Start of the Woodland Park Zoo Holiday Season!

 

This time of year is my favorite at the Woodland Park Zoo.  Halloween starts the holiday season with the Pumpkin Bash.  The zoo keepers train the animals to eat their favorite treats, out of pumpkins, at scheduled times for the crowds to watch.  I am almost guaranteed to see all the animals.

It doesn't matter if you see the animals eating out of the pumpkins.  The animals usually linger before and after eating their treats.  The event is always the weekend before Halloween and it runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., both days. 

When you enter the park, you get an itinerary so you can plan on which animals you want to see being given their pumpkins.  Since this event occurs during the rainy season; the park is busy, but not crowded.  It is easy for the small children to see the animals without competing with larger people to be next to the fences.  If the kids dress in costumes, at least one child, gets in free.

For the last two years, the event has been sponsored by Washington Dental.  Washington Dental hands-out kids size tooth brushes.  My toddler loves her new tooth brush.  Vendors such as Cliff bars and Whole Foods offer treats that are either a healthy alternative to candy, or only include natural ingredients.  My favorite is the Unreal bar.

This year, the zoo's baby population is booming.  In August 2013, a baby giraffe was born.  We enjoyed watching him with his mother. 







The lion cubs were lounging, and enjoying the day.  They turn one year old on 11/8/13.  If you get a chance to go to the Zoo, the cubs are going to be offered treats on their birthday, and you are invited to come and watch.

Even the human children are fun to watch!

I noticed that the zoo already has started setting-up lights and back-drops for WildLights.  This is one of several Holiday light shows in Seattle during the month of December.  The Woodland Park Zoo turns on the lights starting 11/29/13 and the event runs through 1/4/14.  The lights are on nightly from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Woodland Park Zoo website reports that "WildLights features wild animals and wild places recreated in thousands of sparkling LED lights inspired by exotic destinations from across the globe, including “Northern Lights,” “The Water Hole” and “Jungle Lights"."

Marie

Bellevue Downtown Park

I have always loved parks, and since I'm from Saudi Arabia, there aren't a lot of park choices for me to pick from. So whenever I travel I make sure that I visits a lot of parks. However, since most of my travels have been in the European continent, I was really surprised when I saw the park options available in the US, especially in Bellevue.

 I mean don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with them, however the size is really small when compared to parks in Paris or London. It might not be a fair comparison, since the cities of Paris and London are a lot bigger than Bellevue, but still those parks had something else to offer other than their size. When you walk in a park in London or Paris you will often stumble upon a coffee cart or a small kiosk that offers some knickknacks, something to keep you busy while you're taking a stroll in the park. However, it seems that parks in Bellevue don't really agree with me on the importance of having a coffee cart or something similar in their parks. Hopefully, someone decides to go into a coffee cart venture and opens one in Bellevue Downtown park!

Aside from the criticism in my past paragraph, I am actually writing this post about Bellevue Downtown Park, and how much my little family loves it.

The park to me represents an "open floor plan" there aren't any hidden turns, you won't be concerned that you don't know where a path leads to. The entire park could be seen from the top of the stairs that are in front of Bellevue Square's  JCPenny. However, don't let that fool you in thinking that it's a small park, I actually think it is of a decent size, and more than enough for our little family. There is also a walking track -I am not sure if that's what it is called but I assume you know what I'm talking about-.

At the other side of the park there's a waterfall feature that dispenses water into a lake/pond -I think pond is more appropriate, but you can decide yourself-. Of course what are ponds/lakes without little duckies, which to us are considered the main feature, since the minute my baby sees them she wants to get into the water and swim with them. However, as you can see in the pictures, the pond has been drained to get it ready for Bellevue's Magic Season, which I'm gonna talk about later in this post.

The park also has a playground area with two sets of swings, two slides, a dragon that goes in and out of the ground, monkey bars and little seahorses -other adults my debate that they look like dinosaurs- that act like a one-child seesaw. Restrooms are conveniently located next to the play area, with a changing table available for your little baby.

In the center of the park there is a huge green area where dogs have the freedom to run, jump and maybe catch the occasional Frisbee. People also use that green area to play volleyball, soccer and football. Around the green area, there is what I assume can be called an artificial river, that might concern some parents as I see a lot of kids wanting to go and try their luck in walking over the water- and some of them succeed!-, but still, it  looks pretty!

Another thing that I like in Bellevue Downtown Park are the benches on the walking trail, which are donated by people in memory of a loved one. those benches make me feel the sense of community in Bellevue.

  

Finally, A lot of events happen in Bellevue Downtown Park. Hare Krishna which is an Indian festival that happens every year usually around the month of September is one of those events. They offer free food, educational information, and some other related merchandise. They also walk around the park singing, chanting and dancing forming a very beautiful portrait of colors and joy.




The 4th of July celebration also happens there with amazing fireworks coming from the rooftop of Bellevue Square's parking. Of course there is a food court with the usual varieties you would expect at an event like this. They also offer live music and some inflatables for the kids to enjoy.







Bellevue Downtown Park also offers during the months of July and august outdoor movie nights for the entire family to enjoy. The movies are of course family friendly, and usually starts at around 9 pm. Admission is free and they offer some activities before the movie starts so they advise people to come early. Each movie is used as a way of contributing to different charities, so they urge viewers to come and enjoy the movie   and while doing so maybe help that charity of that week.


On the end of November, the park transforms its pond into an Ice rink for its "Magic Season", which is sponsored by Bank of America. I haven't been to the Ice rink yet,  since last year I just had my baby and wasn't really comfortable with the idea of ice skating in that condition. However, I am planning on going this year and when I do I will definitely post photos. Until then I will post the photos that are available on their website just to give you an idea.

Creative Mom Turns Her Baby’s Naptime Into Dream Adventures

Creative Mom Turns Her Baby’s Naptime Into Dream Adventures

I wish I was this creative.  Click the link above for more photos.

Free Admission to Seattle Children's Museum

I wanted to let you know that Seattle Children's Museum and Seattle's Child have teamed-up to offer one free admission for your child on the first Friday and the last Tuesday of each month.  All you have to do is go to
Seattle Child and sign up for their free e-mail news letter to receive the admission.  The child must be accompanied by a paying adult ($8.25). 

CityStream: Next Door Media

I am sharing some video on a local company that offers news services through blogging.  Please see my article titled Seattle Neighborhood Blogs for more information. 

mike halsey Remlinger Farm

I wrote an article a few weeks ago titled Remlinger Farms 10/5/13.  Please reference my earlier blog for insights for attending the Harvest Festival at Remlinger Farms during the month of October. 

Marie

Seattle Neighborhood Blogs

This week-end, I was looking online for family friendly activities when I noticed a community blog for the Laurelhurst neighborhood at http://thelaurelhurstblog.blogspot.com/.  It is well designed and someone is keeping it up to date.  It provided me with information on the Monster Bash at Seattle Children's hospital, local business and car break-ins on 45th street, gardening seminars, discussions on unleashed dogs in Laurelhurst park, farmer's markets, community meetings, public camera installations, and construction issues. The Laurelhurst blog is courteous enough to share links to the other neighborhood blogs in Seattle.  Some links are managed by a media company and some are created by a citizen in the area. 

The blogs listed below are managed by Next Door Media.  The company was founded in Ballard in early 2008 by journalists, Kate and Cory Bergman.  These include:
 
Ballard: http://www.myballard.com/
Queen Anne: http://www.queenanneview.com/
Magnolia: http://www.magnoliavoice.com/
Fremont: http://www.fremontuniverse.com/
Maple Leaf: http://www.mapleleaflife.com/
Wedgwood: http://www.wedgwoodview.com/
Wallingford: http://www.mywallingford.com/
University District: http://www.udistrictdaily.com/
Phinney Ridge: http://www.phinneywood.com/

The neighborhoods of Laurelhurst and Madison Park http://madisonparkblogger.blogspot.com/ have chosen to go with free blogs on BlogSpot.com.  The Madison Park blogger is Bryan Tagas, a corporate banker.  He provides an e-mail for recommendations and suggestions for the blog.

In my initial search, I did not see any serious, community oriented blogs.  Later, I discovered a few neighborhood blogs for Redmond, WA.  News on the Eastside might be new blogging territory.  If you are starting a local blog, it is easier to start connecting with a community organization or home owners association to get traffic to your page and immediate feedback.  If you are involved  in only a small portion of the area that you plan to eclipse with your blog; it may require some foot work to see what is happening outside your neighborhood.  In the event that this blog maybe too cumbersome, you may choose to market the blog to a media outlet like Next Door Media.  They are charging for advertising which may pay for the blog costs. 

After reviewing other community blogs, it got me seriously thinking of starting a blog in my neighborhood.  The information is valuable to those who already live in the neighborhood and those considering moving to the area.  After reviewing some blog sites, my personal recommendations are to put some color in the background, and do not place lists of past meetings or events prominently in the middle of your page.  These lists can be a valuable resource, but should be listed somewhere less conspicuous.  Thank you to all those who work on community blogs and provide a valuable resource to your neighborhoods. 

Marie

Gymboree's Pumpkin Patch

It's a Gymboree Day!



My daughter and I go to Gymboree Play & Music classes in Bellevue, WA twice a week, and we love our time there. Not only do they help create special moments for me and my baby, but also help her learn through fun activities. So of course when Gymboree was having their annual Pumpkin Patch I had to sign us up for it!

 

When Friday came I was actually more excited than my daughter since I doubt she knows what Halloween is, or even cares if she's in a costume or not. Nonetheless, I got her a Minnie Mouse costume and got her ready for the PARTY! When we arrived, they didn't have our name tag, which was a little disappointing because I am sure I registered for it. However, they did say we can join in the festivities since they have some open spaces. When we got there everyone was in costumes, the teachers, the babies and even some parents (well not an entire costume, but some accessories).

 

The play area was nicely and simply decorated with some orange balls, pumpkin cutouts, pumpkin toys and  of course what is Halloween without spiders! Everything was arranged in a way to engage infants and toddlers -since it was a party for children aged (0-14 months)- to walk/crawl the ramps, climb or go down a slide, or even pass through what I like to call the "rainbow" tunnel!

 

 

 

At the beginning of the party the teachers explained the different activities that the kids can do, and how to help them through them. Then we were set free to roam the play area! The teachers moved between groups and played and interacted with each one. Most of the parents -me included- cared more about taking photos of their kids than actually doing the activities, maybe because they are the same exact thing we do at class, or maybe because we thought our kids looked cute in their costumes and wanted to document it!

  

Then, we were called to join the circle and sing some songs together. We sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Row Row Row Your Boat", and what I'm assuming is a Gymboree original song "Sitting on my highchair".

After that, we were led to the music/art room, where we did some crafts. I enjoyed the final outcome, however, I do believe that maybe the activity was a little bit of a stretch since kids didn't really care about participating and were wither crying, running, or trying to play with the paint. But As I said, we ended up with a ghost made out of a foot stamp! Pretty cool!

 

Finally the real fun began when it was "Parachute Time"!!!, since the group included mostly infants who have just started crawling my baby and another toddler where wrecking havoc! I could see the disapproval in some of the moms' eyes, which I believe was uncalled for since they didn't do anything wrong they were just excited and walking around trying to catch the bubbles! Anyways, parachute time started with bubbles, and then we did the parachute and bubble song, and ended with "Everybody up and children under" the parachute, which my daughter loves since it is a giant Peek-A-Boo game for her.

 Overall it was a fun experience, that I would definitely recommend for children at this age, and would definitely do it again.

Babies Babysitting Babies?

Being a young "student" mom, I realized early on that finding someone to take care of my baby during school is very important. However, how can you trust anyone, especially those teenaged babysitter to watch over your precious baby? I understand that having a teen babysit your baby is part of the American culture, and that there are a lot of movies based on that, and even a novel series about the baby-sitters club. But I am not American and I cannot digest the idea of having a child take care of MY child. Moreover, if I had family in the States I wouldn't even bother looking for childcare, because I would feel a lot more comfortable with my mom or sister babysitting my baby. Yet, my family is thousands of miles away in Saudi Arabia! so I had to set aside my uneasiness and start the search for a nanny or a babysitter.

I abandoned the idea of having a nanny after I stumbled upon a place that is called Adventure Kids Playcare (AKP), that was a walking distance from my apartment. I'll talk about AKP on another post, but basically they are a place where you can drop your kids at anytime during the day. You don't have to be a member there, it could be a one time thing, but it is better to sign up with them. The amazing thing is that they stay open till 10 pm on weekdays, -which is perfect since my classes are at night- and till 12 am during weekends.

I believe that the search for a babysitter is a lot easier when you have a family member or a friend that would recommend someone they have used before. So when your in my situation you got to go the extra mile to find someone you can trust. So definitely not Craig's list! 

 

I used the website Care.com, which offers different "care" services from babysitting, to dog setting and house keeping. I've joined Care.com when I was pregnant, thinking that it is never too late to find the right childcare. However, it seemed that they kept taking their monthly fees and I kept being rejected by all those prospective babysitters. It wasn't exactly a rejection as much as a No Reply kind of thing. The way I approached the search was to look at their inventory of babysitters and nannies, and then read the profiles of those that I liked and then contact them with my life story! well guess what THEY WERE NOT INETERESTED!  That is why I unsubscribed from Care.com after five months.

 

Then two months ago I joined Care.com again looking for an occasional babysitter that would be available during date nights, or if my baby girl gets sick and I have to go to school. I tried my old approach of checking Care.com's inventory and guess what! I did get a reply, but it was a "I'm sorry my schedule is full, and I will not be able to help you." kind of reply. So instead of getting depressed and lose all hope and unsubscribe from Care.com, I decided to post a job, and hallelujah!

I got one reply after 30 minutes of posting the job, and then another one, and another one, at the end of the day I had 8 replies, and more applicants would have probably come if I didn't "close" the job post.

So, what did I do right this time?

First, I realized that I didn't have a photos in my profile, which isn't very inviting in my opinion. I mean I wouldn't trust a babysitter without a photo, so why would they trust me?

-----So always upload a photo either of your self, your baby, or you dog!

Second, I didn't provide a lot of information about myself and my family. I think you should treat your Care.com account as you would treat your match.com account, you want people to be attracted to your profile and whatever is written in it.

-----So always add a little bit more information about yourself and your family, it doesn't have to be serious stuff, fun stuff attract too. More information makes you look more legitimate in my opinion.

 

So, by the end of this week I'll meet up with three prospective babysitters to see if we're on the same page, and if my daughter likes them or not. And who knows, I might end up using them all, that way I will have backup if someone canceled or didn't show, and I'll have more options to choose from.

 

 

Deema

 

American Girl Doll, Or Not

For the last couple of months I have been doll shopping for my toddler.  She has a couple of baby safe dolls, but I was looking for a doll that she would enjoy for a while.

In my search for doll varieties, someone suggested I go to The American Doll store http://www.americangirl.com/index.php.  I had never heard of this store before, but the company has been in existence since 1986. You can find these stores in several major metropolitan areas, and there is one store in Washington State at the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood.  

The store offers dolls of different ethnicities with a variety of skin, hair, and  eye colors.  Many of the dolls represent different periods of American history.  You can also buy books that correspond with your dolls.  If you buy the dolls at the store they are between $80.00 and $110.00.  I have been told that you can buy the dolls online at a reduced rate, but I was not told how to find them. 

This weekend, I decided to take my daughter to The American Girl Doll store.  Immediately, upon entering the store, I knew this place was about the experience of owning the doll.  Buying the doll is only the beginning.  Patrons were encouraged to bring previously purchased dolls back to the store to enjoy shopping, dinning, and a day at the salon.  


The dolls look like collectors' items dressed in different periods or fashions with ornate accessories.  There is a styling parlor at the far end of the store with an attendant waiting to help any youngster who brings his/her doll back to the store for a new hair do.  

There are dolls labeled for children as young as 3 years old, but a child can not appreciate the complexity of the toy until he/she is 6 years old.  I knew my nappy-headed, snot-nosed, 2.5 year old was not near ready for this store.  She was overcome by all the pink and the dolls and the strollers.  In a toddler frenzy, she ran around the store trying to take it all in.  If only she could touch the dolls!  But, they were in display cases.  

Eventually, my daughter wore out and broke down in tears.  The sales clerk gave her some stickers, and we walked out the door so as not to bother the serious shoppers.  On the way out the door, we took the time to admire restaurant inside the store.  All young patrons are offered booster seats, that attach to the tables, to set their dolls in during the meals.  There is also a banquet room for parties. 

As an alternative to the expensive American Girl Doll, I was told to check-out the dolls at Jo-Ann's Fabric Store.  These stores are everywhere.  The dolls, clothing, and accessories are much less expensive.  So, we did just that. 

The store is not nearly as glamorous and the lighting is bad, but the dolls are only $25.00.  If you look for a Joann's 50% off coupon, you can get a doll for $12.50.  At this price my toddler can feed it mac and cheese, offer it some milk from her Sippy cup, use a wet nap to wipe its face, sleep with it at night, smear it in chocolate,  lay on the grocery store floor with it, or even set it on her  potty chair. 

Since we have not played with either doll, I am not sure if the more expensive dolls will last longer.  I plan on going back to Jo-Ann's, as soon as I can find a 50% off coupon, and get a doll.  I might get several dolls at that price.  If, some day, my daughter wants to live the American Girl lifestyle, we can make that investment when the time is appropriate.  For now, my daughter is just looking for a baby doll to love.  


Marie

Decorating Tips



Easy tips for decorating your baby's room

 

When my daughter was born, my husband and I were living in a one bedroom apartment, which looked more of a studio apartment than a one bedroom apartment. So we made the brave decision to keep living their after the baby comes until our lease ends, and boy was that hard! Our bedroom was too small that it hardly could fit a bassinet let alone a regular sized crib. Our bathroom was a good sized bathroom, yet, we couldn't fit a changing table in there without cramming everything up, so I decided to improvise and folded a couple of towels and placed them on the countertop, and Voila, that was our changing table!  Our poor daughter had to keep up with those living conditions for almost 7 months when we finally moved to a spacious two bedroom apartment. Not being able to decorate my baby's room when I was pregnant actually depressed me, that is why when she finally had her own room I wanted to go all out (it also helps when your family offers to buy you all of her furniture!)

So what I'm trying to show now is that with a huge budget or with a tiny budget some small touches can lighten up any room.

The first thing was actually a tip from the saleswomen that works at pottery barn kids in Uvillage in Seattle. I wanted to hang my baby's name on the wall above her crib (I know nothing new about that!), but the problem was that pottery barn only had two colors dark blue and white. The walls in her room are painted white, and I couldn't paint them since we are only renting, so the sales women gave me a suggestion, which I am really glad I listened to. She said that I can add color easily to the letters by using a round eraser and some paint. Thinking that it would take a lot of time I decided that I'll work on it at night when the baby's asleep and there are no distractions. However. it did not take as much time as I expected.

First, draw a grid on the letter with a light pencil and a ruler (I didn't have a ruler so I used....a protractor, yes I did search what it is called before writing it here), don't worry about being very accurate, it is alright if the lines are a little bit crooked or don't have the same thickness. Aim for perfection but accept imperfection! That is my model!

 



Second, dip the eraser into the paint, and place a dot where the lines intersect. Make sure you skip the next intersection, and then place another dot at the third intersection and so on.

 



Don't pay attention to the brushes in the picture, I thought they would be better than the eraser, but I was wrong! So now you're almost done. Just keep doing that to all the letters and you'll have a unique looking art piece. You could use more than one color, or you could use different shapes, it doesn't have to be round, you could even draw strips or waves or whatever you feel like (The sky is the limit)!

 

The Final look...

 

 

 

Another tip... is to use different shaped frames and hang them on the wall either following a uniformed pattern, or just keeping the shape free. Then, you can keep adding photos as your baby grows up, and different occasions pass by. That way you will end up with a story book framed on her wall, something comforting for her to look at as she plays, and sleeps in her room.

 

 

I hope those simple tips have helped you in what you're looking for or even inspired you to have some ideas of your own.

 

 

Deema