Hello. My name is Jen and I’m a rainy day activity hoarder.
It’s true. For the last year and a half, I’ve kept a running list of awesome programs and places around the Lower Mainland to visit on rainy days. For some reason, however, I’ve been rationing them out very slowly. Does this classify as torrential downpour? Only the third day of rain in a row? Could we get away with just visiting one of our regular places? I have absolutely no idea what the reasoning behind this craziness has been. Was I afraid that I’d suddenly run dry of things to do with my toddler and we’d be stuck at home staring at the wall? Did I think that we couldn’t visit these awesome places again after the initial time? I have no clue. What I do know, however, is that now that we know we’re headed back to Kuwait in a short 5 months (and back to the Okanagan in just 3), there’s no more rainy day activity qualification system in place. Little Nest? We’re going. Maritime Museum? Yup, there too. Watermania? Absolutely. Art Gallery? Morning drop-in at Collage Collage? Salmon Hatchery? UBC Gymnastics? Cowboys and Angels? Let’s do it!
One of the other places that has been on my list forever is 6 Pack Indoor Beach. Located on the very industrial Mitchell Island, 6 Pack Indoor Beach is essentially a giant warehouse filled with sand (in the most awesome way possible). During the evenings and weekends, they’re host to volleyball leagues and tournaments, but during weekdays when it’s a lot quieter, families are welcome to come and enjoy their Lil’ Diggers drop-in program.
And that’s just what Miss G and I did today.
The beach was quiet… With a few teenagers practicing on the far court and two other moms with munchkins playing, Gracen and I had more space than we could ever want.
While we brought along a little bag of sand toys, 6 Pack already had all of the bases covered. From shovels to buckets, rakes, sand castle moulds, balls, frisbees, and tractors, it was all already there for us to play with. Or course laying and rolling around in the sand was just as much fun too.
As was burying ourselves.
We spent two and a half hours playing, and even then Gracen wasn’t ready to go. And I can’t blame her… She had just discovered this perfect jumping ledge and was working hard on her sand dives.
The nice thing about the indoor beach is that while you can get dirty to your heart’s content out on the sand, when you’re finished there is spacious foot washing ‘sink’ and full-on showers in the bathrooms. There’s also several picnic tables and comfy wooden loungers come lunch time.
I’m so glad we finally made our way to 6Pack. It was the perfect rainy day get away and we’ll definitely be headed back soon.
6 Pack Indoor Beach is open 7 days a week, with the Lil’ Diggers drop-in program happening weekdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The drop-in cost is $7 and they also offer a punch pass that gives you 11 sessions for $60. Plus, they do birthday parties!
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Ever since our recent 
Fruit lends itself to creating a rainbow so well that I could have easily made the entire thing just from one food group, but I decided to try and include at least a little bit of protein, dairy, and veg too. I ended up with strawberry chunks, all-natural sharp cheddar cubes, low-sodium chickpeas, edamame beans, fresh blueberries, and banana coins for the clouds (sorry indigo and violet – skipped you this time!)
The chickpeas were scooped up by my hungry little monkey before I had a chance to assemble the rainbow, so they were replaced with chunks of yellow pepper (just as well – she loves those too). Using a small plate and following its arc made shaping the rainbow really easy.
And you should have seen the eyes on my little rainbow loving girl when I set the plate down in front of her… She loved it so much that we had a great brainstorming session about all of the foods that could be used to create a rainbow snack (and she of course had way more ideas than I did). 
A couple of weekends ago, at our local farmer’s market, we came across a Abbotsford-based farmer selling my favourite fruit… kiwi. While I had no idea that kiwi fruit was grown locally, I did know that kiwi is delicious and lasts a long time when properly kept, so I stocked up. When we got home, the kiwi went into the back of the crisper and I forgot about them for a while. Oops.
Upon rediscovering a stash of over a dozen kiwis, I decided we had to put {at least some of} them to good use asap. I ran a few ideas past my sous chef and she very confidently decided on popsicles. As you do. We gathered up a few simple ingredients – the kiwi, some plain yogurt, a little bit of honey, and some pure apple juice, and got started. 
While I’m sure they would have been yummy given the original line up of ingredients, at the last minute I decided to add in an avocado… Extra creaminess and extra nutrients equals a win-win, right?
My little helper threw everything into the food processor…
Stopping to sample her first ever taste of apple juice. When the measuring cup was four fifths empty she asked, “Dump it in now, Mama?” Hmmm… you think she enjoyed it?
After replacing our missing apple juice, we processed everything until smooth.
This was the result. A super smooth, super creamy mixture that Miss G wanted to drink then and there.
We transferred the mixture into our makeshift popsicle moulds, which are still some of my very favourites despite the fact that we now have several proper sets.
Grae happily placed the lids on top and inserted the wooden popsicle sticks…
And it was time for the freezer.
Several hours later, we had delicious, healthy popsicles Miss G couldn’t wait to get her little hands on.
Mama’s little helper proudly putting away her new treats.
Last weekend, while tidying up the backyard a little bit, I came across a random 2×4 shoved in a corner along the fence. I don’t know if everyone thinks this way, but when I come across an item, the first place my mind goes is how could we use this for play? Of course a long flat wooden board almost begs to be used as a balance beam, so why complicate things, right?
Before we got to using it too much, we pulled out our sidewalk chalk and decorated it a bit. And by ‘we’ I basically mean that I drew while Miss G gave instructions. ☺
To start off, we placed it flat on the ground and Grae carefully walked back and forth a few times.
Then I thought it would be fun to add a little incline. I brought out a thin cement block and propped up one side of the 2×4, but Miss G automatically said, “No – TWO blocks! Then we can make a bridge!” So a bridge it was.
This little set-up is so, so simple, but it’s a lot of fun and it’s great for balance and motor skill development too.
Spinach and baby kale salad, barbecued chicken, parmesan cauliflower mash, Israeli couscous and avocado salad.
Filthy, hungry, and happy.
Backyard barbecue season is on its way back. Yay for that.
While we have many favourite playgrounds around Vancouver (like 
Upon arriving, I realized that although the park was new to us, I’d been there countless times before with the children I nannied throughout my university (and beginning teaching) days. I guess I should have made the realization based on the area and park address, but whole ‘West Point Grey Park’ title threw me off. I, and everyone I’ve ever heard speak of the park, have always called it Trimble Park. Who knew its actual name was something different?! 
Name confusion aside, this park was a lot of fun back in the day, and is even better due to some recent (or at least semi-recent) additions. 
Included are three separate play structures (2 big ones and a teeny tiny one for very little ones), 6 slides, 2 sets of swings (baby, toddler, and regular included), a tire swing, hanging bars, a teeter-totter, and lots of space for playing in the sand and rocks.
A fun addition since my last visit is this rock climbing wall. Though still needing a tiny bit of assistance, Gracen loved climbing up and liked hanging out on top with all of the big kids even more.
The other thing I love about this park is the natural play areas. This little cove of trees was a favourite of the kids I nannied, and Grae loves it too. She’s hiding here. Can’t you tell?
To top it all off, the park has basketball courts, soccer fields, and baseball diamonds, plus public washrooms (warm water and soap included!)
Is there anything more fun than receiving a surprise package with your name on it? Probably not. 
After 
Gracen poured water, added greens, and gently stirred hot soup. She scooped soil, packed it down, and added pebble sprinkles to dirt cupcakes. She tended to gooey mud pancakes, flipping them every now and again.
And lucky for me, I was the chosen taste tester.
We woke up to an absolutely gorgeous sunny day today and immediately packed up a lunch and headed down to our favourite beach-front playground. As always, Grae spent tons of time climbing ladders, sliding through tunnels, riding the swings, and spinning on the merry-go-round, but during this visit, she spent just as much time climbing on and off this log, adding bits and pieces, and tending to her delicious-looking mud soup.
After our recent 
What I just learned about Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, and didn’t know before is that they do all kinds of fun special events. Some, like their family nights, date nights, and pizza making nights happen on a weekly basis, and others, like the 
This morning I was beckoned by the usual “Mama, Mama – bum wiiiipe!” call from the bathroom, and arrived to find this. My little lady, perched up on the toilet, sporting self-drawn Papa eyebrows just as I had drawn on her yesterday during our