Updated for 2024!I've spent the last few days making some fun little printable activity pages for little ones that are now listed in my Little Willow Press Etsy shop! Designed for kids to do at the end of the year to help them remember all of their most memorable moments, things they've enjoyed, ... Read More about Kids’ Printable Year in Review 2024 Activity Pages
Another Lovely Vintage Find!
Out for a walk yesterday evening, I came across this beautiful vintage hand-carved children's bed frame that had been put out for garbage and I just had to bring it home! Isn't it just so sweet with all the lovely little hand-carved details? I just couldn't let such a wonderful piece like this end ... Read More about Another Lovely Vintage Find!
Lovely Vintage Finds
A recent visit back home, here are some of our lovely vintage finds... Such a pretty embossed biscuit tin, reminding me of tea and cookies at my Grandma's house ♥ I think this one is perhaps 1940s, but not certain of that. Made by Gray Dunn of Scotland. The design and colours are just gorgeous, such ... Read More about Lovely Vintage Finds
A Very Vintage 14th Birthday
Vintage inspired Birthday CupcakesLittle bit of a long overdue post, the lovely birthday girl in question celebrated in November and here I am posting about her birthday many months on! Ah well, 'better late than never' has always been my motto, along with 'I'll study tomorrow' and um, 'all in good ... Read More about A Very Vintage 14th Birthday
Thrifting Thursday
Thought I would share a few of my recent thrift store finds! I just love thrift shopping - it feels quite good to find something you love at a great price, and more so when it's a rare vintage item - those are certainly getting harder to find at regular thrift stores, but that's another story for ... Read More about Thrifting Thursday
Valentine’s Day Printable Activity Sheets & Games
Valentine's Day is soon upon us and it is such a fun holiday for kids to celebrate by giving out Valentine cards to friends and family as well as making yummy Valentine treats to share! I've been working away on a fun package of Valentine's Day printables for my Etsy shop - Little Willow Press - 10 ... Read More about Valentine’s Day Printable Activity Sheets & Games
Pumpkin Oat Gingerbread Cookies
Everyone in our house loves these soft and flavourful pumpkin gingerbread cookies! These healthier cookies are a great fall treat and since they have lots of nutritious and nourishing ingredients like oats, pumpkin and spices, I don't even mind the kids having them at breakfast.Of course, the kids ... Read More about Pumpkin Oat Gingerbread Cookies
How to Roast and Store Pumpkin
October and early November are the perfect time to stock up on pumpkin so that you have access to this incredibly nutritious fruit all year round! Pumpkin can be hard to find in grocery stores at other times of the year and even the canned variety can be hard to find at times, outside of the ... Read More about How to Roast and Store Pumpkin
Gingerbread Mummy Cookies
Gingerbread mummy cookies are so fun and easy to make for Hallowe'en and the kids just love them!These mummy cookies are easy to decorate and are a hit at Halloween parties or gatherings. I added some little candy hearts to give them a little extra colour, but either way they are cute and fun for ... Read More about Gingerbread Mummy Cookies
New Printables Now Available In My Shop
Due to the popularity of the Best Friends Quiz digital printable I posted on here a few months ago, I thought I would expand on that to create a little packet of fun things for young friends to do together. I loved this type of thing when I was young and my friends and I could do some of these ... Read More about New Printables Now Available In My Shop
Epi-Pen & Inhaler Inside Stickers – Free Printable
I'm back with another quick back-to-school printable sticker sheet - this time I thought I'd make available some 'Epi-pen Inside' and 'Inhaler Inside' stickers for those who need to stick these on bags or purses. When my daughter got to about Grade 4, she no longer wanted to carry her Epi-pen and ... Read More about Epi-Pen & Inhaler Inside Stickers – Free Printable
FREE PRINTABLE: Allergy Alert Stickers
As a mama of a child with food allergies, I know how important it is to make those allergies known to everyone who your child interacts with in the school setting. Parents of children with food allergies have the added anxiety of worrying if your child will encounter their allergen while at school ... Read More about FREE PRINTABLE: Allergy Alert Stickers
Needle-Felted Toys: Makeovers for Old Friends
Hello again! I just wanted to share a couple of little needle-felted friends that I recently spruced up - meet bear and fox! I made these little guys quite a few years ago for my daughter and son and they have been happily played with and well-loved over the years. My littlest one, Arthur, just came ... Read More about Needle-Felted Toys: Makeovers for Old Friends
A Graduation Bouquet
My daughter graduated from grade 8 this past week (sniff!) and I just thought I'd share the lovely bouquet we gave her after the ceremony - courtesy of Pictus Goods here in Toronto. I love Pictus as they are an environmentally-conscious flower shop sourcing local flowers as much as possible, using ... Read More about A Graduation Bouquet
Back With a New Name!
Hello again! I'm finally back to posting after some time away - the whole family came down with Covid and just after recovering from that the kids have all been suffering from colds, so it's been non-stop illness around here. Thankfully, everyone is feeling well again! Which means that I can resume ... Read More about Back With a New Name!
Walking into Narnia
Here in Toronto we woke to another beautiful snowfall yesterday morning! I just love snow and hiking through Taylor Creek Park after such a snowfall feels just like Lucy walking into Narnia, with the canopy of trees heavy and sparkling with fresh snow and quiet all around - you half expect Tumnus to ... Read More about Walking into Narnia
Make an Alphabet Birthday Cake
Just a quick little birthday post! This is the cake that I made for my alphabet-mad little boy who just turned two. He wasn't too bothered with the rest of the cake but there was a lot of excitement for those letters!If you have a little one who just loves letters, this is the simplest cake to ... Read More about Make an Alphabet Birthday Cake
Birthday Sweater: Jasper Diamond Hoodie from Vintage Baby Knits
The Jasper Diamond Hoodie from the book Vintage Baby Knits is one I've been meaning to knit for ages...really ages - since my daughter (now 13!) was a baby. Back then I was very new to knitting and I started this little sweater in the 9 month size and quickly realised that there was no way that I ... Read More about Birthday Sweater: Jasper Diamond Hoodie from Vintage Baby Knits
Klaus ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
I couldn't resist the final name on our Baby Name Advent for the 24th of December - Klaus! Actually my kids suggested this name in part because they are big fans of the book (and TV) series A Series of Unfortunate Events in which one of the protagonists, a clever and introspective boy, is called ... Read More about Klaus ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Ivy ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
I had to go with at least one traditional winter-inspired name for our Baby Name Advent, one of my personal all-time favourites - Ivy! Short, simple, and very sweet, this classic name has been given to many a baby girl born around the winter holidays. The bright green leaves of the ivy plant were ... Read More about Ivy ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Winter ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
A most obvious choice for a winter baby name list but an often overlooked name, the 21st day of the Baby Name Advent brings us Winter! I always thought this was such a pretty name, but have only really met one person named Winter that I can recall, back in high school in the mid-nineties. According ... Read More about Winter ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Yarrow ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
I first came across Yarrow used as a name for a little girl on a family blog I used to read - which one I can't remember as it was quite a few years ago now! But this sweet name stuck with me and I thought it was so pretty and much more rarely used than many other flower-derived names. It came back ... Read More about Yarrow ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Julian ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
meaningThe 19th day of the Baby Name Advent brings us the name Julian! One bearer of this lovely name was Saint Julian, who is the patron saint of hospitality and "was invoked as the patron of hospitality by travelers on a journey and far from home pray hoping to find safe lodging". Since the winter ... Read More about Julian ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Ruby ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The 18th day of the Baby Name Advent brings us a name most will be familiar with - Ruby! This sweet name has always been one of my favourites and I think it fits in well with the wintery/holiday theme as the beautiful ruby-red hue is ubiquitous at this time of year!To see more winter-inspired baby ... Read More about Ruby ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Fannar ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The 17th day of the Baby Name Advent brings us a name that you might never have heard of - a lovely name from the land of fire and ice - the Icelandic name Fannar, meaning 'snow drift'!For more winter-inspired baby names, please visit the Baby Name Advent page!meaningsnow ... Read More about Fannar ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Yukio ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The 16th day of the Baby Name Advent brings us a lovely name meaning 'snow' - Yukio! Other meanings for this Japanese name are 'snow boy' or 'child of snow'. For more winter-inspired baby names, please visit the Baby Name Advent page!meaningsnow; snow ... Read More about Yukio ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Jonas ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The 15th day of the Baby Name Advent brings us the lovely name, Jonas, meaning 'dove'. The dove features prominently in imagery we see around the winter holidays, representing peace. I also had this one on my (very) long list of names to consider for each of my babies - such a lovely, classic ... Read More about Jonas ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Olwen ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Olwen is a pretty Welsh name meaning 'white footprint' and has such a lovely, poetic feeling to it in both sound and meaning. I just love this name and I think it would be a wonderful choice, especially for a baby born in wintertime!For more winter-inspired baby names, please visit the Baby Name ... Read More about Olwen ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Aiden ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The 13th day of the Baby Name Advent brings us a rather cozy name meaning 'little fire' - Aiden! Aiden/Aidan is such a popular name these days, though it was not so long ago that it was little used outside of the UK. The name took on whole new levels of stardom when it was used for a character in a ... Read More about Aiden ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Neva ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The twelfth day of the Baby Advent brings us the sweet and pretty name Neva - meaning 'snow'! Before I started this winter name advent, I didn't realize that there were quite so many snow-related baby names. This is actually one of the names we had on our list back when we were expecting our first ... Read More about Neva ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Crispin ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
For the 11th day of the Baby Name Advent, nothing is cooler than the name Crispin! Although Crispin's Latin meaning is 'curly haired,' it just has such a lovely wintery feeling to it, befitting of any rosy-cheeked winter-born baby.For more unique winter-inspired baby names, please visit the Baby ... Read More about Crispin ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Juniper ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Juniper is such a sweet name and I thought it would fit in well amongst other winter-inspired names as the boughs and berries of the juniper tree are often used at Christmas to decorate the home. Juniper is a lovely name if you're looking for something unique and nature-inspired!To view more ... Read More about Juniper ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Yves ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The ninth day of the Baby Name Advent brings us the name Yves! A lovely French name that means 'yew' or 'yew-wood'. The yew-tree ties in to the Christmas tradition as yew boughs, with their bright green needles and vibrant red berries, are an oft-used festive decoration - first popular in Germany, ... Read More about Yves ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Miyuki ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The name Miyuki is a lovely name with an equally lovely meaning - 'beautiful snow' in Japanese, which is just perfect for winter-born baby! Other meanings are listed as 'beautiful happiness,' 'deep snow,' and 'beautiful'. For more winter-inspired baby names, please visit the Baby Name Advent ... Read More about Miyuki ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Zev ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
For the 7th day of the Baby Name Advent, I thought I would feature the name Zev - a lovely Hebrew name meaning 'wolf' - to celebrate one of our beautiful cold climate animals. If you're looking for a name that's short and sweet, easy to pronounce and spell, then this name's for you!For more ... Read More about Zev ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Cedar ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Nothing says winter and holiday decorating quite like the beautiful boughs of the evergreen, like cedar! I saw the name Cedar on a few other lists of winter baby names and thought it a lovely idea to pay homage to one of our most prevalent holiday décor sources. This name works especially well if ... Read More about Cedar ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Stellan ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
I have always had a fondness for the name Stellan, it's such a lovely name! One of the most common images of wintertime and the holiday season in many traditions is the star and it is thought that the name Stellan might have origins from the Latin for star- stella. More commonly used in Sweden than ... Read More about Stellan ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Aneira ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
This Welsh name means 'much snow' which would be quite fitting for a baby born in the midst of winter! This pretty name comes from the Welsh word for snow - Eira - which is also very lovely too! You can visit the Baby Name Advent page to view other winter-inspired baby names!meaningMuch ... Read More about Aneira ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Gideon ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The third day of the Baby Name Advent brings us the name Gideon! I chose this one for the list, not because of a wintery meaning, but because it is the name of the angel in one of my favourite Christmas films - One Magic Christmas! Gideon is also the name of a shepherd boy in the Christmas nativity, ... Read More about Gideon ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Lumi ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The name for the second day of the Baby Name Advent is Lumi! Lumi is a name of Finnish origin that means 'snow' and is really just such a pretty name - simple yet so sweet! Such a lovely choice for a winter baby - a name to evoke memories of pretty snowfalls and playing in the snow. The name Lumi ... Read More about Lumi ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Andri ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
The first day of the Baby Name Advent for winter-inspired names is Andri! Nothing gets more wintery than a baby name that means 'snowshoe'! This is a lovely Old Norse name that I first came across after watching the Icelandic drama series 'Trapped' (or 'Ófærð' in Icelandic). A fresh take on ... Read More about Andri ~ Baby Name Meaning & Origin
Winter Baby Names ~ 24 Days of Winter Inspired Baby Names
I thought it would be fun to make a Baby Name Advent to feature a new winter themed baby name for each day in December for 24 days. If you’re looking forward to welcoming a new little one in the winter season, perhaps you’ll find a name here to inspire you!I had quite a few jotted down, but narrowed ... Read More about Winter Baby Names ~ 24 Days of Winter Inspired Baby Names
Santa & Snowman Ornament Free Printable Colouring Page
I've recently been trying to teach myself digital art/graphic design and slowly making progress with a program called Affinity Designer. I've been so happy with this program, even though it's been a bit of a steep learning curve for me since I don't have any experience at all with digital art ... Read More about Santa & Snowman Ornament Free Printable Colouring Page
Wearing: Winter Woolens for Baby
Just a quick little post to show some of the woolens that little Arthur is wearing this winter!Petite knit - Albert's Pilot Hat - found hereWhen I came across the pattern for Albert's Pilot Hat, I really wanted to make one for Arthur and I finally got around to it last month! I love Petite Knit ... Read More about Wearing: Winter Woolens for Baby
How to Make Lunchbox Letter Biscuits ~ Sugar Cookie Letters
My 19-month-old is suddenly just enthralled with letters and spots them everywhere we go, even in the shapes of the playground equipment at the park! So when I came across a silicone alphabet mold, I just knew I had to get it and make him some alphabet biscuits. Luckily the biscuits turned out quite ... Read More about How to Make Lunchbox Letter Biscuits ~ Sugar Cookie Letters
Repurposed Fence Board Halloween Decorations
I came across fence board Hallowe'en decorations when searching on Pinterest (of course!) for inexpensive Hallowe'en decorations to make with kids. I loved the idea of these as you can repurpose boards that are in rough shape and might otherwise be throw out. We had a bunch of varying sized boards ... Read More about Repurposed Fence Board Halloween Decorations
Mini Make Monday: Vintage-Look DIY Stamped Letter Tiles
These little letter tiles are so much fun to make! They have so many great uses in teaching your little ones their alphabet, about vowels and consonants, and eventually to practice their spelling. It's great to involve them in the making of the tiles too. Since they are made from simple homemade ... Read More about Mini Make Monday: Vintage-Look DIY Stamped Letter Tiles
Baby Biscuits Recipe ~ Pumpkin & Fig Baby Cookies
I created the Pumpkin & Fig Baby Biscuit recipe for my baby son as I was looking for a cookie with a mixture of good ingredients to give him and hadn't come across anything in the store. I also prefer to make my own, when possible, to avoid all the packaging that comes with store-bought items. I ... Read More about Baby Biscuits Recipe ~ Pumpkin & Fig Baby Cookies
Best Friends Quiz – Printable for Kids
This is a little printable quiz that is fun for friends to do together. Reminiscent of those magazine quizzes that most 80s kids will remember fondly!Just print out the page and cut it down the middle - each friend then takes a side to fill out about each other - then share answers and see how much ... Read More about Best Friends Quiz – Printable for Kids
How to Make Garden Markers ~ Elegant Repurposed Garden Markers
When I have an idea for a new craft, I always look around my house to see if there is anything I can reuse or repurpose to avoid having to buy something new. It's always great to find that I can use something that might otherwise have just gone in the garbage., no matter how small. I figure that ... Read More about How to Make Garden Markers ~ Elegant Repurposed Garden Markers