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.

Library Passes

Did you know that the public libraries have museum passes? Well, now you do!

I have a library card with Salisbury, which allows me to utilize any library in the Merrimack Valley. I typically request a pass from Salisbury, but if they are out I will call the local libraries to find one for the date I am looking for.

Here are the ones Salisbury offers:

1.  Museum of Science: Boston MA. This pass admits 4 people at a cost of $10 each. Pass does not include the Omni and Planetarium
2. Children's Museum of NH: Dover NH. This pass admits 4 people at a cost of $5 each.
3. Peabody Essex Museum: Salem MA. This pass admits 2 people at a cost of $6 on a weekday or $12 on weekends.
4. New England Aquarium: Boston MA. This pass admits 4 people at a cost of $10 each. Pass only available Labor Day through June 30
5. Zoo New England: Boston MA and Stoneham MA. This pass admits 6 people at a cost of $9 per adult or $6 per child
6. Museum of Fine Arts. Boston MA. This pass admits 2 people at a cost of $10 each
7. The Institute of Contemporary Art. Boston MA. This pass admits 2 people at a cost of $5 each
8. Massachusetts State Parks Pass: ​The DCR ParksPass entitles the bearer to free parking for one passenger vehicle of visitors at over 50 facilities in the Massachusetts State Parks system that charge a day-use parking fee. Local State parks include The Salisbury Beach State Reservation, Maudslay State Park, Sandy Point State Reservation, Georgetown-Rowley State Forest, Bradley Palmer State Park, and more.   (Not valid at Nahant or Nantasket Beaches.)

You can reserve a pass online, on the phone or at the library. I highly suggest you get one before visiting the above to help you save some money!

Museum of Science- Boston

During February school vacation week, I went to the Boston Museum of Science with my 3 nieces, 1 nephew and my sister in law. For my sister in law and 3 of the 4 kids, it was their first time ever. I haven't been since I was a kid. We all had a blast. 

We drove in, because taking the train then the subway and walking with 4 wild kids was not what we wanted to do. The drive in wasn't bad, we didn't hit too much traffic. We parked in the lot that was attached to the museum, which is very convenient.

We stood in line a few minutes before getting our tickets. I had gone to the library and gotten their pass before heading in. The pass is good for 4 people and we would only pay $10 a ticket (instead of full price). However, there was an extremely nice lady in front of us. She was a member and had some extra tickets and offered us all to get in free. We were very happy that she saved us money! Because we saved by not buying out tickets, we bought tickets to the butterfly exhibit, that the kids insisted on going to. We paid $6 per person to go in. This exhibit was okay, but the kids did enjoy it so I don't mind paying extra. In my opinion it was small and the ones at the zoos are bigger and included. However, when we went there was a nice woman working and she really engaged with the kids, which was awesome. The kids got to hold an orange that attracted the butterflies and they got to watch them eat.

The lightning show was amazing! My oldest niece, who is 9, was bugging us for hours to see this show. It did not disappoint! She is still talking about it a week later! The other kids really enjoyed it too. Be aware though, it is pretty loud and get's packed quickly. 

We saw the show about cold (I think it was called Wicked Cold or something like that) The lady was good at keeping the kids' attention, while teaching them (and us!) something.

The kids enjoyed the house of mirrors, to the point where we walked through that maze about 6 times!

I packed our lunches, so that helped save money. We did pick a busy time to eat (noon) and we got the last table. It wasn't too bad though.

I rented a locker for the day. We stashed our lunch and jackets in there so we didn't have to carry them around all day. I was able to open the locker a few times, unlike some places where you can only open it once.

We didn't have time to do the planetarium, so that will be the 1st thing we do next time.

I highly recommend visiting with kids of all ages! It is a lot of walking, so if you have younger kids (or a runner like we do) I suggest bringing a stroller (wish we brought one!)

Ferdinand

The other day, I took 5 children to see Ferdinand at the movie theaters. I had my 3 year old nephew, 5,8 and 8 year old nieces and my 14 year old cousin. The 14 year old was coming more to help me with the little ones, but she ended up enjoying the movie as well. All 5 kids were laughing and fully engaged in this movie! I highly recommend this to anyone!

The movie follows a young bull, named Ferdinand. He starts out in a bull "training camp", Casa Del Toro, with others his age and his father. Ferdinand is a flower loving, pacifist. Ferdinand's father was the best in the "camp" and went out to fight the Matador, but does not come back. That day, Ferdinand decides to run away. He escapes and finds a farm to live on. Juan, his daughter Nina and their dog Paco welcome Ferdinand into their lives. Ferdinand and Nina create a loving bond. One day, Nina, Juan and Paco go to the city for the flower festival. Ferdinand is left behind this time because he has grown to a full size bull. He decides to follow anyways and chaos ensues.  First he is the literal bull in a china shop, then he is stung by a bee and  unintentionally wreaks havoc around town. The town folk are scared and he is captured and brought back to Casa Del Toro.  Upon arrival, he meets and befriends Lupe, who is a crazy goat. Lupe believes she is a therapy goat for unruly bulls and then insists on being his trainer for bull fighting. Once settled in, Ferdinand finds the bulls from his childhood have grown up and added a few more bull to the group plus 3 hedgehogs who sneak through Casa Del Toro.

One day, a legendary but egotistical bullfighter named El Primero  arrives at Casa del Toro to choose a bull he most admires to fight with so he can retire. When the bulls fail to impress him on the first try, Guapo is suddenly taken to a nearby slaughterhouse and the other bulls tell Ferdinand that it will be their fate once El Primero chooses a bull to fight. Although Ferdinand manages to earn the respect of the other bulls except Valiente after a dance-off with three German horses, they still hold on to the belief that fighting is the only way for them to live. Ferdinand manages to convince Lupe to come back with him to Nina's farm and the hedgehogs help them escape but when Ferdinand is close to freedom, he sees his dad's picture on a wall with his horns mounted on a wall, along with dozens of other horns, making Ferdinand realize that the bull who is chosen to fight will be slain by the matador.

Ferdinand tells the other bulls about how they will still be killed even after they're chosen to fight, but Valiente is the only one unconvinced and charges Ferdinand outside where Ferdinand inadvertently beats him in a fight and knocks off his right horn. El Primero witnesses the scuffle and chooses Ferdinand to fight after seeing him defeat Valiente. When Valiente is taken to the slaughterhouse, Ferdinand rallies up the remaining bulls to escape but goes to the slaughterhouse to break out Valiente. He is at first unwilling as he believes that the slaughterhouse is his fate now, but they discover that Guapo is still alive, and Ferdinand questions Valiente's courage.

When Ferdinand tries to save Guapo, he accidentally activates a series of deadly contraptions but, with the help of a now-friendlier Valiente, escapes the slaughterhouse and the bulls, Lupe, and hedgehogs steal the training area's company truck to escape, resulting in the head of the area, Moreno , and his employees to chase them after El Primero threatens them.

The animals try desperately to lose the humans and wind up at a city train station in Madrid that Ferdinand sees is his ticket back to Nina. When the bulls push a small railroad cart to catch the train back to Nina's home, Ferdinand sacrifices himself so the other bulls can escape (except for Lupe, who stays behind in shock after Ferdinand's act) and is captured by Moreno and his employees. When news of Ferdinand's upcoming fight with El Primero makes its way to Nina's home, she and Juan set out to Madrid to find and retrieve Ferdinand.

At the bullfight arena, Lupe tries to urge Ferdinand that he must fight in order to survive, but Ferdinand is silently unsure. When Ferdinand is released into the bullfight ring, he gives out a feeble performance with his pacifistic nature and accidentally causes El Primero to fly into the bull pen. El Primero angrily tries to attack Ferdinand with two barbed sticks (knowns as banderillas) and in the process, strikes Ferdinand in the shoulder, who almost retaliates against the matador, but sees a carnation underneath his hoof and sees that he's being the fighter he was unwilling to be and lets El Primero live. Regardless, El Primero tries to slay him to finish the fight, but upon seeing Ferdinand resigning himself to it and the crowd, moved by his gentle nature, wanting him to live, he refuses to kill him and leaves with dignity. Ferdinand is reunited with Nina, who embraces him and everyone throws carnations to the ring to praise the bull. The other bulls finally arrive too late to save Ferdinand, but instead witness Ferdinand making history as the first bull to ever make it out of a bullfight alive by being himself.

In the end, Ferdinand returns home with Nina, Juan, Paco and Moreno allows his fellow bulls, the hedgehogs, the Bunny and Lupe move into the farm with him. The film ends with Ferdinand, Lupe, and their bull friends watching the sunset over Ronda from a field of flowers.

America's Stonehenge, Salem NH

Monday, right before the new school year started, we visited America's Stonehenge in Salem NH.

Prices: $12 for adults, $7.50 for 6-12 year olds, $10 for seniors, Free for under 5. (some libraries have FREE passes!)

My sister-in-law brought her 3 kids (8,5, and 3) plus another 8 year old. This was the perfect outing! Educational, hiking, and fun all wrapped up together!

The kids all loved the Kid's Gemstone Dig. Here the kids dug in the dirt to find pretty rocks, which they were allowed to take 3 home each. Any other artifacts had to be left on the bench. We spent a good chunk of our visit digging in the dirt.
 

After the kids finished their digging for gemstones, we started a little hike to the different sites:

 

 

We got to view the ruins and explore. There was an informational sheet that explained each site.

We found a rock that said Share A Smile, each of the kids HAD to share a smile! :)

 

 

After hiking around the place, going off on different paths that followed the sun sets during times of the year, we ended with the Sun dial.

All in all, we had a very fun visit. We will defiantly be visiting again! We highly recommend this place for any age, but keep in mind it is a lot of walking. We should have used the back pack carrier for the 3 year old, next time we will make sure we bring it!

Hydren Photography. Richard Hydren

Sunday afternoon, we met with Richard Hydren for a photo shoot of my 2 nieces, nephew and Brother and Sister-in-law. We had the shoot at Marini farm, mainly because my mom loves it there. Normally Richard does his shoots on Plum Island.

We got there a few minutes early and Richard was setting up his camera equipment. He was very nice, and very professional. My mother really wanted the large chair that Marini farm has as the back drop. Richard made that happen for her, plus he took some photos in a few other sections of the farm to have more options.

My nieces and nephew are 8, 5 and 3 and Richard worked really well with them. He positioned them in ways that will look great in photos, but then let the kids come up with their own shots at the end.

I saw a few of the photos on him tablet as he was taking them and they were gorgeous! I cannot wait to see the final product. I will post some on here as soon as we get them!

I highly recommend Richard for any family! He is patient with children, but has a real eye for his work! 

He also does weddings, horses, properties, and products for businesses. 

Check him out on Facebook: Hydren Photography or online at gallery.hydren.net

Disney's Descendants 2

Last week we watched the new Descendants 2 movie and the kids LOVED it! Yes, all 4 of my nieces and nephew LOVED this movie.

Plot:
Descendants 2 follows Mal, who is still at Auradon Prep and dating King Ben. At the beginning of the movie, several months after moving to Auradon, Mal starts to feel like she doesn't belong and that she doesn't know who she is anymore. She admits her issues to her friends, Evie, Carlos, and Jay, but they are content with their new lives in Auradon and do not wish to return to the Isle of the Lost. Evie scolds Mal for relying on her mother’s spell book to solve her issues. Ben eventually discovers Mal’s reliance on magic, and she comes clean about her insecurities, causing the two to have a falling out. Mal returns to the Isle, now ruled by her former friend Uma, the daughter of Ursula. Ben, Evie, Jay, and Carlos learn of Mal’s departure and sneak onto the island to find her, but one of Uma's gang recognizes them. Ben confronts Mal, who rejects his feelings for his sake and Auradon’s. Ben leaves dejected, only to be captured by Uma, who orders Mal and her friends to retrieve the Fairy Godmother’s wand or Ben dies. Carlos and Jay return to Auradon Prep, where they create a replica of the wand using a 3D printer. Uma speaks with Ben, bitter that she and the others were not chosen to go to Auradon. Ben takes this into account and invites her to Auradon, but Uma instead plots to make her own way there. Mal’s group return, handing over the fake wand in exchange for Ben, but Uma realises it is a forgery. The group flee back to Auradon, but Mal and Ben’s relationship is still on the rocks. Aboard a ship during the Cotillion, Ben stuns everyone by appearing with Uma, who he declares as his true love and announces he will destroy the barrier on the Isle. Jane unveils a stain glass display Ben commissioned to show his affection for Mal, who realises he loved her for who she was all along. Suspecting Uma has given Ben a love potion, Mal kisses him, breaking it. Uma leaps into the water, using her mother Ursula’s magic seashell to transform into an octopus, Mal fighting back by transforming into a dragon. Ben intervenes, quelling the battle, and Uma swims away despite his offer still standing. Mal and Ben reunite, Mal surrendering her spell book over to the Fairy Godmother. Mal and Evie request that Dizzy be allowed to attend Auradon Prep.

This movie was cute, as all Disney channel movies are. The music was fun, which is what my nieces and nephew liked the most (obviously!). They were singing and dancing to the songs, their favorite was What's My Name that Uma sang. Check out the videos of them having a blast! I feel like we will be buying this sound track to listen in the car!