The last year at Mommy Kat and Kids was packed with some amazing experiences, but it wasn’t until I looked at each month of 2013 that I realized just how fabulous it truly was. Come check out some of my top adventures from 2013!
January
The year kicked off with a bang as I headed to the Ford NAIAS event in Detroit, Michigan. It was fascinating learning about the process of making an F-150 at the Deerbourne plant and exploring the fabulous Henry Ford museum.
After a night at Tech Shop learning about some of the newest innovations in Ford vehicles, it was time to head off to NAIAS to see the grand unveiling of the Ford Atlas truck and the rest of the auto show!
February
In February, the incredibly popular We Day event came to Saskatchewan for the first time, and I was so excited to be invited to attend along with Telus to capture the event. Meeting Martin Sheen and interviewing Hedley were both high points for me, but the real highlight was seeing how full of passion and dedication the youth audience was as founders Craig and Mark Keilburger challenged them to change the world.
March
In March I was chosen as a BlogWest 2013 Ambassador and in addition to helping promote this fabulous Western Canadian conference, I was able to present on one of my favourite topics, monetization, along with my good friend and fellow blogger Jody of Mommy Moment. The conference was so full of great information and I walked away with a renewed passion for blogging and so much more knowledge!
April
In April I was incredibly honoured to win the Award for Best Engagement at the 2013 Social Media Awards. This annual award celebration honours bloggers, businesses and charities in the social media sphere and I was beyond excited to be chosen as one of the winners. While I unfortunately wasn’t able to get to the award ceremony in beautiful Victoria, it will be a must-attend event for me this year!
May
In May, my boys and I headed off on the press trip of my dreams when we were invited to the grand reopening of the Fantasyland Theatre and the kickoff of the Monstrous Summer Celebration at Disneyland, California! It was the first time for all three of us visiting a Disney resort and it was every bit as magical as I could have imagined.
The highlight of the trip for me was attending a press party in Fantasyland; the area was shut down to the public, every ride was running and my boys and I took full advantage of the experience to go on ride after ride in between dancing, snacking and socializing.
June
Shortly after returning from Disneyland, I was flying off again to attend the TBEX Conference in Toronto, Ontario. Not only did the conference give me a fabulous opportunity to network and connect with travel bloggers and tourism boards from around the world, the special excursions arranged by the City of Toronto let me do something I’d been wanting to do for years: explore the city of Toronto instead of just rushing in and out on business.
After a fun-filled tour of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Art Gallery of Ontario, it was time for a few days of learning and connecting, complete with an Expedia Night with the Stars party. In honour off my recent trip, I went dressed as Minnie Mouse!
Then, at the end of the month, Travel Manitoba and Ford Canada teamed up to invite a select group of writers and bloggers on a fly-in fishing trip in Northern Manitoba. We enjoyed a scavenger hunt in the new Ford F-150 and Ford Explorer vehicles before flying off to Eagle Nest Lodge for just over two days of fishing and fun.
It was a great peek into Manitoba’s fabulous natural beauty and gave me a new appreciation for the importance of getting away from the digital world every now and again!
July
In July, the fabulous BlogHer Conference took over Chicago, Illinois and at the last minute I decided to head off to the event that others have said every blogger should attend at least once and enjoy some fun.
As I indulged in fabulous parties, celebrity hairstyle experiences, exclusive lunches and free champagne, it was so much fun connecting with old friends, chatting with new ones and experiencing the full force and passion of the blogging industry in the United States!
August
In August, the boys and I headed off on a weekend trip to Edmonton and thanks to the fabulous people at Tourism Edmonton, we had the chance to see for ourselves why the popular Alberta destination is often referred to as the City of Festivals. From experiencing delicacies at Taste of Edmonton to exploring the rides, games and exhibits at K-Days, there was plenty of fun family adventure to enjoy.
And of course, no trip to Edmonton would be complete without a trip to the West Edmonton Mall and the World Waterpark featuring the largest indoor wave pool! I didn’t get quite as much time to shop as I would have liked, so a trip back may be on the agenda!
October
In October I once again headed back to Toronto when I was chosen as a community leader for my very favourite conference, BlissDom Canada! With so many fabulous Canadian women attending, it was a fun and fabulous experience and lived up to my expectations in every way. Closing keynote speaker Drew Dudley was a huge highlight of the event for me; I don’t think I’ve ever both laughed and cried so much during a keynote speech before.
And the Great Canadian Outdoors Party with a performance by Jully Black was fun and inspirational in so many ways. Of course, spending time with my best blogging friends was a huge part of the appeal as well and made a great conference even better!
November
In November, We Day returned to Saskatchewan once more and I headed back to enjoy another afternoon of inspiration with Telus, though this time I brought my sister along as well! The incredible Michael Jordon was one of the speakers and was not only inspirational, but tons of fun too.
Craig and Mark Keilburger, as usual, had the 15,000 teens in attendance bursting with energy and a desire to make the world a better place by the time the event came to a close. The entertainment is always top-class, but it’s the speeches that really get to me and remind me that one person has the power to make a big difference and ignite a spark for change that can start a bonfire.
Later in the month, my oldest son and I were invited to attend the Chevrolet Hockey Helmet Academy in Calgary to learn more about the Safe & Fun Hockey Program. It was an enlightening experience for me and I loved how this program emphasizes the importance of fun as well as safety! Later, Zackary had the chance to play a little hockey with Olympic Gold Medalist Cassie Campbell-Pascall!
December
Just before the year came to a close, my boys and I were invited on another once-in-a-lifetime trip, this time to the beautiful Beaches Negril resort in Jamaica to see what Beaches Resorts are all about.
The trip showcased the all-inclusive experience of a Beaches Resort, celebrated the partnership with Sesame Street and let us experience the impact a Beaches resort makes on the community through the Sandals Foundation. Attending a Christmas party at a local school and watching my boys hand out presents to the students brought a tear to my eye!
Then it was back to the resort for fun, sun and plenty of time interacting with our favourite Sesame Street characters! Meeting Burt and Ernie may just have been the highlight of my year!
As incredible as 2013 was, I have to say that the new year is shaping up to be every bit as fabulous. With new partnerships with companies I love to, new opportunities and plans for new adventures, I have no doubt that 2014 will be every bit as much a year to remember as the past year has been and I can’t wait to share it with you all!
Lori JB says
January 15, 2014 at 7:05 amWow, that is a lot to accomplish in a year! Hope 2014 brings you and your family as much fun and excitement. It’s so great that your boys get to experience many of these events with you. They are already well travelled little guys! 🙂
Kathryn says
January 15, 2014 at 1:37 pmThanks so much Lori! Being able to take the boys on some of these adventures was one of the best things about the year for sure; I love that they got to enjoy some fun experiences too! 🙂
Jennifer says
January 15, 2014 at 8:36 amThat’s a fun filled year! so happy for you and just slightly jealous! lol
Kathryn says
January 15, 2014 at 1:36 pmLol Thanks hon! I couldn’t actually believe just how packed it was until I looked back at it all in December. SUCH an amazing year!
Rosey says
January 15, 2014 at 12:34 pmYou did have an eventful fun-filled year, and woo hoo for it. Here’s to more of the same in 2014!
Kathryn says
January 15, 2014 at 1:39 pmThanks so much, Rosey! It’s going to be a fabulous year! 😀
Erika Price says
January 15, 2014 at 3:09 pmWhat an amazing year you had. Hope 2014 is as much fun!
Leanne Renouf says
January 15, 2014 at 4:39 pmAwesome year
jessica s says
January 15, 2014 at 7:44 pmWow sure does look like a busy year full of lots of fun and learning! lucky lady! Hope 2014 is just as successful for you!
Cheryl Grandy says
January 15, 2014 at 10:14 pmWow! You did have a busy year! Looks like you had a lot of fun and some great experiences. I hope 2014 is as enjoyable for you and your family.
Kam says
January 16, 2014 at 12:44 amWow, looks like an awesome year…hope 2014 is just as much fun!
danielle t says
January 16, 2014 at 7:14 amwow, can’t believe how much you’ve packed into just one year. congrats on the social media award. you really deserve it.
valerie darsigny says
January 16, 2014 at 7:32 amwow what an amazing year you had 🙂 thanks for sharing all this with us.
Debbie W says
January 16, 2014 at 7:37 amYou look adorable in your Minnie attire!
Gord says
January 16, 2014 at 8:07 amLooks like it was a very busy time for you.
Nicky says
January 16, 2014 at 9:33 amwhat an amazing year! p.s. you look great in a hot dog!
MrDisco says
January 16, 2014 at 9:38 amI feel exhausted just reading your carrying-ons.
Erika B says
January 16, 2014 at 10:49 amSeems like you had an interesting year!! All the best in 2014
Lynda Cook says
January 16, 2014 at 12:09 pmWOW!! you had a very amazing and busy 2013!! and such a lucky girl, you got to interveiw Hedley..jealous lol I’m happy you had such a great year and I can see this year to be the same for you all the best for 2014
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
January 16, 2014 at 12:18 pmbusy busy year but looked like a lot of fun, loved the minnie mouse outfit and the white one STUNNING
Cynthia Dingwell says
January 16, 2014 at 12:29 pmYou are always welcome in Toronto!! Good luck on all your adventures! Cheers!
kristen visser says
January 16, 2014 at 1:55 pmwow what an awesome year for you and your family!!! looks like you guys had amazing family time together 🙂
loriag says
January 16, 2014 at 4:34 pmI love how you did your year in review with pictures and captions. Looks like a great year for you.
Stacey L says
January 16, 2014 at 4:53 pmWow you’ve accomplished a lot in 2013, looks like you had lots of fun and adventures.
Robyn L says
January 16, 2014 at 9:02 pmlove you as Minnie! great pic
what awesome memories to hang onto
Ashleigh Swerdfeger says
January 16, 2014 at 10:25 pmWhat a great year- You had awesome memories and experiences. And great photos too! It’s great to reflect on the past year.
Soozle says
January 17, 2014 at 5:31 amWow! You did have a pretty amazing year! 🙂 The smiles (and lady, you have a smile that can light up a room! 🙂 ) on your and your boys faces says it all! Thank you for sharing the photos!
Very much looking forward to seeing what 2014 brings for adventures for you 🙂
Kathryn says
January 19, 2014 at 2:19 pmAww, thanks Soozle! 😀 It was definitely a year that had a lot to smile about; I can’t wait to see what surprises 2014 has in store!
Lauren E. says
January 17, 2014 at 7:47 amSounds like you had a wonderfully busy year. That is wonderful, congrats!
Stephanie LaPlante says
January 17, 2014 at 2:12 pmOMG I want that hotdog chair!!!!
Marjorie Whitney says
January 17, 2014 at 3:34 pmLooks liek kids had a riot at the Fantasyland Theatre!
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
January 18, 2014 at 8:50 pmYou certainly had a very busy and exciting year and it looked like you were having a lot of fun in all the different places you visited.
Ashley says
January 20, 2014 at 9:39 amLooks like a great year!
Christie says
January 20, 2014 at 8:16 pmLooks like you had an incredible year! You must feel so lucky.
Lorayne Gothard says
January 21, 2014 at 8:06 amWow you had an amazing year!! I am jealous at all the cool thing you were able to do. So much fun!!
kathy downey says
January 21, 2014 at 10:44 amWOW OH WOO, i hope 2014 brings you another good year
Laurie B says
January 22, 2014 at 8:42 amLooks like you had a very successful, fun filled, adventurous year! All the best in 2014 with many memories to be made!
kristy e says
January 25, 2014 at 8:38 pmLooked like a great year !! =)
Kristy S says
January 26, 2014 at 10:17 pmWhat great experiences!
Anna W says
January 27, 2014 at 7:27 amIt looks like you had a fantastic 2013 and it’s so nice to see that your kids got to come along for the ride! Great photos Thank you for sharing your experiences =)
Amanda Geering says
February 1, 2014 at 12:53 pmYou are living the life of my dreams! Congrats on all your success!
Laurie P says
February 1, 2014 at 1:29 pmThat WAS quite the year! Way to go!
Kristine Ewald says
February 1, 2014 at 5:30 pmLooked like a fun year
Liz C says
February 2, 2014 at 6:20 pmI hope 2014 looks like your year! I need some fun & excitement with my family & friends.
sara rai says
February 3, 2014 at 12:08 amAn year filled with excitement and fun, hope its the same this year with new adventures:)
Darlene Schuller says
February 3, 2014 at 8:22 amLots of fun and excitment for you!! Hoping for that and so much more this year <3
Brandee H says
February 6, 2014 at 1:11 pmWhat a busy year! The fly fishing picture is beautiful! I am going to think about that today and ignore the non-ending piles of snow outside my windows! Congrats on your award!
Sarah says
February 6, 2014 at 11:45 pmGreat pics! It’s amazing how quickly one year can go by. I hope that this year is even better than last!
Katy Emanuel says
February 7, 2014 at 12:59 amWow looks like a very busy and fun year. How did you manage to fit it all in?!