Summer Essentials : Park Days!

July 16, 2015July 31, 2015 by Katie | Leave a comment

From the popsicles on Monday to cooking with Little A on Tuesday and Sarah’s tips for taking sibling snapshots yesterday, it inadvertently turned into a kid-themed week over here. Meanwhile, Alex, Luc and I are in the middle of an awesome summer of kid fun. What does that mean? Playgrounds and parks. Between naps and rainy day visits to the library, we try to spend as much time outside as we can, so I thought I would share our park/sun essentials.

Swim/sun suits are the way to go if you have little ones and a park with a fountain. The suits make sunscreen application so easy! … and they aren’t just for kids, my mom just gave me this suit for my birthday. PS. everything on that site is 15% off with the code SUMMER15.

I love all of the cheap options for prescription glasses these days, and am thinking about ordering these sunglasses.

Homemade sunscreen? Check!

Word on the playground is that skorts are a mom’s best friend. I never thought I’d say that, but luckily, there are a lot of great looking and fitting skorts out there. Unfortunately, my current favorite is now sold out, so I can’t buy a dozen more, but this is the “sport” alternative.

Keens are awesome for active little kids. Socks aren’t necessary, they keep feet cool, they are great on dry or wet days, and they dry quickly. The only bummer? They’re targets for stray pebbles.

I always pack a hat, and my favorites are the inexpensive floppy ones.

No matter where we’re going, staying organized is the key to getting out the door quickly. I just bought this small Timbuk2 bag and am so happy to be back on the messenger bag train again, especially when there are so many pockets involved.

And the key to keeping everyone happy in the heat is water. At Christmas time I used Cafe Press to make us a couple of personalized water bottles – they made great stocking stuffers, and now they’re in constant rotation for our park trips.

Little A is such a tough guy that he rarely needs more than a kiss to get back on his feet, but I picked up a couple of these first aid kits just in case we happen upon a bandaid moment. They are compact enough to keep in my bag and in the glove box.

As is my nature, I try to keep things simple when we head out for the day; it gets us out the door faster and there’s less to keep track of when we’re at the park. Of course, we always pack a snack and my camera :-). What about you? What are your park essentials?

How to: Photograph Young Siblings

July 15, 2015March 24, 2016 by Sarah | 3 Comments

Family portraits are hard. There’s a good chance everyone involved has varying levels of interest in taking a great portrait. I’m usually the one in the bunch groaning, so I’m here to tell you how to make future family shots a little less painful, specifically portraits of young siblings.

It all comes down to making it quick, easy and safe for the little ones. You’re not going to walk away with fifty amazing portraits, but if you get one great shot, the squawks and squeals are all worth it. In previous posts, we gave you a primer on photography, newborn portraits and kid candids. I advise skimming those posts to get a better understanding of light and photography before setting up your mini models.

Cooking with Kids : Lemon Bread

July 14, 2015June 22, 2017 by Katie | 4 Comments

Lemon is our ingredient of the season! So far we’ve used it in a buckle, in bars, in a savory pasta, and in the shower. Oh, and there are two on my counter waiting for our next project!

You don’t have to have a kid to make this Lemon Bread, but it’s more ~~fun~~ messy if you do! As you’ll see, the simplicity of this recipe is what makes it the perfect choice for cooking with an assistant, but it’s also what makes it an easy go-to treat. You can bake a loaf in no time at all for a last minute brunch, but it also stores well, so it’s the perfect tangy treat to make on a Monday and eat it all week long with your afternoon tea break (speaking from experience). Now on with the cuteness ~

We’ve reached a new milestone in our house : weekly cooking sessions with Alex. It’s no surprise that Calder and I love to cook, and we’ve kept the kitchen open to Little A from the start. We recently turned a corner when it comes to sharing the kitchen with a little guy; at first we were just trying to keep him busy and safe, but now he’s actually helping with the cooking and he understands what’s going on!

Preparing for Baby #2

March 9, 2015March 8, 2015 by Katie | Leave a comment

As the months and weeks wind down, we’re starting to *think* about how we’ll prepare for our new little guy. When I was pregnant with Alex, I really enjoyed reading other people’s lists of necessary baby gear. Just as each pregnancy/labor/baby is different, so are these lists. Some are over the top with gadgets and gizmos, others are relatively tame. Luckily, Calder and I are on the same page about many things, and minimal baby gear is one of them, so I thought our list might be helpful to other minimalist parents.

Today I wanted to talk about what we needed/will need for the baby in the first few weeks after his arrival, and I’m leaning heavily towards the notion that you don’t need much for a few reasons. I think some expectant parents may find it useful to hear a voice saying that those long lists of “necessary” baby gear, may not be necessary. You don’t have to empty your wallet in order to prepare for a baby. We care deeply about our impact on the environment, and by default, the more you buy, the bigger your environmental footprint. That said, so much early baby gear gets lightly used, and you may be able to find some great second-hand sources for clothes, furniture, swings, and seats; that choice saves you money and saves resources.

When planning for the new baby’s arrive, I keep two questions in mind : 1. what does an actual newborn do/need? 2. if we don’t have it, but find that we need it, can we easily buy it?