Staycation Adventures: Ohio Fun is Child's Play

This road trip is for the young and the young at heart. It's for those who made playing with toys their job and their duty as a kid. This expedition is a time machine back to the days when toys didn't have to be plugged in and when quality was prided, not cut to satisfy shareholders and the bottom line. Time to gas up, pile in, and drive down to southern Ohio for a visit to 3 toy museums. Because it's only a day-trip, the drive is like child's play!

1st Stop: Ohio Toy and Plastic Brick Museum
Get an early start that morning and head down to Bellaire, Ohio. To get in this itinerary in just one day, you want to be sure to get to this first stop at the time they open, which is at 10:00, Wednesday through Sunday.

Because of little licensing laws, they can't exactly call it a "LEGO" museum. But, what do you call a place that wows you with complicated LEGO sculptures, mosaics worthy of holding Guinness Book of World Record records, and also owns nearly every life-sized mini-figure LEGO ever made, now retired? "Brick Museum" doesn't really do it justice. I like their alternate name: the Unofficial LEGO Museum of Bellaire, OH. Has a nicer ring to it.

How many LEGO's does it take?

 

Kiddo back in 2010.

A mosaic made entirely out of LEGOs!

Ohio Toy and Plastic Brick Museum
Summer hours 2013: Wed-Sun, 10:00 to 5:00
4597 Noble Street
Bellaire, Ohio 43906
740.671.8890
Dan Brown, Founder
Admission: $8 adults, $6 child/senior

2nd Stop: Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum
You're going to head for the border on this one. West Virginia, here you come! Even though it's another state, it's really not that far, so don't panic.

This toy and train museum brings back so many memories. They have a wonderfully amazing teddy bear collection and toys fill rooms and rooms named by theme: Transportation Room, Miniatures Room, Game Room, Doll Room, and so many more. The toys are housed in an old schoolhouse, equipped with original tin ceilings, fine woodwork from wall to floor.

On our visit, the museum had a fun game you could play while on the self-guided tour (guided tours are available per request). It was a Where's Waldo search of about 7 various characters, hidden throughout the museum. Incorporating the search game is brilliant to keep kids engaged while looking at absolutely everything there is to see in each museum room. A small prize in the gift shop awaits the ones with very keen eyes! There are several hands-on activities, too! Challenge your young companion to a slot car race, for example.

The curator of the museum was working on a brand new exhibit, KINEX, while we were there and he was nice enough to allow us a peak into his progress. WOW! Upon entering the room, you wish for an actual human shrinking machine so you could enjoy the carnival setting that is before you. So many moving constructions, so many parts, so impressive! Every detail is thought out including a series of lighting sequences that takes the room from sunset to sundown, dawn to dusk. Definitely worth the drive!

Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum
Summer hours 2013: DAILY, 9:00 to 5:00
144 Kruger Street
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
1.877.242.8133
James M. Schulte, Curator
Admission: $9 adults, $7.50 seniors, $6 students (6-17), children 6 and under, FREE

3rd Stop: LUNCH at TJ's Sports Garden Restaurant
Local places are the best places to explore and eat! If you're ever in a new town, ask the locals where the best place is to eat. They know, and they're usually not shy in telling you. We asked James, the Toy and Train Museum's curator, where we should get a bite to eat and he praised TJ's left and right, up and down, side to side. Enough to convince us so we went.

What a fun place! The sports theme was really family friendly. The big screens surrounding the eating area had every imaginable sport showing. And, your table had its own TV so you could tune in to what you were interested in, including cartoons, which is where Kiddo landed on. The food is American fare and it was really delicious. Lunch hit the spot and we were off to our final destination.

TJ's Sports Garden Restaurant
808 National Road
Wheeling, West Virgina 26003
304.232.9555

Final Stop: Marx Toy Museum
You may not recognize the Marx name, but when you see the toys, get ready to be flooded by the memories. Anyone remember Rockem' Sockem' Robots? Then you know Marx, at one time, the largest manufacturer of toys in the world. Only in business from 1919 to 1980, the Marx Company left an indelible mark on the toy industry forever. What a nice collection!





Marx Toy Museum
915 Second Street
Moundsville, West Virginia 26041
304.845.6022 

I hope you take the time to take a little trip down memory lane, introduce your kids to the toys you grew up with, and even some their grandparents grew up with. It's such a fun trip, all located in the same general area. The trip is so easy, only takes a day, and is super fun for all.

 

Gratitude Journal Monday

If you think it, it will come. So far, the summer weather around here has been looking a lot more like the beginning of Autumn. I've been wearing fleece jackets and closed-toe shoes (of all things) since summer break began. Even the house is confused as the these "summer" days have triggered the furnace heat to come on. Oh, goddess of summer, please come soon. You don't have to wait until June 21st, do you?  Days are a-wastin' and the outdoor pool is calling us. We just don't want to hear teeth chatter. We don't want to see lips turning blue. And, we don't want to wrap ourselves up in 3 towels just to stay warm during swim breaks. Come summer, do not be afraid. We welcome you like an old friend we've missed for far too long. And, I'll try to remember this post when it's 95 degrees, hot, humid, and I'm in the midst of healing a sunburn on my shoulders, wishing for Winter. It's OK summer, come anyways!
I'm waiting...

476. I am grateful for the simple gifts summer gives us.
477. I am grateful for ice cold lemonade on a hot summer's day.
478. I am grateful for the smell of sunscreen.
479. I am grateful for the ice cream truck and it's little tune, Music Box Dancer.
480. I am grateful for the char-grilled flavor of hamburgers and hot dogs - yum!

To read my gratitude journal beginnings, click here. I hope you are inspired to join me in my journey. You can begin right here, right now. Just leave a comment declaring some of your own thanks! Welcome to the club!

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 98.

Goodbye first week of summer break and cleaning out Kiddo's backpack from old papers, broken pencils, and forgotten candy.

Goodbye reading this inspiring blog post and hoping you're inspired to do the same. Thanks, Rose.

Goodbye hoping the rain, rain will go away; and take these cool temperatures with you, too!

Goodbye easing into summer fun slowly by catching Epic; not a bad movie to start the summer.

Goodbye purposefully accumulating late library fines because I just don't want to give back this book even though I'm done reading it (I've never been good at sharing).

Hello changing up the bedding decor, replacing winter comforters with beautifully made quilts from Grandma (we miss you and your talented hands).

Hello summer evenings with the start of an all-consuming baseball season - Play Ball!

Hello nightly hum of the washer and dryer as I try to get out the red dirt from Kiddo's white baseball pants after each game.

Hello Super Hubby's ongoing dental surgery saga and hoping all goes well today (prayers please).

Hello Kiddo attending a birthday party with a video gaming truck in attendance; hmm, should be interesting.

My lesson learned this week is how much beauty resides in the simple. Simplicity is something I strive to achieve. I have yet to arrive. There is so much grace and peace and wisdom in this state of mind and being. Yet, the goal is difficult to get to in a complex, fast-moving, quick-paced world. So, it's time to take stock in where simplicity can blossom in my life. After much thought I've come up with 3 areas that can help anyone achieve a simpler life, while having joy runneth over the proverbial cup.

Your Schedule
The first is your schedule. Whether you want to take ownership of it or not, you, not outside forces, control your schedule. You are the one that put that "To-Do" on your list. You said, "yes". Don't lose sight of the true controller of your calendar: that's YOU! The world won't stop spinning if you miss Cousin Ofelia's birthday party. Send a card wishing her many more and stay home with the family, take a hike, play Monopoly, or just hang out and do nothing. Ahh, doing nothing. It's really something!

Your Clutter
You've got to stop shopping for anything but the essentials like food and toilet paper. I'm a believer of shop therapy, don't get me wrong. But, accumulating items you truly don't need makes for a complicated, cluttered, complex life. It's another thing to clean, it's another item to take care of, it's another tchotchke that'll end up in a garage sale selling for a fraction of what you paid for it (did I mention the frustration of the buyer haggling you take off 5 cents). You need to train yourself to window shop, instead. It's much kinder on the wallet and your state of mind.

Your Surroundings
Stay right where you are and look around you. What do you see? How do you feel? Now, get up and go open that junk drawer or that linen closet or that pantry of plastic storage containers. What do you see? How do you feel?

The state of my surroundings determine my state of mind. If my house is a mess, I feel my life is a mess. When I clean-up my house, I feel like I'm somehow cleaning up my life and I'm able to breathe a little easier and freer. It's called taking control instead of the dirt and clutter controlling us. Before you can take control of your life, "you've got to take control over that sink full of dirty dishes" (thanks Joyce Meyer).

How? Baby steps. If you've got a lot to clean up, just the thought can be overwhelming, so start small. Try setting aside one hour of each day. Find out what you want to tackle. Start it and finish it, however long it takes, by just working on it for one hour each day. Set the timer. When that timer dings, walk away from your work and revisit it the next day. It's not going anywhere. You'll be so amazed when that one area gets tidied up that the feeling will motivate you to move on to the next area. Before you know it, you're entire home will be cleaned-up and organized inside and out, and your life will follow suit. SIMPLIFY!

Note: get your kids involved with the clean-up. Despite their opinion on the matter, one hour per day will not ruin their summer vacation. They will survive!

Have a wonderful, simple weekend, friends.

    



  

LOVD's Summer Reading List

Sadly, I am not a lover of fiction - sorry. So, my summer reading lineup won't include any fictional pieces. Instead, I opt for self-help and inspirational genres (what's that say about me?). Here's what sitting on my nightstand. Hopefully, between jaunts to the pool, ice cream cones, and summer fun, I'll pick up one of these books after climbing into bed for a snooze.

If you'd like to see my summer reading list for kids, click here!

What will you be reading this summer?

What I Made Wednesday {An Elevenses Birthday: Tolkien-Style} THE INVITATION

I'm a firm believer in the birthday invitation. It introduces the theme to your guests, it sets the scene, and it evokes excitement and mystery. The invitation is the all-important, initial first step to any party planning so you've got to get it right (no pressure).

Like last year's decade celebration with a Harry Potter theme, this year's party break down will be issued in several installments because this post would read like a book otherwise. It won't have as many "chapters" as the Harry Potter theme (last year's party was insanely awesome), but it will be incredibly interesting to follow nonetheless, if you choose to come along on this little journey to "there and back again".

There are so many various races in Tolkien's classic, The Lord of the Rings, like the elves, the hobbits, the dwarves, etc. We decided to make all our guests elves and, in so doing, relating the invitation to an elvish character.

The Invitations

"Lembas. Elvish waybread. One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man."

—Legolas Greenleaf on Lembas.

There are several elements to this party invitation including Lembas bread, the Mallorn leaf, writing the guest's name in Elvish, and creating the scroll with all pertinent party information. There's a lot to this invitation but we'll take it nice and slow. Ready?

Lembas Bread

The idea behind the Lembas bread is to send it to each "elf", wrapped in a Mallorn leaf, with an invitation to an adventure, The Great Journey. How do you make a bread depicted in literature that no one alive has actually made, smelled, or tasted? You rely on the author's descriptions and try your hand at doing the best you can with it. But, I also had a little help from this website, to which I should give proper credit.

I tried two different recipes: the one found at the website and my own scone recipe. I'll admit, the scone recipe matches more to Tolkien's description of Lembas bread being dry, brittle, and a bit crumbly. But, the Lembas bread recipe I found at the website was soooo much tastier. I opted for deliciousness over authenticity since the bread was going to be consumed by kids we wanted to come to the party. (You can't excite with crumbly bread, no matter how true to the story.)

Follow the Lembas Bread recipe at this website and you're good to go! (The lemon extract makes ALL the difference so use it.)

Mallorn Leaf and Note

Once the Lembas bread is made, it will be delivered, wrapped in a Mallorn Leaf and tied with raffia or twine. During this project I learned something new that has changed my crafting world forever! You know that foam sheet you can get at any craft store on the planet? Well, if you apply a little heat to it, it's like putty in your hands! You can shape it and bend it any which way you like without melting it and when it cools, it stays the way you shaped it. Don't believe me? Check out my Mallorn Leaf instructions...

What You'll Need
Printout of leaf template, found here 
Green foam sheet (I purchased the large one so I could get 2 leaves out of it)
Black ballpoint pen
X-acto knife or scissors
Heat source (like an electric stove)
Raffia or twine to tie the leaf together with the invitation
Lembas bread


What You'll Do

Cut out foam leaf using template as your guide.

I made 7 invites, plus one to keep for nostalgic purposes, so I purchased 4 green foam sheets to get 2 leaves out of one sheet (so thrifty). Once you get the leaf template printed, cut out the shape and trace that shape onto your foam sheet. Using an X-acto knife for ease, or scissors if you don't have the knife, cut around the outline of the leaf.

Using a black, ballpoint pen add the veins of the leaf as indicated on the template.

Draw the veins using a black ballpoint pen.

OK, here's the fun part. That leaf is flatter than a pancake right now. I really want the leaf to hold the Lembas bread securely so I'm going to apply heat to where the folds should be. I used the burner on my electric stove. BE CAREFUL! It doesn't take a lot of heat to begin to see the foam become malleable to fold. Once it begins to lose its stiffness, take it off the heat and fold it to how you would like it to bend. Allow the couple of seconds for it to cool and repeat until the folds are precisely where they should be (follow the pictures for clarification).

The pointy part will tuck in once the bread is inside.

What You'll Need to Know to Finish
For sanitary purposes, I wrapped each Lembas bread in wax paper. I opened up the Mallorn leaf, placed the Lembas bread in the center, and folded the leaf around the bread like so (see picture). Be sure to tuck the point of the leaf into itself.

Take a looonng piece of raffia and securely tie the leaf in place, leaving enough slack to attach the rolled up invitation (details follow).

Visit this website to convert each guest's name into Elvish. This site will also show the name in Elvish writing. Kiddo's name translated in Elvish to the name, Erufael. Super Hubby found this wonderful font named, ElvenCommonSpeak, and used it for the note and the invite. I purchased tan-ish card stock with a slight texture for the note cards.

Attached to the Lembas bread was a note that had each guest's name and their Elvish name, as well. When they opened the card, this is what they read:

  Erufael sends this Lembas Bread, Elvish Waybread, as sustenance while you await your journey. Wrapped in a mallorn leaf for freshness, "one small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man." It is also offensive to evil creatures, in case you happen upon Gollum in your travels.

The Invitation

Map of Gondolin on back of invite

The type of paper the invite gets printed on makes a big difference. We used a parchment paper with a grey hue to it and it turned out beautifully. The invitation served several purposes. First, it gave the pertinent information about when, why, who, what, and where. The second purpose was to set-up the adventure that awaits our journeying elves. And, lastly, the invitation contained a map necessary for the journey once they arrived to the party. That's a lot from one little invite. Here's the map on the one side of the invite. They'll need this map of Gondolin to navigate through the adventure.

The other side of the parchment read the actual invitation in that really cool font.

Long ago in the First Age

past the Grey Havens

and far over the Blue Mountains

was once a great city of elves.

Though hidden from the world

its secret was betrayed

and the city fell.

A gateway to the past has been opened.

A traveler from another time has entered the Third Age.

Erufael has summoned you, an elf of strong character

to travel with him back to his homeland.

If you desire adventure, come to the Prancing Pony

at xxxx The Shire

in the village of xxxxx

on Saturday, the Eighteenth of May at Five in the evening

for a Tolkien inspired Minecraft expedition

Celebrating Kiddo's Elevenses birthday

RSVP to Lilly

Bring this map, and beware green, creepy men

HOLD THE BOAT! Did the above invitation mention Minecraft, the hottest internet video game around? Yup! Are we combining a Lord of the Rings theme with Minecraft, somehow? Yup! Tune in next week to know how in the world we were able to make this cool party happen.

Top 10: Summer Reading List that Feeds a Kid's Adventurous Spirit

Kiddo is an 11-year old boy who has an adventurous spirit and a huge imagination to go right along with it. We've had great luck in choosing books that have really hit the mark with him and I wanted to share a bit of that list with you. Reading for pleasure is an important gift that needs to be passed down from generation to generation.

1. I'm going to start with the most awesome book series on THE.PLAN.ET!!!! This will keep your adventurer busy for the whole summer. Warning: as fantastic as Brandon Mull is as author of this amazing series, he falls short on his other book series, Beyonders. Honestly, we couldn't even get through it. I can't even believe it's the same author. But, Fablehaven, I can stand behind 100%

The Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull

2. Legend is a classic story of the haves versus the have-nots but set in what used to be the Western United States. It's got a great twist that just stuns the young reader! This book is being made into a series, as well.

Legend by Marie Lu

Wonder

3. Wonder, written by R.J. Palacio, is a beautifully written story of a 5th grader who lives with a severe facial deformity. The story takes viewpoints from several people in his life and we learn how these people find within them compassion, empathy, and acceptance. How perfect are these lessons at this age when fitting in, no matter who you are or what you look like, matters most (in their minds)?

4. This next book is as great as the title: Ida B:...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World. Author, Katherine Hannigan, has a flair for words in this touching story of hardship, growth, and determination. You'll fall in love with Ida B and her shenanigans. Rest assured, this is not an Anne of Green Gables girly book. Ida B has a spunk any adventurous boy could appreciate!

Ida B

5. Kiddo read Hatchet in school during 4th grade and loved it so much, he insisted we read it together as a family one rainy summer afternoon last year. WOW! This tale has you gripping your seat there's so much action. The author really has a way of having you hang on to every word, wondering what will happen next. It's a nice, quick read.

Hatchet

The Goats

 6. This next book is NOT for the faint of heart. The Goats, by Brock Cole, offers quite an adventure between a boy and a girl camper that begins in a very mean, bullying way. Their adventure remains at a steady-pace and some of the subject matter is mature in an adolescent sort of way (Think, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume). It's an old classic, but a must-read for any young literary scholar.



7. Another book about a futuristic, fantasy city. Mortal Engines is first in the series of books named Predator Cities. I can't claim to know about this one because only Kiddo read it. But, he seemed to enjoy it and read it quite willingly, without being told. Always a good sign!

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

8. I remember reading the book, The Outsiders, during my middle school years. I guess kids are more mature these days because Kiddo, a former 5th grader, read it this past year. Actually, to be truthful, the teacher read it to the class aloud, so I'm not sure if he skipped a few words? Regardless, the boys seem to especially enjoy this book and Kiddo is no exception.

The Outsiders

9. My kid LOVES graphic novels!!! The best series Kiddo can recommend is one known as Amulet. We own every single one they've produced so far and we can't wait to lay our money down for the next one. Kiddo goes through them fast, too fast, but, I'm not complaining.

Amulet: Graphic Novel Series

10. I know it's not for everyone, but I couldn't put a list together of Kiddo's favorite adventure books and not include The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It had to be done! You know your kid best to know if they would be ready for a Tolkien story (the writing is pretty advanced). The best suggestion I could give is to read it together, as a family, throughout the summer. Good times!

The Trilogy: Lord of the Rings

The Hobbit

Stop by this Thursday and take a gander at what will be sitting on my nightstand this summer!

Gratitude Journal Monday

I don't care who you are or how much or how little money you have. I don't care where you live, what opportunities you've taken or even how many you've missed. I know that you are human. I know that you are living a life. And I know that when we are born, we are born to suffer. Life is hard. There's no way around it. By design, life will test you and, at times, cause you heartache. But despite this, there is so much beauty in life and in living. It is because this life not only serves us in moments brought by suffering, it also gives us the right to pursue happiness.

"I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness..." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama has also uttered the following words, getting in the ying with the yang, the black with the white, merging opposite ends of the spectrum.

"There's really no avoiding the fact that suffering is a part of life. And of course we have a natural tendency to dislike our suffering and problems...I mean on your birthday people usually say, 'Happy Birthday!', when actually the day of your birth was the birth of your suffering. But nobody says, 'Happy Birth-of-Sufferingday." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama

At one point we find ourselves in the land of both extremes. But, it is the way in which we handle both extremes that determines our everyday living. Without sadness, can one appreciate happiness? Without failure, can one appreciate triumph? It is between both extremes where happiness lives. It's time to be grateful for the emotional bookends that hold our lives in place.

471. I am grateful for the tribulations that help me to appreciate the triumphs.
472. I am grateful for the sadness, for it allows me full appreciation of happiness.
473. I appreciate the struggle that leads me to victory or defeat.
474. I am grateful our happiness has more to do with how we set our mind and not how we accumulate possessions, power, or praise.
475. I appreciate the entire journey as a whole, not just the ups, but also the downs.

The excerpts found above were shared from a book written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. called The Art of Hapiness: A Handbook for Living. 

My hope is you enjoy your week somewhere in the middle. Happy Monday!