Tag Archives: celebrate

Canada Day Family Fun in the Okanagan

Canada Day Family Fun

Summer is officially here! And there’s no better way to kick it off than celebrating our beautiful country. Here is a list of family friendly activities happening in and around Kelowna to celebrate Canada Day!

Community Celebrations

Celebrate Canada Day by Festivals Kelowna 

When: Monday July 1, 10 am – 10:30 pm 
Where: Downtown Kelowna Parks (Waterfront Park, Jim Stuart Park, Kerry Park) & Prospera Place
What: Join in the fun with this annual, free community festival to celebrate our Nation’s birthday. Tons of activities and performances that are multi-generational and family-friendly.

Check the full schedule here.

Highlights include:

  • Waterfront Park: 

    • Taste of Canada – a food fair featuring foods from over 18 different vendors
    • Made in Canada Marketplace – an artisan showcase of handmade, Canadian arts and crafts
    • Canada Day Bazaar – a marketplace of unique items by local small businesses
    • Canada Day at the Kelowna Art Gallery – Canada Day art fun and activities
    • Primera Projects Kid’s Zone (Pioneer Gardens, Waterfront Park), 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Prospera Place

    • Folkfest Stage (Prospera Place), 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    • “Happy Birthday Canada” cake presented by Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty (at approx. 1:00 pm)
    • Kelowna City Band Canada Day Concert 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
  • Around Downtown

Canada Day in Lake Country

When: Monday July 1, 8 am – 4 pm
Where: Swallwell Park, 9950 Bottom Wood Lake Rd, Kelowna
What: The activities get underway at 8 a.m. with a traditional pancake breakfast, followed by a full day of stage entertainment and tent exhibits by local businesses and non-profit agencies. Presented by the Rotary Club of Lake Country, in partnership with the District of Lake Country and Heritage Canada.

Check the full schedule here. 

Highlights include:

  • Children’s Art Creation Activity
  • Children’s Garden Centre
  • Vintage costume dress up and photos
  • Model car races
  • Live stage entertainment, featuring Classical, Folk, Celtic and Rock Music, and local dancers, beginning at 9 a.m. and extending until 8 p.m.
  • Market area with food, crafts, and other products from local Lake Country merchants.
  • Movie in the Park, featuring ‘Black Panther’

Peachland Canada Day Celebrations

When: Monday July 1, 7:30 am – 10:30 pm
Where: Heritage Park, Beach Ave., Peachland
What: A fun filled day of family-friendly celebrations, including a morning beach run, kids’ activities, live music and entertainment, and the annual parade. The night ends with a fireworks show at 10:30 pm.

Check the full schedule here.

Highlights include:

  • Pancake breakfast, 8:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Magician and kids’ activities and games all day in Heritage park
  • Parade starting at 5:00 pm, heading south on Beach Avenue from 13th Street to 1st Street
  • Fireworks at 10:30 pm

Westside Daze Canada Day 

When: Monday July  112:30 pm
Where: Annette Beaudreau Amphitheatre/Memorial Park, 3737 Old Okanagan Hwy, West Kelowna
What: Celebrate Canada Day with concerts, magic, cake, and more! Admission is free; donations to the Westbank Food Bank are always welcome.

Check the full scheduled here. 

More Community Events

Free Canada Day Hot Dogs

When: Monday July 1, 11 am – 2 pm
Where: Glenmore Fresh Fruit & Produce, 2429 Longhill Road, Kelowna
What: Free Hot dogs for Canada day! Stop by for a snack and some fresh fruit & veggies locally right from the heart of the Okanagan! Plus stickers, tattoos, balloons and more!

Do you know of some more fun events happening? Send them our way, we’d love to include them! xo

Christmas, Once Again

Family Christmas Photo

Another Christmas has come and gone, and this one was one for the books! We truly had the best Christmas with the girls! Vienna is the perfect age for all things Christmas magic, and we loved soaking up every minute of it. Christmas break was late this year, so it seemed like we didn’t have as much of a lead up to Christmas as usual. But, we took the pre-Christmas weekend to do all of our favourite things: decorate cookies & make Christmas goodies, attend our annual family Christmas bowling night with cousins, host Christmas Eve breakfast for our friends, and watch Every. Last. Christmas. Movie. Possible.

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‘Tis the Season

It’s no secret, Christmas is my favourite time of the year! I mean, I actually like the mall at Christmas time when most people are complaining (this is also the only time of year Mike likes the mall, too! A match made in chaotic Christmas heaven 😉 ) Vienna is showing strong signs of following my Christmas lead, and I love it! She’s been gasping and awing at any little light display we see. #agirlaftermyownheart

We are all about taking in Christmas festivities over here … I only hope that one day my children appreciate my crazy love for anything holiday-themed. I’m excited to be sharing our holiday bucket list today, since its definitely time to get in the Christmas spirit with only ONE MONTH until Christmas. How did that happen?

We love supporting local charities; one we support every year is Be a Santa to a Senior, where we purchase gifts for a senior who may not have any family at Christmas. We also love decorating cookies and gingerbread houses– it should come as no surprise that V took it upon herself to lick every gumdrop before it went on the house last year. And of course, anything that involves Christmas jammies, Christmas music, or Christmas coffee…. Ok, the whole list is our favourite.

We plan to kick things off tonight by attending an annual festival of lights, that we go to every year! What are your favourite holiday activities? Comment below to share!

Here’s to a fun, festive Christmas season! xo
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I’m Yours

This weekend we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. 5 years! Where did the time go? Well, mostly to two babies and two cruise boats in our case, but really, it feels like not that long ago and yet so long ago at the same time. We took a night away at Sparkling Hill Resort to celebrate (thanks to the grandparents for keeping the kiddos)– our first time away from both girls!

We got married on 09-10-11. Our wedding day is still one of my favourite days…

After searching the Okanagan exhaustively trying to find a lakefront (and not spend a million) venue, we got married on the perfect dock at a tiny lakefront hotel (thanks to my savvy co-worker–no really, she has the answer to everything). Sadly the site was torn down and turned into a development last year. It was one of those hidden gems that seemed “too good to be true”. One site. All of our crazy family and friends in one small hotel. 33 degree September weather. The most stunning backdrop. The most amazing dress.  And the groom wasn’t too bad either 😉

Wedding Details Recap:

  • Colour Scheme: Black and White with a hit of hot pink
  • Wedding Party: 3 groomsmen, 3 bridesmaids, two flower girls and a ring bearer
  • Ceremony: On the dock
  • Reception: White event tents behind the hotel
  • Dinner: Catered buffet
  • Dessert: Candy Bar and homemade cookies dipped in dark and white chocolate
  • Songs: Walking down the aisle- I’m Yours, Jason Mraz (acoustic); First Dance- Everything, Michael Buble

I’m not sure what else to put on this list, as I’m so far out of the wedding planning world and so thick into the baby-toddler-mama world. Thankfully (?) Pinterest became popular pretty much right after our wedding, so I feel my inner event planner enthusiast was relatively limited reasonable at the time.

I looked through our wedding album again the other day and I love these photos so much. We are lucky to have so many stunning images thanks to Blink Photography, who also happens to have done all of our family and baby pictures! Here’s a few favourites.

(I still LOVE that dress and a small part of me hopes that one of my girls will wear it one day).

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