Category: News & Personal Items
I’m so thrilled to share this new local brand with you all! Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I am a huge supporter of our local mama entrepreneurs and I think Darling Emma is going to be a huge hit here! They make the sweetest little bows for babies and they’ve just launched their company this week. To celebrate, they’re giving away the 3 gorgeous little bows pictured below. If you’re the lucky winner you can choose if you’d like to have them on clips or soft little headbands.
To enter to win, scroll down to the bottom of this post and click the link! Super simple to enter, it’ll take you maybe 30 seconds max!
I’m just so excited for this company and the two lovely ladies who are putting their everything into it! One of them is a client of mine and I can’t say how proud I am to see her talent in this. Both of them are young mamas who have a passion and are turning their dreams into a reality! Please go check out their Insta and give them a little love today XO
From the owner:
I’m Seija, a stay-at-home mama of two fuelled by coffee, creativity, and a love for all things floral. My daughter Emma, born in February 2017, is the namesake and inspiration behind what I do. I am passionate about creating beautifully simple, sweet, and timeless hair bows for my girl and yours.
Located in Southern Ontario, I could not be more proud to be a 100% Canadian-made business. Each bow is lovingly sewn and tied by hand. My seasonally curated collections are made with girls of all ages in mind, and add just the right classic feminine touch to any outfit.
At Darling Emma Handmade, we believe in love, wonder, whimsy, and adventure, and that you are never fully dressed without a bow!
CONGRATULATIONS ALYSSA N!
{Niagara Child Photographer} Eden
This time of year I am always, always swamped with work. Just as the accountant has the tax deadlines looming, so photographers have Christmas and all the images that need to be delivered before then. So work is busy, plus there’s just life with 5 kids, add to that 17 birthdays in our immediate related family in August, back to school in September, Thanksgiving, Halloween, etc. This year we added moving to that list of just busy-ness. Seriously, I end up SO behind on personal photographs.
But I made myself a promise a long time ago that I would always do my absolute best to keep up with my kids birthday dates. Our special, much anticipated date where I get to photograph them one on one and then take them out for a Timmies treat. They help me stick to that promise by harassing me constantly, asking when we are going on said date. I don’t always get to editing them quickly, sometimes it takes months, but I want to blog them every year with a note from me to them on what they are like at this age. I don’t journal, never kept baby books, my memories are all locked up in images. Images that bring back floods of memories that I cherish so much.
This year, Eden turned 8. She is just the most beautiful girl, I wish she could see herself through my eyes. She’s not concerned with her looks at all but she doesn’t have a ton of confidence. Sometimes I wonder if that’s because her vision wasn’t always great and we didn’t know. She is always looking to hold my hand, nervous and uncertain in new situations. She is the most loving of our children, full of affection for all of us. Hugs and snuggles and special cards and presents abound. She is thoughtful and kind, incredibly smart and an avid reader. She has a pure heart, innocent and sweet. She also possesses a joy that I just don’t see in many people. It shines from her eyes, it overflows from her heart through to her body. She simply cannot be excited without jumping up and down and giggling. It’s the most beautiful thing to see. Eden, you are God’s special princess. I pray that you may always know His love and that you lean on Him all your life. Love, Mumma
As an artist, Tamsen’s primary goal is to create imagery for each of her clients that takes their breath away. She consistently captures in her imagery the excitement and wonder of pregnancy and those perfect and unique details that make your child your own. Specializing in maternity, newborn, & baby portraits, her style is natural, simple, & organic. From her home based studio in Niagara she serves all of the Niagara area & beyond (including Stoney Creek, Burlington, Aldershot, Mount Hope, Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas).
If you are expecting a new baby in the Niagara area, I would love to talk to you about creating a collection of natural and organic maternity and newborn portraits. Please contact me to begin planning your organic portrait session.
Celebrating Women Giveaway
The 4th annual Celebrating Women Giveaway is full of talented artists and incredible business women. This year we have added some great new retail locations as well! I’m so proud to introduce each of these ladies who are working hard not only to build up their businesses, but to make each one of us succeed. It’s just so awesome to see all this local talent! There are 38 vendors on board this year and together they are donating over $3300 in prizes! I am completely blown away with their generosity and can’t WAIT to see who will win ALL of this!
Entering the giveaway is simple- scroll down to the bottom of this post, and be sure to like each vendors Facebook page. Our vendors are all excited to get to know you, and spread the word about the work they do! It would be amazing if you would also take the time to leave them some love or check out their websites. For extra entries, be sure to leave a blog post comment and/or share on Facebook!
Now for the prizes-
Alisha Meeboer of Alisha’s Lines & Designs is offering a 28″ customized wooden clock, valued at $165
Jacqueline Groen of Aloette is offering a gift certificate and a Facial and Makeover, valued at $100
Chandler Joosse of Arbonne is offering Ultimate Facials for you and up to 5 friends (valued at $150 each) and a Preferred Client Membership FREE for 1 year ($24 registration value , 20% off all year long plus other advantages) , AND a gift bag of sample sized products, valued over $200
Alyssha Scanlin of August Baby Co. is offering a beautiful a custom taggie blanket, total valued at $39.99
Aimee Ludwig of Be Inspired is offering a personalized 20×20 pillow, valued at $35
Miranda Montgomery of Broken Giraffe Function and Fitness is offering a month of personal training (8 sessions) at her Beamsville studio, valued at $400
Tamsen Donker of Creative Clicks Photography will be offering a Mommy & Me session, 5 digital files and 1 5×7 matted print, valued at $550
Charlene Tenhage of Creative Memories is offering $25 gift certificate, sample borders, vellum quotes, tape runner + refill, adult colouring page, catalogue, valued at $40
Stephanie Lovato of DoTerra is offering a trio of oils, booklet, and mini diffuser, valued at $45
Jennifer Jensen of Epicure is offering a gift, valued at $50
Ashley Groen of Groen Designs is offering the winner any of the wall hangings in her Etsy store or a custom hanging, valued at $45
Becky Turnbull of Have it Maid is offering 4 hours of cleaning, valued at $113
Angie Vis of Ingrained Designs is offering a 20″ wood feather in the winners choice of colors, valued at $75
Ashley Heemskerk of It Works! is offering a Lip and Eye Cream, valued at $70
Karen Vanderhoeven of Jamberry is offering wraps and lacquer and application tools, valued over $120
Sharon Vis of JK Apparel is offering two pairs of leggings and any tunic/top (or equal savings off a dress, skirt, or sweater, instead of the top), valued at $85
Jennifer Rogers of J.R. Watkins is offering a Foot Care Kit, valued at $35
Kristin Kingma of Kristin’s Cakes is offering a $50 gift certificate and 1 dozen cupcakes, valued at $66
Erin Hogeveen of Lux Artistry is offering one makeup application (including false lashes), valued at $50
Laura Donker of LV Massage Therapy is offering a one hour massage, valued at $75
Mary Lou Miszuk of Mrs Greenway is offering a gift basket of goodies, valued at $50
Christina Jansen of My Lovely Blonde Closet is offering a vintage music sheet table runner, valued at $25
Janine Costello of My Painted House is offering a Coffee Serving tray, with mugs and a bag of fair-trade coffee, valued at $70
Stephanie Visser of Nailed It! is offering a full mani/pedi to the winner, valued at $50
Jessica Diek of Needle Life is offering a gift certificate to something of the winners choice, valued at $50
Sharon Vis of Norwex is offering an assorted basket of Norwex items…enviro, window, dusting mitt, kitchen cloth and more, valued over $150
Meaghan Gizuk of Oliver & Rust is offering a gift certificate to her store, valued at $40
Steff Jansen of On the Block is offering a gold bar “mama” necklace, valued at $60
Terra Sim of Origami Owl Canada is offering a classic hinged locket with one charm and basic 14-16 inch chain, valued at $55
Andrea Piraino of Overstitched is offering a twist & wrap wired head band, valued at $20
Laurie Buma of Pretty Little Ladies is offering baby and toddler headbands from her shop, valued at $50
Myrica De Hann of Roses + Twine Floral Studio is offering a hand crafted, garden inspired bouquet, featuring local blooms, valued at $75
Sarah Dietz of SD Designs is offering a giraffe teething buddy and pacifier clip set, valued at $27
Kelly Miller of Steeped Tea is offering a Matcha Green Tea Starter Kit (includes 100g Vanilla Matcha and a Matcha Shaker), valued at $50
Amanda Stoffels of The Artful Eye is offering a 12×24 inch custom canvas (from the “Amazing Grace” collection), valued at $65
Mary Jo Clements of The Happy Baby is offering Matter Iron Mama Tea, EcoNuts Laundry Soap, Love Raw Gift set, and a $10 gift certificate, valued at $55
Elysia Northrup of Thirty One Gifts is offering a Canvas Crew Tote with additional Rope Handles, valued at $90
Brandy Ford of (For the Love of) Tupperware is offering a stack cooker system set, valued at $139
Sylvia Antonides of Yoga by Sylvia is offering 3 yoga classes, valued at $35
{Niagara Child Photographer} Kyara | 9 years
Now that we’re halfway through March I find myself desperate to catch up on things that have fallen to the wayside. Editing and blogging personal pictures are the first thing to go when life gets busy, and since most of my kids are born in the busiest season of all (late fall, early winter) I find myself doing this each year… straggling. However, no matter how late it is, it’s better than no images, better than no letter at all. And so here we go.
My darling firstborn. How is it that you can be so much like me and yet we fight such a bitter fight? I look at you and see a reflection of myself, and I want so badly to help you through life. I can see you will struggle with many of the things I battled against and I want to protect you from all of those hurts. I want to wrap you up in a bubble, to give you a protective layer against every unkind word. You have a sweet, sensitive, caring and giving heart… and already it is learning to grow callous as you deal with rejection and pain. Growing up is so hard, especially as a sensitive girl. I pray every day that you will hold onto that sweet and caring heart, but that you will be strong enough to stand up for yourself as well. I pray that you will grow confident and always feel comfortable just being yourself. I pray that you will have wonderful friends who remain by your side your whole life long. I pray that you will always love God and that you turn to Him in every situation. Life is not always easy baby girl. I hope you always feel like you can talk to me but when you can’t, when it’s just too hard, talk to Him. He’ll always be there for you. Love, Mumma
{Niagara Child Photographer} Kingston | Exploring Life
It begins when you first find out, it grows as those flutters inside turn to kicks and rolls, and it blows up a million times more the first time you hold that baby in your arms. Love. It’s a powerful thing. And I’ve got nothing but love for this boy. He’s brought a completely new aspect to mothering after two little girls. He lights up my life with that sparkle in his eyes and the perfect cheeky grin. Watching his long eyelashes flutter as he dreams during our afternoon naps (even at 5 years old!) completely melts my heart. Truthfully, I was scared to become a mother to a boy after only knowing baby girls, but oh man, he has made this an amazing journey. Happy go lucky, easy as can be since day one. This year was a big year of change for him (and me) as he finally went off to Kindergarten a few days a week. He was ready, I was not, but the day came anyway and I only cried a few times. I so miss my little buddy at home, but at least with part time Kindergarten we can ease into this school thing slowly. No longer my baby boy, he’s really grown into an independent little boy and I couldn’t be prouder of him!
Thanks for this fun adventure buddy! I loved exploring with you, even after the sun set, trekking through the mud, throwing sticks and doing all kinds of things the girls would hate! You’ve shown me all the joys of being mum to a boy and I thank God for you. Happy 5th Birthday!
{Niagara Photographers} Eden Pie | Exploring Life
Eden Peden Pumpkin Pie… For someone who doesn’t like nicknames for my children, I sure gave you an interesting one! One that started out as a silly rhyme and became Eden Pie over time, as your siblings picked up on it. That was when you were a wee baby, but now here we are, and you’re suddenly 7 years old and no one is allowed to call you that anymore because it’s too ‘silly’. You saw my face and you knew, with your tender little heart, that seeing you grow up and announce your independence in this way had just broken my Mumma heart. So a new rule was declared. Now Mumma and Daddy are the only ones allowed to call you Eden Pie, and secretly, I’m okay with that. It’s a nickname that I will forever hold in my heart. It will always bring back memories of a time when there were just three littles around my feet and you were all so small and innocent. Mothering is no easy task but it provides a greater joy than any other job on earth. And you, you make it easy. You love to read and color and play and create. You can most often be found alone, playing quietly, singing or talking to your toys, using your imagination. Watching you like this never fails to make me smile. I pray that you will always, always have such a sweet, tender and giving heart. I pray you will always keep your joy and zest for life. You are able to truly let go, to be in the moment, to LIVE. You have a gift for sharing that with others as well. I love you my sweet girl, my little Eden Pie.
Celebrating Women | A Giveaway
Wow- for the third year in a row, we have put together an absolutely incredible giveaway. We have over $2600 in prizes donated by some incredibly talented, hard working, passionate entrepreneurs and ALL of those prizes will go to one very fortunate woman in time for Mothers Day. I am so thankful to each one of these generous women who are taking part and wish you all much success in your businesses. Being a female entrepreneur presents its own struggles, challenges and concerns, but these ladies are all doing what it takes and they are passionate about their work. Please share their Facebook pages or leave them a little love- add some sparkle to their day today!
Now for the prizes…
Alisha Meeboer of Alisha’s Lines & Designs is offering a “Home Sweet Home” wooden hand painted sign, valued at $50
Stephanie Visser of Aloette Cosmetics is offering a spa facial, valued at $25
Alyssha Scanlin of August Baby Co. is offering a beautiful gender neutral blanket with a reverse silver polka dot with one side cotton and one side flannel, measuring app. 3 feet x 3 feet. She’s also offering an adorable stuffed elephant in oatmeal- the perfect eco friendly addition to any nursery decor or a wonderful baby gift, total valued at $80
Bettina Kinsler of Bella’s Bows is offering Frozen hairclips and spring hair bows, valued at $40
Alicia VanDyk of Blissful Buns Leggings is offering a free pair of leggings of the winners choice, valued over $25
Hannah Kampen of Bows and Loops is offering a gift certificate to her shop, valued at $40
Tamsen Donker of Creative Clicks Photography will be offering a Mommy & Me session plus the Gift Collection, valued at $735
Leanne Beckett of Creative Play Loot Bags is offering a gift certificate, valued at $25
Hannele DeJong of Elisabeth Avenue Designs is offering a gift certificate toward an 8×10 custom calligraphy print, valued up to $40
Jennifer Jensen of Epicure is offering the Extraordinary Cheese Dip Collection. It includes: 3 Onion, Lemon Dilly and Cheese Chive & Bacon Dips, valued over $25
Christina McCarthy of Glitterbug Face and Body Art is offering a voucher for face painting OR glitter tattoos for up to 10 guests, valued at $85
Becky Turnbull of Have it Maid is offering a gift certificate, valued at $75
Shelley Niklas of Isagenix is offering a gift pack containing 1 canister of protein shakes, 1 eshot, 2 protein meal replacement bars, 1 fibre snack bar, valued at $90
Karen Vanderhoeven of Jamberry is offering 4 sheets worth of nail wraps (8 designs), heater, application kit, cuticle oil, catalogue, practice samples, application guide/instructions, valued over $135
Janine Child of JC Fresh is offering a gift bag of handmade soaps, valued at $25
Jess VanAndel CSEP-CPT is offering one month of free fitness classes, valued at $42
Kristin Kingma of Kristin’s Cakes is offering a $50 gift certificate and 1 dozen cupcakes, valued at $66
Jennifer Rogers of My Corner Shelf is offering 10 handmade greeting cards, valued at $30
Christina Jansen of My Lovely Blonde Closet is offering a lovely vintage paper rose wreath, valued at $40
Stephanie Visser of Nailed It! is offering a spa manicure, valued at $30
Jessica Diek of Needle Life is offering a gift certificate to her shop, valued at $50
Sharon Vis of Norwex is offering a package including an enviro cloth, window cloth,dusting mitt, dish mat, car cloth, fridge so fresh, timeless lip balm and more, valued over $150
Jessica Torres of One Earth is offering a Henna Candle Cube & Hamsa Tassel, valued at $55
Terra Sim of Origami Owl Canada is offering a medium locket with 2 charms and a cable chain, valued over $72
Andrea Piraino of Overstitched is offering a handmade fabric banner for Spring, valued at $30
Lindsay Koorneef of Plum Tree Wood Shop & Design is offering a handmade wood birthday board with 20 square tiles in color scheme of her choice, valued at $50
Sarah Vander Weir of Scentsy is offering a full size warmer, Scentsy bars, and other Scentsy products, valued over $75
Joanne Lampman of Sunset Gourmet is offering a gift certificate and a gift basket, containing 6 yummy sunset gourmet products, total valued at $85
Amanda Stoffels of Sweetest Sunday Designs is offering a gift certificate toward any jewelry, clutch or scarf, valued at $35
Kate Pataran of The Balanced Life is offering a wood-grain menu-planning chalkboard 15 1/2″ by 24″ (sealed with clear chalkboard paint so you can write on it!), valued at $50
Angela Vuyk of The Cottage Shed is offering a gift certificate towards custom finishing a furniture item or towards an in stock purchase, valued at $50
Elysia Northrup of Thirty One Gifts is offering a Perfect Party Set (expands to feature two thermal water-resistant compartments sized to fit 9″x13″ pans) and a Perfect Bottle Thermal (this fashionable beverage tote keeps your drinks cool on the way to the party and can be reused time and time again), valued at $94
Brandy Ford of Tupperware is offering a basket of Tupperware goodies, valued at $100
Cindy Kyle of Vintage Vogue is offering a FUSION diy paint kit including a small rustic wooden bucket, 3 x Tester Size (37 ml) jars of FUSION paint, a great quality paint brush, a $20 Gift Certificate towards purchase in store of any FUSION or Country Chic Paint Products, valued at $50
{Niagara Newborn Photographer} Phoenix | Fresh Life
My littlest man and a collection of images I’ve taken along the way.
I am beyond thankful that we were able to have a full session done with him and our family so that anything I got of him was icing on the cake. Photographing your own newborn isn’t easy when you factor in your own lack of sleep, baby’s sense of smell for mummy’s milk and the busyness of life during this time of adjustment. As much as I often wish I could spend the day photographing him, there are other children to care for and naps to take and life to attend to, so the times I do get to steal into the studio with him are precious to me!
4 days old
8 days old
24 days old
{Niagara Baby Photographer} August Baby Co | A Giveaway
It’s Monday, which isn’t my favorite of days, especially when the weather is -23, HOWEVER it is bright and sunshiny outside and I am excited to share this giveaway with you all!
August Baby Co makes these gorgeous felt elephants in a variety of colors, and when I first saw it, I had to have one for Phoenix. It’s handmade by a local artist, Alyssha Scanlin, and it’s soft and so sweet. I love to incorporate natural organic items like these into my home decor and I especially love it when I can support local female entrepreneurs. Alyssha is so sweet, she has offered you the chance to win one in the color of your choice!
(photos are not mine, credit belongs to August Baby Co.)
I asked Alyssha to share a little about herself and her business, read on.
I started making felt products about 2 years ago as my daughter started playing with toys – I began making her toys out of felt. That led to making decorations and all kinds of felt stuff. It became what I would gift all of my friends kids and soon all my girlfriends began requesting different felt products. I then realized this was something really special and loved among many moms.
What’s your vision/goal for your company?
My vision is to be able to provide adorable high quality handmade items to Moms who are unable to make things themselves. My goal is to be able to eventually produce my own fabrics and custom prints to incorporate into my designs. I envision my products to have big city style while made with hometown love
What other products do you make/sell?
I also make beautiful handmade baby blankets and nursery bedding. I incorporate a lot of very mature patterns and color pallets for the stylish mom. I love the option to have something extremely stylish and unique and to not take your baby out with a blanket that every other mom has. Being a mom is all about being an individual so I love my baby blankets to reflect that.
Where can we find you? (Links to FB, insta, shop, etc.)
Instagram | @augustbabyco
{Niagara Newborn Photographer} Phoenix | The Birth Story
As a photographer, I see a lot of birth photography in my Facebook feed and it never fails to bring tears to my eyes. It’s raw, emotional, real, and captures a completely life altering moment. I was so excited to have Megan Byl of Megan Strating Photography attend our birth. She was so professional- easy to talk to in the quiet moments, and disappeared into the background when things started picking up. These images are just a few of my favorites, there are so many more personal moments that she captured that we will keep for ourselves. I am SO thankful that I have these, and I have to say, we really noticed that we were able to focus on each other and on Phoenix when we didn’t have to think about of capturing any of it on camera ourselves.
My water broke at 6:30 in the morning in the middle of a huge snowstorm, the biggest Niagara has experienced yet this year. Of course my husband was out snowplowing over an hour away and I was home with 4 kids and no way to get to the hospital any time soon. To say I was a little panicked was an understatement, considering the last 2 children arrived within a few hours after labor began, and I had never had my water break on it’s own. Thankfully, Greg was able to come home quite quickly, my mother in law walked over to be with the kids and we safely drove to the hospital in a big old plow truck- no safer ride out there! Phoenix decided to make us wait the entire day- but that extra time made all the difference in labor as I had time to dilate and the contractions were much easier to deal with than they had been in the last two (faster) births. The midwives were fantastic in helping me get through the contractions, I have never had such a great experience with a birth. Thank you Jen and Taryn! Finally, Phoenix Nile Donker was born at 7:08 pm (Monday, February 2nd, 2015). He was 11 days early. We were so excited to meet him and were completely surprised to see that he had red hair! All of our children have looked so different at birth and he was no exception. We are all head over heels in love with him and are settling in nicely. His big brother is so proud of him and his sisters love on him constantly. We are so thankful to our heavenly Father for watching over us, providing us with safe travels on the dangerous roads and making all things well with labor and delivery. I’ve been sharing a few images on Facebook but you’ll find a lot more over on Instagram if you care to follow me there.
