Did you know: there's over 100 waterfalls in Hamilton and the surrounding area. Niagara Falls might be the biggest in Southern Ontario, but Hamilton takes the crown for "City of Waterfalls." Many of these waterfalls are quite beautiful and are part of the trails and green belt parks! That means many of the nicest waterfalls in the region are accessible and perfect for families with little hikers. As a resident of the area, I love taking my family for nature hikes on weekends. Since we usually …
Christmas Eve is the Mixed Tape of Holidays in Our Family
Candlelight flickered and cast a warm glow inside the old, log house. Dinner was finished hours ago and the remnants were packed away for another day. The children were scrubbed clean, cozy in their pyjamas, and eagerly awaiting the arrival of St. Nick. A candle burnt low, sputtered, and went out. “Maman, you have to find another candle.” The mother, prepared for this eventuality, placed a fresh candle into the delicate, silver holder, to join the flickering lights of the other …
Ross Petty’s Sleeping Beauty is Outrageous Fun and Makes No Apologies for It
This year was our third year attending a Ross Petty Productions performance, and while we’re relatively new to the yearly holiday tradition, it’s already become one everyone in the family looks forward to. Many families have been in on the fun since the pantomime’s first production at the Elgin Theatre 21 years ago, but newcomers are just as welcome. They'll enjoy the comedy and music as much as theatre-goers who are familiar with how Ross Petty and his cast and crew work. In typical fashion, …
Why Cuba Should Be on Your Family Travel Bucket List
Seventeen years ago, I travelled to Cienfuegos, Cuba with my scuba diving group and picked up the most memorable souvenir of all - a husband. My future husband-to-be was also travelling with his dive group, and our paths collided, almost literally. Eighteen months after we dove through coral reef off the coast of Cuba, we said I do. The rest, as they say is history. Needless to say, Cuba holds a very special place in my heart. For many years now, we’ve told our daughters stories of our …
How to Make Halloween Less Scary for Little Kids
Halloween can be a bit of a dichotomy, when you have young children. They are old enough to understand the concept of dressing up to be someone or something else, and the understand that when they do this on Halloween and go to other people’s homes, they get free candy. Excitement! What they likely won’t understand is what scary characters and scenes have to do with it. Why the scary, decomposing dead people, Mom? Good question, kid. When your children are very small, trying to explain why we …
