So I think we love Halloween around here just a little bit. It comes as a little bit of a surprise because it never meant much to me and Ben has this deep seated moral opposition to all “made up” holidays. But it’s really, really hard not to take just a little pleasure in something that makes the wee ones so very happy. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posts Tagged ‘Family Fun’
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Halloweenin’
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
The Great Pumpkin
We hit the pumpkin patch today. Not the best idea after a day of torrential downpours but we made the most of it. Plus, I wasn’t that lady that wiped out in the mud. Nope, not this time.
I had one of those grass is always greener moments and decided to try North Run instead of just going to Webber’s. That was a mistake. Now I know better and also feel compelled to go to Webber’s before it closes for the season. I’ll probably try to squeeze in another visit sometime this week against my better judgment. I’ll figure it out. Read the rest of this entry »
Sunday, September 6th, 2009
Public Service Announcement
This is the last weekend for the State Fair. You must go! We had so much fun. We all did… I think. How could you not? Chase didn’t want to help me milk a cow or pet a calf but she did pet one of these tiny pink piglets. They suckled like crazy. Mama just lay there, sound asleep with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. In some ways I Read the rest of this entry »
Sunday, June 7th, 2009
Better!
Thanks for all the great snack ideas. I picked up cheese, nuts, salsa and a bunch of fruit among other things and I am feeling much better. I also did a tiny bit of menu planning. I have 5 meals planned for the week and I am cautiously optimistic that I can keep up. I did buy a frozen pizza just in case I need a plan b. I probably should have done more prep tonight than I did but Chase was crying first about her teeth (I can see her second set of molars coming in) Read the rest of this entry »
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
Hump Day
Memory followed us home from Target last week. I was curious about whether Chase would be ready for it or not. It turns out to be a pretty fun way to pass a few minutes if you limit the game to about ten pairs or so. We’re still working on it Read the rest of this entry »
Saturday, March 21st, 2009
Organizing
I came home from errands this morning with a car full of boxes and crates. Ben rolled his eyes but unloaded it anyway. Did I mention that I also had 200 lbs of sand in there? Mmm, sandbox. But that’s another story. It feels good to have gotten this shelf straightened out. It was a horrible mess and an eyesore for a long time. I’m hoping that just keeping the stuff contained will help to keep it organized over the long haul. I find that once the bags start to get shuffled around on the shelf it’s the beginning of the end. Things only get worse from there.
I don’t know if using the fabric boxes is a smart idea but we’ll see. They’re mostly filled with dry goods so hopefully they stay as pretty as they are now. I was going to go to IKEA Read the rest of this entry »
Monday, December 15th, 2008
Some Video
I have returned to my sorely neglected blog. Getting ready for Christmas is slowing me down a little (among other happy things, to be discussed later). Last week was busy with work and Ben’s office holiday party and training and this week is the big swearing in. Finally. Can I tell you how much I’m looking forward to the end of this journey?? I think the occasion calls for a nice lunch out with the hubby. Children are not welcome at the ceremony so we’ll be flying solo.
I think that Chase’s gifts are all taken care of at this point and so is Ben’s. The kitchen will get assembled at the last second, the food is done and I bought a tea set that I will probably end up having second thoughts about. I also got her plates and pots to go with the kitchen and a few things for her stocking (most of which, much like her dad, she has already managed to find once or twice. I’m hoping that she doesn’t remember. I’m having enough trouble as it is grappling with the whole concept of santa and explaining it to her. It’s very strange to be on this side of the fence. I haven’t wrapped Ben’s gift yet or put it out, although I’d might as well just give it to him now because the man is so grinchy that a) he has already been able to intuit what I have selected for him or b) will spend all day guessing whenever a package arrives, it never fails.
I took some video the night we put up the tree and Ben shot some of Chase’s first class at Hoppin Tots. I had a brief love affair with vimeo because it links to facebook automatically but what about my 30 second video take 2 hours to process?? I’m sorry, but that’s just kooky.
First Gymnastics Class from sbsterling@gmail.com on Vimeo.
Xmas Interview from sbsterling@gmail.com on Vimeo.
Sunday, October 26th, 2008
New Shoes and Art Blast
Chase got a pair of new shoes today. When I’m not in the market for new baby shoes I see tons of cute styles in all the stores but as soon as I’m actually ready to shell out for them I can’t seem to find anything that will do. We tried Nordtrom yesterday they had a couple of different styles but they had might as well have just had two pairs of loafers, one in brown and one in black in terms of available cuteness. I ended up buying an ok looking pair for way more than I wanted to spend because any price is too much to pay for something you don’t actually want. I feel the same way about buying stuff you don’t need because you have coupon. Anyway, they’re super cute and what I was looking for, I’m happy, she’s happy.
I’ve been buying Stride Rite shoes for her since she started walking and I’m really happy with them. The shoes, while not fabulously cute, strike a good balance between appearance and comfort. The shoes are both sensible and durable and I haven’t heard any complaints from the wee one yet. They make all of their shoes in wide widths that accommodate her fat little feet. In spite of all that I still sometimes, as I do in all similar circumstance, question whether or not it’s really worth the extra money. I have decided that it is.
I base my conclusion on a pair of patent leather mary janes that I picked up at Target. The shoes are cute but they’re the first and only pair that gave her a blister. The shoes are the right size but as soon as they were on she started complaining that she didn’t want to walk. Sure enough, there was a blister on her foot by the end of the day. That was enough to satisfy me, particularly since I discovered the Stride Right outlet at Arundel Mills. Lots of good deals there and plenty of selection.
Our neighborhood has many faults BUT today I was extra happy to be here. We stumbled upon Art Blast at the BMA which ended up being a totally awesome way to spend an absolutely beautiful fall Sunday afternoon. It was nice so we walked over to the playground. We could hear loud music that sounded like a concert. After swinging for about 2 minutes she decided it had to be investigated. Of course, by the time we got down and up the other side of the park the band was playing their last number but no matter; the whole street was closed off and set up for big art projects to celebrate the museum’s newest installation. We ran into some friends, did a little sidewalk chalk and then a big drawing that we turned into a button. Have I mentioned that I’m really big on having fun for free?
I haven’t posted a recipe in eons but I have one, maybe two in the works. In the meantime, I made this fake trifle. There’s no recipe for it. It’s just a quick way to use up leftover cake. I had intended to make a luscious version that I saw on Everyday Food but when it came down to it I just needed something sweet and quick. I just cut the cake into small pieces and layered it in the cup with whipped cream, topped with berries and a little more cream and ate. It was good though and looked really nice… made Ben jealous that I didn’t make him one, hee.
Sunday, September 28th, 2008
I Went to Visit a Farm One Day
I’m still reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I’ve been looking into this for a long while but the book was the final push I needed to really get stuff done. I found Springfield Farm a while back searching for a local farm that did eggs and meat. We drove out there today to visit. It’s so close to the city, only about a half hour or so up 83. We loved it up there. If only we had half a mil, we’d move up there in a heartbeat.
What I wanted to find out for myself was how the animals looked, how they were housed and whether they looked as happy as the website promised they were. They were. I also wanted to meet the owners… the farmers. I wanted to see for myself whether these were nice people. Nice enough for me to want to pay a a little extra to eat the food that they produced. They were. We met a father/daughter team, a woman who may or may not have been the mother and the CUTEST weiner dog-puppy, cutest… ever. They were helpful and friendly and answered all of my questions about packing the deep freezer with meat.
The best part though is that the entire farm is open to inspection, otherwise known as playtime to some, completely unguided and at your own pace. We had such a good time. Chase just soaked it all in. She liked looking at most of the animals but really what she wanted to see were the sheep. She asked for baas over and over again. I never know where she comes up with these things. We saw chickens last weekend at her cousin’s house and she brought that up a couple of times over the last week so I thought she’s be interested in that, but no, just the sheep.
I picked up a few things for the week when we were there today but the idea is to order ahead and buy for a whole month. Bulk orders qualify for a discount so that’s my plan. I made goulash tonight with the stew beef I bought. It tasted… the same as usual. But taste isn’t really what I’m concerned about. It’s the feedlot beef. Over the summer when there was that big media frenzy over the beef processors inhumanely treating cattle I tried to avoid it. I just need to see the headline to get the story I can do without the sordid details. Of course, one of the local channels managed to sneak in some footage without any warning and I have been permanently scarred, the image burned into my memory.
That is what I’m trying to avoid. I really just don’t want to be a part of it to the extent that it’s possible and Michael Pollan’s book has just served to reinforce the point that it’s still no improvement to buy the new products popping up and referred to by all manner or names, natural, organic, grass fed, because bottom line you never know. Unless you can see it with your own eyes. My point is simply that I’m just not sure there’s any difference between conventional meat and the stuff that a lot of places are selling now as organic or grass fed for a lot more money and don’t feel compelled to pay extra for it. I am however willing to pay extra for a product produced locally that I can visit and where I can look the people who are responsible for its production in the eye and see that they are in fact human.
Monday, July 28th, 2008
Restaurant Week
Have you made reservations yet? If it’s in the budget, the restaurant week price just can’t be beat. Considering that it’s not cheap to go out for a couple of plates of microwaved slop at (insert name of big box restaurant here) I think it’s worth it to shell out an extra 20 for a really nice meal. There are a ton of fabulous restaurants participating this year but I had to think practically knowing that we’d be a party of three. I decided around 3 on Saturday that we should go out to dinner. We all got shined up for our 6 o’clock reservation at Pisces at the Hyatt in the Inner Harbor. Early reservations are a good idea if little ones are tagging along, the place wasn’t packed until we were on our way out the door.
I’m more of a neighborhood restaurant type of a gal myself but a hotel restaurant seemed like a good choice in this case. A hotel restaurant works well for fine dining with a baby because they a) see tourists in all manner of disarray and are used to serving families, if even only on occasion, traveling together; b) you’re less likely to play second fiddle to regulars, in my opinion everyone is more likely to be on equal footing at a hotel restaurant; c) this particular choice was on the top floor of the hotel meaning that we had a view of the whole harbor including boats, helicopters and trucks driving by below. The trip included not one but two awesome rides in a glass elevator as well as a walk around the inner harbor complete with bridges and waterfalls just to get there.
All of that and we still weren’t convinced that Chase would sit still through the whole meal. It wasn’t easy but we managed. The staff was really accommodating. When Chase really liked the dried cherries on Ben’s salad, the waiter brought a little dish out just for her. The food was really good. I had a delicious cream of crap soup to start and glazed chilean sea bass as my entree. I like ordering fish when we eat out because it always tastes way better than when I make it at home. I think Ben shies away from ordering fish out because he thinks it WILL taste like I made it at home and then always realizes he’s made the wrong choice. All in all it was a lot of fun. It would be fun to do a date night soon but in the meantime I’ll take my gourmet where I can get it and you should too. Just don’t forget to call ahead for restaurant week reservations. I heard people complaining that you had to call ahead to get the restaurant week prices. Oh, and I caught a look at the regular menu on the way out the door… ouch, good deal is an understatement.
