Author: ericavo1

Camps and Classes, Cooking for Kids

Cake Decorating Class with Jam Cakes

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We have admired the work of Jam Cakes from afar (aka Facebook and Instagram) for a while now, and were excited to learn that the owner, Kimmie Hutchins, also offers cake decorating classes for kids and adults! As Jam Cakes is a special order bakery without a storefront, classes are offered at other bakeries around the Portland area. Much to Chicken’s delight, a class to make a cake inspired by Stitch from the movie Lilo and Stitch was being offered right down the street from our house!

Much like Hamilton tickets, your ability to get a “ticket” is based on how closely you stalk the internet and how fast you can click. Just kidding. It’s not quite that bad. But the classes are super popular and by nature require a small group, so they do tend to fill up really fast. We actually missed out when this class was first made available, but were able to snag a spot due to cancellations.

Kimmie has the cakes baked and the base frosting applied when the kids arrive. The students gather around the table, where each student has a container of tools and supplies. Since this is a drop off class, the rest of the information is based on Chicken’s review.

Apparently Kimmie is “super nice. Like really nice,” as well as a “really good teacher. And her fondant tastes like marshmallows. Did you know you make black fondant with tons of purple food coloring?” I heard a lot about that fondant and how good it tasted. Not what you usually hear about fondant. I’m kind of surprised she had a enough left to decorate the cake based on how excited she was about eating it. As Chicken was very proud of her work and did not want me to mutilate poor Stitch, I was not allowed to actually taste it myself when she brought the cake home. But I did taste the cake she brought home and it was really good!

Anyway, Chicken had a great time. She said Kimmie showed them how to form the different elements and had a sample for the kids to work from. But Chicken loved that they were also given the opportunity to personalize Stitch the way they saw fit.

Overall, she had a great experience and can’t wait to go back. In fact, our family’s Easter Bunny is hoping another class will be offered soon so a voucher can make its way into her Easter basket.

In her pride, Chicken insisted on photographing her cake herself, so here ya go. Professional cake decorated she may not be, but she was very happy with her first attempt and that’s what matters!

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The class was $40 and lasted about an hour. You can find Jam Cakes on Facebook and Instagram, including registration for upcoming classes and pictures of what the cake should have looked like. 🙂 Have fun!

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Cultural Activities, Theater

The Journal of Ben Uchida- Oregon Children’s Theatre

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This past weekend was super busy and fun and we completely wore ourselves out- in the best way possible. Right in the middle of everything, we had the opportunity to see the opening show of The Journal of Ben Uchida at Oregon Children’s Theatre.

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The Journal of Ben Uchida was originally a book, and the story has been adapted for the stage. It tells the story of 12-year-old Ben and his family. Ben, his sister, and his father are Japanese Americans who were born in the United States while his mother was born in Japan. The play begins with introducing us to the family, their interests, their relationships, and their family business. We see their routines, their lives, and their connection to each other and their community.

And then things change. Pearl Harbor is bombed, and Japanese Americans are given an order to pack one suitcase, leave their homes, and report to an internment camp. We see and hear the media messages about Japanese Americans and see the changes in how the family is treated by their community members. We then travel by train with the family to their assigned internment camp and witness their life in the camp.

The Journal of Ben Uchida is definitely deeper and heavier than any show we have previously seen there. It is beautifully designed and acted, and it touches on many topics relevant to today. We are provided with moments to witness the impact of being repeatedly exposed to hate, racism, and hurtful words. Issues related to media messaging, institutionalized racism, discriminatory government policies and actions, suicide, and family stress are all addressed in an hour. It’s a lot to take in.

Oregon Children’s Theatre typically has a scavenger hunt or other activities prior to the show. This show has an impactful art installation that includes informative panels containing historically accurate information as well has thousands of tags with the names and ID numbers of individuals placed in the internment camps. I found it very interesting, and Chicken was interested in the name tags. Nugget was not particularly engaged. The installation is definitely worth seeing, but you do not need to allocate as much time as you would for their typical activities.

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Oregon Children’s Theatre recommended this show for ages 10 and up. Chicken is just a few months shy of that age, but is in one of the grade levels they are targeting for school matinees. Nugget is younger, and I knew going in that a lot of it would go over his head. And it did.

I would actually recommend this show for middle school and up. Both Chicken and Nugget easily sat through the hour-long show, and there was nothing I felt uncomfortable with them seeing. However, I felt like Chicken did not grasp all of the subtleties of the show. Middle and high school students would be more likely to have the background knowledge and cultural awareness to get more out of the show.

This show is definitely not just for kids. We saw several adults in the audience, and I think adults would get just as much from seeing the show (if not more), than students.

So….

What it’s not: for young children, a graphic depiction of suicide (I don’t think Chicken or Nugget put together that’s what happened, and it even took me a minute to figure it out)

What it is: beautifully done, timely, relevant, an important conversation starter, great for middle school students and older

Do we recommend it: If you are looking for a conversation starter about race and discrimination, this is a fantastic stepping stone- especially for older children who are able to explore at a deeper level

The show is running until March 22, 2020 and tickets can be purchased here: https://www.octc.org/#index

Cultural Activities, Theater

The Jungle Book- Northwest Children’s Theater

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This Saturday was a doozy. We headed downtown to Northwest Children’s Theater (NWCTS) for their current production- The Jungle Book. This show happened to have a Girl Scouts workshop associated with it, and Chicken was excited to participate.

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Chicken has attended a few of the Girl Scout workshops and has always had a fabulous time. For $22, the kids get to participate in an hour long workshop, a supervised lunch break, and watch the show together. In this case, the girls worked together to develop and perform dances related to the show. They also often get to see backstage or visit the costume or prop area. Chicken is always excited to share some new secret insider information with us. We definitely recommend them to any Girl Scouts out there!

But back to the show. After dropping Chicken off, Nugget thoroughly beat me at a game of chess while we waited for his best buddy to arrive and watch the show with us. We timed it perfectly, settling into our seats minutes before the show started.

The Jungle Book is another of Northwest Children’s Theater’s collaborations with the Anita Menon of the Anjali School of Dance. They work together to retell classic stories through dance, music, and theater.

The Jungle Book is a familiar story to many, and this collaboration provides some fun new twists. Mowgli and Bagheera are both played by females. Each animal group has its own distinctive style of dance and costuming, and the snake Kaa performs some pretty incredible aerial stunts. Shere Khan is portrayed by Andres Alcala, one of our absolute favorite NWCTS actors, and he was definitely the star of this show. And as an added treat, mango lassis and samosas are sold during intermission. Yum!

As we have always seen with these collaborative productions, the music, dancing, and costumes are above and beyond. The boys (Chicken was off with the Girl Scouts) excitedly whispered and giggled throughout the show, intrigued by the dances and finding humor in Shere Khan. The production is very dance heavy, and while it is beautiful, there were times that the time between action or dialogue seemed to lose some of the younger audience members.

After the show, we took some time to meet the cast, get pictures, and have our programs signed. The cast always makes this such a fun experience. I saw cast members taking the time to show dance moves to young audience members, ask questions, and take time to chat with each child. This is always a highlight of our NWCTS experience.

The Jungle Book:

What it’s not: a fast moving pace throughout the whole show, as funny as some of the shows we have seen there

What it is: colorful, full of amazing music and dance, a unique blend of theater and traditional Indian dance, a manageable length for most school aged children

Do we recommend it? Yes! While it was not our favorite show we have seen at NWCTS, it is a fun and unique show that is worth seeing.

The run time for this show is about 2 hours, with an intermission half way through. Try some of the special snacks! They were delicious!

The show runs through March 7th and tickets can be purchased here:

The Jungle Book

Theater

Dear Evan Hansen- Broadway Across America

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Oh my heavens. This is one powerful show. I had my suspicions from what I knew about Dear Evan Hansen may be too mature for my kiddos, so my husband and I left them in the hands of their grandparents and had an evening sans children. And that was the right decision for our family.

Evan Hansen is a high school student struggling with severe anxiety. When a letter he wrote as part of his therapy homework is found in the possession of a peer who committed suicide, a series of events is set into motion.

This show is visually stunning. The set pieces are simple but effective, while lighting and the incorporation of technology is used to perfection. The cast we saw was amazingly talented and each did an exceptional job capturing the essence as well as the subtleties of their characters. They are also, of course, fantastic actors and singers.

There are many moments of humor and levity, which are timed wonderfully to break up the heartbreak that is key to the show. It is a beautiful story that highlights how people are not all good or all bad- we all have moments of both.

As much as I loved this show, I am glad we did not bring the children. There is foul language, although since they go to public school and professional sporting events, I doubt there would be much they hadn’t heard before. The themes are pretty grown up and intense. Mental health, suicide, marital conflict, the pros and cons of social media, and dishonesty all make significant showings. I’m just not sure our Chicken and Nugget would have been old enough to understand all of what was happening and have a context for processing what they saw.

That being said, there is plenty of fodder for communication with older children. Their experiences with social media, how they cope with feelings of distress, their navigation of relationships, concerns they may have for the wellbeing of friends or peers, and just what it means to be a friend. If you are open to the themes and conversations, it is an amazing show to experience.

What it’s not: for young children, light hearted

What it is: incredibly powerful, beautiful, important, timely, potentially triggering for many people, full of mature themes

Do we recommend it? For older children or a date night, yes. It is truly one of the most powerful shows I have seen and it is extremely well done. Maybe just wait until the kids are a bit older to take them.

Cultural Activities, Theater

What My Kids Get Out of Going to Live Theatre

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We recently went to a production that wasn’t a huge hit will all three of us (Nugget like it more than Chicken and I did). It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t one that all of us loved. It was a very busy weekend and theatre tickets aren’t the cheapest, and I momentarily questioned why we had bothered.

I was specifically able to answer that question with these experiences from a show we didn’t even love.

1) Nugget got to spend an hour giggling and dancing with his best friend while they shared this imaginary world brought to life

2) During the backstage tour that we did, Chicken got to have a discussion about the importance of details in an imaginary world and what can be beneficial about doing something good/creative even if others don’t notice

3) An adult male that Nugget admires complimented his choice of nail polish color (shimmery purple). FYI- that’s not always the response he gets

4) When asked by an actor about his favorite part of the show, Nugget said that it was hearing Spanish on stage. Not only did it make my heart happy and bring a smile to the actor’s face, he got to have a conversation with that actor in Spanish that seemed to please them both.

All of a sudden I felt better about attending the show and appreciated the experience more. Then I broadened my thought process. We go to A LOT of theatre. That’s a lot of time and money that we could spend on other things. Why do we keep doing it? My list of reasons grew even longer.

1) It has helped them learn to sit and pay attention, a skill that serves those early school years well

2) It has fostered discussions related to diversity, racism, gender equality, history, and many other topics that I don’t know we would have talked about otherwise

3) It has helped them think critically and form opinions about all kinds of things. They ask good questions about what they have heard and seen, and incorporate that into their own thoughts and beliefs

4) Talking with actors and getting their programs signed at the local children’s theaters has given them practice sharing their thoughts with others and giving honest and specific compliments to others

5) It has fostered their own creativity outside of the shows. Whether it be recreating their own version of the show, drawing posters for the shows and taping them to our walls, making/wearing costumes related to the show, choosing to read books about a topic introduced to them through a show, rearranging our furniture to mimic a set they have seen, or spending their time singing and dancing to their new favorite tune, it has engaged them in creative activities

6) It has expanded their vocabulary. Sure, I had to explain the term polygamy to my five year old, but we’ve also gotten to talk about lots of other words and idioms

7) They learn and apply knowledge to new situations. When a peer asked Chicken when you become and adult, she responded “18. Because in 21 Chump Street it says that since Justin was over 18, he was charged as an adult.” Perhaps not the best or most age appropriate example, but she was able to immediately retrieve that information because she had context for it. Nugget often bursts into specific song lyrics related to a topic he or others are talking about. He could also probably win the Jeopardy category “Early America Presidents” at this point thanks to Hamilton and all the additional reading we have done related to the figures in the show

8) It has taught them to pay attention to detail. They notice costume elements that I don’t catch. They think about why a specific prop was used or why a certain staging choice was made. They talk about lighting and the impact it made. Is it nerdy? Yes. Is noticing detail and thinking about what it means a skill that will serve them well? Yes.

9) It has broadened their horizons outside of theatre. Chicken decided to audition for a play herself, and being on stage brought her confidence and connection with others that made me so happy for her. Nugget has finally gotten to live his dream of doing backstage and technical work with a local community theater, and it has been fantastic to seem him take his job so seriously and take pride in the work he is doing. They have both found topics to explore further through books, songs, and lessons.

10). It’s fun. It provides a way for us to spend an afternoon together sharing a fun experience and sharing our thoughts and opinions with each other.

Is going to theater a privilege I am lucky enough to share with my kids because of our life circumstances? Absolutely. Would everyone find it as enjoyable and impactful? Probably not. But it has given a lot to our family and I see the benefits playing out in my children. And that means we will keep going.

Volunteering

Volunteering with Burrito Brigade

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Chicken is a Girl Scout, and one of the things Girl Scouts encourages is service to the community. One of our leaders came across Burrito Brigade and worked with them to provide a service opportunity for our girls.

Burrito Brigade has groups in both Portland and Eugene, Oregon. It is a non-profit organization focused on helping to feel the homeless through- you guessed it- burritos. Volunteers come together to prepare and wrap burritos. Once that process has been completed, groups of volunteers are assigned specific areas to distribute burritos.

We appreciated the variety of experience. Due to the age range of our troupe, we decided to forego the preparation portion of things and focus on wrapping and distributing. You are able to do that- volunteer for certain time frames related to the specific tasks.

Our older girls helped to fill and wrap the burritos, while our younger girls helped count them and place them into various containers for distribution. Over 400 burritos were made on the day we were there!

Once all the burritos were packed up, along with water bottles and small kits containing cough drops, tissues, and hand warmers, we were assigned areas for distribution. Our group was assigned the Chinatown area in Portland. I loved the agencies approach to giving. There were no limitations or conditions. If people want a burrito, give them a burrito. If they want another for themselves or someone else, give them another one. Keep giving until it’s all gone.

It was a great experience for our troupe. Members of the Burrito Brigade organization were friendly and helpful, the assigned tasks were age appropriate, and it opened the eyes of some of our girls to poverty issues in Portland. All of the girls I talked to said they enjoyed the experience and would do it again.

In general, you are able to just show up on a day that works for you (make sure to check their schedule). They do ask that larger groups contact them ahead of time so they can ensure they will be able to accommodate everyone

What it is: an accessible, fun volunteer activity for a variety of ages, service to local homeless communities

Would we recommend it? I think it’s a great way to introduce kids to volunteering. I like that you are able to sign up for the shift that fits your schedule, interests, and comfort level

You can find out more about the organization and volunteering here: https://burritobrigade.org/portland-burrito-brigade/

Their Facebook page (just search for Burrito Brigade) is probably the easiest way to find their schedule and upcoming opportunities. They were also very responsive to us through the messenger feature.

Theater

Dragons Love Tacos- Oregon Children’s Theatre

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If you are like us, the book Dragons Love Tacos has been read many, many times in your household. So we were quite excited to see it come to life on Oregon Children’s Theatre’s stage this past weekend!

For those not familiar with the story, a boy is home alone while his mother steps out for a moment and dragons arrive and set forth with planning a taco party- because dragons love tacos! It is critically important to make sure all toppings are mild as spicy foods lead to unfortunate tummy symptoms in dragons. When they fail to read the fine print on the jar of mild salsa which states that it now contains spicy jalapenos, chaos and destruction ensue. Luckily, they all work together to put everything back together before mom gets home. Phew!

We were lucky to be able to participate in a back stage tour before the show started. Chicken and Nugget have done this before and love it, while it was a new experience for Nugget’s friend that we brought along with us. All three of them asked questions and had fun seeing the costumes and set up close.

As we settled in to get ready for the show to start, you could hear the excitement in the audience. This is a story many kids are familiar with, especially the pre-school and kindergarten crowd, and children in this age range filled the auditorium.

The story is facilitated by a VERY energetic narrator, who arrives through the family’s television as part of a 24 part documentary about dragons. The book does not include character dialog, and the play is consistent with this. While the boy in the story has a couple of lines at the very end, the narrator otherwise provides the only talking during the show.

The costumes were really the star of this production. They are colorful, oversized structures that cover the full body of the actors while still allowing the actors to move freely. The red and yellow dragons in particular got pleased gasps from the audience as they were introduced on stage. The fire caused by the dragon’s tummy trouble was also a cool moment technically on stage.

As is typical of shows targeted toward the youngest theatre goers, the audience remained rather noisy throughout the show. While the production attempted to embrace this by creating moments for audience participation by encouraging the shouting out of answers to questions, I always have to remind myself to be understanding of the lack of typical theater behavior. Take a chill pill, mom.

There is some fun music in the show, and Nugget and his friend were dancing in their seats on more than one occasion. I caught each of them smiling and giggling at various points in the show. There is some Spanish used at the beginning of the show, and as all three kiddos go to a Spanish immersion school, they were all excited to hear this.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, although not necessarily my favorite. Chicken summed it up perfectly by saying “I’m glad we went but I don’t need to see it again,” To which Nugget promptly replied “What are you talking about? I would go again. Mom, can we go again?”

So…..

What it’s not: a favorite of mine or Chicken’s, a quiet audience experience, a typical play in terms of division of dialogue

What it is: enjoyable, familiar and exciting to young audiences, fantastic costumes, fun to see a family favorite brought to life

Would we recommend it? I wouldn’t NOT recommend it. While it wasn’t a favorite, it’s well done and the littles around us seemed to get a kick out of it.

Theater

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child- the stage production

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Harry Potter fans rejoice! Our favorite characters have made it to the stage! In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a continuation of the Harry Potter world can now be seen in select cities around the world. Over winter break, we had the incredible opportunity to travel to San Francisco to not only enjoy the city, but to take in the Cursed Child show.

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The story takes place several years after the book series ends. Harry and Hermione now work for the Ministry of Magic, Ron owns a joke shop, and they are all adults trying to balance work and family responsibilities. Harry and Ginny now have kids, as do Ron and Hermione, and they are headed for Hogwarts!

When Harry’s son, Albus, is not only sorted into Slytherin but also becomes best friends with Scorpius (Draco Malfoy’s son), their already difficult relationship becomes even more strained. And Albus’ repeated attempts to solve one problem while creating bigger ones don’t help things between them either.

I will say that the story does not hold up to previous Harry Potter stories. It is difficult to portray the richness of language and imagery found in the books in the form of a script. But seeing the magic of the wizarding world along with the characters we have all loved for years up close and in person more than makes up for it. And it starts the moment you walk in the theater.

The Curran Theatre went all in getting ready for the show. Hogwarts crests can be found in the carpeting and wallpaper from the lobby to the bathrooms. Theatre staff and ushers are dressed in wizarding robes and have house related details- Gryffindor pin here, a Hufflepuff tie there. They use Harry Potter lingo and bring the show experience to audience members. As a bit of a spoiler, some of Albus’ choices significantly alter history, and a certain villain resumes prominence- albeit temporarily. When we returned to the theatre for part two, an usher greeted us with “Happy Voldemort Day.” Nugget, of course, firmly said “no.” The usher glowered at him and said “I will be speaking to Professor Umbridge about you, young wizard.” Nugget’s eyes got huge and he quickly scurried off as the usher winked at me and I tried to cover my laughter.

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The special effects in this show are incredible and unlike anything we had seen before. Without giving too much detail and spoiling it for you, actors disappear through impossibly small spaces, cast members fly over the audience at impressive heights, set movements are choreographed in ways that make inanimate objects dance, impressive lighting makes the impossible possible, and water is used in a very fun way. Spells make magic happen, sparks shoot from wands, and capes and costumes add not only provide cover to allow the magic to occur, but add a beautiful visual elegance. Certain effects and moments in the show had audience members literally on the edge of their seats and craning their necks and bodies to get closer in ways I haven’t witnessed at other shows. When a particular villain made an appearance and walked into the audience, I may or may not have grabbed Nugget and placed him on my lap, squeezing him tight. Sorry, Chicken. I guess you’re fending for yourself.

While Harry and Hermione weren’t portrayed the way they are in my imagination, Ron remained his goofy self. Scorpius was delightful, and Moaning Myrtle was a complete scene stealer. The actress playing Delphi, a newly introduced character critical to the plot, was captivating. A couple parts in the story drag a bit, and I could see how some people who aren’t dedicated Harry Potter fans could lose interest. Similarly, it definitely helps to know the Harry Potter books quite well to appreciate some of the references and back story. I would not recommend this show if you aren’t familiar with the books as it would not be nearly as enjoyable.

This show is two parts. Don’t mistake that for one show with an intermission. It is two full length plays that you can see on one day or two separate days. Separate tickets must be purchased for each part. We chose to do it all in one day, with the first part at 1:00 and the second part at 6:30. Depending on the age of your children, this may or may not be advisable. My kids have been going to plays since they were about 3 years old. We have done hour long shows meant for kids, and three hour shows where we got many skeptical looks from adults worried we were about to destroy their evening. We have done two plays in one day. Because they are both complete Harry Potter nerds, I was relatively confident (or overly optimistic) they could do it. It was like our Mount Everest of theater. And they did it. They were 100% engrossed in the show the entire time. You do get a break that is long enough for a walk and meal, which was helpful. But not all kids are going to be able to handle nearly 6 hours of theater that requires being still and quiet. And if you are going to commit to the financial investment for your family to see the show, you want to make sure you are setting everyone up for success.

What it’s not: appropriate for most small children due to the length (a total of almost 6 hours) and some scary parts, as well written as the original Harry Potter books, targeted to people who aren’t familiar with the Harry Potter world

What it is: visually stunning, nostalgic, well acted, incredibly staged, innovative, moving, a hit with dedicated fans of the series.

Would we recommend it? For fans of the series and kids old enough to sit through a show of this length, absolutely yes! It is possible that I am planning a kid-free trip with friends to see it again. Chicken said this is her favorite show that she has seen, and Nugget said it is tied with Hamilton- which is saying something.

Tickets are sold in blocks, and new dates will periodically be added as the show run extends. San Francisco tickets can be purchased here: https://www.harrypottertheplay.com/san-francisco/

There are links on this page to the other cities as well. Don’t forget that you need to purchase a ticket to each part!

Fall Activities, Outdoor Activities, Pumpkin Patches

Bauman’s Harvest Festival

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This year two of our favorite pumpkin patches were closed, so we were on the hunt for a new place to go. Going to the pumpkin patch is one of our favorite activities of the year, so I wanted to find something good. After quite a bit of googling, note taking, and discussion (hey, nothing wrong with a little research!), we landed on Bauman’s Harvest Festival. And it was a hit! Hold on to your hats- the sheer amount of activities is resulting in quite a long post!

Bauman’s Harvest Festival is in Gervais, Oregon and was a bit over half an hour from our Portland suburb. Parking is free and rows are marked with decorated hay bale, both of which were appreciated.

After a short walk, we found ourselves at the ticket booths. There was a cash only line and a card line, and both moved fairly quickly. You have the option of a general admission ($8), which includes entry to the festival and some of the most basic activities. For $20 you can get an unlimited wristband, which allows you to do all of the activities as many times as you want. You also have the option of buying general admission and then paying for activities individually, but it seems like this wouldn’t make much financial sense in most cases. There are slight discounts for families of four or more. It is also slightly cheaper during the week, although not all activities are available on weekdays. I bought Chicken and Nugget wristbands and general admission for myself, and this worked out well for us.

Chicken and Nugget spotted the swing line as soon as we walked in and went straight to it. The swing line is a combination of a swing and a zip line- a swing is hooked to a long line and the kids ride it from one end to the other. Both kids LOVED it. Well, eventually. Nugget stood in line, made it to the top, and then came running down to watch Chicken. He wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to her before he risked it himself. Since she survived, he gave it a go. They did that ride over and over and over.

Next up was a simple hay maze, a hill to climb up with various slides down, and then apple cannons. Only Nugget did the cannon, which involved a worker putting an apple in a very long tube attached to some sort of machine. Using one had and a shoulder to try and cover his ears, Nugget pulled the trigger and sent the apple flying- way over the rows of targets he was trying to hit. He was pretty pleased with himself.

There were plenty of food options and they were reasonably priced for the setting. We first headed indoors to the main food area that had items such as baked potatoes, chili, corn dogs, hot dogs, soft pretzels, and the like. We stood in line for a few minutes before making a change in plans. This area is also home to music and entertainment, which while fun, was LOUD. Too loud for us. We went back outside and purchased apple cider slushies which were AMAZING!! We highly recommend them. Then we hopped over to the outside food vending area. Nugget got a corn dog, which was like all other corndogs. Chicken and I got street style tacos and they were surprisingly yummy! They come plain but there is a little salad-type bar where you can add toppings of your choice. We also got an order of curly fries. It was huge and even the three of us couldn’t finish it all! The fun part of this was we got to watch them use a potato spiralizer to cut fresh fries, resulting in a nice curly fry treat! There were plenty of other treats, like pumpkin donuts, ice cream, warm sodas, and even more.

With full bellies, we were off to more fun. This included a slide, a barrel train, an obstacle course, pedal carts, bouncy house, and much much more.

Once we were sufficiently worn out, we decided to go pick out our pumpkin. The pumpkin field is near the parking lot, and pumpkins are sold by weight. I did like that they had a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors of pumpkins. Chicken has a soft spot for wonky pumpkins, and she had her pick of the litter. Nugget prefers a perfectly round classic pumpkin, and there were plenty for him as well. Unfortunately, there were many, many pumpkins that had been smashed or were beginning to rot, so it took a bit of hunting to find our perfect pumpkins.

We spent about six hours there and did not do all of the activities. It is a great way to spend a beautiful fall day. We had a fantastic time and we would go back again. The only reason I may prefer other pumpkin patches, is that this festival’s activities are definitely geared toward children. Which meant a lot of parents watching their children play rather than families playing together. But sometimes there is joy in watching your littles have fun on their own, so this is not necessarily a bad thing.

What it’s not: the best place for pumpkins (at least during the part of the season we went), economical

What it is: fun, well planned, family friendly, a place you can spend the entire day, a good value but not necessarily cheap

More details can be found here: https://baumanshf.com/activities/

Coffee Shops & Restaurants, Welcome and About

Crumbl Cookies

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Holy cookies! This place is yummy! As Facebook is scarily in tune with my preferences and interests, Crumbl Cookies showed up on my feed with the handy announcement that a location was opening up in our town. Since the new location is very close to one of Chicken’s activities, we made a stop on our way there. Another location will be opening soon in the area, which is going to be quite dangerous for us.

If you haven’t heard of Crumbl, it’s a fun concept. They sell cookies- huge, warm, gooey cookies. They always have warm chocolate chip and chilled sugar cookies, as well as four recipes that change each week. It seems the rotating cookies are generally served warm as well.

The coolest part? They deliver. They deliver warm cookies and cold milk to your house. Until midnight. This would have changed my college experience. Or it’s perfect for those days when a warm cookie and milk would really hit the spot for the kiddos and you just don’t have it in you to make a whole batch of cookies which you know won’t all get eaten, and then you still have to do the dishes.

I ordered warm chocolate chip, Chicken got Nutella with sea salt, and Nugget got the chilled sugar cookie topped with pink frosting. Mine was delicious. Warm, soft, thick, melty chocolate chips- it was serious cookie perfection. Chicken’s Nutella cookie had a gooey Nutella center and warm Nutella drizzled on top, resulting in a very chocolatey face. Nugget also loved his cookie. It was a really good soft sugar cookie. It seemed to have an almond extract flavor instead of vanilla (I prefer vanilla), but he was very happy with his choice.

Cookies are sold individually ($4) or in a box of four. The boxes are adorable and make it feel more special. At this price they are definitely a treat, at least for us, but they really are exceptional cookies. White and chocolate milk are sold for $2.

Since their niche is cookie delivery, there isn’t much seating. There is a small cushioned bench next to the window, but no tables or chairs. There are some tables outside, which we took advantage of since it was a nice day, but otherwise be prepared to take your treats to go.

What it’s not: diet food, cheap

What it is: Yummy!, fun treat, warm, gooey cookies to go or delivered to your house

Do we recommend it? For sure!

Find more information and a location near you here: https://crumblcookies.com/#