‘Summer Bucket List’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit, NJ {Summer Bucket List}

August 18, 2014 · Narrative

A tranquil beautiful setting tucked into Summit, the Reeves-Reed Arboretum is a great spot for a visit.

“Visit an arboretum” was on our Summer Bucket List because, although we have several arboretums in the area, we haven’t really visited one (although our annual visit to the gingerbread exhibit is at an arboretum, there is nothing floral to see in the dead of winter for sure). The bright skies and warm temps this afternoon made it a great time to visit (and a Groupon for frozen yogurt down the street turned it into a perfect afternoon).

The arboretum is very easy to find in a residential section of Summit. When I first saw the entrance gate, I thought it was closed, but as you approach slowly, it opens automatically, so don’t let that deter you (and the exit/gate is the same way). The property has several small houses/offices, and the starting point wasn’t entirely clear, but we found someone in the parking lot to ask and she pointed us to one of the smaller houses near the parking lot and greenhouse. In there we found a really friendly employee (and thankfully restrooms), who gave us a map and explained the different trails we could take through the property. She cautioned against going on one of the trails because of some recent overgrowth of poison ivy, and then she handed us a bag of fish food and asked us to feed the fish in the pond on the way through. She also told us where to find the (one) resident frog, who was exactly where she said he would be. She was awesomely helpful!

You have to look really closely, but he’s in this picture. I was actually surprised when we found him.

We took the path through wildflowers behind the building that housed her office and continued down to a path that led us to the Elephant Tree that she mentioned (which could not be more appropriately named), with a really cute picnic area, which reminded me of something out of The Flintstones.

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Summer Bucket List {2014}

June 11, 2014 · Narrative

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Visit: Air Show

August 26, 2013 · Narrative

When I was a kid, we used to go to air shows a lot as a family. The last time I went to one, I was in junior high. Eager to prolong the summer fun, a friend of the family had invited me back to their home afterwards. I vividly remember details of the car ride. He suggested we go swimming, crabbing, and jump off his mom’s dock, perfect things for kids and summer, and said his mom could stop at our house so I could get my bathing suit.

I told him I didn’t have one, and then he suggested we just stop off and buy one.

As a boy, he didn’t understand. And as a girl, it was a turning point for me. In terms of boys, bathing suits, and weight gain.

It was the summer when I had gained maybe 10 or 20 pounds and had started to feel uncomfortable about it. I had always been super skinny as a kid, and this was the summer that things started to shift.

Just one of those random, life changing moments that has stuck with me ever since.

It’s funny how things evolve. That boy is now a Dad to a young son (his son is about Madeline’s age), and we now live in the same town as his Mom, who actually was a huge help to Nick a few months ago on an end-of-school-year project.

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Summer Bucket List 2013

July 2, 2013 · Narrative

*click to make it larger

And so it shall be written.

Our official Summer Bucket List for this year. It might look a little ambitious, but thankfully we have already done a few things on the list.

As for the rest? Many, many free and fun activities. Many plans to discover special local areas that we have not yet visited. And really just an all ’round determination to eek every bit of joy we can out of the summer season.

Despite the non-stop rain, rain, rain, humidity, humidity, humidity cycle that has been the last three weeks.

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Summer Bucket List: Lemonade Stand

June 27, 2013 · Ad-Free

It wouldn’t be an O’Malley Summer Bucket List if the phrase “lemonade stand” didn’t appear on it. We have been trying to have one over the last few weekends, but between a heat wave, days upon days upon days of rain (we currently have torrential downpours now, as I type this, along with a tornado watch), or sports schedules, the odds have not been in our favor. But we’re a determined bunch and it will be happening with the next two weekends.

I can almost guarantee it.

And in the meantime? We are gathering our supplies and planning our mission. And this time, we have two secret weapons in our arsenal.

1. To make sure to appeal to adults, as well as kids, we’ll be selling International Delight Iced Coffee, as well as lemonade. I know! Gettin’ fancy up in here.

2. We’ll be using these awesome lemonade stand printables that Kim from The TomKat Studio has put together. Because, really, this isn’t just your average lemonade stand.

Nick has really wanted to work this summer. For the time being, he is making rubber bracelets (that fit both kids and adults), and is donating half the proceeds to the local animal rescue group that we work with. We’re planning on doing the same thing with the lemonade stand money that the kids raise. Having a lemonade stand is a great way to give your kids an opportunity to earn a little bit of money (and, in our case, give back as well), and it’s a perfect summer rite of passage.

Because, really, what car or neighbor walking by is going to pass up two cute kids selling lemonade and iced coffee for a good cause?

I certainly wouldn’t!

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Summer Bucket List 2012: Drive-In Movie

August 29, 2012 · Narrative

We are nearing the end of our Summer Bucket List 2012, and this drive-in/outdoor movie was a fun one to cross off the list.

It was a perfect way to spend a Friday night during the summer with friends.

Free movie.

Picnic blanket with goodies from home and dinner from Panera.

A new and fun experience for the kids.

Check and check.

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Summer Bucket List 2012: Six Flags/Great Adventure Safari

August 23, 2012 · Narrative

Earlier this week, ABC News reported that Six Flags/Great Adventure will be closing their safari on September 30th. Although we’re sad to hear that (we love the safari!), they went on to say that the animals are staying on the property, so maybe they’re planning to turn it into a zoo of sorts (further details to be released at the end of August). Here’s hoping.

Luckily for us, we managed to sneak in one last visit to the safari last week, crossing yet another item off our Summer Bucket List – booyah.

Billed as the largest drive-thru safari outside of Africa, it’s 350 acres of open property that has all sorts of animals, hailing from six continents, freely roaming around. Some of the animals are kept behind fences (for example, elephants, the brown and black bears, the tigers, and the baboons), while others come right up to your car. Which is, quite frankly, the best part ever.

Last year when we went, we held up traffic for quite awhile as a giraffe hovered over my truck, licking every square inch of the sun roof.

It was awesome.

Seriously.

This year? We were not disappointed.

This giraffe (get a load of those eyelashes!) cleaned my radio antennae like nobody’s business. To the point that I was just super glad the radio actually still worked when he was done.

And it produced some of our favorite pictures ever.

We even captured a quick ten second video of the radio antennae cleaning action:

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Summer Bucket List: Picnic in the Park

July 26, 2012 · Narrative

We have been slowly making our way through our Summer Bucket List, and have made some really good progress. Last night, we managed to cross off “picnic in the park,” and tomorrow we will be crossing off one more item.

For locals (and semi-locals), we ended up at Lewis Morris Park. I have so many fond memories of this park as a middle schooler, because we used to have our Field Days there, and love going back there with the kids. Most of the scenic shots in this post are from Lewis Morris Park (love the one with me and the kids), the last photo in this post is a favorite one we have with Eli (and Nick took the picture), and although I can’t find the post where I talked about it, this photo is from Lewis Morris Park too. She was asking me to smell her armpits. Lovely. This trip to Lewis Morris Park was actually the first Mother’s Day after The Ex and I split up. Oh how little the kids look then!

There are over 1,100 acres to explore, complete with lakes, bike trails, dog parks, baseball fields, fitness areas, playgrounds, and, most importantly, big wide open spaces for the kids to run themselves silly.

The pinkie in the air is an all-important part of chowing down on fried chicken.

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Summer, Swimming, and S’Mores

July 6, 2012 · Narrative

There are so many things to love about summer. Mostly, though, I love that our day-to-day living gets slightly more relaxed. Dinner time is less rigid. As is bedtime. And there is the teensiest bit of exhaling. Juggling summer camp and babysitter challenges notwithstanding, of course.

Because, man, that is totally not relaxing in the least.

But let’s all let out a deep breath and exhale. While we can.

One of our Summer Bucket List items was swimming lessons for Madeline. Over the last few years, as I’ve watched how she approaches water, it is much like her personality in general.

The last three times we went to Hershey Park, she stood on the side of the pool, at the five foot marker, and jumped in. Without waiting to make sure someone was there to catch her. Without looking around to see where I was. Without hesitation.

That’s exactly how she approaches life. Dives.right.in.

And that’s exactly why she’s in swimming lessons. Because she’s going to give me a heart attack without them.

Her brother, Nick, and his approach to water and life, is completely different. He’ll hang on to me until the very last second. Look all around. Go over the scenario in his mind. Ask questions. Look for reassurances. And then slightly edge his way towards the water.

Much how he is with life in general.

Over the past few years, he has definitely spread his wings a bit more. Diving from The Ex’s hands into the lake. Soaring deep down to the sandy bottom to look for shells. Holding his breath under water. (The below sequence is Nick swimming under water)

One of them is completely fearless with everything. The other is much more cautious.

It always fascinates me how different siblings can be from each other. Two kids, raised under the same household, same parents, same rules. Could not be more different. It’s the same way with my sister and I. And I’m sure many of you.

If summer time means swimming, it also means s’mores. Nick had a scout sleepover a few weeks ago, and s’mores at the campfire were a given. And Madeline had her first camp sleepover too (tagging along for Nick’s outing). I do believe she was most excited about peeing in the woods. And if you know her in real life, you’re not surprised by this. Talk about embracing life.

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Summer Bucket List 2012

June 23, 2012 · Ad-Free

This post is underwritten by Old Navy. Whether you’re looking for a tankini, bikini, or a one piece, Old Navy has you confidently covered.

I can’t even believe it’s that time already. Another season come and gone. Another bucket list almost completed. Another new season begins. And more fun things to check off. This time, my focus was on appreciating the simple things. While there are a few outings and such on this year’s Summer Bucket List, it’s a little more about getting back to basics.

I made the list while the kids were out with The Ex today, and Nick spied it on the refrigerator as soon as he came home. I watched him reading through it, and when he came out of the kitchen, he nodded. “I approve,” he said. “I’ll let you know if I have anything else to add.”

I’ll bet.

This summer, I hope to get several trips to the Jersey Shore under our belts. The kids love the water, and I love the shore. It’s a win win. There’s something about heading south that makes it very easy to leave everything behind (I know Sarah, as well as many others, agree). Some sort of magic happens when sand and salt water meet, and all the sudden, everything is right with the world. That, and once we get to my parents’ house, all the to-do lists and checklists are out the window. The only thing you CAN do is relax. It’s hard for me to do absolutely nothing, but I completely appreciate the rewards of forced relaxation. Even just the drive down the parkway does wonders for clearing my head. The trip through the tolls and stops at the rest stops never fail to remind me of summers spent down the shore while we were growing up. I love that my kids are enjoying some of the very same traditions I enjoyed back then.

This year, Madeline is taking three weeks worth of swimming lessons, and I can’t wait for her to get started next week. She is my fearless child, known for jumping off the dock without waiting to make sure someone is there to catch her. And although I wholeheartedly embrace her fearlessness characteristics, my heart would beat a little slower once she has more basic skills under her belt. This is her favorite bathing suit from Old Navy (the closest one to rainbow stripes), no bunching, no slipping, super modest, and super cute. Their bathing suits are also really good at lasting the entire season, which my wallet appreciates. They’d probably last more than one season if the kids would only stop growing so darn much.

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Spring Bucket List 2012

March 27, 2012 · Narrative

For the past two years, the kids and I have had a Summer Bucket List (2011 and 2010). I’m a big fan of such things, and so are they. At the end of the day, it’s too easy to come home and just veg in front of the tv and do nothing. And then the whole year has passed and it’s all “what did we do?” Oh nothing.

Now don’t get me wrong. I cherish our lazy, do nothing days. I need them. The kids need them. No question. But I don’t want a whole season full of nothing but do nothing days. Although “balance is a false goal,” I want to pepper our do nothing days with fun memory-making moments for us.

One of my Top 5 favorite quotes sums it up perfectly.

I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well. – Diane Ackerman

So the Bucket List. It gives us those fun bits of activity to look forward to. Things to plan. Some cost absolutely nothing. Some are a few bucks. I try to mix it up. Because, after all, fun isn’t about how much money you’re spending. It’s about spending time with your family and friends. Creating memories. And moments. Things that the kids will remember years from now when we’re knee-deep in teen angst. When they have their own families to create memories with. When they’re no longer my littles.

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Parenting: Leading with Intention

August 18, 2011 · Narrative

*Completely random unrelated picture (sunset from last night) just because I can’t bring myself to lead a post without a picture.

Beth and I stood in Kohl’s this past Saturday.

Dumbfounded.

Completely and utterly speechless.

A mom was berating her son in the middle of the lingerie section.

Loud.

Belligerent.

Mean.

Downright nasty.

My heart ached for the little boy.

He looked to be a few years older than Nick. He said nothing as his Mom shrieked at him.

His grandmother stood by and said nothing.

Perhaps that’s the way she raised her daughter. I don’t think it is, but I don’t know.

As the family walked to the cash register to pay, the mom’s loudly raised voice continued to echo throughout the whole store.

We made our way to the back of the store, intent on checking out white servingware.

We could still hear her.

Beth shook her head. “Anyone can be a parent.”

Isn’t that the truth?

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