Members for 14 years, countless visits, first name basis with most the animals, kiddos were looking forward to Summer Camps, and then, bam, Covid-19 hit! Zoo closed. Sure we appreciated & enjoyed watching the Facebook Videos and seeing and learning more about some of our favorite animals during quarantine but it wasn’t the same. So once we got the ah-mazing news that the zoo would be reopening we couldn’t wait! Read more
Why did we stop using these again?! Before there was texting, messenger, twitter, Instagram, & Facebook there was the chalkboard! The classic means of sending a message to passerby’s, a classroom, friend, etc. Chalkboard & Chalk Markers are our new obsession…they’re a minimalist mom’s dream come true! Read more
Two months and three weeks!!! Ask any child and they could probably give you the time and their exact location when they heard the news that playgrounds were officially closed. March 22, 2020, Gov. Mike DeWine closed all public playgrounds in Ohio in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The next day playgrounds everywhere looked like crime scenes, with yellow caution tape draped where kiddos once climbed, slid, & swung. And for the next two month and three weeks we’d walk past the playgrounds at parks fondly remembering endless hours spent at play and longing for those days to return! And return they have, playgrounds opened today! And we didn’t waste a second……
We got up early and hit as many playgrounds as we could!
As we walked up the hill towards the playground I literally thought my youngest might burst from enthusiasm! But once she was face-to-face with the playground she froze for a moment, looked back at me for reassurance, & I gave her the “go for it” nod, and she climbed up, ran over, slid down, and repeated before the rest of us even officially made it all the way up the hill, lol!
We were the only ones at the playground for a while and then another mother and her daughter joined us. The kiddos ran, climbed, laughed, jumped, swung, you could literally feel the joy in the air. I sat on the picnic bench and for the first time in months I can honestly say it felt like pre-pandemic time, it felt amazing, it felt normal!
Address: 4659 Airport Hwy, Toledo, OH 43615
Phone: (419) 407-9758
Website: https://metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/swan-creek
Amenities: Restrooms, swinging bridge, picnic shelters, & playgrounds
Where: 4139 Girdham Rd, Swanton, OH 43558
Phone: (419) 360-9179
Website: https://metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/oak-openings/
Amenities: Endless…picnic areas, playgrounds, shelters, horseback riding, camping grounds, restrooms, etc.
Address: 10001 Central Ave, Berkey, OH 43504
Phone: (419) 360-9179
Website: https://metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/secor-metropark/
Amenities: Restrooms (one next to the playground has been removed), picnic areas, sheltered picnic area, window on wildlife (not open yet)
Last playground….
This was the perfect last stop of the day, we had the secret forest all to ourselves, it was so beautiful and peaceful.
Address: 5403 Elmer Drive Toledo, Ohio 43615
Phone: 419-270-7500
Website: https://metroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/toledo-botanical-garden/
Hours: Open 7 a.m. until dark every day
Amenities: Picnic area adjacent as well as restrooms
And them home to cool off & play on the water blob….
Today was a great day!
Click here https://momonthegoinholytoledo.com/2018/04/22/10-awesome-playgrounds-in-nw-ohio-se-michigan/ for a list of some more awesome playgrounds to take the kiddos to this summer (please note, some are located in Michigan and may not be open yet).
Did you visit any playgrounds today or have plans to in the near future? Do your kiddos have a favorite playground they are excited to visit?
Rent the Chicken
Vegetable gardens, compost pile, chickens, oh my! Now those are some serious backyard goals, right!? But, what better way for children to learn about the lifecycle of plants and appreciation for their food than by growing and raising it themselves!? And with the weather finally warming up, ground is thawed, and days are getting longer, tis the season to begin to get these projects underway! While the vegetable garden and compost pile are fairly painless, I have to be honest; I don’t know the first thing about how to make a chicken coop or how to raise chickens, lol! But, check this out, you can rent EVERYTHING!!!
Glitter, multi-colored, with googly eyes, frogs…how do your kiddos like their Goo & Slime?
Slime, parents like it because it’s educational and kiddos love it because it’s totally satisfying! I know nothing gets my kiddos gathered around the table faster than the opportunity to make a batch of Slime and/or Goo!!
With the uncertainty and restricted movement brought by the Coronavirus pandemic, you need to find time for yourself. Many parents have a great sense of duty, and they spend time giving attention to everyone else with little breaks for themselves. However, everyone needs some time to breathe, relax, and recharge. If you want to pamper yourself after an exhausting day, here are a few things you can for yourself and your happiness! Read more
Fish out of water! There I stood in front of the school, dropping off the kiddos’ final packets into the bin. As the last paper escaped my grip I felt a coolness fall over my body, I could hear my heart pounding in my head, and it was as if I forgot how to breathe as the realization of, “now what?” sunk in. The kiddos have been home since March, which has been exhausting, but thankfully their classwork continued via packets, Google classroom, Zoom, etc. But now what? Now that they’ve been home for a few months it feels like they should be going back to school, but they’re not, they’re home for 12 MORE WEEKS! I literally felt like a fish out of water, gasping for air, desperate to be thrown back, and rejoin my school. As I drove home I knew what I had to do, have a glass of wine, a good cry, and come up with a solution! Read more
Looking for clever ways to incorporate more veggies into your kiddo’s diet? Perhaps you’re looking for ways to stretch what little meat you were able to score at the grocery store? Or, maybe you just wanna get out of that meal planning rut? Whatever your reason for trying these Low-Carb Eggplant Roll-Ups I can guarantee you one thing, they will go fast!
After being quarantined for eternity the last thing we WANT to do is spend one more day indoors! We want to get outside, take bike rides as a fam, pack a picnic, go on scavenger hunts, etc. And to be honest, I think most of us would legit keep our outdoor plans if the forecast just calls for scattered rain showers…we will legit get a bit wet, shoot, we’ll get soaked, but lightning, thunder, a storm is something different. Thus, when the forecast calls for storms here’s an awesome fun activity the entire fam will enjoy! Read more
With pools officially closed for the summer, and libraries, museums, playgrounds, & zoos still not opened what’s a parent supposed to do with the kiddos this summer? Here’s a list of some fun activities/ideas to get you started…..
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 