IKEA with kids

It's only been open for a few months, but I've been to the Ikea in West Chester twice now, and my house is definitely looking more Ikea-ey: there's the funky orange duvet cover on our bed, for one, and of course I had to get matching orange curtains... anyway, other than a general warning that shopping there could be hazardous to your household budget, there are some things to keep in mind when trekking to the only Swedish shopping wonderland in Ohio.
The first time we went was on a Saturday night; the crowds were manageable, but it took us 30 minutes -- maybe an hour -- to check out. The second time, I went on a weekday afternoon; checkout took no time at all.
You've probably heard about Smaland, the free childcare service at Ikea. Here are some things I learned, after checking my 2- and 5-year-old boys in recently:
1. Your child must be potty trained and meet a height requirement (no less than 37" tall and no greater than 54" tall) to get in. SS, almost 3, was just a hair too short, but they let him in anyway.
2. Budget 10-15 minutes to get your child checked in, or perhaps longer on a busy day when you may have to wait for a spot. Before standing in line, look on the nearby wall for forms to fill out, and grab a bin for shoes.
3. Once inside, the children can play on the fun-looking play structures (I seem to recall a giant high-heeled shoe and a ball pit). They can also color or go up into a loft to watch a kid-friendly movie (Ratatouille was playing recently). My older son seemed perfectly content, but my little one was distressed because checking him out took so long, and he couldn't understand why the staff wouldn't let him through the emergency glass door to get to me, pronto.
4. Ikea will babysit the children for about an hour, which should be enough time to get your shopping done if you already have a pretty good idea of what you need (and you don't ponder all your choices in the "Marketplace" for too long). Parents receive a pager in case of emergencies. Don't forget to reserve time for checkout.
If you've got a craving for Swedish meatballs, there's a lot of kid-friendly food at the food court, starting at 99 cents... but you probably already knew that.
The drive from Oxford takes about 45 minutes, but you can combine an Ikea trip with several other excursions. See our entries (coming soon) on "Sharon Woods" and "Fossil Park."
Happy shopping!
Store info:
LINK: http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeaNearYouView?storeId=12&catalogId=11001&langId=-1&StoreName=west_chester
Address:
9500 IKEA Way
West Chester, Ohio 45069
Phone: 513.779.7100
Store Hours:
10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Daily
Directions: From Oxford, take 130 into Hamilton. Turn right onto Main St. (177) and go through downtown Hamilton. Continue on High St. Continue on Michael a Fox Hwy. Take exit 21 for OH-747 toward Middletown/Springdale. Turn right at OH-747/Princeton Glendale Rd. Turn left at Union Centre Blvd. Turn right at Allen Rd. Look for the giant Ikea sign.

Ikea side-trips (with Fossil Park AND Sharon Woods Park)

Here's some great options for sidetrips when you make your way to Ikea. We investigated today, and were really pleased with everything. It was a fun daytrip.



1. Trammel Fossil Park, Tramway Dr., Sharonville, OH (45-50 minutes from Oxford)

This is a nationally reknown fossil park that is--FREE, and chocked full of great fossil finds. We were there with very small kids and they each had their little buckets full in no time. Not much shade and the terrain is rocky (hence the fossils), so we recommend okay shoes for walking/climbing around. And it's probably best to stop here first in morning, or last in evening, to avoid the hot summer sun.

Directions from Oxford:

Mapquest took us 27 south, 275 North, Sharonville exit (just past the exit for I-75). Turn North (which I think is left) on Lebanon rd. Take first left onto Hauck Dr. Go half mile to Tramway Drive and turn right. It is two blocks up on Tramway Drive.


2. Sharon Woods, Sharonville, OH (45-50 minutes from Oxford--5 minutes from Fossil park)


They have a fantastic indoor play area. It costs $2.50, but if you buy 4 entries you get one free (to be used at any time- including that day--for the next year). The center is clean and we liked that you could use big people stairs to go up to the top level of the play area. I also noticed a handicapped accessible lift that could take people up to the top level. It has climbing and tubes, a ball area. Oh, and air conditioning. We had to drag our kids away. We did have a few heart-stopping moments when we tried to locate one of the kids who were in one of the non-see-through tubes. But there is only one way in and out of the play area, so that is reassuring.



There is also a pioneer village, outdoor sprinkler playground, nature center area, and several outdoor playgrounds.



Directions: From the fossil park, go back out to Lebanon Rd. and turn right. The park will be on your left after about a mile. (also can turn right onto Lebanon Rd. from 275 if skipping fossil park).


Directions From Sharon Woods TO IKEA (10-15 minutes)-- Go right on Lebanon Rd., then left on Kemper. At Reading Rd. turn right. This turns into Cincinnati Dayton Rd. Turn left on Allen Rd. and you'll see Ikea's flags almost immediately.


EXTRA: BANANA's Inflatables
If you are taking 129 to and from IKEA, you'll be also going right past Banana's. I can't blog much on it, since I haven't been there. But I hear it has big inflatable jumping stuff for kids. And it's indoor's. I have seen it on 129 near the 129/I-75 interchange (going west on 129 from I-75 it's on your left).

Squeezing in some nature time

I came across some quick excursions here in Oxford that I thought I'd share. These are bite-sized little trips, great for an afternoon when you have an extra 20 minutes to hold your kid's hand and wonder at nature for a little while.
The first is the Black (Pugh's Mill) covered bridge (LINK), which is on Corso Rd. off 732. It's a very short drive from the Doctor's Park, the pediatrician, and the dentist and vet offices near there (look for a sign on the left), so I've taken my kids there as a treat sometimes after an appointment. The bridge itself is fun to walk across, and at the end, there's a small but rather steep path down to a little creek where my boys love to throw rocks and pebbles. There's also a lovely flower garden and a picnic bench.
I also recently discovered the sculptures on the back lawn of the art museum on campus (LINK). SS and I found some well-groomed trails to walk along and stumbled across one exhibit we like to call the Hobbit Hole. It was hot, though, so bring water, or a hat, or a parasol... Also, note that the indoor galleries are closed for renovations until Sept. 15, according to their web site.
Finally, if you haven't been to the Miami's formal gardens, on Patterson Ave. across from the Miami Inn (LINK), summer is a great time to check it out. Lots of pretty flowers were in bloom the last time we went there for a picnic lunch -- great spot for photos. Enjoy!

Shademakers Gardening in Oxford

We made our annual trip out to Shademakers yesterday. It's one of the few times I actually plan around bringing my kids with me to shop. Shademakers is basically a farm with a greenhouse out on Fairfield Rd. (not far from the Community Park). Besides the kids gardening items they usually carry in their store, and the cool selection of plants and organic seeds. They also have farm animals for kids to see and pet. When we have gone, the workers have been great about offering to show my kids the animals. Our first time there, she actually walked the kids over to see the donkey while I picked out our flowers.

Yesterday we discovered 5-6 baby chicks had been born, and SC even got to hold one! Thomas, the big goat, loves to be petted. And Claribel, their minature donkey, is SC's favorite. The worker said there is a possibility that Claribell might be pregnant. SC got the biggest kick hearing about the "love affair" between Cocoa and Claribell--the worker said that Cocoa, a miniture donkey from a nearby farm, and Claribell spent some time together. She said that Claribell sometimes calls to Cocoa because she misses him (sweet!).

Directions: Take Fairfield Ave. out of town, past Oxford Community Park. Shademakers will be on your left (after Riggs Rd.).

Keep your kids busy this summer

Who knew that a town with a summertime population of less than 10,000 would have such a wealth of summertime activities for kids? I spent one afternoon trying to map out my 5-year-old's summer schedule and ended up with a calendar stuffed with everything from swimming to ice skating. Here's a rough guide to some of the things your kid can venture forth and do when school gets out.

Tots and Babies

Baby Time LINK
Songs, rhymes and stories for really wee ones will be available Mondays at the Lane Public Library, July 7, 14, 21 and 28. Babies from 12 to 23 months can attend from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Babies from 0 to 12 months attend from 11 to 11:45 a.m. It's free!

Toddler Story Time LINK
There are two sessions for toddler story time at the Lane Public Library, both from 11 to 11:30 a.m. One runs on Tuesdays, from June 3 to July 22; the other runs on Wednesdays, from June 4 to July 23. Registration began May 27. It's free. Best of all, Mr. Perky Bird will be there. Don't forget family story time at 10:30 a.m. on Fridays from June 5 to Aug. 15. All ages are welcome, and you don't need to register.

Summer Snoopers LINK
Three- to five-year-olds can learn about sports, dinosaurs, cooking and a bunch of other fun stuff at a day camp run through Oxford's Parks and Recreation Department. Children attend from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday for $57 a week. They also get a daily swim. The first session starts June 9; the last one starts July 28.

Ice Skating PDF BROCHURE
LINK
Tots ages 3 to 5 can learn to skate at the Goggin Ice Center through three sessions: Fridays, June 13, 20, 27 and July 11; Monday through Thursday, July 14-17; or Monday through Thursday, July 21-24. Classes take place in the evenings -- check the online brochure for what level your child may qualify for, and what times classes are held for those levels. The first registation deadline is on June 6.

Swim lessons LINK
Children as young as 6 months can start splashing away at the town pool at the Tri Community Center, starting June 16. Prices start at $32 for a two-week session (Monday through Friday). Lessons are 30 to 50 minutes, depending on your child's level. Check the web site for times, dates, and level information.

Ages 5 and up

Art class LINK
The Oxford Community Arts Center has a "Fun with Art" class for kids ages 5-6. It runs on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays for two weeks, from June 16-27. The class takes place from 10:45 a.m. to noon at the arts center and is taught by studio artist Chrissy Collopy, who also used to teach young children at the Oxford Early Education Center. Last I heard, there were a few spots left. It's $40 per child.

Gardeneering Camp LINK
Kids ages 6 to 12 can help cultivate a children's garden at the Oxford Community Arts Center on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon. There are three sessions, each consisting of three consecutive Saturdays. Session I starts June 14; session II starts July 12; and session III starts Aug. 2. The cost is $30 per session.

Kids in College LINK
Miami University offers several educational camps on campus. Most are for older kids, but there are a couple for ages 6 to 11. "Can You Dig It? Fossil Hunt!" runs from 12:30-3:30 p.m. from July 14 through 18 and costs $145. "Make and Take It Home," where kids make their own toys, runs from 9 a.m. to noon that same week and costs the same. Older kids can take Spanish, self-defense and even a Bollywood class.

Story Time LINK
Kids ages 4-6 get their own story time at the Lane Public Library at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesdays, from June 3 to July 22. Registration began on May 20. Don't forget family story time at 10:30 a.m. on Fridays from June 5 to Aug. 15. All ages are welcome, and you don't need to register.

Picture Your World LINK
Kids ages 6 to 9 receive a disposable camera to document their own experiences in this workshop, which runs from 4 to 5 p.m. Fridays, June 6, 13, 20 and 27. Registration began May 30.

REC Kids Camp LINK
Kids ages 6 to 12 spend a week at a time swimming in the Rec Center pool on campus, playing dodgeball, bowling and going on fabulous field trips, including to the Cincinnati Museum Center and to the Beach Water Park. Each week-long session costs $125 or $150, depending on your membership status at the gym. Sessions begin June 9; the last session begins July 28. Camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with additional supervised hours available.

Camp Invention LINK
Kids entering grades one through six can sign up for Camp Invention at Bogan Elementary. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the week of June 16-20. Local teachers present hands-on learning activities in physics, engineering and problem solving. Cost: $205.

Great Outdoors Adventure Camp PDF LINK
The Oxford Parks and Recreation Department's camp for children entering kindergarten through the sixth grade takes place from 7:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays from June 9 to Aug. 15. Daily fees start at $25 for residents, while weekly fees start at $81.

Beyond Oxford

Safety Town LINK
The boys and I were at McDonald's when I picked up a flyer about "Safety Town," a safety class for kids ages 4 and 5. It's held during five week-long sessions from 10 a.m. to noon at Power House Park in Hamilton (E. River Rd. and Williams Ave.) The first session starts June 9; the last one starts July 14. In a classroom and through a simulated "Safety Town Village," kids learn about pedestrian, vehicle, school bus and fire safety, and they learn how to deal with strangers. It's free. For more information, call the Greater Hamilton Safety Council at 896-5333.

If you're willing to drive, there are also some interesting camps at the Cincinnati Zoo (LINK), the Cincinnati Museum Center (LINK), and the Cincinnati Art Museum. (LINK)

This is not an exhaustive list -- feel free to post other ideas you might have!

Cake Decorating Ideas: Bear Cupcakes

I am definitely not an expert cake decorator. My mom always made our cakes, so I do my best with my boys:) I thought it would be fun to share ideas on the blog. Comments and additions are welcome! You can also e-mail me cake pictures (if you know who I am;) and I'd be happy to post them on the blog.

I made these bear cupcakes for my elementary group to eat during our games, after watching "Prince Caspian" this weekend. In the book they eat bear meat, although in the movie they just kill the bear. Gross, I know. Anyway, they were so easy my 6 year old actually did most of the decorating. My afterschool kids at church loved them! Start with any cupcake recipe. I made mine from scratch only because I didn't have a mix on hand and couldn't run to the store.

For decorating I used: white chocolate mini reese's cups, mini nutterbutter cookies, white chocolate chips, and chocolate icing.

It probably would have looked more authentic with regular mini reese's, but I didn't want to make or buy white icing in addition to the chocolate (was short on time) and chocolate icing would not have shown up. Also could use mini oreo's for ears and a mini nilla wafer for mouth if you don't like peanut butter.

1. Ice cupcakes

2. Put Reese's bottom-side up for nose/mouth.

2. Put two choc. chips for eyes

3. Cut cookie in half and put in icing for ears

4. Use contrasting icing to decorate mouth, nose, and eye dots.

5. Enjoy!

Diaper Cake (you don't eat it!)

I thought, since our playgroup has had so many babies being born lately, I'd post this great babyshower/baby gift idea. I've seen much more elaborate ones online, but this "cake" I put together for my college roommate babyshower last year still turned out cool. It looks like a cake, but it's made out of diapers with baby essentials shuved in.

Here's how I did mine:

You will need-- 1 pkg of newborn diapers, a one or two inch pretty ribbon, rubber bands, a paper towel tube, and something for on top (a toy, stuffed animal or something).

1. Roll the diapers up one at a time and secure with rubberband around middle. I didn't have to use the entire package (don't remember how many it took).

2. Put three rows of rolled diapers around the paper towel tube to look like the bottom layer.

3. Tie the ribbon around the outter layer to hold the whole bottom in place (and hide rubberbands)

3. Put two rows on top of that, then one row on the top. Secure each row with a ribbon that you tie in a pretty fashion. It will look like a tiered cake when done.

4. You can tuck socks, hats, rattles, etc into the ribbon or between the diaper layers. I bought a whole bunch of hats and socks at the Gap outlet.

5. Put the cute animal or toy on top to cover the paper towel hole. Since I had to get mine to Indy, I secured the monkey with a few straight pins (do this carefully, making sure to let the person you are giving it to so they know where those are--no one wants any prickly surprises).

Voila! Makes a great babyshower centerpiece.

A swimming pool you wouldn't think of....

Most people don't know that you can buy a pass to swim at the Baymont Inn on 27. We have friends who go to the Baymont Inn (formerly Amerihost Inn) to swim every morning. The monthly family passes are an exceptionally great value. Baymont Inn's indoor pool isn't huge, but Sullivan and Theo have liked it the times we've been there. It's not normally crowded, especially mid-week. There isn't a lifeguard (like most hotel pools), so parents have to be in with their kids.

An individual monthly pass is $20, but a Family pass (which includes everyone in your immediate family) is $25 for the month.

I think that makes this a great option -- especially during the "cabin-fever inducing" winter months.

Directions: Take 27 North out of Oxford. It will be on your right following Wendy's a bit (before Walmart).

Phone: 523-2733

Violin Lessons in Oxford

After attending a "Peter and the Wolf Concert" my 5 year old, SC, decided he wanted to learn violin. A year later he was still asking, so we did some research and found a really great program that is run out of Miami. It came highly recommended, and its cost is pretty competitive with what I hear other instrument lessons, like piano, are going for now. We are hoping it will be an investment. Even if he doesn't keep up with violin, he's working on developing his musical abilities.

He's only been taking lessons for a month, but he loves his teacher and he still doesn't complain about practicing. Violin is a difficult instrument, and most of their first lessons are spent working on how to hold it properly with good form. He was allowed to use the bow for the first time this week. I was afraid SC would get bored with this beginning, tedious part, but SC's teacher has made it fun with cute rhymes and easy to practice assignments. She keeps saying "quality over quantity" concerning practice time.

Virginia Glick Young Musicians Program
http://www.fna.muohio.edu/musweb/programs/special/YoungMusiciansProgram.html
Cost: $20/30 minute lesson. 3 Saturday group lessons are included free.
Follows Miami's schedule, one private lesson per week (15 total)
All students are encouraged to perform in the recital following each semester. Recitals are open to public, in Souers Hall at Miami.

AGE? 4 years old and up.

Violin Rental is $16/month from Baroque Violin Shop https://baroqueviolinshop.ppcserver.net/rentalform.php

Kids eat (practically) free

I was pleasantly surprised to learn recently that kids eat free at Kona (www.konabistro.com) every day from 5-6 p.m. Always in search of a bargain, I'm hoping that others who read this post will help add to the Kids Eat Free list.
Here's one other place that I know of: at the Golden Dragon Chinese Buffet in Hamilton (take Main St. to the Goodwill/JoAnn Fabrics shopping center, on the left, before you hit downtown Hamilton), kids under 3 eat free; ages 3-6 are $2.35 for lunch/$3.75 for dinner; kids from 7-11 are $3.85 lunch/$4.75 dinner. (Adults are $5.69 lunch/$8.89 dinner, but it's a bit pricier on weekends).
I think kids might also eat free at the Skyline Chili and the China One in Oxford, and possibly at the Golden Corral in Hamilton, but I haven't had a chance to do any research on those places yet. If you have any info, please let me know. Thanks!

Lunar Mini Golf

The kids and I were looking for a way to kill a Saturday afternoon while Rich was away at a conference, so we wound up at the Cincinnati Mills Mall, where we haven't been in ages. It's a little disconcerting to see that so many of the stores there are now empty. Still, it's a fun place for little ones to burn off some energy indoors. There's a PBS Kids playground, which is good for 20-30 minutes of jumping around. The big draw, of course, is the Wonder Park, a Chuckie Cheese-like place with pizza, tons of video games (most of which cost at least 50 cents to play), and kiddie rides that range from $1 to $3.
But what really got the boys excited this time was Lunar Mini Golf. Right next to the Wonder Park, we discovered an indoor mini-golf course that offered so many things my boys enjoy: sticks, balls, and stuff that glows in the dark. The indoor course isn't fancy -- there aren't windmills or hippos bathing in waterfalls -- but there are two courses with 18 holes each that are challenging but not too frustrating for children. The gimmick is that the entire operation takes place in the dark, except for blacklights that set off the fluorescent course in an otherworldly sort of way. (In fact, SH thought we were playing "Alien Hockey").
Kids 5 and younger can play up to three rounds for only $3 (the man behind the counter let SS, age 2, "play" for free). Kids 6-12 pay $6 and adults pay $8, but there's no requirement that the adult has to play. SH, SS and I spent a really fun hour knocking little glowing golf balls around, all for three bucks. I highly recommend it.
What: Lunar Mini Golf
Where: Cincinnati Mills Mall. Take 27 to I-275 E. toward Dayton. Take the Winton Rd. Exit, #39. Turn left. The mall will be on the right. Takes about 40 minutes from Oxford.
When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday

*Holiday Drive-In Movie Theater*

I can still remember the first time I went to a drive-in movie: The Muppets Take Manhattan. I still think it's genius. There is food, and often multiple movies, merged with the joy of being under the stars. As a mom, the really appealing part is that I don't have to worry about ruining the movie experience for someone else when one of my kids gets cranky.

So we were ecstatic to discover the Holiday Auto Drive-In Theater in Hamilton. http://www.holidayautotheatre.com/
It is actually about 2 minutes from Hanover park, so it is maybe 20 minutes from Oxford. We have been twice, once with the kids and once on a date. We dream of going every time we get our e-mail update about what's playing, though! They were both great experiences. The coolest thing was the intermission snack commercials between the movies, complete with classic cartoons. We felt like we were blasted into the past as the singing hotdog did a song and dance on how "weiners" will fix friendships and make everyone happy...wouldn't you like to have a weiner?

The Drive-in just went under new ownership that has started "Retro Wednesday and Thursdays." These are school nights, so we are eagerly awaiting summertime. A good example of retro night was when they did John Hughes and showed "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" and "Breakfast Club." They've also had Alfred Hitcock and other cool movies. RETRO prices are only $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for kids ages 4-11, and free for kids under 4. Box office opens at 6pm with a 700pm showtime.

The new ownership has also been doing more triple features on weekends, which is cool. During the winter, they are only open daily until Jan. 1st. Last year they closed for the cold months, and reopened in the spring. I would check out the website to see what's going on!

Admission Prices...Adults: $8.00, Children under 11: $5.00, Children under 4: FREE!

The only down-side, is that the movies run late (8pm-Mid, or 1am). So, if you think you're kids will sleep in the car, you'll have it made. Ours didn't which is why we don't go as much as we'd like to.

Tips: Bring lawnchairs if it's warm out! And they have Wi-Fi, so you can bring your laptop and get high speed. You can buy an outside food permit, to allow you to bring your own food (it's $5.00), but otherwise outside food will get you thrown out. I would arrive early on nice, summer, weekends. We've been past on nice summer nights and the traffic was aweful.

***Sign-up for their e-mail list and you'll get weekly updates on what is playing and all their special events.

Directions: Take 27 south, out of Oxford. Turn left at the second (out of town) light, Old Oxford Road. This will take you past Hanover park and the water company. The Drive-in is on your left (2-3 minutes past Hanover park).