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A great find in Toronto – Evergreen Brick Works

Administrator — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:16:46 +0000

Last weekend, my family and I set out on a bike ride on a lovely sunny Summer morning in Toronto. We ended up at the Evergreen Brick Works, at the site of the old Don Valley Brickworks Factory in the Bayview extension in Toronto. It was a most pleasant surprise – a truly urban oasis right in our city. This ‘thriving environmentally-based community centre that engages visitors in diverse experiences connected to nature’ is sure to appeal to a wide array of Torontonians looking for unique, interesting and stimulating things to do without going too far. The location of the old Brickworks factory, which first opened in 1889, has been preserved and refurbished and is now a great destination for families with children. Entry to the site is free.
We enjoyed great food at the Farmer’s Market (one of my favourites were delicious Surkl organic empanadas) and great hikes through the area. My two young daughters were fascinated by the wild flowers, turtles and fish that they saw pretty much in their own backyard. The site offers lots of great nature walks and events throughout the year that include chef’s workshops, a farmer’s market every Saturday, and the ‘Farm to Folk Festival’, among many others. What’s better is that this great spot right in Toronto is still in its development stage, with lots more great things to come – The Discovery Centre, Demonstration Gardens, Native Plant Nursery, among other great projects.

My family and I will definitely be coming back!

Maria

PerryWinkles Kids – fine smocked girls’ dresses

Great Summer outings with kids in Toronto

Administrator — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:07:54 +0000

As I spend my Summer with my 2- and 4-year old daughters in Toronto, I’ve come to realize how many great outings there are for kids in the city. We’ve spent endless afternoons playing with the hose in our backyard and going to the local parks, but for those days that we need a little more adventure, my 5 favourite spots are:

1. Riverdale Farm. A great (and free!) destination for little kids and located in the heart of Toronto within historic Cabbagetown. Riverdale farm was the site of Toronto’s first zoo. You can tour the Farm’s scenic 7.5 acres along pathways through wooded areas, around ponds, and into butterfly-herb-flower-vegetable gardens. Cows, horses, donkey, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits, and farm cats may be seen along the way in the barns and outdoor paddocks. There is a great picnic area just outside the farm’s doors that everyone is welcome to use. During the Summer, the farm hosts a Farmer’s Market every Tuesday from 3pm to 7pm.

2. Toronto Zoo. One of my family’s (year round) outings. This a gorgeous zoo, with all the usual attractions with over 5,000 animals, and is set in the beautiful Rouge Valley, with over 10km of walking trails. During Summer months, make sure to visit the Kids’ Zoo, a great interactive area for little kids, and the Splash Island (although this gets quite busy on warm days). The Season’s pass offers a great value if you plan on going at least twice during the year.

3. Centreville Amusement Park on Toronto’s Centre Island. Nestled in over 600 acres of parkland just across the harbour from the city, it offers over 30 rides and attractions for little kids – from antique carousel rides to pony rides to motor boats…and my little girl’s favourite, the mini train that circles around the amusement park. And just the ferry ride over to the island is a great experience on its own for most toddlers and little ones. There is no admission fee for Centreville, but all-day ride passes are available for the attractions.

4. The Toronto Beaches. This is another one of our favourites. We like to spend a few hours on the beach, playing on the sand and relaxing by the water. Once my little girls get bored, we stroll up to the playground at Kew Gardens (in my opinion, one of the best playgrounds I’ve seen in the city) or grab some lunch at Lick’s on Queen Street. Bring lots of beach toys and snacks and just relax on the beach; weekdays are your best bet to avoid the crowds.

5. And on a rainy day….the ROM. I like to visit the ROM during colder months, but on a rainy day in the Summer, this is a great destination for little kids. Once again, the Membership offers a great value if you plan on going more than twice during the year and you won’t feel guilty spending just an hour or two if that’s all your little ones can handle. My 4-year old daughter just loves the new dinosaur exhibit, while my 2-year old can’t get enough of the CIBC Discovery Gallery with lots of interactive activities for kids. Make sure to visit the new cafeteria as well, with great options for little ones (and yummy food for grown-ups!).

Enjoy the warm months while they’re here!

Maria

PerryWinkles Kids

Find PerryWinkles Kids Dresses in Bracebridge this Weekend

veronica — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:22:06 +0000

Now in its 46th year, the Muskoka Arts & Crafts’ Summer Show is Muskoka’s oldest and largest outdoor art show. Set in a beautiful park, the Summer Show features 200 creative artists from across Canada including fashions for adults and children, leather and silver accessories, woodworking, stained glass, pottery and much more!

PerryWinkles Kids brings you fine children’s fashions this Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 20th. Visit us in Booth #157 to see our collection of smocked dresses for little girls and cotton cardigans.

When? Friday, July 18, 2008, 10am-7pm
Saturday, July 19, 2008, 10am-5pm
Sunday, July 20, 2008, 10am-5pm
Where? Annie Williams Memorial Park. Located at the corner of Santa’s Village Road & Wellington Street in Bracebridge, Ontario.
How much? Admission by Donation
Free Parking

PerryWinkles Kids – Fine Girls’ Smocked Dresses

Shop for Children’s handmade Dresses in Muskoka this Summer

veronica — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:24:52 +0000

This Summer we will be back at the Muskoka Arts & Crafts Show in Bracebridge, Ontario. Now in its 46th year, Muskoka Arts & Crafts’ Summer Show is Muskoka’s oldest and largest outdoor art show. Set in a beautiful park, the Summer Show features 200 creative artists from across Canada. Shop for PerryWinkles Kids’ hand-smocked dresses there from July 18th to 20th.

PerryWinkles Kids – Fine Children’s Clothing

45th Annual Muskoka Arts & Crafts Show

Administrator — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:53:56 +0000

This past weekend I participated in the 45th Annual Muskoka Arts & Crafts Show as a vendor. The experience was amazing and I’d recommend the show to anyone looking for something to do in the Muskoka area the second last weekend in July. The show took place in the picturesque Annie Williams Memorial Park in Bracebridge, Ontario and it showcased 200 talented vendors from all around Canada. It was fascinating to meet artisans from all over Canada, all with unique products to sell, ranging from beautiful woodcarving pieces, to gorgeous pottery, to unique hand blown glass items, among many many other things.

We were among the few vendors catering to children, with our hand-made smocked dresses and we found the reception great to this almost lost art in children’s clothing. Among my favourites were Chetolah Fresh Air Studio (unique every-day pottery pieces), Dreampower (costumes for kids), and Imagine Wood (beautiful and practical wood kitchen utensils). To top it all off, we were extremely lucky with the weather, which gave us nothing but sunshine all three days of the show. I hope to be back next year with my dresses!

Maria

Perrywinkles Kids

Things to do in Muskoka with Kids

Administrator — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:50:23 +0000

I have just spent a week at the cottage in Muskoka with my 3 and 1 year-old daughters. We haven’t been too lucky with the weather, so this required a bit of creativity on my part to keep them occupied, as swimming and just hanging out by the lake didn’t work so well this week. Here’s my list of top things to do with kids in the area:

1. Kaleidoscope Music & Arts Summer Camp in Port Carling. www.kaleidoscopeartsined.ca My 3-year old daughter loved her mornings at this camp. She was among the youngest participants, but enjoyed it throughly. They had different activities planned for the kids (watercolours, paintings, necklace-making, jewellery-box making) and special guests most days (stone carver, dramatic artist, among other things).

2. Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. www.aspenvalleywildlifesanctuary.ca. As this beautiful sanctuary for animals, they care for injured animals until they are ready to return wild. Among the animals that we were able to see this week was a lion, wolves, a bear and 14 bear cubs! They are only open Wednesday and Sundays from 1 to 4, so it is the perfect activity for mid-week. Stop for ice cream at Rosseau on your way there or back!

3. Rosseau Farmer’s Market. This takes place every Friday of the Summer between 9 and 2. The setting is just gorgeous, right on the shore of Lake Rosseau, with a beach and playground for the kids and beautiful shopping. Have a freshly made sausage for lunch too (and ice cream up in the town later!).

4. Pick strawberries just outside of the town of Windermere and later go for brunch or lunch at beautiful Windermere House (www.windermerehouse.com).

5. Santa’s Village. www.santasvillage.ca. This place is perfect for little kids. This rides are just their size and exciting enough for them (from roller coasters to bouncy castles). The Elves Island Play Area is gorgeous and kids always love a ride on Santa’s train or his Sleigh Jetboat.

Enjoy! (Although I hope the weather improves for the rest of the Summer).

PerryWinkles Kids – Fine Children’s Clothing