EnterTRAINment Junction Review

This past weekend, an awesome family that we are lucky enough to be friends with invited us to Entertrainment Junction, which is a Huge Model Train Display and Family Entertainment Center, in West Chester, Ohio.

Our Awesome Friends...The James'

They have Season Passes, and this month, they could bring a friend for FREE.  And since we are so happenin' and fun, they invited us! 

We were excited to go, but I was kind of wondering how much fun my girls would have since, well, they are girls. 

Girls who aren't really into trains.

But no need to worry.  My girls thought it was WAY COOL!

The first thing you see when you come in is this really cool old train station looking area.  It is actually a snack bar/eating area, and a gift shop, but it looks so neat..very nostalgic! 

After you pay, (which is normally $12.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids 3-12.  3 and under are free),  you go into the Train Journey, which is the World's Largest Indoor Train Display!  I was extremely impressed, as were the girls. This exhibit runs throughout the entire building, so it is expansive, and the amount of detail is extraordinary...truly something you should see in person!

There is also an area called Imagination Junction, which is a Children's Interactive Play area.  Think McDonald's Play land with a train theme.  They had a tunnel/slide thing, a small train ride, (that is $1 per ride), and a few other play things. 

The kids loved this area because they could run and get a bunch of energy out.  There were also benches for parents, so it was a nice break for us too! 

Another nice feature is that there was a separate place for Toddlers or younger kids within the play area, so that they didn't get trampled on, and that has toys etc. geared more for their age group.  There were also nice bathrooms located here so that parents don't have to go far, which definitely came in handy. 

***One note I would make is to make sure you bring socks, (if your kids aren't already wearing them!), if you plan to play in Imagination Junction.  They are required.

There was also the American Railroading Museum located within the exhibit, which I honestly didn't get to see much of.  My girls aren't really patient enough to stop and let me read about things of actual importance, (but if it were a Barbie or Princess museum, they would have been all over that business!).

The kids also enjoyed some outside rides that they had available.  The rides package is an additional $3 per person and it includes unlimited rides during posted times.

An interesting and new addition to Entertrainment Junction this year, is the Fun House!  This is a carnival like experience that includes a Mirror Maze, Clown College, (which had a tilt room and Ames room), Outer Limits, (which has the Claustrophobic Hall, The Vortex Tunnel, and a Black Light Room), and Curtain Chaos.  This is an additional $9.95 per person for this experience, but totally worth it! 

The Fun House was a hit for sure with our crew!  Even the grownups got in on the fun.

I would say that no matter if you have boys or girls, this place should for sure be on your to-do list!  I know it sounds pricey after you add on all the stuff, (although the Season Pass is only $175 for a family of 4, which is a great deal for how much we would go!), but it really is so much fun!

Our girls got to experience something they didn't even know they were interested in, and we got to watch them having a blast with their friends.

Getting Glasses

Last week my oldest daughter,  Addy, had an eye doctor appointment and they told us she was near sighted and needed glasses.

Right there in the doctor's office, I started to panic a little.

I had flashbacks of my younger self being told I needed glasses, and the torment that soon followed.

Lots of kids asking questions, poking fun, and making me feel "different".  I didn't want that for Addy. 

But I also didn't want her to not be able to see clearly.

I knew I didn't really have a choice in the matter.  We would be getting her glasses.

And wouldn't you know it, Addy was THRILLED!

She was SOOO excited to pick out her new glasses, (I told her she could have any pair she wanted), and she was even more excited to show them to her friends.  She had no fear, no reservations, and no worry about what anyone else would think.

It's funny how, as a parent, we can sometimes worry too much for our kids, and start to throw our own junk in there when it really is just fine.

I'm glad Addy could teach me that.

And here is our little star with her Super Cute new pair of glasses that she LOVES to show off!

And here is the case she picked out to keep them in:

Ahhhh, it just melts my heart that she loves all things sparkly and fabulous just like her momma :)

Because Momma's Want To Look Good Too

So yesterday I clicked on the tv in the middle of the day, (don't judge...you've done it too!), and found a talk show doing a segment on what to wear for different occasions.

Now, you may not know it by looking at me, but I LOVE fashion! 

I read gobs of magazines, I scour the Internet, and I will watch ANY makeover show.  I just love getting new ideas and seeing what you can do to change up your look.

The only problem is, I can never figure out how to apply it to myself.  For a long time my idea of a nice mommy outfit was anything that didn't have a hole, a stain, and that fit.  If you came to my house and didn't find me in my jammies, then that was a good day.  I just struggled to find clothes that were cute, inexpensive, fit well and were durable enough to last through play dates at the park and arts and crafts at home.

And sure enough, this show proved my point that it seems like everyone who comes up with this stuff is out of touch with what a momma who is actually INVOLVED with her kids can/should wear.

For the 'Kid's Event Look', they had the model in a super long skirt, a nice shirt, a pair of high shoes, a Kate Spade bag and designer sunglasses.  Ummm, are you kidding me?!

I'm not sure what "Kid's Event" they are attending, but I hope it's not one with my kids because I can tell you right now that within minutes that skirt would be torn, (or have a 4-year-old hiding under it), the shirt would have a huge strawberry stain all over it, the shoes would be ruined from chasing my girls through the mud, and that beautiful purse would not fair well holding snotty tissues, goldfish crackers and juice boxes.

I mean, really, have they ever even SEEN a child?

Fortunately, I have some fabulously fashionable friends who have inspired me.  They have kids, (who they actually play with), AND they know how to put an outfit together.  If you haven't checked out my friend Maria's blog, be sure to head over.  I am in awe of the stuff she puts together.  It seems so effortless, and yet it looks so good.  (I guess it helps when your gorgeous, though).

I have also been inspired by some of the other numerous blogs I read.  These mommas know how to look amazing and the best part is, they share their style secrets with the rest of the world!  Some of these other blogs you may want to check out are:  Little Miss Momma, Momma Go Round, and The Pleated Poppy. 

Below, I am listing some of my favorite things for this summer that a momma can handle.  Take a look and tell me what you like, and what you don't!  And be sure to share some of your favorite momma trends for summer, too!

This whole look is from Old Navy...LOVE the cardigan with the tunic and capris!

 This look is from Gap.  You can never go wrong with a skirt and jacket...

...See what I mean!  (this look is from Old Navy).  Love that the bright skirt gives it that fun pop of color

This look is Gap.  Super Classic, Very Chic! 

This shirt is from WalMart and only $8!  It looks so comfy and I think it would be great with a pair of capri's or bermudas and a cardigan over it! 

 If you haven't been to Forever 21 for accessories, then you NEED. TO. GO.   Always cute, and always inexpensive! 

 Forever 21

 Piperlime. 

Piperlime

Free Summer Activities

If you are like me, you are already planning your summer adventures.

For some of you, this may include a vacation to the beach, or a trip to Disney (I am SOOOO jealous!),  a visit to the Lake, or some other kind of fabulous trip.

For others, it may be that you will be spending your summer working on major house projects, or visiting relatives, or living the lavish lifestyle and partying it up with friends.

My summer will go something like this:

"Quit hitting your sister!"

"Stop complaining!"

"No you cannot watch more TV.  3 Hours is enough!"

"I'm bored too!"

"Come get your sunscreen on!"

"We just had McDonald's for lunch yesterday..."

"...Okay, we can go to Chick-fil-a today."

"Seriously?  I just bought that swimsuit!"

You get the idea. 

Basically, I will be spending my summer trying to fill time for my two girls.  And yes, we have pool passes, (which we will be using A LOT!), and yes, we are splurging for Kings Island season passes this year, too.  But I will need more in my arsenal of 'keep-em'-entertained' tricks.  So I have been searching out other options, (that are FREE or Cheap!), for our summer as well, and wouldn't ya know, I found a couple!

One thing that I signed us up for is FREE bowling!  Now, I am not such a huge bowling fan, but my girls really seem to enjoy it.  So this works out perfectly for me, because they get to entertain themselves for an hour or so, and I get to sit in an air-conditioned building and drink heavily read, (or have a grown-up conversation if I can bully a friend into tagging along!).  They get 2 FREE games per day, per kid!

If you are interested in signing up for this program, (you must sign-up ahead of time!), visit http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

Another FREE activity we will be checking into are the FREE movies at Rave Motion Pictures.  They will be offering these FREE movies on Tuesday's and Wednesday's at 10am for eight weeks during the summer at participating theaters.  A nice dark theater...Can someone say Nap Time for momma?!  If you want to check into it, you can visit http://www.ravemotionpictures.com/family_festival.aspx

And of course, we will be doing plenty of other local things that are listed to the right of this post in the 'Upcoming Events" section. 

If you know of other FREE or cheap activities available to families this summer, PLEASE share!  This info. is like GOLD to stay-at-home moms on a budget :)

Taking Care of the Morning Blues

My oldest daughter has this thing about planning...she loves to do it.

She wants to plan every minute of every day, and she feels a little off kilter if she doesn't know what's going on.  This can be a challenge for me because while I like to plan some things, I am a little more relaxed and kind of prefer to take things as they come.

One of the areas that our difference had become quite difficult was during the morning routine.  I would wake Addy for school, ask her what she wanted for breakfast, ask her what she wanted to wear, ask her if she wanted to pack or buy lunch, and ask her what snacks she wanted.  Lots of decisions for a 7-year-old to make at 6:30am.

Most of these mornings resulted in lots of tears.

And Addy had a hard time too.

I was beginning to lose patience with all of it and wondering if boarding school was an option.  My husband assured me it was not. 

Then I spoke to a friend about our issue, and she encouraged me to have Addy make her decisions ahead of time so that we wouldn't have to think about things in the morning.  Genius!

So we started by letting Addy check out the calendar on Sunday evenings.  She could look ahead and see what was on the agenda for the week, and plan accordingly.  She chose which meal she would buy at school that week, (we allow her to buy once a week..she packs the other 4 days).  And each night before she went to bed, she started picking out her clothes, shoes, hair accessories etc.  She also got to choose her breakfast for the next day, as well as snacks.

Well let me just say that it has made a WORLD of difference!  Addy feels much better in the mornings because she doesn't have so many decisions to make, and she is happy with the choices because she got to make them herself.

And can I just say that mornings are MUCH BETTER for momma as well?!  No crying, no whining, and no tantrums...I am behaving like a good momma should.

So if you and your kids are experiencing the morning blues too, try letting the kids plan ahead a little and it may help to make mornings happy again!

*** This post will be linked at http://wearethatfamily.com/ for the 'Works For Me Wednesday' (WFMW) Posts.

A Family Full of Book Worms

I love to read.  A lot.

And I'm not super picky about what I read. 

Mysteries, Love Stories, Classics, US Magazine...I'll read anything.

And my love for reading has not gone unnoticed in my house.  My girls often comment on it, and when Christmas or any other gift giving occasion rolls around, I am sure to get a book mark or some other thing that reminds me that they are paying attention to my hobby.

And guess what?

They love reading too!

I didn't "push" it on them either.  I didn't talk about the importance, (although I think it's VERY important), and I didn't require nightly story time, (even though we pretty much do it every day anyway).  The only things I did do were, (1) have books available to them, and (2) let them see me reading on my own. 

I think most kids are kind of born with the love of stories.  They like listening to imaginary tales, and escaping into a world that is different than ours.  They enjoy hearing about animals that talk, and vegetables that sing, and princes and princesses who live happily ever after.  It feeds their creativity and drives their curiosity.  And it makes them happy.

We have spent many hours at our local library, (it is AWESOME, and they have a HUGE children's area!), and also at book stores.  Some times it's a quick trip, but what I really like to do is give them plenty of time to just roam the aisles and discover books they haven't heard of before.  A lot of times we sit down right there and read the stories because they just can't wait to get it home. 

Some of our favorites have included "Goodnight Moon", (which will always hold fond memories for me), "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom", "Pinkalicious", Arthur stories, Barbie books, Disney classic stories, and "No More Monkey's Jumping on the Bed".

I really hope that my girls continue with their love of books as they get older, and that it becomes a passion for them.  It has been such a wonderful part of my life, and I hope that is true for them as well.

What are some of your children's favorite books? 

What do you do to foster a love of reading for your kids?

Please share with the rest of us! :)

Memory Monday...No Big Deal

You know those moments when your kids do something they shouldn't and you go crazy?

Like, off the wall crazy?

Like, 'they might be taking me to jail later' crazy?

Yeah, we have had a few of those moments here, (not my proudest).  In the moment, I think what they have done is just horrible.  The crayon will never come off the wall!  The paint will get all over the place!  I paid good money for that dress that you just got permanent marker all over!

But the truth is, it's just crayon, and paint, and marker....no big deal.  They were just two curious little girls, being two curious little girls.  And I love that curiosity, even when it makes more work for me.

And besides, were it not for their curious spirits, I wouldn't have these pictures to look at now :)

"Look mom, I found the purple paint!  It doesn't taste so good, though..." 

"Of course we should color on the walls!  And since mommy and daddy are trying to sell the house, this will be the PERFECT decoration! "

  "I think permanent black marker is beautiful body art.  AND dress embellishment!"