Hey, it’s Codi Lynn from @creativewifeandjoyfulworker! The girls and I are excited to share some of the things that we like to get up to when the men in our lives are at work and school. These are some of our favourite things to do based on our routine and would recommend these places to anyone visiting the Fraser Valley.

After school drop off, when we have the day to ourselves, you can often find us driving out to explore Fort Langley. From the cute boutique shops, the endless candy stores and the tastiest crepes and ice-cream at Ritual, this place has my heart. We will often park close to Bella & Wren and Unit 4 Coffee for a browse before we walk down the street to indulge in sweets and venture over to the train tracks for the kids to play.

If we decide to stay closer to home, sometimes we have even come here right after (#morecoffeeplease), we will explore downtown Abbotsford. There are a few places on the frequently visit list including:

Oldhand Coffee // My Order: Vanilla Latte & “The Beet Sandwich” (pretty sure it has a different name, but this is all I know) Sophie’s Order: Babyccino and an Earl Grey Cookie. We often choose the same things and always leave with happy bellies.

Little Bean + Co. // The cutest little children’s boutique that carries an abundant amount of Canadian made items. We love peeking in to see what is new at their shop as it’s just up the road and around the corner from Oldhand.

Spruce Collective // If I need a gift, it is a pretty good guarantee that I will be finding something at Spruce Collective. I love browsing their home decor finds, both new and vintage.

Montrose + George // Usually one of the last places that we visit while we’re in downtown Abbotsford, as it’s at the end of the road and just a quick walk but up the hill to our car at Oldhand. I’m never disappointed when I head into the shop, as Carli (the owner) has always been so welcoming to both myself and the girls and she has such great taste when it comes to women’s fashion.

What I might even love the most about all of these places is that each of them have a little play area. So while mama does her shopping and coffee drinking, my little ones get to play and use their imagination in the little play areas that each of these shops has curated as something special for them.

After a little coffee and browsing, the kids are usually getting a little restless. Heading to a local farm is always a fun idea for the kids and some of our favorites are Willow View Farms, Maan Farms and Birchwood Dairy. The kids love being able to play with animals, browse the local fruits/veggies that might be in season and perhaps (if they are lucky) get another little treat.

Now if I could choose, everyday would end near the water. Though this doesn’t happen often, due to work, school and everything else on the mama list, my kids absolutely love the water. Ending the day at Cultus Lake (or any other nearby body of water) is such a delight. We recently grabbed some pizza to go and went to the river and it was the perfect way to end the night.