Toronto Teacher Mom

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - A Part of Our History

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

Monday, July 14, 2014
15 Comments

Ride in Style with the SmarTrike Chic 4-in-1 Tricycle

Baby Gear

Sunday, July 13, 2014
12 Comments

Making Memories at Canada's Wonderland #CWThrills

Amusement Park

Looking back on my childhood, some of the fondest memories I recall are spending summer weekends at the beach with the family or, as an extra special treat, making the hour trek to Canada's Wonderland for a day of fun. I recently came across some old photos taken at Canada's Wonderland circa 1988 and smile every time I look at them. Now that I have kids of my own and live in Toronto, I have an opportunity to make new memories that my kids will look back upon with the same fondness. Last week, in fact, we were invited to join in the Family Blogger Fun Day at Canada's Wonderland and experience the thrills that are unique to Canada's premier amusement park. First up, exclusive ride time on Wonder Mountain's Guardian.

This innovative new ride begins with a coaster climb up the side of the park’s iconic mountain followed by a quick descent into its core. As riders enter a cavernous world of mythical creatures and navigate through five layers of a 4-D medieval world, they will have an opportunity to test out their gaming skills as they compete against fellow riders, scoring points while aiming at moving targets. The quest will culminate as riders enter the dragon’s lair for the ultimate battle with Lord Ormaar, and experience a heart stopping finale that will leave you speechless. At the end of the ride, you can compare your scores with those of the other riders. My personal best: 659 259. Oh, yeah! Height restriction for Wonder Mountain's Guardian is: 42"-48" accompanied by an adult and over 48" alone.

Next, we were granted early access to Kidzville and enjoyed Jokey's Jalopies, Chopper Chase, and Blast Off followed by multiple rides on Silver Streak, the perfect ride for kids 44" and taller who are still too young to ride the larger coasters. Also located in Kidville is Ghoster Coaster, only one of three wooden roller coasters at the park and one of four of the original coasters that were at the Park when it opened in 1981. The minimum height requirement is 40". Once the park opened, we headed over to the mountain for Thunder Run.

One of my personal favourite rides at Canada's Wonderland is White Water Canyon. I remember how much my parents loved taking us on this ride but the line-ups were usually so long. On this day, they were quite short and even my blogging friend Lena of Listen to Lena got to experience it with us for the very first time.

@Listen2Lena, the kids and I took on White Water Canyon and lived to tweet about it. Ha! @WonderlandNews #CWTHRILLS pic.twitter.com/oDAcp82FdE
— Diana M. (@TeacherMomOfTwo) July 4, 2014

Of course, Peanuts characters were out and about with their great big smiles and posing for photos.

In the afternoon, we headed over to Wonderland Theatre to watch Dimensions: A Cirque Experience. New for 2014, the show boasts awe-inspiring athleticism and acrobatic feats presented in true cirque style.

The show begins with the comedic routine of two very funny clowns who interacts directly with the audience, sharing popcorn and 'borrowing' a purse or two. They then 'borrow' an audience member who disappears into the depths beneath the stage. Where could he have gone? The clowns set out on a journey through various dimensions in the hopes of finding him.

Thursday, July 10, 2014
19 Comments

Enjoy a Perfect Cup o' Tea Breville-Style

Appliances

A Revolutionary Tea Experience

Tea connoisseurs rejoice! Brewing the perfect cup of tea has never been easier thanks to the innovative design of Breville's One-Touch Tea Maker. While I can appreciate a good cup of tea as much as the next person, my knowledge of brew times and temperature requirements for different types of tea is somewhat lacking. Even if they are listed on the tea canister, I wouldn't know how to achieve the right temperature. And do I really have the patience to hover over my pot of tea while it steeps for the correct amount of time? Certainly not.

The Breville One-Touch Tea Maker takes the frustration and guess work out of steeping various types tea. The secret lies in the fully automated magnetic tea basket that lowers into the water once it reaches the ideal temperature.

Simply fill the kettle with the necessary amount of water and use the accompanying measuring spoon to scoop your loose tea in the basket, replace the basket lid and return it to the kettle where it connects magnetically. Select from five pre‐programmed tea settings: green, black, white, oolong and herbal teas. A “custom” button allows users the option to select their own unique temperature and steeping time and you can also indicate your preference for a strong, medium or mild tea.

Once the water has reached the ideal temperature, the basket silently cycles in and out of immersion, gently agitating the leaves for a precise tea infusion. When the tea is ready, it brings the basket back up so you never risk over-steeping your tea. The Breville Tea Maker also has a ‘kettle’ mode that allows it to function as a variable temperature kettle without the basket. I use this function often when preparing French-pressed coffee. It has an LCD screen will display the brew time and temperature as well as a Keep Warm feature which will maintain the temperature for one hour.

Tip: During the Keep Warm cycle, the tea will continue to steep so may want to consider reducing the initial tea strength and brew time by using the arrow buttons on either side of the display.