Food Fun Family

Biking Along the C&O Canal #WW

Lolli — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:49:44 +0000

My husband began a yearly tradition a few years ago. He spends one weekend in October doing an overnight biking and camping trip with one or more of the kids. This year, he took our 2 youngest kids on the biking adventure along the C&O Canal. While they only biked about 6 miles in and 6 miles back out, they had a blast. I sent them with an old iPod with a camera (I figured that would be lighter and easier to carry along than a camera) and was totally impressed by the pictures they captured on their bike ride.

AJ and Reese before they left on their biking trip

What a beautiful area we live in and what a gorgeous time of year!

Biking Along the C&O Canal Trail with Dad 2014

AJ (9) and Reese (11) joined Dad this year on the bike trail. They were so excited about their bike and camping trip. They had been talking about it for days. When the day finally came, they woke up early and rode their bikes around the neighborhood while Dad finished up packing and prepping for the camping trip. I think they’re already counting down the days til their next overnight biking trip!

PS – all of these pictures are unedited, straight from the iPod shots. They kind of make me want to tag along on their next ride…with a camera instead of a bike, of course!

An InLinkz Link-up

One Last Family Trip to Castle Park #PSF Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:00:10 +0000

As we prepare to load up the car and drive across the country to take my oldest daughter to college next week, we just HAD to make one last trip to Castle Park (our nickname for it, at least). Castle Park holds so many memories for us – it was a favorite of the kids when they were little, and even though they’re bigger now, they still have tons of fun there.

It was a lot MORE fun for me, not having to stress about where the kids were every second we were there. Big parks may be a dream for the kids, but they can be a nightmare for the moms!

Can you tell how much fun we had together on Monday?

PS – all of these photos were taken with my handy new Samsung camera that I’m giving away right here…

What have you been up to this week? Surviving the heat and the craziness of summer? Be sure to link up your posts below!

And then wish me luck on the last few days before we head on this massive road trip!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

To play Give Me Your Best Photo Story Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign the link list:
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An InLinkz Link-up

The Hike #WordlessWednesday

Lolli — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 02:48:12 +0000

The following pictures are from a little family outing that two of my kids and I took with some friends over Spring Break. I brought my big camera and then forgot all about the pictures once I got back home.

We call this place, simply, “The Hike.”

If someone in the family asks for clarification, we say, “You know, the hike. With the water.”

Someone recently asked me what this place was called. I had no idea.

We drove past a small parking area off the side of the road to Walmart and Target for years before we finally stopped to see what was beyond the parking spot…and why people would park there in the first place.

We discovered a whole new world beyond that unpaved parking lot. It has continued to be our special place – our escape from the world (and it’s right down the street from church!). It was fun to share it with friends.

What have you been up to lately? Link up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Greatest Show on Earth #PSF Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 03:37:50 +0000

I’m exhausted. But it’s a good exhausted.

I literally just walked in the door from the greatest show on earth…I mean Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. My family was invited to come to the circus and we had a blast (yes, our tickets were free…but all opinions and enthusiasm are my own).

I can’t wait to share about our experience at the circus, but for now I’ve got a sneak peek. I’m exhausted. Did I mention that already?

Sorry to be posting so late today! Spring Break is throwing the schedule off a bit…

What have you been up to this week?

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

To play Give Me Your Best Shot Photo Story Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign the link list:
<center><a href="https://foodfunfamily.com/tag/give-me-your-best-shot" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://mychaosmybliss.com" target="_blank"></a> Hosted by <a href="https://mychaosmybliss.com/" target="_blank">Cecily</a> and <a href="https://foodfunfamily.com" target="_blank">Lolli</a> </center>

An InLinkz Link-up

Top 10 Spring/Summer Activities for Kids in Montgomery County, Maryland

Lolli — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 20:44:09 +0000

These top 10 Spring/Summer activities for kids in Montgomery County are brought to you by Montgomery Parks. Although I received passes for my kids to enjoy some of the fun that Montgomery Parks has to offer, all opinions are my own. Note: photos not marked with my Better in Bulk watermark are provided by Montgomery Parks.

I realize that those of us living in Montgomery County, MD are rather fortunate in terms of available recreational activities. I mean, we live down the street from the White House and historically rich Washington DC. But Montgomery County has so much to offer on its own. As my kids approach Spring Break this coming week, I’ve got a list of 10 amazing activities that kids of all ages can enjoy – from Spring through the Summer!

Which of these activities would your kids enjoy the most?

Top 10 Spring/Summer Activities for Kids in Montgomery County MD

• All Aboard! Hop on a Miniature train! Do you have any kids that are fascinated by trains? Did you know there are two miniature trains in Montgomery Parks? You can find one of the trains – just for little ones – at Cabin John Regional Park in Bethesda. The other miniature train is found at Wheaton Regional Park…where there is also a carousel (and I love carousels!). A ticket to ride either train or the carousel is just $1.75. They will be open for Spring Break starting April 12 – 21 as well as the following weekend, April 26 and 27. They open for the season in May. See the miniature trains schedule and more details at the Montgomery Parks website.

• Visit a Nature Center: Montgomery Parks’ four nature centers – Black Hill Nature Programs, Brookside Nature Center, Locust Grove Nature Center, and Meadowside Nature Center – have plenty of fun activities for kids of all ages to experience.

Activities include the Raptor Walkway at Meadowside Nature Center, the Outdoor Classroom at Black Hill Visitors Center with a pond, hummingbird garden, sandbox, monarch waystation and more; Live Animals at Brookside Nature Center including box turtles, a gray tree frog, two snakes, a salamander and more; or a naturalist talk and hike at Locust Grove Nature Center. Brookside Gardens also has 50 acres of beautiful plants, flowers and displays including an aquatic garden, a rose garden and even a children’s garden. I can’t wait to experience nature with my kids this Spring…with my camera, of course!

• Spring Break Camps: there are a variety of Spring Break camps available for kids 5 to 13 during Spring Break (April 14-21) including archaeology camp, Hooray for the Bay (all about the Chesapeake Bay), ice skating camp, Tennis “boot days” (available for individual days or for the whole week), and Spring Week in the Park, featuring sports, skating, arts and crafts, and more.

• Parent Tot Skate /Parent Tot hockey: Anyone who has tried to get their tots on the ice probably knows it can be a challenge. That’s why Wheaton Ice and Cabin John Ice have special parent tot programs that are just an hour long and provide admission for two with skates for just $3.50. More info at www.CabinJohnIce.com and www.WheatonIceArena.com

• Step back in time at historic sites: Several historic sites located in Montgomery Parks offer free guided tours throughout the season.

• Take a hike along a portion of the Underground Railroad at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park (tours are offered Saturdays April 5 through November 1 starting at 10:00 AM).
• Visit Kingsley Schoolhouse, a one-room schoolhouse from 1893 in Little Bennett Regional Park, and learn what was different and what was the same when kids went to school over 100 years ago. An open house and guided tours are offered the first Sunday of each month (May 4 – November 2) from 1:00 – 4:00 PM.
• Oakley Cabin, a historic cabin located in the center of an African American community in the 1800s also has free tours the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, April 12 through November 1 from Noon – 4:00 PM.

• Spring Festivals for the Whole Family: Montgomery Parks has festivals the whole family can enjoy during spring and summer.

• “Save the Frogs Day,” – April 26, 12 – 4 p.m. at Locust Grove Nature Center
• “Family Archaeology Day,” – May 3, 10AM – 3PM at Needwood Mansion
• “Raptors Rule Festival” – May 4, 12 – 4PM at Meadowside Nature Center
• “Forest Friends Festival,” – May 10, 1 – 4PM at Brookside Nature Center
• “Bluebirds Forever Festival,” – May 18, 1 – 4PM at Black Hill Visitor Center
• “Kids’ Fishing Day,” – May 31, 8:30AM at Black Hill Boats and June 14, 8:30AM at Lake Needwood Boats

• Hike, bike and explore: Over 250 miles of trails (natural surface and paved) are available throughout Montgomery Parks for walking, hiking, running, biking and horseback riding. Grab the kids, the dog and head out for a day of nature and exercise.

• Pack a Picnic and Pick a Playground: Montgomery Parks is home to 291 playgrounds – you can search for a few parks close to your home on the Montgomery Parks website. We LOVE to hike and explore the trails around our town!

• Explore your inner monkey: Go Ape! ropes course is located in Rock Creek Regional Park for kids who are looking for adventure. There are various levels for beginners, intermediate and expert climbers and a variety of obstacles. Visit www.GoApe.com for hours and pricing.

• Camp out close to home: Little Bennett Campground offers 91 wooded campsites plus over 30 miles of trails and weekend activities such as family films under the stars, guided hikes and hayrides. There is even a camper-ready camping option for people who want to try camping but don’t have all the equipment. For $25 per night (plus the campsite fee) Montgomery Parks will set up your campsite with a four-person tent, two camp chairs, a propane stove and lantern.

Be sure to check back after our Spring Break for pictures of all of the Montgomery Parks fun that we were able to experience together!

Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain #WW

Lolli — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 23:53:10 +0000

After a late morning photo shoot this Saturday, my 10 year old, Reese, and I hiked about 7 miles up and down Sugarloaf Mountain. It was a gorgeous day for some mountain hiking (even if the mountains out here are hills back home in California!).

Kick Off the Summer with the Active Family Project

Lolli — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:13 +0000

I received $100 from Merck Consumer Care, and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Merck Consumer Care.

The neighborhood pool is filled with sparkling, inviting water. The lounge chairs are arranged next to the pool. The fans are running non stop in my house to keep the summer heat at bay. The kids are finishing up the school year and I am scrambling to figure out what I can do to keep the kids engaged for the next 3 months.

Luckily, I have a few years’ experience with keeping kids engaged during long, hot summer days. Here are my family’s top 10 favorite summer activities to do together.

Visit a museum or other local attraction (like the aquarium or zoo) that you don’t have time for during the school year
Start a chapter book together and read aloud at a set time every day
Find a local theater that has free or cheap Summer movies
Go on a hike
Plant and maintain a garden as a family. Then enjoy the “fruits” of your labors together!
Invite friends over regularly (the plus to that is that your kids will usually get a return invite!)
Schedule a weekly library day. (We always join the library’s summer reading program)
Play tourist in your home town. Give everyone a camera and look at your city through different eyes
Attend an outdoor concert (check to see if your community has free summer concerts)
Play some games together (either a board game or a game online)

I am joining hundreds of other families across the country by taking the Active Family Project pledge to make some playdates…together!

About the Active Family Project

The Active Family Project is designed to help empower moms to enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle with their families so they can live life the way they love. It aims to spotlight tips and advice for fun family activities and build a national community of moms dedicated to adopting and promoting a healthy and active family lifestyle.

Get tips and ideas for your family’s playtime together with the Active Family Project Activity Finder. This go-to guide offers some instant solutions to your playtime needs, and aims to promote quality time and help your family live life more fully.

Enter the Family Playdate Sweepstakes!

Ready for a summer full of family fun? Enter the Family Playdate Sweepstakes. This week you can win the Beach Adventure Prize Pack which includes: $350 gift card redeemable at an outdoor sports retailer which may be used towards the purchase of swim wear for (4); a pop-up beach cabana; a beach volley ball set; a deluxe sand sculpting set; a beach bocce set; a video camera; and (4) Active Family Project tote bags.

And then there’s the GRAND PRIZE which includes: a (7) day/(6) night trip for winner and up to (3) guests to a resort located in Port St. Lucie, Florida; round trip coach air transportation between the major U.S. gateway airport nearest the Grand Prize winner’s residence and the destination city and standard hotel accommodations for (6) nights; one year’s worth of home cleaning services from a national cleaning service awarded in the form of a $2,500 Gift Certificate; a video camera; and (4) Active Family Project tote bags.

Sweepstakes ends 11:59:59pm ET on 5/26/2013.

Enter the sweepstakes, make the promise to make some playdates, and start making some fun plans for the summer!

Active Family Project Website: https://www.activefamilyproject.com/
Like them on Facebook: facebook.com/activefamilyproject
Enter the Sweepstakes: facebook.com/activefamilyproject/app_450466661697948

The Reading Connection – Community Reading Festival 5/11/13

Lolli — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:10 +0000

This is a sponsored post announcing a fun family-friendly activity in the Washington DC area. All thoughts are my own.

Looking for some family-friendly fun in the Washington DC area this weekend? The Reading Connection and Arlington Magazine are inviting area families to a Community Reading Festival this Saturday, where there will be stories read by bilingual storytellers and VIPs, spring-related crafts, snacks and so much more!

WHAT: Arlington Kids Read Spring Community Reading Festival

WHEN: Saturday May 11, 2013, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Campbell Elementary School – 737 S. Carlin Springs Road – Arlington, VA 22204

WHY: Join The Reading Connection and fellow DC-area families to celebrate reading!

With Arlington Magazine, TRC has partnered with Arlington Magazine to create a new reading initiative, Arlington Kids Read. The program’s goal is to promote reading for Arlington kids and families and to raise funds to support TRC’s ongoing reading programs for at-risk kids.

3 fun reasons to attend

Hear great children’s books read by State senator Adam Ebbin, Children’s librarian Desiree Fairooz, Hola Baby!’s Maria Elena Giraldo Greene, County board member Mary Hynes, and State delegate Alfonso Lopez.
Enjoy book-related craft activities and tasty food
Meet Clifford, The Big Red Dog

Register online to attend the Community Reading Festival!

Verizon is the Signature Sponsor of Arlington Kids Read.

About the Reading Connection:

For over 20 years, The Reading Connection (TRC) has been reading with kids who have no one else to read to them and giving books to kids who had none.

The Reading Connection is dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk children and families by helping them create and sustain literacy-rich environments and motivation for reading. This mission is accomplished by:

Volunteers who read aloud to children at shelters and community centers
Donations that provide children with free, new books to keep
Workshops that help parents encourage reading and literacy development
Training for family support workers who promote the importance of reading

This is a Better in Bulk family-approved activity! We are huge fans of reading and making books available to as many families as possible. We love creating fun family memories surrounding our favorite stories and think that this community day of reading together and doing book-related crafts and activities is a great opportunity for families to start creating memories of their own. When we make reading fun for our kids, we foster a life-long love of reading!

Disclosure: I was compensated for my time to let my Washington DC-area readers know about this fun family activity. All thoughts are my own.

Mmmm…Raspberries!

Lolli — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:20:00 +0000

I finally did something interesting enough to blog about!! As much as I have been enjoying the start of the school year, and sharing my day times with AJ, we haven’t been doing things that were too exciting. Today, though, we met some friends at the Orchard for raspberry picking. AJ was a picking champ! He got tons (and most of them were even ripe!!)

The weather cooled off for us today. So nice out!
Believe it or not, this is AJ’s “posed” smile. I told him to stand still for a picture, and he squinted his eyes and bent his mouth in a silly smile. At least he cooperated!
I could have stayed out there all day with a beach chair and a book. It was so peaceful!
Here are the friends that joined us on our berry trip: Madi, who was obsessed with eating all the berries she could find. Her mom, Anie, could hardly keep the bowl filled! It was so funny!
Brooklyn, who didn’t mind getting poked by the thorns. She wanted to help!
Kate, who melted AJ’s heart by calling out, “AJ, where are you!” An hour later, after leaving the car to walk into Sams Club, AJ was humming the song “I’ve got a brand new girlfriend!” I asked him who his brand new girlfriend was….and he answered, “Kate!”

Lexi, who has grown up SO much in the last several weeks since we saw her last. She gave me the biggest smile that I almost thought she’d missed me! I love her! Madi and Lexi happened to be wearing the same shirt today! So cute!

And now I get to snack on yummy, yummy raspberries all day….