Nestled in the embrace of the North Sea, Terschelling is a gem among the Frisian Islands, offering a perfect blend of natural beauty, serenity, and cultural richness. Recently, we had the privilege of embarking on a two-day vacation to this enchanting island, and it proved to be a rejuvenating escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Read MoreOur week-long adventure at Disneyland Paris and Villages Nature Paris was a perfect blend of enchantment and tranquility. From the exhilarating highs of meeting beloved characters and experiencing Disney magic to the serene moments spent by the lakeside and exploring nature at Villages Nature.
Read MoreJuno Beach, located in Normandy, France, is a place of great historical significance as it was the site of the Canadian landings on D-Day during World War II. As a Canadian / Dutch family, visiting Juno Beach and the Canadian D-Day Memorial was a must-do activity during our vacation to France.
As we approached the beach, we were struck the peacefulness of the surroundings. We could see the waves crashing on the shore and the wind blowing through the nearby trees. It was hard to imagine that just a few decades ago, this same area was filled with the chaos and noise of battle.
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Every year we try to make a trip to the tulip fields around the Keukenhof in Lisse. It’s very impressive to see all the beautiful colours of the flowers. The landscapes in Lisse look like real life paintings. The tulip fields in the Netherlands are famous all over the world attract a lot of visitors but we usually manage to find a nice quiet spot on back farmers roads . This year in 2020, the start of the quarantine in the Netherlands directly coincided with tulips harvest season. Many of the farmers cut down their tulips to try and keep local visitors away trying to keep the infection from spreading amongst the communities. Normally these fields are flooded with tourists, but because the borders were closed it was primarily Dutch families looking to outside when the spring weather had arrived. Due to their being no tulips growing when the quarantine ended, we found ourselves in a lonely hyacinth field instead.
Read MoreIf your heart starts racing when thinking about a real life treasure hunt or you want to bring home a more original Dutch souvenir, visit to the Noordermarkt antique market on Saturdays or Monday’s. You can find a nice selection of items like books, Bric-à-brac, glassware, china, rugs, vintage clothing, accessories & jewellery. Every week there is new stock at the antique stands and you never know what you will find!
The market is visited by both locals and tourists and has a really nice atmosphere and you can find beautiful items on any budget. The market is on a very picturesque location, on the corner of Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht and is surrounded by amazing cafe’s were you can rest after a successful antique hunt.
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When visiting Amsterdam, a visit to the Saturday market at Noordermarkt in the Jordaan is a must for all food lovers. The market is in one of the most scenic parts of the city on the corner of Prinsengracht and Brouwersgracht.
You will find the most beautiful eco produce, cheeses and flowers. A visit to Biologische Noordermarkt Amsterdam is always part of our Saturday ritual. We like to get inspired by anything in season and go home and make the most incredible lunches with the kids. We try to involve the kids in the shopping process so they get just as excited about all the fresh foods and making it into a meal.
Since face mask are getting required in public transportation and stores, and we live in the city center with still rising Covid 19 cases, I thought it was time to get some face masks for the kids. I was looking for a simple mask that wouldn’t distract too much from their sweet eyes :) Because I like natural fabrics and a clean look, Linen masks were an easy choice. I let James and Darcy pick their own color which wasn’t easy since there are so many great colours available. The both ended up picking a beautiful colour.
Read MoreEvery year before my husbands birthday or Christmas I feel a light panic coming. I will have to find my husband a present! You would think it’s no big deal, but since Chris made a sport of finding me the most perfect gift at every occasion, I do feel a bit of pressure. It’s not about how fancy the gift is because I know he doesn’t care about that, it’s about it being a thoughtful present that is right for him.
Read MoreEvery year we look forward into the time we can shamelessly eat way too many oliebollen. Our favoriete place to get freshly baked oliebollen in the Jordaan is Arnold Cornelis on Elandsgracht. At new year's eve they set up a stand outside because we are definitely not the only ones who love their oliebollen and appelflappen. It’s good to keep in mind to get your oliebollen early in the day, one time they were sold out by the time we arrived and you can imagine the disappointment :)
Read MoreMeet Eevee, our new Devon Rex. We surprised our kids during the lockdown with a new kitten. We were so proud of them how they adapted to the new situation during quarantine and being homeschooled. I was following the instagram from Cattery Honolulu for a while and when I saw a photo of Eevee it was love at first sight, we were so lucky she hadn’t been reserved yet.
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One of the things that we love to do as a family, is going for ice creams after dinner. Luckily we have a couple good ice cream shops in our neighbourhood. We then stand on the bridge and watch all the boats come by while eating our ice creams. These photos are from our last summer evening out. Knowing it was our last evening, made everything feel even more special. Looking forward to doing this next summer.
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Just a beautiful fall evening out in our neighbourhood. We love taking our Jipfish bolderwagen on our strolls, because Darcy still get’s tired of walking so now and then. The Jipfish bolderwagen drives really light, so Gabriel has no problem pulling his sister.
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When it’s tulip season in The Netherlands, we always have to play tourists in our own country. We never get bored with photographing the long rows of bright colored flowers. These photos we took close by the Keukenhof in Lisse. The tulips are not hard to find and are all around in that area. If you ever find yourself in Holland around that time, It’s worth a visit!
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We are in the middle of a big renovation of our house. Our neighbours had problems from the contact noises coming from our apartment (we found this out in the middle of purchasing this house) To try to solve the problem, we decided to take the complete floor out. Multiple layers came up until we reached the floorboards. Our kitchen, bathroom that are also on the ground floor are completely stripped. We thought it was nice to sand the beams now the ground floor is completely empty. The beams are quite dark and in combination with the low ceiling a lighter color would look better in our eyes. It’s hard work since Chris had to keep the sander up high and that really makes you feel it in the arms.
Read MoreFinally we got some snow in Amsterdam this February! My husband had to wait patiently, because he really missed to see snow. Growing up in Canada he has great memories of cold winters and snow covered ground.
Read MoreBecause the little ones had been iceskating before, we decided to take them to the iceskating rink at Museumplein. Their dad, growing up in Canada was always playing ice hockey growing up. Because the winters in the Netherlands have no natural ice guarantee, the Museumplein iceskating rink with a view at the Rijksmuseum was a nice way to introduce them to the ice.
Read MoreI just love doing in home lifestyle sessions. Your own home is part of your story and is also the place where you likely are most comfortable. Especially after you just welcomed a new baby, there is no other place that is more comfortable.
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I was excited to do a lifestyle newborn session with this beautiful family in Amsterdam and their sweet baby boy. He was a natural model, he was relaxed and sleeping the whole way through his session. He even gave a couple of smiles. How cute is that full head of hair? :) Here a selection of some of my favourites
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A Baptism photography session for a lovely family at the Krijtberg Kerk in Amsterdam. The little girl that was having her baptism was great all day and looked beautiful in her family dress. Click the link to see the highlights from the gallery.
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This in-studio maternity photography session was shot in my in-home Amsterdam studio. The client was amazing to work with and pregnancy looked really good on her
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