Review: My Pretty Playhouse

by Lara A few months ago I was given the opportunity to review a My Pretty Playhouse with the kids.

Having something for the kids to use as a little fort in the basement was great.  I found up to 5 kids in there at a time, reading stories, playing with toys, or pretending to nap :) They also loved that they were allowed to colour on it!

I loved the details on the house and how easy it was to put together.

If you had kids who are less rambunctious than mine (mine are VERY rambunctious) it would probably last longer than ours did.  That being said, we got a good two months out of it before it had been a little too destroyed to keep playing in.

For $34.99 it's a good value.  I remember seeing houses like these in the past that ran for double that so the price point on this one definitely appeals.

*disclaimer. I received the playhouse for free but didn't receive any compensation and all thoughts are my own.

Cruising with kids

by Lara

Kids on Carnival cruises

This February my husband and I decided to go on our first family vacation. We'd gone on a cruise just the two of us the year before and loved it so much we decided it would be fun for all five of us.

(A quick note here - we drove to Florida and back. That definitely added a whole other component to this trip which is very likely another post in and of itself :)

5-days in the Bahamas on Carnival

We took a 5 day cruise with three stops in the Bahamas. We all shared one cabin. We had a good time but I have a lot of thoughts and tips to share :)

- Food. The ship was a lot smaller than the one my husband were on last year. We really felt this in terms of the amounts of activities and especially food options. I expected food to be available all the time. Unfortunately all that was available 24 hours a day was lemonade, ice tea, pizza, deli sandwiches and ice cream. Not great for kids who need a mid morning or afternoon snack - especially when one can't have dairy. Solution: I started hoarding huge plates of plates of food in our room.

- Rooms. I was nervous about having all 5 of us in one room. Cruises aren't cheaper for kids, but each person's price goes down the more people you put in a room so all of us together it was! :)

All of us in one room went surprisingly well and the housekeeping attendants made it fun to come back to our room every night :)

not only did we get towel animals, our own friends got staged :)

- Camp carnival was an amazing option. My husband and I were able to get a break from the kids, which was much needed a few times :) Unfortunately the camp for kids 5 and under was 100% indoors - not exactly what I was hoping for from our trip to the Bahamas. We primarily took advantage of their evening program so that we could go and have a nice dinner. They came back tired and ready to go right to sleep.

swimming on board the carnival ecstacy

- Kid friendly? This ship definitely wasn't "un" kid friendly but the options for things to do with the kids were very limited. There was one pool and 3 hot tubs (our previous ship boasts 10 pools and hot tubs!) and it wasn't very big. The only other activity was mini golf which was beyond our three year olds. There was no place on the ship where I could let my very active kids get their energy out other than in a not very big pool that required us in the water with them 100% of the time. For this reason, I'm fairly sure an all inclusive resort with options for running around outside in big spaces, where you don't have to worry about disturbing others would be a better bet.

- Port stops. My kids LOVED the beach/ocean (all the more reason to try an all inclusive next time I think) and I loved that they had the space to run and play but other than that, we didn't do much (we did walk around Nassau for a bit). We especially loved Half Moon Cay and the public beach in Freeport.

playing on the beach in Freeport

Overall, we had a great time. But if you're asking me if I'd recommend it, I'd say unless you're going on a Disney cruise or your kids are at MINIMUM 6 years old, I'd skip a cruise and try something land based. Now... I just need an affordable all inclusive to try out next year! :)

High Tea at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier

***We updated this post! You can view it by clicking here!**

I’ve been hearing a great deal about the Prince and Princess Tea at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier for a while but never really gave it much thought. As the mom of two pre-teens, I have quickly learned that anything with the word “Princess” in it is taboo. However, since a friend had recently brought her older daughter there (just calling it High Tea) and had rave reviews, I omitted the word princess and brought my two girls there for High Tea.

Every afternoon, High Tea is served in Zoe’s Lounge. The decor in both the Chateau Laurier and Zoe’s is beautiful and posh. Just walking into the lobby of the hotel made my girls stand up a bit straighter and carry themselves a bit more grown up. In Zoe’s Lounge, all the staff were extremely attentive, and everything they served was presented so elegantly. Both my girls were amazed.  There were three different High Tea menus to choose from both my girls actually stuck to the Princess Tea menu since if offered more of what they would actually eat.   The scones, sandwiches, fruit salad and desserts served to us were delicious. We watched as the “tea expert” made her way around the room pushing a cart filled with so many varieties to choose from. Both my girls chose hot chocolate instead of tea but they did get to drink it from fancy china. The treats were endless. When our plates or cups were empty, they were quickly refilled and both girls were amazed at each and every new pastry and cookie offered to us.

Although my daughters aren’t strangers to eating in fancy restaurants, this experience probably topped the list. They both sat so quietly and politely, just watching everything that was going on around them. It was a treat to just be able to sit with them and hear about their day, school, friends and to speak with them as young women instead of just rushing them around from activity to activity. It’s something that I hope to do again very soon.

How old do you think your children should be before bringing them to a fancy restaurant where manners and decorum are important?

Kids in the Capital Welcomes Our Newest Sponsor: terra20

“In this new millennium, as the world’s population soars, it’s up to us to explore a more sustainable, earth-friendly lifestyle. The year 20-something will be the year we get it right.”

Last fall, terra20 opened in Ottawa in the Pinecrest Mall, beside the giant IKEA. terra20, the largest eco-friendly store in Canada, focuses on providing a straightforward, easy-going and enjoyable shopping experience for those who want to both educate themselves about sustainable living and buy strictly eco-friendly products - everything from cosmetics, baby toys, clothing, cleaning products and food. Before writing this piece, I thought it best to visit terra20 and see what they had to offer. I’m definitely glad I did!

terra20 is a big, bright and well-organized space that displays their eco-friendly products clearly along with full explanations of what you are buying. In fact, one of the most helpful features of terra20 is their ethics logos, which tell you about the environmental features of any product on their shelves. The logos, which are on each pricing label, tell you what you get clearly and simply. They represent: high-efficiency (energy / water saving), contains no bunnies (no animal suffering or byproducts), organic, made in Canada, waste reducing (recyclable or biodegradable), free of harmful chemicals, sustainable (products that impact the planet in a positive way), fair trade and green certification (given to products that are certified by verifiable environmental organizations).

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There was plenty of staff on hand to answer my many questions. And as a newbie to eco buying and sustainable living, I did have quite a few questions while browsing through their 12,000+ products. Before my visit, I was under the impression that the products would be overpriced and not necessarily worth the specific trip to the store. I was wrong on both accounts.

At the Eco Bar, the largest refill station for household products in North America, the cleaning products were dispensed in 1L, 2L or 4L refillable containers that allowed for bulk shopping. When you bring in your old containers to refill, you receive an in-store discount that allows you to reduce both the cost and the waste. And the variety could not be compared. Even in the cosmetic section, the products were modern, relevant and in colors that I would definitely use.

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All in all, I think that terra20 is worth stopping by if you are in the Ottawa area. I like the idea that they have done all their research about green, eco-friendly, bunny-friendly and fair trade products so I don’t have to. terra20 has everything, as long as it’s green and it allows me to focus on what I’m there to do - shop worry free and without thinking in a pleasant and environmentally friendly space. And, of course, the workshops are a plus too!

Disney on Ice - Rockin' Ever After

For weeks the Little Man, now 6 and half years old (the "half" being very important to him) has been asking to go to Disney on Ice. We went last year and while he remembers having an amazing time, I remember trying to entertain a bored little boy and avoid spending a small fortune on merchandise. So while part of me wanted to take him, especially since he doesn't ask for much in the way of entertainment, I was a little worried about shelling out money for another boring show.

Thanks to Kids in the Capital we were able to review the show this year and so I brought along one of Jake's oldest friends and his Mom - the same folks we saw the show with last year.

And we were so pleasantly surprised by the changes Feld Entertainment and Disney made to the show. Even though princesses were predominately featured throughout the two-hour show, there was lots to keep our boys riveted. The skating was fantastic, the costumes and props elaborate and colourful and the music was fun and upbeat.

The show featured Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald Duck, along with scenes from Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Tangled and Brace. I especially loved the "Be Our Guest" and "Under the Sea" routines and our boys were both taken with Maximus from Tangled. We had such a great time!

If you go . . .

1. There are still tickets available for today's performances. They range in price from $15 - $67.50.
2. Parking is $8 - cash only.
3. Popcorn and drinks will set you back $12 apiece, but you do get to keep the bucket and fancy plastic cups.
4. Merchandise featuring the main characters is also up for grabs, but be prepared to spend a fair bit.

We saw lots of little girls dressed as their favourite princesses, mickey ears and light up toys galore. Still, the boys in our homes still had a great time, and chatted about the show all the way home.

Have you been to a Disney on Ice show? What did you think?

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband, her 6 year old son, Jacob and her 10 month old son, Noah.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.