5 Great Activities When Stuck Inside!

Oh man, you know when it is pouring rain, really cold, or snowy and you are just stuck inside?! I know that feeling, we have had plenty of it over here...mostly rain though so it really isn't very pretty to look at; oh, and please, don't get me started on the wind! It is making it quite impossible to even ride our bikes. I mean look at this...

So, to keep you entertained this winter I will share with you a few of our favorite ways to keep busy as a family when we are stuck inside!

Cabin fever can get all of us. For me it really strikes about halfway through January. So, to keep it away we try not to just lay around all day, we want to interact and bond as a family, so here are five ways we stay active and have fun inside at home!

One of our favorite activities is playing a game. Any game. Board game, card game, Wii game, etc. Anything that gets us together as a family and interacting is where it's at...if you need some suggestions on great games check out this post.

 2. Bat Around Balloons

This can be done the old fashioned way by just tapping it around with a partner using your hands or, if you want to get real fancy and stuff you can make paddles out of wire coat hangers and old tights.

3. Make a catching game

Above you see we recycled two old milk jugs and used something we had as a "ball" (ours was a duck lol) and we would just toss it around catching the "ball".

4. Have a dance party

5. Build a Fort

Contrary to popular belief you are NEVER too old for this ;)

These are some fun ways we like to get active when it is too cold to go outside. What sort of fun things does your family do when it is too cold to go outside?

DIY: Christmas Countdown Calendar (Advent Calendar) +free printable!

I don't normally do much posting on the weekend, but this project has been in the works for a few days and with December 1 pending tomorrow I decided to make sure this got up today!

Now that American Thanksgiving is over, the holiday's are officially in full swing for my family! Even up here in Canada they had several "Black Friday" sales, it was fun to get out and pick up some goodies to put under the tree! I had also been working on getting something special prepped for my teenager for the holiday's. 

We always do some sort of advent/countdown calendar. I wanted this year's to be about more than just candy, but I also didn't want to give little trinkets that would just take up space and clutter up our small apartment. So, I came up with some clutter-less activities that allow us to spend time together as a family and give to those around us. Here is how I did it...

Supplies

• Advent Activities printed on Sticker paper
• Something to put the candy/activities in
• 1" punch
• Small Candy

I gathered my advent calendar, the printable I made, my 1" punch, and some Hershey's kisses.

I used these kisses:

They were all my Shopper's had...and they are amazing!

Above is the 1" punch I use. If you don't have one but you craft a lot I highly recommend this one by EK Success. It is compact, it is an "easy punch", and it can be used for a variety of things...namely bottle cap crafts! So, take this punch and turn it upside down like this: 

Centre it over the words and wreath, and punch! I punched all of mine out first... 

....and then stuck it to the bottom of the Hershey's Kiss!

Cute, huh?!

Then I put it behind the appropriate door! 

Now, something to keep in mind when deciding which activities to use is check your calendar. Some of the activities are quite easy and can be done even on a busy day. For example one is read a holiday book, another is have dinner in front of the Christmas Tree, have a red & green themed dinner. Those are things that don't really take any extra effort, but can go a long way in making great memories!

I printed this calendar and as I put the activities in the box, I wrote down what was being done on each day so that way each evening I can look ahead to what activity is on schedule for the next day so if it involves pancakes, waffles, hot cocoa, etc I can make sure those are prepped the night before; or, if it involves going somewhere I can make sure I tell everyone to be on schedule!

Now, how did I come up with the activity ideas? I tried to choose things that were cheap, mostly clutter-less, and ones that could help my teenager think of others. I scoured pinterest, facebook, and and several blogs looking for ideas, but most of them are unique because honestly most of the ideas I found involved a lot of "stuff" or expense. 

Here are the ideas I used and what I am doing for each one:

Hot Cocoa Breakfast with cookies

Cinnamon Ornament

Make an ornament

Design Your own Tree

Make gift for teacher(s)

Holiday Light Displays

Ice Skating-Sundae Bar

See a parade

Reflect on the year

Commemorate the day in video or pics

Look at neighborhood lights

Play Charades

Red & Green Themed Dinner

RAK Day

Have a dance party

Sing Carols

Game night

Make presents for cheer coaches

Snowboarding

Go play in the snow

Roast marshmallows in the fire

Go see a holiday movie in theater

Make goals for next year

Popcorn Garland

Mail Xmas Cards to friends

Xmas Trivia

Popcorn & Movie

Look @ Xmas Lights

Merry Christmas

Tree Lighting & Carol Ships (this is unique to our city, but your city may have a tree lighting)

Donate coats to a charity

Night Before Christmas (movie/book)

Donate a toy to charity

Bake Gingerbread Men

Make Fudge

Make puff pain snowflakes

Candle light dinner

Polar Express (movie/book)

Make mom & dad a present

Pancakes & Cocoa

Open Presents

Dress fancy for dinner

Bake Spritz Cookies

Write to Santa

Visit holiday attraction at a museum

Take a cookie basket to friends (use the cookies you've baked earlier in the countdown)

Do something nice for Mom & Dad

Magic Cookie Bars

Waffles & Cocoa

Living room fort

PJ Party

Christmas Market

Visit Santa

Dinner in front of Xmas Tree

Breakfast in front of Xmas Tree

List what you are thankful for

Craft Day

How the Grinch Stole Xmas

Send hug to out of town family

Look at the holiday window displays

Holiday Book

Xmas Movie

On Friday's and the days my teen is on holiday break I put in two activities because I really wanted us to be doing a lot together. I think this will be so fun.

Some ideas in the event you don't have an advent calendar like I do above....pin socks to a line of string hung on the wall, hang numbered socks on the tree and the let the kids pick them off each day, hang a string or string of lights and use numbered clothespins to pin pieces of paper with the day's activity to it. Think outside the box, have fun with it!

How do you kick off your holiday season???

I would love to see your holiday activities! Leave a link in the comments or some share with us on facebook! 

September Blogging Challenge: Favourite Outdoor Activity

Hello! Happy Sunday! Lots of posts have gone up lately, make sure you go over to the homepage and check them out if you are joining me from a direct link!

Today's prompt is my favourite outdoor activity. This is a tough one because I love a lot of outdoor things: swimming, going to the beach, walking, running, hiking, going to the park and playing with my kiddo, and al fresco dining. My favourite, if I have to pick just one would be going to the beach. I will tell you why, it's because going to the beach can incorporate several, if not all of the other outdoor activities I love! 

• Usually I have to walk to get to the beach
• Sometimes, depending on the beach it could be a hike to get there (lol)
• I usually take a picnic lunch with me because I rarely stay for just a short amount of time
• I can swim in the water (well, I don't really here in Canada lol)
• When I go with a friend or my family we can toss the frisbee, fly a kite, or build a sand castle
• Take a walk and collect shells

So, there you have it, my favourite outdoor activity that includes all of my other favourite outdoor activities!

How many times can you use the phrase "favourite outdoor activity" in one sentence?! Seriously, what is your fave activity for the outdoors, anything new and fun I should get into?

What a Weekend!

Originally this weekend was supposed to be composed of nothing but being at home, relaxing, hubby catching up on some video game playing and me and the kiddo just going whatever instead this is what ensued....

Friday: 
What was supposed to happen: Nothing. I had a dentist appt, just a quiet evening. We thought about going to a music festival but were kind of iffy on it.
What actually happened: The kiddo's friend is going to Serbia for the rest of the summer so she invited my daughter and one other kid to spend the night, first they decided to come here and swim for about two hours. Then, hubby texted me and ask if I wanted to start new restaurant Friday since we did a new restaurant last Friday, so it would make a fun date night. So we headed over the Flying Pig in Yaletown. It was a really nice set up. It's very loud and the tables are a bit longer than you'd expect so don't go there if you are looking to cuddle up and get some romance in. You have to speak loud and be ready to be with people. This is what I had for dinner along with a glass of Riesling:

This was what we had as an appetizer. Bone Marrow Cheezy Bread. Seriously,  they bring you some just plain bread when you sit down, don't eat it. Immediately order this. It is AMAZING! I really could have just eaten this for dinner.

I had the BBQ Salmon. I'd never had BBQ Sauce on Salmon before but it was DELICIOUS! It came with prawn and Parmesan Risotto. The flavour combinations here were so complimentary to one another. I didn't want to stop eating, but had to force myself much like with the bread above for the last course....brace yourself it is amazing....

Vanilla cake with chocolate ganache.  I could hardly take but a few bites. It was very thick and creamy with the ganache. If you have several people to share with this is the way to go. Hubby get creme brulee so it was just little ol' me left to tackle this thing. I took a few bites then brought the rest home. After our 3 mile walk home I decided to eat a little more then the kiddo devoured most of it in the afternoon on Saturday and I ate it for dessert Saturday as well. It went the long haul providing some delicious chocolate satisfaction.

Saturday:

What was supposed to happen: Farmer's market, my last dentist appointment, lay around and do nothing the rest of the day. 

What actually happened: I woke up way to early (6:45) and lazed around until one of my friends said that all before 7 am she'd watched a movie and worked out. So, I got my butt up and slugged 8 ounces of water, did this warm up by blogilate, jump rope hiit by fitness blender, 100 burpee burn out, and the call me maybe squat challenge.  I love doing the 100 burpee burnout and one of blogilates pop challenges on Saturday's because they are fast, high calorie burning workouts that I can get over with quickly and enjoy my Saturday. I usually do them coupled with a run but I wasn't really feeling that this morning so I added in the jump rope HIIT. That was fantastic. If you don't have a jump rope, suck at jumping rope, or it's not practical for you to jump rope inside (like for me in my high rise just not practical) so I just mimicked jumping rope and found I was able to jump quite a bit more because I wasn't getting the rope stuck on myself. So after that I quick showered and ran up to the farmer's market. This is what I got:

Tons of goodies here. We go through a lot of eggs in a week and this was the first week for the local eggs so I got two dozen. Can't wait to show y'all what I have planned for those this upcoming week! Then, some local Raclette for the husband. A zucchini. I immediately wished I'd bought a second, but oh well there's always next Saturday. Then something new-garlic scraps. Apparently these make the world's most amazing garlic butter...I guess I'll find out! Some raspberries (not all farm's are ready with raspberries yet so this was a treat!), some strawberries, and some mushrooms. I wasn't too interested in the salad greens they had. It was mostly kale and I'm not a huge kale fan unfortunately. So, got home and put those goodies away then I went to the dentist, slept for two hours after that and then we caught the ferry to Granville Island. This is an amazing place to check out, especially if you are a visitor. There are tons of shops on the island, a lot of unique places you won't find anywhere else. They also have a giant market. During the summer it can be a little overwhelming. I know when I shopped there regularly last summer you had to be prepared to walk between people and get bumped around and whatnot.  

The ferry leaving David Lam Park to head over to Granville Island.

Approaching Granville Island. Weather didn't look to hot did it???

The marina next to Granville Island.

Fresh fish at the Granville Island Market.

More fishes!!!

Look at the coloring on this mackerel. Isn't it beautiful, it's almost iridescent. Makes we wish I had my dslr so I could have gotten really good pictures!

Octopus!! I'd never get adventurous enough to buy it, but I guess some do!

I love how these bottles looked, they were so pretty!

Gluten free vegan flax rolls! One of the few places around here that has something that looks appetizing for gluten free vegans!

 This one just cracked me up, guess they wanted to make sure you knew this one wasn't too pleasant smelling!

Inside the market there are food vendors where you can pick up a meal to eat right there. I love A La Mode. We ate there last year...they have a fantastic chicken pot pie! We got apple cinnamon sticky buns for hubby & the kiddo at another vendor (same one as the flax rolls), there is also a candy shop, a local meat place, a honey place (with multiple flavours of honey sticks), a donut place, some cheese vendors (hubby of course picked up some raclette and curds!), and a few fruit and veggie vendors. I don't typically frequents those, though because I get the impression they are not local as they had things like banana's and dragon fruit. Also I saw they had a place that makes dole whip. A must get next time I go! I thought I'd never find those anywhere but Disney! 

Saturday night: We had dinner at a cute little poutine place. I had some fries and a steamer dog. Not the best for me, but oh well. It was great time with the family and everyone enjoyed the meal so that's what mattered. Then once the sun set here-which is very late, usually not until well after 10 pm we went as a family down on the seawall to check out the Super Moon:

Sunday

What was supposed to happen: The kiddo rides carpool with her friend to cheer while I lay around and relax with the hubby.

What actually happened: So, the kiddo was told about a flyer training at her cheer gym so I was up and had her to the gym at 10am for a flyer training. I stuck around there as there was a marathon going on and I didn't want to get caught in the traffic. I treated her to lunch at Subway. I wanted to take her to a place next door called The Crab Shop since she loves shellfish but she said "it looks awfully...uh, fishy, can we please have Subway", so, I obliged. 

I was hoping we'd be able to walk there, but given the fabulous Vancouver weather it was raining and I didn't bring umbrella's so we drove. We did enjoy a nice long meal as she had two hours in between. I wanted to take her to walk around, but again because of the rain we didn't but there are some awesome things you'll find in this little ware house area there are several factory stores for clothing shops, an indoor play place, and a place where you can bring your own bottles and fill up on beer to take home. I wish they had a wine place like that! Next time it's sunny I'll have to take pictures and do a feature on the places in that area as if you aren't a local you would never know they are there!

Also, back behind her cheer place is a long set of rail road tracks. I once saw a train backing up on these tracks...bizarre!

Back it up...back it up...

I actually did manage to cook this weekend. I made two things my mother in law's spaghetti and cheesy garlic barbari for hubby and bruschetta chicken (recipe to come) with garlic barbari for the kiddo and I. I served it with a nice little relish of just cucumbers for hubby and cucumbers and onion for me and the kiddo! 

Overall it was nice to have a bit of a spontaneous weekend! Now we are going into the last week of school and down to two full weeks before our summer vacation to Florida! I am so excited to see my nieces and nephews, to meet one of my nieces and see my brother whom I haven't seen in almost 3 years! 

What are you looking forward to this summer?

Traveling to: Austin, TX

Austin, TX

Img Credit

Austin is a great city. It's actually a "city within a park", at least that's what it says on all the signs throughout the city. Austin is the 7th city my husband and I have lived in since we got married *way*  back in 1999. It was a fantastic place to live. It is a large city and many people say "Austin" but really they are referring to North Austin which, in my opinion, is way too far out to actually be Austin proper. I worked in North Austin for a while and it was quite a drive each and every day. I wish we had known more about the city when we moved there as hubby's work was also a 30 minute drive, mine was easily 45 minutes on a good day!

But, traffic aside, if you live in Austin proper and pretty much stay in that area there are some amazing things to see and do, which is what I want to put together and address here. If it is bold and in coloured text, it is something that you honestly cannot miss. Seriously, it will be one of your biggest life regrets ;)

Attractions

Barton Creek Green Belt

This is a great hike! It’s really beautiful. It is a swimming hole if it’s been raining so wear a bathing suit as there is nothing like swimming in a natural watering hole!!! It was mine & Cammi’s favorite place to go & I’d run often there with a girl friend.

Mount Bonnell

When we moved to Austin everyone talked this place up. When I was done I was a little underwhelmed as I expected the “climb” to be much tougher!  Of course I was also coming off a half marathon & P90X bender so my expectations for difficulty were pretty high! But, it is a beautiful walk & the view you get at the end is spectacular! It’s a must see for sure! It's also a great place for exercise because of the stairs.

Barton Springs Pool

Go swim at Barton Springs Pool.  It’s a beautiful area of town & there is a lot of history around the pool if you go to the link it will tell you all about it! The pool is cold though, so be prepared!!! There is a concession stand within the park.

Zilker Park

A super cute park with lots of walking trails. Barton Springs pool & Zilker Botanical Garden a located within the park. There is a fun train you can ride through the park. The train is good to do once your legs are tired from hiking all the trails! This park is also a great place to play catch, frisbee, or fly a kite! There is also a frisbee golf  "range", so if you are into that I hear it's a great course!

Austin Nature & Science Centre

Austin Nature & Science Centre is within Zilker Park as well. It's a fantastic place to take the kids, my daughter could spend hours upon hours there! The last time we were there they had a dinosaur trail that you could walk and then at the end there were sand pits the kids could dig in & "excavate" different bones! There was also a wildlife refuge in the back area. It was interesting to read about how the different animals came to live there and why. Inside there is lots of info about the earth with live in and space, fossil's, etc. It's very much a hands on place and will keep everyone busy for hours on end!

Zilker Botanical Garden

Zilker Botanical Garden is a just off a main street. The first time we went there I was very skeptical because I figured our experience would be marred by all the traffic. However, when you walk in it's like being in a quite perfect oasis. It's almost like you temporarily leave the city. The different sections of gardens are amazing. I don't want to give any spoilers because seeing them all for the first time absolutely makes the whole experience.

Lady Bird Lake

This is a nice later afternoon walk or great for a nice run! While you are there see if you can check out the bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge. If you catch them on a day they fly out at sunset it's a pretty spectacular sight!

Texas State Capitol

You never want to miss seeing a capitol building. We've lived in several different capitol cities and we always go to check out the capitol buildings and learn more about the history of the city. If you can catch the legislature when it's in session it is well worth it! The experience will never be forgotten.

Texas State History Museum

Visiting the State History Museum was an incredible experience. I got to spend it on a field trip with my daughter's class. Their exhibits are constantly changing and are really well done. After, if you get the chance to walk around the University of Texas the campus is beautiful!

Hamilton Pool

This natural pool with a little waterfall I hear is well worth the visit. We never managed to make it there, sadly, but if we ever make it back to Austin it is at the top of my list of things to do.

Sixth Street Bars & Clubs

If you are going without children, are visiting friends/family and can get out without the kids, going down to Sixth Street is worth the adventure! We loved to start at a little dueling piano bar then hop from club to club after that. It is a bit of a younger crowd down there, but that is what we liked about it! After a certain time in the evenings the street itself is 18 and up only, so be forewarned if you are downtown with the kids!

Alamo Drafthouse
The Alamo Drafthouse I feel is an Austin staple. I didn't put it at the top of the list though because when it comes down to it, it is just a movie theater. If you are going for an extended stay, I'd say a week or more it's definitely worth going and catching a movie there. If you are just going for a long weekend skip it and get it next time. It's a cozy theater, where you can dine while you watch. You can catch new releases or old flicks that are set to a theme such a heckling, sing alongs, etc. It's a super fun environment and the food kicks ass! Getting a $5 milkshake is 100% worth it!!!

Food

Regular Food

The Salt Lick

The Salt Lick is a can't miss place. Seriously, you cannot miss it, I can't stress this enough! Also, I linked to the Driftwood location, only go to that location. It is the original location and I think serves the best food and has the best ambiance. Hubby tried the location once in North Austin, and another friend tried the location at the airport and both agreed those locations are just not the same as Driftwood. Driftwood is also a bring your own beer/wine place. Don't be shy, people often bring in whole coolers full of beer/wine. There is also a winery on site that they had just opened when we first visited there in 2010.

Rudy's Bar-B-Que

This is a staple chain around Austin, not sure if they are anywhere else in Texas. But, the brisket is out of this world! If it is your first time there, tell them as they have a really special tradition they do for newbies. I didn't get it as hubby knew I'd be super embarrassed but I've seen it happen to other's and it's worth the experience. Highlights: Mr. loves the extra moist brisket, I prefer the lean. The creamed corn is a must have, you'll never taste anything like it again in your life. Also, just because you're having bbq you should grab a banana pudding-delish!

Perry's Steakhouse

There are quite a few really good steak houses in downtown our favorite was Perry’s. They had a live piano player & sometimes a bassist. The patio is really nice in the evenings, even in the summer. 

Dessert

Amy's Ice Cream

Amy's  is a local place that has grown by leaps & bounds. The quality has not decreased with the success of the business, however. If anything the flavours have become more unique and delicious. Plus, since we lived there we were able to get a stamp card to earn free ice creams and whatnot. Customer service is always top notch and the employees have their own unique personalities they are allowed to share with their customers.

Gourdough's Doughnuts

These are the most insane doughnuts you'll ever have in your life! I promise you, you will never have anything like it again in your life. Also, you can go and split one with someone, but I recommend getting your own & trying one another's that way you can try a couple of different ones. Each one has it's own unique combination. You'll never finish a whole one, so don't even try, but they are absolutely worth every. single.  penny.

Coffee/Adult Beverages

Mozart's Coffee Roaster's

Seated right on the water, Mozart's  is one of the few coffee shops with a view this amazing. It's a great place to go sit, have a coffee, and read a good book or get some work done. There are two restaurants on either side that are quite delicious as well, but I don't know the names of them. 

The Oasis

The Oasis is an Austin staple I think. It sits on Lake Travis and has amazing views. When we learned we were moving to Austin, the first thing my Aunt did was go through her Southern Living magazines & sent me a small article on the Oasis and how wonderful this place was. I'll be honest if you go, just go for drinks. The food was mediocre, at best. BUT, the sunset's are truly amazing!!! Going for a beverage & maybe an appetizer is a very good idea to get to sit outside and enjoy the view.

Texas Wine Trail

When you think of Texas you certainly don't think of wine! But, Texas does have it's own Wine Trail right down in the hill country! I did not have the pleasure of enjoying it as my Mr. doesn't drink and I feel bad dragging him on excursions where he's basically there to be my driver. But, the hill country itself it beautiful so if you have a group that is super into wine tasting taking a tour of the different wineries in the area is a great idea!

North Austin

Originally I wasn't going to include things to do in North Austin, but I do realize if you are going to visit family many of them may not live in South Austin or Downtown like we did. Most of our friends actually lived in North Austin, so I figured I would highlight a few of the things we did while there.

Round Rock Donuts

My Mr. tells me these donuts are pretty amazing. People used to bring them into his work frequently and he loved them. So, if you're in the area...get some!

Rock'N River Family Aquatic Centre

I took the kiddo here once. It was super fun, she really enjoyed it. They have all kinds of fun stuff for people of all ages. The water slides were her absolute favourite.

  

Happy Flippin' Friday!

Finally Friday! The kiddo & the husband have been jonesing for this day since Monday! haha Every day I've heard "Nothing ruins a Friday like realizing it's _____________(insert any day but Friday here!)" So, now that we have come to the end of the week I've spent this last week organizing the blog. It's so much prettier. I hadn't done any HTML work since approximately 2004 or so when I took my last computer design course & decided it probably wasn't for me. So, that was fun to get reacquainted with! But, I love the look of it and hope it may attract a few more readers. Now to just get the new pages I added all updated and I'll feel like I'm on track. If you haven't seen it I made a much more fun "About Me" page that gives a bit more detail and doesn't sound like something from 1920 like my last one! I hope to get a few more fun pictures up there, but getting all those organized has been painstaking. I hope to post a tutorial on how I got all of our photo's on one computer/hard-drive, organized, backed up, and printed! But, that is a long time coming I'm sure. For now let's move on to some Friday Fun...

Friday's usually make for a nice family evening. Everyone just wants to relax, not do anything too strenuous. So tonight I'll be cooking up some Teriyaki Pork. That recipe is fantastic! I just dice the pork, throw the sauce over it, let it sit for an hour or so (that part is totally optional) and then bake it at 204C (400F) for about an hour or so. Then I make some of my easiest over fried rice: heat a little olive oil over med-high heat, throw on the rice & get it coated by the olive oil, toss in some frozen peas & carrots dash with a bit of soy sauce & let warm on the lowest setting of your simmer burner. Very easy & quick & even has your veggies in it! Then, when done toss the pork over it & serve it up while watching some Friday night Smackdown. Or, whatever your Family's favorite thing to do on a Friday night is...we just happen to prefer the hilarity of Wrestling. I know, it's weird, but we all have our thing. 

This weekend though I plan on tackling quite a few projects they are as listed:

1. Moroccan Inspired Glass Jars for my daughter's room re-do.

2. Dye the daughter's pillowcases and bedskirt in the Moroccan colors she picked out.

3. Dip dye napkins for our no-waste lunches

4. Make this awesome shirt for summer.

Fitness-wise:

1. Complete the weekend tabata challenge at Get your Sexy Back Mom's.

2. Complete my 4th week of Insanity

3. Using my Pear Heart-Rate Monitor instead of sitting on my butt during my daughter's cheer practice go for an 80 minute walk for an active rest day.

4. Take a nice walk along the sea wall and hopefully enjoy sometime competing with my daughter to see who can cross the monkey bars faster. ;)

So, what do you plan to do to stay busy this weekend? I think my projects and activities will keep us rather occupied. Hubby of course will be doing "research" aka, playing video games...I'm pretty sure that is why he switched careers ;)

Cheers!

Happy Weekend!!!