2014 : The Biggest Moments

Whew! 2014, you have been quite the year. The past 365 days have been some of the best, but hardest days of my life. I can honestly say that it's been my most challenging year and full of my greatest adventures. From the way 2015 is looking, it's going to be full of new experiences that will continue to shape and amaze me. Here's a look back at some of my biggest moments of 2014:

My girls and I during our grad photo shoot

Completing my final year of college while pregnant and graduating from my graphic design program with honours

Getting discharged from the hospital

Having my gallbladder attacks behind me by getting the offending organ removed

Dan and I on a summer adventure

Celebrating seven years of being married to Daniel and a decade of being a couple

My darling girl and I apple picking

Going apple-picking and corn-mazing down the valley for the first time

Before and after a month of whole30

Completing my first round of Whole30, as well as not only losing the baby weight, but getting to my lowest body weight since high-school - I'm almost 30 lbs lighter than before I got pregnant

Moments old, little (big!) scrunchy Violet

My biggest accomplishment - giving birth to our precious baby girl, Violet Raine

Daddy and his girl in matching colours

Watching my husband become an amazing father

Violet brings them so much joy

Watching my parents become incredible grandparents for the first time, and Dan's parents continuing to be great grandparents

Our first Christmas as a family of three

Learning how to become a mother and a better wife

Thanks for an incredible year, 2014. I can't wait to see what happens in 2015!

Christmas Gallery Wall

This year, I forbid myself from spending on Christmas decor, save for a few items that were $5 or less. We live in a small one-bedroom apartment, and with three totes full of Christmas decor stored in the basement, I couldn't bear the thought of more stuff. Oh, and I wanted to save money ;)

Our living room has a gallery wall arranged around our television. It seemed like a great place to decorate, since I would simply be replacing items on the wall, instead of cluttering up our space. Here's what our wall looks like normally:

… and after a little holiday spruce up:

The only item that I purchased was the "happy holidays" sign from our local grocery store for beans. I snagged the wreath from our bedroom and replaced it with a simple framed image. The skating Santa and Mrs. Claus (who's crazy thin, eh?) came from a Mary Englebrit journal from 2007 and I tacked the page up with a couple of strips of washi tape. I always have a stack of canvasses on hand, and I had one that I was stuck on. I covered it over entirely and started fresh, and made the simple red canvas. I think I may keep it up for longer than just December!

I stuck an artificial evergreen garland and white lights on the top of the bookshelf, along with a set of three wooden white trees that came from Wicker Emporium a year or two ago that I purchased with birthday money. The red "joy" marquee sign was purchased at Target a couple of weeks ago with this year's birthday money. Simple, plain, but jazzes up our space just enough.

Side note: I'm attempting to learn how to use my dSLR in manual mode, so forgive my blurry pictures, would you? There's a learning curve that I'm desperately clinging to and it's taking some serious time.

How about you? What approach do you take to decorating for the holidays? Do share!

A Christmas Invitation

I'm popping in to extend an invitation to you for this upcoming Sunday. Our church is putting on a community Christmas carolling event that all are welcome to attend. I had fun designing the mailbox stuffer invitation for the event. Please join us if you're in the area!

Happy Thursday!

Christmas Ornament Swap

This year, I participated in a fun blog swap organized by Leigh of All You Need Is Love . It was for Canadian bloggers (score!) to exchange Christmas ornaments - great idea, right?

For the swap, I was paired up with Jen of Daydreams & Shoestrings. (You can see what I sent to her in Jen's post on the exchange.) We were encouraged to share our decorating style or theme with our partners. I told Jen that at Christmas, I love to decorate with white, red and natural ornaments and decor. She took that and ran with it! Look at the goodies that she sent me:

Such sweet choices! Two little owls made out of natural fibres, and a wooden tree with the year and occasion written on the back. Even the red bag with the vines and moose was spot on with my decorating style (a bigger shot of it is back at the top of the post). A package of peppermint sticks was a fun addition. The Christmas card was cheery and sweet, too:

To top things off, Jen had checked out my blog and noticed our little nugget. She sent the sweetest little soft penguin for Violet! Thanks Jen, Violet snuggled up to him right away. He's a new favourite around here. V only let me snap one picture before Mr. Penguin started being swung around for dear life.

If you have the opportunity to participate in a blogger swap of any kind, I highly recommend it. I've enjoyed my experience every time that I've been involved in a swap. Canadian shipping is a real downer, with the cost and speed, but the benefits of the swap outweigh that.

Thanks for the swap, Leigh and Jen! Those ornaments are getting me one step closer to being decorated for Christmas :)

Shutterfly : My Own Experience

As I mentioned last week, I've been ordering from Shutterfly recently. Back in June, I had a graduation photo shoot done with my graphic design classmates. One of our instructors, Wendy McElmon, is a professional photographer, and she did our session. With a hot-off-the-press Violet in tow, we strolled the streets, looking for the perfect locations. We got some really neat shots!

I'm bad for leaving my photos on my computer, but since this was a professional shoot, I was determined to take advantage of it. After consulting with a few friends, I chose Shutterfly to design and print my photo book. Their program was easy to use, and had great, simple page layouts. 

If I have any advice to share, it's this: cell phone photos don't print super clearly straight from the phone. If you have access to any photo-editing software, take the time to change the DPI to something a bit more print-quality. Some of the other items I've had printed that were phone photos didn't turn out so hot. I've had great luck with the album, though!

The great thing about Shutterfly is that they always have a deal or promotion going on. Don't ever order full price! If you're patient, the deal that you're looking for is right around the corner. 

I have one of those promos to share with you today! From today through December 8th, you can save 50% off of select photo books, cards, stationary and calendars with the code BESTOFFER . Can't beat that! I'm not sure if your item will arrive by the holidays, but the books make fantastic Christmas presents. I may or may not have ordered one as a gift myself!

Thanks for letting me share my grad book with you today. Let me know if you cash in on any offers! I'm an affiliate of Shutterfly, so I'll get a small percentage if you order anything through my links, but I was not asked nor will I be compensated for this post. I just wanted to share with you. Have a great weekend! 

My Christmas Bucket List

It's December 4th and I'm so eager to make plans for the month! Christmas is my favourite holiday, and there are oodles of fun and wonderful ways to celebrate. It's easy to get bogged down with the unnecessary spending, and if you're far away from friends and family, that's challenging to. Creating a list of things you'd like to experience in the month is a great way to distract yourself from the less than pleasant parts of the season. This year, I hope to start many traditions with our family that we can repeat in years to come.

Here's my bucket list for the 2014 holidays, and my progress so far:

- Drink a candy cane hot chocolate
- Go to a Christmas cookie swap
- Attend a Christmas market
- Donate toys and gifts to a local organization
- Design a Christmas invitation
- Go to our church's Christmas carol service
- Find the perfect Christmas tree
- Wrap presents while Christmas music is playing
- Bake treats for our neighbours
- Send a Christmas card with Violet's photo
- Go for brunch with Dan
- Take Violet to meet Santa
- Partake in a blog ornament swap
- Organize my Christmas decor and only keep what I love
- Buy Violet a set of Christmas pyjamas
- Watch Elf with my family
- Find a new favourite Christmas movie
- Remember the "reason for the season"
- Celebrate the holiday with both sides of our families
- Decide on a Christmas eve tradition
- Introduce Violet to snow
- Deliver presents and visit with friends
- Find new hors d'oeuvres recipes
- Photograph as many experiences as possible

How about you? Any fun plans for the holidays or new traditions that you're starting? Do share!

I'm linking up with Shannan over at Flower Patch Farmgirl who's sharing all things Christmas.

Happy Thursday!

Survey : Some Q + As

I love the gorgeous views of my country life

It's question time: I was tagged by Heidi to complete this fun survey. I'm always game to share random facts, or to read surveys that others share. The questions are usually fun, sometimes thought provoking, but always interesting. Read on to learn a little bit more about me!

4 Names People Call Me, Other Than My Real Name:

1 - Kate, especially males for some reason

2 - Mama (when I'm being referred to for Violet's sake)

3 - Babe, baby, darlin', sweetheart by Dan

4 - Carly Rae Jepsen by my little brother, because of the style of my bangs

4 Jobs I've Had:

1 - Grocery store clerk

2 - Cash office co-ordinator

3 - Baker

4 - Short order cook

4 Movies I've Watched More Than Once:

1 - Zoolander

2 - Run Fatboy Run

3 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

4 - Madagascar 2 

4 Books or Authors I'd Recommend:

1 - Shauna Niequist

2 - Nesting Place by The Nester aka Myquillyn Smith

3 - A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

4 - Dee Henderson

4 Places I've Lived:

1 - Mabou, Cape Breton

2 - Halifax, Nova Scotia

3 - Sydney, Cape Breton

4 - Current location :)

4 Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:

1 - Hanging out in the library, browsing the shelves, sipping on a hazelnut soy steamer

2 - Thrifting! Always.

3 - Walking with my little family on the Inverness boardwalk in warm weather

4 - Spending some much-needed girl time with any of my favourite gal pals

4 Of My Favourite Foods and Beverages:

1 - Thai, thai, thai.

2 - Scallops and a sweet potato salad

3 - Fun and interesting types of herbal tea and hot chocolate

4 - Chocolate anything

4 Shows I Watch:

1 - Brooklyn Nine Nine (Just started - it's hilarious!)

2 - The Good Wife

3 - Suits

4 - Food Truck Face Off

4 Things I'm Looking Forward To This Year:

1 - Celebrating Christmas for the first time as a family of three

2 - A recently booked trip for just Dan and I

3 - Purchasing our first home and making it our own

4 - Making connections with new people

4 Things I'm Always Saying:

1 - "Babe, would you do me a huge favour?" as the ever nagging wife (it's not usually huge) ;)

2 - "Violettttt…" to my sweet baby girl

3 - "Hey, what are you up to?" when I dial someone on the telephone

4 - "Guess what?" when I have something fun to share, even if I know the person will never guess

I'd love if you joined in through the comments. Do you like quizzes as much as I do? Do share!

Happy Tuesday!

Multitude Monday : December 1, 2014

 

Good morning! Since it's Monday, I think I'll tackle another Multitude Monday. What's that? In case you're unfamiliar with the concept, or new to the blog, I'll explain the theory behind it. Each week, I like to list ten things that I'm currently thankful for. It's a great way to start my week off on a positive note, especially on Monday morning - which is usually a down-in-the-dumps time of the week. Feel free to chime in through the comments, on your own blog, or in a journal - you could even list a few things on your fridge as a gentle reminder this week.

I turned 28 last week, and celebrated in so many fun ways with my family and friends. I'll take this Multitude Monday to share what I'm thankful for in regards to my recent birthday. (And by the way, December 1st?? Where has 2014 gone?!)

Here's a list of the ten things that I'm currently thankful for:

821 - meeting up with my graphic design gals for a tasty brunch at my friend's new place

822 - getting to sleep in on the morning of my birthday while Dan looked after baby girl

823 - a delicious lunch and get-together with special friends on my birthday

824 - thoughtful and awesome birthday presents and cards

825 - sweet Facebook messages, texts, and notes on my wall full of well wishes

826 - a pizza supper and amazing flour less chocolate cake with my mom and youngest brother

827 - celebrating another year of my life filled with blessings

828 - having an ever-changing darling of a daughter to celebrate with this year

829 - being one year closer to maturity… bahahaha, yeah right!

830 - looking forward to an exciting year ahead

What about you? What are you thankful for? Do share!

Happy Monday!

Katie Recommends: Shutterfly

I'm just popping in to mention a few amazing Black Friday deals from Shutterfly and Tiny Prints. I've ordered numerous items from Shutterfly in the past, including a graduation photo book that I will share next week. I've ordered numerous Christmas presents for family members through Shutterfly, they have really neat personalized ideas. But here's a little secret: I never order full-price! There's always a coupon code around the corner.

I'm such a fan of Shutterfly that I decided to become an affiliate of their company! What does that mean for you? Promo codes and coupons for really great offers for the thrifty gal! I'll be adding an ad to my sidebar here on the blog, but I'll also let you know when an amazing offer or two comes along. What does it mean for me? If you click and order through a link that I've shared, or through my sidebar ad, I get a small commission from the sale. Moral of the story: if ordering from Shutterfly or Tiny Prints, I'd appreciate if you use my links! Transparency, y'all.

The Thanksgiving / Black Friday coupon codes that I have to share with you today from Shutterfly:

Offers for new customers:
- One set of free address labels with the code LABELSROCK; offer valid 11/27 - 11/30
- Save $20 off orders of $60 or more with code 20OFF60; offer valid 11/27 - 12/02

Offers for all customers:
- Free 12 month photo calendar with code FREECAL; offer valid 11/25 - 11/28
- 10 free cards with code BLACKFRIDAY; offer valid 11/27 - 11/30
- Free card with code CARD4U; offer ongoing

I've cashed in on a few of the coupon codes myself! There's no gimmick, you will need to pay for shipping. I'll be sharing more coupon codes and deals as they come along, sometimes on the bottom of one of my regular posts, so keep your eyes peeled. Let me know if you get any great deals yourself!

Happy Thursday, and Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!

Whole 30 Friendly Snack : Fruit and Nut Bites

Dan and I just completed our first round of Whole 30. I hope to discuss our experience in the next few weeks, once I've gathered my thoughts, and Dan may weigh in, too. I am also planning on sharing a few Whole 30 recipes that we developed, just like today's recipe!

We often searched the internet and Pinterest for Whole 30 compliant recipes and ideas. I even created a Pinterest board of Whole 30 recipes that appealed to me, which, to be honest, wasn't that many! One area that was severely lacking was Whole 30 friendly snacks. I don't know about you, but after a month of eating veggies, fruit, and bits of chicken or meat for snacks, a person tends to want some variety. Most Paleo friendly snacks that came up during our search included honey or maple syrup, which are both taboo while completing the Whole 30. I have several recipes for energy bites that I used to use regularly, but they aren't Whole 30 compliant. I came up with a modified version that can be enjoyed guilt free! These fruit and nut bites are gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, grain-free and egg free treats.

Fruit and Nut Bites : A Whole 30 Approved Snack

1 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 c pitted dates
2 heaping spoonfuls of almond butter
pinch of salt (optional)

Begin by soaking the dates in enough boiled water to cover. Let soak for 2 - 3 minutes. In food processor, add all ingredients. Process until the mixture achieves your desired consistence. Use an ice cream or cookie scoop or roll several tablespoons into a ball and place on parchment paper. Let chill in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Note: Raw sunflower seeds aren't high on the list of approved nuts and seeds, but they are one of the least expensive. Keep that in mind when you're snacking on these fruit and nut bites - don't go overboard.


If you give this recipe a try, I would love to hear your thoughts! Dan and I both loved them, and they'll be making a regular appearance when we make healthy snacks. They're a nice change from an apple or orange!

Wear Your Joy Project : Week 4

Wow! We made it! It's been thirty days of wearing my joy, dressing in happiness, and what a ride it's been. (You can read more about the idea behind the challenge here.) Some days I struggled to put that extra bit of effort in, and other days, I was eager to pair some funky combinations of patterns, cool colour combos, or add one more fun accessory. In the end, I found that the days that I took the time to thoughtfully choose an outfit, I felt more at ease about my garments as I went about my day. Taking the extra time is something that most of us struggle with, as busy women and mamas, but we're so worth it. Everyone in our lives benefit when we're feeling confident!

At the beginning of the 30 day challenge, I contacted my inspiration for the project, Kelly Rae Roberts to let her know about what I was doing. Here's what she had to say:

"Since starting the Wear Your Joy Project, and the following series on my blog, I've found that it's a fantastic prompt for people to step into their joy! So glad you're stepping into your joy!"

As part of the project, I have had friends joining me each week here on the blog. From week one, to week two, to week three there have been posts full of smiling faces. Now for the final week, we're going out with a bang: there are three special women that are participating. Ladies, take it away! 

"Hi, I'm Leah! I'm a blogger and a graphic designer. I work at the Horizon Achievement Centre in Sydney, and I live in North Sydney, although I grew up in Baddeck. I loved doing the "Wear Your Joy" project. Thank you, Katie, for the chance to think about what it means to "wear one's joy" -- I found that more so than the clothes I wore each day, I found myself thinking about how a smile is wearing joy on the outside. I also thought about taking my selfies in places that bring me joy: the woods, outdoors, my sunny dining room as I worked one Saturday afternoon. I only took one full-body selfie, but really, my bottom half of outfits doesn't change much on a day to day basis, as I wear a lot of jeans or dress pants. I do love skirts and heels but I also like to sneak walks into my lunch hour, and those articles of clothing don't make that easy to do. I also included my favourite jewelry these days. To sum up: for me, joy (in clothing and in life!) is simplicity, colour, and natural textures. "

This is Ashley, a mama in her mid-twenties.. She's a Canadian that's been transplanted to Boston where she lives with her hubby, toddler, and soon to be born little baby.

"I have a blue problem! It's important to me to add special touches to an outfit, which for me means a fun scarf, belt or earrings! With the cold weather this week, I incorporated my warm knit scarf and my super warn rubber boots that go perfect together!
I had fun thinking of ways to add a little bit of splash to my every day outfits."

"Hey! I'm Heidi and am lucky to call Katie one of my very best friends. I'm a blogger over at Idlehide and feel free to stop by and say hi! I liked this challenge because it made me step out of my usual clothes (work out gear or scrubs) and try to accessorize a bit. I am a very casual dresser so this was a good challenge for me!" 

That wraps up our 30 days of Wear Your Joy! Thanks so much for following along, and I hope it inspires you to dress in happiness daily. Feel up for the challenge? I'd love to hear from you if you took part in the project. "Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces." Psalm 34:5

5 Tips for Jewelry Organization

Several weeks ago, in preparation for the accessory swap that I hosted, I sorted my jewelry collection. By simply getting more organized, my freshly tidied necklaces got more wear in the days that followed than they had in months! I grouped my most worn necklaces by style – statement, delicate, chunky, long. I’m here to share five tips to get (and keep!) your jewelry organized. Here we go!

Purge Regularly

In order to make the most of your jewelry collection, it’s necessary to purge often. A regular evaluation of your glitzy wares will remind you of pieces that you haven’t worn in a while, and will inspire you to wear it or pass it on.

Group Like Objects

Feel as though you don’t have time to select a piece of jewelry during your morning routine? By grouping similar items together, such as rings in a bowl or necklaces on hooks, you can quickly choose an item to pair with your outfit without struggling through piles of tangled necklaces.

Keep Your Collection Visible

The biggest contributor to me wearing jewelry is having my pieces visible. I used to have all of my jewelry organized in out-of-sight containers and only wore a necklace or bracelet for special occasions. As soon as I organized my jewelry out in the open, I immediately wore them more!

Make It Fun!

It doesn’t matter if you have a sliver of counter space in your washroom, on your dresser, or an entire dressing table or walk-in closet – jewelry organization can be cute and eye-catching! Small bowls and containers from thrift stores, antique shops, and stores like Winners are my favourite for keeping my jewelry organized. Choosing colorful, artisan bowls or calm, monochromatic plates are both fun choices. Don’t feel like you need to purchase a “jewelry” stand.

DIY, Baby!

A DIY option is always fun for allowing your necklaces to be tangle-free, and Pinterest has oodles of tutorials. Remember that oddly shaped bowl that you created in pottery class and can’t bare to through out? It’s the perfect bowl for rings! By creating a rack or display for your jewelry, that little bit of personal touch may help you to feel more connected to your collection and wear your pieces more often.

I hope that these five tips help you to see your jewelry and accessories in a new light. Do you have any other suggestions? I’d love to hear from you!

Multitude Monday : November 17, 2014

Good morning! Since it's Monday, I think I'll tackle another Multitude Monday. What's that? In case you're unfamiliar with the concept, or new to the blog, I'll explain the theory behind it. Each week, I like to list ten things that I'm currently thankful for. It's a great way to start my week off on a positive note, especially on Monday morning - which is usually a down-in-the-dumps time of the week. Feel free to chime in through the comments, on your own blog, or in a journal - you could even list a few things on your fridge as a gentle reminder this week.

Here's a list of the ten things that I'm currently thankful for:

811 - Little V turned six months last week and popped out her first two teeth!

812 - a day away with Daniel on Saturday, baby free

813 - a delicious supper out and a Screaming Eagles hockey game - they won, too!

814 - lots of outings last week while Dan was off work

815 - celebrating a friend's birthday and retirement with a nurse-themed party

816 - hosting an accessory swap despite our first burst of poor weather

817 - getting a new to me hat and two scarves at the accessory swap

818 - dropping off bags of donated clothing - it's such an awesome feeling to get rid of excess

819 - getting my bangs back! I missed them so much.

820 - using our slow cooker left and right, and having a meal ready when we come through the door

What about you? What are you thankful for this morning? Are you working on something fun? After a busy week and weekend, I'm spending the day getting caught up on laundry and housework. I also want to plan our meals for the week, and V and I might get to my brother's first high school basketball game of the season this evening. Happy Monday!