creativelykate

  Four years ago my brother Martin came home for the Holidays.  It was our first Christmas together since we were kids.  Back then we always celebrated Christmas (after Christmas) - he's my half-brother and although we share the same father we always lived in separate homes.  One of the benefits of having two families...you get to celebrate everything twice!  Double the celebrations...double the fun - but it was never quite the same.  So you can imagine how excited I was when my brother called me out of the blue and told me he was coming home for the Holidays!  All I ever wanted for Christmas was the chance to spend it with my siblings...20 years later my dream was finally coming true!   He arrived a week prior to Christmas, with plenty of time to help prepare.  That same year we decided to buy our first real tree so my brother had the opportunity to cut it down with us and decorate it, we went Christmas shopping, wrapped gifts together, he spent hours interacting with and

I couldn't wait another week to share this entry with family and friends.  Christmas is one of my favourite times of year and it's also the topic I chose to write about when I started writing my blog at the beginning of 2016.  Looking back over that entry I've realized that not much has changed...although my hubby and I are excited and eager to start some new traditions, old ones are sure to carry on making this year another season full of great memories, time spent with family and friends, and of course the opportunity share with my readers some great ideas and inspiration! Here it is, our Holiday line-up... Toronto Santa Claus Parade We're definitely starting the season off right.  For the first time ever we'll be taking the kids down to Toronto for the 112th Annual Santa Claus Parade.  We'll be spending the entire weekend with Nana and Opa taking in the sights of the city and watching as Toronto lights up to become a Holiday Winter Wonderland.  War

  Last Saturday was beyond crazy...hockey practice, dance lessons, a birthday party and doctor's visits!  By Saturday evening we were all ready for bed early.  Georgia didn't even make it to dinner, Jackson fell asleep by 6:30 and Hudson, after building Lego with daddy all evening fell asleep on the couch at 8:30 watching Christmas movies with mommy.  Unfortunately early to bed meant early to rise the following morning and in addition to the time change, our wake up call came even earlier than we anticipated.  Just before 5am we were awakened by baby Jack's familiar cries for me (mommy).  Although I tried feeding him and putting him back to bed he was ready and eager to start his day!  It didn't take long for the other two to join us...before we knew we had the whole gang on our bed - even the dog.  At 5:30 my hubby and I finally accepted that regardless of how much we wanted to stay in bed, our 3 kids were telling us otherwise.  By 6:30 breakfast was finished and

The Event Itself The weekend before Halloween my entire family participated in the Haunted Hill 5K and 10K run which takes place in our little home town of Bolton, Ontario.  It seems I have a lot of favourite races but once again this one comes out on top.  It's hosted by our very own Bolton Rotary, with all proceeds going to local and international charities as well as the Rotary itself.  It offers 3 separate race events - a 5K, a 10K and for the first time this year C3 (Canadian Cross Training Club) teamed up with race organizers and hosted a free 1 mile run for children and their families.  In addition, this event is also known for its pretty awesome post-run party, complete with music, an awards ceremony, free lunch and lots of yummy treats...and the best part -  the celebration takes place inside one of the local high schools so there's no concern about trying to warm up after the run.  It also offers a comfortable meeting place for athletes and spectators before an