Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Pumpkin Patch on a Shoestring Budget

Miscellaneous.
4 Comments.

Autumn is one of those times where almost every day seems to bring perfect weather for being outside.  And not only does it feel good to BE outside, there are loads of fun things to DO outside this time of year!  And the one thing that almost all families look for once the leaves start to change is a PUMPKIN PATCH!  As a former elementary school teacher, I’ve actually been to my fair share and then some of pumpkin patches over the years – and I can firmly state that all pumpkin patches are NOT created equal! Most are pretty good at providing a farm experience for your children (though some are more authentic than others).  However, while some are a great value, others have lots of hidden costs that really can add up by the time your whole family has had an afternoon’s worth of fun.  

The farmer was kind enough to park his tractor out in the meadow so everyone could take turns “driving” it.

So before you clean out your minivan to make room for grandma, grandpa, and the BIGGEST pumpkin you can carry, read these tips first.  Oh, and I do realize it’s the end of October, and my post might be a little bit ill-timed for some areas of the country who are already seeing snow.  But after seeing the difference this year’s pumpkin patch (Hall Family Farm) made on our wallets as well as our enjoyment over last year’s (Hunter Farm), I figured the topic was still worth covering.  Besides, the modus operandi is usually more of less the same for most seasonal outdoor events – be it for farms, petting zoos, county fairs, etc.  So if you spent too much this year on pumpkins, most of these tips will still apply next spring for strawberry season!

Here’s how to get the best bang for your buck at your next visit to a local farm – 

1.  Research Ahead of Time – Ironically, sometimes a good outdoor experience at the farm starts off indoors on the computer.  Most farms nowadays have websites where you can research the answers to any questions you might have.  Take note of the hours, pricing, and activities offered.  You might even find some online discounts as well!  

2.  Stick with a Budget – One of the reasons pre-Patch research is important is so you’ll know how to set a budget for the event.  Some farms have one price per person that covers everything.  This works out great if everyone in your family wants to partake in every activity offered.  More often, however, the individual activities are priced “a la carte.”  The good news about that is that you don’t have to pay for the things you don’t want to do.  But the bad news is that if you’re not careful, you can nickel and dime yourself pretty easily.  

C smuggling gourds through the “window” of the hay fort.

3.  Pumpkin Pricing – If you come away with only one item from the farm that day, odds are good it will be a big, orange pumpkin.  Some farms include a pumpkin with each admission, which sounds like a bargain.  Sometimes it is, but I’ve found that all too often the “free” ones tend to be too small for carving, so you end up buying another one anyway.  Most farms price their pumpkins per pound, and you’d be amazed at what some of these suckers can weigh (and unlike the grocery store, there isn’t a scale over in the next aisle to preview your cost with!)  Although if you have a small toddler, you at least have some semblance of comparison!  At the patch we went to this year, there was actually a $15 dollar limit per pumpkin – meaning that the price was capped at $15 regardless of weight.  At most farms the pumpkins are already off the vine by the time the “pickers” come around, so if you get to the counter and realized you grotesquely underestimated your pumpkin’s weight, don’t be afraid to take it back and choose a more modest replacement.

4.  Take advantage of FREE play – It seems like every time I turn my computer on I see another study touting the host of benefits from UNSTRUCTURED play time for kids.  It’s tempting to feel like you have to partake in all the offerings at the farm, but if your kid is perfectly happy running around the pumpkin patch or jumping off a bale of hay, don’t stop him/her. Our pumpkin patch had several activities that were available without charge – a giant sandbox (complete with a whole fleet of bulldozers!), a tractor, and a “fort” made out of hay.  The only activities with a fee were the corn maze (which looked amazing, but too old for C right now), and the hay ride (which C wasn’t into, much to his allergic father’s relief).  That meant that in the 3 hours we were there, the only thing we paid for were the three pumpkins we bought – a giant daddy pumpkin (that was capped at $15…), a medium sized mommy pumpkin (which will be perfect for carving), and a little Cragbaby pumpkin (which likes to sit beside the mommy pumpkin on our front steps).  Had we not decided to splurge a little with the pumpkins, we easily could have walked away with a perfect carving pumpkin and a perfect family morning for less than $10.  

5.  Dress appropriately – Any pumpkin patch worth visiting will be at an actual farm…and I would be remiss not to remind you how difficult it is to stay clean on a farm.  Giant puddles, muddy paths, and sometimes even cow patties, are all everyday occurrences on a functioning farm.  Dress your child in something that’s okay to get dirty – and then let them explore (although you should probably teach them to avoid the cow patty…)  If you are headed somewhere else afterwards, be sure to bring a change of clothes.  I was absolutely floored when I arrived at the pumpkin patch this year and realized that I had apparently missed the memo about wearing stiletto boots, glittery jeans, and gold hoop earrings.  I had no idea that so many people felt the need to dress up for a trip to the pumpkin patch!  My real disappointment, however, was when I overheard one stiletto mom tell her seasonal sweater-clad child not to get in the sandbox because he would get dirty.  She was so adamant about it, an innocent observer would have assumed the child was asking to roll around in the mud.  Instead he stood idly beside his mom, clutching her leg while he longingly watched C and the other boys excavating to their hearts content.

Picking out pumpkins is HARD WORK!

So with a little bit of forethought, it’s pretty easy to enjoy your annual pumpkin patch pilgrimage without breaking the bank!  And if you’re in the Charlotte area, I would definitely recommend a visit to Hall Family Farm.  Does anyone else have a favorite family farm to recommend?  Feel free to list it in the comments section (along with what city/state it’s located in) – it’d be great to compile a list of favorites!  

 

 

 

Share

8 Tips for a Happy AND Healthy Halloween (and a GIVEAWAY from Clif Kid!)

Miscellaneous.
23 Comments.

Halloween is certainly a unique time of year.  When else can you get away with burying a plastic spider in the doughnut box at work, or walk around the neighborhood dressed like your Freudian fantasy of choice?  For many, Halloween represents a time of carefree fun and indulgence…but if you’re not careful, all those treats can add up to a few nasty tricks.  In the short-term, these tricks can manifest themselves on the scale or at the Dr-Averbuch dentist, which may or may not be that detrimental, depending on the person.  However, in the long-term, how your family handles Halloween can make the difference between reinforcing healthy eating habits, or completely undermining everything you’ve taught them about nutrition thus far.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love candy just as much as the next person, and this post is not a plea to stage a protest at the candy aisle of your local Wal-mart.  On the contrary, this post lists 8 steps for ensuring that you get the most enjoyment you can out of your Halloween treats, while minimizing the tricks as much as possible.  (And as you read, see if you can come up with some more ideas and examples to share, especially if you like the idea of Halloween-flavored Clif Kid bars!). Still according to Merrifield Pediatric Dentistry, less sweets is better for kids in general and for their teeth in particular.

1.  Choose Healthy Alternatives –  Who made the rule that you could only give out candy on Halloween?  I recall growing up that one house on our street gave out donuts on Halloween, while another house further down the street gave out apples.  Now granted the donut house might actually have been worse than the candy houses, but at least they get points for thinking outside the box.  But the apple folks were perhaps on the right track – and nowadays there is a whole host of healthier, alternative options that are sweet enough to be considered a treat, but healthy enough to be in a lunchbox.  Instead of candy this year, consider handing out dried fruit, trail mix, or granola bars.    

2.  Trailside Treats – Just because you’re stuck with a bunch of candy doesn’t mean you need to eat it all before Thanksgiving.  Consider utilizing a “treat bin” in your pantry that your family is only allowed to raid on special (and hopefully active!) occasions.  Our family loves packing Halloween goodies on climbing days, and I know plenty of parents that use singular M n M’s or Skittles as bribes motivation to keep happy hikers hopping along.   This will not only make the sugary fun last longer throughout the year, but you’ll be using it in situations where the sugar provides valuable fuel (that is burned off right away!)

Sorting through the top 5 of last year’s candy haul…

3.  Moderation –  I think this one is the biggie that we as Americans just can’t seem to get.  One or two Hershey Kisses won’t ruin anyone’s diet, but one or two king-size Snickers bars probably will.  It’s all about balance, folks.  Oh yeah, and your dentist will probably appreciate it if you don’t exercise your rights in moderation right before bedtime…  

4.  Spirit of Giving – It’s never to early to tap into the spirit of giving.  Many dentist and orthodontist offices participate in a “buy back” program that sends candy overseas to our troops, all details to be found at https://www.alaskadentalassociates.com/orthodontics-anchorage-ak/.  It might seem like somewhat of a trivial act, but it’s a great opportunity to teach your child an object lesson about giving (as well as get a lot of extra calories off of your hands!)  If you’re in Charlotte, you can drop your candy off at Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics any time before November 9.

5.  In the Name of Education – Young children love counting, sorting, and organizing games (too bad they grow out of it shortly after they hit puberty…).  Take advantage of the colorful teachable moments your Halloween candy presents to your pre-schooler.  

6.  Drive-bys are Cheating– Nothing gets on my nerves more than parents that are too lazy to walk around the neighborhood with their kids.  Unless you have some sort of medical condition that prevents you from walking, there is absolutely no reason to slowly drive behind your kids in a car.  What a horrible example to set for your children.  Get off your butt and walk around the neighborhood with your kiddos…and on a regular basis, not just Halloween!    

“You think I got this beach-worthy bod with two hands in the cookie jar? No way…”

7.  Get Candy You Don’t Like – If you’ve got kids old enough to have formed strong opinions on what candy they do and do not like, this might be easier said than done.  This is the first year that C will understand what’s going on, but in year’s past, our candy strategy has been as follows – I pick a bag, hubby picks a bag, and then we pick a bag that neigher of us like.  Admittedly we sometimes start hiding the “good stuff” at the bottom of the bucket by the end of the night, but regardless of our own attempts to sabotage ourselves, we still end up with less junk food in the house.  

8.  Stand firm – It might sound like I’m being dramatic, but don’t take Halloween lightly.  Other holidays with even more potential unhealthy temptations are lurking right around the corner.  Set some boundaries at Halloween, and you’ll enter the holiday season feeling healthy, confident and strong.  Cave in to all the treats now, and you’ll open the door for a whole slew of tricks in the coming months.  

What are your family’s stances on Halloween candy?  Do you set limitations on the amount of candy you and your children are allowed to consume?  Are there any other strategies you employ to have a healthy and happy Halloween?  Join the discussion by leaving a comment below – and you’ll automatically be entered to win a box of Clif Kid bars (in their seasonal Full Moon Brownie flavor!)  Remember those “healthy alternatives” I mentioned in the  very 1st tip – these tasty treats would be a PERFECT nutrition-filled option for your child’s Halloween party…The contest will run through Thursday, October 25, when a winner will randomly be selected and notified.  Good luck to all, and Happy Halloween!

Share

Green Hour Craft Project: Bio-degradable Bird Feeder!

Miscellaneous.
7 Comments.

C on quality control duty as well overseeing the supplies…

Cragbaby and I are always looking for new craft ideas involving nature, so when I stumbled across this idea on this website, I knew it would be loads of fun for both me and C as well as the feathered friends that hang out by our kitchen window.  We decided to do it on a whim, which was perfectly fine since all the materials are stuff we had lying around the house anyway.  

It was a pretty even division of labor.  C took on the task of eating the insides of the orange while I poked and threaded the holes with the twine.  Then C filled the orange “shell” up with birdseed and I hung it from our feeder pole.  It actually added a lot to the decor – a bright orange beacon advertising to birds all over the neighborhood!  

It took a few hours before the birds dared to try out the new buffet, but C was delighted to find 2 chickadees chowing down when we sat down for lunch.  Over the next couple weeks or so, the feeder became more and more popular – we refilled it two more times before it started to get compost-y and began to disintegrate.  

 

C’s favorite part about the feeder is that he made it.  And I love the fact the fact that he’s taking pride in something that he created.  He enjoys checking on it every morning, refilling seed as needed.

My favorite part about the orange feeder is that the squirrels aren’t interested in it, as opposed to our other feeders, which are regularly desecrated by the world’s fattest squirrel.  (We have nicknamed her J-lo, in honor of her rather large, ahem, posterior.)  It’s a good thing for her that C finds watching her just as entertaining as the birds, other wise a few sessions with a paintball gun might be in order (just kidding…kind of.)  

The finished product!

This type of feeder obviously doesn’t last that long, but the good news is that they are virtually cost-free to replace (that is, if you like oranges…)  Plus, if you hang it above your garden, your plants will have a little extra nourishment from the decomposing peel every few weeks or so!  

Has anyone else experimented with a project like this?  We had a lot of fun with it, and I’d love some more ideas for something similar, especially since hungry bird season is upon us!

 

Share

Some Climbing Pics…plus VOTE FOR CRAGMAMA!

Climbing. Red River Gorge.
7 Comments.

I posted last week about the highlights from ROCKtoberfest, the annual climber’s festival that benefits the Red River Gorge Climber’s Coalition.  In that post I mentioned the fact that the whole scene was so busy I hardly had time to even think about taking any photos, never mind actually digging my camera out of my pack.  Ironically, however, part of the reason I was being pulled in a million directions was because of photos – one of my fellow Trango teammates, Dan Brayack, was hard at work shooting images of all of us climbing routes.  The photos will be use for various promotional materials for Trango, and possibly in later editions of a couple of guidebooks.  

We all had a kick out of ogling at each other’s photos (and imitating each other’s various “try-hard” faces) in the evenings at dinner and at the booth.  Dan’s camera takes about a thousand and one photos per second, so by the time the weekend was over, it’s probably safe to say that Dan had his work cut out for him.  Not to mention that he had also taken more pics just a couple of weeks prior at the New River Gorge Craggin’ Classic as well.  All of the really good ones were sent directly to the folks at Trango, so they can wade through them and figure out what images they want to use in the coming months.  However, Dan was kind enough to send me “the leftovers” for my own personal use.  (Thanks Dan!!!)

A few folks have asked to see the photos, so I figured I’d post up a few of the better ones from the ones Dan sent me (after screening for weird faces and wardrobe malfunctions, of course…)  These images were taken on three different climbs on three different days.  The first ones were from Lost Souls (5.12a), at Butcher’s Branch, New River Gorge…

The next set was from Glory Be (5.12a) at Funk Rock City, Red River Gorge…

And finally, the last couple were taken from All Things Considered (5.11d), at Military Wall, Red River Gorge…

 

It was really fun working with Dan, as he’s quite the goofball character.  😉  It was an odd feeling knowing that someone was towering above me while I was climbing, but on the flip side it was nice having someone right up there with me along with some encouraging words (and perhaps a little bit of clipping hold beta…)  Anyway, as I said, these are just the sloppy seconds, so it’s doubtful these particular shots will be used for anything other than perhaps my facebook profile, but it’s fun to have some “souvenirs” from the experience!  

Also, in completely unrelated (albeit timely) news…Cragmama got nominated for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Health and Wellness Blogs!  I’m stoked about it, and honored to be in such high quality company as some of the other blogs on the list!  Anyway, in order to actually make it into the Top 25, I have to have enough votes – that’s where you guys come in.  If you want to…Your vote would have to be out of the goodness of your heart, as I can’t promise any giveaways or rewards for voting (nor an end to unemployment or promises to cut taxes ;)).  But if you’ve enjoyed some of my posts on here, I sure would appreciate it if you would click on this link to Vote for Cragmama!  The rules actually state that you can vote once every 24 hours, so if you’re feeling bored on your lunch break next week as well, feel free to vote again.  The contest will run until November 1st, at which point the winners will be announced.  Thanks so much, guys – without loyal readers I would never have had this opportunity to begin with – you all are the best!  🙂

Share

Red River Gorge ROCKtoberfest…aka TRANGO-fest!

Climbing. Red River Gorge.
6 Comments.

Cruising Lane (5.10a)

When it comes to the age old climber’s debate between the Red and the New, our family has always sided with the New – for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it is 3 hours closer to our house.  But that’s not to say we can’t have fun at the Red every now and then.  Usually we make the trek up to ole Kentucky once or twice a year, when we’ve got an extra day or two to climb tacked onto our weekend.  This past weekend was one such weekend, although it was entirely different than previous trips to the Red.  Most notably, it was ROCKtoberfest, an annual climber’s event that raises money and awareness for the Red River Gorge Climber’s Coalition.  Well, that’s what it is on paper.  In reality it’s a chance for climbers all over the country to descend upon the Red  in swarms – to hang out, get free swag, and most importantly, touch some of the best rock in the country.  It was a whirlwind of a weekend, and probably went by faster than any other climbing trip I’ve ever been on.  Now that I’m back it seems like it was all a blur  (and NOT from too much partying – I was in bed by 11 every night ;))  That being said, here are some weekend highlights…

1.  TEAM TRANGO – This was the biggest event yet that I’ve done as part of Trango’s Grassroots Athlete Team, and it was fun to get to hang out with fellow teammates Chris Barlow and Dan Brayack, as well as the rest of the Trango crew.  Our Tenaya shoe demo on Saturday was a raging success, and we even managed to squeeze the entire demo fleet into our car on the way home for the upcoming demos in North Carolina (Inner Peaks this past Tuesday, and Triangle Rock Club coming up on October 21!)  Trango t-shirts dominated the Military Wall on Saturday, and the ground was littered with dozens of Tenaya shoes, and we all had a lot of fun meeting new people and talking shop over in the Trango booth Friday and Saturday evenings.

It appears that the Red, Pink, and Green Trango-ites are conspiring against the blue guy…

2.   HARDCORE JOLLIES (5.12a) – I started the weekend off on a good note at Funk Rock City on Friday by ticking number 11 out of hopefully twelve 5.12’s for 2012.  Hardcore Jollies starts off with a bang – techy V4-ish moves on horrible feet (and very small, shallow pockets to pull on if you’re short) for the 1st couple of bolts.  The rest of the climb is technical 5.11 face climbing on very small but very positive holds.  I had to try the start a couple of times, lowering off each time, but once I figured out the beta I climbed the rest of the route clean first go.  Since number 11 had gone down so quickly and I still had 2 days left of climbing, I was hopeful that I could maybe finish out my 5.12 goal for the year on the same trip.  But after a scary fall on a redpoint run on Glory Be (5.12a) later on that day (it ended up being no big deal thanks to a perfect, heads-up catch by my fantastic hubby), I found that I wasn’t in the right head space to send anything else hard.  

3.  ALL THING CONSIDERED (5.11d) – Dan wanted to take photos on this one, and as soon as I laid eyes on it, I was psyched to get on it.  Very atypical of the Red, this balancy tech-fest would be much more at home at the New River Gorge.  For me there was a definite crux moving over the 1st bolt, but the rest of the climb was pretty full-value as well.  After seeing a really weird picture that Dan had took of me the day before with my eyes crossed looking at a hold on Glory Be, I tried really hard not to make any strange faces this time.  My onsight attempt was botched at the lower crux, but I pulled the rope and sent second go without too much trouble.  My only complaint was that the route was too short!  Dan seemed to be really happy with the results from the shoot, so hopefully they’ll be usable for something cool!

To quote Cragbaby at Military Wall on Saturday, “We’re making a fire pit guys!”

5.  FOREARM FOLLIES (5.11d):  This was a cool route!  It was the same grade as All Things Considered, but the style of climbing couldn’t be any different!  As the name implies, this one was a pumpfest up honeycomb-like pockets for about 90 feet.  No bad holds, just a marathon of big moves to big jugs, with a crux of picking out which over-chalked pocket was the best to use.  

4.  TENAYA MASAI – This weekend was my first chance to really put my new Masai’s to the test.  These shoes are designed to excel at technical face routes that hover around vertical, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they performed.  I hadn’t sized them very tight, as I had them in mind mostly for long trad routes where comfort is a big factor.  My first impression was that they would probably be good at smearing, but felt way too comfortable to reliably edge on a dime.  I used them on Cruising Lane (5.10a), a classic finger crack that showcased their smearing ability (and also served as a painful reminder that I haven’t done enough crack climbing recently).  But the real shock was how well they smeared, edged, (and shmedged!) on Hardcore Jollies and All Things Considered – my feet felt secure the entire time, and my toes weren’t screaming by the time I clipped the chains.  These shoes are proof that performance doesn’t have to mean 3 sizes too small – I can’t wait to take these shoes out to Red Rocks in a few weeks!  

C enamored by the crate-stacking competition on Saturday night…

5.  FUZZY UNDERCLING (5.11b) – This is one of those quintessential routes that everyone touts as a must-do for the Red, so I was glad to finally have an opportunity to get on it.  The verdict?  It was a good route and was definitely fun, but to be honest I don’t see what all the commotion is about.  I’ve been on numerous other routes at the same grade that are way more consistent and classic (“King Me” at Eastern Sky Bridge, for example.)  The start seemed ridiculously hard and polished for the grade, and the rest was a pumpy romp on funky, gigantic 5.10 jugs.  

All in all, the weekend was pretty fast-paced, and I felt like I was being pulled in a million different directions (all fun…)  I had visions of grandeur in which I would be tweeting and posting updates from the event in real time from the booth and from the crag, but sitting down now I realized I never even got a picture of all of Team Trango together, and my pictures from the crag are terrible.  Oh well.  Dan was really pleased with his photos, so maybe in a few weeks I’ll do a “Part 2” re-cap with nothing but photos?  Steve was an awesome husband and dad and took care of C in the evenings, which freed me up to play the role of booth babe for Trango.  Our plan was very successful, but by the end of the weekend I was really missing time in the tent with my two favorite guys!  ROCKtoberfest as a Trango athlete was definitely a neat experience that I was happy to be a part of.  I’d love to do it again…but not next week.  Gotta catch up on some family snuggle time first.  🙂  

 

Share
“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN