What to Do with Kids - Fall Edition

This is a continuation of my seasonal posts on family and children's activities. Fall is so much fun - the colours like no other season - warm hues of orange, yellow, and red. The season inspires me to bake (with cinnamon, hello baked apples or pies) and prepare homy meals to cozy up the family during somewhat cooler days. I even compared fall to autumn flowers in my last year's post.

VIA

Fall brings out and marries perfect combinations of rain,  puddles, and rain boots; chilli and rice; butternut squash, pumpkins, and pies; baked apples and vanilla ice cream.

So what are family favourite bucket things to do?

OUTSIDE

1. Visit Canada Army Run - Kids zone and equipment display - the interactive area will be filled with fun activities for kids and families.
Saturday, September 20 – 9 a.m. – 6:00 p.m
Sunday, September 21 – 7 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

2. Richmond Fair - Sep. 18-21, 2014

3. Carp Fair - Sep. 25-28, 2014

4. Apple Picking at a local orchard - check out this Agritourism Guide for Ottawa

5. Pumpkin Picking at a patch

6. Pumpkin Festival at Proulx Farm October

7. Haunting Season at Saunders Farm Sep. 27 - Nov. 2

8. Jump in the leaves

9. Visit local ranch for some horse or pony rides - Captiva farms

INSIDE (for those rainy days)

1. Sign up for Fall or Halloween themed cooking class with PC Cooking School

2. Create any fall related fall craft - just google "easy fall craft kids"

3. Make a pumpkin or apple pie

4. Take crayons and some of your favorite leaves and layer the leaves between pages of paper. Rub on the pages with a crayon to see the leaf pattern emerge..

5. Indulge in some seasonal coffee at Starbucks

6. Attend a library or free program at OPL

7. Enjoy an indoor pool

 

 

And here are a great list of:
FREE things to do in Ottawa with kids.
Mostly free family fun ideas

 Enjoy the season!

Birthday, Turning 30, My Thoughts and Lessons

For some reason, turning 30 seems like a huge responsibility to take on. I should have achieved so much by this point. I  should be much better off than 10 years ago. Where is my career at? And please don't tell me that 30 is the new 20. No, I am not twenty any more, and I am so happy. I am very much wiser and experienced by now so that I seem to have figured out the building blocks to my personal happiness.

When I was twenty, I was fooling myself with what I perceived as happiness.

I want to list a few of my life lessons (in no particular order of importance), hopefully my kids will read and listen to them when they are older.

1. Stop stressing about what other people will think or say. It is your life, live it once.

2. Do NOT follow or copy anyone else's life; they have their own lives with problems. You don't know what you are wishing for.

3. Before marrying someone, know exactly what you can tolerate and live with in that person. Do NOT change your spouse. You must learn about your own weaknesses and bad habits to be fair.

4.  Always follow your dreams and passions. For me, when I do something creative, two hours go by like 5 minutes. That's an indication that I truly love doing it.

5. Life is about others. Contribute to community, help your own extended family in need, and be kind.

6. You are allowed to make the same mistake twice. But better do it once.

7. Your mind is the only controller and limiter of your own mental and physical capabilities. You can do anything if your let your mind do it.

8.  Cherish and treasure your close family. These are the only people in the world that will be there for you.

 

2014 Summer Family Events Attractions Coupons & Discounts

Hey Fab Mamas. In search for family events online, I stumbled upon this site. Check out AttractionsOntario for some amazing deals and ideas for family outings this summer.

VIA

Free Family Summer Fun - Dragon Boat Festival June 19-22, 2014

When I stumble upon free family activities, I want to share them with the world!

Check out this year's Tim Horton's Children's and family area at the Dragon Boat Festival June 19-22, 2014.

Enjoy!

Summer Family Activities and Coupons (as Usual)

VIA

So back at the beginning of April I posted about Spring activities, but lately weather has been really taking its summer personality. So I think we are officially done with spring and now can get onto planning our short and sweet summer.

Last June, I already posted this great LIST.

And here is my list for this year.

1. Take every opportunity to be outside. This past long winter made me realize that we should not take warm days for granted, even if it is raining. So I encourage my family to get outside every weekend, and every weeknight, be it in the park, playground, by the lake or in our backyard.

2. Plan fun summer. And there are plenty of ways to make it such - water parks, zoos, splash pads, picnics, day trips to other close cities, forests and trails.

3. Get in touch with the countryside. We are so urbanized and store reliant, that we lose sight of where it all really begins. I want my children to appreciate and to learn that most of our food comes from hard working people on the farms. Hence visits to berry and vegetable farms, local produce markets, and animal farms.

4. Unleash your freedom. I want to do something completely liberating, like running with kids in the fields, watching air planes, water hose fights, or star gazing at night.

5. Savour pure and fresh. Summer foods are at their best in the summer! Watermelons, peaches, nectarines, cherries, local cukes and tomatoes, herbs, farm berries, and corn will be on or menu while in season. We must overload on them now, there will be no more of this goodness in colder months.

6. Read and reflect. I want to read something breezy but philosophical this summer.

PS. Check out Ontario Fun Pass with load of activity coupons (it will be updated for 2014 in June), Ottawa Summer Fun Guide, and great Groupon for a rainy day at the Museum of Nature.

What are your summer plans?

Spring Family Activities, Toy Rental & Coupons

 

Spring Activities
Here is an excellent collection of outdoor activities for kids this spring April-June.

My favourites are:

- Events at the Canada Agriculture Museum
- The Canadian Tulip Festival
- Touch a Truck June 1, 2014

Just Play Toy Rental

Have you considered renting toys instead of buying? Just Play Toy Rental will even deliver and pickup right from your home. I think it's a brilliant idea, especially if your space at home is constrained.

 

Family Coupons

And here are some free printable COUPONS for baby and kids products from groceryalerts.ca.

 

Enjoy and let me know how and where do you go outdoors in spring?

28 Things to Do in February

I really enjoyed this cute compilation because it feels so unintentianl and honest. This list brings back enjoyment of simple things in life. It is surprising, but I already did #1, 10, 11 (who did not?), 13, 22, and 28.  My favourite items to do would be  #5, 6, 9, 15, and 17(!!!).

What about you? Do you plan anything this month?

VIA

Autumn Flowers

Whenever I think of autumn (or fall season), maple (I'm from Canada, eh) tree leaves come to mind in a myriad of shades from green, to bright red or mahogany, and spark orange.

I also dig cinnamon Starbucks latte, and my version of pumpkin pie less the crust (pumpkin puree with mascarpone, dash of maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. pure and delicious.)

What's not to love about autumn? I am not such a fan of Halloween - cold evening with under dressed kids in costumes and sugar overload?. No thanks. But what I love most is what a beautiful organic background our nature provides us every year to immerse in colours and take photos. Like no other time of the year.

Autumn is such a great season to bring the whole family together, walk in the park or hike, play with leaves, and have a butternut squash soup. One of my family's favourites. You don't have to wait until winter holidays to get together, this yet mild and cheerful season welcomes you.


These are some snapshots from my life from the last couple of years.

Here is my 6 month old daughter surrounded by mums and leaves.

My fresh fall arrangement, 2011

Beautiful trees at a local farm last year

My farmer's flowers fall arrangement

Pumpkins anyone?

Pumpkins at our front door last year

My fall wreath

Our engagement photo session, 2011

Baby David's 1st Halloween Oct. 2012