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Its The Maples!

Adventures of a 🇨🇦 Expat Family in Portugal 🇵🇹

Hearts In Portugal

I have been traveling quite a bit lately. As of this post, you will find me and my family in Portugal. We arrived here this past month and have been thrown in and immersed in Portuguese culture since our arrival – it’s been fantastic!

Contents hide
1 Game Nights
2 Before Leaving Canada
3 Hearts: The Rules
4 Detailed Explanations
5 Final Thoughts

We have just left Lisbon and are now in Sintra.

So far, Portugal has been lovely. The food is incredibly delicious (we have had a ton of seafood) and all the people we’ve met have been very friendly.

That said, living a nomadic lifestyle, getting used to a new culture, and trying to speak a foreign language can get exhausting, and sometimes you just need a little break.

My break of choice has been, after I’ve put the kids to bed, playing Hearts online (with a glass of white wine) while listening to the rain hit our roof during the start of the Portugal winter.

Game Nights

Growing up, I played various card games like Hearts and even had many rousing tournaments with friends and family into adulthood. Even after having kids, card games like Crazy Eights and of course Hearts were always part of our game nights.

Before Leaving Canada

And for a few months before leaving Canada, I started playing a few online games to decompress from work. I have a lot of Zoom meetings during the days and lots of detailed work, so at night I often needed some quiet time to just relax.

I first started playing Solitaire online because it is a solo game and it’s what I found first.

After a little while of playing Solitaire, I naturally started to gravitate towards those other games online, too. In fact, the site where I play, Solitaire.org has a number of games that I liked to play.

As I mentioned, I especially like playing Hearts and was thrilled to play it here. Hearts is a fun one but because you need 4 people to play, oftentimes my kids don’t always feel like sitting down with their mom and playing a game of hearts, I was missing it and jumped on the chance to play Hearts online!

Hearts: The Rules

So if you’ve never played Hearts, Hearts is played with 4 people and is a super fun game. It won’t be long before you get addicted 🙂  

Hearts can be a little challenging to play because it’s one of those games where you actually need 4 people to play. And you need 4 people who understand the rules and the flow of the game because you play a sequential series of rounds.

But Hearts is an interesting game because you can, depending on your hand, either play to have a low score or to play to run the table and “take control” by getting ALL of the points in that round/trick.

For example, by the third round, I was the only one out of the 4 players who still had a score of 0 (see below – I’m the player on the bottom) which is what I was going for – I did not want to collect any of the hearts!

I really love the strategy involved because of Hearts and it being a multi-round game.

So you have 3 constraints:

  • Time
  • 3 Players
  • Knowledge

So I started playing Hearts on Solitaire.org which has a Hearts game. I don’t remember how I found the site other than I started with the Solitaire game, but it’s perfect when you have some alone time and want to play a few rounds of Hearts.

Detailed Explanations

What’s really nice about the Solitaire.org site is that it has a very detailed explanation of each of the games, so regardless of if you’ve ever played or not, you can learn quickly. It also explains the history of the games for anyone who wants to know more about it.

Final Thoughts

In this particular game above, I came out the winner with the lowest score, and was a very happy camper! There is something so satisfying about not having to pick up the 4 cards being dealt per trick and avoiding the Queen of Spades!

If you are looking to decompress, take a moment out for yourself and enjoy card games, definitely look around at the various games offered on this site.

As I said, I am very partial to Hearts but with so many other games offered, I am sure there is something for everyone. For me, I am already eyeing Mahjong and will be playing that next!

Anyhow, back to the family for me. A Portuguese seafood soup is calling my name, Arroz de Marisco with Cilantro.

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I lied. I said I would be posting more pictures so I lied. I said I would be posting more pictures soon after my last post and now it's literally been another month and a half! 🤦🏻‍♀️
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I still really underestimate the time it continues to take us to get settled in a new country and all the stuff we need to do (yup, we are still in our car 🚗 dilemma but hoping to get it resolved tomorrow - after today's holiday!) 
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As I mentioned in my last post, which contained the only family picture we took from our first beach day ☀️🌊🇵🇹 in Portugal in November 2021, it has taken me almost 5 months to recover from all the "newness" to start posting on a regular basis. 
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So here you go, some more of our "other" pictures from this beautiful day that found us discovering this gorgeous beach but also getting stranded there at nightfall. ✨🌘
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Thank goodness, the owner of the beach restaurant drove us home after taking pity on us, but that's a story for the blog and another day! 😅😅😅
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Thanks to you all for following our adventures (mainly on FB right now) and if you feel inclined, I'd love to know what "oops" type situations you've found yourselves in when travelling! ✈️🧳
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#portugal #portugaltravelers #portugaltravels #portugal🇵🇹 #familytravelblog #portugalguide #familytravelbloggers #portugaltravel #familytravel #familytraveltips #movingtoportugal #learnportuguesewords #travelingfamily #portugal_lovers #familytravelblogger #portugal #portugaltravelling #portugalfoodandtravel #portugaltravelpt #travelfamily #travelfamilyblog #familytravelling #learnportuguese #movingtoportugalsoon #learnportugueseportugal
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Sent via @planIoly #planoly
Hello from Portugal!! 🇵🇹
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If you've been following "It's The Maples" you know that we are a Canadian family who up until recently lived in our beloved Nova Scotia after making a spontaneous move from downtown Toronto almost 13 years ago!
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Well, new news...Back in late September/early October of 2022 we made another BIG decision to move our family to Portugal.
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Since my husband and I have worked full-time from home since University, with our online marketing and content creation company, the move was easy enough to make - at least from a work standpoint because all we need are our phones, laptops and internet connection- but more on the many other unforeseeable hiccups we encounter later!
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That said, the minute I stepped off the plane I, of course, thought that I would start sharing our experiences right away...but with the excitement, the ups and downs and the complete culture shock, it has taken me over 4 months to even begin to write my first post here on Instagram and my blog post. 
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So today, writing from a different lens, one that isn't quite as emotional and now has some distance between when we first arrived, I am thrilled to share our journey and this sweet and beautiful life we have built here over the last few months.  So stay tuned as I share more pics! 
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Sent via @planoly #planoly #portugal #portugal #portugaltravel #portugalguide #portugal_lovers #portugal🇵🇹 #portugal #portugaltravelers #portugaltravels #portugaltravelpt #portugalfoodandtravel #portugaltravelling #movingtoportugal #movingtoportugalsoon #familytravel #travelfamily #travelingfamily #familytravelblog #familytravelblogger #travelfamilyblog #familytraveltips #familytravelbloggers #familytravelling #learnportugueseportugal #learnportuguese #futebol #thebeautifulgame #canadianstravel #canadianfamilytravels
These boys make my heart sparkle like champagne! 💗 Happy National Sons Day! 
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#nationalsonsday #nationalsonsday💙 #happynationalsonsday #happynationalsonsday💙 #boymama #boymamalife #lovemyboys #lovemyboys💙 #myheart #myboysmyworld #sonsandmothers #grateful #blessed #blessedandhighlyfavored #myloves
Monstera friends, is this a new baby leaf? . . #m Monstera friends, is this a new baby leaf? 
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#monsteracare #monsteracareguide #monsteralovers #monsteralove #monsteraleaf #monsteraplant #monsteradeliciosa #monsteramonday #monsteraplants #monsteraplantsofinstagram #monsterainstagram #indoorplants #indoorplantsdecor #indoorplantsofinstagram #plantmama #plantmamas #monsterapropagation #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantsmakemehappy🍃 #plantenergy #plantlover
Monstera love 💗 . . Share your Monstera pics wi Monstera love 💗
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Share your Monstera pics with me pleeeeaaase! 😊🪴🪴🪴!
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#monsteradeliciosa #monsteralove #monstera #monsteramonday #plantmama #plantmom #plantlove #plantloversofinstagram #swisscheeseplant #swisscheesemonsteraplant🌱 #plantsofinstagram #plantlover #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantsmakemehappy #plantsmakemesmile
Peach picking. . . #summer #fruitpicking #peaches Peach picking.
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#summer #fruitpicking #peaches #peaches🍑 #summerdays #novascotiasummersaremagic #novascotiasummers #peachtrees #peachfestival #farmsofns #dempseyscornerorchard #peachpicking
My 12 year old wrote this on the kitchen board las My 12 year old wrote this on the kitchen board last night. I just found it this morning since I wasn’t feeling well yesterday and went straight to bed. He’s such a light in my life.
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#hopeandfaith #hopeandfaithandlove #blessedandgrateful #blessedbeyondmeasure #howdidigetsolucky❤️ #ourkidsteachus #ourkidsteachusaboutlife #ourkidsteachussomuch #ourkidsteachusmanylessons #joy #thursdaythoughts #thursdaymorning
Browsing through my memories and this pic came up. Browsing through my memories and this pic came up. 
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It doesn’t seem so long ago, but this beautiful boy will be a teenager in just a few short months. How quickly the time goes.
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Lately, I find myself staring at his face, realizing how much he’s changed. It’s so bittersweet because no matter how amazing it is to watch him grow, I also miss him being little enough that I could scoop him up in my arms, as I still do with his little brother.
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#lovethiskid #timegoesbysoquickly #watchhimgrowingup #boymama #throwbackpic #mybabyboy💙 #couldnotloveanythingmore #solongagobutfeelslikeyesterday #theygrowuosofast #feelinghappyandsadatthesametime #blessedandgrateful #blessedbeyondmeasure #myboy❤️ #myboy #mamabear #specialtimes #pumpkinpants
Choose to be kind. . . #kindnessmatters #kindnessc Choose to be kind.
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#kindnessmatters #kindnesscounts #kindnessiscontagious #bekindtoeverykind #kindnesscounts #itsimportanttobekind #lovingkindness #compassion #compassionandkindness #compassionandlove #bekindalways #bekindtooneanother #quotestoliveby #dalailama #dalailamaquotes #dalailamaquote #wordstoliveby #wordstolivebyalways
Love this photo of J! . . #footy #adidas #adidasc Love this photo of J! 
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#footy #adidas #adidascanada #soccerkids #soccertraining #soccerislife #soccerplayer⚽️ #onthepitch💚💚💚 #shootingdrills⚽️ #lovethiskid #myboy #boymomlife #soccermom #soccermoms #soccermoms⚽️ #soccermoments #sportpictures
Low key Easter with my 3 beautiful boys! . . Have Low key Easter with my 3 beautiful boys!
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Have to say, I’m loving the Amish Butterprint Pyrex on the table.  It’s a happy day when we use it!  How was your Easter weekend? 
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#easter2021 #easterweekend #easterwithkids #amishbutterprint #amishbutterprintpyrex #amishbutterprintpattern #amishbutterprintmixingbowls #amishbutterprints #vintagepyrex #vintagepyrexlove #vintagepyrexlovers #vintagepyrexcollection #vintagepyrexcollector #vintagepyrexbowls #pyrexcinderellabowls #pyrexcinderella #pyrexcinderellas #easterdinner #easterdinnertable #easterdinnertabledecor #easterdinner2021
Happy Easter! 🐣 . . This is my favourite Easte Happy Easter! 🐣 
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This is my favourite Easter centrepiece.  Used many, many Peeps and pink tulips.  Love the way it turned out!
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#happyeaster #happyeaster🐰 #happyeaster🐰 #peeps #peepsmarshmallows #peepscenterpiece #peepscenterpieces #eastertable #easterdecor #easterdecoration #easterdecorating #peepsmarshmallowbunnies #peepsmarshmello #peepsmarshmallowbunny #easterweekend #easterpictures #eastermood
Our orchid is in full bloom! 🌸🌸🌸 . . #suc Our orchid is in full bloom! 🌸🌸🌸
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#suchabeauty #orchid #orchidsofinstagram #orchids #orchidlover #orchidflower #bloomingorchid #bloomingorchids #orchidbloom #orchidblooms #orchidbloomsofinstagram #newtoorchids #flowers🌸 #flowersofinstagram #flowerdays #takingcareoforchids #orchidcare #orchid101 #orchidmom #orchidmoments #orchidmomma #orchidshare #orchidlove #orchidlovers
This past year during lockdown, we started using t This past year during lockdown, we started using the meal kit service, Chef’s Plate.
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We love to cook in our house but despite our love to cook, getting the meal kit was more of an “event”. Sort of like eating at a restaurant; eating something you wouldn’t normally cook but with all the convenience of eating at home. 
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Check out the blog, because on it I wrote an article on the “ Top 10 Reasons We Use Chef’s Plate” and it’s been a lot of fun, especially for the kids!
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So if you’re looking to break the monotony of weeknight dinners, let me know.  I’ve got $40 off coupons to share and occasionally a FREE box, too!
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Read the blog post and watch the video when the kids get involved and cook the Bavarian Pork Chop meal - such a great experience for the little ones and so delicious!
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#chefsplate #chefsplatemeals #chefsplaterecipe #chefsplaterecipes #chefsplatemenu #mealkitservice #mealkitservicecanada #mealkits #mealkitdeliveryservice #mealkitdeliveryservices #mealkitdeliveryservicediscountcode #mealkitdeliveryservicevouchercodes
My Majesty Palm. 💗💗💗 . . I’m all about My Majesty Palm. 💗💗💗
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I’m all about my plants recently, so you’ll have to excuse the obsession!
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I can’t stop taking pictures!  It must be spring in the air! 🪴🌱🪴🌱
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#majestypalm #majestypalmsofinstagram #beautifulpalms #houseplantsofinstagram #houseplantsofinsta #majestypalmplant #majestypalmtree #indoormajestypalm #tropicalplantsofinstagram #tropicalplants #iloveplants #kidsandplants #plantsofinstagram #indoorplantsdecor
I’ve become the mother of houseplants. I just l I’ve become the mother of houseplants.  I just love my plant babies so much!  What are your favourites? 
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#houseplants #housepanthersofinstagram #motherofhouseplants #houseplantbabies #plantbabies🌱 #plantbabies #bostonferns #bostonfernlover #inamemyplants #inamemyplantsokay #thisisgeorgia #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantsmakemesmile #plantsmakemesmile🌿
Boys went tobogganing today! . . #outdoorfun #out Boys went tobogganing today! 
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#outdoorfun #outdooradventures  #winterfun #wintersports #getoutsideandplay #getoutsidemore #getoutsidemoreoften #toboganning #toboganningfun #toboganningtime #sledding #sleddingfun #letssled #canadianwinters #canadianwinter #canadianwinters🇨🇦 #winterinnovascotia #winterinnovascotia2021 #wintersunshine☀️
As he was getting dressed to play outside, Henry w As he was getting dressed to play outside, Henry was struggling to put on a glove and he said to me, “Mommy, I don’t think I have enough fingers for this.” 😂
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#snowdays #playinthesnow #thisis5 #5yearolds #lovethisboy💙 #lovethisboysomuch #outdoortime #novascotialife #christmassnow #whitechristmas❄️ #mybabyboyforever #thingskidssay #funnythingskidssay #funnykidstuff #kidssaythefunniestthings #kidssaythefunnieststuff #lovewhathesays #lovewhathesaid
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