Have a Great Weekend!

It's been a while and I'm still working on redesigning the website, not to mention that I've been sick all month long (not an exaggeration). In the meantime, here are some links for your weekend...

Meet Piper, the dog who works at the Traverse City airport, on YouTube and Instagram. Total hero in our Border Collie household.

The newest American Girl doll, Melody, will be from Detroit during the Civil Rights era! (I love American Girl and have to say that this is long overdue and very welcome.)

Have you seen the blue ice stacking up near Mackinac Bridge?

How to give your kids allowance the right way. Great information on teaching your kids financial literacy.

A very Michigan marriage proposal...

...and why women proposing is still so rare.

A throwback to a time when breastfeeding was actually accepted and discussed on children's television.

Moving is linked to losing friendships - especially hits home for military families.

What it's really like to work in Hollywood, if you're not a straight, white man. (Reminded me of this piece from the fall about how women have to talk in meetings.)

Love this girls' dress from Tea.

(Photo via airportk9)


This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated a small percentage if you make a purchase through my links. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Good Idea Mom possible!

Date Night at Aventura

The stars aligned this weekend. My in-laws are visiting and it was Valentine's Day, so I got everything I wanted: A dozen red roses, free babysitting, a love letter, and a perfect romantic date with Juan at Aventura.

We chose the Valentine's Day five course menu and loved every bite. I forgot to take a picture of the first course because we dove right in! For the fourth course, below, I chose a caramelized onion tartelet and Juan chose lamb sweet bread. I also snapped a picture of our desserts, ricotta cheesecake and a potato nut spice cake - both fabulous.

The ambience at Aventura is really special, which you already know if you've been. It was so nice to go to the kind of restaurant we used to go to and talk, just the two of us, with a glass of latúe that a certain little person isn't begging to taste. I was also excited to wear normal clothes and feel like myself, not just Mama. I wore my Madewell Skinny Skinny jeans that fit perfectly, a silk Tucker blouse, my gold monogram necklace, and a Tory Burch handbag I bought a few years ago when such splurges made sense in my life. It was a refreshing change from my mom uniform of yoga pants, no jewelry for little hands to pull, and a diaper bag.

This year the Valentine's Day menu was $50 per person including tax and gratuity. I consider that a good deal for five courses (tapas add up quickly), and we left full and happy. Wine tasting with each course was optional at $25 per person.

How did you celebrate Valentine's Day? Did you dine out or prepare something special at home? I'd love to hear!

Have a Great Long Weekend!

What are your plans this Valentine's Day/Presidents' Day weekend? Today is Buster's (our dog's) fifth birthday and he's in for a peanut butter surprise tonight. My in-laws are coming tomorrow, so Juan and I are going on a Valentine's Day date downtown this weekend (free babysitting!). We're also going to a baby shower and the present I bought is giving me baby fever. Luisa and I are still recovering from a bad cold (and her first ear infection) and I'm hoping to go on another run by Monday.

Plus, I finally got a new laptop, so I have some behind-the-scenes blog work and general file transferring to catch up on. Here are a few interesting links in the meantime...

Ideas for what to cook when you don't feel like cooking. (I don't feel like cooking lately.)

Why you shouldn't break long pasta before cooking it.

A fun newsreel from the 1930's about winter in Michigan.

This could make grocery shopping more enjoyable.

Did you know that a giant crack appeared in the U.P. five years ago? Fun article to show your kids.

Start planning your warm weather trips now: 7 Michigan travel destinations for 2016.

The important of play-based learning (and the drama around culturally-insensitive Halloween costumes at Yale last fall).

Where U of M furniture goes to find a new life.

Have you spotted a black squirrel yet?

Don't forget to stock up on new arrivals from Tea Collection this weekend! Code AMORE gets you 15% off three items, 20% off four, or 25% off five or more. Psst, this is the most amazingly thick, soft dress and I can't rave about it enough. (Promotion ends Monday, 2/15.)

Get 40% off your first month at Kiwi Crate with code KIWILOVE. (Promotion ends Monday, 2/15.)

(Photo of baby Luisa at a lantern festival in Seoul.)

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This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated a small percentage if you make a purchase through my links. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Good Idea Mom possible!

Toddler's Day Out: My Urban Toddler

Luisa and I spent yesterday morning at My Urban Toddler's indoor playground in Saline and had such a blast. The play area is designed as a miniature city for your little one to explore. There are two different cafe seating areas for parents to relax and talk. Toddlers can play in the fire station, schoolhouse, play kitchen, dress-up area, and grocery market, or sit for a while in the library with tons of puzzles. There's also a special "park" in the middle for pre-walking babies with soft toys and mats to crawl on.

Luisa especially loved the play kitchen and grocery store. She probably spent an hour loading groceries in to her shopping cart and proudly pushing it around the entire city. :) She was also thrilled by the fish in the aquarium near the front. When it was finally time to leave, it took quite a lot of convincing for Luisa to come with me. She could have stayed forever!

I was glad for the chance to hang out with my friends and get to know other parents in the area. It can be difficult to meet people at other venues, but the infant park and cafe seating made it easier to strike up a conversation. If you are a breastfeeding mama with an extremely distractible baby (as Luisa was from 3-14 months), there is a dark privacy room with a comfy armchair, lamp, and changing table so that you can nurse your child in peace.

Play area admission is just $5 per child on Fridays, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. On other days, admission is $10 for your first child and $7.50 for each additional sibling. Infants up to 6 months old are always free. Be sure to bring your socks! I forgot mine and had to purchase a pair for $2.65.

I highly recommend My Urban Toddler on rainy days, extra cold days, and any Friday. Have fun!

A2 Park Passport

Have you heard about the new A2 Park Passport initiative? You can get a FREE pass to golf, boat, swim, and ice skate at a City of Ann Arbor park facility - plus a map of some of Ann Arbor's best hiking trails.

This is a great way to discover outdoor activities with your family that you might not have otherwise tried. Your kids will be thrilled to try something new...and to see their parents try something new! It's an opportunity to show your kids the importance of stepping outside of your comfort zone, staying fit, and spending time outdoors.

After completing all four free activities, participants will receive a prize and entry into the grand prize drawing: A 2017 season pass to the city park facility of your choice. (I would love a season pass to the pool!)

Only 700 Park Passports are available as of last month until October 2016. You can pick up your Park Passport at any city park facility during open hours, or attend a Saturday kick-off event, always at 2-4 p.m.: Feb. 6 at Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena, March 19 at Mack Indoor Pool, May 7 at Huron Hills Golf Course, and June 4 at Gallup Park Canoe Livery.

Thanks, Alex, for the heads up!

(Photo of Gallup Canoe Livery via City of Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation)

Toddler's Day Out: Preschool Playtime at Gym America

Have you heard of Preschool Playtime at Gym America? My friend Pooja invited me to join her there this morning and I am so glad we went. Luisa had such a blast exploring the balance beam, trampoline, soft gymnastics floors, climbing bars, play equipment, and more.

You can go to Preschool Playtime every Monday and Friday, 9:45 to 10:45 am, until June 11. The cost per session is only $5 per child! Children who are walking up to five years old are welcome, and parents can wear or carry non-walking babies. Certified staff supervise the entire play session (and help the kids take turns on the trampolines :), but parents must stay with their children at all times. You can leave your things in cubbies in the locker room during the play session.

Luisa was so thrilled to try new things and see what she could do! I was impressed by how brave she was, climbing up high and jumping into the ball pit. I can't wait to see her try the swinging rope one day when she's a little bigger. I highly recommend Preschool Playtime, and can't wait to go to Gym America again before the season closes.

New Ice Skating Rinks in Ann Arbor

One of my very first posts was about ice skating in Ann Arbor, and I'm excited to share some news. Starting today, three more Ann Arbor parks have natural, outdoor ice skating rinks: Burns, Allmendinger, and Northside. There is no cost to skate and the rinks are open during normal park hours, 6 am to 10 pm. Just bring your own skates, since there are no skate rentals at these locations, and look out for signs indicating whether the rink is open or closed. The rinks will be maintained daily while they're open.

(Photo of the Buhr Park outdoor skating rink via MLive; information via Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation)

Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on a Budget

Ann Arbor foodies rejoice: Restaurant Week starts this Sunday, January 17, and lasts through Friday, January 22, 2016. But if you don't eat out to save money, like us, you might not be as thrilled. No worries - you can still enjoy Restaurant Week on a budget. Here's how:

First, limit yourself to lunch. Lunch is just $15, whereas dinner is $28 during Restaurant Week. Just like any other week, lunch won't break the bank as much as dinner will.

Second, choose a restaurant that offers 2-for-1 pricing. This means that you and your partner or a friend can both eat for $15 total. (On the website, you can filter by restaurants that offer 2-for-1 pricing, lunch, or vegan/vegetarian options.)

Finally, make your reservations as soon as possible (right now) because reservations fill up fast.

Enjoy, and let me know in the comments where you go so that I can live vicariously!

(Photo via MLive)

Local Hike: Cherry Hill Nature Preserve

Hiking is one of our favorite things to do as a family. We love to be active and enjoy nature with Luisa and our dogs. We also love free activities, so it's a win. :)

Over winter break, we went on a family hike at Cherry Hill Nature Preserve in Superior Township. Northeast of Ann Arbor and about a half-hour drive for Ann Arborites on the south and west sides of town, it was well worth the drive.

Cherry Hill has gorgeous, varied terrain: steep (really steep) hills, a large cattail marsh, plenty of hardwood forest, and rolling meadows. We really enjoyed the steep hills; they're hard to come by around here. (The one thing I would change about Ann Arbor, if I could, would be to add mountains!) I can't wait to see Cherry Hill change through the seasons.

Be sure to take a paper trail map from the entrance to the park! We referenced it a few times to decide which trail we wanted to take next.

Do you have a favorite local park somewhat off the beaten path? I'd love to hear! I plan to share more hiking spots here on the blog.

Hike it Baby 30 Challenge

Have you hiked with Hike it Baby Ann Arbor? It's a great way to get outside with your kids (and dogs!) and make friends, which is so important as a parent. Don't be intimidated; the Hike it Baby philosophy is "No Hiker Left Behind," whether you need to feed a little one, change a diaper, or stop for any other reason. There are fast-paced caregiver-led hikes, slower toddler-led hikes, and even group runs. Plus, all hikes are free. I run and hike with Hike it Baby several times a week and have made some of my very best friends in Ann Arbor this way.

Registration is still open until January 10 for the January Hike it Baby 30 Challenge. The goal is to hike 30 miles in 30 days, or spend 30 minutes outside three days a week. Hike it Baby challenges are so motivating to go outside every day, even on cold, gray winter days when you're tempted to stay inside. I've never regretted going hiking or running; I feel so much better afterwards. Being outside and moving makes all of us so much happier, kids and dogs included. Registration for this challenge starts at $2, as much or as little as you can afford.

I started my challenge this morning: Juan, my friend Alex, and I ran three cold, beautiful miles along the Huron River with the dogs and jogging strollers in tow. This is my second challenge and I'm so excited to push myself to spend time outside this winter.

There are also Hike it Baby branches in metro Detroit, Jackson, and throughout the country. You can register for the challenge even if you live in a city without a Hike it Baby branch, if you'd like.

Happy hiking, and a happy, healthy new year!

What to Do with Your Kids During Winter Break

If you have school-aged children in your house or are a student at the university, winter break means lots of free time for many Ann Arbor families. Here's a round-up of activities that won't break the bank this month:

The popular Classical Bells Holiday Concert will be tomorrow, December 19, at 1:00 pm at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library. Arrive early!

Visit Santa and have your own ornament painted at Bronner's in Frankenmuth.

Head south to Toledo Zoo's Lights Before Christmas. Pay attention to the special hours and admissions rates (but save $1.00 per ticket by purchasing online!).

Take a day trip to the festive Olde World Canterbury Village and peek in Aldridge's Always Christmas.

Michigan Science Center will have free admission all day on December 26 in celebration of their third birthday.

Now is a great time to purchase a family membership to the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. It's a great indoor place to play and learn, especially in the winter, and the family membership is actually inexpensive if you go frequently enough.

Visit the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. Check out the hands-on demo of mammoth and mastadon hunting (for kids age 5+).

Don't forget to go ice skating at one of our local arenas.

The Civic Center Library in Livonia has a dollhouse exhibit through the end of December. The library will be closed December 24-27 and December 31-January 3.

Be sure to join my Facebook group for all the best deals.

And, finally, it looks like it might be a brown Christmas (ha), but in case we have a white Christmas, find a great sledding hill.

Happy Holidays! Xoxo, Sarah

(Photo by me of the Freiburg Christmas Market, my happy place)

Breastfeeding Support

Breastfeeding has been the most salient part of motherhood for me so far, so I wanted to share a local resource here in Ann Arbor that many of my friends have recommended to me. The Breastfeeding Cafe is a free, drop-in group for breastfeeding support. The group meets every Friday at 10:00 am at the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor (726 Brooks St.). You can find more information here.

La Leche League of Ann Arbor also hosts free breastfeeding support meetings each week. You can find a detailed schedule on the La Leche League of Ann Arbor Facebook page.

How you feed your baby is a very personal choice. I do not have an agenda; I am just providing links to free resources for Ann Arbor mamas who choose to breastfeed. Love to everyone! Sarah xo

(Photo by my husband the day our baby was born :)

Ann Arbor District Library Playgroups and Storytimes

Have you been to any events at the Ann Arbor District Library? They offer so many enriching, free events for babies and preschool-age children.

The playgroup for babies up to 24 months was the first activity I regularly took my baby to when we moved here. It begins with ten minutes of singing (with a banjo musician!), stories, and action songs to foster early literacy and language development, follows with half an hour of free play with more toys than you can possibly imagine, and finishes with a few calming lullabies to transition your little one out of the playgroup. The baby playgroup meets every weekday at a different library branch. You can find the schedule here.

AADL also offers preschool storytimes for 30 minutes each weekday at a different branch; the schedule is here.

Don't forget to look closely at each of those schedules! AADL offers some single events in addition to the daily playgroups and storytimes, such as Dancing Babies and Sensation Stations. Some of these events are in the evenings and on weekends, so working parents can join in.

Finally, if you want to search for events by your library branch, you can search by location here.

Random: I've been watching Friends on Friday nights and just remembered this scene of Phoebe as "the lady singer who tells the truth." :)

Enjoy, and don't forget to join my Facebook group if you haven't already so that you don't miss out on any of my posts or upcoming deals!

U-M Library Used Book Sale

A quick post so you don't miss out: The University of Michigan Library annual Used Book Sale will be this Monday, December 14.

Paperback books will be $0.50, while vinyl records, hardcover books, and DVDs will be only $1. Music lovers, rejoice: This year's sale features lots of vintage vinyl records!

The sale will take place 10 a.m.-10 p.m. in the Gallery (Room 100) of the Hatcher Graduate Library at 913 S. University Ave.

(Via MLive)

Tantre Farm Solstice CSA Share

It might be warm this week, but winter is coming. In the dead of winter, I usually end up craving exactly what I can't have...fresh, local produce. The local CSA (community-supported agriculture) season ended in October and the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market is no longer open Wednesday mornings, so options are slim this time of year.

Deb and Richard of Tantre Farm in Chelsea, MI, are offering a one-time Solstice Share for $85 for pickup on Saturday, December 19. The share will offer the best from their root cellar for roasting, slaws, and soups, including purple and orange carrots, beets, several kinds of potatoes, rutabaga, Daikon radishes, watermelon radishes, and turnips. Green cabbage, several kinds of winter squash, onions, and hopefully spinach will also be included. For this special CSA share, they are collaborating with local artisans and farmers to round out the share with a bag of tender pea shoots from Garden Works Organic Farm, a loaf of hearty bread from The Mother Loaf Breads, and a jar of tasty fermented vegetables from The Brinery. You can sign up for the Solstice Share here, if you'd like, by December 16.

My family joined Tantre Farm's CSA share this summer and we loved having fresh, local produce every week. It's a great way to eat the healthy food we love, save money, and support a local farm. The shares are bountiful. I saved many of our winter squash and root vegetables to use throughout the fall and winter. I prepped and froze greens (turnip, beet, kale, spinach, collard, etc.) to make amazing frittatas all winter. My freezer is also full of Tantre Farm's delicious corn so that I can make corn chowder and enjoy the sweet taste of summer in the middle of winter. 

If you join or renew in the spring, CSA members are also welcome to come to Tantre Farm to pick raspberries and flowers themselves most weeks in the summer. I took my baby almost every week. We loved eating raspberries as we picked them, visiting the pigs and chickens, and bringing home a beautiful bouquet of flowers. 

Let me know in the comments if you know of other farms in Ann Arbor or Metro Detroit offering one-time CSA shares this winter!

(Photos of us picking flowers at Tantre Farm)

Free Bike Lights for Ann Arborites

Many of us, my husband included, ride bikes to commute in Ann Arbor. If you need a bike light, the city of Ann Arbor has expanded their free bike light program to all residents, whether or not they work downtown.

The city is providing bike lights to increase cyclist visibility in response to recent cycling deaths. Cyclists in Michigan are required to use front and back lights between 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise.

Downtown employees should pick up their bike lights at the Blake Transit Center. All other residents should email walkbikedrive@a2gov.org.

Stay safe!

(Via MLive)

Ice Skating in Ann Arbor

As a follow-up to my last post on swimming lessons, I thought it would be seasonally appropriate to share information about Ann Arbor's ice skating rinks.

Update: Reader Cheryl shared that University of Michigan's Yost ice arena on State St. offers $3 skate at noon Monday-Friday. Skate rental is only $2! "Arrive at 11:30 to park, pay for skating, and get skates on. Skate 12-12:50. Perfect if your kids are learning ([and you're] bending over the whole time to help them), or three hour skate is too long. Fun to skate the 'M' in the center, they usually play 1980's hits, not too crowded, beautiful architecture." She also writes to check first because they sometime cancel noon skate for other events. Find more information here.

Buhr Park has an outdoor ice skating arena and is open from October 31 to April 3, 2016. The public skating schedule is pretty accomodating: Sunday, 3:15-5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 7:45-8:45 p.m. (half price and broom ball); Wednesday, 4:45-5:45 p.m. (half price and broom ball) and 7:15-8:45 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 7:15-8:45 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30-4:30 p.m. and 7:15-8:45 p.m. You can find more information and a list of special events here.

For days when you just cannot imagine staying outdoors, Veterans Park has an indoor ice arena. General skate hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 1:20-2:45 p.m.; Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1:00-2:30 p.m. Adult skate hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 11:10 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. and Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You can find more information, including special events and skating and hockey lessons, here. (Kinderskate starts at age 3.5!)

Public skating fees are the same at both parks: $5 admission for residents, $6 for non-residents, and $3 skate rental.

Enjoy the season! If you know of other good ice skating rinks in the Metro Detroit area, please share in the comments!

Affordable Swim Classes

I've been on the hunt for affordable swim classes for kids since I moved to Ann Arbor. Classes within Ann Arbor were way out of my family's budget! Luckily, one of my friends mentioned the Saline Rec Center. Unlike other pools and rec centers, no membership is required to enroll in classes, and the classes themselves are much more budget-friendly. Six weeks of classes cost just $48-$66.

You can find more information, such as class descriptions and schedules, on pages 6-8 of the Saline Parks and Rec Program Brochure here.

Happy swimming! If you know of other budget-friendly swimming classes for tots, please share in the comments! Love, Sarah xo

First Steps Winter Registration Now Open

First Steps offers some of the most affordable classes for preschool-age children and babies. Winter registration began today and continues into January, but classes fill up fast! (Especially the Music Together class, from what I've heard! There's even a lottery to get into this class.) You can find the Winter 2016 class schedule here.

The cost is $145 for a 12-week class and $99 for a second class; Jump into Speech is $73. You can use the coupon code FSWIn16 to register online. Don't forget to apply for a scholarship with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed if your family is low income (more information here). Scholarship applications take a week or two to process and should be turned in at the Rec & Ed office at Pioneer High School.

If you and your child have taken a First Steps class and would like to recommend it, please share in the comments!

Best Sledding Hills for Littles in Ann Arbor

The first snowstorm of the season already hit before Thanksgiving this year! It seems to be warming up this week. While we enjoy these last mild days on the playgrounds with our little ones, I wanted to share a list of great sledding hills for toddlers and preschool-age children in Ann Arbor. What's cheaper than sledding? Nothing, my friends.

Magic Mountain at Burns Park is the townie favorite. Don't know what "Magic Mountain" is? You'll know it when you see it!

County Farm Park, my perennial favorite, has lots of small hills that are perfect for your little ones. You don't have to venture deep into the park to find good ones!

Huron Hills Golf Course has tall and small hills alike for daredevils of all sizes.

Buhr Park has a small hill at the end of the road. Bonus: leave your car nearby to warm up!

Barton Hills Country Club has a beautiful hill right next to the main club building.

Montibeller Park has a nice, big hill with nothing to run into.

Crest and Liberty also has a nice hill with nothing at the bottom (it's believed to be a soccer field, but who can remember in the winter?). 

Veterans Memorial Park is a great sledding location for all of you westsiders!

Hunt Park, Rolling Hills Park, and Leslie Science Center have steep hills, but may be more appropriate for bigger kids.

It's worth noting that sledding is forbidden in Nichols Arboretum, although a snowy winter walk there sounds lovely. :) 

Thank you to my Hike it Baby friends for sharing some of your favorite sledding spots! Readers, do you know of other great sledding hills for little kids? Please share in the comments! Love, Sarah xo