We were so excited when we discovered our little city offers a beautiful wood-fired community oven surrounded by a bountiful garden and orchard. With our picnic blankets packed, we caramelized our shallots, shredded our mozzarella, sliced our mushrooms, seasoned our sauce, rolled our dough and headed to the Park Avenue Community Oven (PACO) for a pizza party al fresco. (When we say we, we mean Jacqueline’s husband Craig Flinn, but you better believe we were there for moral support and official taste testing!)

This local culinary treat is run by amazing volunteers who are there to guide you through the entire wood-fired oven experience. Stainless steel countertops, large pizza peels and running water is all on-site to assist you while you prep and cook your pizza. Surrounded by lush gardens, there’s also plenty of space for outdoor games.

Craig reserved the oven and with the help of a PACO volunteer named Bernie, we had a truly magical night in Downtown Dartmouth. Craig outdid himself, using all fresh and local ingredients to create the most amazing pizzas! 

For dessert, we indulged in ooey, gooey s'mores, warmed to perfection in the wood-fired oven! 

It was a perfect night to get outside for good food and great company. We’ll definitely be back! 

To book your own memorable meal, visit PACO's website today!

​xo Jacqueline & Lindsay

When our babies first started solids we were all over it. Food prep was in full swing, pureed everythang was wrapped and stored in the freezer and we were well-oiled baby food-making machines. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner covered. And then came the snacks. Three meals a day is no longer sufficient for our growing babes and we now include two snacks (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) into our daily routine. Check out a few of our go-tos for snack time. 

Watermelon
Watermelon has been a favourite summer treat. To cut down on the mess, we place a few chunks into our handy Boon silicone pulp feeder. We prefer the silicone feeder over the mesh feeders as they're far more durable, easier to clean and our little ones love chewing and sucking on the cover, making them a great aid for teething.
 
Bananas
Lindsay’s baby girl LOVES bananas, but we like to dish them out in moderation. Did you know bananas can be one of the leading causes of constipation in babies? Applesauce, bananas and cereals (ABC) are all constipation culprits so don’t overdo it with this potassium-rich fruit.

Yogourt fruit pops
This has been a favourite summer treat and they’re so simple to prepare. It’s essentially a frozen smoothie pop. We found the most adorable round moulds on amazon.ca that are perfect for little mouths. Yogourt with strawberries or blueberries are two of our favourite combinations.  

Kiwi
Kiwis are an excellent source of fibre and full of nutrients, such as potassium, and loaded with antioxidants. Jacqueline's son loves kiwi and it's an awesome snack to take along for day trips.

Avocado
Three cheers for the avocado! This nutrient-dense food contains nearly 20 vitamins and minerals and our little ones love them. 

Banana and egg pancakes
Low on prep and high on flavour is our kind of snack! Mash a banana, mix with two eggs (and vanilla for a little extra sweetness) and you’ve got yourself a yummy breakfast or a late morning snack.  

What snacks do your little ones love?
 
xo Jacqueline & Lindsay

Fun fact: peaches are at their peak in July and August and we’re loving all of the sweet and savoury dishes we can make with this juicy stone fruit. We’ve never met a flatbread we didn’t like and we’re so excited to share one of our favourite recipes that features the OH-SO delicious peach! It’s super easy to make and packs a serious flavour punch.
 
Ingredients
Serves 2
The great thing about flatbread is you can be as generous as you like with the toppings, so our measurements are merely suggestions.
 
Store-bought flatbread
2 fresh peaches, cored and cut into wedges
Cooked chicken breast, shredded (a store-bought rotisserie chicken also does the trick!)
A handful of spinach or arugula, torn
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
2-3 slices of prosciutto
1 tablespoon dry rosemary
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
 
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400C.
2. In a small saucepan, bring oil and chopped garlic to a boil. Immediately turn heat to low to avoid burning and cook for five minutes. Remove pan from burner and set aside.
3. Lay flatbread on an oiled baking sheet. Brush the flatbread with a generous amount of garlic oil.
4. Top flatbread with chicken, peaches, prosciutto, spinach or arugula, goat cheese or feta and rosemary.
5. Place flatbread in oven and cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with remaining garlic oil before serving. 
​
Enjoy!

xo Jacqueline & Lindsay

And the milestone moments just keep on coming! We can’t believe we’re already sharing tips to prepare your home and your toddler for those first steps. That’s right! We’ve got little cruisers on our hands and we are in full-on proofing mode. We’ve had some mommas tell us they didn’t bother making many changes once their babies started to walk. While we completely understand not wanting to give your home a total overhaul and mess with its feng shui, we both decided to do a bit of reorganization. Check out what has worked for us in this new and exciting phase with our little ones.
 
Movin’ on up
Cleaning products, which often find a home under the sink, were moved to upper cabinets. Vases, little trinkets and other possibly-poke-an-eye-out items were all moved to higher ground. 

Soft landing
​One of our first purchases when our babies started shimmying about was a foam play mat. We love the grey and white tiles from Skip Hop. Besides the fact that the soft colour palette matched our décor perfectly (winning!), we love how the tiles can easily move around our homes and the area can be as big or as small as we like. With a new-found confidence on their own two feet, a foam mat has provided peace of mind when our babes take a tumble.

Soft edges
From coffee tables to fireplace seating, we’ve tackled those hard edges with (you guessed it!) more foam! There are so many options when it comes to covering corners and edges. Many products come in different colours so those protective coverings don’t have to be such an eyesore.
 
Cover up
This mobile freedom seems to put a little one’s curiosity and desire to discover at an all-time high. We’re all for exploring the world around you, but we’d rather leave outlets and plugs off the radar for now. We’ve peppered our homes in everything from simple outlet covers to larger casings for those wall warts that need to be plugged in 24/7. 

Gated community
This is another one of those peace of mind products we feel are worth every penny. From a simple click and slide to a more flexible custom build, do your research and find one that works best for your home and lifestyle.

Cruising
There are lots of ways to prep your little one for this next step (pun intended) in life. A great way to build your baby’s confidence and balance is to start her out by cruising along the edge of furniture. Place a favourite toy on one end of the sofa and encourage her to shift along the couch cushions to get to her destination.
 
Music encourages movement
Our babies absolutely love music. As soon as they hear a beat, they’re ready to sway, bop and shake (they got it from their mommas). Dancing encourages them to bend their knees and move up and down, which helps with balance and stability. So play that funky music!
 
Sole support
It’s been so nice to get outside this summer and our little ones are loving frolicking in the fresh air. We’ve quickly discovered that no two babies are alike and one size certainly does not fit all. Lindsay struggled to find shoes that slipped on easily and fit her baby's feet comfortably, so she was so excited when she discovered Jack & Lily. This Canadian company offers the cutest kicks in a variety of styles and colours. Their sturdy yet lightweight shoes, mocs and boots feature non-slip rubber soles (perfect for travelling tots!) and are designed to promote healthy foot development. The only downside: they don’t come in adult sizes!

​We’re so excited to partner with this awesome brand and we want to share the love with you! Head to www.jackandlily.com and save 25% off your next order with the code HAPPYFEET. Your tot’s tootsies will thank you! You can also check them out on Instagram and Facebook @jackandlilyshoes.  
                              
xo Jacqueline & Lindsay