Truth be told, I have a SEVERAL drafts posted, images and vlogs edited – ready to post…but this topic takes precedence.
The 10 year anniversary of the end of the Mayan calendar falls on December 21 2022 (if you remember – nothing significant happened), which also happens to be the Winter Solstice of this year. I don’t fully understand what that all means, but I understand the idea of coincidence is important.
So what is Winter Solstice? From a scientific standpoint, it when the Earth’s axis reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun. This means, December 21 marks the longest night of the year (ie: the day with the least amount of sun light).
So if you are like me, you look for connections and patterns, especially when science meets anything.
What to do during the Winter Solstice:
Meditate, Journal & Walk in Nature
Light candles after sunset
Make donations (anything: monetary, gifts or food)
Sage your space
Create a crystal grid (or at least hold your clear quartz crystal)
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!
Toronto is a great city and there are no end to the fun, festive and free things to do around the city during the holiday season! Be sure to bundle up and be sure to check out the list below on some ideas on how to enjoy the season (on a budget)!
*NOTE* images are not mine and have been referenced below.
Distillery District
The last time I went to the Winter Village was 2019, and the photographer in me wants to re-create this magic through my lens! This place is full of beautiful sights (every corner is perfect for a selfie) and tastes (thank you coffee and chocolate)! Entrance is free on weeknights before Dec 27th + children under 9 are free of charge!
Yorkville is beautiful any time of year, but having it all lit up makes it amazing. The best photo op would be in the light tunnel! And the christmas tree totally gives Rockefeller Center vibes!
This rink is ALWAYS jam packed so keep the little ones close to you and on the edge of the rink. The best part about skating here (other than – it’s FREE as long as you bring your own skates and snacks) is the MUSIC. Whether it’s 90s christmas pop or top 40, you’ll have a great time whipping across :)
Miniature displays and twinkling lights? Sign me up! I’ve yet to check our the Royal York windows but I’ve heard that they are enchanting. Grab your mocha or hot chocolate and enjoy the stroll past these beautiful displays!
We recently went to Las Vegas! This is actually my 5th trip to sincity (and 3rd trip with at least 1 kiddo!)
We tried to do some new things this time. So sharing some of what we got up to! All activities are family friendly (aka dooable for the kidos and the grandparents!
Hike in Zion National Park
After our Banff Trip, we knew our kids enjoyed hiking in nature. So we weren’t going to let a 3hr drive stop us from experience that is Zion National Park. There is a variety of hikes for all level of hikers but of course we stuck to the easy paved hikes. I would have loved to spend another day or two there but doing the lower Emrald pools hike was a great taste of Zion. The views are breath taking. And going in November meant you weren’t dealing with the desert heat.
Venice Gondola Ride
This quick copy cat ride of the famous gondola experience in Venice is a great activity for any age. This is my 3rd ride, but my youngest one did this for the first time when she was 5 months old! Although the ride is super quick (under 15 min) there is an opportunity to learn about vegas, hear a beautiful serenade and enjoy some time in a boat on the water (always relaxing)!
Flamingo Habitat
This place is a vibe! In the middle of the Las Vegas strip is a gorgeous outdoor setting with palm, trees, waterfalls and cute animals! This completely free activity is like a trip to a mini zoo. Kids of all ages will love the animals and watching the fishes (which are mesmerizing to watch on the bridge).
Seven Magic Mountains
7MM is an outdoor art display of stacked colourful boulders. It’s a great place to do an IG transition and they are even safe enough to climb (carefully ofcourse! for the perfect shot) I did read if you got at 9am, you’ll beat the crowds, but we went mid afternoon to get the most sunshine!
Cereal Killersz
The Cereal Killerz Kitchen is actually a Cereal Bar. They have every cereal ever made + some rare ones that were only available for a short time and then of course some you haven’t head of! The best part was that they have alternative milk options! You can a classic cereal and milk bowl, or a millkshake. I would definite go back here next time!
A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to check out the fantastic roof top patio at the X Hotel.
Valarie is boasted as Toronto’s newest nightlife concept with an innovative Japanese menu, inspired cocktails amidst unparalleled views the six.
What we ate: Cocktails: Single Malt on the rocks, Espresso and Cosmo Martinis Food: Truffle Fries, Maitake Mushroom (bowl) & Truffle Teardrop (sushi roll) Food Menu
The mushroom item was delicious. Crispy and with a truffle flavour.
And the martinis were perfect (flavourfull and strong!)
The entire rooftop is lined with a glass balcony – so you get views of the lake, Mississauga, the downtown core and the lake of course.
And of course I only got pictures of the CN Tower.
The views and cocktails really made it for me, although I wish they had more food items.
Over all it was a great experience (we tried to ignore the early 2000s clique vibes between patrons and the restaurant staff).
We got reservations through OpenTable, but I think a walk in is worth a try!
I’m trying a new thing with my workouts, including using a paper journal to write down my fitness routine. Staying optimistic but hoping that using a different strategy to track my workouts (ie: not digital) will keep me more honest and consistent with resistance training and challenging myself.
And I feel that holding power over my workouts, romanizing it and even disrupting my usual exercise regime (within a controlable “blast radius) makes me feel like I have a little moe control in my life given the current socio-economic-politico environment…
But it’s more than my workouts, I feel like I have control when I take the time to put on a cute outfit to have dinner with the fambam. Annnndd because I loved all the depth and texture of the outfit, I took a little more control by taking a whole bunch of pictures of me in said outfit #FashionBlogger :)
May sound a little cheesy but it’s all about that #MainCharacterEnergy – and we all need to acknowledge that energy in our own life now and then…
If you are feel like not yourself, that something is just off or need to change things up a bit because you feel like you are just being tossed around …consider taking control of what you can to feel more like yourself…and to start…here are some ways:
Your thoughts: Replace negative self talk with the action of writing down positive affirmations or statements about about yourself!
What you eat Eat When was the last time you ate healthy whole foods, drank a full glass of water or switched up your coffee with an herbal tea.
How we spend our spare time: Give you mind a break from work/Netflix/unproductive activities (scrolling, gossiping etc) and do something creative, active, journaling (ie: to do lists, gratitude, brain dump)
How you react to things: Before immediately giving someone or a situation your attention give yourself a moment to pause before immediately reacting, it might actually change how you respond.
What content you consume Put down your phone and pick up a book. Unfollow and mute accounts that don’t lift you up. Learn or study instead of mindlessly watching. Create more than you consume.
Who you spend time with Surround yourself that build you up and inspire you. And it’s OK to spend time on your own as much as you need.
How we treat others Don’t waste energy treating people badly. Use that energy to focus on improving your well being or hanging out with people who matter to you.
This reminds me of blogger me circa 2011
Boots – Amazon | Dress – Joe Fresh | Vest – M Boutique | Purse – Aldo
