"Eat. Pray. Love" - The numbers are growing

Hello good Book Club people!! We are having a really neat "pre" discussion regarding this book and can't wait until February 20th to gab about it collectively! A couple attendees have signed up a friend to join in with them which makes for a comfortable little gathering. I've started a Book Club mailing list to keep in touch with attendees who are interested in making this a "more-often-than-this-once" experience - if you'd like to be a part of this mailing send your email address to tracey@gingerbreadlane.ca I also welcome book recommendations - any fantastic reads that you've enjoyed? Send 'em my way! See you soon!
Kindly,
Tracey

Crock-A-Doodle Doo!!

Winter driving you crazy? Looking for something fun to do? Join us for the Paint-Your-Own-Pottery for Women on February 7th (6:308:30p). Your order for your selected piece has to be in by January 31 - that's this Thursday! - so it can arrive on time for the class. Cost is only $10+gst for provision of all painting materials and a nice coffee on the side (plus cost of selected piece) Let's get creative and get out of the house - email registry@gingerbreadlane.ca today to hold your spot. Looking forward to seeing you!

Can I Tell You How Great Our Customers Are?

Hey you out there! Yes, you - the Gingerbread Lane customer - we'd like to say "thank you" and "you're the best"!! Many people comment on the 'feel' of Gingerbread Lane - warm, friendly - and we'd like to publicly voice our appreciation for being such a great 'family' to spend time with. We have the nicest customers, the friendliest parents and funniest kids I've ever met (and I've been working with kids and families for 15+ years!) As with any new business, we put in a lot of time, effort and emotion and it's all such a reward when we are received so warmly and with such support and enthusiasm. You all really do make it a pleasure to work each day and we look forward to our continued development - to bring you, and your family as much enjoyment, connection and fun as we can.

Let's Keep The Gingerbread Lane Environment Healthy

This is the season of colds and flus - especially with the warm weather moving into near-frigid weather. We recognize that we can't prevent colds and flus from happening but we can try to keep them from spreading. It has been a concern to us since opening and a topic that we've hesitated to address because we don't wish to disclude anyone from being welcome at Gingerbread Lane or feel like that can't attend whenever they wish to.

I guess, what we are asking is this...if your child is actively ill (ex. mucus from nose, fever, cough, etc) please refrain from coming into play/visit until the illness has passed. We have had customers leave our facility after paying their own admissions because their child was playing alongside another who was visibly ill. Understandably, they were too uncomfortable to question the family directly, and opted to bring their concerns to us instead - we'd like to make sure that everyone, ill or healthy - feels supported by Ginberbread Lane and would ask you to post your comments / feedback below.

We clean our environment, toys, etc and disinfect as much as possible but many of the germs are air-born and can be contagious beyond these efforts. We would like to protect everyone's health and enjoyment and appreciate your consideration for your own benefit. We need your input - please tell us your thoughts - are we fair to ask this? are we imposing judgement? do you, as the customer, appreciate this request?

Book Club "Buddy"

I had an idea! For those who are interested in participating in the Book Clubs - I offer the opportunity to "buddy up" with another participant. This would mean that you purchase one month's book and s/he purchase the next month's book, then you trade once they're read - alleviating the need to purchase every book. I will always post at least 3 months in advance the Book Club selections, to make this buddy-ing successful. What do you think? It's not mandatory and can be arranged amongst participants as you attend. Looking forward to the "Eat. Pray. Love." Club on February 20th - who's joining us? Send your name to tracey@gingerbreadlane.ca

Busy Weekends

We are always happy to have "public play" times on our weekends and have left a number of drop-in guests disappointed when you arrive for a play only to find that we are closed due to birthday parties. We're happy to host so many parties this month and are trying to find the best way to keep the public informed of the closures when, and as, they happen. We send out a weekly "happenings" announcement to our Ginger Mail members (receive Ginger Mail by request - email tracey@gingerbreadlane.ca) and we post around the facility of upcoming closures. We also leave our "OPEN" sign off and note with our hours, that it is best to call in advance of weekend visits to see if we are opened/closed. Is there a better way for us to keep you informed? Our new web site will have the current week posted on the front page so you can drop in to the site any time and see what is going on that week but until the site is up and running - is there a better way? Please post your comments/suggestions below - click "comments" Thank you for any suggestions - all are welcome.

Family Nights

We have just enjoyed our January Family Night this evening - thank you to the families who joined us :) Since our doors opened last July, Family Night has been one of the most talked-of offerings but, truthfully, that interest has not translated into attendance - some nights being busy while others being very quiet. Quite typically, in the days leading up to a Family Night, we receive a high volume of calls inquiring about it but when the night rolls around, only a small fraction are arriving to enjoy the extended service. Are we missing something? Is there something that would make the Family Nights a better plan for families to attend? We are still waiting to get our activity room set up with pillows and comfy seating so we can offer a movie night theme or to get a round of board games going or to have an activity planned. We've left these plans idle for a few reasons: one, we aren't sure if the community interest in Family Night is there, thus not sure we should invest in the materials, two, we are still young and adding items and features to the entire GBL community as our new-company budget allows and lastly, we're not certain that is what you - the families we aim to please - want in a Family Night? I suppose, in truth, the intention of this post is to ask for your input. Do we keep the Family Nights? Have you ever attended or been interested to? If you have attended, would you like more 'purpose' to them? (ex. movie night) If you haven't attended but thought of it, what stopped you from coming in? Any comments or input is most valuable - you can post in the comment link below or email your thoughts to info@gingerbreadlane.ca Thanks all - we look forward to your next visit!

Book Club - February "Eat. Pray. Love." by Elizabeth Gilbert

Alright, I am so eager to discuss "Eat. Pray. Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert at our February Book Club! I finished reading it last night and wanted to immediately re-open to begin reading from the beginning again. I'd love to get the discussion started - tell me what you think of the story as you read it by posting a comment below. What was your favourite leg of her journey - Italy? India? Indonesia? If you've any questions of your own, post them and we can all give it some thought as we look forward to our get-together on February 20th - send your name in to tracey@gingerbreadlane.ca if you'd like to join us :) Kindly, Tracey

Boot Scootin' Baby is coming to GBL

If you have either participated or considered participating in Salsa Babies or Salsa Tots - we've a new option for you! Boot Scootin' Baby is coming to Gingerbread Lane and we couldn't be more excited about it. Check out the description at http://www.bootscootinbaby.com/about.html - and send in your name to registry@gingerbreadlane.ca for information as soon as dates are set! Line dancing - gotta love it!!

"The Gathering" has Gathered

Gingerbread Book Club met to discuss the first book selection "The Gathering" last night - with only two participants for this first Club, it was a nice discussion with the mood and plot of the novel being in general agreement - both of us felt there was something missing... Thank you to Ann Marie for reiterating that it wasn't just me...her reactions to "The Gathering" were quite similar and I quite enjoyed our chat about the book. Will more of you come out for "Eat. Pray. Love" in February? Lots have asked about the Club and I hope some will act upon your interest - we'd love to see you (call 905-271-2900 or email tracey@gingerbreadlane.ca). As a 'start up' Club, everyone is coming out for the first time and we can make the groups whatever we wish. I'm almost finished "Indonesia" in "Eat. Pray. Love" - anyone reach this part yet? What do you think so far???

Tracey

January Book Club Selection "The Gathering"

Greetings!
I believe you are visiting this blog out of interest for the new Gingerbread Book Club - thanks for checking us out! This month's book is "The Gathering" by Anne Enright. I am interested to hear what you are thinking about this book - in terms of content, mood and your own reaction and enjoyment of it. I've had a few conversations with some of you already and believe my own opinion of it is purely personal. For me, January is a time of new-energy, new-direction, new-possibilities and I find I gravitate to books that support this rejuvenation at this time of year. With that said, I found that "The Gathering" was a little too solemn in content for my January mood. With that said, I would really enjoy hearing your opinion so that I can assess whether it's just my own reaction to it or does it evoke similar responses from other readers - what do you think? Tell me directly at the Book Club on January 14 or email tracey@gingerbreadlane.ca or, better yet, just post here!

Next month's book is "Eat. Pray. Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert - let me know what your favourite leg of her journey was - I'm about to read Indonesia but thus far got to reminisce about my own travels-past throughout her stay in Rome. Hopefully, you'll get caught up in the buzz about this book and join us in February too.
Happy escaping to you!
Tracey

We're Blogging!

Ok, I am sitting here in agitated excitement as I "kick off" our blog spot!! I feel like a fool navigating my way through academia - in other words, completely out of my league :) I like a challenge and about 15 minutes ago, the flutter in my stomache turned from nervousness to excitement. Is that what happens when you simply allow yourself to breath through anxiety?

Alas, welcome to Gingerbread Lane Family Community blog - a place for us all to keep connected, discuss thoughts, workshops, daily happenings and commnity input in a forum that is created to make the "community" of GBL even more prominent. I welcome your thoughts, reactions, comments - post a comment!

Welcome to Gingerbread Lane - again!