Mamapicks Newsletter – January 20th, 2010

Great Wolf Lodge

We recently spent a night with the kids at Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls.  It was our first time there and by far, the best Winter excursion we could have hoped for.  The water park is immense and there is so much to do at the resort for kids of all ages (arcade, playroom, wave pool, slides, etc.).  The staff and service was exceptional.

The in-house restaurant was a bit bland for us adults but the fact that my 3.5-year- old (picky eater extraordinaire) and my 2-year-old were able to serve themselves at the kiddy buffet with plastic dishes and all the foods a toddler could ever hope for, was a dream.  We took a standard room but got to peak in the other options which offer cool stuff like an in-room cave/tent/log house with bunk beds.  At Great Wolf, they have really thought of everything that families may need.

There is a 2-day sale on currently.  I found that the best deals are for those who are able to stay Thursday & Friday nights (approx. $150 per night in a standard room and $190 in a specialty room).  The sale ends on Friday at 10am and is valid for bookings from Feb. 1st  – March 11th.  Unfortunately, the sale does not apply to Family Day.  Use Promo Code: MULTIPLE.

What To Do This Weekend (Jan 23rd & 24th)

Enjoy High Park’s Winter Fun Day at Colborne Lodge (Sunday, Jan. 24th, 11am-3pm).  Families can enjoy horse & wagon rides, making snowmen, pulling taffy, roasting marshmallows and more.  Bring your own cup and get free cider.  Activities will take place indoors and outdoors on the Colborne Lodge grounds.

Want to do something indoors?  How about painting pottery?  Here are a few options: Mess For Fun (Finch & Dufferin), The Glaze Craze (Locations in Thornhill & Brampton), The Clay Room (Danforth & Broadview), Bisque It (Woodbridge), Artistic Way (near Eglinton & Bathurst).

See Tim Horton’s FREE holiday skating schedule. They currently sponsor these free public skates in many locations all over Ontario.   Check here for locations and schedules.

There are more ideas and events for the weekend on www.mamapicks.com

Costco City Passes

I’ve decided to re-publish some goodies from 2009.  Even I wish that I remembered this one for our recent trip to California since the entrance to Disneyland is absolute financial suicide.  If your travel plans include a trip to a city in the U.S.A., a Costco city pass is a great money-saver.  Available online for places such as Southern California, New York, Chicago, Boston, and more.  A youth/adult city pass is good for 9-14 days depending on location and gets you in to many of the most popular attractions for less.

Etsy Find: Personalized Stickers

Only $10 for a set of 30 stickers.  Cute, no?  What a great addition to a birthday gift.  There are lots of other silhouettes (for boys & girls) to choose from.  Check out Nella Designs.

Toy Recommendation + Sale!

FantaColor Junior has become a favourite around here.  When kids turn 2, they seem to develop a real passion for sticking pegs into holes.   The FantaColor Junior Basic comes with 48 plastic pegs, a transparent board and 16 different pictures which encourage and help kids apply colour recognition.  I love this toy because it develops so many skills and offers an opportunity for focused, quiet play.  Currently, you will find it on sale for $20.99 (down from $29.99!) at Grand River Toys.  Which brings me to the next point – Grand River Toys is having a huge sale (30-50% off a great selection).  The sale has been extended until Jan. 24th so make your order ASAP.

Fairness for the Self Employed Act

As of January 1, 2010 the Government of Canada has introduced the Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, legislation that would provide all Employment Insurance (EI) special benefits, including maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, to self-employed workers.  Find more details here.