.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?

.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?!]

.morning hopes.

photo || els photography for shoptheskinny.ca

early this morning, with jack lying in my bed next to me watching tv as per our usual morning ritual, my channel flipped to cmt music. while i don't particularly partake in country music ever, a particular song started and the lyrics grabbed my attention....lee ann womack's 'i hope you dance' played [and judging from the outfits in the video, probably released in the early 90's!] and i couldn't help but hope for those same things for that sweet little boy in my arms. call it pregnancy hormones, call it love.

jack henry - i hope you always dance.

xo

momma.

i hope you dance || lee ann womack

"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,

May you never take one single breath for granted,

GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',

Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,

When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, 

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. 

Dance....I hope you dance. 

I hope you dance....I hope you dance. 

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.. 

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along 

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)"

.outside favourites for the 1.5 year old crowd.

with our weather scheduled to be ridiculously hot this weekend [yay! i'll take what i can get even with being 6 months pregnant!] i thought it appropriate to share a few of jack's favourite outdoor items. he's rounding 21 months old, so if you have a toddler in that age range, id grab a few of these and enjoy this weather while you can. also - besides the bit of colour you get on your skin from being in the fresh outdoors, your toddler also sleeps like a baby again! win - win!!

zokuhomme fish pop moulds || this ice pop mould & maker is basically the coolest [pun intended!] sucker around! fish bones, shark, a scuba diver and even an octopus are shaped from any juice concoction you can think up. healthy or not-so-healthy is totally your choice, but always super fun with these!

ny ball cap || after much persistence from both peter and i, jack is finally on the 'hat' train every time he goes outside. with his white-blonde hair, this has quickly become an essential for keeping our precious boys head from burning constantly. so why not make it a cool ball cap, right?

water/sand table || we actually have a similar model with a pirate ship from costco, but this dump truck table would basically be a little boys dream.

'awesome' rash guard top || while jack isn't always sporting a swim guard, if i know that we'll be outside for much of the day or if it's ridiculously hot out, i'll slip him into this for a little extra awesome spf50 protection. just remember, this doesn't replace your regular spf routine!

native jefferson shoes || basically the best water shoes around. easy to put on, lightweight and pretty darn cute! jack's already lived in his and summer has just begun!

honest co. sunscreen spf 30 spray || this spray is uva/uvb, free from harmful chemicals [non-nano] and the spray is easy enough to apply without jack freaking out the entire time [well, who am i kidding...the kid cries the second i say sunscreen - what is with that?!]. it's water-resistant for up to 40 minutes and dries quickly. i quite enjoy it.

tropical print bermuda swim trunks || well, of course i put my son in one of the coolest summer trends of 2014 - the palm tropical trend! he has more pairs than i can to share and these ones are pretty great.

colorblock chalk || jack been on a serious colouring kick as of late and getting to colour on a sidewalk?! mind-blown! now just to teach him that sidewalks and walls are not the same thing!

*this post contains some affiliate links.

.fancy napkin on instagram, june 2014.

life has been crazy busy lately. i know that's probably obvious or because from time to time i might whine a little about it, but i really don't know where the time has flown by. i ask myself daily how i am already 5 1/2 months pregnant? it just can't be true! 

then i remember. i'm still working full time in my day job. managing a house and 20 month old toddler. working tireless hours on 'the skinny'. doing my maid-of-honor duties like organizing a out-of-town stagette for my sister. and also a bridal shower. selling our rental property. car shopping. oh yeah, and brewing twins in my belly. 

and that my friends, is why i love instagram. daily snippets of life for a busy momma who definitely has 'baby brain' forgetting the beautiful daily small things. come follow along. 

here's life lately.

from left to right. 

top: attending our nieces petting zoo birthday party || snuggles for dada [and a whole lot of love] || hot tubbing in kelowna for the bride-to-be with a great group of girls

middle: stagette planning and party prep [assembling the welcome gift bags] || a recent photoshoot break from capturing 'the skinny' to document my growing bump with the incredible els photography and my handsome hubby || a family selfie

bottom: getting the opportunity to finally 'meet' some amazing ladies in my internet world [cindy, caitlin and sara] || a winery baby bump picture at quails gate in kelowna || a sneak peek into our upcoming project 'the skinny' with meg and our littlest assistant jack

**middle photo by meg henderson for els photography

.jack's room.

jack's room is currently my most favourite space in our house. it's been completed for ages, minus a picture hanging or two, but most days i sit in my old beat-up vintage rocking chair [handed down to me from my grandma, which was handed down from her momma!] and smile while i watch jack play and explore.

with jack being our first baby, we had this little room completed well before he was born. you know how it is. it was one of those projects that just needed to be done so that my pregnancy with jack would feel real. and it really did help. once we started putting paint on the walls, nestled his crib into the corner and filled a bookcase with childhood treasures, i remember thinking 'whoa. we are really having a baby!'.

i also remember it being a daunting task to start. what colours? what theme? do we even have a theme? boy or girl? budget? baby enough? too adult-ish? how do i incorporate [fill in the blank]? it was never-ending and i probably changed my mind 100x before settling down with a simple colour pattern.

benjamin moore

since we didn't know the sex of our baby, i had to go gender neutral. and to be perfectly honest, that was fine with me. i don't really feel that you need to go pink or blue nowadays anyways. that being said, i definitely knew i wanted something that i would truly enjoy since i figured i'd be spending quite a bit of time in that space. i also knew that i wanted it to feel a little more 'adult', without the cartoons wall decals, etc. i figured as jack grew older we could always pull baby or toddler items into the room if he wanted them, with toys and stuffed animals. 

another small issue i had to work into the equation, besides it being teeny-tiny, was a dark cherry-wood hand-me-down crib that peter was determined to use, no matter what sort of begging i came up with for a modern square white one. in the end, i suppose it was where i went from thinking of a monochromatic colour scheme to soft whites and creams to the palette above. and to where a sort of 'woodsy feel' was born. remember this diy bookcase peter helped me fix up?

the room might have a bit more of a masculine feel but in the end, with jack being born a boy, it worked out to be the most perfect room. and i simply love it, which is all that really matters.

now with jack almost ready for a 'big boy room' [kidding! he's staying my baby forever!] and the twins due date only 4.5 months away, i'd better get cracking on their room! we haven't even begun to start in there! such is the life of the 2nd child [and third, i suppose! ha!].

.travel: toronto, for h&m.

well, my friends. it's officially out! actually almost 3 weeks ago now! our much anticipated december issue of 'today's parent' magazine featuring yours truly for h&m! ok well, featuring my little family [not just me] because lets be honest...it was jack who actually pushed us through to the winning circle!

but seriously, sooooo awesome, right?!?

i have wanted to post about our experience about a ba-jillion times, but due to a request to keep things hush-hush till the issue landed, i was forced into silence. which was okay because it was so exciting just waiting to share it with you all.

i should start out by mentioning that h&m and rogers media are total top-notch companies. i mean, they treated our family like royalty right from day one! from all the emails back and forth setting up our trip, to checking in as "the winning h&m fashion family" [true story, that' s how the front desk at the fairmont royal york announced us!], to the seamless day of shooting - it was all a dream. completely above and beyond anything we imagined! so thank you x a million for the memories trade from these two companies.

on the day of shooting the ad, which was located in the 'royal suite' at the toronto fairmont royal york hotel [it was the same room as where queen stayed!], we were introduced to the most amazing team for the day. and much to our surprise, there were about 25 people involved! i seriously wish i could package each and every single one of them to take home with me. from the director, the photographer, his assistants, hair and make-up, wardrobe stylists, set designers, h&m management, roger's media assistants, hired models and even a nail lady; all were so incredibly kind. 

we were ushered straight into wardrobe. shay, our stylist and her assistant had us try on outfit after outfit till we were just right. our make-up team jodi and diana, and hair [dream] stylist sheri made us look way better than we've ever looked, and our photographer michael williams [seriously this guy is legit! he's shot beyonce, alicia keys & january jones; supermodels heidi klum, daria & coco rocho; done ads for levi's & abercrombie, just to name a few! i was starstruck!] directed us to put 'this foot forward' and 'that hand on your hip' till it fit his vision. such a well oiled machine of a team.

after the day long shoot, we celebrated with a big ol' glass of wine [or a few of them!] with the crew. and jack celebrated with a much deserved sleep. it was a memory that will live on long in our heads and bring us a smile every now and again. it was truly a once in a lifetime experience and i am so grateful that we got to experience it.

and thanks to you all, for helping us get there.

in captions: you could say that jack's first plane ride was a success! // wardrobe // getting my make-up done by miss jodi. she's simply incredible, just saying // 1/2 way there and setting the products // prep and positioning time for the models, aka. our fake family! // behind the scenes and the other half of the room [the magic makers!!] // sneak peek // peter having a little liquid lunch break.  quote "helps loosen his mood" // hair ready. make-up ready. time to work!

snuggling on the queen's bed. 

yes, she slept right here....

.gift guide 2013, for jack.

now that it's the first week of december and about a million other blogs have released some form of a gift guide or another, i figure i might as well jump on the band wagon and post my annual gift guide too!
this is what my sweet jack will be whispering into old jolly st. nick's ear this year. hopefully he's been a very good boy ;)

[one] ski pajamas || this is probably more for jack's daddy than anyone as he loves skiing so much, but i have a feeling our little jack will be a master of the slopes too! and these pj's are just so darn cute.
[two] wood fire station || jack loves his le van toys [he has a pirate ship & double decker bus amongst other things] and this would be just perfect to add to his little collection.
[three] faux fur sleeping bag || as noted above, jack's play teepee needs some homey items placed inside to make it all cozy and snuggly for those reading sessions jack loves. this sleeping bag is just the ticket!

[four] the little yoga mat || i mean?! right?! utterly adorable. and now jack and momma can do a little morning stretch together.

[five] love you more blanket || simply perfect. i actually want this as a keepsake it's so great.

[six] 5 string banjo || my little budding musician would love to play like his uncle luke. this may help.

[seven] camp socks || cozy camp socks. perfect!
[eight] farm to table apron set || my budding little chef already begs to be held while we prep dinner and this little apron set is just the sweetest! not to cutesie and just the right amount of awesome!
[nine] moose || just a really cute stocking stuffer.
[ten] felt campfire || jack got a play teepee for his birthday from momma and daddy. this little felt campfire would be just the greatest thing ever to situate just outside it's front opening. i can just imagine many many camping adventures in our future.
[eleven] boots || jack needs some new boots as his feet keep growing like little weeds. these are warm, lined and awesome.
[twelve] the jungle book by jennifer adams || jack actually has every single one of these books in this series and loves them all. so does his momma, so that's a win win in my books [pun intended!]. this would be a great addition, along with this one too!

*contains some affiliate links, however as always, all opinions are my own! and i thank you for supporting those companies that help make fancy napkin possible!

.fancy napkin on instagram.

i sometimes forget that not everyone is on instagram and as addicted to it as i am. which is quite funny as i just joined myself recently. that being said here are a few things that have been going on around these fancy napkin parts that deserve a little update.

we celebrated jack's 1st birthday with a lumberjack theme || playing with new birthday presents after everyone went home || a little outfit-of-the-day inspiration, and loving my new leather skirt from h&m || my first [of many] christmas stocking hauls || brunch with my two favourite boys at cafe bicyclette located in the building peter and i where married, bonus! || more brunch snaps, this time with my boy and i || grammy and jack, two peas in a pod || walking the 'all is bright' on 124 street, and freezing our butts off || handsome little fur baby 

how jack and i spend most mornings, pushing buttons on the washer || bath time fun || when jack kindly ripped up all my beloved christmas flyers [:(], guess he takes after his father with hating those things || trimming the tree with lights || another morning ritual, playing panda || and this boys newest funny face. i adore this squishy-nosed face so much || jack lounging on his 'couch'. and he does it so well || our h&m ad in today's parent magazine. so cool to finally see it in print. beyond awesome experience and memories to last forever || this kid hates his snowsuit. i think his face here really says it all

and don't forget to follow me for daily updates [click here]. hey! you never know what that crazy kid of mine might do next, because he's just so darn rad. and i guess there may be a tad about peter and i too....

.jack's little lumberjack party.

oh, my goodness. i haven't blogged since oct. 25th! not surprising since the entire month of october itself, flew right on by. i mean how is it november 14th already? how?!

i started work again full time, we celebrated jack's 1st birthday, flew to toronto for the h&m fashion family contest as winners [yay!], then spent a few extra days in toronto doing some sight-seeing and enjoying jack's first trip, flew home for a day and then peter and i jet-setted off for a week to celebrate the nuptials for one of my best friends in san diego [jack had sleepovers at the grandmother's houses and had a blast]. it's been a busy month. a good month, but busy.

that being said, i really have a bunch of catching up to do. 

so first off, i really wanted to start with our little jack bugg's lumberJACK 1st birthday party. we had over friends and family in our packed house and as encouraged, everyone came dressed in their best plaid.
i've always heard that first birthday parties are more for the adults then the actual birthday babes and i kind of have to admit it's probably true. although, i do know that jack had a blast and his sugar high lasted all afternoon. what a trooper! not one peep of a cry after missing his afternoon nap and just smiles all around. he must have known he was the centre of attention or something and well, he just loves that sort of thing. guess he takes after his father ;)

we originally hired a bongo drummer to come to the house and play for the kiddos, but after he called in sick last minute we had to resort to a beard decorating craft station. it was super last minute, but think it turned out to keep a few of them entertained for at least a couple of minutes! ha! we also had a little photo-booth set up and snapped pictures of each guest, which we included in thank you cards that i have yet to mail out [sorry friends!]. our props included beards for all, hats, scarves and a lot of buffalo check.

our food table was filled with all sorts of 'lumberjack breakfast' themed goodies. i made these fluffy flapjack pancakes, candied bacon-on-a-stick [by following this recipe], lumberjack sandwiches, sweet timber chocolate logs, and my talented friend morgan brought over some maple bacon cupcakes [thank you so much!] which were absolutely delicious! i highly recommend! she followed this recipe, as i know some of you will ask. we also featured 'uncle si's sweet tea' as our featured drink.

the kiddoes each went home with a goody bag filled with jacks favourite colouring book, some pencil crayons, egg candies, an owl mask and tattoos from wee gallery [the owl mask, book and tattoos]. we cannot thank the wee gallery enough for such awesome stuff. we simply love that store.

overall, i think jack had a blast and we got to experience our baby's first birthday. it was a very very good day.
happy birthday, sweet boy. we love you more than we have words. xo.