Gorman Heritage Farm

I have talked a few times about Gorman Heritage Farm (in Cincy). They are having their annual Sunflower Festival this weekend and if you are a local, I highly recommend you take a family trip and visit!! Steve, myself and Cody went last weekend for their Great Outdoor Weekend. We had an absolute blast!

They have so many educational programs for the kiddos, teaching them where their food comes from, composting, recycling, and so much more! They have walking trails and a place where you can hike to the top of the farm which has been voted 100 best things to do in Cincinnati. They have a slew of animals for the kids to see including horses, donkeys, turkeys, goats, roosters, and chickens (there were probably more but you get the idea!). They have a BEAUTIFUL sunflower garden and an adorable kids garden area. This was my favorite! They had different theme gardens, a sand play area, a dirt digging area and a cute little wishing well. Almost all the different things used within the kids area is made of other recycled pieces. You will not be disappointed!

Here is one of the theme gardens. How cute is this?!
They were growing tomatoes and other goodies you can put on a pizza!

This is the wishing well that they made out of  old tires and bottles!

These were the buckets with the sand.
Steve thought these were recycled old wash tubs.

I was so excited to see this!
I have been wanting to purchase a rain barrel and this inspired me to
 make my own (or should I stay Steve lol)! It really didn't seem too hard :)

This is the very beginning of the sunflower patch.
  It does not do it justice! You really have to go and see it for yourself! 

What I appreciated so much about this farm is that they use everything as a teachable moment and they are really teaching kids and adults about getting back to the basics and they make it FUN! I was really inspired to see how they did everything and made it a place to have fun but also a place to learn and explore. It was truly an amazing experience! I cannot wait for Cody to get a little older to attend one of their classes! 

So, have I convinced you to go this weekend?! If you can't make it, take some time and make plans to visit another time. We would love to see your pics! If you are not local to Cincy, I would love to hear about your favorite farm in your area that you feel is a must visit!!

Family Fun: Art Exploration

How many times have we talked about the Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center?! This is another praise I am sending their way!! Currently, Cody and I are taking an art class there called Imagination Station. Here is the description of the class:

"Encourage your child to release their inner creativity during our weekly story-themed art classes. We’ll explore with a wide variety of mediums, such as paint, clay, sand, products from nature, and everyday recyclable items. Giving your child the freedom to express themselves artistically enhances their cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, manual dexterity, and sensory awareness. Watch their self-esteem blossom as your child is encouraged to let their imagination run wild! (and no clean-up time for you)!"


I was worried that Cody would be too young for the class but I was wrong! He has absolutely loved the class. Each class is a theme and his teacher starts with reading a book, we sing a song, then she has three different projects for them to complete. Having several little projects keeps the kids attention span and Cody is engaged the entire time! We use all different mediums and the teacher uses items that relate to different shapes and colors. I have really enjoyed seeing him blossom in his class and he LOVES seeing his artwork displayed on the fridge! Every morning we have to look at his artwork and talk about how much fun we had in class that day! I really look forward to our class to see what Cody will do next. It has also given me ideas of different things I can do with him at home. I highly recommend this class and if you can't work it into your schedule, regardless of your child's age, schedule some time at home for an art project. They really do get a kick out of it! See a little clip from our class below! 



I have loved all the classes we have taken at the CFEC.  It really is a wonderful family center! We are giving away a free child series of your choice this week so don't forget to sign up!!! Give it as a gift or use it for yourself. 


What types of art projects have you done with your kids? Which one has been your favorite?

Down on the Farm

I really want Cody to know where his food comes from which is why I love taking trips to local farms. We have visited many farms to get meat, produce etc., however, we have never really toured any of them. If you are interested in supporting your local farmers, teaching your kids where their food comes from and having fun then this post is for you! 

There are two FREE events this weekend (thanks to mama Jeanne for sharing):

• Gorman Heritage Farm is celebrating their Great Outdoor Weekend!


"Join us for Cincinnati's Great Outdoor Weekend, where many of the outdoor education facilities are open FREE to the public! Gorman Farm offers Farm Discovery Days - learn details about the farm with our farm scavenger hunts, hike our trails, buy a pumpkin or sunflower, or take a trip through the corn maze. On Saturday, join us in welcoming WGRR for Chris & Janeen's Big Yard Sale! (9-1) Stroll through 50 tables of merchandise to find that certain treasure. And you'll be recycling items to keep them out of the landfill! Shop for a great cause - all of the table rental fees will be donated to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. After you finish shopping, take a few minutes to sweeten your day with a visit to our bee hives and honey production, as members of the Southwest Ohio Beekeepers' Association give hive demonstrations from 1:30-3."

To read more about the farm click here. You really should check them out! You can even order your thanksgiving turkey from them!

• Turner Farm is also celebrating their Great Outdoor Weekend! You can enjoy a farm tour in a horse pulled wagon for free! Sept 25 10am and 1pm. They also offer a ton of activities and events throughout the month.

We will be heading to Gorman's on saturday so hopefully we will see you there! With all this being said, tis the season for the pumpkin patches! What farms have you visited in the past that are your favorites for the fall season???


Don't forget to check out our family fun page for other goodies!

Free Arts & Crafts!

Regardless of where you are from or what your family budget is, there is probably a Michaels near you. Before I had Cody, I thought Michaels was just arts and crafts for adults, but it is so much more than that! Not only do they have AWESOME dollar bins, but they also have a ton of craft projects for the kiddos. I recently signed up for emails with them called The Knack. They email you great free and/or inexpensive projects they have in store for the kids. Want to get into the fall season?? Check out some of the suggestions they have:

• Halloween Cat Centerpiece
• Cool Printable Coloring Pages
• Free Family Event- American Girl!
• Free Family Event- Pumpkin Centerpiece
• Click here for all free events!

You all know how cheap money conscious I am, so when I found out Michaels does this, I was pumped! Not only is most of it free, but it saves me from having to come up with my own craft projects for Cody bear! I thought Cody was too young for art projects, but long story short, we ended up taking an art class and he LOVES it. I was actually in tears when I was hanging up his art on the fridge :)

So start your kids early and instill the love of art in your household! 

Don't forget to check out our family fun page for other activities. 

Bluegrass for Babies

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend you should check out Bluegrass for Babies! We heard it is a ton of fun and it celebrates a great cause!


"Please join us Saturday, September 18^th from 4-9pm for the 2nd annual Bluegrass for Babies at Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park.  


Bluegrass for Babies is a unique family event celebrating Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and how it has positively touched so many lives. 

Music will be by The Turkeys from 4-5:00pm, The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars from 5:30-7:00pm and Relic from 7:30-9:00pm. 

Children's entertainment includes music activities with Kindermusik by Cathy Siebert, tumbling activities with Miss Rebecca from Go2Grow Gymnastics, soccer with Coach Sam and Coach Mike from the Charlie Cooke Soccer School and craft activities from 5-7:30 pm. 

Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Farm Fresh Delivery Cincinnati will be providing info on childhood obesity and practical steps that you and your children can take to prevent it. 

Food, beer and other refreshments will be available. 

Suggested donation for adults is $10 per person and kids are free.  Proceeds benefit Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. 

Make sure to check out www.bluegrassforbabies.com for all of the details and to acknowledge our generous sponsors!  We have many important new additions to the site including ways to donate and parking instructions."

The Magic of Music!

Both our boys LOVE music right now and Kim and I had to opportunity to sample some classes at the West Chester Academy of Music. Let me just start by saying... phenomenal!

Our teacher, Miss Jenna, was so happy and energetic that it was contagious! The 45 minute class we took consists of a ton of fun songs (which change from class to class) and she used the songs to teach the kids colors, animals and much more! Part of the class is spent as "free" time for the kids to explore instruments. Miss Jenna turns on some music and dumps the instruments out in the middle of the circle and the kids just go to town! It's adorable! Another part of the class includes playing with the parachute (my personal fav)! The kids get to have a dance party on top of which Miss Jenna blows bubble for them, they also get to play under while learning their colors, and they all get to sit in the middle while the parents take them for a ride!

Overall, the class was an absolute blast and the boys loved every minute of it! If this sounds like fun to you, give it a try! The West Chester Academy of Music allows you to sample one class so you can see for yourself! They have many different classes for you to choose from depending on your child's desires! They have also recently added two new dance studios! They also have several events to get the kids involved even further! To top it off.... they offer birthday bashes! You can bring your food and drinks and they will take care of the rest! Sounds like fun to me!

If you are looking for a fun, educational and exciting way to celebrate music with your kids and live close to the West Chester area, you MUST check out the West Chester Academy of Music! We loved it and know you will too!

Cincinnati Museum Center FREE Friday

If you are local to cincy, the Cincinnati Museum Center is one of the those places that is a must see! There are three museums: Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, & the Museum of Natural History and Science. They also have the Omnimax Theater which is awesome! With all of these to choose from there is something for everyone!

They offer something very cool for the summer which we mention on our family fun page, but wanted to send out a reminder since the summer is coming to a close. The Cincinnati Museum Center offers Free Fridays where you can get into all museums FREE! That is right... FREE! All you do is pay for parking! You can get tickets starting at 4 pm (we got there a few minutes before and were first in line) and you can visit any or all of the museums for free until 8pm! Parking is $6 a car or $4 after 4:30. If you check out the cost of tickets you can see what a tremendous savings this is!

I took Cody, my brother Ryan and sister Olivia. We had soooo much fun exploring! They are all totally different ages but there was something for each of them. The last Free Friday is coming up Sept. 17th so don't miss out!

Make Your Own Blocks!

Every time Cody and I go to the CFEC he plays with the cardboard blocks that look like bricks... he LOVES them! I found this site that tells you how to make your own!


Blocks spark imagination and creativity, and can keep kids busy for hours. Jumbo-sized building blocks are always a hit with young kids--remember forts? Here are some simple directions for how to make your own jumbo building blocks from empty cardboard milk cartons. 
Materials

• Various sizes of clean, dry cardboard milk or juice cartons. You'll need two of the same size for each block.
• Self-stick contact paper, for covering the blocks.

Directions

1. After washing and thoroughly drying the cartons, use a scissors to remove the triangular tops of the cartons, so there is a square opening at the top of each carton.
2. Set one carton in front of you, open side up, and slide the other carton into it, open side first.
3. Cover the block with contact paper.

I have been collecting our milk cartons for some time now. I just recently went to Michaels (check out their free family event for this sat) and bought some contact paper (I couldn't find the brick paper so I got the wood grain paper). I am going to try and start cleaning all of them and see if I can make my own! So.... I will be doing a follow up post in a few weeks with pics etc. I would love for you to make your own too and send your pics in so I can post some of yours as well (or leave your pics as comments the day of the post)!


If you don't get a lot of milk cartons, ask your friends and family to save theirs! This would be a fun craft project to involve the kids in and teach them about reusing items vs. tossing in the garbage! 


**Don't forget to check out our Family Fun page for other great ideas!** Don't hesitate to email us any suggestions so we can add them to our list! 

Family Fun: Who Doesn't Love the Park?!

Regardless of where you live, we can all share fun stories of the kids playing at the local park! We love to try out new parks around cincy so we and the boys can explore the city! This week we went to Woodland Mound in Anderson. It was beautiful! They have a dry and wet playground, walking trails and much more! 


Their wet playground is HUGE and has lots of fun water play for kids of all ages! They also have a snack bar with cool drinks and hot sandwiches! Admission is $2.00 per child ages 2 to 12. The wet playground is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., May 29 through September 6, weather permitting! They have awesome trails that would be perfect for bike riding, running or sharing a walk with a friend! The boys had fun playing on the playground and then we finished up the with a packed lunch! We would love to hear what parks are your favorite! 

**Don't forget to check out our Family Fun page for other great ideas!!**

Family Fun: Recreation Outlet

I have been trying to find new and fun things to do with Cody. We had been going to Sawyer Point a lot (which I LOVE), but it has be sooo hot out that both him and I have been miserable playing outside! So my friend Tiff recommended Recreations Outlet. It sounded great to me considering it was FREE (and by now you can see what a cheap skate I am)! 


Recreations Outlet is a company that sells playhouses, trampolines, and residential and commercial play systems. They have locations in Cincinnati, Milford, & Columbus. So what is so cool about it?? Well, each location have FREE play times throughout the week. You children get to play on all the play systems they offer which is indoors in the AC! We went to the Milford location and it was AMAZING! This place was HUGE and there was plenty to do! They had so many systems that the kids could play and climb on, swings, a little mini roller coaster, play houses, rock climbing walls, little cars and shopping carts for the kids to push around. They have an area where you can put your purse or diaper bag, the kids shoes etc. They also have a separate place with picnic benches where you can sit with the kids so they can eat! It doesn't get much better than that!!! Oh and did I mention, you can have birthday parties there too! 

If you are interested in purchasing one of the play systems for your house, the Milford location  has so many models out that your kids can play on, you will surely find which one is right for you! Personally, I thought they were a little pricey, but they were pretty sweet! I found one that I wanted for the low, low price of $32,000!!!! I know, crazy right?!

It's just sooo cool!!!! Maybe if I win the lottery?!

So, even I could never afford one of these, it is an awesome place that I can take Cody to let him run his energy off, for FREE, and in the AC!! At the end of the day, both mama and baby is happy :) 

Tiff's son Cole

O.k. so I REALLY had fun!!! 

Let us know if you have any great places you take your kids that are free or inexpensive! We would love to add it to our Family Fun list! If you aren't local to cincy, do you have a place like this in your area that you can take your kids too? Please share!!! 

Family Fun: Make Your Own Jam!

Our latest adventure this past week has been making jam, syrup and blackberry cobbler! Last Saturday we took a trip to Rouster's Apple House in Milford. They have pick your own blueberries and blackberries as well as peaches and apples! (They don't have this every day, so be sure to check out their website for their opening hours.) It was so much fun picking berries at the farm, and it's a great way to get the kids involved and use up some of their energy out in the great outdoors!

We wanted to get the berries so we could try making our own jam. We ended up with 10 jars of blueberry jam and 10 jars of blackberry jam. Since we are trying to be sugar conscience with our food for the boys, we used Sure Jell in the pink box that uses 25% less sugar.  With a regular box of Sure Jell you would normally have to use about 7 cups of sugar but we were able to cut back the sugar to only 4 cups. We hope by this time next year we will be able to use our stevia plant for an all natural sweetener, which is much healthier for you than the white refined sugar! We used a great website called Pick Your Own where you can find great information about canning ANYTHING! It gives you tips and tricks on the best ways to pick your own fruit, the easiest ways to can, and everything has step-by-step instructions with pictures! We have used this website for everything we've canned so far. 

Since we had SO much fruit, we were also able to make blueberry & blackberry syrup which is made similar to jam except you don't use the pectin (Sure Jell).  Please see here for more details. 

We also froze half of what we picked so we could have fresh berries through the winter. You could use them plain, in pancakes, muffins, smoothies etc.! The easiest way to we found to freeze the berries was to layer them in casserole dishes with foil in between, freeze overnight and then transfer them to freezer safe containers.

We had a few extra blackberries left over so we decided to make blackberry cobbler! Paired it with some ice cream and it was AWESOME!

After we made the syrup, we had left over blueberry and blackberry "pulp" that we put in ice cube trays so we can use them later in yogurt, as a spread on toast, drink flavoring, etc. We try the no waste approach! We have come to realize you can freeze just about anything in ice cube trays!!!

If you like the idea of having fresh, healthy food on hand you might want to try canning for your family! We were pretty intimidated at first but the more we've been doing, the easier it gets! There are plenty of great resources out there to help you and we would love to share tips! Here's a few canning items that we use and love that could get you started!

                                       

Family Fun: Books, Books & more Books!!!

Our boys both are LOVING their books right now! It seems like some days they choose books over toys to play with! Are you as bored as I am, reading the same books over and over again?! I can recite some of those books in my sleep! If you feel like you want to spice up your child's book collection, you have to check out the Scholastic Book Fair Warehouse Sale! They have so many books and most are super cheap! We went last year and went crazy!!! They have locations all over so click below to find a sale near you!

Click HERE for more details!

If you need some ideas on which books are best, we found a list that has been voted on by moms! Don't forget to utilize your local public library for FREE books! 


Touchy-feely

1. "That's Not My Monster," by Fiona Watt, Rachel Wells 
2. "Pat the Bunny," by Dorothy Kunhardt 
3. "Please Do Not Open This Book," by Jon Stone 
4. "Tails," by Matthew VanFleet 
5. "Oh, Baby! Go, Baby!" by Dr. Seuss 
6. "Where Are Maisy's Friends?" by Lucy Cousins 
7. "Noisy Kisses," by Barney Saltzberg 
8. "Little School of Fish," by Dorothea DePrisco 
9. Bright Baby Touch and Feel collection, by Roger Priddy 
10. "Peek-a Who?" by Nina Landen

Bedtime

1. "On the Day You Were Born," by Deborah Frasier 
2. "Goodnight Moon," by Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd 
3. "Where the Wild Things Are," by Maurice Sendak 
4. "Sleepyhead," by Karma Wilson 
5. "Pajama Time," by Sandra Boynton 
6. "Monkey and Me," by Emily Gravett 
7. "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed," by Eileen Christelow 
8. "Bedtime for Frances," by Russell Hoban 
9. "Llama Llama Red Pajama," by Anna Dewdney 
10. "I Need My Monster," by Amanda Noll

Life skills

1. Yes Yes! A Box of Board Books, by Leslie Patricelli 
2. Little Critter books, by Mercer Mayer 
3. Big brother/sister, by Joanna Cole 
4. Berenstain Bears, by Stan Berenstain 
5. "Where's the Poop?" by Julie Markes 
6. "Elmo's Potty Time" by Sesame Street 
7. "Clarabella's Teeth," by An Vrombaut 
8. "Bubblebath Pirates," by Jarrett J. Krosoczka 
9. "Getting Dressed With Lily and Milo," by Pauline Oud 
10. Richard Scarry's Please And Thank You Book
    

ABCs and other fun facts

1. "ABC," by Dr. Seuss 
2. "The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z," by Steve Martin, Roz Chast 
3. "One Was Johnny," by Maurice Sendak 
4. "One, Two, Three!" by Sandra Boynton 
5. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," by Eric Carle 
6. "Chicken Soup With Rice," by Maurice Sendak 
7. "The Grouchy Ladybug," by Eric Carle 
8. "Blue Hat, Green Hat," by Sandra Boynton 
9. "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," by Annie Kubler

Good reads

1. "The Story of Ferdinand," by Munro Leaf 
2. "If You Give A Cat A Cupcake," by Laura Numeroff 
3. "Knufflebunny," by Mo Willems 
4. "Pigs Make Me Sneeze," by Mo Willems 
5. "Corduroy," by John Stone 
6. "Duck for President," by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin 
7. "Click, Clack, Moo," by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin 
8. "Olivia," by Ian Falconer 
9. Curious George, by H.A. Rey 
10. "Scuttle's Big Wish," by Sean Delonas 
11. "Harold and the Purple Crayon," by Crockett Johnson 
12. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," by Judith Viorst 
13. "The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash," by Trinka Hakes Noble 
14. "The Little Engine That Could," by Loren Long 
15. "Where the Sidewalk Ends," by Shel Silverstein 
16. Grimm's Fairytales 
17. "Clifford the Big Red Dog," by Norman Bridwell 
18. Winnie the Pooh, by AA Milne 
19. "Elmer," by David McKee 
20. "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear," by Don Wood

Special Events

1. "This Is Not A Pumpkin," by Bob Staake 
2. "A Grouch's Christmas," by Michaela Munstean 
3. "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!," by Dr. Seuss 
4. "A Birthday for Frances," by Russell Hoban 
5. "The Thanksgiving Story," by Alice Dalgliesh

Easy Reading

"Hop on Pop," by Dr. Seuss  

"Polar Bear, Polar Bear," by Bill Martin Jr./Eric Carle 

"Little Bear," by Else Holmelund Minarek/Maurice Sendak 

"The Cat in the Hat," by Dr. Seuss 

"Mouse Tales," by Arnold Lobel 

"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish," by Dr. Seuss 

"Cat the Cat, Who is That?" by Mo Willems 

"Yes Day!" by Amy Krouse 

"Morris Goes to School," by B. Wiseman 

"Oliver," by Syd Hoff 

Read Aloud

1. "Charlotte's Web" by EB White 
2. Paddington Bear, by Michael Bond 
3. "The BFG," by Roald Dahl 
4. "The Wizard of Oz," by L. Frank Baum 
5. "Little House in the Big Woods," by Laura Ingalls Wilder

We would love to hear what books are your favorites!!! Have any to add to the list above?!