Ready for Summer?

As we near the end of the school year, many of us parents tend to gear up to gear down... by this I mean we are looking into camps, programs, sports teams, and other such summer indulgences for our kids to enjoy during the long, hot summer months ahead.  There are parents out there that are experts in the signing up field.  They are the ones that are ready in January, schedule in hand, to book their children into coveted places their kids enjoy year after year.  For those that haven't already decided what they would like their littles to do, or maybe are just starting to dabble in the world of organized summertime fun, I will attempt to blog about some of these great places here in this post today.  I'll also include a list of various events that will be happening around London during the summer months that the whole family could enjoy.  Is it a bit early to blog about this? Nope.  Like I said, lots of parents have already signed their kiddos up for all their summer activities, but never fear, there is always something to do in this great city of ours, regardless of timelines or sign up dates.
As always, feel free to add events, or a brief review about the events listed in the comment section or email me so I can add it to the blog post itself :)  You should be able to click on the name of the event itself to get to the website.  



Have a great day, London!

Image from adsaver.com (google images)

Image from www.uwo.ca (google images)

Camps:

Sports Western: A great camp for the kids who like to play a variety of sports.  Age ranges from 4 to 14.  

 John Hatch Sports Camps: A camp dedicated to various sports, but also offers day camps specifically for those interested in tennis. 

Circle R Ranch: A fun time for children who enjoy horses and summer time fun. 

London Optimists: Lots of options here for kids in their very own neighbourhood.  Easy for parents to get to and from these camps.

Fanshawe Pioneer Village: Fulfill a dream of living in the "pioneer times" by joining this day camp!  

London Regional Children's Museum: Arts and crafts and so much more!

Museum London (Art Gallery): Learn how to create various masterpieces of your very own!

Original Kids:  Like to act? Sing and dance? This camp is definitely for you!  

YMCA Day Camps/Overnight Camp: The classic "summer camp" scenario, right here!

Sports/Activities:

Spectrum Program: A great overview of activities offered in London for the very young all the way to the young at heart.  Many of the popular activities book up very quickly so check out the pdf file to see what's still available!

Festivals/Events:

June 4, 2016: Gathering on the Green (South London):
Old South has an annual party to kick off summer in friendly neighbourhood fashion.  

June 11, 2016: Dragon Boat Festival
Check out a yearly tradition on Fanshawe Lake- gorgeous boats and fun times!


June 17-19, 2016: Kid's Expo
The kid's expo is one big party for kids in Victoria Park - be prepared to have lots of fun! For those that have Facebook, find their Facebook page here

June 18, 2016: Woodfield Street Fair
Come out and enjoy some good neighbourly fun in Historic Woodfield.


June 24-26, 2016: OPA! Greek Festival
"What? You don't eat no meat? It's ok... I make lamb...." Get your Greek on at this most excellent culinary and cultural festival!

Image from google.ca (www.sunfest.on.ca)

July 7-10, 2016: Sunfest
Salsa anyone? Lots of dancing, food and fun to be had here.


July 13-16, 2016: Rock the Park 
Feel the beat at Rock the Park.  Lots of great music so bring your best dance moves.


July 15-17, 2016: Home County Folk and Art Festival
Feeling crafty? Like guitar music? Head on over to check out some local fare. 



July 28- Aug 1, 2016: Rib Fest
Bring your appetites to London's biggest BBQ party.  Lots of BBQ trucks to choose from, and so much more delicious goodness within the park too.

*I know I have missed a TON of other really neat stuff going on in the city this summer.  Please feel free to add in comments!*

Most of the information found was obtained from Events London(www.londontourism.ca/events)

Making our community awesome....one payback at a time

Early on in my teaching career, I decided it was important for the kids that I taught to not just know the Abc's and 123's, but also about "life stuff." By "life stuff" I mean seeing the big picture, and trying to understand the world that they live in by how they affect it, and how it affects them. 

As we all know, most people these days live in a bubble.  Social media, internet, whatever you want to call it, has caused us to enclose ourselves in our own little world where we check up on our lives through various platforms on social media.  We contribute to society by "liking" things, "tagging" ideas, writing our opinions for all to see and speculate on (not unlike what I am doing now, so I am completely part of this world too). Overall, I have to say that social media is a GREAT way to make an impact, create change, show people we care, etc. but how many of us really take the time to try and impact society in the real world around us, on an every day basis? And I don't mean in a "Me to We big"  kind of way. (Craig Keilburger was a giant influence on the way I started to teach, by the way.  He's the one that made me stop and think about how I can make my tiny world a better place. See his website here).  I'm talking about the small stuff.  This idea, taking a minute and leaving our comfort zone to interact with others in a positive way, is what I started to try and impress on my impressionable class as a lifestyle change.  It wasn't something I taught them, but it was something that the class and I would try to integrate into our daily routine.  I can't take all the credit for this though.  Not only did "Me to We" show me a different way to think, but I was heavily influenced by an amazing teacher that lives right here in London and does exactly this: She shows her class and people around her that life is so much more than the circle that they live in and create for themselves. She always showed them this concept in a way that inspired, lifted them up and encouraged people to try to make that positive impact in other's lives.  You know who you are, my friend, and I am sending you a giant shoutout over cyberspace, along with your many, MANY fans. 

So, what are these little things can have such a big impact? And how does it affect our city?  Let's think about "paying it forward." (Great movie, by the way. Also a game changer for me).  For instance, I was just on Facebook (naturally!) and someone had posted that they were at a Tim Horton's and the person in front of them had paid for their coffee.  That simple act brightened their day enough to post about it on social media.  And you can bet that person will have an extra lift to their step today, and might even pay the favour on to someone else.  We've heard about this concept many times over, but it really never gets old, does it?  The same thing happened to me.  It was morning rush hour, the usual London traffic was inching it's way through the city, and people were extra crabby that particular day.  I drove into my local Tim's, and saw that the lineup for the drive through was insane. I sighed and braced myself for a long wait and lots of grumbling.  I saw a lady in her car pull up to another part of the drive through that sort of leads to a driveway (if you know the Sherwood Forest Tim's, you'll know what I'm talking about).  Anyway, usually when people try to sneak into the drive through using this route it gets them a LOT of honking and stares because technically it's like cutting in.  I sighed and waved this lady through and let her "butt" in front of me.  I shrugged my shoulders at the car next to me, that honked indignantly.  Long story short, when I got to the window to pay, the lady who I had let through had paid for my coffee and told the cashier to tell me THANKS.  I smiled and immediately felt remorse for gritting my teeth and grumbling about her. I drove along thinking that maybe it's not so bad to take 5 seconds and help someone out.  Even if it's a silly gesture like letting someone in at a drive through.  Ok, so most of the  a time you're not going to get a free coffee out of the deal, but doing that deed of kindness does make you feel pretty darn good.  And that's what it's all about, I think.

I find that Londoners are pretty good for this.  I mean, it doesn't occur everywhere I look, but it still happens.  Little tiny things that make you go "hey, life isn't all that bad, is it?" Know that guy who waits at the median for money at the busy intersection? Maybe that extra doughnut you got as an indulgence could go to this guy.  Granted, I've done this kind of thing before and got the exact opposite of gratitude from these people - hey, I don't always have an extra toonie hanging around, in this day of credit and debit.  The kind gestures don't have to be monetary:  Holding the door for a mom who's got her hands full with a stroller and toddler, asking if that older gentleman would like help with his grocery bags, or even just smiling at someone when they look at you (most of us are so busy looking down at our phones, or away from actual faces... it's amazing what a smile can do) all these things are so simple and yet have a great impact on our outlook on life.  It makes someone's day a tiny bit more rosy. 

I usually think a lot about giving back during the Christmas holidays - when the time of need is great in our community and lots of people could use an extra hand or heart (figuratively speaking of course). But why not extend this way of thinking throughout the year?  Why can't we as Londoner's always take a quick second to say "how can I make this situation a bit better?" And again, I'm not talking about a huge change, I'm talking about the little things. Because in the end, it's all about the little things anyway, right?

Google image taken from sweetsharings.com

Feel free to comment below about situations that you've been in that made you smile, or about things we can do as Londoners to continue making our city a great place to live. And you can be sure that there will be another post on local things to do to make your every day a give-back day.

Have a great day, London :)

The 411 on Victoria Day F-U-N

Hey London,

Photo courtesy of Google images

I wanted to share with you a few events that might be fun for you to do on the weekend in and around the London area.  Feel free to post your own events in the comment section below and share this post with friends!




Children's Museum is offering a free family fun night on Friday May 20, 2016 from 5-8pm. Check our their website here: http://www.londonchildrensmuseum.ca/calendar/events/free-admission-5-8pm

East Park Golf and Waterpark is opening it's doors  for the season this weekend!  Check out the link here: http://www.eastparkgolf.com/

Fanshawe Pioneer Village is opening for the season. There will also be a special presentation with "Queen Victoria" on Monday.  Admission cost for this event is $8. Check out more info here: http://www.londontourism.ca/Events/Kids-and-Family/Village-Opening

Fanshawe Optimist Fireworks display will be happening at dusk on the 23rd of May.  Cost is $15 per car.  Check out more info here: http://fanshaweconservationarea.webnode.com/a2011-campground-summer-events/

Storybook Gardens will be hosting an "Explore a Park Day" event for families on May 23, 2016.  Cost is $5 for adults and children 2-17.  There's a discount for families.  Check out more info here: http://www.storybook.london.ca/plan-your-visit

Eldon House will host a Victoria Day picnic on May 23, 2016 from 1-4pm where you get to meet Queen Victoria and dine on lemonade and cookies, as well as enjoy some games from the Victorian era.  Cost is $8 admission fee.  Check out more info here: http://www.eldonhouse.ca/


All this info was found courtesy of Tourism London :)

Have a great day and long weekend, London!

May 2-4...ain't what it used to be

As we approach the kick-off-to-summer long weekend, lovingly known as "May 2-4" by us Canadians (in actuality, it's a weekend dedicated to Queen Victoria's birthday), we excitedly make plans for glorious backyard BBQ's, maybe some fireworks, a cottage getaway weekend and...wait for it....GARDENING! That's right London. For me, gone are the days of pure relaxation and tanning in the "let's pretend it's July" May sunshine.  It's a weekend of getting mulch onto my flower beds and pulling the darn weeds out of my haphazard lawn.  When did this change? When did I decide that succumbing to mother nature (on my hands and knees, no less) was a better option than drinking that 2-4 with friends and family?! I'm assuming it happened the day I closed on my house.  When I realized that the jungle that was my backyard needed serious taming if I wanted to enjoy any part of it in the hot, hazy summer months.  And tradition states that, in my household, gardening will seriously start in April and end MAY 2-4 weekend (not to be confused with maintaining my garden. Oh no...maintenance continues, joyously - yes, sarcastic is the tone meant there - for the whole of summer and into fall and even into December according to climate change over the past few years.)  That being said, I try every year to be as low-maintenance with my gardening as possible.  A few planters with some happy flowers here, some herbs there, LOTS of perennials that happily come up every year no matter how terrible my tending skills are throughout the summer months.  It still, however, takes work. As anyone with a yard knows.  The lawn needs TLC (nematodes for the  grubs which, ew, by the way, I don't touch... I realize they come in balls that dissolve in water but it still grosses me out), maybe some aeration, topsoil, fertilizer, grass seed... the list goes on. And then there's the watering.  All of that work to keep a lawn nice. Oh, and I completely support the idea of keeping dandelions on lawns for the bees. YES. Wholeheartedly agree.  Who doesn't love a yellow flower anyway? And if you have a rock garden or an English garden instead of a lawn (think pretty flowers, grasses, ornamental rocks, etc.) that still takes work since there's always weed-pulling, or rearranging to do.  My neighbour has a fantastic garden, both in his front and back yard and often he will find me peeking over, drinking in the gorgeous flower beds and carefully tended roses.  And he is out there every.single.day. in the spring, summer and fall.  No exception. 

Picture from Heeman's on Facebook

So, what makes this job easier? And let's face it...more fun? Well, I find visiting local greenhouses and garden centres in the spring a kind of therapy for me.  You walk into these places, and the colours and smells of all the lovely plants and veg just makes me want to buy it all and plunk it in my yard. I also find myself sauntering up and down these aisles and picking something that I might not usually gravitate towards.  A hibiscus in a lovely orange, you say? Why yes, please. That would look stunning on my patio.... a "Ketchup and Fries" plant ? How fun! Of course I need that!   All of the choices and variety makes me happy to be able to find a home for one of the beauties offered in these places. 

Keep in mind, I am talking about LOCAL places.  Heeman's being a personal favourite. Check out their website here (more on them later, because if you know Heeman's you know about their AMAZING strawberries!!!).  And Parkway Gardens out in Hyde Park is another great place.  I could list a ton more, but I'll stick to those two for now. For my flowers and vegetables, I really try to avoid the bigger stores, as those tend to a) clear out stock fast and b) give me hives.  Why do I get hives? Let me sum it up for you in one sentence:  Buying mulch from Costco on a Saturday afternoon in May.  NO THANKS.  Price-wise, I have to say that Costco is totally the way to go when it comes to buying in bulk.  And mulch is something everyone buys in bulk.  At $4 a bag (and it's a giant bag) who wouldn't shop there for mulch?  Apparently the entire city of London is in agreement with this steal of a deal because in one fell swoop a giant truckload of mulch was gone in two days.  Flat. And no, they aren't getting any more in this season. I checked already.

Going back to my local and lovely places:  If you want to saunter, enjoy, pick something neat, help out a local business and just "take in" the wonderful part of gardening? Go to local places here in London. Van Horik's, which used to be on Gainsborough near Hyde Park but closed last year, had a lovely koi pond and fountain display that I remember used to bring out the "zen' in me as a kid.  Heeman's (as mentioned above) has really unique items and always has great produce that's locally available when in season. Like I said, get their strawberries! Parkway Gardens has a beautiful selection of ready-made planters as well as great staff on hand to help you pick appropriate things for your type of yard or garden.  Take the kids too, and let them explore the herbs and vegetable section.  There are cute and tiny tomatoes, peppers and all sorts of plants can be purchased for your littles to grow themselves.

So, yes, May 2-4 isn't exactly the same as it used to be around my house, but it still signifies a great kick-off to summer and the promise of enjoying my backyard with that 2-4, and a green(ish) thumb. 

Have a great Victoria Day weekend, London!

ps. Feel free to share your fave places in the comment section below and tell us why. Especially if it's closer to a part of London that you live in. 

All the opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Locally Urban Mom's. No endorsement of any kind was offered and it is truly believed that these local places are a wonderful asset to our community.