock them in their bassinets.

and he is playful. sharing his toys and playing peek-a-boo constantly with them.

[note: all of these things above are true. i've witnessed them personally and it amazes me how a 23 month old child can be so loving and so perceptive to a smaller 'mini'. it just blows my mind]

so while it's an ongoing process with a toddler, explaining that very shortly we'll have two babies of our own to love and play with, we're actually having quite a fun time with it. so in case anyone is going through this situation as well, here are some books and activities we play on a regular basis in preparation for our little twins arrival this coming week.

books:
-following in the beautiful andrea's footsteps, i jumped on her weekly book club train and decided to share a few of our favourites to read recently....no surprise that with all the baby talk going on in this house, his fav's have all been these 'baby's' books.

rocker babies wear jeans by michelle sinclair colman
the boss baby by marla frazee
everywhere babies by susan meyers
snuggle the baby by sara gillingham [jack's fav!]
babies, babies, babies! by catherine and laurence anholt

games / activities:
-we took jack to ikea one weekend and discovered a large bin of babies for $9! we allowed him to pick out any two babies he wanted to love and take home. he of course choose, two identical boys that look exactly like himself which i found quite amusing and perhaps a sign for what's to come?! jack has loved those two babies immensely the past few weeks and it's been fun watching him put them to bed [in his crib], share his soothers and juice with them, and kiss them 'night night'.
-playdates with other babies! and lots of them! totally helps.
-where's momma's babies? jack loves to peek up my shirt at my ever growing belly and we alway make a fun game of it. it usually ends in plenty of belly kisses for his babies.
-before bed each night, pete and i will throw out a bunch of names and ask jack if he can repeat them and if he likes them. it's always cute hearing him muster through the different names in his little voice and then tell us he likes every single name we say!

and please share! what are you doing with your oldest in preparation for another?

.so incredibly loved.

dear my two youngest,

yes, it's true. i already love you both more than i knew i could. more than i knew was possible.

and i didn't want you to potentially look back and figure that the lack of posts about you both has anything to do with loving you less than the first time i went through this with your precious big brother.

yes, the majority of my time is spent playing and chasing after jack, and boy does he keep me busy, but i want you both to know that you two are always on my mind as well. it has truly surprised me in so many ways to discover how the same feelings i had the first time around have circled back completely.  and they have felt just as precious and just as special as they did then. all the little kicks and twirls and love jabs you both give me daily is a constant reminder that i have been given this amazing gift...the two of you.

to be honest, at first i was so worried that i couldn't love anyone as much as the love i have for your brother, but boy was i wrong. i feel inertly protective already. i feel that momma bear fierceness for you both. i feel blessed. i feel pleasure in knowing you both are mine. i feel so full of love that i fear i might burst some days.

so while i don't get to spend as much time counting the weeks & days left or verbally sharing the milestones of your growth, i did want you to know that i am privately getting to know you both intimately and quietly and it has been an absolute pleasure. i hope you can feel that, within the roundness of my belly and in the roundness of my full full heart. i hope you both know how much joy you've already brought your new family. your dada, your mama, and your older brother. seriously so much joy.

so there you have it. being the middle and youngest [wow! so neat to be able to say that] of my children, i sincerely don't want you to think you are any less loved or important. because kids, you are   so both.

so important and so damn loved.

xx
momma

.at 33 weeks, with the treb twins.

.at thirty three weeks.

::i officially look like i have two babies in there. sure, i am a little small for twins, but i take my shirt off and - whoa!
::the babies are lying in the worst possible positioning, breach + transverse. which basically means i'll be delivering via c-section if twin a doesn't turn around for me. not ideal.

::the heartburn, people! seriously, i've been put on a prescription for it. lying down, sitting up, walking, talking, breathing...it's always present.

:the twiners are chubby little monkeys. 3 weeks ago, they weighed in at 4lbs and 4.3 lbs [70th/80th weight percentile at the time!].

::i hardly wear pants anymore. be warned if you come to my house unexpectedly.

::i am craving caffeine of any sort. probably because i'm hardly sleeping at night, however.

::we bought an extra car seat, crib mattresses, cleaned out the bookshelf in the nursery and filled it with baby trinkets and have washed all of jack's newborn clothes. hurray!

::we also bought jack a "hello, brother" gift from the twins. it's this beautiful wooden pirate fort and i think he'll love it. everything is "piiir" [aka. jack's version of pirate] right now.

::my back feels like it's about to break in half some days. it's not great.
::and twin b loves to continually grind and roll into my ribs, which is something i never felt with jack. and....not great.
::my partner and i officially opened up our online children's boutique www.shoptheskinny.ca and it is going so awesome! such a happy and exciting time for us and i can't wait to see what the future holds!

::we just celebrated my sister and new brother-in-law wed. and it was beautiful. i even stayed till closing time!

::my pantry is about to get a cleaning.
::i basically only have 1 month left to go. whoo hoo!!
::i was lucky enough to spend one rainy & stormy night with the beautiful jessica from beautiful.simple.life.photography out at the lake. she's the one who captured all these gorgeous images [it's all her! i just showed up!] of me and my twin babies and i seriously have a little cry every time i look at them. i will cherish them forever. thank you so much, jessica xx

for those of you who don't think in terms of weeks...this means i'm now about 8.5 months pregnant!

.dear, jack.

hey, bugg. it's momma.

just checking in to let you know that man - i love you. i know the twins are coming soon and your little world is about to change, but this insane amount of love dada and i have for you isn't going anywhere. that will never change. never ever. in fact, it seems to grow more and more with each passing day. i can't even explain it. you are just so darn awesome.

even with all those lovely toddler-two tantrums you've been showing us. we still love you.

even with all those insanely stinky diapers you love to save for momma. we still love you.

even with the refusal to eat anything healthy lately. we still love you.

even with the nightly 2:30 am wakings where you won't go back to sleep unless it's in our bed. we still love you.

even with the mess you make right after momma has tidied up. we still love you. 

even if you refuse to enjoy a bath alone and one of us has to crawl in with you. we still love you.

see, jack. we still love you no matter what you throw at us and these little siblings of yours, coming so so soon, are only going to make our family even better. i hope you know that. 

i also hope you know that if you ever just need a little alone time with momma or dada, we're here. anytime. we will still have our special moments like we do now, just the two of us [or three of us] if you need. anytime. you are our little bugg man and that will never change.

so remember that we love you, no matter what. forever and always. 

[and i am so incredibly lucky to have meg henderson [els photography] in my life to capture these amazing pictures of me and my boy. these mean the absolute world to me, hormonal or not, and i cannot thank her enough. and her talent....i mean, it's pretty incredible right?!]

.travel: drumheller, ab.

about a month & half ago, peter + jack and i took a little getaway over my birthday weekend to visit some old dinosaurs. it was a perfect mini holiday with my family of three [and our last as a family of three!] and i found it rather fitting considering i'm starting to feel like a 'fossil' as well ;)

we packed up our new vehicle and drove the 3.5 hours south to the tiny town of drumheller, ab. i can't really say much about the city itself [sorry, drumheller!] but the landscape was beautiful and the town filled to the brim with activities for the youngsters. jack was in heaven. 

we visited the suspension bridge, the hoodoo's [and attempted to snap a few maternity pictures in the badlands], visited the world's largest dinosaur, walked the tyrrell museum, and played on the hotel waterslide. we also had a rather delicious greek meal at a local restaurant, which reminded pete and i so much of our europe trip a few short years back. the food was so authentic it was like we where on the island of santorini again!

here's a load of iPhone pictures of our mini trip. it was just so lovely, but then again i truly think doing anything with these two people is lovely.

royal tyrrell museum