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!