• Travel

    Where in Canada Can You Stay in a Hotel Made of Ice?

    May 23, 2019 - By 

    I wake on a bed of ice, intricate carvings of a basilisk surrounding me, light subtly creeping through a snow ceiling and polished bricks of ice. Outside this crystal ice palace, the world is still and silent. The kids, in the bed beside ours, just a few feet away are still snugly bundled, not yet stirring. Beside me, wrapped in a burrito sleeping bag, is my husband. I hear the familiar rise, fall and slight catch of his breath. What Can I Expect Overnight at Hôtel de Glace Quebec? I squeeze my eyes shut a moment longer, listening with my…

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    Travel

    Where Can You Find Amazing Skiing in Maine?

    April 30, 2019 - By 

    “There’s skiing in Maine?” That’s what my family asked the week before we left for a 12-day road trip through New England and up to Quebec. Oh yes, indeed, there’s great skiing in Maine and when it comes to affordable family friendly ski trips, Sunday River Resort delivers. Spring/Winter Family Road Trips As a family, we ski Vermont every year and we’re extremely familiar with that territory and the Green Mountains. But this year we decided to add on to our trip and keep exploring for as long as we could. So, after five days of skiing at Sugarbush and…

  • Travel

    Don’t Miss – Prohibited Items Banned From Cruises

    April 16, 2019 - By 

    Prohibited items on a cruise ship can land you in hot water if you forget to check what’s allowed and what is not. SO, don’t forget to check the specifics of your cruise line before you head to port. Some cruise ship prohibited items are completely obvious to most of us. I mean logically most people know not to bring any sort of weapon, however there are some items that might surprise you. When traveling, knowledge is power, and it’s just as important to know what not to bring on board a cruise ship as it is to know what…

  • smores_cookies
    Food

    Easy Gooey Homemade Smores Cookies

    April 15, 2019 - By 

    Homemade Smores cookies are my latest easy family treat. OH MY, is there anything much that is yummier than melted chocolate and ooey gooey marshmallow? I can’t think of much else that is as melt in your mouth tasty as this little chocolate flavour punch. Nothing evokes a camping state of mind faster than a mention of homemade campfire smores. But, let’s be honest it’s not always super simple to set up a campfire and start roasting those smores. So what’s a sweet tooth to do? Well, how about smores cookies? Homemade Smores Cookies What’s your favourite camping memory? We…

  • family

    How to Avoid Skunks When Camping

    April 13, 2019 - By 

    Last year we discovered that we love camping. You might recall that we took an RV Trip which was amazing! We were new to camping. For sure we had done camping many times and stayed in a yurt before too. Because we were newbies we did some research on wildlife and camping tips and tricks. One of the things we read about was avoiding bears when camping in Ontario’s Parks and what to do if you encounter one. And, of course, we also read about how to avoid skunks. If you are camping around forests, wooded areas, rivers or streams,…

  • harmony of the seas cruise ship docked in port and a family of three in front of the ship. Mom and two younger teens
    Travel

    The Harmony of the Seas – Epic Fun Cruising

    April 5, 2019 - By 

    Updated with more details in April 2019 This year, we took a family cruise on the Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas. The biggest cruise ship on the water at the time. As most cruisers know the biggest is only the biggest for a season, if that. But we didn’t choose The Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas for its size. We bought in this time for the laundry list of amazing activities on board and the ports of call. Cruising with teens needs to be fun, which means you need to opt for a cruise ship with a lot…

  • Travel

    Vermont Family Resorts – All The Pretty Things At Okemo Mountain Ski Resort

    April 2, 2019 - By 

    With bountiful pristine snow-covered deciduous trees, sprawling Green Mountain views, long, wide, memorable alpine trails and a tiny, quirky, local downtown area, Okemo is one of the prettiest of all Vermont Family resorts we have visited yet. Located in Ludlow, Vermont, Okemo rewards visitors for braving the cold and embracing an outdoor lifestyle. A few weeks ago we set off on an epic family road trip. First stop was Okemo Mountain Ski Resort, in South-Central Vermont, where we stayed at Jackson Gore Inn. Vermont is always a spectacular choice for families, hardcore skiers and snowboarders. There are so many great…

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    Travel

    Lake Simcoe Ice Fishing and So Much More – a 2-Day Itinerary

    March 20, 2019 - By 

    From the moment my youngest daughter burst forth into the world she was a flurry of activity. My sporty child, Ainsley, is also the one that made us realize we needed to embrace active living and sports of all kinds. Until she was about 11 months old, I loathed fitness, or sports, and more than anything I despised the cold. Embracing Winter CUT to 14 years later when I am sitting on frozen Lake Simcoe in northern Ontario peering into a hole, trading jokes, and warming my hands over an open flame while ice fishing. Okay, so it might not…

  • flight_wreckers_text_over_mountains
    Travel

    Flight Wreckers – 7 Things Guarantee a Bad Flight Experience

    February 26, 2019 - By 

    A bad flight experience is something everyone wants to avoid. And yet, we’ve all been there. Let’s face it we are all familiar with endless flight delays, overbooking, long lineups, turbulence, cranky fliers arguing over checked luggage and people who forgot, or lost, their documents. And don’t forget the person who actually boarded the wrong flight. WHO is that guy and why is he always on my plane? I could go on, but I won’t. You get the idea. With all the requirements for security checks, carry-ons, and more, you need to have your ducks in a row when you’re…