Winter Awareness

Holly – Winter Awareness

Hello Holly Community!

Wow, we were certainly hit hard on Sunday through to Monday with all that snow!  I don’t know about you but it is all a bit depressing in February.  I know it is still winter but I always expect and hope for Spring to arrive sooner than later.  Wiarton Willie after all did not see his shadow on February 2^nd, so I am depending on that albino ground hog to be right! 

In the meantime, let’s not forget to be triple careful when we drive our streets.  Some of our snow banks are reaching heights upwards to 6 feet which means we can’t see cars when we are walking or people when we are driving.   We start to get used to driving in these conditions and become complacent of our surroundings.  Particularly around our schools…kids aren’t always looking so let’s try our best to look out for them.  The temptation to play in the snow banks by the road is very high and I am the ‘Debbie Downer’ Mom that doesn’t allow this.  It just takes one slip to fall down a bank and into the road.  The schools in our area have students that are primarily walking to school and the peak times to see kids either going to school are between 8-9am & 2:30-3:30pm. 

Kudos to the city for the great maintenance of your streets and sidewalks this year.  Despite the pile of snow often found at the base of our driveway in the early morn (I know you all can relate) it is really great that our city makes sure our streets are made as safe as possible.  It just seems to me that things are done before we even have time to really think about it.  I have not had to trudge through snow to collect my mail from the community mail box and I am grateful for that.  I also know that our fire hydrants will have snow cleared from them in the near future which is another attention to detail to help keep our community safe.  Not to mention, it is nice see where our tax dollars are going!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful February so far…roll on Spring!!

Yours truly,

Natalie 

Zonas

Hello Holly Community,

My daughter, in the morning rush today advised me that her indoor shoes for school are ripped and squish her feet.  At that point my son chimed in to say the same.  Then I remembered that yes, I was advised to get their feet sized again in December 2016…oops Mom fail!  Shoes are not ever an expense I look forward to but I like to get it right for their developing feet. 

Countless times I have entered our big box stores to get a deal on shoes that really don’t last before their feet grow out of them.  Likewise, those same stores I may have spent a little more on a more reputable brand so they last longer, but I always leave feeling stressed from lack of decision making and sorting through boxes to find correct sizing.  Sometimes there are tears from not having their size in the flashing ones but refusing to try another.  Particularly not a joy in the winter as we get hot and bothered from all our winter wear.  THEN I found heaven on earth called Zonas!  Zona’s is our Holly Community’s local children’s shoe store independently owned and operated.  If you haven’t gone…GO!  If you don’t have children…recommend someone who does!

After picking my kids up from school today we were off to Zona’s!  Lucky for us we were the only ones in the store…out came Jenn my angel without wings!  This was the second visit for us and she remembered us which was a nice personal touch.  Some people just have a way with kids and Jenn knows exactly what to do to make shoe shopping a pleasant experience.  Somehow Jenn offers choices to the kids and they listen!  Zona’s measure their feet and keep a record on file to keep track of growth and when to expect growth spurts based on their birth dates and growing patterns.  So helpful and so stress free!  Yes, you will pay almost double in some cases but the service is amazing.  Jenn advised us when to come in again and the best time to buy seasonally so that we don’t miss out on preferred styles.  You can’t beat that.

The point of this article is to encourage our community to shop local.  You can really find some great service that otherwise would be missed by going to the larger establishments.  There is also a sense of community gained when you get to see a familiar face each time you go into a locally owned shop.  Not to mention…close and easy to get to!  

Until next time…thanks for reading!

Natalie Bradbury

Zonas

The Children’s Shoe Shoppe

Unit A20 – 555 Essa Road

705-730-1960

Our First Video - A New Member.

Thank you to Natalie, for jumping on board and being a great new addition to our Holly Community.  Natalie took our blog to a new level; VIDEO!  Listen here, what she has to say about going for a walk in our community.

We won't hold it against her that she said my last name wrong, because she did such a great job.

Get out there, just like Natalie does!  Remember if you are out in the community and have something to say or share, tag us on FaceBook and we will connect with you!

Through The Eyes Of A 14 Year Old

We have decided to feature residents and students that live and work in our community.  Here is our first feature article.  A 14 year old student that has lived her entire life in the Holly Community.  

"Holly Community Through My Eyes"

The Holly area is a wonderful place to live. There are many great services within walking distance like grocery stores, fast food places, sit down restaurants, workout gyms, and some churches, to name a few. The people in this area are very kind and helpful, as all you have to do is ask if you need anything at all.

There are two public elementary schools in the Holly area, two Catholic elementary schools, one public high school, as well as one Catholic high school close by. The schools are all filled with wonderful people and carry great education programs as well as sports programs. There are also a few great preschools around the area.

There is also a recreational centre within walking distance that has two pools, a large gymnasium, two hockey arenas, summer camps, dance classes, daycare, a workout gym, and a park very close by. There are also many schools in the area with great programs, caring staff, and great facilities.

The area is a wonderful place to live and I would defiantly recommend owning a home in the Holly area as it is a very convenient area for all kinds of people, a variety of ages.

M. MacLeod

Stacked Pancake & Breakfast House

Stacked Pancake & Breakfast House: A Hidden Gem

Are you looking for a great spot to eat?  Are you tired of cooking, or maybe tired of hitting up the same restaurant over and over?  Perhaps you’re looking for a delicious meal made fresh, rather than some of the convenience meals offered by many franchises.  Look no further than Stacked Pancake & Breakfast House, located right here in our neighbourhood, at the corner of Essa Rd. and Veterans, a local diner that is truly a hidden gem!

I had the pleasure of stopping into Stacked with my daughter one morning, not too long ago. After having driven by so many times, intrigued by the new look of what was formerly the Country Kettle, I figured I ought to check this place out. The building has a new look, including an updated patio, which would be perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast in the warmer months.  Speaking of breakfast, the banner on the front of the restaurant reads $4.99 weekday Breakfast!  It was only 11:15am, and the parking lot was packed.  I figured this was a good sign and ventured in.

Upon entering the quaint spot, I immediately noticed that the entire interior had been updated, that the tables were full, and that it smelt delicious!  We were greeted right away by a friendly server who pointed us towards the last available table, close to the kitchen. As we sat down, one of the women brought over pancake colouring pages and crayons for my daughter and her friend and right away our drink order was taken, and the delicious, hot coffee was not far behind!

The Children’s menu had just enough variety for the two little ones to choose amongst breakfast or lunch items, with things like eggs with bacon and chicken fingers with fries.  Being the smart girls that they are, they quickly decided on blueberry pancakes with whipped cream!  I took a little more time perusing the full menu, as the options were endless! One side was dedicated to breakfast items like your traditional egg and bacon breakfast with delicious looking home fries and homemade jam for toast.  Waffles, pancakes, French toast, omelettes, everything you could ask for was there!  The other side of the menu featured lunch items, which was exactly what I was after.  Burgers, wraps, salads, and homemade soups, they all sounded scrumptious.  I decided on the Classic Reuben with a side of Today’s soup, Cream of Vegetable. The server sold me on the soup when she said their homemade soups are delicious and very popular!

It wasn’t long before my soup arrived, and was it ever good- I was not led astray! I probably could have made that my entire meal, but I was feeling pretty hungry.  The girls’ were very excited to see their lunches arrive next; two large pancakes on each plate, topped with blueberry jam and whipped cream. We loaded them up with syrup, and they went to work on them, not stopping until they’d eaten up every last bite!  As soon as I’d finished my soup, my Reuben sandwich was brought over and it looked amazing!  I swore I wouldn’t finish it all, but I did!  I’ve ordered a lot of Reuben’s in my life, and this one was definitely one of the best.  The bread was nicely grilled, the cheese and meat were amazing, and the mustard and sauerkraut were perfectly tangy. I loved it!

Throughout our meal, the service was impeccable.  Very quick, very helpful, and my coffee was replenished without me asking.  As soon as we had finished, our server cleared the plates and brought over the bill.  As a former server and restaurant manager, I appreciated the quick and friendly service, and the attention that we were given. The prices were excellent value for what we had and for the quality of the meal. If you can get there for the $5 breakfast, you’re laughing! 

I will absolutely be back many times with the rest of my family, and will recommend this great spot to anyone I can!  I looked Stacked up online, and the Trip Advisor reviews are really positive as well, an overall score of 4.5 *, so I know I’m not alone. 

If you haven’t already, check out Stacked Pancake & Breakfast House, you won’t be disappointed!

Written by B. Lavigne

*Photos courtesy of tripadvisor.ca and Stacked Facebook page