Spring Break Staycation

Ahhhh, Spring Break.  It's like a love/hate relationship, right?  It always starts out feeling like a vacation and by the start of the second week, you're wishing you could drop your kids off at school, haha!

All kidding aside, I actually long for the days off I get with the kids because hubby and I usually work for the majority of the break.  This year, we took off the last couple days of the second week and decided to make the most of our 'staycation'.

First on our list?  One of our favourite attractions on the west coast:  Science World!

Being at Science World brings back so many memories of my childhood and, while its been renovated since then, a few of the original exhibits are still being featured (remember those science demonstrations on the main floor, or that majestic treehouse on the upper level, or that structure that takes photos of your shadow?).  It's such an amazing feeling to be able to share those experiences with my own children and also see first-hand how Science World has evolved since then.

I'd say you could typically get through all of the exhibits and shows within 3-4 hours.  However, if you're a visitor to the city, you may want to spend an entire day there to make sure you have ample time to get the full Science World experience - which will probably include a showing at the largest OMNIMAX dome screen in the world (tickets available here)!

Our favourite part of Science World?  The feature exhibition never fails to impress - the Science of Ripley's Believe It or Not! was pretty amazing in a weird/gross/cool way that you'd expect from Ripley's Believe It or Not!  Can you believe there was a man that was nearly 9 feet tall??!  It was pretty insane to see "him" in person and Zoë was more than willing to take advantage of a quick photo op:

The other galleries that were amazing (not to mention informative) was BodyWorks and the Wonder Gallery, which is geared towards ages 0-5.  You should also be prepared to spend a majority of time in Eureka! - an interactive playground that's seriously fun for all ages.

Next up on our staycation intinerary was Western Canada's largest indoor carnival, PlayDome at BC Place!

As the kids get older, this place seems to get more and more fun.  Both of them are at the age where they truly enjoy the rides and the joy on their faces.....well, we all live for that, right?  Fast forward to a week later and Jadon is still talking about his "exhilarating" experience on the Hellavator (I think he used the words "scary" and "terrifying", which means it was that good!) and how he couldn't stop shaking afterwards (see it was that good!).

PlayDome is a fun Spring Break event for the entire family that is geared more towards school-aged kids (in my opinion).

We also checked out the Vancouver International Auto Show, which turned out to be Jadon's "best day ever".  I'll post more about that on the blog later, but for now, here's a little sneak peak:

Finally, we ended our Spring-cation at the Vancouver Aquarium.  It seems every time we go to the aquarium, we end up discovering something new!

My tips for the aquarium?  Be prepared to spend time at each exhibit and gallery searching for those little and big fish, mammals and creatures.  You never know where they might be hiding!

Our favourite galleries would have to be the Graham Amazon Gallery (where you actually feel like you've stepped into an Amazon rainforest) and Treasures of the BC Coast.  For kids 0-8 years old, make sure you check out Clownfish Cove - an interactive play area which explores the oceans around us.  Speaking of Clownfish Cove, don't forget to check out the Canaccord Financial Exploration Gallery which houses the informative 4-D Theatre that's suitable for all ages!

While we initially didn't plan much for Spring Break this year, it's obvious that we didn't waste any time either!  A lot of our daily activities were last minute decisions - just the way we've always lived our lives.   I've always been a huge believer that spontaneity keeps life interesting and definitely not boring at all.  Oh, and we managed to squeeze in a birthday party, Easter egg hunts and a trip to the movie theatre.  Needless to say, I may need a vacation from our Spring-cation, haha!

What was the most memorable moment of your kids' Spring Break?  I'd love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Disclosure:  Our family received complimentary entrance tickets to Science World, PlayDome and the Vancouver Aquarium in exchange for this blog review post and social media posts.  All opinions are my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Science World, PlayDome, BC Place or the Vancouver Aquarium and/or their associates.  

Shopping with Ford's Active Park Assist

Pinch me because I refuse to admit that the holiday season is amongst us!  A couple weeks ago, I had the honour of partnering up with Ford again to drive their Explorer for the week while navigating the busy Black Friday crowds searching for their holiday bargains.  I remember telling myself that I had to get out and do the craziness in person - not only because I live for chaos, but because I just HAD to try out Ford's Active Park Assist feature.

What Is Active Park Assist?

Active Park Assist is basically an assistant for parallel parking.  As a seasoned driver, I wasn't sure how I felt about the feature at first and it felt a little weird letting a computer do the driving for me.  My first attempt went smoothly until the car was in the process of straightening itself out.  My natural reaction was to reach for the steering wheel to position the SUV in place, but my Active Park Assist(ant) wanted nothing to do with that!  You see, as soon as you touch the steering wheel, it disables Active Park Assist and you're basically on your own again and have to park it "old school".

I love the idea of using Active Park Assist for the purpose of maneuvering the Explorer into cramped parking spots - especially during the holiday season when parking is a premium!  It takes away the stress of the trip to the mall with two young kids knowing that my trusty assistant is looking out for me and my car, haha!  Also, I normally drive a standard sized sedan, so having the piece of mind that I could use this feature with the Explorer if I need to squeeze it into a tight spot.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to capture a video of myself using Active Park Assist (it was a busy week!), but feel free to watch the Ford video below for an inside look at how you can use Active Park Assist to back into a parking spot!

Have you tried Ford's Active Park Assist feature?  I'd love to know what you think about it in the comments below!

xo Kristina

Last Minute Gift Ideas For the Guys in Your Life

Is it just me or are guys just hard to shop for?  I feel like every Christmas and every birthday, I'm faced with the same dilemma when I'm trying to shop for presents for hubby or my dad.  I don't need anything, they say, but what I really want to know is what they really want.

When Mark's asked me to put together a blog post about the best gifts to give the awesome dad's in our lives, it brought me back to my childhood of giving my dad socks and underwear (that my mom would buy) every birthday and Christmas, haha!  That can get kind of redundant, no?

If you're not familiar with Mark's (formerly Mark's Work Warehouse), they carry outfits suitable for everyday wear and are considered Canada's top jean retailer with brands such as Levi's, Silver and Buffalo.  With such a range of variety, it's time to make Mark's your one-stop shop for your last minute gifts for your dad, hubby, brother or uncle.  Choose from a huge selection of jeans, dress shirts, sweaters, shoes and outerwear - there's something for every guy on your list!

Personally, I'm loving these complete outfits that the Mark's team has put together:

Sweater | Scarf | Jeans | Watch | Boots 

Shirt | Jeans | Wallet | Watch | Belt | Socks | Boots

A gift guide wouldn't be complete without a few personal choices picked out by moi:

1. Boots | 2. Jeans | 3. Socks | 4. Pyjamas | 5. Belt | 6. Never Iron Shirts | 7.  Robe | 8. Slippers | 9. Scarf | 10. Winter Jacket | 11. Beanie | 12. Gloves | 13. Ugly Christmas Sweater

And, thanks to Mark's, I was able to add a pair of boots to hubby's shoe collection!

Who else is doing their last minute Christmas shopping today (insert raised hand emoji here)??  

Happy Shopping!

Kristina xo

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Mark's.  All opinions in this post remain my own and do not reflect the opinions or views of Mark's, and/or their affiliates.  We received a form of compensation in order to complete this post.  

Family Winter Gear Gift Guide

This post could not have come at a better time!  Vancouver was hit hard with a blast of Winter last week and, apparently while I'm writing this post, it's started snowing outside again. It took me three hours to get downtown last Monday morning and I had to leave my car at my mother-in-law's after work because it was pretty much snowed in (also, props to the good samaritan on Patterson Avenue in Burnaby for pushing my car and countless others out of the snow.  Without you, I would have been {a} stuck, and {b} extremely late for my first seminar that my brand new employer signed me up for!).  You could say that the entire city is in typical "Vancouver snow" panic mode!

Well, make it the entire city except for my kids and probably every other kid in Greater Vancouver!  They couldn't wait to get outside in the snow and make snowmen, snow angels and anything to do with snow (unfortunately, I was at work and didn't get any photos of them, but I heard that they had a blast!).  Snow has definitely been a rarity in Vancouver over the past few years and I don't think anyone took the 'snowfall warning' seriously until they saw the roads covered in that white stuff.

Luckily, Jadon and Zoe were fully prepared for the cold front thanks to a shopping trip to Sport Chek a few weeks ago.  In true mom fashion, I purchased new winter jackets a couple sizes too big for the kids to grow into, but (surprise!) I also treated myself to some new winter gear!!

I'm sure you guys are knee deep into your holiday shopping, and maybe some of you have yet to start, so I'm sharing my favourite winter gifts for the entire family - and everything can be found online or at your local Sport Chek!

1. Boy's Jacket:  Firefly | 2. Women's Winter Boots:  Sorel | 3. Women's Parka:  Helly Hansen | 4. Girl's Beanie:  The North Face | 5. Scarf:  McKinley | 6. Men's Winter Boots: Ugg | 7. Girl's Jacket:  Firefly | 8. Ski Goggles:  Bollé | 9. Kid's Gloves:  The North Face | 10. Helmut:  Giro | 11. Woman's Beanie:  The North Face


I'd love to hear how you and your family #GiveABetterGift this holiday season in the comments below!

xo,
kristina


Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Sport Chek.  All opinions in this post remain my own and do not reflect the opinions or views of Sport Chek, and/or their affiliates.  We received a form of compensation in order to complete this post.  

IndigoKids Holiday Wishlist Picks

Eeek!!  I can't tell you how excited I am to be writing this post!  I've been a fan of the Canadian company Indigo for years, watching them grow from my neighbourhood bookstore into a dream lifestyle brand/store that is a haven for people from all walks of life.  From their lifestyle line to their carefully curated lifestyle products, Indigo never fails to surpass my expectations time and time again.

As a mother of two young kids, I at times find myself roaming the mall aimlessly until I ask my kids where they want to go and their first answer is always INDIGOOOOO!!!  So, off we go making a beeline straight into the IndigoKids section where my little ones could spend hours (if I let them!) looking, playing and reading while I take a moment to relax.  Given Jadon and Zoe's enthusiasm about Indigo, you can only imagine how thrilled they were when I told them they could create an IndigoKids Holiday Wishlist of their favourite books and toys:

1. Minecraft Bow & Arrow | 2. Sphero SPRK+ | 3.  Rubik's Cube | 4. Official Guide to Legendary and Mythical Pokemon | 5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:  Illustrated Edition | 6. Anki OVERDRIVE Starter Kit

1. Cinderella Royal Dream Dollhouse | 2. Paw Patrol Ryder Pad | 3. The Crayons' Book of Colors | 4. American Girl Ashlyn Doll | 5. Beauty Case | 6. Ada Twist Scientist | 7. Mix It Up!

I’ve always been in love with the fact that IndigoKids is the perfect holiday destination and one-stop shop for all of my kids’ (and cousins and friends on our holiday lists!) wishlist items.  Not only that, but did you know that IndigoKids offers a FREE gift wrapping service all year round to make your shopping experience that much easier?  Checking it once and checking it twice – it’s such a relief knowing that everything will be checked off my list early with a shopping trip at IndigoKids (and that should give me more time to make my own wishlist, wink wink)!

IndigoKids Open House - Saturday, Oct. 22nd

Want to get a head start on your holiday shopping and spend some time with the family?  IndigoKids is hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 22nd at participating Indigo and Chapters locations (excluding Coles and Indigospirit stores).  There's fun for the entire family, including storytime, hands-on play, activities, giveaways and more!

Don't forget to check out Jadon and Zoe's full list and more hand-picked holiday wishlists from Indigo's favourite Canadian Bloggers!

xo,

kristina

Disclosure:  I am part of the IndigoKids Holiday Wishlist influencer program.  All opinions in this post remain my own and do not reflect the opinions or views of IndigoKids, Indigo, and/or their affiliates.  We received a form of compensation in order to complete this post.  

dad's day

Yesterday was all about celebrating the dads in our lives.  Although I'm sure hubby would have been content spending the entire day at home, I ended up dragging him out to enjoy the eventual sunshine and to also meet up with my extended family, including my own dad.

The afternoon was spent catching up while the kids burned their never ending energy at the park.  Zoe spent a good half hour on the swings, while Jadon channeled his inner monkey on the pyramid/monkey bar/climbing thing (obviously, I have no idea what it's called).

After we parted ways with my bro and parents, we headed over to the Dragon Boat Festival where we bumped into more family (of course!).  Then it was a big rush to get home - just in time to watch game 7 of the NBA finals!  Hubby's team won, so it was a perfect end to his day.

Speaking of hubby, I must say that he's got this fatherhood thing down pretty good.  Lucky for me, I was able to get a "preview" of how he was as a father while I watched him parent my now step-daughter as a single dad.  The way he always put his daughter's needs before his and how overprotective he was of her, was exactly the kind of man I wanted to parent our future children.  Fast forward to today and we have two beautiful kids of our own whom share a father that would go to the ends of the earth to make sure they were safe, happy and protected.  Thank you, babe, for being the most amazing father and role model to our children!

And I can't forget my own father!  This guy was (and still is!) my rock.  I remember how he would do anything for me growing up - I could always count on him for literally everything.  Even now, I know my dad is just a phone call away and, if I asked, he would be right there for me.  While we may not always see everything eye to eye, I'm so glad I inherited his best qualities and I hope those same qualities will be passed on to my children.

Happy Father's Day to all of the amazing dads out there!  My heart goes out to all of you who are missing their dads - xx.

xo,
kristina

Family Holiday Shoot with Amy Teixeira Photography

Another holiday season equals the perfect time to have our yearly holiday shoot with my talented friend, Amy Teixeira of Amy Teixeira Photography.  It's our second year in the row working with Amy and she always seems to capture each of my kids' personalities perfectly.  Plus, it always helps when the kids feel comfortable and completely at ease with their photographer because, as all of you moms & dads know, photoshoots with kids are unpredictable!

We decided to keep the shoot simple and let the kids pose however they wanted to (with Amy's creative direction, of course!).  The shoot took place on the Seawall at George Wainborn Park in Yaletown and we totally lucked out with amazing weather.  It was a bit chilly, so the jackets stayed on until Amy was ready to snap away.

The love that these three have for each other is priceless!

We can't wait for our holiday cards to arrive from Minted!

Book your next family shoot with Amy here and view her work here.

I'd love to know your tips for a successful family photoshoot.  Leave your comments below!


Photo credit:  Amy Teixeira