Fairy Trail in New Jersey

Despite a reputation for having a rough - perhaps even gruff - exterior, New Jersey has an impish side.

Just check out these photos from our very own Garden State Fairy Trail.

Fun for Everyone at the Liberty Science Center and an Awesome Giveaway

A huge thank you to Andrea McDonald for this guest post about her family's visit to the Liberty Science Center, and also a huge thank you to Liberty Science Center for providing admission tickets, as well as tickets to giveaway.

This past President’s Day weekend, looking for something fun to do in the subzero temperatures, my family and my sister’s family decided to go to the Liberty Science Center with our four kids ranging in age from 4 to 9.  

We were excited for the Science, Sabers and Star Wars: The Force Awakens event that was taking place just for the weekend.  However, we arrived to find that what seemed like literally thousands of others were just as excited about that, and the Star Wars event was incredibly crowded with long lines.  So we quickly decided instead to check out some of the many other exhibits currently at the Science Center.  

We first found our way to the Sid the Science Kid: The Super-Duper Exhibit which runs through May 15, 2016 and is included with general admission tickets.  This exhibit allows young learners to explore STEM activities through a variety of activities like: Catapulting Sid’s toys into his toy box using a lever, testing inertia using toys on a skateboard, experimenting with friction and testing different surfaces and designing their own “Super-Duper-Ooper Big Idea. We knew our 4 year old would have fun, as he really likes Sid the Science Kid, but weren’t sure our 7 year olds or 9 year old would be engaged by it.  We didn’t need to worry.  All the kids loved it. 

Our 4 year old son could have spent all day playing with the ball machine (for lack of the technical term), using the pulleys to bring the balls up to his 9 year old cousin waiting on the top part of the structure and then catching them when they fell and trying to determine which ball would land first if two were thrown down at the same time. My daughter really enjoyed using the microscope to look at objects focused in different ways and at varying sizes.

After we managed to drag the kids out of the Side the Science Kid Exhibit, we went to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition around the corner. Tickets are required for this exhibition - $27.75 for adults, $22.75 for children 2-12 and $24.75 for seniors.  The additional cost is well worth it for the history buffs among us.  In it, more than 130 legendary artifacts conserved from the ships debris field are showcased.  As we entered, we each received a replica boarding pass of an actual passenger aboard the Titanic.  And we moved through the life of the ship, from its construction, to life on board, to the ill-fated sinking and amazing artifact rescue efforts.  The adults really enjoyed seeing the many artifacts, while the kids especially liked seeing the re-created first and third class cabins and touching the iceberg. 

The “Memorial Gallery” where we could take our boarding passes to learn whether our passenger and traveling companions survived or died was interesting to adults and children alike.

In addition to the special exhibitions, we also visited more permanent exhibits such as Our Hudson Home, which explores our complex relationship with the distinct and special Hudson River ecosystem.  Our girls had a great time donning lab coats and conducting an experiment in ecology.

All in all, we spent a great day at the Liberty Science Center, and had so much fun at the many other exhibits that we didn’t even regret not making it to the Star Wars exhibit.  Especially after we ran into a storm trooper on our way out and managed to get our picture taken with him.

And now for the giveaway...

 WIN A FAMILY FOUR-PACK OF TICKETS TO THE LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER!

Liberty Science Center is offering a family prize pack of four tickets to visit the museum!

Entry:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Lights Shine Bright... Deep in the Heart of Jersey

Prestigious Sal Gosse Academe to Open in Montclair

I recently covered an amazing new preschool that is scheduled to open this fall in Montclair.

Click here to read more about the Sal Gosse Academe on BaristaKids, but I'll warn you now, you will wish you could go there, too when you read about all the incredible amenities at the school.

Munch Madness with deLish Snacks from Duane Reade!

We're big basketball fans at our house, especially my oldest daughter who plays in the town league (and also constantly in the house).

My husband follows college basketball pretty closely, although less so this year as his team won't be competing for the National Championship. But hey, winning the NIT is still something, uh right?

When I heard about a fun opportunity to put together Munch Madness snacks with deLish products from Duane Reade, I knew I could find something great for my basketball-loving family.

There really are a lot of deLish snack options to choose from at Duane Reade, whether you're looking for sweet, salty or even healthy. I had the color orange on my mind to fit in with the basketball theme, and got cheese from the refrigerated section of the store near the drinks and then headed over to the aisle marked grocery, snacks and peanuts that had just about anything you could want in the way of snacks.

I had seen a cute idea on Pinterest to turn fruit cups into basketballs, so I knew that would be part of my Munch Madness spread. I also grabbed a few more of my kids favorite snacks - pistachios, rice cakes, crackers and of course, cookies.

I was undecided on which cookies to get and then I saw these ones with a castle on them and thought perfect, I'll make it a riddle for them playing off the idea of a "King's court" and a "basketball court." Also not bad: they were on sale.

When I got home, I had a nice assortment to choose from to arrange our basketball snacks, including the addition of basketball clementines.

After I arranged our game day snacks on a serving tray, also turning the diced peaches into basketballs,

I started thinking these snacks would also make a really fun basketball-themed lunch, too. I added a cheese sandwich with basketball illustration, and wrote a shout-out to her pick to win the NCAA college basketball championship on the cheese stick.

I also included a riddle in her lunchbox, "What does a castle have in common with a basketball game? They both have a court!"

I think it turned out great, and my little basketball player loved it!

To get your own Munch Madness snacks from Duane Reade, visit a store near you. And stay up to date with all things Duane Reade on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias (#collectivebias) and its advertiser (#DRMunchMadness).

MY UGO - Unidentified Garden Object.

You know that old saying, the more things change the more they stay the same?

Well, it appears that is the case right now with my constantly tended, and yet so fledgling, garden.

Last year I posted (with confidence, I might add) this photo and the caption "gardening success."

This year, I am posting the same photo but with the caption "Unidentified Garden Object."

Is this yellow flower I was so proud to have blooming last year, actually a weed?

And if so, why didn't anyone tell me it was a weed and not a flower I should be bragging about as a sign of my totally awesome gardening skills?

Oh well, flower or weed it doesn't really matter.

As my mom always says: weeds are just flowers that nobody wants.

 

And whatever this yellow flower is that is growing in my garden, I totally love it.

So tell me, what do you think? Is my Unidentified Garden Object a flower or a weed?

Week in Review - Gun Sense, Mother's Day and a Book Signing on Thursday

I'm not gonna lie, it was nice this week returning to my social social media using ways. If you want to hear about my week (semi) unplugged, I wrote about it for Barista Kids: Reflections on a Week Spent (Semi) Screen-Free.

On Saturday, I joined gun sense advocates for a march in Verona Park. (You can read more about it on the The Alternative Press - West Essex.) It was by far the most meaningful part of  my Mother's Day weekend. Participants carried eight flowers, representing the eight children who die every single day from guns and gun violence.

I urge anyone who believes in enacting common sense gun laws, to go from just thinking yes, I support that! to yes, I will volunteer, write letters to the local papers, and email my elected officials!

I do all of those things through the group Moms Demand Action, and I feel like my contribution is making a difference. But we could make a much bigger impact with your voice.

So please, if you have time, or can make time, join a group in your area or participate in the national campaigns sponsored by Moms Demand Action.

If you're here in New Jersey, consider following the Moms Demand Action -  New Jersey Facebook page to stay up to date with events, legislative updates and other campaigns for gun sense in New Jersey.

And last, I'll be at Princeton Girls Night Out with two of my co-authors from I Just Want To Pee Alone: Kim Forde of The Fordeville Diaries and Amy of Funny is Family. We'll be signing books and reading at The Farmhouse Store, as well as sharing laughs and exchanging our best tales of modern motherhood. Oh, and there will be wine.

Here are all the details:

Hope to see you there!

What are your plans this week?

Get Healthy with Walgreens Steps with Balance Rewards #BalanceRewards #Cbias

It's finally spring, and that means it's almost summer.

Which also means I'm finally thinking about getting outdoors and getting healthy, walking more, and even getting back to counting my steps, which for a Type A gal like myself, nothing could be more thrilling than exercise that can be quantified.

I also like setting a daily goal for amount of steps walked, and seeing if I can meet it more often then I don't.

Walgreens has a great program - Steps with Balance Rewards - that gives you points for healthy behavior. You can sign-up here.

 I logged-on and started tracking my steps throughout the week, earning 20 points for every mile completed either by walking or running.

You can also receive 20 points daily for weighing-in, but that's not my usual routine so I decided to skip earning these points. However, I did try it one day and was happy to see my weight covered-up by a discrete row of xxx.

 

The points really do add up quickly, and as you can see below where I received 40 points for adding a motivational statement, and a total of 430 points in just a week of being in the Steps with Balance Rewards program.

 

I also set-up a daily goal for number of steps walked. I kept it low - 5,000 steps a day - so I could feel the joy of success - a quick peek around the Internet suggests I really should be walking closer to 10,000 steps daily. I also earned 250 points for adding a goal, which really helped the points start to add up quickly even though I had just gotten started with the program.

Steps with Balance Rewards is running Step Up to Win Daily Sweepstakes, with daily prizes through May 31, so be sure to enter for a chance to win great prizes. This week just some of the great prizes are a Walgreens gift card or a Fitbit Zip. In addition to teh daily instant win prizes, there is also a grand prize: a trip to The Biggest Loser resort of the winner's choice (Chicago, Ivins, UT, Malibu, Niagara, NY). You can read the official rules here.

In addition to logging my steps on the Walgreens site, I'm also planning to spend more time this spring in my garden, as gardening is a great way to get exercise. I went to Walgreens and purchased four seed packets - two for flowers and two for vegetables. I can't wait to plant them this weekend with my kids.

I'm looking forward to planting these with my kids, and adding tending our garden to the list of great outdoor activities we do this spring and summer.

I set my steps walking goal through June 1 (about six weeks) with the hopes of starting slowly and putting in a new and better goal come June. So 5,000 steps a day, get ready to step aside for 10,000 steps a day come June 1!

I'll be ready.

To learn more about Walgreens Steps with Balance Rewards, visit my Google+ Album. You can also find Walgreens on Facebook and Twitter, as well as read real stories by real people on AisleShare Fun.

I am  a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Walgreens. #balancerewards #cbias #socialfabric

Fun for Kids in NJ: The Big Apple Circus is in Bridgewater through Sunday, March 17

It's hard to say who loves the circus more, my kids (or me). So we welcomed the chance to see the Big Apple Circus, currently showing under the Big Top in Bridgewater, NJ through Sunday, March 17.

We had seen the Big Apple Circus' Dream Big tour in Manhattan last year, and so I knew my kids  (ages 3, 7 and 9) would love the chance to see the new show, Legendarium: A Journey into Circus Past.

Legendarium is all new-for the 35th season of the Big Apple Circus, and hearkens back to the early days of the circus with lots of old-school tributes to yesteryear. Glorious costumes, amazing feats, and of course some clowning-around all add-up to a fantastic experience for all ages.

My kids couldn't really choose a favorite act, but when forced to choose my two daughters both thought that Elayne Kramer was the best one. Performing since she was seven, and practicing contortion since she was four, she is a six-generation circus performer. She gave a truly spellbinding performance, and left us wondering over and over again, how did she do that?

 

The Big Apple Circus is a single-ring circus, with all seating within 50 feet of the performers, so it is perfect for kids. There are amazing feats of human skill, highlights for us were an acrobat, the contortionist mentioned above, and an incredible bicycle troupe from China, all which mesmerized my kids (and me).

Also very popular with my kids (and me) were the animal acts. In keeping with the Legendarium theme of yesteryear, the dog performance was set in Victorian-era Central Park and it was delightful.  All of the dogs featured were rescues from shelters, which adds an additional heartwarming aspect to the story.

And of course, no visit to the circus would be complete without cotton candy, it's hard to say who likes it more: my kids (or me).

Big Apple Circus presents Legendairum at Bridgewater's TD Bank Ballpark through Sunday, Marcy 17, 2013. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit BigAppleCircus.org.

Performance runs two hours with one intermission. All ages, but best for 3 and older.

Next stops on the Big Apple Circus tour are Boston and Queens.

We received tickets to the press performance. Neither the opinions of my kids (or me) were influenced, and opinions here are all our own.

 

Perfect Valentine's Day Treats for the Classroom - Gluten and Nut Free!

Valentine's Day is next week, which means I'm not thinking about what wonderful thing my beloved will be getting me, no I'm thinking about what I'm going to make for the class party at my kid's school.

 

Luckily, right as I was trying to figure out what I could bring, an email appeared from Kings Food Markets with two great options for the classroom, Gluten and Nut Free Rice Crispy Treats and Gluten and Nut Free Lemon Ginger Crisp.  Substitute dairy-free margarine for the butter, and the lactose-intolerant kids can enjoy as well.

 

Thanks to Kings Food Markets for allowing me to reprint these yummy Valentine's Day recipes!

 

Gluten and Nut Free Rice Crispy Treats

Makes 12 two inch squares

1 10 oz box of Gluten-Free Brown Rice Crisp Cereal (Use the entire box.)

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)

1 10 oz package of marshmallows

1 tsp Gluten Free Vanilla Extract

Procedure:

Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan

 

1.   Melt butter over low heat in a large pan.

2.   Add marshmallows to melted butter and stir over low heat until melted. Remove pan from heat. Stir in vanilla extract.

3.   Stir in rice cereal and gently coat cereal with marshmallow mixture.

4.  Pour rice mixture into prepared pan. With buttered fingers press the mixture flat.

5.   When cool and set, cut into 12 squares.

Gluten and Nut Free Lemon Ginger Crisp

Makes 20 large cookies

12 tbls unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated cane sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp lemon extract

2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour mix with xanthan gum

1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

2 oz minced crystallized ginger

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375°

 

1.Combine softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and lemon extract. Beat until combined.

2. In a separate bowl, combine gluten-free all purpose flour, gluten-free baking powder, ground ginger, salt and grated lemon zest. Whisk to thoroughly combine.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on slow and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. When the mixture is combined, gradually add the minced ginger to the cookie dough and blend until combined.

4.Make 2 tablespoon balls out of dough for giant cookies. Place no more than 6 on large ungreased cookie sheets. If they are placed too close together they will bake together! If you prefer smaller cookies make 1 tablespoon balls out of dough and place no more than 6 on large cookie sheet.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are set and the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for at least five minutes before removing with a large spatula to a cooling rack.

 

Do you have other favorite Valentine's Day ideas for classroom parties? Last year I made heart-shaped strawberries, but this year I'll try one of these new recipes from Kings!

 

I was not compensated for this post.

 

For lots more, visit Valentine's Day Ideas on Pinterest.

 

Instagram Monday Afternoon

I'm still in the throes of my newly found addiction to Instagram.

The kids, and frozen yogurt, documented this lazy afternoon. Upper right, that's brain freeze.

Would love to follow you on Instagram, leave your username in the comments!

Super Bowl Sunday Math Fun from Bedtime Math

 

 

Do you know about Bedtime Math? It's a great idea from New Jersey mom Lauren Overdeck that kids should have a bedtime math problem just like they have a bedtime book.

 

Lauren was nice enough to share these tips for a math-erific Super Bowl Sunday. When the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens play for the championship title, here are some math problems you can solve with your kids.
 

1. Practice adding and subtracting with Roman numerals. This year’s game is the 47^th Super Bowl– Super Bowl XLVII. For older kids, put a fun – and challenging– twist on regular addition and subtraction by introducing the concept of Roman numerals; then, use this different number system to practice adding and subtracting. L minus X (50 – 10) equals 40; V plus II (5 + 2) equals 7.

2. Choose game day snacks and count change. Everyone needs some yummy snacks to munch on during the game. Have your kids set up a Super Bowl snack bar at home, and attribute different prices to each food item. Use play money to ‘buy’ snacks from the snack bar, and have your children count out the correct change for each family member’s snack ‘purchase’.

3. Countdown. A football game is divided into four quarters, each of which lasts for 15 minutes. Throughout the game, keep an eye on the timer, and have your kids figure out how much time has passed in the quarter based on the amount of time remaining. If the timer reads 13:24, how much game time has already passed?

 

 

Lauren Overdeck studied astrophysics at Princeton, and founded Bedtime Math in 2012 to help parents inspire a love of math in young kids by finding exciting opportunities for math learning in everyday activities.

Through Bedtime Math, parents receive a nightly math problem to do with their children; each problem is adapted for various age levels (Wee Ones, Little Kids, Big Kids) and draws on real-life, kid-friendly examples.

You can sign-up to receive email with the daily problem at BedtimeMathProblem.org, or you can find the daily problem on Facebook /bedtimemath and Twitter @bedtimemath..

A Great Day Celebrating the Launch of the Peter Rabbit Line at babyGap

Today I joined the festivities at the Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus as a guest "mommy blogger" reader for a fun event at babyGap to launch their new limited edition Peter Rabbit line.

 

The clothes are so cute, and of course dressing-up my son like a rabbit has been a dream for a long time (you can read why here), so I think he sorta kinda hafta own this.

 

The event had face painting for the kids, arts-and-crafts, and lots of bunny-rific snacks, as well as a photo booth where you could embrace your inner rabbit.

I loved reading Emma Thompson's The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit to the kids, and in addition to these photos here from my brother

 my daughter (and future blogger) took some as well I'll post tomorrow.

The event also collected books for local Boys & Girls Clubs via a great non-profit, Milk & Bookies, and I'm glad to have had the chance to support their amazing efforts to provide all kid with books of their own.

Thanks to babyGap for including me in this event and to everyone at the Garden State Plaza babyGap for making the event so fun for everyone. A huge thank you too to my New York City friends and family who joined us in New Jersey!

What do babyGap, Peter Rabbit, Books and Me Have in Common?

Just a few days ago babyGap announced it's new Peter Rabbit collection, which was created in partnership with Beatrix Potter, featuring "our favorite mischievous rabbit re-imagined for the next generation."

To celebrate the launch of the Peter Rabbit line, babyGap is partnering with Milk & Bookies, a non-profit whose sole purpose is to celebrate the love of reading and to help kids get books into the hands of other kids. There will be multiple events at babyGap locations where participants can donate books for local Boys & Girls Clubs.

So there you have the connection between BabyGap, Peter Rabbit and books.

Where do I come in? Here:

Yes, that's right on Saturday, January 26, at 11:00am there will be a fabulous and fun event at the Paramus babyGap (Garden State Plaza mall) where I'll be reading the instant classic The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson in my best Joisey British accent.

 

If you're here in scenic New Jersey, I'd love for you to join us in celebrating books, bunnies and baby clothes.



And if you're elsewhere, click here for the full list of events taking place nationwide.

I am not being compensated for this post or for my participation. I am receiving an advance copy of the book.