Birthday Party Planning

My Gymnast’s birthday is coming up quicker than I can believe. It just crept up on me. She is turning 4 this year, and I need to get into party planning mode. There are so many options, and while we usually just have our parties at our house, we have been to many and there are several ways to celebrate the big day depending on several factors:

-Age of Child

-Budget

-Space

-Time

-Season

I think the younger the child is the less you need to plan, because let’s face it; they are not likely to remember it. Many Parent’s like to plan a HUGE 1^st birthday. Yes, that is a special day, and I admit, for our first child we invited everyone we knew over, made tons of food and had a great time. I know others to throw a big party as well, and then there are those who keep things low key for the first birthday, dinner with family, or something small. There is nothing wrong with that, like I said they won’t remember. But the older the kid is, the more they might want to do something special, especially after going to their friends birthday parties.

Both of my kids were born in difficult times of year. Late fall and early spring. Basically not times where you can do something outside. If the birthday is during a nice time of year, there are options for going to a state or county park. Depending on how organized you are, how many people are being invited, and budget, you can rent a pavilion, or just go early and hold a spot. Food can be cooked right there on grills. For other nice out door party places Huber’s Farm, and Chapel Hills Farm both have pavilions that they rent, I believe they also have activities for the kids to do as well. There just might be weather contingencies; you might want to plan a rain date.

In November and March it is too cold for outdoor parties, but there are many indoor options. If you don’t have much space at home for little ones running around, you can see if you can throw the party at a grandparent’s house, or if you can afford it there are plenty of birthday places in the area. For kids 2 and up you can try a bouncy place. Bounce party and play is in White Marsh, we have been to several of those parties. You get the place to yourself for an hour or two to play, then they have a room where you can do food and cake. Pros: it is not at your house, so there isn’t much clean-up involved, the kids are occupied, and it’s fun. Con’s: The cost. For most places that do parties, the cost is usually between $100-200+. This only includes the space. You will still need to provide food. There is always a time limit, and possibly size limit as well. Other places that do fun parties are Ultimate Gymnastics, Kid’s First Swimming Parties, and Free State Sports. For school age kids, bowling and Ice skating are also options. There is a list of links for all of these places below this post.

For those who do not have the budget for those party places, and who have the space, have the party at home. It can still be plenty of fun. I like to choose a theme to base the party around. We have done Max and Ruby, and last year was Tinkerbelle. You can buy or make decorations. Since the gymnast’s birthday is in the fall right before thanksgiving, we like to decorate the house with fall time stuff. Leaf garlands and other decorations can be bought at craft stores. If you think far ahead of time, it pays to wait until the season is almost over, then the decorative stuff is heavily discounted. Do what your budget allows. The kids don’t care that much if the place is decorated or not. Food is the other big factor. If you have the time, it can save you a lot to cook and prepare the food yourself. You can make whatever you might like. Depending on the time you plan the party might depend on what you serve. The time of year might factor in the decision too. It always is good to have veggies and dip out for a healthy option and chips are good snacking stuff. If you plan the party around lunch or dinner time you’ll need to provide something more substantial. If you need ideas, think of your theme. This year we are doing Dragon Tales. So I’m planning on making bbq dragon wings among other things.

Cake is the last thing on the list. If you’re very creative, and a good baker, make your own cake. I have a friend that makes the most amazing cakes. Just about any grocery store makes a good cake, and the cost isn’t too bad. If you have a theme they don’t have a kit for and your painting skills aren’t too bad, try buying a sheet cake with white icing, and paint a picture with food coloring, I did that one year and it turned out great. I just used gel food coloring and used them like I would water colors.

I hope you got some good ideas and good luck planning; I still have quite a lot to do.

 http://www.bouncepartynplay.com/

http://www.ultimategymnasts.com/index.php?componentName=textBody&scid=63369

http://www.kidsfirstswimschools.com/parties.html

http://www.freestatesports.com/pages/Birthday-Parties-p3252.html

Halloween Fun:)

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. There is so much fun stuff to do and see. I’m not sure where to begin. Haunted houses and hayrides sound like fun, but if you have little ones like me you might need to wait a while, if you have older children go for it. I know Huber’s has a great hayride, see my fall festivals post for more info about that. One thing we like to do in my house is crafts, and Halloween crafts turn into decorations, I like using the Baltimore county resource centers for their Halloween die cuts and laminating machines.  You can read the “activities for busy hands” post for more information about that.

The crafty activities also become a great thing to do if you want to throw a Halloween party. I just threw one earlier today and we had a lot of fun. First off to keep things from getting too expensive I like to ask everyone to bring food to share. I do that for every party we throw except birthday parties (I feel that if guests are expected to bring a gift, they shouldn’t have to bring anything else) when the kids are really young, (under 3) they are mostly entertained by just playing with toys and each other. When they are at the preschool age, or older it can help to have some activities ready. I have two crafts ready. The kids got to glue a spooky picture with the stuff I got cut at the resource center. And they made a paper bag pumpkin.

http://www.babycenter.com/210_paper-bag-pumpkin_18266_30.bc

 Older school age kids can do games like feeling brains (Jell-O), eyeballs (peeled grapes) and guts (spaghetti) in bags. 

Halloween themed foods are also fun. Today I made worms in mud soup using peanut butter soup with udon noodles. A friend brought spider crackers and another brought a yummy cake decorated with skeletons. Throwing a Halloween party isn’t always necessary, you can attend them too. Last year I brought a goblin head cheese ball to a Halloween party. There are usually great community events too. The White Marsh Avenue does a big trick-or-treating the Saturday before Halloween. We have been twice and are planning on going again this year. For more info on that here is the link:  http://www.theavenueatwhitemarsh.com/events.php

All of the shopping malls offer trick-or-treating as well. There is the Holt center in my community that also does a campfire with spooky stories, that is only $5. We have not yet been to the Holt center, but I am looking forward to going:   http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/recreation/programdivision/region3/overleafullerton/programsholtpark.html

I don’t know why people don’t do it much anymore, but traditional trick-or treating is plenty of fun too, especially if your neighborhood is a good one. It also helps if you get along with your neighbors. One more thing I wanted to mention is all of the candy. We let our gymnast have some that night and the rest goes into the rewards basket. They then become a nice reward (bribe) for when your kid does something well (whatever is left after you’ve gone through it.) Have fun and be safe!

Activities for Busy Hands at Home

Playdoh used to stress me out! That may sound silly but it did. When I first tried it, my gymnast was most likely too young; I spent the whole time trying to get her to not eat it. Later on I got several tubs of fun colors, I thought this is great, it didn’t cost very much, and it will be a lot of fun. I was wrong, I kept worrying about the colors mixing, she wouldn’t keep them separate, and when I gave up, all the playdoh looked like dog poop after eating crayons (yes I know what it looks like first hand). Last year we did a mommy & me type preschool, and they had tons of home made playdoh in one color, and the kids still loved it. Finally playdoh is fun for her and me. I tried several recipes, and I will share the best one. I am now the playdoh mom for preschool this year.

                                       

Playdoh

1 c. flour
1 c. water
1 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. salt
Mix together ingredients in a medium saucepan. Mix and heat on low until it forms a ball. Add 1-2 drops of food coloring. Store in plastic Ziploc bags.


Some kids are able to zone out in front of a TV. while it’s not a good thing all day, I wish my busy girl could so I can cook dinner, do laundry, clean, do dishes, facebook, without her under me. I have discovered that she loves to craft, but gets bored easy. There is always a supply of paper and crayons, but that it often not enough. I now have a plastic drawer tower full of crafting options in the kitchen ready for those moments I need a few minutes without pestering. I used to scour the arts & crafts stores, and while they are good for some things, there are cheaper alternatives. Michaels is good, but I like a.c. moore better. In their holiday area they usually have craft projects for around $1. They also have a bargain section with discontinued or out of season stuff. I will buy several different things to keep on hand in case I need a project quick. For basic supplies I have found that Wal-Mart has pretty decent stuff for a good price, especially jewelry making stuff for little girls, the craft store has better adult jewelry stuff. You can also get construction paper, glue, paint, and other basic supplies there cheaper too.

When at school last year they had all sorts of great crating projects, with shapes and things cut out so neatly, the school had access to die cuts, and now you, me and everyone in Baltimore County does too. The Baltimore County Public School system has these great resource centers at five different schools in the county; I have been to two, and like the one at Dundalk Middle best. They have a large assortment of die cuts to use, laminating machines, paper and other supplies at cost. You can have buttons made, and bind books. They can make posters for you too. They do not charge you for their time, or for using the equipment. They will sell you paper and other supplies at cost. I have been there several times and punched out tons of Halloween and Thanksgiving themed papers for making placemats, and doing crafts with friends.

Babies don’t care what is going on at home so long as they are played with a little and fed, but older children need plenty of rainy/ cold/ too hot day activities. Cooking can be another thing to do. The younger your kid, the messier it’s going to be. If you don’t want to deal with your two year old spilling flour all over the floor, perhaps making cookies won’t be the best activity.
Have fun crafting. Here is the link for the resource centers.


http://www.bcps.org/offices/dpd/dundalk-ms.html

Fantastic Fall Festivities

It has been fall for some time. I would have to say this is my favorite time of year. The weather is the most accommodating for being outside (which I love) and there are so many fun things to do, some pretty cheap, some can cost a bit, but it's worth it in the long run. There are several fall festivals that happen around here. There is the Marshy Point Nature Center Fall Festival. It is held in September; sorry you missed it, but think of it for next year. There is plenty to do and see. We went for the first time this year, and we had tons of fun. There were lots of demonstrators, animal handlers, and a whole crafting area for busy hands. This festival doesn't cost much, there is no entry fee, not parking fees, and they only charged for some of the crafting activities, food, and stuff to buy. The music there was especially good too, not only did they have a typical "cover" type band, but they had a full 20 piece band too! If you don't like hot dogs for lunch I would suggest bringing one. 

There is another great festival at another Nature Center at Oregon Ridge in Hunt Valley. It is a further drive but can be well worth it. They host the Honey Harvest Festival, so if you or anyone in your family is allergic to bees I would suggest not going to this one. Full of Honey goodness and some apple cider things as well, this festival is fun for the family and also doesn't cost you much unless you plan on buying lots of honey, and some of the other things that are sold. Inside the Nature center itself is a busy Honey mall with several different venders. They also demonstrate honey extraction inside as well. Outside they have live music, you can make honey ice cream, and see cider pressing. If you decide to go see a hive keeper at work, keep your kids from getting too close. The hive keeper is all dressed up, everyone else is not. If there is a problem, the center is well stocked with bee sting remedies. This is another hot dog lunch, so pack something if that's not what you want.

There are two other places/ festivals that I want to touch on, and these are the ones that can quickly cost you a lot if you're not careful, or if you have a large family. Chapel Hill Farm. They have events going on every weekend starting mid September going until the end of October. There are Hay rides, pony rides, a little train, mini hay maze, petting zoo and the like. They have some live music and a few demonstrators. We went yesterday and had tons of fun. Every thing costs $2, and plenty of those things they will charge the adult going with the kid. There are lots of pumpkins and other things for sale, and they have decent food, if you're willing to pay. Here's the thing, I don't mind paying, and the farm has a fantastic petting zoo they don't charge for the rest of the year. There is never any pressure to buy things, so I want to support a great local resource, I don't mind going one time a year and spent $20+ if I get to enjoy this place for free the rest of the year. 

The last festival I wanted to mention is Huber’s Farms on Philadelphia road. I have been to the farm plenty of times, but I still have not done the Haunted Hayride. I haven't for two reasons. They charge $14 a ticket, and from what I gather it can be kinda scary. I have young kids still and don't want to deal with the nightmares that might accompany. However, I do plan on going when my gymnast is a bit older. I do love Huber’s and I’ll go into that another post, so they are another place I'd like to support. Their Haunted Hayrides run weekends in October. They also have a great little produce stand there.

Sorry I wrote this a little late and you had to miss the first two festivals I mentioned, but it is not too late for the last two. There are still two weekends left in October, so I hope you can get out there and have some fun!

Public Libraries?

Until I had kids, I hadn't stepped foot in a public library since I was one.  Didn't have to, I bought books I needed and couldn't think of any reason to go to a library; I didn't even think about it, they were completely off my radar. Then I had my gymnast and went to mommy group. She was just a baby and we were given a few books that I read to her, she didn't care what I read, so long as it could be chewed on. But while going to mommy group I met a librarian mommy. She was so not your typical librarian, no glasses, totally cool, and she can get quite loud when she wants. But I digress, she was telling me about this great local library getting remodeled, and it was going to include a very amazing section called storyville. Storyville is an interactive magical place for kids ages baby- 5 years. There is even a little gated section for babies with age appropriate toys and stuff where they won't get trampled on by the older kids. The other parts have great stuff like a little store complete with cash registers, play food to buy, and scales. There is a completely outfitted little house with a kitchen, attic, living room, and backyard. There is so much more and tons of details and surprises if you look for them. I could go on writing all day but I think that's enough to entice. Storyville opened at the Rosedale library 3 1/2 years ago. It became so popular they opened another one on the west side of the county in the woodlawn library. So of course the library is a terrific resource for kids, they have storyville, and all the others have some sort of play area at least. Of course they have books too. Why buy a ton of books to get bored with when you have an almost unlimited supply to switch out with for free. There are also music cd's and DVD’s to check out too. While I'm on the topic of DVD's I have to mention, if you are not very organized to forget things easily like me, it's better not to check out the DVDs. While books and cd's have a late fee of $0.25 a day, DVD’s are $2.50 which can very quickly rack up to a lot of money owed, so beware. If you go regularly and are good at keeping track of stuff, go for it. 


The library system also has great programs for kids. Baby booster story time is a fun filled 30 min. of reading books, singing songs, playing games for babies up to 2 years. They have the same kind of thing for older kids too. I took my gymnast religiously when she was a baby. Mr. Peanut Head goes sometimes, but it is harder to schedule things for the younger child. Finally the library is a great resource for yourself. When I started taking my first there I discovered workout DVD's for exercise during naps. With her that was enough, this time it is a much bigger challenge (that will be another post for another day) Books and novels for myself, as well as music for myself. The library is a great resource for a family on a budget, and not just a young family either; they are always posting about other activities for older kids, teens, knitters and the like. Just a few things to be aware of: Fees add up quick, they make it easier to keep track of your account because you can access it online. When it is cold season, some parent's don't have the decency to keep their sick kids at home, so you WILL be exposed to all sorts of stuff. You can try and be careful, but expect to get sick, and remember getting exposed to this stuff early strengthens the immune system.

Have fun while your there!

http://www.bcps.org/ 

Your Local Hospital

So this all started after I had my first baby. I delivered at my local hospital. For me that is Franklin Square in Rosedale. All Hospitals have their strengths and weaknesses. I happen to like Franklin Square. The maternity and pediatrics’ departments are pretty great; the resources are I think better than a few other hospitals in the area. First off, the lactation department is pretty amazing, so if you want to go down that road, or are doing so great. They also host a weekly “Postpartum Luncheon” I call it new mommy’s group. I started going when my gymnast was 2 weeks old (we didn’t know she was a gymnast then).  This group is run by the lactation department, but is a great resource for all new moms. There is no pressure to breastfeed, if you don’t. and if you do they are there to answer any questions you might have. They provide lunch and what makes them stand out is they don’t charge, there is a free parking lot, so basically you can go get a free lunch, hang out with other new moms, have lactation consultants and nurse practitioners to pick their minds. You can come weekly until your baby is a year old. You didn’t deliver there? That’s ok, you don’t have to, they welcome all. The best part is all those strangers there to talk to can quickly become friends, some of them very good friends. Some are veteran moms who are there with their 2^nd, 3^rd or more babies. They are the ones with all sorts of cool tips, ideas, and they know about great places to go and things to do in the area. Stuff you wouldn’t know about if you’re not from these parts and some you wouldn’t know about unless you’ve had kids. So with my gymnast I went pretty religiously, it was winter; I had no friends in the area, and those I had worked. I was tired so staying home by myself watching TV. all day. So my weekly trip to mommy group was needed for mental health. Plus I made some pretty awesome friends, not just “mommy friends” where we’d meet at parks and stuff. But really good friends I could talk to about anything, that I saw pretty frequently and that had babies close to my babies age, so they grew up together, and they became good friends too. So when I was ready for my second baby, my other friends had more babies around the time, so it was mommy group again together, only this time I’m a veteran mom, and can share the stuff that I’ve learned.

If you’re interested in visiting mommy group check out the link below. It meets every Wednesday from 11-1.

http://www.franklinsquare.org/body.cfm?id=559063#Postpartum%20Support%20Group%20Luncheon

Surviving the first few weeks after birth

I wrote this note to an almost new mommy, I thought perhaps it could be shared with other new mommies:) 

-Sage words from a mom who’s been there

1. If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry: not everything will go as planned, you might have had all sorts of plans for sleeping arrangements, and in the end, you and "Daddy" will take turns holding the baby all night, just to get some peace, or the baby will wind up sleeping in the car seat, or swing, not the really nice cradle you have and were planning on using. (Our situation, but you never know how the baby will turn out). You also could have made plans to breastfeed and after really trying it doesn’t work, or your supply craps out, or you have to be on medication that makes breastfeeding impossible, don’t beat yourself up about it, it’s not the end of the world. (I have known several mom’s who have had those situations)

2. If the going get’s tough, stick with it as long as you can: Breastfeeding is not always easy, the baby may have trouble latching on, or have a poor suck reflex (that was my gymnist's case) or the baby could take right to it, you never know. Remind yourself when you’ve got sore nipples the first few days or you’re boobs are rock solid they are so engorged that, breastfeeding is free, breastfed baby poop and spit-up doesn’t smell so bad, and after you get the hang of it, it is so easy to just pop the baby on, no matter where you are, you won’t have to deal with mixing formula in the middle of the night and dealing with washing bottles.

3. Ask for, and accept help: You never know what kind of temperament your baby might have; he could be really good, or a crier. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family or friends, sometimes having someone over to hold the baby while you take a shower, or a nap can make all the difference in the world. If someone offers to help, you can always give them a chore to help you out, doing the dishes, taking the trash out, vacuum the rug, every little bit will help.

4. The bathroom hasn’t been cleaned in how long? Who cares if the place goes to pot for a while, the first few weeks you will be in survival mode, sleep and keeping the baby happy will the most important things to worry about. You’re having guests over to see the baby? Who cares what the place looks like, everyone should understand, and if they don’t like it, they can clean something.

5. Use your local resources: the lactation department at the hospital can be invaluable. Also check the hospital to see if they offer a new mommies group to visit; this can be a great way to commiserate with others in your same situation. They appreciate conversations about poop and other bodily functions, your current friends with no kids won’t appreciate that conversation as much. Plus you might make some new and lifelong friends that could have your baby’s future playmates. Libraries are also a great place to go to get baby books, novels to read, and meet other moms. It will be a nice retreat over the winter when you can’t take your baby out to parks and stuff, and you are sick of being at home all day.

Good Luck and get all the rest you can now!