It was an awesome day for making mud pies... or burgers

I finally moved over our outside toy kitchen near the dirt pile normally used for monster trucks.  The plan is to make the ultimate mud pie station.  Nuki insisted on making mud patties & burgers.  Not sure why but mud pies were just out of the question today.  Baby Roo chilled out in the swing while we squished our toes in for a bit.

Kale Festival - February

Add to the list of things to check out next year.  Was a lot of fun.... and free food!

http://www.sdpeacegarden.org/Peace_Garden/about_us.html

Resurrecting Childhood

I am doing my best recently to make my son get really creative in his play.  I realized that when I turned the TV off and left him to his own devices he was able to create all kinds of things to play with. Usually the most simple things work the best.  Baskets, large cardboard boxes, blankets for forts, and rocks - yes rocks.  Sometimes the TV seems easier... and can be a great tool, but letting them get bored in order to be creative while they are young is sure to help patterns when they are older.

Be careful what you teach

Just Read : Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne

Get on the bandwagon.  It's good stuff.  http://www.facebook.com/Simplifymyhomelife

October Craft - Footprint Art - Candy Corn

Gotta do this... this week.

Pumpkin Patch Options

Something overtakes me when the weather changes and Fall begins to show.  Halloween may be my favorite holiday... even more than Christmas.  Before I had children I always dressed up and went out with my friends to the best house parties around.  Now that life is over... but I make the whole month making pumpkin everything and going out of my way to drill everything Halloweenie to my little ones.  We go to at least 3 pumpkin patches for a fun run around that isn't the typical park situation.  I also like  to take pictures in their Halloween costumes in the patch.  The final pumpkin patch trip is the whole family and we've been making it tradition to go with some friends of ours and their kids.  LOVE this month.  Here are some of my favorite patches in San Diego....

TLC Pumpkin Patch in Tierra Santa - This place is small and rustic and I really like it.  Best of all it's not on the "pumpkin patch" lists when you google or look around for them which means limited people.

 http://tlcpumpkinpatch.com/storytime-in-the-pumpkin-patch.html  

This year I also like Summer Past Farms in the Foothills of East County in the community of Flinn Springs.  I went on a weekday- the 18th and there was nobody there which is kinda amazing since it is totally badass.  http://www.summerspastfarms.com/

Still need to check out Suzies Farms Pumpkin Palooza.  http://www.suziesfarm.com/index.php?/site/orderOnline/#ecwid:category=917666&mode=product&product=15582962