SoNo Arts Celebration

We had beautiful weather yesterday for the SoNo Arts Celebration. It is really a big event (much bigger than the Westport Arts Festival). Parking was a little bit of a struggle since some of the streets were closed off, but we managed to find a lot that charged $8 (when we picked up the car 4 hours later it was $6). We did not have to circle around the garage and risk damage to the car to get into a spot, nor did we have to wait in a long line to pay for the parking and then get the car (Maritime Aquarium Garage). So, all was well.

We saw some great performances in the kid area: TESS performance and “Sleeping Beauty.” The art was very pleasant to look at, including the chalked walk. Lunch was at Chocopologie. I didn’t care for my iced hot chocolate; the kids only drank 1 sip of their chocolate milks, so they didn’t care for their drinks either. My grilled portobello sandwich with avocado and mozzarella was excellent, though. Maybe I should try their chocolates next time instead of the drinks.

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Thorough Thursday

This has been a busy day! First I dropped Mads off then went home and took part in a 2-hour webinar to fulfill my licensure requirements. Then I did some last minute preparations for the Boo! at Bisceglie and went to pick up Mads. Off we went to Bisceglie and set up the table. It was a nice gathering of 9 moms and about a little over a dozen kids. There were plenty of snacks and treats to go around. I lined up the kids and paraded them around the tot playground, stopping at various stations for treats. It was great! After that, we cleaned up and we went to a birthday party at Kids U in Norwalk. A driving adventure in that I drove past the entrance twice going both ways. Other than that, it was fine. The party was 90 minutes and we drove home in the dark (gasp!).

 

 

Penguin on the loose at the Maritime Aquarium

Ok, it looked cool in the commercial, and it sounded exciting when I read the description, but in reality, I’m glad we didn’t put 100% effort into making the “Penguins on the Loose” show. I heard people waited for an hour; if you got front row seats, that was worth the wait, but if you ended up standing (some on the ramps) the whole time, it wasn’t really a good use of time when you could see the loose penguin(Stump in photo) from above (hint, go to the second floor). In fact, kids could even watch from the play area. It’s not like the penguin was going to really come up to you – well, if you sat in the first row, then maybe. By the way, they only let one penguin out per day. In any event, they are cute and we enjoyed our visit. We will have to watch an IMAX film next time. Mental note: do not go on a rainy day, which equates to BUSY! Although there is a nice parking garage across the street. There are also some good places for lunch/dinner. We ended up at the Black Bear Saloon.

Kid Central at Stew Leonard’s

On such a hot and humid day, all I could think of was supermarket-cold air conditioning. So we went to Stew Leonard’s in Norwalk. We ate lunch first. WZR enjoyed his kid’s meal of 6 chicken nuggets, fries, juicebox, and ice cream for only $3.99 (no, he didn’t eat it all himself). THAT’S a bargain. Mads had a hot dog for $1.49 (she doesn’t like the bun), and I had a burger (2 mini ones stacked up high) for $2.99 that wasn’t dry. Soooo good. They had peach ice cream. We actually got a bonus ice cream, but I’m not complaining. The animatronics were well-received only by Mads. WZR preferred the ones on trapezes because they don’t speak. At least the “banana lady” was back from vacation. Oh, only the calves and chickens were interested in visiting with us today.

When in Norwalk, I fear potholes and I-95

We were already in Norwalk and I already had the coupons cut out, so naturally I was ready to hit Costco. I’ve been told I have a mental problem with driving because I’m always worried that I’m too far left (I usually am) or too far right in the lane and I inevitably end up in the wrong lane, so I have to beg someone to let me in. It doesn’t help that there are so many potholes and manholes that every time I hit one I immediately check the tire pressure via the sensor system. Ok, maybe I do have a mental problem. Don’t even get me started about I – 95. In any case, we made it to Costco, and I balanced 98% of my list in the cart. I managed to use every crevice in the cart and balanced it all, but I had to unload for the cashier. This is where the EasyShop gun would be most helpful! Of course, the “boxer” could not repack my goods correctly and this is how I had to walk out of the warehouse. It was not fun loading it into the car since I was parked in a busy lane. Overall, though, I had a really pleasant shopping trip and I would go back. Samples start after 11:00, but we did get our hot dog and pizza for under $4.

Funky Junk at Braswell Galleries, Norwalk

You don’t have to love antiquing to have fun on a Thursday evening this summer. If you’re not going to Levitt Pavilion or watching the sunset on the beach, why not venture out to Norwalk’s Braswell Galleries? It is absolutely amazing inside! On Thursdays from 5 to 7 pm, enjoy a free hot dog, dessert, and wine as you hunt for treasure and socialize. We got there late tonight and it was quiet, but they also offer truckloads of newly arrived estate merchandise and sponsor a multi-dealer outdoor sale. Yes, if weather permits, they provide the space and you can bring your junk to sell, swap, or consign. Really.

Go on inside and have fun getting lost. It is a whole other world with rows of bric a brac, walls of fabric, jewelry, hidden sections of tag sale items (if you’re familiar with how the pricing at the original Filene’s Basement, you’ll appreciate it more here), clothes, books, paintings, lights, animal heads, armoires, chairs, tables, and much, much more. And despite some of the cramped areas with piles of furniture and delicate items, I did not get any glares or stares from the staff when I walked around with Mads holding one pinky while I balanced 5 glass bottles I found from the $1 bin among the remaining fingers. Of course, WZR was strapped to my belly. Mads found her pink treasure chest of shells for $1 that we need to repair and dust off, but she already has a good eye for bargains. Although it is a kid-friendly place, it would be wise to hold on to your dear children so as not to lose them to the mysterious animal heads or ancient machinery in the back corners of the store. So plan on going next Thursday (or any day) to find yourself a gem, or button for your next craft. Don’t forget to let me know how much fun you had just browsing. New items and sales every week.

Kid Craft: Simple Necklaces

The school year came to an end for Mads last week. With 6 teachers to consider for gifts, we ended up making unique necklaces with materials from my new favorite local bead store: Sugarbeads in Ridgefield. I picked out several unique beads and explained the project to one of the co-owners, Pam, who also designs beautiful jewelry. She immediately started “sketching” with her finger in the air and suggested that I use leather cords and add silver beads at the end. She even showed me how to tie the ends so that the length of the necklace could be adjusted. We even picked out different colored cords together. Needless to say, Mads enjoyed making the necklaces for her teachers, and the gifts were well-received. I am sooo excited about the earring class I’ll be taking on the 27th! Think of all the possibilities!

We used gold, silver, and black cords.

Bead the string with a silver bead first, then pull both strings through the pendant.

Take one end and tie a knot around the other end of the necklace (~ 2 inches from the tip).

Tie the other end to the other side of the necklace. Now you have an adjustable necklace. Be sure the final length is enough to put the necklace over your head.

The proud look on her face is so precious!

The final products.

I spent a lot of time in Ridgefield because that’s where the preschool is, but you may find that Beadworks, my other favorite store, in Norwalk is more accessible. Send the husband with the kids to the aquarium while you take a beading class. Sounds like a good plan to me! You can also find nice beads online via other companies, like Oriental Trading, or local craft stores (I found nice glass beads for cheap). Antique buttons make nice jewelry, too, so don’t forget the tag sales and antique fairs.