"You know what your problem is, it's that you haven't seen enough movies - all of life's riddles are answered in the movies." Steve Martin

Ever since I saw E.T., I've been hooked on movies. I love to watch movies with my kids at the cheap seats and indulge in a little buttered popcorn and rootbeer once in a while. There's nothing like watching monsters and aliens fighting against each other to take your mind off your troubles. If you're looking for affordable ways to see the movies this summer, or you're interested to know what is out there, take a look at what I've put together and let me know what you would add to this list. (I've left off the big name theaters because I figured we all know about those already).

Free Summer Movies at Overland Park Cinemas, click here for details. The next free summer movie will be Kung Fu Panda. They also have free movies on Wednesday mornings showing Adventures in Odyssey, click here for more info.

The Reel Theatres in Nampa now has a 3D theater. They offer their 3D movies at an amazing low price of $4.00. Tuesday and Midnights are only $3.00 They are currently showing Monsters vs Aliens in 3D. My husband took the older kids to this a few weeks ago and they had a great time. Click here for more info.

On Monday and Tuesdays mornings, the Northgate and Ontario Reel Theaters are offering "Summer Kid Movies" for only 2.00. They are currently showing The Tale of Desperaux. Click here to see what's showing after that.

AMAZING DEAL! On Wednesday and Thursday mornings, the Country Club on Overland and Nampa Reel Theaters are offering "Family Days in the Summer" for only 1.00 admission to their CURRENTLY playing G or PG rated movie. Right now you can see Monsters vs Aliens or Race to Witch Mountain for one dollar. They also have great prices on popcorn and drinks. Click here and here for details.

Meridian's "Cable One Movie Night." Join your friends and neighbors every Friday night for a free movie under the stars at Settler's Park. Friday July 17, beginning at dusk, they will be showing Journey to the Center of the Earth and passing out 3D glasses to the first 2000 guests. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and bug spray. Click here for upcoming movies every Friday night until August 28.

Boise's "Movies Under the Stars." This isn't just a movie night, it's been designed as an event. Beginning at 7 pm, the Boise Park and Rec department will be organizing games and things for kids to do between the ages of 6 -12. You are invited to come and bring your picnic dinner or enjoy food from the different vendors that will be on hand. Parking is free at the park or across the street at the library. On Saturday night, July 18, they will be showing Kung Fu Panda. The movie will begin at dusk and will be shown on a large inflatable screen. The next movie at Julia Davis Park won't be until August 22nd when they show The Wizard of Oz. Click here for more details.

And if you like watching movies under the stars, but you prefer doing so in the comfort of your car, check out the Parma Vu Drive In. It's about 40 minutes from Boise. Currently playing is Imagine That at 9:45 and Night at the Museum at 11:30.

For the more cultured types who are looking for independent and foreign films there is The Flicks. I also love the Egyptian Theatre. They not only show movies in this historical theater, they host concerts and various special events.

And if you just feel like staying home, there is always Netflix.

For more information about our local movie theaters, check out the Idaho Statesman.com.

Take a Hike

The weather has been cooler lately so the kids and I decided it was time for a hike. I got on the fabulous Ridge to Rivers website to search out which hike would be best for us. We settled on a hike up to Table Rock. The kids are familiar with Table Rock since we made the drive to the top last fall.

So Tuesday morning we put on our hiking shoes and headed for the trailhe

ad behind the Old Penitentiary. (Another trailhead can also be found across from the Warm Springs Golf Course

parking lot). We pulled into the parking lot of the penitentiary and guess who we saw getting off of their bikes? My aunt Irene and uncle Paul. Wow! What a coincidence to run into them. They had the same idea that morning to hike Table Rock. They waited for me to put sunscreen on the kids and then we all hiked together. The boy and the baby made it about half way until they were ready to turn around. Poor boy had a really bad stomachache and said, "Ow, ew, ow, ew" the whole way down. My aunt and uncle and the girl kept going until they made it to the top. They snapped some great pictures and had a great time. I was so glad they were there.

There is a kiosk at the base of the trail that shows you a map of all the different routes to the top. Some are more difficult than others. The Ridge to Rivers website has a link to family friendly hikes that is very informative. Give them a call if you have any questions. To get to the Idaho Penitentiary parking lot follow these directions. The kiosk and trail markers will show you where to go from there.

What to know before you go: Go on a cool day or in the early morning. There is no shade on the trail and it gets very hot. Take your cell phone for emergencies. Bring water and wear sunscreen and a hat. Wear hiking boots or good shoes. The hike took us about 2 hours, but we are went at a snail's pace. Have fun. Enjoy being in nature and taking in some beautiful views of the valley.

Free lunch program for those who need it

Are you worried about how you're going to afford to feed your children this summer?  Have your children been receiving free or reduced lunches at their school?  Then you'll be happy to hear about the Summer Feed Program.  It's awesome. (Thanks to Smullin Family for telling us about it in her comment last month. I had never heard about it before but now we're hooked). We've been going every day for the last two weeks. What a wonderful service! Free lunches for kids are handed out at schools and local parks to help keep children from low-income families (that would be us) fed this summer. Children ages 1 to 18 are handed a free lunch and a free milk.  The program ends on July 31st, so click on the links to find your nearest location and go check it out.  **If you are not a low income family, please do not take advantage of the free summer lunch program.   It is intended for those who need it and I would hate to see this program taken away from those who really benefit from it.

Click here to see locations for Boise School District.

Click here to see locations for Meridian School District.

Also, the Idaho Food Bank is participating.

Meridian's most popular park

Settler's Park is Meridian's most popular park. There's a lot of amenities such as a splash pad, adventure island playground, climbing boulders, interactive sound garden, large fishing pond, ball fields, and concessions. This year they added more seating, shade umbrellas, tennis courts, and really cool horseshoe pits.

The first time we went to Settler's Park I didn't have a fun experience. There were TONS of people there and with so much for the kids to do, it was difficult to keep an eye on them. I was by myself and it seemed like everyone there was with five of their best friends. So I felt really dumb. It was also very hot and there was no shade and no place to sit.

That was last year. This year I was happy to see that they added some tables and benches and shade umbrellas. We've avoided the crowds this year by going in the morning at 11:00 am or in the evening at 8pm. And we've met friends there. It's been great.

Things to know before you go: Wear your swim suit because you're going to want to get wet. They turn the water on at 11 am. Speaking of water, do not let your kids drink the water as they play in the splash pad. Last year (or was it the year before?) it was rumored that they found crypto in the water and lots of people got sick. Keep dirty diapers and kids with diarrhea away from the water.

Also, the ground gets very hot, especially under the climbing boulders and play equipment. I would suggest they wear sandals that can get wet so they can go back and forth between the play areas and the splash pad without burning their feet. Bring an umbrella and a chair if you are going during a busy time of day. Bring money for snacks and drinks. Don't forget your camera. Have fun!

Check out this link for more information.

Rafiki is Ra-Fun

Rafiki? What's Rafiki? Rafiki is one of Boise's newest play places for kids. It means "friend" in Swahili. (The other new place is called Monkey Bizness).

A couple of weeks ago, we had some really awesome friends in town so we decided to give Rafiki a try. We're glad we did because we all had a fabulous time. There was a lot for the kids to do. Here's a run down of some of the activities on site. There's a climbing structure with a slide that's fun. A train table with Thomas trains. A play kitchen with lots of plastic food. Baby dolls and accessories. Dress-up clothes. Costumes. Puppet Theater. Books. Games. Toys. Air hockey table. Ping- pong table. Climbing wall. Wii Room. Arts and Crafts table.

Besides the great activities for the kids, I appreciated the clean bathrooms, healthy snacks, comfortable sofas, magazines, espresso bar, and the fact that it was an all around clean facility. And it wasn't crowded either. And you know how I love places that aren't crowded.

My friend Emi and I relaxed on the sofas while they played for TWO hours. With 7,000 square feet, Rafiki is very large and open. It was easy to keep an eye on all four kids while they did their various activities. We went at 4 pm and got in for a discounted rate of 5.49 per child. I thought that was a great price. We will definitely be back again. ****Four out of four stars.

Things to know before you go. Make sure your child is wearing socks.

How to get there. 6202 State St Boise Idaho 83703. Look for the Zamzows on State St and you'll see Rafiki. It sounds far away if you live in south Meridian like I do, but it's only 12.8 miles from my house and if you take the freeway to Curtis Rd, it only takes 25 minutes. It's worth the drive.

See their website for more info.

Meridian Dairy Days Going On Now

It's one of our family traditions. You can't go a year without attending the Meridian Dairy Days Parade. I remember going to the parade as a kid and it's something my kids look forward to every year. They love getting candy and waiting for the milk truck to toss them free chocolate milks. The parade is on Friday evening and other various activities are scheduled throughout the weekend. Besides the parade, we love going to the Pancake Feed and then listening to the Meridian Symphony perform for free in Storey Park. The carnival is also fun when it's not too hot or crowded.

Here is some information I took from their website. Click here for a schedule of events.

Meridian Dairy Days is held the third full weekend of June each year, and celebrates our community’s heritage when Meridian was the dairy center of Idaho. The event has been celebrated in some fashion since 1929. The Meridian Chamber of Commerce produces the Dairy Days Festival with a full slate of events, which combines with dairy-related events produced by the Meridian Dairy Show Board. The 80th Annual Meridian Dairy Days will be held on June 16-20 in 2009.

Entries in the COW WOW Art Contest start appearing throughout the City the weekend before the Festival. Based on the 2009 theme: Moo-sicians, businesses, groups and individuals decorate plywood cows to show off their creativity and vie for cash prizes.

The Dairy Days Festival begins on Thursday night in Storey Park with a Pancake Feed followed by a free concert by the Meridian Symphony Orchestra.

On Friday, the Festival Marketplace opens, with 80 vendors selling food, crafts, art, and various other products and services. For the children, the “Kids Corral” provides free fun activities and games.

Friday evening, the “Real Dairy Parade” begins at 7 pm with 100 entries focusing on a dairy theme. (www.meridiandairydays.info)

Saturday morning begins with the annual “Milk Run” fun run at Meridian Speedway. Little tykes can participate in a ¼ mile run around the track, and then the older kids and adults do a 5K race that starts and ends at the Speedway. Vendors open at 10 am. At noon the "Dairy Dash", a kid's bicycle race, takes place at the Meridian Speedway. In the afternoon, area coffee shops and restaurants participate in the “Milk Mocktail” Contest, and the public votes for their favorite dairy-based drink. Join us at 2pm to sample the recipes and vote for your favorite.

Other events for 2009 include: the 60th Annual Dairy Princess Contest a carnival, a farm animal education exhibition and dairy cattle and dairy goat shows.

MK Nature Center, Municipal Park, and the Boise River Greenbelt

We had so much fun at Municipal Park, The MK Nature Center, and the Boise River Greenbelt.  It's a trip we make often in the spring time.  If that sounds like a lot to do, don't be overwhelmed.  It's all in one spot. You just have to do a little walking.  Having done this trip many times, here's what I recommend.  I like to park in the parking lot of Municipal Park and enter the MK Nature Center through the north entrance.   Here are the driving directions to Municipal Park.  Here's a map and driving directions to the MK Nature Center. 

Municipal Park is a beautiful 28 acre park next to the Boise River and adjacent to the MK Nature Center.  It has huge shade trees, a large grassy area, bathrooms, a shelter, a little sandbox, and a great play structure.  Dogs, however, are not allowed.  After you park in the Municipal parking lot, stroll over to the entrance to the MK Nature Center.  There's not a big sign, just look for a path and an opening in the fence.  Go ahead an walk in.  It's totally free.  Check out the underwater viewing windows along the stream walk to see the stages of the fish cycle and some really cool fresh water fish.  The education building has stuffed wildlife, a room to observe birds and other creatures outside of the building, and plenty of activities for the kids to keep their little hands busy.  We usually spend about 30 minutes at the MK Nature Center depending on the weather. 

Then we stroll over to the Boise River Greenbelt which is a step away from the Nature Center.  We usually spend another 30 minutes walking the path and exploring the river banks.  There's a few places along the banks to stop and put your feet in.  Then we head back to Municipal Park and play on the play structures before coming home.   So fun!

What to bring:  water bottles, sunscreen, stroller and /or bikes for the greenbelt, snacks.  See all links for directions, hours of operation, and more info.  My family loves this trip.****Four out of four stars.

*A word of caution.  This area is prime for school field trips.  If you are thinking about going to The MK Nature and/or Municipal Park in May, be sure to avoid the area between the peak field trip hours of 10 am to 2 pm.

Craters of the Moon

A friend of mine Alan Murray, and Brian Davidson and his family, recently took a day trip to see the Craters of the Moon. Alan and Brian are part of a team of individuals from around the world who explore cool places and then report about it on their website. Kind of like I do, but on a much grander, more professional scale. A good comparison would be National Geographic (them) meets Star magazine (me).

Anyway, check out their website Uncharted.net for lots of good information you need to know before visiting the Craters of the Moon. They talk about how to get there, what to expect, what to bring, and show you lots of cool pictures. They advise going in the spring time.

After you check out the Craters of the Moon look around their website for other neat things to see and do around our state and the whole world. I especially liked the story on the alligators in Hagerman. Real alligators in Idaho. I had no idea.

Shoshone Falls

Two Saturdays ago we packed the kids in the car and made the trip to Twin Falls to see the "Niagara of the West." Boy, did I wish I would have had the bit of information I'm about to pass along to you before we went. You see, we had no idea that it would be an HOUR wait in the car before we even got to see the falls.

We had no idea that thousands of other people were as interested in seeing Shoshone Falls that day as we were. Traffic was backed up bumper to bumper for two miles. After a two hour drive and sitting in a line of traffic, the kids were getting restless. I finally said, "Come on kids, we're walking the rest of the way." Of course, I didn't know how far it was to the falls, I just knew I didn't want to wait any longer. We jumped out of the car, got the stroller out of the back, and hoofed it on foot, while the husband had to wait in the line of traffic. We beat him down the road by about 25 minutes or so.

The falls were spectacular and the weather was perfect. The girl loved knowing that she had seen the best waterfall in the west. Most of the pictures are ones that she took since I had my hands full with the little ones. We had a great time and would highly recommend making the trip to see Shoshone Falls.

Things to know before you go:
Expect the trip to take all day. Take a stroller if you have young kids. There are restrooms available, but no soap. Bring your own soap or hand sanitizer. There are snacks, drinks, and souvenirs available for purchase. There is a large grassy area and picnic tables. Expect a long wait and tons of people if you are going during the peak season, April thru May. There is a park fee of 3.00 per vehicle. Dogs are permitted on leashes. Take your camera and check the weather before you go. Driving directions are pretty easy. Go to Twin Falls and then turn left on Falls Ave and follow the signs. Have fun!

Here's a link to a video of the falls that the Idaho Statesman posted in April.

One Benefit to the Slow Housing Market

I'm not a fan of our slow housing market or the big declines in market values.  In fact, I hate the whole mess.  But I have managed to find one benefit.  Since I was a teenager I have loved to go to the Parade of Homes.  I loved to go so much that I would go by myself.  It was free and it was fun.  I remember when they started charging admission and requiring tickets.  I was mad.  Every year I would complain about it and often couldn't afford to go or didn't have time to bother getting a ticket.  But this year the Parade of Homes is FREE.  No tickets are required.  Finally.  Something good out of all this.

It's going on now through May 10th.  Weekday hours are 5PM to 8PM, Fridays are 3PM to 8PM, and Saturday and Sunday hours are Noon to 8PM.  Reflecting the slower housing market, there are just 17 new homes on the Parade this year, but they are homes presented by many of the Valley’s best builders including Tradewinds, Tahoe Homes, The Marrs Company, Capitol Building, Brighton Homes, Crocker homes, Borup Construction (they built my home, btw), James Clyde Custom Homes, Boise Hunter Homes, Berkeley Building Company, Roth Homes, Flynner Homes, and Eric Evans Construction.

The best overall home this year was built by Tradewinds.  Check it out in Bella Terra.

There is an excellent clickable tour map online at the BCA website.  You can also click through to previews of each home.

YMCA

*These are pictures of the Caldwell YMCA

Our family loves to swim. Grandma has a pool in the summer, but in the winter we like to swim at the YMCA. Have you been to the Caldwell Y? They have an amazing aquatic center.

There are three different area YMCAs with aquatic centers. I don't know a lot about the pools at the Downtown Y, but I know the West Y has a kiddie pool for young kids ages 0-5 and then a bigger pool for intermediate swimmers, and a lap pool and high dive. It also has a curly slide and a hot tub. The Caldwell Y has those same things plus a "lazy river" and a splash pad which are really fun. The boy likes to call the Caldwell Y "the yellow Y". You'll see "why" if you go. Ha ha, "why."

We recommend swimming and playing at the YMCA because it's really fun and better than being bored at home. The only thing I don't like about the experience is walking in the dressing rooms with bare feet. Oh, and when grown woman, usually old, walk around naked.

See your local YMCA website here for prices, location, and operating hours. Also, check into their financial assistance program to see if you qualify. Downtown Boise, West, Caldwell, Homecourt (no aquatic center at homecourt).

Basketball Games

Winter time in Idaho can be a lot of fun for some people. Some people love to snow ski and can afford it. Some people love snowmobiling and can afford it. Other people love cross country skiing and snow shoeing and don't mind that it's actually exercise.

While it's great that there are people in Idaho that are taking advantage of these fun and expensive winter sports, there are others who, well, can't afford it. Besides...............the drive up to Bogus makes my puke my guts up and I don't feel like skiing much after that.

If you are like me and would love to get involved in winter sports but don't like the cold or the cost, you have to find other things to do in the winter. Hmmm, what is there to do? One thing our family likes to do is go to BSU basketball games. There's lots of excitement and the kids love it. (Ok, I don't really go so that was a little misleading. I should have said our family with the exception of myself and the baby.) But the husband tells me it's exciting and that the kids love it.

At the last game, the girl ended up spilling her entire drink all over herself, the boy fell asleep, and the husband lost his blackberry. But hopefully that was just our bad luck and you will have a great time. Check out the BSU Men's basketball team website for game times.

This kind of excitement can also be had at local high school basketball games. See your district website for details.

Pojos Arcade

During Christmas break, I took the kids to Pojos. There were lots of fun things to do with the girl, the boy, and the baby. The boy liked this game where you roll the ball into one of the holes to get the monster truck to race to the finish line. He also liked skee ball, although I was sure he was going to knock someone out with the way he kept throwing the balls.

All the kids enjoyed the carousel. Especially the baby.

This play structure was fun.

The girl brought a friend along and they had fun in the bumper cars.

The boy especially loved all the car games. I didn't even need to put money in them for him to enjoy them. At the end, the kids swapped the tickets they had earned from the arcade games for some cool junk and we were on our way.

****Four out of four stars. We recommend Pojos because it's great family fun. (Just don't go there on a Friday or Saturday night. Too many teens!) Also, when you go you should know that this is an old(er) facility. It's been around since I was a kid. It's not as nice as Boondocks (now Wahooz, btw) but not as expensive either. Especially if you print off a coupon before you go. They have coupons that you can use for almost any day of the week. See their website for coupons, hours of operation, and directions.

Artist for a Day

I took the girl to Artist for a Day last week and we had so much fun. Artist for a Day is a paint-your-own-pottery place. They have a lot of cute pieces to choose from. I've painted plates and mugs and vases and flower pots. The girl has painted trinket holders, hand mirrors, cats, fairies, sandals, and mugs. Not real cats, lol.

We always have a lot of fun doing this mother-daughter activity. In the past, we have tried to go as a family, but it doesn't work out so well for us because the boy is, well, a boy. He can't sit still long enough to color, let alone paint.

Useful information to know--plan on at least two hours to paint. It always takes us a long time to choose what piece we want to paint and what colors we want to paint it. And the more you paint your piece, the darker the color will be. I like to paint my piece two or three times. Bring a bottle of water and snack with you. They also have a fridge with snacks and water available for purchase. After you have painted your new little treasure, you leave it with Artist for a Day for them to glaze and fire. You can pick it up from the store after seven days. But you must come back and get it within three weeks or they will donate it to charity. (I'm sure" charity" has gotten some interesting looking pieces.)

Every Monday is Kids Day at Artist for a Day. That means that children ages 12 and under get a free studio fee with a paid adult. That's a savings of $6.00. They also have other days to save.

This month they are having a Ladies Night 2 for 1 Studio Fee for ladies 18+ after 6 pm on Wednesday nights, January 7th and 21st. Is there anybody out there who would like to join me on the 21st? It would be so fun!

Also, every Tuesday for the entire day it's 2 for 1 studio fee. Also, Date Night every Friday and Saturday after 6 pm is also 2 for 1 studio fee.

I'm beginning to wish we had gone on one of these days to save. Our bill was $33.00. Good thing the girl had some Christmas money she was willing to part with.

Business hours are Monday -Thursday noon to 9pm

Friday noon to 11pm

Saturday 11am to 11pm

Sunday 11am to 7pm

For directions on how to get there and more info go to www.artistforadayboise.com

More than just lights on a house

It's been a while since we've done something considered blogworthy. But just a few nights ago, we ventured out to see the Denning family Christmas lights. (They're more than just lights. Going there is an event. You can expect to see a light show synced to Christmas music.)

We piled the kids into the car on a school night and told them we were going to look at Christmas lights. About half way there, the boy perks up and says, "We going to Lowes, Mom?" I chuckled. We do go to Lowe's to look at Christmas lights and displays just for fun. We've done it about three or four times since Halloween.

"No. We're going to a house, to see the lights on a house."

"But I wanna go to Lowe's, Mom." It's so cute the way he says Lowe's.

"I know. But this will be cool too."

"But I wanna go to Lowes." (Repeated 12 times.)

Finally we round the corner and we can see it. It looks like something out of a movie--either Deck the Halls or that Griswald one. We turn our car stereo on and tune it to 107.5 and enjoy the show. It doesn't disappoint. When we've heard all the songs and the show starts over I get the box of canned food I brought for the Food Bank and place it in the barrel on the front porch. Free entertainment. Love it. Thank you Denning Family. The boy had a good time and the girl and the baby did too. We cross our fingers that they'll do it again next year. Or we might end up at Lowe's.

I had the opportunity to sit down with the famous guy behind the Denning Family Christmas lights and ask him a few questions. (I didn't really. We did this over FB.)

What is your address? 4468 W. Blue Creek St in Meridian.

How long have you been doing this? 4 years.

Do you have show hours? 6pm to 10 pm on weeknights, 'til 11pm on Friday and Saturday.

How many songs? 10

How many minutes? Somewhere around 28 minutes for the full playlist. I haven't timed it exactly.

What station does a person tune to to hear the playlist? 107.5 FM

How many lights do you have? As of last tally, I show 26,662 lights.

How do your circuits handle all that power? I have to have it all laid out in a spreadsheet to keep things organized and spilt between the circuits evenly. It currently runs on 7 separate circuit breakers in my panel to keep things from tripping.

How much does this cost you? Last year cost me about $55 more on my electrical bill. I do have a few more lights this year though so the bill will likely be $5-10 higher. It draws 99.14 amps or 11,896 watts with everything in "on" mode which equates to $0.71/hour. The actual electrical usage is much lower though since the lights mostly blink and aren't always turned on. I'd guess actual show time cost is 1/3 of that.

How tall is the star on your roof? It's about 6.5 ft tall. It holds 190 C9 clear bulbs and draws 11 amps when turned on.

How does this all work? It's all accomplished with hardware/software from Light-O-Rama (ww.lightorama.com) which runs off my computer. I currently have 96 separate channels of computer control that can be turned on/off.

How many people come see your show? There's no way to know for sure. In 2006, the Statesman actually wrote up a big article on me and put my photo in the paper, etc. Boy, the traffic was crazy that year. I counted 24 parked cars one night.

With all the time and money you put into purchasing your lights, putting them up, taking them down, storing them, and paying for power, is there any way you will accept donations? I mean, I'd give you a few bucks for entertaining me and my family. No. But this year because so many people have asked that question, we are accepting donations to the Idaho Food Bank. There's a barrel on the front porch where you can place canned goods and a lock box for cash donations all for the Food Bank.

Does your neighborhood HOA hold a holiday lights contest, and if so, are you even allowed to enter? Yeah, I've won first place every year since 2005. I've got my fingers crossed for 2008.

Linder Farms

On Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I had the pleasure of going to Linder Farms with the boy and his two different preschools.  To be honest, I didn't have a great time on Wednesday because it was super crowded and it felt like we were being herded like cattle.  It was also freezing cold and the wind was blowing.  On Thursday, however, we had a really fun time.  It was more organized and less crowded.  It was also a lot warmer.  My favorite experience at Linder Farms was the hay ride.  

I also liked the straw maze.

After the straw maze we walked out to the pumpkin patch (more like a gigantic field) and got a pumpkin.  The boy picked an all green pumpkin because that's what he wanted.  It actually made a cute addition to our decor.

****Highly Recommended.  A good place for preschool field trips.  (Not nearly as cool as Wagner Farms, but I guess if you've never been to Wagner Farms you wouldn't know what you're missing.)  Also, if you wondering which one to go to between the Mazie or Linder Farms, I personally think the Maize is more fun and has more to do, although it is more expensive.  If anyone has anything to add about Linder Farms or anything else, please make a comment.  They are always greatly appreciated.  Also, add yourself as a follower and make my day!

Spyglass Gardens

If you're looking for a pumpkin patch with a small town feel, look no further than Spyglass Gardens.  Spyglass Gardens started as one couple's dream.   Steven and Wendy have a home and some land--not a lot, but enough.  On their land they grow fruits and vegetables without pesticides.  They harvest their crops and sell them right from the gardens next to their home. They stay busy all summer long, but things don't slow down in the fall.  People return to buy straw bales, corn stalks, and cinderella pumpkins.  Children return to run through the straw maze and pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.  (No hay rides unfortunately.)

We've been to Spyglass twice already this year and both times have been really fun and uncrowded.  The boy and I played in the straw maze by ourselves for fifteen minutes.  We played I'm Gonna Get Cha and Can't Catch Me and I'm Going To Beat You (as in beat you to the other side).  

Then I pulled him and the baby in the wagon (provided by Spyglass, they have plenty on site) and we went over and found some more pumpkins.  I say more because we already have 10 from our last trip.  

Then we bought some straw bales and some corn stalks and wished we could afford the ghost pumpkins and the cinderella pumpkins but we couldn't.  So Wendy helped me load up the van and this is what we did when we got home.

****We highly recommend Spyglass Gardens.  They are located on 3445 S. Linder Rd between Victory and Amity.  Their October hours are Monday - Saturday 10:00am to 6:30 pm and Sundays between 12:30 to 5:30 pm.  See their website for more info.

Scarecrow Stroll

Introducing the bride of crow. Also known as Mrs. Scarecrow.

That's the name we gave her when we met her for the first time at the Scarecrow Stroll in the Idaho Botanical Garden.

I always want to say gardens with an s.

If you're like me and you don't like crowds-- go to places you want to go on game day. Unless you're going to the game. Then by all means have a great time and go broncos. If you're not going to the football game, go somewhere you've been wanting to go. Trust me, you'll have the whole place to yourself.

This is what happened to us on Friday evening when we ventured out to the Idaho Botanical Garden and the rest of Boise ventured to the BSU/Hawaii game. It was 70 degrees that day and the weather was perfect. The fall colors were beautiful and there were still many flowers in bloom. The kids had a great time running around. The boy liked to throw rocks into various streams, ponds, waterfalls, and fountains.

And run and run and run and run.

The girl liked taking pictures of the decorated scarecrows.

And the baby liked sticking her hands into the streams.

I quite enjoyed the peace and quiet and the beautiful fall foliage.

We were the only, only, only, people there. Except for the family that was there for like 10 minutes. So that doesn't really count. We saw lots of birds and quail and squirrels. There we many flowers still in bloom. And even though we have been there before, we still spent almost two hours there. What did you do for two hours?

We just walked around and explored nature. Snapped a few pictures.

And it was fun. And quiet.

And not crowded. And not hot. And really fun.

We went between the hours of 5 and 7 pm and toward the end of the evening the sun was setting and I was able to get a cool picture of the girl.

I am by no means a photographer, but I thought it turned out cool.

The cost to get in was so cheap I had to ask the lady, "Did you charge for me?" Yes. Four dollars for an adult, two dollars for kids four and older. So it cost us six dollars to get in. Six dollars for two hours of family entertainment. Think Mastercard commercial. Priceless.

****Four out of four stars. Click here for the The Idaho Botanical Garden website.