momonthegoinholytoledo

Fulton County Fair: Best Fieldtrip EVER!

September 6, 2015September 6, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Staples on our grocery list include, eggs, cream, goat cheese (I am totally obsessed!), butter, ground beef, bacon or pork sirloin, spinach, carrots, etc. We simply go to Costco and buy those said products. Then to my chagrin, the kids come home from school open the fridge & act like those food items just magically appeared there all on their own. Thus, what better way to teach kiddos to appreciate all the hands, hard work, effort, and energy that go into raising, growing, and preparing their food then visiting the Fulton County Fair! (The rides, games, food, entertainment, etc. would all just be bonuses on our educational fieldtrip ;)).

The day of our “fieldtrip” to the Fulton County Fair started of wet. We awoke to rain. Kiddos had assumed we wouldn’t go. Do farmers call off work on account of rain? Nope! They still need to tend the farm, feed animals, clean stalls, etc. So I told the kiddos to grab their hats. The older ones understood the concept of the baseball cap but the youngest came downstairs wearing this hat, lol!

After we all had rain friendly hats we were off come rain or shine, to the Fulton County Fair!!!

First stop when we arrived, restrooms, second, a huge dose of reality!! We stopped in all the barns, steer, swine, baby animals (took everything in me not to take one of those adorable puppies!!), sheep, goat, etc.

The children not only got to soak in all the cutest of the animals but also the gravity of the responsibility. There were a lot of children their ages competing and washing, brushing, and caring for the various animals. We talked about the fact that when they are often chilling on Saturday mornings playing on their screens these children are getting up early to tend to the animals….they aren’t building pretend farms on Minecraft they are helping to maintain REAL farms!

They are feeding the animals, cleaning the animals, removing their waste, and eventually they often have to say goodbye to the animals when they are sent away to become food for us. (I try my best to be as honest as possible with my kiddos…age appropriate in my descriptions, but honest none the less). And just when I thought the reality was sinking in and my city folk kids were beginning to understand were our foods come from and all the amazing families/people who make it possible my son made the following comment “Look mom, this is a REAL pig!”

Because all the other ones weren’t real? Lol! Apparently in his mind and mostly because all the books we have read show “real” pigs as being pink. Thanks to a visit to the Fulton County Fair we have debunk that myth! Haha!

Well, it is a work in progress. But I can tell you this much, there was no food waste at breakfast this morning, everyone’s eggs & bacon were eaten. And there was no arguing over whom had to clean up the dog poop (funny how dog poop doesn’t seem like an imposition when compared to cow & horse poop!) Perhaps more sunk in than I had thought?

After seeing all those animals we were hungry (I realize the timing of that comment sounds gruesome but it was like 1:30 in the afternoon and we hadn’t had lunch yet). So we ate! Best part about the Fair, everyone can eat what they want! Cheeseburger, BBQ chicken, etc.

Then we played! Kiddos played games and rode rides.

Then we were on the hunt for the BEST milkshakes! This is when it would have been nice if we printed off the map. Stopped for a photo op in front of the Tractors…so many tractors…I had no idea there we so many different sizes, colors, years, types, etc.

We did eventually locate the milkshakes…turns out we walked past it like 4 times! LOL! And then after our major accomplishment of locating and purchasing the shakes I had to take a pic to commemorate…..they were not amused! Haha!

And then they rode a few more rides and played a few more games. We all had an absolute BLAST!! We highly recommend y’all visit the Fair!! Fulton County Fair Sept 4-10^th Click here for more info

Here are a few tips to make your Fair visit much more enjoyable:

1-Print off the Map-once you are physically in the Fair it is overwhelming and you could miss out on something and/or find it difficult to locate something, thus have a map!

2-Budget beforehand….how much will you be spending at the Fair and where will that money be allocated.

3-Talk to your kiddos ahead of time about how many rides/games they can enjoy (kiddos could even potentially be earning said rides & games weeks before the Fair via extra work around the house or selling old toys/clothes to second hand stores…any excuse to de-clutter!!).

4-Have a meeting place in case anyone gets lost!!

5- Do checkout the itinerary and jot down some times to keep in mind and then most importantly, Have fun!

Cat Chat Concert (Organic & no GMO way to Nourish Your Kiddo’s Soul)

September 3, 2015September 17, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Total confession, 6 years ago I would have told you there was no correlation between the people, media, music, etc. in my life or the impact that my media, music, etc. decisions had on my children. Shoot, I thought it was cute when my child started singing Poker Face by Lady Gaga and music in that same genre. That is until I had the opportunity to attend a very inspiring presentation, and it was during that presentation that I had an authentic aha moment!

The gist of the presentation was about the pest, weeds, and chemicals that can harm our children’s psyche. Funny how we worry so much about the pesticides, GMOs, additives, etc. our children could potentially consume but focus little attention on the nourishment of their souls. I am sure you are familiar with the expression, ‘you are what you eat’. Well this presentation addressed the fact that you are what you listen to & watch, mind-blowing right!?!

So, take a moment to reflect and consider the nourishment you are feeding your children’s souls. Are they listening and watching positive, encouraging, & uplifting programing?

Wouldn’t it be awesome if they could watch and listen to entertaining programing that also enriched their souls? That helped their spirits grow closer to Christ? Now that’s what I call organic nourishment!! And that is precisely what Cat Chat offers children.

What is Cat Chat?

Gerald & Denise Montpetit are the founders and creators of Cat.Chat Productions. They have 5 children who are actively involved in the ministry.

They operate as a family owned ministry/business under the guidance of their local Bishop.

With a creative and talented team of graphic and web designers, illustrators, writers, compilers, editors, producers, musicians and singers, Cat.Chat strives for excellence in every aspect of the ministry.

Celebrating their 10th year of operation in 2011, Cat.Chat has created a bank of Catholic music and resources that have proven to be ‘classics’ for families, schools and churches.

CLICK here to hear a sample of Cat Chat music

TV Series

Cat.Chat has teamed up with EWTN, the largest religious network in the world! They have filmed 8 exciting 30 min. theme based episodes for their 1^st season and recently filmed SEASON 2 of Cat.Chat in August 2014 at EWTN. Stay Tuned for more details and the release date of the DVDs and Broadcast times on EWTN.

If you don’t have EWTN on Satellite/cable, watch it live online at http://www.ewtn.com/Live/unicorn/jwplayer.asp?feed=domenglivepage

Concerts

The Cat.Chat family and Moses the Cat have performed over 500 concerts in the past 9 years for parishes, schools and Catholic events/conferences across the USA and Canada. Audiences have been “WOWED” by The Cat.Chat family’s unique blend of faith and lively entertainment. And they are coming to Toledo!! September 19^th @ 1:30pm at Blessed Sacrament Parish.

Each concert brings children into a refreshing experience of faith and challenges kids to make Jesus the center of their lives. The 1h and 20min concert is filled with powerful music, dynamic teachings, crowd participation, unicycling, juggling, yo-yos and loads of fun. The songs and teachings help kids learn about Jesus, Mary, the Sacraments, the Saints, perseverance and the fruits of the Spirit. After the concert, the Cat.Chat family and Moses the Cat stick around to take photos, sign autographs and “chat”.

Cat Chat Toledo Concert Event!!

TOLEDO SEPTEMBER 19th @ 1:30pm at Most Blessed Sacrament Parish

To order Tickets click HERE

Tickets are priced perfectly for families!! Why not make an afternoon of it….Invite friends, pack a picnic, eat at Close Park, kiddos can play on the playground, and then walk over to the concert!!

Escape to this FREE PlayScape & SprayScape!!!

September 2, 2015June 7, 2017momonthegoinholytoledo

I picked up the kiddos from school yesterday and totally surprised them with an impromptu road trip to Plymouth Dream PlayScape & SprayScape!! It was a scorcher yesterday & just the thought of a Sprayscape sounded refreshing but you know what was even more refreshing than that? The fact that it’s FREE!!

I packed an after school snack for the drive up and dinner to have later. The trip was so smooth, NO CONSTRUTION!! Woot! Woot! We belted out a few tunes and before we knew it we had arrived at 46640 Ann Arbor Trail, just east of Beck Road, Plymouth Township Dream PlayScape & SprayScape!!

First stop, Dream PlayScape!! And what a PlayScape it is!!

It is huge! There is so much to do for all ages! There are swings and a play area for the toddlers and preschoolers….

There are so many towers for all the Princesses & Knights to climb up to….the children could escape the realities of back-to-school and allow their imaginations to run wild in this Dream PlayScape.

Talk about great exercise, there are so many climbing apparatuses…and the sheer size of the structure barricades any possibility of boredom!

I even found myself climbing around, why should the kids have all the fun? Lol!

After all that climbing, swinging, running, jumping, sliding, hopping, etc. around the kids were drenched with sweat….thank goodness for the SprayScape over yonder!

The Sprayscape is designed to accommodate all ages and is open seven (7) days a week beginning the Saturday of Memorial weekend through Labor Day of each year. Daily operating hours of the Sprayscape are: 10 AM to 7:30 PM.

The park itself is also gorgeous, parents will enjoy the LandScape! There are picnic areas, a baseball field, stream, shaded areas, hills, clean restrooms, etc.

So pack a picnic and escape, because sometimes adults need to escape the chaos of life too & unwind, become one with nature, enjoy time with your kids, and return home rejuvenate.

So, if you are looking for the PERFECT ESCAPE this weekend make a trip to Plymouth Township Park’s PlayScape & SprayScape!

While in Plymouth you might want to also checkout…. 3&Up Board Game Lounge , My Seg Adventures (for the older crowd), Plymouth Historical Museum

Food Yoga: Stretch Your Meals with these SIMPLE Recipes (Paleo/Gluten Free)

August 30, 2015August 30, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Back-to-school means getting back into a routine, having dinner before 10pm, and stretching my recipes!!

It feels so good to be back into a routine. The household just runs so much smoother when we have routine; everyone’s temperament is calmer, more enjoyable, including moms! We are slowly working our way back to a 6:30pm dinner time as opposed to our sporadic summer break schedule where we eat dinner at 5pm one day and 9pm the next. And most importantly back to school means I stretch my recipes so that there is plenty left for the lunchboxes the next day. But let’s be honest, what’s the point in stretching/doubling the recipes if the kids won’t eat it in the first place? Which is why I am sharing this meal with you, not only did the kiddos eat all this up for dinner but they also enjoyed it for breakfast and for lunch the next day! So you can cook once and they eat 3 times, now that’s what I call good time management!

Crispy Chicken Strips (Serve 8-12)

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips (can usually get 4-6 strips from each breast)

3 eggs

2 cups almond flour

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet

Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk

Place chicken strips in the bowl with the eggs

In separate bowl mix Almond flour, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, & pepper

Remove chicken strips from eggs one at a time and place into dry ingredients bowl, coat chicken with dry ingredients

Remove from dry ingredients and place on parchment paper

Once all the chicken has taken a wet & dry bath and are on the parchment paper place in oven, bake for 20-25 minutes flipping half way. Bake till there is a golden brown coating on the chicken.

While chicken is baking why not make some refreshing Cucumber Salad. This is such a simple and refreshing recipe.

Cucumber Salad (Again, I make a lot, and you will see why….this would easily serve 8-12 people)

Ingredients:

2 large English cucumbers sliced

1 red onion diced

1-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup avocado oil

3-4 twist of the Himalayan pink salt, just to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a bowl and place in fridge till mealtime. (My kiddos like it really cold & I usually make it 20 minutes before we eat so I place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before I toss the ingredient in)

And eveyones favorite, dessert!! This is another really simple recipe that tastes delectable.

Chocolate Banana Cake (serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

½ cup coconut oil

4 eggs

½ cup cacao powder

4 bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup maple syrup

Few slices of banana or strawberry to place on top (optional)

Directions:

Dump all ingredients in food processor and mix till everything is blended well and there are no chunks.

Grease round cake pan with coconut oil and pour cake mixture into pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for ½ hour (till it is firm)

Let it cool for a few minutes and then slice!

And this is how I Food Yoga a.k.a. stretch meals!…..

So, that delicious Chocolate Banana Cake we had for dessert also doubles for breakfast the next day. What child is opposed to cake for breakfast!? I like the fact that it is filled with protein, potassium, healthy fat, & the cacao powder is a great antioxidant!

Remember those crispy chicken strips that I made for dinner? Well, I make 8-12 servings so that we can have them for lunch the next day; they pack easily in the kiddo’s lunch boxes. I usually add a slice of cheese, fruit and veggie…and lunch is packed! Easy breezy!!

Lastly, remember the cucumber salad? Simply add 1 tomatoes, 1 pepper, and 1 avocados and you have a side for dinner the next day! Voila! And that is how I Food Yoga/Stretch a meal! Do you Food Yoga? Have a favorite recipe? Please feel free to share/add a link to your recipe.

A New Kind of 1st Day of School Pic

August 26, 2015August 26, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

BIG day today!! 1^st day of school for my 4^th & 2^nd graders!! They each have awesome teachers and kind kiddos in their classes, thinking this is going to be a fabulous year! Of course we did the classic 1^st day of school pics.

And then I got to thinking, I have pics of myself as a child on the first days of school. Sadly I have probably only looked at them a handful of times, maybe less (what can I say, I have been busy, lol!). But what I would really be interested in, especially now that I am experiencing this whole back-to-school venture from the other end, is a photograph of my mom on the first days of school and a few tidbits about what she is up to each year. How cool would that be? So here goes…..this is for my kiddos in the future, one day they will appreciate this, or at least have a good laugh. Whose with me? If you’re in, post your back-to-school pic on the Facebook page, Mom on the go in Holy Toledo or #momsbacktoschoolpic on Twitter, who knows maybe there will be a giveaway involved. 😉 What fun tidbit would you like to know about your mom when she was your age?

Au revoir RedBall Project & 2015 Christmas Card Reveal

August 24, 2015August 24, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” (J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan) This quote seemed rather appropriate given all the childlike fun I have been experiencing with the Toledo Museum of Art’s exhibition, Play Time exhibition and its recent installation, #RedBallProject. I honestly can’t remember the last time I had the opportunity to allow my imagination to soar to such heights, and with the company of my children. It has been a remarkable bonding experience. With each visit to Play Time I could literally feel the layers of adulthood, the layers that were holding my childlike imagination & spirit captive slowly shedding. It has been such a magnificent experience and it saddens me to have to see it come to an end (Play Time officially end Sept. 6^th). We started our goodbyes yesterday, by bidding #RedBallProject farewell, it was bittersweet. Thankfully, unlike Peter Pan we will never forget, after all this is Toledo, not Neverland & we will always have the remarkable images as our treasures to remind of the summer of 2015, when mom became one of the kids!

As if saying goodbye wasn’t already hard enough, the location where we would be saying goodbye to RedBall is one near and dear to my heart (and SO perfect given its next stop, France!). It is a location that one will find quite frequently in my memory treasure chest. The TMA Peristyle Terrace under Hector Guimard 1900 ‘Paris Métro Entrance is where I requested that our Wedding Photographer take our picture. He thought I was crazy; all the other brides want the perfect photographs by the columns. He probably was right, I am a little crazy, but I wanted something different, unique, our own, and he humored me (we also have some sweet ones of the Wedding Party on the Tire Swing!!).

Fast forward 8 or so years and we were finally going to take family pics for our Christmas card (up until then I only had the kids on the card). What better place than the TMA Peristyle Terrace, Hector Guimard 1900 ‘Paris Métro Entrance!?

Thus, given our history with the TMA Peristyle Terrace, Hector Guimard 1900 ‘Paris Métro Entrance there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to get some farewell pics with the RedBall! And I also saw this as the perfect opportunity to take our 2015 Family Christmas card pic. So, without further adieu, our Christmas Card pic for 2015 (dad got squished by the ball) and many more awesome Farwell pics with RedBall…..

“Good bye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end, but in my heart is the memory and there you will always be.” (Walt Disney Company)

We shall treasure the memories always, at the Glass Pavilion & Boyd’s Retro Candy Store.

Au Revoir #RedBallProject! Have fun in France!!

I Managed to Caption this: RedBall is up to its old TWIX!

August 22, 2015August 22, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

The #Redball Project was at Boyd’s Retro Candy Store this afternoon & there was no way I was passing up an opportunity ~~for candy~~ to get some epic pics with the KING-SIZED RedBall, and CANDY! So my 3 MUSKETEERS and I hit the road in pursuit of the big ATOMIC FIREBALL!

The WHATCHAMACALLIT, RedBall, was wedged perfectly so that there were 3 optimal up-close and personal photo opportunities (thank you to the artist, Kurt Perschke for selecting such an awesome Toledo Treasure and staging the RedBall so that it could be viewed from various angles, talk about a SMARTIE).

I felt like such a NERD hoarding around the big JAWBREAKER but I wanted to make certain none of the pics were DUDS.

It was refreshing, for once, I didn’t have any SOUR PATCH KIDS when it came to getting pics, each was eager for their turn.

Then the piece de resistance, CANDY! As we entered Boyd’s Retro Candy store the CHICKLETS minds were BLOWN, POP, CANDY, & SUGAR EVERYWHERE!!

Too bad PAYDAY was still a few days off because we could have dropped some mad COIN at Boyd’s.

Body’s was packed with PEEPS! The line was literally wrapping around the store. It was like a CIRCUS, PEANUTS free of course (gotta be mindful of allergies).

We ventured back out for some more epic pics with the RedBall this time with some of our SWEETS & TARTS. We felt like STARBURST!

I grabbed a cup of Joe and then it was time for my M &M’s and me to go. We were all LAUGHY TAFFY on the way home talking about all the JOY we had, in some of the pics we felt like a NUT, MOUNDS you, in others we didn’t/don’t!

LOL! That was a BLAST to write, visit, the entire experience was, as the kids say, EPIC! Thank you for another EPIC day Toledo Museum of Art and all the PEEPS who have made Play Time possible. And huge thank you to #RedBall Project for reminding Toledoans of ALL our Towns Treasures like Boyd’s, Rudy’s Hot Dog, Farmers Market, etc.

Armstrong Air & Space Museum

August 19, 2015July 19, 2019momonthegoinholytoledo

It was a hot Tuesday afternoon in August. The in-laws had just picked up our youngest for her special day with grandma & grandpa. My sister happened to have the day off from work. We had a full tank of gas & ambitious attitudes; the stars were aligning for a fun filled, totally spur-of-the-moment ROAD TRIP!!

I am a bit of an adventure junky; I enjoy the thrill of the unknown, the enticement of the journey, and my sister is exactly the same way! So there was really no telling where we might end up. It is a good thing we don’t possess monetary wealth because we would have probably be boarding plane. Haha! Though, technically speaking the sky wasn’t our limit, space was our final destination!

Our voyage destination, Wapakoneta! We grabbed food from Tropical Smoothie Café and ate on the road (the result was the stain my son is so desperately trying to hide in the pic below, haha!) and began our voyage down orange barrel expressway, better known as I-75.

As we entered the Armstrong Air & Space Museum we were greeted by a long hallway filled with images & info of all the Ohio astronauts, 25 in all. That is a lot of Astronauts from Ohio! One has to wonder, what is it about this state that makes so many people want to leave the planet? LOL!

The hall of fame, so to speak, really perked up the kiddos attention, they were officially hooked and eager to tour the museum! First things first, after that smoothie we were all in dire need of a potty break!!

This phrase is written on the bathroom wall when you walk into the woman’s room. Bahahaha!

We has some fun washing our hands too! We hadn’t even made it beyond the restrooms and we were already having a great time. Haha!

After emptying our bladders and having a good laugh we paid admission (kids 5 & under are FREE, kids 6-12 are $4, and adults are $8….which I thought was really reasonable especially for a family) and our space exploration education began!

The kiddos learned about Sputnik, satellites & gravity, the first man in space…..

I must admit, I feel a bit bad for Alan Shepard, he was the first man in space however he is not a household name. Nor is Alexei Leonov, who accomplished the first spacewalk.

Then it got real! We learned ALL about the preparation for space and the scary fact that an emergency Earth landing might be a possibility. It was at this point that the prospect of being an Astronaut didn’t sound very enticing to our son….our daughter was still all for it! (I think she might be an adventure junky…no idea where she gets it from?)

The attractions and exhibits weren’t just for the older kiddos, they remembered the tots too! They strategically placed tactile area for the little ones in locations where the big kids might linger a little longer. Like at the Gemini Docking Simulator….

Kiddos got a kick out of learning about space food & seeing REAL moon rock!!

We watched a brief movie on the moon landing & walk. Towards the end the movie terminology took an abrupt detour and caught some of us off guard. The narrator was speaking in scientific, technical terms throughout the documentary. Then they explained that once the Astronauts were back on Earth they had to be contained in a pod for some 16-19 days for fear of contagious “moon germs”. Everyone let out a giggle, Haha! Not a day has gone by since that the kids don’t reference moon germs at some point.

After the movie I walked down the ramp a bit and heard a familiar voice from my childhood & then it all came back to me and my heart sunk a bit. There was a monitor with President Regan speaking about the tragedy that had just occurred to the Challenger.

Suddenly I was six years old again and I could hear my mother sobbing as we watched the television screen. At the time I could not entirely comprehend the magnitude of the catastrophe. Now, as an adult, mother, and after being in total awe and wonder after touring the museum and having a better understanding of all the training and strenuous preparation that Astronauts undergo it is heartbreaking to think they did not get to reap the benefits of their hard work & they risked it ALL for simply the opportunity.

Final stop, gift shop!

No trip to the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum would be complete without Astronaut ice cream!!!

The facilities are so clean! The fun continues outside!

They offer a great picnic area outside with overhead shelter from rain/direct sun.

You could easy make a day of space exploration and aerodynamic fun….pack a lunch, visit the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, enjoy lunch, and then head back on the highway to the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton!

We on the other hand had a bit of a tight schedule; we had to get home ASAP. So we hit Skyline (we don’t have any in Toledo so it really added something special to the road trip) for Coney’s to go! Yep, I said to go, lol! Can you say more stains? Haha!

It was a stupendous day of air & space exploration education I was sad to see it end. Do you need some Space? What are you waiting for?

It’s just a Red Ball? Au contraire!

August 16, 2015August 16, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

The Red Ball is HERE! It has arrived! It is in Toledo, Ohio!

Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project is part of The Toledo Museum of Art’s Play Time exhibition. The RedBall Project is a 250-pound red, inflated sculptural installation that has/will be squeezed into unexpected spaces in cities across the globe…you read correctly, THE GLOBE (and right now it is in Toledo, what!?!).

I can hear the naysayers now, what’s the big deal; it’s just a red ball? Au contraire my cynic friend, this is NOT JUST A RED BALL! It is an opportunity to experience something spectacular, something bigger than, well, the ball. It is an opportunity to be a part of history, a part of art, a part of something world renowned and a magnificent way to get to know our amazing city in the process!!

“The magnetic, playful and charismatic nature of RedBall allows the work to access the imagination embedded in all of us. On the surface, the experience seems to be about the ball itself as an object, but the true power of the project is what it can create for those who experience it. It opens a doorway to the imagination,” Perschke has said of the work. source

You can follow the RedBall Project on Twitter and Facebook…it is so awesome that I had the opportunity to take a pic with my kiddos next to the same Red Ball that families in Abu Dhabi, Paris, Toronto, Sydney, Montreal, etc. took a pic with too!! Mind blown!

Most awesome, or epic (as my 9 year old would say), summer destinations take hours, whining, complaining, potty breaks, and lots of road food to get to but this is in our own backyard! What are you waiting for? Go make history! Interact, play, bounce, and get photographed next to the REDBALL!!! (#redballproject so we can ALL see your pics…have fun with it!)

Here is the schedule of where the public can view the RedBall Project in Toledo (source):

Friday, Aug. 14: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion, 2444 Monroe St.

Saturday, Aug. 15: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Toledo Farmer’s Market, 155 S. Superior St.

Sunday, Aug. 16: 1-8 p.m., Across from Fifth Third Field, corner of Huron and Washington

Monday, Aug. 17: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Toledo Edison Building, 300 Madison Ave.

Tuesday, Aug. 18: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., ProMedica Steam Plant, Corner of Madison Avenue and Water Street. RedBall will be located in a window facing Promenade Park. The artist will discuss the role of public art in city spaces with Halona Norton-Westbrook, co-curator of the Play Time exhibition, and others during a free panel discussion at noon in Promenade Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 19: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Roulet Jewelers, alley between 405 S. Madison St. and 413 Madison St.

Thursday, Aug. 20: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., North Erie and Adams Streets, alley between 338 N. Erie St. and 340 N. Erie St.

Friday, Aug. 21: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Boyd’s Retro Candy Store, 954 Phillips Ave.

Saturday, Aug. 22: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Side Cut Metropark, Located in Lock #1

Sunday, Aug. 23: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle Terrace, 2445 Monroe St.

I left my Heart in Holland

August 14, 2015August 14, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Have you ever had a remarkable evening that is just so magnificent that you find yourself ranking all future evening against it? The ambiance, company, temperaments, entertainment, talent, etc. all perfectly combined into a symphony of euphoric splendor…now that is pure Downtown Holland, Michigan.

Our journey to splendor-ville began on a textbook summer evening. We originally planned on just staying for dinner, grabbing a cappuccino, then heading out afterward. However, as we left Curragh Irish Pub and made our way to JPs Coffee and Espresso Bar (FYI-they have THE best cappuccinos!) we stumbled upon a sign stating that there would be Street Performers downtown on Thursday evening, as luck would have it was a Thursday evening! And that is when our evening took a dramatic & insanely awesome turn!

Downtown Holland vibe is eclectic, a nice marinade of hip, artistic, high-end, family friendly, sophisticated relaxation. And we were about to spend an entire evening soaking up that vibe.

The evening was filled with an intertwinement of amazingly talented street performers with short interludes for shopping…a girls dream come true!

Our first stop, a Bluegrass Jam Session at the Holland area Arts Council! (What was so cool about this is they welcomed peeps to bring their own instruments and join in! And the fact that it was entirely FREE) We so enjoyed sitting and listening to the music, the kiddos really admired the various instruments in the session and how they all came together for an impromptu song.

Next stop, Circus Acts….Bangarang Circus

This group was AH-mazing!! They really captivated the audience and drew a huge crowd. They were so talented, there performance was perfectly choreographed with the music, absolutely fascinating…and the hoops & fabric acts were slightly scary, which only added to the excitement! We could have stayed there all night mesmerized by their talent. I literally had to bribe the kids away from these performers, WITH CANDY! (Yes, they were that good!)

The kiddos each received $5 to spend on sugary delights at the Holland Peanut Store!

Not going to lie, the kiddos had some tough decisions to make considering the fact that the store literally carried every type of candy you could imagine! And it smelled like heaven! It was too tempting; even I succumbed to the sweet heavenly delight, darn you Holland Peanut Store and all your enchanting treats!! LOL!

Since I was so good for the kids in the candy store it only seemed fair that I get my turn shopping, right!? Haha!

Next stop Moynihan Gallery & Candle-ology! I should warn you, I am a soy candle freak!

I adore soy candles (because they burn clean)…and often times the more unusual scents, thus I was like a kid in the Holland Peanut Candy Store as I walked down the Candle-ology isle sniffing practically all 100+ scents. This is THE COOLEST part, you can blend your very own candle! What!?! ( Know someone having a baby, getting married, maybe your on a romantic getaway? Why not savor the scent of the event/weekend and make a custom candle to burn for weeks to come and commemorate the event/weekend? Such an original gift idea! You can even name/label your candle!) So, after sniffing all the scents if you don’t see one you like or if you want to mix scents you can make your own! And it doesn’t take long. It is such a cool experience & highly recommended! And don’t worry about the kiddos being occupied, the shop has SO many neat gifts and cool things to look at, they will be occupied.

And, just one more quick stop for mom, at Fustini’s I can’t pass up the opportunity to sample oils and vinegars!

Their Ginger & honey balsamic is my all-time favorite, it tastes amazing on Asian salads, Ahi tuna, chicken, veggies, in a shot glass, you name it! Lol! I am obsessed!

And on with the show!

We were stopped in our tracks when we walked down the street and heard the beautiful, delicate, voices of these lovely young ladies singing Disney Princesses’ songs….yet another performer set I had to literally pull my 4 year old away from.

As we walked down 8^th street I could hear the laughter coming from the crowds watching a clown, children screaming with excitement to receive an animal balloon, people gasping in amazement as a juggler juggled knives, the soft fluttering of the wind instruments, deep hum of the cello, it was a choirs, a symphony of enchantment. It was a magical evening!

Huge thank you to ALL the performers for sharing their talents with all of us and to Downtown Holland for making us feel so welcomed and for offering such magnificent events! Planning your visit to Holland? Make certain you check out their calendar of events …who knows what kind of fun is waiting for you! Holland will steal your heart, you have been warned!! 😉