Family Fun at Centreville Amusement Park

I've always wanted to take the girls to Centreville Amusement Park, and the beautiful long weekend gave us perfect opportunity.

I dragged out the surprise for a couple of days, giving clues for good behaviour (I know, I'm a great mom).

Clue # 1: It's in Toronto but we're not sleeping over.
Clue # 2: We have to take a boat to get there.
Clue # 3: There are animals but it's not a zoo.
Clue # 4: There are lots of rides (this one got the biggest reaction).

and finally, the big reveal:

It's Centreville!

On Sunday morning we got ready and drove into the big city (with our usual stop at Tim's on the 115!) Tip: if you're going to Centreville, find a public parking lot as close to the ferry docks as you can to save time (and to save any walking the kids need to do for the amusement park!)

The ferry has regular departures (see schedule), and both ways we just walked right on and set sail. The girls really enjoyed being out on the water and seeing the city from a different vantage point.

After a short seven minute ride, we arrived at Centre Island, which isn't just home to Centreville Amusement Park, but also large grassy parks and sandy beaches (one is listed as "Clothing Optional", so of course I had to spend some time there. Just kidding.)

Here we are, a short walk over the island to Centreville. (The girls are such good sports about posing for blog photo ops.)

In order to get the full experience to share with you here, we were provided with all day ride bracelets, which really are the best bang for your buck (for the kids, and any adults who want to do the rides as well. Admission to the park is free, so there's no cost for anyone not wanting to take advantage of rides.)


One of the first destinations was the train, which we liked as a nice overview of the park at the beginning of the day: "We have to go on that ride!", "There's a farm!" ,"Look, popsicles!"

Frannie, ever her mother's daughter, consults the child-friendly park map while on the train:

While I didn't expect Far Enough Farm to be the highlight of the park for our little country girls, a mini-farm on an island is pretty cool: pigs, horses, silkie chickens, goats, peacocks and more!
Here they are, checking out the goats:

The most exciting part of Centreville for my girls, by far, was the rides. The best thing for us as parents is that they could go on almost everything by themselves!

The Boats:

The gorgeous 1907 Antique Carousel:

Other popular rides are the Ferris Wheel, Antique Cars, Bumble Bees and Log Flume (nice to get a little splash of water on a hot day!)

It's also a bonus that bringing a cooler/picnic basket is definitely allowed and encouraged (as opposed to many 'no outside food or drink' family destinations), although there are tons of options for purchasing food. We got a ten slice pepperoni pizza (from Pizza Pizza) at lunchtime for $22 which fed all four of us with some left over. There's also a Carousel Café, Shopsy's, and lots of places to pick up snacks and treats.

Centreville is definitely a great place to take a young family. Maggie (who's almost five) could do every ride that she wanted to, and we didn't even hit them all. Seven year old Frannie enjoyed the rides as well, but I could see her growing out of them within a year or two. I'd say the ideal ages for the park are from toddler to seven or eight years old.

Older kids looking for adventure should definitely hit the Scrambler. I went on with the girls, and it's inside a building which is darkened for the ride with loud music and flashing lights. Maggie clung desperately to the grab bar and Frannie told me repeatedly that she was going to be sick...a sure sign of a wild ride!

Before finishing this post, I wanted to give the girls' the last word (almost, I can't quite give that up) and ask for their highlights of the day:

Frannie's favourite: "The farm {I stand corrected}, and the swan ride."

Maggie's favourite: "Beasley Bear ride, the Scrambler even though it made my tummy a bit nervous, the train ride and the swans."

All good things must come to an end, and here you see my tired girls on the ferry ride back to the mainland (Maggie was asleep in the van before we were out of the city):

The highlight of the day for me was slowing down to spend some time with the family, and giving this experience to the girls (not just the amusement park itself, but going in to the city, taking the ferry to the island, etc.) It was great to be active out in the fresh air, and to forget everything I always feel like I need to be doing at home.

As out-of-towners, it's not something we'd do frequently since driving downtown is an adventure in itself before even getting to the ferry, but parents who live in or will be visiting the GTA this summer really need to check out this gem of a family outing.

This post was generously sponsored by Centreville, but the opinions and images are my own. For more information, visit www.centreisland.ca

The Real Deal About Shining: Guest Post from Vasavi Kumar

Today I welcome Vasavi Kumar, a certified life coach with dual master's degrees in social work and special education, as my special guest blogger. (She's also co-author of the bestselling book Succeeding in Spite of Everything.)

I love Vasavi's topic about shining, because it connects to one of my favourite Gospel passages, which incidentally I just heard at a funeral this week:

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly father." Matthew 5: 13 - 16.

Here are Vasavi's thoughts. I hope her words encourage you to get your light out from under that bushel and shine today.

****************

The Real Deal About Shining: Don't Let Haters Keep You From Being Your Best

Listen. There are haters everywhere. And by haters, I’m referring to people who get jealous of your success, do not want to see you rise, and who are intimidated by your greatness.

The truth is, your greatness is a constant reminder of what they are not doing in their lives. You can either shrink and crawl into your dark hole when you are amidst jealous folks, or you can stand in your power and keep shining on.

It can be scary at first to shine 100 percent despite what people are saying or thinking about you (which by the way you have absolutely no control over). But I promise you this: you standing strong in all of your awesomeness will create a space for others to do the same in THEIR lives.

Three things to remember:
1. Not everyone will like you or be happy for you. This took a long time for me to understand. As someone that just wants love and affection (as we all do), I never quite understood why some people didn’t dig me, or want to be my friend. I now get it. And I also know that it’s neither my job nor my soul purpose to get everyone to love me. All I can do is BE the love — wherever I go and with whomever I meet.

2. Don’t brag about your success. There is a huge difference between acknowledging your accomplishments and being humble versus rattling off a list of all your accomplishments every time someone asks you, “Hey how are you doing?” Be proud of the work that you have put in. Be proud of honoring and cherishing your gifts to make a difference in the world. And, remember that you are still awesome in spite of it.

3. Keep on keepin’ on. No matter who or what crosses your path, positive or negative, your only job is to keep it moving. Remember you have a purpose here on this planet. And, if you're going to let haters, evil eyes, jealousy, and all the baggage that comes along with people feeling inferior or insecure stop you, then you need to reconnect with why you are here, who you know yourself to be, and keep it moving.

You are loved. You always have been. Cherish the people who support, love, and honor you. And never forget just how amazing you are.

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About the Author: Licensed master social worker Vasavi Kumar coaches people to "get past their past" to take charge of their future. A certified life coach, she holds dual master's degrees in social work and special education. Vasavi is co-author of the best-selling book Succeeding in Spite of Everything and appears regularly on Kansas City Live as the "Keepin' It Real Guru" answering viewers' life questions. Learn more at http://VasaviKumar.com.

"Stuck On You" For Summer: 2 x $50 Gift Cards - US and CAN

Stuck On You wants to help get your family ready for camp (or anywhere the kids may be venturing this summer!) With their extensive line of labels, tags and personalized items, Stuck On You can help to make sure that your kids can easily find all of their belongings, and that you don't have to go searching, or worse yet, replacing!


Their range of labels includes clothing (iron on and stick on), shoe, pencil, book and even address labels, in various colours and styles ranging from basic to classic to designer. Tags (for bags or luggage) are also a great idea if your children will be travelling this summer. (Travel tip: I got each of my girls their own little rolling suitcase, which they are responsible for packing, rolling around, and unpacking, which has worked out really well.)

Stuck On You even offers personalized beach towels, calendars and cushions!

While this is the time of year for thinking about summer, I've been using Stuck On You products for my daughters ever since they started school to label their clothing, shoes and especially for their lunch items (thermos, Tupperware). As a teacher, I know from experience that even older kids don't always recognize what they brought with them, and it can be annoying (not to mention costly) to keep replacing things. They've also both used the personalized backpacks, and I'll be telling you more about that as back to school approaches (believe me, I don't want to think about that yet, when holidays haven't even arrived) but I wanted to give you other ideas for how you could spend the gift card that you just might win.

Gift card, you ask? Well, yes...Stuck On You is providing TWO lucky This Mom Loves readers (US or CAN) with $50 gift cards to spend on any products you like from their website. All you have to do to enter is like Stuck On You on Facebook with extra entries for being a This Mom Loves follower/supporter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you want to leave a blog post comment for 5 bonus points, you might want to visit:

Look What I Found: My Acting Career Edition
Determined Kid In The Kitchen: Special Guest Post
Summer Style Under $100 - My Walmart Frugal Heroes Shopping Challenge
Multitasking...For Dummies? My New Treadmill Desk

Summer Entertaining From Target Canada - $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

As the weather heats up (at least let's hope the mercury continues to move in the right direction) it's time to take entertaining outside. We were lucky enough to do a huge backyard reno last year (pool, deck, hot tub) and I intend to take advantage of it. I plan on stocking up on books, magazines and sunscreen for starters, and whatever else I need to host family and friends outdoors.

Target is ready to supply everything Canadians need for their summer entertaining, and they're offering these tips to help you get started:

SUMMER ENTERTAINING


Canadians love to entertain outdoors and take advantage of beautiful summer-like weather. Target has everything from Bublé to bistro sets to make entertaining a breeze this season:

• Plastic makes perfect – with kids running around in bare feet, plastic dishes and stemware make entertaining outside stress free. Target’s Threshold collection carries colourful dishes and serving trays to create a beautiful outdoor tabletop.

(Note from This Mom: After a wide search for dinnerware to go with the red colour scheme on my deck, I picked up a very stylish looking - if I do say so myself - set of outdoor dishes from Target. Photo below.)

• Accessorize – gardens and greenery provide a beautiful backdrop for any occasion. Add to the outdoors with seasonal accessories including bright patio rugs, umbrellas and pillows.

• Ambiance – set the mood with outdoor lanterns and low background music (but remember, sound travels!)

• Food - check the grocery aisle for quick and easy appetizers to pop in the oven as guests arrive. Archer Farms’ Spanakopita and Lobster and Cheese bites are crowd pleasers – just make sure you have enough on hand for seconds!

(Loyal readers will be amused, but hardly surprised, to learn that when Target generously offered to send me some ingredients to whip up their favourite recipes, I politely declined. I believe that my guests would prefer that I not cook for them.)

So, have you made your list? Hey, wouldn't it be nice if you had a gift card from Target to get you started? Do you see where I'm going with this?   Yes. Target is providing one lucky This Mom Loves winner with a $50 gift card to get stocked up for summer. All you have to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. You can just leave your name to enter, but there are lots of options for bonus entries, too.



a Rafflecopter giveaway



If you'd like to leave a blog comment for 5 extra points, you may want to take a look at:

Look What I Found: My Acting Career Edition
Determined Kid In The Kitchen: Special Guest Post
Multitasking...For Dummies? My New Treadmill Desk
This Mom's Recommended Reading
Jessica Mulroney: The Momterview

Good luck, and happy entertaining!

Look What I Found: My Acting Career Edition

(This is the continuation of a series where I sort through old stuff, and you - lucky, lucky you! - get to see what I have found. I do such good work here, don't I?)

As a child, my answer to the "What do you want to be when you grow up question?" was "Actress, writer and teacher"...in no particular order.

Clearly, I was leaning towards "actress" when I posed for this fake magazine cover at Canada's Wonderland one summer. I can't really explain the business-woman-slash-scarecrow look...though maybe a screenwriter wants to jump all over that idea? Futuristic stuff is so overdone; really we need to go to back to the farm for good material.

When I was younger, I participated in a lot of Drama camps, and when a local professional theatre was looking for a couple of child actors to share a role (Gloria in "Wait Until Dark", in case you're dying to know exactly what the part was), one of my Drama teachers called my parents to suggest I try out.

I don't remember many of the audition details, but I do recall that we did a lot of improv, which to this day I would swear I am terrible at, though being almost ten and a strong reader with a great memory probably helped tip the scales. Give me a script and I can do whatever you want, but I certainly can't imagine shining while making things up on the spot. (Though it's possible that I overestimate my self-consciousness, forgetting that it has increased over time, and my current level does not necessarily reflect where I was 25 years ago.)

Whatever it was, I got the part (along with fellow child "actor" Leslie Wood), and it was an amazing summer. We also costarred with several professional actors, including Gabrielle Rose, whom you may recognize from her work in television and film. (When I made my Confirmation the next year, I actually chose "Gabrielle" as my Confirmation name.)

 Going through my souvenirs brought back a lot of memories:

Call sheet

Script (with blocking notes) and program

(Yep, that's me, Katie Leahy. If you zoom in, you can see that they referred to me as "an avid athlete". Come back when you're done laughing at that PR spin.)

Leslie and I were even interviewed for the local news, and of course I pulled out that video and watched it (before handing it over to my kind Uncle Dave to transfer it from VHS to DVD). I lost touch with Leslie soon after that (she now lives out West) but coincidentally enough ran into her just this past Christmas at...you'd never guess...a local theatre production!

Fast forward to Grade 11, when I landed the coveted part of Marie Fontbonne, sister to Sister Jeanne Fontbonne (that double 'sister' is intentional; they were both nuns), founder of the Sisters Of St. Joseph. Since the director was also writing the script, and still revising as rehearsals began,  I actually do recall some successful improv there. I vividly remember spontaneously blessing myself during one scene (I think we had been imprisoned in France for refusing to sign the Oath of Civil Constitution of the Clergy...and come to think of it, that's a really underutilized theme in Hollywood as well), and the director commented "Nice. Very nice. Leave that in." See what power we have as teachers when I can remember that moment like it was yesterday?

I had both of the posters framed for posterity, though they have never been on display. However, I have been looking for something new for the living room...I certainly hope my daughters don't throw them out someday with no concern for their sentimental value. I would so totally never do that to them.

While I more or less managed to find a remedy for the acting bug (still no cure for teaching or writing), there's still a part of me that would love to be on screen, in some capacity, and I did actually go out on a limb (waaaay out on a limb) and make an attempt recently (remember, the yellow dress?)...which is a story I still plan to share with you in the future. 

Determined Kid In The Kitchen: Guest Post

Today I'm welcoming Nancy from Life Takes Over as a special guest blogger here at This Mom Loves. I think you'll enjoy her tale of her daughter baking almost independently, and it's a good reminder to me that I need to let my girls get messy and have fun in the kitchen, even if it's not the most efficient way to get things done!

You can find Nancy's bio at the end of the post.

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As a partial work-at-home mom, I have to find age-appropriate activities to keep my daughter busy while I get my work done. We’re home together every morning before she skips off to Senior Kindergarten and I head into the office, so our time together isn’t very long. And some days I can manage to focus a little more attention on her than other days (depending on my deadlines).

Something I have recently discovered about my daughter is she loves to bake. And, with her major independence streak and I-can-do-it-myself attitude, it’s tough to stand in her way.

So what’s a busy working mom to do?

Well, baking usually doesn’t involve much chopping, so she can’t hurt herself with a sharp knife. The ingredients won’t harm her in any way (until after they come out of the oven). The work involved isn’t too hard. So really, when you think about it, except for the actual baking in a hot oven part, a determined child could manage—with a slight bit of adult guidance—to bake up a storm (I mean it. A storm. You should see my kitchen when my daughter is done.)

Now, the adult guidance in my house comes in the form of laid out and pre-measured ingredients. My daughter is, after all, only five and her reading skills are still being developed. (I hope to extricate myself from the process of pre-measuring ingredients by this time next year.)

To keep my daughter occupied for the morning in question, this is what I did:

1. Chose a muffin recipe she would like to eat and one that seemed easy enough for her to manage on her own

2. Shredded the carrots ahead of time and measured them out

3. Pre-measured all the ingredients and laid them out

4. Provided bowls and spoons and brief instructions on the dumping and mixing of ingredients

Then I left her alone in the kitchen to dump and mix and concoct her afternoon snack: Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins.

I tiptoed away to get some work done and peeked into the kitchen from time to time. She was busily working away as if these muffins were her greatest creation.

I’ve allowed her to bake on her own a few times now and the trick I have found to make this all work (keep her occupied and still have a edible tasty result) is to pick a simple recipe that doesn’t require ingredients to be added in any particular order or that skips the step of sifting together the dry ingredients (something I hate doing anyway). This recipe, however, called for mixing the dry ingredients separately and my daughter tackled that in true baker’s style.

I found the recipe on Food.com (http://www.food.com/recipe/carrot-muffins-86055 ) and it really was tasty. And healthy, too. It called for whole wheat flour and it has carrots in it. I’m a happy mom if I can get my kids to eat veggies. And if a carrot muffin is the only way I can do it, so be it.

The only thing she asked me for help with (because I insisted, not because she actually wanted my help) was putting the muffins in the pre-heated oven. (OK, I helped scoop the batter into the pans; but not all of it. She was pretty insistent that she do it until her arms got tired.) The trick to getting the batter in the muffin cups without it ending up all over the pans is to use a small measuring cup and do it a bit at a time.

The muffins turned out light, fluffy even, and absolutely scrumptious. They didn’t last long enough to take a picture. We will definitely make them again; or rather, I will have my daughter make them again. The result being three-fold: Delicious muffins, some free time for mom to get her work done, and the all-important result, a child with a proud sense of accomplishment!

And if you’d like to try the recipe, here it is:

Carrot Muffins

By Mairead Kelly on March 07, 2004

• Prep Time: 20 mins

• Total Time: 40 mins

• Serves: 12, Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 egg

• 3/4 cup orange juice

• 1/2 cup melted margarine

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 cup white flour

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon ( more or less to taste)

• 2 cups shredded carrots

Directions

1. Beat egg lightly in large bowl.

2. Add orange juice, margarine, and sugar, beat well.

3. Sift together dry ingredients.

4. Stir into egg mixture, mix only till moistened.

5. Gently fold in shredded carrots (I shred the carrots in my food processor).

6. Spoon into well greased muffin pans about 2/3 full.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

So baking has been done. And if I know my daughter, now that she has mastered this, it won’t be long before she tires of it. Got any suggestions for how I can keep my busy, determined 5-year-old occupied each morning?


********

About Nancy:

I talk too much. Truth be told, I’m happier when my mouth is shut and my pen is flowing cursively across the page. (Or my fingers are tapping out my thoughts on a keyboard.) And so, this is my return to writing. I’m a daughter, sister, wife, mother, writer, editor, blogger, tweeter, chauffeur, organizer, planner, dreamer, friend, and sometimes, I’m me.

And “me” is a busy mom running ragged and trying to keep up, who blogs about trying to be the mom and person she wants to be even on the days when the world forces her to admit that she can only be who she is.

What will you find on my blog? A little bit of everything. I swear I suffer from attention deficit disorder. I can’t focus on writing about just one thing, so you’ll find a little bit of everything here.

I love writing about food because it’s all about the journey for me. (I used to hate cooking and baking or anything else to do with the kitchen for that matter. Now, I’m the chef in the family!) I also write about my kids and motherhood. There again, it’s all about the journey. I enjoy supporting and writing about things that I believe in, so sometimes you might find a review or an article about something that has appealed to me in some way.

Oh, and the reason my blog is called Life Takes Over…I met my husband long before we were an item and then we met again and became an item years later. I had been through some adult, responsibility-bearing experiences and kept trying to convince him that life takes over, whether we want it to or not. He was (and still is) a free spirit and believed that it didn’t have to be that way. When I started writing again, he suggested Life Takes Over as a name for my blog.

I hope you join me on my journey as Life Takes Over.

Second Pregnancies: Need Sources and Input For Article

Hello dear readers,

I'm working on an article about second pregnancies for a national magazine (I'm trying to act cool about it but really I'm super excited!) and I'm hoping you can help me with two things:

1. If you've had two pregnancies, how was the second different from the first, physically? Was it better or worse? What symptoms changed the second time around? You can leave a comment below or e-mail me at katewinn77 at yahoo dot ca

2. If you've had two pregnancies, have lots to say about the question above and LIVE OUTSIDE ONTARIO, I'd love to interview you for the article. Again, you can give me contact info in the comments, or email me at katewinn77 at yahoo dot ca

Thanks so much for your help!

Walmart's New (and FREE!) Live Better Magazine

You know how I love my magazines, and last month Walmart launched a brand-new (and free) publication. Walmart Live Better, a multi-platform lifestyle magazine, is now available at Walmart Supercentres across Canada, and online through mobile devices and an iPad app. I haven't picked up a hard copy yet, but I've spent lots of time checking it out online (I'll share my favourite stories below).

The publication offers content from top Canadian editors and contributors, including Editor-in-Chief Sandra Martin, formerly of Today’s Parent. Readers will be able to enjoy the latest in food, home, beauty and fashion trends and tips.

At 1 million copies per issue, Walmart Live Better will immediately become Canada’s largest circulation magazine (published six times per year), and of course all products featured in the magazine are available at Walmart Canada Supercentres.

“Canadians want to be inspired by new ideas and stay on budget. With Walmart Live Better they don’t have to make a choice. Our team of experts provide great ideas on how to make dollars go farther with style,” said Martin.

A few of my favourite pieces from the Walmart Live Better debut (under the website categories of Recipes, Living, Wellness, Beauty, Fashion and Kids):

Plan The Perfect Indoor Birthday Party (tons of practical tips, which of course could be used with any of my themed birthday parties)

Get Organized In Six Simple Steps Organizing is one of my favourite things to do, and I got some new ideas from this piece, as well as a bit of inspiration: "Quit reading about it and just do it."

Couch To 5K: An 8 Week Fitness Guide (while I'm not currently following this, I like knowing it's there should I ever decide to do a 5K. Over the summer I'll gear up to practice Cross Country with my students, but 2K is usually my limit!)

Oh, and for those of you who actually like to cook - or do it willingly anyway - there are more than 30 recipes as well. These I skipped over, but they may be the highlight for some of you!


Pick up a copy at your nearest Walmart, or check it out online as www.walmartlivebetter.ca.