To live like you're traveling everyday takes determination, planning and lots of inspiration. Having two kids, I know, requires double the planning and double the inspiration since you're thinking how to take the whole family on a 'tour'. Luckily kids happen to be naturals at this whole adventure thing and ANYTHING you do as a family is hysterically exciting even a supermarket run! Bless their little hearts. I however, am not so easily amused and so I'm always on the lookout for travel loving parents that instil a sense of wonder in their kids and live like they're traveling as a family! One such role model is Amanda Blakely of Petits Genoux. Amanda together with her handsome boys recently took us on a virtual weekend getaway to her town Toronto, Canada.

Meet your Toronto Neighbor, Amanda!

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As a seasoned traveler, my wanderlust runs deep (from backpacking to business travel, I have circled the globe numerous times). Now as a mother of two, I am passionate about cultivating and passing along this love of travel to my children by placing an importance on collecting experiences, not things. Our first son, Atticus, was conceived in Australia and when my husband and I found out we were expecting, we hatched a master plan to spend a paternity leave traveling Central and South America with our new babe. It was an unbelievable experience to have as new parents.

We had the opportunity to expose Atticus to new cultures, cuisines and customs, while we got to practice this whole parenting thing together as a team (in some foreign lands no less). Fast forward almost four years and we've added another little boy to our growing clan and have been on many more adventures together. Some of our most treasured memories have been made while on the road as a family. BUT, for obvious reasons a nomadic lifestyle is not realistic for most families. So we're excited to share with you some of our favourite ways to live like we're traveling { as a family } in our own city.

Traveling does not mean you must stray far from home or spend a ton of cash. To me, living like I'm traveling is about celebrating each day (wherever I might be - home or abroad) and approaching it with an adventurous heart and an open mind.

To our family, it means trying out a different park on the weekend, visiting a new coffee shop or a pop-up market. Allow yourself to be awed, surprised or humbled by what you uncover. It only takes a shift in perspective to walk the same road we have already walked a thousand times to really look up and notice the beauty that lies before us. Like most families, we spend a ton of time at our local parks, but sometimes you just need to break out of the routine and do something else equally kid-friendly. Toronto has the friendliest firefighters who always welcome little visitors to the station if they aren't out on a rescue. Here we are on one of our recent visits with @babybrainorganics.

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1 - Get out of the city. - A Toronto tradition every Fall is to visit a local farm.

Not only is it the perfect opportunity to take in the colourful vistas of autumn (red, yellow and burnt umber leaves as far as the eye can see) but Ontario has an abundance of agriculture and with the harvest comes a bounty of delicious fruit and vegetables. We picked up a pumpkin and a bunch of apples to bake a galette on our recent visit to Whittamores farm.

2 - Explore the many neighborhoods of Toronto

We like to visit all the ethnic Burroughs for authentic treats (from little India to little Italy). But this little storefront belongs to Mean Bao Queen West outpost and is the home of our favorite Pulled Pork Bao.

3 - Attending a book reading and supporting a local or visiting author is a great way to feel like a tourist in your own town.

Check Now Toronto for listings of readings (or other such events) from week to week. Here we are at my friend Lindsay Mattick's launch of #FindingWinnie last weekend. On Instagram: @LindsayMattick and Photo by @textstyles

4 - Jump on the bandwagon and become a sports fan.

For the first time in over 20 years our hometown baseball team Blue Jays are making us proud. Visit a pub or try and get your hands on a ticket to witness history in the making as the Jays attempt (again) to win the World Series.

5 - Visit a new coffee shop and watch the world go by...

(for the 5 glorious minutes it takes your kid to eat his bribe muffin) while you feel like you're a backpacker again.

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Thanks Amanda and family for letting us hang out (virtually) for the weekend! And a special thank you to the handsome guys Archer and Atticus!!

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