Feature Friday: Sound in Motion

When it comes to dance and music in London - there is no end to the talent and expertise that many dance studios and music schools have to offer here.  That being said, when the time comes for you to start searching for a studio, how do you know which one to go to? Do you rely on the opinions of friends and family? Do you look up reviews? Ask Facebook groups? Sometimes it's difficult to figure out what makes a great dance or music school for your child.  I believe it boils down to fit.  The studio, teachers, atmosphere, classes, the cost...all have to feel right for your child and you as well (being the parent who will be shuttling your youngsters to and fro).  My best advice is to do some thorough research - visit a place or two (or three) before you settle. Sit in on a class (always call and ask first!), and if possible, speak with the company to get a good handle on how things work there. 

Photo courtesy of www.soundinmotionstudio.com

That being said, I'd like to narrow down the research for you and highlight this week's Feature Friday local business:  Sound in Motion Studio.  This is a place that encompasses all that is a Great. Music. Studio.  They not only offer dance lessons, but a myriad of other lessons in music, and even musical theatre, which is why their name "Sound in Motion" is so apropos.  Not sure whether your child should start ballet, tap or piano? Bring them here and they can try out all three!

Run by directors Julie Mytka and Avery Brown, Sound in Motion offers an environment that embodies a healthy and positive attitude towards music and dance. From 18 months to 18 years and beyond, Sound in Motion offers classes for all ages and types.  The studio's philosophy "is based on positivity, dedication, encouragement and perseverance."  They truly believe that each student has the potential to grow in whichever area of dance or music they choose. Dedicated instructors encourage and uplift as students learn and rise to challenges with every lesson given.  With lessons comes work (the studio does offer certified examinations in piano, voice and dance), and with work comes fun.  Students are invited to participate in a recital, showcasing what they have learned. There are also Company Dance shows that occur several times throughout the year. They also have community performances where students can participate in festivals or fundraising activities (always a plus in this Locally Urban Mom's books!).

www.soundinmotionstudio.com

Summer Camp is an option here too!  On top of summer music and dance lessons, Sound in Motion offers day camp "Sampler" weeks where you can send your child to try out a variety of dance and music lessons for a week and then showcase what they've learned in a mini-recital at the end of the camp.  This is a great option for kids who would like to try out dance, voice lessons, theatre or play a musical instrument, but aren't sure which of these they'd like to do. 

So, if you are looking around for a great studio to go to, if you want to see for yourself what an inclusive and fun music or dance lesson looks like, go and check out Sound in Motion.  And while you're at it, find out when their Company Dance shows are and go see their amazing talent perform. It's a great show and guaranteed a good time by the whole family. 

Photo courtesy of www.soundinmotionstudio.com

Have a great day, London.

For more info and registration, please see the Sound and Motion website here

*cited information is from www.soundinmotionstudio.com*
** Opinions in this blog post are solely those of Locally Urban Mom**

Hot burger in the city....

A friend of mine and her sweet little family is coming to visit us this weekend.  She is a Western alumna, so knows her way around the city.  We have a little debate going on though that I'd like to try and clarify here, and get a poll going on my facebook page. 
So, between the two families, we have four kids all ranging from 4 months to 6 years old.  We want to go out for a nice, juicy burger because, frankly, I don't feel like making my own at home this weekend! My friend LOVES J Dees Market Grill, downtown on King and Talbot across from the Covent Garden Market.  I love Prince Albert's Diner on Richmond Street (think classic 50s diner here).  What do YOU think, London? Where's a great place to go and feed three hungry kiddos, plus four burger-loving adults? Actually, two are on a carb-free kick right now... so taking into account "specialty diets" too. While pondering these two places, I've also decided to make a list of other great burger joints in the area.  I'm probably not going to list a place on here today if the word "Entrée" or "Three course" is on the menu. Sorry guys! Love to love these places, but right now, I'm thinking fast, kid-friendly and local (I'd like to stay away from chains for today, although I need to send a shout out to Montana's Steak House - my older kiddo's FAVE place to go).  Check out this list I've compiled of the burger joints I am familiar with.  As always, feel free to add your faves below :)

J Dees Market Grill

A place to go if you are feeling like a homemade, juicy, almost gourmet burger.  The cream cheese topping seems to be a favourite with a lot of folks, me included.  I like the atmosphere - large airy space, close to lots of downtown fun (especially if you want to catch a Knight's game on Friday) but I'd book ahead, as seating can get filled up fast. Check out their facebook page on the title link.

Photo courtesy of tripadvisor.ca

Prince Albert's Diner

 This place has been around forever.  It even made the show "You Gotta Eat Here" where host, John Catucci ate their famous peanut butter burger.  I personally LOVE going for their shakes.  Their milkshakes are classic and SO delicious.  The place is small though, so if you're looking to go with a larger family or friends, make sure to go on off times, if at all possible. But if you end up waiting, you usually don't wait long and it is VERY worth it. 

Norma Jeans

Although this place is known for it's great bands and rock gigs, they also offer some fantastic food, namely in burgers.  Now, I haven't actually been here yet (shame on me) but I am taking this advice from friends that DO go.  You can find them on Huron Street (North East London).  Choose earlier times with the kiddos to go (like, 5ish?) if possible.

Photo courtesy of www.facebook/globallylocal

Globally Local Restaurant

If you've read my blog posts, you'll know I'm a HUGE fan of this business and the people that run it. Check out my blog post on them here.  For years, they have been known around town as an all-vegan organic food delivery service plus organic food grocer, but now they have opened their own (the very first in Canada.. what?!) all - VEGAN restaurant AND food truck (be still my heart)! The restaurant can be found on Dundas Street right across from the Public Library.  They offer the infamous McInnes Burger (think Big Mac but vegan) and so much more! Go check them out - you'll be glad you did, even if you're not vegan.

The Early Bird Café

Ok, so I'm breaking my own rule (a teeny tiny bit) and mentioning this fab place.  You want an amazing sandwich COME HERE. So it's technically not a juicy burger place (but they do have burgers!). This place is known more for their amazing breakfasts and great service.  All around a good place to go if you're in the mood for an egg on your sandwich (you know the kind... that fried one that oozes down your fingers when you bite into the bread).  It was also featured on "You Gotta Eat Here." John Catucci ate the turducken sandwich, which is a must-try if you feel like having Christmas in one bite.  YOU GOTTA EAT HERE. Sorry, had to.

The Little Beaver

If you are from London, chances are you know about or have been to the Little Beaver out in Komoka.  A great, classic diner that is run by an awesome local family, this place offers yummy, classic diner food.  The burgers are no exception.  Great burgers, great fries and a great family atmosphere.  When I lived in Byron, my family used to go so often that the serving staff knew my little girl (she was 8 months at the time) by name and what she liked to eat, and would give her free ice cream to boot.  The best thing going for this place, other than the fantastic down-home cooking, is the friendly atmosphere. Come here for family food and fun. Love you, Little Beaver!

There are SO many more places that I could mention - little jewels peppered all around the city.  This is where you come in: Comment below with the local burger joints that you know and love.  Now go out and treat yourself and your family to some good old fashioned burgers!

Have a great day, London.

Takin' a walk on the wild (or not so wild) side...

This time of year always brings people out to the streets, parks and local outdoor places. Especially if you feel like taking a stroll. Walking is great for the whole family and there are so many neat places to explore in this city that, in many cases, can only be traversed by foot.  I highly encourage you and your little ones to explore a nearby park/forest in your area and see what it has to offer - you'll be surprised at how many beautiful pockets of woodland London has hiding amongst the buildings and nestled in neighbourhoods. 

Let's chat about the more public places for a minute.  London has so many parks!  Springbank Park down in Byron (South West London) is a big hit for walking/biking/rollerblading/skateboarding along the Thames.  It has lots of areas for soccer, BBQing, picnics, a splash pad and a few climbers for the kids.  It also houses the infamous Story Book Gardens, home of local London fun for the past few decades (see the link to StoryBook here).  There's Harris Park and Gibbons Park - both located downtown and great for more splash pad fun (splash pads open Victoria Day weekend and close Labour Day weekend).  At many of the parks you can find tennis courts (Gibbons Park being one of them), basketball courts, and always a picnic table area where you can enjoy some food and sunshine.  Local neighbourhoods have many Optimist Parks that house climbers for kids, more splash pads and even outdoor pools.  Check out the link to most of the major public parks in the city here.

Image courtesy of: www.london.ca

Feel like taking a walk through London?  There's a fantastic walk and bike path that offers you a leisurly stroll or a true hike through the forest city.  It basically starts in Byron (the neighbourhood located in South West London) in Springbank Park, and you can follow it all the way downtown and up to Western University.  There are beautiful views of the river, and lots of options for people that don't just feel like walking: You can bike, rollerblade, take your dog, scooter, or even skateboard(although  watch for the signs that warn you where it might be prohibited to use certain modes of transport depending on the part of the path you use).  Find the map to this bike path and more great places to hike here.
There are also so many gems of trails in our city that are lesser known and so much fun to walk! Medway Valley is a great place to take the kids and has breathtaking views of the Medway Valley Creek that has carved its way through the valley and meanders through gorgeous rocky precipices from Fanshawe/Wonderland area all the way to the Elsie Perrin Estates, down the road from Western University.  See a map of the trails here.  Be forewarned: Dogs must be on leashes and bikers aren't allowed here since the trails can be fairly narrow (I tried to take my kiddo in a running stroller through there once.  No dice.  It's best to take your itty bitties strapped to your back in a hiking-safe carrier).

Fanshawe Lake is a more well-known hiker's paradise (out in the North East end of London. See link here) but still a lovely as you can choose the trails that go along the lake itself.  There are various trails to choose from with various levels of difficulty.  Plus a great campground not far away that you can use for a day, or for a few weeks at a time. 

Know about the Komoka Trails? Then you'll also know about the gorgeous scenery to take in there as well.  Another beloved spot for locals that live in the Komoka/Kilworth/Byron area, it is a great walk and is great for young families too.  Check out the link here.

Warbler Woods is a small woodsy area located, again, in the Byron area of town.  If you are feeling like a workout, take a run through this forested area - there are two giant hills that go through this forest and give you a great bang for your workout buck (see the ESA link below for more info). 

Sifton Bog is also a great place to check out, if you want to pick some wild apples and maybe even see a deer or two.  It's located in the Oxford/Hyde Park/Riverside area of town.  The official entrance can be found off of Oxford Street West, just across the street from the TD Bank and Super Store area (see the ESA link below for more info).

There are fun clubs that have been around for while that offer nature walks, and group walks where you can meet other people and chat while strolling through our lovely city.  See the links for some of these options here:

Nature Walks

Home Hiking London TVTA

For more information on other great hidden-away places, check out the following link on London's Environmentally Significant Areas (ESA's).  There are so many to choose from, there is bound to be one near you that you can stroll through with your family. Please read their guidelines, however, since many of these areas contain species you might not want to encounter by yourself... or at all...plants and animals alike.   

So get out there, London, and walk your way through this gorgeous, forested city of ours.  Just be sure to always read the warnings, signs and follow all rules while out there to stay safe and always be sure to have a way to communicate with others in case of an emergency.   

As always, feel free to share in the comments below, or on our facebook page (click here), about the places YOU like to go for a walk in London.  I'm sure I've missed a few gems :)

Have a great day, London!

Image courtesy of www.london.ca

The abovementioned information is for entertainment purposes only. Locally Urban Mom is not responsible for misuse or any harm incurred when using pathways and trails that have been suggested in the blog post.  Locally Urban Mom does urge everyone to be careful, and use prudence and safety guidelines when using the aforementioned trail and park locations

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)

To go organic or not go organic...is that really a question?

Luckily for us, living in the age that we do, we have so many choices with how and what we choose to eat.  Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, paleo or maybe you have true health issues that prohibit you from eating certain foods, the options for eating in an alternate way are so much more diverse than, say, even 5 years ago.
I personally, was never very conscious as to how I shopped and where, when it came to food.  That is, until baby #1 showed up.  All of a sudden I became concerned with pesticides, GMOs, produce that had been shipped from afar, only to ripen in trucks over 1000's of kilometres.... you get the idea.  My baby wasn't going to eat that kind of food!  I became more aware of the locally grown products that are provided to us on a seasonal basis, and I delved into the world of organics.   Now, let me stop here and just say that I am NO true convert - meaning that I still buy regular grocery store fresh produce and groceries. But as a new mama, I was determined to feed my child only the BEST there was to offer.  This, sadly, slowly changed from "organic and local always" to "organic and local sometimes" for us as my first got older.  Some will say that I didn't make a lifestyle change, and I will whole heartedly agree with you that nope, I didn't.  Am I more conscious of what I buy and from where I buy it? You bet.  And boy, have I found some great little places to shop at that, even as a "part time organics gal" I have absolutely come to adore.

The one place I want to share with you today is a little gem of a store/business enterprise called "Globally Local." A vegan, and organic store and delivery service. A few years back, it started off as an organic, fresh produce delivery or pick-up service, comparable to a few other businesses that are in and around London.  I chose to go with this particular organic produce service because I was very happy with their pricing (it was extremely reasonable) and also very happy with the fact that I got to select the kind of produce they would deliver to me, rather than just get a box of their weekly specials (which is a great idea too by the way, since it can encourage you to be adventurous in your meal planning!).  Well, they now have a store all on its own, plus the delivery service, PLUS they offer some very cool kits where you get fresh produce and recipes to go with it for a week. Oh, and they also deliver healthy and delicious boxes of snacks to your office. A-mazing.  And all organic and as local as possible (these guys try their best to ensure local produce but if they can't go local, they insist on getting to know their global organic providers. SO great!).

By the way, Globally Local doesn't just have fresh produce, they also offer an awesome selection of groceries and organic products and if you go to their store, they have amazing organic coffee available for your sipping pleasure and even a pop up restaurant offering delicious lunches/dinners and sweets! They also have freebies for you to try, and giveaways, fundraising initiatives for schools, and oh so much more. Another great fact, is that they have expanded their delivery service to many places all around Ontario!

All this being said, I encourage you folks to make the trek out to Globally Local on Colonel Talbot Road past Lambeth and take a look-see yourselves.  One thing is for sure, you won't be disappointed. 

Here's all the info to find Globally Local:

Website: www.globallylocal.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/globallylocal/

How to get to Globally Local


Have a great day, London!