Welcome back to our monthly “how you doin’?” If you’re finding it in your inbox it’s because at some point you’ve trusted us with your email address. Our plan is to make it worth your while to have a read through because we know that most of you, like us, are feeling email fatigue.

We hope you love it as much as we do and share it with your friends and family! But if it isn’t your thing no hard feelings, just click unsubscribe at the bottom and you can come back anytime by subscribing through our website HERE.

July is THE best month. Out of school and still sooo much summer left before we need to think about back to school!

We just celebrated Grace’s 16th Birthday (OMG!) and are waiting for the dreaded “can I have the keys” moments not too far in the distant future… though her sisters are dreaming of the days of a no parents allowed run to McD’s.

Softball is in full swing for Grace and Maddie with their Ontario Blue Jay teams, playing Provincial playoff games all over the place. Sophie and Audrey are back to Port Dover softball, which is a little slower to start, but we are happy to get them on the field :)

Our family calendar is a disaster with our work schedule and the girls’ work and ball schedule but let me tell you, if you need an app for that, you want Cozi. We all have a colour (even Abby gets one lol) and at a glance it’s easy to see who needs to be where. It’s the free version that we use but I highly recommend checking it out if you need a hand staying organized.

As things continue to open and events start popping up in real life, we wish for you some beautiful memories this month doing lots, or doing sweet nothing <3

We’ll see you next month but in the meantime remember that we’re here for you if you need us!

~ Melissa

• If you’re on the hunt for a cottage you’ll find that they seem to be selling really quickly, especially if they are near the water. With everything going on in the world, cottage purchases have skyrocketted in the last couple of years! We did a search for waterfront properties in our trading area (from Long Point to Lowbanks) and there are 28 available (excluding leased land) ranging from $499,000 to $2,849,000. Let’s go shopping ;)

• We write a weekly blog (most Mondays!) about the Market in one way or another. It may be helpful tips, suggestions or experiences we’ve had as well as cold, hard numbers (stats). The one thing we promise is that you’ll at least pick up one thing you didn’t know before reading it. This month we talked about “Your Mad Price” when competing for a purchase.

• If you dream about country living just outside of the conveniences of town than you have to check out Janet’s Listing located at 2222 West Quarterline Rd., Windham Centre. You will love this large ranch-style home with an enormous shop, pool and pool house. It is a gardener’s paradise!

Here is where you will find our gold star list for the month. People and pets we love; books and quotes that touch and inspire us; television shows and movies we can’t stop watching; songs we won’t stop humming; clothing and accessories we own and covet; and all the other stuff we love and think maybe you just might love too. 

I have had this song on repeat for the past couple of months: “We Can Do Hard Hard Things” by Tish Melton. Give it a listen and try not to cry…I dare you.

Okay, so I know I told you about The Normandale Century Inn & Restaurant last month but that was about their ice cream. This month I have to talk to you about their tacos!!! I paid a visit to Tacos and Tequila over my holidays and it is Wow-Good! Authentic Mexican cuisine and live music on the weekends that is so amazing you will feel like you are “away” on vacation.

While on my staycation, I also paid a visit to the new bookstore in Simcoe Firefly & Fox Books. Let me tell you, it is absolutely the most adorable little bookshop you ever did see and I was very impressed by what a great selection they had in such a tiny space. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that we finally have a local independent bookstore. Read books, change the world my friends.

I love listening to podcasts and and I stumbled across Shattered Glass recently and after episode one with the one and only Gloria Steinem, I’m hooked. They talk with extraordinary women in many fields, telling stories about lifting each other up, and the importance of educating future generations on women’s issues.

Have you seen the new Disney/Pixar Movie Luca? We watched it with the girls on a rare movie night in and it was soooo good! Graphics were amazing and although the story line and life lesson aren’t new, they were served up with a bit of a twist. If you have Disney + you can stream it included in your monthly membership but in the meantime check out the Trailer here :)

What 3 Words app is THE app to have especially if you like to travel off the beaten path. It doesn’t rely on reception so no more standing on one leg with your arm in the air and praying for a bar to appear. Here’s some info for you to find out more!

We are so thrilled to be able to put an actual in-person event in this section for you!!! Crafts at the Kiln is presenting a month of makers ~ sunshine, supporting local artists, real live human interaction and wine and we are here for it!

One of the things we have missed the most is live theatre…and we have just received word that the Lighthouse Theatre is pulling back the curtain and are over the moon excited to be offering an outdoor theatre experience for their 2021 summer season.

We recognize there are not a lot of events for us to safely enjoy happening right now. In the meantime, we do our best to scour all the local channels available to us to fill our our Events calendar to present you with a well-rounded list of options each month. Check it out and see if there is something there for you! (We encourage you to check in with the organizer of the event to ensure that the event is still running)