This year was a great success with over 2,660 views and 154 engaged entrants. I was honoured to have the opportunity to work with seven dynamic, unique and engaging Canadians. It turns out that Maya was a repeat Sponsor. Quite the compliment.
Since there was a "location component to several of the prizes, we actually had two winners this year.
Ed pulled out our trusty trap and searched the fridge for the tastiest of baits. He even consulted me on the options because we all know that I am well versed in "desirable mouse morsels". We both agreed that a dollop of Cambazola would do the trick.
He went down to the basement and set the mousetrap.
It's been many years since I set eyes on a Lions tonsils or the "presents" that the monkeys left on our car hood, however, I remember our visit and their catchy jingle like it was only yesterday.
Even after all those years, it was a favourite attraction of mine and now The Kids love it too. I'm referring to...
I know. Pretty hard to concentrate on anything else besides those mouth watering crabs.
In case you haven't heard of them, Big T Coastal, based out of South Carolina knows it's crabs and they're the Real Deal!
Our family's sought after recipe packs 100% real crabmeat into every creamy bite. We combine sharp cheddar and cream cheeses, spices and other signature seasonings with the freshest crabmeat to bring you a dip perfect for just about every occasion – from porches to picnics, tailgating to cocktail parties. A coastal Carolina entertaining favorite, Big T Coastal Provisions Crab Dip tastes best when shared with friends and family.
Big T Coastal is a strong supporter of Social Media and loves what it's all about. As a thank you to all the Bloggers who make a difference, they are giving away $250 CASH to support voiceBoks' awesome event coming soon!
Growing up, the first signs of summer were shorts and the purchase of Canada's Wonderland seasons passes. We could hardly wait for school to end and days of riding rollercoasters to begin. Our parents looked forward to us staying safe and out of trouble. Well, safe.
This year, we continued the tradition by introducing The Kids to the magic of...
Canada's Wonderland is a 330-acre theme park located in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, a suburb directly north of Toronto. It was opened in 1981 and is the first major theme park in Canada and remains the country's largest. The park hosts more than three million guests annually and employs over 4,000 seasonal employees and 160 year-round employees.
The last time Ed, Andrew and I were at the park was 2007. We didn't have to worry about parking, bad weather, line-ups, sweets for lunch or keeping two three-year olds amused for a day.
Seeing as we had The Kids this time, we opted for priority parking. For an extra $5, we parked within spitting distance of the front gates. Well worth the money when you have three adults, two kids and everything but the kitchen sink.
Fortunately, the weather was perfect and while the park was packed, as it is every day during the summer, attractions were run so efficiently that it didn't impact us at all.
Victoria Falls, Charlie Brown and Samurai Live Performances
Seeing as the wild card was the kids, we decided to focus on events for them and headed straight for Kidzville. On our way, we happened upon a scheduled performance of divers off of Victoria Falls. It was incredible to see and one of many performances that we watched throughout the day.
Fortunately, The Kids met the height requirements for most of the kid rides. There were so many that we didn't ride any of the twice and didn't even get to ride all of them. Their favourites were the Taxi Jam coaster, train and cars.
Some of the kids rides we enjoyed.
Even though there was signage, the one thing I found confusing was that some rides required one adult per child and some only allowed one adult for every two children. So if a family of four wanted to go on the ride together, they couldn't. Not a major inconvenience as I'm sure it was safety related and it gave each of us a chance to experience some adult rides. By the time we looked at our watches, it was 2:30pm and time for a culinary feast at...
The Marketplace International Buffet.
By 2:30pm, there weren't a lot of people eating, however, the food was still hot, freshly made and plentiful. The variety was really impressive from drinks to soups, salads and mains. Something for all ages and taste buds. Favourites included; roast beef, barbequed chicken, corn on the cob, Andrews favourite, pasta (anything) and the brownies. Oh the brownies. They even let Max take an ice cream to go which was a special treat.
Beware of the Brownies!
While it wasn't a scorcher outside, it was nice having a spacious, air conditioned place to eat and watch some performances. The restaurant and washrooms were clean and there was a lot of staff members around to help out when we asked for a booster seat and/or high chair (which they had). I don't normally eat at buffets because I feel like I have to eat more then I want to and still don't feel that I got my money's worth, however, I'd worked up an appetite and at $20 for an adult we definitely ate our weight... in brownies.
And then there was the Water Park. While The Kids have been around a lot of water, they've never had lessons and I didn't bring their lifejackets. Not an issue because there were plenty of life jackets available (in designated spots) and Life Guards everywhere. With all the hundreds of people around (maybe thousands), I normally would have been nervous, very nervous. However, it was obvious from the moment we enter the park that they took their roles and responsibility very seriously. I was so impressed with their protocols that I felt 100% safe with The Kids around the water. Not that we let down our guard but still. This was something that I've never felt before.
Fortunately, all the water activities were free because Artemis must have gone down the water slides at least 20 times. The bonus was that a life guard was at the bottom of each slide to catch her. We spent over an hour in the park and the only reason why we left was because Artemis had turned purple.
While most of the events and rides were included in the price of the park admission, some were extra such as bungee swinging, pictures, fair-like games (with prizes), and specialty products such as pictures, paintings and make your own [insert almost anything, including lip gloss flavour!].
Speaking of costs, I like to get the most for my money and expect a lot for it. Taking a family of four out for a day of fun at an amusement park can be very expensive. However, my calculations show that it cost us just over $5 an hour. Given all the costs with running the park such as; staff, lifeguards, property taxes, running and purchasing rides and the liability, I think that it was well worth the price.
Artemis dancing in the Street
Additional Notes. If you're coming on the Highway 400, take Canada's Wonderland Drive not Major MacKenzie. Or, you can ditch your car altogether and take the Go Bus for $9 return from Toronto. We brought our own stroller, however, they were available for rent. Travelling with your pet? No problem, Pet Kennel services are available. Note that we went on Tuesday, July 30.
In conclusion, our visit exceeded all my expectations for 10 hours of fun with two three-year olds! We will definitely be adding Canada's Wonderland to our Annual Family Vacation to do list. And this year, you can too by entering below to...
CONTESTERS. Bloggers will be adding their giveaways to the linky throughout the week so be sure to come back often and check for new opportunities to WIN!
Don't forget to enter all the other giveaways posted to our jam packed Facebook Giveaway Wall. Note that a link is also provided in the left hand column over there <-------
BLOGGERS. This linky receives daily promotion via The Zoo's social media links. Be sure to also add all your giveaways to our Facebook Giveaway Wall. NO LIMITS! Please post end dates.
The Zoo spends a lot of time outside. From long walks to soccer games, our entire family loves to be active and that includes our furry friends.
However, the heat of Canadian summers really gets to everyone. It's especially noticeable with The Dogs as they’ve gotten older so I was interested to learn about these tips from Iams on...
For the past little while, I've been hosting frequent coupon giveaways.
Rumour has it that you have enjoyed the opportunity to save money on all the Brands you love.
With that in mind, I've been clipping and saving to my hearts content and have managed to stockpile coupons totalling over $75. And that doesn't include the duplicates or the FPC!
Canadians Love Coupon Giveaways!
Up for grabs in this giveaway are over $75 in coupons from brands such as; Cracker Barrel, Windex, Minute Maid, Halls, Rimmel, Finish, Sunlight, Degree, French's, Sally Hansen, Nordica, Ziploc and Starbucks. And that's not even the half of it.
I'm also including am FPC for a Trial Size of IAMS SO Good Dog Food!
The Kids eat almost everything; caviar, eggs, vegetables and especially avocados. In fact, we eat avocados almost every day.
The funny part, we eat more Mexican avocados in Canada then in Mexico where they're grown!
For a while now, I've heard people raving about The Wholly Guacamole® products; guacamole, salsa and now...
100 Calorie Minis for Families on the Go!
Did I mention that they're all natural, no preservatives, gluten free and kosher and that you could WIN a lunch box full of guacalicious products and a gift card for $100!
We have spent the past two weeks at The Farm filling our days playing in mud puddles, jumping on the trampoline, collecting chicken eggs, building sand castles, Celebrating Aunt Isabelle's 104th birthday, and visiting with Aunt John, Aunt Sally, Kevin and Liz. We can't forget that pig roast!
Plus, trips to Canada's Wonderland with Uncle Andrew and African Lion Safari with Poppa.
A great time was had by all but we are relieved to be Home Sweet Home and that it's finally Thursday and the ...
A peer of mine (a.k.a. Blog Crush), Melissa from Dreams and Colour is currently highlighting Canadian provinces and bloggers and has graciously featured Journeys of The Zoo today!
I hope that if you're ever in the area, you'll drop us a line. We'd love to answer any questions that you have and are always up for a road trip of our own.
If you have something special to share about your province and want to be featured on Dreams and Colours or Journeys of The Zoo, please leave a comment and your dreams might just become a reality... in colour.
CONTESTERS. Bloggers will be adding their giveaways to the linky throughout the week so be sure to come back often and check for new opportunities to WIN!
Don't forget to enter all the other giveaways posted to our jam packed Facebook Giveaway Wall. Note that a link is also provided in the left hand column over there <-------
BLOGGERS. This linky receives daily promotion via The Zoo's social media links. Be sure to also add all your giveaways to our Facebook Giveaway Wall. NO LIMITS! Please post end dates.
The weather at the top of Blue Mountain has been treating us well.
Sunshine in the morning, a sprinkle in the afternoon and warm nights with beautiful sunsets.
Yesterday, we celebrated Great, Great Aunt Isabelle's 104th Birthday at the Family cottage at Wasaga Beach. She's looking pretty fine for a woman 104 years old.
The chickens have been laying six "farm fresh" eggs a day with one almost always being a double (anyone know what the name is for that?). Chickens you say? More on that to come.
Today we managed to avoid being eaten by a Lion at African Lion Safari.Do you have the jingle in your head now?
And in case I haven't told you lately, thank you so much for stopping by each week and linking up. It puts a giddy smile on my face to see so many familiar faces.
And on that note, it's Thursday and you know that that means...
You've come to the right place and are welcome at...
Journeys of The Zoo Giveaway Linky!
CONTESTERS. Bloggers will be adding their giveaways to the linky throughout the week so be sure to come back often and check for new opportunities to WIN!
Don't forget to enter all the other giveaways posted to our jam packed Facebook Giveaway Wall. Note that a link is also provided in the left hand column over there <-------
BLOGGERS. This linky receives daily promotion via The Zoo's social media links. Be sure to also add all your giveaways to our Facebook Giveaway Wall. NO LIMITS! Please post end dates.
I jumped into marriage at 19 years old like a crazy kid who thought she knew everything. Nine years and two kids later the life I had tried SO desperately to maintain fell apart right before my eyes. Suddenly I was in the midst of a nasty divorce. There were days when I could barely leave my bed because the stress, the tears, the anxiety was all just too much.
I was 28 and an absolute disastrous shell of a woman who had zero idea who she was.
Besos, The Zoo
