Strawberry Picking

It's time to get your strawberries! We went this week and they were plentiful and delicious. You have until June, but we always go in May. You may not save a ton of money - we paid $12.00 per gallon. I weighed the gallon buckets, and they weighed about 6 lbs. So it works out to roughly $2.00 for 16 oz., which would be a good price at the grocery store.

But these strawberries are so much better than the ones trucked in from California, and it's fun to go with kids. The farms I've been to don't mind when children eat as they pick. I've taken the boys since they were babies. We have a tradition in our family to have strawberry shortcake for dinner the night we pick strawberries - that's definitely something the boys remember from year to year!

I make lots of freezer jam with the rest of the strawberries. I try to make enough to last until the next year, but I haven't quite made it yet.

You can search here to find a strawberry patch near you. We've been to two different farms and like them both.

Dahlonega Vegetable Farm is my favorite. It's the closest one to us. Surrounded by mountains and bordered by a creek, the location is lovely. They don't have a website (!), but here is the address and phone number: 2650 Highway 19
Dahlonega, GA 30533;(706) 867-9794.

Washington Farms
The berries here are more affordable - $10 per gallon. They have a very helpful website that you can reach by clicking the name above. We've always gone to their Loganville location, but they have a smaller farm in Watkinsville as well. They are open 8:00-8:oo and closed on Sundays, but on beautiful days, they may be pretty picked out by early afternoon, so you may want to call first.

Good to know: I have some very important caveats about strawberry picking. 1. Always call first to be sure they have abundant berries. 2. Drought years produce better berries than rainy years. 3. Most farms only take checks or cash. 4. If you don't want to pay $1 for buckets, bring your own or at least bring tupperware to transfer your berries into for the ride home.

Kids Bowl Free - All Summer Long!

Once again this summer, your kids can bowl free every day! You sign up on the website, and each week you'll be emailed coupons for your children to bowl two free games every day. You can even purchase a family pass for parents or teens.

According to the Kids Bowl Free site, here's how it works:

1.All of the participating bowling centers are listed at http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/all_centers.php. Here's the link to Georgia's centers.

2.Select a bowling center near you.

3.Register directly on the bowling center page (The registration is valid only at the bowling center where you register and cannot be used at any other bowling center unless otherwise noted.)

4.Once you register, you will have the opportunity to purchase the family pass. The Family Pass was created to allow for adult family members to enjoy bowling throughout the summer as well.

The Family Pass starts from $24.95 and includes 2 GAMES PER PERSON PER DAY. The Family Pass covers up to 4 adult family members. You may have 1, 2, 3, or 4 adults on the family pass.
This low one-time payment covers up to 4 adults for the entire summer and is a tremendous value.

Muffin Tin Lunch

I saw the idea for serving lunch in a muffin tin on another blog, and it was much cuter (think sandwiches cut with cookie cutters) than what I have here. But I started doing it every now and then for the boys, and they really like it. I don't know what it is about the muffin tin, but Ben will eat just about anything from it!

In this version, I have sliced yellow bell peppers, yogurt with blueberries, roast chicken, pasta with parmesan, ketchup, and a piece of Rolo candy. I put the pan in between the boys for them to eat. I like that it keeps the portions relatively equal, instead of the pasta dominating the plate.

Art Portfolio

If your children are anything like mine, they end up with a lot of artwork! School, church, rainy afternoons - it can get out of control. I don't save everything, of course, but I want them to be able to save paintings and drawings they really like. I saw this idea on a blog, and I'm really happy with it.

Supplies

2 pieces heavy-duty posterboard (I got mine for $0.75 at WalMart)

coordinating duct tape (WalMart and Target have lots of fun colors)

coordinating grosgrain ribbon

Punch holes about four inches apart, an inch or so from the top of the posterboard in the center. Tape the posterboard together with duct tape on three sides. Tie the ribbon in the holes to make a handle.

I cut out names with my Cricut, but you can use stickers or stencils as well. You won't believe how many papers can fit in this portfolio!

Easter Events

With the weather we are having, it should be one of the most beautiful Easter weekends in years!

The Atlanta Parent website has a lot of great Easter activities. Here are some of the events planned for this weekend.

Dinosaur Egg Hunt. Fernbank Museum of Natural History. They may be larger than the typical Easter egg, but dino eggs are just as fun to find! Fernbank offers three age-appropriate egg hunts, including a special area just for toddlers. The event also includes a scavEGGer hunt inside the museum, music and games. April 3. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 767 Clifton Rd., Atlanta. 404-929-6300. Adults, $15; children 3-12, $13; under 2, free.

Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Bring your basket and camera for an Easter egg hunt, live performances, Atlanta Braves games and prizes, and a chance to meet the Easter Bunny. April 3. 10 a.m.-noon. 980 Briarcliff Rd., Atlanta. 404-872-5338. Adults, free; children, $10.

Simon Kidigits Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Mall of Georgia. Hunt for eggs and win fun prizes. Located in The Village. April 3. 9:30-10 a.m. 3333 Buford Dr., Buford. 678-482-8788. Free.

Natural Egg Dyeing. Atlanta Botanical Garden. Drop-in for this interactive class where children decorate eggs using vibrant colors contained in dyes from certain plants. March 27 and April 3. 10-11 a.m. and 2-3 p.m. 1345 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta. 404-876-5859. $6/child in addition to admission.

Easter Sunrise Service. Stone Mountain Park. Two simultaneous, non-denominational Easter services at the top and base of the mountain, on Memorial Lawn. April 4. 6:15-7 a.m. Park gates open at 4 a.m. Hwy. 78, Stone Mountain. 770-498-5690. Parking, $10; sky-ride: adults, $9; children 3-11, $7.

Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Enjoy a reading of “The Story of the Easter Bunny” by Katherine Tegan and create a magic color scratch giant Easter egg. April 3. Noon. 275 Centennial Olympic Park Dr., Atlanta. 404-659-5437. Adults and children 2 and up, $12.50.

Eggstrvaganza Egg Hunt. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Bring your basket and camera for an Easter egg hunt, live performances and a chance to meet the Easter bunny. April 3. 10 a.m.-noon. 980 Briarcliff Rd., Atlanta. 404-872-5338. Adults, free; children, $10.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History. April 3, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Participate in three age-appropriate egg hunts for kids, ages 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Each hunt will feature a grand prize dinosaur egg containing a one-year family/dual membership, a set of six IMAX tickets and a Radio Disney prize pack. This fun-filled event will also include a dinosaur egg balancing challenge, a dinosaur memory game and balloon animals. 767 Clifton Rd., Atlanta. 404-929-6300. Adults, $15; children 3-12, $13; 2 and under, free.

Giant Easter Egg Hunt. Malibu Grand Prix. Enjoy the giant Easter egg hunt, take photos with the bunny himself, prizes and more. April 3. Kids 5 and younger, 11:15 a.m.; ages 6 and older, 11:45 a.m. Event lasts until 4 p.m. 5400 Brook Hollow Pkwy., Norcross. 770-416-7630. Free.

Natural Easter Egg Dyeing. Habersham Gardens. Dye your own eggs with teas, spices, fruits and vegetables. April 3. 11 a.m. 2067 Manchester St., Atlanta. 404-873-2484. Free.

Quick Saturday Ideas

Looking for a fun activity that won't take up your whole Saturday? Here are some ideas!

1. The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History has make-and-take crafts each Saturday. Here's the upcoming schedule:

Mar. 20: Design-A-Quilt; Mar. 27: Drawing With Scissors; April 10: Build a Bridge; April 17: Painting With Dots; May 8: Honoring Mothers.

10 a.m.-noon. 2829 Cherokee St., Kennesaw. 770-427-2117. Adults, $7.50; children 4-12; $5.50; 3 and under, free.

2. Lakeshore Learning Store in Marietta has Crafts for Kids. And they're free!

March 20: Bird Feeder; March 27: My Puppet Pal; April 3: Silly Bunny Puppet; April 10: Personalized Door Hanger; April 17: Earth Day Bag; April 24: Spring Picket Fence.

You can check their website to see pictures of the crafts. It's a great store, too!

3. Want to get outside? Panola Mountain State Park in Stockbridge has guided hikes (10 a.m.) and introductory tree climbing (1 p.m.) on the third Saturday of each month. Both events are for people in good physical condition.

4. Aurora Theater in Lawrenceville has a children's theater series on Saturdays. All performances are at 10 a.m., unless otherwise noted. Tickets are $7.00, but you can buy a 10-show pass for $50.00. Call 678.226.6222 for reservations. Below is a list of the upcoming shows.

Note: Tomorrow's show (3/20) is great - we saw it a couple of years ago, and the kids laughed their heads off.

3/20/2010
The Big Bad, Little Red, Pig Show
That Puppet Guy

3/27/2010
Cinderella
Wendy Bennett

5/15/2010
The Circus King
Storymaker - Sean Driscol

5/22/2010
Quite a Catch
Ron Anglin

Atlanta Fair

When our kids complain that something isn't fair, we always say, "The fair comes in October," because in our town, it does! But it also comes in March to Turner Field in the form of the Atlanta Fair.

From March 4 - April 4, you can get out and enjoy carnival rides, games, and elephant ears on the midway. It's a bit spendy: $1.00 admission for kids and $5.00 for adults on the weekends, and rides are extra. But if you go Saturday afternoon between 1:00-6:00, an unlimited ride ticket is $20. Click here for more specials - weekdays have unlimited rides, too.