There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather is written by Linda Åkeson McGurk, a Swedish-born mother of two that lives in rural Indiana, USA. In Indiana, McGurk wondered why so few children were playing in parks, walking about town or going outside in rain or snow. Looking...
Winter Carnival finds its roots in Mardi Gras, a Christian day of feasting before the somber season of Lent. Over time this single day of celebration has stretched into days and in some places weeks. In northern climates,...
1. Change Your Mindset. As soon as the temperature dips below freezing, there's a flood of snarky comments and memes online. "I hate winter", "I wasn't made for winter", "I don't do winter" and even "die die winter!" (picture: toppled snowman riddled with knives)....
Don't Make New Year's Resolutions! Pick One Word Instead. When the New Year rolls around, millions of people from around the world make New Year's Resolutions. "This is the year I'm going to get fit!" "I want to lose weight." "My resolution is to save money and travel...
Handmade ornaments are the most treasured holiday decorations in our home. Each one is a miniature time capsule that we dig up every December, reminding us of special moments in our lives. There are lots of ideas for making handmade...
Using technology as a way to help kids connect with nature might seem counterintuitive. After all, aren't we trying to get our technology-addicted kids outside to take a break from screen time? Here in Canada, children spend an...
Getting outside during the winter months can be a struggle with children. There's the initial challenge of convincing everyone that it'll be fun. Then there's the act of wrestling on everyone's winter gear while listening to the...
This post was last updated November 2021. A few years ago I invited a group of families into my home to make wet felted lanterns for Winter Solstice. I covered my living room floor in a large blue tarp and set out a few bins of hot soapy water. It was chaotic and...
This post was update December 2023. Winter Solstice marks the day with the fewest hours of daylight here in the Northern Hemisphere. It also heralds the beginning of winter. The solstice takes place when the North Pole is tilted the farthest from the sun, usually on...
Christmas, a wonderful time of year that's filled with long lists of things to do and gifts to buy. When Christmas finally does arrive many of us are left feeling exhausted and thankful that it's finally over. Can you relate? If yes, you'll be happy to hear that...
I lived in Vancouver, BC for four years and not once did I make the trek out to the Sunshine Coast. At that time I was in full blown study mode, barely coming up for air. Now, many years later, the...
At the end of October the Okanagan Nation Alliance, federal government and provincial government made a joint announcement that there was going to be a renewed commitment to establish a new national park reserve...
"I'm so tired" I groaned. It was three o'clock in the afternoon and I couldn't ward off an intense desire to sleep. I had slept well the night before, but my eyelids felt heavy and the couch looked so cozy. Even amidst the chaos of my three rowdy kids my body was...
Updated and reposted from April 2013. Every autumn or winter my children come down with at least one nasty cold complete with fever, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and teary eyes. These nasty viruses wreck havoc in our home. Nobody sleeps well at night and the days...
"My child plays lacrosse, basketball, volleyball and soccer" beamed a mom I recently met, "How about your kids?" she asked, curiously. "We don't do team sports", I replied, feeling a bit awkward. Team sports are a fixture...
Spion Kop is Dutch for "look out hill" and for good reason. This large area of Crown Land in Lake Country, BC overlooks Okanagan Lake, Ellison Lake, Wood Lake, Kalamalka Lake, Lake Country, Kelowna and beyond. With such fabulous views of the Okanagan Valley it's no...