Woman in Real Life

While we were visiting my parents at the cottage this weekend, we took a day trip to the town of Port Dover. We used to go there regularly when I was a kid, but I had forgotten how much fun it is. Located on the shores of Lake Erie, it's a beach town right here in Ontario (a province not generally known for its beaches).

Of course, the key attraction in Port Dover is the public beach, but there are also lots of fun shops (where you can shop in your bathing suit) and roadside french fry and ice cream stands. My dad doesn't get out much anymore, but the kids managed to persuade him to come along, especially since it was almost my birthday. Mom and Dad took us out to a restaurant to celebrate.

Because I am including an obnoxious amount of photos here, I'm not going to say a whole lot. I'll let Port Dover speak for itself.

Somehow I manage to sneak in thrift store visits at the most unexpected times. I even went to a couple stores while we were in Cape Cod. I didn't find anything though.

On Saturday, we drove straight from Cape Cod to my sister's house in St. Catharines, Ontario. By the time we stopped at Wegmans for some grocery items and the Duty Free for some (very cheap) booze, we arrived at my sister's at about 11:00 p.m.

On Sunday afternoon, my sister (and partner in crime) suggested we go to a nearby Goodwill store. The Bibles for Missions thrift store that I had so enjoyed with her on our last visit is closed on Sundays.

The Goodwill has much higher prices than that store, but I found a few bargains nevertheless.

The first treasure we spotted was this Alfred Sung teapot, above, for $2. I decided to give it to my sister because she liked it too, but I snapped a quick photo of it at her house.



I bought this decanter for $2. What I like about it is the shot glass built into the lid. I also got the scarf it is sitting on (for $1.99).


I purchased this rather strange wooden jar. My sister suggested putting cotton balls in it, but we were surprised to find that it has a very shallow interior.


I got this cute watering can, which is actually plastic inside, as well as two of these colourful doilies. I have no idea where I am going to use the doilies, but I couldn't resist their upbeat cheer.


I guess I couldn't quite leave the beach behind, because I snapped up these shower curtain rings.


I then found this bathroom mat at a discount store next to Goodwill.



In keeping with the beachy/shell theme, I used a previous thrift store find to display some shells we picked up on a beach in Cape Cod.

How is your summer going? Are you making time to shop?

“We all know that children need some special one-on-one time with their parents,” writes Katrina Kenison. “But sometimes we forget that we parents need this kind of time alone with our children, too. And, unfortunately, when the pace of life speeds up, one-on-one time is often the first thing that gets squeezed out.”

Kenison adds, “Given our other obligations and the length of our to-do lists, it is all too easy to forget the good stuff—namely, how much we actually like our own kids as people, how much we enjoy their company, and how important it is for us to have fun together. Mothers can get so caught up in the caretaking that we may overlook each child’s need to be seen as an individual, with unique tastes and temperaments and gifts…Alone with our children, one on one, we have a chance to see and hear and accept them as they really are, right now, in this moment. We see them not in relation to their siblings, friends, or peers, or as a piece of the larger family puzzle—but as unique individuals, each with a particular destiny to fulfill on this earth.”