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July 2021

Long Weekend Fun in Kingston, Ontario Summer is short. We want to soak up all the adventures we can before fall arrives with our busy schedules and our back-to-work/back-to-school routines. For families with teens looking for a great way to spend the August long week, look no further than Kingston, Ontario. With everything from great food and wineries (for mom and dad) to haunted walks and thrill-seeking attractions, this relatively short drive from Toronto is jam-packed with family fun.For the Foodie Bistro on Ontario Street Over the August long weekend, Ontario street will be closed to traffic, allowing foodies to taste their way through the city and lounge in Muskoka chairs under the sun. With expanded patios and bistro dining, foodies can enjoy a variety of cuisines. Ontario Street is home to several notable restaurants including Feast On-certified Dianne’s Fish Shake and Smokehouse (East Coast meets Mexican), Wooden Heads (gourmet wood-fired pizza), Namaste (fine Indian cuisine), Mio Gelato, and White Mountain Homemade Ice Cream.  County Sips Wine Tours This is the ultimate foodie’s day out -- enjoying a variety of wineries and a local market. Hosted by sommelier Ian Nicholls, the tours begin with a scenic drive to Prince Edward County along the shores of Lake Ontario. All wine tours will include wine tastings at four selected wineries and a lunch at the Waupoos Market. Expert Ian will explain the terroir of PEC, winemaking and tasting while showcasing the beauty of The County. The tours run on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sundays with different itineraries offered each day. Each tour departs at 9:15am and returns to Kingston by 5:45pm. Check out hotel packages here.For the Explorer Kingston Penitentiary Closed less than 10 years ago and now open to the public for tours, the explorers in the family can venture into Canada’s oldest maximum security prison. The facility is now offering two new tours for the season: Architecture Tour, where visitors dive into early history of the buildings and the architects and planners responsible for drafting and building the institution; and a Film Tour, where guests visit various areas of the site and learn about how they were used in film, the different productions that filmed there and learn about how these films were made.For the Thrill-Seeker Kingston Haunted Walk For the family thrill seeker, this ghost tour’s spooky stops include haunted hotels, hidden burial grounds, grave robbings, hangings at the old courthouse and Kingston’s famous haunted courtyard. The Ghosts of Fort Henry Walk explores Kingston’s spooky 19th-century fortress and its many

6 Things You Need for a Backyard Family Fun DayWhile the world is slowly opening up, you can still have a great day outside right in the comfort of your backyard where there are no crowds and no travel time! Here are some items you need to create your own backyard fun with the whole family.You can’t have a great day without some delicious food. To prep snacks for the day, cut up fruit and veggies and keep them fresh using the FoodSaver® Cordless Handheld Sealer and FoodSaver® Vacuum Seal Zipper Bags. Vacuum sealers can save you food, time and space – especially since this device is hand-held and compact. It will keep all your food like deli meats, cheese, fruits and veggies fresh and dry all day even if you’re tossing it into an icy cooler for your picnic. Afterward, because it’s sealed tight, any leftovers can be tossed in your fridge and freezer, and it won’t take up a lot of space! Available at all major retailers. There’s nothing better than a cool cocktail in the sun like these Matt & Steve’s ready-to-drink lightly spiced and hot & spicy caesars. They are the perfect drink to bring backyard entertainment to a new level. It’s a Canadian company and they only use quality ingredients to make all the pickled snacks that go great with Caesars like the Asparagoos and Extreme Bean. Layout all the goodies so the adults can customize their own drinks so you're out of the kitchen and into the sun where all the fun is!Obviously, sun protection is a must – especially if we’re going to be outside for hours. One of our favourites is this natural mineral sunscreen from The Green Beaver Company with SPF 40 broad-spectrum protection. It’s made in Canada and it’s part of the Thoughtful Choices at Shoppers Drug Mart lineup. Shoppers Drug Mart offers a wide assortment of beauty and personal care products that are mindful of our plant, cruelty-free and ingredient-conscious. This biodegradable sunscreen uses safe active ingredients like mineral zinc oxide to provide a barrier of protection against harmful UV rays while maintaining your skin’s moisture. If there’s one way to ruin your time outdoors, it’s when you’re burdened with the buzz of mosquitoes! Summer is short, and we want to get outside as much as possible and enjoy our time! Set up your backyard with Thermacell mosquito repellents! They’re mess-free,