Almost a year ago, A.P. developed a fascination with Greek gods.  I was puzzled at first, but then realized that they are just like the superheroes many young boys like; just the ancient version.  He was thrilled to learn that not only is Greece really a place; it is one that still exists.

This set us on a journey of Greek Exploration; beginning with a visit to Chicago’s Greektown.

Bookstore of the gods {at the Hellenic Museum}

It only took one lamburger at a Greek Restaurant and the boy was hooked on Greek food.  When he saw the word ‘Greek’, he ate almost the entire box (not in one sitting, although he would have if I had let him) of Honey Bunches of Oats Greek.  Maybelle and I each got a small bowl, and I second his enthusiasm.  It’s sweet, but not overly sweet and the slightly tangy taste of Greek yogurt is a nice change from most breakfast cereals.

Maybelle thirds it; with this caveat:

Try not to let your brother eat all of the little chunks, because the bowls with chunks in it are better.

You heard it here first, kids.  Protect your chunks and it will improve your life.

The ‘chunks’ are a lot tastier than they may sound. These are the clusters of two different kinds of granola, honey, and Greek yogurt.

Can you see the possessiveness in his eyes? This is HIS cereal!

These pictures of A.P. were taken less than a year apart; but look how much he has grown! It shows in his appetite; I have to be deliberate when I’m packing lunches and snacks to make sure he has protein or he is so hungry he is almost crying (literally) by the end of the school day.   Most cereals (our breakfast of choice on school mornings) don’t have a lot of protein, but this one has 5 grams and I know that helps stave off hunger.  Also, there are over two-thirds of your daily requirement for whole grains; so just think of how many there are when you eat way more than your share of the box!

Follow Honey Bunches of Oats on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #HoneyBunchesGreek.

Register now for the 36th Annual Hunger Walk Saturday, May 4, 2013. Day-of registration at 8:00am and the walk starts at 8:30am. The walk starts at 207 E Fulton (First United Methodist Church) and winds through Heritage Hill, down Wealthy Street, through the East Hills Neighborhood, along Cherry Street before returning downtown.  The 5K Hunger Walk raises awareness and funds in response to local and worldwide need. Funds are distributed for pantry assistance, emergency meals, urban gardening and farmer’s market initiatives for low income people, assistance for seniors, and international development programs. They have added a new super hero theme and we are encouraging walkers to dress up like their favorite super hero!

Camp 911 isn’t until summer, but it is free and fills up quickly.  It’s for kids 9 to 11 and registration is open! Kids will learn bike and helmet safety, fire safety and prevention. It’s a one day camp and runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on various dates from June 17 to June 27:

• Monday, June 17 – Caledonia

• Tuesday, June 18 – Plainfield Township

• Wednesday, June 19 – Cascade Township

• Thursday, June 20 – Walker

• Wednesday, June 26 – Alpine Township

• Thursday, June 27 – Allendale

Don’t forget that the West Michigan Mom’s Sale is this weekend!  Go take advantage of someone else’s spring cleaning

Saturday, April 13, Bagel bird feeders and birding journal. This activity is free and part of the Koetsier’s Kids Klub; where every Saturday from 10-12 they are hosting kids gardening activities at the greenhouse.

Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Spring Petting Zoo. Coopersville Farm Museum.  Enjoy lambs, calves, chickens, goats, ducks, bunnies, kittens, puppies, rats, and more! There will also be special crafts and activities available as well. See how much fun we had last time we went! Cost is $3.

Saturday, April 13 at 10:00 AM the Lowe’s Build & Grow workshop is a “Croods Planter”. Free.

Saturday, April 13 every half an hour starting at 10:00am and going to 11:30am kids can make an Earth Friendly Fox at Michael’s. As opposed to those Earth Un-friendly foxes I suppose.  Man, I hate those guys! $2.00 per child.

Every Sunday in April from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. April Fools Hike at the Wittenbach/Wege Agriscience and Environmental Education Center.  They will have a different trail set up to try to “fool” you. Hikers can pick up a list from the center and see if they can find the items on the list located along a particular trail. You’ll have to think outside the box because the item listed might not be what you think it is. Once everything is found, bring your completed list into the center to be entered into a drawing to win a fishing pole and tackle box set (winner will be announced on Monday, April 29). They’ll have a different list for a different trail each week.

Enjoy these fun activities at the Kent District Library:

Saturday, April 13, 2:00 PM:  Family Building Bricks Party. Design, build and bond. Bring the whole family together and create a towering monument using the library’s building bricks. The best part? No big mess at home to clean up! For all ages. Comstock Park branch.

Thursday, April 18, 3:30 PM: Pokémon Club .  Bring your Pokemon cards to trade or battle with friends. Learner decks will be available for new players. Tyrone Township branch.

Thursday, April 18, 6:00 PM: Kentwood Grows Talent! A Showcase of Music and Poetry. The Crestwood Middle School ABC Orchestra and young bards from our own Teen Poetry Workshop will delight with an evening of music and verse. For all ages. Kentwood branch.

Make sure you are planning to take advantage of Museums Free 4 All next weekend!

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Cookie Mining Activity For Earth Day

First, give your kids an overview of mining.  This activity can be scaled to age; meaning if your kids can understand details about mining you may provide it.  If not, just skip that part and give them a brief explanation about mining; that it is digging materials out of the Earth and give them a few examples of what people have mined.  If your kids (or you) are really into it; this is a great launch into a longer study of the Gold Rush or coal mining.

We took turns reading key parts of this information sheet about mining.  Any words or ideas that our kids weren’t familiar with we stopped to discuss, and since both my husband and I have an Appalachian family history we were able to tell our kids about how their own heritage includes actual miners as well as give them first hand examples of the positive – and negative – effects of mining on not only the land but also the people who live there.

Next, give your kids a cookie. The cookie needs to have chocolate chips, or raisins, or carob chips, or dairy free sugar free chips, or something in it.

Then tell your kids to ‘mine’ the chocolate chips (or whatever) out of the cookie.  Tell them their goal is to get all of them out; we told our kids the more miners mine; the more money they make.  Tell them they will be able to eat the cookie later; but for now they just need to mine it.

Once the cookie has been mined, with a straight face; tell them to put the chocolate chips back in the cookie.

This is the best part! Watch their reactions.  Some kids will try diligently to reassemble the cookie.  Some will think you are kidding and laugh.

Some will look confused.

When they realize this is not possible; explain that this is what mining does to the Earth.  There is no way to put it back together and make it what it once was.

Let your kids eat the cookie mess while you are talking about renewable energy resources, reducing demand and consumption for mined products, and Earth Day.

In the end

we will Conserve

only what we Love,

We will Love only what

we Understand, and

We will Understand

only what

we are Taught

Baba Dioum Senegal

LE-LA still has her winter hat on. Silly giraffe, it’s spring break!

One of our favorite Chicago area stops is LEGOLand.  Over Spring Break we were provided with passes and had the chance to check out what was new and as always, had a blast!

The MINILAND Chicago is always so cool.

The MINILAND Chicago is a little Chicago made out of LEGO bricks.  It’s fun to recognize more and more of the buildings and sites as our family gets to know Chicago a little better with each trip.

The ‘sun’ goes down and the lights in town go on!

The new LEGO Star Wars MINILAND is cool because it is an interactive LEGO model display that completely entertains folks familiar with The Phantom Menace Star Wars Movie.

Maybelle launching, and landing, the ship.

Of course the Build and Test racetrack is where my kids spent the bulk of the time.

Making pink and purple cars that go fast.

Using bricks from the LEGO Friends tables Maybelle built and tested several cars until SHE WON.  She was ecstatic!

The Next Big Thing at my house is LEGO Chima.  LEGO Moms all over are nodding their heads with empathy/sympathy/outright pity.  Just when we thought we had Ninjago figured out!  LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago is launching its first-ever LEGO Legends of Chima video contest for children ages six to 12, and if you have a Chima fan in that age range who keeps taking your phone to record LEGO videos (or watch them on YouTube) you’ll want to know about this.

Applicants are invited to create a short LEGO-themed video (one to three minutes long) that tells a story or showcases their LEGO bricks in a fun and unique way. Entries will be accepted beginning April 10 through the end of the contest on May 17, and five finalists will be chosen by a special panel of LEGOLAND Discovery Center judges. On May 24, the finalists and their families will be invited to an exclusive red carpet premiere of the Center’s new LEGO Legends of Chima 4D movie – a heroic tale of eight animal tribes fighting for control of a powerful and mystical element called CHI.  One Grand Prize winner will be announced at the premiere, and the winning video will be shown on the big screen in front of a live theatre audience. The Grand Prize winner will take home a family four-pack of Annual Passes to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago plus tickets to LEGOLAND Florida (airfare not included). The four runners-up will each receive a family 4-pack of Annual Passes to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago.   To enter the contest, applicants need to complete the online entry form on LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago’s Facebook page  and include a hyperlink to their video.                                                                             

 And guess what?! LEGOLand has given me a family four pack of passes to LEGOLand Discover Center Chicago! Just enter using the Rafflecopter below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is a description of the each episode:

In Flo the Lyin’ Fly, the garden bugs grow tired of Flo’s flood of fibs. Like the little boy who cried wolf, Flo thinks it’s fun to tell stories that aren’t true. When Hermie and his friends discover they can’t trust Flo, they refuse to believe her when there’s real trouble. With all her lies catching up to her, Flo discovers the importance of always telling the truth, no matter what!

In The Flo Show Creates a Buzz, things don’t go as expected when Flo gets her very own TV talk show. She has to think about what to say, what to wear, and who to invite as guests. What she isn’t thinking about are other people’s feelings. After insulting every guest on her show and embellishing the truth to boost ratings, Flo realizes she owes them an apology. Flo learns that words are very powerful and saying you are sorry can make all the difference!

I asked my kids for their honest feedback, and they said they liked it because it was “like one, two three lies you’re out”, however, they were not keen on Flo’s voice (!).

For a chance to win this DVD (and see if YOUR kids like Flo’s voice…) enter using the Rafflecopter below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Dad is very kind about my, um, transgressions during adolescence.  He never, ever brings up my questionable haircuts, boyfriends, or wardrobe choices.  This is especially notable because it was the 80′s and there is a lot of material for sure.  Boys, for example, aspired to make their hair do this:

Yes, on purpose…

The one thing my Dad will mention though, is that I was the worst driver in the world.  It’s true.  I was awful.  But a hundred extra ‘parental supervision’ hours and two transmissions later, I ended up being pretty good.  Eventually.

This year, my nephew started driver’s training.  I love this kid for many reasons; one of which is that he is the oldest cousin in the brood and he turned out well which gives me hope for the rest of them.  The thought of my kids driving is scary and I want to make sure when the time comes, I am as prepared as possible.

Are your kids in the ‘driving’ age category? You should join me at the Drive it Home Show, presented by the National Safety Council and Allstate Foundation, Wednesday, May 1. If you have tween, teen, or are concerned about teen driving safety, it will be an informative (and entertaining!) event. Please feel free to share this post with anyone who might like to attend.

Here are the details!

What: Drive it Home Show, presented by the National Safety Council and Allstate Foundation

When: Wednesday, May 1 from 7pm – 8:15pm

Where: The Salvation Army Kroc Center (2500 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids, MI 49507)

Price: Free! No tickets required but please pre-register and when checking in, let them know that the “Clever Girls Collective” sent you.

Parking: Nice big parking lot with free parking

BONUS: You can enter in the sweepstakes at the event for a chance to win gas cards and a brand new car!

I would say the odds are pretty good given that it is a Wednesday night in Grand Rapids and so many people have church that night – come on out and see if you win!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Cooking, eating, and bloggers; three of my most favorite things intersected beautifully last week when I attended a great event at Ann Arbor Cooks hosted by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.  As you may have guessed, we talked about the benefits of Michigan Dairy products and learned some great ways to cook with them.

I can’t wait to share the amazing creations we made and the details about the giveaway, but first things first.  We all know that milk has calcium, but I did not realize that it also had other significant nutrients besides Vitamin D (which; hello sun starved Michiganders – we need this!).  According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, milk supplies three of the four “nutrients of concern” that we don’t get enough of; calcium, Vitamin D – and potassium!  Milk also has significant amounts of Phosphorous, Niacin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B¹², Vitamin A, and Protein.

We also talked about raw milk and hormones in milk.  If you have questions about either of those you’ll definitely want to check out the Michigan Dairy News Q&A section for more information than you’ll know what to do with.

And now – the food! First we had a very professional demonstration of how to prepare each of the dishes.  See the mirror? It’s so we could all see what was going on; so cool!

Then we were divided into groups and made the meal ourselves.

My group made cauliflower soup.  It was all amazing!

 I’m super excited to share some of this evening with you!

I have a great Michigan Dairy giveaway, which includes:

Mac & Cheese:  80 Classic & Creative Versions of the Ultimate Comfort Food.  This book is incredible; it offers eighty variations on macaroni and cheese adapted from restaurants across the country with recipes like truffled mac and cheese, Chesapeake crab mac and cheese, Sherried Mac and Cheese, and Chipotle Chicken Mac and Cheese.  Amazing.

Also, there is a cheese knife and a beautiful cutting board made with Michigan hardwood.

And a cheesemaking kit to create your own mozzarella and ricotta cheeses.

 Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to school season is full of fresh ideas, the days brimming with possibility and newness.  But by this time of year, those ideas are old and tired (or maybe I am just old and tired).  Routines have slipped and become relaxed as we look forward to lazy summer mornings and slow, hot days.  I am out of fun lunchbox ideas and have lost my neurotic need to double check the teachers’ websites and ensure every single page of homework was properly transported from school, immaculately completed and signed, transported back to school, and deposited in the correct classroom basket.

None of this comes without side effects, of course.  Our mornings have become a frenetic, messy and noisy.  After dropping the kids off, I returned home to breakfast dishes everywhere, unmade beds, and rather that sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee; I gulped it down without much thought and waited for the caffeine to hit my system.

Something had to be done.  If my morning starts out as a disaster; so goes the rest of my day.  First, I went shopping for some office supplies and Seattle’s Best Coffee to get my mornings back on track.  I even found a coupon on their website! They also have prizes you can win, too.

{You can follow Seattle’s Best on Facebook and Twitter for more great ideas about how to take back your morning!}

I put my newly purchased file holder right in the kitchen so I can easily grab the day’s papers. There is one slot for every day except Sunday, when I try and take a rest.  Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t but visually seeing how much I have to deal with each day helps me balance out my week better.

I implemented an index card filing system with my daily activities on it. I broke down all of my household chores and included their frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) as well as how long they will take.  I realized I had to un-digitalize my routines, because I was getting very distracted when I went online to check my daily tasks! When a task is done, I re-file it for the next time it has to be done so daily tasks go to the next day, weekly tasks to the next week, etc.

I also bought the kids new clip boards with a weekly calendar, their weekly homework, and daily chores on it.  Each day that they complete everything results in a star sticker; and after seven stars they get their allowance.  That might take place within one week – but it might not.  It puts the control in their hands and really cuts down on the groaning when we ask them to do something.

The biggest impact this has had on my mornings is that it forces all of us to get things ready the night before.  Bags are packed, clothes are laid out, reading logs are filled in and lunch decisions are made all before we go to bed.

Mornings are much more peaceful now.  We just get up, check our lists for what needs to be done in the morning (simple routines like eat breakfast, put bowls in the sink, make beds, brush teeth, etc.) and go.  Once the kids are at school I return home to a calm house and do the first think on MY list; making coffee.

This is the hazelnut blend, it smells SO good!

Aaahhh… calm house and great coffee; all is right with the world again!

A few weeks ago, I invited you all to a Drive It Home Event, presented by the National Safety Council and Allstate Foundation.  Although neither of my kids are driving yet, I am a person who attended a Kindergarten orientation when my son was just beginning his first of two years of preschool.  I like to plan ahead. I learned so much that night, and I really want to share it with you even you are not anywhere near the driving stage with your kids yet.

Part of the event included some skits by The Second City.  You know; that place where Tina Fey came from? Yeah, that Second City. It was ridiculous and hilarious and silly – but humor is an effective ally in reaching teenagers and the kids in the audience were completely enchanted with the show.

There was also a more serious segment, with some powerful speakers and hit-you-in-the-gut information.  I didn’t expect to hear that I am actually teaching my kids how to drive well – or not drive well – right now.  It’s true, of course, but I hadn’t thought of the fact that how I drive for the first 16 years of my kids’ lives impacts them far more than their driver’s training classes will.  That means bad habits, aggressive behavior, and just ‘quickly checking’ Facebook while driving are all registering on kids long before they begin learning how to drive.  Check out this video with teens talking about their parents’ driving behavior; they are paying attention to everything that we do – good AND bad.

A speaker from the National Safety Council recommended that even after kids get their licenses; make sure to drive with them 30 minutes a week just to make sure they are handling their new responsibility well.  The first year after kids get their licenses is the one of the most dangerous years of their lives, and even if the law says they have full rights doesn’t mean YOU have to give them full rights.  While parents generally attribute teen accidents to risk-taking; the real cause is inexperience.

Then Bonnie Rafael from Sault Ste. Marie came out to speak with us.  She lost her daughter, Kelsey in an accident in 2010 when she was 17 years old and a senior in high school.  It was a hard story to hear.  Bonnie started advocating for Kelsey’s Law which has recently gone into effect.   It prohibits handheld cell phone use by teenagers with a level 1 graduated license (the one that requires they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over 21 years old) and also a level 2 graduated license,( with which teens can drive alone but have restricted nighttime driving hours and passenger limits.) There is a lot to know about teen driving; fortunately Allstate has put together a really helpful fact sheet just for Michigan parents with teenage drivers.  I know I will be referring back to it often as our time draws closer!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

It was A.P. and Maybelle’s first visit and much to my surprise (and a mild maternal terror) they marched right past the Jr. Gemini and onto the Magnum; soon followed by the Dragon, the Corkscrew, and a bunch of other rides that make me queasy just to think about.

We loved it, and want to go back but it is EXPENSIVE! I’ve put together some tips to make the trip less of a hit to your wallet.

Ticket Deals

Cedar Point, Michigan’s Adventure,  King’s Island, Wildwater Kingdom, Canada’s Wonderland, and Soak City are owned by the same company, so if you plan on going to several of these parks take a look at the Platinum Season Pass. You’ll have to do some math to see if it works out for you, but if you are a serious amusement park fan it is a good deal.

Labor Day Weekend is “Bonus Weekend” at Cedar Point.  This is the best deal of the year and the ticket prices are lower than at any other time.  Watch the Cedar Point website closer to the end of summer for announcements.

Look for ticket promotions and discount partnerships with:

• Meijer
• AAA
• Subway
• Coke (especially the MyCokeRewards program)
• Major employers (ask at the Human Resources department)
• Watch for Military Discount Days

Travel Deals

Pets can’t go into the park (except service animals), but for $15 you may leave your pets at the Pet Check for $15 a day.  There is no overnight service, but that is less than boarding your pet while you’re gone if you are camping or have a hotel that allows pets.

At least four weeks before you go, sign up for the Cedar Point brochure.  They will mail it to you, and it includes coupons for different items in the park as well as lodging discounts.

In-Park Deals

Buy big rain coat ponchos for $1.00 before you go.  They are $8.00 at the park and if it rains, you’ll want one.

You can’t take food into the park and eating a huge breakfast before flying through the air is not a great idea so plan on finding the fast food options.  Look for Panda Express, Subway, and Chick-fil-A for the best food bargains in the park.  If someone in your family has food allergies, call ahead to the Food Service Office (419) 627-2324 for nutrition information.

The concession stands will give you water for free if you ask.  You can take packets of powdered drink mixes (Crystal Light, Gatorade, etc) and mix them in.  Some stands will fill up water bottles for you, but they may refuse and just give you a cup of water instead.

Cedar Point offers a “Fast Pass” option which puts you ahead of the long lines; but it is costly.  Instead get a Parent Swap Pass at Guest Relations. This allows one parent to stand in line while the other parent takes the kids to a playground, to the bathroom, etc. After riding, they give their Parent Swap pass to the ride operator, and the other parent/guardian, who’s been taking care of the little ones, can walk up the exit to get right on the ride.

These won’t save you money; but it will make you life easier.

Take a picture of where you park with your cell phone.  The parking lot is HUGE, and it will help you find your car and remember exactly where you parked.

Sign up for the free KidTrack service to re-connect you with your child if they get lost.  They will have your cell phone number on file and can identify your child using a wristband they provide.

Bring a Zip-lock baggie to put your cell phone in for water rides.

Cedar Point opens for the season this weekend!

Are you planning to go this year? Anyone brave enough to ride the GateKeeper?