Tradition! Our Favorite Family Christmas Cookies

Neither my mother nor my grandmother liked to bake. I laugh every time someone tells me what wonderful baker my mother was. I know full well that she made Pillsbury Slice & Bake cookies, Betty Crocker brownies, Dromedary gingerbread and Jello Instant Cheesecake. I believe that was her entire repertoire. It all came from a box - except the cookies which were refrigerated. My mother said that she hated the tedious "plop plop plop" of making cookies. The only exception was the Christmas cookies that both my mother and her mother made from scratch every year.

They always made Norwegian Butter cookies. I have no idea why - we aren't of Norwegian descent. The recipe came from the Fanny Farmer cookbook. I still have the annotated copy that my grandmother gave me for my 16th birthday. She doubled the recipe, divide the dough into thirds and dyed it red and green. She then used a cookie press to create white camels, green Christmas trees and red stars. I still have her vintage cookie press, but its really hard to use. No wonder she only baked once a year!

My mother also doubled the recipe, but avoided the difficult cookie press. She refrigerated the dough and bravely rolled it out so we could make cookie cutter cookies. It's a very fragile shortbread-like dough and did not hold up well to rolling and cutting.

I now make the same recipe and refrigerate it. I then cut it into rounds and bake (after all I grew up on Slice & Bakes!) It is excellent as a thumbprint cookie dough, rolled in chopped nuts with a dollop of strawberry or raspberry jam. My kids don't like nuts so I just bake it in circles.

Oddly, the recipe calls for two cooked egg yolks. Family tradition requires turning the leftover egg whites into cornflake macaroons. This year I've made another minor break with tradition. I didn't have any cornflakes so instead I made meringues. It took 20 minutes to get nice firm peaks. I worried that I might burn out the motor of my old Sunbeam stand mixer, but it came through.  I made the meringues first and while they were sitting in the oven I made the butter cookie dough. I refrigerated it until the meringues were done and then baked the second set of cookies.

Norwegian Christmas Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Separate the eggs and hard cook the yolks.

Cream the butter and hard cooked egg yolks. Beat in the sugar and add the flour vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly. Put through a cookie press or arrange by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. I iced mine with a little powdered sugar and a dash of almond extract diluted with 2% milk. I added food color remembering my Grandma's colorful cookies.

Meringue “Forgotten Kisses” cookies

• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped semisweet chocolate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy but not at all dry. (Be careful not to over beat.) Add the sugar gradually, about 3 tablespoons at a time. When 1/2 of the sugar has been added, add the vanilla extract. Continue beating and adding remaining sugar in batches, until all of the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very shiny and tight. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Working one teaspoon at a time, push a teaspoonful of meringue from the tip of 1 teaspoon with the back of another teaspoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1-inch of space between cookies. Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and turn the oven off. Leave the cookies (undisturbed) in the oven for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, or until cookies are crisp and dry.

Per Meringue Cookie: (48); Calories: 44; Total Fat: 2.5 grams; Saturated Fat:0.5 grams; Protein: 1 gram; Total carbohydrates: 5 grams; Sugar: 5 grams; Fiber: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 3 milligrams

Re-gifting We Shall Go...

(To be sung to the tune of Jingle Bells...)

Re-gifting we shall go,
picking through our stash-
what can we give away from this pile of trash?
The socks from Sister Sue?
The mug from Uncle Bob?
What the heck was Mom thinking buying a watch fob?

OH -
Candles, soaps, cocoa tins, lots of shower gels,
Towels, socks and other things covered in jingle bells...


All kidding aside, I admit that I have re-gifted items. I consider it an admirable form of recycling. I also understand that times are tough and not everyone can afford to buy gifts.

I try to honestly inform the person when I re-gift. I tend to say something like,"I got this as a gift and I already have one. I thought you might like it." I don't hide the item away in a closet, wrap it up and try to pass it off as a new gift a year later.

Regifting can be a source of good fun between the right people. My cousin and I traded gifts in the same ducky bag for years until we couldn't tape it together any more. I've also received some packaged foods that have been circulated for at least three years. 

I started to wonder,"How long is a smoked sausage good for, anyway?"  Unlike military MREs (meals ready to eat) the shelf life is actually only about 45 days unless frozen. If you'd like to order fresh Hickory Farms gift boxes there is still time this year - so no excuses for re-gifting. Of course survivalists and folks with a quirky sense of humor might appreciate the gift of some MREs. The site states that MREs "will store for up to 5 years" which makes them  ideal for re-gifting!

My favorite re-gifting saga comes from a friend. She bought a lovely, expensive bowl for her mother-in-law. The next year her mother-in-law gave it my friend's mother (obviously forgetting who had given it to her.) My friend's mother later gave her the bowl - never knowing her daughter was the one who purchased it in the first place!

Re-gifting we shall go,
picking through our stash,
what fun it is to give away our unwanted trash!

Christmas Carols and Lullabies

"Sing me to sleep,"my little one asked as I tucked her into bed tonight.

Now, anyone who has heard me sing probably wonders how even a child could ask this. The most charitable thing that can be said for my singing is that I know all of the words. I am so terribly tone deaf that when I was young the kind-hearted director of the church choir suggested that I would be an asset to the bell choir. Translation: "keep your mouth shut." I tried to join the choir in school. I was given a special role - dancer. Again, "keep your mouth shut."

So, beyond drunkenly belting out the words to any song played in a dance club in the 1980s my singing career has been somewhat limited.  In fact, when my oldest was born I realized that I didn't know any songs - except Billy Idol's White Wedding. "There is nothing fair in this world; There is nothing sure in this world; There is nothing pure in this world...." Not exactly a lullaby.

Instead, I sang my little late November baby to sleep with Jingle Bells. When Amanda was little I would put on a Christmas CD and rock her to sleep. By the time Danielle arrived eight years later I'd learned a huge library of Christmas Carols ranging from Holly Jolly Christmas to Do You Hear What I Hear? My favorites being all of the Nat "King" Cole classics and anything from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

So, tonight, in mid-December, I was happy to oblige Danielle with a lullaby. As she drifted off to my tunelessly humming Jingle Bells, she sighed and said,"oh, my baby song..."

"Dear Friends, Family & Others..."

Title "borrowed"  from a recent episode of Modern Family...

Dear friend,

We know that we are friends. When we need to, we can talk, email or text each other. We've laughed together and maybe even cried together. We don't need to talk about our friendship.

However, today I want to remind you, quite simply, that I like YOU. I don't like you because of your intellect, your income or your looks. I like you regardless of the color of your hair or your skin, your religious beliefs or your sexual orientation. I will continue to like you if you gain weight, lose your hair or lose your job.

There is probably no single reason that we are friends. Chances are we shared common experiences that brought us together. More likely, common views have held us together. That doesn't mean that we agree on every topic. It does mean that we respect each other's right to disagree.

It is easier for me to define what I don't like in a person, than what I do. I do not like religious zealots who try to proselytize me. I don't like people who are intolerant of social or political change. I don't like people who are greedy or mean. So, thank you for not being any of those things.

Thank you for being YOU.

Happy Hannukah. Merry Christmas. Happy Kwanzaa.

Love,
Sallie

Christmas letters, blogs and other nuisances...

The BLOG has now become the dreaded Christmas letter - without the cost of postage and with the happy option of ignoring it without adding to your local landfill. I never like those chatty letters about everyone else's perfect life - with photos their immaculately groomed children grinning almost insanely, wearing matching Christmas outfits. You just know some people have been waiting all year to brag about their kids, their good fortune, etc. Of course, if my 8 year old had been to 7 countries in the past year or my 5 year old spoke fluent Mandarin I might be tempted to brag, too.

We all have a web presence now. Many of us have moved beyond what my father deemed the "narcissism" of Facebook into the admittedly more narcissistic Blog.

Now I think you want to know not just what I'm making for dinner or my thoughts at the moment, but details about these things! Hilarious, I admit. On the other hand, if you've read any of my blogs I'm NOT bragging. Bitching, maybe; but bragging, never!

We've had lots of happy moments this year, but there have been trials and tragedies as well. Let's see this blog started with the failure of our sewage ejector pump and continued through a broken hip, hospitalizations and my frustrations with Medicaid. To not acknowledge the bad times minimizes the moments of pure joy that we share. Life, like marriage, is "for better or worse."

My blog started as a way to earn a free trip to Walt Disney World - write 100 posts and get admitted into the MomBloggers club which gets me an inside track to free trips (as long as I blog about them....)  I'm at 59 posts. To my amazement my most recent stats have me at 4,651 "views" - paltry compared to a friend that got 25,000 in  day! However I am proud of my modest success. I think I have to abandon the free Disney dream.  I enjoy writing. As I have admitted, this is the "online diary of a middle aged Mom." However, I can't write about why you should buy all of your gifts through Amazon.com or subscribe to an online shopping service.

Sometimes I'm maudlin, self-pitying or angry. Sometimes I'm introspective or even funny. But, I'm never for sale so bye-bye free trip to Disney. Hello, 2012! Wonder what I'll write about next year...

Reusable Coffee Cup Sleeve

Try this super easy craft with your kids!

Step1: treat yourself to a fancy to go coffee from someplace like Starbucks

Step 2: remove the cardboard holder and unstick the ends; wash out the now empty cup
Step 3: trace the holder onto stiffened felt (available at Hobby Lobby)
Step 4: cut along the pattern

Step 5: wrap felt around the cardboard cup
Step 6: glue the ends together using Felt Glue and pin until dry

Step 7: decorate with stick on "Felties", ribbon or fabric paints
Step 8: annoy your local barista by ordering ten $5 gift cards to go with all of the sleeves you've made...

Happy Holidays!

Not Your Average Under $10 Gift Ideas for 2011

With Black Friday approaching it's time to start thinking about holiday shopping. I have a huge holiday gift list - 37 people, not including the 4 under my own roof. I know, I know...the easiest way to save money at this time of year is to cut people off the list. I could; but I won't.

I also know the "cheapest" gift is home baked goods. I love to bake, but I typically avoid this gift. In the first place, it's labor intensive. Can you imagine baking 37 dozen cookies?!? That's 444 cookies, my friends.

In the second place, I think people aren't really considering the cost of the ingredients they use. A nice tin or box costs about $3 which I agree is inexpensive. However chocolate isn't cheap, neither is butter. A batch of cookies, depending on the type, probably costs $2-5 to bake plus the cost of the packaging.  It is a personal and heartfelt gift. I like the idea, but I need back up plans for this busy time of year.

Purchased food is always an option, assuming you know the recipient's personal tastes. For instance, I detest chutneys and jellies. If I received these as a gift they would go straight to the local food bank. I know other people who love these items.  Women assume that everyone loves chocolate, but my husband could take it or leave it. He'd rather get nuts or something salty. However most people have family or guests who will gladly eat up the things they pass along.

You can also buy plants, ornaments, small kitchen items....I like to receive cut flowers, but some folks are allergic. Plants are theoretically a longer lasting gift. Unless the recipient, like me, forgets to water them regularly.

A teacher once told me that she has an entire box of Christmas ornaments that her students had given her. While she treasured them she didn't use them on her tree - she's Jewish! 

Our babysitter said that her mom (a teacher at my daughter's elementary school) typically receives multiple dish towels and potholders which they turn around and donate to the local soup kitchen. Nice of them. but probably not what the givers intended.

When I searched for inexpensive gift ideas I came up with the predictable soaps, candles, candy, mugs, note papers and socks... If I could knit I might make socks or mittens. But I can't. Aloe infused socks are a possibilty for the dance teachers since their feet take a beating.

I like the idea of gifts that are both practical and whimsical or unique if possible. Here are some off the beaten track ideas that I've come up with. These are suggestions for adults. There are lots of toys and books for children that cost less than $10; you don't need my suggestions. And as far as I can tell all that teenagers want is cash and no matter how much you give them it won't be enough.

These could be stocking stuffers or inexpensive gifts. If you are considering ordering online ALWAYS search the site name and "free shipping code" before ordering. Shipping costs will push these items over the $10 limit. Order from Amazon and you can normally get free super saver shipping with a $25 purchase. If you register and shop through GoodShop a they will make a donation to the charity of your choice. Consider one of these:

•  Instead of another picture frame consider ordering a Cable photo holder from Amazon. Available in several colors. It's about 5 feet long and comes with 8 magnets.
•  How about a stapler that doesn't need staples? Try the Pencil Grip The Classics Staple Free Stapler, (less risky for the little ones). It will only attach 2-5 sheets of paper, but that should work fine for homework, tests, etc. Pier One also carries a panda staple-free stapler for $5.
• Try a variation on the traditional pen and pencil set - You can get a  Smencil and Smen (smelly pen) Set for $5. I've found these at Michael's, Target and other local stores.
• Colored mechanical pencils from Crate & Barrel are available online only for $8.95
• or Smencils - pencils that smell good and are made from recycled materials. You can get a pack of 5 for $7
• These Drumstick pencils   are a little pricey at $8 for a pair, but fun and still functional
• To go with the pencils how about a battery operated pencil sharpener? You can pick one up at most grocery stores for about $4.
• A box of tea bags is okay - a tea infuser stick is cool if the person uses loose tea. There are several brands to chose from. I liked the Crate & Barrel model because it pulls apart rather than hinges so it is easier to use and clean.
•  If you know the person's hobbies you can go for a themed gift. Pier One sells a trio of golf club shaped pens for $5. You can get sports team playing cards for $7 if the person is a fan. (I had to chose NFL Atlanta Falcons Playing Cards since I'm from Atlanta, but there are lots of others.) 
• I think a tiny USB car charger is potentially useful for most people...
• I am also intrigued by the Credit Card Size Survival Pocket Tool. Among other things it claims to include: 1) Can Opener 2) Knife Edge 3) Screwdriver 4) Ruler 5) Cap Opener...
• Do something nice by ordering an item that supports a cause. Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade retailer with dozens of unique items for under $10.
• These silly file folders from Crate & Barrel won't fit in a stocking, but should bring a smile.

•  Visit One Hope Wines - While these wines exceed my dollar limit, they are worth mentioning for someone special. Half of the profits from each bottle are donated to charity. The site is very clear and specific about the amount of the donation - and you can even select your own charity to receive a portion.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

The Santa Claus Syndrome

What is it about a mall Santa Claus that turns parents into idiots?  We've all seen it - the crying children with the parents desperately pleading for a smile.  One of the funniest Christmas cards I've ever received was from my friend Kerrianne. It featured her adorable twin girls sitting on Santa's lap - each lunging in opposite directions with looks of terror on their faces. Fall on the floor funny. However, the kids will probably be in therapy some day.

Just Google "santa with scared children" and you'll come up with hundreds of images.  Here are some of the funniest I've found. http://www.bite.ca/bitedaily/2010/12/top-10-photos-of-traumatized-kids-on-santas-lap/

Have you ever seen the famous Santa Claus scene in the 1983 movie, A Christmas Story? If you haven't seen it, spend three minutes to watch this YouTube clip. It sums up the basic insanity of lining children up to sit on a strange man's lap. Any other time of year we'd drag our kids away as quickly as possible.

Santa arrived at our local mall on Sunday. I accidentally witnessed it. I was on the second level with Danielle & one of her little friends so we could look down as Santa rode a tiny train through the mall. I thought it was charming. The two kids were terrified. The literally covered their ears and hid behind me. So much for photos with Santa this year - guess I just saved 20 bucks.

Other, less emotionally volatile kids, were lined up to be among the first to see Santa. I was horrified by how some of them were dressed. I wished I'd been able to sneak out my camera phone so you could see some of the hideous things these poor children were forced into. Kevin said I should have boldly walked up and said,"Your daughter's outfit is so distinct, unique (substitute your own superlative...) Do you mind if I take a picture to show my Mom?"

I'm torn between which was worse - the 3 or 4 year old boy forced to wear a green velvet little Lord Fauntleroy suit (cringe) or the 7 or  8 year old girl who was apparently wearing her mother's vintage 1970s Christmas outfit complete with white leather jazz oxfords. This poor unfortunate child was dressed in nifty black and white checked overalls with a large Santa applique and a red turtleneck.  I'm hoping that there was a family tradition or at least a funny story to explain this sartorial disaster. At five Danielle has enough fashion sense to fight her way out of such an atrocious outfit. Honestly, people, these were bad looks way back when. Trust me, they have not improved with time.

My thought for the day," Going to see Santa is scary enough,

don't add to the horror by dressing your children like demented elves."

Cape Cod with Two Kids and a Wheelchair: Outer Cape

Wellfleet, Truro & Provincetown

Amanda in her new glasses

We spent a week on the Outer Cape - Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown. It's a great area for kids, but a little tough for anyone with a disability. For instance, Amanda's glasses' frame broke and due to the strength of her prescription Kevin had to make a 4+ hour round trip to get them repaired. There were more high points than low, however.

PJ's in Wellfleet

Our favorite place to eat was PJ's in Wellfleet. The menu is so comprehensive that it spans two walls. They serve good hamburgers, hot dogs, fabulous seafood, etc.. They also make their own ice cream - both soft serve and hard. The soft serve comes in vanilla, chocolate, raspberry and coffee. While there are always lines in front, the main dining area is accessible by a ramp and is rarely crowded.

We ate there at least 4 times over the course of the week so its safe to say that we've tried a good number of the items. I liked the fried clam roll - more than enough clams for a meal! Friends liked the lime marinated shrimp and the lobster roll. My girls love the  kids' fare - especially the macaroni and cheese. They have thick, crunchy onion rings and crispy sweet potato fries. You can eat inside in the breezy dining room or outside at a covered picnic area. PJ's opens at 11AM and has a line all day.

Lighthouse Mini Golf

We've been loyal Poit's customers for years. There is a grill in the main building as well as pizza and ice cream in the snack bar. However it was a big disappointment. The pizza was awful - squares of what tasted like frozen pizza reheated for $3.95 a slice. The snack bar had a good ramp, but the main building only had a small ramp in the front. We had to back Amanda over the high threshold to get her into the arcade area.

For years Poit's had a little mini golf course consisting of astro turf ramps and some cement statues. It was kitchsy but it had charm. The owners must have recognized this because they saved two of the original animals next to the newly designed course. As glamorous as the lighthouses and water features are, the course is the same. There are none of the challenging obstacles that make mini golf exciting. And it wasn't accessible. We bumped poor Amanda up and over the edges of the golf course. Also, it was expensive - even with a $2.00 off coupon we paid $5.95 per person.

Midway between Poit's and PJ's, in South Wellfleet, a small sign signals the entrance to an often overlooked site: "MARCONI STATION SITE -- NO BEACH ACCESS. Site of first United States Transatlantic Wireless telegraph station. Built in 1901-1902."  Take the turn - it's worth the drive!

The Marconi Station is a  great site for a picnic with several small decks looking over the ocean. It's the end of a bike trail so its very accessible - while we were there a man with an artificial leg rode up on a recumbent bike. There is also a nice walking trail through the White Cedar Swamp. It is not a beach access - the dunes are a sheer drop. For beach access follow the signs to the Marconi Beach.


Shopping in the center of Wellfleet is a delight, but completely inaccessible. Every store has at least one or two steps. Many have four steps. Amanda and Kevin sat out our shopping trip. I doubt either of them was heart broken. My favorite stores in Wellfleet are Abiyoyo (an amazing toy shop), Newcomb Hollow Shop (lovely pottery pieces and affordable limited edition jewelry), The Secret Garden, and the Wellfleet Marketplace. We also enjoyed the whimsical crafts at the Luna Sea gift shop.


"Fairy Door" at Luna Sea

There are wonderful art galleries in Wellfeet as well. My favorite is The Left Bank. Over the years I've bought several pieces from the Left Bank  including framed prints, sculpture and a lovely bird bath. I also love The Blue Heron and the Kendall Gallery. There is a weekly gallery opening "wine and cheese" on the weekends during the summer - a great date activity if you can find someone to stay with your kids (we couldn't).

We did take the kids to the Wellfleet Pier for the Wednesday night square dance. In case you're concerned that you'll be surrounded by big skirts and cowboy hats, this isn't really a traditional square dance; its more of a line dance. There is a DJ calling out the moves using instructions like "turn to the harbor, turn toward the town, turn toward Macs, turn toward me." It was fun. Unfortunately the night we went the tide was very low and it reeked to high heaven. We couldn't stay because we were overwhelmed by the smell. If the tide is in your favor its an easily accessible activity for both kids and individuals in wheelchairs.

A sentimental favorite of mine is the Wellfleet Historical Society. It spans two buildings, interrupted by a small art gallery. One side is a museum full of artifacts, the other side is designed to represent a typical 18th century seafaring household. My mother was a passionate, dedicated volunteer to the Historical Society. My father donated the funds to develop the front garden in her memory. While we were there we purchased a memorial brick in the walk for $50.

Truro is the town next to Wellfleet. We toured the Truro Vineyards. They offer tastings every 30 minutes for $8. My friend and I shared our selections so we had the opportunity to sample ten wines. There are crackers and water to cleanse your glasses and palate. Plus you get to keep the very pretty souvenir wine glass! There is a gift shop with everything from wine to openers, T-shirts and cheeses. The wines were mostly good and the prices fair (about $14/bottle). The shop had steps in but the tasting area was level as were most of the paths around the vineyard. The incredible scenery and lovely picnic area on the front lawn make it worth a visit.

Highland Lighthouse

We also visited the Highland Lighthouse. It was $4 for the tour of the lighthouse including a video and a guide inside the actual light. Kevin was the only one to get to the top - lots of stairs and you had to be over 4 feet to climb them. I nobly volunteered to stay at the bottom with the girls. Okay, I'm scared of heights... The view from the observation deck is spectacular and free - and at ground level.

The farthest point on Cape Cod is Provincetown. Provincetown is a fun, funky place with lots of great food and good shopping. However, like Wellfleet, most of the stores are in older buildings and not accessible by wheelchair.

While we struggled with accessibility at most of the Outer Cape's beaches Herring Cove in Provincetown was a pleasant surprise. In the middle of a bicycle trail, it has a paved "boardwalk" running the length of the beach. While the embankment is too steep in most places to safely maneuver a wheelchair down to the beach there is a ramp at the far left end. The beach itself is flat, but rocky near the water. As a bayside beach the water is calm and a bit warmer than an ocean beach. Happily it is a National Seashore Beach so Amanda's new Access Pass got us in for free. Parking is typically $10. There are bathrooms, accessible showers and a small concession stand. It's really a nice family beach - although, in fair warning, it is "nudity friendly" in parts.


Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown

For more information on Wellfleet and the Outer Cape, please see:

http://www.wellfleetchamber.com/Shopping.html
http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/marconi-beach.htm
http://www.wellfleetma.org/public_documents/wellfleetma_RecProgs/summer/Square%20Dance
http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/massachusetts/cape-cod/review-134704.html

Candy Buffet on a $50 Budget

I decided to create a rainbow candy buffet for an upcoming midsummer party. Despite being called crazy by a few friends, creating a candy buffet was fun. One friend actually understood my silly obsession with this project. As she said,"You have a goal, a timeline and a budget - its like being back at work!" The things a stay-at-home Mom will do to keep her mind active...

You can buy everything you need at Party City in the Wedding Section, but costs add up quickly. Candy runs about $6.00 for a ½ pound bag. Containers start at $3.00 and go up to $20.00. To my amazement you can even hire a Candy Caterer to create a buffet for you. I have a self-imposed budget of $50.00. That seems like a lot for candy. However, I'm considering it my main  decoration and as well as the party food.  I hope that there will be some left for favors for the kids.  

There are great candies online, but since you pay by weight, shipping can easily add 50% to your candy total. I realized that online candy costs about $15-$20/pound when you add shipping. Online sites recommend at least ½ pound of candy per person! I guess that’s if you’re not serving them anything else. We had 24 guests, but I just couldn’t imagine buying 12 pounds of candy at those prices ($180.00 - $240.00).

 

I bought most of the candy at the Dollar Store. I even got some cute glass containers there. I also scrounged the grocery store, WalMart and Target for the colors I needed. Our local Target has a good selection of bulk candy including jellybeans sorted by color, at $6.00/pound. I combined individually wrapped items like lollipops and with unwrapped candies like gummies, candy corn, gumballs etc.

I needed the six colors of the rainbow for my buffet. I didn’t realize that blue and green candies would be hard to find.  I had to buy light blue Sixlets (chocolates) at Party City at $5.99 for an 8 ounce bag. The green came from Mint 3 Musketeer minis.  If I do this again I will pick a single color as my theme. The are a lot of red candies (Twizzlers, Clark bars, Fireballs, etc.) or orange (Reeses Peanut butter cups, Orange Slices, Candy Corn, etc.) You can keep candy for 6 months so you can stock up during a holiday if you plan ahead.

The next trick was finding the right size container to fit the various candies without the containers looking empty. I discovered that if you chose large containers you’ll have to buy A LOT of candy. For a visual reference a typical 8 ounce glass holds a 1/2 pound of most candies. Since mine was a small buffet I was able to use kitchen glasses, bowls, martini glasses and clean vases & votive candle holders.

Most sites recommend that you use clear containers so guests can see the candy. That’s great if you have a lot of money to spend on the candy. I didn’t so I got much of my color from the actual containers, as you can see. I used a mix of glass and plastic containers.

Being compulsive about this stuff, I did a trial run before the party - okay, two test runs. I filled the containers & played around with the arrangement. I realized that because it was a small buffet I needed to add height to create impact. I made a lollipop display by pushing the sticks into floral foam in a vase. I covered the foam with the paper crinkles used in gift baskets. I stuffed a clear vase with colored tissue. I stuck books under the table cloth to raise some of the containers.

You can also use anything for color accents.  You could use stuffed animals or toys for a kids’ party. For a SpongeBob party you could go with all yellow candies and scatter toys on the table.

Next I had to address the question of what guests should put the candy in. I had twelve roughly 8 ounce containers of candy. If I gave each guest a 6 ounce plastic wine glass, I wouldn't have enough for everyone. I had to add some inexpensive bulk items like Tootsie Pops, gumballs and pixie sticks (added another $4 to the total). I set out spoons and a gravy ladle to scoop unwrapped candies. I picked up small white wedding favor boxes to use as goody bags for the kidsif there are any leftovers.

To continue the rainbow theme I used solid color paper lanterns from Target that I already had on hand for decorations. My grand total came in just over $40.  That's about $1.70 per person. Not bad ~ especially since I had so much fun putting it together. Compared to the last party we had where I ordered 6 pizzas at $15 each it was really a good deal.  Now, if only the other Moms don't kill me for sending their kids home on a sugar high!

Tellus – as in, Tell Us More about Science!

On my list of accessible family fun within an hour of Alpharetta, Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville ranks high.  I know, if you live in the Atlanta area Cartersville may as well be Tennessee. Trust me, this is worth the trip. We discovered Tellus over the Winter Break from school.

The first time we walked into the main gallery Danielle yelled, “An Apatosaurus!” I had to check the sign. Sure enough, she was right. Now we’ve been there so often that Danielle walks in and calls out “Hi, Patty!” (She’s named the skeleton.)

The draw for Danielle was obvious. It is the biggest display of dinosaur fossil replicas that I have ever seen.  I’ve never counted, but I’m certain that there are at least 20. In addition to Patty, there is a T Rex, a mammoth, a megalodon jaw, a giant armadillo, and a host of plesiosaurs and pterosaurs. There are fossilized tracks including a T Rex track - and even fossilized feces! (Dino poop that you CAN touch.)

Tellus takes its mission of teaching children very seriously. While most of the exhibits are clearly marked “Please Do Not Touch,” in every gallery there are items marked ”Please DO touch”. What a nice change for both children and adults! There are buttons to push, fossils to touch and things to explore everywhere, not just in the large children’s playroom, My Big Back Yard . Every weekend during the summer they host “Science Saturdays” with hands on learning stations throughout the museum.

The girls, of course, love the exploration area. I love that it’s a place where they can play together – not always easy for two such different children.  

In addition to the My Big Back Yard Gallery there are two more wonderful hands on areas. Children (and adults!) can pan for semi-precious gems or uncover fossils. Both areas are designed to be wheelchair accessible. Even better – both of these activities offer free souvenirs! Each child is allowed to take home a small (1”) Ziploc bag of the gem chips they find and one real fossil. 

What kid doesn't love to splash in the water? The Gem Panning area contains an authentic water wheel and a running sluice. It also has low, wheelchair accessible sections and an elevated area where young children can reach in to the running water to pan for gems.

In the Fossil Dig site you can uncover pretend skeletons as well as real fossils. The array of small fossils includes sharks' teeth, fossilized clams and sea urchins, crinoid stems and others. Danielle has been known to spend half an hour pretending to be "Paleontologist Danielle," discovering a new species. There is also a nice desk-like space where a wheelchair fits so the person can “dig” dinosaur bones.  

There are two other galleries to explore. The Weinman Mineral Gallery houses the collection from the old Weinman Mineral Museum.  We have touched petrified wood, banged on a drum head to create seismograph waves and stood near the "core" of the Earth. There is a very cool "glowing rocks" (fluorescent mineral ) display which both girls like.

The final area, The Science in Motion Gallery, includes antique cars and motorcycles as well as replicas of biplanes and space capsules. Kevin, Danielle & I have all had our pictures taken "wearing" a space suit (not accessible for those in wheelchairs.) While Kevin & I are both interested in space exploration this is probably the girls' least favorite area of the museum. Amanda did enjoy playing with the ship controls in the temporary At The Controls Exhibit.  

My kids really love sliding pennies down either of the two Coin Vortex machines. The smaller one, located just outside of the Gem Panning area, has shoots that are easy for Amanda to manipulate coins into. The girls get so excited "racing" their coins. I know that we are literally throwing money down a hole, but as long as I load up on pennies before we  go I don't mind if the girls have 50 races since it only costs me $1.00.

 

There is a great planetarium– one of only two digital planetariums in Georgia.  They offer three or four different shows every day, including one suitable for young children (3 and up) and a "Live Tour of Tonight's Sky." The show for younger children currently features Sesame Street characters.

The theater shows free documentaries on Saturdays during the summer. Both the theater and the planetarium are accessible with ramps and include areas for wheelchairs with companion seating.  

The Solar House is powered completely by alternative energy sources. The Observatory houses a 20" telescope and a seismograph used to detect earthquakes all over the world. The earthquake data can be viewed on an interactive monitor in the Weinman Mineral gallery. Both the Solar House and the Observatory are open only during limited times.

The Museum is on lovely grounds which are marked “No Picnicking on Grass.” That may be my only disappointment with the entire museum. There is a large covered picnic pavilion with accessible restrooms which would be great for a family gathering or field trips, but that lush green lawn just cries out to be played on!

The museum is all on one level with automatic doors, level walkways and clean, spacious restrooms both inside and out. There is plenty of permit parking and a call button near the parking lot for mobility impaired visitors who need to borrow a manual wheelchair to tour the museum.

For $95 we got a Family Membership good for admission for an entire year. The membership also included 4 planetarium passes and discounted admission to special events like Astronomy Workshops at the observatory.

So, no excuses, go to Tellus and tell me how it was!

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