PACK -A-SNACK

Hi Guys, I am going to be posting recipes of snacks that you can pack and take along for the kiddies! Always looking for great ideas, please do contribute

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My Winter – Shaking of the Winter Blues!

As Canadians we claim to proudly embrace the cold, soaring winds of winter. However many of us still fear the frigid temperatures, and shovelling off snow from the driveway is just dreadful. I can’t really say I ever miss winter, but I can’t let the winter blues get to me. I got two tiny munchkins to take care of and need something to tire them out. So here are a couple of indoor and outdoor activities we kept our selves busy with this winter.

Snow tubing!
Tubing is tons of fun, its a perfect winter roller coaster for kids and adults. It’s an affordable and exciting activity for the whole family to slide out of the winter blues. Most places have a height restriction of 42 inches or taller, but no worries, there are plenty of tiny snow hills around for the little ones to slide on. Some places like Chinguacousy SnowMountain in Brampton, Ontario  also have space for skiing and snowboarding. So go out and make a day of it. Don’t let the weather drag you down.
I usually take some snacks with me. This year I prepared some pumpkin bread ahead of time. I will soon put up the recipe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trampoline parks!
Well, what can you do when you and Mrs. Winter just do not get along. Try out the indoor trampoline parks for an exhilarating time out. Sky zone is a popular place in Mississauga, Ontario. Kids love to jump and guess what, so do adults. Imagine how much fun your child will have in a place where jumping in allowed. However, an hour is more than anyone can handle.  There are locker and cubbies available to put away shoes and other belongings.
Check out the the website of your local trampoline park and plan accordingly.

Harbour Front
I know what your thinking..Harbour front is one place you would never think about, during winter. Not True! Its quiet nice. Harbour Front, Toronto always has something going on. We usually go on family day and each year there is a theme. There are tons of fun crafts for kids and a room full of legos. The best part is you can enjoy the outdoors as well if your in the mood for some ice-skating.

The Maple festival
I can just smell the sweetness of maple syrup and fresh hot pancakes. The Maple Syrup festivals have already commenced in Ontario. Mississauga Celebration Square and the Halton Region run the festivals from 1st of March to 6th of April on weekends and March Break. There is an entrance fee of about $8/person or less depending on the location you choose. Most parks have wagon rides and making maple candy. Especially worth it for all you sweet toothed out there:)

Last Resort – If you are too busy to do all this, just go out and make a snowman with the kids. 🙂

Washington D.C!

It’s  the most wonderful time of the Year!

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, the holiday season makes everyone cheerful. Families and friends visit their loved ones far and wide. Streets are lit up, merry music is being played everywhere and everyone everywhere is shopping for gifts or just hunting for good deals. So much going on, but the kids are still bored. They hate shopping, and definitely don’t like to dress up. Hence this year we kept dinner parties to a minimum and  decided to take a trip to Washington, DC.

Why Washington?, you might wonder. Well, Its educational, and almost all of the museums are free.  Also its only a 7-8 hours drive from Milton, On. (Where I live). However, It was Christmas season and hotels are expensive in the Capital city. Luckily I have relatives everywhere!

Planning your trip!

Okay, so White House tours are booked months in advance. So if you just decided to wake up and visit Washington like yours truly, then forget about it..

Get a Hotel room in a near by city, like Virginia.  If you don’t mind driving 3 hours early in the morning, then New jersey is a good place to get some rest the night before your trip.

Be sure to pack strollers, diapers and tons of snacks. There’s lots to see and tons of area to cover on foot.

Map out your trip on foot, where you would like to begin and where the trip comes to an end. It will be much easier to cover most sites if you know where your going before hand. (Thank you google)

Wake up early and be in DC. by 8.00 am. Parking is hard to find and the street parking fills up instantly. Oh Btw street parking is free on a holiday. Good thing we went on Christmas Eve.

So, Here we go….!

Start out at the National Mall, from the Lincoln Memorial and walk your way up to the WW II Memorial and then the Washington Monument. Since the museums open up by 10, there is enough time to spare. There are volunteers walking around and are glad to answer any questions.

The Washington Monument

 

 

 

WWII MEMORIAL Entrance

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you walk past the Washington Monument, take a break and grab something to eat. There are tons of food trucks nearby. Your gonna need the energy! Decide which museums you want to start with and march on!
Keep in mind you will not be able to cover all the museums in one day. Believe me, we tried and failed.

Most of the Smithsonian Museums are within walking distance from each other. The Arts Museum and the Air and Space Museum being a children’s favourite. Older kids might also enjoy the Natural History Museum, with many wonderful displays. Here are a couple of my pictures from the Art Museum thanks to my wonderful twin cousins.

On the Right is the Exhibition about the Persian Calligraphy and on the left is the word “Monkey” connected in different languages.

I will not review all the museums for two reason; I did not have the chance to see all of them and second everyone has different interests. Hopefully, during my next visit, I will get to see the Postcard Museum, which is a drive away from the rest of Smithsonian Museums. It is a worth while trip for both kids and adults. Learning never stops and you can have more than a bag full of knowledge in D.C.

For those who want to visit the White House call and make a reservation months in advance. Im definitely going to go back to explore, so if you know something about D.C that I don’t, please share enlighten me!