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 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: For Your Brother

Gifts for your brother 

that has a great sense of humour

and amazing taste in women. 

(I have 3 of these!)

1. A hot shave from a near-to-him barber. Like a spa-day for men! This shop in Yaletown offers a Deluxe Hot Shave, or step it up and give him the Royal Treatment! 

2. A magnetic dart board, so he doesn't ruin his walls.

3. A hat with a beard, yup.Keep his face cozy and warm without the hassle and upkeep of a beard. 

4. Does he drink whiskey like the guys in my life do? How about a collection of glasses and some ice balls for at home whiskey drinking like a gentleman. 

5. A customized gift box, shipped anywhere! These are my two personal favourites, both local companies; Old Joy Gift Boxes and Barn Curated Gifts. 

6.If he is feeling rather fancy pants, you could get him these cashmere lined leather smart phone gloves. 

7. Is your brother goofy and childish? He'd love these emoji pillows to throw around his dorm room or apartment! 

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.

Easter Weekend

Yes, I realize Easter weekend was months ago.

This post has been on my mind,

but I have had some other exciting posts that this one took the back burner.

Now the baby is napping and Claire is busy with play doh, 

I thought I could sit down and finally formulate
my thoughts and pictures from that weekend.

We met our friends from Portland at our cabin in Sun Peaks, BC.

There were 6 adults, 3 dads and 3 moms,

and 6 girls aged 3 and under. 

Our Claire was the oldest and our Jane was the youngest. 

It sounds insane, right?

Waiting patiently for our friends to arrive.

That is what we were expecting too - complete insanity.

Although there were plenty of shrieks and giggles,

it was actually a very relaxing weekend.

It was much easier parenting with all the extra eyes and hands.

The older girls are all at an age where they play so well together,

and we all have easy going babies.

It made for a very fun and tantrum-free 

(well, almost) weekend! 

We were armed with craft kits,

stickers, bubbles and baking. 

We enjoyed our time together so much.

It had been a very long time,

since we left Portland back in 2013, that we had all been together. 

Our friend Melanie, who also went to school with our husbands and lives in Kamloops,

came up for an evening as well.

Although I don't understand all of the chiropractic jargon,

it filled my heart with joy knowing that

Spencer was in his element discussing his profession with his friends.

The weekend was a balance of doing fun stuff like going for hot cocoa,

campfires, hot tubbing and extreme trampolining.

And sitting around drinking coffee, visiting and cooking together.

We all left feeling like we had our fill and rejuvenated from being with such good friends. 

The weekend was a perfect mix of down time and adventure.
Lola and Claire snuggled in bed watching a movie and fell asleep together one afternoon.
Another time the girls went to the park.
We had an Easter Egg hunt and they went extreme trampolining.

.

Is there anything cuter than dads reading to kids?

Isn't it amazing how much you can love someone else's kids?
I am so blessed to be a pseudo auntie to these four girls.
They fill my heart with joy.

Of course, we had to go for the world famous
(okay, Sun Peaks famous) hot cocoa!

That weekend was so much fun!
I am really looking forward for us to all be together again.