more road trip shenanigans; heading back south!

September 8, 2013 by mama lola

this is part three of out epic summer road trip!

we left thunder bay proper in the peeing rain, and headed to the sleeping giant provincial park where we hoped to camp for a few nights. on our way we stopped at ouimet canyon as per a recommendation from a friend. we layered up and headed to the canyon.

the scientists and other experts aren’t actually sure how this amazing canyon was made; there are several hypothesis out there, but nothing is completely agreed upon. it is stunning, breathtaking and frightening! we were so high up looking down at the canyon floor, and i had to remind myself a million times we were safe up on the look-out platform.

the rain finally tapered off just as we arrived at our camp site on the sleeping giant. we were right by the water, which entertained the kids for hours!

apparently the sleeping giant peninsula is highly populated with, um, skunks! we found this out the first night we were there. just as dusk was settling in, i decided to head to the bathroom one last time. as i arrived i thought i saw something out of the corner of y eye and so i shone my flashlight at the shaking grass and to my horror a skunk looked right back at me! i ran! i ran and giggled nervously to myself. i arrived at camp to tell dear hubby my funny story, but then to my horror, again, i saw another skunk… ON OUR CAMPSITE! my nervous giggle returned as i tried to keep my flashlight directed at the skunk. the skunk who was sniffing around under our picnic table and the slowly made its way towards our tent! AAAHHH!!! the kids were fast asleep in the tent, completely oblivious to the stinky dangers creeping around outside. my imagination was running wild with all of the possible ways a skunk could spray a person, their car and belongings, and the unimaginable outcome of this horrifying meeting. then, more skunks arrived. they were sniffing around at our campsite, our neighbours and all over. apparently, that’s the norm there!!!! how did we not know this?!?!

anyhow, after about 30 minutes of following the skunks with my flashlight and giggling nervously, dear hubby decided we needed to just get in our tent and go to sleep. clearly the skunks were used to people and not scared of us, and unlikely to spray us. i thought he was mad, but also right. so, that’s what we did! i lay there wide awake for a while listening to my family sleep soundly, half expecting to be sprayed by critters outside.

we survived the sleeping giant without ever being sprayed by the skunks! woohoo, what a relief!

after a two nights of skunks, a day at the beach, several deer sightings it was time to head south again on the trans-canada highway. we still had a long trip ahead of us and we were excited for more adventures.

our next stop was neys provincial park. this was by far my favourite beach. it was stunning with the driftwood, rock, grass and trees. the kids played and played, but it was too cold for a real swim! we enjoyed a beautiful evening at our campsite, it was calm and quiet. dear hubby checked the weather report and to our dismay heavy rain and thunderstorms were coming our way. so, we packed up as much as we could, got some clothes ready for the following day, and hoped we at least would have a dry night.

the next morning i woke up suddenly to rumbling thunder in the distance. i elbowed dear hubby awake and we got to work. we quickly changed the kids and ourselves into slightly warmer clothes, plonked the boys into the car and raced to pack up our sleeping bags and tent before the rain started. just as we were shoving the last things into the car the downpour came. it was only 7am and we hadn’t had breakfast. so, we decided to drive to the closets town, which was marathon, to see what we could find to eat.

we found a hilarious place called robin’s. it looked like it was stuck in time, like 1975! the orange and brown decor was overwhelming so early in the morning, but we were happy to eat something warm in a dry place!

the weather continued to be wet and cold. we drove in the downpour trying to come with a plan. we stopped in wawa for lunch and a pee. the kids were feeling the long drive, so we needed to stop for a while. the day was still early, so we decided to drive straight to sault saint marie, stay in a hotel and then drive to manitoulin island the following day. i am surprised how well the kids managed on this leg of the drive. because the weather was wet, we couldn’t just stop and have a quick game of tag at a rest area.

eventually, we found an awesome hotel in the soo, with comfy beds, a nice restaurant and a POOL! it was a great way to end the day letting off some steam, playing in the pool, especially since it was still raining really hard outside!

the following morning was bright and sunny!
we headed straight to manitoulin island! more pictures and stories from the final leg of our trip coming up soon!

this moment.

September 6, 2013 by mama lola

as inspired by souleMama; one photo from our week, no words, only an image to sum up our time as a family. one that captures a moment in time and is a visual reminder of where we were at this time in our lives.

tuesday was…
first day of SK for bear.
first day of preschool for lion.

i would love it if you left a link to your { this moment }.

the Pin It Party: 21st Edition!

September 5, 2013 by mama lola

Welcome to THE 21st edition of THE Pin It Party!

Are you interested in co-hosting THE Pin It Party? It is a WHOLE lot of fun and a great way to grow your Pinterest following. Go here to get more information and to secure your spot now!

Grab the code for our button here!

1. Please follow the host and co-hosts on Pinterest.

2. Send out a tweet about the party! Just click here:

3. “Like” THE Pin It Party on Facebook by clicking on the button below.

4. Grab the party button above and add it to your blog’s sidebar or link up party list.

5. Post 1-3 links to your blog’s most “pin-able” posts from the last few weeks. (Please, no links to other parties, giveaways or shops please. If you are an ETSY shop owner, come back this weekend and link up at the Weekend Blog Block Party!)

6. Mingle! Reach out to somebody new and pin their stuff. You never know when you will meet your blogging bestie!

7. Have a FABulous day and come back next week for more Pinterest fun. XO

Host: Ellie @ Creative Geekery

Co-Hosts:

Mama Lola @ Bear & Lion

Krystal @ Krystal’s Kitsch & Sunny Soirees

Kate @ Uniquely Undone

Karlie @ Mama Whimsy

We will each choose our three favorite posts from the party and pin them to this party’s collaborative Pinterest board: THE Pin It Party – The Best of the Best! Woot woot!

perfect fall apple recipes!

September 4, 2013 by mama lola

fall has arrived.
the kids are officially back to school. the trees are starting to slowly change colour and lose their leaves. people are taking about going apple picking and there’s even a crispness in the air on some mornings, oh yes, fall has definitely arrived.

this time of year i like to use my oven a lot for baking and dinners; we don’t have our furnace on so it’s a great way to warm up the house when needed. here are 10+ fall recipes to get your home smelling delicious and cozy this fall!

apple sandwiches from oh she glows

old fashioned apple crisp from blissfully delicious

apple chips from whole living

caramel apples from dot come women

orange cocoa apple bread from kitchen illiterate

spirit tree apple pizza from off the beaten palate

apple muffins from the girl who ate everything

whole wheat apple muffins from living lou

apple pie bites from yummy mummy club

apple sauce from canning basics

(vegan) apple pie from the southern vegan

which one is your favourite?
let me know if you try out any of these recipes!

fun vegetarian lunch ideas!

August 29, 2013 by mama lola

i know many kids have already returned back to school. my eldest goes back next week, and to prepare i have collected some healthy, fun lunch ideas! my bear gets easily distracted from eating, so i’m hoping if i change things up a little and create little fun surprises, then maybe he’ll be more inclined to eat. we’re vegetarian and his school is a nut-free, waste-free zone, meaning there are certain foods i’m not allowed to include in his lunch and we need to use a steel lunch box to reduce product waste. i’m not bothered by this because i’m very conscious of dietary issues and always do my bit for the environment! anyway, i want to make sure he’s getting everything he needs in a day with these restrictions in place!
i guess only time will tell!

how do you get your kids to eat their school lunches?

it’s so easy to always make the same thing for lunch. i love these ideas, because it shows that if you think a little out of the box you can really get creative!

here’s what to think about:

presentation is key; it’s not just about fun shapes, think brisght colours too
hitting the oh-so important food groups
cutting things into smaller, bite-sized portions
don’t forget about drinks too
investing in good BPA-free containers that are easy for kids to open and close
don’t forget to label all the pieces of the lunch sets

sooooooooooooooo…. here we go!

delicious lunch box selection from kids kitchen

make your own sushi from bear & lion

may the force be with you bento box from wendolomania

(i think the bread actually has meat inside, but you could easily substitute with hummus or cream cheese.)

healthy choices from i pack lunch

vegan club sandwich from healthy. happy. life.

roasted tomato grilled cheese from the wimpy vegetarian

slow roasted tomato basil and hummus wraps from oh my veggies

falafel & tzatziki from peas and thank-you

pizza pops from bear & lion

vegan sweet potato, coconut milk and sweet chili ravioli from reclaiming provincial

christmas cactus from organized bites

coming up soon… hot vegetarian school lunch ideas!

perfect for cool fall or chilly winter days!

the PIN IT PARTY #20!

August 29, 2013 by mama lola

Welcome to THE 20th edition of THE Pin It Party!

Are you interested in co-hosting THE Pin It Party? It is a WHOLE lot of fun and a great way to grow your Pinterest following. Go here to get more information and to secure your spot now!

Grab the code for our button here!

1. Please follow the host and co-hosts on Pinterest.

2. Send out a tweet about the party! Just click here:

3. “Like” THE Pin It Party on Facebook by clicking on the button below.

4. Grab the party button above and add it to your blog’s sidebar or link up party list.

6. Mingle! Reach out to somebody new and pin their stuff. You never know when you will meet your blogging bestie!

7. Have a FABulous day and come back next week for more Pinterest fun. XO

Host: Ellie @ Creative Geekery

Co-Hosts:

Cindy @ crazylou

Mama Lola @ Bear & Lion

We will each choose our three favorite posts from the party and pin them to this party’s collaborative Pinterest board: THE Pin It Party – The Best of the Best! Woot woot!

what is happiness: by dilovely!

August 26, 2013 by mama lola

i’ve been wanting to share this post by my lovely blogger friend, dilovely. i have written a lot about happiness and contentment here at bear & lion, but i wanted to share something on the same topic, but with a different voice. (read my stuff HERE and HERE.)

as we head into fall, and the routines it brings with it, it is refreshing to be reminded of what and where we want to be, before we are overcome by the drudgery of it all!

please send dilovely some love and go read this article by her!

HAPPINESS AND THE MULTI-MULTI-MULTI-TASKING BRAIN.

* * * * * * *
i love how freely kids express themselves.
they go from goofy to sad to overjoyed in an honest stream of emotions.

happy monday!

heading further north: from pancake bay to wawa and beyond!

August 25, 2013 by mama lola

our road trip continued up along the trans-canada heading north from pancake bay to wawa and then to marathon.

in wawa we stopped at the famous young’s general store and saw henrietta the moose. we had a photo opp with the big goose as well!

in white river we bought the worst veggie burgers ever from A&W for dinner, although their sweet potato fries were delicious! we stopped at the iconic winnie the pooh statue. the black bear that winne the pooh is based on is oroginally from the forests of white river, onatrio. learn more HERE.

then we kept driving. we had hoped to camp close to marathon, but then we saw a real black bear on the side of the road sniffing some garbage and i lost my nerve. but, finding a motel in marathon proved to be surprisingly difficult; we declined a smoking room in town and opted for a non-smoking room, but it was at a motel next to the highway. so it goes, you win some, you lose some!

breakfast at the motel.

the next day it was a rainy drive, with essential stops at timmie’s for my double-double coffee’s and pee breaks. the kids were tired and eager to get to the much talked about city of thunder bay! i don’t like driving long stretches in the rain, because it’s not as easy to stop quickly to check out a water fall, or some tiny musuem, or have a quick picnic. you’re stuck in the car or inside restaurants. booo!

just outside of thunder bay we stopped at the terry fox memorial statue. before we arrived dear hubby was explaining to bear why terry fox is an important part of our recent history. explaining cancer, amputation and death to a five year old is tricky stuff, especially when you’re talking about a young man. i was unable to participate in the conversation, as i was quietly crying thinking about terry’s amazing marathon of hope, but mostly i was crying because i was thinking of terry’s courageous mama and the unimaginable pain and pride she must have felt.

thank you terry.

thunder bay is not a beautiful city. it has a roughness and sullen feel about it’s. the grey, rainy days probably exaggerated these qualities but, my heart has a fondness for good ol’ t-bay. it’s where i met my lovely husband and the city has lots of finnish culture there! as soon as we drove into town our first stop was a restaurant known fondly as the scan. it’s the scandinavian home and they make awesome finnish food there. we had finnish pancakes/ crepes called lettut with finnish style strawberry sauce and whipped cream. it was divine!

the sleeping giant.

we visited fort william, in the rain. the kids loved it and the rain mostly held off. although it was cool, as you can tell by the toques, jackets, fleeces and turtlenecks we’re all wearing! it was shockingly cold up in t-bay!

these are handmade birch bark canoes!

the tools below were used for tooth extractions. yikes!

while in thunder bay we rented a student townhouse at the local university, instead of staying at a hotel. we had our own four bedroom house, with a living room, kitchen and an outdoor space for two nights. it was perfect for our rainy t-bay visit!

the kids some flowers to press.

we had deer come and visit us. i took this photo through a window.

kakabeka water falls just outside thunder bay.

more pictures to come!
there are more pictures from thunder bay and then manitoulin island!
like i said there are a gazillion of them!

to read about the first leg of our trip go HERE.

this moment.

August 23, 2013 by mama lola

i would love it if you left a link to your { this moment }.

wind tubes craft!

August 19, 2013 by mama lola

here is a fun, simple and creative craft project for kids. my 5 YO was happy to do most of the work himself, which was great!

materials:

tube like containers like toilet paper rolls, yoghurt containers, etc
various colours of tissue paper
duct tape & string
scissors, glue, markers, stickers, paper, sparkles

instructions:

glue toilet paper rolls together
decorate the outside of the tube; use your imagination and get creative!
cut tissue paper into strips (about 2cm’s wide)
cut the end off a container that has a bottom. cover sharp edge with duct tape, if necessary
glue tissue paper strips to one end of tubes. this will be the bottom of the wind tube
make three holes at the opposite end of the tissue paper and tie string through them. this is the top and tie the three string together at the ends, so that the wind tube can be hung

we hung our finished wind tubes outside on our front porch and watched the wind make them dance! the kids were super impressed and felt pretty proud. they were able to do so much of this craft on their own!