Friday Flat Lay Faves: for the Mamas

With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend I’m excited to share a few of my favourite products that make for a thoughtful gift for all of the Mamas out there! Of course Mother’s Day is not about the gifts we receive, but it is always nice to get a little something special. Plus, I know my three year old daughter just loves to pick out and give gifts. She gets so excited and that makes me so happy! Gifts don’t have to be extravagant, as cliche as it sounds, it really is the thought that counts.

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26 Comments Friday Faves, Motherhood

Easter Baskets for the Girls

Spring is here and we’re getting ready for our next holiday festivities (of course!) I put Easter baskets for the girls together this weekend and they turned out so sweet! I love holidays and having the girls has taken this to a whole new level. #sorrynotsorry. I’m a sucker for holiday anything.

Yes, my kids don’t need anything, but no, I’m not willing to forgo holidays in favor of minimalism. I enjoy it too much! I am becoming more mindful of what goes into the basket (less throw away junk, more stuff that we use or need). I’m also getting smarter and buying more of the same things for the girls despite their age difference. Lately they have to have what the other has.

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12 Comments Holidays & Special Events, Products We Love

Here Comes The Sun: Navigating the Time Change with Kids

Navigating the Time Change with Kids

I don’t know about you, but over here we are (rather desperately now) dreaming of summer. Anyone else feel like this winter is never ending? It seems that we’ve had a few glimpses of spring (and we immediately commence conversations about riding bikes, blowing bubbles and hitting the park) and every. single. time. winter shows up the very next day to prove us wrong. Sigh.

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9 Comments Motherhood, Products We Love

Put This Bucket on Your List

What’s the one baby purchase that both my husband and I rave about? Our infant bucket seat: the Chicco Keyfit 30. After our first born, we became those parents who told anyone in the market for baby gear who would listen about our love for this seat. Now, this behavior is not unusual for a Mama, especially one obsessed with finding the best infant gear (me). But my husband? Now that’s something to write about! When it came time to move our eldest into a convertible seat, we both missed the ease of the bucket seat. (Side note: I think people who claim that their convertible seat is so amazing and so easy must not have used the Chicco. They just don’t know how good it can be 😉 ).

We purchased the Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat and Base on the recommendation of a local Children and Baby Goods store. Their take? The seat is so user-friendly that it is the safest seat on the market because it is being used correctly. This seat is the #1-rated infant car seat in America. Correct installation is key to car seat safety, and Chicco makes this not only possible, but very easy.

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Comment Products We Love, Reviews & Collaborations, Travel

Island Beats, Swim, Repeat

You know what the most crucial thing about travelling with kids is? MIND SET. A while back I read this article, and it’s so spot-on (and hilariously) truthful that I can’t even pick just one quote.

Some of my favorites:

“If your final destination has a kitchen, you are not on vacation. You are on a trip. If you have to grocery shop before or during your time away, it is a trip. If you, at any time during your stay, have to load or unload a dishwasher, that is a Groundhog-Day-style trip.” (We are in the moment where we live for a kitchen on our “trips.” And, I may have also nearly lost my mind not being able to find a solid grocery store near Waikiki beach).

“If there is a pack-and-play in your room, you are on a trip. If you are in a hotel room with two double beds, trippity trip trip.” Yup! Totally us right now!

Can’t. Stop. Laughing. Despite the headaches that can come with traveling with two littles, it’s still worth it in my books. And, we’ve been coming back from some pretty stellar family trips lately: we’ve just returned from Oahu, Hawaii, and our trip to  San Diego in the fall was pretty amazing! Our travel entails nothing too adventurous these days, mostly getting outside, enjoying the sunshine, and eating too much ice cream. WIN. The winter time is when our family gets to reconnect since our summers are so crazy with our boat business. Oddly enough we live in a summer paradise, yet have to get away in the winter to enjoy one! We don’t have huge expectations to do much more than see a few sites and get in some good quality family time.

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6 Comments Travel

Hi There

Hi! And welcome to Mama Writes Blog. For those of you I don’t know, let me introduce myself. I’m Raina. Mama to Vienna and Aria, wife to Mike, and a lover of the written word. I grew up in a small town in British Columbia, Canada, not far from where I live now. I love sunny weather and traveling, coffee, Pilates, holidays, baking, and, of course, being a mother to my two beautiful girls! I wanted to take a quick post to start the New Year off with a little about me and my plans for 2017!

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1 Comment Motherhood

A New Chapter

2017 is here and I am so excited to be writing this post. Mostly because it’s my first post of a New Year. And you know what that means? That I’m still blogging! I started this little blog back in the Spring; it was something I had always wanted to do. But I was nervous. Scared. Intimidated. What if no one reads it? Or perhaps more accurately, what if someone reads it, LOL. What if I have nothing to write about? I’m my worst critic, and I knew I would be hard on myself if I didn’t “succeed”. It took me 4 more months after I decided to blog before I published it on social media, in particular to friends, family and people I know. 5 months later I am SO proud of myself for this accomplishment.

Putting myself out there to the world is part of a new chapter about me. One where I’m less concerned about what people think, and more focused on being my true self. And maybe no one is reading this after all (anyone? 😉 ) But that’s OK by me! That’s not why I’m here. I love writing. And like I said in the beginning, I want a memory of this time for my girls.

In starting Mamawrites I have connected with a community of people that I may not know in person, but feel like long time friends. I have received so many kind compliments and support from friends and family, and from acquaintances, too. That support and feedback isn’t the be-all and end-all, of course, but it has given me confidence and the encouragement to not care (about the wrong stuff) and to care (about the good stuff).

I am so excited for this start to a new year, which naturally brings about an opportunity to plan goals and dreams. I’m looking forward to a full year of hopefully somewhat pre-planned blog content, too!

We rang in 2017 with a couple of friends at our fave local pizza place, and then came home for an early count down with the girls before tucking them in for the night. And, just to remind us of what season of life we are in, Aria had one of her only explosive diapers ever while we were out (sorry about that, friends) and Vienna put on a fairly good display of toddler whining all the way home and refused to have her picture taken. There’s no where I’d rather be, but please pass the wine.

Here’s to another amazing year ahead! And how cute are these little princesses? xo

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4 Comments Holidays & Special Events, Motherhood

Our Christmas

Well, that in-between week of hanging on to anything Christmas has come to a close (remind me again, when do I have to stop putting Salted Caramel Baileys in my coffee??) and I’m reflecting on what an amazing thing it is to have little kids at Christmas. (Truth: I started this post during said week but never finished it and now it’s January).

We I set out our Holiday Bucket List in true Type-A, Pinterest-loving fashion and we had a great month of celebrations. Here’s a quick recap of the festivities!

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