This year we will be running in our third Run for Water in Abbotsford BC, on May 25th, 2014. The Run for Water is a great event for the whole family. My Son has ran with us the past two years and my Daughter ran last year for the first time as well! Now, you may be wondering what the Run for Water is really all about? Do you get a nice big bottle of water at the end? Are there all kinds of drink stations during your running course where volunteers may be handing you little cups of H2O to replenish your dry palate? Or, are you actually running IN water, literally?! Well, I suppose all can be true, especially last year where all 3 applied as we ran in pouring rain, but no, what Run for Water really means, is we run to provide clean drinking water for people in Ethiopia. As you may know, Ethiopia is among the poorest countries in the world, which has also been prone to droughts for the past two decades, making clean drinking water extremely scarce. As a result, the lack of clean water has been a major contributing factor to food shortages and famines, as well as health complications, hygiene related health issues, and spreading of diseases in Ethiopia.

There are many reasons we choose to participate in the Run for Water as a family:

Do Good = Feel Good

It's a simple and proven fact - doing something good will make you feel good. On a regular basis, we talk to our kids about how fortunate we are to have luxuries like running water and how thankful we are to be able to shower, clean our bodies, wash our dishes and clothes, swim in our pool, flush our toilets, and DRINK knowing it's safe to do so! The sad thing is, not everyone is so fortunate. It's really just a stroke of luck that we were born into this part of the world. Since we are among the lucky ones, it's only fair that we do our part to help those less fortunate. Every year after the Run for Water, we feel even more gratitude as we discuss with our kids the changes we are helping to make.

Tradition / Memories

We are big on tradition at our house. There's certain things we do as a family that we know our kids will cherish as childhood memories and hopefully pass down as traditions in their own families one day. The Run for Water is one of them. It's an annual tradition now, and we wouldn't miss it for the world. We purposely book our Spring vacation around it and we start to get excited about it a few months before. I would say it's one of our favourite family traditions and I'm sure a memory they will have for life.

Some of our Run for Water memories from 2012 and 2013:

Setting an Example

I have always been a strong believer that kids will learn far more from watching what you do, than from hearing what you say. I have tested this theory and you can too. Next time you are in a public bathroom, sneakily start to leave after hitting the bathroom stall without washing your hands. Gross I know, but this is just a test. If your child is like mine was at a young age, he or she will also start to leave without washing his or her hands. Then of course go back and wash up, explaining the test! See, kids are watching your every move to figure out right from wrong, making it ever so important to set a good example. Being active, doing good, getting involved in community, setting goals - all things we associate with Run for Water, we feel, are good examples for our kids.

Experience Brings Confidence

For our first ever Run for Water, we were all nervous. The year was 2012, and just the 3 of us ran the 5K: Kyler, then 10 years old, myself (Nicole), and my Hubby (Ron). We didn't know what to expect, as it was our first ever chip timed run. Would we be able to do it? Would we get trampled on? Would we be embarrassingly out of shape compared to everyone else? All of these feelings of anxiety were pointless. It turned out to be really fun and we knew this was the beginning of something new for us to do as a family. Since then Kyler and I have run a few 10K's and personally I just run for fun and to get to the finish line. Knowing I can do it is enough for me but Kyler, on the other hand, is more of the competitive type, who constantly tries to increase speed to decrease his time. Last year he ran the 10K Run for Water in just 54 minutes - something to be proud of at just 11 years old! I had requested that they add a new age category because he was in the age 19 and under category and I see this year they did! Now he can compete in the 13 and under age group for the 10K race - exciting! Last year, Malia (9) joined us, and since she is more of an artist than an athlete, I was particularly impressed to see her run most of the race! She completed in 39 minutes and had the confidence to join the school cross country team after her run!

Reason to be Active

If you have trouble staying active and need a motivator, I highly suggest you sign up for a race, even a small one like a 5K fun run. There's something about knowing there's a scheduled race day that is paid for in your future to get your butt off the couch and onto the treadmill or pavement. I used to struggle with consistently hitting the gym or sticking to an exercise routine, but somehow it finally happened! Now exercise is something I look forward to and do on a regular basis. When I think about what triggered that change for me, I have to say at least a part of it must have been due to our first official run, the Run for Water. 

Small Rewards

Who doesn't like a little something out of a job well done? Our kids proudly wear their Run for Water shirts that were included in their past run race kits along with other little goodies and coupons, and they proudly display their medals in their rooms that are handed out to each participant at the finish line. Also, once we cross the finish line, we are congratulated with all kinds of treats besides water - bananas, fruit, bagels with peanut butter, granola bars, ice cream, and coffee and more from various sponsor tents. Some tents even have kids activities such as face painting, a climbing wall and bouncy castle, for example. It's a rewarding and fun day out for the family. There are also prizes for top runners in each category for the more elite runners! 

The Volunteers

While we run, there's countless volunteers (about 400) cheering us on, holding up signs of motivation, chanting, playing music, cheerleeding, and handing out those little cups of ice cold water. They tell us how much further we have to go and how awesome we are. Who doesn't like being told they are awesome?! This is what makes the race FUN! This is what keeps us running and looking forward to seeing what is around the corner until our feet cross the finish line.

Bragging Rights

With the power of social media driving so much of how we learn about upcoming events these days, you bet we shamelessly brag about our run on facebook, instagram, twitter and now my blog! Why not?! It's only maybe going to encourage others to do the same! My friends can pretty much count on it that I will promote the Run for Water before we even register, when we register, leading up to the race day, during and after the day of the event. Why? I'm proud that we do it, sure, but even more so because I hope to encourage and inspire other individuals, teams and families to do it as well! More runners = more $ for clean water for Ethiopia! Worth the brag post, in my opinion.

Here's some more Run for Water details and facts that you might find interesting: 

• The marathon option is a Boston Marathon qualifier if you're more of an elite runner
• Race options include a 5K fun run, 10K, half marathon, marathon and ultra marathon (56K!)
• Race fees are listed here and they will increases as we get closer to the event date
• Your chip timed race results will be posted on the Run for Water website to share with your friends!
• The 5K is a fun run, and yes you are welcome to walk it if you prefer!
• Run for Water is also in Calgary!
• Last year together the Run for Water raised $358,000 for clean water in the Abbotsford race and $125,000 in the Calgary race!
• $35 gives a person enough clean water for life!!! If this isn't reason enough to run or get involved, I don't know what is.

Click here to REGISTER NOW >

Lastly, here's a video that captures the 2013 Run - I'm particularly impressed with the enthusiasm of everyone from volunteers to families and individuals on such a rainy day! Check it out, and look at my own personal superstar Kyler starting his 10K race at the :30 mark and being featured running from :46 - :51 - proud Mom moment here! http://vimeo.com/67101575

Envision Financial Run for Water 2013 Race Day Video from Run for Water on Vimeo.

Are iPods, iPads and other mobile devices good for kids? The short answer, in my humble opinion, is yes! I am a Mom to a 12 year old boy and 9 year old girl. My husband and I happen to pride ourselves as good parents and we are ay-okay with iPods and iPads among other tech devices in our house and around our kids. In fact I probably shouldn't admit this, but we own an embarrassing number of Apple devices for 5 people in our household (2 MacBook Pro's, 3 iPads, 3 iPod touch's, 5 iPhones, 1 iPod Nano and 2 iPod shuffle's...I don't think I'm missing any, but maybe...) and guess what?! Our kids are empathetic, smart, polite, athletic, social and artistic! I could go on with how amazing our kids are, but those are the first 6 words to jump to mind to describe the two of them. I also happen to know many other families that have just as many devices or more per household member and guess what - their kids are on track to be excellent adult members of society one day as well!

I've been observing a lot of negativity regarding this and people who believe quite the contrary, which actually prompted this post. Here's 2 examples:

1 - I was recently having a conversation with a few strangers in the sauna, which I tend to do on a fairly frequent basis. One guy said to another, quite matter of factly and as a general statement to all parents of children today: 'Kids these days, they shouldn't use iPods. It's ruining them and their parents just don't care!' and the other seemingly fully agreed. I chirped in and said something along the lines of 'Well it's not all bad. There's plenty of good in it. It's all about parental control and setting limitations.' which of course generated a lengthier discussion. I will elaborate on the parental control part later in the blog post. 

2 - I overheard one Mom say to another as one child was about to show her child something on an iPad 'No, sorry, but we will not allow our children to interact with iPads'. I kept quiet and respected her parenting decision as I really didn't know this person, but I couldn't help but wonder for just a second if allowing my children to use iPads made me a bad parent. 

As you might know, I designed a bib made out of leather, the first of its kind, so needless to say I'm not generally one to necessarily embrace 'going with the flow'. Often I like to go a bit against the grain and maybe even break a few rules, however technology is the future, and there is no stopping it. You might as well embrace it, let your children know it and even utilize it and benefit from it - if not, they will be the minority. Think of people today who do not know how to read - children of the future who do not know technology, in a way, will be like people of today who can not read. Society will view them as unintelligent, uneducated and lower class. It's a skill, not a survival skill necessarily, but a pretty useful skill when the world is utilizing it everywhere you look. Obviously it is something that can be learned as an adult. Many older generations have done this, and in fact, I was absolutely floored by one particular eighty-something year old woman in our booth this past show season who was so swift with her iPhone that I'm sure she could have taught me a few tricks, but I do believe childhood is still the best time to learn and embrace it, just like it's the best time to learn a new language or learn to read.

Now I'm not a doctor, psychologist or a specialist in early childhood education. I'm just a Mom and an entrepreneur and I can honestly say I have struggled from time to time as to whether or not let my kids embrace technology as much as we have let them, but here's a few specific examples of moments that helped me to make the choice to do so:

chores in my house have become fun: 

Yes, it's possible. Our kids have chores around the house that must be completed before they play with their friends or engage in any kind of fun. Thanks to the Allowance & Chores Bot app that we have installed on our phones, where we control the list of chores, and their iPods is where they check off their chores when done, chores are now a FUN GAME! Seriously, they used to get in the house after school, drop their bags, coats, shoes and lunches right there in the foyer and go along their merry way, leaving us frustrated and calling them back, eye rolling and annoyed, to pick up their stuff. Then we would tell them what else needed to be done - clean rooms, pick up dog poop, empty the garbage - whatever daily chores before they could go play, generating more eye rolling of course. Now, each day on their app they get to see what needs to be done. No questions, and they can actually check it off and feel they have accomplished something. They also know we will follow up. Children do love structure whether they think so or not, and they love to check off a good to do list just as much as you and I. If they don't do a chore, or don't do it well, we deduct .25 from their allowance, so they can see their weekly allowance progress right on their iPods! Now I know allowances are a whole other controversial parenting topic and maybe a blog post for another day, but we do give our kids a weekly allowance, yes. 

our Son has gained an interest in science:

Now, back when I was on the fence about all this technology in the house, my Son who can most often be seen playing street hockey, golf, soccer, tennis, volleyball, running, swimming or paddle boarding - yes, the sporty one, was laying down lazily for a period of time on his bed, iPod in hand, eyes glued to screen. I was concerned, thinking this would be the future of my current healthy and active kid. Just as I was about to say 'Kyler, get off that iPod!' he beat me to it and said 'Whooa, look Mom, you have to see this! I just watched this awesome YouTube video of baby leatherback turtles hatching!' That was kind of a moment for me to be honest. I sat down, watched the video with him and thought huh, he just learned some stuff here that he couldn't learn playing street hockey. He showed me a few more 'cool science' videos he recently watched. When I was a kid, I watched TV when I came home, if I wasn't playing outside. Now the iPod has almost replaced TV, at least for a good portion of the down time, but the good news is kids can be watching good content, and most of all learning! Here's Kyler enjoying a little rare screen time on a sunny day at our house. Notice the lovely Yapes Paints art work on the wall.

my daughter has learned some crafting skills: 

We are a pretty structured family. Once their chores are done, for about 90 minutes when our children come home from school, they have their free time to play and have fun before we get home from the studio. Then we come home and start cooking supper, and then it's on to the homework and extracurricular activities such as soccer or swimming lessons most nights before winding down for bed. Our kids are encouraged to play outside during this 90 minute period, unless the weather is absolutely miserable. They most often use this time to go outdoors and socialize and play with their neighbourhood friends. One rainy afternoon, I was feeling a little guilty when I got home to start cooking, as I hadn't heard any 'I'm bored' or 'Can I play with my friends?' phone calls, so I figured it was either an iPod or TV that likely entertained my daughter for the past 90 minutes. When I got home, Malia came running over to me with a pin wheel spinning in the air as she excitedly skipped over to me and exclaimed in practically one breath, 'Look Mom, I made this! I googled cool crafts for kids on the iPad and I found a video on how to make it, so I made it all by myself!'. Since then she has made paper airplanes, her own lip balm, and all kinds of fun things. I thought again at that moment, okay, maybe I'm a little okay with this tech thing now and then. What would I have done during that miserable day when I was a kid? Honestly, I probably would have watched TV. iPod wins again! It wasn't too long after that when she, along with every other child / pre-teen girl in the area became instant rainbow loom crafters. My daughter has amazed me with her new bracelet making craft. She has taught herself how to make various bracelets, among other things with her rainbow loom, all thanks to DIY videos she found on her ipod. The great thing is she's using her mind, she's creating something all her own, and she's enjoying it! Here's some of Malia's latest rainbow loom creations:

Both kids ace their weekly spelling tests on a regular basis:

My kids have weekly spelling tests at school. In the past, spelling was a bit of a boring task for everyone, parents included. Don't get me wrong, we didn't mind doing it with them, but let's face it, spelling tests are a bit of a yawner. I would find myself giving spelling tests while emptying the dishwasher or preparing dinner just to make sure I didn't get sleepy. Both kids would typically moan and groan about spelling tests and then when they would get 3 or 4 out of 20 wrong and have to practice them some more, that was when the grumbling would really get bad, only to re-test and get maybe one more right. The point is, it wasn't fun for them, so they were not seeing great results. Let me tell you about a secret that made this part of the day something to look forward to, AND gave my kids spelling confidence - it's called Spelling City. It's a website where they enter their weekly spelling words online, take tests, practice and learn the words in more of a game like format. The program will even give sentences so they are learning the meaning of words that sound the same but have different meaning (there, their, they're for example). We still do regular old spelling tests, typically on Thursdays before their real test on Friday, but by then it's fun because they know it! They score 19 or 20/20 most weeks too! Of course, there are an endless amount of learning websites. We love the spelling one, and there's some great math ones too, but we love good old handmade flashcards in our house for math.

FaceTime. How did we travel before without it?! 

As you may know, we travel a lot during certain times of the year. There's something about seeing the faces of your children when away that makes them feel so much closer. Being able to show them our hotel view of the CN tower when in Toronto, or show them our latest booth display, and air kiss them goodnight is just a little sweeter than explaining or smooching over the phone. I don't believe our kids have much anxiety about us traveling. Sure they miss us, and we miss them terribly, but having an awesome Grandma take care of them while we are away and the little things like FaceTime really do make it a whole lot easier.

Honestly, there's many more reasons I am okay with screen time for my kids. The aforementioned is just a few of my favourite reasons.

BUT, before you hand over all devices to kids freely and frequently, please take note: 

1 - There is a time limit per day. We say up to 2 hours of screen time, but that also includes spelling or any other homework related stuff, TV or video games. This is just what works for us. You may have different guidelines. We are also a little more flexible on weekends or holidays.

2 - No iPods are aloud in bed! We are all for reading either a paper or e-book in bed for awhile before lights out, but no iPod! We may bend the rules on a special occasion like a Birthday or when on a family vacation, but that's it. The rest of the time this is strict! 

3 - Parents need to set restrictions on the devices. You really don't want your child finding something that is not age appropriate. If you don't know how to set the parental controls on your devices, find out.

4 - Monitor what they see online. Check the history now and then and let them know that because they are kids, you need to make sure what they are doing online is safe. They will understand and it's just another way to show you care about them. 

5 - If your child is aloud social media make sure they know what is okay to post and please turn privacy settings ON and location settings OFF. Also, parents should be the ones to approve any friend or follower requests. I can't stress this enough! I'm absolutely shocked at how many tweens and teens have open instagram accounts that can show complete strangers what their life is all about and where they live. It's shocking actually.

6 - Another tip - get your own instagram account if you haven't already, and follow your kids and their friends. They will think you're super cool and you will get to know who your kids are hanging around with. So far, by the way, we like what we see.

If you have any other suggestions or comments on this topic, please post a comment - I would love to hear! 

We love November Movember. Here's the three main reasons we we love this month:

1. It's the one month of the year that we get to travel far and wide to various beautiful cities around the country to sell our hand crafted leather goods. This year you can find us at Studio Fair in Prince George, Art Market in Calgary, Make It! in Edmonton and the One of a Kind Show in Toronto, ALL in the month of November! 
2. It's the month of the year that our online sales are consistently the highest each and every year. Since our products make great gifts for people of all ages and our gift services kind of rock, we always have a crazy busy month as Christmas and gift orders are rolling in like no other month! 
3. It's MOVEMBER! In case you havn't heard, it's the month of the year, formerly known as November (not really, but kind of) where men grow their Mo (slang for moustache) in support of men's health! Ron, my awesome husband and business partner has officially become a Mo Bro and he is counting down the days until he doesn't have to shave anymore. I'm making sure to enjoy his smooth face in the meantime.

You may be wondering - What is Movember exactly?

Specifically, Movember is a charity that raises money for various types of Men's cancer including testicular cancer and prostate cancer, as well as men's mental health. Originating in Australia in 2004 with just 30 Mo Bro's in Melbourn, Movember has truly become a global movement that is changing the face of men's health with 1.1 million mo bros in 2012! So, how it works is Mo Bros as they call them and Mo Sistas create a Mo fundraising Page on Movember.com, either as an individual or a team to start fundraising! Now, anyone can choose to go ahead and donate to a Movember page. We really hope that any or our own family, friends, acquaintences, customers, and random stranges choose to donate to Ron's Movember page! It would actually really mean a lot to us. Or, if you want a little proud Movember Moustache keepsake of your own and know that you helped support Ron's page, you can also purchase one of our many exclusive Movember items now available on our etsy shop, and soon on our website! We have been working hard since August, stocking up on all things moustache - from our famous leather baby and toddler bibs known as Mally Bibs, to our our ever popular leather change purses, travel accessories, bookmarks, art cards and more! Honestly, there's something for everyone! Given that it's the gift giving time of year, we have even created some amazing Movember Moustache gift sets! Whether you're looking for a gift for now or later, here's some gift giving ideas that you might want to grab a Mally Designs Movember Moustache item for:

• Father's Day Gift
• New Baby Gift
• Toddler Birthday Gift
• Chirstmas Gift
• Hostess Gift
• House Warming Gift
• Congratulations Gift
• Graduation Gift
• Birthday Gift for Him
• Birthday Gift for Her
• Anniversary Gift 
• Wedding Gift
• Travel Gift
• Kids Birthday Gift
• Book Club Gift
• New Job Gift
• New Business Gift
• Corporate Gift
• Staff Gifts
• Valentine's Gift
• Mother's Day Gift
• New Years Gift
• Wedding Party Gifts
• Bridesmaid Gift
• Groomsman Gift
• Thank You Gift
• Just Because Gift
• I Love You Gift

Okay, you get the idea - there's endless gift ideas for these! I mean, imagine the look on Grandma's face when she opens a gift of a leather bookmark with a moustache on it. The great thing is if she doesn't get it, it gives you a chance to explain it to her and teach more people about the greatness of Movember. Then maybe next year G-ma herself might become a Mo Sista or G-pa a Mo Bro! I tell you, this Mo thing is contageous, and what a great thing that is! 

Here's a sneak Peek of some of our Movember Moustache Leather Items available NOW on our Etsy shop and SOON on mallybibs.com!

We have designed this exclusive Movember Moustache inspired line of leather goods in 4 gorgeous colors: bubblegum pink, lime green, bright blue and grey and they are available in ALL of our product categories. Now, you can start ordering these at any time and $1 from EVERY moustache item sold between now and the end of Movember will go to Ron's Movember fundraising! We will tally it up and add it to his funding page every Friday in November, and lastly on Saturday, November 30th. We are so excited, we hope you are excited, and we hope the mo bros behind Movember themselves are excited too.

We had a vision quite some time ago to create something that we felt was a need on the market, much like when we had the idea for the first ever leather baby bibs, now famously known as Mally Bibs. This vision was for something just as practical, easy to clean, beautiful and unique as our bibs, but possibly even better as it was for something the entire family would use. We had this vision back in 2009 to create - you guessed it - leather placemats. We actually made up a few of these leather placemats and sent them to product testers to get some feedback along with a number of other items (change purses, passport holders, bookmarks, and card holders), all of which we added to our range. After getting the reviews back we opted to add all of the other items to our product line, but decided not to add the placemats. Why you ask? Well it certainly wasn't because the reviews were bad, quite the opposite actually! While our product testers were asked a number of questions regarding each item, the one answer that concerned us was the answer to the question: 'How much do you think these placemats should sell for?'. The average answer was $20 each. Well, considering our toddler bibs retail for $40, we knew selling something that used twice as much leather for half the price just wouldn't be possible. We listened and opted not to go forward with the leather placemats, much to our disappointment. 

Fast forward 4 years. We were torn, as we often thought about how amazing we knew our placemats would be and every time we got a request for them, we were kind of kicking ourselves, wishing we had them to offer. We have always ran our business based on pleasing customers, listinging to their requests and offering products of great design, quality and function - all things we knew our placemats would be, but we also had to price them at a price that wouldn't be a loss. That's just obvious business sense. After countless requests from customers wanting leather placemats, we thought we would give it a try. If nothing else, we knew we would have the very best placemats there are in our own home, something we were desperate to find - and let me tell you, we have gone through plastic placemats, bamboo placemats, mesh placemats, fabric placemats, cork placemats, woven placemats, all before making our own leather placemats. Really, we probably paid as much for placemats that don't last as we would have as in one time leather placemat purchase. Oh my gosh, I am not even kidding a tiny bit when I say that they have been the best placemats we have EVER had! Not only are they easy to clean, but we get so many compliments from guests as to how beautiful they look. I have no idea why we didn't make them sooner. We have been using them for a little over 1 month now and we're still in love with them. Hands down and by a long shot, these are the best placemats I have ever known.

Initially the first vision for our placemats was to make something really simple and just have them match our bibs. I mean really, how cute would it be to have a monkey or a bear centered on the placemat to go with a bib - cute right?! Then we had a brainstorming session and we really thought about what customers would want. Of course, it made no sense what so ever! Think about it, if you're spending $48 on a placemat that will last forever, you don't want your child to outgrow the design do you?! Also, if you love the look, style and function of a placemat, you're going to want it for the whole family, right?! Of course you are! Also, if this placemat is of such a great design, why would you want to cover it up with a plate? So our goal was to create something that would be wonderful for any age, be beautiful in sets and basically make your table top the envy of all your friends and family. After our initial design brainstorming session, we wrote out a number of goals:

• to make them fully reversible with a solid color on one side for every day use, a design on the other for every day or for when guests are over / special occasions.
• design in a way so that the designs would not be hidden once set with dishes and cutlery.
• create designs that are appealing to both kids and adults, without being too child like.
• offer them in fun, modern, colorful options, available individually for in sets of 4, 6, or 8 for a savings.
• to give customers the option to customize the colors to match their own kitchen, dining room or patio decor.
• to make the most practical, durable and long lasting placemats there are. 

I have to say most of all, these were so fun to design because I have been designing baby / kids items for so long now that it was fun to go back to something I have always had a passion for, interior design.  Besides the overall concept, I'll tell you a little bit about the thought process for the design on each of our placemats, along with their images and links to pucrchase below:

Design: 3 White Flowers

This one was designed with a popular color trend in mind, grey and yellow. This is actually the color combiatnion I secretly wish I had more of in my own home. Don't get me wrong, I love my home the way it is, but I'm sort of dying to remodel a room using grey and yellow. I'm thinking the kitchen would be the perfect place to do this. I love the 3 white flowers. Notice how even once set, all the design details are still showing? Yes, that was planned. The reverse is a solid grey.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OR TO PURCHASE THIS DESIGN FROM OUR ETSY SHOP >

Modern Blue Tree:

This one was designed with our own kitchen in mind. We have bright white walls, dark chocolate brown cabinetry, modern white quartz countertops, a glass and stone linear blacksplash, light blue accents and modern decor. If these are not popular for everyone, that's okay. It's perfect in our kitchen. The reverse is a solid light brown.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OR TO PURCHASE THIS DESIGN FROM OUR ETSY SHOP >

Lime & Beige Daisies:

This one has been the most popular so far, and it was designed with common kitchen colors in mind for more traditional or contry homes, but it can easily be modernized by customizing the colors. We have sold a few sets of this beauty and a few others have said they plan to purchase it. We have even customized this for two customers, switching the beige piece under the plate to a lime green for an extra punch of color. The reverse is a solid beige.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OR TO PURCHASE THIS DESIGN FROM OUR ETSY SHOP >

Stripes:

This one was designed with modern simplicity in mind. 4 bold stripes of orange, beige, brown and blue are on one side, with a lovely solid orange on the other. I personally love this one for a patio placemat. I just think the colors are lovely in Spring or Summer and with less detail it's very easy to clean, even if it gathers dirt and dust from the outdoors. (note: I wouldn't leave it outside though). The reverse is a solid orange.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OR TO PURCHASE THIS DESIGN FROM OUR ETSY SHOP >

Fall 'Eat' Tree: 

I guess you could say that this one is a little more child like, perhaps a little juvenile compared to our others, but certainly completely suitable for any age. The bright colors and the word 'eat' are a a simple reminder not only to eat your meals, but to eat a healthy variety of colors in your diet. If that tree applique looks a little familiar to you, it's actuallly the branch we use for our bird and owl bibs. The reverse is a solid lime green.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OR TO PURCHASE THIS DESIGN FROM OUR ETSY SHOP >

Clouds and Rain Drops

Being a Vancouver based (well, Mission) company, it seems fitting that we jump on this whole cloud trend that we keep seeing and add in some rain drops as well. Like the 'eat' tree, this design is perhaps a little more child like, but again it's completely suitable for all ages. We love it and perhaps some might think the design will rain on their parade, but we like to think it will brighten your rainy day. The reverse is a solid lime green.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OR TO PURCHASE THIS DESIGN FROM OUR ETSY SHOP >

3 Apples:

You know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! Yes, apples and the health benefits of them were the inspiration for this design, as well as a color combination that I happen to be in love with. Red, grey, lime and white - there's just something refreshing about it. The reverse of this is a solid grey. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OR TO PURCHASE THIS DESIGN FROM OUR ETSY SHOP >

Blue and Red Flowers:

In sticking with a modern design theme, we wanted to design a less traditional flower - something bold, colorful and something that could look good in a variety of color combinations. After playing around with some simple flower designs, we knew this was it. We have already customized this one on in a red / brown /lime / orange color theme as well and it's absolutely gorgeous. Click here to see it on our facebook page.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OR TO PURCHASE THIS DESIGN FROM OUR ETSY SHOP >

Be sure to order soon in order to ensure you have them in time for Thanksgiving, Christmas or your next family get together. To order our leather placemats or to see our entire collection of placemats and coordination leather coasters, please visit the leather placemats section of our etsy shop. If you wish to customize the colors, simply send us a private message though etsy where we will help you with the customization process. All of our placemats are available individually or in sets of 4, 6 or 8.