Our pour-over coffee journey is a relatively new one. It started because I saw a beautiful Bodum carafe at Indigo marked down to just $20 and I thought it would look so much nicer on our countertop than the behemoth coffeemaker and grinder we had there, which was taking up major real estate. But once…
The Grotto in Tobermory: Grotto parking, hiking & what to bring
If you found this Grotto in Tobermory post because you’re planning a spontaneous trip next weekend to the Bruce Peninsula, you may need to pause your planning. Thanks to years of international attention and more Ontarians travelling in their own province during the past two summers, there’s not a lot of spontaneity allowed when it…
Camping must-haves: the ultimate family camping checklist
After I wrote my camping for beginners post, I got some questions that made me realize breaking down what we brought into more detail would be helpful. And, so, this family camping checklist below with all of the camping must-haves you’ll need was born. But before you run out and spend hundreds and hundreds of…
The 15 best day trips from Toronto
(This day trips from Toronto post was updated on October 5, 2021.) When I started my road trips from Toronto series last year summer, I knew it would be a helpful resource for families but I never anticipated it would blow up like it did. And even though things are opening back up and wider…
Camping for beginners | Camping 101
Think of this as Camping 101 — a “for dummies” guide to camping for beginners, if you will. Because I’m a newbie at this whole family camping thing and I’ve learned a lot in just the two guided canoe camping trips and now one DIY car camping trip we’ve taken. And there’s a lot to…
Our houseboat rental in Ontario with Le Boat Canada
The first time we heard about Le Boat was also the first time we found out that a houseboat rental in Ontario was even possible. I honestly didn’t know this was a thing before two summers ago. Our friends raved — I mean the hooting and hollering kind of raving — about their experience with…
Fun things to do near Haliburton, Ontario
The county of Haliburton, Ontario — about two to three hours northeast of Toronto — is an outdoorsy adventurer’s dream. Part of the famed “cottage country,” Haliburton grew up as the lumber king and there are still sawmills operating there today. Also known as the Haliburton Highlands, the area is made up of bigger towns…
14 fun bike trails in Toronto & near GTA
(This bike trails in Toronto post was updated on August 23, 2021.) When the pandemic first hit, we went into a bike-buying frenzy and suddenly found ourselves becoming a cycling family. It then became my mission — as a mom without child care who needed to entertain her children during the summer break — to…
Is the Toyota Sienna Hybrid the most reliable minivan?
When it comes to a new vehicle purchase, few things matter as much as reliability. And if you’ve decided on a minivan, we’ve driven a lot of Toyota Siennas over the years and have heard it called the most reliable minivan many times. The new Sienna Hybrid is the next evolution of the minivan —…
The best iPhone photography tips & hacks
Awhile back on Instagram, I shared an awesome shot of Miss Q doing a “hockey stop” on her skis — I’ll share it again below. It was inspired by a digital discussion I had with Mark Blinch and Pavel Barber who shared their top iPhone photography tips earlier this year, and not only do I…