‘Beating Summer Boredom’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: Bear Mountain, New York

August 26, 2010 · Narrative

The first time I went to Bear Mountain, it actually wasn’t where I was planning to go. This was years and years ago. My mom and I were heading off on a road trip, and forty-five minutes into our trip, we somehow ended up lost. In Bear Mountain. After going there this past weekend, I can’t imagine how it even happened. But I *do* remember it took us the better part of an hour to find our way back out. Ahh, good times.

Unfortunately, my streak continued. Clearly I have issues with Bear Mountain. And getting lost. Although, I swear to you, I rarely get lost. Losing things is a completely separate topic as, I’m sad to say, friends and family can report. Anyway. Sarah and I planned a Bear Mountain meet-up with the kids ages ago. As the day got closer and closer, our details became more and more concrete. A picnic. A menu. She brings this. I bring that. We spend the day in the sun, letting the kids run around and get all their crazies out, without spending much scratch.

So the morning was a little crazy. We finally arrive at Bear Mountain and I blithely follow the signs. Up. Up. Up. Up some more. The kids fast asleep in the car. I gasped at every turn. For two reasons. One. The view is absolutely, positively stunning. Breathtaking. Like if you happen to live within a reasonable driving distance, you should go. Picnic. Hike. Invent a reason and just go. And be sure to drive to the top of the mountain to get the full effect. And then there is the second reason. Wow, is it ever scary driving near the edge of a cliff. On a narrow road. With nary a guard rail in sight. I got out a few times and took pictures and the last time, Nick woke up. “Oh my gosh, this is so scary.” Kid, you ain’t kidding. I tend to be a little paranoid about a few things, and I have since added accidentally driving over a cliff to the list. I mean, you *did* hear what happened to Heidi Montag’s famed plastic surgeon, right? Of course, he was texting while driving, but still.

So we’re at the top of the mountain, and there are only a handful of cars. No carousel. No zoo. No big lake. No picnic area to speak of. And definitely no Sarah. I don’t get it. All I did was follow the signs for Bear Mountain. I asked a nearby couple, who very thoughtfully shared their map, what I did wrong and they pointed down below. That’s where you need to be, they said. Oh.

At this point, Sarah is texting me, telling me she’s in the ‘hood. And parked. By the carousel. Clearly, she has done this before. Fine then. So back in the car, and now we go down. Down. Down the mountain. (As a side note, if you go for just the zoo or the carousel or what have you, do make the same mistake I did and first go to the top of the mountain. If for nothing else, the view. Please).

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Beating Summer Boredom: Shaving Cream Fun

August 18, 2009 · Narrative

I’m not a big fan of the heat. My favorite season is the Fall, followed by Spring and Winter, with Summer coming in dead last. New Jersey is known for its crazy humidity, but this summer has been uncharacteristically bearable … until now. The heat and humidity has been so bad the past few days that today, when talking with a friend who grew up in Mumbai, India, she characterized our weather, particularly the humidity, as worse than it is in India. Yikes! I take consolation in the fact that Summer is nearly over, and regularly sing the praises of the person who invented the air conditioner. What a genius that was!

Lately, in an effort to beat the heat and stay cool, the kids have been dragging out the wading pool and having fun splashing about. It’s all about the simple things, and a pool full of water, bunched up beach towels, flip-flops and icy cold colorful popsicles make for awesome summer memories. Lately, though, we’ve added a little shaving cream to the mix. Tag this under “perhaps the most amount of fun you can have for a buck.”

Taking a queue from Meg, I set a few cans of shaving cream out and let the kids go to town. I think the pictures say it all.

Beating Summer Boredom: Marbled Paper

July 15, 2009 · Craft Ideas

Otherwise known as How to Entertain Your Kids for Under $3. Before summer arrived, I had amassed a very full folder of craft ideas, activities and the like to keep Nick busy throughout the summer. Anything to beat the cries of boredom. Most are very inexpensive activities, often times using items you likely already have on hand. Some are more creative-based. Some require the thinking side of his brain. All are just plain fun. Today it was all about making pretty marbled paper.

I ripped this idea out of a recent issue of Family Fun magazine. All you need is a baking sheet, food coloring, shaving cream and some card stock. I purchased two cans of shaving cream at the dollar store (and after doing about six sheets, we still have a can and a half leftover), and got a stack of card stock sheets from Michael’s scrapbooking section. They were 39 cents a sheet, and this week, they’re all 30% off. Even better.

What kid doesn’t like to play with shaving cream? Especially when it’s with permission. This afternoon, once the lunch plates were cleared, the kids (yes, even Madeline) got busy on creating the pretty marbled paper with their babysitter. It could not be easier to make and they had a blast doing it. With all the swirly shapes and colors, no two pieces of paper are the same, and you can go crazy with unique color combinations. They don’t know it yet, but tomorrow, they’re going to make some pink pieces for me to hang in my office. I know this doesn’t surprise you.

Now, what to do with the paper once you’re done? Although, surprisingly, the magazine didn’t make any suggestions, there are tons of possibilities. We’re going to cut the paper to fit in some black frames I bought to make one-of-a-kind artwork. How about a bookmark or two? A colorful mat for a framed picture? Laminate it and make placemats for everyone in the family? Gift tags? Book covers? The possibilities are endless, only limited by your imagination. Have fun!

P.S. Miss our first entry for Beating Summer Boredom? You can find it right here.
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