If you are looking for a fun show to watch with your toddlers, that I PROMISE you will get a kick out of too, check out The Backyardigans Tiki Beach Episode!
The episode reminds me of the beauty of road trips with your friends being silly and just having fun.. =). The songs in the episode are awesome. I couldn’t get them out of my head for days!
Post Script to Success on My Terms Blog Post:
I have been getting a lot of questions of interest with respect to the Success on My Terms blog post I wrote in 2015 asking how things turned out?
I recently heard such a touching news segment about a penguin that travels thousands of miles every year to visit a 71 year old man that saved him from an oil spill years ago. Instead of making the traditional yearly pilgrimage to go to his breeding ground with the rest of his penguin clan, he travels great distances in the opposite direction to visit the man that saved his life.
Given the cold days and limited daylight we experience during winter here in Canada, when I heard about the Danish tradition of Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga), I wanted to learn more!
I’m going to start this post with this video:
This is so beautiful this idea that irrespective of your regrets and mistakes, approaching what is to come with a clean “slate”.
So I decided to deactivate my Facebook account as an experiment.
So I just read the Patti Smith biography written by Victor Bockris and Roberta Bayley.
I think street-side gardens are so beautiful! They brighten peoples day as they walk by. At Noemi’s house, down the street, I notice people really stop to check out what flowers are blooming and when walking home, I always choose the route that goes by her house and beautiful garden, especially with the kids!
I hope one day I will have the time to make one, but like she once said to me: “Shiri, when I had two young kids and was hustling a full time job, my garden did not look like this. It only looks like this now, because I have been retired for a while and have the time!” It was a good reminder that there is a time and a place for everything. Right now, its with the kids which I am savouring and later (when they don’t want to spend time with their “mom”), it will be for other fun stuff! So look out for my street side garden in about 10-15 years.
My friend Noemi’s Street-side Garden around the Block:
DAY TRIP IDEAS:
From there you can take a little hike through the trees to see where the syrup is collected, see a demonstration of how maple syrup was made and end with freshly made pancakes and fresh maple syrup by the fire. A super way to spend a March day. I do recommend going at the beginning rather than the end of March (it is WAY) less busy and there is still some snow on the ground which makes it so special. 
A LITTLE FARTHER (BUT WORTH IT!)
Algonquin Park – If you want to go to Algonquin, but just can’t get it together for camping, there is an amazing hostel just outside the park gates. I know what you are thinking: hostel! I don’t wan to stay in a dirty communal hostel like I did in my late teens. This hostel is different though. Yes, it has a communical kitchen, but the kitchen is rustic, clean and set in a beautiful log algonquin cabin. In advance of the trip, I too was questioning how much I would like it. I ended up loving the communal aspect of the cooking. Everyone who stayed there made their own food, but you cooked communally in the same space. There was also a bon fire going just outside the cabin during dinner time. We met people from France, Israel, Canada, Italy. It felt like we were away, while really only 3 hours away from our hoses. There was also a sauna cabin, veggie and pollinator garden, and cottage cabins if you wanted to stay in your own cottage. Was really great.
Wolf-Den Veggie and Pollinator Garden
Starting here, what do I want to remember?
This is my list, what is yours???!!!!