This is yet another reason that you will never have to set foot in a mall ever again if you live in or around the Junction. Kids will be lining up to tell Santa what they want for Christmas at the Junction City Square and partaking of free cups of hot cocoa, carols, story-telling, crafts and general neighbourly cheer. Of course, families from all across the city are welcome to visit and maybe even do some shopping at the local retailers. You won’t get that pre-fab-mass-market feel that you get at the mall and you’ll have to walk down an actual street to get from store to store and none of the local cafes and restaurants have franchises at food courts, but who knows? You might even like it.

Disclaimer: Last year the Junction Santa did happen to promise at least a couple children that he would for sure, no problem, be delivering on their Christmas wishes. Prepare as you see fit.

From the press release:

The Junction BIA invites you and your family to the
“Santa in the Junction Event”
at The Junction City Square (Dundas/Pacific)
on Saturday, December 13th from 2 – 5 pm.

The Junction has become one of West Toronto’s most child friendly neighbourhoods. This year at our “Santa in the Junction Event”, we’ll have and abundance activities from dancing and sing-a-longs to crafts, free hot chocolate, and candy canes for kids young and old. Come celebrate this holiday season by helping us decorate our Christmas tree topped by a lighting ceremony! Internationally renowned storyteller Norman Perrin and the children’s dance performers will be joined by HO, HO, HO Santa Claus himself!

You can file this under more shameless neighbourhood plugging and free Halloween fun for the family. Brought to you by the Junction BIA and the Rue Morgue House of Horror:

To recap:

From 10am – noon Pumkin carving/decorating

From 6:30 – 8:30 Scary family movies

Treats

At the Junction Train Station near Pacific and Dundas which is not really a train station at all but rather a fake old fashioned train platform that serves the neighbourhood much better than the empty lot it sits in ever did. It is also (at the risk of divulging too much info on these internets) ridiculously close to my home.

I will likely be there juggling my two children solo since my husband has some big-important-work-thingy this weekend. All weekend. So come by for a laugh or, you know, to lend a hand.

Also, if you are looking for more than two days notice on events I highly recommend making good use of the kazillion other cyber parenting resources out there. This website is sort of okay for finding out where I might be going at the last minute. (But, of course, that is where the cool kids will be. And by kids I mean parents and, uh, their kids … right? Right.)

DAILY SNACK

I got this hat for $2 at the newly opened used kids’ clothes shop in the Junction.

Little Bird Fly 2955 Dundas Street West

Booyah!

So I piled the kids in the stroller and walked one block west to Snug as a Bug. (Another reason to love the Junction.) I don’t often buy clothes for my kids at all thanks to all the hand-me-downs we get. And I don’t usually go to Snug as a Bug when I do because they are a bit pricey. What you get for the extra sticker price, though, is a quality children’s garment designed and made in Canada. That’s right. Everything is sewn by local seamstresses right in our own neighbourhoods. When I do need quality kids gear, then, that’s where I go.

I am so enamoured of this particular sun hat, though, that I wanted to dwell on it some more here. (My family and friends were getting a bit tired of hearing me go on about a baby’s hat, I could tell.) First it is adjustable via an elastic drawstring around the circumference of the head. So you can be sure of a snug fit right from the get go. I have hats that were loose for months, then fit right for about one minute before becoming too small. This hat only comes in two sizes (0 -2 and 2 – 8), and you know you’ll be able to wear the dickens out of it. It also has a chin strap which is a total must for the under two set. It has a nice wide brim that will shade the entire face and neck which means less sunscreen and fewer chemicals on sensitive baby skin. It is UV resistant and made of nylon; so light-weight and water resistant, too. And while nobody loves a fun pattern more than me, the simple bright white colour with pink trim will go perfectly with almost all little girl outfits. (There’s one for boys with blue trim, too.) It retails for $29.95 (Canadian dollars), but there’s a sale on hats right now. Well worth it.

Now, if I can just manage to hold onto this one.