Eat Well Expo

Today, after celebrating Easter at a fabulously fun playgroup party (but more on that in a future post), I decided to take the kids to the Eat Well Expo (Expo Manger Santé), which runs until this Sunday March 16th. Of course, I had planned the outing in advance, and not wanting to be alone with the kids in a huge hall full of exhibitors and crowds, I invited my friend Mikio to join. Whew, I'm glad I did! Here's Kira with Mikio, being bribed to behave with some ice cream:



Amazingly enough, after a night of little sleep Kira managed to stay up throughout the drive from Brossard to the Palais de Congrès, and chattered away to me for the 30 minutes (!) it took for me to find a parking spot at the lot. Once we arrived and met up with Mikio (which was an ordeal it itself), we found the ticket outlet. Huge line-ups. I started to dread what I had gotten myself into.

The theme of this year's Expo is Children and Family Health. I was impressed to see so many exhibitors (more than 200 booths) with organic and ecological products to view, touch and taste. Had I been there alone, I might have taken more time to visit the booths and to read up on the products or to ask questions. But, with 2 babies in tow, the main goal today was to sample enough wares that I wouldn't have to prepare lunch upon arriving back at home. :) Ooh, lots of samples. Bread, chocolate, soup, jelly beans, sorbets, (dry and fresh) fruit, nuts, and more! Something like an outing to Costco but with narrower aisles and a greater selection. Oh, and skin products to sample on my dry, sensitive skin!

There were some booths geared towards moms, which was so nice to see. Also, it was nice to see that there were a few moms strolling around with their babies in slings or baby carriers. And the people in general were just so nice! It was nothing like grocery shopping during the holiday season (which I detest!), although it was definitely much more crowded. I think that every person who bumped into us or whom we bumped into, apologized kindly or smiled at my kids and understood. Amazing. Calvin needed to be nursed and nobody gave me a disapproving look (which sometimes happens in crowded public places - not that it makes me stop what I'm doing, but I do feel uncomfortable when I know there are looks flashing my way...).

For all of the positive aspects of this event, I probably wouldn't go again unless I were to take only one child (preferably the younger one), or to go alone. It was a bit of a hectic outing, and expensive too, including the hefty $16 for parking and $10 admission (children are free). But I had to try it, and it was fun! Kira had fun all the way until we left the Palais de Congrès. Here she is running through the pink "forest" in the building's main hall.

Okay, I promise to post some family photos and videos very soon!

Comments

Green Momma said…
Its so fun to read about what's going on in your life. Kira is so cute, I miss her:)

It would have been fun to go to the expo together!

Rebecca