Christmas Season: A Mother's Heart

Christmas has fallen upon us once more.

Softly, tenderly, like the first snow.

There is something so magical about this time of year!

The twinkly lights,

the cozy evenings spent inside cuddles by the fire and tree.

Hot cocoa, movies, sweet treats galore.

And yet...

this season brings so much more.

We have heard the Sunday School answer time and time again.

"Jesus is the reason for the season!"

With all the silliness aside -

that is the simple truth of it all.

Ever since I became a mother

six and a half years ago,

the weight of the Christmas Story 

felt more real and tangible to me.

All of the sudden, as I sat there nursing my little baby,

I felt so close to Mary, mother of Jesus.

I can still remember is so clearly.

Holding Claire all swaddled in my arms.

I had a sense of sisterhood with Mary.

A bond that stretched over hundreds of years.

Now I could truly feel for her as I thought about

riding a donkey for miles very pregnant.

I thought about what it would really mean to give

birth in a place so not worthy of welcoming the Christ Child!

What it meant for her to have the

King of the World at her breast.

Petting his soft hair as he suckled away,

gaining his strength and nourishment from her.

When I gave birth to both my girls,

I felt like the Heavens had opened and 

handed me the world's most precious gift.

For Mary,

the Heavens literally did open up and

gave her the world's Savior to raise into a man

that would ultimately pay the

Ultimate Sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Joy to the world

The Lord has comeLet earth receive her King
Joy to the earth
The Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

With truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love.

The whole world rejoiced

when the King was born.

A baby,

born to Mary.

The King of Kings,

born to a teenage girl

who was a virgin.

Something about that just hit me.

The significance of the 

Christmas story completely changed for me.

And every Christmas after that 

I think about Mary raising this boy.

Every child is special,

but hers,

now He was truly something else.

He rules the world
With truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His

What about you?

Did you feel a different, stronger connection

to Mary mother of Jesus after becoming a mother yourself?

Mommy Mondays: What A Year

On Saturday as I took down

the Christmas tree,

the pile of kids books

and the intricate and breakable decor,

my mind wandered to what 

would be next Christmas.

Next December,

(okay I admit it, November)

what will life hold for us?

What will have changed?

What will remain the same?

Will I look back on 2016

and feel proud of the changes we made?

The goals set be accomplished,

the ways of being I am promising to myself

hold true?

Next year,

as I unpack those boxes

I so carefully put away,

how will our family look?

Jane will be two

and Claire 5.

We will be in a new routine of 

all day Kindergarten

and how knows what else.

There are so many things

about 2015 I am ready to leave behind.

I am ready for the new year,

new change and 

a new way of being for our family.

The new year also brings a new year for me in another way.

It is my birthday today,

which causes me to pause and reflect even more.

A new calendar year, a new birth year

and another chance for a new beginning.

2016,

I am so ready for you! 

Holiday Gift Guide: Your Best Girlfriend

Gift ideas for your best friend.

She's super easy to shop for,

because she likes what you like.

You share your closet,

shoes, you love all the same things-

that's why you're best friends!

In case you still need some ideas 

we have put together this gift guide! 

If you buy them for her, 

you know you'll get to use them too.

It's really a win-win.

1. the classic Elle Est Forte tee from SHE IS Clothing. Dress it up, work out in it, it is about as versatile as a tee shirt can get. Plus, you're stating a great message at the same time.

(Photo by Frances Eden Creative. Do not copy.)

2. A hands-on cooking class at the Dirty Apron cooking school in Vancouver. So much to learn, so much fun, so much delicious food! 

3. Earrings from Olive + Piper ,a Vancouver based company. Is she classy and elegant? Simple and understated? Trendy and fun? They have the perfect piece for every type of girl. 

4. Turn your Instagram selfies into magnets for her fridge. Then you'll always have a little #throwbackthursday! 

5. Everyone loves to get some fun, new make up! My bestie got me this Too Faced Melted lipstick. It goes on smoothly and really stays put.

6. Keep wawrm, keep cozy, represent our home and native land with these Canada mitts from Hudsons Bay Co. Check all of the items in their Canadian Olympic Team Collection! 

Style Post:Holiday Glam!

Tis the season 

for holiday parties,

special date nights,

performances and 

family get togethers.

The time we spend

dressing up and going out

is at an all time high

the month of December.

For some,

there is delight in the wardrobe

changes and excuses to get all dolled up.

For others, it can be daunting

coming up with a new outfit

or look for every occasion.

Thankfully Kenna

is here to help us!

She was kind enough to 

guest post on Just An Ordinary Family

and give us a make up tutorial

to put together a beautiful, simple 

holiday look for whatever occasion you

are attending.

What I love about 

the look Kenna has put together

for us is that its not overly done up.

It is simple, yet classy and glamorous.

Perfect for date night and a family reunion.

Watch Kenna below to see how she does it! 

Below are a list of the products Kenna used,

with the link on where to find it.

Younique Addiction Palette #3

 Younique Opulence Lipstick in Affluent 

Younique Stiff Upper Lip Stain in Sultry

Younique 3D + Mascara

Thank you Kenna for 

your excellent tutorial.

For more information on

Kenna's Younique products,

you can find her on Facebook, 

or at her Younique website.

I am a wife and mother to two sweet boys. I am a lover of all things beauty and have a true passion for enhancing women's natural beauty with the power of makeup.

Holiday Gift Guide - For the Little Ones and Giveaway

We are now a week into December,

and I am sure that your Christmas shopping is well

on its way.

If not, there's a special gift guide 

coming up just for you in a couple weeks.

This weeks gift guide

is for all the little people in your life,

and my favourite to shop for! 

Whoever they are,

chances are they will love 

at least one or two items

on this list! 

Read on below,

and don't forget to enter the give away!

1. Bath toys are always a hit and a great gift. Because these toys sit in water all the time, the turn over rate is higher than other toys. To help solve that problem, I would recommend one of these for storage. We have one and we love it. I am a big fan of Boon, and these Boon pipes for the bath look like so much fun! They suction right onto the tile and will make for lots of fun. There's one under our tree this year! 

Amazon.ca also sells Boon, so if you're a Prime member, you can ship it right to the recipient complete with gift wrap and a note! 

(image via booninc.com) 

2. Next on the list is the book of names and faces, customized to your own family and friends. For bigger kids, they have fun memory games with familiar faces as well. 

(image from pinholepress.com)

3. I have featured them here before, so my love for them is no secret! How about a bib that grows along with them? Maybe a cute scarf to protect them from the cold? Acorn and Leaf has some adorable prints for both of those. Their products are lovely, quality and Canadian!

4. Always a hit - you can never go wrong with a book or two! My kids love reading books and will request their favourites over and over. Chapters made a list of their top sellers for 2015 divided into age categories, in case you're stumped on what to buy. I can also tell you that Jane, our 1 year old, loves the touch and feel books. Especially the That's Not My... series. Claire loves imaginative books and thinks Robert Munsch is hilarious. We got here some of these mini Munsch books for her stocking this year. 

Of course I always encourage my readers to shop local when they can, but again, for convenience sake Amazon does carry several (and by several I mean thousands) of kids books that can be gift wrapped and sent directly to your recipient. 

5. For the teething littles on your list, I highly recommend the 'chewelry' from Glitter & Spice! The founder and owner is a local mama who is absolutely sweet. She runs the business out of her home and was one of the first teething jewelry businesses on the block. Since then she has been featured in magazines (like Vogue and Glamour), was at the giving suite at the Emmy's and word is spreading widely about how awesome her product is. We have the teething necklaces for mama and baby, and also a teething bracelet for baby. I love that the pieces are safe for baby to chew on and play with, no yucky material used and it is also cute enough to wear without looking like you are wearing something baby-ish.

6. Another big hitter in the local business game is bébé de luxe! Based out of Coquitlam, BC, this mama decided she wanted something organic, natural and free of yuckies for her baby. This is how her company was created. Bébé de luxe, along with Glitter and Spice, were part of the celebrity gift bags at the Emmy's this past year. Bébé de luxe specializes in milk bath and baby bath bar. Perfect for gifting and come highly recommended by moi.  

As a gift to our readers,

Bébé de luxe would like 

to gift one of our lucky readers

a package of Coconut and Oat bath milk! 

To top it off, 

I'm going to add another one to 

one of your friends!

The contest is open 

on Blogger and Instagram,

but is in no way endorsed by either of them.

By entering you confirm you are

at least 18 years or older,

and live within Canada or the U.S.A. 

Contest rules below-

If you are entering on the blog,

all you have to do is leave a comment below

with your email address,

and the name of your friend that you would like to win too.

Please make sure you have your friends mailing address,

 so that we can send them their prize as well.

If you are entering on Instagram,

all you have to do is follow both

Just An Ordinary Family 

and 

Bébé de luxe,

tag your friends in the comments,

one tag per comment.

Good luck everyone!

Winner will be announced on Friday December 11th.

*The winner will have 73 hours to make contact,

after that a new winner will be chosen.*

Style Inspiration: Christmas Home Decor

The time is upon us,

I can officially decorate free of judgement.

I think all the holidays have passed 

that place strict regulations 

on when it is socially acceptable to 

dig out my Christmas bins and throw tinsel

around the house.

We still have little people in our home

that like to walk around with

decorations.

So for now,

the breakables go up high

and the plastic and wood stays low. 

We only lost one tealight holder

to the fall this year.

Our tree is a big and beautiful one

that was passed down to us from my parents

who replaced their tree for a smaller version.

It is lovely,

it is full and it is large.

The decorations that adorn it

are eclectic, to say the least.

Some Baby's First Christmas

from both my husband, our kids and myself.

Some vintage crafts circa the early 1990's

that our mothers passed along to us.

We also have some beautiful pieces,

the ones that only Mommy handles and go out of reach.

There are some pieces

that hold dear memories for Spencer and I.

His, a small golden fire truck he 

picked out with his grandmother as a child.

Mine, a small porcelain puppy with a red handkerchief

that I hung on our tree as a small child.

In the evening,

I love to sit and look

at the glowing tree and think about

all the memories that go along with each ornament.

Our tree would not be displayed in a department store,

but to me it is most beautiful.

For now I save the gorgeous,

glamorous Christmas decorations for my Pinterest boards!

Here is some holiday inspiration

that I simply love.

Click here to follow Just An Ordinary family on Pinterest.

(From The Inspired Room)

(From Refresh Restyle)

(via Centsational Girl)

(via redheadcandecorate.com)

Holiday Gift Guide: For Your Sister

Gift ideas for your darling sister

who is strong and empowering,

classy yet hilarious,

a home body and a dreamer.

She cares about the environment,

loves to give back

and wants to shop small and local this Christmas.

We can help with that! 

1. For a strong woman, how about helping to create more of them? Empower, inspire, encourage and give opportunity to girls across the globe through Plan Canada.There are several options from sponsoring a child monthly, funding for a baby delivery and paying for education. My personal favourite is called Girl Power for just $100.00.

Read the description below -

Girls have a unique ability to change the world and the lives of those around them. This gift is about unleashing that power in every girl. It’s about offering girls nourishment, education and protection. It’s about creating schools that are safe, and ensuring that girls are not forced into early and unsafe marriages. It’s about engaging boys and men to help achieve gender equality, and opening up economic opportunities to women so they can lead themselves and their families out of poverty. It’s about creating a world where every girl has the chance to harness her unique power to shape her own future and change the world.

This gift will not disappoint.

2.These were all the rage last Christmas. If she doesn't have one already, a selfie-stick will be a great way for the two of you to capture your adventures together. 

3. Print her favourite Instagram photos onto a canvas to hang in her home. A fun way to preserve some of your favourite memories together. 

4.  A few throw pillows for her couch or bed to encourage her! This one, this one and this one are my favourites.

(Dayna Lee Collection)

5. Since she's a dreamer and a planner, she needs a solid journal to record those dreams and plans. How about this one from SHPplanners out of Vancouver, BC?

6. Who doesn't love an amazing smelling candle? These are made with soy wax which makes them burn longer, more evenly and they aren't bad for the environment. That's a win-win-win to me. Add the fact that they smell divine and that's an easy sell. Two Tall Trees candles are made my a hard working mama of 2, right in her own kitchen. 

7. Finally, how about one of these toques (or beanie for my American friends) with a removable pom-pom by S H E  I S Clothing? 

photo cred: Frances Eden Creative

Holiday Gift Guide:

You asked,

we got it!

Introducing to you

a Holiday Gift Guide

from Just An Ordinary Family!

Is your family funny, quirky,

sentimental and hard to shop for like mine?

Then this should help you out.

We will be helping you shop for

your parents,

your brother,

your sister,

your best girlfriend

and then a special list for all the last minute shoppers out there!

Parents can be tough to shop for.

They are at an age

where they can buy whatever they want,

and all they really want is to be with you during the 

holidays anyways.

Here are some ideas to gift to mom and dad this year:

1. How about a charitable donation in their name? Compassion has a fantastic catalogue of items from water and sanitation for $23 to a bigger ticket item like a playground for $116. There are many places to give, all you have to do is choose. What I like about Compassion, is that you can print or send a card that lets the person know what you have gifted in their honour.

2. A personalized crib board, for road trips and tea dates together at home. 

3. Are they grandparents? How about a personalized calendar filled with images of their grand kids?

4. A framed photo from the past. Their wedding photo, or one from when they were dating or a family photo from when you were all much younger. 

5. The gift of your time. Plan a day together to go do something together. You could do a cooking class together, go for dinner and a movie, find something fun going on in your city like a Christmas market. Have you been to Vancouver's Christmas Market, made to resemble the German Christmas markets? 

6. A basket of goodies. Their favourite magazines, books by their favourite author, coffee, tea, mugs and a cozy blanket. 

Try this blanket, these mugs for mom and dad,

 perhaps some of this small-batch local coffee and these chocolates to go with.

Sleep When Baby Sleeps/Currently

This morning I should be following this advise,

considering Claire (and I) were up at 5 a.m.

Instead I am sitting here reading blogs,

going on Pinterest and listening to my tummy growl.

Inspired (challenged?) by Tanis' blog Currently,

I am going to do my own!

Here goes...

Obsessing over: 

Trader Joe's Ginger Molasses Cookies. They are so gingery and go perfect with a cup of tea. I am still trying to eat clean, but twice so far I have made an exception for these and not once regretted it. 

photo via traderjoes.com

Working on:

unloading the dishwasher. Sounds exciting doesn't it? Lately, it feels like every time I tidy up it takes about 15 minutes for my little monster to come along and untidy it all in about 5 seconds. So unloading and loading the dishwasher is something I can do that contributes to a clean up that she can't undo (yet).

Thinking about:

moving home. The logistics of it. Where will we live? Will I have a baby bump? When will it be? How do I live as a wife of a career man? (He's been a student the entire time we've been together.) It's still a long ways off, but the end is in sight. Crazy.

Anticipating:

Christmas! I LOVE this time of year. September 1st to January 1st. Coloured leaves, pumpkin-everything, peppermint-everything, festivities, warm scarves and coats, yummy smells (I love candles too Tanis, especially cinnamon-y, spicey, pumpkin-y ones!) This year Claire is old enough to participate in Christmas activities. I am excited to take her to Zoolights, bake cookies, use her advent calendar. I have all kinds of things up my sleeve! 

Listening to:

Some Nights - Fun

It is such a FUN song. Claire and I dance to it often. She rocks back and forth, spins around and laughs and laughs and laughs. 

Eating:

Clean. (Except for those cookies!) It is a difficult adjustment. There are times we fall off the wagon and cave to cravings, or convenience. But we aren't hardcore into it. We are just stepping back, and taking a real look at what we are putting into our bodies. Even if we think its healthy, we are just trying to eat things that come in its original form as much as possible. 

Wishing:

That I could take my little family and we could escape to a secret place for a few days. Where its just us, nothing school related and just enjoy being together. Have dance parties, watch movies, play games, cuddle under blankets and listen to music. 

Dissing:

The rain! I want to take Claire trick or treating. Normally I really don't mind the rain. It doesn't bother me too badly, but I just want it to hold off for a couple of hours this evening. 

Laughing at:

This picture.

Photo credit thanks to Michelle Cervo Photography

Michelle and I took the babes outside so she could take a couple photos of them in their costumes. Of course my babe just couldn't sit there and smile at the camera. She loves the rain, so she ran in the rain while Michelle snapped a coupe photos. She got wet, and looked a little disheveled, but she had a bit of fun. 

There you have it...my currently. 

Happy Halloween!