Gap outlet!

Drive an hour towards the Cincinnati airport, and there are $7 jeans to be had. 25 cent baby socks. Bathing suits, maternity clothes, jackets, shoes, fancy dresses, sweat clothes, hats, boxer shorts... if it's made by the Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic, the Gap Outlet has it, for a fraction of what you would pay in the mall. Officially the Gap Clearance Center, its one of just a few sites in the country where all the Gap family stores ship their overstocked items or stuff that's been returned or is slightly damaged. This means you may find 10,000 little squirrel t-shirts that say "I'm a nutty little angel" (I actually bought one for SH. It was 25 cents. Need I say more?) and heaps of mismatched bathing suits, but no shoes in your size.
Still, the place is addictive. You could easily spend three hours and $200 here, but you'll emerge with all the clothes you need for a year. (As if you could stay away from the place for a year). I'm embarassed to say that a cashier once had to divide my purchases into two transasctions because I exceeded 70 items, and the cash register couldn't handle more than that. (Mostly it was baby socks -- honestly).
Some caveats: Although the outlet is especially great for kids' stuff, including shoes, coats, hats, and PJs, DON'T BRING THE KIDS. They will be miserable because you're taking too long; you will be miserable because they won't give you all the time you need to hunt through the racks thoroughly. And you DO need to be careful, because you may find a fabulous Banana Republic shirt and bring it home only to discover that you overlooked a rip or a stain. Also, shopping here could make it really hard for you to pay retail at Gap stores ever again.
One last hint: This is a nice place to stop off before you have to pick someone up at the Cincy airport (or after you drop someone off). Just make sure you don't miss the flight because you're sorting through bins of the cutest jammies ever, all for 99cents...
What: GAP Clearance Outlet
Where: 2050 Global Way, Park West International, Hebron
When: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Directions: I-275 west (towards Indianapolis). Merge onto I-275 South via EXIT 5 towards Kentucky. Cross into Indiana and Kentucky and go past the airport exit. Exit at 8A Hebron North. Pass the first light and turn left at Global Way.
Phone: 859-586-3320 (They have daily or weekly specials, i.e. men's Gap shirts for $2, and you can call ahead to ask what's on sale).

The Tea Parlor

Recently we took a Mom's night out to have full English tea at The Tea Parlor in Liberty Township, OH. http://www.theteaparlor.net/. I have to say it was one of the best nights out I've had in a long time! The table and room where just beautiful. The food is all made by the owners, Susan and Jennie, from organic, local sources. For $16 (now $18 in 2008) we could have any tea that they offered (out of around 45 selections), finger sandwiches, really yummy scones, savory, and all kinds of other desserts, fruit, bread and cheese. You can make a reservation to go there for tea on Friday or Saturday from noon-5 pm. They even have a children's tea which includes tea, peanut butter/jelly sandwich and cheese hearts, fruit skewer, relishes with ranch dip, scone and ice cream scoops - $8. After our great evening, I'm thinking of finding a time to bring my 5 year old boy. Why not? Good food and tea doesn't have to just be for girls. They also sell their tea and yummy food online, or at the Oxford Farmers Market.

Directions: Out of Oxford, take I-73 (Trenton Oxford Rd). Follow this road as it turns right, then splits off from 127. Turn right on Wayne Madison Road. This becomes Liberty Fairfield Road. Turn left on Hwy 4. Turn right on Kyles Station Rd. (not long, maybe 1/2 mile). Turn right on Yankee Rd. The house is on your right: 5605 Yankee Rd.

Letterboxing around Oxford!

We read about letterboxing a year ago in Family Fun, and after trying it out we are addicted. We loved finding out that there could be boxes hiding anywhere. Some of them in locations we passed all the time, and just never knew the boxes were there.

Basically, people will hide boxes with a stamp and sign-in "log book," then post clues to the box's location online. Anyone can then follow the clues to find the box, and use your own stamp to "sign-in" to their notepad to show that you found it. You can then stamp your own personal notepad with their box stamp. Many people hide boxes with handmade stamps, which makes collecting their imprint fun and interesting. For more info on Letterboxing you can visit http://www.letterboxing.org/. http://www.atlasquest.com/ is another great site for clues, and it gives better info about whether getting to the box is kid-friendly or not.

If we want to do an outing that involves hiking, we'll look up clues, pick a park, and go looking for boxes. Following the clues gives the kids something to do on the hike, kind of like a treasure hunt. And stamping into the box is fun for them. What kid doesn't like playing with stamps? You can find clues online to boxes EVERYWHERE. While we were in Wyoming visiting family, we had a great time exploring new areas looking for boxes. A really fun one at the Denver University campus just had a picture, and we had to drive around campus looking for that building/view point. That one was a magnetic keybox in a well traveled urban area.

There are several great hunts here in Oxford! Oxford Community Park used to have a good one (not sure if the boxes are still active). We have personally hidden 4 boxes with a "Harry Potter Theme," three in Hueston Woods and one at the Lane Library (that one is my favorite one because it is so sneaky). The Hueston Woods series are all kid friendly because I hid them with my 2 year old in tow. http://www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/showboxinfo.html?gBoxId=55643 and http://www.atlasquest.com/lboxes/showboxinfo.html?gBoxId=55612 are the clues for our boxes.

Remember: Be descreet when looking for or signing into boxes! Non-letterboxing persons may do something to the box (take it, move it, throw it out) if they see you with it.

Checklist of what you need:
a stamp (you can make one, or just grab one that's lying around the house)
ink pad
a notepad
a compass (if the clue calls for it)
a pen

Hueston Woods Family Fun

Hueston Woods is an Ohio State Park located just North of Oxford, OH. http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/745/default.aspx

You can get there from Brown Rd., or by following Todd Rd. (beside Walmart). Check out the website for better directions.

The nature center is free and has some cool animals (inside: snakes and turtles. Outside: a bobcat, cougar, bald eagle and owls). During the summer, their calendar of activities is worth checking out. We happened to catch an animal feeding, and the boys loved watching the cougars, bob cat, and bald eagle, getting fed. Check the website for their hours of operation, since it changes depending on the season.

Nearby there is a fenced deer area, where you can stop by and feed the deer. The deer will come right up to the fence and my kids always love stopping by there to see them. I've heard they like corn. We discovered they don't like apples.

And just a bit further down from that is the playground on the beach. Swimming on the beach is free. Just be prepared to get really filthy. The water is kind of sludgy (geese? algae?)

The playground is really fun but, we always have to do baths afterwards because the sand makes them so dirty. If you don't mind that, it's a good time.

There are a lot of trails, but we have found a few that we love for our family.

Cedar Falls Trail: You can find it on the trails map online. It follows a creek, and when it’s been dry and the creek is low it makes good creek bed exploring with some fossils. The trail is a little rocky though, so it can be a tough hike for especially small. Our 5 year old does just fine.

Hueston Woods Nature Preserve/West Shore Trail (we kind of stumbled on this one):

Drive past the Nature Center and Beach/playground as far as you can go in the parking lot. There should be an orange chain thing blocking a large path (so cars can’t drive down) on the farthest end of the parking lot. Walk that path until you come to a sign that says “You are now entering Hueston Woods State Nature Preserve....” We discovered after hiking it, we weren’t on the West Shore Trail for most of it. When you cross an old bridge, look to your left and there are wooden “stairs” going up a hill on a more woodsy path. Continue on this trail, turning right when it “T”’s, until you cross a road. After crossing the road, continue straight, and when the path again divides go straight toward the lake (not right). You’ll hit Action Lake and the actual West Shore Trail. Turn left on West Shore and that takes you back to the parking lot. The entire thing took us about 1.5 hours of walking. That was with a 5 year old walking and our 2 year old on a carrier on his dad's back. But it was a cool nature trail. Some things to look for (if going with your kids you can see if they can spot them)

A swinging vine in the middle of the path
A huge, fallen, completely hollowed out tree.
A broken tree that looks like it has “hair”
A whole lot of carved initials. Either there are a lot of Deans, or Dean loves a lot of people Sullivan started counting when he saw hearts.

The climbing wall

I was amazed to discover recently that kids are allowed on that fabulous rock climbing wall at the Rec Center on campus. SH and SC, both 5, had a great time just goofing around on the lower "rocks," without any special equipment. All you have to do is sign a waiver, and the kids get an arm band and can "boulder" for free. I'd say this might even be fun for kids as young as 3. For even more fun, pay $2.50 and your kids can get harnessed to a rope. Then they can climb as high as they like before they are belayed down by one of the staff members (they get one ride only). SH climbed maybe 10 feet before he decided it was time to come down but vows to make it to the top someday. Note: Unless you're a Rec Center member, you will have to pay an additional fee to get in. Here's the web site, for more info: http://www.units.muohio.edu/rsp/RSCWeb/opc/climbingcenter.htm

MU Zoology Museum

SH's favorite place on campus is what he calls "The Bone Museum." Actually the Heffner Zoology Museum (http://www.environmentaleducationohio.org/HZM/hzm.htm), it boasts a giant stuffed grizzly, several stuffed goats and rams, drawers full of sea shells, and even a cool diorama of giant bugs and worms. There are several "please touch" chests full of coral, shells, bones, horns and other treasures from nature. And right down the hall is the Imaginarium, a room geared toward the pre-K set with an enormous bird's nest and hollow log for the wee ones to climb around. There are elaborate dress-up costumes there to transform the kids into turtles, ladybugs, etc., and it's a good place to snuggle up and read one of the several nature books on hand. Don't forget to check out the other dioramas in the hallways of the building. And did I mention that the museum is free?
The only thing that keeps me from going to this museum more often is that parking is a hassle. The museum is in room 100 of Upham Hall, which is near Patterson Ave. If you have a campus parking pass, your best bet is to try to find a space in Cook Field. Bring a stroller, because it can be quite a long walk with a small child. If you don't have a pass, your options are: 1. Try to find a metered space somewhere, and walk. 2. Go to the parking office on campus (Room 15, Campus Avenue Bldg.) and get a temporary visitor's pass. It's free and lets you park pretty much anywhere on campus for about a week, I think. 3. Wait until Sunday, when parking in Cook Field is open to everyone.
The museum is open from 9-5 M-F year round, and from 1-4 on Sundays, except during the summer break.

Richmond, IN outing

Adriane just introduced me to a small science museum I'd never been to, about 45 minutes from Oxford. The Joseph Moore Museum ( http://www.earlham.edu/josephmooremuseum/) is in Richmond, on the campus of Earlham College, in a building called Dennis Hall. It's got some cool fossils and other animal specimens on the first floor. In the basement, there's a kid-friendly play area, plus a few live reptiles and even a mildly spooky mummy. There's also a small planetarium, although the student manning the museum on Friday managed only to turn it on, and didn't really teach us anything about the stars. The babies gazed at it for five, maybe 10 minutes. But, hey, everything was free. (NOTE: The museum is only open MWF and Sun., 1-5. Check the web site for details).
The museum is good for maybe 30 min. to an hour's worth of pretty intense fun for kids. If it seems like a long drive, you might stop by Veach's Imagination Station (http://veachstoys.com/) probably the best toy store I've been to within an hour's drive. Veach's has a lot of educational toys and a huge selection of Playmobil sets. The only bad thing about this toy store is the screaming that occurs when you tell your kids it's time to leave. Also, you'll frequently get a 20 percent off coupon in the mail. Veach's is at 715 E. Main St.
Directions to the Joseph Moore Museum:
Take 27 N (passing Wal-Mart on your right). Cross into Indiana. Follow signs to stay on 27 through the town of Liberty. Go about 14 more miles until you reach Richmond. Turn left onto S A St./US 40 and follow 40 until it becomes National Road. Look for Earlham College on the left, at 801 National Rd.
Directions from museum to Veach's: Get back onto National Road/40 and head back the way you came. You should find yourself on S A St. again. Turn left at S. 3rd St. and R. at E. Main St. You'll have to find parking, since there's only street parking near the toy store.