Pink to Green: canada

Showing posts with label canada. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Toronto Christmas Market

Visiting the Toronto Christmas Market was the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. We went on a Saturday afternoon, just in time to see the lights go on. The market was packed with people and so much cheer.
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The Christmas market takes place in the city's Distillery District. It's a fun destination at any time of year, but especially for the holidays. Walking along the cobblestone alleys admiring all the lights, decorations and holiday shops was particularly memorable.

We enjoyed some excellent sipping chocolate (for me), some candy canes (James Robert's first-- note the joy on his face) and Mat found a vendor sampling Hendricks hot tea which just may be the perfect way to warm a winter night! If we were to go back, there are countless other vendors selling food and wares that would be fun to try. Think gourmet grilled cheese and fresh donut stalls!

James Robert couldn't wait to ride the carousel. Watching him and Mat go round and round while Christmas music blared, I looked around and saw that there was a smile plastered on the other onlookers faces that matched my own. It was a treat to enjoy something so quintessential about the Toronto holidays!

Monday, November 23, 2015

Winter Warmers

Winter announced it's arrival; we had our first snow fall this past weekend. It wasn't much, but enough for us to get out and have a good play. Also, enough to remind me what I need to get prepared for!

After moving to Canada in the middle of winter last year, we've spend the better part of the last 6 months preparing ourselves for winter again. Now that we know how brutal it can be, my goal is to be equipped with the right gear to make it less painful.

I once heard the saying that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes. So, for James Robert we have stocked up on essential snow gear and boots which will allow him to go out at school while the temperature drops. For myself, I find winter to be a challenge. I am always cold.

Mec has the best snow suits and mittens for little ones; we love the sorel boots because they are easy to get on and off.

There are a few life-changing products that took the bite out of winter for me last year, namely, Smartwool socks and base layers (I literally wore them under everything every day last year). These are a few of my favorite winter warmers; here's to making the most of the season!

Also, wishing you and yours the very Happiest of Thanksgivings and safe travels this week!

Winter Warmers by pinktogreen featuring Patagonia

Friday, November 13, 2015

Family Photos!

We hadn't taken any professional family photos since James Robert was a baby. To commemorate our time in Canada, we thought it would be special to have some pictures of our family here, at one of our favorite parks, to remember the experience.

It was a cold morning after a very rainy day, so we were thankful to be able to sneak in our shoot. We worked with Jeff and Diane photography, a husband and wife team, who couldn't be more kind. They wrote us a very sweet handwritten note and baked us cookies as a thank you! I couldn't recommend them more if you're in the area.

Between a toddler and a hyper dog, things were chaotic, but Jeff and Diane were miracle workers! I am so thankful to have these memories captured.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Goodbye Summer + Our Favorite Picnic Spot

After a long blogging hiatus, I thought it would be fun to get reacquainted!

Back in January, we moved to a town outside of Toronto and we live a few blocks from Lake Ontario. The neighborhood we live in feels especially New England-like as there are many historical homes. It was a brutally cold winter, but the summer months have been so beautiful on the water. We've tried to take advantage of it as much as possible.

One of our favorite things to do is go visit "Mr. Lighthouse" at James Robert calls it. There is a beautiful park overlooking the lake and there are always sure to be people milling about.

Late in the season, we discovered the perfect picnic spot. It overlooks the marina filled with stunning boats. Usually we have the place to ourselves!

We recently headed to our overlook for what will likely be one of our last picnics of this year. With James Robert starting school and Mat having a brutal work schedule coming up, we were content to squeeze every last drop out of summer (and use any excuse for a glass of bubbles)!

Summer treated us so well here, I'm a bit less excited about autumn as usual. But I imagine that the fall will suit this town beautifully. I'm particularly interested to see how the historical homes in our neighborhood will decorate for the fall!