Ah, the holiday of love. In my house Valentine's Day is like a War of the Roses versus the Not Roses. My husband can't stand Valentine's Day. To him it is a Hallmark holiday made up to encourage consumerism. After all, he can tell me any day and every day that he loves me. I, of course, love it because I am a romantic gal and I look forward to my husband being forced to tell me all day on that day that he loves me.
That War has been ensuing since we've known each other and we've came to reconciliation on that front years ago. However, now, as a parent, I have a newfound love and appreciation for Cupid's holiday. As parents it is so easy to forget about your spouse and partner. Kids demand time and energy – requiring pretty much all you have to give. So when it's lights out and bedtime for the kiddos, who has energy to spend time focused on yet another person? When the house is finally quiet you just want time to recharge your own battery.
So the partner gets put on the back burner, right? Well, not this February! Parents, let's use Valentine's Day as the excuse and the reason to remind your partner how much you love and appreciate them. Sure, they might drive you batty because they can't seem to hear the very loud buzzing of the dryer and you ended up folding all the clothes AGAIN, but, really, they have to be great, too. Didn't you start a family with them? Your spouse has to be OK.
Tips and tricks for romancing as a busy parent? You got me. What do you guys do to make it work? I am a big fan of a nice, beautiful, candlelight dinner at home, which we cook together while drinking wine. TV stays off and we talk. Alternatively, I'd be a fan of going out and being pampered to a nice meal with my husband, provided it's not on Valentine's Night itself. Too many others out there are fighting for the same over-priced fixed menu meal. (Although a lot of drop-In childcare centers are having extended holiday hours to accommodate romantic meals out, so there is that to consider if you can't secure a sitter.) But what about a Valentine's night out the day after Valentine's?
Get a card for your significant other. Even if you think you tell them all the time how much you love them and how great they are, everyone deserves to hear it one more time. Putting it in writing goes even further.
Whatever you do, don't forego the holiday entirely. And don't make it just about the kids' and their heart crafts, Valentine's for school, and pink cupcakes. Remember that person you live with who is the other half of you and your kids. Because when the kids leave home someday, that person is still going to be there.
Let me know how you and your partner make romance happen at home, too, because my husband and I are still trying to figure it out….
So I had my baby! That's right, about 1 month ago I took a hiatus from most of my writing to engage in the miracles of miracles and give birth. Things went great and we're all settled in now with a newborn and a 2 ½ year old. And sure, we don't sleep a lot. But we were prepared for that. You know what is really stinking right now? Not eating.
No, this isn't some bizarre sort of weight-loss regimen (trust me). This is the Holy-Moly-I-Am-So-Busy-I-Can't-Even-Remember-To-Brush-My-Hair-Let-Alone-Find-The-Frying-Pan type of not eating. But since I don't want to starve, nor does my husband, I've gone back to my own blog and reacquainted myself with some of my posts. Turns out you can have good food with convenience! Here is what my research has yielded:
Your best bet as a parent to create healthy meals is to plan ahead. I am generally terrible at this, but I have found two things that help: Pinterest and Dinner Savvy. If you haven't gotten on the Pinterest bandwagon yet let me throw in some more peer pressure. It is great. I won't get in to details about this website here (just go try it) but I will say that there are fabulous freezer meal recipes as well as slow cooker recipes to be had. If you like a little more structure, Dinner Savvy in Apex is a spot that does the hard work for you. They have the recipes, the food all pre-diced and sliced. You show up, follow directions, put it all together in a plastic baggie, take it home and stick it in your freezer until you are ready to reheat it. Voila.
If that is too much preparation, don't forget about Foster Market's Family Meals. Call by Friday afternoon and the following Monday you can pick up a full week's worth of delicious, prepared meals. Again, all you have to do is heat.
If you are still adamant about cooking (Lord bless you) but it's the getting to the grocery store with kids in tow that's the problem, Harris Teeter has online ordering with curbside pick up. Give them a few hours and they'll pull your entire shopping list together for you then put it in your trunk when you show up.
Want to dash in and grab something? Two of my favorite places to get reasonably priced, hot, delicious meals to take home: Fresh Market and Southern Season.
Finally, if folks offer to cook for you: TAKE IT. Don't be proud. TAKE IT. It has been a saving grace to us as we walk around our house bleary-eyed changing diaper after diaper.
So there are my tips for you. Got any more for me? What conveniences have you found for your kitchen? Please share! Honestly, it is not like I am wasting away over here, but I would love your tips!
Last time I wrote here to you all I was already lamenting the holiday meltdowns that occur. Have things gotten better for you? Has your household calmed down? Naw, ours either.
In fact, with all of the craziness of parties, countdowns, cookies and candies, and gifts wrapped under the tree, it's been even more ramped up for our son. So I thought it might be nice to take a second to talk about things we can do to keep the holidays family-centered. And for us, here, that generally requires some sort of activity. When we set aside time as a family to see and do something we either love or try something new, we find that we all bond more tightly.
We do some things at home to capture this magic. My son and I have decorated gingerbread men (we're not winning any competitions, but we love it), we have a countdown till Christmas calendar at our house with different activities or treats each day, we make tree trimming and house decorating a family party, and we read our Christmas and holiday books (like Llama Llama Holiday Drama).
But the real magic tends to happen when we get away from the home. At home, while we work hard to create a beautiful, relaxing space, there are still so many errands and chores staring you down with ugly, beady, demanding eyes.
We love to go out and look at Christmas lights. We have driven through Southern Village in the past and had a fabulous, easy, and free time seeing all the twinkling lights. This year we managed to get tickets to the ever-popular NC Museum of Life + Sciences' Santa Train. My son still talks about that. Also at the NCMLS right now is a Winter Wonderland Express exhibit (see picture), where (for a small, additional fee) you can watch electrical trains wind their way through beautiful, snowy exhibits.
There is something for everyone in the Triangle this season, and we try to stay on top of them over at Mom in Chapel Hill. But how do you all remember to connect as a family during this busy season?
Have I become a Grinch? Have I become a Scrooge? I have so many things to share with you, Chapelboro friends, and I hope you all are well. Life has become holiday-crazed as my second baby is due is 3 short weeks. And a holiday baby means an even more stressful holiday season for us. It's made me a bit of a grouch. Some days I don't want to focus on Christmas, I want to focus on baby. Other days I would rather adorn myself with Christmas bows and tinsel instead of spend time sterilizing breast pump valves (yeah, who wants to do that?).
But now that Thanksgiving has passed, my Tiny Prints Christmas cards have been delivered by FedEx, and our tree is up, I have a more time to really revel in sharing the holiday with my 2 year old. That means, of course, Santa.
Do you all take your children to sit on the merry man's red lap every year? And if so, do you have any tips for me? I would really like NOT to be in the photo with my son this year. That means we're getting creative. Sure, there is the Southpoint Mall Santa and the University Mall Santa and so many more out there (for a larger list of Santa sightings you can check out the webpage at Mom in Chapel Hill).
This year the newly renovated and now reopened Pullen Park in Raleigh (review coming to the website on Sunday) is having a Santa Holiday Express. Plus we've also scored tickets to the Museum of Life + Sciences Santa Train. We're hoping that combining trains (my son's obsession) with Santa will take the stress out of seeing Santa.
Then, depending on what life is like post-newborn, we're contemplating this: Lights on the Neuse. This is located in Clayton, so not a quick drive for us.
And wait a minute....what am I doing!? I am about to pledge to drive myself and my toddler and my newborn out to Clayton to try to make Santa more appealing?! Parents, am I crazy-talking? What is it about the holidays where I so badly want my toddler to disregard his natural (and good) inclination to steer clear of strangers so that he will sit, cherubically, in his cutest Christmas outfit on a man's lap?
I am not going to think about it too much...instead I will continue to explore this great Triangle area we live in to bring you all holiday ideas on the website. Do come visit us over there, please. And if you have any ideas on 1- how to get my child to not be terrified of Santa and 2- why us parents care so much about this, chime in!
Fall Farm Lessons by Allison Carter - A C.Hill Mom,posted Oct 14 2011 9:05AM
This weather and its split personality has me so confused. Should I be in shorts and tees or should I be in jeans and sneakers? Either way, I will be heading out to fall farms with my tot. I embrace fall and all the things that come with it, even though I should be wearing flannel shirts when I go. The biggest thing to look forward to are pumpkin patches and farms, which this area has in droves.
What have I learned from my time with a toddler on farms? Not too much, apparently. But I can share with you the mistakes I constantly make.
First, make sure the weather truly is nice. Meaning NOT WET. At all. My mommy's group and I decided to forego our yearly trip to Ganyard Farm in Durham this week. The sun was peeking out but we realized that the ground would still be wet. Considering that there is hay to climb in and slides to go down, we decided to reschedule. Wet hay? Ew. No thanks.
Second, take the amount of time you are planning to be there and double it. We learned from our recent trip to Vollmer Farms that you always want more time there than you think. And that's for two reasons: 1) these places have more than just pumpkins these days and 2) something inevitably goes wrong and requires a tantrum. After 2 hours at Vollmer my son decided he could not possibly leave the premises without a trip around the little lake in the cow train (this is a John Deere tractor pulling a bunch of cow cars around). I get it, it was pretty neat. Yet right as I said "last thing we do, then we go home, now get in" the tractor driver used his Southern drawl to explain that the tractor was broken and he would be back in "say, 15-20 minutes" after it was fixed for the next ride. Fast forward to 40 minutes later and a toddler who really, REALLY did not want to leave without a cow train ride...Needless to say we returned home far later than anticipated. But given we spent money to get in, we weren't leaving without a cow train ride.
Third, you don't REALLY get to pick your pumpkins. At Ganyard especially we noticed that in order to keep the vines and patches stocked with enough good-looking pumpkins for all kiddos and families, they take pumpkins from other patches and conveniently place them near the existing vines. I am okay with that, though, since it is certainly efficient.
Fourth, if your child still wears diapers you will find a plethora of interesting things in the diaper after the visit. So yes, there is a corn crib at Ganyard and Vollmer to play in. Immediately change your child's diaper after that. Immediately. But even at Green Level Gourd Farm I managed to find all kinds of mulch in the post-play diaper.
Fifth, corn mazes are just scary. We managed fine at Green Level Gourd, and Sarah C. didn't seem to have a problem at Phillips, but when we went to McKee's we were BURIED in the middle of a field of corn. But that's not the scary part. The scary part is "Oh my God, I have a screaming toddler who won't stop and we're BURIED in the middle of a field of corn! PLEASE someone get us out! NOW."
I do hope you are getting out and enjoying these fall festivities, though, despite having to wear jeans and tshirts versus your Halloween pumpkin sweater your grandma knit for you. It is a blast and we have formed so many great memories on these trips. Don't forget that if you want tips for various places before going, come on over to Notes from a Mom in Chapel Hill to get reviews and advice!
Ah, my son started preschool for the first time this month. It's been an emotional time for me (not helped by the fact that I am also in my third trimester of pregnancy with my 2nd, and have some hormones to contend with, too). But watching him run into his new classroom, with his new buddies, clearly a student in a "real school" now, makes me want to take all the time I can with him when he is home. I want to continue to share with him all the things I remember as a kid and loved.
And since I love fall (I used to get so excited to shop for back to school supplies as a kid and that aisle in Target still makes me get a spring in my step...I am sure I can't be the only dork out there...), I have this huge list of things I want to take him to to celebrate "the harvest."
And, of course, hay rides top the list. We've done hay rides at Ganyard Farm and Green Acres Farm and both have been a hit. Although I am not sure what it is about the hay ride that is so much fun? A loud tractor bouncing around at slow speeds, smelling diesel fumes, riding through farms that aren't always that picturesque while sitting in a scratchy, allergy-causing hay hardly sounds like a winning combo. But win it does. But of course my son also loves when we put him in our wheelbarrow and push him around the backyard. (Which my husband refuses to do for me, telling me I am too big, which don't worry, I don't take as a statement about my growing pregnancy belly and thighs).
If you really love hay, you can get all up in it at McKee's Corn Maze. That is some serious stuff there!
Fall hiking is always big on my list, too. Some families like to get in the car and drive the Blue Ridge Parkway to take in fall foliage and views. But since my brood is notoriously bad in the car (ok, really, it's me, I hate road trips), we like to hoof it. There are lots of spots I like and you can see a list here, depending on how challenged you want to be. But two particular spots come to mind. Occoneechee Mountain is a hidden hiking gem you can get to in HIllsborough, even if you can't spell it. My husband and I explored the Lower Haw River trail this past weekend and that is going to be especially gorgeous in the fall, with the colors reflecting off of the mighty and large Haw River.
Know of any other great fall spots in the area? Where else should I be taking my son to show him how wonderful and beautiful this time of year is?
I have been eating my way around town. Being pregnant while also chasing after a 2 year old makes for one hungry mama. And yes (UNC Midwives if you are reading this) most of the time I choose healthy options. I do want to bounce back post-baby afterall, as if I am Angelina or JLo, but without the expensive personal trainers. But sometimes a girl, a pregnant girl, needs her sweet treats!
And this town giveth.
First of all, there is the insane Frozen Yogurt boom that is going around. I am not sure how this got started or why, but I am a fan. It turns out that YoPop in Timberlyne is right next to the UNC Midwives. As if they planned it for pregnant ladies. So I get to go, hear baby boy #2's heartbeat, then get myself some vanilla FroYo with strawberries and Reese's on top. Yeah, I lied. I always make it a point to go before the appointment. Once I step on that scale it tends to kill whatever desire I had for YoPop. (And I don't always get strawberries on top.)
Governor's Village just added Igloo Frozen Yogurt. While not as large as YoPop, it was still tasty and hit the spot for us! Plus, it's organic. So you can feel good about the cows that provided that FroYo.
If I am trying to be even healthier, I'll go for shaved ice at Rita's. Not the same caloric pop but on a hot summer day it feels decadent. LocoPops also has some "healthier" options and always an interesting flavor if I am feeling frisky. Suffice it to say, I rarely am these days; I have a hard time straying from my mojito pop. (Don't worry, midwives, it's alcohol free.)
And if I REALLY want to go all-in with this sweet treat, I head to Maple View (any of them will do). Or even to La Vita Dolce in Southern Village. My son loves the Orange Dreamsicle flavor they sometimes have there.
I also have to give a shout-out to The Loop for their fantastic Oreo milkshakes. Thanks to those things I gained an extra 2 pounds in pregnancy 1. I am more careful now with pregnancy 2 but some days when you are hormonal and raging for no good reason, your husband just knows to bring one of those home for you and the world is right, even if your swollen feet haven't reduced. And your husband knows that he will escape the brunt of one of those hormonal rages.
If I am pretending to be heart healthy and want to convince myself that "no, this is good, I need this, it's for the baby," then I head for chocolates. The Chocolate Door on Franklin Street is my heart-stopping heart booster. I love their selection and creativity. Miel Bon Bons, of course, has a great location, although I generally want to eat one of those wedding cakes instead of chocolate when I am in there. And Matthew's Chocolate in Hillsborough is great because it's a twofer: I can get lovely chocolates while my son gets a LocoPop.
And one other final piece to my dessertful dining guide: sometimes ice cream, gelato, chocolate, all these little tiny nips just don't satiate. Sometimes you want some carbs with your sugar. And I am talking more carbs than one measly little waffle cone. Well, enter Krispy Kreme (how do you control yourself when the "Hot Now" sign lights up?! I am like a tween at a Justin Bieber concert.) and Sugarland. So yeah, you can get gelato at Sugarland, but you can also get fabulously iced cupcakes. Yum. I am a girl known to go crazy for a cupcake here and there. In fact, I drove to Cary this pregnancy just to check out the frosted-for-royalty cupcakes at Gigi's.
Yikes, I just looked at the clock and realized it is almost 3 o'clock, my slump time. And writing about all these sweet shoppes has created some incredible cravings. So I am off! See if you can find me today at any one of these gorgeous places. It'll be like a Where's Waldo? of sweet treats. Fabulous.
Summer Revival by A C.Hill Mom - by Allison Carter,posted Jun 26 2011 12:00AM
We have officially gone from reveling in summer to hating it here at my house. Perhaps I shouldn't speak for my husband and child, but I am in official "enough oppressive heat already" mode. Sigh. And it's only June.
But I got a little kick in the pants this past weekend. Some things happened that made me rekindle my little summer fling with, well, summer.
First, I hit up the Farmers' Markets again. Carrboro's Farmers' Market just brings joy to my heart and my tastebuds! It is a fabulous place to take the kids, too. Breads and sweet breakfast pastries available to snack on…fruits and veggies of all colors of the rainbow that only appear in the summer…meats that aren't over-produced…and flowers and plants to try your own farming at home. Plus when my son and I tire of looking at and tasting the bounty, we like that the kids playground is perfect for tots and littler kids. It's a great Saturday morning overall.
It gets better when we head over to Weaver Street Market. I sit on the benches in the shade eating my bagel while C throws pebbles and otherwise engages in properly 2-year-old-boy deviant behavior.
Second, the other event that happened this weekend that made me rejuvenate, was the Pick Your Own trip we did. My son and I LOVED strawberry season. Strawberries are full of promise: the beginning of warm weather, living off the land, outdoor activities. It's a great time. But when the strawberries are over, then what? Enter the blueberry! Over on Mom in Chapel Hill this week we'll be suggesting, reviewing, and recommending 2 different local spots to go and have your child pick their own food. That's right - they will know where fruits come from. But a little preview: we loved both Patchwork Farm and Herndon Hills.
So Chapelboro friends, life is back to good here. After a day at the pool, sweating and fanning myself, I am now off to get this blueberry cobbler out of the oven. Have a good one!
Let's get doused by A C.Hill Mom - Allison Carter,posted Jun 13 2011 2:00PM
Every day now my toddler wakes up and says "I wanna go to the POOL" or "I wanna go to the BEACH." Yeah, me too. And it's summer, so it is the season of water mania.
Pools we have in this area. AD Clark is free and open (hip hip!!) and many of the private pools, such as Chapel Hill Tennis Club and Southern Village, have begun their devilish courtship of the heat and humidity.
But did you know we have beaches, too? Yeah, that's right, over at Jordan Lake. And no, you won't get pristine white sand and turquoise waters like travel brochures boast about. But hey, these days a beach is a beach and so is life. I've personally tried out Seaforth Recreation Area and Parker's Creek and had fun (even in the off season).
Yet can we get together, folks, and lobby Chapel Hill and Carrboro to install some fantastic spraygrounds? Because sometimes parents don't want to pay for a pool, or fight with pool crowds and swim teams, or deal with monitoring a child in brackish water at a beach. Sometimes we want to sit in the shade and smile lovingly and complacently while our child runs through hoses and fountains powered by little hands.
And speaking of monitoring, let's chat for a second about being a parent and having water in the picture. Because I never want to be an overly-paranoid parent and have my child develop phobias based on me scaring them about life. But nor do I want to deal with anything of any sort of near dangerous when it comes to water. That is no laughing matter. So yeah, my toddler will be the one in the large life preserver at the beach this summer. Please don't laugh at him, it's not his fault. It's his momma. You know, the one sitting in the water at the beach's edge smiling lovingly and complacently.
By the way, I always love your thoughts and opinions, too. So let me know what you think about getting spraygrounds, making your child run around in large floatation devices, or pools you love! And, of course, you can find me over on my other blog if you just can't get enough ideas of family friendly ideas.
I have a love/hate relationship with summer, especially now that there is a child involved. I love pools. I hate having to smear sunscreen all over everyone and the inevitable crying that comes when it gets in the eyes. I love that sprinklers in the backyard are hours of easy, free amusement. I hate that when it gets too hot or when it rains, inside activities are back on the agenda and I am scrambling for ideas.
But one thing that has no downside, as far as I am concerned, when it comes to summer in this area is the local music.
Now I don't talk music like Ron Stutts does over at his blog. But on my blog I put together our annual list of ongoing summer events. And it makes me so excited. It is my sit-here-scratching-my-mosquito-bites-but-remembering-why-I-love-this-place moment. It's one of the reasons why we're in this area to begin with. During the summer you can see free music every day from Thursday through Sunday. It goes something like this:
Thursdays: Weaver Street After-Hours Music, Locally Grown, OR the new University Mall Sweet Carolina Concert Series Fridays: Back Porch at Bynum OR Carolina Inn's Fridays on the Front Porch (depends on which side of the porch you prefer, it seems) Saturdays: Saxapahaw Summer Music Series OR head over to Southpoint and combine errands and dining with their Music on Main series Sundays: Weaver Street Jazz Brunch
How incredible is that list?
I know, not all of the talent is going to be seen on the Grammys anytime soon. Although you never know (Carolina Chocolate Drops anyone?). But isn't it great to support local talent and your community? Plus if they do hit it big you can always say "I knew them when..."
And think how fabulous all of this is for kids. I love that I will be raising my family in an area that appreciates music. Because at all of these venues people dance and frolic. Proving that music is something to enjoy, revel in, and live in. Not just sit stodgily and listen to.
Not to mention how many different types of music my child will be exposed to if we can keep up the exhausting schedule as listed above: bluegrass, jazz, beach music, zydeco, rockabilly, and who knows what else.
So I say to the 100 degrees, the mosquitoes, the thunderstorms, and my wilting hair: BRING IT ON. I'll be at The Weave watching my child dance to music and drinking a beer.
I truly hope the rest of you have better luck than my husband and I, but our toddler makes mealtimes a challenge in parenting that should be chronicled on some sort of reality tv show ('if you can get this child to eat, you could win a trip!'). It really is that bad.
Our precious little boy turns into Jack Jack from The Incredibles once food is set in front of him Head turned, arms crossed, screaming, crying, whining, whimpering, smashing food, pushing food….his tactics of how NOT to get the food in his mouth goes on and on. And it doesn't matter what we put in front of him. The food could be something he ultimately ate with relish 2 nights before, it could be chicken nuggets decked in peanut butter with chocolate on top….whatever; he won't eat it just because he is supposed to.
Which means that when it comes to dining out, we have a very different perspective than most adults. This was highlighted on our date night the other evening. My husband and I went to a very nice restaurant. And we sat in amazement at a family nearby that included 3 children, the oldest being around 5.
Our incredulity was not that the family brought their kids to an expensive restaurant. I mean, we prefer to enjoy fabulous gastro journeys with adult conversation and without having to pick crayons up off the floor. But to each their own. We were more amazed that the kids ATE the food set in front of them. Without hesitating! Or screaming! Or crying! We watched in total awe. Well, awe and a little jealousy. Do not all toddlers view mealtime as a power struggle?
We're not trying to shield our child from dining out entirely. We continue to fight the battle. We know that he needs to learn proper restaurant and table manners. But since dining out with our cutie-pie becomes a time to parent and teach life lessons, we are pretty picky about what sort of places we'll take him. Our criteria are, unofficially, something like this: loud, cheap, loud, space for him to run around if we need, loud, and relaxed.
We have hit in "Chapelboro," with success: Weaver Street Market, EVOS, The Loop, and Elmo's (all of which you can get more information about at my blog). But if you have any other restaurants that won't mind a very cute yet very stubborn toddler in their midst, please let us know. And my full sympathy to those other parents out there who also have picky eaters. We can do it!
What Can "U" Do? by A C.Hill Mom - Allison Carter,posted May 8 2011 6:00PM
Did you know that there was a mall attached to Southern Season? No kidding! How many of you find yourself in that mall on a weekly basis? Yeah, not too many. What it is about University Mall ("U Mall") that keeps us away?
A few weeks ago, I was privileged to have a frank conversation with some of the folks over at U Mall about this issue. They want to reach out to parents more, and they found me through my blog.
It was an interesting conversation and, like the Cat in the Hat, I ask you, "Well, what would you do [if they] asked you?" I felt flattered to be helping direct business in our fair city, but also a little stumped. What is the problem, exactly?
U Mall took a big loss to families when The Children's Store moved. Yet it remains a great indoor space to walk and spend rainy days, music lessons are still offered there, and the My Fairy Godmother shop is as cute as can be. And, of course, parents love Chick-fil-A (chicken nuggets, table mats, and kids toys). But really, couldn't U Mall be better for us parents? Isn't there a huge market of stay-at-home parents looking for weekday thrills and activities?
Some thoughts I had: U Mall doesn't have a kids play space a la Southpoint Mall, nor any of the kid eye-candy shops like Build-A-Bear, PB Kids, and Barnes & Noble. There aren't a lot of errands a parent can complete here. There aren't any storytimes at any of the shops.
Yet the new management at U Mall is working hard to reach out to parents immediately. In fact, starting in June they are beginning an all-new Sweet Carolina Summer Concert Series. Held on Thursday nights, these will be a family affair. And while U Mall recognizes the issues I mention, they suffer a Catch-22: no foot traffic, no big retailers :: no big retailers, no foot traffic.
So what's a mall to do?
My colleagues and I determined during our conversation that the answer is : coffee!! What we are really lacking in Chapel Hill and Carrboro is a coffee shop where moms and dads can stay, hang out, meet up with other parents for some much-needed adult time, yet still have a safe place for kids to play. Ever been to Bean Traders in Durham? They provide this. In the back is a gated, padded area with kids toys. Southpoint Mall provides this with their play area and Panera espresso bar. Parents, wouldn't you be at U Mall so much more if you could caffeinate, socialize, and have your child play? And, honestly, what parent doesn't need a caffeine pick me up?
Hello there Chapelboro folks.I am so pleased to be writing to you over here.You see, over at my other blog I have created a voice telling parents where to take their kids, restaurants great for children, and family friendly activities all over the Triangle.And I love that blog.First, who doesn't love being bossy and opinionated?Second, I feel like it is meeting a need by helping parents get real tools and information to appreciate the town they live in.
But it is great to let loose a little and wax philosophic on other aspects of parenting in the Triangle.It's not just nuts and bolts here (although some of that, too, I am sure), but a chance to dig a little deeper.
Something that has been on my mind for awhile is a question:why parent in "Chapelboro" at all?What's your answer?You see, I didn't move here to be a "Mom in Chapel Hill."I came here in my late twenties, for love.I had, and still have, no University ties.(In fact, my husband and I usually cheer against the blues during ACC games.)But my husband found Carrboro, and he was smitten.So we established life here.
We had a great time being a young couple in this town: Weaver Street Market Thursday night music, Tyler's Pint Night, Bolin Creek Trails, Maple View ice cream, Fridays on the Front Porch, and more.The more we could bike places, the happier we were.
Then we had a child.It was planned and we were ready.But still, life changed.We were parents now.So we had to worry about things like schools, cost of living, the house size, did we want to raise kids here, lowering monthly expenses to accommodate losing my salary, and GEEZ, it was crazy overwhelming!
But we grappled with it.And while we did, indeed, move to a different house, we stayed in Chapel Hill.And we realized that our lives hadn't changed that much.Because Chapelboro is one great place to raise a kid.Weaver Street Market Thursday night music?Absolutely great with kids!The Bolin Creek Trails?I have spent many hours on those with my son.Maple View ice cream?(Do I even need to answer how this fits into a family life?) And my son loves to dance with friends at Fridays on the Front Porch.I suppose the only thing that isn't such a swell fit anymore is Tyler's Pint Night.Although my husband still manages to get a night out there with buddies every now and again…
When I look back over my past 6 years in this area I love how well it has fit my family, even as it changed from 2 to 3.And it still doesn't feel as though we've conquered it yet.This area continues to show me new places and highlights, as well as make me love and appreciate the old haunts even more.It's like an English Muffin:all these nooks and crannies.And it is pretty amazing.Personally, this Mom in Chapel Hill looks forward to investing many more years, and parenting time, here.I hope you feel the same way, too!Now let's explore parenting in Chapelboro together…
Ah, the holiday of love. In my house Valentine's Day is like a War of the Roses versus the Not Roses. My husband can't stand Valentine's Day. To him it is a Hallmark holiday made up to encourage consumerism. After all, he can tell me any day and...
So I had my baby! That's right, about 1 month ago I took a hiatus from most of my writing to engage in the miracles of miracles and give birth. Things went great and we're all settled in now with a newborn and a 2 ½ year old. And sure, we...
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We love to go out and look at Christmas lights. We have 
and 
What have I learned from my time with a toddler on farms? Not too much, apparently. But I can share with you the mistakes I constantly make.
The WCHL Morning News with Ron Stutts
