A Morning at the Buttonwood Zoo (New Bedford, MA)

May 232013
 

Where we live there are several small zoos, and the gruesome twosome and I are frequent visitors.   We have a membership to one and with our membership, we get into the other one (in Attleboro, MA) for free – so when the nice weather hits, we make the rounds.  The Buttonwood Zoo in New Bedford is awesome.  Like I said, it’s small, so you can blow through it in about an hour – or make the day out of it if you want to pack a picnic lunch and participate in some of the activities they have going on throughout the day.

Chris and I took the boys for the first time this spring a couple of weeks ago and they were psyched to get back there.

Our first stop is almost always the bears.

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And then we head to the elephants. Continue reading »

A Walk in the Park

May 192013
 

When the weather gets nice around here, my family are regulars at our local state park:  Massasoit State Park in Taunton, MA.  We all love to hike the wooded trails and go exploring.  It’s finally started to warm up enough that we can make it to the park on the weekends and we went for the first time this year about two weeks ago.

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Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire….Or Something Like That.

Dec 052011
 

Have you actually tried a chestnut that was roasted over an open fire?  I did – and after I gagged over it for about 30 seconds or so, I spit it out.  It was so bad that I couldn’t even bring myself to swallow it.  And trust me, I’ve swallowed plenty of foul things over the course of my life.  I can’t put my finger on whether it was the taste or the texture that grossed me out more and since my husbands experience with one wasn’t much better, I know it wasn’t just me.

Wondering why I was even eating a roasted chestnut?  You know you are. 

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Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!

Sep 112011
 

Mom! Phineas and Ferb are going on a LIVE tour!!!” School‘s out for summer and anything is possible as Phineas and Ferb create their biggest invention yet — Disney’s Phineas and Ferb LIVE! On Tour. Phineas, Ferb, and the whole tri-state area gang embark on a bold escape jumping out from behind your TV and onto the stage in a live action adventure right in your hometown! And, before you can wonder, “Hey, Where’s Perry?” the beloved pet platypus shifts to his secret double life as Agent P to foil another one of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s evil plans. Musical madness abounds in an escapade so awesome that even Candace can’t help but join the hilarious hijinks. It’s the ultimate end to summer vacation, so seize the day ‘cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna do it all!

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The Life is Good Festival is Coming to Canton, MA September 24th and 25th!

Aug 282011
 

 

The Life is good Festival is a one-of-a-kind fundraiser event taking place the weekend of September 24th & 25th at Prowse Farm in Canton, MA. The festival is a two-day celebration of music and optimism, featuring three stages of nationally known musical talent, hands-on games, interactive arts activities, and the “Good Kids” zone — home to the top acts in kids entertainment. 100% of Life is good’s profits from the Festival will go towards The Life is good Playmakers, helping kids overcome life-threatening challenges such as violence, illness and extreme poverty!

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Blueberry Picking on the South Shore

Aug 102011
 

Yesterday, I took my boys out for our annual blueberry picking outting.  There’s nothing like fresh blueberries and we picked about five pounds of them.  It’s not as much as it sounds, trust me.  One pound of blueberries equals about three cups and (unwashed) blueberries actually freeze really well, so you can freeze what you’re not going to use right now.

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A Day Out With Thomas – Conway Scenic Railroad (North Conway, NH)

Jul 102011
 

Last Friday, my family and I had a chance to spend A Day Out With Thomas at the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, NH.  My boys are big Thomas fans, so on our ride up, they were so excited that we were going to actually get to ride Thomas!

North Conway is about a three hour drive from my home on the South Shore of Massachusetts, and since our tickets were for an 11:30 train ride, we set out from home around 7 am.  We wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to get up there, find parking and get to the railroad.  We actually had a weekend in N. Conway booked prior to receiving the tickets to the Day Out With Thomas, so the timing of this was the perfect way to start our weekend.

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July 4th Kids Party Activity Ideas

Jul 042011
 

Happy Independence Day!  As proud Americans many of us are off to celebrate the day with loved ones, by either hosting or attending a cookout – or some form of celebratory bash. I personally absolutely love all the cookouts over the long 4th of July weekend.  It’s such a great time to spend some quality time with the family. 

Obviously, I’m a mom & many of my friends also have kids.  With that being said,  I’ve  found that it’s always enjoyable to plan some special things just for the kids. So if you’re looking for some fun patriotic activities to do with the kids for your 4th of July bash this year, look no further. 

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Our Outting at Claychick Pottery Workshop – Plymouth, MA

Jun 302011
 

When I woke up yesterday morning, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with the boys all day.  It was hot & humid and I didn’t really feel up to a long daytrip.  After thinking for a little while, I remembered someone on Facebook telling me about this place in Plymouth called Claychick, where kids (and adults) can go and paint pottery.  I checked out their website and decided to give it a go – especially since it’s only about 15 minutes from my house.

We got there and were met by Chickie, the owner, who was very helpful and explained to the kids how everything worked – right down to how the paint will look after she fires the pottery in the kiln (ie – how it will be glossy when it’s done, but it doesn’t look like that when it first goes on).    Once we were ready to get started, each of my boys took forever to choose what they wanted to paint picked out a piece of pottery to paint and got to work picking out colors.

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It’s A Rainy Day on the South Shore and You Need Something To Do With the Kiddos! Here is a Great List!

Jun 072011
 

A couple of weeks ago I gave you some great day trip ideas if you live on or near the South Shore of Massachusetts, however they were all outdoor things.  That prompted me to put together a list of things you can do with the kiddos on rainy days (ie-indoor activities) around the South Shore.  So, without further adeu…..

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Strawberry Picking

Jun 062011
 

Have you ever gone strawberry picking?  For my family, it’s an annual event – actually, so is blueberry picking, apple picking and pumpkin picking!  Raspberry picking would be on the list, but they are so flippin’ expensive, who can afford them?  So every June I pack up the kids (and my camera) and off we go to load up on strawberries half of which will go uneaten and I’ll fund moldy in the back of my fridge next month.  I’ll admit that I’m not a huge strawberry fan, but my six year old absolutley loves them.   Continue reading »

Great South Shore Day Trip Ideas

May 252011
 

Summer vacation is rapidly approaching!  In my town the kids last day of school is June 24th – which is only a month away!  Yikes.

Since I work from home and have the luxury of being flexible with my hours, I tend to take the kids out a lot.  I live on the South Shore and there are about a million and a half things to do with the kids in the area, but I decided to make a list of places I frequent because I can speak from personal experience. 

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The Big Apple Circus “Dance On” in Boston Now Through May 15th! My Review of the Show!

Apr 112011
 

Big Apple Circus is at it again, but this time we need you to put on your dancing shoes and Dance On! In this show everyone dances, even the audience! So, shake a leg, pick your dates now and bring the whole family! The Big Apple Circus is your circus, Big Apple is back in town!  The Big Apple Circus is at Boston’s City Hall Plaza now until May 15th! 

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Toy Story 3 on Ice Show Recap

Feb 242011
 

Many of you know that last Friday, my family and I were invited to see opening night of Toy Story 3 on Ice at the TD Garden in Boston (and if you didn’t know…now you do)!   Being that I have two very big Toy Story fans in the house, I was super excited that I got the chance to take them to the show.

When we arrived at the TD Garden, we were checked in and sent up to one of their private dining rooms for dinner.  The menu was very family friendly and consisted of things like hot dogs, chicken tenders & fries.  There were also plenty of juice boxes for the kids & delicious cookies and fruit salad for dessert.  The dinner was a buffet and my six year old had seconds & thirds!  The menu selection was absolutely perfect since there were so many little ones in attendance!

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The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring THE ROCKETTES in Boston Review!

Dec 182010
 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning I was lucky enough to have a chance to see The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring THE ROCKETTES at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater in Boston and I have just two words to describe it.  Absolutley incredible!

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Jack-O-Lanterns, Jack-O-Lanterns and Even More Jack-O-Lanterns!!

Oct 212010
 

Last night myself and the fam headed down to Providence, RI to the Roger Williams Zoo to take in the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular.  There are literally thousands of carved & lighted pumpkins that are all set up along a trail in the zoo.  It’s absolutely amazing and if you’re in the area and have never been, I highly recommend you stop by if you get the chance.

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Edaville Railroad

Dec 022009
 

I took the kids to Edaville Railroad last night. Edaville is an amusement park (I use that term loosely here) in Carver, MA. It’s really in the middle of nowhere to be honest, but it’s the next town over from me. It’s built amongst tons of cranberry bogs, that is lit up with millions of Christmas lights this time of year. In addition to the lights, there are about 10 different carnival-type rides like a carousel and several other “spinning” rides, such as flying elephants and airplanes. There are also a few games and things along those lines. It’s very small, but it’s a completely magical experience when you’re a kid. And I know that feeling well, because my parents took us there every year while I was growing up. I still get that sense of excitement pulling up to it and seeing all the lights. Just an FYI, Edaville was first opened in 1947!

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