River Market New Westminster

Yesterday we decided to go somewhere we have not been before, River Market in New Westminster. We wanted to eat somewhere different than our usual places and discovered this market. It runs parallel with Columbia Street by the Fraser River. It is a lovely walk, watching the tug boats feeling the cool breeze.

When we arrived there was an artisan fair on and there were some lovely jewelry designs and hats and hair accessories to be found. The girls and I chose an item from Chlona Art's stall. She has some wonderful pins, hair accessories and earrings at very reasonable prices.

There are many events on at the River Market; Zumba, bands, Lego, they even have a circus school.

 It is amazing what is on your doorstep and sometimes we never venture to it. 

Outside there is a mock-up tug boat for the children to play in. It has all the controls used in a boat that can be flicked, switched and pressed.

The tallest tin soldier. He is huge.

Reading Club for Kids

Week 3 of reading club infact we are now on week 4. Where has the time gone? These are just a few books we picked-up from the library. Some classics, some new and some I have never heard of before. It is wonderful to discover new books not just the children but for me too.

Summer Holidays

My absence is telling, I am having way too much fun on these glorious hot days that I have no time to write posts. Going to the beach, bike rides, booking mini-vacations, fun at the spray parks, going to the library, oh the joys of summer. Visiting Farmers Market is our new Sunday activity, I am hoping we can start riding our bikes to the local market but I am a little worried to take the kids because the roads are far too busy. Picking flowers, eating raspberries, making our own pizza dough and adding all its trimmings, eating s'mores are my kids new favourite foods.

What have you been doing with the kids this summer?

A Day at the Park

Fish and Chips and Pajo's

Blue Mountain Park

Port Moody

Watching the sailing boats go by.

Farmers Market with the Children

Taking the children to the farmers market is a great way for them to see how food should really be. Not in tins, not in a room full of bright lights and branded sale signs but a place where you can be outdoors (preferably but not always the case) and shopping how we used to shop. Fresh goods, homemade jams, flowers, herbs (you do pronounce the H in herb!), ice cream, popcorn, kids crafts and if you are lucky there may be some entertainment. 

The weather wasn't great today but who cares? My girls were very helpful picking out the produce, paying for it and carrying it in the bag. As a reward they got some popcorn. 

We attended one of the BC Farmers Market in Coquitlam. There are many around that are local to everyone but I think next time we will try somewhere a little different. I find shopping this way more fun than going to the store plus you need cash and it is much better passing money over, infact it teaches kids that we do not always use cards to pay for things and understand the value of it.

When we returned home I asked the girls to help prepare some of our goods, wash and cut the zucchini, peel the parsnip, prepare the asparagus and place the flowers into a vase. They loved helping and getting involved. Infact they have been very good helpers today.

Where do you shop?

"Can we have ice cream pleeeeeeease? We will try and smile for you."

A discussion on who holds the bag of popcorn.

Cycling

There is nothing more enjoyable than going outdoors and enjoying nature. Recently my eldest has managed to learn to ride without training wheels but this is the first time we have managed to cycle together and we both loved it. The Colony Farm trails are nice and flat and not at all busy which makes it a perfect place to teach the little ones the rules and etiquette of cycling. She loved pressing her bike bell to let people know she was there, she did not like bugs flying near her face which resulted in her falling off and nearly going down an embankment. This is why it is important to be outdoors more, they need to learn to get used to the creatures that surround us and understand that we get in the way as much as they do. She did enjoy seeing the butterflies and the dragonflies not so much the wasps! Once she got over the idea that they are flying past us or just bumping into us she got used to it. It takes time.

What are your weekend outdoor adventures?

A Girls Night In.

The beauty of having two girls is that I get to have a pamper night with them and the older they get the more fun it will be. There is nothing wrong with them experimenting with make-up and beauty products as they get older because women need to know these things. I do not wear make-up all the time and I do not spend ours fawning  over my appearance but now and again I like to pamper myself and now I have my daughters who can join in . Poor daddy gets to sit and watch while we paint our nails (he hates the smell too) and brush our hair and talk nail colours for next time.

The limit for the kids beauty night is bath, hair, nails and tattoos. But for them it is more than enough, it pains them to sit still while their purple painted toe nails dry. 

For myself I replaced the tattoo with a face mask which scared the heck out of the kid at first, they thought I looked like a skeleton. While I waited for the green mud to dry the girls wanted a glittery fairy tattoo placed onto their arm.

Nails

Lovely fairy tattoo

Glittery tattoo