What should we watch on Netflix? A Family-friendly Reality Show Edition

I don't know about you, but I see many Facebook posts asking, "What should we watch next on Netflix?"

This month I thought I would save you the ask and share some of our favourite reality shows to watch as a family.

These are the shows that we watch when I don't want to watch any more Naruto or Dicky, Ricky, Nicky and Dawn (or whatever order their names go in), Victorious, and Richie Rich.

These reality shows are a good compromise for us because there isn't too much adult content for the kids, but still interesting enough that the adults don't want to immediately leave the room. :)

Note: My kids are almost 9 and 11 so some of these shows might not be appropriate for younger kids.

Reality TV Shows We Love

We've watched a lot of cooking shows lately and there are some really fun ones:

Zumbo's Just Desserts makes us all think we can become incredible pastry chefs, and we love the drama of the "mean guy" - because there's always a mean guy in a reality show with eliminations right? :)

The Big Family Cooking Showdown - Teams of three people, all family members, come together to compete against another family to create a meal for under $10, family favourites (made in their own kitchens) in under 90 minutes, and a meal to 'impress the neighbours' in an hour and 15 minutes. They may be good cooks, but are they good cooks under pressure and on a timeline?! Is Gramma helpful or just bossy? Was bringing the teenager to help you a good idea or should you have brought your cousin instead?!

Skin Wars - While there is a bit of nudity in this show, it is all very tasteful and the artistry is FANTASTIC. My only concern with the show is that the kids wanted to see RuPaul's other reality show, and RuPaul's Drag Race is not appropriate for my kids yet (though I watched it after Skin Wars and admit, it is totally fantastic).

Beastmaster - This is kind of like American Ninja Warrior. We love watching the competitors from different countries try to make it through this race that we couldn't make it through the first four feet of!

Are there any other family-friendly reality TV shows on Netflix that you watch that we should add to our list? Have you watched any of our favourites?

Disclosure: We are part of the Netflix Stream team and receive perks (like Netflix giveaways!), but all opinions are our own.

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum: Village of Lights!

Last weekend we finally got a chance to check out the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum - what a gem! Their village of lights is on for the final weekend THIS weekend, and I really urge you to get out there with your kids! We debated having an early dinner and then heading to the museum around 5:30pm (it's open from 3pm - 8pm so that you can experience the beautiful lights when it's dark out). But given that it was a Saturday and we expected the museum to be busy, we headed there for 3:30 pm. By the time we left at about 5:45 pm the place was packed!

We started off at the giant sled and reindeer, just as the sun was setting.

Village of Lights

My girls have no interest in Santa Clause, but he's there in one of the buildings if your children want to see him! Instead of Santa, we chose the sleigh ride with these beautiful horses.

Village of lights 2

To warm up, we snuck into the old schoolhouse where staff were handing out gingerbread cookies, icing and sprinkles for the kids to decorate.

Village of lights 3

Hot chocolate and a roaring bonfire finished out the night.

Village of Lights 4

We stayed for two hours, and still hadn't finished looking in all the buildings. There is TONS to do and see. If you'd rather not purchase drinks or snacks (they do have a little snack bar - be warned, the hot chocolate was deadly sweet), I saw one family bravely eating a picnic dinner outside!

And bonus, that I didn't even realize - small dogs are allowed on leash! So we could have brought my little pug, but I think she might have been cozier sleeping at home :)

You need to HURRY to catch this wonderful outing - this Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the last weekend for the Village of Lights!

Have you been to the Village of Lights?

Welcome back, Tag Along Toys! (Sponsor)

by Karen We're so excited to have Tag Along Toys back with us on Kids in the Capital. For a few reasons:

1. TOYS!
2. Patti Taggart, the owner, is so smart and fabulous with kids - her stores are amazing. (Yes, I said storeS - more on that soon.)
3. We get to talk about Frozen - and who out there does not have a little one who loves Elsa and Anna? (Okay, probably some do. I'm not one of them!)
4. Did I mention toys? (The gift-giving marathon is just around the corner!)

Before Patti started Tag Along Toys, she was an early childhood educator (ECE). She's still teaching other ECEs and using her knowledge to provide parents a place to go where their kids can get tools to play, be creative, and learn. I could spend hours just looking. I am not even kidding. I go to Tag Along regularly without Brandon so I can. ;)

Now for some exciting news. Just 3 months ago, Patti opened up a second location for Tag Along at Blue Heron Mall on Bank Street. This weekend, she's invited the lovely Elsa and Anna to come to the store and hang out with your kids. My son turned into a little shy guy at the Kanata store last weekend when he saw them. :)

Additionally, Patti would like to give Kids in the Capital readers a special gift for coming in.

Just tell them we sent you!

Connect with Tag Along Toys

Visit Tag Along Toys

Signature Centre, Kanata
499 Terry Fox Dr	Monday &,Tuesday 9:30-5:30
613-270-TOYS (8697)	Wednesday-Friday 9:30- 9:00
	Saturday 9:30-6:00
	Sunday 11:00-5:00

NEW LOCATION!!! Blue Heron Mall
1500 Bank Street	Monday-Wednesday 9:30-5:30
613-738-8697	Thursday & Friday 9:30- 9:00
	Saturday 9:30-5:30
	Sunday 11:00-4:30

Welcome to the Children's Museum and Bob the Builder!

I have a secret to tell you. I've lived in Ottawa for 8 years now, and (until the other week) I'd never been to the Children's Museum at the Canadian Museum of History. I KNOW, right!? How could I have neglected this gem?

I finally got a chance to check it out with my 5 year-old the other week - the Canadian Museum of History is our new sponsor on the blog, and I was lucky enough to score passes to the Bob the Builder exhibit that's on now until March 22, 2015.

My oldest has always loved Bob the Builder. Her Daddy is an excellent handyman, and she joins him in his workshop, pounding away on wood with a hammer or helping him with his projects. So her and her little friend we brought with us were SO excited when Bob the Builder himself made an appearance when we arrived!

Some of the other Bob the Builder characters were there, and the kids had a great time climbing in and "driving."

Probably the coolest part of the exhibit was this ball machine - kids could grab big buckets of balls, and a machine would suck them up through a tube. It was the busiest toy :)

As we explored the rest of the Children's museum, the kids completed an activity - finding Bob's "lost" tools. If you find them all, there's a little prize (stickers) at the end (most younger kids will need Mom or Dad's help with finding these tools!)

Although Bob was the highlight, I was SO impressed with the rest of the museum. My daughter spent a lot of time playing pretend in the post office, using the crane to move shipments on a boat, and "shopping" in the bazaar. It's definitely one of the most interactive museums in Ottawa!

After the whole afternoon, my only thought was, "why did we wait so long!?" Can't wait to go back!

CBC's Will Stroet: CD Review and Giveaway!

Many offers land in my inbox here at Kids in the Capital. My favourite ones are those that ask me to review a book or a CD. Music is one of my passions, and I've been sure to introduce a wide range of music to my children. Unfortunately, some children's music is not only terrible, but insufferable! That's why I'm so happy to be reviewing Will Stroet's new CD "Just Imagine." It's a breath of fresh air for parents who can't take another rendition of "Do Your Ears Hang Low."

You may recognize Will's name from Will's Jams, which air on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on Kids CBC. The songs are catchy and educational, covering a wide range of topics (eating your veggies, getting exercise, and creativity).

Will Stroet is embarking on a cross-Ontario tour this Fall, and you'll have a chance to win tickets to see him play at the Bronson Centre on November 23rd. Make sure to follow our Facebook page for details of the contest!

When I received the CD in the mail, I immediately popped it in our player and my girls started dancing around the room. The first track - Chuggada Choo - is reminiscent of Johnny Cash, and super catchy! Same goes for the Brazilian "Mama Samba," and I found myself humming "My mama loves to dance, she's gonna do the mama samba" for the rest of the day. The girls, of course, loved to see me attempt the Samba :)

Will and his Backstreet Band (Elliot Langford and Kevin Romain) show their musical chops with  a wide range of influences - bluegrass, blues, folk, rock and so much more. Each song is very different, so you don't run the risk of getting totally and utterly bored as a parent listening to this CD.

And it's clear that Will is a devoted father of his own two girls (Ella, 4 and June, 4 months), as evident in the final track on the CD - Daddy's Lullaby. Very sweet!

If you're looking for some new music to pop in the CD player while driving your car, then I would definitely suggest purchasing Just Imagine. You can buy Will's CDs from his website and also give him a follow on his Facebook page.

And if you're looking for a fun family outing, don't forget he's playing at the Bronson Centre on November 23rd.  Here's the link to purchase your tickets!

Disclosure: Kids in the Capital was compensated for this review, but all opinions are my own.