Hands on Keepsakes

Hands on Keepsakes Holiday Gift Guide

2011-11-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

We're very excited for the first year to bring you our Holiday Gift Guide. Sit back, relax and let us make your Christmas shopping easy...

Silver Name Pendant with Mini Heart

Personalized Hand/Foot Print Pendant

Circle of Love Pendant

Mom Heart, Hugs & Kisses Keyring

Personalized Silver Dog Tag

Bronze Artwork Keyring

Custom Golf Ball Markers

Dad Hearts, Hugs & Kisses Keyring

Bronze Artwork Keyring

Silver Heart Dangle Earrings

Silver Pawprint Pendant

Bronze Pawprint Keyring

All of our Bronze Holiday Decorations are mailed ready to hang on the Christmas Tree. We include a keyring to replace the red and green ribbon so that once the Holiday Season is over they are easily converted to keyrings.

Baby's First Christmas

Custom Handmade Christmas Decoration

Custom Holiday Tags (available in any number)

We Love Grandma Holiday Decoration/Keyring

Personalized Name Holiday Decoration/Keyring

Each finished piece is mailed to you in a gift box ready for gift giving.

We are happy to work with you to create a custom piece perfect for anyone on your Christmas list this year. Each print (hand, foot and paw print) order includes an easy to use and mess free kit. You are 100% in control of the design process. Before we begin your piece we will email you with designs which you are able to make unlimited changes to until you see the design you're happy with.

If you have any further questions/inquiries or to place your order:

SARAH ~ sarah@handsonkeepsakes.com

RACHELLE ~ rachelle@handsonkeepsakes.com

We wish you a stress free upcoming Holiday Season and look forward to making personalized pieces for you this season!

Happy Summer

2011-07-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Uh oh! We haven't blogged in a LONG time! We won't put an exact number on it but we're happy to say it has been a very busy last couple of months!

And now summer is here! We thought we'd make it official and say we'll be taking a break from blogging for the summer. Please note this is blogging only and we will still be happily taking orders :)

We have so much on the horizon and are looking forward to some upcoming exciting changes! Wishing you all a wonderful summer!

Evolution of an idea

2011-03-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Last September Rachelle and I met for coffee to discuss our Christmas plans - for the business, not the turkey and stuffing kind!

I was excited, I had an idea. We ordered coffee and I handed Rachelle my prototype, a hastily made bunch of cardboard strips held together with string!!!! Luckily for me Rachelle saw past the kindergarten level construction and agreed they could be a great addition to our products. Later that night they got their name - Tree Tags!

The idea was a customer could order personalized Christmas decorations. These could feature whatever they liked: Family members, dates, pets.........

These were some of our initial ideas and orders. Then we realized these could be the gift that kept on giving, as after Christmas they could be transformed into key chains, with a split ring that we included:

People loved them and we made over 70 of them between October and Christmas. We loved the way people used their imagination, we made a Tree Tag for Makka Pakka (a character from the polpular children's program 'The Night Garden') we did 10 'friendship' tags for 10 alumni attending a 10 year college reunion, a lady ordered 17 so all the children in her family could have one on their tree.

Then came January.

No more tree tags :( Or so we thought........

How wrong we were:)

No longer called Tree Tags, on Jan 10th we got an order for 3 date key rings. Our customer wanted them like tags but with horizontal writing rather than vertical:

We loved the idea and the end result and our customer graciously allowed us to use her idea and photos of her pieces. In fact it was when my husband was photographing those pieces that he came up with the idea of security tags:

These could have either a telephone number or email address on one side and, 'if found, contact' on the reverse. I did agree to make him a freebie for his trouble!

The next phase of the evolution I can take credit for though....wedding and engagement tags. The couples names or initials on one side and then their anniversary date on the other:

What's next in the development of this product? I have no idea but I hope we shall see the Tree Tag in many more forms for a very long time to come. What would you like to see on them?

Spring is in the Air!

2011-03-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

Uh oh! The fact that our last blog post was titled Winter Wonderland and this one is 'Spring is in the Air' proves how long it's been since our last blog post! Work in progress!

Today the sun was shining and the boys and I spent the afternoon outside. What a relief and breath of fresh air (literally) spring is!

We spent the afternoon in the sandbox, playing football (soccer) and sorting through outdoor toys. Of course Mr. Jacob had to enjoy his first official handful of sand, which shouldn't surprise me to say that he thoroughly enjoyed it. Again a huge relief with baby number two, knowing that a handful of sand does not warrant a trip to the doctor to ease the never ending first time Mommy worry!

I always start off with the best gardening intentions and fully convince myself that one day my garden will look like this...

I'm only missing a few minor details!

I'll be back later in the week to showcase some of our personalized products for the upcoming Mother's Day (May 8th!). Time to start hinting to the men in your lives :)

Until then, I guess since it's spring the unavoidable spring cleaning must begin.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Winter Wonderland

2011-03-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I got to do something I love, I went boarding:)

Friends of ours booked a chalet for 12 and 3 families packed all their known possessions (at least it seemed like it) and met in beautiful Big White. It was freezing, -70 at the top of the lifts, consequently night skiing was cancelled, no worries the kids played the adults drank and the snow came drifting down.

Saturday we got the oldest kids ready for their first ski lesson, there were no ski boots small enough for Annie, (good things come in little parcels), so Daddy took her sledging and I got to go boarding with one of the other Dads. It had warmed up a bit and the snow was still coming down and it was just amazing to be out in it. I discovered that it is like riding a bike and I managed to not make a complete fool of myself.

Jemma looking the part with her skiis

After a few runs we snuck down to see how the kids were getting on and relieve the other parents so they could get a few turns in. The kids were doing great, especially as they weren't at all sure about having a lesson before they started, we got to have a real good up close and personal look at them as they didn't recognize us with all our kit on!

Trying the magic carpet

Pizza slice anyone?

We then found our respective spouses and told them it was their turn to do a few runs. They looked at their hot chocolates, looked at the snow still coming down and finally looked at the plummeting thermometer and declined - RESULT. No need to ask us twice we headed back out and nearly made it to last lift, just lack of feeling in hands and toes stopped us!!

Sunday we checked out the skating rink, it was still snowing and you couldn't see the ice, it was idyllic.

Skating at the winter wonderland

It was a fabulous weekend with friends and family and I hope it's not another 2 years 'till we get to go again!

What Completes You?

2011-02-21T15:16:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the year I came across a new trend. I noticed instead of people making New Year's resolutions they were picking a word for 2011. Some examples: patience, kindness, happiness, etc. I immediately jumped at patience. Thinking as a Mother of two boys this HAD to be my word!

This weekend I was lucky enough to enjoy a wonderful long weekend skiing in Lake Louise with my Dad and two sisters. It felt so good to get away, sit down for meals and not talk about pirates or wipe noses all day, everyday.

As much as I loved getting away and spending time with my family I noticed a sincere sense that something was missing. I felt incomplete.

I've been talking a lot recently about how content and complete I've been feeling recently. I started a new lifestyle that has me back to feeling like the 'real me'. I am enjoying it more and more every day and can't believe the effects it has on every aspect of my life.

And these boys (and hubby too!)...

they are what truly completes me.

So if you haven't caught on to what my new 'Word of 2011' is, it's:

COMPLETE

I'd love to hear what your 'Word for 2011' is and what completes you. I'm not going to lie, a glass of wine at the end of some days certainly adds to my feeling of completion!

Here's to another 'complete' week!

A Year Ago Today...

2011-02-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

I went for the power walks of all power walks. Adam Lambert's 'Whataya Want From Me' blaring on my ipod. It was my official I AM D-O-N-E BEING PREGNANT anthem.

As far back as I remember all of our birthdays wouldn't be complete without the "...one year ago today..." talk from my Mom. As a child I always laughed the conversation off... that is until I had a child myself. My boys will be celebrating each and every birthday with the same chat. Mind you, I'll probably be reminding them of it on my death bed!

So in true tradition...

One year ago today I was beyond anxious. I had it in my head that I would be at home with Mark, James and newborn watching the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Only problem... I wasn't due until the next day.

It's amazing what hiking up a hill, running down the hill after a ball, jumping around in a pool during aqua fit and complaining non stop while almost due will do!

I woke up at 5am Wednesday morning with contractions (yippee!). I'm still undecided what's worse... going into labour with your first and being completely blinded at what's to come or being FULLY aware the second time around of what's waiting for you around the corner!

I ran around like a crazy person trying to get things done as I knew the inevitable was coming. Another difference between one and two... every thing's packed and prepared with your first... number two is always a race to the finish!

A fast and furious ending and you were born...

The missing piece of our family. I immediately felt an immense sense of contentment. We were complete :)

Two boys... uh oh! A brother that was so in love with you from the beginning... a true 'bro-mance'!

We are so in love with you Mr. Jacob.

This first year with you has gone by so fast. I am genuinely scared of what the future will bring as you certainly are our 'wild child'. That being said I can't imagine a day without you. It feels like you have forever been ours.

Happy 1st birthday baby boy! And yes, just like in the book:

"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be"

Kicking Off the Business Feature!

2011-02-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

We're so excited to kick off our business feature as mentioned in this blog post. We thought the best way to give you all an idea would be for us to volunteer as the guinea pigs! So please sit back and relax, some questions are serious and others are meant for your enjoyment :) Rachelle in blue and Sarah is the lady in red ;)

A few words to introduce yourself:

My name is Rachelle McGlinchey. I am a proud Mom to two boys (James almost four and Jacob almost one) and married my 'high school sweetheart'. I grew up with two sisters where my Dad was the outcast and find myself enjoying all of the testosterone that overwhelms our house!

I'm Sarah and I met Rachelle, 9 years ago when she was still going out with her childhood sweetheart! This was long before kids, my husband and I had been in Canada for just a couple of years after emigrating from the UK. Rachelle's sweetheart's family (and of course Rachelle) became our adopted family in Canada, their friendship and support to us newcomers, fresh off the boat was invaluable. Now I have 2 girls and our 4 kids are growing up together.

Tell us about your business:

Hands on Keepsakes-We take baby/children and even adults' hand/footprints, artwork and pet's paw prints and miniaturize them onto pure Silver (99.9%) pendants and Bronze key rings. We also do custom pieces which we love and can't believe what amazing ideas some of our customers have! We're trying to expand our product range all the time, adding items that are not specific to children like our new Circle of Love pendant that features loved ones names and a favorite saying on the back or our wedding tags (watch this space for their launch) which have the happy couple's wedding date on one side and their initials or names on the other.

Why did you start your own business?

I think we seem to fall into the usual category of a young family wanting to find an option where I could be at home with the boys. A mutual friend gave us an idea that we both loved and we jumped at the opportunity. I don't think I would have been able to go through the process of starting up a business without having Sarah right by my side. At times it felt like two steps forward and TEN steps back! To have such a wonderful and supportive friend riding this roller coaster with me is invaluable!

It has been a very steep learning curve for both of us. I remember when we first started saying one of us would do the business for two weeks then the other would do it for two weeks so we'd get a break - how naive we were, we both get panic attacks if we have to leave it for a weekend!!! Though having a partner is invaluable, and I didn't realise how much so until we were a long way down this road. I was able to go home for 3 weeks last year and Rachelle looked after everything, and somehow Rachelle found time to have a baby last year, though I swear she only took a long weekend off work!

What has been your proudest moment as a business owner?

This Christmas really blew me away. As we introduced our new 'Christmas line' the response was overwhelming. When we started getting feedback from people saying that our bronze decorations would be a part of their family Christmas tradition for years to come was beyond words! We always try to follow up with our customers and to hear that someone has received one of our products and that it makes them cry tends to bring a little tear to my eye :) Seeing people wearing our pieces is a very exciting moment as well!

I agree Rachelle, it was also pretty cool when we had an editorial published on a local website and we had 700 hits on our website in a day along with numerous orders, there was also a dash of stress mixed in there too as there was only one week to go to Christmas.

Where do you see your business in five years?

Who thought of these questions!? Just kidding! In five years I'll have two boys in school which makes me think I'll be able to focus more time and energy on Hands on Keepsakes. One of our biggest frustrations is having SO MUCH that we want to do but knowing that our family is who needs us the most. Our eventual goal is growing Hands on Keepsakes to the point of employing other Moms who are looking for the same thing we're looking for.

Flexibility, growth and a little escape from the day to day! I'm so proud of how far Hands on Keepsakes has come in the year and a half and am confident we will continue to grow!

OK here come the fun ones...tell us the most stressful/overwhelming/emotional moment as a business owner.

Last Father's Day season we were so excited to be getting tons of orders for Bronze key rings. We had been struggling with a certain step in the production of the key rings that was causing them to finish with cracks, bubbles, etc. The thought of a customer's order not arriving in time for their husband to open on Father's Day was heart breaking. Between Sarah and I there were many sleepless nights! Luckily UPS offers overnight shipping (not at an affordable rate!) and everyone received their gifts on time. Felt like a million pounds had been lifted off my shoulders! And just like every learning experience we were able to work out the problem and have corrected it!

That's definitely the most stressful time we've had. But we also had two long term contracts, one with a credit card services provider (other small businesses please be careful their salesmen are salesmen for a reason and don't necessarily follow through on what they promise) and the other with a very specific advertising company. Both relationships should have been a perfect fit for us, both turned into a nightmare. Rachelle and I spent countless hours extracting ourselves from these contracts which was not at all fun and took far too much time away from building the business. It feels so good now to start 2011 with all that behind us and has made us a lot more wary of promises that seem too good to be true!

Describe your work space.

I currently have two separate work spaces throughout the house. The computer is obviously where all of the emails, orders, designing, etc take place. I also have a space for my studio where all of the jewelry making happens! I am selfishly contemplating having my boys share a bedroom with bunk beds (fun right!) so I can take over a full room and create one space for me! This is my vision:

My husband could whip this up in one weekend no problem ;) No problem at all for Mr. Handy:)

Sarah's not answering this question because I'm SUPER jealous of her studio :) So thoughtful!

Top three places you'd like to travel.

1. Machu Picchu in Peru

2. Angkor Wat in Cambodia

3. Paris :)

1. New York (when the US Open tennis is on)

2. Augusta (when the Masters golf is on)

3. Sydney (when the Ashes cricket is on)

Spot the theme - I don't get out much!

Favorite song at the moment.

White blank page- Mumford & Sons

Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, my 3 year old is still singing it - as I said I don't get out much.

Favorite quote(s).

Dr. Seuss- Oh! The Places You'll Go!- I LOVE this entire book. I get emotional when I read it to the boys. And another Dr. Seuss one that I love is from his book 'Happy Birthday to You'- "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you." LOVE it!

I admit I cheated and looked up some quotes and this one raised a smile, I think it's going to be true of me and Rachelle for a long time to come;).

Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work.

Robert Orben

Good one!

For the next three months I'm following a certain 'lifestyle' that has restricted a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of foods from my diet... so you all know I have to throw in a food question!

If faced with having to choose between ONE food item for the rest of your life, what would it be?

It's between chocolate (I am female!) and Sapporo Ichiban Original soup (Not. Even. Joking. Love that stuff!). I'm going to go with chocolate because there could be many varieties... hazelnut, peanuts, almond, dried fruit and Ichiban is always the same declicous soup with noodles :)

Cereal every time.

One last one to finish things off... and make it interesting!

Name your celebrity crush.

Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. Seriously google him. And no need to worry about my hubby... I've made him completely aware of this!

Simon Cowell, the only reason The Idol was worth watching. Yummy.

So there we have it! I hope you were able to find some fun in our first business feature. It can be completely silly or serious... totally up to you!

If you are interested in being featured please email rachelle@handsonkeepsakes.com. We look forward to introducing you to some other wonderfully talented business owners!

A New Lifestyle

2011-01-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I came across a program that a local gym was accepting applications for. They were providing a free three month gym membership, personal trainer and access to many other wonderful opportunities. Thinking that this was my chance I submitted my application and crossed my fingers and toes.

Finding out I was one of the accepted applicants I was BEYOND thrilled! Zero excuses now!

Last Tuesday we met with our personal trainer and it started a little something like this, "Nutrition is 80-90% of your success...". I'm sorry WHAT!? I knew the next sentence was not looking good. Sure enough we were introduced to the Paleo lifestyle.

No bread, pasta, cheese, dairy of any kind and quite obviously some other desired food items. Insert the longest and deepest sigh here.

Knowing at this point I didn't have much to loose I told myself I could do this! It's been over a week (yes I waited a week to blog about this to make sure I could do it!) and with a few hiccups along the way I'm still hanging in there! I had amazing results in the first week and will be doing my best to stick to it!

But as it always seems when you know you can't have something it just makes you want it ten times more! I have stooped to some pretty ridiculous levels.

Today when James asked if he could have just one more cookie (with a cookie mustache) I agreed but only if I got a kiss... secretly hoping there would be the tiniest crumb. I find myself asking people the most detailed information about their meals.

Either way this is a journey to a much healthier lifestyle and an opportunity to learn a ton. Here's the quote that's keeping me going:

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." - Beverly Sills

So all I need to know now is who wants to join me!? Come on, haven't I sold you all on this lifestyle!?

Wishing everyone else out there who is exploring a new lifestyle change (drastic or not!) the best of luck!

PS- Watch for our first Business Feature in the next couple days. We're just putting the finishing touches on ours and look forward to some laughs :)

Introducing...

2011-01-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

Hands on Keepsakes has been an incredible growing experience for Sarah and I. The past year and a half has been filled with excitement! We've been able to work with so many wonderful people, take hand/footprints of some pretty cute kiddos, work with many 'Mini Picassos' and have built friendships with many customers.

Sometimes I think about my life without Hands on Keepsakes and I know there would be a huge emptiness.

Throughout our journey we continue to come across many other entrepreneurs with amazing stories. Knowing that I am not alone at certain moments of craziness and connecting with such talented people is inspiring. And we all need a little inspiration every now and again!

Sarah and I have been struggling to come up with a blog feature that our readers would find some consistency in. We wanted a way to connect with others and we're looking forward to what we've come up with!

So here's what you can look forward to... we will be featuring a different entrepreneur with questions about their life, business, what inspires them, how they balance it all and we'll throw in some fun ones too :)

In the next couple days we'll be giving you a sneak peak at some of the questions with our answers so you can get to know us a little better!

As this will be an ongoing project we would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE comments, feedback and suggestions of any entrepreneurs you may know, or if you're an entrepreneur yourself! You can direct all suggestions, comments, etc to rachelle@handsonkeepsakes.com.

As always we thank you so much for riding along this journey with us! We are enjoying every moment and hope this will allow us to provide you all with some enjoyment and inspiration!

Making a Stand - Jewelry Stand that is

2011-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

The last thing my Dad says as he goes to bed on Christmas night is 'It's as far away as ever now'. As a small child those words sent me into a huge depression - a year is such a long time for a child. As my brother and I got older we'd groan when he said it and then it gradually became part of Christmas tradition, to the point where we'd remind him if he forgot to say it. (Like the teenagers that moan and groan to their parents to get a new trendy Christmas tree only to be mortally offended when their parents finally get 'round to it ten years later - by this time the teenagers are twenty somethings and changing the tree is equivalent to stripping them of all their childhood Christmas memories - yes my brother and I were those nightmare children too). Now we only hear Dad say it every other year, so you really want to make sure you don't miss it! He did say it this year but I don't think my girls heard him, they are still too young to appreciate that's it's part of Mummy's Christmas heritage.

When I went to the UK in the summer I asked Dad to make Rachelle and I a display piece for our jewelry for when we go to events. They went on a cruise later in the year and Mum said they had to visit every jewelry store on the ship and in port to check out the various displays so he could get ideas for ours. He designed some options and scanned them to me. I could tell he was disappointed that I chose the simplest design, he wanted something more intricate to test him more, still if that's what I wanted that's what he'd make. Five minutes after stepping in our house after a 24 hour journey it was out the case, assembled and passed around for approval.

Apologies for the quality of the photos but you get the idea

It all comes apart for flat packing and the main upright is built in two halves so the stand can be tall, as it's shown here or shorter to display key rings rather than longer pendants. I should mention that not only is Dad in his eightieth year but last spring he managed to remove the index finger of his right hand with a circular saw - and yes he is right handed. He made this after his accident and obviously had to use the said saw. Thanks Dad, I love it but more than that I love the time, effort and energy you put into making it, every time we use it you'll be thought of.

For Christmas this year Mum bought him instructions on how to build an American long case clock, so that'll be his next project......until I think up another one for him!

I heart Oprah

2011-01-11T21:56:00.000-08:00

I'm just going to get straight to the point today... Anybody watch Oprah today??

I'm in month 11 of my Maternity Leave and am proud to say this is the first time I've turned the TV on at 4pm and managed to find Oprah. I am so thankful today was the day. You can have a look here.

I'm not going to lie January for me is not the happiest of months. Christmas is over and you're hit with that New Year's resolution. No idea why I didn't pluralize 'resolution'!

My little man turns one in less than a month now and I'm struggling with this BIG time.

This kid can't get enough of toilet paper... the intervention will soon come!

It feels like just yesterday the contractions were coming and I was seriously considering my state of sanity for signing up for this AGAIN!

Now we're close to taking first steps and are in full sibling fighting mode. As much as I've been struggling with my 'Motherly emotions' today's Oprah episode put me in my place.

You will truly be inspired by the Cobles' strength and courage. Just be warned even Oprah was crying which made me feel better about my sobbing.

I'll be holding my boys that much tighter and am reminded how lucky I am. I encourage you to give your kids an extra squeeze... or two :)

After Christmas Calm?

2011-01-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

This was my 7th Christmas as a Mummy. Each year I (hope) I get a little bit more organised, things are a bit less last minute and there is more time to enjoy doing things with the family, like my Mum is in this picture.

My Mum teaching Jemma 'cats cradle' with string

I also hope there is less time getting in a panic. Although this year I had an epiphany. I realized there are only really a couple of hours on Christmas Eve, after the kids are in bed, when all the presents are wrapped, the carrots have been left out for Rudolf and turkey is waiting patiently in the fridge to be cooked that I can sit down with my glass of whatever and relax without 16 different lists of things to do wafting in and out of my consciousness. Often we watch the brilliant 1950's Alistair Simms version of A Christmas Carol and I congratulate myself on getting everything done on time without having a nervous breakdown.

However by 7.00am on Christmas Morning, less than 12 hours after feeling so smug that everything was in order the house looks like a tornado has gone through it. By the time Christmas Day is over I'm already wanting to clear out half of our possessions and start spring cleaning, there really is no rest for the wicked. Next all the Christmas decorations come down and before you know it it's time to gear up for school again, I need to go shopping for packed lunch goodies and remember library books again.

Making chocolate truffles treats

Trying out the new sledge from Santa

Luckily there are things like this to make us smile again and forget all the 'stuff' that needs doing.....after all it'll wait.

And the traditional Christmas tiger!!

I hope your house doesn't look like mine does right now and that you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Here's hoping the New Year brings everything you wish for, just think a whole year of memories just waiting to be made. Enjoy the last remnants of the Holidays.

Toys, toys and more toys!!

2010-12-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

Was I the only parent who began to have that nauseous feeling in their stomach when the collection of new toys from Christmas hit the toy room? A tornado has hit our toy room...

To avoid tackling this disaster I have walked away from this room mid motivational moments countless times. I have also managed to scrub down our microwave, oven and windows... I'm not avoiding this one bit!

Even as I write this I am 50% finished but have decided a blog break is a must.

I feel overwhelmed and grateful that my children have so many people that love them in their lives who were so generous this Christmas. It also breaks my heart knowing that there are so many parents out there who would love to give their children over flowing toy boxes but can't. As much as I believe it's important to give back during the Christmas holidays I think it's so important to always remember the need even after these moments.

All of our unused toys will be packed up and donated to a local charity. Hands on Keepsakes will also be making a donation to Kelowna Community Food Bank as a thank you to all of you who have supported us this past year.

We can't begin to thank you all enough for an amazing 2010! We're heading out tonight to celebrate with the men of Hands on Keepsakes and look forward to 2011!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year!

Art + Kids= Some Pretty Good Stats!

2010-12-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

"The only time I feel alive is when is when I'm painting." - Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night

I could stare at this all day. It reminds me of my sister who is an AMAZING painter and beyond talented.

Recently I came across some pretty crazy stats about kids and art. Side note...I'm a sucker for stats. If you're trying to get your point across to me give me a stat and I'm all ears!

In the January 2011 Today's Parent issue they have an article under their 'Steps & Stages' section called 'Encouraging creative play' (under the 3-5 years on page 93). They make suggestions for different types of creative play (art, drama, music, building and book corners).

Carol Reid, professor of Early Childhood education says creative play is valuale for preschooler because:
promotes problem solving
develops critical and abstract thinking
enhances kids' vocabularies and verbal skills
develops important social skills

Above was taken from the 'Encouraging creative play' from Today's Parent January 2011 article.

Last winter our 'toy room' consisted of a basketball hoop, a hockey net and a zillion other toys. James didn't touch any toys and only wanted to play sports (which is great but would have been nice for him to pick up Thomas every now and again!). This year he is all about the toys and imaginative play. Sometimes I can hear him acting out each of the toys character's and I don't think there is anything quite like a child's imagination.

We've been going to Family Sundays at the Kelowna Art Gallery for the last couple weeks. James absolutely loves it. The environment is perfect and the crafts are always much more exravagant that I would ever consider doing at home. It's an amazing program and we've now included it as a permanent weekend plan.

Another option is 4 Cats Art Studio. I know Jemma (Sarah's daughter) loves this place and had her birthday party there this year. James and I are hoping to try it out in the New Year!

Then comes the decision of how to display all this art work. There's always that good old fridge door!
Many months ago amidst my blog reading I came across something that I knew I had to do. It seemed like the perfect solution for us because our 'toy room' is technically our dining room. Clearly we aren't hosting lavish dinner parties at this stage in our lives and quickly gave it a new purpose. Our toy room is an open flowing room to our living room. So I needed something simple and classy.
I'm so excited with the result and how it turned out!!

I think he likes it too!
I custom ordered the wall vinyl and then proceeded to hang it crooked (major ugh!). Found the frames, cork board (thanks Devon!) and James painted them black.

Got out my trusty glue gun, a little bit of hanging and tah dah!!

'James the builder' even helped put his artwork up.

I'd love to hear about how you display your children's art and any wonderful art opportunities out there for my budding van Gogh!

Wishing you all a stress-free weekend before Christmas!

The Grandparents are coming!

2010-12-08T22:14:00.000-08:00

Apparently it's -20 degrees C in England at the moment and they're up to their necks in the white stuff - almost literally! Normally my relatives would be delighted to tell me this, it's the 'Anything you Canadians can do we can do better mentality', a bit of healthy competition never hurt anyone right? However their weather could put a real spanner in the works for our Christmas plans this year. My parents are due to fly out a week today to share Christmas with us for the fourth time. Normally I stress about having snow at this end, never at theirs, they haven't had a white Christmas in living memory...global warming?

The first Christmas they came was 6 years ago my oldest was just 6 weeks old, we lived in a 2 bed tiny condo and they came for a month, everyone said we were crazy. It was one of the best Christmas's ever.

My Dad with a 6 week old Jemma

Two years later I was the size of a small house and only 4 months pregnant! I remember so clearly writing Christmas cards and wondering what extra name I'd be adding next year. We had oodles of snow and even at 2 Jem knew better than to wear gloves in the freezing cold!!

My Mum and Dad and Daddy with helper.

Fast forward another 2 years and Anniekins Anniebins is on the scene, 18 month old and already in charge of giving the pressies out.

Christmas morning

Another 2 years on and Annie is 3 1/2 and Jemma 6 and once again Mum and Dad are making the journey over. We've been in Canada for 11 years now and we've lost count of how many times both sets of grandparents have come to see us. On the years my parents don't come for Christmas my husbands parents do. My kids have never had a Christmas without a Grandma & Grandpa visiting, unbelievable considering how far away they live. We enjoy every moment with them, conscious that it might be the last trip they make, we have to be realistic after all. I've been saying that for the last 11 years though, and, thank goodness for me they still keep coming. All we need now is a big thaw in England!!

I hope you're enjoying the season, have a wonderful week.

The Newest Member...

2010-12-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

The thought of designing and introducing a new item to our Personalized Silver Pendant line at the beginning of December during our busiest time of year is not the smartest idea I've ever had. But I couldn't help it and just had to make this...

and the most exciting part...

it's DOUBLE SIDED!!

I have always loved the "O" necklace...

and knew we could easily put a personalized spin on it!

The circle is purposely an imperfect circle for an organic feel. Both sides are darkened to highlight your choice of names and words. The pendant doesn't include a jump ring for easy access to each side (easily flipped). Of course if you prefer a jump ring we're happy to include one with your pendant.

I made this pendant with two names on the front and an all time favorite line from the children's book Guess How Much I Love You. Many other options are available and as always we're excited to hear some of your ideas and designs! Our NEW Circle of Love Silver Pendant is available for purchase on our website and in our Etsy shop.

I was beyond excited to not only get this design created that had been on my mind forever but to make it for a wonderful friend. The moment I knew this friendship would work was when I found out she's just as addicted to Etsy as I am (just kidding... well not really!).

It's one of those friendships that is easy, enjoyable and refreshing! She's an amazing cook (Quail/Kale caesar salad and quinoa!!), Mom and friend. I'm so thankful and lucky to have her in my life!

Another thing I'm thankful for (and Sarah too!)... the amazing and busy Christmas season Hands on Keepsakes is having!! We are so thankful for all of the amazing support and orders! The Holiday Decorations are a hit and we can't explain how much it means to be a part of your Holiday Season. We are so grateful!

Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday Season!

Do you Kiva?

2010-12-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

For Mother's Day 2 years ago I got an I-Pod, it is definitely the most used gift I've ever received, I'm not sure my husband is as thrilled with the success of his present!

I am a podcast junkie. Whenever I'm on my own (or think I'm on my own), I am, as my better half calls it, 'podded up'. I find it brilliant for keeping up with UK sport, especially football and at the moment how we`re (England that is) doing in the cricket in Australia. One of the other podcasts I`ve got a little obsessed with is `Stuff You Should Know`, or the catchy abbreviation SYSK! ( This is their Facebook page ) They cover a different topic in each program, (the podcasts come out on Tuesdays and Thursday) and they vary widely. Last week they covered `Male Circumcision` and `How the Rules of War Work` but if you go back further in their back catalog you might come across `How Growops Work` or the inside scoop on `Freemasons` there is no topic they are not willing to get their teeth into, they did a fabulous one on the octopus and equally as interesting on how prisons really work.

SYSK also brought to my attention a really cool charity called Kiva . Simply put any money you donate is lent to entrepreneurs in countries of need, they then use this money to start their own approved business. It might be to buy a sewing machine so they can make or repair clothes from home or a bigger project like opening a store, a bit like podcasts the opportunities are endless. The amount and length of the loan are agreed and as a donor you can chose to get your money back at the end of the loan period or put it back into the pot so it can be loaned out again. It`s like the saying goes `give a man a fish and he`ll eat for a day, teach him how to fish and you`ll feed him for life`.

Kiva also sell gift cards http://www.kiva.org/gifts which can be redeemed on-line, perfect for that difficult to buy for person on your list, my mother-in-law is down for one this year. It may not be buying `handmade` but it is letting someone else make handmade and surely that`s as good a gift as you can give.

You may not be able to open it but a Kiva gift is still very special

Enjoy your holiday preparations and have a wonderful weekend.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday

2010-11-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

OK I'll admit it, I'd never heard of either of these terms before the beginning of the week, ( I blame it on being English) when you couldn't move on Facebook, Etsy in fact pretty much anywhere on any kind of media without them being mentioned.

Some research revealed that Black Friday's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Later an alternative explanation began to be offered: that "Black Friday" indicates the period during which retailers are turning a profit, or "in the black." Which is pretty depressing, imagine only having 5 weeks of the year to make all your 'gravy'.

Cyber Monday grew out of the observation that millions of otherwise productive working Americans, fresh off a Thanksgiving weekend of window shopping, were returning to high-speed Internet connections at work on Monday and buying what they liked.

Whatever their origins it means big spending for lots of people and hopefully it'll signal a stronger US economy than of late. For Hands on Keepsakes it means we're offering FREE SHIPPING for 4 days, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday AND........drum roll please.... For the first time ever we've slashed the price our our keyring/decoration in half.

Holiday Bronze Keyring/Decoration with Names

Normally $ 70.00 this beautiful bronze keyring is now $ 35.00 'till midnight on Cyber Monday. This decoration comes ready to hang with beautiful green and red ribbon and is also packaged with a 'split ring' to convert the decoration into a keyring after the holidays.

Just as a sample here are some of the delectable items you can get free shipping on from now 'till midnight on Cyber Monday - at least you know why it's called that now!

Baby's First Christmas 2010

Custom Holiday Decorations
(or tree tags as Rachelle and I like to call them.)

We love you Grandma keyring/decoration

Happy shopping and have a wonderful weekend.

GUEST BLOG: The Mommy Crisis

2010-11-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to have Jen Sencar from Momcafé Okanagan as our Guest Blogger today! This blog is hitting close to home for me as guess who's Maternity Leave is up in two months!!

The “Mommy Crisis”

I was out at one of my first networking functions in years and I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. We got to talking about work, family and balancing it all, and my friend admitted to me that she didn’t simply identify herself as a mom. Her love for her daughter was obvious but it was more about her identity… who she was. While she was a mother, she was also a career woman. She needed to have that adult stimulation in her life. At about 8 months into her maternity leave she was starting to feel depressed, so much so that she went to her doctor thinking that it maybe she developed post partum depression. The doctor said no and she began talking to all of her mommy friends about how she was feeling. To her surprise they all said “Don’t worry about it. It is just the Mommy Crisis”. To which she replied, “What the heck is that?” You know your maternity leave is almost over and you are wondering now what? And the questions keep coming: Do you go back to work? If so, how much? How do you deal with the guilt of wanting to work instead of staying home or the guilt of leaving your baby with childcare because you have to go back to work? She checked all the books and couldn’t find a thing about it anywhere.

After talking to her, it got me thinking if this “Mommy Crisis” truly existed. And if so, how are moms dealing with it? I began to informally survey my mommy friends (secretly….they had no idea they were my guinea pigs J) and realized that it is the crisis most of us go through when we are faced with the possibility of returning to work. Another fellow mom described it best as the anxiety and guilt you feel when it is time to leave your child and return to the work force. It seems that our maternity leave dwindles to a close just as we are getting a handle on our new identity as a mother and BAM! There it is staring us in the face - who are we now? How do we make the career parts of our former selves fit into motherhood? Do we stay home or work part time? How do we manage it all and not have any guilt? That my fellow mothers is the “Mommy Crisis”. Most of us experience it to some degree and like our children there is no manual on how to deal with it. My advice is recognize it, talk about it and realize that it is part of the constant learning and evolving we do as mothers. It too shall pass and we will be onto the next “Crisis” like potty training!

I would love to hear if you have ever experienced the “Mommy Crisis” and if so, how did you deal with it?

Jen Sencar works in the Public Service and is the Regional Owner of Momcafe Okanagan. Momcafe Okanagan is an organization that connects inspired moms through events, seminars and online resources. www.momcafenetwork.com

Thank you so much Jen! It's always nice to know you're not the only one going through these emotions!

Momcafe Okanagan have an event coming up this Friday, November 26th. You can find details here!

Hope you're all having a good weekend!

Happy Holidays

2010-11-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Last week it seemed people finally realized that Christmas is only 5 weeks ago.

We had loads of inquires, orders and numerous 'phone calls between the 2 of us, sorting out who's going to make what piece for which customer. Lots of 'discussions' too as we both want to make EVERYTHING only because we know how busy the other is looking after 2 kids, house, etc. etc. It was great, we've been anticipating and preparing for this rush for ages and it was finally here. But (you just knew there was a 'but' coming right?) It was also one of the few weeks my hubby could get time off work and decided it would be perfect if we took the kids to Vancouver for a couple of days.

I wasn't a happy bunny, but we went, (mental note to self that 2 nights is not long enough to take 2 small kids on a 5 hour journey each way). I was allowed to take the lap-top - big concession. We went to Science World (in the rain) and took the kids swimming and went out for a nice meal and it was great to have some family time. And, I hate to admit it but my husband is right in that there never is a good time to go, he's studying and working full-time, I'm trying to look after the kids and the business, time is a commodity in short supply. Which is probably why the highlight of the weekend was watching a DVD, from start to finish, including out takes, with him. It's a long time since we've done that, we even had a beer too, push that boat out! More importantly it was a movie he'd chosen, without me knowing, because he knew I wanted to see it......Sometimes it's the little things.

It was a brilliant British film with loads of new actors written by the genius that is Ricky Gervais

A big thank-you to Rachelle for holding the fort for me while I was away and just to prove we did have a good time here`s a few pics of us in the Big City!

Jemma and I enjoying something naughty

Slither the snake came too!

They`re loving the fact they can use their brollies

As you can see.

So thanks to Rachelle and bye to Vancouver `til the next time the timing is really bad!

Opposites Attract

2010-11-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Meet Jacob

He is without a doubt our wild child. As each day passes we become more and more uneasy about the future this kid has in store for us.

Jacob is passionate about his bottle, bath time, screaming at the top of his lungs, eating dirt, eating plants, spitting out his food while his Mother is watching and biting. He is aggressive, enjoys being the centre of attention and will not sit still for a quarter of a second.

Meet James

He is the exact opposite.

Both born into the same family. Same Mom (that's me!) and Dad. But why so different? When do their little personalities begin?

I of course turned to my reliable source of information when questioning things (Google) and found an incredible amount of information. Many mentions of birth order, sibling rivalry and parenting books. Where do you even begin with parenting books? There's so many!

Here's my hope... both personalities will meet in the middle and rub off on each other... again that's the hope.

But for now they do have one thing in common...

they adore each other... opposites attract I guess!

We've got some exciting things coming up:

NEW Silver Product COMING SOON

and

A guest blog post!

Happy Monday!

Christmas Lovin'!

2010-11-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I'm getting into the Christmas spirit a little earlier than normal this year! I'm thinking all of the Personalized Holiday Decorations we're making is the source. The tree tags have been a huge hit and we're looking forward to making more!

I made a huge mistake allowing James to go through the Toys R' Us Christmas Catalogue and pick out what he'd like for Christmas. Let's just say it was a little too early for that!

On his list this year:

As you can tell we're headed for some major headaches! James has been interested in skateboards for a while. I thought I could avoid this activity and buy myself some time by getting him the smaller version Tech Decks. Nope... it's only added fuel to his obsession and we've added to that over flowing toy box.

And this becomes a serious conflict when remembering I've taken the Handmade Pledge. I'm thinking this will only apply to myself!

My goal this year is to have all Christmas shopping DONE and Christmas cards mailed out by December 1st. Then and only then will I start the Christmas decorating process (yes I'm one of those!). For some reason I can't stretch Christmas before or past December. Last year I took the decorations down on December 26th. I know... it's an issue! Anyone else out there like that or am I the only one who refuses to decorate in November?

Don't forget TODAY (Monday) is the last day to enter our giveaway on A Few of my Favorite Things.

Happy Monday everyone!

6 Years Old Already!

2010-11-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

Pirates of the Caribaen is not a good trilogy for me. I tried to watch the first installment on Halloween 6 years ago and about 10 minutes in labor contractions started. My husband and I sat there in the dark (it was before kids so we saw no reason to disrupt our viewing to give out candy), what we hadn't realized was a child much closer to home wanted some Halloween action of their own.

12 hours later I was so relieved I wasn't going to have a Halloween baby, I swear I spent the whole night with my legs crossed - I was not going to have this baby on the 31st! My best friend Teresa came to hold my hand, my waters broke and I got the giggles because she was so hyper, about ringing the hospital, about going to the hospital, about getting my hubby back from work, about checking I had everything I needed for the hospital. She couldn't understand why I wasn't worried and stressed about the events to come. Rachelle will testify I've always been keen to keep my babies on the inside for as long as possible, there they cause the least fuss and I get the maximum sleep plus I loved being pregnant. I knew I had the rest of my life to worry and care for them, the next 24 hours was going to be the tip of the ice-berg.

Snowing on the way to the hospital

It snowed on the way to the hospital. My husband decided it'd been a really tough 18 hours for him and he needed a snack to keep him going - nothing you can say to that really! I'm not going to go into gory details, just to say that Jemma was born by emergency C-Section at 6.20pm on the 1st Nov 2004. She weighed 7lb 10oz had jaundice and I couldn't believe she was mine. She was breech, with her legs 'round her ears, poor wee thing, she wore a brace on her legs for the first 3 months of her life as both hips were dislocated (the first of many dodgy genes handed down to her with love from Daddy!). Another thing of note to happen on the same day in history is the voting in of George W Bush for a second presidential term, I guess I should keep this blog politically impartial so the less said about that the better.

Ist photo of Jemma Mary Read

Jemma sleeping, I'm still drugged up!

Proud Daddy, Jemma with her leg brace on

Jemma chilling. She has her eye mask on she wore under the jaundice lights.

We got through those first few nervous weeks, as all new parents do, although you may look back and wonder how? Now we've done the crawling, walking, talking, preschool and kindergarten stages, Jem is now a big grade one student, there are still challenges and problems although they vary greatly from when she was a baby, still it happens that as you solve one another micracously appears.

Jemma, 'A Good Witch' at Halloween, a day before her 6th birthday

And not to be left out Annie the 'Baby Tiger'

We went to her favorite restaurant to celebrate her big day and she chose her favorite dish, ribs with prawns. Men be warned, she is not going to be a cheap date! We ate cake and opened pressies and I thought about that eventful day 6 years ago, as all mothers do when their little ones celebrate being another year older, and wondered, again as all mothers do, how has that time passed so quickly?

Welcome AFOMFT & GIVEAWAY Details!!

2010-11-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

We're so excited to be kicking off A Few of My Favorite Things Holiday Happening!!

Welcome to all of the new readers from AFOMFT! Starting today (Monday, November 1st) simply visit AFOMFT and comment here and you have a chance to win four Custom Holiday Decorations:

These holiday decorations can be personalized with names, Christmas 2010, Family, Love, etc and hung on the Christmas tree! Once the Holiday Season is over simply remove the ribbon and slip on the keyring (included with your order) and voila:

A keyring to keep with you!

We also have Baby's First Christmas decorations and many more that are perfect gifts for new parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and many more.

To order you can visit our website or our Etsy shop. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us via email: rachelle@handsonkeepsakes.com or sarah@handsonkeepsakes.com.

Order deadline is December 1st. This deadline includes receiving prints back to ensure you receive your order in time for Christmas. For a little motivation to get your Christmas shopping going we're offering FREE SHIPPING in our Etsy shop. Simply convo us prior to ordering and we'll set up a custom listing for you or leave a message at checkout and we'll reimburse you via paypal.

Happy shopping!

Happy Hallowe'en!

2010-10-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

It was candy overload for the police officer and Tigger tonight...

We managed to get two crazy boys into bed before anyone was bouncing off the walls! I hope you and your family had a wonderful Hallowe'en!

Check back tomorrow for a GIVEAWAY!!

Some Hallowe'en Cuteness!

2010-10-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Get ready for some awwww's!

And my favorite...

I'll share some pictures after Hallowe'en of Mr. James and Jacob in their costumes. James had a Hallowe'en party at pre-school today and loved every minute. I picked him up completely unprepared for the bag FULL of candy. His class had done some trick or treating and their stash was quite impressive.

I hadn't even thought of how to approach the candy overload situation. One a day, your candy do what you want... ??? Looks like I have some serious google'ing to do!

Enjoy the rest of your week and Happy Hallowe'en!

This One's For YOU!

2010-10-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

I came across an image while ~~browsing the internet and wasting time~~ working feverishly while the boys were napping. It has brought me complete serenity!

Photo credit

This, my friends is going to be tattooed on my forehead...anyone with me!? OK maybe not tattooed but definitely printed off, framed and hung in every single room in the house. Every. Single. One!

Anyone else do this? Think they can do it all? And maybe you're much more productive than me and can do it all!

I hit a HUGE learning curve after having Jacob (baby #2). I'd lie in bed at night exhausted but unable to get to sleep because I hadn't made it to the mailbox to get the mail that day. Yes, I know! It's almost nine months later and I'm finding myself being OK not doing it all... and I'm telling you it feels good to be OK with that!

So if you didn't get everything accomplished on your to do list today... no biggie! There's always tomorrow... or even the day after that!

Down & Out

2010-10-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Our day started very unexpectedly this morning at 2 am. We were suddenly awakened by James with a bed full of throw up and Jacob sitting up in his crib with... you guessed it, throw up (weird huh?).

After a quick bath everyone was dressed in new pjs and new beds were set up with fresh sheets. Luckily we all crashed promptly and no more throw up sessions ensued.

That is until I pushed my luck. Everyone woke up healthy and early (ugh!). Not a lot of breakfast was eaten but they managed to have an appetite so I figured we were good to make an early morning trip to the grocery store. Many of you can probably make a well educated guess where this story is leading us...

Moving on... I have learned that the only way I will enter a grocery store with two children is for the following reasons:

a) We have no food in the house. Clearly poor planning on my part...'nuff said!

b) First thing in the morning. Isles are empty, shelves are stocked and produce is full!

c) A store where they bag your groceries for you. Sorry Superstore, I love you more then you'll know (especially for Joe) but I don't have four arms: #1 to keep James entertained, #2 to keep Jacob entertained, #3 bag the groceries in lightening McQueen speed (don't know about anyone else but this beyond stresses me out) and last but not least PAY! Us ladies can multi task but I've given up this zit causing, spike your coffee kinda outing... no thank you!

So we hit up the grocery store first thing in the morning as my children rise hours before the sun even begins to make it's appearance. I zipped through the isles and to be fair James made it clear he wanted to go home. I pushed it I know, I know! We were almost there, beginning to unload the food on the belt and I even had the thought of grabbing a coffee for me on the way out (insert hysterical laughter here). James announced he NEEDED to get out of the cart...I saw the look on his face, lifted him out and Niagra Falls exited his mouth directly onto me... the woman that carried him for nine months and endured long hard labour to get him here.

And we all know what comes next... "Clean up on checkout till nine". Yep that was us.

Looking back I have no idea what I was thinking. Why do we do this to our children? Or am I the only one who pushes things beyond the limit (ie thinking I'd go grocery shopping, grab a coffee and skip through the rest of our day)!

Here's hoping for a healthy Thursday! Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!

How to Choose

2010-10-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I came across a contest that Cheerios is running for a dream vacation. Before looking into the contest rules and details I got a little ahead of myself. As I often do when buying lottery tickets or entering contests I assume that I will beat the hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions and be the winner. Therefore I planned my dream vacation... OK maybe I made a list of my dream vacations and decided I would pick one once I had been contacted that I had won.

Yes you can all see how disappointed I am when I don't win the $40 million jackpot where you have better odds of being struck by lightning 23 times!

The other slight hitch is that the contest is only for US residents and the dream vacation is for travel within the USA. It only took a few minutes to get over my pity party and decide that I would still make my dream vacation list as it's always nice to have dreams and put them on paper or a blog!

So... in no particular order here is my list of dream vacations:

1. Machu Picchu- I can still remember the first time seeing pictures and the feeling I got. Goosebumps and the NEED to go there! I won't make this a history lesson but you can find more info here.

2. France- I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Paris. This dream vacation involves a full month of travel all over France with my Mom and sisters. And no, the mini me version in Vegas will not do!

3. Backpack Thailand and Cambodia- Sorry boys... your spring break and summer vacations won't involve Disneyland!

4. Re-do our Honeymoon in the Mayan Riviera- Yes that says re-do. We did the whole first comes love, then comes the baby in the baby carriage and then comes marriage! As dedicated first time parents we insisted on bringing our 10 month old baby with us on our one week all inclusive honeymoon in the Mayan Rivera. Day two we woke up to a playpen FULL of throw up. The remainder of the holiday included "loose stools", more throw up and our hotel room. It was 100% our fault as everyone told us to go alone and looking back we really should have. So next time will include hubby, me and an adults only resort!

And there we have it! All four of my dream vacations! These are all at the top of my bucket list. So tell me what are your dream vacations? C'mon people let's dream big! As we all know I've set myself up for a never ending vacation savings account!

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend!

PS- New to our blog on the right hand side is the option to subscribe to our blog via email. Simply enter your email, press subscribe and follow the steps... easy peasy!

Bonkers about Conkers

2010-10-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

There's a chill in the air and fall is definitely here. For me, growing up in England, one of the clearest memories I have is going 'conkering' in autumn. Conkers are the fruit of the horse chestnut tree, they have a spiky exterior shell and the greatest joy was to find one with the shell intact and then to peel off that shell to reveal the smooth shiny conker inside.

Annie with conkers


Jemma with Conkers

Once you have your prized nut you want to play conkers with it. This is where a picture is worth a 1000 words.


Playing Conkers

You strike one conker with another and the last conker standing is the winner. You can make your conker harder to crack open and beat by pickling it in vinegar or even baking it in the oven, these methods are not strictly within the rules or spirit of the game but, as they say, all's fair in love and conkering!

Now England is a small island with ALOT of people so finding a horse chestnut tree that had not had every last nut stripped from it was a challenge. Imagine my surprise and delight when we moved to Canada and discovered conkers are not a prized possession, there is no game of conkers and if you can find a horse chestnut tree in October in Canada you can bet your bottom dollar you'll find more conkers than you can shake a stick at!

Last week I took my two girls and some Canadian friends conkering, it was almost too easy. I needed carrier bags to take our haul home.

But we won't be threading them with string so we can knock seven bells out of our oppositions knuckles though, my little princesses are far to refined for that and besides they have no-one to play with! Like all other years they'll gather dust in their bedrooms, or wherever they leave them and then when enough time has passed so they won't notice I'll surreptitiously put them in the compost bin, 'til next autumn.

Happy Conkering

PS. Check out some of these Esty conkering finds. here .....they really do have everything.

I'm Thankful For...

2010-10-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

A tradition in my family is to go around the table during Thanksgiving dinner and say what you're thankful for. So here goes...

I'M THANKFUL FOR:

Two of my favorite people who are happy, healthy and oh so lovable!

Love never felt so good until I met these two...

That they have an amazing role model in their lives who they get to call Daddy...

That I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing family and friends.

To have joy and happiness at every turn that life takes me and in every nook and cranny.

To be able to sit here and think I could go on and on and on as I am truly thankful for everyone and everything!

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend!

Another Small Victory

2010-10-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

Last night it finally happened. I finished my 897 page book. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb was amazing.

Another one of his book's She's Come Undone is one of my all time favorites so I knew this would be good. And let's be honest they both made it into Oprah's Book Club so there's no reason to doubt them!

There was something satisfying about finishing this book I can't quite explain. Although it took me a good month and many late nights, it feels so good to move it to the small pile of 'read' books that sits next to the towering pile of 'to read'.

I guess time to read a book doesn't involve a quiet Sunday afternoon curled up on the couch with a blanket anymore like it did before kids. Now the reality is that it happens sometime after 10pm when everyone is in bed, dishes are done, emails are answered and a few things from the 'to do' list have been accomplished.

Reading my book until 1am is my new guilty pleasure. Wow, I just re-read that and have realized how exciting my life is!

So tell me... what is your guilty pleasure? And I'll throw a little more honesty in there... I am a reality tv junkie! And I'm not talking the somewhat decent reality shows like Survivor!

Hope you're all having a good week!

Run for the Cure

2010-10-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Rachelle and I took a well deserved morning off and participated in the 19th annual Run for the Cure in Kelowna. We walked the 5km, talked about work (inevitable I guess), our kids and families but most of all we remembered my best friend and Rachelles Mother-in-law, a very special lady who lost her battle to breast cancer nearly 5 years ago.

I know she'd be thrilled we'd started Hands-on-Keepsakes, that we were doing something we loved and that it involved children - the passion of her life. She'd be telling everyone about it and the fact she'd been included in a Blog, she would say that was 'brill'.

I forgot my camera yesterday so once again there are no shots of Rachelle and I together, but actually that seems quite appropriate, after all the day wasn't about us but about all the people touched by this disease. I'm so glad that we went, that we participated and that we took the time to think about what we'd lost.

I've put together a Breast Cancer Awareness list of products and I did check that all of them donate proceeds of their sales to the cause. Find them here

Taking the Handmade Pledge!

2010-10-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

It's October (yes I'm stating the obvious!) and that means Christmas isn't next month but the month after...yikes!

We were in the mall today searching for a present. I've always known I'm an awful shopper under pressure. Now add two kids and it's an unavoidable disaster.

During one of my many hours reading blogs I came accross the Handmade Pledge. After one of the most unenjoyable hours spent in the mall I came home, sat down in front of the computer and signed the pledge.

My love/obsession for Etsy make this one of the easiest holiday shopping seasons yet. I've put together a treasury of gorgeous handmade items that can be found here.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

Work life balance - easier said than done!

2010-09-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

Today was not a good day! My youngest daughter, Annie, has decided she doesn't want to go to pre-school. This is a surprise as we started the year with such high hopes. Just 3 weeks ago this was her going off for her first day


She's beyond excited about starting pre-school.

However 3 weeks is a long time for a 3 year old. This is what she thought of it today.

We had tears all the way there and constant cries of "I don't want to go to pre-school'' - just take a dagger to my heart. I dropped her off and she made a run for it, this was definitely a new development, thankfully I caught her, pried her off me and left feeling like the worst Mum in the world.

Now as we've had a few issues with pre-school this week her gradual entry has been lengthened, so for the hour and half she's there it's not worth negotiating 3 lots of roadworks to get home, turning on the computer for five mins and then heading out to pick her up, in the process using half a tank of gas and destroying the planet. No problem, I had the lap-top with me and so headed for the coffee bar, free internet access and caffiene to boot. The first problem was no electrical socket, the second was although my lap-top battery said it had 53 mins left within five of those minutes it had died - and I still had half a cappuccino to drink.

I then discovered my ever helpful husband had removed the large bunch of extra keys from my keyring that I'd had to carry 'round for him yesterday (don't ask) and had inadvertently removed the house keys!!! So I wandered aimlessly 'round waiting to pick Annie up then hastily scooted to my husbands work, picked up his keys and then had to stop at 2 grocery stores before dashing homewards, picking up the eldest daughter on the way who only had a half day of school due to parent teacher interviews. It was all far too much for everyone. Annie was still worked up about school, I was worked up about not getting any work done, my eldest was worked up about the fact she's so tired she can't function, Grade 1 is really taking it out of her. So my Mummy vision should have spotted the checkout meltdown a mile away, all over a packet of Tic Tacs, we had screams, stomping of the feet and tears - and that was just me!! When things get that bad I like to think of my kids like this, asleep, cute and causing no trouble.

Now they're both in bed, asleep and tomorrow is another day. It did get me thinking that although much is said about women working and bringing up kids and finding the balance between the two but when you don't have an office to retreat to and you are responsible for all the pick ups, drop offs, playdates, doctors appts, field trips, etc, etc, balance is a very elusive state to find.

On that profound note I thought it was time for a beer and once again I delved into the world of Etsy to see what delights they had. Check them out here

I hope your day was infinitely better than mine and poor Annie's.

Getting 'er Done!

2010-09-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last week was a LONG week! Mr. Jacob was like this...

Rockin' the snot bubble look...and cutting four teeth on top...

If you look REAL close you can see them! Needless to say we all got through it and now include a cup of coffee with our morning routine.

We didn't accomplish much last week and I've been on the go non stop this week to catch up. Here's a look at what I've been up to:

Before

I went through a serious addiction to fabric and somehow ended up with the girliest collection and I'm happy to say it's finally been put to use!

Next was a start at the front door...

Before

Still a work in progress but getting better!

It feels so good to be back and functioning at somewhat of a normal level! Hope you're all enjoying your week and the beautiful weather!

The Tooth Fairy Isn`t Coming!

2010-09-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday something happened in our house that was monumental enough for me to Blog about! My oldest daughter Jemma has had a loose tooth for some considerable time, in fact, being brutally honest about it, it`s been driving everyone crazy. She wiggled it constantly, she couldn`t eat because of it and neither she or her Daddy would let me pull the darn thing out - something as a mother I`d been secretly looking forward too. This is her `before`picture.

All teeth in their proper place.

And the `àfter picture`

And the final resting place for the precious tooth.

I was still mentally doing the maths of how much 2 kids, 20 teeth each 50cents a tooth (what is the going rate nowadays) when she dropped the bombshell. She didn`t want the tooth fairy to come!!! She wanted to make a bed for the tooth out of cotton wool and she wanted to keep it forever and not let the tooth fairy get her grubby little wings on it. I was shocked, I`ve already been Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny, I was looking forward to adding `Tooth Fairy`to my resume, but I guess I don`t get to decide that Jemma does. I have to be content updating her baby book with this big event and looking for super cute Tooth Fairy stuff on Etsy, you can check out some of my findings here - so it`s not all bad!

Kettle Valley Fall Fair & Market

2010-09-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Just like that and the weekend is over! We had a jammed packed weekend and thankfully the weather was beautiful for the most part.

We had a wonderful time today at the Kettle Valley Fall Fair & Market. As promised I've included some pictures...

Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by to say hello! We received many entries into the Art Competition and were able to raise additional funds for the BC Cancer Foundation. We'll be in touch with our winner this week.

Something to look forward to...Sarah and I talked about her making her blogging debut...coming soon!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Thoughts for Today

2010-09-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today marks the day that I have officially decided to be a coffee drinker. Mr. Jacob has been hit with a hacking cough, runny nose, his top four teeth coming through ALL AT ONCE and recently diagnosed this morning at the walk in clinic...an ear infection :(

We've been so lucky to have such a happy and smiley little

man...and I can't wait to get him back.

To those of you that have managed to make it through moments like these without turning to caffeine...I applaud you! I'm throwing in the towel. My Christmas wish list now includes one of these...

Because although I can barely manage to eat breakfast and make it to Preschool for 9am, whipping up a latte with one of these bad boys should be NO PROBLEM!

Tim Horton's here I come!

Feeling a Bit Foggy!

2010-09-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

In the last week I have put my pants on completely backwards (took me a few hours to realize), included a dark blue crayon in the washer AND dryer (entire load of laundry royally ruined), had full intentions of doubling a recipe and then realized 3/4 way through I wasn't doubling anymore but couldn't remember where I'd stopped... I'm sure there's more but can't remember. Does your memory EVER come back or at least get somewhat better!?

As promised here is the official Kettle Valley Fall Fair & Market poster...

Sarah and I are really looking forward to this event. We're hosting an Art Competition which I love doing as it allows us to get involved with the kids as well as the parents. To see some of the amazing drawings that kids put together is always enjoyable! Another reason we're happy to be involved is because it's for an amazing cause, The BC Cancer Foundation with funds directed to families in Kelowna. If you're able to make it feel free to stop by our table and say hi! We're looking forward to seeing you all there on Sunday!

We've been working hard over the last week to update our website. One exciting NEW feature is our shop.

Before all orders via our website needed to be done by contacting us (email or phone) or downloading our order form and mailing or emailing it to us and the final option being our Etsy shop. We're so happy to simplify this process! The new shop in our website accepts Paypal and is 100% secure and safe. Another lovely feature of paypal is that you don't need to have a paypal account. Of course if you'd still prefer to contact us via email or phone we have no problem taking orders these ways either!

Well I'm off to try and get rid of the million dark blue crayon stains that are all over an entire load of laundry! Apparently the experts (and I do mean Google when I say the experts!) say to use WD-40 and dishwashing liquid. I read a little further and someone posted a mixture of products that I'm going to try before WD-40 as I'm thinking the smell may stay around for a bit. I'll let you all know if it works... fingers crossed :)

Have a good week!

He did it!!

2010-09-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

My little man did amazing on his first day of Preschool! And guess what that means!? I did good too! Although it was an extremely emotional day and I found myself trying to swallow the big lump in my throat more then once I managed to only shed a few tears. Tears of extreme happiness and excitement for the little man he has become...

By 10:40 am I was getting a little stir crazy but am pretty sure I'll find some things to keep me busy! His teacher is wonderful. I wanted to kiss her because James marched out of his class with a big monster truck sticker (HUGE bonus points for that one!). We're currently in the midst of a monster truck and skateboarding obsession...oh boys!

Sarah and I are trying to get things all set and ready to go for the upcoming busy months for Hands on Keepsakes. We're excited to launch our Christmas line at the upcoming Kettle Valley Fall Fair & Market on Sunday, September 26th. More details and poster soon to come.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Front Door Decor...In Progress!

2010-09-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

Our weekend didn't quite turn out like I had hoped. As you may remember from this post I had every intention of turning our front door into a masterpiece just like Good Housekeeping and Pottery Barn. No problem right!?

We got a phone call on Saturday morning from someone who was offering some shrubs for us to plant in our ~~incredibly boring, bare and awful looking~~ side flowerbed. We jumped at the chance to jazz it up and ended up spending most of Saturday transplanting plants...

I'm extremely happy with the side flowerbed but now have to face the reality that our front door still looks like this...

We rarely use our front door (as you can tell this is the excuse I'm using) because we park in the garage and enter the house that way. Needless to say I had no idea how bad it was until I took the picture. So yes...I'm admitting it...our front door has some MAJOR issues. First step is admitting it...and now I'm going to fix it!

I've recently been following a blog called eighteen25. They've been featuring daily guest bloggers with Hallowe'en decor ideas. Today my favorite blog of all time House of Smith's was the guest. What she came up with is absolutely amazing...prepare yourselves...

Hallowe'en can be pretty ooey gooey, scary, tacky and nasty in the decorating department but this has to be the most tasteful and elegant decor I've ever seen! Is it just me or is this gorgeous!? For more pictures and how to's you can check out the blog post here.

Well I'm off to prepare myself for the big day tomorrow...Mr. James is heading to Preschool. I have no idea why I'm having such an emotional time with this one. I'm going to try my best (key words try my best) to keep it together. And on this super sappy Mommy note I'm going to end it with one of my favorites:

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

...

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

-Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

Blog Makeover!!

2010-09-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

Guess who got a makeover!! What do you all think? Hopefully everyone likes the new look! Any feedback or if you'd like to see something added, removed, changed, etc let me know!

I'm starting my front door fall decor shopping/searching this weekend...I'm hoping for some good finds. I've got my Michael's coupon ready to go! Anyone else secretly print off two or more coupons and send your husband/partner/friend in a different line or make a second separate trip back to get the discount? Kinda leaving the store feeling like this...

I'm really hoping it's not just me...otherwise I'm feeling on the cheap side!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Smells like Fall!

2010-09-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

There's probably not too many people that will be happy with this comment but I'm thinking fall is here! I managed to sneak out of the house this afternoon for a run. We have some farms and orchards close by and the apple trees are bursting and smell soooo good!

I'm thinking a trip to Kelowna Land and Orchard and Davison Orchards are soon to come!

Sarah put together an Etsy treasury with some fall finds here. How cute are those hair clips?! Thank goodness I didn't have a girl or I think it's quite clear I would have a serious hair clip obsession! The deep reds, oranges, browns and greens are stunning and so warm.

So next is a little confession...I have some serious next door neighbour envy. Our neighbour has a new wreath for each and every single season, holiday and event. Can you imagine being that organized!? Our front door is on the blah side to say the least. Last Hallowe'en consisted of a chair and carved pumpkin...sad attempt I know! This year I'm going to make a serious attempt and the research starts now...

Photo courtesy of http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/

Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn

Ok I need to stop...can you tell this is headed straight for disaster when I set my eyes on Good Housekeeping and Pottery Barn for examples! Stick around for my attempt at a welcoming front door fall display (and please wish me luck)!

To everyone who is heading back to school or starting the school routine with your little ones good luck! Mr. James starts next week so we have one week left to prep. Whether it's a first day at pre-school, kindergarten, grade 1 to 12 I'm wishing you a smooth transition!

-Rachelle

September...really?!?

2010-09-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one wondering what happened to August!? September...really!?

Instead of beach, sand and bbqs' it's back to school, fall and hallowe'en! NO idea when or how that happened!

Although this change in season does have some advantages. Sarah and I were able to sit down and have a very productive and exciting Hands on Keepsakes meeting. Best part...I've got a little sneak peak of part of our Christmas line...

I know, I know Christmas is months away but we've got some pretty darn fabulous things coming up over the next couple months! Best part we'll keep you all along for the ride!

To embrace the upcoming fall season I'll be putting together some Etsy finds and one of my favorite things Hallowe'en costumes! Somehow I don't think James will be fitting into his Old Navy Elephant costume for the third year in a row so I'm on the hunt! I'm hoping to find a common theme for James and Jacob to dress up as together (Batman and Robin, Buzz and Woody, etc). Yes I'm that corny Mom!

So tell me...are you looking forward to back to school, fall and everything else that September has to offer? Wishing you all a wonderful long weekend!

-Rachelle

Smells Like Home

2010-08-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

This whole not napping thing does have some (and I do mean SOME) advantages! While my littlest man was sleeping this afternoon my litte man and I got to do some baking.

My hubby had to call me twice while making Kraft Dinner (Not. Even. Joking.). Once to ask if he drained the water and another to ask if he added the butter, milk and cheese packet before or after he drained the water. You get my drift...work in progress to say the least. For that reason it is extremely important that these boys of mine know how to cook, bake and the basics...like Kraft Dinner :)

So today we made chocolate zucchini muffins...yum

and yummy!

Chocolate zucchini muffins/cake are one of those happy smells that bring me back to my childhood. It's an instant connection and I'm back! So many happy birthdays were sung over a chocolate zucchini cake my one and only mama made. Others were upside down pineapple cake and ANYTHING that was in a tin that my Grandma brought along with her!

So tell me what is an instant smell trigger for you that brings you back to those stress free, innocent childhood days?

I'm off to try and avoid eating all of these muffins!

-Rachelle

Taking a Step Back

2010-08-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's not often as a parent you get to take a step back. I think that's why these pictures are my favorites...

and finally my littlest man is in on the action...

Not the greatest shot but I was worried he'd face plant into the water and sand any minute...which happened two seconds after this picture was taken anyways...Mother of the Year...don't think this is my year ;)

So tell me...what's your favorite picture(s) of all time?

-Rachelle

Pre-School here we come!

2010-08-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

At 7:30am I got my little man all registered for pre-school...such a bitter sweet moment. I'm so excited for him to have structured time and meet new friends but it's just the beginning of things that are no longer baby/tot and parent. He's officially a BIG BOY now!

BUT I will get some much needed one on one time with Mr. Jacob and I know these emotions will pass...especially after this list of back to school goodies! What would I do without Etsy and online shopping during these emotional times :)

First on the list is this super cute personalized tee for a first grader...

and don't worry they've got some for boys too...you can find them at The Trendy Butterfly.

I came accross these backpacks a couple years ago and got the penguin for James...

there's some new animals that are BEYOND cute...bee, zebra, owl...would it be too early to get one for Jacob!? They can be found at Skip Hop.

I am so in love with this next item. Here's the front...can you guess what it is?

A LUNCHBOX!! Pure GENIUS...here's the inside

I can't get over these! Each lunchbox comes with the drink bottle AND two sheets of stickers so the lucky owner of these gets to personalize it! They come in pink, blue, green and orange and there's also a grownup line as well. More importantly they are BPA free, dishwasher safe (BIG one for me!), 100% recyclable AND think of all the plastic bag you'll save! You can find them at Goodbyn.

As we continue to save the environment another option for environmentally friendly lunches are these reusable sandwich and snack bags

You can pick up these nifty little things here.

And now to fill the girly void as there's not a whole lot of things pink and sparkly going on in this house...

Can't even believe how CUTE this is! You can find this Red Polka Dot Satin Apple Clip at Crafty Mama Designs.

Don't worry I wouldn't leave us Moms out...something to hold that cup of morning coffee or tea

with a little humour! Find it here.

And last but not least something to bring a little organization to our lives...

a modern and stylish planner that holds a notepad, cell phone, pen, calendar and so much more! This lovely can be found at Monkey Cheeks.

Well folks this is just a few finds that I'm loving right now. So tell me what's on your list?

-Rachelle

Budding Artists

2010-08-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we were contacted by Maria from Budding Artists about our Silver Pendants. Budding Artists is a Canadian company that is ALL about kid's artwork.

They have fundraising programs (many diferent options), a party option and some pretty cool products that have Christmas presents written ALL over them!

My favorites are the travel mug, water bottle, garden stake, planters, luggage tags...who am I kidding I LOVE them all!

I will be sitting down with this little artist...

and a box of crayons and will be ordering away! I'll keep you posted with what kind of magic James draws up and the Budding Artists products we order...CAN'T wait!

And as you all know what a blog addict I am, Maria at Budding Artists even has a BLOG!! Yipee! You can find it here. Maria has found some great artwork ideas...one of my favorite being this one.

Budding Artists is currently in the running for the Savvy Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award. To vote for Budding Artists click here. By the way EVERY TIME you vote you're entered for $500 Paypal dollars...I wouldn't have a problem doing some serious damage with that! Good luck Maria!

And speaking of lovely artwork meet Pinky...

I was lucky enough to make this beautiful drawing into this...

I LOVE artwork orders!

Tomorrow I sign my little Jamesy up for Pre-School :( It feels like just yesterday we were here...

To help with this emotional moment I will be putting together some Back to School finds! Check back tomorrow for this collection...nothing like a little emotional shopping right ;)

Happy hump day!

-Rachelle

Mommy Metamorphosis

2010-08-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

I was in my pj's all day today until 5:58pm (yes that says pm!)...the boys included in my self proclaimed pj day. And the pj fun didn't stop there...I only changed into a clean set of pj's after that. I've been fighting a cold all week and today was the day to take it easy. Oh and clean a bathroom or two, sweep and mop the floors and keep an eye on these kiddos...

Gone are the days BK (Before Kids) of calling in sick and curling up with a cup of tea and some movies or a good book. And so I begin to explain the title of this blog...

Last weekend we were lucky enough to enjoy two days on Kalamalka Lake boating with tubes and a wake board. Since having my boys this was my first time boating again...and I noticed a HUGE change. While trying wakeboarding I couldn't relax and enjoy the wipeout after wipeout after wipeout. Double tubing with Mark was BEYOND stressful...but why!?

Then it hit me...I'm a Mom now and have become a complete PRUDE! Wakeboarding...worried the wakeboad would slice all my fingers off (dramatic...yes I know). Tubing...worried I'd fall off and break something and be out of commission...worried, worried, WORRIED!

Until now not even the mini van or the Fabricland membership made me realize it as these were all new things. But when I was doing something I did BK and now WITH kids...WOW...it hit me like a ton of bricks.

So here's my question...WHEN does this happen? Is it as soon as you find out you're pregnant and become a Mom or is it a gradual process?

My theory...after labour. Carrying this little person for nine months and then the process of getting them out...there's NO WAY I am doing anything that wouldn't allow me to remind them of everything I did to get them here! And is it worth it...this new persona that I've suddenly realized almost four years later?

Wouldn't trade it for a skydiving, swim with sharks, live on the edge, risk taking life...I'm sticking around and LOVING my new personality!

Happy weekend everyone!

-Rachelle

Long Weekend Wrap Up

2010-08-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

The reality that our three day long weekend is over and I accomplished NOTHING around the house is sinking in. I'm going to pretend that this is my version of a successful long weekend!

It started with a trip to the Farmer's Market where we picked up these tasties...

The amount of fruits and veggies in season right now is mind blowing! Those cookies front and centre are called "Everything But The Kitchen Sink" cookies...so yummy! If you haven't been yet....GO! You won't leave empty handed!

We dropped the goods off at home and headed to this little piece of paradise...

A very unsuccessful attept at wakeboarding and doube tubing with the hubby (which is the closest thing to a date we've been on in a long time!) somewhat became my 'aha moment' as a Mother...more on that later in the week.

By day two the boys were done...

and DONE!

Last but not least as promised here's what I threw together for dinner on Saturday night...

Ok maybe I didn't throw it together all on my own...with help (a lot!) from my sisters and Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic Pasta Fresca recipe. I would HIGHLY recommend this cookbook to anyone. Super easy recipes and amazing food!

Before we know it we're on our way to another week...August is here, the summer is half over and in a few days this little man will be 6 months old :(

And so begins my 'Mid Maternity Leave Crisis'!

-Rachelle

We're Blogging!

2010-07-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have been an avid blog follower for many years. My list of blogs that I follow grows everyday. I just did a blog count and I'm at 27 that I check everyday...so the messy house and growing list of to do's suddenly makes sense!

Being home with two busy boys I crave an adult conversation on a daily basis...sometimes during naptime I will happily sit for an hour (or two or three...yikes I know!) and read blog after blog after blog. So I've finally jumped on the band wagon and am planning to blog away!

We'll have weekly features including Etsy finds, some of our favorite things, tutorials, pictures, what we're up to and much more. Feel free to leave comments, ask question and join in on the fun! If you have a blog idea that you'd like us to cover or have any questions feel free to email me at rachelle@handsonkeepsakes.com.

It's FRIDAY and a LONG WEEKEND! What's everyone up to? My sisters are on their way from Calgary and we'll be boating with this crazy kid...

and relaxing (hopefully!) on the beach with my littlest man...

Summer in the Okanagan is difficult I know! I'm hosting dinner on Saturday night...pictures to come next week...no idea what I'm making...as per usual!

Wishing you all a safe and sunny long weekend :)

Rachelle

Coming Soon...

2010-07-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

We're so excited to introduce the newest member to Hands on Keepsakes...drum roll please...OUR BLOG!! It's coming soon so check back for weekly posts of our everyday life, Etsy finds, turtorials and much MORE!