The ‘Be With Me Playseum' is now open in Bethesda!
I visited the playseum on Friday before it's Grand Opening... and it's GREAT!
It has all different ‘areas'... a grocery store, a radio station, the solar system, a stage,
a grandmother's attic and more.
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Where are the words? How does one begin to explain bliss?
A calmness, an unhurriedness (I don't think that's a word- but it should be)... I just took my first trip to Target by myself... I mean EVER!
I had time to look for things,
I made a list,
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I am constantly amazed by how many great things there are to do in the DC area!
And thanks to our wonderful parks system, they are by and large- FREE!
I recently found - The Locust Grove Nature Center and it's right off Democracy Blvd. in Bethesda!
You walk over a little bridge into the Nature Center area and there are lots of things to play with and see, they even have a butterfly garden!
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I’m giving a much deserved ‘Shout Out’ today to Wiggle Room in Bethesda.
Wiggle Room is a maternity and children’s consignment boutique! It carries:
I’ve shopped at the store and consigned with this store- they are great!
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Has anyone ever heard of this? 2 of my friends swear by it.
There are lots of gnats around lately...
want to get rid of them?
If you are grilling out or playing or just sitting around in some adirondack chairs-
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Last Friday my son and I had a great time at Wheaton Regional Park! We were there for ‘Fresh Fit Friday at the Park' with sandwiches, chips, beverages, and bags of apple slices (great for kids!) provided by Subway !
Wheaton Regional Park has a train and carousel and playgrounds and picnic areas!!
Thanks to ResourcefulMommy for inviting us- check out her site for great tips on just about everything!
And also check out TeachMama - She has a great site on ingenious ways to teach your kids;
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Bored of the Pool?
Take a ‘Field Trip' to White's Ferry!
If you live in Montgomery County, MD or Leesburg, VA and the surrounding areas-
it's an easy trip!
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On Thursday I had pleasure of going to PunditMom's house for a great Book Party! The Book- Womenomics- By Claire Shipman and Katty Kay.
What a lovely morning- coffee, good discussion, great women... and a welcome distraction from my son's last day going to camp or school at Bradley Hills Nursery School where we've both grown up over the past 3 years...
But back to the Book Party-
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What do you do when Daddy has to work on a Saturday?
You go to the American History Museum downtown!
The American History Museum re-opened last fall after a complete renovation… and it’s awesome. The Transportation and Technology Exhibit is fantastic for car fanatics, like my son.
There’s also a kid science section that is great and has people doing experiments and explaining them.
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I just happened upon a great find for DC Area Moms…
it’s called Thyme Out!
I showed up (unannounced as a mom-blogger), I simply went in as a mom, on the recommendation of a fellow preschool mommy.
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If you have been under a rock, as I sometimes find myself,
or busy getting playdough out of the rug,
you may not have seen this video of Susan Boyle,
a 47-year-old unemployed woman who lives with her cat,
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I've always meant to try the chili at the Washington Landmark- Ben's Chili Bowl, because I'm a bit of a chili connoisseur...
if there is such a thing.
So, this week being our ‘Spring Break', my son and I headed down to U street and the famous chili place-
to see how it measured up.
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How do we define success in life? Well, if you're a mom, and you probably are if you are reading this: Successfully potty-training your child ranks up there with starting your own fortune 500 company. I've been through it and it is still something that is a source of pride for me. I think this and then I remind myself-
EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS POTTY-TRAINED.
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Okay, I've got your attention. Have you ever gotten a splash or drip of red wine on your clothes?
I have. No, I don't normally drip wine all over myself, but you know what I mean...
So, here is the solution to get red wine out of clothes- literally.
Get a bowl and mix a little
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It was almost March and I was pregnant. We were thrilled... But my HCG levels were low, so something wasn't quite right.
I didn't miscarry, as my doctor said I might, so I was hopeful that my pregnancy would get better. Then, on a Sunday evening, I was cramping up so much that I wanted to call the doctor... but didn't, at first...
I survived another medical trauma at the start of my 20s, so I think of myself as tough.
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Ah, Bribery. I've never been a big fan, but sometimes you just gotta do it.
Case in point: my son going to the barber. Yes, I know he's 5, I should have started taking him to the barber literally, years ago. And just made him ‘cry it out'.
But I didn't. So now he's 5 and I've been cutting his hair all his life. This did not start out as a whole 'saving money' thing, although that part is nice. This happened because my son refused to go to the barber. He has thick, wavy hair; he actually has great hair, Paul Newman hair, but people, strangers, have always brought attention to it and him,
"Look at that head of hair!"
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I am happy to say that I now have a new dishwasher.
The hard part was not finding the dishwasher, but having it installed.
After dealing with a not-so-honest plumbing firm that quoted me an astronomically ($455) high rate to install my dishwasher, I took matters into my own hands... (I nicely told this plumber to leave my home, after all, BananaBlueberry concentrates on the good stuff).
I called the firm that had come out to look at my old dishwasher and asked them who THEY recommended.
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If you are driving through the intersection of University Blvd. and Colesville Road, you might miss the sign for the little bakery in Four Corners; if you do, turn around and go in.
The Woodmoor Pastry Shop is in the little strip mall at the intersection. There is parking in the front and a BIG parking lot in the rear. This place has been a family-owned and run business for over 50 years.
They have cookies, cakes, cup cakes, muffins, scones and GORGEOUS bread. But the best part: the taste. You just can't find a better bakery and the prices are reasonable too!
My blogger buddy, A Parent In Silver Spring is a fan of this place... I first met her about a year ago and checked out her site AND one of her first posts I ever read was extolling the virtues and tastes of this place. When I commented to her that The Woodmoor Pastry Shop is who made my wedding cake, I knew we would be fast friends.
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I recently overheard some moms at my son's preschool talking about Speech Therapy, and I realize I've never blogged about Speech Therapy and some wonderful things that I can pass on about it here in the blogosphere. My son speaks very well now, and we were done with Speech Therapy long before I started blogging...
BUT, someone is always dealing with a child's 'speech delay' as they call it. So I'm sharing what I learned.
My son was not speaking more than a few words when he turned 2. We started to be concerned, so looked into Speech Therapy. First of all, if you are in Montgomery County, MD, you are lucky to have a fantastic speech therapy team and services that will test your child, provide a speech therapist to come to your home, as well as speech therapy classes for parents- ALL FREE.
The last bit of information is the most important: classes for parents; and the most important part of the speech therapy class that I took was the book- It Takes Two To Talk. This book is invaluable. It teaches simple ways to motivate you child to speak and great ways to encourage speech. One suggestion was so simple that I overlooked it: Squat down and talk to your child face-to-face. I remember thinking, "What help is that? I already do that." But then I started to be conscious of taking the 3 extra seconds that it takes to squat down, look at my son, and then speak. I started to see a difference right away...
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