An Organized Dip in the Pool

I took my daughter to the local aquatic center in town this afternoon for a few hours. It's a very large pool, fashioned with plenty of slides and sprinklers for the kids.

Here's the link to the aquatic center web site, just to give you an idea of what it looks like:

Aquatic Center

We always have a good time when we go. Amanda giggles from the moment we get there, to the moment we leave. Actually, the moment we're ready to leave, she often looks like she's about to burst into tears. It's very sweet, and I can usually stop her from being sad that we're leaving, just by letting her know that we'll return later in the week.

Since we do visit the pool fairly often, here are some of the things we do to make each outing there an organized one:

1) We eat lunch before we go, so that we don't have to buy lunch at the concession stand. We're not allowed to bring our own food and beverages, otherwise we would.

2) We always wear beach shoes. They're easy to slide off when we get there, and slide back on if we have to go to the restroom. Plus, it doesn't matter if they get wet.

3) We keep a pool bag packed at all times. It includes a few towels, sunscreen, sunglasses, chapstick, a few dollars for treats and our family pool pass.

4) Speaking of the family pool pass, we picked one of those up at the beginning of the season. Since we visit fairly often, we saved quite a bit of money by getting one of these.

5) We generally arrive at 11:00am, which is the best time to secure a lounge chair--right before it starts getting crowded. We usually get out of the pool at 2:00, and dry off for about a half hour. On the way home, we usually run an errand or two--such as stopping at the grocery store.

Festa Italiana

Last night, Joe and I went to Festa Italiana together with two of our good friends, Tammy and Jesse. This event is an annual 4-day celebration held in Milwaukee, WI. We always enjoy the Italian culinary treats, unique attractions, and the ethnic music. If I'm not mistaken, I believe this event has been going on for about 30 years now.

If you ever plan to visit Milwaukee around this time of the year, don't miss this fun celebration. Here is the official link: Festa

Ever since I moved from the east coast, it's not easy to get a good sausage and peppers sandwich, or a plate of fried calamari--my husband doesn't understand why I like this stuff so much! I told him, "You just have to be Italian to understand." At Festa, I can always indulge myself. It brings back memories of my childhood growing up in New Jersey, and often visiting Hoboken, NJ where I was first introduced to Italian festivals.

* Tip: Save time and money carpooling:

Our friends carpooled down to the grounds with us--this saved a few bucks in parking, plus it gave us the opportunity to spend more time together.

* Tip: Find out what's going on, when, and where:

When we first arrived on the grounds, we picked up a brochure, listing all the food vendors and the schedule of events. We then walked up and down the festival grounds to get a feel for the layout, find out where the restrooms were, etc.

* Tip: Don't forget to spend some time just relaxing:

We then found a table in the shade. Us ladies got our food first, and then the men found what they wanted to eat. We enjoyed a relaxing, fun meal together.

* Tip: Don't try to see 'everything'. Decide on the things you really want to do:

Afterwards, we headed over to one of the stages for the opening ceremonies. During this time, we were treated to both the American and Italian National Anthems--sung beautifully by an opera singer.

Following that, we headed over to the sky ride which allowed us to relax and see all of the sights, lights and many colors from up high. I was a bit concerned that my backless sandals were going to fall off, but luckily, they stayed on my feet.

We then did a little bit of shopping at il Mercato--the Italian market--which was set up in individual tents. I bought myself some fancy soap made from olive oil.

Shortly after, we attended the flag throwing show. If you've never seen flag throwing before, and you ever have the opportunity, it is well worth it. This particular team was direct from the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy--the Sbandieratori Casventum, a world-renowned group of flag throwers, drummers and buglers. The throwers, who wore costumes that resemble those worn by 14th century soldiers, presented a variety of intricate maneuvers, waving their very large flags, and tossing them high in the air, while other throwers caught them.

Finally, we found a quiet table under the stars and ended the evening with some wonderful Italian desserts.

* Tip: Get a sitter sometimes, so you have some adult time:

We didn't stick around for the spectacular fireworks show this year. A friend was babysitting Amanda for us and we didn't want to get home too late. But we've seen it in prior years, and we know it would have been amazing.

It was a fantastic evening, and we're glad we shared this time with our friends. What a nice way to spend a Thursday night, and it was a spur of the moment decision to even go in the first place. Summer is going by so quickly, so be sure you enjoy a few local events going on in, or around, your own town.

Ask Your Guests to Help Out: It's Not Corny!

This past weekend, we attended a birthday party held at our friend's farm. When we arrived, we spotted a few people we knew, and sat down to chat.

A few minutes later, the hostess came by with three bags of corn and asked if we could all help out shucking it, which basically means (for all the non-farm folks reading this entry) peeling back the husk and completely removing it.

There were 4 of us who agreed to assist, and we had all the corn shucked--about 50 ears of it--in about 15 minutes or so. It's amazing what can be done in such a short amount of time, when there is a team of people getting it done.

I was impressed that the hostess didn't spend all that time prior to the party doing it herself. She had enough of others things to prepare. Plus, we were all glad to be lending a helping hand.

A little while later, we were all enjoying the foods that were grilled, including the corn that was cooked to perfection!

Our Tomato Plant is All Grown Up

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may remember me mentioning the self-watering container we purchased for our tomato plants. If you'd like to review the past entry, click here

Anyway, I wish I would have taken a photo of the two tomato plants we purchased just a few months ago to put in this container. When we bought them, they were very young plants, about four inches in height.

Just take a look at them now:



































As of today, each plant is about 5 feet tall. Better yet, the tomatoes are abundant. Just two plants and we already have nearly 100 tomatoes!

Along the way, the water indicator lets us know just how much water our tomato plants need each day--which has turned out to be about 2-3 gallons daily.

Needless to say, we're just thrilled with the self watering container. We actually purchased the entire Tomato Success Kit, which comes with everything you need except the tomato plants, from:

www.gardeners.com

It gets a big "Thumbs Up!" from us!

Next year, we're planning to purchase 2-3 more self watering containers, to grow even more fresh produce right on our deck.

Until then, we can't wait to bite into that first ripe, juicy tomato!

Fireworks, Outings and Planning Ahead

With a little bit of online research today, I learned that fireworks are known to have originated in China about 2,000 years ago.

Apparently, a cook in ancient china mixed sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal together in a small space. The mixture burned and when compressed in a bamboo tube, it exploded!

Obviously, over the years, the use of fireworks has multiplied, especially so over 4th of July weekend in the United States.

Every year, we enjoy going to see our town's local fireworks display. This will be the first year we're taking Amanda, our 2 1/2 year old, to see them. Likely, she'll be a bit scared at first, so we're going to watch them from afar--not on the actual crowded grounds where they'll be launched, but a short distance away where we know they can be seen just as well, without the very loud noise that can easily frighten a small child. We're keeping our fingers crossed that she enjoys them.

A part of being organized is thinking ahead, and learning from past experiences. In light of this, our top three carry-alongs tonight will be:

1. Insect Repellant

2. A cooler with some snacks and beverages

3. My daughter's travel potty (Off the subject note to anyone with young children: This particular model is one of the best investments my husband and I has made:)

One Step Ahead Travel Potty

Tomorrow morning, we'll be attending the town's 4th of July Parade. Among other things, we'll definitely have:

1. 2 lawn chairs to relax on and the stroller to wheel if we have to walk far to get a good spot on Main Street. Plus, the stroller is her chair to sit on while the parade is happening.

2. Sunglasses and sunscreen

3. A pinwheel that we purchased from Walmart, so we don't have to buy Amanda one that costs three times the amount we would have to pay at the parade

If you're planning on enjoying some Independence Day events over the next few days, take a few minutes to think ahead. Ask yourself questions such as . . .

* What the weather will be like? Do I need sunscreen, a sweater or an umbrella?

* Will there be food easily available or should I bring my own?

* What can I do to make this a stress-free experience for me, and the people I'll be with?

* Is there something I can do to save money at this event?

* Will there be a long walk when I get there? Do I need comfortable walking shoes or a stroller for my child?

* What will the parking situation be? Can I carpool with someone else? Is it better to take public transportation? Is there a Park N' Ride system available?

If you find you're always forgetting something when you attend an event, make yourself an Event or Outing checklist. Include a list of items you regularly bring, plus include questions such as those I've detailed above.

You'll be able to enjoy each event even more if you're prepared.

At any rate, I hope you and your family have a wonderful 4th of July celebration. Enjoy!