So, this weekend we took the boys for our first proper family hike! We realized late in the summer that after their bellies are full, the boys were content to just wander down city streets peering through storefront windows and chit chat about everything under the sun. After taking them to some of our favourite old haunts from way back when we were dating-The Danforth, Bloor West, etc(which I was informed later was an 'urban hike'). We then decided to try the real deal. Since we were up in Meaford for the Scarecrow Invasion-which the boys just LOVE, we tried something on the Bruce Trail-Nottawasaga Bluffs.

I am always up for suggestions-if you know a great family friendly spot to hike in Ontario-please be sure to share!

XO,
D.

This summer we finally had some free time to do something that I've been wanting to do with the boys for years...berry picking!!
The kids had tons of fun picking and eating the raspberries, and we had enough left over to make jam! We've received rave reviews so far-but that could be due to the four cups of sugar lol.

Here's the recipe I used:
http://www.marthastewart.com/315054/red-raspberry-jam

Ten years have come and gone since the day I married Gurjeet, and I thought since I'm super bad at public speaking, I'd put down my thoughts in a blog post for all to see. A virtual 'shouting it from the rooftop' if you will.

In the past ten years, and even before that Gurj has been my best friend, fierce competitor, my rock, my sounding board, my judge-jury-and executioner, my partner in crime, my confidant, my happy place, my safety net, my biggest crush, my travel buddy, my own personal comedian, my dream that came true,

I thought that the best thing I could say to Gurj in this post is something I've said probably over a million times already. I love you. You've given me more than I had ever dreamed of and things that I didn't even know I wanted but can't live without. You are the best father I could have chosen for the boys and more than I ever thought I deserved for myself.
...and a fine piece of a$$ too! Lol

XO,
D.

This past month-the fam did a lot of our fall faves! 
Here's a list of my 
'Fall Must Do's'
1. Fall Foliage Drive-We do this every year without fail (knock on wood) It's so much fun even planning this trip-creating a playlist, stopping to collect all of the different coloured leaves, and finding somewhere to stop for a snack. The newspapers have even started mapping out the best routes for fall foliage drives.

2. Apple Picking! This one is a personal favourite of mine-there's nothing like dusting an apple off on your jacket and taking a big bite! The kids love the tractor rides and running up and down the rows of apple trees, and there's always a good photo op or two, or three, or four :) This year we went to a old faithful spot-Chudleigh's!

3. Bake a pie (or three) Well really-we ALL end up buying too many apples at the apple farm, so what better way to make sure that they don't go to waste than to bake them up in a pie that tastes even better than it smells.

4. Go to a Fall Festival! This year we attended the Scarecrow invasion in Meaford Ontario. The boys had an absolute ball! There are tons all over Ontario to choose from-a warning-bring cash b/c you WILL want to buy some baked goods

5. Rake Some Leaves! This one is pretty self explanatory-and lots of fun! AND there are lots of cute craft ideas for the kiddies on pinterest to use up some of the coolest looking leaves :) Here's ours ...

Well ... where to begin! This side trip ended up seeming like something out of a movie when it was all said and done! lol

We very narrowly missed our flight TO Barcelona-which included our names being shouted over the loudspeakers, racing through the airport from end to end, getting scolded by airport personnel, and our middle guy (Julian) being asked to make himself known to the on flight staff-lol! 
Once we GOT to Barcelona, the boys had tonnes of fun. 
What really surprised me about this trip is that the boys love the same sort stuff that I do when I'm on vacation-strolling down streets endlessly, staying at different hotels, finding little hole-in-the-wall shops and bakeries to try local delights and, OF COURSE, the beach!

The boys DID get to see the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, and the Magic Fountain while we were there, but I still think everyone's favourite day-was the day spent at the beach. God! I LOVE salt water!

Whenever the first day of October rolls around, I start to reminisce about the summer that was. And WHAT a summer it was! Some alternate names for this post were 
-The Ahluwalias take on Europe
-Europe will never been the same
-The boys break something at Buckingham Palace
OR 
-Julian makes the no fly list!
Our first 'big' trip started at the end of June. The first stop on our trip was London. We've got lots of friends and family there, so as you can imagine the boys were spoiled rotten as soon as they stepped on British soil :)
One of the first things I realized after about 20 minutes in the air ... my boys are much better flyers than their Mom. Within minutes of being on board they were fighting for the window seat, flirting with the flight attendants like mini Don Drapers, and deciding what to watch on their tv sets...

We all got to stay with Gurjeet's wonderful aunt and uncle in South Hall-which they loved. Naveen made himself at home right away...

Then it was off to high tea ...

The next day it was off to Buckingham Palace with some super fun cousins. They got to meet a proper British 'bobby', see the changing of the guard, feeding the birds at the park

And their all time favourite thing to do on the trip that they are STILL waxing poet about-the double decker bus!!

Some of us reaaaaally thought it was a smooth ride :)

Here are some highlights from Ashoka's 6th Birthday Party!

My oldest insisted on a "Kirby' themed birthday party-above is the invite I've come up with. And below are a few ideas that I've pinned and plan to make/do for the party.

This is an invite I created for a good friend's jungle themed baby shower. These parties are both coming up soon-so I'm pinning like mad! lol Below the invite you'll find a collage of more ideas from pinterest for the baby shower