There had been talk of this shoot for quite some time. It was actually supposed to be an engagement shoot, and since the wedding had already happened, and somewhat engagement photos had already taken place (waaaaay before the wedding not knowing they were the prelude to a future wedding).
Before we knew it, babes were on the way. For both sisters.

Back in 2007, it was here at their parents house that I photographed Stacey getting ready, before their stunning wedding at the Devils Pulpit.

And then in 2011, Jaime was wed at the unbelievable Fermenting Cellar in The Distillery District.

Coming in from Arizona and NYC, we finally reunited in their parents backyard in Caledon Ontario, this time last year. Throwing a blanket down on the dewy grass, letting the kids play and explore...I love so much about these photographs. The simplicity of these seemingly small moments, reveal so much. Full of playfulness, movement and curiousity, they tell the story of what's important and what can be seen when we take some time to slow things down.
xo
jodi renée

Labels: caledon, family, kids, life, lifestyle, ontario, summer

our fuzzy mascot for the day!

Standing in line at the grocery store, my eyes slightly bulge out of their sockets. The conveyor in front of me and the cart behind me, chock full of sugary sweetened drinks, and snacks. Doing a quick scan, nothing healthy in sight. Trying to take a second less obvious scan confirms that yes, we have obese children on the verge of rage or tears. Anxious, and ready to board the sugar train, with a round trip ticket to...diabetes.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. For kids to be healthy and nutritious, parents must be healthy and nutritious. All of your habits, what your kids will, and will not eat, come from YOU. If you're a picky eater, expect the same from little Suzy, if you eat kale and it's abundant in your fridge, so will Adam. The inventory in our kitchen is the foundation for nourished and healthy families, OR...extra large paints and insulin injections.

Sugar is a highly addictive substance people. It has no right in an abundantly unnatural form especially for these little beings and bodies that need you to know what is good for them.

The United States has the highest obesity rate of anywhere else in the world.
I bet Canada sits snugly high up in those rankings.
Ironically the more abundant we are in resources and wealth, the fatter and sicker we become.

I know I know, you don't know what to feed them.
I get it, you don't have time.
Totally, you're so busy.
Of course, she doesn't like anything green.

The problem is, these aren't problems, they're excuses.
And if the health of ourselves and our families isn't THE priority, then I'm not sure what is.
Because without it, the rest won't matter.

These days, life IS busy, yes.
Something is off however if you have to take from the places that are most important.
Kids will test our patience and we can NOT cave for convenience sake.
Busyness cannot equal poor food choices.

Enter, GOOD Bag for Kids.
And a mom raising two boys as an entrepreneur launching this incredible product together with Dr. Natalie Geary, author of the best selling book The Food Cure for Kids, voted one of the Top Doctors in the US by The US News.

GOOD BAG for Kids is a GOOD alternative and makes feeding your kids on the go, healthy, easy and accessible. - Tammany Atkinson, Founder, COO

All of the products in the bag have been hand selected as THE best products on the market, with every bag including: a protein, healthy carbohydrate, fruit supplement, healthy sweet treat, a probiotic, healthy fat/fish oil, kid's vitamin mix to be added to water, educational information for families, fun surprises and activities for the kids.

I am so honoured to be a part of something that encourages a healthier lifestyle for families and kids.
Even more honoured that I was hand selected (getting the Natalie Geary Seal of Approval!!) as the best and official photographer for GOOD BAG for Kids!

Make sure to check out their website, say hi on Facebook. You can also catch them on twitter!
xo
jodi renée

Labels: commercial, family, GOOD BAG, health, healthy, kids, life, lifestyle, nutrition, Oakville

Don't get me wrong.
I love me a good gift! or lots O gifts.
And I think we've missed the point with kids...dramatically.
Tis the season to buy the most and spend the most?
To add to the already heaping mound that most have.
Spoiling kids most definitely fulfills what they want...and are they getting what they need?
Love.
Time.
Affection...just to name a few.
Exploration.
Adventure.
Experience...are some options.
Time to talk.
More time to laugh.
To be deeply heard.
The truth is.
I don't think we're paying enough attention.
And how can we?
Our faces spend more time looking at screens than they do human beings.

I remember listening to a story on the OWN network, about a biker dude who's wife wanted the "Best Of Oprah" DVD Collection as a gift. So he bought it, not thinking that he'd EVER be caught watching it, until one day...His wife was out and there was nothing else on. So he threw in the DVD  and the episode was an interview, author Toni Morrison of The Bluest Eye asking this profound question: "When a child (or anyone you love) walks into a room, do your eyes light up?"
This question got him thinking...tired from a long days at work, HE knew how much he loved is family and of course he knew that they knew, he was their father!
And yet...
It's as simple as, "Let your face speak what's in your heart."
Often we might know how we feel and what's being expressed is something entirely different.

When I attended my yoga training in Bali a couple of years back, one of my favourite teachers stood out, precisely for that reason. Anytime he was talking to you, he was completely present. Making you feel as if you were the most important person in the world...the only person in the world.
And no you don't have to be an enlightened being chanting om while on your head for 8 hours to achieve this! Although for some reason, I think it helps!
It's available to us all. At any moment.
And yet why is this so seemingly difficult?

We can say this life and society makes it very challenging to be present.
We can't however, always let excuses keep us from doing what truly matters.
The gifts that keep on giving will never amount to much under the Christmas tree however they'll come back 100 fold in a world that is desperately in need of one another.

Look at the Quinn Family story, unfolding in the photos above, you'll see...
A family that thrives because they play together.
Down the road the kids get to see this...
A mom who doesn't pretend to have it together (this is why I love you Amanda!)
Because what's real is beautiful even if it's a lil fckn chaotic most days.
Brush it off with some humour and a glass of wine (when the kids go to bed of course)!!!!
Dad comes home from work in time to catch the end of road hockey, dress shoes ready to get a little dirty, as he grabs for his baseball mitt and away we go!
Interestingly enough, they didn't have to change a thing to produce what you see above.
It's the Quinn's just being themselves.
And really it's easier than we make it seem.

So less of the stuff that doesn't matter: Other people's facebook walls, celebrity gossip magazines, messenger, text and emails (that can wait or better yet, pick up the phone?)
When our focus is 'out there'...it's not 'in here'.
And our families need all of the focus, love and attention we can give them...and then some.
These are the best gifts we could possibly ever give.

And don't forget! At every possible moment: Let your face speak what's in your heart.
love,
jodi renée

Labels: baseball, etobicoke, family, kids, life, lifestyle, ontario, story, Toronto