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McDonald's Impresses with the Spring #McDOpenDoorTour By: Amy ***I received compensation from McDonald’s in exchange for writing this review. Although this is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.  Growing up as a kid, we were no strangers to McDonald’s. My grandfather would take me there as a little kid and we would enjoy a little breakfast or lunch together. As I grew older and became more active in competitive swimming, McDonald’s became one of those staples that was a reward to enjoy after a swim meet and prior to going to a water park during the long ride home! McDonald’s is on a journey that involves listening more and assuming less. They’re asking questions and getting answers. Today, they’re working harder than ever to evolve with their customers and the changing world. For more than 55 years, McDonald’s has evolved its menu to meet the changing needs of its valued customers. McDonald’s is committed to giving you more delicious choices to feel good about now and in the months and years to come, with the overarching goal of making sure the food you and your family love is something you can feel good about. So when I was recently invited to take part in the #McDOpenDoorTour at their Hyannis location, I was thrilled to be able to take a behind the scenes tour and learn more about how this company is continuing to make strives towards healthy options while still keeping it affordable and while giving back to the community. GIVING BACK I was unaware how much the local McDonald’s franchises do for our community locally as well as in terms of education opportunities. The more I learned during the Open Door Tour, the more impressed I was with just how involved they truly are. EDUCATION Locally, the McBee family owns the 12 local locations on Cape Cod and the surrounding areas. The McBee family is an engaged employer and they strive to help their employee’s seek education as well as career opportunities. Through their Archways to Opportunity program, they are able to offer education benefits to their employees who seek to do so with no cost as long as they work between 8-10 hours a week. One of the programs they offer is an online high school diploma. Employees are able to transfer prior credits and have advisors who work with them to meet their goals. This gives the employees confidence as well as helps them make gains in house at their store. As we all know education is key to success in this world and the more the employees are able to fulfill their educational dreams while employing direct practice on site, the more they are able to succeed in the world and truly achieve their dreams. They offer English as a second language opportunities at no cost and currently have 30 employees enrolled in the program. They also offer a college tuition reimbursement program on a yearly basis. Employees are eligible for up to $700 in reimbursement and managers are eligible for up to $1050 a year. The McBee family has given disbursed over $23,000 in education monies. I personally find it quite incredible as well as find pride in the fact that the locally owned McBee franchises have invested in local employee education opportunities. This only helps to improve our community and help foster employee loyalty! CHARITY Many of you may know that McDonald’s runs the very popular and necessary Ronald McDonald Charities. They have two houses near the local major cities: Brookline & Providence as well as family rooms at several hospitals including UMass, Mass General and Providence. McDonald’s truly believe in helping families during their time of need and taking care of their mental and emotional health as they go through some of the toughest times in their lives as a family. They have two apartments they have a treatment room as well as colorful and relaxing room where they can forget about the treatments they are receiving. They offer passes to local attractions including museums, tours and more. These programs are funded through a portion of Happy Meals that are purchased as well as customer donations. McDonald’s, especially the McBee family, as well as their suppliers help provide the volunteers for many of the programs and volunteer work. They also have three mobile care units Over the course of 16 years, they have served over 74,000 children in the area of Worcester alone. The other mobile units serve the Rhode Island and New Hampshire areas. The mobile units focus primarily on families and children who do not have access to care especially dental health including emergency dental work, restorative care, etc. Locally they offer the families who are seeking medical treatment in our local cities something called “Dream Day”. This is where the families are given a chance to take a relaxing vacation to one of our favorite places in the world, CAPE COD! Those of us who live here year round know how blest we are to live in a such a beautifully unique place. Dream Day allows families a respite from cancer and other treatments. It allows them to have a chance at living normally and taking a break from the stress and tension that they are going through while visiting our own little piece of heaven! Overall I have to commend the efforts McDonald’s and especially the McBee family makes in helping to give back to the community. I personally believe that these are the most important things that they do and those which make the most difference.  BEHIND THE COUNTER TOUR After learning all about the education opportunities and charitable work, we were given a chance to check out what takes place behind the scenes at McDonald’s. First we checked out the coffee and smoothie area. McDonald’s partners with S&D coffee, using 100% Arabica beans, as their supplier in order to provide the latest in technology and flavors for their customers. Using a smart machine, they offer a variety of 10 flavors for both regular and ice coffee at a given time including some seasonal that the customer can mix and match to create their own blend. Customers also have this option with the teas! They have no added sweeteners and there are 0 calories from the added flavor. I found it very interesting that both McDonald’s and S&D Coffee partner together using sustainability teams to analyze both the economic and environmental sustainability in the areas where they obtain the coffee from. They also partner together to ensure that 99% of the water used to grow the beans is returned to the villages pure to use again. The smoothies are made from real fruit and yogurt. Customers also have the option to have a smoothie without any yogurt added. Using a smart machine, the smoothies are blended with different types of ice shavings as well as different timing to create the perfect blend each time.  Next we moved on to the famous Filet-O-Fish sandwiches which are provided by supplier, Gorton’s Products. The fish enjoyed by customers is Alaska Pollock, a sustainable fish, and is harvested in the United States. The fish after being caught is frozen within 24 hours and are cut into squares prior to delivery to ensure they are using as much of the fish for efficiency and no waste. They use a dedicated fryer just for the fish (actually everything made behind the scenes has its own dedicated fryer), cutting down on cross contamination.  Martin Brower is McDonald’s supplier for all the rest of the restaurant product needs including the dry and cooler items for all the New England and New York regions. They service approximately 20,000 restaurants in these regions twice a week and up to three times a week during summer months when sales increase. McDonald’s and Martin Brower partner together to ensure control over the product systems and use automated ordering which the local manager can control. All the trucks have three separate zone sections which are maintained at the same temperatures as the coolers to ensure safe product delivery. McDonald’s finds most of the leafy greens for salads right here in the U.S., but some come from Mexico. They use three kinds of lettuce in their Premium Salads: Romaine and Iceberg for crunch, and Spring Mix for flavor. The tomatoes originate in Florida, the Carolinas, California and Mexico depending on the season. They also donate over 600,000 bags of produce to charity each year. McDonald’s burgers are made with 100% beef that is ground, formed into patties and then flash frozen with no additives or preservatives; just seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper when cooked.  One of the last sections we checked out was the famous perfectly round egg breakfast sandwich. Thanks to the tour they let us in on the secret to creating a perfectly round egg! McDonald’s cracks fresh USDA Grade A eggs into an ‘egg ring’ which form the iconic round shape for the Egg McMuffin, which a few of us got a chance to try! These really are REAL EGGS despite what anyone else may tell you, I know I saw it with my own two eyes!  Overall I was quite impressed with the quality and efficiency of the McDonald's business. In recent years there has been a huge push towards healthy and sustainable options for meals. After touring McDonald's behind the scenes and learning more about the company and their efforts towards healthy options and sustainability, I feel very comfortable allowing my child and family to eat here. Not only has McDonald's made tremendous strives towards healthy options, but they also give back to the community. Thank you to McDonald's for allowing us an opportunity to learn more about the business and to see how much thought goes into the business behind the scenes as they continue to improve for their customer base!
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 A Tale of Two Beast written and illustrated by Fiona Roberton is a wonderful story of seeing an event from two sides. The first story is told from the little girl’s perspective and is titled The Strange Beast. Her story begins as she is walking through the deep dark wood from grandmas house she spies a small beast hang upside down from a tree and it seems to be upset. So the little girls rescues him by taking him home and cares for him HOW she thinks is best for the little beast. The beast’s side of the story is titled The Terrible Beast. This story starts with the beast hang from his favorite tree quietly happily singing when out of nowhere he is captured, taken away from his home and made to do things he didn’t like. In the end the girl and beast learn how to understand each other and that neither one is terrible or strange and in seeing this how to have fun together. The Kane Miller website has some great activities to go along with the book. On Saturday the kids and I went to see Animal Adventures at the Snow Library in Orleans. The Animal Adventures employees brought 10 animals and for each animal the presentation followed the same format; give the animals name, facts about the animals while they let the kids see/touch the animal and then take questions. Today they brought a ferret, armadillo, Blue Tongued Skink, Jungle Carpet Python, Chinchilla, Alligator Snapping Turtle, American Alligator, Kangaroo, and Coati.The program was well organized and the kids were engaged and found in very exciting and interesting. I would highly recommend it if a local organization has Animal Adventure to go or to check out the Family Zoo and Rescue Center in Bolton, MA.
Molly Hubner
Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com What to do with your family this Summer while in the Upper Cape area By: Britt Wondering what to do with your family this Summer while in the Upper Cape area? How about the Sandwich Marina entrance of the Cape Cod canal! You can bike!  You can walk! The path is paved and has mile markers. There will be many athletes running and biking. There will also be casual strollers, dogs, and small children riding scooters.  You can pack a cooler and ride for miles until you feel like stopping to fish!  You can check out the Sandwich marina boats with your kids!
There is always cool birds hanging out a the Canal. Sometimes large tug boats come down the canal and you get to watch your two year olds brain explode and slide out of his head.  There is a playground, picnic tables, and bathrooms at the start of the bike path. Going to the playground and then having a picnic lunch after with your family is the best. There is room for the kids to run, play, and see interesting parts of their community. Which is exactly what kids need.
See the construction in the background in the picture of the playground? That's because they are building a new restaurant that will overlook the marina. You will actually be able to look across the water and see men unloaded the fish they serve. There are two other restaurants right in the marina circle. There is also the coast guard museum. Which is FREE! Has a big boat in it that kids can climb on. Cool history/ nautical facts and coast guard information for adults. Little fishing games and boat fun for the kids. Check the activities calendar for kid events going on at the canal. Explorer's clubs and story time are weekly activities all Summer long!! Come on! Bring your friends!   Britt is a Beach bum, Mom, Wife, Sister, Friend, Coach, Wanna be Photographer, Special needs advocate, Library enthusiast, Yogi, Mom blogger. Britt lives in a barn on Cape Cod with her husband, two toddlers, and stinky black lab. You can read more of her adventures at You're Somebody's MOTHER. Or if you have a short attention span, follow her on Instagram @somebodys_mother
 So my three and half year old son has been very interested in pirates for a couple months now. Whenever we go to the library he finds all the nonfiction pirate books he can plus at home we have 1001 Pirate Things to Spot, Pirate Stories for Little Children, and Pirates Don’t Change Diapers all of which we read many times. Back in the Fall we found out from my neighbor who works on the recovery team of the Whydah that there is a pirate museum in Provincetown (plus another one will be opening were the ZooQuarium use to be in Yarmouth this summer) so I told the kids we would go at some point before the summer traffic starts but when the weather gets nice. Well today (5/14) I decided it was a beautiful day and my kids said they did not mind the 50 minute drive each direction to Whydah Pirate Museum since they were so excited to go so of we set. The Whydah Pirate Museum is located at 16 MacMillian Wharf in Provincetown there is no parking at the actual museum which I learned the hard way by driving all the way down the Wharf and then driving in circles trying to find on street parking of which there was none. I finally ended up parking in the lot right by the wharf which is $3.50 an hour (I don’t like paying for parking). We walked down to the museum only to find out there is no bathroom there and the seasonal restrooms were not open yet so I recommend using the bathrooms by the visitors center before heading to the museum. Once entering the museum the kids were so excited about all the pirate things in the gift shop (they could have spent the whole visit in the gift shop). I paid for admission for myself which was $9 with the dollar off coupon found on freecapecod.com kids under 6 are free and 6-12 and 60+ are $8. The museum starts with a video made by National Geographics about the Whydah and its discovery by Barry Clifford which I did not watch because the kids were eager to see the “pirate things”. The museum is small with lots of great info for older kids and adults but not much for younger children. I did not get to read much of the info because my kids wanted to move to the next case and find the pirate treasure. There were a few cases where the items could be touch; these items include coins, a cannonball and ballases from the shipwreck. Some interesting facts we learned were there is no record of anyone actually walking the plank, pirates rarely fought battles and the carpenter usually were the person to treat the injured by amputating limbs. The kids last about 30 minutes in the museum and them had a great time looking and playing in the gift shop for another good 30 minutes.  I was expecting more content and exhibits geared toward kids at the museum but the kids seemed to be happy and fulfilled by the visit.
Have you been to any great local pirate experiences? Molly Hubner Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit https://w4728.myubam.com or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com Coco Key Water Park & Double Tree by Hilton Review By: Amy After the long winter and the kids being cooped up, we knew we needed to take a little mini vacation with the kids to kick off the spring and summer. So when we were recently offered a chance to come up and visit the Double Tree by Hilton North Shore and Coco Key Water Park in Danvers in exchange for our honest review, we jumped at the chance. We arrived shortly after check-in time with two very excited children who were eager to immediately go and check out the water park. When we arrived in our room we were delighted to find a fruit and cheese plate, which was a very welcome sight after having sat through Boston traffic on a Friday afternoon. The kids were more than thrilled to get their own Coco backpacks complete with a parrot. They quickly changed into bathing suits at lightning speed.
The water park was a huge hit with the kids. The park is designed well with age levels and abilities considered. There is an area for young children with two small slides, waterfalls and spouts and parents can interact with the kids easily. Only children can use the slides but you are allowed to catch your child at the bottom. The area gradually becomes deeper so there are plenty of places for kids of all ages to play and interact.  This area also has a pirate sail utilized as a movie screen, which at night you can see really well and enjoy a family favorite while splashing around. This is also where the family seating and the cabanas are located. We decided to purchase a cabana the second day we were there so that the kids had a quiet place to rest. The cabanas had a table, chairs, couch and tv for everyone to use. We enjoyed a delicious pizza from Gator’s, which was recommended by staff. They have a bar inside the park that sells both cocktails as well as smoothies. Guests can also rent lockers to store valuable items in as well as utilize locker rooms to change and use the restrooms.  The center of the water park consisted of a splash pad, with more advanced slides and water toys while surrounded by the lazy river. This area was designed so that kids as well as parents can enjoy the slides together. One of the biggest hits was the giant water bucket which would fill over the course of 5 minutes and then dump over the entire structure. The kids had a great time getting dunked and riding the “big boy” slides! The water toys were a lot of fun and allowed for children to experiment as engineers with how water flows. This area was a huge hit with the kids as they explored the different types of slides and activities.
In the back there was a basketball pool, which sadly only had 2 balls that could be used. It looked pretty when it was lit up at night but was always crowded. We ventured in here only once and luckily a big kid passed the Tiny One the ball about ten times in a row to give him a chance at trying to score a basket. There was a small section behind this that had inflatable lily pads that kids could cross while holding onto roped netting from above. This area was closed, but we it looked like fun. In the opposite corner, just past the hot tub section, were the most advanced slides. We climbed all the way up to the top of the facility and were able to choose between two sets of slides that both utilized a tube and ones that did not. We chose the ones with the double tube and were quite impressed at how fast and fun the slide was. The slides themselves exit the building, twisting and turning all the way down to reentry into a large pool. While the kids were not tall enough currently to ride these, all of the adults found them fun.
We balanced our time between the water park and the hotel pool which was our quiet sanctuary. Having young children, we needed a place where we could have down time, free from the over stimulation that often leads into a meltdown. You could choose to do laps, relax in the hot tub or just lazily swim around with your kid. We all really loved this option which was a benefit to staying at the hotel. It is essential to all our sanity to have decompression time and a quiet place to swim and practice our skills.   There is also an arcade with availability for birthday parties. We allowed the kids to play with money they had saved in their piggy banks. It was a fun way to transition between the water activities and the hotel. They had small rides for the kids, air hockey, video games for various ages and even a photo booth. We spent a little time here and were sure to get a family picture in the photo booth on our last day. We noticed quite a few birthday parties taking place which would definitely work for local families looking to host a fun combination of water and video fun!  The Double Tree by Hilton is a great hotel. The staff very clearly cares a lot about their guests and hotel. Our room was great, and big enough for six of us (2 couples and 2 children) including having a separate section for the kid beds and their own tv. The family rooms are located around the perimeter of their event rooms, which allows for easy access to the water park. The second evening we were at the water park there was an accident in the kids pool so we left back to our room early. As we went to our room, friendly staff asked about our day and we told them how much fun we had but it had ended on a poopy note. As we were getting ready for bed, we were surprised by a knock at the door and were treated to a sweet surprise of three hot fudge brownie sundaes. the Tiny One was more than a little excited to end the day on such a positive note and we were grateful to the staff for making the day even better. By going the extra mile the staff shows just how much they care about guest comfort and happiness even when things happen that are totally beyond their control.  The hotel provides a brunch, a Starbucks cafe, a sit down restaurant and room service as options for meals. During our stay we enjoyed service at all these places. Breakfast included both a cold and hot breakfast options depending on your appetite. The hostess stand also offers children a coloring page that if they turn in post meal they can pick from a prize box. I appreciate this little extra as it gave the kids a purpose to work towards while the adults could enjoy their meal and coffee quietly. Our first evening there, we ordered pizza to our room for dinner as we were all too exhausted from all the excitement of the water park. The food was delivered promptly and with a smile and the kid pizza’s made two young boys very happy. The Starbucks cafe had the majority of all our favorite items and was a nice way to wake up with a treat. The hotel restaurant was also pretty good. They had a delicious salmon salad with candied walnuts that really hit the spot and the Tiny One was happy with another personal pizza, but we would have loved to see more affordable lighter options for a meal. Our only comment for improvement pertains to the water park. There seemed to be way too many people in the lazy river at certain points to the point where some teenagers were racing through the river running over families and young children. While the lifeguards are attentive in terms of safety and trying to ensure everyone has a water tube, they also need to address this as it becomes a safety issue. There were several times some of these older kids were swimming over my 5 year old and roughly passing me which at times caused discomfort as they shoved past me. I finally had to address it myself and that particular group seemed to back off, but this is an area the waterpark staff definitely needs to show more authority and ensure it is safe for all and not just a race track for teenagers. Overall, we would highly recommend the Double Tree by Hilton North Shore and Coco Key Water Park in Danvers as great choice for a local vacation for Cape Cod Moms and families. It is both affordable and fun. The kids will be happy and it won't break the bank so it is a great option for school vacations or just as a weekend mini vacation. The attentive staff at the hotel truly care about their guests and always aim to improve. Even the kids think this place is pretty awesome, just check out their thoughts in the video review below! Family Car-Seat & Bike Safety Rodeo sponsored by  The Cape Cod Children's Museum Family Car Seat & Bike Safety Rodeo is presented in collaboration with Cape Cod Moms and Mashpee and Falmouth Kiwanis, sponsored by Falmouth Toyota. Due to weather this event has been rescheduled from May 22 to June 26 The event will take place on: Sunday June 26, 2016 from 11:00-2:00pm at the Cape Cod Children's Museum 577 Great Neck Road South Mashpee, MA 02649 508-539-8788 info@capecodchildrensmuseum.org Facebook RSVP Join us for complimentary car seat safety inspections performed by certified inspectors and FREE bike safety helmets generously provided by Mashpee & Falmouth Kiwanis (while supplies last; first come, first served)! There will also be 3 bikes that will be given away to three lucky kids including an awesome one to Corner Cycle from Murray & MacDonald Insurance! This is a FREE family-friendly event! Bring Your Bike by for valuable safety information, fun games and activities, and much more!
 Heritage Museum & Gardens Visit By: Molly As the weather begins to warm up my family looks forward to all the adventures we will have at Heritage Gardens in Sandwich. We get a family membership to Heritage Gardens every year as it pays for itself in less than two visits for a family of 4. If you don’t want to get a membership but are looking to save some money most of the CLAM Libraries have discounted passes available to borrow. Heritage Gardens is located at 67 Grove Street Sandwich, MA 02563 and is open daily 9am-5pm through October 10th. There is a gift shop and a cafe if you want to buy lunch or snacks including ice cream but we always pack food. My family and I made our first visit of the season a few weeks ago. It was a warm sunny April afternoon; a perfect afternoon to enjoy Heritage Gardens. When we get there we first went the checkout the new exhibit CUT! Custom and the Cinema. There are lots of amazing and elaborate costume to be viewed there. My 5 year olds favorites were the dress from The Phantom of the Opera and my sons of course were the pirate costumes from Pirates of the Caribbean. After CUT! we headed straight for the Carousel as it is my kids favorite. The great thing about the carousel is that it is included with admission (most other museums have have been to charge extra) plus you can ride it as many times as you like. We take three turns on it then go look at the American Art exhibit where the kids enjoy looking at the old fashioned toys. While you are at the carousel and American Art it is a good time to use the restroom too.
The next favorite at Heritage Gardens is Hidden Hollows. A word to the wise we save it for towards the end when it is not hot out because the kids inevitably get wet. Hidden Hollows is an area that promotes STEM and is an amazing kids area. From the tree house that is perched above Hidden Hollows to the wooden play kitchen area that has a hand pump that actually pumps water to the stage with puppets and stadium seating for the kids to perform, there is something for every child. In Hidden Hollows there is also a garden, craft, sand, building, music, game, and book area to be enjoyed. This amazing place were my kids could spend hours is hard to describe to its full potential thus you must come visit to get the full experience. Plus on hot days Hidden Hollows is always several degrees cooler and there are shady places to hide.  As we leave Heritage Garden we typically visit the car museum. In the car exhibit the kids can pretend to drive a Ford Model T and checkout some really neat old cars including an antique fire engine. The afternoon at the gardens has been a fun one and the kids are already asking when we can go back and looking forward to the Family Fun Fridays that run from 7/8-9/2 with special activities and concert every Friday. Also on 9/18 from 9-2 there is a International “Talk Like a Pirate Day” Celebration which my 3 year old son is very excited about!
Have you been to Heritage Gardens? What do you enjoy doing there? If you have done the adventure park please let us know how it is as my kids are still too little for it! Molly Hubner Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit https://w4728.myubam.com or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com . 
Cape Cod Kids and Moms LOVE building with Lego's and bricks! And once again there will be an awesome Lego Brick show in Massachusetts! We have attended similar events before, but BrickFair this year promises to be even bigger and better than all others, plus is only $12 (we also have a discount code available)! BrickFair will be held at the May 21-22, 2016 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA. Do you want to be SuperMom and SuperDad? Bring your kids to BrickFair LEGO Fan Expo! There will be endless LEGO creativity and inspiration, games, moon bounces, shopping,Derby Racing, Bingo, and more!
At the New England show coming up, they’re expecting ~130 exhibitors showing off their best creations, and ~7,000 public visitors. They will have 13 vendors covering 45 tables of LEGO goodies for sale including discontinued sets, hard to find pieces, custom molded, custom engraved and custom printed LEGO minifigs and parts, and really just about anything you never imagined (want a LEGO bow tie?). They will have a moon bounce (or two), Bingo with LEGO prizes, hands-on Stay & Play area, Guesstimate jars full of LEGO pieces, Ring Toss and Go Fish carnival midway style games, and of course lots of awesome models to show off. Be inspired, awed, amazed, impressed and maybe intimidated by models displayed. Oh yeah, they will also have the world’s largest LEGO battleship, built by Dan Siskind of Brickmania (wildly popular purveyor of custom molded WWII weapons). To celebrate our the next generation of Cape Cod engineers, we are giving away a 4 pack of tickets to attend this awesome event. There are lots of way to enter and all the details are below. You can enter once a day for additional bonus points by simply visiting our blog and sharing your opinion. Good Luck!  Opening Day at Ice Cream Cafe
By: Molly Today 5/7 was opening day at Ice Cream Cafe a much awaited day in our household. My husband and I first discovered Ice Cream Cafe back in 2010 when we were looking for a house on the Cape and had read about Cottage Street Bakery’s Dirt Bombs in The New York Times (be on the lookout for my upcoming review). So when we went to Cottage Street Bakery I saw Ice Cream Cafe and being pregnant at the time decided I had to come back to try Ice Cream Cafe soon and thus began our families love of Ice Cream Cafe. At that point Ice Cream Cafe was the only great ice cream in town. Ice Cream Cafe is located at 5 S. Orleans Rd. Orleans MA and hours vary by season so check their website www.icecreamcafe.com. We arrived at Ice Cream Cafe around 3pm when we got there one other person was ordering and there was another group of people eating outside on the deck. We were helped promptly we all sample a few ice creams before deciding on flavors. My 5 year old decided on a kiddy peppermint stick in a cone, my 3 year old a kiddy cookie dough in a dish and me a small cone with peanut butter cup and coffee heath bar in a cone (there are so many yummy flavors it is hard to choose). All the ice cream flavors today were fresh, flavorful, smooth and delicious my only complaint is the small cone was about the same size as my sons kiddy cup (one of my pet peeves with ice cream is when my ice cream is smaller than it should be). The menu options at Ice Cream Cafe are huge from coffee to baked goods to ice cream to smoothies plus lots of dairy free and vegan options; there is definitely something for everyone. I really like the Non Dairy Salty Caramel Ice Cream as well as the Dirt Bomb ice cream which I did not realize they had until I was eating my ice cream. In the nice weather there are chairs as well as some tables with umbrella outside but during inclimate weather there is only very limited seating inside. By the time we were leaving lots more people had come by to get ice cream. While I was there I spoke with Greg the owner and he said that this summer among other new flavors there will be cashew milk ice cream and chocolate peanut butter ice cream which I am very excited about! Have you been to Ice Cream Cafe, what’s your favorite flavor or goodie? Molly Hubner Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit https://w4728.myubam.com or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com .  Financial Friday
Tax Tips for Children with Investment Income By: Gary M. DellaPosta, CPA Special tax rules may apply to some children who receive investment income. The rules may affect the amount of tax and how to report the income. Here are five important points to keep in mind if your child has investment income this year: 1. Investment Income. Investment income generally includes interest, dividends and capital gains. It also includes other unearned income, such as from a trust. 2. Parent's Tax Rate. If your child's total investment income is more than $2,100 then your tax rate may apply to part of that income instead of your child's tax rate. See the instructions for Form 8615, Tax for Certain Children Who Have Unearned Income. 3. Parent's Return. You may be able to include your child's investment income on your tax return if it was more than $1,050 but less than $10,500 for the year. If you make this choice, then your child will not have to file his or her own return. See Form 8814, Parents' Election to Report Child's Interest and Dividends, for more information. 4. Child's Return. If your child's investment income was $10,500 or more in 2016 then the child must file their own return. File Form 8615 with the child's federal tax return next April. 5. Net Investment Income Tax. Your child may be subject to the Net Investment Income Tax if they must file Form 8615. Use Form 8960, Net Investment Income Tax, to figure this tax. Visit our website for more great information and free tax calculators! Gary DellaPosta is a CPA and founder of the firm. A graduate of Bryant University, he is a member of the American Institute of CPA's as well as the Massachusetts Society of CPA's. In addition to providing accounting, tax and advisory services to individuals and businesses, he also provides litigation support to attorneys and has been recognized as an expert in numerous Massachusetts' courts. Mr. DellaPosta serves on the Board of the Barnstable County Mutual Insurance Co., where he serves on the audit, investment and employee benefit committees. He is a Director at The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod, where he serves on audit, governance, and personnel committees, and is a former director of Eastern Bank and Plymouth Savings Bank. He is also the former Treasurer of the Community Health Center of Cape Cod and is a former trustee of Heritage Museum & Gardens. Visit his website for more info |
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