Alstede Farms, NJ

Alstede Farms is a great place with many things to do and see. It is organic and sustainable. We were able to feed the funniest and friendliest donkey, chickens, rabbits, and a very gentle horse. We picked our own blueberries, though it was too hot in the open sun and there weren't many ripe ones yet. Picking our own peaches went better. The kids got to climb on a giant hay stack.  They also got to ride on a tractor hay ride, which I think they liked the most. At the end we sat down in a shady spot and enjoyed some donuts and apple cider. Overall I would say that even though it was about 95 degrees outside that day the trip was a success.  There are also a few state parks nearby with wonderful and cool hiking trails. 

Here is the website for the farm: http://alstedefarms.com/ with address and hours.

And a few photos:

 

 

Panderosa Park in Scotch Plains

Hooray, finally a water spray ground in Central Jersey, that is not too far from us! The best part: it is free!
Panderosa Park is brand new, just opened in 2012, right off Cooper Road in Scotch Plains.  It is a beautiful playground with water spraying out of many fountains.  So much fun for the kids to play with.
Most parents take chairs and sit on the grass under the shade of trees, watching thier kiddies have fun.  Many bring a picnic lunch to enjoy.  It is a beautiful place to spend the day.

Have to give a heads up! If your kid wants to play in the water please bring or wear shoes that can get wet and be comfy.  The ground heats up like crazy, even on the mild days.  It is all that rubber.  My kids burned their feet the first time they went, and now we know better.  It is still a great place, just need to be aware of this one small detail!

Build-A-Bear



When my neice came over for a few weeks in the summer I figured that the perfect place to take her would be Build-A-Bear.  Sounds like a great place to take a kid, right?  That's what I figured too.  I went online, found a location next to us, even got a coupon in the mail for $10.00 off.  Awesome! I was ready. 
There are really two main things you would need to note about this place.  Number one is that even my two jaded boys seemed to have fun with it.  The girl was beside herself.  This was her dream come true.  Thing two is that it is really EXPENSIVE! The $10.00 coupon didn't even make a dent in it.  Just stuffing your animals isn't that much, but the clothing, shoes and accessories really kicked me in with three kids.
They boys were simple enough. They just got a dog and a bear, stuffed them, put glasses on them and that's that. The girly girl wanted all the pretty dresses, that cost as much as my root canal. We wound up getting out my sewing machine and making a lot of bear dresses at home. It was fun, she learned something new, and her bear was the best dressed bear in the state.

Fireworks on July 4th

Every year we try to get out and go to see the fireworks in NYC on the Hudson River.  We drive out to Hoboken, NJ, and try to find a spot on the waterfront.

On the way there (and often back), the traffic is always without mercy. It took a good 40 minutes or more to go on a stretch that takes about 5 minutes normally. Walking would've been faster. My husband dropped us off and then went to look for parking. When kids and I finally get there, the crowed is unmeasurable and there is no place to go to the bathroom. We try to find a decent sized spot on the grass, and settle in.

There we are: sweaty, tired, with whining children and hurting feet from the walk. All of that vanished the moment the fireworks started. I only have one word: spectacular. My older one was bouncing up and down with joy the entire 30 minutes. The little one had cotton fluff in his ears from the noise, and just sat there with his mouth open wide. We all loved it. It was most definately worth all the trouble. A picture is worth a thousand words though, so here are a few from the times we went.