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.

LoLo Enchanted

Fairies in the park. What a magical, whimsical idea. For those of you not familiar, Saturday, September 15 marked the first time for this new local event, which drew a number of families to St. Lawrence park in order to become 'fairies' for the day!

The setting could not have been more picturesque. Upon entering the park, there were colourful wings galore, on everyone in attendance. Girls and boys, even adults of all ages donned their very best magical attire. It had been some time since I had seen St.Lawrence Park so full of people, what a great sight. Down the walkway the tents were filled with local vendors and home-based businesses, selling everything from Epicure to hand-made signs and tutus. There were bean readings, professional fairy pictures and our favourite- fairy houses!

The girls took a seat at the edge of the woods on giant rocks and listened to stories being told by Cheryl Sinfield, the creator of "Faerie Door Workshops" which originated in Perth and was the inspiration for this event. As I watched, it became clear to me that my adorable "LoLo" was enchanted with this event. We had brought along a family friend and met with some other dear friends and their children. The kids gathered and watched as they were shown how to build their very own fairy house from nature's treasures. Twigs, pine cones, leaves, rocks and anything else we could find, were quickly being gathered up to make a home for our fairy friends. Even Nick and his friend Jamie got into the spirit, having a contest and building "fairy condos" and "houses with walk-out basements". Before I realized, Baby R and I were also drawn in - we climbed up the hill and snapped some pics of the fun

 About an hour later, we had finished up and headed to the center of the event, where we planted ourselves at the craft table for a while. It was here, that I met Stephanie Forgues, the host and creator of Fairies in the Park, Brockville. All the children were referring to her as Tinkerbell, as she had a striking resemblance to the character in her own costume. Stephanie also teaches at New Leaf Wellness, a holistic wellness center, here in town. Immediately, I was drawn to her positivity and zest for the outdoors and family life. I thanked her for hosting this amazing fun-packed day and then she was swooped up by a sea of small fairy children who wanted to play with this real-life version of Tink!

Before we knew it, we had spent three hours at the park. With tummies rumbling, it was time for lunch. Quickly we packed it in, headed to Metro for some picnic food and made a quick stop over at Hardy Park for lunch and a play. I'm pretty sure after dropping our friends off, it was only minutes before our girls were fast asleep. What a busy and special day it turned out to be.

We hope that Fairies in the Park, and many events like it will continue to come back to Brockville, as we truly were enchanted!

You're among friends here

Every weekend, my family and I set out on a different adventure. Last weekend, it was heading to the National Arts Center in Ottawa to see "Wicked" and hosting a birthday party for our two year old. This weekend started out with a day trip to the outskirts of Cardinal where four of my favorite people live.

At 9:30 a.m. my great friend and "toddler doula", Steph pulled up out front. We had planned a fun day at the MacJoustra farm, a small oasis that our friends have recently bought. The kids were excited to run free in the country air, but I think it was us ladies who were more excited to catch up and relax.

We arrived to an array of chickens, ducks, peacocks and a bunny. The kids headed over to the ducks, then decided to go for a swim. With the sun shining down, a warm breeze and the laughter of the kids in the pool, this was the best Friday I've had in awhile. We had delicious coffee, fresh veggies and sandwiches for lunch and the house filled and then emptied with kids. The entire day seemed to fly by.

Brockville and all of the small communities around have plenty of family fun to offer, but today brought me back to the real reason I love this area; the people. Our family is surrounded by some of the nicest, funniest and most genuine people around and we are happy to call them friends. Thanks for showing a gal a fabulous Friday!

Ice rain turns to family fun on a budget!

The cold weather and ice that came through Brockville last week was the first "real winter" we have seen this year. There were power outages from Cornwall to Kingston and some news-making accidents along Highway 401. Thankfully, most people stayed safe and made it through the weather conditions.

On Saturday, we headed to my parents for a quick lunch and visit. The drive from Brockville to North Gower was anything but boring. Every tree and fence along the way was covered with ice and snow. In the beautiful sunlight, everything glistened. As always, the girls had a great visit with Amma and Grandpa. They played with mini race cars, one of their new favorite toys and provided lots of laughs and entertainment with their toddler antics!

Sunday was a bit warmer (still a chilly -16) so we headed out to lunch at Kelsey's. At first we thought we might be crazy to take our "lively" toddlers to a more grown-up restaraunt but thought lunch-time would be more appropriate. For those of you who have children, you know the challenges that await dining out at anyplace other then McDonald's. The timing is key. You can't take small children out to eat when they are really hungry, as the wait proves to be more than they can handle. You have to ensure you have some small toys, as colouring only lasts so long and a back-up plan if all else fails. We felt brave on Sunday and were going for it.

 My spouse and I made a bet that the servers were going to "rock, paper, scissor" to see who loses and gets to wait on our loving brood. As a past server, I know too well the challenges and clean-up that await with tending to a table of little ones. We were greeted with a smile from the hostess who smartly seated us near another family with younger children. Hmm, this didn't seem like the hostile environment I pictured in my head with glaring diners wishing we had chosen fast food. So far, so good. The waitress came right after and took our drink orders. She was pleasant and treated our children like, well, people. The crayons came and orders were taken. We asked for an extra plate to split our girl's order, as my oldest is picky and some days survives off of air. When the food arrived, our server had already requested the meal be split, saving us the task. This was something we really appreciated. The food was good and the service was exceptional. I'm so relieved that we no longer have to choose only places that  serve unhealthy fast food.

After a successful lunch we took the girls sedding on Laurier Hill. I thought it would be empty, as it was still very cold outside. The "we are Canadian" mantra runs strong in Brockville, as it was packed! It was fantastic to see so many families out enjoying our city. The girls loved going down the hill with daddy. I thought maybe they would be a bit afraid but it seemed the faster they went the bigger their smiles were.We didn't stay too long as our children are still very young and we didn't want to risk frostbite. We headed to Tim Horton's for hot chocolate and treats to warm up after a fun family day.

I'm happy were were able to have such a great weekend together. We used gift cards from Christmas for Kelsey's and Timmie's is never expensive, the total cost for our weekend was less then $10.00. Spending time with family doesn't always mean spending lots of money. Sometimes you just have to get out there and enojoy activities - trust me, it's worth it.

Crafts, treats and Tait's.

This past weekend was one of the busiest we have had in months. There were so many exciting events planned in Brockville, we couldn't chose just one.

Saturday morning we were up early, getting the weekend chores out of the way so we could enjoy our day. Around 10am we headed over to the "Craft and Mom 2 Mom sale" being held at Thousand Island's Secondary School. The amount of fantastic second hand items on display for sale was incredable. Toys, clothes and a wide selection of kids movies, everything you might need for your little ones could be found. One of my favorite items for sale were hand made knit hats made to look like animals. They were absolutely adorable, practical and well priced. We stopped off at a friend's table to catch up and before I knew it, our oldest daughter had talked Daddy into buying her a candy stick! I couldn't blame her for wanting one, even I had to sneak a sour key off of it when she wasn't looking.

We then headed over to the Brockville Museum, where the Farmer's Market and Art show were being held. The parking lot was full and I was happy to see so many people out supporting local farmers, bakers and artists. We met my grandparents there, long time residents of Brockville and my oldest daughter ran right over to "GG" (Great Grandma) and happily gave hugs and kisses. Upstairs at the Museum there was a wonderful display of mixed media artwork. From Oil paintings to watercolour, abstract to florals I was in awe of the talent. We headed downstairs to the Farmer's Market where we were met with an aroma of fresh baked goods and local Thai cuisine. My Grandmother was immediately drawn to the beautiful hand made wooden cutting boards, salad bowls and dinnerware. There were local honey products, pies, cookies, specialty teas, soothing bath salts, crafts and the amazing homemade Thai food all on display. The farmer's market is a must stop for anyone looking for great gift ideas or fresh local food.

All this walking and shopping had made us hungry. If any of you have toddlers, you know there is a small window of time between "Momma I'm hungry" and a total meltdown. Usually I avoid this by packing some snacks, however in my excitement to get out the door, I was ill prepared that day. We decided that on our quest to support as much local business while keeping on a healthy track we would head to Tait's uptown for some fresh sandwiches and their delicious cranberry bread. Success! It was busy as usual but the service was friendly and quick and best of all my picky toddler ate her entire lunch (and some of mine). My favorite part was the cost. For three of us to have a delicious and healthy lunch, we paid just over $16.00. If you haven't been to Tait's, either uptown or down, we highly recommend giving it a try.

It was then we realized our wee one was fading fast and in need of a nap. There were a few things we had to pick up at the Superstore, so we headed over for a quick in and out. We bumped into my Grandparent's again (GG and Pop Pop as we lovingly refer to them) and our daughter perked right up again. She just had to ride in GG's shopping cart and go check out the beautiful Christmas tree display they had, which gave us time to get our shopping done. With only one more quick stop, we were headed home for the day.

Oh Starbucks, how I love your Caramel Macchiato.

 We arrived home. Toddler and Daddy down for the count. I enjoyed my coffee and got ready for the evening outing we had planned. Friend's of ours were doing some house renovations on their stunning country residence and while my spouse would help lay some flooring, we would have a bonfire and make the kids some S'mores. Although it proved too windy to keep the bonfire safely going we had a tour of the sanctuary that included ducks, roosters, peacocks and amazing ponds and landscaping. The children had so much fun playing and we had a great time catching up with our friends.



What a great end to a busy and fun day.

The journey begins in our new home

October 1st was an exciting time for our family. We took the plunge and moved into our first home as a family. With our ever-growing brood, we definitely needed more space and a kid-friendly backyard for growing minds.With three bedrooms, an extra washroom, formal dining room, the kids own playroom and a double lot fenced-in backyard, we began our life together in beautiful Brockville!

Somehow I always pick fantastic times to move ( I'm pretty sure New Year's Day tops the list) and this time I didn't stray from my fabulous planning. Being pregnant and restricted from lifting anything over 10 pounds always presents a challenge when packing and moving. Thankfully we have fantastic friends who  volunteered to help us. Their help made this move as unstressful and dare I say easy, as one could hope for.

The unpacking began and the kids were extremely excited when they learned they have their very own playroom, with built-in cabinets to boot! We began to set up a kitchen area and an area for the ever-growing collection of babies and their accessories. Sometimes I think my children are exposed to too much entertainment television and are striving to be "Octomom" or "Brangelina" with their love for babies.

Once settled, we decided to head out to explore the backyard. This was the highlight for the entire family. Having moved from a newly built townhouse with the yard unusable and still being landscaped, it was a treat to discover our own little oasis. Fall had begun to set-in and the leaves were falling, beautiful colours everywhere. We have many retaining walls that will serve a wonderful purpose this spring when Pop Pop attempts to teach us girls how to plant and garden, lots of room to run around and best of all, many leaves to pile up and jump in.

It has been a fantastic time so far in our new home and we can not wait to get out in Brockville and see what's going on in the community. Coming into winter, there is buzz about the Farmer's Market/Craft sale in the Museum, the Santa Claus Parade and other events showcasing local talent and family fun.

Let the Journey Begin!