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ONE 4th of July Mom Beer By: Britt The word vacation changes meanings when you become a parent. Getting ready for the beach is like playing the amazing race. Sun blocking my children is like trying to baptize a cat. Taking your kids to the beach is the best! They are happy and stimulated. It is quite wonderful. But now that you have babies there are some extra tasks added to your beach day. Let me illustrate this for you. How 25 year old me had one beer at Sandy Neck beach: "Hey honey, can you get me a beer." Thank said "honey" Open beer.Drink beer. Re apply sun block. How 29 year old me drinks one beer at Sandy Neck beach: It's 4th of July weekend. Husband is the driver of our ship. So therefore you decide to enjoy an adult beverage at the beach. But finishing a beer now seems like a daunting quest. It usually goes a little something like this. "Hey honey, can you get me a beer." You then walk in the complete opposite direction to follow your 2 year old down the beach. Scoop him up. Realize every one needs lunch. Feed the monsters. Go to put the baby in the outdoor high chair. Realize he has crapped his pants. Pull him back out of the high chair. 2 year old continuously repeats. "P-U Jack! Dirty. Dirty." This always makes you laugh. Okay, so you aren't the most mature mom. So you say back to him, "Oh man dirty baby is right!" You both laugh. The baby hates laying on his back. He continues to buck and wiggle as much as he possible can. His butt needs diaper cream. The wet bathing suit/poop combo is rough. Your 2 year old tries to pick up the dirty diaper. You lunge at him and set the baby free in the process. He starts crawling as fast as he can away from you down the beach. Completely naked. You throw away the diaper. Go capture your naked baby. Husband says, "okay let's divide and conquer." He takes the 2 year old down to the water. As he is walking away you say, "Hey? Where's my beer." Husband dear had put it in my beach chair cup holder. It's warm. That was disappointing, but not as disappointing as the warm sensation you start to feel run down your side because your naked baby is peeing on you. Fast forward, you know the drill. Dunk him in the ocean with you. Clean that bum up. Dry him. Powder that butt. Judge yourself the whole time you use baby powder because while you were pregnant you read on baby center that you shouldn't use it on babies anymore. And I am all about the healthy living for my homies, but has baby center ever hung out with a baby with diaper rash? How would you feel if your butt was raw from sitting in your sandy poop. So with my Mom guilt running high, I did what any good mother would do. I held up a towel shield halfway across his body. I think to myself, "good compromise. I try and make sure he doesn't breathe it in, and he gets to have a delightful feeling butt. Win-win. " Well actually, I didn't say that to myself. I said it out loud to my baby. Because that's my life now. I'm always chatting it up with small humans who either can't speak back to me yet or rambling random strings of words at me. But that doesn't stop me from chatting it up with them. That's how they learn! Duh. Listening to you use words. I did used to read books out loud to Ben when he was a baby. When I got tired of having a one sided conversation. Now back to the beer at hand. Once you get everyone situated again. You walk over to that cooler and say, This Mom is going to have one beer, Damnit! You aren't even sure if you want one, but you've told yourself that you need to relax. I feel like I'm always on high alert 24/7 these days. This is my 10 month old. He 24 lbs of mischief.  So you've got the husband with you. You are going to drink this beer and relax. You crack open the beer and take a sip. Your 2 year old is now shoving your 10 month old away from him with his beach shovel. You hop up. "Hey hey hey. You be nice to your baby. Do you want to go in time out?" He says, "Ya! one! two! free!" Well this has back fired. That's his new thing. He is going to be two years old next weekend and he's outsmarted me already. If I say "Do you want to go in time out?" He says, "Ya! Goes over and sits on the little wooden bench and starts counting.. One. two. free." What am I supposed to do with that? He hops up and looks at me like, "slapping my brother was worth having to sit on a wooden bench for 20 seconds. Nice try lady. But he tried to grab my dump truck. No bueno." Having the boys so close in age has made me a referee pretty quick. Much quicker than I thought. The baby is now in Ben's world. Pulling himself up on the play kitchen as well. So about 75% of what big brother has said this week is, "mine!" His two year molars seems to be cutting through. He is… hmm.. how do I say this nicely? Um, basically the last two days he has been acting like satan's hand puppet. He really is such a great kid. I've been so fortunate how mellow he is and happy. But teething has it's own set of rules. Or lack their of. And sadly, sometimes siblings get caught in the war path.  You defuse the situation. Now they have both turned and noticed that I am talking. So therefore everyone starts to be clingy to Mom. Which DON'T GET ME WRONG, I would LOVE a group hug. Snuggling is my jam. The only problem is that they both get pissed that the other one is one my lap too. They cry and shove each other. Sometimes pull my hair. It's real and it hurts. The beach is so fun, but damn, kids get tired. I think it's funny how their eyes become so different. When your a Mom, you just know all their faces. When Ben gets tired he gets silly and clumsy. He often hurts himself. Walking into a coffee table or whatever gets in his way. He is a good sleeper, but does not do well operating when his tank is low. Tired is a evil look on him. He gets very demanding. It makes me laugh. Well you gotta laugh or you'd cry! Haha. Welcome to Motherhood. So back to that delicious beer you are going to drink today?? You throw the baby at someone who's children are 6+. Their memories of babyhood are precious now. Do they want another baby? Oh heck no. But they gladly will snuggle yours and feel their ovaries give a pump.  Excellent. Then you send 2 year old with Dad again. Husband dear says, "What should I do with him?" You reply, "Something away from me." He laughs. You laugh. He and Ben scurry off to go play in their own little world. You stand there and watch them in the water. Really trying to take in the day. Taking a moment to pause and really enjoy what a great time you are having with your fam. It dawns on you that you should be reflecting your fortunate life with your cold adult beverage in your hand. You grab your beer from the cup holder on your beach chair. It is warm. Gross. You throw it away. You open a new one. You say a friendly hello to whoever is sitting on the cooler. The baby hears your voice and perks up and starts grabbing you. He has the best smile. You grab your smudgy baby, your new cold beer, and you snuggle into your beach chair. The baby has pooped again. Are you kidding me smudge? Is it really necessary to poop this much? So I change him. We start playing around. I'm blowing on his face because we all know that a babies biggest weakness is wind. He's belly laughing. His laugh is outstanding. No sound has ever made me happy so fast. It's impossible not to smile. Your loving on your baby is interrupted by him kicking over your beer that you had sat in the sand in order to change him. All pours out. Can covered in sand. Throw away the full sandy beer. Look at the cooler. Someone interrupts your train of thought to ask for a drink. Of course dude. "Would you like milk or water?" "Ya" Okay then, dealers choice. Get drinks and snacks for every body. Reapply sun block. Make sarcastic comments to your Mom friends on the beach. Take pictures that you have no idea if they are coming out good or not. It's all darkness on your phone screen, so you just hit the button a few times and hope for the best. Build a sandcastle. Cover my feet in sand at the edge of the water. Snuggle a teething kid cause he needs extra love this particular day and you are just the Mom for the job. Ultimately, you just give up the dream of one cold beer. You have now wasted the better part of a six pack in your attempts to drink a beer. Gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run. Did you just start singing that song in your head? The Gambler by Kenny Rodgers! Obviously you should go on YouTube right now and play that song. You can't help but dance around a little bit. Well I guess I'll relax when I'm dead. Or when my children enviably become too cool for me and embarrassed by every thing I say. Either way. Most fun things are a lot of work when you have small babies. But in the end, it's worth every minute of running up and down your stairs to pack bags for everyone. Because playing on the beach with people that you love best. That's pure heaven.
  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
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 In an effort to get kids reading this summer, the Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip RV will visit Eight Cousins Bookstore on July 5, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Kids and families will have the opportunity to participate in their very own “pop-up” reading festival, meet some of their favorite authors and illustrators, and engage in fun reading activities. The RVs will visit 25+ U.S. cities nationwide throughout the summer, traveling more than 10,000 miles to spread the message about the importance of summer reading to kids. At the reading road trip stop kids and families will enjoy a fun day of free reading activities including: · Author visit and book signing(s) · An activity tent filled with reading activities · Giveaway tables and a prize wheel · Animated photo stations with Clifford the Big Red Dog® and “Slappy” from Goosebumps® · “Instaframes” picture stations for kids to show-off their “reading muscles” · Costume characters including: Clifford the Big Red Dog® and Geronimo Stilton WHERE: Eight Cousins Books 189 Main Street Falmouth, MA 02540 WHEN: Tuesday, July 5, 2016 TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET Summer Reading Road Trip to Cape Cod Giveaway One lucky Cape Cod Mom or Parent will receive a Summer Reading Prize Pack consisting of:
Select titles from the authors, Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge Frisbee (2), Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge printable and activity sheets (2) and a booklist (pre-K to YA) for parents. To Enter all you have to do is comment on this blog post with your child's favorite book! Be sure to use the email that you wish for us to contact you at if you are the winner! Contest Rules: Contest is open to US Residents who are 18 or older. Contest is open from 6/28/16-7/5/16 at 11:59pm EST. Contest is hosted by Cape Cod Moms and sponsored by Scholastic. Winner will be contacted via the email they use when they submit their comment. Winner will have 24 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Winner will confirm their entry and give Cape Cod Moms their mailing address. Scholastic will be responsible for shipping of the prize. Ivy Kids Kit Review By: Molly  I recently had the founder of Ivy Kids at one of my Usborne Facebook parties; we got to talking about how I was a former kindergarten teacher and wished I had more time to make up boxes like she sold and she offered to send me a kit for an unbiased review. “Ivy Kids is a monthly educational subscription box for children ages 3-8. Our goal is to make every moment with your child "quality time." Have the tools at your fingertips to ensure your child has a solid foundation in math, literacy, and science. Help your child build confidence and be well-rounded in all disciplines to ensure future academic success. The activities in the Ivy Kits have been created by certified early childhood teachers with children of their own.” (http://ivy-kids.com/) The kids and I were very excited to find the box had arrived while we were away over the weekend. The kit arrives in a 12”x4”x8” boxes that also double as storage for the supplies. In each boxes are a book and 10 activities to go with it (for an extra $5 you can add sibling supplies). I received A house for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle (which happens to be a book I am very familiar with and used while teaching). When we opened the box the first item we saw was the book A House for Hermit Crab and a bookmark with questions and suggests for getting the most out of reading and rereading the book. Most of the other items come in bags sort by activity which is great so you can grab a bag and get started (some of the materials are shared between activities). Each activity comes with a sheet that tells you about the activity including materials provided, how to play, suggestion on differentiating the activity for different ages/skill level, questions to ask to scaffold learning and learning goals/developing skills list. So far my kids have really enjoyed reading the book A House for Hermit Crab and discussing what he chooses for his shell over the year. They have also enjoyed creating their own habitats for the hermit crab they “grew” in a bowl of water (one of those add water and grow creatures) and creating a special shell for their hermit crab using the plate as a shell and the stickers for decoration. The painting of the shells and sun catchers definitely was great for the kids fine motor skills and labeling/experimenting with colors. We are looking forward to pulling the boxes out in coming weeks and enjoying some Hermit Crab Facts, Identifying Hermit Crab Body Parts, Doing some Hermit Crab Shell Observations, Sequencing Hermit Crab's Year, Name decorating, Sorting Shells plus playing Hermit Crab Shell Race.  You can buy individual boxes or sign up for monthly deliveries of a box for a month to month, three months or six months. In each boxes there are enough activities/ideas to last about a month. I really enjoyed being able to just grab the box and let my kids (three and five) choice an activity and have all the materials right there. Hopefully I will find some time before my daughter finishes school to assemble some of my own boxes if not I will have to get a three month subscription to Ivy Kids which is totally worth the $36.95 a month cost.
To find more info on Ivy Kids or to order kit(s) visit their website http://ivy-kids.com/ 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. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/ Why I Love the Drive On Beach By: Britt Dear drive on beach, I love you. You make my life as a Mom easier. You make my family happier. You are the epitome of why I love living on Cape Cod and raising my children here. More specifically, we love you Sandy Neck beach. Thank you for letting our dog come along.
For allowing me to pack AS MUCH STUFF in the car as I please. That I don't then have to lug out onto the beach along with my pack of children. Even if things never leave the car, no sweat for me. Beach high chairs, coolers, grills, tents, blankets, snacks, clothes, towels, friends... we shove it all in there!
Oh and people pulling up and visiting by boat?? Well that's a good way to get to see all the kid's brains explode from happiness.  It's where life long friendships are made.  You want your kid to get off a screen and come join the world? Strand them on the beach with no choice but to experience how beautiful the Earth is. Make an everlasting memory while building a sand castle with your Mom.  Destress in front of a campfire.  Fall in love with the place you live watching a sunset.  Don't forget, if you get the night off from kids, it is the cheapest/best date night or afternoon you could have. 6 pack of beer, sandwiches, the radio, and no one in sight. That's how husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary.  Let's not forget that you can drive a camper out there and spend the night. Waking up at the shore of the ocean sometimes makes me wonder if I have stumbled into a dream.  Wondering how you can get in on this Cape life living??? Here is some more information on the drive on beaches of our beautiful home. Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA Permits available on a first-come, first-serve basis, you can plan a getaway on the Cape Cod National Seashore. Nauset Beach, Orleans, MA Down Cape you can also enjoy Nauset Beach this summer! Camp fires, swimming, and sand beneath your toes. Nail down the proper permit and get out there! Race Point Beach, Provincetown, MA The most remote beach the cape has to offer is Race Point Beach. The beauty of this beach could take the stress away from any person who steps on its shores. Sandy Neck Beach Park,Barnstable, MA Local residents can get discounted permits. Sandy Neck Beach Park stretches seven miles like a dream. This is the beach to go to if you plan on driving on regularly.  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
My Birthday Weekend Food Adventures By: Molly  As I have gotten older and had kids my birthdays and how they are celebrated have changed. I love surprises but my husband doesn’t and because of this he does not really do surprises... This year for my birthday I wanted to go to Cap’t Cass and have some really good french pastries for breakfast. Since we can really only go out to dinner on Saturday and Sunday nights because of my husband’s work schedule and Cap’t Cass is not open Sunday nights we went on Saturday (Spring hours Friday and Saturday 11-2pm and 5-8pm and Sunday 11-2pm). My husband, two kids and I arrive a few minutes before they reopen for dinner at 5pm so we could be the first ones in and get a table. There are only five tables that seat more than two people, two or three tables that seat two people plus seating at the counter; by 5:05 all the larger tables are taken; I highly recommend getting there when they open. Cap’t Cass is tucked away in Rock Harbor (Orleans, MA) they serve local seafood, are B.O.B. and only take cash or check (there is no website or phone number and is a family run business). The menu with prices are on the wall plus now there are printed menus. As soon as we settle in at the table the waitress takes drink orders. The waters and pink lemonades are out in a few minutes and we are ready to order. We got the fried clam platter and a lobster roll to share at the table both of which come with fries and slaw plus the kids order oyster crackers. The waitress brings the oyster crackers straight over and then the food comes out about 10 minutes later straight out of the fryer. The clams and fries are perfectly fried and delicious as usual and the lobster roll is overflowing with big chunks of sweet lobster meat with a touch of mayo all of which go perfectly with my glass of white wine from home. My daughter enjoys the clams, fries and lobster but my son only eats the crackers and fries.
In the past we have also enjoyed the fried fish, scallops, oysters, and She-crab stew. The only seafood I have tried and I do not like is the clam chowder because it is broth based instead of cream based. The prices are what I expect to pay for fresh seafood. I love Cap’t Cass fried clams with the big bellies and it is the only place I still eat fried seafood. On Sunday morning I wanted an almond croissant but am not willing to go all the way to PB’s for them not to have any (I can not call and get a live person anymore). I had just heard about Eat Cake 4 Breakfast in Brewster and decide to give it a try. We arrive about 20 minutes after they open there is plenty of outdoor seating with nice big umbrella for when it is sunny and hot. The inside of the bakery is still new and crisp looking and nice and bright (there is some bar style seating inside). The display cases are full of yummy looking baked goods including croissants (plain, chocolate, ham & cheese, turkey asiago, almond and pistachio), danishes, and scones plus they also sell cakes, pies,tarts, cookies, quiche and other desserts. I chose an almond croissant ($4.50), pistachio croissant ($4.50) and a Brewster Bun ($4) which had been highly recommended. When the kids and I got home we cut them up to share. The kids liked the Brewster Bun best which is a croissant base with butter and cinnamon sugar on the outside and a secret carmelly tasting glob in the center but said they prefer dirt bombs and I have to agree I didn’t really like it and I really like dirt bombs. The pistachio croissant was pleasant with a good coating of pistachios on the outside and a chocolate pistachio filling inside and the almond croissant looked really promising from the outside with a nice layer of almonds but the filling was lacking in volume and it was not thick and marzipan enough for my liking. Eat Cake 4 Breakfast pastries were high quality and made well just not the style I like plus I think their prices are a little high.  What are some of the things you like to do for birthdays? Have you been to Cap’t Cass before or have a favorite bakery on the Lower Cape?
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. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/ Ideas for your Cape Cod Beach Wedding By: Britt Your wedding day should be a reflection of who you are as a couple. It is in fact, a celebration of your love and relationship. Now with pinterest, facebook, and everything else out there it can make a bride’s head spin! All this information making couples feel like they need to do every task on a checklist that someone else made. Well the truth is, it is YOUR day. If you want to have a black tie affair in a ballroom, then you should definitely do that! If you want to get married in Vegas, you should do that! If you want to destination wedding, you should do that! The true first step to wedding planning is day dreaming of what you want your day to look like. Now in my wedding daydream I could hear the ocean crashing in the background. I could feel the sunshine on my face as I looked into the man I loved eyes. I could see the night sky being lit up by lanterns, sparklers, and laughter. I know, I know, I'm a dork. But a big old dork in love! I wanted to declare my love at one of the places we have always been happiest, at the beach. After all, we are Cape Codders. If you played back our love story, many of the best scenes would come from our time at the beach. So let's make another happy memory out on the beach. Here are my throw an awesome beach wedding suggestions. DECORATING THE BEACH: The good news is, the beach is already beautiful! Now you can just utilize nature and your surroundings to create the wedding scene. Sea shells as seating assignments  Drift Wood signs telling people where to go.  An Arbor, that later can be put at the Newlywed’s house in the garden. Stones from the beach to create a path.  Lobster trap for cards  Lanterns and Burlap for the tables  What’s better than a Koozie on the beach?  Order so many more than you need. Don't be surprised when you see random strangers using your wedding koozie on Sandy Neck Beach. They have started to travel! I LOVE IT.  PREPARE: Having a wedding outside is a gamble! It is definitely worth the risk, but there should always be some type of tent or shelter JUST IN CASE!
I used Bayside Tents and would recommend them to anyone! Many tent companies will not put one out on the beach, but bayside was on board with my crazy plans! Don’t forget to put down your wooden dance floor. Makes it easier to dance the night away. Do not forget to bring a broom. Sand can be slippery for dancing queens. . Being a sand zamboni is a perfect job for a little brother.
Special Setup: Check with the beach town that you are getting married in. (I was in Sandwich) Many towns offer wheel chairs with beach tires that you can borrow with a deposit down. This makes the beach perfect for any guest attending your wedding.  Don't forget to add pieces of you Cape Cod life to the wedding!  FOOD: Clam bakes are not only delicious, They fit the theme and often times won’t break the bank. Here was Lobster, steak, clams, corn on the cob, steamed veggies, baked potato, and salad.
I used Clam Bakes Ect. in Osterville. It was delicious and perfect. LIGHT: Make sure your photographer is aware of what time the sun will be setting. It is the perfect time for perfect pictures.
There is magic in the air at night. Everyone knows it’s true. Especially when you light it up! Light up the night. Lanterns can be purchased online. You can buy biodegradable ones so you don’t have to worry about where they end up. You can just enjoy the beauty. Sparklers make great photos.
In the end, no matter where you decide to host your special day, your happiness will shine through.
Most importantly, don't think I did this alone! All cards on the table, I have a mother in law who is a party planning wizard, friends who areModern Vintage Genisus', and Cape Cod as my beautiful home.   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
A Day Trip to Edaville USA By: Molly  We were recently given the opportunity by Edaville USA to visit in exchange for giving an honest review. Early Saturday morning my mom, two kids and I packed up picnic lunches and head out to Carver, MA home of Edaville Railroad and Thomas Land. Leaving early was a great idea as we avoided traffic (it only took a little over an hour to get there) and getting there when they opened meant no lines or short lines for our first couple hours there. On this given day it was sunny and in the upper 60’s when we arrived and by noon it was 80 degrees I would not recommend going on really hot days as there is not much shade around the rides. After entering Edaville we headed past the carousel and Dickens Village (which still is not done) to the bathrooms. Also found in this main building is a nursing room, arcade, small indoor rides including bumper cars, first aid/lost and found, model trains, museum and gift shop plus some benches and train tables if you need a break from the heat and sun. We used the bathrooms sunscreened up and went to Dino Land walking tour. The walking tour starts with this sign “Why are They Here? No one knows for sure! 25 years ago this part of the park, and the once popular Gnome Coaster was suddenly closed by the park management. Employes always said “there are things in the woods and bogs” near this section of the park. Management remained silent and enforced a DO NOT ENTER policy. In 2013 major renovations and park improvements began in preparation for the all new Thomas Land. All this activity seemed to attract the attention of these prehistoric animals. Management could no longer remain silent, and E.P.I.C.; Edaville’s Prehistoric Institute of Carver’ was created. Using new technologies barriers have been put into place to protect these creatures and you. Enjoy your walk among the prehistoric residents of Edaville!” The walk consists of a foggy exhibit about 23 motorized dinosaurs that make sounds and move as you go by and there is info about each type of dino. You can also see the old rusting ride pieces, signs and decorations plus silly signs about not feeding the dinos your brother or sister and such. Some of the dinosaurs are in need of some repair plus the mosquitos are plentiful due to the fog so my kids ran through the walk swatting mosquitos away. I would recommend bug spray if you want to stroll through and enjoy the dino walk. Next up was Thomas Land where we spent most of our visit. My three year old son is the one who likes the fast spinny rides and unfortunately he is not tall enough for most of the bigger ones. In Thomas Land all of us enjoyed Harold’s Lift Off, Firefighting Flynn, Winston’s Skyline Express and Diesel Derby. My son loved Rockin’ Bulstrode and rode it four times but my 5 year old hated it and could not get off fast enough. In Thomas Land we also enjoyed the Cran-tastic Cranberry Celebration Show which is an about 20 minute show at the Tidmouth Shed in which Sir Topham Hatt, Conductor Sam, Percy, Emily, James, Gordon and the audience get ready for a cranberry jubilee (we enjoyed it twice actually). Before having lunch in the shady picnic area behind Thomas Land we rode Thomas around Edaville. The ride around Edaville is a nice change to sit and rest but the music and story on the ride was way too loud to make it enjoyable. After lunch the lines had started to get long and my kids were not into waiting in lines and it was getting hot. So we hung out in the Post Office (in Thomas Land) which had AC, a train table and tons of duplo blocks and the Thomas gift shop plus watched Cran-tastic Cranberry Celebration Show again. By now it was 2:30 and the kids were starting to get tired so we headed back to the main building bathrooms and for our last ride took a spin on the carousel. Then managed to all walk back to the car without a melt down!  Our day at Edaville was a fun time and the kids had a great day. Thomas Land was definitely the highlight. The park overall is definitely a work in progress and some of the rides are old or in need of some improvements. Also around the park are attractions that started to be built and now look abandoned. And as my mom pointed out the rides were not really meant to handle huge crowds so if you go get there early.
Have you ventured to Edaville? Do you think it is worth the trip and cost? 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. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/ LuLaRoe Offers Stylish Clothing and Great Service By: Elizabeth D About 6 months ago on a discussion board for a clothing service, someone asked what are the BEST leggings? Multiple people said, “LuLaRoe!” I remember thinking, “LuLa What?” How had I not heard of these and they've been around for 4 yrs? I immediately began searching for where to buy them. If they're the BEST, they deserve a try. The clothes are made to be unique - only 2,500 of any item are made - and comfortable. No one else will have what I'm wearing and I can be comfortable? Keep talking! I found someone a page on Facebook and began following. It looked complicated. Color matching. Pattern Mixing. Sizes 0,1,2. I moved on. I found out later this was a mistake. Enter Nicole Davis. She offered to send me a few items to try. I was nervous She asked me about my usual styles, favorite colors and patterns. At 35 I'm finally able to answer these questions. Nicole's box arrived. I opened it and in my best Joey Lawrence voice thought, "Woah!" They were bright. Then I began checking out each piece. My 17 year old step-daughter was home and I growled at her to back off. She wanted the leggings and baseball shirt. Hmmm, these must be good. Everything is machine washable. Perfect! I'd already been used as a napkin 5 times that day. Hang drying is recommended. A little less perfect? I won't be able to pretend things shrunk in the dryer. Bonus, line drying is eco friendly.  Then came the challenge of working these pieces into my wardrobe. The dress was a no brainer. The empire waist, short-sleeve dress that zips in back and has pockets can easily be worn to work or for date night. It looks even better with a bright colored heel. Done!
Next up, the polka dot baseball shirt. This was perfect with boyfriend jeans and slip-on sneakers. Excellent! My son was so committed to the role of helping me test drive the outfits, he even wiped chocolate ice cream all over the sleeve, for what I can only imagine was to help test the washability. Fortunately the evidence of our indulgence washed out. Then came the striped tunic. The colors are vibrant and tested my usual black & white palette. It was generously sized for a Small and the fabric was very forgiving. It paired well with skinny jeans, or for the more daring, a complimentary colored legging. Last but not least, the infamous leggings. Let me preface this with - my style is better described as loose, flowy and dear God, please hide the lumps! These leggings somehow do just that. They do it without being super thick and making you sweat off the extra lbs. They do it without feeling like a sausage casing or worse yet making you into a pastry. They're incredibly comfortable and feel amazing. My pair had a soft texture similar to suede. To style them, I was able to find a longer flowy blouse in my closet that had a bit of the blue in it. But over the weekend in a case of "who wore it best", a friend had the same leggings paired with one of LuLaRoe's new tunics. She looked amazing. Nicole carefully packaged the items, included an adorable handwritten note and even included some wine glass gems. How did she know? You're not going to get that service from the big box stores. Even more importantly, Nicole is a hard working local mom getting her business off the ground. Please check her out on whichever social media site you kids are using these days. Join one of her private sales on Facebook; host an in home pop-up sale; or attend one of her open houses. She even hosts Fundraisers! I can’t wait to host my own party. https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoenicole/ Instagram.... @lularoenicoleloree Periscope.... @lularoenicoleloree Gmail.... lularoenicoleloree@gmail.com  BrickFair LEGO Fan Expo Review By: Julie Legos are such a hit in our house so I was excited when BrickFair reached out to us to review their event compared to other brick events in exchange for our honest thoughts. I attended this event with my 5 year old daughter along with a friend who has a 5 year old son. BrickFair had two bouncy houses, a small Lego mosaic station which needed more space, race your Lego cars, Bingo and Lego building stations. We enjoyed walking around looking at the various Lego displays and looking for Waldo. Bingo was fun for all ages and the kids won some pretty neat Lego prizes. The building that held the event was quite noisy especially for children who can be easily over stimulated. The food area needed more seating and the other mom and child we attended with was forced to sit on the floor while eating. It would be nice if they had more hands on things for the smaller children but I would recommend this for older children. They had lots of Lego's for sale and we were able to find Lego's I've never seen before. Overall it was a positive experience.
Drumlin Farm Adventures By: Molly  I grew up going to Drumlin Farm and have many fond memories of the time spent there. Drumlin Farm is an Audubon Sanctuary located in Lincoln, MA that is a working farm. They are open everyday from 10am-5pm (March-October in colder months there are reduced hours). Admission is free for Audubon members otherwise it is $8 for Adults, $6 for Children (2-12) and $6 for Seniors (65+). I like getting there around 10:30 and allowing about 90 minutes to enjoy the farm then have a picnic lunch. Today my three year old son and I arrive a little before 10:30 and got a parking spot right by some of the small glacial boulders. So my billy goat of a son spends a few minutes climbing on them before we head to the farm entrance. My son enjoys climbing on the rocks and logs throughout the farm as much as he likes seeing the animals. The Farm is large and spread out so if your child(ren) are not good walkers I recommend bring a stroller (or borrowing one of the strollers Drumlin has to loan out). After entering the first animals you can see are the sheep and there are lots of them so usually you can even pat them if you want; every spring lots of baby lambs are born which is a fun time to visit. Once you get to the bottom of the hill there are four different directions you can go. If you need a snack or bathroom you can head to the left to the picnic area which also has a bathroom. Or head up Bird Hill to see the rescued Great Horned Owl, Pheasants, Turkey Vultures, American Kestrel, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Barred Owl or my favorite the Fisher. Want to see the sheep barn or the three deer that were rescued as fawn many years ago head to the right. Otherwise head straight ahead to see the goats, pony, cows, pigs and bunnies in the lower farm. In the largest barn (the cow barn there are bathrooms too) you will find a bunch of cows, the pony and the Tack Room. The tack room is an interactive exhibit where kids can pretend to ride on horses on a real saddle, see what a milking station looks like and pretend they are milking a cow, brush a pony's tail, and horse around in the “horse around pen”. The pigs, goats, and chickens all have their own building spread across the lower end of the farm with the big barn being the furthest away. If your little one is getting tired remember to save some energy to climb the drumlin (a drumlin is a low oval mound or small hill, typically one of a group, consisting of compacted boulder clay molded by past glacial action ) and back to the main entrance! If after all that walking you need a treat head down 117 to Dairy Joy in Weston. As a kid we use to always hope after a trip to the farm the car would become magic and take us to Dairy Joy for soft serve. Since I have such great memories of these “magic” trips I decided to take my son after our farm trip. We got a medium cone of chocolate and vanilla twist which was pretty big for $4.70. My son thought it was great and was thrilled by the size. Dairy Joy also offers seafood, burgers, sandwiches, chicken tender, salads, fries and ice cream specialties incase you want more to eat. I do have to say the chicken tenders were pretty good last time I had them back in 2010.  Have you been to a farm or Audobon sanctuary this Spring; where and how
was 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 my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/ |
Christmas & Holiday
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