Space Log...061018

Taking in her mothers footsteps, Rese blogs her Space Camp journey. 


Not a very productive first day at space camp, but definitely fun!

Started the day by waking up at 6 am (for no reason what so ever) and not being able to go back to sleep. Hours past and I finally got my stuff packed and ready to go for the week! 

Mom, dad, Luke and I all went to the Huntsville space and rocket center and took a quick tour, taking advantage of the free day pass for space camp families. About an hour later, we headed to the space camp entrance to get checked In.

After standing in the blazing heat for a good 20 minuets waiting for them to let us in, we finally got into 
the building to get checked in. For being a very popular (and expensive) camp, you would think the organization in the check in area would be decent....it was not. We spent a good half hour waiting in a line to get checked in (and mom and dad were definitely not havin it). I finally got checked in and got to go see my room. Small but cute. I only hit my head once on the low bunk on top of me, but other than that, it’s nice. Then mom and I went to lunch and we said our goodbyes (because I won’t see her for he rest of the month!!)

Onto orientation- very uneventful and boring, I met my group leader and group members (all the girl members are the same people I am sharing a room with) and we became very good friends very quickly! One girl is from Germany and everyone else from various states.

First thing on the on the itinerary was to ride every ride and simulator in the visitor center (which included a zero gravity ride, drop ride, a flight simulator and more) . Ate lunch then went on to a different building where we did team ice breakers (several games of mafia). While that was fun and all, we got stuck in that building for a good hour because there was lightning with in 30 miles of us! (Mind you- not a drop of rain near us but we still had to stay put “for our safety”)

Finally left the building and went to get some dinner, pretty good food so I will not complain. Off to a movie and then a quick lesson in scuba diving and an “intro to flight” For the days ahead.

Ended the day with some fire demonstrations, demonstrating the different types of fuel used in different rockets, and the differences between them and why they are used in certain situations 


Highest temp- 95 (felt like 200)

Captains log.... tripdate 060918

On the road to Huntsville today. 

Turns out, Texas IS NOT “on the way” to Huntsville. Hmmm

The ride was uneventful and there isn’t really much to see in terms of scenery.

We arrived in Huntsville and did our first college visit for kiddo #2. University of Alabama - Huntsville. I can’t believe it’s already time to start this process all over again! Then a quick drive around the space center to get our wits about us in prep for tomorrow.

For dinner we found a cute place called the Toy Box, which, as you can imagine, is filled with toys and other nerdy effects. My nerdy family fit right in. The people were friendly and the food was good. The menu was a fun read. Everything from a C3PO sandwich to waffle mac n cheese.

Tomorrow- Space Camp

Total Miles: 419
High Temp: 93

Captains log.... tripdate 060818

NOLA today. Didn’t really care for it. 

Went to the French Quarter, Bourbon street smelled like shit- literally so I wanted no part of eating there. Spent $25 to park and ate in a mini mall food court. Best part of the afternoon was watching the Natchez Steamboat prepare to leave the dock. There was an organist at the top playing music so we sat at the plaza and listened to him for quite a while. As they prepared to leave the Captain and Luke interacted with each other.

Now- the redeemer for the day. We had a 5:30 appointment for a Airboat ride in Des Allemands. OMG. Such a blast! We took out the 6 person boat so it was just us and our guide Craig. We saw at least a dozen gators, but were up close and personal with 3 of them!!! We went fast, did donuts in the water, and even jumped a levee. It was so cool to ride among the cypress trees, lotus flowers and duck ponds. We saw great blue heron, a giant alligator gar (google that one!) and a 1,000 pound bald eagles nest that even withstood hurricane Katrina. Rese was more terrified of the dragonflies then the Gators, but everyone else loved it! Especially Luke.

Total Miles: 169
High Temp: 100

Captains log.... tripdate 060718

Short one today as we spent most the day in the car driving. Waved good bye to Houston and headed to NOLA.

We went via Galveston at the recommendation of the Sayre’s. Free ferry ! We like free and we like boats!!

Short ferry ride , about 20-30 min. But it was fun to get out of the van and walk around the boat. We even saw some dolphins.

The drive along the coast was pretty and much more scenic than the highway. We travelled over an 11 mile bridge and saw beautiful lakes and waterways.

Arrived at hotel, and lo and behold, we are next door to another Cheddar’s. Dinner it is!!

Total Miles: 378
High Temp: 91

Captains log.... tripdate 060618

Get you popcorn and sit down- because this will be a long one.

Up and early excited to see Mission Control today. We signed the big girls up for the Level 9 tour. Pricy, but worth it if you are a huge space geek such as us. Unfortunately for us- you have to be 14 to go, so Mom and Dad stayed back with the littles. More on their trip in a few....

Our day got off to a rough start. Megan had 3 different melt downs, that involved NASA personnel’s assistance. She however scored candy and stickers 😢 while I calmed her- Dad and Luke checked out a talk with a Moon Walk trainer.

Space Center Houston offers 2 tram tours as part of admission, by the time we loaded the first Megan was back to normal and we were able to enjoy the rest of the day. The first tour we did took us to MOCR (Mission Operations Control Room). Here we were able to sit in the observation room outside the Apollo/Gemini mission control room. History happened in this room. They controlled the moon landing of Apollo 11 and the near tragedy of Apollo 13 and the tragedy of Apollo 1. We were excited to hear they are restoring the room (due to decades of smoke damage) in preparation for the July 2019 50th anniversary of the Moon Walk.

You will have seen this if you watched the movie Apollo 13, or basically any documentary of any Apollo mission. Orange seats, ash trays. Ahh the late 60’s and early 70’s.

The next tram tour took us to the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility, where we were able to view actual work being done on robotics such as Valkyrie (a 6’2” robot), a prototype of Orion (the capsule that will take man to Mars) and the next generation of rovers with built in space suits. The cool part about this building is we watched a robotics movie at COSI a while back and they highlighted all of this in the movie. It was so cool to see this all in real life even if it was from an observation room.

We then when to the Saturn V building, still the most powerful rocket to date- one of 3 of the 20 left. Of course we saw the one at Kennedy and we get to see #3 on Sunday in Huntsville!

After the tours, we continued to play and learn in the space center exhibits. We closed out the day with a show/talk on living in the International Space Station. Of course they needed a volunteer and I had a very eager 10 year old they couldn’t pass up. Luke got to climb into a space bed, do a space workout and see a space kitchen/bathroom. He was rewarded with his very own bottle of recycled urine.

So now to tie in the girls experience. Remember that first tram tour to Mission Control? Yeah- they got to go IN the room. Also, they were able to observe the ISS Mission Control Room and the standard Mission Control. All of which are manned 24/7.

Remember my observations of the robotics center? Yeah- they got to go ON to the floor and walk amongst the robotics. They went IN the prototype of Orion. They got up close to the rovers, Valkyrie, etc.

More so, they toured the Space Mission Simulation Facility, which houses the Shuttle Mission Simulators. They were able to sit in the simulator. In seats that EVERY astronaut who few a shuttle mission sat in...
because if their excitement over Atlantis- the tour guide took them personally up to a little private viewing of a piece of Atlantis they have- the “United States” fabric.

Lunch in the NASA cafeteria and oh yeah- they ran into Glynn Lunney, Flight Director for the Gemini and Apollo programs. A NASA legend. Google him.

We ended the day with meeting our old friends Jason, MerriLynn and Devon Sayre for dinner at TBone Toms where we had the biggest mozzarella sticks know to man.
After which a fun night on the Kemah Boardwalk. The girls came together to dance on the Boardwalk, and since the ride operator didn’t tear their tickets the girls got to ride several adrenaline pumping rides! Megan showed us all her ghetto side and how to give the bird....

Total Miles: 23
High Temp: 93

Captains log.... tripdate 060518

After yesterday’s exciting adventures, we were due for a down day. We slept in a little, packed up headed for Houston.

Upon arriving in Houston, we decided to head over to the Space Center and take in a couple hours. We knew there wasn’t a space shuttle there, but we were excitedly anticipating mission control. Because it was late afternoon, we got front row parking. We were greeted by a very unexpected surprise! The 747 customized to carry the shuttles was on display and we could walk through it! It had a mock up shuttle called the “Independence” loaded atop, which you could also walk through. We were so excited, we practically ran up the 4 flight of stairs to get to it.

We toured both vehicles at length. If you never saw this happen in real life google some footage, or better yet- watch the documentary for Discovery, it may still be on Netflix. It really was an awesome process and sight!

We stopped for dinner at a place called Cheddar’s. The best way to describe it was Bob Evans style food and price with an Olive Garden quality and atmosphere. The food was amazing! We all had something different and we all ate from everyone’s dish. We made sure to let the manager know how impressed we were (we saw there is one in Mansfield, OH - I don’t think that’s too far of a drive!)

Back to the hotel for some swim time and what the heck- back to Cheddar’s for some dessert! Did I mention it’s next door to the hotel? Yikes- Trouble!

Called it an early night- tomorrow is a full day at the space center!

Total Miles: 228
High Temp: 93

Captains log.... tripdate 060418

Wow- I don’t even know where to start on our day in San Antonio.

Ok let’s start here- started our morning with a storm in Dallas. It was actually pretty cool, since our hotel was on a lake and we watched the storm from our room. We even lost power- even the storms are bigger in Texas!

After the storm we head off to San Antonio and since we were heading right through Waco- why not pay a visit to our friends Chip and Joanna. So let me begin with Waco is WACKO! That place is chaos and everyone is drinking the kool-aid. We only stayed long enough for a quick pix and then we ran.

Back on the road, we attempted to pre-checkin using the Marriott App. Only to find my reservation is not there.... tried to call Marriott, hotel # goes to someone’s personal cell phone. Call the customer service line hold for 20 Minutes before hanging up. Tried the hotel again and finally get someone.
I learned that they were “overbooked” so they cancelled our reservation. WHAT!!!!!

I proceed to go, what my kids call “all mom” on the hotel clerk and yes- I used Megan to my advantage- don’t judge me. Needless to say, we got our room. Crisis averted.

We arrived at the hotel, which is in downtown San Antonio, very close to the Alamo. We were hungry, so we ventured out and stopped at our first ever Whataburger. And WHAT a burger it was! They were so friendly and the food so good! Hands down best fast food I’ve had. Thank goodness they don’t have this in Ohio!

Since we were near the Riverwalk, we started there. It’s SO beautiful. Amazing walkways and waterfalls. The scenery was just breathtaking. We hopped on a River Boat and took a 30 minute cruise around the river, getting some history of San Antonio and the river. Our captain warned us to try not to fall in, but if we did - we should flail our arms and create a dramatic scene, when done- we could stand up and walk out since it was only 3-5 feet deep.

We saw ducks galore! Big ducks, baby ducks friendly ducks. Ducks that walked around the restaurants. We sort of love ducks (in case you couldn’t tell).

Off to the Alamo, for our next history lesson. Rese was saddened to find out that it is not a restaurant. I am amazed that this piece of history is in the middle of the town, it was just so cool.

Back to the hotel for some swimming and relaxing before heading back to the Riverwalk for dinner. We opted to eat at one of the restaurants that was active with duck activity, Casa Rio. Amazing Mexican food, super friendly service and of course ducks! We had our very own serenade from the Mariachi Band. Since our table was right on the river, the ducks also enjoyed some Mexican food. The whole day and night was an amazing experience. I love this city! The walkways go through hotel lobbies and just everywhere you walked it was just beautiful. Best day of the trip so far!

Total Miles: 294
High Temp: 93

Captains log.... tripdate 060318

Time change still has us up early, but that’s ok- because it put us at Graceland early too.

As cheesy as it sounds- I’ve always wanted to go to Graceland. My grandmother loved Elvis and it was like she was with me as I walked through the immensely gaudy presentation.

Don’t expect discount tickets or any cuts. Graceland likes their money and they charge for everything. That was told to us by our hotel concierge. 💯% truth. We did the house and plane tour. To see the cars you would have had to buy the VIP package.
The house is on one side of the street, then there is a massive plaza of museums, cars, planes, etc on the other. Each section having its own entrance fee.

The house was grand. Bought by Elvis when he was only 22 for about 105k in 1957, fulfilling a promise to buy his parents a nicer home. The house itself is not large. But very ornately decorated and sits on 13 acres with other recreational buildings. My highlights were the Jungle Room, with the carpeted ceilings and learning that I have the same wedding china as Elvis and Pricilla!

Admittedly the girls were not thrilled with the thought of going to Graceland, but I think they ended up really enjoying it.
Luke, however was ecstatic and his favorite part was learning how Elvis loved and supported the police department. He had dashboard lights in his cars and was know to pull people over and give them lectures on safety before signing an autograph.

Jim liked the meditation garden, where the graves of Elvis, his parents and grandmother are.

Rese was appalled by the decor everywhere. Especially the billiards room which had a crazy cloth ceiling.

Sami refuses to stop watching Criminal Minds to answer my question, but I’d wager to say her favorite part was the Smokehouse, his shooting range.

We ended the tour with lunch at Glady’s Diner- oddly not overpriced food. (Not cheap- but not overpriced). Realized as we left that it was a good thing we arrived when we did, because we did not wait in any lines, but there were lots of lines as we left.

On the road to San Antonio, with an overnight stop in Dallas. Arrived early in Dallas and took in Dealey Plaza, where JFK was assassinated. Fortunately we have a historian that travels with us- so Jim gave us the lowdown on timeline and conspiracy theories.
We walked around downtown a little to look at some of the sculptures and other artifacts on display before turning in for the night.

Total Miles: 508
High Temp: 93

Captains log.... tripdate 060218

Time change means we were up extra early- we as in Jim, Luke and I. Time change means nothing to the lazy teenagers in my family. 

We started with breakfast where we met a lovely lady who was telling us how her daughter was getting married today. She went on to tell us that she was walking her daughter down the aisle and how she really wanted to wear the shoes she had on.
They were brown crocs. Well- we were in Bowling Green, Ky. 😂

Off to finish the drive to Memphis.

Holy Hades Batman!! Whose idea was it to head south for vacation??? Next year - Alaska.

First stop today was the Civil Rights Museum. A beautiful tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis. I was pleased at the reverence shown by all the guests.

Next stop the Peabody hotel to see the famous Peabody Fountain Ducks. We arrived early and met some great people from NJ in the hotel lobby. We shared some broadway and travel stories and got a great recommendation for dinner.

The ducks were beautiful and the Duck Master was hilarious. I loved how they really geared the show toward the kids and invited them to sit along the red carpet and get up close to the ducks.

Of course the Duck Master had HIS Greatest Showman jacket on, so Megan was so happy to meet him afterwards. He gave the kids all Duck pins and showed us how to get up to the rooftop to see the Duck penthouse.

Off to the rooftop we went. These ducks live in a $200K penthouse and all they have to do is swim in a fountain for a couple hours a day. Sign me up- I want that job. Since we basically had the whole rooftop to ourselves- of course we had a dance party.

All that dancing left us hungry, so we headed down the alley to what really is just a basement called the Rendezvous for some ribs. yum yum YUM! When the waiter brought us kid menus he gave one to Sami and Megan, which of course offended the emerging adult- but the rest of the table found utterly entertaining. She pouted by coloring her 3 little pigs coloring page and eating her Teddy Grahams.

After dinner, we headed over to Beale St. Where we came across all kinds of people. There were bikers from all over, which meant there were hundreds of amazing Harley’s. The big fat kind. Musicians played in the street and beer was sold at walk up windows. It was great. Dad promised to bring Sami back when she’s 21. 🤦🏽‍♀️
Rese got hit on by a drunk 50 year old. Not really her type- but she’s keeping her options open.

Back to the hotel, jamming out to the iCarly soundtrack (throwback to 2011) some pool time and early bedtime. Graceland tomorrow! 🕺

Total Miles: 306
High Temp: 92

Captains log.... tripdate 060118

Just a half day of driving today to jump start the trip. My crew members are spoiled and are reminiscent of the days of yore when we had an RV to travel in. They recall the freedoms the RV had. Sorry losers- it’s all van driving this time! That said- there was considerably more space in Ole Sienna this trip. No coffee pots under my feet or sitting like a pretzel on top of a guitar. Ahhh- space.

Since it was just driving-no real events. We did get caught in the worst hail storm I’ve ever been in. Pelting the van as we pressed on. Fortunately, though, no damage to the ride.

Not many sights in Kentucky, we did see the self proclaimed “Most awesome flea market in the world. “ Apparently “Most Awesome” isn’t high enough on the self proclaimed charts, as we just rolled on by it. We only stop for “Worlds Best”.

Stop for the night in Bowling Green, KY. Which is confusing since last week we were in Bowling Green, OH. 😊 this is near the Birthplace of Lincoln and Mammoth Cave, so I see a repeat if this drive in our immediate summer future.....tomorrow Memphis! 🎤

Total Miles: 342

Captains Log - Ireland/London May 2014

Captains Log 051814 .... Day 2
Woke up to the pouring rain... Fortunately it was gone by the time we got on the road. We stopped in on Bunratty Castle. Very cool- you can walk all the way through- into the dungeon and through the "Murder Hole" I think I may install one. Onward to Galway- which we LOVED! We spent some time sitting in the Spanish Arch, where we met a lovely mom and daughter. Alexandria (look her up on FB- she's going places!) So we played some guitar and sang together for a bit. Claddagh Rings, Irish Sweaters. Shopping shopping and more shopping! U2, Brigid's Cross and the Storm on the playlist for the 2 hour drive home. Dinner at Busker Brownes - and note to self- no place in Ireland has free refill... And the $3 soda contains about 4 ounces.... My travel tip of the day. Ended the day with jumps down at Salt Hill.

Captains Log 051914.... Day 3
Driving on the left has gotten much easier...except for finding third gear, which is bound to give us all whiplash. Oh and the fact we almost died 3 times in the first 10 minutes of the day- but honesty- none were our fault. :) Weather called for 80% chance of rain yesterday and only clouds today- so we picked today to go to the Cliffs of Moher. Guess what? Yesterday was beautiful- today it rained! Somewhere - somehow- I lost my umbrella. Oi. Fortunately the rain let up and the skies cleared for our time at the Cliffs. Breathtaking view, daring cliffhanging paths and an electric fence that is meant to keep the livestock in bay, ended up keeping Rese in check! Decided to take a cruise out of Doolin to the base of the Cliffs. Bet you can guess when the rain picked up! Imagine- our little vessel, swells- it was straight out of the Perfect Storm. But where were we? On the front of the ship- camera out- loving every minute if it! Because the view from the base was magnificent! For my Alaska peeps- it was very much like sitting at the bottom of the glacier. 
Capped the afternoon with a very scenic drive around the coast through Ballyvaughan. Beautiful rocks that were like walking on the moon. Note to self- gas stations close by 10... Or fortunately the one we found- 10:43pm.... Good thing we were only looking for coffee.

Captains Log 052014.... Day 4
100 km driving...€40 in diesel
60 stairs in the shape of pizza slices...€30
hanging upside down 5 stories up to kiss a rock for better speech... Priceless! 

Yup! Today was Blarney Day! wow! What and amazing place. And the castle and stone kissing were only the half of it! So many lush gardens. One full of poisonous plants, one of waterfalls, and one even had an iglootopiary! (In case you are wondering- Rese said igloo 24 times) 

Attempted to see a castle in Mallow- but construction changed our minds. Next onto Red Abbey- the oldest structure in Cork- don't blink- you'll miss it. We did- not once- but twice. Cork is huge! Left there and headed to Skibbereen where we checked out the Drombeg Stone Circle. Have always been fascinated by these. Weather was decent. Sunny and clear for our walk up the castle and stone circle. light rain the rest of the day. Not complaining!

Captains Log 052114 ... Day 5
It's Christmas in Killarney! Ok- it's May and there were no signs of ole Bing Crosby's classic yule time tune.
Killarney was beautiful- full of Jaunters (horse and carriages) and amazing natural parks. 
We started the Rink of Kerry drive here. About 5 minutes in we made our first stop- at Torc waterfall at Killarney National Park for our first hike of the day. Back in the car for 5 more minutes until stop #2. A two and a half mile hike. This continued on for about the first half of the 170km drive. :) 
Some if the most spectacular sights. Ladies View, O'Carroll beach, mountains, sheep, coastline. Definitely deserves a day of your time.

aptains Log 052214.... Day 6
Close to home today. Took some time to explore the ground on which our cottage is on. Great wooded area with TONs of shamrocks. A church area that is from the 1200's.
Breakfast in Cashel (delicious!) Jim even ate the black pudding! rock of Cashel- WOW!!!! Absolutely speechless in how incredible that place was. 14th century castle and cathedral. Complete with remaining murals. Headed to Kilkenny next Awesome castle. Began in the 12th century lived in until the 1930's. So a mixture of architectures. Fully renovated - decorated and all. It was really cool. Great shops. Stopped at Nellies in Bansha for a pint and sandwiches. Great night. Back to Dublin tomorrow and our journey England!

Captains Log 052314.... Day 7
Ahhh Dublin! We thought our initial impression was due to our inexperience behind the right side of the wheel.... But alas.... We still don't like you..... Traffic worse then NYC -oh and let's throw in a 1D concert. Ugh- can't believe we made it to the port in time! 
On the flip side- we did finally make it to the Guinness Storefront which was WAY cool. At the girls request- lunch was at Nandos (apparently a favorite of Niall's) ... Very good actually. 
Settling in now for the 3 hour ferry ride to England. Then the train to London. More adventure awaits!

Captains Log 052414.... Day 8
London is "Groovy Baby"! 
Arrived after a fun and interesting ferry/train ride. We rented a car and drove to Stonehenge. Um- WOW. The rocks were huge! It is truly an amazing sight. 
Since we were running off about 20 minutes of sleep- we stopped for some red bull. When those kicked in- Daddy was a maniac behind the wheel- we got the London driving tour in about an hour! Thanks to the handy GPS! Rese was beside herself with excitement. (So exited in fact- she wrote us a "thank you" note!)
Dinner at an awesome English Pub where Jim and Sami made quick friends with the bartender. 
Tomorrow we get the real tour! :)

Captains Log 052514.... Day 9
London is beautiful! Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey. We got the grand walking tour thanks to our semi-resident tour guide Jane! Rode the "Tube". I was really hoping it was like one of those bank drive thru tubes- only human size. It wasn't. But that was my only disappointment of the day. Ended the day in Covent Garden with street performers and dancing violinists. Time to head back to Dublin for our journey back to reality. Took the train to Holyhead where we arrived at 23 o'clock in the afternoon. (According to how Rese tells time).

New Year ... New Me ... The sequel

So I had big dreams last year. Aspirations of getting fit both body and soul. 
I thought I had it in check by being realistic and not joining a gym.
Honestly, the plan I had last year- would have been great- 
if it was closer to home
if it wasn't over booked because of the Groupon deal
if they really cared.

hmm... So this year, I find myself in the same place.
I have a little more "me" time during the day since Sami's homeschooling is much more independent.

But do I join a gym? ugh. It's the worst time to do that- and same problems.
Will I go?
Will I put in the right about of effort when I do go?

What to do... Off to Craigslist to check out other people soiled dreams.
Scored a nice Nordic Track Elliptical for only $150.

So I send my husband to pick up. Now I have this monster machine- shall I try it?

My thoughts. "Borrow" my mentally challenged daughters iPad and watch my soap opera while I glide my way to fit.
Good plan.  That's 40 minutes a day. I can do that.

Day 1.
Enter area where exercise monster is.
Look it over.
Check to make sure it's secure.
Fill Water Bottle
Make sure iPad is secure
Text my husband to let him know I'm getting on.
Drink water

Phase II
Get on... ok this isn't so bad, hey, I'm kinda tall
Start show
Begin exercise... ok not so bad I got this.

~~~3 minutes later ~~~

Holy crap...I'm suppose to do this for 40 minutes!
Water...I need water....
Maybe a little break.
Rest for about 30 seconds, ok I'm ready to start again.
Repeat

~~~15 minutes ~~~

ok. That's enough for Day one. 
Guess my week one goal will be to get through my 15 minutes without "resting".

Who loves these?

Show of hands.  Who doesn't love a warm, gooey, piece of glazey heaven?
This girl. That's who.

These bring me back to high school. "Hanging Out" at the Krispy Kreme (not something we did regularly) It was one of the ones where you can watch the doughnuts being made.
So there we were, watching the doughnuts, because what else is there to do on a Friday Night in Jacksonville, Florida? This is as fun as it get folks!
Anyhoo- Skip to the end, the glaze shower.
Here comes the doughnuts. Like intertubes ....slowly approaching the water...er... glaze fall ahead.
They pass through the yummy wet goodness.
Then they drop, and make another pass.
ok
Then they drop...again...and make another pass.
now it's getting a bit much.
Then they drop...again...are you serious? I can see the calorie count ringing with each pass.  How much glaze does one person need?
Now, 20, er ... 10 years later- I still feel my hips grow every time I see this box!

Can you find it?

What the worst part of an 11 year old's birthday party?
Ummm, just about everything!
There's the cleaning (in my case, beforehand just so I don't look like an episode of Hoarders to my friends)
There the cleaning afterwards, finding food in the mailbox, or the bathroom, or where ever they decided to forget their plate of ice cream.
Lets not forget the 15+ tweens, squalling and laughing for 2 hours (or god forbid if it's a sleepover!)

So this year I had a stroke of genius. Lets have the party somewhere else!
But, as you know, I am not into spending money. So where can we go for free....hmmmm...

THE MALL! A scavenger hunt it is.
So I planned a 3 hour party for a Saturday. Sent out some evites and didn't do anything else until party day.

Here is all that went into my planning...
I made a cake in the shape of a purse.
I put together a list of clue.
I split the guests into 3 teams, and recruited 3 parents to serve as team captains.
In an envelope, I include the "rules and clues" sheet, a $10 bill and on the outside I wrote the team captain's name and their team members.
Bam-done...just like that.

Come party day, I arrived at the Mall 30 minutes before the party to score a table in a back corner of the food court. I had hoped to be there 1 hour early, but, well, that didn't happen. Because of course, I forgot one of the other kids had a dance lesson. ugh.

But I got a table no problem. I bought my kids some Sbarro's so I was a paying customer, I put together a couple tables, set up a table with the "donation" box (the kids ask their friends to bring donations in lieu of gifts. Teresa's charity of choice is our local St. Vincent dePaul Food Pantry). Then I waited.

Once the kids arrived, They sat and I explained the rules. Emphasizing on the no running and no disturbing the stores displays and just overall appropriate behavior. They were in groups of 4-5, so they were manageable for the team captain.

They were instructed that the team has $10. They are to spend that, getting the most bang for their buck.
They photograph each item on the list, being sure to include a team members in the photo.
After about 30 minutes of arriving and preparing-the teams were off. Leaving me to lounge in the food court all by myself. What. Score. I'm throwing a birthday party and I get alone time. This is pure genius.  So I bought myself some Chick fil A and enjoyed the quiet!

I had allotted 1.5 hours for the hunt, but all teams were done in about an hour. During my "me" time. I also ordered a nugget platter from Chick fil A, and a couple large fries. They provided the plates and forks, so I divey out the food and the girls ate. We sang happy birthday, had the cake and ice cream (which I sent my husband out for along with some Capri Suns for drinks)

That $10 they spent? They emptied all their bags onto a table and took turns picking from the loot.  Score- no goodie bags.

So to wrap up,
I took no photos....captains did that
No goodie bags .... included in the hunt
No clean up
No food preparing
No even having to entertain the kids!

I think this was the most successful party .... ever....

Now-I know you are wondering, "What was on the list?"
Well here it is:

RULES:

1. Each team will need to complete as many items on the list in the allotted time.

2. You will start at The Food Court and you must meet us back at The Food Court at 4:00pm

3. The teams that are late will receive a time penalty.

4. You must take a photo of each item on the list. There must be a team member in each photo. Take turns with your partners being in the photos.

5. Hang items up or place them back where they were before you leave the store.  Do not destroy displays.

6. Inappropriate behavior will lead to ending of the hunt and returning to the food court.

7. Do not run in the stores or in the mall. You can walk briskly.

8. You can not leave the mall. Check the items off as you find them.

 

Your Team Captain is: Janet (aka Grammie)

Scavenger Hunt List

THE FOLLOWING CLUES ARE CERTAIN STORE NAMESYOU MUST FIND THE ITEMS IN. You only hold the item up not try it on. You can find them in any order, use mall maps.

_____You are Limited to something white here.

_____ Build a Beary awesome heroes uniform.

_____ Victoria has a Secret about something pink.

_____Express yourself with something glittery.

_____JC saved her Penny's to buy something green.

_____Aero found something on sale here.

_____Your Bath and Body needed a little sweet pea.

_____Soar like an Eagle in something blue.

_____You Macy something green here.

_____Purchasing a cami or tank top would fill in the Gap of my wardrobe.

_____FYI… I love 1 Direction

_____ Payless for a pair of boots.

 

ITEMS YOU NEED TO FIND IN THE MALL NOT NECESSARILY IN STORES

Stand in front of the item not on it etc. [some can be in stores]

_____Vending Machine

_____Fake tree

_____ Bench

_____Chair

_____Animal or something with an animal print

_____Something out of this world

 

 

TRYING ITEMS ON

(if you are trying on shoes, do not go to department stores where they have to get them in the back this takes up time and wastes the employees time because you are not buying them. Go to places like payless, target, etc that they are readily available. Remember to put them back after you try them on)

TRY on the following Items on: [take turns] You must go to at least two different stores.

_____Black high heel shoes

_____Shoes that you would buy (sandals, flats, buckle up shoes etc) [close up of shoes]

_____purse

_____belt

_____Get individual shots of each person in your group looking like a star [examples-boas, tiara, jewelry, purse etc.,never try on earrings) [have at least one thing on] Sunglasses Purse Something shiny

 

 

 

FIND THESE ITEMS AS A GROUP

_____ Find flowers

_____ Find a star

_____ Find a frog

_____ Find a tiara

_____ Find a heart

_____ Find a gumball machine

_____ Find a bear

_____ Find something that is red

_____ Find something that sparkles

_____ Find something that is unique (swirls, cool patterns, etc)

BUY SOMETHING

You’re team captain has $10. Your mission is to get the most bang for your buck. Remember Quantity not quality!

Planning Ahead...Part Deaux...

So my last post involved lots of cooking and lots to eat! You may have noticed I commented on that post, my thoughts about the recipes I made. Overall, I wasn't impressed with the chicken recipes. I thought they really lacked flavor-and truthfully, all tasted the same. Blah!

Well-lots has happened since that last post. Mainly, and most importantly, my crockpot set my kitchen on fire.
Uh-yea.  To recap, here was my Facebook Post

So today,  I am back at. I found myself with a free Saturday (What! Who has those?) and Meat BOGO at Kroger. WooHoo. So at the grocery, I stocked up on all the BOGO's, Pork Chop, Cube Steak, Bottom Round, Roast. Also picked up a 5 pounder stick of ground and some Italian Sausage.

Couple Veggies to add to it (totally winging it of course, because I don't make a list and remember it)

Back at the homestead, I split up the chop chops, cube steak, and meat into individual meal servings. Wrapped in foil-then bagged in the freezer bags to make quick cooking meals. Stick o'beef went like this : 2 lbs in sauce, 2 lbs in meatloaf and 1 lb for burgers to night.

Yep-that's mine. 15 years young
and falling apart.

Meatloaf, that's new...I didn't do that one last time. But it's my standard meatloaf. Nothing fancy. I'm pretty basic when it comes to my meatloaf. It comes from the classic "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" A staple every household should have. Even if, like me, most your crap comes off the internet.
It goes like this (adapted of course, and I double to make 2)
1 lbs ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 water
1 egg, beaten
some basil, oregano, garlic powder, parsley

mix all ingredients in large bowl (with hands of course). Watch out, it's cold and gooey. Shape into a rectangle about 1-1.5" thick. (I have been known to shape in a heart or other things depending on the holiday)
Freeze
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

So while my trusty side kick is "mixing" the meatloaf ingredients. I use the term "mixing" lightly. It was mixed into a microphone, a snowman, Mt. Rushmore - you see where this is going.

Again, while the art lesson is happening, I sliced up the bottom round for 2 meals of French Dip and put together the sausage for the recipes I really liked from the previous post. Hey-look what I found while chopping green peppers!


Pepper Boobs!

Onto the next "New" recipe, the Roast. Basically the same as what I do on any given day, just frozen instead of cooking right away. It goes as follows.

4-ish pound roast

Carrots

Onion

Packet o'onion soup mix

can of cream of whateveryoulike soup (mine is potato)

 

Insert into Ziploc back in that order, release air and wah-la, ready for the freezer. 
Cook 8-10 hours. May add some potatoes day of-if I have them of course.

 

Sauce is cooking, as last time (and smelling -and tasting- mighty good)

 

Now.....I should have SOME chicken. One can not live off beef alone....or can they.....hmmm

I think I will try some recipes I found on The Krazy Coupon Lady's blog for Brown Sugar and Honey Garlic Chicken. I'll break open the Christmas gift and let you know how they turn out!
Freezer is full and the remainder of the month is planned! Yeah.
Check back on comments for reviews of new recipes.

Captains Log: 12312012…

Well, it’s New Years Eve in Colorado Springs, which means we will be celebrating the New Year well after most of our friends and family (side note-maybe we do it on EST and hit the sack early-yeah-that’s the ticket!)

Uncle Joe has honed in on his inner domestic goddess and prepared a crock pot roast. Then donning his best Sheik outfit, hits the town with the girls, who play right into hands like putty. We enjoyed a lovely dinner with Joe and Debra and then settled in for a movie before watching, what I am sure is a repeat, of that big Waterford Crystal ball drop in the Square. Minutes until midnight, Teresa is fast asleep, but the little ones are wide awake. The countdown begins and we pop a bottle of champagne at the stroke of 12. Everyone gets a glass, kids enjoyed sparking cider-but they sure looked special with their flutes. Even the pups, Tasha and Zue get in on the party action. By 12:10, we have all retired –including 2012.
We have had an exciting adventure and enjoyed a day of rest after several days of nonstop excitement. Back on the road tomorrow, to our Columbus home, where Christmas, I’m sure, still waits for us on the living room floor. -The Navigator

Today’s Mileage logged: 10 (because we made a donut and milk run!)

Captains Log: 12302012…

No rest for the weary! Sike, we’re not weary. Off to Copper Mountain , which is near Breckenridge, for some tubing! The 2 hour ride proved long and now to entertaining. What was I thinking putting a 13 and 5 year old next to each other! Oi. But the attitudes went by the wayside as we signed our lives away, grabbed our tubes and headed for the “slopes”. The first run, was a... family run. Arranged in a circle-they sent us down the path, holding on to each other. Megan did not like that. Luckily there was a kiddie park, complete with a mini slope, mini tubes and “hook your tube up and it will pull you” machine. Sweet.
As for the rest of us, we spun, we raced, we jumped. And all that was just getting on the conveyer belt! Not really, but we rode up to the top and did it again…and again….and again. Until they wouldn’t let us go anymore. The guy who was throwing us down said we were awesome. I said “I know”. We were delighted (insert sarcasm font) to be entertained by some woman, who I am sure is an actress-and it is KILLING me who she is. In her designer snowsuit, helmet, and goggles-she spent the whole time bossing the workers and her companions around. It was, well, kinda like being on vacation with me! Oh touche’ (to myself).
The ride home was much smoother, as everyone got in a cat nap. The Captain said his only last a minute and a half. Back home to grill burgers, which seems odd grilling in the snow-but it was fun. Looks like we will have a day of rest tomorrow. - The Navigator

Today’s Mileage logged: 274