Exploring Cartagena: Guillermo Piñeres Botanical Garden

Explore Cartagena Botanical Gardens

One of the main sites we visited in Colombia was the Guillermo Piñeres Botanical Garden. Our parents, Karlos, and I woke up early one morning and took a taxi to the Guillermo Piñeres Botanical Garden. The drive was about 40 minutes, first through the bustling streets of Cartagena, and then a short way along the highway […]

Cactus-Themed Items for Your Home

grand pointe cactus, monique monique tricot

From what we’ve seen on instagram and pinterest, cactus- and unicorn-themed things are all the rage these days. I haven’t been into unicorns since I was about 8 years old, but cacti are a whole different thing. Tomiko and I first saw cacti when we visited Arizona around 1993, and we were awed by the […]

Small Apartments: Arranging a Small Balcony

Small Apartments: Arranging a Balcony

In December, Ryan and I moved into a two-bedroom apartment with a small balcony. We haven’t been able to truly take advantage of the balcony because of the Canadian weather. Over the May long weekend, however, I set everything up and have been enjoying sitting out here any time of day. We have space for […]

Gardening: Planting a Bloomin’ Flower Box

Planting Flower Boxes

Ryan and I have a small balcony off the back of our third-floor apartment. Since the view of the garage isn’t that great, I decided to beautify the balcony with flower boxes. Naturally, I want to plant blossoms that attract bees and butterflies, but which will also last all summer. Native plants too, if I can swing it. And I’ll […]

Free Things to Do – Winter in Toronto

Edwards Gardens

Finding free things to do is important way for us to save money, and it can be especially difficult during the winter in Toronto. Summers in Toronto are full of street festivals, cultural festivals, Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market, picnics, and afternoons spent cycling. In winter, which in Toronto spans November to March, many people generally hunker down […]