Since moving to Ottawa and surviving our first winter we have been anxiously awaiting spring. Like much of “spring” so far, there are no flower buds to be seen or blossoms on trees. As I have learned, the sweet smell of a wood stack boiling off maple sap marks the change in season and attitudes […]
Organizing and Storing LEGO Manuals: My Kryptonite
I hit a new level of crazy and laminated my kid’s LEGO manuals. To save some judgment, I did not do them all…yet. Here is how I organized them and why. I loathe LEGO manuals more than stepping on a LEGO itself. The paper is always super thin and almost instantly tears after flipping through […]
5 Things to Know Before Visiting the Kennedy Space Center
As our last Florida spring break activity our family attended the Kennedy Space Center for the day. I have three kids in the age bracket from 2-6. Let’s just say, I should have done more homework. Here are a few things I wish I would have known: The Schedule. You can download the Kennedy Space […]
Universal Yum: A subscription box that hit a homerun
My dad is not an eager international traveler. He enjoys the comforts of our hometown and finds nature and its surroundings more soothing than exploring large cities. His tastebuds are more like a modern travel influencer, wanting to go everywhere and try everything (don’t worry dad, I will explain what an influencer is to you […]
Two Things I Got Wrong When Moving Away From Friends
As a military member and then spouse moving should come second nature to me. For the most part, it hasn’t been that bad. However, our posting to Canada took me by surprise. Our first stop on our Maple Leaf Adventure was an 11 month stint in Toronto. This move was HARD on me. I mean, […]
Fusion Mineral Paint Makes Princess Dream Come True
My mom graciously gave me a jewelry box that was collecting dust in the attic and had sustained substantial abuse. Seeing as I had an itch to refinish something else with my new obsession, Fusion Mineral Paint, I was eager to keep it off the treelawn. I decided I would breathe new life into this […]
Canadian Children’s Museum Review
This is, hands down, the coldest place I have ever lived in my entire life. The temperature regularly dips below freezing by at least 5 degrees and when you factor in windchill, the negative degree is usually double digits. Needless to say, with three energetic children we were eagerly seeking some outlets to get wiggles […]
Refinished Pottery Barn Table
One of the scores from the Kijiji Raid of 2018 was a huge Pottery Barn coffee table. The table was in bad shape when we got it, but it had good bones. The price was right, there were not any structural issues and it was real wood. The real wood translated into heavy AF to […]
Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum
There has been a lag in posts…because we did a magical vacation to Disney. Yes, I said magical and meant it. It was beyond my expectations of awesomeness and has taken me days to process. Needless to say, I am behind on postings. So, to get back in the swing of things, I wanted to […]
My Firsthand Encounter with a Canadian Stereotype
This past week I experienced what can be described as a Canadian version of road rage while driving the lovely streets of Ottawa. I was picking up the kids from school and was in a sour mood from the steady stream of slow-moving traffic. I had almost been hit by two cars and was feeling […]
Watson’s Mill – Manotick, ON
Exploring Ottawa while we have the opportunity to be here means that we take advantage of the local sites just outside our doorstep. One of those places is the quaint town of Manotick. This town is quintessentially charming. Founded in 1859 as a mill town, the town has preserved its heritage while adapting to […]
My husband’s affair… with Kijiji
Part of preparing to move is getting rid of unwanted items. Getting rid of clutter, broken items, and items that no longer serve a purpose. It feels like a cleansing and therapeutic step, a tangible way to measure progress when there are so many unknown variables. It’s a way to exhibit some control over […]