We decided to check out the National Home Show and Canada Blooms exhibit on the last day of this year’s run. We drove to the Direct Energy Centre downtown after a late and heavy breakfast. The carpark was already almost full when we arrived--considering the exhibit’s doors had opened only thirty minutes earlier! And, were it not for the subways being serviced that weekend, we would have saved ourselves $15 for parking! We wouldn’t have gotten there as fast, but still! Oh well, that’s downtown for you.
The Home show part of the exhibit was very interesting. The various design possibilities for the home that vendors offer these days are just amazing! Having studied Interior Design, I was excited to see the current trends in furniture and fixtures. I would love to get one of those retracting screen doors or ethanol-burning fireplaces!
The kids, who were able to get in for free, were not bored at all. There were hundreds of vendors and the kids were as excited to see the many things for the home as we were. Of course, by the time we got to the last row of the Home show, it was already lunch time.
We thought we were going to have to cough up another $8 for pizza until I saw the poster of EDO: 100% genuine Kobe beef sausage. I just had to try that! I know, I know, it was a waste of Kobe beef, but it was either that or Pizza Pizza. So, for $7, I got to try the best hotdog I’ve ever had! Sure, I love chili dog and the best-value-ever hotdogs at Costco, but this was tops! I put Wasabee ™ mayo and crunchy onions on top of my hotdog instead of the usual ketchup. The hotdog was juicy and the meat very flavourful. It was perfectly complemented by the Wasabee ™ mayo which was the right blend of spicy and creamy. The fried onions gave it a nice crunch. Initially, Hubby and I shared one hotdog along with the sushi for the girls. But I loved the hotdog so much that we had to get another one (which we shared as well, okay? I did NOT eat one and a half. Although, maybe I could have if I did not have the sushi…). Thirty minutes later, the fulfilled family went over to the Canada Blooms part of the exhibit.
The Canada Blooms exhibit was wonderfully relaxing. With so many beautiful and exotic flowers in the exhibit hall, it was like being in an indoor botanical garden. Benches were strategically placed around the hall, allowing visitors to just sit and admire the view. All the different colours, shapes, and sizes from so much floral variety were truly a sight. The areas which had water features were very calming. I would have wanted one of the fountains in my backyard (that is, if I had one). There were various floral arrangements and of course, all things one might need for gardening. There was also a play area for children where the girls enjoyed going down slides and banging (yes, banging) on a giant wooden xylophone. There were also craft activities for the kids, which we decided to skip. By this time, we had already been walking about 4 hours (minus the 30 or so minutes for lunch) and we were ready to go home. It was a nice, sunny day and mint-chocolate ice cream on a waffle cone was beckoning us from home. It was a great way to spend our day. 
