Gone With The Family Feature & Linky {Canadian}

Journeys of The Zoo's "I Am Canadian" Feature for February is Gone With The Family. Quite a fitting feature considering we are currently spending our winter in Chiapas, Mexico.

Please show your support by leaving a comment regarding your travel experiences or by visiting her blog and discovering the next place that you and your family will visit.

My name is Lisa and I'm a Canadian mom of two girls. I'm on a mission to show them the world - one trip at a time! Our daughters are now 16 and 9 years old and we have been traveling with them since the older one was just a few weeks old. Road trips, cruises, transatlantic flights - you name it and we've done it - sometimes with more success than others but it's always an adventure.

Just about 2 years ago, I decided to start blogging about our trips and Gone With The Family was born.

My goal is to inspire parents to explore with their children even if it's just their own little corner of the world for the time being.


In Mykonos with my daughters.

On our website you will find stories and photos from our trips, hotel reviews, travel tips, and book reviews. I also have a Facebook page with an active community that loves to talk about anything travel related and we would love to have you join us.

@BabyOrganicJoy is Giving Away $500*! CAN, 03/31

Pretend that you just won $500 in baby products from Baby Organic Joy.

Yes, I just wrote "you and "$500" in the same sentence.

I lied.

How about if you and two other people each won $500!

Now, that's better

If the name Baby Organic Joy sounds familiar, then you've probably read our recent review of their online shop or are conscientious about the products that you give your baby.

I love the fact that Baby Organic Joy is a Canadian company and a proud member of Canada's Organic Trade and Green Business Associations.

That's not all. I also love they offer quality products at afforable prices.

Their gift set includes six items for under $60 and that also includes FREE returns and shipping!*

In my opinion, Baby Organic Joy is great value for your money!

Now that you're in love, connect with Baby Organic Joy via their Website, Facebook and Twitter.

Find out How to Win $500 Below!

A Mexican Delicacy: Unless You’re the Fish (Video)

Minnows for Dinner?

  Besos, The Zoo

Personalize Your Back to School Items with Stuck on You [Review]

Just because Christmas was last month, doesn't mean that you're off the hook for gift giving. Besides, graduations happen and so does Christmas. Besides, birthdays come around every.single.year. And, we wouldn't want to forget...

Back to School Items from Stuck on You.

It was established when owner, Carrie Felton created labels to identify her three boys belongings at day care. She knew she was on to something when all the other Moms wanted them too! After 17 years as an online store, they've got ordering down to the easiest science I know of and they ship throughout Canada.

The Zoo felt like a "kid in a candy shop" when we were given the opportunity to select from their vast array of affordable, quality and personalized products.

Amazingly, we were able to purchase eight personalized items for less than $100! With all the items to choose from, it was a tough choice but we decided on; a school pack that includes a Drink Bottle, Pencil Case and Lunchbox, two pairs of short pyjamas, address labels, and bag tags.

Don't feel sorry for Max, I got him his own school pack!

The quality of the materials and craftsmanship of all the items is evident. If you have kids, you know how important that is because they always seem to break the unbreakable and find that one loose stitch to pick apart. I especially liked that the drink bottles were stainless steel as I try to avoid plastics at all costs. While we have our fair share of broken cups and plates around here, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

There were tons of ways to personalize the products. Each item has at least two colour options; blue, pink and in many cases something neutral such as red, yellow or green. As well, the graphic and font choices seemed endless. I took full advantage of their "Zoo" theme but also loved all the flowers, birds, robots and animal options. Definitely something for everyone.

I can't wait for the weather to warm up so that the kids can wear their personalized pyjama shorts. Such a cute touch to have their names are on the pocket tag. I'd also like to add some t-shirts and bathrobes to our clothing collection.

If you have a tough person to buy for, love personalized items or just want to receive the "best gift giver ever" award then...

Give a Personalized Gift from Stuck on You!

Connect with them via their website, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

This post originally contained a giveaway. It has since ended and the confirmed winner was Trillina P.

Tweet Send your Kids to School in Style!

  Besos, The Zoo

The Mystery of the "Orrphish" is Solved!

Two weeks ago, we got the phone call that no one wants to get. Our closest friend (whom Ed has known for over 40 years) walked into the hospital in the morning and by 1 pm was in open heart surgery to replace his Aorta. He had a 80% chance of surviving the surgery. After that, it was anyone's guess.

Within 45 minutes of the call, we were on the road to Nanna's House (a four hour drive).

Ed spent the weekend at the hospital and we spent it with Los Abuelos and Uncle Kevin who happened to be in the city visiting Uncle Andrew.

They had a wild and crazy party weekend planned. If The Zoo is anything, we're "wild and crazy".

Not exactly what they had planned.

I told them they could blame Fred.

Seeing as Nanna has four tv’s in the house (note that only three people live there), the kids got in their fair share of cartoons. That and it's kind of a treat as we don't have tv (the horror). We set it on Treehouse and went about getting things done with the expectation that they wouldn't leave the tv for a moment. We weren't disappointed.

Somewhere along the way, they saw an "Orrphish". I know because for the past two weeks, Max and Artemis have been drawing pictures of him, asking if he can sit at the table and updating me on the characteristics of said Beast.

I was fine with having their "imaginary" friend along for the ride but Nanna wanted to know more. With some fine sleuthery (rivaled only by Sherlock), we managed to deduce the following;

We lives in the water, is very long, pink, he's a boy and doesn't have tusks (later understood to mean "toothless").

Something like this perhaps...