Growing up, my family owned a small business: a hardware store. It was a multi-generationally owned Home Hardware in a small Kawartha village. My grandparents, parents, brother, me, and even my husband, all worked there over the span of decades.
I didn’t realize it at the time but I learned a lot of valuable things during my time at the hardware. My grandparents and parents believed in working hard, and passed that down to us. There are some skills I’ll never forget. I still know how to cut down a box with a jack knife lickety-split. I can mix paint, and cut a key, measure rope, identify what type of screwdriver you need, find you an ‘o’ ring, and on and on.
It only seems fitting that on our adventures antiquing I am always on the look out for a yardstick with my family store’s logo on it. We still have one of the wooden yardsticks that we used at the hardware, and it is attached to a table that we restored and now use as a desk. But it would be such a treat to find another one, out there in the world.
Last weekend, my husband and I were antiquing and the shop we were in had a barrel of wooden yardsticks. They were all from different companies and stores. Each one was just a little bit different. Some were thick, some thin, some so well worn from use and others in mint condition. As my eyes quickly scanned over the yardsticks I spotted a vintage home hardware one! And then to my surprise, another one, in the same bin! How could this be? It wasn’t from our family’s exact store, but it was still Home Hardware.
I’m so excited. I’m going to keep one for myself (it’s going to live in my craft room), and the other I’m going to give to my Dad.
What does he plan on doing with this treasure? Well, as of late he’s having a challenging time putting on his shoes. He finds that a wooden yardstick is the perfect tool to slip his foot into his shoe without bending (like a shoe horn). Now, he can use a familiar tool for this daily task. And hopefully it puts a smile on his face and brings back some happy memories of squeaky floors and days gone by.
P.S. The logos are slightly different, and I think my Dad will probably be able to identify how old the yard sticks are according to the style of the logo. I’ll keep you posted with what he says.
Update: So, automatically, my Dad said that the yardstick without the outline is the older of the two yard sticks (I knew he would know right away). He also shared with me that they would often give wooden yardsticks away for free. They would order 100 of them and when they were running low they would order more. It was a great way to advertise on something that would still be useful to the customer. So happy I’m still always finding ways to learn from my family.
I am so excited to announce my Etsy shop launch! Introducing to you made by mum market, a place to find handmade creations made with intention by me!
Just over a year ago, with lots of family support I began my blog – made by mum. I have loved writing blog posts and creating content that I am proud of. The etsy shop just seemed like the next natural step in this adventure.
As with anything new, there are always worries about how it will go, will it be successful, what if I fail? But as we always tell our kids – you need to try. I am surrounded by so much support and love and no matter how this little shop turns out, I am proud of myself for trying something that I never thought I would have the courage to do.
So if you want to go and check out my little market at made by mum market on etsy that would be wonderful.
Over the holidays I had the opportunity to visit one of my favourite local coffee shops, Roam Coffee in downtown Bowmanville. I had a selection from their seasonal Winter Menu: the Salted Honey Bourbon Latte. It was so delicious! My husband and I opted to have our warm drinks at a table rather than our usual to-go cups.
There really is nothing like a warm drink in a fabulous cup. If you get the chance I highly recommend visiting Roam. Try and sample their wonderful drink menu, and their amazing homemade treats.
I simply love visiting local farm shops on the weekends. One of my favourites is Willowtree Farm. This lovely shop is located in Port Perry, Ontario. It has a wonderful country aesthetic and is strongly based on farm to table products and hand made items.
You can be sure on any given visit you can pick up a bouquet of flowers for your table, homemade jam for your morning breakfast, a sweet or salty treat for a lazy afternoon, and all the supplies you need for a delicious Sunday dinner.
This week I was especially excited about their vegetable box, which was an amazing $10 and was filled with potatoes, brussel sprouts, garlic, a red pepper, tomato, an eggplant, rainbow carrots and an onion. It was the perfect combination for 2 people and will definitely jazz up our meals this week.
With Christmas just around the corner, many of the displays are scattered with handmade items. You can find many different kinds of locally made Christmas ornaments waiting to be placed upon your tree. I especially loved the felted bird and snowman ornaments.
At this time of year it is great to be thinking of gifting local products and Willowtree has a wide variety of jams, pickles, chutneys, mustards and many more. All of which would be wonderful for gift giving. Last year we received a basket of local handmade items as a gift. It is great to know that there are so many local artisans creating fabulous products.
I was especially drawn to a display that was full of coffee and tea products. The display was set up in a vintage Grandmother’s Hoosier Cabinet/baking cupboard. We have one of these treasured cupboards in our family and it holds so many happy memories for me. I thought it was amazing that they were using such a beautiful piece for this display.
Will you wander to Willowtree Farm and check them out? I guarantee you will find something wonderful.
The last few weeks have been very busy in our house! We have a new addition to our family and his name is Milo.
To say that he has filled our hearts with lots of love is an understatement; he has fit right in to our family and our home.
When we first saw a photo of Milo, my husband said we had to have him. He shared with me that as a child he had a little brown stuffed dog that he loved. Even after more than thirty years of marriage we are still learning about each other. After that moment we both knew we needed a little brown dog in our lives.
We have been busy with all things puppy since we got him, but we are starting to get into some good routines. We’ve been super lucky with him sleeping through the night since his first night with us (touch wood).
He has a little bounce in his run that makes my heart melt. Milo loves to chase a ball, chill at your feet and is a happy little ball of brown fluff. I can’t imagine our lives without him. Welcome little one!
Last year for our anniversary, my husband and I decided to go on a weekend getaway to Quebec. We selected a lovely place to stay and also treated ourselves to a day at the Nordik Spa in Chelsea. We spent the day enjoying the thermal pools and relaxing in hammocks amidst nature. As a treat, I also booked us each an outdoor massage.
It was amazing and so relaxing. As I spoke with my massage therapist, she strongly advocated for the importance of bringing the relaxation, gratitude, and care of the spa back home to our daily lives. She mentioned little self care things we can do for ourselves, like drinking lots of water and going for a walk in the morning, and she said that if I could listen to music while I walked, even better. Eating a handful of nuts everyday and stretching your body were also additions to a healthy self care practice. Her final advice was a reminder to be kind to myself.
These words, spoken to me over a year ago, were powerful–more powerful than she would ever realize. When I got home from our trip last year I made a note in my phone that I look at every day. I titled it: ‘Cecile says…’ and then I listed all the reminders and suggestions that she gave to me that day.
I have looked at my ‘Cecile Says…’ note every day since last August. It serves as a reminder to check in with myself and it fills me with gratitude when I look at it. I certainly am not about to say that I follow all these suggestions everyday, but I acknowledge that they are there and it gets me back on track.
This past week the stars aligned and I was able to go back to Nordik Spa and yes, I was able to book a massage with Cecile. I shared with her how important her words had been and what an impact they had on my daily life. She was overwhelmed and gave me a big hug. Through our conversation, we also realized that she and I share the same birthday! What are the chances?
Today I am thankful for all the Ceciles in the world!
As a family we enjoy going antiquing and looking for treasures. It’s a great way to learn about history from past perspectives. Being able to embrace the simple beauty in found objects is a gift.
Some of our greatest finds have been from antique stores and vintage shops. We love to repurpose old items in our home or refinish old furniture pieces to give them a new life. My husband’s personal love is refurbishing old technology and restoring it to what it once was. I like hunting for things that I can re-use for a different purpose. Some of my most recent ideas were to turn an old metal ladle into a flower vessel, and use vintage buttons to create art.
Our most recent visit was to Legacy Vintage Building Materials in Cobourg, Ontario. This shop was brilliant. Wandering through it almost felt like a museum. They specialize in architectural salvage, vintage doors, hardware, lighting, and home design elements. We wandered throughout the shop, from room to room, upstairs and downstairs. Each type of object was carefully curated and presented, as if they were pieces of art.
The first thing that caught my eye was a box of vintage buttons. The beauty of all the shapes, sizes and textures was incredible. Outside, there were amazing iron panels, rusted from time and weather. Stacks and stacks of wooden shutters of varying sizes and colours lined the walls of the basement. Key hole plates were delicately stamped with intricate patterns. The attention to detail in these pieces was simply beautiful. It was a great opportunity to appreciate fine craftsmanship.
This place is definitely well worth a visit. If you are wanting to add any true vintage pieces to your home or looking for unique and one of a kind items from the past, this is the store for you!
Have you ever driven past a box that someone has made on their front lawn that is full of books? As the summer starts I am looking for unique things to do in my local communities that don’t necessarily cost a lot of money. I drove past a little library today and decided to stop.
On other days in the hustle and bustle of life I probably wouldn’t have stopped. But today it was summer vacation, so I did. I actually got out of my car and lifted the latch of the little library and perused the books. Inside was a wide selection of books, from preschool reads, to YA, and adult fiction. I was impressed to see that there was even some non fiction and a magazine, in this particular little library.
I then got the itch and wanted to find more. As I was driving up and down the streets of the town I was in I began to find more. The next one I found was the similar replica of the house that stood behind it. The detail and attention to the wood working was amazing. The little house that was created was an incredible match to the stone home behind it.
Some were more simplistic and decorated to the home owners aesthetic. This is for sure a fun way of giving back to the community through literature, by offering free books to the public. Some had signs ‘take a book, leave a book’, while others actually had a tag. Little Free Library.org was one of the tags that was on one of the little libraries that I discovered. Upon further research, this is a non profit out of Minnesota. Their mission is to increase access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds, and to spread the love of reading.
As an Early Childhood Educator, this really sparked my interest because I recognize the importance of reading. Each year I get the opportunity to educate children and have them develop the love of reading. This is such a privilege. I value the importance of students having the foundational elements early on to develop the skills necessary to learn to read.
If you get the opportunity to go on a hunt for a local little library; I encourage you to do so. Maybe you will find a great book! Happy reading!
So, the summer has begun and the school year has come to an end. It is a time to rest, renew, and get inspired for the new school year to come. At the beginning of the summer I like to reflect on things I would like to do, projects that I would like to try, and places I would like to go to. This is just a little list of some of the summer things I hope to get the opportunity to do.
- Read at least four books
- Have a picnic with wonderful things to eat
- Go strawberry picking
- Go on a wine tour, maybe in Prince Edward County
- Go to a spa and have a day of complete relaxation
- Learn to use my Cricut with finesse
- Create labels for our classroom using said Cricut
- Organize my craft room
- Create content for my blog
- Walk daily
- Have banana frozen yogurt in a waffle cone
- Visit IKEA
- Spend time with the ones I love
- Afternoon naps
- Make homemade pizza dough once a week
- Have breakfast for supper
- Go to a farm-to-table restaurant
- Go to the farmer’s market weekly
- Woodworking in the garage
- Flower arranging
- Have coffee on the patio
- Complete a felting project
- Kayak
Maybe one of these items sparked your interest and you would like to try it. What items would you have on your list? Happy Summer!
I once had a friend tell me that everyone always has something going on in their lives that we don’t necessarily know about. And for that reason we needed to be kind to one another.
There are a lot of people in my life who are dealing with a variety of things right now. This is a reminder to be kind to one another. Take that extra moment to listen, ask someone how their day is going, or even just smile.
Doing something kind for someone might just be the bright spot in their day. It might be a small thing but it makes a difference.
For the people in my life that are dealing with illness, caring for family members, recovering from surgery, dealing with ongoing health problems, retiring soon, trying to juggle busy family lives, I see you. My message to you is: you got this, you are strong, you are capable and you are important!
Now go and spread a little kindness!