I’m definitely not one of those moms (read: momfluencers) who plans gram worthy photoshoots at the farm. Honestly I’d rather engage my kids in a 500 piece puzzle or take an early morning trip to the art gallery.
But once or twice a year, we head out to our local neighbourhood farm to support their small business.
The girls enjoyed “getting lost” in the corn maze and searching for the perfect pumpkin. The fresh air and crisp air really got us in the autumn mood!
Google what b-roll is and you’ll see that “it is essential in narrative features to create a sense of time and place and to add layers of meaning to a story.”
When we think about life, we think mainly about the starting points and accomplishments. But we hear so very often to “enjoy the ride”. The ride could be any combination of the daily mundane, errands, simple pleasures and maybe even stumbles. And it’s the ride that is b-roll. As someone who is a creative and who is constantly documenting life – I know that b-roll is life.
➡️ Click here to check out my entire NYC in 4 days series!
So our last 2 days in NYC we kept pretty light. We decided on a few things we wanted to definitely see but did not stress if we didn’t get around to actually seeing them. So here was the list:
Although, I had a longer list (always positive!), with the kiddos we knew it wouldn’t have been possible to make it all happen (and that was OK).
Day 3 We wanted to keep it an easy day outside of the downtown core. We went to a mall in Hoboken, tried Chick-fil-A (hated it!) Later for the day, we had made ferry reservations for the Statue of Liberty so we headed straight there! The girls were really enamoured by the statue and it’s history. Glad we made it happen!
Day 4 Saw us with a start at the MoMA! After a quick bite to eat from a falafel vendor (there on every corner!) and few blocks down from Times Square – we were in.
TIP: Buy your tickets online before you go!
Like the theme for the last 2 days, we had a good idea of what we wanted to see in the art gallery, which was every Van Gogh, Picasso and Salvador Dali then had on exhibit. Anything else would be considered bonus! It was such an honour and treat to see these works of art in person. It confirmed for me that I made the right decision getting an annual pass to the AGO (Check out those trips here and here).
We finished the day by checking out Macy’s, having dinner at Olive Garden and packing to to hit on the road the next day…but not before getting a few shots at DUMBO.
Day 5 Now IYKYK that every influencer on the block wants their elusive picture at DUMBO. And I was no exception (well the influencer title is debatable 😆). So what exactly is DUMBO? Well it stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Although it refers to the entire neighbourhood – it’s really popular because of the well framed view of the bridge (and if you look closely – the Empire State building!). Because of the locations popularity (ahem ahem social media) there are a few things I planned for:
Want to know more about our trip – feel free to reach out at thru les yeux at gmail dot com. Or leave a comment!
The kids had a PA day on Friday and we decided to go to the AGO! PA days can be hard to accommodate as a working parent and our usual PA day is some form of winter activity and lots of TV. But we decided to change things up and I took a day off to spend time with the girls!
It’s been about 12 years since the last time I went to the AGO (embarrassing!) And in hopes of not repeating my 12 year absence, I got a yearly pass!
The girls had a great time. The big open space, engaging environment and children’s spaces made for a great few hours of culture!
Below are some tips on how to make the most of your next trip with the kiddos to the art gallery!
We just got back from a little family adventure downtown to check out some of the free festive set ups! We started with an early dinner (our first choice was Spaghetti Factory, but the wait was wayyyy too long) at a long time favourite with the kids Jack Astors. Unfortunately didn’t get any shots of enjoying the time there, but we had a corner booth and the food was just amazing!
We immediately headed out to see the Fairmount Hotel windows – which were surprisingly cute!
While we made our way to Yorkville, S needed to drop off some of her meal bags (she’s working on a badge for girl guides) so we drove around in circles but could only find 1 person to drop them off at (we ended up leaving them in front of a church).
At Yorkville the kids were more amused by the big mountain 😆 which left me tons of time to enjoy the light display!
Want more? Follow my Blogmas 2022 journey here!
With lockdown measures still in place, no vacation destinations requiring air travel are being planned – the next best thing is vacationing in your own backyard. The best way to do that in Ontario? Camping or for the camping-averse Cottaging!
A cottage is a great way to embrace the great outdoors, picturesque sunsets, time on the water and a change of scenery but still with the conveniences of home (sleeping on a bed, private bathrooms and better weather protection).
Camping is the same flavour but a lot more planning is required – in a good way because it offers an even more outdoor, nature filled experience.
That said, I am not yet ready for camping, maybe in a few years when the girls are little older and more able to help so for now we’ll take the cottage. We don’t have a cottage in our family, so we usually rent one or find a house near a lake.
Here are some tips I’ve picked up overt the last few years of cottaging!
Preparing for your cottage:
– plan your days as much as you can including travelling to and from, meals/groceries, packing and activities
– if travelling with other families, divide up grocery shopping and cooking
– pack for the elements (even if you have a house to escape not ideal weather from, you may still want to enjoy the cooler evenings and rainy mornings)
When you are there:
– spend as much time as you can on the water & drag your kids out as much as possible
– let the kids run free (safely)
– eat every meal OUTSIDE
– take lots of pictures & video of the grounds and all of the activities
– Find any reason to celebrate ;)
Before you leave:
– leave the cottage in the same condition you found it (especially the kitchen!)
– make sure to put away any boating equipment (these are more likely to get stolen which means you don’t want to get caught paying for replacements)
