Kick-off to Summer

What type of things remind you that summer has finally arrived? Is it the birds chirping in the early morning light, seeing the harbours fill up with boaters or perhaps a local event, that brings to mind that finally (yes, finally!) summer is here? For me, it is the annual sidewalk sale in downtown Brockville that is the kick-off to summer.

Saturday morning was a very early start. My one year old hasn't been the biggest fan of sleep lately and our days typically start at 5:00 am. One could view this as exhausting - and it is - but as this is everyday life, I choose to utilise all that early morning time and get my chores out of the way. By 9:00, the house was clean and we were ready to start our busy weekend routine.

The day had come. A day I look forward too all year long - The annual Brockville Downtown Sidewalk Sale. All my favourite shops and vendors, combined with our Farmers' Market makes for one busy and incredible sale! King Street, from East to West is blocked off to traffic (with the exception of some detour routes for locals and convenience) and the streets are filled with excited people alike. The weather this year was a bit cooler then usual, but it didn't seem to stop people from coming out to enjoy the bouncy castles, remote control car kid's area, cuisine, sales and entertainment. We stayed for about an hour and a half, meeting friends and family, then called it a morning and continued with our weekend plans of country drives and errands.

On a bit of a last-minute whim, my Fiance decided we should check out the drive-in theatre in Port-Elmsley, which is about an hour drive from Brockville. The first show started at 9:00 pm, so we figured it was a great "Date-night" as the kids would surely be asleep when we got there. Boy, were we wrong. Our four year old was bouncing with excitement to see her first drive-in movie (who could blame her) and our one year old was loud, proud and ready to party with all those other movie-goers. As a PSA, I feel I should quickly apologize to the other patrons for our "screamy" baby, but caution you that drive-ins sometimes lead to those situations some nine months later. HA! This experience does have a happy ending though, as Nick and Remy had some wonderful bonding time walking the grounds of the drive-in, while my oldest and I got quality mommy-daughter cuddle and movie time. It ended up as a date after-all, just not with my fiance!

Sunday came, and thankfully the late night movie exhausted the kids, who slept in. We got up, got ready and headed over to brunch at the Brockville Convention Centre. Sadly, it was the last of the season (although I have thrown a fit about that and maybe there will be special occasion brunches) as it truly is the best brunch in town! We met some great friends, their adorable children and crossed our fingers that four kids under eight was not going to end up as crazy as we thought it may. Turns out, we were blown away by the customer service (and food!) as the wait staff and even Sous Chef decided to play with the kids and even colour with them. We stayed for close to two hours as the kids were having an absolute blast with the Convention Centre team. A huge thank you to you all for making it such a fun and great experience.

After brunch, we headed to the Brockville Memorial Centre for an event called "This one is for the girls". This was put on by a local resident, Kaili Tennant - who wanted to showcase other women in business in our area and donate proceeds to our local Interval House. With many unique vendors and a great cause, I hope to see this back next year. Congrats Kaili and team- you did a wonderful job!

Last, but certainly not least, we headed out to Eagle Point Winery, where they were participating in Doors Open, hosting a wine tasting of their newest release and having a BBQ with proceeds going to the Front of Young Township Volunteer Fire Department. As my Father-In law to be is a volunteer firefighter, any event where we can support that cause, is big on our list. Mix wine and a good cause and you have a popular event! The parking lot was full and the winery was a buzz. I have visited a few times now, picked up a bottle and can tell you that you should put Eagle Point Winery on your list of summer hot spots. I hear they are also hosting Yoga in the vineyard, which is sure to be a hit!

As I sit to write this post, I realize just how busy of a weekend we have had. I love that we live in an area where there is so much to do and usually for a very good cause. There are  many people and businesses in the area that share my community pride. Make sure you get out this season and take in everything there is to offer.

Bringing back brunch

Does your Sunday morning sound like this: " Momma, I'm awake. I'm awake! I'm awake!!! Followed by a one year old baby screaming due to the aforementioned yelling.  Oh, I should point out that it is 6:30 a.m. and this is a typical Sunday morning for us.

So what does this have to do with how much I love Brockville? I love it so much that I tirelessly write about my passion for the city and surrounding area. I can proudly say we have shopped at nearly every store, eaten at nearly every restaurant and frequented every park. A few times over. This, is why- when I heard the new Brockville Convention Centre would be hosting WEEKLY brunch - I kicked up my feet in excitement for Sunday mornings - despite the early wake up calls!

I remember brunch being an occasion. Mother's Day Brunch, Father's Day Brunch and the morning after almost every holiday, you guessed it, was usually brunch. This is not reserved for exhausted parents who just need an extra hour or so before breaking out the skillet to feed those hungry babes. Young couples recouping from the party the night before, single people wanting to get out and about, elderly citizens who enjoy good food and traditions. Brunch has been around forever and there to serve everyone.

Nick and I had attended the fabulous opening night gala at the Convention Centre on Friday and were blown away by the venue. It is open, spacious, bright and is clearly going to be a huge hit in our city. The venue can be split into three rooms; two mid-sized rooms or one giant room allowing for any size event.  My favourite part was the entrance hall. It felt warm and welcoming, along with stylish and sophisticated. I enjoyed how you could grab a cocktail and mingle with friends.

We decided that Sunday we would brave it, and take the kids. I was a little weary - because the children are toddlers, who are loud, always hungry, never patient and, well....they are kids. I envisioned us walking back into the ballroom and my children somehow taking every table cloth off of every table, running amuck, spilling tea and coffee and receiving looks from lovely people out to enjoy their Sunday. What we actually experienced was walking into the ballroom - which was very elegant - but feeling welcomed with smiles from other families and brunch- goers. We were seated, received a high-chair immediately for our youngest and welcomed to check out the buffet.

There are no words to describe this brunch. I always go on and on about how wonderful our experiences are and how delicious our food is. It has always been very true. We have been lucky to have such experiences. The brunch at the Brockville Convention Centre? Chef William Alexander and his extraordinary team have knocked it out of the park!

From the generous amount of food, selection, plating and taste (oh the taste!) everything was perfect. There was fresh fruit, a yogurt parfait bar, canapes, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, pulled pork Eggs Benedict, ,mini sliders and array of juice, tea and coffee. Those are just the things that come to mind. I know I am missing many items. It wasn't the quantity that surprised me, although for the price, I knew I was getting a deal. It was the quality of the food that blew me away. Nick raved and raved about the sliders and the kids devoured everything we gave them.

It would be safe to say that brunch is back. Back with a vengeance. If you are looking to reclaim your Sunday as a day of relaxtion or for a local celebration - or if you just want a damn good meal, then please head over to the Brockville Convention Centre and enjoy. What an amazing meal!