Blueberry Pie and A Beautiful Drive!

Yesterday, I went for a drive all by myself. I feel like this shouldn't be news, but usually I have C in tow, and although he makes road trips entertaining, it's really nice to get out all by myself.

I wanted to get some blueberries and pies from McKay's Wild Blueberry stand for the freezer. You need blueberries for "Surpise Pancakes" and muffins, and McKay's are the best. It was such a nice day; I thought I'd jump at the opportunity.

After a really busy week and starting to feel better after being struck down by a cold (maybe a little too dramatic!), it was so nice to enjoy a little time by myself, turn up the radio and take in the scenery.  Of course, my mind is always racing with a never-ending to-do list, but flipping back and forth between the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s channels on the radio really helped to clear it. Elton John's "Benny and the Jets," the Bangles' Manic Monday, Pras and Mya's "Ghetto Superstar," and a little NSYNC were exactly what the doctor ordered. Sorry to the people who drove past the crazy lady singing and dancing in her car. I couldn't help myself.

McKay's was busy! I think I was in line for about 20 minutes, but the ladies that run the stand are awesome, and it doesn't seem like it's that long. There is one older lady who is a reason to stop there all by herself. She is spunky!

The wait also gave me a chance to plan to add more to my order. (I'm sure if C had been with me, it would have felt like hours... that boy doesn't have patience yet.)

I picked up two bottles of jam - wild blueberry and bumbleberry. They're both delicious!

I also bought a 5lb box of frozen wild blueberries. For freezer treats, I picked out 4 pies. They are uncooked and frozen, so when you feel like having pie, you just pop it in the oven, still frozen, and a little over an hour later, you have a yummy pie! My favourite is Raspberry-Blueberry, so I bought 2 of those, and also picked 2 Harvest pies. I discovered those a couple years ago - blueberry, apple, and pear. So good! (This picture is from a couple years ago. I am definitely a repeat customer!)

How to bake a pie: Step 1-Go to #McKaysWildBlueberries in Pennfield. Step 2- Buy a frozen, uncooked, blueberry raspberry pie. Step 3-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Step 4-Bake pie for about 75 minutes, or until pie is golden brown and house smells of yummy pie. Step 5-Allow pie to cool and then enjoy! (Repeat often during blueberry season and stock up for the long winter!)

A post shared by Tiffany S (@tiffs2012) on Aug 23, 2015 at 9:17am PDT

To make sure I had a treat for the drive home and snacks for lunches this week, I snatched up a dozen buttermilk blueberry muffins. They are to die for... the little sprinkle of sugar on top puts them over the edge. You have to get them when you see them, becuase they go fast. Often, they're still hot!

It started off as 6...

But one disappeared! 

On the drive home, I was driving behind someone from North Carolina. I often wonder what draws people from far away to come to New Brunswick. I know some drive through to get to other parts of Canada, but many stay for a visit. What's the appeal? While driving, I really took a look around me. Sure, things are starting to look a little brown and grey with fall, but really, our province is beautiful. The highway was surrounded by evergreens, sprinkled with a few hardwood trees starting to turn colours. Passing by the rolling hills, waterways, and rock faces, I realized how lucky I am to live in a place with such a diverse landscape, ever changing with the seasons. And this was inland! Don't even get me started on the beaches and tides. I guess I shouldn't wonder why people would want to stop and take it all in. 

New Brunswick is filled with little gems, like McKay's Blueberry stand. With new highways rerouting traffic flows, it's too easy to pass by. I'm glad I know where to find it!

Our Forgotten About Fall To Do List!

I was cleaning off the side of the fridge yesterday, and look what I found! It's my forgotten about Fall to Do List... which made me think of my semi-forgotten about blog. Let's face it, I'm no blogger, but I do like to post here from time to time, when I have spare time. Typically, that's summer, when I'm off work. I'm horrible at photo albums and scrapbooks, so this is a way for me to document some of my life happenings. Mostly happy times, sometimes things that are just living in my mind.

I checked more off my fall list than I thought I would, to be honest. This fall, I started a new job, C started back to preschool and we had a lot of meetings following his diagnosis of ASD. 

1.  Go apple picking - ✓ This year, we went to Charlotte's Family Orchard, in Gagetown. There were so many varieties of apples and lots of space to explore. C had a great time running around, picking apples (and eating about 10)! 

2.  Take a drive up to Fredericton, stopping at all the farm stands - ✓ It was a beautiful drive to the apple orchard, with all of the leaves popping with colour, so we decided to go even further toward Fredericton, to visit Moxon's Country Pumpkin. Besides being a farm and vegetable stand, they have the best bakery (C is all about their spoon bread!), and as a bonus for families, they have a small petting farm and playground. In the fall, they also have about a million pumpkins. Can you spot our little pumpkin in the pile? 

3.  Decorate our yard for fall - ✓  This is something my husband does every year. Corn stalks, straw bails, pumpkins. It's not extravagant, but Fall is our favourite season, so it really gets us into the season. 

4.  Carve pumpkins - ✓ C LOVED carving pumpkins. He did a lot of drawing on the pumpkins for me to carve and poking holes with the pumpkin knife. 

5.  Enjoy a walk in the park, to enjoy the fall colours - ✓ The leaves were beautiful this year. Any day we were able to to get outside to see them was a good day. 

5.  Make pickles - ✓ I did it! I made my two favourites, Chow Chow & Pickled Beets and then hubby and I made Apple Jelly. 

6.  Find a Halloween costume for C. - ✓ (but, also a total fail!)  We found a Halloween costume, but C refused to wear it. It was a really simple Thomas the Tank Engine costume, and he LOVES Thomas. He wouldn't have anything to do with it. Since he didn't want to wear a costume, we didn't go Trick or Treating, which made me sad, because Halloween is one of my favourite holidays and he had so much fun last year visiting a few of our neighbours. It ended up okay though, because he passed out treats to our Trick or Treaters. We had a TON! I think the final number was 220. That's a lot of work for a 3 year old! It ended up being a fun Halloween for everyone.

7.  Plan something special for C's 3rd birthday! - ✓ We had a nice family dinner for C's birthday. No kid party this year. Honestly, October was a very up and down month.  It was busy.  I couldn't figure out a good date and time for everyone, so I decided not to do it. I felt like a total mom failure, but many people reminded me that parties for little ones are usually for the benefit of the parents more than the kids. I still felt bad, but kind of agreed. 

8.  Jump in puddles - ✓ Many times! So much fun! I guess the upside of a very bumpy, uneven driveway has its benefits! 

9.  Get some fall candles from Bath & Body Works - ✓  Fall scents are the best scents. 

10.  Host Thanksgiving Day dinner! - ✓ I did it! This was a big one for me. I am not a "hostess," but I was pretty proud of pulling it off. It was a pretty good meal and C. made some cute centerpieces out of gourds. 

11.  Thanksgiving crafts! - ✓ This was fun! Gourds, paint, paint brushes, feathers, and anything else we could paint with. They turned out pretty cute. C was super proud of them and took good care of them, until the dog chewed one into pieces and C sat on another one and squished it. Then it was time to say, "Buh-bye gourds!" 

Thanksgiving crafts led to finger painting, which was a whole lot of fun too! This one is now in his art frame in the living room. 

The others didn't happen, but the worst fail of all would have to be:

*Sit back, relax, and breathe. <MAJOR FAIL!>  I can't remember a time when I felt more stressed than I was this fall. Work got the better of me. Home commitments got the better of me. Volunteer commitments got the better of me. It was bad. 

I was so happy that the Christmas break arrived. I have really allowed myself to take a break. Sleep, relaxation, and lots of play time with C. I think it's exactly what we all needed.

Finally, Fall!

It's officially fall! My absolute favourite season. Cozy clothes, warm drinks, colourful leaves, crisp air. I love it all.

I've been working WAY too hard lately. In addition to the craziness of a new school year, with a new position, I have been doing some busy volunteer work and also decided to take on a little side project. Needless to say, it's been a bit crazy.  There hasn't been nearly enough fun in my life, so I thought I'd make a little list of things I would like to do this fall. Hopefully, I can figure out a way to make them all happen!

1.  Go apple picking
2.  Decorate our yard for fall
3.  Carve pumpkins
4.  Enjoy a walk in the park, to enjoy the fall colours
5.  Take a drive up to Fredericton, stopping at all the farm stands
6.  Make pickles
7.  Visit Kings Landing
8.  When September is over, make pumpkin cookies
9.  Find a Halloween costume for C.
10.  Plan something special for C's 3rd birthday!
11.  Jump in puddles
12.  Get some fall candles from Bath & Body Works
13.  Make some Halloween Crafts
14.  Take fun fall photos
15.  Host Thanksgiving Day dinner!
16.  Go to the Moncton Zoo
17.  Thanksgiving crafts!
18.  Fall Nature Hunt / I Spy Walk
19.  Make Applesauce
20.  Sit back, relax, and breathe.

Summer Fun

Adventures don't have to take you far from home. Honestly, with a toddler, adventure can be found pretty much anywhere - basement, backyard, or flying through the air from the coffee table to the couch. I always have to remind myself that usually the best times are the times that are spent on simple activities. That's what we've been doing lately. Last week, we explored some of our local parks. It was free, fun, and outdoors!

Harbour Passage is a sweet walking/biking/strolling trail along the harbourfront that links the uptown with the west side. In addition to the beautiful sights, there are panels along the route to explain some of the history and wildlife of the area - shipbuilding, seals, the port, Fort LaTour. Of course, I didn't get to spend too much time reading them, but there seem to be more popping up all the time. Over the years, they've added more highlights, including public art, learning stations, and a children's section. Last week, C and I went for an evening walk, looking at the water, flowers, wildlife, and stopping at the children's play area.

I don't know why, but I never think about going to Rockwood Park. It's a shame, because it's a beautiful park. We're lucky to have such a great green space in the middle of our city. It's like our own Central Park. Actually, Rockwood Park was designed by a member of the same team who designed Central Park, in New York City, so it really is Saint John's version!  We spent the morning, one hot Saturday, exploring the trails, checking out the ducks, and eventually popping into Lily's Cafe for lunch on the patio overlooking Lily Lake.

Our other large green space in the city is the Irving Nature Park.  This park seems to be growing all the time. When I was a kid, it was Taylor's Island and Saints Rest. I used to go to the beach to beach-comb and fly kites. I think it opened as the Irving Nature Park in the 90s, and since then has grown to include the Sheldon Point Trail and the Children's Forest. On foggy mornings, we like to stop at Saints Rest, to walk the beach before breakfast. This typically includes throwing rocks into the water and trying to miss getting his by the waves. We always leave covered in sand and soaking wet. Sometimes, we are lucky to spot some wildlife, like deer.

Of course, close to our house is Seaside Park. It will be changing a lot next year, so we're trying to take advantage of it now. There is a little playground and a road that leads to the most beautiful views of Partridge Island and the Bay of Fundy. There are big pieces of granite to sit on and watch the ships come into the harbour. It's peaceful. If you continue down a pathway, you can walk along a path that can take you to Bayshore beach in one direction and Duck Cove beach in the other. Of course, the rocks also make the best jump-off rocks with is a bonus!

Last week helped me remember how lucky we are to live in Saint John. We have so many parks to go to within a short walk or drive. It's something to be proud of and support.

My 5 Favourite Places to Visit on PEI

I just found this post in draft form and had completely forgotten about it. It caught my eye, because it's about Prince Edward Island. Sure, PEI may not seem like a glamorous place, but I love it. I know summer has arrived when my mind starts having visions of red sand, tiny villages, farm land, and lobster. I  always seem to find myself there each summer, even when I don't plan to. I thought it would be a good time to post. Last summer, I shared my new finds for PEI, but these are my favourite places to go back to every year.


1.  Village Pottery:
I love Village Pottery. Seriously. I posted the second picture on Instagram with the hashtag #icouldspendmypaycheckhere, and this is not an exaggeration. I really could. Since we had declared this trip a non-shopping vacation, I had to be good, but couldn't leave PEI without getting a little something from Village Pottery. (I went with a little sugar bowl and creamer and 3 small bowls.) It's definitely my favourite place to shop on the Island. As a bonus, if your significant other doesn't enjoy shopping, there is always a nice chair out front, in the shade. They can relax in the shade, while you give your wallet a workout!

 

My new favourites!

2.  Island Hill Farm

We first visited Island Hill Farm last year, and it was such a surprise. They have become a highly rated attraction on Trip Advisor, and if you visit, you'll soon see why. You start your visit in the barn, but it's not your average barn. There are murals on the walls and a chandelier in the chicken coop! Like I said, not your average barn. For just $5, you can spend as much time as you want with a donkey, alpacas, ducks, pigs, kittens, bunnies, and lots of goats! The donkey can get a little nippy (which they warn you about!), but all the other animals are very friendly, especially the goats! Sometimes you get an extra special treat, and one of the animals might have recently had babies. A day or two before our visit, the rabbit had bunnies! We couldn't see much, because they were still hiding in their bunny fur fuzz ball, but it was still exciting. 

Little C had fallen asleep on the drive there, and wasn't too awake when we arrived, so I carried him in for the first few minutes. As soon as he saw the goats, he was ready to roll! He had the best time with the animals, running through the fields, in and out of the barn, and even in the chicken coop! I think the animals enjoy the kids just as much as the kids love them! A great spot for visitors of all ages!

3.  Toy Factory:
I didn't take any pictures at the Toy Factory this year, but let me tell you, this is a kid's paradise! Inside? A small building jam-packed with toys! There is something for everyone - babies, toddlers, "big" kids, and kids-at-heart. I love the wooden toys, especially the cars - they roll smoothly on our floors, so they're great for car races. Also, if you ask, they'll personalize the car for your little one. In addition to their handmade toys, they carry lots of different lines of toys. They have entire sections devoted to puzzles, toy houses, castles, stuffed animals, and toys for young ones. There is a lot packed into a small space.

It's not just about the inside though. This is what makes the Toy Factory so special - they have created a child's paradise outside! There is a (real) bunny on the deck, a (fake) elephant in the yard, knight and princess cutouts, and a horse and carriage. Let's just say, there is lots to see, if you takd the time to look around. It's a bonus for when you want to buy a present or two for that special little boy or girl in your life, and need them to keep busy for a few minutes - one adult can go out, and one can stay inside and do some secret shopping.

It's also within walking distance of the PEI Preserve Company, Gardens of Hope, and Butterfly House. We didn't go there this year, but have been in the past. All three are worth the time to visit!

4.  Kings Castle Provincial Park:
If you have little ones, and are headed to the Points East Coastal Drive, this is a must-stop. It's a bit of a drive, if you're staying in Cavendish or Charlottetown, but if you love to see an ear to ear smile on your child's face, it's worth every minute of driving! Type the address into your GPS and enjoy the ride. (1887 Gladstone Rd, Murray Harbour, PE C0A 1V0) There is a beach, picnic tables spread throughout, washrooms, and lots of playground equipment! Some of the equipment is vintage - like the old woman who lived in a shoe slide, which my son had to go down about a million times. They've made many upgrades in the past few years - including new playground equipment, but I like the older stuff - wooden structures to climb and metal slides. It's a real trip back in time to my own childhood playground fun! You can sit back and watch your kids have a little old-fashioned fun!

5.  Site of L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish Home:
This one may not be as expected. I don't know what it is about this place, but I love it. The cottages that we usually rent are close by, and every year I walk there, usually by myself. That could be part of it's appeal. A little time to myself.  This year was a little better though, because I had my little buddy with me! The view on the way is beautiful - ocean on one side, and a nice field of wheat on the other.

Once you leave the main route, you take a short walk down a red road.  At the entrance to the site, there is a cute little building. You pay your admission fee here, and can also listen to a talk about the site. On your way out, you can pop in again to visit the gift shop. (We picked up a couple of postcards for the album, and a Stompin' Tom Connors "Hockey Song" board book!) It's a pretty simple spot. You can take a walk through the property. There are boards along the pathways, with L.M. Montgomery quotes and descriptions of what it would have looked like when she stayed there. As an added bonus, you can make your visit even longer by using connecting paths to visit the Green Gables post office and even continue on further to arrive at Green Gables.

Those are my top 5! I love new finds, but I love a good "return trip." Feels like home! ;)

Towers and Strawberries

Last week was a pretty tame week. Even though it's summer vacation, I have been finishing up some work stuff. Last week, I was involved in some professional development and this week I am out of town for a few days. After that, I can breathe easy. Vacation will have finally arrived for me. 

We had some nice weather last week, so we did a little exploring. One day, we decided to go for a neighbourhood walk to visit Carleton Martello Tower. I sometimes forget all that our neighbourhood has to offer. Not everyone can say they live within walking distance of a 200-year old National Historic Site.
Carleton Martello Tower is a small defensive fort that was built during the War of 1812.  It's my understanding that there are many Martello Towers scattered throughout the world, including the Prince of Wales Tower, in Point Pleasant Park.  In the past few years, they've added a lovely interpretive centre. The Tower itself houses a powder magazine and barracks. It also has a gorgeous views of the city, including the port, harbour, uptown and Partridge Island. 

Unfortunately, this turned into a bit of a mis-adventure. You see, Martello Tower received some impressive funding recently which will allow for it to be completely restored.  I believe it is going to be totally dismantled and re-built. It's a pretty big deal. I knew this, but didn't realize that it was starting so soon. Needless to say, the tower wasn't open to go inside. The interpretive centre is still open, but that's not very exciting for a 2 year old. The guide in the centre was great, and gave C a little colouring book and explained that we could still explore outside, so that's what we did. It will be exciting to see the tower refurbished and visit it once it is complete. 

We climbed all the stairs to get to the base of the tower. 

We stopped to look around, but it was a little foggy. I have to say that in this part of the west side, this is what a little foggy can look like. When it's really foggy, you wouldn't be able to see the any of the church steeple or even some of the nearby trees.  It can get pretty thick. Sadly, the normally beautiful views of the city could not be seen that day!

Then we climbed down again.

C was a little upset that there was a gate locking him out, but luckily, 2 year olds are easily distracted and we just ran up and down the pathways a bit and stopped to smell the roses (literally!) A little stop at the store for a tiny tub of strawberry ice cream helped end the afternoon on a high note. Eating ice cream with a little wooden stick makes everything better, doesn't it? 


Later in the week, we went strawberry picking. C has loved picking wild strawberries in our yard lately, and was doing such a good job, I figured he'd love to see a big berry patch. I hadn't been strawberry picking in many years, but I had a flashback to sitting between the rows and stuffing my face with strawberries as a kid. Our berry picking trip went the same way! We drove to Bates Landing, in Long Point, which is near the Kingston Peninsula. We took the long way, so we could take a ferry ride. 


I knew we wouldn't get many berries picked, and we didn't, but it was fun. I picked berries and put them in our bucket, and C would pick strawberries out of the bucket and put them in his mouth. It was a very effective process... for him! He also liked playing with the hay and squishing berries that were on the ground. 

I kept telling him that he couldn't eat the berries, but he wouldn't stop. The ladies picking around us kept saying he could eat as much as he wanted! There were so many berries on the plants, and some were starting to get moldy, so they were probably right. There weren't enough pickers for the berries. He was just helping the berries live up to fulfill their destiny of being gobbled up! After getting the berries weighed and paid for, I gave the girls a few extra dollars for the strawberries consumed during our time in the berry patch. It's not like they didn't know. He had red berry juice smeared all over his face!

Before stopping home, we went to Kredl's in Hampton for lunch at the Cookhouse and picked up tea biscuits and whipping cream to have with our strawberries that night. 

Strawberry shortcake tastes like summer!  There is nothing better than fresh, local strawberries. They taste even better when you pick them yourself. I think we'll be making this a summer tradition. Hopefully, next year, I have a better helper and not just an eater!

Picnic at Wolastoq Park

Sometimes, you forget to appreciate all that your city has to offer. I find that when you live in a city, you hear all of the negativity - the complaints about the smell, the traffic, the closing stores, the pot holes, etc., etc., etc., When you hear that day after day, you forget to look at the great sights, sounds, smells, and experiences. Last week, there were a group of people traveling around New Brunswick, and blogging, Instagram-ing, and tweeting about their adventures, using the hashtag #LetsGoNB. It was great! I loved seeing my city and province through the eyes of someone who doesn't have to hear all the complaining. They loved it! It made me think about all the awesome parts of Saint John, and New Brunswick. I've lived in Saint John my entire life. Sure, it has it's negatives, but everywhere does. The important thing to remember is that it also has lots of positives. I'm going to make an effor to look for the good.

On Thursday, after spending the morning at the zoo, C and I decided to have a picnic for our supper. We packed some food up and headed to Wolastoq Park. 

I have to admit, despite driving past it almost daily, I haven't taken advantage of this park lately. I had forgotten about what a great spot it is. It's a small park in the middle of an area filled with industry - the Irving Pulp and Paper Mill and Moosehead Brewery are to the left of the park, and up until about a year ago, Simms brush factory was in the area too. A little nature in the middle of industry. 

The park's land has an interesting history.  From the early 1800s to the 1990s, the spot housed a psychiatric hospital. When it closed, J.D. Irving purchased the land and turned it into a park.  Once the building was torn down, they made it a green space, and overtime added more to the park - including a driveway, parking, picnic tables, benches, and the best part - wood carvings.

In case the dark clouds rolling in decided to attempt to spoil our picnic, we found a covered picnic table and sat down to eat, taking in the sights and sounds. I forgot how fun a picnic can be.  Food really tastes better outside.  It helped that we had a great view, overlooking the Reversing Falls and the lower West Side. C got a kick out of the seagull who was sitting guard, hoping that we would drop some food for him to enjoy after we left. (We may have left a few crumbs, but not much!)

When we were finished, we packed up our meal, then took a walk around the park. The middle section of the park is now a "who's who" of Saint John, including Samuel de Champlain, Charles Gorman, K.C. Irving, and Koluskap and Beaver. Each is accompanied by a plaque, explaining their connection and contribution to Saint John. I didn't know all of the names, but many of the people have buildings in the city named after them, so it was neat to get to read about why they were important. 

Koluskap & Beaver - Many, many years ago, they shaped the land into what it is today -
including the creation of the Reversing Falls and Partridge Island. 

K.C. Irving - if you look closely, you can see a tree sapling in his hand

Lots of spots for sitting, relaxing, and having some family (or alone) time

The nice part about rain? When you're lucky, you get to see rainbows!

Wolastoq is a great little park, with a great view. When I was on maternity leave, I used to go there a lot. I'd drive my husband to work, and my son would fall back asleep in the truck. Since a tired mommy never, never wakes a sleeping baby, I'd grab a coffee, park there, and do a little reading, while C snoozed in the back. It was a nice break. I don't know why I forgot about it! Well, not again. The next time I need a change of scenery, I'll pack up a lunch, and grab a picnic table or bench at Wolastoq Park.  Just another reason why Saint John is awesome!

PEI Vacation - List of Possibilities

I've been searching and searching for some baby and budget-friendly activities for our little vacation to the "Gentle Island." Here are some of our ideas. We may not get to see everything, because it's only a four day trip, but at least we have some options.  

1) The Butterfly House - ($14 for our family) This will be a repeat activity for my husband and I, but it's all new for C. I'm interested to see what he thinks about the butterflies. Hopefully they won't scare him! I'd never seen so many big colourful butterflies in one place before visiting the Butterfly House.  They seem to be quite friendly and will even land on you.

If you've never been there, it is part of the PEI Preserve Company property. They have created a gorgeous walking trail called The Gardens of Hope and invite you to enjoy the view,  "and let the sights and sounds of nature be sources of  peace, refreshment and inspiration." They have also built a Respite Cottage for families or caregivers dealing with terminal illness.  I think they're doing something pretty special.

If you visit, stop and buy some preserves (my favourite is wild blueberry and raspberry with champagne) and have a bite to eat at the restaurant. I ate there for the first time last year, and it was not only delicious, but the  staff was helpful and friendly and the restaurant itself was gorgeous. Its huge windows let in natural light which filters through the numerous pieces of colourful stained glass.

As you can tell, I can't say enough good things about this business. I love a business that goes beyond the business and creates an experience while giving back to the community. I'm excited to return to take in the sights (and hopefully some bites.)

2) Lobster & Mussels from Doirons Fish Market in North Rustico. If my husband has anything to do with it, this is probably  where most of our money will be spent! We love lobster, and usually buy it at home from a local fisherman, but it's not lobster season now, so it's really expensive. Lobster always seems to be a good price in PEI during the summer, so we always take advantage when we visit. It's also fun going to a lobster supper, (I like New Glasgow Lobster Suppers) but I don't think C would sit through a 3-4 course meal! Maybe next time.

3) Charlottetown: There seems to be a lot going on in Charlottetown for PEI 2014, so I think we'll check out the free events in the "Celebration Zone." There are buskers and kids performers, so hopefully we can find some kid-friendly entertainment. We're also hoping to eat at a restaurant, but I need to do a little research to figure out what kid-friendly restaurants are in the area. I'm looking for a place that has a high chair and doesn't mind a cute little boy eating cheerios and nibbling off of his adults' plates in their establishment. :) Any suggestions?

4) The Flavour Shack: I just learned that this is a thing! It's Chef Michael Smith's little shop (or shack) and features local products and Chef Smith's cookbooks.  Maybe this could be an excuse to buy a new cookbook! It's in Souris at the Souris Beach Gateway Park. It makes me wonder what else is there. I can't imagine that it's the only little business there. (The best part is that it's free to look!)

5) By the River Bakery in Hunter River: forget the eating well, I'm getting a coconut cream pie! This is always a stop on the way to Cavendish. Cookies, pies, macaroons, it's all good. I can't mess with tradition, can I? 

6) The Great Canadian Soap Company: Usually The Great Canadian Soap Company's goat's milk soap is the only soap we use, and I'm all out! I also love their other products - the baby soap, astringent, foot soak, dead sea mask, lip balm... Can you tell I love this place?! I am going to stock up while I'm there, and visit with the goats! There are always cute little ones, and they're all friendly!  

7) Kings Castle Provincial Park: This place is kind of creepy, a bit of a throwback, and I love every bit of it! It's basically a park with old statues of fairy tale and story book characters. I'm pretty sure that I have pictures of me there on my first trip to PEI, (way back in the summer of '86!) and I visited there about 10 years ago and thought it was hilarious.  If we are able to, I thought it would be a nice place for a picnic and some funny photo ops. I think there may be a playground there too. It's a bit out of the way, which is good and bad - it probably doesn't get overly crowded, but it means that it takes more time to get there.  Fingers crossed that we get to see the old creepy statues!

8) Island Hill Farm - This was a bit of a lucky find through a Google search. I was looking for places to visit animals. This place has had good feedback on their Facebook page and has posted a lot of nice pictures on their Twitter account. I'm hoping that they will be accepting visitors when we're there. I think C will like to get up close to the animals. 

A few of my favourites: Beavertails at the Boardwalk,
PEI Dirt Shirt store (both in Cavendish), the breakwater
& lighthouse in North Rustico (up the street from Doiron's
Fishmarket), The Toy Factory in New Glasgow (by the
Preserve Co.), and Anne of Green Gables Chocolates

Other than those, we are planning a few regular "try to dos" which don't take any time or planning and we'll fit them in, if we can:

• The Toy Factory - fabulous handmade toys that are simple and (I think) encourage creativity. I'm thinking about doing a little Christmas shopping (although I shudder at that thought!)
• PEI Dirt Shirt (Little C needs a souvenir!)
• Beavertails
• Cow's Ice Cream (Gooey Mooey is my favourite!)
• The Cavendish Boardwalk - my favourite tourist trap
• Anne of Green Gables Chocolates - I dream of their maple chocolates
• Visit a lighthouse
• Walk on the beach

I'm also going to try to squeeze in a visit to Village Pottery, in New London.  I love that store more than any other store. I could honestly drop an entire pay check in there. Or two. I have a pretty big collection of their mugs, tea cups and bowls, and love them ALL. They all get used too.  I rotate them, so that they don't feel lonely in the cupboard! That's how much I love them. Sadly, my husband has basically told me that I really don't need any more mugs. That may be true, but wouldn't a new coffee mug be a perfect "End of Mat. Leave/Return to Work" gift to myself? I think so. I just have to figure out how to get there...

One of the things that I've been trying to do for the past few years is see Irish Moss being harvested. Some family had seen it done years ago, and I thought it looked so interesting.  Some harvesters still use horses on the beach to do it! I know that there was a bit of a crash in the industry, but it is still harvested.  I've learned that it's best to see after a "big blow or storm," and that Tignish is the closest community to the harvest sites. I'm thinking that this will be a no go for this trip.  Going on a hunt for something that I may not be able to see is probably not on my son's list of fun things to do! While I'm there, I'm going to try and find some more information. 
The only other plans we have are to relax and have a great little vacation with our family! Do you think there will be time for relaxation?

So, what do you think? Am I missing a great kid-friendly, budget-friendly attraction? Any recommendations or feedback is VERY welcome! I'll be looking for new places to visit while I'm there, and I'd love to hear about your favourites!

Pre-Zoo Animal Visit

Visiting the zoo is on our bucket list, but I wasn't sure if Little C would enjoy it or not. Sure, he loves our dog and cat and pretty much any animal he's come in contact with, but I wasn't sure if it would be worth paying admission to the zoo or not.  Can an 8 month old really enjoy the zoo? I wasn't sure.

To see if he would be interested, I thought I'd take him to Brunswick Nurseries, a local nursery.  They are well known for their trees and plants, but also have a little petting farm - a local favourite among children.  It would be a good test run for the zoo. I hadn't been there in over 10 years, so C and I decided to check it out.

First up, the pigs! When reading a farm book, the pigs have been C's favourite, and the real thing didn't disappoint.  He thought the pigs were so funny.  He laughed and laughed and laughed. I'm not sure why they were so funny to him, but he loved them. They just sat there looking at him. Maybe they had some sort of piggy-little boy inside joke. 

Next, goats. As goats usually are, they were very curious! Can you tell someone to our left had a carrot for them? I could tell C. liked these too. They weren't funny, like the pigs, but he was mesmerized. I think it was because they were so interested in him.

There were more animals than I expected there to be - sheep, a donkey, llama, cow, peacocks, chickens (and a rooster), bunnies, ducks.  A wide variety for his first encounter with non-household animals. 

Donkey and Cow sniffing around

My favourites were the peacocks.  There was one male and a few females.  The male had his feathers spread the entire time we were there, shaking them for the females.  Sadly, the ladies did not seem interested. I don't think I've ever seen peacocks with their feathers up in real life. I only wish he had more room to move around.  Hopefully he gets time in the bigger open area.   

Duck pond. This guy was huge!

One of two groups of ducklings. Cute!

After seeing the animals, we took a short walk through the woods.  They have a nice little landscaped pond, with goldfish and waterfalls.

I think they call this tree the Octopus tree. There are quite a few trees like this one along the trail, but this is the biggest.  Imagine, all that is normally in the earth under each tree we see!

It was a great hour at Brunswick Nurseries.  We were also there to find some flowers to replace some seeds we planted, but didn't grow.  Sadly, we didn't find anything, but they did have some great looking plants.  (I guess I should have put more effort into my gardening before the end of July!)  Overall, I'd say our pre-zoo visit was a success. Now we just have to make our way to the big zoo!