Weird but true. We travel a lot actually and did so before we had kids. But ever since having children we have not been able to find the time to just cut loose and go somewhere as adults. You know adults only travel. Well, maybe that’s not such a weird story after all. I am sure a few of you have a similar story. Finding child care is hard. In fact when special needs kids are involved it is actually almost impossible. But soon we will go away together just the two of us for a grownup trip. Reason…
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Addalock Review Imagine a lock on the go. Addalock is a simple effective little invention you can toss in your suitcase and carry with you anywhere. When I heard about the device I was interested because safety is a huge priority here and because I have a child with special needs who wanders. Now, I am pretty sure that Addalock wasn’t intended necessarily as a special needs tool, but I can see useful applications here. My daughter from a very young age could get out any door and had very little impulse control, so we were hypervigilant, and we…
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Stunning hats, caps, crowns and bonnets One of the highlights of our summer was a day trip to Stratford, Ontario. Just under one hour from London, Ontario and not too far from Detroit (two and a half hours about) by car, there is a good deal to see and do in the pretty town of Stratford. This theatre town is well known for its lovely scenery, its trademark swans and world class theatrical productions. Since my children both are very dramatic and my eldest acts with Original Kids Theatre Company we were eager to explore the city. This year we…
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This summer you will want to check out this little gem near Cambridge. Wings of Paradise Butterfly Conservatory is a perfect day trip for kids who are school aged. First catch of the day. Payton lands one easily at Wings of Paradise near Cambridge. Ainsley waited and waited. At first the butterflies swirling around her head were really making her nervous. Then she started to get a bit more comfortable and, when her sister proudly landed one carefully on her finger, well, my competitive six-year-old was not be to outdone. Here little sister finally had her moment. The Blue Morpho…
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Last year I spent some time blogging about the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre in Southampton. At that time there was an amazing dinosaur exhibit. This year, when we once again found ourselves back at the cottage, we wondered how they might top last year’s animatronic dinos and BBC film. Well, somehow they did it with prehistoric sea monsters larger than life. (See Payton below.) If you are still heading for the beach between now and September 6th, when the exhibit ends, you should find a way to visit this one. It was well worth it and more than…
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FDR Resorts are excellent family vacation destinations and while I have never yet made it there in person I can’t wait until the time we are able to swing this trip. Jamaica is a fantastic family vacation destination and FDR Resorts has been recommended to me by many travel agents over the years. While some shy away from Jamaica for fear of high crime rates, it is entirely safe as long as you take some precautions. We travelled to Jamaica last year with our children and stayed near Falmouth in Starfish Trelawny. We loved the food and our family resort had…
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For months, we have seen London’s Double Decker Bus Sightseeing Tour around town and thought wouldn’t that be fun to do one day. This morning, keenly aware of the passing days of summer I woke both of my kids up and told them we were once again going on a surprise adventure. (These are truly one of the best parts of parenthood.) What is London’s Double Decker Bus? I had secretly planned to take them on the Tourism London’s Double Decker Bus Sightseeing Tour. The 1969 Bristol VR leaves every day of the summer through until September 7th…
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I have never really thought of myself as a big Canuck, though I’ve lived here all my life. In fact, perhaps I’ve been delusional, but I have always thought that if the right opportunity presented itself, I’d jump ship. I’d pack my things, leave my double double, take my chances with nonexistent health care and move to one of the less scary states in the great U.S of A. In fact there are some states I have even found myself daydreaming about. Alabama sounds lovely, Florida sunny, Southern Carolina, whoot! Texas and Arizona are obviously sizzlin’ and California, well what’s…
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Heading out on another family road trip which means I have some packing to do. Since we started this great foray into family travel my husband and I – well mostly I – have learned a few things about the tricky business of travelling with tots in tow. My first tip for travelling with children is planning, planning and then planning some more. When we flew to Disney last year it was my daughter, Ainsley’s first flight. She was four and, for those of you who don’t know, she has sensory processing disorder, which means life is often too loud,…
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What to do when you are at the cottage and the rain starts? Well why not visit the Bruce County Museum? There’s plenty to do and see for kids of all ages. Plus the exhibits are always a hit. Here’s one more reason to visit the Bruce Peninsula. I have spent all my summers from the time I was a tot heading to the beach with my family, often winding up at a rental cottage hanging out and enjoying the summer months near Southampton. But only last year at the ripe old age of 40 with my children in tow…