South Shore Mom

1) Borders Bookstore which is located in the KMART plaza (255 Grossman Drive, Braintree), is putting on a Halloween Party on Saturday night. My son, niece and I attended last year’s party…complete with treats and activities and walked out with some great prizes including a Build a Bear and American Girl doll! Call the store for further details: 781.356.5111.

2) A Halloween Party will be held on the field of Braintree High School on Sunday from 4-6. Further information available here: http://www.bostoncentral.com/events/special/p9716.php

When I was growing up on the South Shore, we always took a very long ride out on Rt. 2 to find our apples and pumpkins. Now – we don’t have to look far. There are so many farms that have opened right in our area.

Last weekend we took a trip ….a short, 3 minute trip, that is……to Nihtila Farms in Holbrook. This farm is located on Randolph Ave. Follow the signs through a wooded area to a pumpkin field. Tractor rides are only $1 per person. The farm offers free picked apples and there are plenty of fall decorations such as corn stalks and carving tools to choose from.

http://www.nihtilafarm.com/

CN Smiths Farm in East Bridgewater is a great place to pick apples. They also offer a hay ride at $3.75 per head. This long hay ride brings you to a pumpkin patch. The farmstand offers an array of fresh produce and there are plenty of great things for the kids to check out…..like a toy locamotive and the growing selection of Halloween items. In addition, there are plenty of animals to visit.

http://www.cnsmithfarminc.com/

Free Museum Day – sponsored by the Smithsonian Magazine is Saturday, September 27th. Follow the link to find participating museums and to print your passes.

http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/admission.html

Date: Saturday – Sept 13

Time: 10-1pm

Place: Braintree High School – Braintree, MA

 Games, food, face painting, ID saftey kits, with Braintree Police & Fire Depts.

Sponsored by Dianne DeVanna Center.

This year we are tossing our kiddie Halloween party tradition to the side for an overnight outing at the Keene, NH Pumpkin Festival. We had gone – pre baby – about 5 years ago. On that night, 27,000 Jack o Lanterns lined the streets. It really was something to see.

The festival includes a pie eating contest, a seed spitting contest and several food vendors with traditional fall favorites like apple pie, apple cider and kettle corn.

Lodging in the area is quite hard to come by. It is about a 2 1/2 hour trip one way from the South Shore. You may luck out like we did through a cabin/house rental for the weekend. If you find a B&B – make sure they are kid friendly….as some inns only take children if they absolutely have to.

It was sufficiently chilly in Keene on our last trip in October. I would recommend hats, coats and mittens.

Here are the Festival details:

http://www.pumpkinfestival.org/

The Marshfield Fair:

We went to the Marshfield Fair on Friday – as we do every year….to catch the Demolition Derby. This year, there were no handy newspaper coupons for the fair. The only discount you could catch on tickets was through a 1800 number – which we heard of AFTER the fair. We paid $3 to park plus the full price to get in of $10 per adult, kids under 6 free. We could not find a seat in the stands – so we waited by the fence for the crash and smash action to begin. Two rounds in, our 3 and half year old had enough – and we were sufficiently covered in mud splatter….but we LOVED it!

We walked around the fair and checked out the giant produce, the crafts, the games and the rides. Our son wanted to check out the Haunted Mansion ride…4 tickets a piece at $1.25 a pop. For the three of us, it would have cost an astounding $15 to do ONE ride – ONE time. For-get it! My son was appeased by being able to climb in and out of the National Guard Hummers and getting a small prize by playing a game. 

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Blue Hills:

I’ve been a whole fitness kick lately and we have been trying to be more active as a family. Today, we went for a hike at the Blue Hills. We parked at the Chickatawbut Road look out area (with the great view of Boston), had a quick picnic lunch and took a hike. This is not a stroller/jog stroller friendly place. Your child has to be steady on their feet and able to climb. There are no bathrooms. It took us about 25 minutes to climb up the hill to get a great view of Boston and mostly points west. It was a little tricky getting down as well. I would do this again and again.

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Castle Island:

I thought the hike would be enough for one day – but my son asked us to go to Castle Island in Southie. Castle Island was mobbed, so we had to park on a side street nearby. My son asked us to go on the tour of the fort, as he had once been before and wanted to show it to me. The tour is free, but really – and I have to be honest….and I usually like these kinds of things….it was excruciating. The tour guide was very good, however; we were the very last party in the group and the tour guide’s partner who we will call, “the Sweeper”….was just NOT good with children. My son – being 3 1/2 – picked up a few pebbles along the way and the Sweeper grabbed his hand and took the pebbles out and said, “NO ROCKS”….to which I replied to her, “I will do that – thank you”. I saw her to it to a few more kids…and it just irked me. We later went to the top of the fort. My son was just looking over the harbor with his hands on a fence and the guide woman came over and told me “no touching the fence….we fear impalement!”….seriously? If I had any fear he would be impaled…I *think* I may have swiftly addressed this issue with my son myself. She was on my last nerve. As we shuffled along with the group through the pea gravel, the Sweeper walked behind us to straighten the pea gravel. A family in front of us asked her when the tour would be over. The woman asked if they had a problem and told them that , “some children are very irritable”. Honestly, it was hard to concentrate on the tour guide with this Sweeper being so persnickity. My son found a lucky dollar bill and bought himself an American Flag from a very nice woman who passed on to me – that the Fort has a great Halloween event. I will look into that. 

We finished our walk around the fort and stopped for an ice cream on the way to the car. 

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And so – we are toast….and my son has been napping for 3 hours. :)

Don’t you just love when you think you have done it all – then you discover something new?

I was always curious about this really cool walking bridge I passed in Abington….but I was always on my way somewhere else and never could stop and check it out. 

Wednesday – on my way to yet another playground – I finally decided to stop and check it out. The bridge took me and my son over a pond and through a very interesting military entrance and into Island Grove Park. There were kids  - EVERYWHERE. I thought to myself that I must have just walked onto the grounds of a summer camp….and I kind of did. The park does hold a summer camp – the Busy Beaver Summer Camp.

I followed the path down to an area which I can only describe as a “swimming hole” and was so pleasantly surprised to find many many lifeguards, lots of floating piers, a snack bar and what I believe was a locker room area. 

My son was overjoyed – as the day was humid and the swimming hole was so inviting. I was not prepared with a bathing suit – but he went right into the water in his shorts. There were areas roped off from 2 feet to 6 feet and a swimming lane for serious swimmers. There was also a dock in the middle of the swimming hole and plenty of big shady trees to sit under. Bring your beach chairs.

I later discovered that the Island Grove Park swimming area is a “pay area”. Whoops! I inadvertently snuck in. It was so fun and so well taken care of….and so covered with lifeguards…that next summer, I will definitely get a membership.

More information here:

http://www.friendsofislandgrove.com/

I received a hot tip on a playground this week and wanted to share it with you. The Pirate Ship Playground is located in Sharon on Ames Street. This playground is big, fenced in, has plenty of picnic benches and park benches, lots of big shady trees, great parking and it is connected to sports fields (if you are so inclined to bring a soccer ball). The playground is divided into a few areas. Of course, there is a big pirate ship to play on/in, there is a toddler section with train area and music area (don’t overlook the voice changing machine), a few “baby swings”, see-saws, “obstacle course” type climbers and traditional climbers with slides. 

We packed lunches and spent about 2 hours there. There are bathrooms, however; they were locked. 

We finished our outing with ice cream at Crescent Ridge. FYI – the cost of a kiddie ice cream was $3.85…..and they only take cash or check. The ice cream was top notch! If you are taking a crowd of children – $3.85 per cup can add up fast.

Directions to the Playground: From Cobbs Corner, travel South –  following Bay Road past Crescent Ridge Dairy – taking your first right after the Dairy. Follow that road about 2 miles. Take a right onto Ames Street, the playground will be on your left across from a Synagogue (if you are using your GPS: 100 Ames St., Sharon).

I have traveled up and down Route 128 to work – 25 miles each way – for 12 years. I never thought of 128 as a vacation destination….that is for sure. Working so far from home and listening to others who live in the area, I started to hear about “foreign” places – we have never seen…..so I was curious enough to make a trip out of it. 

I had received some bonus dough from some side work I had done and knew I could put it to good use on a mini vacation from the South Shore.

We started our journey, traveling up to the Burlington Mall to have lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe. I had heard so many good things about it. I did not have big expectations for the food – but it was actually good.My husband dined on a chimichanga, I had lettuce wraps and my son had mini burgers. The entire restaurant looks like an actual rain forest with animatronic animals, rain, a simulated thunder storm, stars and vegetation all around. We had a great time there. The price for 3 for lunch, plus tip and appetizer was $61. If you are trying to be fiscally responsible, try to steer away from the large gift shop. 

We then had time to kill before we checked into our hotel – and we ended up at the Jordans Furniture – which is just North of the Burlington Mall. No – we weren’t spending our vacation – checking out the sofas…we were there to check out the free water show, the jelly bean sculptures and the totally cool trapeze school! 

We then headed south to check into the Hotel Indigo. We had a great time swimming in their salt water pool all afternoon. The pool is very modern. The price for the hotel plus their “pizza package” – was $135 (not including tips and taxes). If you decide to sign up for the pizza package, I suggest calling the hotel directly to talk to them about the package you purchased. The hotel is very new – and going through a few growing pains….but overall – a great experience. The hotel has a restaurant – but its very very expensive….and not so much a “kids” place.

The next morning, after a quick Starbucks style breakfast at the hotel ($20 for the 3 of us)  we checked out Drumlin Farms in Lincoln. Check out your local library if you are headed up to Drumlin Farms to see if they have Mass. Audobon passes. With the passes…our family of 3 only paid $2 to check out the farm. 

It only took us 40 minutes. Who knew 128 could be so fun?

You’ve probably seen the Life Is Good tshirts, hats, bags, goods, etc…..

They depict simple stick drawings of characters doing something fun….throwing the peace sign, eating watermellon, jumping off a pier….all with the slogan LIFE IS GOOD. I love seeing this brand. It remindes me to have fun.

The company is sponsoring a free event in Boston Common this weekend – looking for the Greatest Backyard Athlete. Its going to be very hot this weekend…..so dont forget your water, your hat and your sunscreen!

Check it out:

http://www.lifeisgood.com/festivals/