End of Summer Visit To ValleyView

Summer has come to an end, and we managed to cross 14 items off of our bucket list for this year.  To end the summer, we spent Friday morning at ValleyView Animal Farm (which was probably the TOP thing on the list for Mr. J this year, and I didn't think it would happen) and then went back to our friends place for lunch and a swim.

Today we will be heading up to my aunt and uncle's cottage for one last visit this year; there will be lots of family for a bbq and the kids are looking forward to playing on the beach.  

Here is the updated Summer Bucket List - we managed to cross off 14 out of 20 items on the list - not too bad!

1. Go to Aunt Bev's Cottage
2. Upper Canada Village
3. Bike Rides
4. Family Water Fight (we did this last week while hubby was on holidays)
5. Go for ice cream
6. Movie theater (we saw Monsters U. today!)
7. Go to a splash pad
8. Go to the park
9. Work on learning to tie shoes
10. Bake yummy treats
11. Visit the fire station with my cousin (volunteer fire fighter)
12. Visit to Funhaven
13. Visit (or many) to Brinkeetos
14. Have a sleepover (away from home and AT home)
15. Have friends over for a game of tag  (not at home, but at the park)
16. Visit the Childrens Museum
17. Visit Valley View Little Animal Farm
18. Visit the Central Experimental Farm
19. Mini Putt
20. Go Karts

Back to School Lunch Ideas #B2S

cream cheese, salsa, shredded cheese and green pepper wrap, orange slices, tostitos and a frozen yogurt tube

With Mr. J entering full days this year, I am now tasked with finding great lunch ideas for him.  He is not a huge sandwich eater, and I worry that he will get bored with the same thing over and over.

I found a great blog with 30 days worth of ideas - Peanut Blossom.  Check it out to get some ideas if you are stuck in a rut.

Here is one of ours - I actually made this to take on a pool day we were having, but it is something that I would make for school too!

grab a wrap and spread cream cheese on it

add green peppers and shredded cheese, roll and slice!

It's apple picking season!

In September 2010, a tradition was started with our family and good friends of ours (Heart Mom). She and I, along with my teenage cousin, took our children to Mountain Orchards for the very first time.

memories from our first visit to Mountain Orchards

The next fall we made arrangements to go back together, but this time the little ones were able to enjoy it as well.  The 4 kids always have fun together, and being outside on a beautiful day was so much fun for all of us.

2nd visit to Mountain Orchards - 2011

2012 came and we made the trek back again - this time there was a new addition, as our friends had their 3rd child the previous spring.  You can read about our third visit HERE.

With apple picking season upon us, I thought it would be a great time to revisit - we have already made our plans to visit this fall and I am very excited. If you live anywhere near the Ottawa area, I highly recommend Mountain Orchards for the great family fun - it's free (well, you need to pay for your purchases) but parking, wagon rides (only available on weekends), hay jump, hiking, corn mazes are all at no cost.  I would suggest you go on a saturday or sunday - this will give you the opportunity to try the amazing apple cider donuts!

If you are not near Ottawa, then I would suggest that you look up the local orchards in your area and choose one to visit.  There is something delicious about eating freshly picked fruits!

This year on my list to make after our visit is Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, Apple Cake and Apple Sauce! What are your favorite things to make with apples?

**This is NOT a sponsored post. Tales of Mommyhood did not receive compensation in any form for this post. As always, opinion stated belongs to Tales of Mommyhood and your opinion/experience may vary**

Back to School with DK Canada #B2S

Celebrate back to school with DK Canada.  They are offering 30% off their back to school boutique for a limited time, and orders over $50.00 have free shipping too!

Back To School With Office Depot

Now that Mr. J has entered the school system, the last few weeks of our summer vacation includes getting ready for back to school.  Between new clothing (check here to find ways to save on this!) and often a new back pack, school supplies and the mental preparation involved in switching from summer mode to school mode - it's a busy time.

Back to School can be an expensive time of year; it's manageable for us right now, but I don't look forward to the cost when we have two to buy for. It seems that every year more and more items are needed.

How would you feel if you couldn't afford to purchase the basic items needed to start the school year off? Office Depot knows that there are many families in that position, and every year they donate "sackpacks" to families that need them. This is the 13th year they have been doing this; by the end of this campaign, they will have donated to 3 million children. These sackpacks comes in 6 different colours with kid-friendly graphics, and carry no Office Depot or Office Depot Foundation Logos on them. They include a zippered pouch filled with a pen, pencil, pencil sharpener, eraser, 6" ruler and 4 crayons. The sackpacks are meant primarily for use with kids up to grade 5; however older students may also find use for them.  They are made from the same material as backpacks, and are water resistant. They have no metal parts and store flat and are able to hold quite a few supplies and books.

Every Office Depot store in the US will receive 50 sackpacks to give to non-profit organizations and schools in the community. The sackpacks come in 6 different colours and have different designs on them.  They are not marked with.

**Tales of Mommyhood received product in exchange for this post. All opinions belong to Tales of Mommyhood, and your opinion/experience may vary**

WW: Spiderman Birthday Cake

Happy 3rd Birthday Mr. K

Today is Mr. K's 3rd birthday - hard to believe that it was 3 years ago he came into our lives; he has brought such joy to our family (and created some chaos as well).

Right after waking up today - on his 3rd birthday

He chose to have a spiderman birthday party this year, and we held it at Brinkeetos with a few of his friends. Once I found out what it was he wanted, I had a vision of the cake I was going to make in my head.  It did NOT turn out quite how I wanted it; I was actually at the point of tears and was going to throw it out and remake it.  Mr. J was with me, and said that he loved it, and it did not matter if I liked it because I made it and Mr. K was going to love it.  That, of course, had me crying more - sometimes 6 year olds can be wise.  I decided to put it in the freezer and leave it until the morning. When Mr.K woke, I took him to see the cake and he was ECSTATIC - apparently, while it may not have met my standards, it certainly met or exceeded his.
He was super excited to head to Brinkeetos and see all of his friends.  I think all the kids had fun, they seemed to be enjoying the freedom to run around and play!