The Grass is Always Greener

Free Friday Night at Imagine Children's Museum in Everett!

I can't say enough good things about Imagine Children's Museum.  I think it is the best indoor play space in the Puget Sound, and well worth the drive up to Everett for those of you who are further south.  And I'm not alone - Imagine has received numerous awards over the past few years as the best play place, museum, camp and party place.

Imagine has been busy updating the museum again - they recently expanded the train exhibit, updated their farm area, and added a Treasure Cove (think pirate fanatics!).  In fact, if you have a little Pirate at home, be sure to visit the museum on Sunday, September 20th between 11 am and 5 pm for their High Seas Pirates Day.

Every year we purchase a membership to the museum, and are fortunate enough to only live about 15 minutes from the museum.  But if you don't have a membership and want to try it out, or are on a tight budget, be sure to visit the museum every third Friday night each month between 5:30 and 9:00 pm when admission is absolutely FREE!  If you're worried about the time bumping up against dinner, no worries - the museum has hot dogs, chips, cookies and juice for sale those nights, or you can take a break from the museum and walk to one of the great restaurants within a block of the museum.    

Next free Friday night at Imagine is this Friday, September 18th.  Enjoy!

Seattle Tilth Harvest Festival - Saturday, Sept. 12th

Ooh, ooh, this is where we'll be with the kids this Saturday, on what looks to be the last day of summer around here (sunny and 85 degrees)!  We already have our own chickens in the backyard, but my husband is constantly talking about adding goats and bees.  (Don't worry, neighbors, it won't happen here.)  We are also all about farmers markets and fresh produce.  I'm also about Mighty O Donuts and Theo Chocolate, and they will be there as well.  The kids will love it - they can bring their own musical instruments and participate in the Harvest Parade at noon, as well as lots of other activities geared for them.  (Just the word "worms" peaks their interest.)  After the money and fried food blowout that was the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, this fair will be a welcome relief!

Click below for more information, and we hope to see you there!
 

100 Birthday Party Ideas!

If you knew me, you would know that one of my great loves in life is throwing parties.  My kid's each have a fully tricked-out party each year on their birthday, and we usually host a Halloween party, as well as other seasonal parties.  

I just found a great resource for party planning and wanted to share: an article from Seattle's Child magazine on 100 birthday party ideas (resources).  Check it out here!

Birthday Party Idea #101 - I just found out about this and wish I had known about it sooner: The Lego Store in Bellevue Square mall hosts birthday parties, and the packages are very reasonable!  Check it out here.

Finding Wonderland: Fox Hollow Equestrian Farm in Issaquah

Last December and just before Christmas, I had the privilege of photographing a large family reunion at Fox Hollow Equestrian Farm in Issaquah. (Photos are posted on my photography blog at http://teddiyaeger.blogspot.com) The entire farm was blanketed in snow, but even then I could tell that it was a magnificent estate.  The owners, Autumn and Tony, had moved to it recently from the East Coast, and they have done a lot of work in the few months since I was last there.  The farm is a bustling place - a full riding school as well as summer camps and seasonal events, plus their new drop-in play dates!  I'm personally excited for their Autumn Harvest and Halloween events in October!  They also have packages for company events, family reunions, birthday parties and such.  

Fox Hollow is the kind of place where I would love to raise our kids.  It's the kind of place that you hand down to your children and your children's children.  Perfect for celebrating holidays, family reunions, the seasons, life in general.  The kind of place I would purchase in a heartbeat if I won the lottery.  But since that has happened (yet), I will have to be content with visiting it from time to time, when it's open to the public.

It's also the perfect place to spend an idyllic summer afternoon, so a couple of weeks ago, I headed out to Fox Hollow with my two little ones in tow (ages 5 and 2 & 1/2 years) for one of the drop-in play dates.  The cost was only $5 per person.  The kids immediately started running around the barn, picking up any farm animal that they could and petting those that they couldn't pick up.  There were chickens, peacocks, bunnies, kittens (running loose in the loft), horses, ponies, ducks and even a pot belly pig (who we discovered quietly sleeping in the shade).  The kids then rode around on little John Deere tractors on the lawn, and then discovered the huge inflatable castle to bounce around in.  After a while, I convinced them to follow me to the back lawn behind the house for a snack and rest in the shade.  (Several picnic tables were filled with moms and children having picnic lunches.)  We wandered over to the stream (gated off from the rest of the lawn), to watch a couple of inner-tubers.  Issaquah Creek runs right behind the property at a nice, gentle pace, and I suddenly wished we had brought our swimsuits.

Which is exactly how we were treated the whole time - as guests. From the time we were escorted to a parking space in their large lot, to signing in and wandering the grounds, there was always someone greeting us, asking if we needed anything.  It was an absolutely idyllic summer afternoon, and I thank Autumn, Tony and their family and staff for their hospitality.

For more information on Fox Hollow's events, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Hall of Fame: The Best Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers

I have wanted to write about our all-time favorite toys for quite a while now.  As a family who has purchased many, many toys over the years, I can tell you that the dozen on this list have stood the test of time!  These have been played with the most by both our son and daughter (ages 5 and 2), time and time again.  They are extremely durable (most still look like new), entertaining, flexible (in terms of how they can be played with) and timeless (still appealing to both the 5-year-old, the 2-year-old and for the most part, their older cousins and even parents).  I did not include books (that will be a separate post sometime), movies, or the like.  I know I also missed some obvious ones - bubbles, play dough, etc.  But I think this is a pretty good list of what makes the most rounds in our house at playtime.

I have included links to the toys' manufacturers websites, or in a few cases, to sites where you can purchase these items. (Click on the blue linked titles!)  Most are available at your favorite toy stores, and I encourage you to purchase them from a local store instead of a chain (wherever possible).

So (drum roll), here is our short list.  (I would love to hear from you about yours, so be sure to leave comments.)
   

Schleich Animals

I don't think that any other toys in our household have been played with more than our Schleich animals.  Both of my children are crazy about animals, and these miniature ones are the best out there.  I always pack them when we travel or go out to eat, and we use them on an almost daily basis in lots of ways.  Our kids love to sort them by color, size, habitat, or other characteristics (climbers, swimmers, jumpers, etc.).  The animals make regular appearances in block forts, our wooden Melissa & Doug farm, the bathtub - just to name a few.  I usually purchase ours at local toy stores or at Target.  Average cost:  $2-6 per animal.

Tomy Ball Party Bounce

I would have added any ball to the list here, because you really can't go wrong with a bouncy ball, soccer ball, tennis ball, squishy ball...you get the point.  But I had to include this on our list.  I am so alarmed to find that the Tomy Ball Party Bounce is soon to be discontinued, and urge you to jump at your last chance to purchase it before it's too late!  When Hayden was two years old, I was shopping at Top Ten Toys in Greenwood and trying to decide between a few toys.  A woman with a couple of youngsters looked over my shoulder and pointed to the Ball Party Bounce box.  "Best $30 I ever spent," she said.  "I bought that for my kids when they were just babies, and now they're in preschool and still play with it every day."  Fortunately, I was sold on her advice and bought it.  Three years and two kids later, I can say that it's probably the best $30 I ever spent on toys too.  You can purchase it right now for $22 on clearance at www.kidsurplus.com.  If you have kids 5 years or younger, or will be shopping for a toddler soon, click over right now and buy it.

Bilibo

I can't explain the Bilibo very easily, except to say that it is a foot-long, foot-wide, foot-high piece of plastic that sort of resembles a turtle shell.  But just hand it over to your child and watch as they figure out what to do with it.  (That was the idea behind the creation of the Bilibo, after all.)  My children use it to balance or play "King of the Hill" on, to spin in (once flipped over), to hide under (the turtle shell idea again), to race cars in....you get the idea.  

Leapster

We have the Leapster (and iPhone and iPod and Nintendo DS) to thank for many a sane trip or long-wait somewhere.  I chose to feature the Leapster because it's 1) more educational and 2) appeals to (and easy to use) for many age groups - toddler to adult. I also would have included the Nintendo Wii on this list but I would rather have something portable with us than not.  Now I know that it's important to limit screen time (TV, computer, video games, etc.) but when it comes down to it, sometimes you just need a little piece of electronic entertainment wizardry to battle the boredom for you.
 

Lego

Remember when I said that the Schleich animals received the most playtime in our house? Well, their days may be numbered.  My son easily spends the majority of his waking hours playing with, building, taking apart, talking about, thinking about Legos.  My husband and I loved Legos too when we were kids, and now they are just as, if not more, appealing to our children.  I'm amazed at the themed kits that they have nowadays - my son's favorites are the Star Wars and Indiana Jones legos.  But you need to start out (and try to stay with) the basic blocks to help develop your child's creativity (and not lose your mind trying to sort all of those tiny little pieces).  This is one toy that I'm sure my children's children will still be playing with someday - an absolute classic.

Matchbox Cars 

Remember these?  Well, they never went anywhere - you just grew up.  My son has new cars and plays with my husband's Matchbox car collection from 35+ years ago.  Another great, inexpensive and portable classic.

Find It! Games

If you could take only one toy with you on a long car/airplane/camping/family reunion trip, this would be it.  I've never seen both children and adults (maybe adults mostly) become so obsessed as they have trying to find the list of items hidden within Find It! tubes.  The idea is so simple, thus brilliant.  Tiny objects (listed on the lid and on a pad of checklists) are hidden in foot-long clear tubes of tiny beads, and your objective is to find them all. Sounds easy enough, right?  You would be amazed at how difficult it is to move the beads in the very center of the tube, which usually houses that last handful of items you need.  If you're lucky enough to spot the penny, go onto Find It's website and log it in.  Since these games are not cheap (about $16-20 each), we hand them on to friends when we've found all of the items and swap them for other themes.

Fold-n-Go Toys:  Fisher Price Castle 

I can't believe how many hours and ways my son has come up with playing with his Fisher Price castle.  But I shouldn't be surprised.  I can't forget my Fisher Price farm, school bus, etc. from when I was a child either.  His usual inhabitants of the castle these days are Lego people - Indiana Jones, Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker to name a few.  My daughter loves playing with the castle too, far more than she plays with her dollhouse.  I love that the castle folds up and has handles for carrying with us.  It's one medium-sized toy that we can pack and take with us, and I know that it will keep the kids busy for hours.  

A great runner-up to the castle is the wooden Melissa and Doug Deluxe Fold & Go Barn, where the Schleich farm animals live on a regular basis.

Frigits Magnetic Marble Run & Tomy Magnetic Gears

Magnetic toys: these are our two favorites.  We put two sheets of magnetic steel from Ikea on Hayden's wall, so that he could play with all kinds of magnets but mostly these.  We all feel like engineers rearranging the marble run and gears into all kinds of configurations. Just don't tell the kids that they are learning math and science skills!

Blocks

Many educators will tell you that the most beneficial toy that your child could play with is a set of blocks.  In fact, if you do a Google search on "block play", you'll find many wonderful articles on the benefits of block play for children's development.  I love these - simple, well-made wooden blocks from Melissa & Doug.  Our latest use: building the movie sets from the Indiana Jones movies, so that Hayden's Lego people can go treasure hunting through them.  I'm not sure that's what educators had in mind, but I know that it gets the kids thinking about spatial relationships, geometry, etc.  (Again, just don't tell them that!) 

 

Playmobil

Playmobil is up there with Lego in our house, though not as generic (and therefore flexible).  But we all love Playmobil sets (particularly the zoo) and individual figurines. There are some tiny pieces in some sets and they are not cheap, but they are definitely something that the kids will play with for many years and not tire of easily.

Crayons

How can you go wrong with good old crayons and blank paper?  (Yes, blank paper, as opposed to color-in-the-lines coloring books which require far less imagination.)  All crayons are good as far as I'm concerned, but I do have some favorites.  I love the triangle-shaped ones from Faber-Castell the most, because they are easier for small hands to grip.  Again, inexpensive, portable, flexible...you're getting the idea.

Radio Flyer Wagon

You can't go wrong with a red wagon either.  Ours is a two-seater by Radio Flyer, which has been great for long walks, trips to the store or zoo, etc.  Extremely durable, surprisingly lightweight, and loaded with extras (okay, it has two seat belts and cup holders) - we love this wagon!

Mini Micro Scooter

Hands down, the best scooter out there.  I wrote about this in an earlier post, so I won't go into all of the reasons again.  But let me just say that this is by far more manageable and safer to operate than other scooters (and you know who they are).  Sure, it costs twice as much as other scooters, but far less than a trip to the E.R.

Essential Summer Moments: A Pictorial

Don't you wish you could be a kid again?!

Noppakao Thai comes to our 'hood!

My favorite Thai restaurant in the Seattle area has come to our neighborhood!  Noppakao introduced itself to the Eastside a couple of years ago by setting up shop in Juanita Village. It's always been worth the drive, but now we don't have to go more than a few blocks from home to eat their yummy food.  Their new (franchise) restaurant just opened Monday at:

4809 132nd St SE, Ste B101, Everett WA 98208

You can celebrate their grand opening by dining at their restaurant for 15% less by clicking here and printing out a coupon.  

Our favorites:  Spring Rolls, Garlic Delight with Chicken, Crab Fried Rice, Garlic Pork Ribs and Phad See-Ew.

"Making the Most of that First Year" - Free Seminar on August 13th

Beth Edwards is my daughter's teacher at Woodinville Family Preschool, and one of the sweetest, most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to parenting tips.  She will be speaking at Tot Spot Cafe in Woodinville on Thursday, August 13th from 7-8 pm, sharing useful tips and strategies on surviving baby's first year.  There will also be a "baby-wearing consultant" present - I personally recommend learning this vital skill, so you can get on with your life!  

Your other children (if you have them) are welcome and get to play while you learn.  And it's all free!!!

Hosted at Tot Spot Cafe
17802 134th Ave NE, Suite 6, Woodinville, WA 98072 (425) 488-2795

New Place of (Donut) Worship in Mill Creek!

Okay, Seattle, we bow down to your cupcakes - it's true.  Sure, you've got Cupcake Royale and Trophy Cupcakes, and I've worshipped them plenty.  But now we've got a new place of worship over here on the Eastside (Mill Creek to be exact).  The brand new doughnut shop Frost just opened at Mill Creek Town Center, and I'm clamoring to get my worship on as soon as possible.  On today's menu:  Banana Fritters, Banana Creme w/Walnuts, Marcona Almond & Tart Cherry, Smokey Bacon Maple Bar, PB&J 2.0, Wedding Cake, Red Velvet, Aztec Chocolate, Tropical Storm, Bourbon Caramel Pecan, and many, many more!  

Oh Lord, I'm a believer!!!

Note:  I stopped by Frost for the first time on Saturday afternoon, and not surprisingly, it was pretty busy.  They were out of their banana donuts, so I picked up a half dozen of the following:  2 vanilla donuts with sprinkles for the kids, 1 Pink Lady (chocolate cake donut with pink frosting), 1 Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting, 1 Bourbon Caramel Pecan and for the hubby, the Smokey Bacon Maple Bar.  Just as the name implies, it was a maple bar with chunks of cooked bacon sprinkled on top.  The donuts did not disappoint!  My favorite was the Bourbon Caramel Pecan, but I got to taste a few of the other ones as well.  (In fact, the hubby was too freaked out by the maple/bacon combination, so I ended up eating it the next day.  It was a bit strange texture-wise but tasty - think maple syrup over bacon and you get the flavor.  I hope to stop by in the near future and get my hands on some of the banana ones, but apparently its the early bird who gets the banana donuts in Mill Creek.

Free Stuff! Free Stuff! Free Stuff!

A colleague and client of mine has a very sassy, very tell-it-like-it-is mama blog that I highly recommend you check out.  She is currently holding a contest to win a free piece of Tea clothing (my favorite!), but today is the last day, so get on it all you mamas!

Please click on this to go to her blog and giveaway!.