Oh hello there! It’s been a few days since my last recipe… I had a lovely Easter weekend and I may have overdone it. Not exactly with the food per se (although I did overdo the food), just the planning, prepping, doing, always going. And guess what? I got bronchitis. I’m on antibiotics & hope to be on the mend, soon. First illness of 2016 on my end, and it happened right as the seasons were changing. So technically; I am supposed to be resting, but I’ve got a pretty persistent & nagging cough. So I’ll write, because writing is to me one of the most relaxing things, ever.

I was humbled by a few emails asking me to share a little bit more about me, my life, and other topics. And so I chose to write about our March Break. For a moment I experienced a little déjà vu; how many of you still remember your teacher asking you to write about your March Break that first Monday back to school? I (sort of) still remember penning those little entries! Well, how things have changed since then. We decided to pack our little family up and head to a very familiar setting now; the mountains of Northern Ontario. I’ve been going to Blue Mountain on ski trips ever since I arrived to Canada as a student. While the place remains the same; what’s truly changed is the person that visits it every year.

So let me start by tackling the perils of road tripping with two children under five. And by road tripping, I mean any trip that exceeds 90 mins. I’ve done it all with these kids, really. Been bravely flying with them ever since they were only months old, making the 5 hour flight back home to see my parents with a newborn baby and a toddler, solo. Oh yes, you read that right. SOLO.[As in 2 of them to 1 of me]. Being outnumbered is never easy, but I’ve been there. That perhaps deserves its very own post. But my tips for surviving car trips are simple: etch a sketch for each, cheese strings & yogurt tubes. Everything that comes in vertical tube form and does not require a spoon and minimizes the risks of spillage is a definite go. And no grapes or slippery choking hazards. Anything that I’ve had to fish out of their mouths won’t make it into the car.

And for mamas, there’s tips, too. Never underestimate the importante of being properly caffeinated. This is key, friends. Coffee first thing in the morning not only wakes me up, it makes me happy. That and getting a decent night sleep the day before you head out. I often tell my friends that all problems in the world seem smaller if (1) you’ve had a good night sleep (which isn’t always easy with small kids, I get it) (2) if you have a good cup of coffee in hand. Oh and if you have babies or toddlers that still nap the BEST tip ever is: head out at nap time. Cars just lull them into deep sleep. We did that up until last year… It worked wonders, we enjoyed the drive, & even grabbed late lunch at Chipotle to-go along the way while two little minions snoozed in the back seat. It almost felt like an impromptu date. *Almost. 🙂

So let me tell you a little bit about Blue Mountain. There’s something there for everybody, quite literally. There’s over 10 nice restaurants lining up the Village. No more fries, grilled cheese and hot chocolate for 4 days straight (ahem, student days). Our first to always try and a family favorite is Firehall Pizza. Because what’s not to love about old-world style wood oven pizza? AND they now offer a gluten free crust, which tastes quite good, actually. It’s a bit on the thin/crispy side but it’s fresh and does not taste like cardboard, I promise. I also highly recommend Tholos, the Greek restaurant in the Village. It’s affordably priced and has a great kids menu. I think that out of all the specialty restaurants we have tried there, this one stays true to the cuisine. The lamb shank, moussaka, burger selections & souvlaki are fantastic. The kids’ menu has 5 options; and boasts pasta, chicken and beef souvlaki etc. The closest thing you can get to a home cooked meal with rice, potatoes & salad while away. Oh and the Village has a Starbucks, because that matters, too. My absolute favorite thing to get every night: a matcha green tea latte with either soy or coconut milk, no sweetener, & extra matcha. There you have it; a nice little energy boost. And all the natural sweetness in matcha.

For entertainment, there was plenty to do aside from the usual skiing. There were family movies at the hotel auditorium, fireworks, pottery painting, a retro candy store visit, a toy store, daily yoga (for mama) etc. My suggestion is that as soon as you check in, (regardless of where you decide to stay) you ask for the list of activities for March Break across the Village. I had never painted pottery with the kids and I think I enjoyed our visit to “Crock a Doodle” more than they did. The best part; our pieces weren’t ready on time to be picked up the next day, but they’ll mail them home and they arrived within 3 days.

What I like about the place is the scenery. Its sleepy & serene, and there’s plenty of natural escarpment left. I had fun taking pictures while everyone was telling me to “keep moving”. My absolute favorite place is the little village pond; I love to photograph it in the summer and winter alike. I now have a collection of my children facing the pond with their back to my camera that spans across the years. It’s a nice little reminder that the pond stays the same while they’re rapidly changing. I compare the pictures year to year and just looked at the last ones in disbelief… How can their heads now be above the fence? I remember having them in the Baby Bjorn or Ergo facing the pond, bundled tight against my chest. How time flies. How some things stay the same. But every year we go there sure feels different in every sense.

So there you go, a little post about life with two littles and what we were up to on March Break. If you’d like to see more of this, just send me a note.

Off to Bed! xx

signing off with a little picture of me during our little getaway.

-Aleyda