Mary Poppins Returns

I went to this movie twice in the theater (so far!). Mary Poppins Returns follows The Banks kids from movie one all grown up. Michael Banks has 3 children and after his wife passing he is struggling to pay a loan he took out against his house. The movie is 2 hours and 10 mins of typical Mary Poppins fun and music tied up with saving their house from the big bad wolf.

I took my 2 nieces and 1 nephew the first time I saw it. It was Christmas Eve, which may be why my 4 year old nephew and 6 year old niece had a hard time sitting through it. My 9 year old niece really enjoyed it though. The 2nd time, I brought my other 9 year old niece and she was up dancing through all the songs (thank goodness we were in the back and there was only 4 others in the theater! lol).

I absolutely love the sound track. A few of my favorites are

1. Can You Imagine That
• This song gets stuck in my head all day long! It is super cute! My niece sings it with me
2. Turning Turtle
• Who doesn't like a crazy Meryl Streep? She plays Mary Poppins cousin Topsy and every 2nd Wednesday her life gets topsy turny (or as she calls it turning turtle). The songs is cute and crazy!
3. Trip A Light Fantastic
• This song is similar to Burt's Step in Time from the 1st movie but follows people who light the sidewalk lamps instead of chimney sweeps. This song has a lot of dancing and silly words.
4. A Cover is Not the Book
• This is a great song for a good lesson learned. It's pretty much about not judging a book by it's cover. It ties in nicely with the wolf in the scene. Mary and Jack sing about different stories. It's another fun song with lots a dancing!

I will most definitely be buying this movie when it comes out on DVD/Streaming. I would recommend seeing it in theaters if you have older children. I feel like it was a little long (and maybe a little slow) for a 4 year old. He may sit through it later at home if he can play with his toys at the same time though.

SPOILER BELOW........

The one thing I wasn't happy with was Dick Van Dyke's part. Disney had the perfect opportunity to bring him back as Burt but he came back as a banker. I loved that he was in it though, he even danced a little! But, had I have written him in, I would have had him come down the chimney at the bank with the burned up page from the shares ledger, not as the bad guy's uncle! He came back as Mr Dawes Jr and saved the day though, so it all turned out for the Banks family!

I also wish some of the other actors/actresses made a cameo. I know they are all older now, but they could have come back as someone else like Dick Van Dyke did and not necessarily their original part.

Who are we?

We are The Children's Orchard in Rowley. We have been part of a franchise since 1987 when my grandmother opened her store in Ipswich. We moved to Rowley in the late 90s and my mother has been the owner ever since.

The Children's Orchard is children's store. We sell gently used clothing, shoes, toys and equipment that we buy from people in the area. We also carry some new clothes, shoes and toys that we order from the manufacturer.

When it comes to items we buy and sell, safety is always our top priority. Being a 2nd hand store manager and a buyer, we check every item that comes in. If something is recalled, we tell the person it was recalled and give it back. Some items, like the bumbo for example, I can easily get the recall piece for. Others, like a drop side crib, we don't take the risk. Some people have no idea their item was recalled, which is why we do our research and stay up to date with the list that comes out.

We are a big supporter of recycling or reusing items.Everyone talks about recycling plastic bottles/cans or paper. Not a lot of people talk about recycling (or reusing) children's things.

1. Clothing/shoes: Children, at least twice a year, grow out of their clothing! Some items, like fancy dresses and suits, they only wear ONCE! We buy season clothing/shoes!
1. Spring/Summer
• bathing suits and cover ups
• shorts/capris
• t-shirts/tank tops
• sun dresses
• sneakers
• sandals
• water shoes
• rain coats/ boots
• Light weight jackets
• Dressy clothing and shoes for Easter/Mother's Day/ Weddings
2. Fall/Winter
• t-shirts/sweat shirts
• pants
• Halloween costumes
• sneakers
• rain coats/ boots
• Snow gear (jackets, snow pants, winter boots)
• Dressy clothing and shoes for Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years/ Weddings
• Bathing suits (year round: for swim lessons or the hot tub/pool on vacations)
2. Equipment: swings, exersaucers, high chairs etc. the children only use for a few months (if they even like it). We buy gently used equipment (as long it hasn't been recalled)
• swings (inside and outside)
• exersaucers/ jump a roos
• high chairs
• changing tables
• pack n plays
• cribs (no drop sides)
• Strollers/joggers (single and doubles)
3. Toys and Books: Children have so many toy options these days! Typically, a child will lose interest in the toy after a few months! We buy them if they have all (or most) of their pieces!

When you sell to The Children's Orchard, you are recycling your children's outgrown items! Unless you give them to friends, the things your child outgrew sits in a landfill! When you buy items from The Children's Orchard, you are reusing someone else's items!

Now, I know selling to places like us, you have to split the profits with the store. ere are a few reasons that selling to us is better than selling online (or at a yard sale):

1. Less time spent dealing with selling!  Between taking photos, posting to the numerous sites you use and waiting for people to respond or show up, selling things can take hours or days! If you brought the items to us, you could save yourself some time. We look at it when you bring it in, and let you know right then and there if we can buy it!
2. Meeting a stranger somewhere or having them come to your house can be dangerous! Selling to us is safe and convenient. We are located in a plaza with many people around plus we have only a few buyers, so you work with the same people over and over again

When you buy online:

1. You never know if the item has been recalled, unless you constantly check the list of recalled items. The Children's Orchard does that for you! We NEVER have recalled items in our store!
2. You can't return something if your child doesn't like it or it doesn't fit! Here, at the Children's Orchard, we allow you to return things! We know it's hard to shop with and for children. Kids are picky and they grow fast!
3. We go back to meeting a stranger somewhere. You never know who is placing the item online! We live in a dangerous time, why risk it?

Why waste your short time with buying and selling online? Come into our store and do both at the same time!

Support small and local businesses before they all close up!

National Preparedness Month

September is national preparedness month, and it falls during the perfect time to think about this stuff. With back to school starting and the beginning of hurricane season, plus winter is around the corner, September is the perfect time to think about these thing.

Being prepared for anything is a must these days. With hurricanes wreaking havoc all over the world, or the fires in California, it makes me really want to prepare for something. Watching the news, these are the questions that have been going through my mind lately when I see disasters. I'm sure I'll be adding to this list of questions over time.


Pets:
What do I do with my pets in an emergency?
Can I bring them with me to where ever I am evacuating?
 If not, where can I bring them?
 If I am staying home, do I have enough food for them for multiple days of being stuck in the house?

Thankfully, a lot of animal shelters and vets will open their doors to pets if need be. Plus, some emergency shelters will allow you to bring your pets with you. Each town will be different though and you should know where to go a head of time.

Kids: (for me it's my nieces and nephew, but most will apply when I have children of my own)
Where will we go if we need to leave?
Do I have enough food and drinks in the house for the kids?
Do I have anything to entertain them? (yes, I know!)
Where are all the flash lights and batteries? Do I need more?
Where can I charge our cell phones so we can use them if we need them?

Other:
If someone needs medicine, do I have enough? Where can I get more if we are out?
If we lose power, how long until the food is no good in the fridge/freezer?
Do we have enough propane for the grill so we can cook if we lose power?
If it snows, can we get to the snowblower/shovels? Can we get to the wood pile for heat?
Do I have enough gas in the cars in case we have to leave?
Can I access water? If the pipes freeze or get turned off, will I have enough bottled water to flush the toilets or wash things?  Note: during a snow storm, our water was turned off (water main break! yikes) so we heated up a pot of snow to have to flush our toilets.
Is the generator set up properly?


Good websites/apps for info

• WMUR app. I have this installed on my cell and it updates me constantly on everything!
• Call 211 for non-emergency information!
• Massachusetts Alerts app put out by MEMA.
• Check MEMA.com or FEMA.com
• https://www.mass.gov/be-prepared-for-emergencies-and-disasters has some great info!
• Follow local police on social media (not just your town but surrounding towns and state police)
• Join local facebook groups to get updates from other people
• https://safety.macaronikid.com/articles/5993b3151f397745e4eb090c/september-is-national-preparedness-month
• https://www.popsugar.com/moms/photo-gallery/35948232/image/35948233

Tips:

• Buy items you will use that don't need to be refrigerated, in case you lose power.
• Have a car charger or portable chargers for your cell phones. We bought 3 at Walmart last year for like $5! They charged our cell phones and kindles a few times before we needed to charge them (which we just plugged them into the car charger or brought to work with us)
• Make lists on your cell. I use the memo app that is on my smart phone. I have one list for where certain things are in the house (extra batteries, flash lights, candles, etc). I have another one with links to specific websites that will update frequently. I have another with if we need to evacuate, what I should bring.
• Call 211 if you need information about shelters, getting medicine, needing transportation, where to get food, etc. Basically all non-emergency questions should go through 211
• download WMUR (NH) and Massachusetts Alerts apps onto your cell phone

Lindsey and Her Puppet Pals show

The other day, I brought my nieces and nephew (ages 9, 6 and 4) to Salisbury beach to see Lindsey and Her Puppet Pals puppet show.

When I saw the event on facebook, I was skeptical because I was sure the kids (especially the 4 year old boy) wouldn't sit through a puppet show. 

I was expecting someone to have hand puppets and be behind a "stage" like most shows we have gone to. Oh no, I was pleasantly surprised when Lindsey pulled out a FULL SIZE puppet. The 1st puppet she had out was a moose, and this guy was as big as she was!

We had so much fun at Lindsey's show!. The show was amazing! Lindsey kept the kids' attention and they were laughing the whole hour!

I highly recommend Lindsey to everyone! She did an amazing job and the show was super cute. She even added some "life lessons" in her skit (sharing, not interrupting etc) that is a good learning tool for the children. I have attached the links to her facebook page and her website in case anyone is interested in checking her out.

We are very thankful that Salisbury Beach arranged for Lindsey to come do a free show for the kids. I hope they have her back for years to come!

Check out a few of the photos I took during the show and a video I took of the kids singing with the puppet.

https://www.facebook.com/LindsaysPuppetPals/

http://www.lindsayspuppetpals.com/

Buyer beware

This past week had me thinking about recalls. I was shopping with my nephew in one of those 2nd hand stores that people donate to for charity. I can't remember which one it actually was, but we went into a Savers, Goodwill AND Salvation Army that day looking for Harry Potter books. Any way, as we were heading up to the check out counter, I looked at some of their baby gear. They had a bumbo that was recalled. No big deal, I let the guy know at the counter and went on with my day.

Later that night I started to think:

1. Did that guy really listen to me when I told him it was recalled? Did he take it off the shelf?
2. What if someone had bought it before I told him? 
3. And how many of recalled baby items were sitting on their floor?

Being a 2nd hand store manager and a buyer, we check every item that comes in. If something is recalled, we tell the person it was recalled and give it back. Some items, like the bumbo, I can easily get the recall piece for. Others, like a drop side crib, we don't take the risk. Some people have no idea their item was recalled.

I took a short survey of mothers in a few of the groups I am in on Facebook. A lot of them don't look up recalls for their items. Granted, most of them do register their big ticket items and should get contacted if there was a recall. Many admitted that if they were selling their item (to a 2nd hand store or donating) they don't look up any recalls for it.

After reading some of the responses, it made me think..

Facebook market place is a popular place to sell baby equipment. Do people keep track of recalls if they are selling it online? Do people do their research before buying something online?

So, I'd like to take a moment to share a few ways as to our we find out if a product is recalled. 

I literally google it. I will type in Bumbo Recall into the google search and it will tell me what, if any, recalls there are. Usually it will take me to the Bumbo website where I can request a recall piece to fix the issue, sometimes it will take me to the .gov websites that list all.

If there is a year on the item, like a stroller, I will type in 2011 BOB Jogger Recall.

We check recalls.gov often too. This site allows you to sign up for emails, which we get too, that list the most recent recalls on all items. 

If you shop in our store, or any other Children's Orchard nation wide, we check and double check our toys and equipment to make sure they haven't been recalled. Even some clothes and shoes have been recalled. Please be extra careful buying from other places or online. Most people are honest and would never knowingly put someone's child in danger, but some people don't care or are just trying to make a quick buck.

If you have any helpful tips for people concerning recalls, please feel free to comment below!

Note: this isn't meant to make anyone feel like they aren't doing everything they can to keep their child safe. It is being written because of what I have seen recently at other 2nd hand stores and on Facebook market place. 

Incredibles 2

I took my niece to see Incredibles 2 the other day after school. It was raining and the perfect ending to the school year for her.

The movie picks up where the 1st movie left off (even though it's been 14 years!) The movie starts out with the Incredibles fighting Underminer, but destroying the city in the process. Because of the damage, the authorities become concerned and as a result, Rick Dicker informs the Parr family that his department's "Super Relocation" program is being shut down, forcing supers across the world to permanently adhere to their secret identities. 
Lucius Best, their superhero friend "Frozone", is stopped by Winston Deavor, a superhero fan, telecommunications tycoon, and owner of DEVTECH, after the fight with Underminer. Frozone tells Bob and Helen about his encounter and the 3 of them to to DEVTECH to meet Winston Deavor, who proposes a publicity stunt to regain the general public's support of supers.

Helen Parr, considered the least-destructive of the supers, is selected to undertake the stunt by openly fighting crime in New Urbrem, under her old identity of Elastigirl. As part of the plan, Winston provides the family with a new home, to which Bob offers to take care of the kids while Helen is away. During her absence, Bob discovers that Jack-Jack has various super powers, but struggles with controlling the family's infant. Seeking help, Bob takes Jack-Jack to Edna Mode, a family friend and superhero-costume designer, who agrees to help upon seeing the baby's superpowers in action. Meanwhile, during her mission, Helen confronts the Screenslaver – a mysterious villain who hijacks screens in order to project hypnotic images that can brainwash civilians.

After rescuing an ambassador from the Screenslaver's clutches, she manages to defeat him, only to find that he is no more than a pizza delivery man, who has no recollection of what he did. While attending a celebration of the Screenslaver's defeat at the Deavor's, Helen realizes that the pizza delivery man was being controlled by hypno-screens within his goggles. Before she can alert anyone to this, Winston's sister Evelyn Deavor overpowers her and brainwashes her with Screenslaver's goggles glasses. Evelyn reveals herself to be the mastermind behind the Screenslaver – seeing supers as a threat to humanity's independence, she sought to undermine her brother's mission, and plans to brainwash the world's leaders so that they cannot re-legalize superheroes. Evelyn then manages to lure Bob and Lucius into a trap, and place them under her control with brainwashing glasses.

Avoiding the same fate as their parents, Dash, Violet, and Jack-Jack, whom Edna had outfitted with a super-suit, sneak aboard the Deavor's ship to rescue their parents, as the world leaders meet for a hearing on supers. After freeing their parents and Lucius, the group reveal Evelyn's plan to the assembled leaders. A battle on the boat ensues, threatening to crash the ship into New Urbrem. However, the group manage to stop it, while Helen apprehends Evelyn when she tries to make an escape. Following the incident, the Supers Relocation Program is reinstated in response to the group's heroism, making supers legal once again.

This movie had a lot of action, which held my niece's attention for the whole almost 2 hours! There is an issue with flashing lights that may cause issues for some people, but other than that it was a great movie. I highly recommend kids and adults to take the time and watch it.

As we were leaving the theater, my niece asked me if we could see it again this summer with her cousins AND if I would buy it as soon as it comes out on DVD (which will be awhile, because we watched the movie opening day! lol)

Online shopping/ Stores closing

Last night, while watching T.V., I saw multiple ads for online shopping. While I was watching the commercials, I was also on Facebook reading how everyone is sad that stores are closing.

As a someone who works in a small business, a brick and mortar business, I can tell you exactly why stores are closing.

We have become too reliant on online shopping. I know, I shop on Amazon too! However, because I work in a store, I force myself to go to a few stores before turning to Amazon. 

If we continue to shop online, we will continue to see stores closing. And what happens when stores close? We lose jobs!

Please do my store a favor. Shop in stores! Shop small, local businesses. Support your neighbors who own businesses. 

The Children's Orchard franchise once had 100 stores nation wide, we are down to less than 30. Stores are closing left and right for us, and other stores! 

Think of stores as being on the endangered species list. Pretty soon we will be extinct, if we don't do something about it. Please, shop in small stores like us!

From a grandmother's perspective (Stephanie): It's a good learning experience for children to be out in stores. It is a good place to teach them how to behave in public. If we don't teach them, no one will. It helps them learn how to interact with people: have eye contact, speak with adults or other children. We can teach them to respect other people's property.