10 things to do with kids in Ottawa this summer

Summer vacation is rolling out the welcome mat for kids all across the Nation’s Capital. And if your kids are like mine, then they are ready to run off some energy and have some fun! Every summer my family and I make a “bucket list” of things we must see and do as a family to make summer awesome! This year our list is a little longer than 10, but here are our top 10 things to do as a family in Ottawa this summer:

1) Visit the new Canada-themed park at Mooney’s Bay

If you haven’t been to the new Canada-themed park at Mooney’s Bay with the family yet, pack a picnic lunch and plan a day or even a few hours to take in the play structures, slides and swings that each represent a different province or territory. The park is located next to Mooney’s Bay Beach—a great spot to cool off on a hot summer’s day!

2) Check out the new Canada Goose Arctic Gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature

The  Arctic Gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature just opened June 21st and is filled with interactive activities, games, interesting facts and educational fun for the entire family. This new permanent gallery is full of unique ways to celebrate Canada's Arctic!

3) See the Northern Lights Sound and Light bilingual show on Parliament Hill

The Sounds and Lights show is always impressive, but with Canada 150 it’s a must-see summer event this year! Grab some snacks and a picnic blanket and head down to Parliament Hill in the late evening from July 11th to September 16th to enjoy Northern Lights, a show about the foundations of our nation and so much more. For tips on how to make the evening a memorable one, check out our tips here.

4) Check out MosaiCanada 150

MosaiCanada 150 is a FREE horticultural event featuring paintings, sculptures, artistic works, as well as 40 impressive horticulture arrangements (some larger than life!). MosaiCanada 150 is held at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau from June 30th to October 15th and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. This unique horticultural event is a part of the ongoing activities celebrating Canada 150.

5)  Watch an outdoor movie

Every year we try to watch an outdoor movie and this year we not only plan on returning to the Port Elmsley Drive-In, but also grabbing a lawn chair and going to one of the more urban outdoor movies. Capital Pop-Up Cinema runs local outdoor movies that look like a lot of fun– here’s their schedule: https://www.capitalpopupcinema.com/2016-schedule.

6) Be wowed by La Machine at the end of July

I keep seeing the La Machine event pop up in my Facebook newsfeed and every time I see it, I can’t get over how impressive it looks. From July 27 to the 30th these big machines – including the dragon, LongMa, which according to the event website, stands 12 metres high, 5 metres high and weighs 45 tons, will be roaming the downtown streets of Ottawa. This incredible weekend is a part of the ongoing celebrations for Canada 150.

7) Visit a summer fair

Cotton candy, demolition derbies, carousels, concerts, live entertainment, and more, Ottawa offers many local summer fairs including these:
July 14-16: Almonte Fair 
July 28-30: Beachburg Fair
August 10-13: Navan Fair
August 17-20: Arnprior Fair
August 18-27: The Capital Fair 
August 25-27: Chesterville Fair 
September 7-10: Russell Fair 
September 14-17: Richmond Fair 
September 21-24: Carp Fair 
September 28-October 1: Metcalfe Fair 

8) Pretend we’re pirates at Pirate Adventures Ottawa

If you have ever wanted to bring out your inner Jack Sparrow or Jake the Neverland Pirate then this 75-minute interactive pirate-theatre cruise may be for you! Located at Mooney’s Bay this pirate ship adventure includes costumes, face painting, treasure maps, and much more!

9) Actually make it through the Mile Maze at Saunders Farm

Jumping pillows, an amazing play structure, and of courses mazes! Saunders Farm is a lot of fun and one of these days I WILL make it through the mile maze without having to ask complete strangers if they can help me find my way out. ;)

10) Connect with nature at Eco-Odysee

Beautiful scenery, water maze adventures, exploring and puzzle solving – Eco Odysee in the Outaouais is a great way to spend a summer’s day outside and in nature.

So, what’s on your must-do summer list this year? Share by leaving a comment! Happy Summer

Living Life With Intention

Spending summers with my kids

Both my parents are PhDs. This set many expectations in my life. - not in the “my parents always really wanted me to follow in their footsteps” kind of way, but in a “when you complete high school you go to University” kind of way. And so I did go to University, despite actively wishing I could get out of traditional learning environments from the earliest days of elementary school.

I have incredibly supportive parents who have never tried to push me to be someone I’m not and yet I held a deep-seated belief that life had ONE path  - and to be successful, I had to take that path.

School – post secondary – good job/career with a solid plan to move up the ladder – house and car – marriage – kids – retire – relax.

That’s the path – the one that most people follow. You can be many things on this path, but there are very few options for detours in order to arrive at “success."

I jumped off and back on the path for years - knowing I wanted something different (jump off); but wanting to be successful (jump on); but hating how I felt (jump off); but wanting to prove I was smart and capable and grown up (jump on); and on it went.

I finally realized that “the path” was not my destiny and I jumped off permanently. I realized that I could create my own path and my own definition of success. Accepting that was the best and most empowering decision of my life.

Jumping off has landed me where I am today, as a business coach supporting small business owners (mostly women, often moms) in figuring out how to create their own paths as well. My own journey in helping others find their paths has clarified something for me – most people do not plan to live their lives intentionally.

Live life with intention

Running a workshop on goal setting for small business owners

When was the last time you stopped and thought about your life - what you have, where you’re doing, what you’re trying to achieve, and why you have or desire it all?

What do you hope will be the rewards for all that you’re doing in life? How will you enjoy it?

Many of the people that I talk to don’t have much of a real plan or a real understanding of what they’re working so hard for.

They’re working towards the next big promotion, the nicer car and the bigger house out of habit rather than because they truly want it. I believe more people need to stop, breathe, and take the time to choose.

Don’t get bogged down in shoulds

Choosing sounds easy in theory, but I know that it’s not. There are so many things that impact what we think we should want.

I suggest that you need to really think through what you want in life and why. As you do this you’re going to hear all kinds of voices in your head, coming from a lifetime of messages from family, friends, and society at large:

“You SHOULD have a career if you’re going to be a strong independent woman.”

“You SHOULD stay home if you’re a caring and loving mom.”

“You SHOULD have a career that you love that brings in enough money for your kids to take all the activities they want, and be playing competitive level sports and still have time to throw amazing birthday parties and bake cakes that are beautiful enough to be on Cake Boss.”

Wow, those shoulds create a lot of pressure!  And they’re a LOT of work.

If you’re going to work really hard for something, make sure it’s for something YOU want, not something you think society or the people around you expect of you.
 

What do you want?

If you haven’t taken the time to figure out what it is that you DO want… spend some time thinking about it. If you’re on the right track – AMAZING, keep doing that!

If you realize you aren’t entirely sure what you want or what you’re working so hard for… dig a bit deeper.  If you could have more of only one thing – what would it be?

Painting at the inDetail Art Retreat

More time?

More creativity?

More rest?

More experiences?

More travel?

More beautiful things?

More pride in what you do?

If you realize you’re working really hard for someone else’s dreams… you need to get back on track. Make your own dreams!

My life by intention is about time more than anything else.

I have time with my kids – I work during my kids’ school hours and am home with them at least 7-8 weeks a year.

I have time for myself – I go away with my friends, I take time for art classes, I say no to being with people all the time.

We have less money than we could. If I had stayed on my career path over the last 10 years we would have had a lot more family income. Ditto if I had chosen to work more hours in my business. Instead, I chose to prioritize things differently.

My dream for my kids is that they can create success on their own terms – that there isn’t just one path in front of them that says “this is the way to a good life” – that there are a multitude of options. Truly, I want that for you, too; to see more people choose their life path and success by intention instead of by accident.

I won’t pretend my journey has been all easy or that my life is now perfect. But I love that I am making choices for ME.

I challenge you to consider all of this for yourself… do you know where you’re heading, and more importantly, why? Are you happy with it?

Create an intention and go for it (and share it with me in the comments!)

This post is part of The Whole Family Happiness Project, in partnership with Social Currents and the Low Carbon Economy Narrative Initiative. The Whole Family Happiness Project poses the question, “What is the connection between our individual purpose, our family happiness, and the happiness of the world around us?”

To learn more or get involved, visit Whole Family Happiness on Facebook. #wholefamilyhappiness

The breakfast sandwich I have been missing my whole life

I recently participated in my first Brownie camp...WOW. What an eye opener! So much planning and hard work goes into those weekends from super dedicated volunteers. I really commend all the leaders with Girl Guides of Canada for their awesomeness.

One part of the planning for camp is the food - having enough food for a giant pack of hungry kids. The morning we left we realized we might be running short on breakfast foods (one box of Cheerios was not going to cut it).

Our Brown Owl then grabbed a bag of white bread and instructed us to slather on some applesauce and cinnamon and fry it on the stove.

WAIT, WHAT?

Please excuse the giant stack of recipe books in the background

How have I been missing this food all my life? This is THE best camp and cottage food, and also makes the perfect breakfast sandwich for when you're on the run. It tastes pretty much like apple pie, and was a huge hit with the girls.

What you'll need:

- 2 slices of white bread (I'm sure whole wheat would be OK, but white has a certain "squishiness" to it)
- butter
- applesauce
- cinnamon

Butter both slices of bread, just like when you're making grilled cheese. Slather on some applesauce (how thick you want it is your choice!) - we used Farm Boy's unsweetened natural applesauce. This is what my applesauce looks like when I do homemade, so it's my fave. (NOTE: the pic below is showing you how much applesauce I put on…make sure to place the second slice of bread on top. Just like a grilled cheese!)

Finally sprinkle on the cinnamon and throw the whole sandwich on the grill, fire or stovetop. Cook until golden brown.

They were gobbled up!!!

What's your go-to breakfast after a night in a tent or at the cottage?

Food and beverage marketing to children: Changing the trend

We all want what’s best for our children—especially when it comes to their health and nutrition. So, why is keeping junk food out of the house so difficult? Where are children learning about the food they eat and the beverages they drink? Did you know children are being marketed to on a daily basis?

As parents, avoiding advertising and marketing for children and youth can be surprisingly difficult. Marketing is everywhere: television, video games, online, in movies, endorsed by characters and celebrities, and even on packages and labeling of products.

What is marketing?

By its very nature, marketing is designed to persuade people into purchasing a product or service. For influential young minds, this persuasion can lead to unhealthy food and beverage choices.

Food and beverage marketing to children

Healthy food and beverage choices start in childhood, and unfortunately children learn a lot about both through marketing.

Every time a child turns on the television they are exposed to a variety of marketing messages. Before the age of five, most children can’t tell the difference between an advertisement and a television show.  Manufacturers and big brands recognize how easily influenced children and youth can be, and invest a lot of money to create marketing messages they feel will influence a child’s dietary decisions.

If a child sees a marketing message for a particular beverage a child will, more than likely, ask their parents if they can have that particular beverage—healthy or not.

Ottawa Public Health is working hard to help parents and their children learn the difference between healthy dietary choices and marketing ploys. Armed with the right knowledge and resources, parents and children will be able to make healthier and more informed dietary choices.

What can parents do to help change the marketing trend?

Parents need to do their research on products and read food labels. Just because something says it is 100% natural does not mean it is made with natural ingredients. Eat fresh foods as much as possible, and when shopping for packaged goods, look for products that have reduced salt or sugar and no trans fats.

Parents can also help educate their children on what marketing means and help their children differentiate between learning something new and trying to be convinced to buy something.

It can be hard to say to no to junk food, but teaching moderation and offering alternative, healthier options is a step in the right direction.

Marketing regulations

With growing obesity rates in children, it has become the mission of public health organizations to create stricter policies and regulations concerning the marketing of food and beverages to children and youth.

In Canada, the Federal government is constantly working to introduce restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children and youth. These regulations include improving the information found on food labels.

The province of Quebec has already banned commercial advertisements specifically directed at children under the age of 13. Since this change, Quebec is the highest consumer of fruits and vegetables and has the lowest obesity rates for children between the ages of six and eleven.

To find out more information on how marketing influences the dietary choices of children and youth, and what steps are being taken to change these practices, visit Ottawa Public Health online.

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Disclaimer: This blog post is sponsored by the City of Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health).

Family Photo Display Ideas

As a family photographer I have no shortage of photos to display on the walls of our home.  When we moved to our home three and a half years ago I was amazed at how much wall space I had to fill and yet I’m now struggling to find space to display my favourite photos of our family. I learned the hard way that framed photos aren’t necessarily the best choice for every room after a few ninja and lightsaber battles resulted in broken glass. I absolutely love printing photos on canvas but because I add so many photos to our “favourites” collection every year I need display options that allow me to switch out photos on a regular basis. I’ve also filled the available wall space which means I’m always on the lookout for creative ways to add photos to every room.

Home office

Behind my computer I have a large white magnet board and a plethora of pretty magnets: I hang photos, cards I’ve received, favourite quotes, and special drawings from the kids.  I like being able to change photos with the seasons without having to go through the hassle of finding or hanging frames.

Bathroom

In 3 out of our 4 bathrooms we have photos printed on canvas.  It’s a great spot for beach or vacation photos and I appreciate how durable the canvas is in the damp environment.  If a canvas gets splashed it’s easy to wipe it down and I’m not worried about them falling off the walls and shattering on the file floors.  

Bedrooms

I quickly learned that kid’s interests change as quickly as Canadian weather and so rather than themed bedrooms, I’ve decorated the boys rooms with their favourite photos of themselves.  I chose colourful frames and canvas to hang on their walls and display on their shelves.

Photo ledges

A photo ledge is a great display option when you want to show off a collection of images without having to frame and hang them.  My husband recently installed a photo ledge above our front hall closet, where I have space for 4-5 images at a time.  I plan to use the space to display my seasonal photos and since I placed the photos in white mats it’s easy for me to switch out the images whenever I want.

Kitchen

When we moved into our house I considered storing beautiful bowls and vases above our kitchen cabinets but quickly realized I had no interest in washing and cleaning them on a regular basis to keep them dust free.  I’ve turned the empty space above our cabinets into display for photos and have done the same with high cabinets and dressers in other rooms.  

Sara McConnell is the mom to three boys and an award winning professional photographer specializing in maternity, newborn and family photography. When she's not behind her camera, drinking too much tea, in the pool or at the beach you can find her on Facebook, Instagram and on her website.