A Day at the Ranch

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Carmen

One of the things I love about summer is all the cool places that you can go and explore! With most of them being right in your own backyard. I find there are so many locally either within the city or a short jaunt away that there is never a loss for things to do or check out!

The Bar U Ranch is one of those neat little places that we have visited recently. Just a short drive outside of Calgary (95 km on the 22, just past Longview, AB); a National Historic Site and part of the Parks Canada system, this ranch boasts 37 historic buildings set in the rolling foothills of the mountains and commemorating the history of ranching in Canada.

This living history ranch hosts daily activities such as calf roping, wagon rides and round up camp, as well as educational programs, group tours and special events.

On Canada Day, they host a special event where admission is free, with a number of bonus activities to the day (such as face painting, rope making, homemade ice cream and cowboy coffee). This was the day we decided to go and check it out. I had been to the ranch only once before, years ago before the kids were born. At that time I remember the ranch being a large piece of property with pretty sparse buildings and feeling it was not very exciting at the time, but I when I read it now had 37 buildings I was quite excited to go and check it out.

In the cookhouse

We arrived at the beautiful visitors center that hosts a reception area, rangeland exhibit, theatre, restaurant and gift shop. This is also where you pay your admission to go down and explore the ranch. Though on Canada Day admission was free, rates to enter the ranch are quite reasonable with adults $8 and children under 6 are free. I also believe that if you have a National Parks pass that you can gain admission to national historic sites for free upon presentation.

Calf roping

You can either grab the wagon ride down to the ranch or enjoy a short walk downhill to the site. You are met immediately at the bottom of the hill with buildings to explore, such as the bunk and cookhouses. The kids loved the hands on, being able to actually look at and touch things, getting into the bunk and seeing what it was like.

I was impressed with the fact that you could enter all the buildings and that staff were on hand to answer any questions you had or add to your experience. There were also a plethora of interpretative signs, for added information for those of us who like to read (that would be me!) and learn a bit more!

One of the fascinating things we learned was that the Bar U was well known for its excellence in breeding Percheron horses, a draft horse originally from France. These magnificent creatures are well muscled, intelligent horses and willing to work.

Rope making

Luke’s favorite was a story of George Lane, the foreman of the Bar U Ranch, and one of the Big Four, who founded the Calgary Stampede. There is a sculpture of George Lane on his horse with wolves attacking him to the right of the visitors center when you arrive. Fascinated Luke asked me to read the sign to tell him the story. I told him the modified, but fairly detailed 5 year old version, and latching onto it, asked me to tell it to him again and again, until he got it right. The story was George was on his way back from Calgary one night, after visiting his wife who had just delivered their first child. He came upon wolves taking down a cow and went charging in. The wolves starving, due to the extinction of the buffalo (as the government allowed the hunting of the buffalo to extinction), had turned to hunting the cows for food and so the battle of man and nature began.

There are lots of old tractors and equipment to view, barns and even a sod house. The kids can enjoy calf roping, which they caught onto quite quickly and other hands on activities. This is the thing I liked the most, the amount of hands on the kids could do and experience. Not only did it keep them engaged and interested but allowed everyone to try something new and find the thing that they enjoyed or were good at the most.

We spent a good 3 or 4 hours there and comfortably saw it all, without feeling rushed or anyone getting bored. We also lucked out and had beautiful weather that day, but rain or shine, the Ranch is open from May to September each year and is definitely worth the trip!

How to Set up an Easter Egg Hunt

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Carmen

This weekend I have the pleasure of spending Easter with my extended family. An unusual occasion, my parents and two sisters with our families have come together in my parents BC home to celebrate my father’s 65th birthday. As an added bonus we get to throw Easter into the mix as it falls on the same weekend.

Growing up my sisters and I loved Easter morning. The Easter Bunny would often leave tracks and paw prints, as a a little dirt in the house, as well as fill and hide our baskets and Easter Eggs. We love hunting for everything, in fact this was as much fun as what was in the basket and eggs when we found them. The eggs were the best part. I think because there were so many of them. You’d find one and then there’d be more and more. And sometimes we’d even miss one or two, finding them later in the year because the Easter Bunny had hidden them so well. Now with my own children, I continue the tradition of hiding eggs.

My children love it just as much as I did. Peeking out of their room Easter morning, discovering a trail of eggs from their bedroom and down the stairs. Sometimes they discover the Easter Bunny has even left one or two in their room! And they get so excited to learn that he was so close.

Of course over the years I have gotten creative with the hunt. Sometimes hiding eggs outside or making a scavenger hunt out of it with clues inside and a larger prize at the end. In my creativity I got curious, as I do, about the hunt for eggs even began, and what other people were doing with this fun fabulous event.

I discovered this traditional Easter activity has been done for many centuries. Part of a salute to spring it is done in a variety of ways.

The Easter Egg Hunt is a tradition that many children participate in all over the world every Easter. It is a simple activity of finding colored eggs and putting them in an Easter basket. No matter how the hunt is conducted children get excited about this yearly activity.

History of the Easter Egg Hunt

Easter originated as part of the pagan spring celebrations with both the egg and the rabbit as symbols of rebirth and fertility. The egg specifically was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in the spring. These celebrations of spring and rebirth were adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In my search I learned that there is no known date as to when the Easter Egg Hunt originated, but that the Easter Egg itself has been around for many centuries. In Medieval Europe eggs were forbidden during the Lenten season and therefore were a prized gift when received on Easter Sunday. Eggs were often given wrapped in gold leaves or boiled with leaves or petals of certain flowers to create brightly colored eggs. This tradition eventually evolved into what is known as Egg Rolls and the Easter Egg Hunt.

Variations on How to Set Up an Easter Egg Hunt

There are many different ways to set up an Easter Egg Hunt. Depending on the ages of the participants and what is used in the hunt. All variations may be set up inside or outside.

You will need:

Eggs – colored hollow plastic eggs, chocolate eggs, hard-boiled colored eggs, paper eggs on colored paper (you could color your own eggs with the kids earlier in the week and hide those)

Baskets or fun container for collecting eggs (you could do an Easter craft making your own decorative container or basket)

For each child that is hunting have them choose one color of egg (green, yellow, pink, etc.) Whatever color they choose is the only color egg that they are to retrieve. Hide the eggs inside or out, clearly outline the boundaries and let them hunt! This is great when kids of a variety of ages are hunting because it makes it fair. Older children will not take all the eggs because they are hunting only for their color and it gives the younger children an opportunity to hunt and enjoy themselves.
Set up like a treasure hunt; hide paper eggs with clues on them. For young children, one can simply write the name of the place they need to go to next, like “living room” or “kitchen”. For older children one can develop clues or riddles that they have to solve in order to figure out where to go next. Make as many clues as desired. The last clue will lead the child to his Easter treat.
When doing a hunt for a large group, hide only the colored plastic eggs. Children may use an Easter basket to collect their eggs and may collect as many as they can find. When they are done hunting children then return to the start and trade in all their colored eggs for an Easter treat.

I’m also a firm believer that adults can participate too! All adults need to play and I have watched countless adults enjoy games and treasure hunts. In fact last year I set up a hunt for my friend and he loved it. His eyes lit up and he was so excited as I watched him zoom around finding clues. And of course that is one of the reasons I love that I get to share Easter with my family this weekend. Both my parents and sisters love to play and love to celebrate the holidays, so tomorrow morning there will be a hunt for all of us. And I am sooo excited!!!

The Healing Waters of Rotorua’s GeoThermal Hot Pools

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Carmen

Imagine yourself sitting in the natural waters of a geothermal hot pool, surrounded by lush green majestic trees and a waterfall cascading beside you. Soaking up warmth into your body, healing, relaxing, purifying.

Geothermal hot pools like this abound in New Zealand‘s Volcanic Zone in and around the town of Rotorua. Just a 3 hour drive from Auckland, this elegant, beautiful ‘hot spot’ is tucked in the lush area of the North Island’s east coast, known as the lake district (also including area down to Taupo).

The town itself literally sits in the crater of an active volcano, creating the abundance of geothermal activity in the area. Sights such as geysers, mud pools and hot pools abound. Where the earth bubbles, boils, spits and oozes offering a plethora of unique sights to behold.

You can explore the town and surrounding area, finding many public hot pools to enjoy, some regulated by private parties and charging admission (Blue Baths, Polynesian Spa, Hell’s Gate and Waikite Vallley Thermal Pools), while other spots have been left natural and available to the public free of charge (such as Kuirau Park, Kerosene Creek and Waiotapu Stream).

When we were there, we ventured to Kerosene Creek, as we thought it would be a neat experience to be in a natural environment. We were not opposed to paying to enjoy the waters somewhere else, but thought that experiencing the pool in a natural environment would be a lovely experience. Plus our hostess at the Tuck Inn, where we were staying, a beautiful farm tucked in the lush New Zealand landscape, recommended we go there.

I was a little nervous at first, it was a little off the beaten track and there weren’t a lot of people around. When we arrived at the parking lot, we decided to just get out and take a walk first, check things out, and if it didn’t meet our expectations then we would head back to the Waikite Hot Pools, which weren’t that far down the road.

It was a beautiful spot, lush native bush with the creek running through. You could walk along the path beside the creek, discovering various pools along the way where you could pop in for a soak. We did meet a few other people who were enjoying the waters and I started to relax a little. The best spot was a large pool at the base of a waterfall. Easy to get down to and large enough for quite a number of people.

The kids all wanted to get in, I was still unsure. Was it safe, what if someone came by and grabbed our stuff? Plus it was a little nippy outside, I was not looking forward to stripping down even though it would be warm in the end.

Finally, I decided we might as well. So we grabbed our suits and got everyone changed. Matthew was in first and floating around, then D’Wayne ready to receive the twins once I got them ready. It wasn’t too deep, the twins could easily stand up safely in some areas of the pool. I quickly changed myself and got in with everyone else.

Oh my! It was absolutely lovely. I felt all my troubles and stress melt away almost immediately. The sand beneath my feet was warm and felt good between my toes. You had to be careful though, if you dug your feet in under the sand it could get quite hot, almost burning.

We splashed and played in the pool for 45 minutes, almost having the entire place to ourselves. A few others drifted by, and a few got in towards the end of our time. It was heavenly and so relaxing! We could have stayed longer but we wanted to also check out the mud pool and were getting hungry as well. Everyone felt relaxed yet revitalized and ready for the next adventure.

We hopped out and changed quickly, now that was a little nippy! But felt great! We snapped a few more pictures on our way back to the car, and then ventured off to the Mud Pool.

The Mud Pool was super cool. And was actually only a short 5 minute drive down the road near the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland (also the home to the Lady Knox Geyser and a plethora of trails and other thermal sites to see). The Thermal Wonderland does have an admission fee, but the Mud Pool is just outside of this area.

It was amazing. Mud literally spurting, spitting and bubbling. The smell is also fantastic! That lovely rotten egg smell of hydrogen sulfide, which is well known throughout Rotorua (though I did find that depending on the area depended on how strong the smell was, some hardly noticable or not so bad, the mud pool was definitely the worst!)

There is a little boardwalk to view the mud pool from, as well as a short trail to take you up above to look down upon the pool below. It was just fascinating.

The mud and hot pools are enough to keep you busy for a number of days. Just enjoying the natural wonders of this area. But Rotorua and the surrounding valley is also rich in Maori culture (the indigenous people of New Zealand) and history, dating back hundreds of years. As a result there are lots of things to experience and see around this, such as The Living Thermal Village, the Buried Village TeWairoa and Te Puia.

Rotorua is so rich in these experiences, we wanted to do them all, but since we were only there for a short time we had to pick and choose a little. Te Puia called to us the most (and turns out has the most fantastic geyser), and was an absolutely fabulous experience! And one that I will share with you in my next post.

The Many Forms of Love

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Carmen

I am getting a little sentimental here today. I’ve been pondering all week about my posts, planning what to write, continuing adventures in Australia and New Zealand, a good recipe of course, and then something happened earlier this week that sent a bit of a shock through my system. I had a scare with a loved one, well and that put things into a different perspective. So I’ve been thinking, contemplating and feeling that really we need to love each other more…

There are many kinds of love in this world. Love for a sister or brother, parents, friends, love for your spouse or partner. Romantic love, passionate love, lasting love. Even love for a stranger can exist. Love comes in all different shapes and sizes. It is the essence of who we are and why we exist. Without love there is nothing.

We all express our love in different ways and hope to share it with others. A warm hug can mean so much, or a simple smile. A hand extended in friendship, an ear to listen to our woes, or a loved one performing an act of service, are all demonstrations of this wonderful feeling, this tie that binds us all together.

Yet so often we forget to show our love to others, to express it and let them know that they are cared for. Twice in the past 4 months I have come close to losing someone that I love in my life. Two shocking traumatic, scary experiences that reminded me instantly of how I did not want this person gone from my life. That they were important to me and meant a lot. Thankfully all turned out well and I have had the chance to tell them how much I care for them and appreciate them, which honestly I was doing before, but was I doing it enough?

Often we get so busy with life and activities and other things that are just happening that we just don’t connect with those that are important to us (or not as often). We get stressed and tired and distance ourselves from them because we may be just trying to get through the day, or complete the 20th thing on our list. Our heads are down and we forget to look into the eyes of a loved one and take a minute to smile or hold them close.

I know reminders like these pop up all the time, “Tell the people you love you care about them often, Don’t go to bed mad, etc.” And we all go yes of course I do that. But how often really do we remember? Do we really do it on a regular basis?

I am totally guilty of it to. I know better, and I know my life would be better, my relationships, if I just told people that I loved them and I liked having them around. I also know as human beings it’s hard, we get so stuck in our ‘stuff’ that we just let things like that slide. Hoping that those we love will still be there when we pull our heads up.

Love is a wonderful thing, but it needs to be nurtured, it needs to be tendered and cared for, appreciated and held close to your heart. It cannot be just left to fend for itself, it’ll grow cold, stagnant, or even fade away.

Self love, relationships, friendships, even love for nature and the planet, all need to be nurtured and appreciated. So here’s my challenge to you, look at one place where there is love in your life and decide on one thing you will do to nurture it each day. This could be for you (like I said self love), or for a person (doing something nice for them telling them how much you like something they do), or even nature (deciding to pick up a piece of litter). It does not have to be huge. Make it easy, something you’ll enjoy doing. Then once you’ve done that for awhile, expand to doing other things (cause love expands) and more often. Again only do what is easy, so you might only add one thing at a time.

You could also find a buddy to help you in this challenge (someone you love 🙂 I know often if I am struggling with something or starting something new, when I have the support of someone else doing it with me, it helps, it motivates me, and is always nice to discuss it with someone. (It’ll even strengthen your relationship with them)

So decide what you’d like to do and get started today! Come back and post a comment on what you’ve done and how it has made your life happier and more full of love! Here are some quick ideas to get you started:

Write your spouse a note and put it in their coffee cup to find in the morning

Send a friend a text telling them about a quality you appreciate in them

Pick up litter in your neighborhood

Look at yourself in the mirror and smile (don’t analyze it just smile and appreciate the smile!)

Hold the door for another person

Say ‘Good morning/ afternoon’ to a stranger

Give your kids an extra hug

Tell someone you love them

I’ll start… Thank you to all my wonderful loyal readers out there. I appreciate you very much and hope that you all have an awesome day!

For the Love of Board Games

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Carmen

I absolutely love board games! Growing up we played them all the time and had all kinds of them. From the traditional Monopoly to the unique and complicated Shadowlord, we would play board games for hours. My parents played with us to, especially my Mom, who still loves playing to this day.

Each year for Christmas we would get a new game. It was the family gift from Mom and we would wait in anticipation for what would come from under the tree. The challenge was of course as we got older, finding a game that we didn’t already have! But somehow Mom would find one and most of them were pretty good (cause some of them were not, though honestly I could not tell you the names).

I have endeavored to continue the tradition with my kids, each year seeking out what’s new and hot, or faulting to some of the classics (cause yes all the games are still at my Mom’s house, so we have to buy our own. Which is totally ok cause then we have lots to play when we visit her). I have noticed over the years some of our favorites when growing up, are no longer available or have changed; like Survive (no longer available and not to be confused with Survivor), Pay Day (we really like the old version best) and Careers (also no longer available, but we loved!)

As a result my kids also enjoy board games, for which I am grateful, cause they will play with me! I also know that board games offer lots of learning in a fun way, like introducing colors and counting in Candy Land Board or strategies in games Settlers of Catan
as well as the basic concept of winning and losing and good sportsmanship.

I was very excited this year to find out what was new and hot in board games this year and discovered some great games. Some we already have but some we do not. Now the question is which one to buy for under the tree?

Hottest Games this Christmas

Settlers of Catan – hot and the current favorite in our house, Settlers is a strategy game, where players are trading and building in the mythical world of Catan. Dice is rolled to earn resources in which to build settlements, cities and roads and earn victory points. With the game board changing each time you play (and expansion sets to grow your game) you will never tire of this game.

Ticket To Ride – October 2, 1900 – it’s 28 years to the day that noted London eccentric, Phileas Fogg accepted and then won a bet that he could travel “Around the World in 80 Days.” Now, at the dawn of the century, some old friends have gathered to celebrate Fogg’s impetuous and lucrative gamble – and to propose a new wager of their own. The stakes: $1 million in a winner-takes-all competition. The objective: to see the most cities in North America – in just 7 days. Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure game. Players collect train cards that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities, and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway.

7 Wonders – 7 Wonders is a game that lasts 3 ages. In each age players receive cards from a particular deck. Cards are played simultaneously in each age to pay or collect resources as needed. Each card has different strengths and advantages making it important to pay attention to your neighbor. This strategic card playing game will engage ages young and old alike.

Classics

Jenga – I still remember the commercial for this game when growing up. “Take a block from the bottom and put it on top, take a block from the middle and put it on top. Jenga, Jenga, j-j-j jenga”. This classic block stacking game, challenges each player to build and then take turns removing blocks without the stack crashing.

Twister – A great fun family game, this is the game that ties you up in knots. Using the spinner each player has to place a hand or foot on the appropriate color. It gets challenging when the color start to run out or are a little too far away!

Clue – Figure out who killed Mr. Body by going from room to room in the mansion and making guesses. All the classic characters, all the classic weapons.

Pictionary – Get your partner to guess what you’re drawing before the timer runs out. Play against other teams and score points for correct guesses.

Chess – Trap your opponents King using your knights and pawns. An excellent game of strategy.

Checkers – Through moving and jumping the goal is to claim all of your opponents pieces.

Games for Toddlers

Hungry Hungry Hippos – I have always loved this game. It makes a lot of noise but is so much fun! Hippo mouths chomping to eat the most marbles, whoever eats the most wins.

Trouble – a younger version of Sorry, Trouble is a fun way to introduce children to moving their pieces around the board. As they race towards the finish, they also have to be careful to not get bumped back to the beginning. The best part of this game is the popper in the middle, so much fun to pop!

Let’s Go Fishin’ – The first time I played this game was actually with my niece a couple of years ago. It’s hilarious! (and also not that easy) watching these fish mouths open and close as you use your fishing rod to hook them and take them out. I laughed my head off it was so much fun. Is great for enhancing hand eye coordination and just a giggle to watch those gaping fish move all around.

Candyland

Candy Land – Choose your sweet character and dance your way along the rainbow path to Peppermint Forest, the Lagoon of Lord Licorice and Princess Frostine’s Ice Palace! Let your imagination soar as you make your way to King Kandy’s Castle to win.

Connect 4 – Drop your round discs into the slots to create a line of 4, while trying to stop your opponent from doing the same. Sounds easy, but you can only drop one at a time!

All Round Favorites at our House

The Game of Life – Move around the board and try your hand at ‘life’. Choose college and student loans, marriage, kids, a new car. Goal is to build your wealth and see what kind of life you can create.

Sorry – A great game of slide and collide, as you move your men around the board trying to get home before the other players. Drawing cards to move your men, you try to bump others back to the beginning before they bump you!

Scattergories – A fun game using letters. Pick a theme card and roll the dice. From the list each player must come up with something that fits that item starting with the letter rolled. Sound easy? Well there is a time limit of course

Cranium – Cranium is a great game with 4 elements to it, allowing everyone to shine. Acting, drawing, data or words complete tasks in these categories to win points and advance around the board.

Blokus

Blokus – This is a great strategy game we discovered a few years ago. The goal is to place as many of your pieces on the board while preventing the other colors from doing the same. The challenge is the pieces are in different number of tiles and shapes

Battleship – This classic game of who sunk my Battleship takes me back to days of asking for E4 with my sister. A two person game, each person places their battleships and then takes turns guessing on the grid to try and find and sink the opponents. They also have electronic Battleship, which is super fun, with all the explosion sounds and such.

Yahtzee – A great family dice game, rack up points by getting groups of numbers, straights and maybe even a Yahtzee. This game of luck and strategy makes it both challenging and exciting.

Taboo – Try and get your partner to guess the word on your card without using that word or any of the five other words on the card.

Survive, Careers, Trust Me (all no longer available :(, but have to mention – Ok Survive is the best! You build an island that is sinking and have to save all your men and get them to the safe islands on the outer rim, before the volcano explodes. Careers classic, create your formula of happiness, fame and fortune then go around the board on different career paths to achieve your dreams! (We love this game so much my Mother recreated the board so that we could play it at my house) Trust Me is a great game of buying, bluffing and making deals all for the most cash! (it is really too bad you can’t get these games anymore, I’ll never give mine up!)

Do you enjoy board games at your house? What are your favorites?

Christmas around Calgary

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Carmen

One of the many things that I love about Christmas are all the fun family activities that are on to attend during this season. From crafts to critters, there is something each weekend to choose from and you’ll never run out of fun things to do!

Many of them are free, while some charge a small admission fee to get in. I love that many of them are also outside, which I think is a great way to get the kids outside and help the entire family enjoy winter! (cause let’s be honest sometimes winter is not so enjoyable). These events provide different ways for you to enjoy the holiday season, celebrating and demonstrating that there is more to Christmas than just gift giving – which I feel is important to teach the kids too.

5 Fun Christmas Events in Calgary

Every year we attend at least one but usually hit 2 or 3. Our top five holiday events in Calgary are:

Zoolights

Zoolights

Held at the Calgary Zoo, view 1.5 million Christmas lights displayed in all shapes and forms, from animals to flowers. From late November to early January from 6 – 9 pm, children will be awed with the array of lights throughout the zoo. There are other activities for the kids as well such as snowman bowling, hay jumping (our favorite), as well as fire pits throughout to stop and warm up for a while. Hot chocolate is available for purchase, or bring a thermos of your own. There is an entrance fee for this event but it’s well worth it.

CP Christmas Train

This beautifully lighted Christmas Train rolls across Canada making stops along the way to the North Pole. It is a child’s dream come true as you watch the train pull into the station. There are crafts for the kids as well as an outdoor concert. We went for the first time a few years ago (yes it was minus 30 and yes I think we are crazy) and my kids absolutely loved it! In fact it is the only thing that they are asking specifically to go to again this year (I guess the weather did not deter them). It is a free event and a very magical experience – check the website for your local schedule (attendees are encouraged to bring a non perishable food donation).

Once Upon a Christmas

Enjoy an old fashioned Christmas at Heritage Park where you can enjoy a wagon ride, snow painting and a visit with Santa Claus. Shop the Heirloom Christmas Shoppe with unique finds at old fashioned prices! Children’s mazes, crafts and even a kids only store (that’s right no adults allowed) so your little ones can shop for you for Christmas. Our favorite here is the Christmas Train display, where you walk into a magical wonderland of model trains, zooming through Christmas villages and displays. Oh it is a sight to behold! My kids can spend hours in there watching the trains go round and round. Runs the 4 weekends before Christmas; there is paid admission to the park but you can find coupons at Safeway or First Calgary for discount on admission, which make it quite reasonable.

Christmas at the Hive

Making beeswax candles

This event takes you out of Calgary into the outlying areas of Okotoks. Hosted by the Chinook Honey Company this free family event includes making your own beeswax candles, honey toffee, visits with the donkey, a scavenger hunt and mead tasting. My kids love making candles in the snow and of course tasting all the honey! There is also a viewing area inside where kids can see the inner workings of an actual hive and try to find the queen bee. Just a short drive out of Calgary, this is a wonderful event that runs on Saturdays in early December starting at 10 am in a beautiful rural setting.

Lion’s Festival of Lights

Largest free drive by Christmas lights display, this 115,000 LED light display lights up Confederation Park. Set up completely by volunteers this light display will wow and awe everyone young and old. It can be seen along 14 St. NW, just south of 24 Ave.

These are just a few of our favorite Christmas event in Calgary (and around). There are many others that we have not been to before that I would like to check out, like Christmas in Kensington, Christmas Skate at the Olympic Oval (Calgary Olympic Park), Christmas in Canmore; all a variety of crafts, music and activities and each a little bit different (Canmore is showing outdoor movies – super fun!). And new this year The Polar Express Train Ride! Can we say I am super excited about this one?

There are also a number of community skates and events. Sadly, we do not have a Santa Claus Parade, which I really think should be reinstituted. Yes we used to have one, and I’ve been, way back before I had kids, my husband and I went. But apparently there has not been one in Calgary since 2007. Cochrane, Banff, Airdrie, and High River all have one, I think it’s time for Calgary to have one.

But even without a Santa Claus parade, there are tons of activities to choose from. From outdoor events to theater – I love it! Because each weekend in December it is not what will we do this weekend? It is which event should we go to this weekend (thankfully some of these events are on during the week as well).

Don’t get me wrong, we don’t run ourselves ragged getting to all the Christmas events. I am not a big believer in getting it all in until we are exhausted and never want to see anything Christmas again. But it is nice to have the choice and variety to go out and enjoy our beautiful city, the season and our wonderful winter weather, creating more wonderful memories for years to come (even when it is -30C, cause yes we did that one year and that is the one that my children remember).

What are some favorite holiday/ Christmas events that you attend?

The Hunger Games Meets Harry Potter (and other great books for boys age 9-12)

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Carmen

I love books. As a kid I was an avid reader and still am as an adult (though I don’t have as much time to read as I would like!) My son, now 11, since a very young age, like 3 or 4, is also an avid reader and gobbles up books quickly. Often taking 20 or 30 books out of the library and bringing them home, all to be read within a couple of days.

I know it is not common for boys to be avid book readers, and for that I feel blessed, as I think reading is such an important part of life, whether we are reading for work or pleasure it is something to be enjoyed, not a chore to be endured. It’s a place to expand your imagination and learn about new places, people and things fictional or not.

As a result I also hope to instill a love reading with the twins. I read to them each night before bed, and sometimes stories during the day when we can steal an extra moment to sit down together and enjoy. Matthew, my oldest has read 100’s of books, many of his favorite books over and over. From Fantastic Mr. Fox (love Roald Dahl) to Percy Jackson and Goosebumps, when he has down time, there’s a book in his hand, regardless of how many times he may have read it before.

Knowing he needed a few new books to expand his reading (and the need to round out a very expensive and heavily electronic Christmas list) we treked off to Chapters one night to see what was new and up and coming for boys his age.

I was surprised to find that many of the books for boys have similar themes, adventure stories, with a young hero who has to fight some battle and yes – kill someone to win. Gone are the days when Judy Blume was risque and The Hardy Boys were the norm. I was a little torn at suggesting titles for Matthew as I really didn’t feel like he needed any more battle and killing stories (I think balance and variety are important). But I’ve also noticed that many of these books are also falling along the lines of entering different realms or worlds, psychic or intuitive abilities, and a female hero right along side the young male one. I guess you take some good with the bad.

We did discover some great titles that night that Matthew expressed interest in. The Seven Wonders (by Peter Lerangis one of the authors of the popular series The 39 Clues) – a young boy with a genetic trait that makes him too strong too fast and must save the world, The Unwanteds – described as The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter, Five Kingdoms and the The Accidental Hero to name a few. All are series which Matthew could get into (heck I could get into, I’ve always enjoyed young adult books and have made it a habit to read what Matthew’s reading. I think it’s important to know what he is reading and also a great connection point to chat about the stories and share views) and have a lots of books to read for awhile.

I also recently discovered a blog post by Jackie at Happy Hooligans sharing her top 40 list for boys 8-16, which I felt was perfect timing. Though I do not agree with all her picks (some we have read already, some are not that great in my opinion) there are a lot of good ones and provided more options to perhaps expand Matthew’s reading reperatoire – you know show him that there is more than just battles, blood and killing in books.

I also know that books are personal and a book that I love may not be one that someone else does. I remember one time my best friend highly recommended this book to me, which I attempted to read 3 times, but just couldn’t get into it, so I gave up. We had similar interests but not in this case. And there are so many good books out there that I am totally ok with not finishing a book just because someone said it was good. (The same thing happened to me with The Poisonwood Bible and the Lord Of The Rings, just couldn’t get through them).

Not necessarily new this year, but other titles that I love (Matthew enjoys) and think are great for this age group are books by Eric Wilson, a Canadian author. He writes mystery books set in different parts of Canada, such as The Green Gables Detectives; featuring a brother and sister team who are always in the ‘right’ place and end up solving the crime. It’s a great and interesting way for youth to learn about Canada and some of its beautiful landmarks and places.

Always popular for 9-12 year olds is also Artemis Fowl, 12 year old billionaire genius who gets caught up in the Fairy World and The Ranger’s Apprentice – which we all enjoyed, Mum, Dad and Matthew, about a young boy who becomes an apprentice ranger, guardian and defender of the kingdom.

I always say you can never go wrong with a book and it’s just a matter of finding a theme that interests you to instill your love of reading. There are tons of books out there with a variety of themes to choose from. Check out some of these titles and some of the one’s on the Happy Hooligans list as well. I’m sure you’ll find something that’ll fit your young reader and perhaps make a great stocking stuffer.

What are some book titles that you’ve discovered that are great for boys of this age?

The View from Above

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Carmen

Gazing up 328 metres, we watch as the newest Sky Jumper prepares to hurl themselves towards the ground below. Hearing their screams of terror and delight as they jump off the edge of the sky tower, flying at a rate of 85 km per hour!

This is how we begin our excursion to Auckland’s Sky Tower, the tallest man made structure in New Zealand and sitting in the heart of Auckland‘s downtown. We watched in awe and wonder as each new jumper went, with a mixture of excitement and fear as we each contemplated whether we would do such a feat ourselves.

Of course this is one of the optional adventures at Auckland’s Sky Tower, as a visit to the tower itself and riding the elevator up to the top can be just as exciting and provide breath taking views up to 80 km in any direction.

I usually skip these tourist towers in most cities I visit, as it seems to me that one is just the same as the other. And being in a few before I would have considered giving it a miss. I have also found that a lot of the original views are blocked due to newer taller buildings that have been built so you can’t really see anything and what you can see is not always easy identify what you are looking at.

I found the one in Auckland to be quite different in many respects. We decided to go on the recommendation of my friend Regan, who we were visiting in Auckland. He talked it up quite a bit and said the views were fantastic, that we would see a lot of the city. He also thought it would be great for the kids.

Going up the elevator

And he was right, as we entered the building (after experiencing the adrenaline rush by proxy with the jumpers outside), we were all excited. We purchased our tickets, which were quite reasonable, as they have a family rate for $61 and children under 6 are free!, and entered the elevator to take us up to the first level. Our excitement grew as we noticed a glass floor in the elevator and could watch the ground fall away as we went up. I thought this was really cool, and a great way to give you perspective on how far up you are going.

There are 3 levels at the top, the main observation deck (at 186 metres), the lounge and cafe (at 182 metres) and the sky deck (at 220 metres). Starting on the main observation deck, there are 2 levels there. As the observation deck goes in a complete circle, 360 degree views, you can choose to walk the inside perimeter on the carpet or you can step down to the path along the viewing windows, and walk along glass floors.

I always find the glass floors to be a neat experience and what it does to your head. It is weird for your body to be be looking down at the ground from that high up and thinking you should be falling, when your body isn’t. It was neat to watch how each of the kids approached it, Matthew walking across with no hesitation, Luke cautiously walking around the edge of the glass on the metal perimeter and Chloe jumping right on it.

And the views were fantastic! We were able to pick out landmarks such as Rangitoto Island, Auckland Domain, St. Mary’s Church and Auckland War Memorial Museum, to name a few. Auckland is a beautiful city and quite unique as it is basically built upon a number of volcanic cones. (I thought Regan said 13, but when I looked it up it is actually 48! Wow). Having Regan there was an added bonus, as a local, he could point out points of interest as well as answer any questions that we had, whether it be what is that to why is it there. Plus the kids loved him, as he pulled them along on the bean bag chairs around the observation deck.

Of course we did some classic photos of being pushed against the glass or pretending that we were being pushed or falling. With the big glass windows all around the deck these were fun and easy to do. You could also make yourself a souvenir penny in the machine on the deck, with an imprint of a New Zealand icon of your choice, whether it be the Sky Tower itself or the infamous Kiwi bird to name a few.

After thoroughly exploring the main level we hopped onto the elevator to take us up just a little higher to the Sky Deck. This is the highest public observation deck with views through virtually seamless glass. Not only did we have amazing views we could look down below and watch the Sky Jumpers from above taking their jump. We even had the opportunity to watch a couple braving the Sky Walk, where they walk around the 1.2 metre perimeter of the tower (full body harness and safety lines of course).

Sky Walk

Feeling satisfied, we descended to the ground below, again watching our descent through the glass floor in the elevator. (Have I told you how cool I think that is?) And of course no tourist attraction is complete without at least a look through the gift shop, which they always have conveniently set up so that you have to go through it to get out. Isn’t that nice of them? 🙂

We also took a look at our souvenir photo which they shot before we went up the Sky Tower, though we decided not to take the photo, we did make a few other souvenir purchases. We were pleased with our choice to visit here and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Auckland. As we were really there only one day, it gave us a good idea of what was in Auckland and some of the sites that I had hoped to see but couldn’t because of time. I felt satisfied being at least able to see it from a distance.

Rangitoto Island

We spent a better part of the morning there and had a really good time. It is one of the sites from our trip that Luke and Chloe ask again and again if we can go back to see. We even had the pleasure later that day seeing the tower lit up with its colorful lights, as we walked back to our hotel. The lights were beautiful and felt like a very nice way to end our day in Auckland.

Under the Sea

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Carmen

What do a giant shark, a spinning tunnel and an expedition to Antarctica have in common?

They are all found at Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand, a fabulous underwater world created by New Zealand’s most celebrated under-sea explorer.

During our 3 week travels to Australia, we incorporated a week in New Zealand to get a little taste of the green pastures full of sheep, vineyards and many other sights of the country. We only spent one day in Auckland so had to pick and choose what we saw (as there is so much to do just in Auckland), but Kelly Tarlton’s was not a sight to be missed!

This harbourside marine park is a great place for the kids and the entire family. With experiences such as Shark Dives, Penguin Discoveries and Behind the Scenes tours, to Interactive Zones and the Seahorse Kingdom there is something for everyone.

Scott’s Hut

Located just outside of Auckland’s downtown on Tamaki Drive (and easily accessible by city transit or a free shuttle from downtown), you’re adventure begins as soon as you purchase your ticket. Entering Scott’s Base, you’re taken back to the first expedition to Antarctica and the conditions they had surviving there. Learning about life on the coldest place on earth!

Authentic memorabilia such as reindeer sleeping bags, food they took and items for entertainment, takes you back 100 years ago when Captain Robert Falcon Scott lived in his Antarctic Hut exploring the area.

Soon after is the Antarctic Ice Adventure, where you have the opportunity to see New Zealand‘s only colony of Antarctic penguins. After navigating the ‘ice tunnel’, (a spinning tunnel that makes you feel like you can’t walk in a straight line, and is hilarious for the kids. The floor is not moving but because the tunnel is spinning around you it feels like it is. My daughter found herself crawling along the floor to make it to the end). You enter a walkthrough area where you can view the King and Gentoo penguins swooping and swirling through the icy waters.

These guys are a delight to watch and all 3 of my kids loved watching them swimming and diving. I got some great video of them watching them, until Chloe hit Matthew or something like that, and then we caught a nice little tiff on video, aw the memories. Ha ha, what a great family vacation!

We had the priveldge that day of seeing the new King Penguin chick, tall, fluffy and stoic, standing on top of the ice. He was pretty cool to see.

We moved on to the other areas of the aquarium, enjoying Stingray Bay, where we timed it just right and listened to the Stingray talk, while sitting and enjoying a much needed coffee while listening. Did I mention that there is a nice cafe across from the Stingrays for just such emergencies?

It was pretty cool as we got to see the Stingrays up close and learned a lot about them, like how they spend most of their time inactive buried in sand, and prefer shallow waters, with the largest growing to 6.5 long. They really are fascinating gentle creatures, and it took me back to my swimming with the Manta Rays when I was in Hawaii.

The highlight for sure was the shark tunnel, where you are literally surrounded by sharks in an underwater tunnel. Stepping onto a moving pedway, it takes you around the ‘loop’ to view the sharks and other fish in the aquarium; able to step off on the side if you wish to pause and look a little longer.

It was such a unique experience to be surrounded by these sharks and marine life. We even got to see some other people on the shark cage experience – where you get to go into a cage and swim with the sharks in the tunnel. Pretty cool experience I think.

This place is very well thought out and laid out, with lots of opportunities to view and explore. Brimming with information, hands on opportunities and fun interactive experiences (have I mentioned the giant shark mouth that you can be ‘swallowed up’ in?) it will easily engage everyone.

The aquarium also gives back to the community as they provide school programs, scholarships, and established the Sea Life Conservation Fund, a non profit organization committed to protecting unique aquatic animals and their habitats.

Sadly, Kelly Tarlton himself has already passed away, dying shortly before his one millionth visitor saw the aquarium, but left a legacy and fulfilled a dream. He was dedicated to preserving and protecting marine life in our oceans and educating others. His Sea Life Aquarium continues to do this for all it’s visitors, young and old alike.

One of the final highlights of our visit was the souvenir photo we purchased at the end of our visit. When we first went in they snap your picture and of course offering it to you for purchase at the end. The thing was ours was really good. We got poses of us in the Antarctic with the penguins and another being eaten by a shark! Plus it came in a neat little package with information about the aquatic animals as well as opportunities to download photos online and even create your own slideshow. It was pretty neat!

Definitely worth the visit, and a place I would go back to and visit again, Kelly Tarlton’s is a must see when visiting Auckland!

One Dark Spooky Night

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Carmen

Halloween, the second biggest revenue holiday next to Christmas. Children flock to the streets dressed in costumes looking for treats. Superheros, villians, princesses, scary figures, all interested in a little sweet treat as they knock on your door.

Decorations abound in neighborhoods, community events of all kinds pop up offering various alternatives to the traditional door to door. Halloween is a fabulous holiday and one that adults and children alike can get creative and have a lot of fun. There are all kinds of traditions around this holiday, like the jack-o-lanterns we put on our doorsteps, dressing in costume, and going door to door.

I was curious this year to find out more about Halloween and where it came from. How did this holiday begin, why do we go door to door? If you think about it, it seems like a really odd thing to do, dress up and go ‘begging’ for candy. I wanted to know more.

Halloween, also called All Hallow’s Eve, stems from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, which is a festival in which they celebrated the end of the harvest season and the first day of winter. It was also believed that this transition between seasons was when the veil between worlds was the thinnest and a bridge to the world of the dead. It was when deceased would come back and wreak havoc such as sickness or damaging crops. Masks and costumes were used during the festival to mimic the evil spirits and appease them, so to protect and leave the community alone.

The tradition of going door to door in costume was first found in medevial times when the practice of ‘souling’ was done. On All Hallow’s Eve poor folks would go door to door receiving food in return for prayers for the dead, therefore protecting people and offering peace to the deceased. Fascinating I thought, instead of candy, it began with people asking for actual food.

The Jack-O-Lantern was one of the most interesting. Based on the Irish folktale of Stingy Jack, who had tricked the Devil into not taking his soul, had nowhere to go when he died. As he had led a sinful life he could not go to Heaven and because he made a deal with the Devil who couldn’t take his soul, he had no place to rest and was left in darkness. Unable to see, the Devil threw him an ember from Hell to light his way. Jack placed the ember in a turnip, his favorite vegetable and wandered the Earth looking for a resting place. The Jack-O-Lantern became a symbol to keep spirits and ghosts away on Samhain.

Traditionally, all these Halloween events took place and originated in Ireland, Scotland and England as early as the 10th century, not reaching North America until 19th century, really taking off in the late 20th. In fact, during World War II, Halloween was toned down quite a bit due to sugar rationing during that time.

How the items given out at the door evolved from food items to candy is a mystery, and I have not been able to find out exactly why this changed. I can only hypothosize that it may have been a cheaper alternative as trick or treaters became more abundant or something along those lines.

Today, many of the Halloween traditions still hold true, though there is a strong trend to reduce the amount of candy and sugar surrounding the holiday and with anything, there is controversy on both sides whether we should or shouldn’t do so. Honestly, I believe it is a personal choice as to what you choose to do and why. Regardless, people still dress up in costumes and enjoy going door to door, parties or other events finding their ways to celebrate and enjoy the holiday.

Stingy Jack

Here are some more fun facts I discovered in my research on Halloween:

The colors orange and black are associated with Halloween because orange is associated with the Fall Harvest and black with darkness
The fear of Halloween is known as Samhainophobia
If you see a spider on Halloween it represents the spirit of a loved one that passed away is watching over you
It is believed that if you have a Halloween birthday you have a gift of communicating with those that have passed over
Cats, spiders and bats are not random symbols, they are associated with witchcraft
The pumpkin took over from the turnip for the Jack-O-Lantern when they Irish arrived in America and discovered the orange vegetable in abundance

If you have any fun or interesting facts about the history of Halloween please share them in the comments below!