If you can’t beat winter, join it: our snowshoeing adventure

One Saturday after a recent snowfall, we joined some friends for some snowshoeing at Humber. We’ve gone snowshoeing before, but only for a very short walk—much like just trying out the snowshoes. This time, we decided we could manage a short trail since DD#2 had already previously managed several hikes (even in Colombia!). Hubby was sick but since I promised the girls we would go, I decided to brave it out and still take the girls minus my child-care-partner. If you have girls, you would know how a trip to the washroom can be an ordeal. Imagine having to go in snow gear! At the end of that washroom trip, I was already tired and warm enough not to NEED snow gear! Oh well.

the trails--that's how far the rest of the group was from us, the slowpokes

So, we tried on some snowshoes. The girls got some of what they called, “bear paws” (the more modern ones) and I got the traditional “beaver tail” ones. The shoes took quite a while to get used to—we were stepping on each other’s snowshoes! But when we got to the trails, we started to get the hang of it. The snow was quite packed at the time we trekked so we weren’t reaping the full benefits of the snowshoes—not sinking into the snow. But it was still fun!

Chickadee

Along the way, our guide gave us some birdseed and we fed some chickadees! The girls were very thrilled. I, meanwhile, was holding out some birdseed on one hand and a camera on the other and not quite paying attention. A chickadee landed on my hand and it surprised me so much I had to stifle a scream! The other hikers gave me some weird looks, so I sheepishly fiddled with my camera. I guess it really was a bit weird. After all, we were all there trying to get the chickadees to land on our hands and there I was scaring off the birds!

feeding Chickadees

Can you spot the owl?

We saw some other birds and a couple of owls during our hour-long hike. We did not see any deer, though. All in all, it was a good activity, something that made us enjoy snow instead of curse it. Some nice hot chocolate back at the centre was the perfect end to this adventure! The girls even had seconds!

Wonderful treats in Orillia

Heading for the snow belt!

For hubby’s and my mom’s birthdays, we headed off to Orillia to check out local treats. We arrived just in time for lunch on a snowy day. As we weren’t too familiar with the area, we parked quite far from Mariposa. There are several Green P parking areas and some street parking too. The benefit, though, of having to walk a bit is having a chance to check out the other shops along the way. If only it had not been freezing cold!

We had planned to have lunch at a local fish and chips place, but they were closed (being the holidays). So, we decided to have lunch at Mariposa Market instead. And what a great decision it turned out to be.  

Mariposa Market

Hubby’s pulled pork on a pretzel bun and my chili were great! The kids’ San Francisco dog and grandma’s tuna were good as well. They were perfect with the warm apple cider.

Yummy lunch

Dessert was a Beaver Tail, which was soft and sugary with silky cream inside—a great finale to a wonderful meal.

Beaver tail for dessert!

We brought home some turtle cake for Hubby’s birthday (Grandma’s was a week away still), some Skor loaf and Corn bread. They were all delicious!

The corn bread was good. We heated it slightly and had it for breakfast. It was surprisingly filling!

Corn Bread

The base chocolate chiffon for both the turtle cake and Skor loaf were moist, perfect when re-heated just before serving. The icing was a bit on the sweet side, though. But hey, it’s the holidays, we can have a bit more sugar!

Skor Loaf

Turtle cake

Mariposa Market has been in business since 1911. There are actually some very interesting artifacts inside the store—like washing machines and such. Sorry I didn’t get to take some pics. As well, connected to the main bakeshop are a couple of stores selling kitchen stuff and other wares. Apple Annie’s, another café and fudge place, is also connected to the bakeshop from the basement. They sell some very yummy fudge, truffles, and other goodies.

There are a couple of other places we want to check out when we go back to Orillia—including another joint featured at “You Gotta Eat here!” I do have to eat at Mariposa Market again!

More decorating tips for homes with kids

Now, I hope you got something from the tips I posted previously. Here are some more tips to help you along:

Let it Hang. Now if you have houseplants that you do not want to be part of your toddler’s daily vegetable intake, chose some nice hangers and hang your plants. This is if the variety is lush enough to hang. Otherwise, refer to the previous tip and put them on a shelf.

Lighten up. If you want a little more challenge, try changing your light fixtures. Modernize your chandelier. If you haven’t made the switch to CFL (Compact Flourescent Light) bulbs yet, then now’s your chance to do something for the environment and save on your energy bills as well. You can also make the switch from floor or table lamps to pendant lamps or sconces. That will not only put the lights away from the children’s reach, but it will also change the ambience of your room.

Box it. Get decorative boxes or a trunk to put all the toys in. You can make these match your new look or your new paint. Putting toys away after play is not only good training for the kids, but is also a practical way to de-clutter. Not that you haven’t done enough cleaning and putting away things all day, but this is when you will need to find the extra energy at the end of the day. When the kids are asleep and the toys have been put away, you can have your space, even for just a few precious hours.

Conscious effort must be made to put away stuff. Do a check about twice a year for toys and other items that can be donated or recycled. That is the only way you will have some semblance of control over your house.

Soon enough you will be able to bring out the glass, the books, the fine china, and wonder, “Where did the time go?”  But before then, you can have your space somehow without banishing the kids from the room. Just one space, even if the kids have the rest of the house.

Decorate your home...even when you have kids

Now continuing that post I had last month about the home...the holidays got in the way :) And am sure your house just got another roomful of toys and other gadgets...

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While you may not have that HGTV, interior-designed space, it does not need to look like a toy store or a day care either. There can be a happy compromise. Granted that you will have to put away the precious (and sometimes fragile) knick-knacks for now, make this an opportunity to redecorate your home. A little retail-therapy might help keep you sane as well even when you are up to your ears with the clutter.  Here are some tips:

Unify. Think of a theme or a look you want. This will be the basis of your new decor. You need not go out and buy everything at once. On days when you are not at the grocery, toy store, or doctor’s office, you may chance upon that perfect piece—a painting, a basket, a non-breakable vase. Splurge a little. You deserve it. My husband and I found a nice painting only three years after we moved into our home. We did not just want to buy any painting or wall décor. We wanted art that would match the theme we wanted for our living room. It was well worth the wait. The painting not only serves as a nice focal point when we don’t want to look at the make-shift playhouse our daughter made out of pillows and chairs, but it also is an interesting conversation piece when we have guests over. If you can afford an interesting, original piece, then you can rationalize your purchase by claiming that this might inspire a future Picasso in your child.

Color your world. One way to revitalize your home and make your living room or personal space look fresh is to paint. A change of color will do wonders for your mood and might just make you focus less on the clutter. There are a lot of non-toxic, biodegradable paints available now, so a weekend or two of therapeutic labor (with the kids at grandma’s) might just do the trick. Think of this as a fun project for you and your partner. And when you go get your paint at the local hardware store, you can also pick up some color swatches to help you pick out the matching colors for your other decor. The wall color my husband and I liked thankfully came with the house so we did not have to repaint. That color also helped us pick the furnishing that would match our living room. 

Go waist-up. Get wall art and décor and hang them nicely beyond the reach of the kids. By the time they are tall enough to touch them, they should be old enough to not touch them. There are also nice, stylish hanging shelves available on which you can display the figurines and other articles you really do not want to put away. Make sure not to overdo it, or your shelf will be another source of clutter. Select pieces you really cannot bear to store. You may not have your whole living room back, but you can certainly have the upper half!