Laity Pumpkin Patch (Thanksgiving Weekend) 2012

It is that kind of the year already: Pumpkins, Halloween, Holidays, autumn....

It gives a feeling that a year is going to be over soon...
However!  We have awesome weather for fall this year!

I decided to take my kids to the pumpkin patch in Maple Ridge, BC this year.
I have never been there so I thought it would be great for everyone!

Laity Pumpkin Patch Maple Ridge

The weather is so good, and with mountain and blue sky, the picture turned out very good.

They have so much pumpkins in the patch, and it looked endless!
They came in all kinds of sizes, I picked a big one with 91 cm diameter. (26 inch)

My kids also had fun with the pumpkin patch.  They had kids area, petty zoos with animals and cartoon boards...etc

They also had a couple of turkeys on display.

Laity farm turkeys

Here are the cartoon characters:

Snoopy, charlie brown and pumpkins

Winnie the Pooh

Well, those are good ideas to attract families....
You do need to pay 4 dollars per person for tickets.

They don't have good corn field rides but they do have a small corn maze.

We had a good time, and I hope my kids would remember these times.

Carleton Cards: A Pet is Love Christmas Ornament

I collect lots of ornament from Carleton Cards and Hallmark every year.

Too much...I think but here I bought the first one of the year.
I thought I can put my dogs pictures in this one.

A Pet is Love Christmas ornament carleton cards

I think I buy too much of these things....

Super Mario Kart Wii: K'Nex

My best friend gave me a gift card for my son's birthday.

I was thinking what to get....because my son is such a mario fan, we decided to get a Mario Kart set from K'Nex. 

Apparently, you need to buy 4 sets to make a giant track.
However, I don't have space, so I am content with a small set anyways.

mario wii beach set

I bought the beach set, and it came with a cute crab and a motorized toad kart.

I am still debating whether to get other sets because it is not entertaining my two sons as much as I thought....

It is very cute though! (some parts are too small for small kids.)

Old El Paso Taco Dinner Kit

They were giving away free Elso Paso Taco Dinner Kit on the coupon site, save.ca in the summer.

We went to get the free taco box, and my wife made the taco dinner:

Old El Paso Hard Taco

It is tasty but of course, you have make the inside.

Taco dinner

It was delicious along with fries and broccoli!

Tim Horton's Smile Cookies 2012

Tim Horton's produces Smile Cookies every year comes September.

I bought more cookies for my kids, and this time, they are smiling...haha

Tim Horton's Smile Cookie 2012

Last year, the cookie I got was not smiling...see below:

http://bentochihuahua.blogspot.ca/2011/09/tim-hortons-smile-cookie-or-no-smile.html

funny..

McDonald's Paul Frank Figure and Calendar

I can't believe it is October already.  A year passes by so fast.

Paul Frank is famous for designing "Julius" the monkey on its fashion lines.

Early September, if people buy happy meals, they can choose one of Paul Frank's stationary for kids.

We got a cute figure and a desk calendar!

Paul Frank McDonald's Happy Meal toy calendar

I think it is quite cute and in McDonald's standard, well made.
They should be making more of these instead of those rough, cheap, ugly toys.

Restaurant: Sushi California in Coquitlam, BC

Sushi California is a popular restaurant next to Lougheed mall at a very busy intersection.
(North Road and Austin Road)

We went there to buy some take out food to see what they can offer.
First the price is cheap, and the proportion seems big for the party tray for 4 people...see below.

Sushi California Party Tray

Well, this is called North American size, big but with limited content inside the sushi.
Mostly, they are cucumber inside the huge rolls.
And as always, when I apply the chopsticks to pick up the sushi, they crumble.

sushi with mostly cucumber

Again, cheap huge sushi here, does not guarantee artistry or quality.
The taste is not too bad and the sashimi was fresh.

For a take out restaurant with low price (35 dollars for 4 people), I would give it a B+ for price.
However, the outside look of sushi would be C-.  Taste would be B- overall.
In Canadian standard, not in Japanese standard....haha

B'z North American Tour: Into Free 2012

We went to B'z live concert yesterday in Orpheum Theatre in downtown Vancouver!!

It was absolutely awesome!  I cannot believe the energetic, charismatic, cool rocker (Inaba) is actually 47 years old.  He should be 27 years old!!

The voice was absolutely powerful and the performance was impressive.
(I have never been to a live event but the background is sometimes overly loud that I can't hear the singing.)

The experience was absolutely awesome!!  I was even more impressed by the artists after the concert!

Here is the T-shirt I bought that Inaba wore in the concert:

B'z Into Free 2012 t-shirt

 They have so much energy! The theatre was small so we can actually see the band playing in front of us.

Awesome Extended Summer Weather 2012

Here in B.C, Canada, we are enjoying a good late summer weather this year.
Usually, it should be around 15 degrees by middle of September, but we are having great weather this year.

Bright blue sky with no clouds...wonderful.

We did not have a summer this year till the first day of August and the sun came out.
June was terrible and July was so so....with lots of clouds and rain.

I don't mind this late summer weather this year!

McDonald's Canada: New Caramel Baked Pie

McDonald's release the new Caramel Baked Pie.

I would say it is one of the better tasting pie.
(chocolate banana is still my favorite!)

McDonald's Caramel baked pie

This one has a simple taste but it is a safe bet: Caramel.

I would give it a 8.5 out of 10...not bad for a McDonald's dessert.

I would sure buy this again because we love it and the kids love it.

Play-Doh and Very Hungry Caterpillar for Kids

We recently bought Play-Doh for our kids to play with in the winter.

In Canada, the winter is long and cold, so this could be one thing to do for kids.

Play-Doh from Toys R US

My wife made a Very Hungry Caterpillar replica using Play-Doh for my son.

However, my 1-year-old just crushed it with two hands in two minutes....what a pity!!

Play-Doh Very Hungry Caterpillar

Isn't it cute??

Bed Bath & Beyond: 5 Light Floor Lamp

I saw this five color lamp in the flyer and decided to buy it last weekend from Bed, Bath & Beyond.
It is a little short but fits in any room.

5 color lamp bed bath & beyoond

5 color light lamp

It is very easy to install, and it is only 20 dollars plus tax.  Not bad.

Lego Store Vancouver: October Halloween Set

It is amazing that many stores started to sell costumes and Halloween themed items in the middle of summer.
I guess all the merchandise will have to be there for 3 months for these "big" commercialized events.

We went to Lego Store at the end of August because they had a free give away event.
However, when we arrived on time, more than 100 kids already walked away with the free build.

We were like, "what the...people really had nothing to do"...well, it is summer and everyone wanted free stuff.

Halloween set lego store 2012

We thought that we will still get some things.
Lego store released this Halloween set for merely 5 dollars.
I also got a keychain and some mini figures that day.

The weather is getting cooler now.  I can't believe that fall is almost here.

Lego Hong Kong Display in Aberdeen Centre, Richmond, BC

The Canadian Lego Architect has built a replica of downtown Hong Kong in Aberdeen Centre.

It is amazing how he could have done it with a few photographs.  Just amazing....
The imaging ability of his brain must be so exceptional.

Lego Hong Kong display aberdeen centre richmond

I wish I can do that....

lego Hong Kong display aberdeen centre richmond 2

Here are pictures from other angles:

lego hong kong display aberdeen centre richmond 3

Even the backgrounds are made with lego pieces!

Kart Racing in Tsawwassen, BC, Canada

I have never tried kart racing before (only in theme parks), so I decided to try it for our birthdays!

With kids, I can only go on the double kart but we had lots of fun.

The double kart goes up to 50 km/hr but the smaller kart can go up to 80 km/hr.
I seemed so slow driving the double kart with people passing me all the time.

Kart racing tsawwassen

However, inside the kart, it feels fast even if it's 50 km/hr.

I would try it again when my boys are bigger, but the sport is costly.
It is around 25 dollars for 15 minutes...(and how do they measure that?)

The rental karts are basic and run down but some people bring their own fancy karts.
People also race bikes here....

My boy apparently enjoyed it as well even if he looked scared...haha

Summer Festival in Blaine, Washington

One day, before we went shopping for grocery down in Bellingham, Washington, we decided to stop by Blaine, a small border town.

We wanted to go for a picnic near the seaside park.
And, it turned out that they had a summer festival with small vendors selling food and crafts.

Blaine, Washington seaside

It was a grogeous, perfect summer day with blue sky!!
There was a replica pirate ship going around the dock to show the visitors.

blaine wa pirate ship

They also had music bands playing and some model miniature boats on display.

We had a nice time!
It is nice to see a relaxing festival in a small town during the summer time!

My Birthday Gift 2012: Kipling Shoulder Bag

I received a black Kipling bag for my birthday this year.

Kipling is known for its canvas bags and its mascot gorillas.

This shoulder bag with handles is perfect for my work and can fit a lot of things in there.
It also has front, back and inside pockets. (very good for carrying small things).

Kipling black bag shoulder

I like bags with different compartments to keep things tidy.
This actually completes my collection because I have two black bags in different sizes.
I like the monkeys because they look cute to me. haha.

IKea Pull Out Bed under Ikea Kids Bunk Bed

We bought a pull out bed to accommodate more people just in case in the kids room.

This pull out bed from IKEA fits under the bunk bed very well:

Ikea bunk bed and pull out bed

For people who need space and need more beds, I would recommend this.
This pull out bed from is under 100 dollars in Canada.
For now, this room can sleep up to 3 people!

My Son's 5th Birthday Gifts: Mario Kart Bed Set

My son became 5 years old this August. 
Boy....where did my life go? So fast...

He looooves Super Mario, so we gave him the whole Mario Kart bedset.
He completes his room with mario figures, plush, poster, tissue box, turtle shells, blankets, cover, pillow...etc.
The whole package!!

He was really happy to get his customized bedroom for his birthday!!
(man...I wish I had that when I was young.  All these merchandizes were not there.)


Anyways, here is the Thomas the Train cake we ordered from Price Smart:

My son's 5 year old birthday cake and food

It is a nice cake considering the cake from Costco, Superstore and Safeway are absolutely disgusting and full with sugar.
The cream they use here are better and we get to choose the design!

My wife made a lot of wonderful dishes for him as usual!!

He enjoyed his birthday!
(so good to be a kid...well, as an adult..it is just very hard to enjoy birthdays for some reason. Not sure why.)

Restaurant: Sang Thai & Vietnamese Restaurant (Port Coquitlam)

We went to this place because I got a deal from Living Social.

This restaurant locates in a Port Coquitlam strip mall beside a major road intersection.
However, this restaurant could be hard to find because it is at the outside corner.
(maybe that is why they need to promote it because people don't notice it.)

It is a quiet restaurant with nice Thai style decorations.
The food they sell actually is Chinese, Thai plus Vietnamese.
(I should find the interior photos...)

Here is the fried rice we ordered:

Fried rice sang thai port coquitlam

The fried rice was very nice. 
They actually hired a girl playing traditional chinese instrument.
It was wonderful but I felt bad because no one was there on a friday night.

pad thai sang thai port coquitlam

Next, the Pad Thai.  It was not hot.
It was lacking some kind of taste and wasn't the best pad thai I have tried...
I would not recommend their pad thai.

The spring roll was pretty good I gotta say.
Because I paid regular price, I have to say, while not cheap, the portion is reasonable.

I would recommend this place if you live near Port Coquitlam, BC if you just want some simple things to enjoy.

Vancouver Lego Store Part 3: Stuff As Much As You Can

The Lego Store also sells parts and blocks for people who wants to build for fun at home.
It is perfect for us because we don't have too much pieces at home!

You can stuff a small plastic can for 12 dollars or a big can for 20 dollars (I think...)

I chose the smaller can and we tried, very creatively, to stuff as much in the can as possible.
We stayed there for more than an hour doing it but other people took only 10 minutes or less.
I guess money is not an issue because it is "only" 12 dollars.  Boy....we must be poor or people have money.

Wait!  Most families do have more money than us!  What am I talking about!
Where is my career path?

Anyways, here is our can:

can of lego all you can stuff

It was full...very full....

lots of special parts we could use.....

things we made after lego store

We also got a good deal on a lego keychain.  It was only 2.50 dollars....amazing.

Lego pirate keychain!

It was an interesting experience and we will drop by again for their monthly events!!

New Lego Store Vancouver Part 2: Monster Fighters Series

One of the new series that I found was interesting was the Monster Fighters Series:

Lego store vancouver: Monster Train

I find the theme was very interesting and not something Lego has done before; monsters and ghosts.

Lego Monster fighters series display

It looks like an intriguing series and I hope they expand on the stories.

New Lego Store Vancouver 1

Lego opened a new Lego store in Vancouver store this year, the first in west coast Canada.

I often wondered, would people pay regular price to buy things in Lego Store instead of discount retailer?
The answer:  Yes, they do....and lots of people have money.  (including the super rich.)

A grandpa was looking into the window (the picture below) of two european building sets.
He was with two grand daughters.  He was saying to the grand daughters, "Okay, this one and this one.  Five hundred dollars?  Okay, we'll get it."  (nodding to the shopkeeper).

Lego European building sets.

I guess rich grandparents would spend the money these day and age.
Lots of other parents are buying sets after sets for their kids as well.
The store does sell sets that you don't often find outside:

london tower bridge lego

Things like London Tower Bridge and the Architecture series:

Lego architecture series

Lego Maersk trucks train

Lego mini figures

Lego super hero series

Lego princess series

They have so many kinds of series nowdays to cater to all age and all types of adults and kids.
One day, I will try to get some architecture sets because they look very impressive.

I will write more about the Lego store trip.

Seattle: Uwajimaya

We went to Uwajimaya in downtown Seattle last time when we visited.

We also wanted to buy some magazines from the Kinokuniya bookstore inside the market.
The address was actually wrong for my GPS....actually, it was so confused that we went round and round....

For 30 minutes, we did not know where we were going.
At the end, we managed to find it at a corner of its Chinatown.
I really don't think it is easy for tourists to find.

Uwajimaya Seattle downtown

Uwajimaya Seattle 2

Because of the larger Japanese population in Seattle.  The range of Japanese products sold here is much larger than what we have in British Columbia.  We were quite impressed by it.

I found this one item sold very interesting:  Rabbits....

I know that Japanese monks were allowed to eat rabbits in ancient times. 
I didn't know there was an appetite for rabbits here.
Interesting indeed....

We bought lots of food items back to B.C. Canada.  Funny...to go all the way here to buy food....