Growing up, one of our favourite family traditions to kick off the holiday season was to spend a day at a local Christmas tree farm picking out the perfect tree. We ALWAYS had a real Christmas tree. Even the mere mention of a fake tree in our house was a huge no no. It just didn't happen.
Fast forward many years, I can't tell you the last time we visited the Christmas tree farm as a family. But what I can tell you, is that it is still the same Christmas tree farm that we remember growing up. Our visit last weekend brought back many good childhood memories, and introduced a third generation to our real Christmas tree family tradition.
A little snow on the ground would have been preferred, (yes, I said the word) but we really couldn't have asked for better weather for our tree farm adventure. Check it out for yourself...
While Morley loved checking out (also known as touching) each and every one of the trees we passed, we actually didn't end up getting our own tree this year. I know, how dare we. To be honest, I don't think we could physically fit one in our teeny tiny apartment. But, we did have fun helping Grandma, Poppa, Funcle Taylor and Auntie Meighan pick out theirs. The day also made us even more excited for Christmas 2017 (fingers crossed) in our new house, when we too will be able to find that perfect tree.
After finding the perfect trees, we assumed Morley would like to go for a horse and wagon ride. What kid would not like to ride behind a pair of giant horses? Well, we couldn't have been more wrong. Instead, she decided to be "that kid" on the wagon while everyone else sang Christmas carols. Ok, there wasn't any singing, but the point is everyone had a better time than cranky-saurus rex.
After the horse and wagon ride debacle, it was clearly time for lunch. The farm has several mini campfires scattered throughout the forested area, so we got to sit around our own personal family campfire to warm up and have lunch. We had our go-to hot dogs over the fire, but it was pretty impressive to see what other campfires were cooking up. You could tell there were some serious pros that have been doing this for years. We will need to step up our game for next year.
After a long day of fun old-fashioned family Christmas activities, the experience ended a little something like the photo below. Comfy and cozy, around the fire, with a bottle in her hand. If only I could fit in that wagon with her.
And although we didn't end up bringing home a tree of our own, we did bring home were some great memories, and some pretty cute photos of my little family.
We frequently are asked about the wagon Morley is riding in in the above photos. I've made a lot of unnecessary purchases at Costco over the years, but this was not one of them. We have gotten so much use out of this foldable wagon, from doing laundry to transporting things to and from the car at our apartment. Morley is also a big fan (if you can't tell by how comfy she is) and loves going for rides. Sadly, I haven't seen it at Costco since we bought it in early June, but found a similar one here
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If you live in southwestern Ontario and are still in search of that perfect (and real) Christmas tree, I recommend checking out Sloan's Village. Located in Bothwell, ON, Sloan's is truly a Christmas wonderland for all ages. Prepare for a full day of activities - after you are done cutting down your tree, warm up with lunch around your own family fire pit, try your hand at decorating the perfect sugar cookie, get lost in the tree maze, go for a horse and wagon ride, and more!
After a long day of fun old-fashioned family Christmas activities, the experience ended a little something like the photo below. Comfy and cozy, around the fire, with a bottle in her hand. If only I could fit in that wagon with her.
And although we didn't end up bringing home a tree of our own, we did bring home were some great memories, and some pretty cute photos of my little family.
.If you live in southwestern Ontario and are still in search of that perfect (and real) Christmas tree, I recommend checking out Sloan's Village. Located in Bothwell, ON, Sloan's is truly a Christmas wonderland for all ages. Prepare for a full day of activities - after you are done cutting down your tree, warm up with lunch around your own family fire pit, try your hand at decorating the perfect sugar cookie, get lost in the tree maze, go for a horse and wagon ride, and more!
Where we went:
Sloan's Christmas Tree Village & U-Cut
29876 Zone Rd. 7 Bothwell ON
Hours: November 19th to December 23rd, 2016 / Weekends 9:00-4:45pm / Weekdays 10:00-5:00pm
Admission: Age 3+ $14 / Senior $10 / 2 & Under Free
Check their website for more information.
More festive family traditions: Apple Orchard // Pumpkin Patch // Ugly Christmas Sweaters
What holiday traditions do you have with your family? Real or fake Christmas tree? I'd love to hear!
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**GIVEAWAY REMINDER**
Visiting Toronto this winter? Escape the cold with a visit to my family's favourite indoor destination, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada! Enter for your chance to WIN one of two Family Passes to check out the Aquarium for yourself! ENTER HERE.
