Celebrating on the Islands!

Last week we decided to have our son's birthday a little earlier than usual, so within a week we planned and hosted his party.  We found planning it within a short time was very liberating and forced us to be a bit more creative.  This year the kids were old enough to help us paint signs on pieces of driftwood we collected from the beach.  We silk screened a few shirts (that we picked up at the GIRO) with our "outback tour koala logo" and got busy turning a little "reef" in front of McConvey Road on Gabriola into the Australian outback.   You can walk to this beautiful stretch of sand when the tide is low from the Descanso Bay Campground picnic area, or take a kayak or raft in high tide. This is a beautiful place that feels like a deserted island, we've all decided it's one of our favourite spots on Gabriola. (Submitted by Tina Lynch)

Gabriola Recycles

 On Gabriola we are so fortunate to have GIRO, the Gabriola Island Recycling Organization.  As a result the most popular days on the island tend to be Wednesday & Saturday's - when GIRO opens their doors to the public to their "re-store" a place where you can find special treasures of once loved items...

On trip their recently I was on the hunt for a hard case suitcase that I could use as a mobile art case - and with the hint of a friend, I stumbled upon a hardshelled old make up case.  Of course, it had seen better days, but a good washing, and deconstructing the gold lamay interior and a few coats of paint - oh, yeah and a little help from the artist in the family, Tina Lynch, and voila....

I can't wait to sport this - maybe during Gabriola's art week festival at the end of April beginning of May.

See you next time at GIRO...

Teaching Kids the art of giving…

There are so many great life lessons that can be shared with kids over the holiday season, to help them understand the value of giving.

Kids of all ages can sort through their toys and select a few to donate – GIRO is a great place to bring items where they are quickly re-cycled into someone else’s treasure.

Volunteering is a great way for kids to see first-hand how their good deeds can affect others. On the island there are many amazing organizations that are always looking for a helpful hand, and then there is always those special random acts of kindness we can all bestow on our neighbors whether it be helping to stack firewood, running errands, or bringing a plate of freshly baked cookies over.

It’s a great time to clean out the pantry and have the kids help to box up those goods we’ve collected throughout the year and bring them to the Emergency Food Depot, who is very grateful for these donations.

There’s also an allowance, where kids can raise money to give, and it’s always a nice treat to have some extra hands to help with the day to day household chores. Letting them pick the organization they wish to donate makes them very proud of this special gift they choose to give…