"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear
understanding of one principle: Some things are
within your control, and some things are not."
Epictetus, 1st century Greek philosopher
Wednesday, June 19
Monday, June 17
Time To Take Your Family Outside: Guest Post on Outdoor Fun
I will admit that I'm not great at getting outside with my girls. I'm an indoor girl myself, and too focused on productivity and multitasking to just stop and smell the flowers (though now being able to read/work poolside is definitely a huge draw). I love that my daughters have reached the age that I can send them out the door to play, and and be confident that they're getting fresh air and exercise without my direct supervision. However, I certainly realize that part of the joy of being outside is spending that time together. My special guest blogger today is Sarah Stevenson, here with some fun outdoor suggestions for all of us (but especially me!)
**************
Summer is here, so it's time to plop your kids in front of the computer or shove them in the corner with an iPhone, right? Wrong! Technology may seem like a great babysitter, especially considering it keeps our hands free, but it is never a viable substitute for quality bonding time with the family. Instead of allowing your little one to be entertained by technology this summer, how about you get the whole family together for some fun in the sun outside? You can build lasting memories; get some great exercise and all the benefits that come wrapped up with a day in nature. Here are a few suggestions.
• Day At The Park: Parks are a great place to have all sorts of fun. Pack a healthy picnic lunch because you can get hungry running around with your little rascals. Bring kites, balls, Frisbees, bikes, skateboards or anything that would be fun in a big open space. Best of all -- it's free!
• Fun Bag In The Trunk: My son and I have a "bag full o' fun" ready when the urge to play strikes us. We've been known to pull over at random when we see an open space perfect for throwing a football around. Keep your family guessing: they'll never know when you are going to pull over and get into the fun bag. Fill it with Frisbees, baseballs, footballs, basketballs and kites.
• Outdoor Movie Night: Set up some blankets and pillows outside and take advantage of the warm summer nights -- in your own backyard. You can rent a projector and screen or if it's something you really like doing you may want to invest in one. Pop some popcorn, hang some Christmas lights around the tree for a romantic look and voilà! You have yourself an outdoor movie extravaganza.
• Squirt Gun Battle: Squirt guns are a fun, inexpensive way to burn energy and lock in some silly memories for you and your family. If you family is big enough, make teams. If not, then it's every man for himself. Wear grubby clothes and fill your guns up with water and a bit of food coloring, whoever has the most color on the opponents gets to pick where everyone goes for dinner.
• Throw-back Fun: Remember the games you played as a kid at recess? Freeze tag, red rover, dodge ball and Simon Says are all super fun activities that the whole family can participate in. This is also a great way to show your kids what mom and dad use to do for fun before the wave of technology hit shore.
• Bug Hunting: Insect hunting can be both educational and fun. Get a bug aquarium for each child and set out for some bug catching. You can do it in your own backyard or go for a hike and find them there. If you're on a hike, it may be helpful to be able to identify poisonous or not-so-friendly bugs. (A visit to the emergency room, while it may indeed be a bonding experience, is not the most fun way to spend an afternoon or evening with the family.) Once you've caught the bugs you can identify what they like to eat, where they originate from, and their particular species. Letting the bugs go is a sweet way to teach your family respect for all living things, so once you've had your learning fun, set them free.
• A Family Of Artists: Purchase big pad of paper, watercolor paints, brushes and anything else you may need for an artistic adventure. Take the family to the local beach, park or playground and paint what you see. You even can get a big roll of paper so that you can all paint a masterpiece together. Make sure to sign and date it -- maybe even have it framed and hang it on the wall.
• Make a Movie: Here is a fun way to use technology to your bonding advantage. Most smart phones have the video recording option. Think up a story together that you can act out. Write a script and give each person a part. Pick a place to film and set out for LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! You can upload it to your computer, edit it and watch it on movie night.
Once you get out of the house and into the sun or moonlight, you will find the many benefits it has to offer your family. Quality time spent as a whole will cultivate an unbreakable bond between you and those you love. You are teaching your children how to be creative parents someday as well. So get on out there and have some fun in the sun.
**********************
Sarah Stevenson, a.k.a., The Tini Yogini, is a Certified Yoga Instructor in Southern California and one of the fitness and wellness experts at www.beachbody.com. She has a degree in Behavioral Psychology and teaches not only yoga classes but also life affirming workshops. Beachbody provides effective and popular work out videos, including fun fit kid videos from Beachbody trainer Shaun T. Beachbody also has premium supplements for weight loss, sports performance, and better health and home gym accessories.
**************
Summer is here, so it's time to plop your kids in front of the computer or shove them in the corner with an iPhone, right? Wrong! Technology may seem like a great babysitter, especially considering it keeps our hands free, but it is never a viable substitute for quality bonding time with the family. Instead of allowing your little one to be entertained by technology this summer, how about you get the whole family together for some fun in the sun outside? You can build lasting memories; get some great exercise and all the benefits that come wrapped up with a day in nature. Here are a few suggestions.
• Day At The Park: Parks are a great place to have all sorts of fun. Pack a healthy picnic lunch because you can get hungry running around with your little rascals. Bring kites, balls, Frisbees, bikes, skateboards or anything that would be fun in a big open space. Best of all -- it's free!
• Fun Bag In The Trunk: My son and I have a "bag full o' fun" ready when the urge to play strikes us. We've been known to pull over at random when we see an open space perfect for throwing a football around. Keep your family guessing: they'll never know when you are going to pull over and get into the fun bag. Fill it with Frisbees, baseballs, footballs, basketballs and kites.
• Outdoor Movie Night: Set up some blankets and pillows outside and take advantage of the warm summer nights -- in your own backyard. You can rent a projector and screen or if it's something you really like doing you may want to invest in one. Pop some popcorn, hang some Christmas lights around the tree for a romantic look and voilà! You have yourself an outdoor movie extravaganza.
• Squirt Gun Battle: Squirt guns are a fun, inexpensive way to burn energy and lock in some silly memories for you and your family. If you family is big enough, make teams. If not, then it's every man for himself. Wear grubby clothes and fill your guns up with water and a bit of food coloring, whoever has the most color on the opponents gets to pick where everyone goes for dinner.
• Throw-back Fun: Remember the games you played as a kid at recess? Freeze tag, red rover, dodge ball and Simon Says are all super fun activities that the whole family can participate in. This is also a great way to show your kids what mom and dad use to do for fun before the wave of technology hit shore.
• Bug Hunting: Insect hunting can be both educational and fun. Get a bug aquarium for each child and set out for some bug catching. You can do it in your own backyard or go for a hike and find them there. If you're on a hike, it may be helpful to be able to identify poisonous or not-so-friendly bugs. (A visit to the emergency room, while it may indeed be a bonding experience, is not the most fun way to spend an afternoon or evening with the family.) Once you've caught the bugs you can identify what they like to eat, where they originate from, and their particular species. Letting the bugs go is a sweet way to teach your family respect for all living things, so once you've had your learning fun, set them free.
• A Family Of Artists: Purchase big pad of paper, watercolor paints, brushes and anything else you may need for an artistic adventure. Take the family to the local beach, park or playground and paint what you see. You even can get a big roll of paper so that you can all paint a masterpiece together. Make sure to sign and date it -- maybe even have it framed and hang it on the wall.
• Make a Movie: Here is a fun way to use technology to your bonding advantage. Most smart phones have the video recording option. Think up a story together that you can act out. Write a script and give each person a part. Pick a place to film and set out for LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! You can upload it to your computer, edit it and watch it on movie night.
Once you get out of the house and into the sun or moonlight, you will find the many benefits it has to offer your family. Quality time spent as a whole will cultivate an unbreakable bond between you and those you love. You are teaching your children how to be creative parents someday as well. So get on out there and have some fun in the sun.
**********************
Sarah Stevenson, a.k.a., The Tini Yogini, is a Certified Yoga Instructor in Southern California and one of the fitness and wellness experts at www.beachbody.com. She has a degree in Behavioral Psychology and teaches not only yoga classes but also life affirming workshops. Beachbody provides effective and popular work out videos, including fun fit kid videos from Beachbody trainer Shaun T. Beachbody also has premium supplements for weight loss, sports performance, and better health and home gym accessories.
Monday, June 10
My Entertainment Tonight Canada Audition
So, remember back when I changed my profile photo, and I mentioned that I was all dressed up for a reason? Yeah, so this was the reason. And I've finally worked up my nerve to tell you all about it.
Back in March, Entertainment Tonight Canada put out a call for guest cohost audition videos, and I was all over it. I wrote up my script, chose a background to put up on my Smartboard at school (I just googled the ET Canada set and found the photo below) and assembled my wardrobe and cheesy props. (You'll have to watch the video to see those!)
My husband was in charge of production, direction, lighting and sound (on very short notice)...and we did it in two takes. I uploaded my video to the site (without editing; that sort of thing I only do with words, not videos), and my work was done. I knew that the show had set a date when they would be announcing the top four for Canada to vote on, and I figured that if I didn't make the cut no one would ever have to know that I entered.
Silly me.
A couple of nights before the big top four reveal, ET Canada decided to run some samples of the thousands of entries they'd received...and mine was one of them! (Of course they showed the part with my cheesy props!) Some were funny, some were serious, and some were superprofessional. In fact, there was one extremely professional video/host contender that I thought would win the competition hands-down (which helped me lower my expectations).
Of course I freaked out that I was actually shown on national television (and it's PVRd at my house if you ever want to watch it) but the ONLY person who saw it and recognized me was the husband of one of my coworkers. It was a funny conversation after the March Break: "So, Kate, this may sound weird, but were you on ET Canada because my husband thought he saw you...?"
There were about ten different clips shown, and I'm not at all saying that I made it to the top ten, but the four nominees were part of that group, so, you know. I kinda like to think that I did; so sue me.
Two nights later, the top four were announced (I made my husband watch it and report back to me) but alas, I did not make the cut. Nor did the woman whom I thought was the obvious front-runner, so I think they were looking for more of an interesting, talented "fan" than someone who was seriously looking to be a career TV host.
Although I was really excited about the idea of winning, I have to admit that I saw the silver lining and was actually a bit relieved not to be part of the top four voting competition. I'm just not the campaign-for-votes type, and it would have stressed me out. (But still would have been pretty cool. And no sour grapes here: all four candidates were great, and the eventual winner did a wonderful job.)
Anyway, it was a fun experience to break out of my shell and put the video together, and an honour to be included on the show. Maybe someday they'll come calling for me....or one of their competitors will, perhaps? I'll entertain a bidding war.
So, for your own viewing amusement (and so I can cross "risk-taking" off my list for the month), here's the minute-long video - the link is from Google Drive; I promise it's safe.
Go easy on me...(hey, my daily audience is a room full of 8 and 9 year olds and they always love me!)
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8-d8UttwJONckZfZnUtM2NlYUE/edit?usp=sharing
Back in March, Entertainment Tonight Canada put out a call for guest cohost audition videos, and I was all over it. I wrote up my script, chose a background to put up on my Smartboard at school (I just googled the ET Canada set and found the photo below) and assembled my wardrobe and cheesy props. (You'll have to watch the video to see those!)
My husband was in charge of production, direction, lighting and sound (on very short notice)...and we did it in two takes. I uploaded my video to the site (without editing; that sort of thing I only do with words, not videos), and my work was done. I knew that the show had set a date when they would be announcing the top four for Canada to vote on, and I figured that if I didn't make the cut no one would ever have to know that I entered.
Silly me.
A couple of nights before the big top four reveal, ET Canada decided to run some samples of the thousands of entries they'd received...and mine was one of them! (Of course they showed the part with my cheesy props!) Some were funny, some were serious, and some were superprofessional. In fact, there was one extremely professional video/host contender that I thought would win the competition hands-down (which helped me lower my expectations).
Of course I freaked out that I was actually shown on national television (and it's PVRd at my house if you ever want to watch it) but the ONLY person who saw it and recognized me was the husband of one of my coworkers. It was a funny conversation after the March Break: "So, Kate, this may sound weird, but were you on ET Canada because my husband thought he saw you...?"
There were about ten different clips shown, and I'm not at all saying that I made it to the top ten, but the four nominees were part of that group, so, you know. I kinda like to think that I did; so sue me.
Two nights later, the top four were announced (I made my husband watch it and report back to me) but alas, I did not make the cut. Nor did the woman whom I thought was the obvious front-runner, so I think they were looking for more of an interesting, talented "fan" than someone who was seriously looking to be a career TV host.
Although I was really excited about the idea of winning, I have to admit that I saw the silver lining and was actually a bit relieved not to be part of the top four voting competition. I'm just not the campaign-for-votes type, and it would have stressed me out. (But still would have been pretty cool. And no sour grapes here: all four candidates were great, and the eventual winner did a wonderful job.)
Anyway, it was a fun experience to break out of my shell and put the video together, and an honour to be included on the show. Maybe someday they'll come calling for me....or one of their competitors will, perhaps? I'll entertain a bidding war.
So, for your own viewing amusement (and so I can cross "risk-taking" off my list for the month), here's the minute-long video - the link is from Google Drive; I promise it's safe.
Go easy on me...(hey, my daily audience is a room full of 8 and 9 year olds and they always love me!)
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8-d8UttwJONckZfZnUtM2NlYUE/edit?usp=sharing
Thursday, June 6
"The Search Angel" by Tish Cohen (Review)
So, I'm a little embarrassed to say that this is the first book I've read from Canadian-born Tish Cohen.
The funny thing is, when publishers contact me about adult fiction, I usually pass, since I'm quite picky about what I like, and don't want to waste my time. When I was asked if I wanted to take a peek at an advance copy of "The Search Angel", I was intrigued by the story, and immediately agreed (telling myself that if I didn't like it, I just wouldn't post about it, no big deal. This Mom "Loves", right?)
I was very pleasantly surprised. And I admit, seeing this on the cover helped put me in the right frame of mind:
"Move over, Jodi Picoult." - The Globe and Mail
"The Search Angel" is about Eleanor Sweet, owner of an upscale baby boutique struggling with fertility issues. She and her husband are in the process of adopting (i.e. on their way to the airport to pick up) an orphaned child when he gets cold feet. (That's not a spoiler, it's in the blurb.) While struggling to continue the adoption process (or to decide if she even wants to) Eleanor, herself adopted, enlists the help of a Search Angel to find her own birth mother. Mixed in with all of these emotions, there's also the mysterious new man next door, but even that relationship doesn't progress in a formulaic chick-lit way. Maybe Eleanor even reconciles with her husband, who knows?
I'm not giving anything more away, but "The Search Angel" was definitely a book that kept me wanting more, and every day I looked forward to the time when I could get at it again.
I will now be seeing out Tish's past books for summer reading, and keeping my eye open for future titles as well.
"The Search Angel" is available now!
The funny thing is, when publishers contact me about adult fiction, I usually pass, since I'm quite picky about what I like, and don't want to waste my time. When I was asked if I wanted to take a peek at an advance copy of "The Search Angel", I was intrigued by the story, and immediately agreed (telling myself that if I didn't like it, I just wouldn't post about it, no big deal. This Mom "Loves", right?)
I was very pleasantly surprised. And I admit, seeing this on the cover helped put me in the right frame of mind:
"Move over, Jodi Picoult." - The Globe and Mail
"The Search Angel" is about Eleanor Sweet, owner of an upscale baby boutique struggling with fertility issues. She and her husband are in the process of adopting (i.e. on their way to the airport to pick up) an orphaned child when he gets cold feet. (That's not a spoiler, it's in the blurb.) While struggling to continue the adoption process (or to decide if she even wants to) Eleanor, herself adopted, enlists the help of a Search Angel to find her own birth mother. Mixed in with all of these emotions, there's also the mysterious new man next door, but even that relationship doesn't progress in a formulaic chick-lit way. Maybe Eleanor even reconciles with her husband, who knows?
I'm not giving anything more away, but "The Search Angel" was definitely a book that kept me wanting more, and every day I looked forward to the time when I could get at it again.
I will now be seeing out Tish's past books for summer reading, and keeping my eye open for future titles as well.
"The Search Angel" is available now!
Tuesday, June 4
I'm On The List! The Most Influential Canadian Mom Blogs
This morning, SavvyMom released a list of The 75 Most Influential Canadian Mom Blogs...and I'm on there!
The description for This Mom Loves reads:
"Best Momterviews: Kate is a mom to two young girls but also spends her days as a grade 3 teacher in Ontario. On top of that, she is a freelance writer for different publications, and has a blog chock full of joyful posts dedicated to sharing the love she has for the people, places and products in her life. Don’t miss her memorable momterviews! "
Joining me on the list is my super-supportive writer friend Sarah from Sleeping Is For Losers. Check out her blog if you haven't yet!
Thanks for the recognition, SavvyMom, and congratulations to all of the amazing bloggers on the list. I am truly honoured to be among you!
(Why didn't they mention anything about my trademark overuse of punctuation, particularly exclamation marks and parentheses?!)
The description for This Mom Loves reads:
"Best Momterviews: Kate is a mom to two young girls but also spends her days as a grade 3 teacher in Ontario. On top of that, she is a freelance writer for different publications, and has a blog chock full of joyful posts dedicated to sharing the love she has for the people, places and products in her life. Don’t miss her memorable momterviews! "
Joining me on the list is my super-supportive writer friend Sarah from Sleeping Is For Losers. Check out her blog if you haven't yet!
Thanks for the recognition, SavvyMom, and congratulations to all of the amazing bloggers on the list. I am truly honoured to be among you!
(Why didn't they mention anything about my trademark overuse of punctuation, particularly exclamation marks and parentheses?!)
Monday, June 3
What's Your Favourite Classic Book?
So, I just read The Great Gatsby for the first time (yes, because of the movie!) and I realized that I really haven't read many English classics.
I was a French major, so most of my English lit was studied in high school, where I remember poetry, a lot of modern selections, and Shakespeare (specifically Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. In OAC English, my partner and I were assigned a presentation on the "Appearance vs Reality" theme in Hamlet, and we used Counting Crows' "Mr. Jones". Reflect on the lyrics, it was quite brilliant of us, I think. Another duo was presenting on the relationship of the brothers, and used a clip from The Lion King, when Scar kills Mufasa. Also quite deep for 18 year olds, in my opinion.)
So clearly I remember English class, but not many classics. With summer coming and hopefully some beautiful, sitting-by-the-pool days ahead, I'd like to catch up on some great books that I may have missed, so I'm looking for suggestions. What's your favourite classic? Is there one that you go back to on a regular basis, or that made such an impact on you the first time that you'll never forget it? Please leave a comment and let me know (don't feel like you have to write me an English essay and prove your thesis or anything, just a title is fine if that's all you want to provide!) and I can add it to my summer list. Thanks!
I was a French major, so most of my English lit was studied in high school, where I remember poetry, a lot of modern selections, and Shakespeare (specifically Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. In OAC English, my partner and I were assigned a presentation on the "Appearance vs Reality" theme in Hamlet, and we used Counting Crows' "Mr. Jones". Reflect on the lyrics, it was quite brilliant of us, I think. Another duo was presenting on the relationship of the brothers, and used a clip from The Lion King, when Scar kills Mufasa. Also quite deep for 18 year olds, in my opinion.)
So clearly I remember English class, but not many classics. With summer coming and hopefully some beautiful, sitting-by-the-pool days ahead, I'd like to catch up on some great books that I may have missed, so I'm looking for suggestions. What's your favourite classic? Is there one that you go back to on a regular basis, or that made such an impact on you the first time that you'll never forget it? Please leave a comment and let me know (don't feel like you have to write me an English essay and prove your thesis or anything, just a title is fine if that's all you want to provide!) and I can add it to my summer list. Thanks!
Thursday, May 30
Shopping: Burberry Wallet and EcoKids Sandwich Containers
Okay, sure, one might argue that the two purchases I am discussing today are clearly unrelated. If I were not just finishing EQAO with my brain a little bit fried, I might even try to argue back and somehow make the two connect (save money reusing containers, have more money to put in wallet? Or better yet, to afford wallet? I know, I can do better).
And yes, talking about both of these items in the same post will probably mess up the Search Engine Optimization in one way or another, but again, I pride myself on efficiency and I really wanted to share both of my finds with you, even at the cost of losing out on blog traffic.
First up (the most fun) is my new Burberry wallet. It seems like I purchase a new wallet every year, as I buy cheap ones and they tend to fall apart. My criteria for a wallet are pretty specific, as it must be able to hold tons of cards, and have an ample change compartment (I'm in Canada, and with coins for one and two dollars, I carry a lot of change). So I've been scoping ebay, looking to pick up a designer model that I can use for years to come.
I found a great Burberry design (brand new, with tags and authenticity card, in box), and spent a lot of time researching how to tell fake Burberry items from real ones (just as I did when I bought my Coach bag and Louis Vuitton bag). Satisfied that it was the real deal, I placed a bid.
Just to give you an idea of how impatient I am, I almost did "Buy Now" (and paid $50 more than the starting bid) because I wanted to have it right away. I forced myself to wait, and got it for the opening price. (Hey, if I can do all of my Summer Style -- 13 items -- for $100, I can splurge on one big thing!, right?)
Here is my belated Mother's Day gift (which luckily looks legit in real life, and is ample enough to hold all my cards and coins):
On to my completely unrelated and much less exciting (though still important) purchase:
Recently, Caroline from Eco Baby Boom did a guest post with Simple Earth-Friendly Shopping Tips and mentioned reusable sandwich containers. I've seen a few, but wasn't really enthused about the fabric-style ones. I want to be able to put everything in the dishwasher. Other plastic styles I've come across were too thin to hold sandwiches on buns, which my girls love to take in their lunches.
This past weekend while wandering around the kids' section of Chapters (okay, I don't exactly "wander" in stores), I spotted these EcoKids Sandwich Keepers (for a reasonable $5.95):
They say they're dishwasher safe on the top rack, though it might damage the images. I think a quick rinse in the sink each evening should suffice. The girls have already used them, and are quite pleased, so we'll see how well they hold up. Stay tuned!
So...which of my purchases did you prefer?
And yes, talking about both of these items in the same post will probably mess up the Search Engine Optimization in one way or another, but again, I pride myself on efficiency and I really wanted to share both of my finds with you, even at the cost of losing out on blog traffic.
First up (the most fun) is my new Burberry wallet. It seems like I purchase a new wallet every year, as I buy cheap ones and they tend to fall apart. My criteria for a wallet are pretty specific, as it must be able to hold tons of cards, and have an ample change compartment (I'm in Canada, and with coins for one and two dollars, I carry a lot of change). So I've been scoping ebay, looking to pick up a designer model that I can use for years to come.
I found a great Burberry design (brand new, with tags and authenticity card, in box), and spent a lot of time researching how to tell fake Burberry items from real ones (just as I did when I bought my Coach bag and Louis Vuitton bag). Satisfied that it was the real deal, I placed a bid.
Just to give you an idea of how impatient I am, I almost did "Buy Now" (and paid $50 more than the starting bid) because I wanted to have it right away. I forced myself to wait, and got it for the opening price. (Hey, if I can do all of my Summer Style -- 13 items -- for $100, I can splurge on one big thing!, right?)
Here is my belated Mother's Day gift (which luckily looks legit in real life, and is ample enough to hold all my cards and coins):
On to my completely unrelated and much less exciting (though still important) purchase:
Recently, Caroline from Eco Baby Boom did a guest post with Simple Earth-Friendly Shopping Tips and mentioned reusable sandwich containers. I've seen a few, but wasn't really enthused about the fabric-style ones. I want to be able to put everything in the dishwasher. Other plastic styles I've come across were too thin to hold sandwiches on buns, which my girls love to take in their lunches.
This past weekend while wandering around the kids' section of Chapters (okay, I don't exactly "wander" in stores), I spotted these EcoKids Sandwich Keepers (for a reasonable $5.95):
They say they're dishwasher safe on the top rack, though it might damage the images. I think a quick rinse in the sink each evening should suffice. The girls have already used them, and are quite pleased, so we'll see how well they hold up. Stay tuned!
So...which of my purchases did you prefer?
Monday, May 27
Family Fun at Centreville Amusement Park
I've always wanted to take the girls to Centreville Amusement Park, and the beautiful long weekend gave us perfect opportunity.
I dragged out the surprise for a couple of days, giving clues for good behaviour (I know, I'm a great mom).
Clue # 1: It's in Toronto but we're not sleeping over.
Clue # 2: We have to take a boat to get there.
Clue # 3: There are animals but it's not a zoo.
Clue # 4: There are lots of rides (this one got the biggest reaction).
and finally, the big reveal:
It's Centreville!
On Sunday morning we got ready and drove into the big city (with our usual stop at Tim's on the 115!) Tip: if you're going to Centreville, find a public parking lot as close to the ferry docks as you can to save time (and to save any walking the kids need to do for the amusement park!)
The ferry has regular departures (see schedule), and both ways we just walked right on and set sail. The girls really enjoyed being out on the water and seeing the city from a different vantage point.
After a short seven minute ride, we arrived at Centre Island, which isn't just home to Centreville Amusement Park, but also large grassy parks and sandy beaches (one is listed as "Clothing Optional", so of course I had to spend some time there. Just kidding.)
Here we are, a short walk over the island to Centreville. (The girls are such good sports about posing for blog photo ops.)
In order to get the full experience to share with you here, we were provided with all day ride bracelets, which really are the best bang for your buck (for the kids, and any adults who want to do the rides as well. Admission to the park is free, so there's no cost for anyone not wanting to take advantage of rides.)
One of the first destinations was the train, which we liked as a nice overview of the park at the beginning of the day: "We have to go on that ride!", "There's a farm!" ,"Look, popsicles!"
Frannie, ever her mother's daughter, consults the child-friendly park map while on the train:
While I didn't expect Far Enough Farm to be the highlight of the park for our little country girls, a mini-farm on an island is pretty cool: pigs, horses, silkie chickens, goats, peacocks and more!
Here they are, checking out the goats:
The most exciting part of Centreville for my girls, by far, was the rides. The best thing for us as parents is that they could go on almost everything by themselves!
The Boats:
The gorgeous 1907 Antique Carousel:
Other popular rides are the Ferris Wheel, Antique Cars, Bumble Bees and Log Flume (nice to get a little splash of water on a hot day!)
It's also a bonus that bringing a cooler/picnic basket is definitely allowed and encouraged (as opposed to many 'no outside food or drink' family destinations), although there are tons of options for purchasing food. We got a ten slice pepperoni pizza (from Pizza Pizza) at lunchtime for $22 which fed all four of us with some left over. There's also a Carousel Café, Shopsy's, and lots of places to pick up snacks and treats.
Centreville is definitely a great place to take a young family. Maggie (who's almost five) could do every ride that she wanted to, and we didn't even hit them all. Seven year old Frannie enjoyed the rides as well, but I could see her growing out of them within a year or two. I'd say the ideal ages for the park are from toddler to seven or eight years old.
Older kids looking for adventure should definitely hit the Scrambler. I went on with the girls, and it's inside a building which is darkened for the ride with loud music and flashing lights. Maggie clung desperately to the grab bar and Frannie told me repeatedly that she was going to be sick...a sure sign of a wild ride!
Before finishing this post, I wanted to give the girls' the last word (almost, I can't quite give that up) and ask for their highlights of the day:
Frannie's favourite: "The farm {I stand corrected}, and the swan ride."
Maggie's favourite: "Beasley Bear ride, the Scrambler even though it made my tummy a bit nervous, the train ride and the swans."
All good things must come to an end, and here you see my tired girls on the ferry ride back to the mainland (Maggie was asleep in the van before we were out of the city):
The highlight of the day for me was slowing down to spend some time with the family, and giving this experience to the girls (not just the amusement park itself, but going in to the city, taking the ferry to the island, etc.) It was great to be active out in the fresh air, and to forget everything I always feel like I need to be doing at home.
As out-of-towners, it's not something we'd do frequently since driving downtown is an adventure in itself before even getting to the ferry, but parents who live in or will be visiting the GTA this summer really need to check out this gem of a family outing.
This post was generously sponsored by Centreville, but the opinions and images are my own. For more information, visit www.centreisland.ca
I dragged out the surprise for a couple of days, giving clues for good behaviour (I know, I'm a great mom).
Clue # 1: It's in Toronto but we're not sleeping over.
Clue # 2: We have to take a boat to get there.
Clue # 3: There are animals but it's not a zoo.
Clue # 4: There are lots of rides (this one got the biggest reaction).
and finally, the big reveal:
It's Centreville!
On Sunday morning we got ready and drove into the big city (with our usual stop at Tim's on the 115!) Tip: if you're going to Centreville, find a public parking lot as close to the ferry docks as you can to save time (and to save any walking the kids need to do for the amusement park!)
The ferry has regular departures (see schedule), and both ways we just walked right on and set sail. The girls really enjoyed being out on the water and seeing the city from a different vantage point.
After a short seven minute ride, we arrived at Centre Island, which isn't just home to Centreville Amusement Park, but also large grassy parks and sandy beaches (one is listed as "Clothing Optional", so of course I had to spend some time there. Just kidding.)
Here we are, a short walk over the island to Centreville. (The girls are such good sports about posing for blog photo ops.)
In order to get the full experience to share with you here, we were provided with all day ride bracelets, which really are the best bang for your buck (for the kids, and any adults who want to do the rides as well. Admission to the park is free, so there's no cost for anyone not wanting to take advantage of rides.)
One of the first destinations was the train, which we liked as a nice overview of the park at the beginning of the day: "We have to go on that ride!", "There's a farm!" ,"Look, popsicles!"
Frannie, ever her mother's daughter, consults the child-friendly park map while on the train:
While I didn't expect Far Enough Farm to be the highlight of the park for our little country girls, a mini-farm on an island is pretty cool: pigs, horses, silkie chickens, goats, peacocks and more!
Here they are, checking out the goats:
The most exciting part of Centreville for my girls, by far, was the rides. The best thing for us as parents is that they could go on almost everything by themselves!
The Boats:
The gorgeous 1907 Antique Carousel:
Other popular rides are the Ferris Wheel, Antique Cars, Bumble Bees and Log Flume (nice to get a little splash of water on a hot day!)
It's also a bonus that bringing a cooler/picnic basket is definitely allowed and encouraged (as opposed to many 'no outside food or drink' family destinations), although there are tons of options for purchasing food. We got a ten slice pepperoni pizza (from Pizza Pizza) at lunchtime for $22 which fed all four of us with some left over. There's also a Carousel Café, Shopsy's, and lots of places to pick up snacks and treats.
Centreville is definitely a great place to take a young family. Maggie (who's almost five) could do every ride that she wanted to, and we didn't even hit them all. Seven year old Frannie enjoyed the rides as well, but I could see her growing out of them within a year or two. I'd say the ideal ages for the park are from toddler to seven or eight years old.
Older kids looking for adventure should definitely hit the Scrambler. I went on with the girls, and it's inside a building which is darkened for the ride with loud music and flashing lights. Maggie clung desperately to the grab bar and Frannie told me repeatedly that she was going to be sick...a sure sign of a wild ride!
Before finishing this post, I wanted to give the girls' the last word (almost, I can't quite give that up) and ask for their highlights of the day:
Frannie's favourite: "The farm {I stand corrected}, and the swan ride."
Maggie's favourite: "Beasley Bear ride, the Scrambler even though it made my tummy a bit nervous, the train ride and the swans."
All good things must come to an end, and here you see my tired girls on the ferry ride back to the mainland (Maggie was asleep in the van before we were out of the city):
The highlight of the day for me was slowing down to spend some time with the family, and giving this experience to the girls (not just the amusement park itself, but going in to the city, taking the ferry to the island, etc.) It was great to be active out in the fresh air, and to forget everything I always feel like I need to be doing at home.
As out-of-towners, it's not something we'd do frequently since driving downtown is an adventure in itself before even getting to the ferry, but parents who live in or will be visiting the GTA this summer really need to check out this gem of a family outing.
This post was generously sponsored by Centreville, but the opinions and images are my own. For more information, visit www.centreisland.ca
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