Sandals Foundation

     When staying at any resort for a week's time, the kids and I tend to get to know a lot of the on-site employees. This trip to Beaches Turks and Caicos was no different. By far one of our favourite employees was a young man named Louciano who always had time for a chat and a hug from Charlie. In fact, our meals were often based around where he was working. 

Charlie and Louciano

      Like many of the employees at the resort, Louciano was a recent high school graduate who had been educated on the island. Through many conversations with him, I became quite intrigued about the Sandals Foundation and its role in education on the island.  The Sandals Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts, the parent company of Beaches, has as its mission a goal to invest in communities throughout the Caribbean by investing in education, environment, and community projects that improve people's lives and preserve natural surroundings. 

Enid Capron Primary School, a school sponsored by Sandals Foundation

    But what does this really translate to for people like Louciano? Well, in the Turks and Caicos, the investment can be seen in schools at both elementary and high school levels. The Sandals Foundation not only invests in the schools but Beaches provides an internship program in the local high school which leads to permanent positions at the resort. In speaking with Louciano, he explained he had graduated from high school two years ago and was pleased with the progress he had made at the resort. 

    After looking into the Sandals Foundation further, I expressed an interest in visiting the elementary school on the island that is sponsored by the Foundation. My request was met with an enthusiastic yes and yesterday morning, Will, Charlie and myself were invited to visit the school. 

    In preparation for our visit, Will chose one of our books to donate and began practising to read to the class. Little did I know how incredible this visit would be for us all. We arrived at the school and were met by quite a few smiling children who rushed over to say hello. 

Charlie being welcomed by students at the school.

    After meeting some of the kids, we were invited into the Kindergarten classroom to read to the children and answer questions. Will was so excited to read to the class and the kids were very grateful for the book we were leaving behind. When we were done reading, the kids had an opportunity to quiz Will and myself about life in Canada. We were all laughing and chatting and really enjoying the moment. 

Will reading the Underpants Zoo to the class

Will explaining to the class how tall the CN Tower in Toronto stands.

    During this time, Charlie roamed the classroom making friends and checking out the books and toys. 

Charlie chatting with a new friend.

The students showing Charlie the classroom books.

    When the question period was over, we sadly said our goodbyes and headed to meet Rachel Taylor, the principal of the school. Miss Taylor proudly asked if she could show us the library and once I entered the room I was shocked by how large and diverse it was. She explained that each book in the library was donated by guests of Sandals and Beaches resorts as donations or as part of the Sandals Foundation Reading Road Trip. 

A portion of the library built with books almost entirely donated by guests of Sandals and Beaches.

Elanor from Sandals Foundation presenting a donation of books from another Canadian family to the school.

     The Reading Road Trip takes place every Thursday in Jamaica, Antigua, the Turks and Caicos, St. Lucia and Exuma in the Bahamas. Essentially, guests of the hotels pay $20 US which covers transportation, educational materials, and a donation to the Sandals Foundation. On the Road Trip, guest volunteer in literacy as we did and get to help work with the children at the school. 

Visitors on the Reading Road Trip get to visit with a specific class. Will, Charlie and myself visited with the Kindergarten class.

     Even though most vacations to these resorts are only a week in length, you will be glad you took the time to experience this opportunity first hand. Being escorted to the school by Elanor Finfin Krzanowski, the public relations manager for Beaches Turks and Caicos, and witnessing the bond between her and the students was incredible. Some children she had volunteered with on Earth Day last year rushed over to see her and other children whose parents worked at the resort asked us to say hello to their parents when we returned.  Elanor also explained to me that she often visits the school for educational programs, such as nutrition, with the Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Zoe in tow so she tends to be quite popular. 

Will and Charlie meeting a student.

     Will, Charlie, and I may not remember every moment of our vacation years from now but we will never forget how incredible it was to visit the school and meet and play with the children there. 

A student helping Charlie down the slide.

Will and his new friend playing on the swings.

    Besides the Reading Road trip, there are many other ways travellers can help out including purchasing items from the gift shops at the resorts and participating in the Pack for a Purpose program. The program asks charities like the Sandals Foundation to list their projects and needs on the website. Then, travellers headed to the resorts can pack up to 5 pounds of supplies that are in need, like school supplies or clothing, and donate them at the resort. Since we had a washer and dryer in our room, see earlier Key West Village review, I was able to wash all the clothes my children would have outgrown by summer time here in Toronto and donate them to local children on the island. 

     Other even easier ways to donate include the option to give a donation of any monetary amount offered to each guest upon check-in at the resorts as well as the option to give through the Sandals Foundation website. 

    The most remarkable feature of the Sandals Foundation is that all administrative and management costs associated with the foundation are supported by Sandals Resorts International, meaning 100% of all the money raised goes directly into the schools, environmental projects and communities. 

     After having spent the day with Elanor, I can attest that the people I met or communicated with at the Sandals Foundation, including Heidi Clarke the Director of Programs at the Foundation and Adam Stewart, the CEO of Beaches and Sandals, are people who love what they do and are appreciated by the community. If you are headed to Sandals or Beaches in the near future, want to donate or just want to find out more, please visit www.sandalsfoundation.org for more information. 

Caicos Dream Tours

    Ever since we first stepped foot on the beautiful sand of the Turks and Caicos two years ago, I have dreamt of taking the kids out to Half Moon Bay to see the famous iguanas that inhibit the island. The issue has always been whether or not they were too young for the tourist cruises that will take you there. When I found Caicos Dream Tours I was quite hesitant to take a 3 and 5 year old on a 4 hour cruise alone. Still, the company reassured me that we would have a great time and I figured we would all at least survive it. We ended up doing much more than that.

Will climbs aboard for a day of adventure

     In true island fashion, we were told to just wait on the beach between 1:00 and 1:15 pm and to look for a yellow boat. I arrived on time expecting to wait quite a while but as I looked at the horizon I quickly saw a yellow boat approaching with two waving and smiling crew members aboard. We were taken from our hotel to Alexandra Beach to meet with the rest of the cruise.

John and the crew working away in the shack

     As we disembarked from the first boat, we were directed to a little shack on the beach to sign in for the cruise. There we met John Esper, the owner of the company. John and his wife Kim are fellow Canadians who moved to the Island from currently chilly Toronto and I must admit I thought about asking for room and board for the next few months. John immediately put my worries at ease and told me the kids would have a wonderful time. The most striking thing about watching John work was the amount of people coming off the earlier tour telling him how great his crew was and what a wonderful time they had.

Will, me and Charlie waiting to depart

    Before I knew it we were boarding the company's newest boat, complete with water slide, and off on our ocean adventure. We pulled out to sea with Captain Kwee and his crew mate Leecky telling us about our day. In short, we were going to snorkel at two locations, one of which was shallow to find conchs, and then head to Half Moon Bay for ceviche conch salad and iguana exploration. I looked at my kids and thought this would be a long day.

Charlie and Leecky picking out snacks

    As the boat began to speed up, Leecky came over and explained to me that they often had kids on the boat and he would show me what to do. At our first stop, the rest of the cruise was let off in deep waters to drift to where the boat would go next with Leecky as their guide. Kwee asked me to stay on the boat and explained he would bring us to an easier spot for the kids. Will and Charlie were given life jackets and Kwee dropped us in appropriately shallow water near the boat with a rope and life preserver so we could easily float along the water and get back on the boat. The three of us searched for conchs and were able to see quite a few fish. I'm pretty sure we saw a few conchs but must admit I was a little too scared of what might be living inside to pick them up.

Leecky leading the conch search

    Once all of the snorklers (except us) had found a conch, we were back on board and found that Leecky had picked up a conch for each of us. Will and Charlie were slightly excited and partly mortified by the fact the shells had been taken from the ocean and after making sure every party on board had a shell, Kwee let Will and Charlie return the rest to the water. The three of us, knowing we wouldn't eat our conchs, decided to also throw ours back in the water letting them live another day.

Leecky and Will with our conchs

    A short time later, we arrived at a deeper location to partake in some snorkelling. The crew helped with the kids while I entered the water to see the fish. After that, the kids and most of the adults made use of the fun water slide on board the boat.

A snorkeler entering the water via the water slide

     Next, we were off to see the iguanas at Half Moon Bay. The tour stops on the prestine beach here for two reasons. The first is to see the iguanas and the second is to make conch salad. Each party is taught how to remove the conch from the shell and a ceviche is made from the conchs. I quickly let the crew know that we would prefer to skip this demonstration and they went to great efforts to let us get off the boat and onto our search for iguanas before doing the demonstration. When we returned everyone on board was very kind to leave the shells with their belonging and to not tell the kids what they were eating. I tried the salad and must admit that although it didn't taste exactly like coconut, the way Kwee promised it would, it was in fact quite good.
  

Fresh conch salad aboard the boat

    While the conch demonstration was happening, we took the extra time to explore the island and the beach. Almost immediately we spotted a giant iguana and I knew we were in for some fun. Will decided to start a travel log in which he counted every creature we saw. By the time we boarded the boat, we had a count of 15 iguanas, 7 butterflies and 1 mysterious bug that landed on my leg and scared me half to death. The iguanas were incredible to see and we were able to get quite close to them. One came out while we were playing in some hammocks and was as curious about us and we were about him. Altogether, we spent close to an hour creating our exploration log and roaming the small island. As Kwee had told the boat to do, we finished our exploration by heading to the beach which was breathtaking.

Our first iguana sighting.

Hanging out by the hammock with a friendly iguana.

Exploring Half Moon Bay

    Once back on board, everyone compared notes on what a great day we all shared. As we headed back toward the hotel, the sun was setting and Kwee and Leecky told stories of things they had seen out on the water and answered questions about the island itself. The kids sat contently listening in and laughing when others laughed and then both thanked me for the fun we had.

Kwee, Charlie, Leecky and Will

     I must admit I was far too worried about this excursion before getting on the boat and I would do it again without question. The crew aboard the boat and the owners of the company were incredibly kind to us and were truly professional. There wasn't a point on the tour where more than 10 minutes passed without Leecky checking in on all the passengers and making sure we were having fun. If you are going to do a tour here on the island, I highly recommend giving Caicos Dream Tours a call.

The Caicos Dream Tours boats at Half Moon Bay

Kwee, Leecky and Me

    The tours run twice a day, seven days a week and are $89 per adult and $44.50 per child. This includes unlimited beverages as well as all snorkelling equipment, conch salad and light snacks. Private charters are also available. All the information you need as well as contact information to book your tour is available at caicosdreamtours.com. 

Why I Travel- A Tribute to My Parents

     Often people are shocked to find out how much the kids and I travel alone. They question why I wouldn't wait for my husband to be able to go with us or if the money we spend travelling without him takes away from our family vacations. The reality of the situation is that there will never be a perfect time to travel but, even with the obstacles you may face, it is smart to travel young.

     On this day 10 years ago, my 57 year old mother passed away. Until this time, I did not appreciate how quickly an illness could take your life or how young an otherwise healthy person could simply die. Not long after my father was diagnosed with early on set Alzheimer's and passed away a few years ago now.

     What struck me the most about both these situations was that my parents still had plans to travel. They dreamt of seeing the Great Wall of China and relaxing in spas across the world once their children were grown. My mom always spoke of going on a great African safari and my dad wanted to walk the Great Wall with his only son. In the end, they simply waited too long for these dreams to be accomplished.

     When you consider how fleeting life can be, it can be a real gamble to wait to travel. An accident or illness can simply take away your ability to walk before you are able to climb any mountain and with travel it often makes sense to live in the moment. You may dream of scaling Everest in your twenties and simply find by the time you begin to arrange the trip, you are forty with two kids and different priorities.

     My advice for those of you are still relatively young and able is simply to do it now. Financially it may seem impossible but with a little planning and a lot of Internet research, most trips are doable. Often I hear people say that they simply can't afford to travel but in reality there are hostels across the world that would be glad to have you. Seat sales are easy to find and travel is getting less expensive with advances in technology.

    For those of you with young children it can be overwhelming to try and plan a trip. Costs for family vacations are high and in reality once you have the money it is usually because you have a job that doesn't allow for a lot of vacation time. My advice is to find a way to take the time off. Your children are only young once and my greatest moments with mine have been spent away from electronics and our busy lives in Toronto. The conversations you can have with even young children when you shut everything else off are incredible and its an excellent way to regroup as a family and to find out what is going on inside those tiny adorable heads.

     Another benefit to travelling while your kids are still young is that they have so little negative experiences in their lives, they can truly experience places for what they are. When they meet young children from wherever you are visiting, they see them as friends and are keen to learn about their lives. Having taken my children to a track meet in Jamaica last year, I can attest that I first noticed the condition of the school while Will who was 4 at the time noticed how much fun the kids were having and asked to join in.

     The benefits of taking young kids on vacation can also be seen in the more commercialised trips we have taken to places like Disneyland. Up to a certain age, children simply believe in the magic of Disney and don't question if a princess is the real one or how Lightning McQueen talks to them. They simply trust that these things are real and its a gift they are blessed with for only so long. When I hear people say they are waiting to take their kids to Disney when they are 10 or 12, I always advise that it will be too late for them to really experience the magic of it all.

     If I could go back to when my mother was 55, I would change a lot of things. I wouldn't go directly to university and I would convince her to take a gap year with me and to see the world. I never took the time to travel before university or before taking my first full-time adult job and its an opportunity I wouldn't throw away again. Once you own a house, have children, and have a job or a working spouse, everything changes. Priorities shift and your schedules are chocked full of activities. Still, it is so important to take the time while you are still living to see the world and create memories that will live on through your children.

     You only get one shot on this planet, might as well explore it while you can.

Beaches Day 2: The People

     I thought quite a bit about what to tell you about today's adventures at Beaches Turks and Caicos before deciding on this evening's blog post. It could have be an easy account of what we did today from our early morning beach visit to the many hours spent at the water park or an account of where we  ate on the premises but the thing that rang clear were the people here at the resort.

     Having visited Beaches both here in Turks and Caicos and in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, I have now encountered many staff members. They weren't all extremely pleasant or noteworthy but on the whole the people who work here are fantastic.

     What strikes me most about the staff here is that the people who are worthy of mention are not necessarily who you would imagine. My brief encounters with the day camp staff here today left a lot to be desired and management of the hotel completely ignored a reasonably query I had last night. Still, its the many other people that in fact have such an impact on your stay here.

Charlie wanted a little girl to dance with her who said no.
This woman watched it happened and then went to ask Charlie if she would be her dance partner. 

     Throughout three different stays in Beaches resorts I have yet to encounter a disgruntle cleaning lady. Today was no different. Although our room was a mess and I needed a lot of extra linen, the woman who helped us was a ray of sunshine. We arrived just as she was finishing cleaning the room and she made sure our every wish was complete. When we returned to the room, the kids things were in very tidy piles with their beds ready and made for each of them. She really had no reason to be extra nice to them but she had a great conversation with each of them and really made them feel at home.

    Another equally impressive moment occurred this morning when Charlie, who is 3, picked a flower to give to me. A gardener called her over immediately and I thought he would discipline her for picking the flower off the bush as I often do. Instead, he took her hand and led her to a section of the garden which had at least 5 different types of flowers. He patiently waited as she picked her favourite and then assembled the bouquet for her and wished her a great day.

Charlie and her freshly assembled bouquet

    Later in the day when the kids were exhausted we decided to take a ride on the train that tours the resort. I feared a major meltdown from both kids was about to ensue but the conductor of the tiny train made sure that they had the time of their  lives. She spoke to each of them as they got on the train and throughout the ride never forgot their names. As we were pulling into a stop, Will began dancing to one of his favourite songs and she immediately noticed, stopped the train and asked him if he would like to start a dance party. She then let every child out of the train and led them in an incredible dance routine making sure even the youngest guests knew the moves.

Dance party with the train conductor, Onica

     Although these situations deserved a write-up, there are so many more moments here that make you realise that you and your children are welcome and cared about here. Each time I think of the Beaches Ochos Rios, I can't help but miss the incredible lifeguards there that made our vacation what it was. From engaging the kids in activities and conversations to helping them get over their fears of water slides, I still wish I could properly thank the young men who take care of us at this time last year.

One of our favourite lifeguards at Beaches Ochos Rios 

     Across the company, the wait staff and bartenders we have encountered have also been fantastic. I've never been made to feel like my food substitutions were annoying or that my children had made too big of a mess and have always found a helping hand when I needed someone to help me watch one child while the other needed something. This is especially remarkable seeing you are not allowed to tip them.

    If you are considering a Beaches vacation, I can tell you that years from now you may not remember their names but you will remember the people who made your children smile.

Beaches Turks & Caicos- Key West Village

     We arrived at the Beaches Turks and Caicos earlier today and once again were blown away by the resort. I would like to make clear before you read this review of their new hotel that I was in no way compensated for this blog and that these are my true impressions. The new resort is absolutely amazing.

Key West Village- Beaches Turks & Caicos

     

     Located in what used to be a neighbouring hotel, the Key West Village is designed to impress. From the moment you arrive you are treated as an important guest and handed fresh drinks and hot towels upon arrival. Check-in is incredibly fast and easy even with two excited kids running around the property.

A wonderful employee helping Charlie enjoy her welcome drink 

The concierge lounge in Key West Village 

     

    Once we headed to our room, we were even more impressed. We are staying in a one bedroom concierge suite on the second floor and the amenities in the room are quite remarkable. Upon entering the room, I was shocked by the size of it. The room features a full kitchen, two bathrooms, a trundle bed for the kids and a king size bed in a separate room for me.

Kitchen in the Key West Village one bedroom suite

Kids trundle bed and dining table 

Separate Bedroom

      

     Upon entering the room I thought the most remarkable feature was clearly the gigantic balcony that was accessible from every room of the suite. I realised I was in fact clearly mistaken when I opened what I believed to be an extra closet and found a full washer/dryer. I immediately threw our travel stained clothes in the wash and felt an odd sense of relief.

Wrap-around balcony 

Washer and Dryer!

    Once we were done exploring the room, we headed toward the beach and pool. The beach is quickly accessible from anywhere in the Key West Village and less than a 2 minute walk from our room. There are multiple pools in the new development including some suites that feature private pools. The restaurants are also quite nice looking although we have yet to eat there.

One of the pools near our room in Key West Village

Walkway to the gorgeous beach

A four-bedroom villa with private pool 

    

     Although the new village is near perfect there are a few things to consider when booking here. Key West Village is on the farthest edge of the property which means that if you have much smaller children it is quite a hike to activities like the Sesame Street show. Also, although the village features multiple pools, there isn't a dedicated kids' pool like the other villages meaning if you have a child like I do that is out of water wings but not quite an independent swimmer, pool time will be a lot more challenging. That being said the pools besides the private pools are all beach entry pools which makes it a little easier.

     Key West Village certainly feels like an entirely different resort at times than the rest of the Beaches Turks and Caicos which is both a blessing and a curse. I tend to enjoy a quieter atmosphere on vacation and am thankful to be away from the main pool and action of the stage although I do dread the long walks back from the Sesame Street show with two very exhausted children. Somehow I know we will make do.

*UPDATE*-- I wanted to update this blog to say that we ended up loving the Key West location and the distance to the room from the main area was quite a bit closer than I originally thought. The village has large lawns that all the kids gathered on each morning to play together while parents could safely watch from balconies enjoying a coffee. If we are able to return at some point, we will book again in Key West Village. 

Sprouts Toronto

Sprouts, a new Leslieville indoor playground and much more

     Every once in while I find a fun Toronto activity that I like to feature on my blog for anyone considering a staycation or for moms like me who are permanently on one (or so people think).

      Yesterday I was invited by a friend to check out Sprouts, a new playplace in Leslieville on Toronto's East side. From the moment we entered, the staff was welcoming, kind and attentive. You can really tell that these people are trying to create something great and want Torontonians to consider this place like a second home for their children. In doing so, they have created a safe and incredibly fun place for kids 0-6.

The indoor gated 3000 square foot playground and gym at Sprouts 

      One move that I found incredibly smart is that Sprouts offers your first visit free. There are no strings attached and there is no sales pitch on the way out the door to return or buy a pass. It truly is just a free opportunity to check out the space for yourself without any pressure or cost.

     Upon entering the play zone, I was blown away by what I saw. In many major cities like ours, you can find tiny cafes with playplaces, the run-of-the-mill McDonalds playplaces and extremely large and often daunting playplaces. Sprouts has carved out a space that falls exactly in between. The room features a wood climbing centre with slides that is not too small and certainly not as big as some of the giant plastic ones I have climbed into to retrieve my children.  It also features two miniature trampolines surrounded by a lot of soft and permanent mats to fall onto to. There is a baby zone as well and some interesting play tables with Lego and Duplo.

     Here is where it gets interesting. There is staff at all times inside the play area. They are not there to completely care for your children but they do a great job of engaging them and entertaining them. They also monitor safety issues and make sure everyone is having fun. One man that worked there half-way through our visit very quietly went and set up an entire Lego jungle while the kids weren't watching and then walked away from it. Within minutes, individual children caught sight of the jungle and began playing together in an area they had previously not even noticed. He also hid little critters high up on posts and waited for children to notice them so he could engage them in a game of hide and seek.

Charlie and her friend Hudson exploring the Lego and Duplo tables with a helpful staff member

     Sprouts has not missed out on much in building this indoor playground. They have installed a high quality coffee machine which serves free coffee, tea and hot chocolate. They also have installed a filtered water tap and a GMO-free vending machine for healthy snacks. The only criticism that I found of the whole place was that some of the items in the vending machine like Snackimals cookies are not actually made in peanut-free facilities so parents do need to be mindful that even though Sprouts is a nut-free facility there are some potential dangers to look out for.

The snack and coffee table area

GMO-Free and organic vending machine

      The facilities at Sprouts are spotless and frankly adorable. There are men's and women's washrooms with each featuring a tiny adorable toilet for toddlers as well as lower sinks for hand washing. There is also a really well designed nursing room and a nice change table area. I do want to mention that there were women openly breast-feeding in the playground and this is completely welcome at Sprouts. The nursing room is an option if you or your baby need privacy or peace and quiet. I swear I almost locked myself in there a few times it looked so welcoming.

A private nursing room at Sprouts

Washrooms and Diaper Changing Area at Sprouts

     Parents are free to consume drinks within the play area but there is also a nice sitting area with adorable little seats for babies to be entertained in.  A nice touch is that the music played at Sprouts is a mix of child-friendly adult music. It is not an annoying elevator track or radio loop and is a nice break for parents who don't want to hear the Frozen soundtrack another 30 times a day.

     Sprouts isn't just a playground but also a learning centre offering classes in baby yoga, arts and crafts, reading and song, movement and dance and early enrichment. You can enrol in classes without buying a membership for the playground. Admission to the centre, once you have used your free visit, is based on a membership option of $95 a month for all day access, $50 a month for holidays and weekends and $55 for a 6 time pass. The great news is that membership and the pass apply to the whole family and not a single child making this a great deal if you have more than one child.

One of the classrooms at Sprouts

    All in all if you are anywhere near this facility with toddlers or kids up to 5 or 6, you will likely be glad you found it. And hey if you don't like it, your first visit was free anyways. There is street parking available directly outside of Sprouts and the centre is very TTC accessible being just north of Carlaw and Queen.  If you do decide to visit, maybe this Solo mom will see you there.