Home Decor Embroidered Cushion

Debra Valencia, pattern artist and author of the book Embroidered Lettering: Techniques and Alphabets for Creating 25 Expressive Projects, says, "One reason hand stitching lettering and inspirational phrases have become so popular because it helps soothe people in today's high-stress environment." This book has unique embroidery lettering projects that feature heartfelt sentiments and witty statements. I replicated a design from this book for a cushion cover.

Day trip to Stratford, Ontario Billy Elliot the Musical and Tours

Nolen Dubuc (centre) as Billy Elliot with members of the company in Billy Elliot the Musical. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann. Property of the Stratford Festival posted with permission from Stratford Festival

Exploring theatre and the arts in Stratford, Ontario is always a pleasurable experience for the entire family. Last summer, when we went to see the play The Music Man we also toured the Costume Warehouse. This year, we watched the musical Billy Elliot, and enjoyed a tour of the garden and a set changeover tour. 

Win a copy of How Technology Works

The Science Book is DK's Big Ideas newest title which has artwork, step-by-step diagrams, and illustrations that break down complicated ideas into manageable concepts. The book helps to make concepts such as genetic engineering, black holes, and global warming understandable. There are mini-biographies of the most well-known scientists, and a glossary of helpful scientific terms. 

Win 1 of 2 family passes to the Museum of Illusions

We visited the Museum of Illusions for the first time last winter, and enjoyed our recent visit as well. It is fun for everyone in the family to enter the world of illusions and think critically and logically about what our eyes are seeing which our minds will have trouble believing.

Thrilling experience of watching Toy Story on 4DX

We loved watching Toy Story 4! Watching it on 4DX was extra thrilling and totally recommend this movie on 4DX. Everyone in the family will enjoy the amazing experience of the 4DX perfectly in sync with the humour, action, adventure and the creepy scenes of the movie. There was a lot of fabulous motion and action throughout the movie, never a dull moment. 

The Horse and His Boy at the Shaw Festival

Going to the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-lake would make a memorable weekend getaway or a day trip. Every year there is a show that is perfect for families with young children and teenagers. This year it is The Horse and His Boy based on C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Last year, we watched the Magician's Nephew also based on the children's fantasy novel Narnia. My children have read the novels and watched a few of the movies, they were excited to see how the story would be acted on stage.

Herbs and Healing Foods - informative books for wellness

As we spend more time outdoors in the garden during the summer, I try to include everything we grow from flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits into our meals and daily lives. These DK books Complete wellness, Healing foods, and Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine have been an inspiration.

Attracting birds to our garden with Squirrel Buster Plus Bird feeder

Over the past few years, we have updated our garden to encourage pollinators such as bees and butterflies to visit by choosing plants and flowers that attract them. We also made structures where they can build their homes, and created water features like bird baths. We also have a pond area which the birds love coming to take a bath and to quench their thirst or to sit by the rocks and sun bathe.

Detective Pikachu on ScreenX

We watched Warner Bros' "Detective Pikachu" on ScreenX at Cineplex Cinemas Queensway in Toronto, Ontario Canada. It is also playing at several locations in the USA. ScreenX is the world's first multi-projection theatre technology used within a theatre setting, marking it as the most visually immersive theatre experience of CJ 4DPLEX.

Spring Reads and Cookbook

There's Something about Sweetie by Sandhya Menon is a fun book to read about being happy about yourself and falling in love; it was like watching a movie. I like how the main character Sweetie stands up for herself without letting other people's perception of her body image take charge of how she felt about herself. Even when her mother was being over protective thinking being "fat" is a bad thing, Sweetie proved that she was healthy, happy, and was a good person. This book will be enjoyed by teens and adults.