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2021 Holiday Tree Lightings & Parades in the Pictou County Area
2021 will be my first holiday season in Nova Scotia since 2003! The holidays will look a little different from what the kids and I are used to, but I’m hoping to make it memorable with new sights, sounds, and experiences. My fondest memories of the Christmas’s growing up include tinseled out real trees, Christmas Eve and over-the-holiday visits with extended family, and so much good food! In the past, we have attended big holiday festivals in Edmonton like Festival of Trees, Zoominescence, and Glow Edmonton. There won’t be activities of that scale in the Pictou County area, (If you’re in the HRM, check out Glow Halifax and the Evergreen…
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Now Open – Stanley A. Milner Library
To say our family loves libraries would be an understatement. Having programing end and branches close this past spring was hard to deal with for my library loving kids. We love checking out different locations and get excited when we hear a new branch is being built. But to hear the largest branch in Edmonton was getting a complete overhaul, well, that took things to a whole new level! I received an email in August confirming opening day, and I snatched up entry passes as quick as I could! The anticipation was building and we could hardly contain it! Waking in the doors, you’re greeted with so much space and…
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Edmonton Street Art Part 1 – Downtown, Chinatown & McCauley, Alberta Ave, East
You might be driving through the downtown and colorful images off the side of a building catches your eye. Or maybe you’re strolling through Alberta Ave on a Sunday afternoon with a friend on the way to grab a coffee, and you come across beautiful art displays that brighten up the neighborhood. Where ever you are in Edmonton, you’re probably not too far from 1 or 2 story murals that beautify the city. Some are community and City of Edmonton initiatives, but many can be attributed to the Rust Magic International Street Mural Festival. This festival has been a part of the Edmonton scene for the last few years and…
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Self Isolation and Social Distancing – 7 Ways to Keep Busy During a Pandemic
The world has been hit with a lot of big changes in the last few weeks. The terms self isolation and social distancing are part of our everyday vocabulary now. Many parts of people’s lives are canceled or put on hold, including travel, school, work, and extracurricular activities. Public spaces that we visit often, like our local recreation centers, science centre and other attractions, and even our library, are temporarily closed. It is definitely a tough situation for everyone, but for people with mental health issues, it can be more overwhelming as the daily routines they were used to no longer exist. I believe most people understand the strong need…
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Introducing…Mapping Out Joy
Change is good. Change is needed to keep growing. I have been thinking about this change for a while now, but finally accomplished it when the fear of change let go, motivation to move forward grew, and I had the time to make it happen. I started my blog over 5 years ago. I had just decided to homeschool my oldest and I wanted to keep a journal of sorts of our life on this new journey, along with sharing experiences and activities with others. With working from home and homeschooling, it was never more than just a casual hobby. I updated my website a year ago, but the motivation…
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10 Free or Frugal Activities to Get You Through the Winter in Edmonton
The Holidays have come and gone and our wallets are a little lighter. But with a new term about the start up you might be wondering how to keep kids busy without breaking the bank. I have rounded up 10 free or low cost activities that will keep the learning going and the kids active till the snow melts. Festivals There are lots of great winter festivals in Edmonton. They allow you to try out different winter sports, take in beautifully designed ice sculptors and listen and watch music and dance from different cultures. Deep Freeze (January 11-12, 2020), Flying Canoe Volant (January 30 – February 1, 2020), and the…
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Dermott District Park – Natural Playground and Recreation Area
New playgrounds are always an exciting experience for my kids. They can’t wait to check out the new equipment, see what cool features are there that they might not have seen before, and make up imaginative play and games in the new to them space. Dermott District Park is no exception, especially since it’s different than most playgrounds in Edmonton. I first heard of the development of this park in a Edmonton Journal article a few years ago and I have been following it’s progress ever since. When we frequented the Bonnie Doon area this past summer, we were very excited to see the progress and that the project was…
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Summer’s Not Over! Great Festivals Throughout August in Edmonton
It was a wet July in the Edmonton area, but the sun has come out and it’s finally starting to feel like summer. July had great festivals like the International Street Performer’s Festival, K Days, and Taste of Edmonton, but there’s even more lined up for August! I’ve said this many time, but festivals are truly one of the best things about Edmonton. They are a great way to explore the neighbourhoods, taking in music and artistic performances, and the food, oh my goodness the food!! As homeschoolers, they are also fabulous for social studies, helping us learn about Indigenous Peoples, early settlers, and international people that now call Edmonton…
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Visit the New Urban Farm at Edmonton Valley Zoo
The Edmonton Valley Zoo recently completed one of it’s many planned updates and we enjoyed exploring the new spaces this past week. Included in these updates is a new Urban Farm, complete with petting zoo and indoor stables, the new Red Panda enclosure, and new playground area. The goats on the roof were the main attraction for us (well, me especially!) at the Urban Farm. There were several up on the grassy roof munching away and making their way around the facility. There is a petting zoo in the central courtyard and you can enter the barn to see more animals in various pens. While we were there, there was…
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Ebbers Park
We’re always on the lookout for new playgrounds to check out, and newly constructed ones are always exciting! While driving past a newly constructed area of Edmonton, I noticed a billboard that said the neighborhood featured a new playground, so I took a quick detour and came across Ebbers Park. It’s a cute little wood chipped playground with all my kids favorite equipment. They love the circle swing (they call it a pizza swing) and the rotating wheel that they love to balance on. The climbing areas and the “stepping stones” are fun for creating obstacle courses. I would say this playground is best suited for ages 5-12 since there…
