What is it about dandelions in their seed form that delights children so much? I must admit that the fluffy heads of these weeds really do evoke great memories for me. I remember always wanting to pick them and blow the seeds away anytime I could. And I could never understand why so many adults hated them. To be honest, I still don’t see it.

Sure, they’re weeds, but they are so awesome, and with just a gentle puff of air, they are released into the wind to find their way into soft dirt to begin anew as a yellow crowned plant.

The transformation from yellowing flower to botanical snow globe seems to happen in the blink of an eye. I’m still trying to figure out the process, and I promise that one of these days, I’m going to stop and pay more attention to these things.
I think it’s pretty obvious who in our family takes their dandelion picking and releasing seriously. Sir Twizzler is ENTHRALLED with these things. And (un)fortunately, there are LOTS of them on our block due to so many houses being on the market. That’s a post for another day. We spent almost an entire hour walking up the block to stop by patches of grass laden with the seeds and picking and blowing them until all that was left was the stem.

This activity kept Sir Twizzler interested far past my ability to stay focused,and let me tell you, that’s quite a bit. I usually can’t get ONE picture of this kid, and I was able to snag several. I totally love how bright this day was too. Looking at this kind of makes me sad that he’s no longer a squishy baby, but I love all of what he is taking in. It’s so amazing. The look on his face here just says it all. What’s next? 

For the past month or so, the ladybug and twizzlers and I  have been playing around with the Better Builders (aka Magneatos) from Guide Craft. We were first introduced to these wonderful toys during a family outing to Wonder Works Children’s Museum during our Spring Break. The twizzlers loved them, and while I thought they would definitely be able to work on gross motor skills with these magnets, I was super surprised to see how much other people in my family would love them. Yes, I’m talking about the cellist.

When I first got my box, I had all of these grandiose ideas about what I was going to do with the magnets in regard to a homeschool lesson about the laws of magnetism, and then this happened. My mother came to visit, and instead art class ensued.

She and Sir Twizzler built a stethoscope for the mini doctor to wear around for a while. Please excuse his pajamas, as he is a very laid back doctor.

The ladybug decided to go a different route with her Magneatos. She wanted to create a flower, and I was totally impressed with her perseverance in finding all of the pieces for the type of flower that she and her Mor-Mor were creating. It took them a while to realize that there were not going to be enough yellow pieces to complete all of the petals, but they were pretty darn proud of their end product.

It’s not often that a product for a child impresses me on all accounts. Clean up is super easy, since all you have to literally do is put one magnetized piece down, and let it attract the other pieces for one quick and fun way to put them away. The handy red storage container also makes sure that you don’t accidentally put your magnetic pieces in with things that it should not be with.

I love that we can use these to provide lessons in science (laws of magnetism), art (shapes and colors) and math ( longer/shorter.) It really helps to have educational tools that the parents not only find helpful, but that they children think are awesome as well.

The packaging wasn’t over the top for these and that was just perfect. Essentially, what you see on the box is what you got IN the box. No fluff (which I loved) and nothing to put together. The magnets came in a plastic package and the storage box was packaged flat to limit the amount of extra room that was needed. Super simple for this simple loving mommy.

The colors are bright and aesthetically attractive to all the little (and almost teenaged) hands in my family. They stay in constant rotation when the kids have free play for the day. Seeing them enthralled with the click that happens when the magnets connect is pretty darn cute. However, the BEST part of these is seeing them try to work around the magnets repelling each other. Their little eyebrows furrow until the figure that they have to only turn ONE magnet the opposite way in order to get them to stick together. It’s fascinating seeing little minds at work! Of course the MAJOR love of theirs is building all of the towers that were available in the booklet that comes along with the magnets. This one is one of many that the cellist “helped” the ladybug and twizzlers with

Of course, I loved them so much that I want to give one away to my great readers. You’ll love them, I promise. Just click the link to the rafflecopter entry form, and follow the instructions for the mandatory entry. That’s all you have to do, but as usual, you can do the others to increase your chances. Good luck, and happy learning! This giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit one of the largest water parks in Illinois! Magic waters is located just off I-90 near Rockford. Experience the Double Dare Drop 75 ft. Speed Slides, Tsunami Bay Wave Pool, Typhoon Terror Adventure Ride and the thrill a minute Splash Blaster Water Coaster Ride. Enter the dark tunnel of the Abyss for lots of twists and turns or relax on the 1,200 ft. Splash Magic River. Have tons of fun at Tiki Island where a 1,000 gallon pineapple water bucket spills to the delight of guests! Coolers welcome or grab lunch at the new Ocho’s Cantina! Luxury cabanas available. Free Parking. Visit magicwaterswaterpark.com for more information.

 Water park opens June 8th 2013. Open Daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Mon & Fri 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Special Offers & Events

$12 Buck Bargain Days: Tues, Wed, Thurs during the 2013 season.

Friday Family Fun Nights: June 14 through August 16.

Meet & Greet: Sunday July 14th. Disney band IM5 will be at the park for a Meet and Greet. Go to magicwaterswaterpark.com for details.

 Get your season passes now!

This is an exclusive offer brought to you by WindyCityKidsGuide!

When you think of American icons, what are some things that automatically come to your mind? I’m assuming some of you answered with apple pie, barbecue, baseball. Or maybe some iconic Americans like Marilyn Monroe, JFK, Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Michael Jackson – I could go on.  Well, this month, Macy’s all around the country are paying homage to the Red, White, and Blue with some all day events highlighting those things.

I got in on the part of the festivities that included food, because well, I’m greedy, and who can pass up barbecue? Seriously, who can? No matter WHAT your food loves are, I’m pretty positive it can be thrown on a grill. I’ll wait while you think of all of the foods that prove my point. You’re welcome.

I really loved the way that the store was decorated for the day’s events, and while I wasn’t able to go to each and every floor, I did grab some shots of displays on the main level, before heading downstairs to see Barry Sorkin of Smoque BBQ on Chicago’s NW side.

The main level was updated with lots of red, white and blue, and outfits that would definitely be a hit at any of the many patriotic barbecues you will attend this summer. Memorial Day is right around the corner.

Just a moment while I sing the praises of the Tervis tumblers. While I did not acquire the one that I have from Macy’s, I think that they are awesome. In true mother form though, I do have the largest one (the ones on the left-hand side) and they can hold cold OR hot liquids. I’m just saying. 

Something completely random here, and I’m totally outing myself and my desire not to wear the same thing twice in pictures (I almost said that with a straight face, almost) but that top is so awesome that you will be seeing it even more. It’s awesomeness always gets me noticed whenever I’ve worn it to Macy’s (twice now) and for that I love it.

Okay, focus. This is Barry Sorkin and me. Of course. I had just finished sampling one of his pulled pork tacos with a pineapple salsa and salivating. I was good and only had ONE, but let me tell you that he created a commotion in a good way with how great and smokey and tender the pork was. Sweet paired with spicy and smokey is just the way to go to my heart and belly.

I mean, seriously, I forgot to get a close-up before I took a bite. Greed, thine name is Natasha.

I was very tempted to take another, but my good manners prevailed and I continued to listen to the presentation.

If you are ever in Chicago and want to try out Smoque, the location is 3800 N. Pulaski. While you’re here, don’t forget to pick me up before you go.

When you think of American Icons now, I’m sure that you will indeed think of barbecue from here on out. Won’t you?

I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with compensation for this post about Macy’s American Icons. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own, especially those about how fantastic the barbecue was. 

(I’m so going to order one of these banners for next school year.)

This week, Chicago welcomed our own Regional Box Tops University. Of course, You all know that I love me some box tops, so of course I’ve been excited, but the time really crept up on me,  Mr. Houseful and I found ourselves in a room full of other crazy box tops coordinators. Mr. Houseful was a little worried that he would be the only guy, and was pleasantly surprised to see that several of the coordinators had brought their in home co-coordinators with them to participate in the days festivities. I also want to note that almost ALL of the men present won some sort of giveaway from General Mills. Yeah they did. 

While Regional Box Tops University is AWESOME it doesn’t hold a candle to what happens at National Box Tops University, but it does provide those coordinators who aren’t able to travel for that amount of time, an insight about all the great new things that will be happening for the new school year.

For example, Walmart will begin their Back To School promotion in July with over 130 items sporting the much desired 4 Box Tops on them! Last year, I loaded up on these items for the rest of the school year, and scored 100 Box Tops in one shopping trip. It can definitely be done! Once July gets here, I will take  you on a trip with me to a local Walmart to see how it’s done. Mine is mostly fruit snacks and Ziploc bags and the such since I’m a coordinator and send them home with students to collect their Box Tops in,

I always enjoy myself and being able to bounce ideas around with other coordinators (by the way, the coordinator that traveled the furthest came from Ohio.) Being able to also know what works for coordinators and their schools provided enough fire under me to be able to push through the summer collection efforts. I will be sharing a flyer that I’m making to send home with the children this summer, and hoping that we get at least 10% of them back with Box Tops. It can’t hurt to try, can it?

Are YOU remembering to clip? Make sure to clip throughout the summer months as well. That way, you’ll have a great collection when school starts in the fall!

While all Box Tops Universities are always free to attend, travel to this one was provided by my great husband, and not General Mills.

As much as I kind of hate seeing my children grow up (it goes so fast) I’ve been looking forward to warmer weather in Chicago for this very reason. Sunglasses and shorts. Although Sir Twizzler refuses to keep his glasses on, this photo makes me smile because of the three very different personalities that most certainly come through.

The ladybug has been heavy into mirroring me lately (and I kind of got all blushy one day) and that’s why her glasses are sitting atop her head. Because, like I usually do, I put mine on top of my head in order to take the picture. She yelled for me to “Wait just one minute!” and copied the action.

Sir Twizzler isn’t into sitting still, or having glasses on, or having to pose for the camera. It’s very click-when-you-can around these parts.

Lil Miss, is all about enjoying life as it comes. She sits, and she waits, and she prisses, and she poses, and then she’ll give us grumpy and crack up two seconds later.

All in all, I love it. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I just want it to slow down. A lot.

I’ve officially gotten around to posting about some of our homeschooling adventures. One of the questions that I hear most is, “How are you able to homeschool when you are out of your house SO MUCH?!” Well folks, it’s easy, and it’s not. Basically, in order to homeschool outside of the home, you have to have a very open mind, and a little bit of a penchant for presenting all things in an educational way – you know, without being overbearing. Good thing that I have children who LOVE to do lots of things that are educational, otherwise, I’d be up a creek.

What I’m about to say is not rocket science, and I am by no means an expert on the subject, I just know what works for me and my children. We ALL get crabby if we have to stay indoors too long, and I have to face the fact that I am not really all that great at lesson planning and printing out materials. My ladybug has a mind that works a lot like mine. She would rather DO than SIT. I love it. So we go out, and we learn random things, and then we talk about them later.

The photo above is one of our many trips out to one of the many museums that Chicago is known for. The Chicago Children’s Museum. The ladybug, Sir Twizzler, and Lil’ Miss Twizzler could stay there all day, and I would definitely let them because there are so many hands on activities that promote gross motor skills and cognitive development.

So, I have a handy list for you to follow. I promise it’s not that hard.

1. 1. Get a library card. If your city is anything like mine, there are free passes available to zoos and museums to all library card holders. Take advantage of it.
2. Team up with other homeschooling parents for a field trip of sorts. You’d be surprised at what other parents AND students can bring to a day out and about.
3. Purchase memberships to one or two zoos or museums if you know that you’re going to visit often. Brookfield Zoo and a ton of museums are on my short list.
4. Don’t be TOO rigid. The joy of homeschooling is that it allows your children (especially younger ones) to learn at a pace comfortable to them.
5. Take advantage of the employees at the museums and zoos. If you don’t know something, I guarantee they do, or they’ll be able to find an answer faster than you can google. Plus, it’s a lot more interesting to hear someone talk about something that they are passionate about instead of reading it off of a website.
6. Be open to a lesson going another way. We’ve gone to the zoo before and I thought that we were going to talk about hibernation of the bears and instead we talked about their eating habits. Yes, with a four year old. Which then turned into how people eat the same types of fish that bears like. See where I’m going?
7. Be prepared to get messy. You see that picture up top? What you don’t see is the fact that the very cold water completely drenched Sir Twizzler by the time he was finished playing in it. Since we didn’t have a change of clothes, we were relegated to walking around Navy Pier with my child in a shirt and no pants – and drying the pants with a hand dryer in the meantime. I could have gotten frustrated, but I didn’t, and I’m happy that I didn’t because they had fun.
8. When the kids get tired, GO HOME! There is nothing more frustrating than being out and attempting to teach a lesson to cranky over-tired children.
9. Have fun. There’s no sense in going out of the house to be a hard taskmaster. If you’re not going to enjoy yourself, OR you’re going to make your child learn something, then you’ve already ruined the lesson.
10. Remember to talk about all of the activities that you did. Maximize that learning potential by talking about it, and then weaving some at home activities in with it for the rest of the week.

So that’s it! My humble offering to the homeschooling community on how to not become crabby monsters who feel that learning should ONLY happen inside the four walls of your home. If you’re not taking field trips, I feel like you’re doing a great injustice to yourself and your children. I’ll expound on our trip to the Chicago Children’s Museum, and our mini lesson in composting later this month.

Until then – share YOUR favorite outside the home activity to do for homeschooling, in the comments below!

A few weeks ago, the ladybug and I, plus our neighbor and her daughter were able to check out the Chicago Children’s Theatre and Red Moon production of The Elephant and The Whale at the Ruth Page Center for Arts. The Elephant and The Whale is the last in this season’s offerings, and as expected was a visually entertaining piece for sure.

I will admit, right off the bat, I was a bit worried that my four-year old ladybug, and her five-year-old guest, really wouldn’t get the entire thing after we got almost 10 minutes into the story. Essentially, I didn’t think that they would see past the puppets literally being manipulated by the puppeteers. Especially since they aren’t full bodies that hide the hands of the actors. sometimes there was only a large face. I thought that they would be confused, except something happened, and they weren’t. It’s magnificent to see the way adults process things so differently than children.

This is the story of two unlikely animals coming to be friends in they very unlikely setting of a traveling circus. The way that the Elephant gets there seems plausible, but you really have to let go of all of your logical thinking to really be able to enjoy the play. I’ve realized that sometimes adults are too stuffy, and we can’t take things as they are presented to us. This is how I was able to honestly and truthfully enjoy the play. That’s not to say that it’s horrible, not in the least. It’s just that you still have to hold on to all of the fantastical from your youth to really get it. To feel it. To love it.

I was surprised to see tears slipping down the ladybugs face during one of the many times that the whale happens to sing (played amazingly on a handsaw with a bow) through the play. When the play was finished, I asked her why she cried, and she stated that “she felt sad for the whale, because he missed all of his friends and could only talk to the elephant who couldn’t swim with him.” Pretty heavy words for a four-year old, I think. Words that let me know that she got it. She got the sadness of being cooped up somewhere without your family. She got the loneliness that both animals were feeling, and THAT let me know that this play did exactly what it was supposed to. It spoke to a child through the arts, and left this mama feeling pretty darned proud.

If you are wondering where you heard of the Chicago Children’s Theatre before on my blog, we were also able to see this series of stories by the great Eric Carle last year, that both the ladybug and Lil Miss enjoyed thoroughly. Little teaser, it’s also the place where Lil Miss took her first steps.

The Elephant and The Whale plays until May 26, 2013 at the Ruth Page Center for Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn. You can find specific dates and times here.

Disclosure: I entered a contest via ChiILMama (who happens to have another giveaway going on right this minute) and crossed my fingers that I would win the tickets. All opinions are my own.

Did you hear? Shot @ Life is celebrating their first birthday! Do you remember how excited you were to celebrate the first birthday of your child? I do, and I am sure that all of the champions share in my excitement in the culmination of the first year of providing children in need with vaccinations to give them what so many of our children here in America have. Quality of life.

In order to help celebrate, I was able to interview a champion who has been active for a while now, Nancy Millard of Washington State.

Nancy is a mom of two, and grandmother of five who retired from Boeing a bit ago. She considers herself a professional volunteer (FINALLY, a name for it – and I will be using it) who has been with the General Federation of Women Clubs for the last 41 years. The GFWC is where she first heard about the Shot @ Life organization and what they do for children who aren’t privy to vaccinations like those in the United States of America. GFWC partnered with the UN Foundation and UNICEF during the 2012-2014 term, so just last year. In turn, the UN Foundation introduced the GFWC to the Shot @ Life organization.

Just so you can understand the magnitude of what I’ve just written, GFWC spans all fifty states has 3300 clubs, and over 100,000 members. That’s a LOT of people to talk to about Shot @ Life, and Nancy has definitely been doing her fair share of work. She was appointed the International Outreach Chairman for Partnership and attended a champion training in DC this past January.

I did have several questions for Nancy during our conversation, but I’ll just let you know, our interview flowed so well, that it was like speaking to an old friend.

Mrs. Houseful:
What is it about Shot @ Life that stands out to you?

Nancy:
I realized that those of us who live in the United States have taken for granted the diseases our children are protected from. Things that we don’t have to worry about are taking the lives of children in other countries. The groups that Shot @ Life has decided to work with along with their passion for the campaigns has really touched me. The statistics are shocking in regard to the amount of lives that COULD be saved just with a simple vaccination.

Mrs. Houseful:
What type of fundraising or events have you done for Shot @ Life?

Nancy:
Our Women’s Club had a Shot @ Life Wine Tasting and Dessert Function. We served dessert in shot glasses and collected $1200 to be donated in October of 2012. We’ve also had a State Convention where we raised $1300 to help fund a trip to Uganda.

Mrs. Houseful:
What responsibilities have you taken on through the GFWC as it pertains to Shot @ Life?

Nancy:
It is my responsibility to communicate with all 50 state Chairpeople about Shot @ Life and also provide written articles for the club magazine. I also participated in my very first twitter party!

Mrs. Houseful:
How long have you been a champion? (I guess that should have been my first question)

Nancy:
(laughter) I’ve been a champion for one full year.

Mrs. Houseful:
What sets makes you a great champion?

Nancy:
Hmmm, I think that my love of children makes me a great champion. I love all children, and really want to see them all have a chance to grow up and enjoy things in life that they are meant to. Kids should be playing and happy, and parents shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not they will be able to provide a healthy life for their children. It’s just not something that should HAVE to be thought about. I did enjoy my trip to Uganda to work with the Health Ministry for Health Days with Shot @ Life. They were able to go to churches to speak to entire families who wanted vaccinations. I was able to connect with a young lady by the name of Harriet, who had previously lost a child, but was present to get her other children vaccinated against the same diseases that her deceased child had been infected with.

Mrs. Houseful:
I’m sure that you’re aware of the negative reputation that vaccinations have garnered in the United States of America. Have you had any push back from activists or any of your family members?

Nancy:
Luckily, I haven’t had any confrontations with my work, but I do know of a family who was greatly against their children getting vaccinated, and their child contracted measles from someone who wasn’t required to get the vaccine and they were upset. I feel that it’s definitely better to be protected and to protect your children.

As you have read, Nancy is very vested in her work, and is definitely using her expertise in volunteering to keep the movement going. Have you heard about what a little action will do to improve quality of life to children around the world? In order to get more information, click the button below and do what you can!

It’s no secret, I’ve been waiting for the opening of the 61st Street Farmers Market here in Chicago since it closed last December. Mostly because last years market wasn’t as great as it could have been because of the wonky weather all across the country. I’m not sure how I started going to Farmers Markets, but I know that this particular one caught my eye during the very long Saturday cello lessons that the cellist had in a local building. Ever since then, I happily travel from one side of the city to another, just to enjoy the fresh produce, and camaraderie that I find each and every Saturday on this stretch of the street.
I know that when I first started attending the market, I was completely overwhelmed with all of the colors, and smells, and tastes that accompany the market. However, once you go several Saturdays in a row, the local farmers already know what you like and are ready for you! My staples include honey from Ellis Farms in Benton Harbor, MI and any and all vegetables from Growing Power, which is located in Milwaukee, WI.

One of the greatest things that I’ve noticed about the 61st Street Farmers Market is the fact that they encourage those market goers who receive SNAP benefits to come through and purchase with a match of up to $25 market dollars each Saturday. Essentially, they are trying to encourage more fresh fruit and vegetable buying for Link card carriers. I love it since so many people who are using food stamps get a bad rep for only buying processed foods. This allows all cardholders to stretch their dollars beyond what they thought they could. An even better thing is the fact that the market dollars don’t have to all be used that day, but can be saved and used on any Saturday throughout the market season.

Other Farmers Markets may also take WIC coupons and subsidized food vouchers as well. I don’t think that the 61st Street market does, but I will make sure to check and report back for those in the city of Chicago. If you are unsure about your local market, find a volunteer and ask. Honestly, that’s what they are there for, and being knowledgeable allows you to make the most of your money.  How can you pass up tomatoes that look this good? Seriously? Salads, fried green tomatoes, pasta sauce, I could go on. And this honey. The market vendor that comes through with Ellis Farms has informed me that he won’t be with the 61st Street Market after this month, and will be moving to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park. Looks like I’ll have to visit two markets each Saturday! Seriously, that’s how vested I am in the local Farmers’ Markets. It’s not just about supporting a local farm for me anymore. It’s about the friendships that have been formed, and the extension of family.

I’m reminded of the vendor who passed away in the summer of 2011, and how sad I felt. I don’t think that we really had many words except for her sharing recipes with me every now and again. I recall trying one (a strawberry rhubarb preserve) that I wanted to share with her, and didn’t realize that she had passed away. It’s just further proof that life is fleeting and that we should definitely live IN the moments that we have instead of living them after they happen.

Okay, so this post was not supposed to get all sobby, but it’s my roundabout way of telling you to get out and support your local Farmers Markets. I’m sure that you can do a google search of ones in your city, or in cities close to you, and know that you are helping farmers and their families with their livelihoods as well as providing YOUR family with fresh produce and meat. It’s all a great cycle that is actually GOOD to be a part of. Keeping your local farmers in business means that the food that you are purchasing at these Farmers Markets haven’t been sitting around for days or weeks being prepped to sell.

Do you shop at Farmers Markets? How often? Share your greatest find in the comments below!

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