Kids Meal Crowd

Snow Day Surprises - Wordless Wednesday

2013-02-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

Today's snow day meant the boys had time to surprise me with breakfast this morning. Hot chocolate, toast, nutella for the toast, applesauce in a handmade bowl (school art project!) and milk in a family favorite glass.

Feeling blessed. Hope that you are well, and are having a great week!

Free Organic Coffee Week at McDonald's - Plus a Chance to Win a Keurig Brewing System on 9/24

2012-09-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

As a Green Mountain girl at heart, I love to see Vermont businesses gain new fans outside of the region. I think it's pretty safe to say that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is one of those businesses that has achieved that level of success. It is the coffee of choice for my husband and what we purchase for use in our Keurig machine.

But...good news! Everyday this week, we can get a free small coffee at McDonald's throughout New England as they celebrate National Coffee Day.

Want the inside scoop? On Monday, September 24th, McDonald’s and Newman’s Own Organics will be hosting a virtual coffee tasting at the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters plant in Vermont to kick off their exciting initiatives for National Coffee Day. It will begin at 10 AM today, and is open to the public, so join me and take a peek at the livestream of the event.

You can submit questions during the virtual tasting to the @McDEasternNE Twitter handle during the event and use #McDCoffeeChat to keep up with the conversation.

They will also be holding one or more Keurig giveaways during the live stream via their twitter handle for everyone following along. Tweet cool tid-bits that you are learning about coffee from the live stream and have a chance to win! They’ll randomly choose a winner who is participating with the hash tag (#McDCoffeeChat).

Good luck, and have a great week.

Family Fun: Dartmouth Sports - for free!

2012-09-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

We love sports in our family. We love to play, we love to watch.

One of the best kept secrets in the Upper Valley is the ability to have a fun, frugal family outing thanks to Dartmouth College Sports.

Dartmouth College is a a member of the Ivy League, and competes at the Division 1 level. Dartmouth offers 34 varsity sports - 16 for men, 16 for women and two coeducational programs in sailing and equestrian. When we first moved to Enfield, NH we loved to watch the Dartmouth sailing team practice at our town's Mascoma Lake. I'm also potentially biased in this matter as a Dartmouth alumnae and employee. But even if you don't bleed green, watching the talented student-athletes in action can be a ton of fun.

This fall, your family (or scout troop, youth sports team, class trip, church group, playgroup, etc) could attend the following for FREE!

ANY women's field hockey game. Schedule can be found here.

Several women's soccer games, including the following...

Sunday 9/9/12 vs. Rutgers at 4:30 PM
Friday 9/14/12 vs. New Hampshire at 7 PM
Thursday 9/20/12 vs. NJIT at 5 PM
Monday 10/01/12 vs. Pepperdine at 2 PM
Saturday 10/13/12 vs. Penn at 7 PM (conference game)
Wednesday 10/17/12 vs. Boston University at 7 PM

Some men's soccer games, including...

Sunday 9/2/12 vs. Holy Cross at 3 PM
Sunday 9/9/12 vs. Colgate at 2 PM
Tuesday 9/30/12 vs. New Hampshire at 6 PM
NOTE: a couple of the games requiring tickets are men's and women's double-headers, so again - great value.

Don't forget, you can always call the Dartmouth Sports Ticket Office to ask about group discounts, and to purchase a Thompson Family Favorite...the Family Fun Pack! The Family Fun Pack costs $25-40 based on the sport and the specific game attending, and includes 2 adult tickets, 2 youth tickets, and a voucher for 4 hot dogs & 4 sodas that you can redeem at the DDS concession stand. If you have more than 2 children, you can add on single tickets to the fun pack like we do.

Just as a reference point, here's a sampling of Dartmouth fall sports tickets prices:

Football - adults $10, youth (ages 3-14) $5 - homecoming game is slightly more expensive
Soccer - adults $7, youth (ages 3-14) $4

Hope to see you at a Dartmouth Sports event this fall!

Quick Baseball Giveaway! Tickets to Sunday, 8/19 #PawSox Game and FanFest Day #RedSox

2012-08-12T14:26:00.002-04:00

You know how we love sports in my family, right? And also that we are big Red Sox fans? Well, we were thrilled to receive tickets for the 2012 Paw Sox (Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox) game and FanFest Day on Sunday, August 19th!

PawSox mascots - photo via PawSox facebook page

BUT...we just recently finalized plans to go to Maine a whole week, and a day trip to Pawtucket, Rhode Island is not an option as we pay for a rental on the coast of Maine. Bummer, isn't it?

Our loss is your gain! I have FOUR TICKETS in hand for the PawSox game vs. the Buffalo Bisons on Sunday that can be yours. The game begins at 1:05 PM (Rain date - Monday, August 20th at 7:05 PM), and the tickets are for General Admission - Blue Seats, Berm & Bleachers. It's a Sunday game, which also means that the kids can Run the Bases after the end of the game. Lots of fun!

Not only will you get the chance to see professional baseball (several names and faces are familiar if you are a Red Sox fan!), but the Annual PawSox FanFest. After the game you are invited to join the festivities. There will be bouncy rides, sampling tables, music, interactive games, player autograph tables, and much more. We love minor league baseball as a family-friendly outing, and have attended several games in northern New England over the last several years.

Catcher Ryan Lavarnway - photo via PawSox facebook page

While you are at the event, please say hello to my friends at McDonald's of Eastern New England (NH is part of this group). McD’s is a sponsor and they will be at the FanFest providing samples of apple slices, playing cool trivia games, and providing meet-and-greets with the big guy - Ronald.

As this is a very short-dated contest, I am making it very easy to enter:

You only need to leave a comment on this post and let me know what baseball team you cheer for, or if sports or not your thing.

Please be sure to include your email address or twitter name so that I can contact you for mailing address if you win!

Contest closes on Wednesday, August 15th at 10 PM. I will draw a winner and runner up and contact immediately that night by email or twitter. Due to the time sensitive nature of the tickets, if I have not received a mailing address (or coordinated a time to meet if you are local to me) for the winner by noon on Thursday, August 16th the prize will be mailed out to the runner up. If neither follow up by the deadline, I will distribute the tickets to those in my local area only via Facebook.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received four tickets to the baseball game from McDonald's of Eastern New England. My family is not able to use these tickets, so I am offering as this giveaway. McDonald's did not require me to write this post, or to host a giveaway for the tickets - this was of my own doing, and the transfer of tickets was OK'd by the kind folks at McDonald's. All content and opinions are mine.

Quick question: Registration Options for Kids Activities

2012-08-08T22:20:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! It's August, and I've just returned from BlogHer 2012 with a ton of great connections and ideas for things to do with this blog, and my new site in development. Stay tuned for more on that!

For now, I'd really love your input on this quick research project that I am doing related to registration preferences for kid activities. I'd love your help with this! It will only take a minute.

Thanks in advance for your help with this! Will be using it in future post and in my own volunteer work. Please feel free to leave a comment with more detailed feedback.

Your browser doesn't support iFrames :( Vote for this poll <a href="http://twtpoll.com/w2d7o7" title="here" target="_blank">here</a>.

Upper Valley Event: HOPFEST on the Dartmouth Green, July 20-21

2012-06-20T11:25:00.000-04:00

Looks like this will be a fun weekend event, so I wanted to share the basic info. See you there!

HOPFEST: July 20 & 21, Save the Date!

HOPFEST

Fri & Sat | Jul 20 & 21 | Dartmouth Green | FREE

Fri: 4 pm--1:30 am | Sat: Noon--11 pm

Join us for this kick-off celebration of the Hop's Big Five-Oh!

Get ready for a birthday bash featuring two days of great music, an all-ages "dance-in," a late-night outdoor film screening, a deejayed dance party, a beer garden on the Hop Plaza, and loads of family-friendly arts activities--all free on the Dartmouth Green and in the Hopkins Center.

Do Dogs and Cats Have a Dominant Paw? My 6th Grader Needs Your Help To Find Out

2012-04-13T23:22:00.000-04:00

My daughter is very much interested in animals, and so it seemed natural for her to plan a science fair project that would answer a question that she had: Do dogs and cats have a dominant paw - similar to people being left-handed or right-handed?

She is looking for some help in gathering her data. Can you help? She created this quick explanation of her "experiment" and a form for you to enter your pet's info. She needs to finish up before the end of the month. This will only take a few minutes, and we have found it to be pretty easy and fun! Click HERE or fill in the blanks in the form below.

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Thanks for your help! I will post her results in May once her Science Fair is complete.

Fast Five Reasons That You Should Vote YES on Mascoma High School Renovation Project - 3/13/12

2012-03-12T08:50:00.000-04:00

How can we prepare the next generation of thinkers, doers and leaders in a facility built for needs of the 60's?

Our regional school district has a big vote coming up this week, and so I wanted to share some of the info that has played a role in my decision-making. Regardless of your viewpoint, I hope that you'll take an active role in your community's future - our kids can't vote, they are counting on us to keep them prepared and competitive for their next steps in life.

Fast Five: Reasons to Say YES to the Mascoma Valley Regional High School Renovation (Article 4 on the March 13, 2012 Ballot)

Students at MVRHS created a video to show the community the current state of the high school. It highlights several deficiencies that would be addressed in the renovation project. The whole district would benefit from having one auditorium available for use. Right now, there are none between the three schools. There are teachers that need to push around their classroom supplies on a cart between classes as there is not enough space. The band has received national honors, but still needs to hang its uniforms from the rafters. Science labs are woefully out of date. Take away: The school was built in 1963. Not much of the building has been updated since. Even with the very best teachers, materials and physical space are key components of a good teaching and learning environment.
There have been some great discussion going on in our town and regional email listservs. Other questions about the quality of the teaching, internal vs. external perceptions of the district's reputation, as well as issues related to the mechanism for school funding in NH have also come up. I've been happy to see cordial discussion about the local education system, and hope that it will continue even after the vote count is in. Take away: People care! Not everyone can, or will, show up at an actual meeting - but having an online forum to have this conversation has been extremely helpful.
Safety has to be a first concern. The drop-off and pick-up situation at the high school and middle school are a HUGE safety concern for many of us. Cars, buses, and students on foot all need to share the same space without dedicated traffic lanes (or much sense). Sometimes the buses even come "down" the "up" lane! Terrible. Safety is one of the goals of the Master Plan. Others are Responsiveness to curriculum needs, Functionality and low maintenance, Healthy physical environment, Asset to our community, Communication. Take away: There needs to be a consistently safe way for our kids to be dropped off and picked up from school. No excuses. The district has taken safety seriously in the renovation project.
Misleading fliers mailed to residents galvanized many people (myself included). Apathy, and thinking that other people will take action even when you are too busy to follow through, are really common. This mailing kicked my civic engagement meter into overdrive, and not only did I join the "Return to Sender" campaign, but I've been having conversations with many people in my community to remind them to vote, and share resources like those mentioned in this post. Read about the Master Plan, a rebuttal to the "comparison" made in the flyer, and a TV report about the renovation plan. Take away: It's easy to send out inflammatory remarks, hiding behind the name of a random organization, and use scare tactics to cloud reality. It's much tougher to provide viable solutions and do the "right thing". Especially when the right thing for the community means less money in your own pocket to pay your family's bills.
Wonder what kind of tax increase you will see on YOUR bill? Don't make assumptions when you can plug a few numbers into this downloadable calculator to get more specific information. You will need Microsoft Excel for this tool to work, or upload to Google Docs to convert and use for free. Take away: For most people in our region, the monthly tax increase for this renovation project will be less than a Happy Meal, cup of coffee, six-pack of your favorite beverage, or pack of cigarettes. Aren't the kids of our community worth it?

A good school system will benefit not only families with children in school now, but for all generations of our community. Local schools contribute to real estate stability, economic development, community capacity, and expansion of the tax base.

Back in the "old days", schools were the centerpiece of a community. One-room schoolhouses are relics of the past, but the important role of schools as hubs of activity and pride in our towns are needed now more than ever.

Please take 15 minutes to visit your local polling location (all open until 7 PM) to cast your vote.

Menu Plan Monday: Week of January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! We had one more day off from school or work today, but real life will be back in full swing on Tuesday, January 3rd.

No more making fun things like these reindeer pops:

Thanks to my new found ~~addiction~~ love of a little something called Pinterest, I've found a bunch of cool new recipe ideas I am looking forward to testing. You can see my new finds when you take a peek at my "pins" and "boards". Let me know if you are on it so that I can follow you.

Our first week of 2012 will include the following...

MONDAY: Pizza Night Out after errands and gym time
TUESDAY: Beef tenderloin roast, potatoes and veggies
WEDNESDAY: Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
THURSDAY: Skillet Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
FRIDAY: Leftover buffet
SATURDAY: Dinner Out
SUNDAY: Turkey Dinner with the fixings (use leftover meat for lunch sandwiches/Tuesday dinner)

Check out the many more menu examples and planning resources from Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie. What are your favorite recipes? I'd love to add them to my list of options each week.

Top Six DIY/Home Projects On My 2012 Goal List

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've been really inspired by the 2011 wrap up and 2012 goal posts I've been seeing this week. Recognizing that it's easy to make and then ignore these types of goals, I knew it would be important to share my list so that you all can keep me honest and I can keep you up to date on my progress.

That said, here's the top six home/DIY projects on my list:

Build and implement these useful-looking "laundry basket dressers" in our laundry area, and perhaps the bedrooms. We need a better system than we have now, and as most of the clean clothes seem to stay in baskets vs. the actual dressers...this option seems more functional and efficient for our busy family.
Use up my old supply of scrapbooking materials to create some cool gifts for others. Maybe it will be simple, awesome items like this reusable to-do list frame; maybe I'll actually try to scrapbook again; or I'll donate some killer gift baskets to silent auctions, scout troops and school teachers.
Photo a day. For 366 days. (yes, 2012 is a leap year!) Seriously. Upload to web album at least once per week.
Create a chalkboard wall calendar a la Martha Stewart. It might not be for a full month, but a one week or two week option would be a really great addition for our home. Or build a "mother board unit" that can serve as the command center. My goal here is really to find something that can serve as a visual reminder of the stuff the whole family should be preparing for. This one is totally rad, and includes a menu board, magnetic chore charts and more!
More wall art. This would be to help support goal #3 and maybe even goal #2. I'm really fond of this mosaic with a template, so that's a likely model I'll try. I may even develop a mini version to personalize my office a bit more. Another cool idea: photo covered monogram.
Cook at least one meal in the slow cooker each week. Yum. The key here is that by having this goal, I am more likely to be menu planning and grocery shopping. This is good for our budget, our bodies, and our time together as a family!

Do you have any projects for 2012 that you are looking forward to?

Redbox Discount Codes Available - "12 Days of Deals"

2011-12-22T16:33:00.000-05:00

Redbox is near the end of their "12 Days of Deals" promotion, but there is still time to get discounts on movies or games before Santa drops off your gifts under the tree. I sent a text and received a code for $1 off a rental before 11:59 PM CT on 12/24/11. Code must be used at the machine, not online. I'm planning on finding a Blu-Ray to rent while I am out doing errands tonight.

Going online I was able to check out the inventory for one of the Redbox machines at a local grocery store so that I could reserve a couple of movies for the kids to watch as a motivator for finishing up chores early before we host a holiday get together with family this weekend. I have to run into town for some groceries tonight anyway, so it's an easy way to complete two errands in one trip!

What are your favorite movies to watch during the holidays?

Check Your Sunday Paper for $5 off $50 purchase at #Hannaford #UpperValley

2011-12-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

Quick note: If you still have your newspaper from Sunday, 12/18/11, be sure to check for a $5 off any grocery purchase of $50 or more at Hannaford. It was part of a nearly full page ad - look for the "Christmas Dinner for 8 for less than $20!" on the top of ad, the coupon is below the fold. Valid 12/14/11 - 12/24/11, and total after all discounts applied must be $50 or more.

My local newspaper, the Valley News, can be found on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Lebanon Co-Op Store in Centerra Park. Not sure if they also carry it in the Hanover and White River Junction stores as well. You will find the coupon on page B3. The $2 for the newspaper will be more than doubled if you use that coupon!

Thanks to The Thieving Bear blog, you can also see some of the best deals to consider at Hannaford this week. I'll sure be checking it out to make my list. Hannaford also has a coupon page that you might want to check out for printable coupon matches. Frugal fa-la-la.

Happy holidays!

Share Your Favorite Deal Blogs - Win $10 LL Bean Gift Card and Goodie Box (Ends 12/10/11)

2011-11-27T13:12:00.001-05:00

There are so many great blogs out there, and I just can't keep track of them all. I'd love to know who your personal favorites are so that I can keep my reading list up to date. This isn't part of a sponsored campaign or anything, I really just would appreciate your input! I'll be sharing your responses in a future blog post series.

To sweeten the pot, one lucky reader will receive a $10 LL Bean gift card (Exp. 2/14/12) and a priority mail shipping box full of surprises! I'll also be sending a little something special to all of the bloggers mentioned to thank them for their work.

Below you will find the form to fill out to enter the contest. The blogs need not be fully dedicated to the category you list them for, it can just be a topic that you feel they consistently do a good job covering with sales, coupons/match ups, and hot deals. You don't need to fill in all the stores/categories below. I just ask that you add at least one blog suggestion in order to be entered into the contest.

You must include your name and email address (twitter handle is optional), and then there are spaces to list the URL and blog name of your favorite in the following categories:

CVS
Walgreens
Rite Aid
Shaws
Price Chopper
Hannaford
BJ's Wholesale
Walmart
Co-Op, Healthy, or Organic Deals
Amazon - including subscribe and save, Amazon Mom, etc
Overall Deals and Savings
"Other" - your choice

CONTEST ENDS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10th, so that the package can be mailed to the winner on Monday, December 12th. Please share with your friends and followers so that we have a good sample size. Happy holidays, and I look forward to your responses!
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Sorry, Now Sold Out..Hot Deal - $149 Front Loading Washing Machine at Home Depot

2011-11-26T08:01:00.001-05:00

UPDATED at 8:20 AM: Deal is now dead online. Not sure if stores will match. Good luck!

In the market for a new washing machine? Here's a great deal to consider - but you'll need to act fast!

GE 3.5 cu. ft. DOE King-Size Capacity Front Load Washer in White
REG $399.00 /EA-Each
NOW $149.00 /EA-Each
Free Shipping
Online Special Valid: 11/24/2011 - 11/28/2011
Rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars

The GE 3.5 cu. ft. King-Size Capacity Front Load Washer in White features a HydroMotion reversing wash system that gently lifts and drops clothing in the wash solution to provide thorough cleaning with less wear on fabric. The washer's PerfecTemp temperature management system regulates wash water temperatures for proper fabric care. Its load-sensing adaptive filling system fills the washer with just the right amount of water for the load, helping you reduce waste. The 3.5 cu. ft. king-size steel basket handles a king-size comforter or 24 full-size bath towels with ease.

3.5 cu. ft. capacity can easily accommodate a king-size comforter or 24 full-size bath towels
Rotary electronic controls have LED indicators to let you know which cycle is in progress
HydroMotion reversing wash system gently lifts and drops clothing in the wash solution to help provide thorough cleaning with less wear on fabrics
10 wash cycles offer a setting for almost any load, from heavy cottons to casual synthetics
Speed Wash cycle provides a quick wash for lightly soiled items that are needed in a hurry
1,000 RPM spin speed removes more water during the spin cycle to help minimize drying time
Energy Star qualified to meet or exceed federal guidelines for energy efficiency for year-round energy and money savings

Thanks to the great community at GottaDeal for this great find! Since I first found them in 2005, I've been able to take advantage of many, many great offers. Very helpful members, and I would suggest that you check them out.

What to do this weekend: Free Kids Basketball Clinic with Dartmouth Women's Basketball Team #UpperValley

2011-11-04T09:50:00.002-04:00

Happy November! With the outside weather getting colder, our family is always looking forward to ways to stay active inside. Basketball is one of our most favorite activities, and this weekend there is a chance for your family to get bit by the basketball bug as well.

The Skills Clinics that Dartmouth College Athletic teams host throughout the year are great fun, a frugal family activity, allows the kids to be active, and they also get to meet Division 1 student-athletes. This Sunday, the Women's Basketball team will work with the kids for an hour. The clinic itself is for boys AND girls.

When we have attended these in the past, at the start of the skills clinic the kids are split up into a number of different age groupings (grades K-8), and then work with members of the team at different "stations" around the gym. The groups stay at the station for a certain amount of time and then rotate to the next station. They play games, practice ball handling, shooting, passing, defense - the fundamental skills - in a fun way. the Dartmouth athletes bring such enthusiasm and truly seem to enjoy working with the kids. The coach usually gives a little pep talk, encourages the kids and families at the clinic to come to support the Dartmouth teams, and might even hand out schedules. Our kids have consistently enjoyed these sessions, and we plan to attend this one as well.

A few tips and bits of advice:

As the session is only one hour long, many of the parents will stay in the gym to just watch, chat with other parents, take some photos, or read a book.
Don't forget sneakers (they don't need to be basketball sneakers, but just something that will allow the kids to run around - so no boots) and a drink. There are water fountains, but we always like to bring our own water bottle to avoid any lines.
Have your child put their shorts on under wind pants or sweats so they don't have to go into the restroom to change. With a short session like this, it's helpful to limit the prep on site. Save that time to allow for lacing up those basketball sneakers if you have them.
If your child has asthma, don't forget the inhaler!
The kids usually don't need a mouth guard for this clinic, but I'm a big fan of keeping all of the gear together in a sports bag or duffel. Use this as an opportunity to get those sports bags organized and get your little athlete ready for the routines of the season.

Hope to see you at Leede Arena on Sunday. Check out the Dartmouth Sports web site to keep up with other opportunities to support the teams.

Remembering #911 - Working in Student Affairs at CCV

2011-09-12T01:40:00.000-04:00

10 years ago, I was working as a young academic professional at the Community College of Vermont. I had been working in the "student affairs" world for about two or three years by that point, and on this particular morning I was at the Waterbury, VT headquarters of CCV at some sort of college committee meeting.

The meeting had just begun when someone joined us and asked if we had heard about a plane crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers. No one really had a lot of information at that point, so we went about our business. Then the second plane hit and the tension rose dramatically. My personal reaction included being very worried about one of my best friends from college who lived and worked in NYC. The phone circuits were busy all day, but I finally heard from Rabi the following day saying that she was safe.

What struck me the most about that moment in time on September 11, 2001 was the tremendous compassion, comprehensive thought process during a very difficult time, and the value of leadership during crisis. I was a junior member of this group, and a bit pre-occupied worried about the status of my friend. But it was amazing to be in the room with the college leadership as they responded to the events of the day.

I came home that night after picking up my little girl from child care and gave her a huge hug. I wondered what this one-and-a-half year old would come to learn of this day...this tragic moment in American history. She's 11 now, and we talked a bit about it this weekend. She asked about what I was doing, and if anyone we knew was impacted. She talked about a story from one of her teachers, who had a more personal connection to events of that day. She hasn't asked the tough questions, and the boys (ages 8 and 6) haven't really learned about the news and lingering impact of 9/11.

I'm hopeful that those tough questions won't come to us all that soon. How can you explain such senseless acts? How can you adequately represent the immense loss that so many people continue to struggle with? Are "healing" and "safe" words that will ever describe the world around us?

A mural created by students in South Carolina.

The 9/11 Memorial web site includes teaching and learning guides that I haven't used, but would like to suggest for your consideration.

Menu Plan Monday: Week of September 5th - New School Year, New Routines

2011-09-05T18:56:00.000-04:00

It's time for me to start using a weekly menu plan again! School has started for the year, soccer and boy scouts take up most of the remaining weeknights, and my evening work activities don't start again in full force until the fall term begins again later this month. As we begin our routines anew, menu planning is one that we all benefit from.

Dinners for the week will include:

pasta with meat sauce, green salad, garlic bread
slow cooker meal: whole roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits
quick meal: corn dogs, fresh cucumbers and carrots, sweet potato fries
slow cooker meal: pulled pork sandwiches, corn on the cob
grilled pizza, green salad
leftover buffet
night out - dine out or take out

What about you...What are your plans? Favorite meals for busy weeknights? Check out all of the great ideas linked up at I'm An Organizing Junkie. Have a great week!

Dealing with Disasters - Kids, Families, Co-Workers #VTresponse

2011-09-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

Dartmouth College has a great collection of resources posted that I wanted to share. A sampling of topics included are:

Coping with the Aftermath of Floods
Encouraging Family Communication after a Disaster
Helping Your Children
Managing Traumatic Stress
Supporting a Coworker after a Disaster

Lots of news from the College is collected in this post from Dartmouth Now. On campus, The Tucker Foundation is spearheading efforts for donations and work crews. Alumni Relations has also set up collection boxes for donated items in the lobby of Blunt Alumni Center, according to a recent email I received.

I'm still working on match ups of sales/coupons for items that are in high need for disaster relief. Can you help with these efforts? You'll notice that some of the stores I mentioned in that post are stricken. That's because those stores were flooded as well, and are not open for business. See a comprehensive list of stores along 12A that are open or closed in this post. There are several Facebook pages and groups that have been really helpful, a relatively new one that I wanted to mention was NH for VT. Check it out!

Lastly, the #VTresponse web site is a great hub of information, and I highly recommend you check it out. Keep up the great work!

#UpperValley Update: Route 12A Stores in West Lebanon, NH Impacted by #NHirene

2011-09-01T06:19:00.000-04:00

The Upper Valley's major shopping district is on Route 12A in West Lebanon, NH. With the proximity to the Connecticut River, this area was hit hard by flooding when the remnants of Irene came passing through.

(Photo Credit: Valley News — Jennifer Hauck)

Read more about the impact to the community in this Valley News article. Not only will this affect the way that residents in our area purchase clothing and other household goods, it will mean less options for the Dartmouth students (who have transportation off campus) to outfit their dorm rooms and apartments for the new academic year. The economic impact of the flooding is significant: let's hope that the estimates of people out of a job will be less than the 500-600 figure that has been thrown out there.

After asking around, I've compiled a list of stores/businesses on Route 12A that are currently closed. Please let me know if there is a change to report in these status listings. I'm hoping that this will happen as more stores clean up and reopen, but it is likely to be several weeks or months before this happens completely. I will keep this list up to date based on my own research, and your input and feedback.

LISTS UPDATED 11/29/11 - please continue to send your info for future updates. Appreciate your help. Also, Valley News article from 11/3/11.
OPEN:

All Colonial Plaza is open (near Walgreens - includes antique store, College Formals, etc)
All North Country Plaza is open (Panera Bread, FedEx Office, Verizon Wireless, etc)
All Shaws/Benning Street Plaza is open (99 Restaurant, liquor store, Board & Basket, etc)
All Powerhouse Mall is open (EMS, LL Bean, Lui Lui, Amidon Jewelers, etc)
All Glen Road Plaza is open (Subway, Country Cobbler, Illuminations, etc)
AmComm Wireless
Applebees
Aspen Dental
Best Buy
BJ's Wholesale
Books A Million (in the former Borders location)
Burger King
Chili's
Costumania/College Formals
CVS
D’Angelos
Denny's
Dollar Tree
Don's Woodworking (strip mall near Staples)
Encore Books (under new management)
Famous Footwear
Friendlys
Fore-U Golf, Ice Cream
GameStop
Golf and Ski Warehouse
Hannaford
Home Depot
Jiffy Lube
Jo-Ann's Fabric (new expanded store!)
Kleen Laundromat (Kmart Plaza)
Kmart Mobile Pharmacy
Kohls
Koto Japenese Steakhouse
Lebanon Pet Store/West Leb Pet and Aquarium
Lindt Chocolate
McDonalds
Mouse Menagerie (temp location - near Panera Bread)
Newbury Comics
Olympia Sports
Panera Bread
Payless Shoes
Pier One
Pizza Hut
Price Chopper
Radio Shack
Rite Aid
Sears (alternative location - Airpark Rd)
Shaws (Upper Valley Plaza and Benning St)
Sleepy's
Staples
SuperCuts
Super Shoes (across from Taco Bell/KFC)
The Paper Store
TJ Maxx
Walgreens
Walmart
Weathervane
Wendy's
Ziggy's Pizza (NEW business! in the strip mall near Staples)

CLOSED FOR NOW:

JC Penney Plaza (Upper Valley Plaza)

JC Penney (2012 re-open, if any, rumored)
JC Penney Salon
iParty (December 2011 re-open rumored)
Maurice's (December 2011 re-open rumored)
Others that I have left out?

K-Mart Plaza

K-Mart (2012 re-open rumored)
Pro-Optical
Others that I have left out?

Special thanks to Lebanon City Councilor Karen Liot Hill for her quick response to my queries, the City of Lebanon, the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Upper Valley facebook group.

See how you can use your savvy shopping skills to assist in the #VTresponse efforts!

I need your help for #VTresponse! 5 easy ways to use your savvy shopping to help VT recover from Irene

2011-08-31T08:39:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, my children started the school year. They had clothes to wear, food to eat, beds to sleep in, and new school supplies in their backpacks. They can play with toys, read their books, and get their soccer gear ready to start the season on Saturday.

For many families in my home state of Vermont, the regular routines of families just like mine has been interrupted. Because they can't live in their homes due to flooding. Because the school year has been delayed because the roads and bridges in town have sustained incredible levels of damage. Because their kids' clothes and toys are floating in swollen rivers and streams. Because the food in their homes is ruined and their personal belongings lost.

I've been very moved by the strength of these communities and feel compelled to act. That's where I need your help.

So many of my friends out there are savvy shoppers. I have certainly been known to love a good bargain! In seeing some of the requests for Vermonters in need, it dawned on me that we can all do "more good" if we can save some money in the process.

Here are 5 easy things that you can do with your frugal tips and tricks to help communities in need:

Point me to your favorite blogs that list deals at these local stores: Walgreens, CVS, BJ's Wholesale, Price Chopper, Shaws, Staples, ~~Kohl's~~, ~~JC Penney~~, Walmart, ~~Kmart~~, Co-Op Food Stores, Rite Aid and Hannaford. Those are the places in my immediate community, but there might be others here in the Northern New England area that may be added. Amazon is also an option if items are eligible for free shipping.
Help me to find coupons to match up with those deals. Printable is great, inserts and other coupon sources welcome.
Do you have any extra coupons? Would you be willing to donate extra coupons to allow us to purchase more items locally? You can contact me directly for a mailing address. My 11-year-old daughter has volunteered to help me with the clipping, organizing and shopping for items to purchase for donation as part of the response efforts. I will take a photo of any envelopes received with coupons to post to the Kids Meal Crowd Facebook Page and you'll get a personalized thank you note in return.
Do you have ~~Kohl's Cash~~ or Staples Rewards that you aren't going to use? These types of savings certificates or even gift cards for any of the stores mentioned in #1 would be much appreciated for our efforts.
If you have saved a few dollars this week - please consider turning that into a cash donation to the response efforts. That is one of the most important ways that we can help families. Organizations can use these cash donations to meet the greatest community needs at that exact point in time. Text FOODNOW to 52000 to donate $10 to Vermont Foodbank. The Foodbank will turn each donation into $60 for families in need. The American Red Cross and United Way can both accept donations online for VT Disaster Relief.

Lots of things are happening as part of the #VTresponse efforts. I highly recommend you check out this blog post from Seven Days for a good round up of links. Many of the Facebook pages or community organizations can be found online, like #VTresponse. I'd also suggest this fabulous resource page from Common Good Vermont.

I've removed the lists of requested items for donations and collection drop offs and instead encourage you to visit the Donations page or main landing page for #VTresponse. They have been coordinating efforts and have volunteers doing a great job making sure things are up to date. Please remember that this will be a long-term need in our communities.

Thanks in advance for your help! If you are a community organizer, someone who is in need, or have other ideas for collaboration - PLEASE leave a comment or contact me on Twitter or by email. Let's not just sit around and wait for others to provide assistance. Every little bit will help someone else in need. I'm grateful for your consideration.

Please forward this to others and help spread the word about this effort. If you are a blogger, a brand or business, or a PR agency working with a business - please consider assisting Vermonters in need!

{don't forget to check out the comments to this post}

First Day of School #Fail - and a Web Site Updating Case Study

2011-08-30T12:25:00.000-04:00

I'm so proud that my kids got up and ready to catch the bus this morning for the first day of school. We assumed that the bus would be making its stop at the same time as last year, just after 7 AM. We got to the end of the road at 6:58 AM. Excellent.

We took our requisite photo while waiting for the bus.

We checked the time on my cell phone. Many, MANY times. Then we started to think that the routes had changed this year and we just didn't notice having just come back from vacation! I did a quick google search for local bus routes and got a link for the local newspaper "web extra". I click on the appropriate bus number and notice that the time at our stop is listed as 7:40 AM. YEAH! the kids say - not only did we *not* miss the bus, we get a little more time in the morning to get ready! We turned around and walked home. Opened the door at 7:15 AM and shared the good news with Daddy.

But....just to be sure I fired up the computer and checked the school district web site to find the bus routes. I found our bus number, and looked up our stop. 7:02 AM. Ugh.

Then I ran the same google search as I did outside at the bus stop and pulled up the local newspaper listing of bus routes. Looks like they were actually from 2007-2008! Super handy. Thanks Valley News. (note: the main Web Extra lists 2008-2009 as active dates, and our school district page was listed as 2007-2008.)

Now I'll be dropping the kids off by car and waiting in crazy lines of cars at two schools. Chalk it up as a first day of school fail.

Happy new school year!

PS: Case Study....If your business, organization, school, community agency or group has a web site - PLEASE take down old info! Even if you have a date listing the last update or dates valid or other disclaimers about accuracy...some of that fine print isn't easily readable, especially when people pull up your info on mobile phones. I know how tough it is to maintain web sites, the constant auditing of information - contact and deadline/event information in particular - is a major pain. But these are the types of things people come to our web sites to find out. If you are reposting or collecting information as a resource to the community, but the information you are sharing is not coming directly from your organization....do everyone a favor and just put in a link to that org's web site directly and let them maintain for accuracy. It will be more efficient for you, and more effective for end users.
<<< stepping down from soapbox >>>

Green Mountain State of Mind: #VTirene

2011-08-29T01:58:00.002-04:00

Now is one of those times when I still feel like a Vermonter. In my New Hampshire home, I was following the news coming out of my home state. I monitored the facebook photos and updates from family and friends, the #VTirene tweets, and videos of landmarks and towns in trouble.

I can totally relate to this clip from The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore - who grew up in White River Junction, VT and graduated from Lyndon State College - about the situation so many Green Mountain communities now face:

Take a look at the snapshots of Tropical Storm Irene impacting Vermont...

This is also not to say that NH has been unscathed either. There are families being evacuated from homes tonight from the next-door towns of Canaan and Lebanon. There seems to be plenty of flooding to go around. I just thank my lucky stars that there have not been more injuries or deaths reported, and that my family has been safe. As I said in a tweet on Sunday afternoon, the damage inside my house from cooped up kids will likely surpass the damage in my yard from Irene's wind and rain.

But tonight, and for the time following, I hope that you will keep Vermont in your hearts and mind as well.

Wordless Wednesday: #RedSox Vacation - Baseball Camp

2011-08-24T16:22:00.001-04:00

The boys in their very own Red Sox uniforms. They are both having the time of their lives so far at Red Sox Baseball Camp. Much more information to be posted in the next week. Great stuff.

Enjoying vacation too much to spend more time typing. Hope the end of your summer is going well!

Symbolism From the Sky

2011-08-03T00:00:00.002-04:00

I looked out the airplane window last Friday night and saw the dome of the US Capitol. To my left, across the aisle, a mom looked down and did the sign of the cross.

The symbolism stuck with me.

It's likely that the mom across from me was just happy that our flight was finally off the ground (gate changes, terminal changes, shuttle buses and delays of several hours will do that to most anyone!) - but for me, I was praying for our elected officials to come up with a sensible plan to address the debt ceiling issue.

I was returning home from the Next Generation of Government Summit in Washington, DC and had heard many jokes, concerns, comments and hopes related to the looming crisis and what it would mean for the young government professionals at the event. Now that the country has additional borrowing authority, what impact will the "compromises" have on regular families like you and me? I'll be keeping an eye on the news, reading blogs, talking to others, and hope to have a better sense of this important issue. I hope you'll leave a comment with your thoughts on the matter.

I'll leave you with what I'd say is the best thing about this crisis. A Jimmy Fallon slow jam.

Preview #RedSox Baseball Camp: Our Boys Are Counting Down the Days

2011-07-25T04:34:00.001-04:00

It's the dream of many youngsters to put on the uniform of their favorite team and take the field. Our two boys are counting down the days to do just that. Check out this video for a preview of camp:

You may remember that I was encouraging readers, followers and fans to enter the cool MomsTeam contest for a free week at 2011 Boston Red Sox Baseball Academy Summer Camp. The wonderful news: I WON! It was the best 6th birthday present for our youngest son, Zach.

Even better - we were able to also register Connor as well, so both boys will be attending the camp this summer. We feel so fortunate to have won the free week from the MomsTeam contest, and then to have the Boston Red Sox Baseball Academy Summer Camp leadership work with us to register a second son for the same session was just ideal.

This won't be the last time we acknowledge both organizations, as we will be posting "Notes from the Field" during camp week in August. I encourage you to subscribe to the Kids Meal Crowd blog by email or RSS, follow me on Twitter, or "like" the Kids Meal Crowd page on Facebook. Happy to answer any specific questions that you have about the camp, and hope you enjoy the updates.

Disclosure: The Boston Red Sox Baseball Academy Summer Camp provided me with a discount on camp registration for the second camper. All opinions are my own (or my family's).