Too Many Mittens by Florence and Louis Slobodkin

Title: Too Many Mittens
Author: Florence and Louis Slobodkin
Age: 3 years and up
I’m really starting to like some of the older children’s books I run across. This one was written in 1958 and my family really enjoys reading it. It is a simple story of some boys who lose their mittens and then end up collecting a bunch of lost mittens and returning them to their rightful owners. It’s a fun story. Perhaps we are easily amused but I enjoy seeing all those mittens showing up everywhere they go. And how sweet the way they help a bunch of mittens get back to their rightful owners. A nice lesson for all kids! I’m sure I sound old fashioned but a lot of the newer children’s books just seem plain weird.

*this post originally written 5/1/2006

Unplugged Project - Yellow

This weeks theme is yellow!

I had what I thought was a really good idea but it did not turn out that well. I recently purchased a whole set of tempera paint and thought it would be fun to do a painting project. My idea was to have beautiful paintings with a variety of shades of yellow only. We would mix yellow with each of the other colors and talk about what the new color was.

My kids did like painting but the paints I bought (from Oriental Trading) were pretty poor quality and they just frustrated me. But the kids made 2-3 paintings each and we did have some nice conversations about mixing colors so I guess I will lighten up.

Hopefully I will have something with photos next week.

TV Turnoff Week Results

Well, my kids did great! I think they watched 3 videos this week total and stuck to the 30 minutes per day rule for the computer with minimal protesting. They are pretty good at finding something else to do. I did well at being consistent on enforcing that.

The rest of it went pretty poorly. I did well on Monday with keeping my computer usage under control and I really liked it. I only used it at the set times and it really felt good. I felt different - less spastic and rushed and I definitely got more done. I have no good explanation for why I did not continue for the rest of the week since it was really nice. Old habits die hard, I guess.

I am also embarrassed to say I did not do the one activity per day I had planned to do with my kids. My excuse is that they were finding things to do so nicely that I did not have to come up with anything but really I am sure there were times I could have done this. I was a bit thrown off by some things that happened this week and just wasn't able to get it together. We did do some extra reading this week after getting a big new pile of library books!

Now I need to think about what I want to do with my computer habits moving forward....

Mouse Goes Out - Easy Reader

Title: Mouse Goes Out
Author:Phyllis Root

My little one is almost 4 and he absolutely loves this book. It is in the "Brand New Readers" series and contains 4 short, simple stories about a mouse. My son calls it "My I can read book" and is always looking for it to read it over and over again.

After reading it to him a couple of times, he was able to "read" it to himself or to his family members with great pride and joy. I believe it has really helped him with his letter and word recognition, and with his love of books and reading. The story is even simpler than a lot of easy readers so he could grasp it at his young age, but the story is actually quite cute and funny.

I am also looking into some of the other books in the series as a result of the fun we have had with this one.

Portland with Kids: OMSI

I wish I would have re-read this post from Debbie at DeliciousBaby the night before we went. We had a little trouble getting started at OMSI. Not getting there, we asked the front desk staff and our hotel and got good walking directions, but once we got there.

When we paid our $40 (!!!!) admission (not including any of the additional items like the submarine), they did not give us a map. So we just headed up the escalator and ended up in the Life Sciences room. We spent about 15 minutes there but clearly everything was targeted at an older crowd than we had (our boys are 6 and almost 4). I knew I had heard there were hands on activities for little ones and left the family in there to scope it out.

Sure enough, right next door was the Science Playground which is geared towards 6 year olds and younger. It was pretty crowded but our kids did not care at all. They loved it. There were so many activities they enjoyed. They spent almost 1 hour solely in the sand area and eventually we decided to move them along to something else. Is it possible they could have played there all day? They spent about 30 minutes at the amazing water table and got totally soaked, even in the smocks provided. Definitely wear the smock and the boots and BRING A CHANGE OF CLOTHES. I knew it had been suggested to do that, but my kids don't usually get wet in water tables. Bring the change of clothes - they were DRENCHED!

There are also art projects, a grocere store, buckets that go up and down on a pulley and so many other fun things for younger kids to do. After several hours in the Science Playground, we moved downstairs to the Turbine Hall. This is the most amazing part of the museum. If we would have understood the layout of the place, we would have headed straight here when we arrived.

The hands-on activities here are suited for bigger kids or younger kids with their parents assistance. There were so many interesting things here that my kids really loved. Our favorites were probably the ball room (I don't even know how to explain it - it was just totally cool. Go and see it!) or the bottle rockets. We also did actual chemistry labs together and built buildings to withstand earthquakes.

We spent the entire day there. We got there a few minutes after they opened at 9:30 and left right at 5pm as they were closing. We went on a Friday and there were lot of people there but it wasn't so bad we could not do everything we wanted. I imagine it might be harder on the weekends. It was a great day that we all enjoyed even if it totally wore us all out.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Turnoff Week Blog Challenge

It is time again for the Turnoff Week Blog Challenge. This will be our second year participating. I can't believe it is time again already, I feel like I just did this. I think this is a great chance to evaluate how we are doing and set some goals and priorities for our family.

Our current status:

• My kids are allowed to watch 1 video (30 mins-1 hour) each day. Most days they do not even ask for one.
• I don’t watch any television at all.
• Both my kids love playing games and typing on the computer and I have been waffling on the time limits and they have been spending a lot of time doing that.
• I spend way too much time checking email and reading blogs.

I am happy with the limited amount of time my kids watch TV, I am not going to do a TV-free week. I will outline our goals below.


Our goals for the week:

• Limit my kids to 30 minutes each on the computer per day using a free timer program I found online.
• Limit my computer usage by only using it during set periods of time during the day. I think those times will be 7-7:30am, 1-1:30pm, and 7:00-7:30pm. I keep my task list on my computer so I will have to print that in the mornings so I won't go to check it and get "trapped" by the lure of my email.
• Participate in one craft or activity each day with my kids (using that time I would have been reading random blogs!)
  

So I guess the summary is that we are not actually turning everything off, but using this week to try out some new limits and maybe break some bad habits. We’ll see how it goes!

Portland with Kids : Chinese Garden

We had a beautiful sunny (but somewhat cool) afternoon to spend in Portland so after hitting the Portland Saturday Market (by the Skidmore Fountain) we walked a few blocks over to the Classical Chinese Garden.

In addition to a self-guided tour guide, the volunteer staff was nice enough to give us a children's scavenger hunt packet which was a laminated booklet of pictures of things to search for in the garden. This was a great addition as it gave the kids something to do while we walked around. The gardens and buildings are beautiful and the area is so serene and restful. (Would have been more so had we not had kids with us that I was worried would fall right into the easily accessible water)

The admission charge was about $24 and we were probably there about 1-1.5 hours.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Portland with Kids : Pearl District

The Jameson Square fountain is so neat and fun. The weather wasn't even all that good when we were there so we weren't able to get wet but it was still lots of fun. There are rocks to stand on and stay dry while the area fills up all around you, and you can always run from the filling fountain like you would the tides at the beach. We had a really fun time playing around and watching the water cycles.

We did not have a lot of time in the Pearl District as we needed to catch our train, but we also checked out Powell's Bookstore and the Pearl Bakery (yummy croissants!) We will definitely check it out again next time we are in Portland. We also went to the Whole Foods right near Powell's to pick up some lunch for the train and use the restroom facilities.

To get there, we took the streetcar and got off at the last stop before leaving fareless square (10th and Glisan)

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Portland with Kids : World Forestry Center

The World Forestry Center is located right by the Portland Zoo. It is very easily accessible via the light rail line heading west out of downtown.

We spent about 1.5 hours working our way through the exhibits. They had some really neat hands on exhibits which appealed to our young kids. It is not a huge place but it seems very nice and new. It was almost deserted which was a big plus for us as we were able to enjoy everything at our own speed. For example, our kids spent quite a while at the pretend tree planting station.

Since this is an indoor activity, one idea would be to spend some time here before heading to the zoo right next door once the day warms up. Instead, we headed over to the Chinese Garden for the afternoon.

Our family of two adults and two children paid $26 admission. As I said, we enjoyed our 1.5 hours there and are glad we got a chance to check it out.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Portland with Kids: Dining Choices

Well, we did not have that great a food experience on this trip. Meaning - it was fine but we did not get to try any of the interesting places I had researched before we went.

We were all tired by dinner time and did not feel like sitting in a restaurant. Frequently when we travel, I bring a lot of food, which would have worked on this trip since our hotel room had a kitchen. But since we took the train and were traveling lightly, I did not bring much, just some snack food and lunch for the train.

Our hotel provided an extensive breakfast each morning. One day we ate at OMSI for lunch. The cafe there was actually quite good and had some healthy options. One day we ate at the Portland Saturday Market. For our dinners, we ended up ordering delivery two nights - once Hot Lips Pizza and once Chinese food. The other night we stopped off and picked up some sandwiches and sushi and a little place we happened to pass on the way back to our hotel.

Near the end of our visit, I noticed there is a Safeway right on the streetcar line (1030 SW Jefferson). If we would have realized sooner, we could have used it instead of some of the dinner deliveries.

One fun place we got to check out was the Pearl Bakery. The croissants we had were really good. We also stopped at the Whole Food right by Powells Books to get some food for the train ride home.

Maybe next time we will get to try some more of the cool sounding places Portland has to offer....

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Portland with Kids : Hotel Choice

We were very happy with our hotel choice - the Residence Inn - Portland Downtown/Riverplace. It is right on the streetcar line and right beside the last stop before you leave the fareless square on the south end of the line. There is a nice Riverwalk area heading north from there all the way up through Tom McCall waterfront park clear up to Chinatown.

We were able to easily walk over to OMSI which is in a sort of out of the way place not on the light rail or streetcar line. The streetcar crosses the light rail line, so it was super easy to get to anywhere else we wanted to go.

Our room was actually 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with a separate sitting area and full kitchen. There was actually a full refrigerator and a full dishwasher. There was even a table for 4 which really came in handy. It was very comfortable. The hotel had a very nice hot breakfast buffet that is included with the room which got our day off to a great start.

They also have a little grab-and-go area where you can pick up some things you need - like to address a late night ice cream craving! Another plus was the free wifi in the room. One of our favorite features was the pool which was never crowded and a great place to use a little time between activities or to make sure we used up all the kids energy before bedtime.

Our room was on the freeway side of the building and although the sounds did not really bother us, I would likely ask for a room on the other side next time. Something to consider if you are sensitive to sounds while sleeping. Besides that, this hotel is in such a quiet area, you don't get any of the city noises like you would closer to downtown.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Riding the Train (Seattle to Portland)

Wow! How cool it is to ride the train. I could not get over how much more relaxing it is than flying or driving. Even though the train was full, there were no crowds or waiting except for the unfortunate seating assignment situation. There is no security process like when you fly and all the personnel I talked with were very kind. It probably helped I started every question with a big smile and, "This is our first time on the train..."

How to Get Tickets
I bought my tickets online at the Amtrak website. When you buy them, you print out a confirmation page with a barcode on it and take it when you go to the train station. I imagine you could check-in at the counter (where there was never a line) or you can do like I did and scan your barcode at the kiosk and get your tickets printed. You sign your tickets and then hang onto them until seating assignments are made (see below)

Checking Baggage
Check the Amtrak site for info on weight and size limts. If you get to the station in time (30 minutes before departure they say), you can check your bags. Ours were small enough that we could have carried them on but we went ahead and checked them so we would not have to deal with them. There was no line there either and it was very quick, you just show your tickets and they tag your bags for your destination. We put our small bags in the bins above our seats so we could get things out during the ride. But only small backpacks or briefcases really fit up there. Anything else you carry-on goes in the bins at the end of the car, and those bins looked pretty full. We had no trouble picking up our bags very quickly after we got off the train.

Seating Assignments
So you can buy your ticket in advance online, but you cannot get your seating assignments until you are at the station. Look around for the sign that says seating assigments. This is where people will line up and the train conductors with pass out the assignments. Note that only one member of the party has to stand in the line. I did that with the tickets while my husband was entertaining the kids in the station.

They start assigning them about 30 minutes before the departure time, but you may want to line up sooner. In Portland, we were there 15 minutes before that time, and the line was already quite long, so long that we did not get the kind of seats we wanted. Next time, I will plan to be there to line up 45-60 minutes before departure because I want to have my choice of seats (see below)

Where to sit
From Seattle to Portland we sat in 4 seats around a table (so 2 seats were backwards) It was so awesome. It was perfect for our family. Eating the lunch we brought from home was so convenient with the table and if we would have gotten a chance it would have been great for playing cards. The kids did a lot of drawing and coloring with the items they packed in their carry-ons and it was so nice to have the hard surface. If your kids are littler than mine (3.5 and 6), you may prefer the 4 facing seats without the table. Then they can climb in and out of your lap etc without the table in the way. The four seats together was so nice because both parents were able to engage with the kids and one did not get stuck with the kids while the other focused on driving.

From Portland to Seattle we set in two adjacent rows facing the same direction. That was not nearly as nice as it was hard to communicate and pass things over the high seat backs. Of course, you are not confined to your seat so it wasn't so hard to move around and get the things we needed. Next time, I would ask for 2 seats with the other 2 across the aisle instead of behind. I think that would be easier.

Just make a request when you get to the front of the line, they did seem to want to accommodate if possible.

Length of Ride
Our train trip was scheduled for 3 hours and 40 minutes. There was some variation depending on which train you scheduled to take. On the way down to Portland, we had to stop several times for maintenance on the tracks, so it took an additional 45 minutes. On the way back, we ran pretty much right on time. Even so, I don't think it takes quite that long to drive it.

Plus we walked about 30 minutes (fairly slow as the kids were on foot) to the bus stop and then took the bus about 20 minutes to the train station. So if you add up our transit time from home to hotel, it was quite a bit longer than driving.

Scenery
The views from the train were breathtaking. I could have spent the whole time looking out the windows at the mountains and water, other trains, trucks, cranes and all sorts of things. The kids attention span wasn't so long but they did enjoy the barges and tugs and trains we saw.

Food
We packed our own lunches for the train. On the way there, we brought it from home and on the way back we picked some things up at Whole Foods and a bakery. There is food available on the train but it is all prepackaged stuff and did not look particularly appealing. We did notice there was a bit of a line right at lunch time but it did die down a bit later.

Comfort on the Ride
We thought the seats were very comfortable and enjoyed the ride. You could definitely feel the train moving, especially when you were walking around or trying to use the bathroom. The kids enjoyed exploring the train but did have a little trouble walking around as the train rocks and bumps a bit. I was a bit concerned before we went, but we did not have any trouble with motion sickness. The air felt a lot fresher than on an airplane and I did not feel as confined either.

Bathrooms
Well, every parent wants to know the bathroom situation. The good news is that the bathrooms were plentiful on the train. There is one bathroom in each car (I think about 36 passengers per car). So there were no lines for the bathrooms. You could always walk to the next car if yours was occupied. Plus you are never confined to your seat so you can go whenever you need to with no pesky seatbelt signs! The bad news is that the bathrooms were tiny, just like airplane bathrooms. Not the most fun to try to squeeze into with a little one, but definitely do-able. My tip is don't back up to the sink to try to allow your preschooler to squeeze in as well or you may possibly get the back of your pants wet from the sink. Just a thought ;-)

Getting to and from the Station
The bus stop (5th and Jackson, or 4th and Jackson) is very close to the King Street Station in Seattle so it was totally easy to transfer from the bus to the train, even in the rain! We did not look into the bus routes in Portland, so we walked several blocks to the streetcar stop at 11th and Glisan and took it down to our hotel. Alternately, you could probably walk to the light rail too. You are in the fareless square at that point so you can just hop on either without buying a ticket.

Please let me know if you have any questions about riding the train.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Books to Grow On - Alphabet 2

My library has a really awesome program called Books to Grow On They have put together theme kits on all kinds of different topics that are available for check out by any library patron. Included in the kits are not just books (usually around 10) but also cassettes or CDs, VHS tapes or DVDs, puzzles or other activities, and ideas for a parent or teacher on ways to expand on the theme. If you think this sounds like fun, ask your library if they have such a thing. And if you live in the Puget Sound Area like I do, take a look at the Books to Grow On page on the King County Library website and find whatever topic your little one is clamoring for!

We recently brought home the Books to Grow On Alphabet 2 box and enjoyed reading and reading and reading lots of unique and interesting ABC books that I am not sure I would have found on my own. Here’s some information on our favorites from this box.


Title: A is for Asia
Author: Cynthia Chin Lee
Ages:3 and older
I wasn’t sure how interesting my son would find this book. I flipped through it and thought it looked neat but wasn’t sure if there was too much text or if the content was too unfamiliar to him. I really wanted to read it with him because I think it will only benefit him to learn about other countries and cultures at a young age. I must admit as we got to the “P” page I was not really playing attention to what I was reading – I was too busy worrying about how to raise a culturally sensitive child. The last line on the “P” page is that pandas love to eat honey as a special treat. As I finished reading that page, my 3-year old said “Pandas like honey but usually they eat bamboo.” I was just amazed at how smart he was. How did he remember that? I looked at the pictures and sure enough there was bamboo but would he really recognize it? The mystery was solved when I asked him how he knew that they usually ate bamboo. He said “Mommy read that in the book.” Good job mom! If I had been paying more attention, I would have realized that was exactly what that page said. Anyway he really found this book really interesting and has already asked me to get it from the library again.


Title: ABC of Crawlers and Flyers
Author: Hope Ryden
Ages:3-4 years
My son is really into the ABCs right now so he enjoys seeing each of the letters as he practices. It was fun to learn about different insects and other creepy crawlers but I think it is pretty dumbed down. I don’t think your school-age child would benefit much from the scientific content but it was perfect for my 3-year old. We both enjoyed all the pictures (Ok – I did not enjoy the Tick page but he liked them all!) This was the perfect time to read it as they are studying bugs and butterflies now in preschool.



Title: O is for Orca
Author: Andrea Helman
Age: 3-4 years
I really like that this is a Pacific Northwest book. The photographs were great and we had some really long discussions about many of the items covered in the book. Anyone know other books that focus on this region? I’d love to get some more.

**This post was originally written 5/11/2006**

Books about Ferries

If you are planning on a ferry ride anytime soon, it would be fun to check out a few books about them. Here are some that we have enjoyed. Even if you don't have a ferry nearby to ride, kids will enjoy learning about ferries, especially if they are into other modes of transportation.

Title: Ferryboat
Author: Betsy and Giulio Maestro
Ages: 3 and older

We took our preschooler on vacation recently where he had the joy of riding on a ferry for the first time. (Toddlers are great at teaching us how simple matters of transportation are actually quite thrilling.) I was so excited when I found this book to extend the ferry fun. He just LOVES this book! It has a really detailed and interesting explanation of how a ferry works (where the engine is, where the driver sits, how they dock it, etc). The illustrations have lots of little details my son likes to point at and ask questions about. Even if you never get to ride on a ferry, I think your little one would enjoy seeing how they work. I know this has been a great springboard for my son pretending to be a ferry driver and transporting all his toy cars and trucks all over our house. I am all for things that get kids imaginations going! I wonder if there are any other good ferry books. Got a recommendation?

*the above book review was originally written 4/24/2006

Title: Ferryboat Ride
Author: Anne Rockwell
Ages: 3 and older

This book is a bit longer than the one above and my 6-year old has really been enjoying it. He is always fascinated by this sort of thing. It is fun to have 2 ferry books to look at, because the ferries are quite different. Also the books point out different interesting things about ferries.

Unplugged Project - Long

Well, this week I let my 6 year-old run the show. One afternoon this week, he was wandering around the house looking for something to do. Finally he said, I want to do that weekly project thing we used to do. It was neat to see that he had not forgotten about the Weekly Unplugged Projects.

I was in the middle of something, so I told him the theme was "Long" and he sat for a while and brainstormed some ideas. Finally he hit upon something he thought he could do independently. He got the yard stick and a piece of paper and pen, and then wandered around the house measuring various things. As he measured each thing, he wrote down what it was and how long it was. He wanted to compare them and see what was the "longest."

I usually like to be a bit more involved, to give us something fun to do together, but it was fun to see him do it himself.

Our Plan for Dining in Portland

When we travel, I generally pack as much as I can with us. Since we will be taking the bus and train down to Portland from the Seattle area, I will be somewhat limited in what I can take. I am planning to pack lunch to eat on the train on the way there.

Our hotel is supposed to serve a hot breakfast so I am hoping we will eat that each morning. I will supplement that with muffins and also bring other snacky items if we need something between meals. We will be eating lunch at our destinations, like the cafe at OMSI. Dinner we will try to hit some of the places that I have heard good things about.

I printed off this cool info sheet on the Pearl District and it lists several yummy sounding dinner options:
http://www.deliciousbaby.com/travel/usa/or/portland/itinerary/pearl-kids/

We might stop in somewhere that is not on my list, but I would much rather have some ideas before we go. I hate being hungry (or having hungry kids) and having trouble finding somewhere to eat.

I'd like to stop by Whole Foods before we leave and pack a picnic for the train ride home, or we may dine on the train. My general experience is that food is not good in that kind of setting but I have not ridden Amtrak before.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Title: Dear Zoo
Author: Rod Campbell
Age: Birth – 3 years

As I pick books to write about – I realize I am a freak for lift-the-flap books. They are just so much fun. Kids of all ages can lift the flaps and be surprised and I think it is so neat for the book to have a level of interaction built it. Plus we get to guess what animal is peeking out. It is really engaging! I especially like all the different type of flaps this book has – keeps you on your toes. Ours has been read 100s of times but my flaps are holding up quite nicely. I wish I could remember who gave us this book as a gift – I’d love to tell them how much we read and enjoy it.

*this blog post originally written 4/25/2006

Portland Trip with Kids Plan - Spring 2009

Well, I basically have a plan for our Portland weekend. I have sifted through tons of information about activities in Portland and basically listed them in priority order. Then I take a look at our calendar and try to piece them in like a puzzle. Some of the lower priority items are listed as optional depending on how our days is going. Some possibilities are that the kids are exhausted and need to relax some, or an activity is not as interesting as we had hoped and we have to move on. I am the kind of person that has to have a plan, but I also know I have to be flexible and adapt as we go.

Unfortunately, we ended up shaving one day from our trip, and the train ride is eating up a bit more of our day than we realized so we don't have a ton of time. (My mind has already started wandering to when we might go again!) So here is my list....

Top Priorities:
OMSI
World Forestry Center

Optional:
Zoo or Children's Museum (Weather?)
Chinese Garden
Powells

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Train Leaves the Station

Title: Train Leaves the Station
Author: Eve Merriam
Ages: 3 years – 5 years

I keep reading this book thinking I am totally missing something and it will soon become clear. My 3-year old and I are not really enjoying it. It has drawings of completely random things that are only pictured because they rhyme with the number being covered on that page. My son wants to know why there is a beehive floating in the sky over the train on the number five (rhymes with hive!) page. At least I can tell him that it rhymes. Still not sure about the berry on the bush...

*This blog post orginally written 4/20/2006

Choosing a Hotel in Portland

I have finally decided on a hotel to stay at in Portland when we travel down there with the kids next month. There are so many factors to consider that it took me a while to sort through the options and figure out what our priorities are.

If price or location were the top priority, we would have gone with one of the smaller hotels right in downtown or the Pearl district, but many of the rooms seemed quite small with 2 double beds very close together.

We came very close to choosing the Embassy Suites hotel. It is just two blocks from the light rail line and pretty close in. I was liking it because of the separate bedroom and sitting room, the hot breakfast included and the pool.

In the end, we decided to go with the Residence Inn - Portland Downtown/Riverplace. This is the reason why. The #1 reason that we do not travel more is sleep. My kids are fabulous sleepers at home but usually we have some sort of trouble when traveling, especially with falling asleep. If my husband and I do not get our sleep at night, we are very tired and have a hard time enjoying our vacation.

At this point, it is mainly the younger one, so I am hoping in a few years this will not be as big a factor. So for now, the lure of a 2 bedroom suite was too much to resist. There are actually 2 separate bedrooms and a sitting room so we will have plenty of space and the sleeping experience will be much more similar to home. And if someone has trouble, we have a much better chance for most everyone else to stay asleep. With all that space it is not the cheapest option but it turned out to be cheaper than the 1 bedroom suites at the Embassy Suites.

(The weekday rate is astronomical but the weekend AAA rate is quite affordable.)

The Residence Inn also has a pool and a hot breakfast included plus a bonus of high speed internet. So really the only factor I was concerned about is location. It is not as close in to downtown as the other hotels I was looking at. But it is right at a streetcar stop so we can take it up to the light rail line or very close to the train station. Also we are devoting one full day to OMSI and we can just walk there from the hotel.

(Side note: This is a popular way to get to OMSI anyway if you don't have a car... take the streetcar to the same stop and then walk over the Hawthorne Bridge. If we had picked the Embassy Suites, then I was going to look into bus routes but we might possibly have taken the same walk)

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

You can be a digger man too!

Title : Digger Man
Author: Andrea Zimmerman

This book is so great - just perfect for little boys like mine who have baby brothers. This little guy in the book takes his little brother with him in his big new digger. My son get so tickled by it.

*this post originally written 6/30/2006

The Potty Book for Boys

Title:The Potty Book for Boys
Author:Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Age: 2 years - 3 years

This book is a must have for the whole potty-training adventure - Especially if your son is like mine. He was so squeamish about the whole thing – this book has cute pictures (keep an eye on that crazy teddy) and makes using the potty sound like a lot of fun. And maybe my son wasn’t the only squeamish one. I wasn’t interested in some of the more explicitly worded (and illustrated) books. This book is helpful in getting the ball rolling and was a great springboard to talk about things the way we felt comfortable.

Another tip if you have a child that is “slow to warm” to the potty – do try having him sit on it with ALL his clothes on for a while until he adjusts. I felt very silly about it but it did help.

Note: There is, of course, a girls version as well.
The Potty Book for Girls

*Originally written 4/19/2006

Unplugged Project - Bottle

We participated in this week's Unplugged Project again. The theme this week is Bottle!

Here is a description of the science project lead by my sweet husband.
Take an empty wine bottle and put some vinegar in it.
Then take a balloon and put some baking soda in it.
Carefully without spilling the baking soda, slide the opening in the balloon onto the top of the wine bottle.
When ready, pick up the top of the balloon so that the baking soda spills into the bottle.
When baking soda and vinegar mix, the released gas blows up the balloon.

Enjoy!

Traveling from Seattle to Portland by Train

We are super excited about going down to Portland in a month or so. I just love the idea of going somewhere close and fairly simple and enjoying a little bit of adventure.

The simplest way to go is by car for sure and that is what we have done in the past. The best thing about that is the schedule flexibility. Plus it is even faster to drive than to take the train. Even without adding in the time it will take us to ride the bus to the train station. So why on earth are we trying the train this time?

Adventure - this is way more exciting than driving the old family car down
that boring stretch of I-5
Train enthusiasm - my kids love trains and all things transportation related
Environmental - one less car on the road

I would have loved to add Economics to the list but the big question is --

Is it cheaper to take the train?
I don't think so.

There are many hotel deals that you can swing and not have to pay for parking, but if you don't find one of those then you will pay $20/day to park if you drive there. (So this depends somewhat on how long you are staying.) And of course if we drive there, we will have to pay for gas. Gas prices are pretty reasonable right now so I don't think that would be more than $50.

So we are saving $110 by taking the train and the train is going to cost around $150.

We'll let you know how it goes and if we recommend taking the train from Seattle to Portland.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Ducks in Muck

My four year old has been avoiding any attempts to teach him to read. I think it is a bit intimidating. Wanting to build up confidence, I gave it a shot with a super simple book.

Ducks in Muck
by Lori Haskins

He "read" almost the whole thing, thanks to the fact that there are only a few words used again and again in the whole book. His huge smile when we got to the end was very rewarding.

*this post originally written 4/25/2007

Where is Baby's Mommy? Flap Book

Title:Where is Baby's Mommy?
Author:Karen Katz
Age: Birth - 2 years

This is the coolest flap book. My oldest son received it as a first birthday gift from a friend and we read it over and over again. Now my younger son, who is 9 months, loves it too. It has these wonderful, BIG flaps, that are so easy that my little one lifts them himself. He gets the biggest kick out of opening the last one and seeing the mommy and the baby snuggling under the blanket. It helps that I say "Peekaboo" over and over again as he opens and shuts, opens and shuts.

She has a couple of other fun books and they even sell a really cute box set that makes a GREAT baby gift for less than $10.

**Originally written 4/18/2006

Things That Go

Title:Big Book of Things That Go
Author:DK Publishing
Ages: 2 years - 5 years

This is a big book and perfect for that toddler or preschooler who loves all manner of THINGS THAT GO. Each page covers some category like : In the City, At Sea, or On the Construction Site. Then there are a bunch of photographs of machines with a little text explaining what it is.

Here’s how we use it with my 3 year old. First we go the table of contents. Then he tells me which section he wants (He can’t read – he just tells me from memory or I start reading them out to him) Then I show him how I find out what page it is on by using the Table of Contents and how to find that page in the book. What a fun way to learn about books and numbers! Then when we get to the page, he points to which truck he is interested in and I read the text and we talk about that machine till he is ready to move to another.

I also catch him flipping through it sometime looking at the incredibly large amount of really interesting pictures when he is playing alone in his room.

**Originally written April 16, 2006

Hiking In Portland

When we decided to visit Portland, I requested a pile of books from our local library. I am loving looking through them all, even if it is a bit overkill for such a short trip. I just like to know what my options are and also just enjoying looking at travel books.

The ones I am looking through today are Portland Forest Hikes and Portland City Walks.

Our family really enjoys "hiking." I put it in quotes because some people may call what we do "walking" with 2 young children. But we really enjoy doing active things and like to have some options on vacations that do not involve crowds and spending money. So that is why I requested these two books - one on walking in the city and one with nearby nature hikes.

Portland City Walks looks like it has a lot of good information in it. But dragging the kids along city streets for several miles has the potential to go poorly. I am going to hang onto this book so we can maybe do sections of walks that correspond with where we will be walking anyway.

Portland Forest Hikes also looks like a really handy guide. I quickly sifted through the hikes and came up with 2 options (there are 20 in the book) that meet my requirements for length, elevation gain and ability to get there via public transit. (More on how we will not have our car later!) The two hikes I found (#1 and #5) are 3 miles or less and reachable via TriMet bus.

I'll have to add these ideas to my growing list of possibilities which I will need to narrow down at some point.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

My Car

Title:My Car
Author:Byron Barton
Age: 1 year- 3 years


Ok, we are big Byron Barton fans in this house. He has written a bunch of really cute/informative books, lots having to do with THINGS THAT GO, which my readers are starting to realize is my 3-year old's favorite subject. They are all nice to read with the interesting but simple illustrations and short text.

But by far the absolute favorite of these in our house is My Car. Instead of just having dry information about cars, this book has a cute little story about a guy named Sam. For some reason I get such a kick out of it - a simple baby book with a plot. (And lots of fun illustrations of cars.) What more can you ask for?

**This post was written 4/13/2006**

Ideas for Portland, OR trip

I think this trip to Portland is going to be a lot of fun. There seem to be so many places to visit. Right now I am trying to list all the places we might want to go, and then see how many days we need.

I noticed they have an Attractions Pass available which seems like it could be a good deal, depending of course on how many of the places you were planning on going.

Here are the ideas I have so far:

• Farmers Market- Sat or Sunday
• Waterfront Park and Maritime Museum
• OMSI
• Washington Park - Zoo, Children's Museum, World Forestry Center Discovery Museum
• Hoyt Arboretum
• Downtown Fountains

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Unplugged Project : Float

We participated in this week's Unplugged Project again. The theme this week is FLOAT and we decided to do more science projects. My kids are pretty little so this was super simple, but we really had a fun time making predictions about what would happen and trying different things out as we thought of them.

The original idea came from yet another library book - this one called Boats, Ships, Submarines and Other Floating Machines by Ian Graham.

So basically we started by filling a bowl with water and talking about how some things float and some things sink. After discussing that heavy things sink, we talked specifically about play-doh. When I put a ball of play-doh in the water, it sunk of course. But when I made the play-doh into a boat like shape then it floated. This is to show that it also has to do with the shape and not just the weight.

After that we floated a metal jar lid and I let the boys mess around with it to figure out in what situations it would float and when it would sink. They really had a nice time with that, and got a little wet which is always a plus for kids.

I confess I also tried another activity from the book to make a submarine but was not quite able to get it to work. Maybe tomorrow we will give that another shot.

I did take photos but this project was not very photogenic so there wasn't really anything worth posting.

Oldie but Goodie: "Count and See" by Tana Hoban

Title: Count and See
Author:Tana Hoban
Ages: 3 years- 5 years

My 3-year old adores this book. He is obsessed with counting right now and he loves to look through this book INDEPENDENTLY. (Making this one of my favorite books as well) The pictures are all really nice black and white photographs. Ok, I know that sounds boring but it is actually really nice. I have to warn you of something else. Don’t laugh at the cover photo - This book was written in the 70s. All the other photos are of items that don’t show their age.

Each page has the number in digits and spelled out in letters, plus dots to count AND a photograph of something really interesting to count. It goes straight from 1-15 and then 20, 30, 40,50 and 100. Really great since my son was getting really tired of counting only from 1-10.

**This post was originally written 4/14/2006**

Resources for Portland Activities with Kids

Here are a few internet resources to take a look at to get ideas of things to do with the kids in Portland.

www.metro-parent.com - This is a local parent magazine. You can view the current issue online which includes a calendar of events for the month. Right now the Jan issue is up but I am going to check back closer to our trip and see what is going on the week we will be there. I already learned a few neat things, like OMSI has a cheap admission fee the first Sunday of the month.

They also have the results up from their reader survey of family favorites for all sorts of categories here.

There is another local magazine - Portland Family - that also allows you to view the issue online and check out their event calendar.

This blog - http://www.pdxfamilyadventures.com/ - looks cool too. It goes into lots of details about each attraction it mentions. I love that so I can feel really prepared. It reviews favorably several attractions like the Forestry Center that I was curious about but had never talked to anyone who had been before. Looks like a great resource!

I think at this point I have way too many ideas of what to do on our trip. It is amazing how much information is out there!

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

More Birthday Cakes

I absolutely love looking at homemade birthday cakes so I am really enjoying the Birthday Cake Round-up that FishMama is doing on her blog! The cakes are all so cute and I am getting some good ideas of themes to "suggest" to my boys. I love that not all of them are perfect but that everyone is taking the time to make these cakes for their kids and share them with the rest of us.

It has inspired me to share a few more imperfect but well-loved cakes from our family:


Lego Cake - Just baked a 9x13 sheet cake and then cut into blocks. Pegs are marshmallows.












Froggy Cupcakes







Sheep








Bunny - this is special to me because my mom made one just like it for one of my birthdays










And lastly, a construction cake and a fire engine one too. These were easier than the ones above but the birthday boy loved them just as much!

Birthday Cake Round-Up

When I saw FishMama was doing a Birthday Cake Round-up on her blog tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to participate. I am no expert cake decorator and don't usually get into many creative or artistic things like that but for some reason I have always wanted to make and decorate my kids birthday cakes. For me it really makes the birthday special.

So my problem was picking which cake to show in my post, seeing as I have made about 7 at this point. Some were better than others but my kids loved them all. This one was one of my favorites - for my oldest son's 5th birthday party.

Bedtime Books for Babies

They say that it is never too early to start reading to your child. When I first started reading to my newborn, I felt a little weird, since my baby had no apparent interest (or even awareness) of the book. But as he gets older, I can really see his love growing for books. One of my favorite times to read is right before putting him down for bed. It is a nice part of a bedtime routine that lets him know what to expect next and paves the way for a smooth trip to the land of nod.

Here are some of my favorite short bedtime stories for babies:

Title: The Book of Bedtimes
This is perfect for the smallest of babies. This board book has 10 pages and each page has a drawing of an animal sleeping and two words. It rhymes and really flows off your tongue.

Title: Time For Bed
This one is a little bit longer at 14 pages. The text is still pretty short and is really beautiful. My husband and I end up quoting it throughout the day and calling our kids all sorts of pet names like “little goose.” It has also prompted my husband to ask my toddler interesting questions like “What happened today that made you laugh?” which always elicits and giggle. I am currently reading this one at least once a day to my 9-month old and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.

Title: The Going to Bed Book
This one is great for babies and toddlers and even preschoolers. The text is little longer and has Sandra Boynton’s typical fun style. It is a great poem and it won’t be long before you can recite the whole thing from memory.

Anyone have more favorite baby bedtime stories?

** This post was originally written 4/25/2006 **

Unplugged Project : Balls

We participated in this week's Unplugged Project again. The theme this week is BALLS and we decided to do something involving paint. We have not painted in quite a while. One thing about our projects is that we almost never buy something for them but choose to work within the items we already have. (This explains why all our painting projects are blue and yellow for example!)


Anyway, I chose to do the project where you line the bottom of a box with construction paper, dip a ball in paint, and have the child tilt the box back and forth, which makes the ball paint a pattern on the construction paper. My kids both participated this week (ages 3 and 6) and they both enjoyed it. In fact, they each made two pictures. I think they would have done more if we would have had the time.


The instructions I found on the internet said to use a golf ball but we don't have any of those so we just used a bouncy ball. The tempera paint washed right off when we were done. If the ball is too light, I don't think it will work as well, so I would use the heaviest one you have.

Portland Oregon with Kids in December 2007

As we plan a trip for this Spring to Portland with the kids, I am trying to think back on the details of our last trip to Portland. We had a really great visit and have been planning on heading back down there ever since.

Our last trip was quite different than this one, as it was completely spur of the moment. We had a big windstorm and lost our power and decided to take a road trip down to Portland where we would have electricity (it was mainly HEAT we wanted.)

We stayed in Vancouver that time and drove a short distance to a park-n-ride at a light rail station and headed into downtown Portland . That first place we hit was the visitors center at Pioneer Courthouse Square and talked to an incredibly helpful lady. This was so crucial since we had not had time to plan in advance.

Location: 701 S.W. Sixth Ave. at Morrison St.

Open Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.;
Closed Sun. November - April.

Call 503.275.8355 or toll-free 1.87.PORTLAND (1.877.678.5263).

I don't remember the details but I do remember lots of public transportation which was a treat for the kids. We enjoyed riding the light rail and the street car. The Children's Museum was a big hit. The big downer of the trip was it was FREEZING outside. Literally the highs were in the low 30s and it was so windy. We just bundled up and made the best of it but it did put a damper on the activities we could do.

It was a pretty short trip but this time we will have more time AND hopefully the weather will be significantly warmer! We are looking forward to seeing what else there is to see there.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Budget Tip - Cook More from Scratch

Alternate Title - Conquering your Cooking Fears

I am just so glad that I finally tried making tortillas today. They were not really round, but they tasted really good and it was so cheap to do. I have been wanting to try for so long, after I realized how expensive tortillas were at the grocery store, relative to other things that I buy. I was really scared that they would not turn out, either not cooking through or sticking to the pan. Neither of those things happened and really it was a pretty quick process.

Here is the tutorial I followed:
Tortillas at Cooking During Stolen Moments

I have also made yummy pita pockets like this:
Pita Pockets at Tammy's Recipes

It is also easy to make things like sandwich bread or hamburger buns, especially if you have a bread machine you got as a wedding present hiding in your closet.

I also conquered another cooking fear this week - Cinnamon Rolls:
Cinnamon Rolls at Pioneer Woman

I halved the batch and decreased some of the butter and sugar in the filling, plus I made my own frosting. They were so good in spite of the fact that my rolling was a bit uneven.

Budget Tip - Pay Attention to How much you use!

I confess - I tried to make my own dish detergent. And then I kept trying it, thinking it would miraculously start working better. And you know what, it didn't! The glasses never did rinse clean. And yes fellow frugalites, I did try vinegar as a rinse aid. It just did not work for me.

So instead I am back using regular detergent, but way less per wash than ever before. I started pouring it into a plastic tub and scooping it out with a measuring spoon instead of pouring random amounts into the washer each time it ran. Then, this week I had an epiphany, and switched to a measuring spoon half the size as the one I was using and.... it still works great!

So there is my frugal tip!

Unplugged Project : Balance

We finally got another chance to participate in an Unplugged Project. I have really missed doing them and wanted to get back into it this week. So I was super-excited to see this week's theme - BALANCE - and knew immediately what I wanted to do.

We read a lot of science books from the library and one topic we seem to hit a lot is simple machines. As soon as I saw the theme was balance, I thought of a lever and remembered that one of our current library books even had some ideas for activities related to levers.

The book is called How Things Work:Lifting by Levers by Andrew Dunn. The activity is to balance a ruler (we used a tongue depressor) and experiment with moving some quarters around to get it in balance. I don't want to explain all the science here but it was very cool. We started with 1 quarter on each side and equal distance from the center (fulcrum) and then added a quarter to one side and discussed how we could get it back in balance. There are several ways, one is moving the single quarter further out.

Anyway, I am probably not explaining it great but we had a really fun time and I know it made levers a lot clearer for me and hopefully for my six-year old too. Check out the book at your local library and you can try it too!

As I was writing this, I felt like I had written about simple machines before. Turns out for a previous unplugged project we also made a simple machine, a pulley out of tinker toys.

Traveling to Portland , Oregon with Kids

We are super excited to be heading back to Portland for a family vacation this Spring. We live in the Seattle area so it is not too far away but is a really fun city to visit.

I am right in the midst of the early stages of planning. I went to the library website and requested some very recent travel books for the Portland area. I am excited to see what kind of fun activities I will run across in those. I also did some looking around on the internet.

These links were especially helpful:
http://www.deliciousbaby.com/travel/usa/or/portland/
(There are also lots of other blog entries here on visiting Portland with kids, not just this really useful looking City Guide)
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9801E2D81E31F935A25750C0A9619C8B63
http://www.travelportland.com/

I plan on adding more posts on this as we make decisions about how we are getting there and where we will stay and what activities we will try to fit in.

*Note: I have written a bunch of posts about Portland so if you want to read more, click on the Portland Label at the end of the post, and you will see all the Portland entries.

Playing with Word Families

We had a great time the other day, making our own word family sliders. Do you know what I am talking about? You take a sheet of paper and cut two side-by-side slits in the it and thread a thin strip of paper through the slits. Then you right the end of a word family on the larger paper, and as you slide the thin paper through, you write the initial letters in the opening so you make a whole set of words.

Wow, that sure was clear! Anyway, we made a bunch of them and both my kids got into it and learned more about letters and their sounds. The one in the photo is the -AT word family so I wrote AT on the blue paper. Then on the pink strip, we have B C F H M P R S. So as you slide the strip through, you get to make 8 different words.

We also made -OT, -IT, -OP.

The Month After the 30 days of nothing!

So, how much did I spend in October? I thought that would be an interesting thing to look at since I did the "30 Days of Nothing" Challenge in September.

In review, basically I tried to buy only necessities and limited my grocery budget to $200 for the whole month of September.

In October, I spent $400 on groceries. While significantly more that the previous month, it is right inline with what I want to be spending in a regular month. I also started my Christmas shopping and bought some items I had been putting off like new shoes for my son, vitamins, and reusable water bottles.

Overall, I am pleased. I did not go overboard in October and I stayed within my budget. Having the surplus in September helped me dig out of some holes so now I am right on track.

Grocery Wrap-Up : 30 days of Nothing

Yeah! I did not spend any money since my last trip so I came to the end of the month with a few extra dollars.



I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I want to do next month. Originally I thought I would do a $200 or $300 plan similar to this month. But to be honest, I am sick of the plain boring meals we have had. Sick of making them and sick of eating them. I think I will up it a bit more than that, but still keep a little extra room so I can stock up on things as needed.



It has been fun! I am so glad I participated in the 30 Days of Nothing Challenge.

Non-food Purchases : 30 Days of Nothing

Well, I have really enjoyed the 30 Days Challenge. It has made me so much more aware of what I was spending money on. In order to spend as little as possible this month, my main strategy was to stay out of the stores (and avoid looking at the sale ads.)

I think it went well. I definitely purchased a few things I had not planned on at the start of the month. Most were actually needs like bandaids and medicines needed for sick kids. I did end up breaking down and purchasing paper products - like wax paper and foil - and I had said at the start I would just make do.

As I look over my recorded purchases, I am pleased with how I did even though there are a few things we could probably debate whether they were wants or needs.

Tomorrow will be my last post on this, summing up my food budget.

Grocery Trip #6 : 30 Days of Nothing

Continuing the 30 Days Challenge ..


I made what I hope and plan will be my last grocery store run of the month. I have a menu plan for these last few days and I should have everything covered to last me not just to the end of the month but actually until Friday, which is supposedly my usual store day.



Today I bought whole wheat flour, corn meal, brown sugar, butter, cream and milk. I was going over the list with my husband last night and he said the cream was a necessity. (We want to make apple crisp and homemade ice cream!) Who am I to argue with that? Luckily it did fit into the budget.

That takes me to $194.78. Wow, I even have a few dollars left. I thought it was going to be even closer as they did not have one item on my list today, so it will end up waiting until next month.

Hopefully the next few days will go according to plan!

Grocery Trip #5 : 30 Days of Nothing

Continuing the 30 Days Challenge ...

This actually wasn't a grocery trip. I have a lot of food in our house, thanks to all the apples we picked and my CSA subscription, so I did not really want to go to the store but we were in need of milk. (I figure the less I go, the better for my budget.)

I had to go to the drug store to get a prescription. I figured it would be too much, but I walked by the milk just in case, and it was only 4 cents more than what I normally pay at my grocery store. So I got it. I bought myself a few days.

So yesterday morning I bought 1 gallon of milk for $2.79.

My total so far this month: $178.97. I think I can make it.... We'll see. I will still have to go to the store before the end of the month to get butter and whole wheat pastry flour and sugar.

Grocery Trip #3 and #4 : 30 Days of Nothing

Continuing the 30 Days Challenge ...

Sorry for the late update. We have been out of town. I packed simple food for most of our meals and we ate few meals out (dining in restaurants does not come out of my grocery budget although I am trying to keep my expenses there down as well)

I went to the store while on vacation to buy milk - Cost: $1.99

I also went to the store this morning (upon our return home) to buy more milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, tortillas and canned tomato sauce - Cost $20.50

My total so far this month: $176.18.

Hmm! That leaves me $23.82 for the rest of the month. I may be able to pull this off yet! I will need to go to the grocery store one more time this month - at the end of this week.

Grocery Trip #2 : 30 Days of Nothing

Continuing the 30 Days Challenge ...

Well, I'll get the bad news out of the way.

I spent $65.09 today at the groccery store. (I spent $25 on produce alone.) Not sure I have a good excuse ;-). I just couldn't pick up just one jar of peanut butter, or one can of black beans. It is against my nature! My other problem is we are going to a picnic tomorrow and since I did not plan ahead well and did not have time or energy tonight, I bought some salads at the deli. That is not something I usually do and it did increase my expense.

My total so far this month: $153.69.

Hmm. I don't see how I can possibly pull this off and come in under $200 now. I still have 2 trips left to the store. I guess I blew it. I'd like to see how close I can come though, I may still be able to spend low enough to make up for my previous overage.

Unplugged Project - "Soft"

This week's project at UnplugYourkids.com was Soft.

I had trouble working it in, now that school has started back up. I ended up going ahead and doing it only with my youngest, and he had a super time.

First I got out a tongue depressor and some cotton balls and had my 3-year old feel and hold them. Then I checked to make sure he knew "soft" and "hard." After that I gave him some paper and paint and let him use the deprossor and balls as his paintbrushes.

He really enjoyed it and made 3 pictures!

Trader Joes Trip - 30 Days of Nothing

Continuing the 30 Days Challenge ...

I make 1 trip per month to Trader Joes. I have a set list of things I normally buy there. They are items that are cheaper there than at my regular grocery store. Several of the things I got today were things that last for several months so it feels like I spent a lot, but I still think it is going to work out.

Spent today: $66.25
Grocery total (so far): $88.60

I will still do my regular grocery trip on Friday so I am hoping to spend $25 or less. I think I will still be in good shape. I will have spent more than half my budget but I have had to buy several staples that will last a while plus the items I bought a TJ in a months supply....

Grocery Trip #1 - 30 Days of Nothing

Continuing the 30 Days Challenge ...

Today was my first grocery shopping trip in September. I am so pleased with how it went. I made my menu plan for the next week, focusing on using items I already had. So what we are eating is super basic and simple plus I am thawing some entrees that I froze previously.

So in addition to the frozen meals, and some meat I had in the freezer, I also have a vegetable share at a CSA. That has already been paid for this year, even though I will continue to receive produce through Sept and Oct.

So really, there wasn't much to buy this week. Here's what I got:
yogurt
flour
milk
mushrooms
pluots
apples
eggs
ketchup
popcorn kernels

Total: $22.35

Note - I don't need to buy bread because I make all our bread at home. I have been doing it about a year and I love it. I can't believe I bought bread all those years....

Staying out of the stores : 30 Days of Nothing

I am loving it so far. (I know, I know... it is still the honeymoon phase!) It is really nice to be so mindful of spending money and it feels good when I think through things a bit more than is typical.

I think the key is staying out of the stores AND stop browsing the sale ads! It might be on sale, but it still costs MONEY!

A few things that have come up...

• I had to pay a bill for something we did last month, that I had sorta forgotten about so it was not on my approved expense list.


• I have been wanting to get a 3-ring binder for a long time to put my menu planning sheets in but I just haven't got around to it. With this no-spending challenge, I spent 5 minutes and found an unused binder that I could re-purpose for this. Score! I am hoping to find one more lying around to store recipes.


• I REALLY, REALLY want a reusable water bottle (like Klean Kanteen). REALLY REALLY I DO! I am not going to buy it now, but wait until October. In some ways that seems cheesy, as it is likely I will spend the money anyway, and this just shifts it. But really, I think it is smart to hold off on purchases like that, maybe something else will come up or I will change my mind.

30 Days of Nothing

I have decided to participate in this 30 days of Nothing month from Owlhaven.

It is open to anyone participating in any fashion which is good because I am actually doing "30 days of Not as much as usual" instead. I looked through my budget sheet for September and made notes of all the "approved expenses" for the month to come. My plan is to not spend anything that was not on that list. So no random clearance items I run across, no clothes, no paper products, no toys or games or art supplies.

I am also limiting my food budget to $200. I am actually not sure how hard/easy that will be. I tend to be a hoarder but I find that in overspending one month to "stock up," I rarely go under in subsequent months for some reason. So my plan is to use up a BUNCH of foods that I already have. The only exception to this will be the trip we always take in September to the orchards to get apples and pears. I don't want to miss out on stocking up on those for the year.

I am actually really excited about it. It felt good to look through the whole budget at the start of the month and think through what our expenses would be more carefully. I feel a bit more in touch with things than usual.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Unplugged Project - Insects

We're a day late due to the holiday but we did do an unplugged project.

I printed out some pictures of animals using Microsoft word clip art - two sets, one for each child. Some were insects, some were not. Some were tricky (spiders), some were not (elephants). We got two pieces of paper for each child, labeled "Insects" and "Not insects" and the kids cut and pasted the animals into the right category.

They liked it a lot and are proud of their "posters" on our wall. It was super simple for me and was a great learning opportunity for both.

Alphabet Activity

I saw this fun idea on Jenni's blog and thought the boys would enjoy it. Both kids did it, with my older ones glueing the letters in order and my younger one putting them in his own order.

They love cutting and glueing and it gave me an opportunity to teach them some new things about the alphabet. And they are so proud to see their creations hanging on the wall.

Cylinders! - Finally Another Unplugged Project

I am not sure where on earth we have been or what we have been doing all summer but we have missed a whole bunch of really fun looking Unplugged Projects. Here we are this week finally getting back in the groove. We barely squeezed this one in between school shopping and tooth wiggling but here it is. This week's theme is CYLINDERS.

We made a marble coaster out of a collection of paper tubes - toilet paper, paper towel and wrapping paper. Here is the original coaster that I helped with. My boys are now modifying it and doing some "experimenting" and having a good time still. I think this may last a while if they don't lose the only marble we have!