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NORTH SHORE KIDS™
YOUR GUIDE TO EVERYTHING KIDS
Meet Local Mom Kristin!
Hi Kristin, could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about you and your family?
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My name is Kristin and I'm a mom to two very active and adventurous toddlers named Chase and Harrison.
Are you local to the North Shore or did you move here?
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Both my husband and I were actually raised on the North Shore which I hear is a rarity these days?! Funny enough, I literally spent my whole life dreaming of leaving North Van to live somewhere glamorous like California or New York City and then realized in my 30's that my parents had it right all along.... Vancouver really is beautiful and specially the North Shore, so I feel very fortunate to call it home.
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You are known as an "influencer" on Instagram, could you tell us that what means and how you became one?
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Oh gosh, I don't really consider myself an "influencer"... I just love taking photos and being active with my boys and honestly appreciate anyone who is following along. When I had my first son Chase, I found being a new mom quite lonely and isolating. I loved him obviously and enjoyed being able to stay at home but those days are LONG!!! With my husband back at work, I didn't really have anyone nearby in the exact same position as me so I connected with a lot of other new moms on Instagram. A few of them were really into building their accounts and so slowly it became a hobby for me too. I've always loved photography and being creative so it's a great outlet for that side of my personality.
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What type of content do you produce and what is your target audience?
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Basically my days are spent trying to wear out Chase & Harry (and in turn keep my house clean!) so I'm big on kid-friendly adventures in and around Vancouver and then also just day-to-day family/lifestyle content.
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Do you work alone or do you have someone that helps you with your account? Is your family involved in the process?
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It's just me and the boys mostly but we do ask family to take shots here and there. My husband reluctantly agrees and then we have a fantastic Au Pair named Rylee who is kind enough to help if needed.
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What does a typical day in the life of an influencer look like?
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Honestly, not much different than before Instagram! I spend the mornings out with Chase and Harrison before rushing home to get Chase to preschool and me to my "real" job. I do Instagram stuff whenever I can fit it in... usually evenings, weekends, but since most of our shots are just day-to-day life they don't require special setups. Evenings are typical mom life stuff: dinner, bedtime, and then wine!
If you could go back to before you became a parent and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
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Be selfish because once you have kids, you do lose yourself for a bit. Life becomes about them.....not in a bad way, just different. So travel, eat out, go to concerts, really live and spoil yourself because it does change (pre COVID me obviously ).
Oh, and get a dog first! That was the best training for parenthood and our pup made the toddler meal clean-ups so much easier!
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Finally, what is your favourite spot on the North Shore and why?​
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We are seriously LOVING Grouse Mountain. It may seem like an overwhelming adventure but it's really not. We keep our winter stuff in the car and head up often for a quick gondola ride, walk, and lunch or dinner. We have an annual pass so it's super easy and the boys LOVE it. Other than that, give me a beach any day rain or shine. Ambleside is always a favourite year-round though we'll also do the Caulfeild Rock or Stearman beach; the boys love the water. And Lower Lonsdale! I feel like it just gets better and better... the Pier, the waterpark, even the locks on the main Quay deck. Grab a coffee and wander, we go there a ton!
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And as a tip for the holidays, Kristin shared with us her favourite places to shop in the North Shore for her kids:
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We love Active Baby on Lonsdale for all the necessities, Pebble Kids in Edgemont for the cutest clothes, shoes, and other goodies. Also in Edgemont BC Playthings and Kidsbooks are two of our absolute favs for toys, books, etc!
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We'd like to thank Kristin for her support and invite you to follow her adventures on her Instagram channel:
Photos by Kristin Lee Mander and Rylee
@kristinlmay