Holiday Events Guide is Updated!!!!

It's finally here!  The Holiday Events Guide for 2015...

Please share with your friends and neighbors!  I do this site to support families in the Portland Area.  I would love it if you would share the site with at least one family this year.  I am working on getting the rest of the site back up and running before the New Year!  Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.

Holiday Events Guide Updated for 2014!!!

It's done and ready to go!  Check it out!  The holiday events start Friday morning with the Macy's Holiday Parade through Downtown Portland.  Added several new events this year, but if you see that I've missed something please let me know.

 

Christmas and Holiday Events Listings Updated!

WOW!  There are a ton of fun things to do this holiday season.  You will find some of them on the Events Calendar. But for the most part they will be in the Holiday Events Guide!  Go there to find Parties, great places to see Christmas Lights, visit Santa, buy a tree, or just enjoy to holiday spirit.

Christmas Tea at Old McDonald's Farm

Old McDonald's Farm is a non-profit, owned by my friend Stephanie and her family.  The farm does tours, summer events, holiday events, science and all kinds of fun with for kids and families with animals and plants! 

  Their mission:  “In facilitating healthy social and emotional development, OMF is committed to providing at-risk protective factors to children through structured, educational experiences using animals, agriculture, gardens and natural resources as educational tools.” We are not necessarily teaching children to be farmers, but rather using a farm to teach wholesome, healthy life lessons. 

They are holding a fund raising tea next Saturday and Sunday.  A fun holiday activity for you and your girlfriends that also helps a good cause.

Happy Holidays! I hope yours were fantastic!



I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Holiday season together.  And I know it's time to start thinking about what else to do with the kids until school is back in.  Remember that there are lots of ideas on the       and  pages.

 

 

A few weeks ago I was invited to attend the Magic Show at Mall 205.  The show appeared to be a sell out, with lots of smiling little faces.  Kids were enchanted by the magic and excited to get the chance to come on stage and be an assistant.  What a fun family event!  I would suggest going early to get good seats.  We arrived just before show time and had to sit in the back row.  Concessions are inexpensive and the two hour show is a hoot!

 

At $45 for a family 5 pack.  It's a pretty good deal for 2 hours of entertainment.  They also give you various mall coupons at the door.  The entire show we could smell the tasty aromas of the Gyros and Pizza places near by.

 

The next show is this weekend. They are doing two shows on  December 28th and 29th at 2pm.

 

Holiday Events Guide 2012

I know, I know.  This is SUPER late, but there are still so many fun events for the holiday season.  It's tough to try to fit a vacation into Christmas time.  Nothing gets done.

 

Halloween 2011 Boredom Busters

10 Halloween-Themed Boredom Busters

Provided by Sarah Morris on behalf of Primrose Schools- choose the best in preschools!

 

The air outside has turned crisp and the tableau of fall colors is coming alive in the trees. The new season brings so many things to be enjoyed as a family- like Halloween. In lieu of going straight to TV and video games when the weather gets chilly, get their attention with themed activities and banish the Ghost of Halloween Boredom before he makes an appearance. Try a few of the following activities to keep your young ones entertained, and have fun together!

1.) Pumpkin Carving

In the fall, pumpkin carving is a time honored tradition for many families. If your kids are old enough to safely use a cutting tool, it can be great fun for them. Don't go for the same old grinning face you've seen on a thousand other pumpkins. Do a quick online search for "pumpkin carving templates", and find a unique one that your kids can easily follow. Supervise them as they complete the task, and voila, you have a beautiful outdoor decoration that's perfectly in season. As a bonus, you can salt and roast the seeds for a healthy, kid friendly snack.

2.)"Flying" Bats

This quick, easy craft will make a great addition to your Halloween decor. First, find a template of a bat online( BHG.com and kid's educational sites are a good place to start your search). You're looking for a silhouette, not a full color photo. Once you've got the template, you and your kids can cut out several bats from black card stock. Once that's done, punch a small hole in each bat. Using fishing line or filament, hang the bats from the ceiling. The nearly invisible strings will make it look as if a flock of bats have descended on your home. It's a creepy good look!

3.)Pasta Skeleton

This is a good craft for the younger children, who aren't quite as adept as you'd like with scissors. All you'll need is black construction paper, white glue, a white crayon, and a cup or so of pasta in a variety of shapes. Using these supplies, help your child build a skeleton, and glue it to the paper. For example, macaroni is good for the ribs, and a wagon wheel makes a perfect head. When it dries, your child can sign it with the crayon, and you can proudly display it. (It's also a good opportunity to help your child learn about the skeletal system.) This idea came from the good folks at enchantedlearning.com.


4.) "Scary" Baking

Most folks love sweets, so you can't go wrong with this. Make a basic sugar cookie dough, and gather several colors of food coloring, an assortment of candies, and let your kids do the decorating. Or bake a few cupcakes and let your kids turn them into frightening creatures. You should be in charge of the baking part, of course, but they'll love making a mess and expressing their creativity. A clever hint from Better Homes and Gardens: to make an edible, three dimensional witches' hat, flatten 1/2 of a regular Tootsie Roll into a small circle, and top it with a Hershey's Kiss.

5.)Costume Making

If you've recently seen the price of a flimsy store bought costume, then you'll immediately appreciate the value of this craft. In most cases, you can use things you already have around the house to make the costume your kid wants. With a dose of creativity, and the addition of a few purchased supplies like face paint, you can whip up the perfect costume at a fraction of the cost. Let you child participate in making it, and they'll also get the satisfaction that comes with making something "cool".

6.)Dirt and Worms

As gross as this may sound, kids find it both fun and tasty. Help your child a small paper cup about halfway with chocolate pudding. On top of that, add a layer of crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, to resemble "dirt". Last, take a few gummy worms and insert them through the top layer, into the pudding core below. Leave a bit of each worm visible. After that, let your kids feast on their sweet, yet slimy creation.

7.)Visit a Local Pumpkin Patch

The orange gourds are in season this time of year, and depending on where you live, you may be able to take your kids to a pumpkin patch for a visit. In most cases, the cost of admission is low, or free, and some patches will let kids take a small pumpkin home as a souvenir. A quick internet search can help you discover if there are any pumpkin patches in your neck of the woods.

8.)Take a Nighttime Nature Walk

Your kids may not think this is scary enough at first, but if you take them out after dusk they may quickly change their minds. Explore your neighborhood, taking note of all the nocturnal critters scurrying around. Who knows what lurks in your neighbor's bushes after dark? After this walk, you will!

9.)Rent a Scary Movie

You can judge which movies are appropriate for your kids, based on their ages and personalities. Once you've agreed on a movie, zap some popcorn, turn down the lights, and enjoy a frighteningly good time. If you chose your film wisely, you won't have to worry about being on nightmare patrol later.

10.) Raking Leaves

Not everything surrounding Halloween has to be exciting, right? If you've got a yard full of fallen leaves, and a house full of kids whining about having nothing to do, this could be the perfect solution. Let them use up some of that boundless energy to rake up the leaves while you supervise. It's probably best to go into this expecting the kids to make a big pile of leaves and jump in in, though.

               
                   Visit the page for more fun ideas!
Thank you Sarah for your great ideas! 

Fall 2011 Dairyville is Back!

Alpenrose Dairy Brings Back Summer Fun for the Whole Family  

Dairyville is BACK at Alpenrose Dairy!

  Alpenrose Dairy opened it's family attraction, Dairyville in the spring of 1961.  After a several year absence Alpenrose Dairy has reopened it's fun family attraction, Dairyville. Sunday afternoons from 1pm-4pm you can enjoy attractions including: Storybook Lane , an antique museum, a miniature train display, and doll collection.  Alpenrose will offer free balloons, fruit punch and candy for the kids.  The admission is free.  

   My family has been visiting Alpenrose since the 60s. We love to visit Dairyville, especially at Christmas time. They will also be open again this year for holiday festivities.

    Alpenrose Dairy is located at 6149 SW Shattuck Road , off Beaverton Hillsdale Highway .  

   In addition to Dairyville, Alpenrose has a lot of fun planned this summer.  The Little League World Series runs August 11-17th.  Teams of the best 11-12 year olds from around the world will compete in the 27 game tournament.  No tickets or passes are needed, just go and enjoy the fun.

    Ashley Beckers, public relations liaison for Alpenrose says, "The three beautifully maintained baseball/softball fields on the Alpenrose campus have been in use over 55 years when Henry & Carl Cadonau Sr. first built them for his grandchildren. Generations later, the Cadonau family is still running the family owned dairy business and sharing their love of the sport with their community and the world." 

   Alpenrose Dairy is a family run business, operated by the Cadonau's for over 95 years.  

See past articles in Article Archives. 

Summer 2011 Disneyland Tips

Are you going to Disneyland this summer?

    If you are, I am jealous!  I just got back a couple of weeks ago, but I am really ready to go back RIGHT NOW!
     I wanted to share a few things I have learned from my last few trips to Disney that might help make  your trip a little better and easier.

     Tickets.  You see a lot of ads for ticket discounts, but the best is probably AAA.  They sell the tickets at their office and they come with free parking.  The tickets are cheaper, no tax AND free parking!!  Wow!  Parking is $15 a day now.

     Going to Disneyland in the early morning?  Stop by the Market House on the right side of Main Street, for coffee.  Save your receipt.  They will give you free refills all day long.  It's the only place in Disneyland that you can get that!  They also have a hidden cupboard of aspirin, sun block, and other drug store items, just ask.

     Did you know that you can ride up front with the engineer on the Disneyland train?  Just ask a conductor when the train comes into the station.  If your train has the super fancy Lilly Belle car, you can ride in that too.  Just ask!  If it's your first visit you have to do the full round trip to see all of the special sights along the way.  It's great for an afternoon rest. You can also take pictures sitting in the drivers seats of the main street vehicles as well.  

     Single Riders!  Don't want to wait in line for two hours to ride California Screamin'?  Talk to the cast member at the front of the line.  They will give you a single rider pass.  It's better than a fast pass, but you don't get to ride with your friends.  You'll wait 10 minutes instead of 2 hours
        Attractions that do single riders:  (Maybe more, ask at the front of the line.)
                Splash Mountain, Indianan Jones, California
                Screamin', Grizzly River Rapids,
                Soarin' Over California

     Baby Swap!  Moms and Dads with small kids can both enjoy a ride.  Ask the first cast member at a ride for a Child Swap pass so that both parents don't have to wait in the long line.  I've heard that you can use the pass all day and go back to the front of the line at any time, but I don't know that for sure.

     Food is expensive at Disneyland! You can bring in your own food and drinks.  They will look through your bag, but they have no problem allowing you to bring in food and drinks in plastic containers. The will even allow soft sided coolers.  They have lockers to stow your food until lunchtime.  The lockers are right by the Market House so you can get more coffee!

     Hydrate!!!!  It gets hot and you will get much more tired and cranky if you aren't well hydrated.  Drink lots of water, not soda.   

    Keep Calm.  I see so many people getting tired and crabby and frustrated with their children.  Remember that you are asking your child to spend 12+ hours outside in the sun, constantly moving and being over stimulated.  It's just too much for most kids, and all adults!  Drink lots of water, keep eating snacks you are carrying in a backpack, take lots of breaks, sit and watch shows to rest the feet, and remember that you are at the HAPPIEST place on earth.  If you force kids and yourselves to the limit it won't be fun for anyone and it won't be a good memory.  If you start getting cranky remember to keep it to yourself and do what you can to make it a great experience for your kids. If they start getting cranky, try to figure out why instead of doing what most Disneyland parents do, yell at them about how much it costs to go there and threaten to go home.  The likelihood is that they are thirsty, tired or over stimulated and probably just need a break.

     You can't see everything!  There is a quote from Walt that goes something like, "Build too much for them to see in one day so they have to come back."  Good Old Walt has built more than you can see in three days.  Study the website and maps before you go and decide what you really want to see the most and concentrate on that, when you have that done, do other things.  Then you will feel like you have accomplished something special with this trip.  

www.disney.com 

Christmas 2010

Christmas Seasonal Page Completely Updated for 2010

The Cinnamon Bear

     Cinnamon Bear has been a tradition for many families since it was first aired in 1937.  

     Cinnamon Bear is a radio play featuring Paddy O'Cinnamon and Judy and Jimmy.  Their are 26 fun filled episodes leading up to the Christmas Eve finale.

     Portland is often called the hotspot for Cinnamon Bear because he has been broadcast each year since 1937, only missing a year or two through the years.  Many local stores often had Cinnamon Bear, instead of Santa Claus for children to visit and tell their wishes to at Christmas.  

     The Portland Spirit has a yearly schedule of You can adventure into the land of maybe with Pirates and Cinnamon Bear himself.

     Now you can download the entire Series and play it for your family. RadioLovers.com - Cinnamon Bear.  You can listen online or right click and click "Save Target As"  which will allow you to save each episode in an MP3 format for free.

     This radio show and lots of others are available online for free because they are copyright free and in the public domain.  Radio shows can be a lot of fun to introduce to your family.  Kids love to listen to them and can be very creative drawing or painting what they imagine.  If you have a video camera, they can even create their own plays or movies based on the shows.

     Many shows may have historic context which may need to be explained to them, which is a great way to introduce our history and the way we used to live.

     Portland Spirit Cruise Schedule

• December 4, 11, 12, 18, 19                    
• 10am - Noon
• December 5                    
3-5pm
December 20-24, 26-27                    
Noon-2pm

     Other radio Shows and websites to enjoy.

• RadioLovers.com - The Baby Snooks Show
• Little Orphan Annie OTR - Free Old Time Radio Shows - Download OTR Shows MP3's

From Halloween 2010

             

   

Halloween Season!

Oh how I love Halloween!  It's always so much fun!  I know a lot of
families don't do trick or treating anymore, but I think it's just sad.
I love trick or treating so much that I did it every Halloween until I
was 18 or 19.  I can't stand to hear parents say their kids are too
old for trick or treating at 11 or 12.  Why is a kid too old to dress
up, have fun, and get free candy?  Who is too old for that?   

I didn't trick or treat for the candy, I usually still had candy left from
Halloween at Easter.  This lead to a horrifying experience with
a rat when I was 11, but lets not go there!

The point is that dressing up and acting crazy and just having
fun is the best.  All of the candy is just a bonus.
Why not sort the candy by what they really like and  throw out the rest.  Then put one or two pieces in lunch each
day instead of a sugar drink or cookie. Or consider donating
the extra candy to a shelter or local food program.  Everyone
needs treats once in a while!

Keep Halloween Safe & Comfortable

• Use glow sticks or glow bracelets for visibility.
Get 8 Bracelets in a pack at Dollar Tree!
• Stay with the kids!
Even Middle School Kids should be accompanied
by adults.  Even if you just drop them off at one end
of a block and pick them up at the other end.
• Lecture Kids Before About Safety.
     Kids get so excited that they forget all common sense on
  Halloween.  Remind them about staying together, not going
  with strangers, and watching for traffic. Even if your kids
  know this, a little reminder won't hurt.
• Think About Costume Visibility.     Costumes with masks always look like a lot of fun, but on
  a dark night, you can't always see.  Check that the eye holes
  are large enough for good visibility. Maybe face paint is better.
• Be Comfortable.
     Keep the kids in comfortable shoes and dressed warmly
  enough for the weather.  It gets cold here.  Think about
  costumes that can be worn with thermals underneath, or coats.
• Be Healthy.
     Yeah, even on Halloween!  Bring along bottles of water and
  make sure the kids have full stomachs from a good healthy meal
  before they head out.  It will reduce the effects of sugar rush
  and upset stomachs later on.
• Be Considerate!
       Remind kids to say "Trick or Treat" and "Thank You".  Remind
  older kids that you won't tolerate destructive Halloween pranks.
• Afraid of poison in the candy? 
  There has never been a substantiated case of this happening!
  snopes.com: Poisoned Halloween Candy

Favorite Halloween Haunts

• All of our Favorite Haunts!


• The Davis Graveyard www.DavisGraveyard.com
       It's not only great and super creative, it's also FREE!
                     

• Wenzel Farm Fantasy Trail is great for families with
  young children because it is fun and not too scary.