Glow in the Dark Mini Golf
Glow in the Dark Mini Golf: Putting Edge, Halifax
We were in Halifax looking for some family fun and the boys decided they wanted to play mini golf.
I had heard about a place in Bayers Lake that offered glow-in-the-dark mini golf.
Here is what the website says:
We have taken the traditional game of mini golf, brought it indoors, turned down the lights and turned up the music to create a 18 hole fantasy land of vibrant color and surreal themes.
From the moment you walk through the front door, you have left the “real world” and have entered a world full of fun and imagination, an experience unlike any other. Whether six or sixty, male or female!
Putting Edge is perfect for that night out with the friends, with that special someone, or a fun-filled family outing. Take a break from reality, and visit Putting Edge today!
Our Experience
We weren’t really sure what to expect when we arrived at the Putting Edge. The boys cautiously opened the door, and everything was dark inside.
Not so dark that it was scary, or you couldn’t see where you were going. But, dark so everything glowed!
When you first step in, you walk through a glow-in-the-dark arcade.
Then, step up to the counter to get your putter and choose your glow-in-the-dark ball.
The coolest part was that everyone gets a glow-in-the-dark bracelet!
Once we entered the course, it was a magical land. Everything …. Wait for it… glowed in the dark! There were tropical scenes with palm trees and pirate treasure chests, Mayan statues and so much more. It was a magical wonderland!
At the beginning of each hole there are also trivia questions for both adults and kids to talk about while you wait for your turn.
The course weaved and wound throughout the building going upstairs and down. All the edges and steps are clearing marked, as is the course.
You do not feel scared or worried in the dark at all.
Near the end of the course, you end up high on a balcony, and get to watch your ball as it travels down the wall onto the course below. Try not to be excited about that!
The whole afternoon was magical and the most fun we’d had together in quite some time.
We would definitely go back, and highly recommend it to others who are looking for some family fun in the city.
Although a bit expensive (roughly $10 per person), it was totally worth it for a special afternoon!
It took us about 45 minutes to play the 18 holes with 4 people.
Parties
Also on site are 2 party rooms. They offer affordable party packages that include golf, party room and a party host. Packages can come complete with pizza, drinks and mini golf.
Hours and Rates
GENERAL” (13 & over) – $10.50
“JUNIOR” (12 & under) – $8.50
• Plus Applicable Taxes
• Paid Admission Required To Enter Golf Course
• Senior Rates Available
The hours of operation are here
Location
The Putting Edge is located in Bayers Lake in the same parking lot as Chapters and East Side Marios.
Putting Edge Halifax
182 Chain Lake Drive Halifax
Nova Scotia Canada, B3S 1C5
Phone: (902) 450-0029
Fax: (902) 450-0344
Email: halifax@puttingedge.com
The next time you are looking for some good-old-fashioned family fun, head to the Putting Edge in Halifax.
This is not a sponsored post. Our family just had a really great time and wanted to share it!
#NorthFetch High Quality Dog Jackets
#NorthFetch High Quality Dog Jackets
This post is sponsored by North Fetch, PetSmart Canada and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about North Fetch at PetSmart Canada, but Valley Family Fun only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. North Fetch and PetSmart Canada are not responsible for the content of this article.
To help test the new #NorthFetch quality dog jackets, I enlisted the help of my 14 year old friend, Lukas, who just got his very first dog! This is his story.
Hi! My name is Lukas. I am fourteen years old and I have wanted a dog for my whole life. I would always ask my parents for a dog and they would always say no.
My sister came along a couple of years later and helped me with trying to get our parents to get us a dog.
It took a while but finally after a lot of waiting and patience my parents gave in.
We searched for a couple of months and finally adopted two beautiful dogs into our beautiful family. Our one dog’s name is Coco and he’s a mini poodle (our other dog is a mini dachshund).
Coco recently turned six years old and is a fun, lovable and enthusiastic dog who loves us by licking us, always wanting a lot of attention and constantly playing with us.
After a few weeks the temperature started to drop and it was obvious that Coco needed a jacket.
I care a lot about my dog so I started to shop around.
Most of the jackets were way overpriced or not good enough for my dog quality-wise.
Then I was given an amazing ski jacket by a company called North Fetch Athletics” ™
.
The jacket is easy to put on and take off because of the adjustable Velcro fastener. Just watch.
This feature also helped to make sure that the jacket fit Coco comfortably.
It’s so easy to put on that even my younger sister can do it!
It’s also water resistant for rainy days and insulated for colder days.
This ski jacket is machine washable, which is great for muddy days.
The one thing about the jacket that Coco didn’t like was the hood, but that wasn’t a problem because it was detachable.
One of the best things about this ski jacket is its leash slit. There was never any difficulty putting on Coco’s leash when taking him for a walk.
The jacket is really well made and should last a long time.
So for a jacket that’s going to last for a long time, $40 is a reasonable price.
The jacket looks pretty cool, but it’s also practical (it’s designed so that he doesn’t urinate on it!) This North Fetch ski jacket is only available at PetSmart.
For us in Nova Scotia, PetSmart is located at Bayers Lake in Halifax, in Bedford and at Dartmouth Crossing. Find a store near you.
I am really thinking about getting a North Fetch jacket for my other dog, now!
Follow North Fetch on Facebook
Pets Go Crazy for #SubZeroDifference by Nutrience
Pets Go Crazy for #SubZeroDifference by Nutrience
This post is sponsored by Nutrience, PetSmart, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the launch of Nutrience Subzero in PetSmart Canada but Valley Family Fun only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Nutrience and PetSmart are not responsible for the content of this article.
I have seriously never seen a dog go so crazy over dog food!
I would not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it, that a dog could really noticeably enjoy eating her food.
Here is the evidence. This is our dog Gracie eating the new #SubZeroDifference dog food from Nutriscience®.
And, what you didn’t see was that each day she kept licking the bowl after she was finished.
In the morning, she sits in front of the pantry waiting to be fed.
She sees the bag and she wags her tail.
If she could give a thumbs up, Gracie would give the Nutriscience #SubZero Difference Dog Food, 2 big paws up!
When I received a gift card in the mail for PetSmart® to buy the Nutriscience pet food, I made a trip to the city (a great excuse to do some Christmas shopping!)
When I walked in, there was a big display of the Nutriscience Dog Food right in front of me. Well labeled. Easy to find. And conveniently located.
I went up to the counter to tell the customer service agent why I was there. She was so helpful and took me over to the display to talk about the Nutriscience Dog Food.
I asked her which flavour was the most popular, as there were several to choose from.
All the dog food is made with freeze-dried technology infused with a unique blend of nutritionally beneficial ingredients, and gently freeze-dried to lock in the natural goodness of raw foods
Learn more about the pet food here.
There are 4 key ingredients that make up NUTRIBOOSTTM each with their own unique nutritional benefits.
•Green-Lipped Mussels – A natural anti-inflammatory to support joint health
•Pacific Cod Liver – A rich source of omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy skin & coat
•Pumpkin – A good source of dietary fiber to support digestion
•Acadian Kelp – A variety of seaweed loaded with natural antioxidants to support a healthy immune
system
All of the pet food is grain free. Not to mention that it’s made in Canada in British Columbia. It is produced in small batches for superior quality control. Wild -caught fish, meat and poultry are sourced in Canada and delivered fresh to the production facility.
We chose the red bag. Prairie Red.
The woman helping me said that this was the most popular flavour as this one doesn’t have chicken in it. Some dogs have difficulty with chicken in dog food. Who knew?!
After picking up a few things for our degus (that’s a whole other story that you can read about in my blog post Living with Degus)
We loved everything about the dog food.
It’s so healthy!
Gracie couldn’t get enough of it!
And, the bag! It’s made with a seal that is like Velcro that is so easy for the kids to open and close each morning when they feed her! Buy it just for the bag!
The SubZeroDifference by Nutriscience is available at all PetSmart Locations.
Why we ARE an Elf on the Shelf Family
Why we ARE and Elf on the Shelf Family
We are an ardent Elf on the Shelf family.
Although this post was written several years ago, and the popularity of Elf on the Shelf may have waned a bit, we are still an Elf on the Shelf family!
To those who know me, this comes as no surprise.
We all look forward to Buttons coming back, and it is a highlight in our countdown to Christmas.
However, there are an increasingly number of negative posts against the Elf on the Shelf and I feel someone needs to defend family fun!
Isn’t it Creepy?
“The elf that watches you all day and reports back to Santa.”
We have never ONCE told the kids that the elf is watching them and reports back to Santa. We have never told them that the elf is real.
We have never told them that Santa is real either, for that matter.
They believe what they want to believe.
Isn’t it Manipulating Children’s Behaviour?
“The Elf won’t come back if you’re bad. And don’t touch it, because he will lose his powers.”
If we told the kids that the elf wouldn’t come if they were naughty, the elf wouldn’t even get out of the box!
They also know that he’s not magical. I hardly think they believe in it. One morning, the 6-year-old tried to explain to the 8-year-old how we had set up one of the “tricks”.
“STOP!” said the older child. “It’s more magical if you don’t.”
Isn’t it anti-Christian?
Since when is having fun with your family against Christianity?
Who has time to come up with Ideas?
That’s why PINTEREST was invented. I have a board with literally hundreds of ideas pinned.
Just look from there and take someone else’s idea. In 4 years, I think we might have created our own idea less than 5 times!
Work smart not hard!
Isn’t it too Stressful?
I admit, that when we started the Elf on the Shelf 4 years ago, we set the bar pretty high. Now, each day we have to try to come up with equally as funny ideas. But, that’s our choice. You can play hide and seek. You can do easy things. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
But why would I want to?
Here’s the thing… if you don’t want to do it, THAN DON’T!
I enjoy doing the Elf on the Shelf. I personally think it’s a lot of fun! It is not stressful for me.
However, when I look on Facebook at the cakes you decorate, the beautiful crafts you’ve made, or the gourmet meals you’ve cooked, I just want to cry.
To me, that’s what is stressful!
It all comes down to what you find stressful and what you enjoy doing. If you don’t enjoy doing it, Don’t DO It!
If your elf is one that reports back to Santa, loses magical powers if touched, and goes on strike if the kids are naughty, then that’s great! Do what works for you.
If you don’t do the Elf, that’s great too.
So, while you are worrying about how to explain to your children why there is no elf at your house, remember it works both ways.
Come February when we are shoveling 4 feet of snow, and you are posting pictures of your trip to Disney or a Caribbean island, we will be trying to explain to our children why we can’t afford to go like seemingly everyone else in your class.
As Scrooge said in the Mickey Mouse version of the Christmas Carol, “I will keep Christmas in my way and allow you to keep it in your own.”
2018 Update: After doing the Elf on the Shelf for 6 years, my kids have finally admitted (what we knew all along) that they no long believe in the elf! However, we are STILL going to keep up the tradition!
Instead, I will take the EVEN dates and they will take the ODD dates, and we will have fun taking turns making Buttons perform antics for the family! I can hardly wait to see what they come up with!
Ways to Reach Santa
Ways to Reach Santa this Christmas
Here is a list of websites or ways that Santa can read your letter. Know of another good resource? Send it to info@valleyfamilyfun.ca.
Canada Post:
Write a letter to Santa at this address. Make sure to include your return address so that Santa can write back! You do not need to put a stamp on the envelope:
Santa Claus; North Pole H0H 0H0
2019 deadline: December 10
Aurora Newspaper, Greenwood:
Hand deliver your letter to the newspaper’s office (61 School Road, Morfee Annex, Greenwood) until 4 p.m. December 11, 2019. You may also bring in a photo of yourself, and your signature (all will be scanned and added to your letter in print). Letters should be maximum 50 words and include the child’s full name, age and home community. A parent’s name and phone number must also be included. All letters will be published in the December 17 edition.
Mall Visits:
Santa is available for visits at both the County Fair Mall in New Minas and the Greenwood mall.
Greenwood Mall 2019: Santa will be in the mall Thursday & Friday 1-4 & 6-8 and Saturday 10-12 & 1-4 and Sunday 1-4.
AVR/ Magic 94.9:
It’s that time of year. Sit down and write your letter to Santa! If you want Santa to read your letter on the radio, make sure you sent it to us soon! You can send it by email to avr@mbsradio.com or magic@mbsradio.com, or drop it off at our Kentville studios. Starting Monday December 2nd, weekday evenings at 5:50pm on AVR, and approximately 6:20pm on Magic 949, Santa starts reading your letters, so make sure he has yours!
Reindeer Webcam:
The Reindeer Webcam will be back again this year by Dec 14th at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park!
Shubenacadie Wildlife Park Reindeer Games
Santa Sites
Track Santa as he makes his Christmas journey through the skies. Website opens on Dec. 1 2019
Portable North Pole: a free personalized video message from Santa Claus to your loved ones!
9 Hand Print and Photo Christmas Ornaments
9 Photo and Hand Print Ornaments
Every year for Christmas, I make a different ornament for the tree that uses the boys’ pictures.
I am not crafty. At all.
My crafts look like a 5 year old made them.
So, I always look for easy crafts that I think I can handle.
If I can handle these ones, so can you!
Felt Hand Prints
Cut out 2 hand prints from felt.
Cut a window the same size as the photo.
Glue the picture to one of the hands, gluing the second hand over top.
Write on the date.
Clear Balls with Metallic Thread
Print out pictures (I included the date) on photo paper.
Take the lid off a glass or plastic ornament.
Gently roll the photo up into a tube and put it into the ball.
Using a chopstick or other device, unroll the paper.
Fill the ornament with metallic thread, or any other filler you can find.
Photos on Wooden Ornaments
Find wooden ornaments at a craft store.
Print and cut pictures on paper, to size.
Glue onto the wooden ornament.
Paint over it with modge podge to set the picture and to make it glossy.
Wooden Block
I found small wooden blocks in a craft shop.
Print pictures on paper that are the same size as the face of the block. This was the hardest part.
Glue the pictures on with craft glue.
Paint over the pictures with modge podge (found in a craft store). This will set the photo and make it look glossy.
Put a hook and eye on the top, and string it.
Silhouettes
All the instructions are here on Pinterest
Take a side-on photo of your child and upload it into the free program mentioned on this website.
The website takes you through a step-by-step tutorial on how to blacken out the picture.
Print off the picture and glue it onto a wooden ornament (found in a craft store).
Paint over this with modge podge to set the picture and make it glossy.
Cookie Cutters
I took a picture of the boys in a wide arm and wide leg stance (much like the shape of a gingerbread man).
Print off the pictures so they are roughly the same size as the cookie cutter. This is the hardest part.
Glue the pictures onto cardboard and cut to fit the cookie cutters.
Gently slide the photo into the cookie cutter.
Snowman
Cut out a round photograph of your child. This is the base of the snowman.
Cut a second circle from white paper and decorate it like the face of a snowman.
Attach the two pieces with a pipecleaner.
Paper Hand prints
Trace your child’s hand print onto a clear piece of paper.
Write the name, age and date.
Paint over the picture with vegetable oil.
Let dry and attach a string.
It will shine and be glossy in the light of the trees.
Photo Garland
All the directions are found on Pinterest.
Print off strips of paper with photos on it.
Attach them like a ball, using a fastener paper clip.
Attach a ribbon at the top.
This was by far the hardest craft. It was difficult to get it to line up, and then to store it so it doesn’t get squished.
