An Evening of Magic (At the North Pole)

At Small Wonders, we always find a reason to celebrate.

On a cold evening, as sparkling white crystals fell and seemed to drift across the trees in puffs and whirls,  winter magic was being created, and captured. No one knows for sure how it all came about. As the snow piled high all around, holiday cheer could be heard - along with giggles, and the hustle and bustle of little feet. 

It was quite warm at the North Pole this year. I think that's what happens when you have friends to celebrate with. Our little party-goers arrived in warm pajamas, bringing joy and cheer. Piles of food, fruity drinks, and sweets - oh my, the most delectable sweets were all on the menu. 

Games of bingo was in the cards, and it was a hit. Did you know that they love Bingo at the North Pole? They do! And the lucky winners- 5 of them, had a choice of gifts waiting to be claimed. A mango papaya lotion bar from Alchemy Body & Beauty, delicious mini cupcakes from Baked from the Heart, Whimsical Art by Kathy Lycka, Heritage Park tickets, gift baskets sponsored by my hubby for Small Wonders, as wells as a surprise hidden gift claimed by a curious- risk-taking winner (a Boston Pizza gift card). Whew! Our sponsors were generous this year, and that wasn't even all the gifts...

There was also talk of a special story time at 7:30 pm, if I'm not mistaken. And without much effort or fuss, children and parents gathered around to listen to a tale of Christmas. A story about a man named Santa Claus, and reindeer with very interesting names. The children listened in awe, as they munched on GoGo Quinoa's quinoa chocolate chip cookies (cause who doesn't?)

...tiny legs crossed on our warm fluffy rug - the same one we use for circle time at home.

Just right after our precious story was over, Mrs Claus' Sweets Shoppe was opened. I can't say I agree with little children devouring sweets just before bed- but maybe this once huh? And since all treats were elf-approved, moms and dads didn't really have much of a say. And so it goes; the children, and their parents were forced to eat to their hearts' desire.

Finally, stockings hidden in plain sight, were given to each child. They did not wait to open and examine the contents - to their parents' horror.
Two hours cannot capture the magic of the North Pole. Not with moms and dads, and little ones partaking in the magic of the season. 
No, it really cannot be done in two hours; but we are the type of people who will find any reason to celebrate - boy do we love our parties. In the end, on a snowy night, family me nd sharing in the joy. We did better than good - we did great - we had a wonderful night!

My only regret is not getting snap shots of the gifts and lovely gift baskets :(. 
Some photos (taken at home) were lost on a wonky disc, but hey, I think we have filed away all the goodness of coming together in our minds and hearts.

As for other 2016 reflections; it was that kind of year. A year filled with ups and downs. I’m entering the 2017 year filled with hope that we will just keep trucking on...with the good and bad. I figure we will be alright, as long as we've got each and every parent trucking along with us. But why don't we take a trip down memory lane, and reminisce about all the other wonderful things we did in 2016 at another time?  Right now I'm going to focus on our wonderful night.

I cannot sign off without speaking about the many individuals who helped make magic happen (for us and with us).
We had such lovely gifts. I am still amazed and humbled by the generosity that we have been blessed with. I cannot say enough good things about our sponsors. Some of the sponsors are individuals who have never met me, or any of us for that matter. Hard-working individuals who in their awesomeness got so excited about giving to a small dayhome & playschool's adventure. We are a lucky bunch.
Happy New Year to us...to all!

Thank you to our Lovely & Generous Event Sponsors
Alchemy Body & Beauty
Baked from the Heart
The Creativity Shell & EZ Kids
GoGo Quinoa
Heritage Park Society
Kathy Lycka Whimiscal Art
PZA Parlour // donated a gift for each family
Shannon Huisman RMT 
Iman & A. Saquaf (for Small Wonders)

Small Wonders would also like to thank:
Amira.............................stocking stuffer / helper / personal asst.
Iman ..............................helper / cleaner / personal asst.
A. Saquaf ......................photography/shopping / picking up /delivery of items
JM's parents...................dairy-free cupcakes
JM's parents ..................administrative work, helping in all/any area when needed
MB's parents..................fruit
AH's parents ..................veggie & dip
LE's parents................... chips, popcorn, pretzels, juice, fruit, cups
LE's parents ................... picking up items
EG's parents .................. mac & cheese bites, sweet potato casserole, cups, plates, cutlery
Braeside Community Association ...............for the lovely accessible space

Stocking stuffers
JM .......................... dairy-gluten-free brownie treat
MB..........................christmas (snowman) decorating kit
AH.......................... sticker book
LE...........................decorative christmas tree-craft set
EG.......................... wooden ornaments
HA......................... star wars socks (for the boys) & nectarines for all
ZA......................... macaroons 

Visit our first NP party here. 

Art & Brunch Donor Spotlight: Kelsey's Knits

About Kelsey
Located in Calgary, Alberta, Kelsey is an avid knitter, and collector of unique knickknacks.
She learned to knit at the age of 17. Her Grandma, who is one of her biggest supporters, was a lovely teacher who spent many weekends knitting on the couch with her. Kelsey still has knitting dates her grandmother here and there. 

After she started knitting, she began gifting items to friends and family, and soon after began to receive many requests. Since knitting was something she loved to do, she decided to start her own business. Kelsey works full time, and continues to grow her business. 

Kelsey donated 2 cute knitted children's hats for our event. Thank you Kelsey.

Contact Kelsey
(403) 816 – 6896
Email: kjaenen@hotmail.com
https://www.etsy.com/ca/people/KelJae
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kelseysKnits
Instagram:  @Kelsknits

Art & Brunch Donor Spotlight: Kathy Lycka

 Artist Bio

 Kathy Lycka grew up drawing and painting. She headed off to the Alberta College of Art and Design as a teen, and graduated with a degree in Visual Communications with a focus on Illustration in 2001.

Over the next few years she worked at various national and international corporations and created over 100 pieces of commercial/editorial illustrations. She also relocated temporarily to London, England for a change of pace and a promising job as a graphic designer with HSBC Investments (UK).

During her time across the pond; the overwhelming amount of gorgeous architecture, museums filled to the brim with fine art, and cultural diversity brought her unimaginable happiness. Her passion for art hit a restart button and she devoted countless evenings to painting pictures on the kitchen table in a tiny one-bedroom flat for the year she was abroad.

However, it wasn’t until a car accident in 2008 left her with serious neck and back injuries that she started painting on a regular basis again as part of her rehabilitation. This experience forced her to slow down and re-evaluate her life purpose. She now works full-time as an artist out of her home-based studio in Calgary, Alberta.

Aside from painting and drawing whimsical creatures, Kathy also teaches art classes in her studio.

Kathy donated some whimsical animal art for our event. Thanks Kathy!

Contact Kathy
(403) 383-4114
www.KathyLycka.com
Online Shops
www.kathylyckastudio.etsy.com
www.kathylyckaart.etsy.com

Highlights from Small Wonders Art & Brunch 2016

Food, family, Fun + Art was the highlight of Small Wonders' first art show. The show went off without a hitch. Ok, that's a slight exaggeration, but we prefer to focus on the hits, not the (few) misses.

The exhibition showcased 1 piece of artwork (per child) created during their experiments with painting and mixing colours. The Small Wonders (as they are referred to) welcomed parents, extended family, and friends to Studio C on a bright Saturday morning. 

How did this even come about? Well, Small Wonders' motto, "Where we Find Wonder in Every Season", is expressed in all activities; especially in the arts. On any given day, the children are allowed to create.
Sometimes we use nature as a backdrop. The children are encouraged to paint, draw and colour on various nature outings; in fact the children painted their masterpieces in our garden. 

Collaborating with Studio C was a bit nerve-racking for me at the beginning. I was quite nervous about putting myself, my business and my children's work "out there". Now I'm happy that I connected with Colin Menzies, and the award-winning studio. 

Getting the parents excited about the art show was not difficult. Parents agree that the joys of creative exploration and discovery, can never start too young.
Parent, Erin Elder, agrees that art is crucial to a young child's development, "I think art is so important for our little ones as it fosters creativity and has so many developmental benefits. I love that exploration and inventiveness is fostered through art at Small Wonders!" 

Another parent of one of my 2 year olds noted, "My son has the freedom to explore and use his imagination at SW. He is encouraged to take risks and challenge himself. To take the time to connect with the natural world around him. I believe these activities promote creativity; a skill that is often overlooked and underdeveloped."

The silent auction was also a hit. We even hired a professional photographer *wink* for our little superstars. With sponsors and donors from local businesses, such as Heritage Park, local artist Kathy Lycka, Good Earth Coffeehouse - Glenmore Landing, Stettler-based Photographer Chloe Buie, Scentsy Consultant Janna Leibel, local knitting genius Kelsey Gyarmati's children's author Wendi Silvano (who all jumped on board right from the start), as well as parent donors, there was an array of interesting and wonderful gifts.

I believe it is important to protect and honor the magic of childhood. I always emphasize creativity, imaginative play and joyful engagement with the natural world. This means going above and beyond to celebrate each child's diverse abilities. With a mixed aged group, my goal was to celebrate the skills and milestones of each child - I think we pulled it off.

-->Read about the children's initial visit to Studio C, where they collaborated with Studio C staff here.

Special Thanks

Event Photographer  - Jessica W Photography (portrait photography for families & friends)

Wonderful Assistants

Iman –  personal assistant
Jillian D – photography/ set up
A. McLeod - set up/photography
M. McLeod - photography
T. Cyr - donor/administrative assistance

Sponsors

Andrea McLeod
Chloe Buie Photography (link)
Naomi Jensen – Fitness on the Go
Good Earth Coffeehouse - Glenmore Landing
Heritage Park Society
Kathy Lycka Whimiscal Art (link)
Kelsey's Knits (link)
Scentsy (Janna Leibel)
Colin Menzies & Studio C Collaborative Art Centre
Sugarfina (Iman)
T. Cyr
Wendi Silvano & Sourcebooks (link)

*Photographer Jessica Wry.
Jessica is a well-rounded young lady. I was very fortunate to meet her, and to have her do the photography for our Art & Brunch on short notice. Jessica has been doing photography since she was in 8th grade. After graduating from high school, she traveled to China to teach English in an elementary school. She then went on to Korea to live as an Au pair. Presently, she is studying languages at U of C.

*Photographer Gillian D.
Gillian is a mom of one, a wife and a very good friend. She recently relocated to Calgary after briefly setting up home in BC (where her family lives). Although her background is in the Legal field, she also has a range of skills in various spheres. In my opinion, her out-going, vibrant personality is her biggest asset. Jillian is always willing to lend a hand and can never say no to pretty things.

Thanks to each family and to all our sponsors. We could not have done it without you!!