A Visit to the Pumpkin Farm

Going to the pumpkin patch is different than it had ever been when I was a kid. For starters, there seems to be more to do than just search through pumpkins and go through the tiny haunted house. 

In order for a pumpkin patch or farm to be successful, visitors demanded that there be more to do. In a sense it is practical and also a shame. The extra things bring more people in, but it has also raised the prices of things that were fun to just do. (However, people have to make a living and a pumpkin farm is only open during this season.)

Last weekend, my family and I went to Jerry Smith's Pumpkin farm in Kenosha, WI. As a tradition, we met up with some family friends and we all had a great time exploring the different things that the farm had to offer. 

We took some pictures while waiting for our friends to meet us. My phone storage wasn't so happy with me because there were plenty of photo opportunities.

Finally! A picture where the wind hadn't completely blown the hair in my daughter's face.

You even get to see some very interesting things when you do some local activities... This guy came riding in on a motorcycle and had on a double raccoon hat. I wish I would have had the courage to ask him if I could get a close up. I was very amused by the two tails.

Once our friends arrived, we were able to go into the pumpkin farm area. This part of the farm is no charge, and it's probably our favorite part. You'll see why.

Free Attractions

The farm takes the time to create little scenes from different movies! They find pumpkins and gourds and paint faces on them. 

The sun was too bright to get a good picture. ☹️

 

This child thinks he's funny.... Just like his mama!

This goes on for rows and rows. This year, however, my kids finally got to know why I appreciate this next showcase so much because they finally got to watch the movie for themselves.

After you see the pictures up front, there is a tunnel you get to go through. Normally the outside of the tunnel spins around like you're going through the "twister", but it wasn't working that day. My kids always thought it was cool, but now they understand why it's there and appreciate it so much more.  Ignore my voice, I'm aware of how annoying I sound, now. 

When you exit out of the tunnel, you land on the "Yellow Brick Road."

After this, we looked at the remaining showcases and enjoyed it when we saw that some characters just did not belong in that one. One of our friends suggested that perhaps there was a seek and find.

I said, "I may be wrong about this, but were there bunnies in Mickey Mouse?" There was a Scrat (the squirrel) from Ice Age in another scene and he didn't belong there either. 

There was a Maui, last year, but I think they had to fix him. Imagine how big his pumpkin would need to be if they scaled it to size. 

Any pumpkin that you saw was up for sale.... except those on the showcases. 

Money Attractions

After all of this, which there was a lot to look at, we now had to pay to get in to see the rest. Before, it had been you paid as you wanted to do it, but now, they have sectioned it off so all you would have to do is buy a wristband. During the week, the wristbands were $5 per person and then $10 per person on the weekend. Guess which day we visited.

Our friend snuck away and bought us wristbands when we thought he was off to the bathroom. Thank you!!! So we made it inside.

This doesn't look like much in the picture, but this was a big sand hill. I was glad that the sand was damp that day because it usually isn't and that means that one or all of my children run to me complaining about the sand that landed in their eye. I was so glad that it did not do that, especially on this very windy day. 

The sand moved throughout the play area. It was fun watching the kids move the dump trucks.

Typically, the things above, used to be a part of the free things. The pictures below are things that we used to have to pay several tickets to do, but were free with the wristbands so the kids could play with them with unlimited turns.

We still had to pay to ride the ponies and even the camel (not pictured) but that's ok. The kids weren't interested anyway.

 These were the hale bales of death. If you didn't watch where you were going, you were going to be jumped on by another kid. I tried to trail my four year old while my husband trailed our six year old daughter. She's more timid and that could get her run over. We would generally have to pay to go in here too, but this was free.

Our friend's wedding ring fell off in this maze. It was literally like looking for a needle in a hay stack. Luckily, she knew the general area it fell off and we found it without too much fuss. It was still a scary thing, but we were able to get the kids from jumping across in that area and some other moms came to help her look for it. It was found within minutes. 

Who needs a swing when you have a random long  tube? There were kids actually crawling inside; mine included.

Attractions Not Pictured

The farm offered many more things, but at this point, my phone had died and I couldn't take anymore pictures. This is also what they offered.

Petting zoo- We didn't go in because we had been there for two hours already and my kids were getting grumpy and cold. The petting zoo offers the normal animals that you would see as well as some exotic birds (I think. They used to, but I don't know if they did this time.) This was another thing that used to cost money, but was free with a wristband. 

Corn Maze- Usually, the farm offers this, but I didn't see it this time around, but I also wasn't looking for it either. There was a big line off to the side, I bet that was it.

Hay Rack Ride

Band Stand- There was a tent area set up for some music and even children's sing-a-longs. 

A Jump Pad- This is like a giant trampoline. I really don't know if there is a limit to how many kids go on this thing, but it's like a long, flat, trampoline with a yoga ball feel. Very weird.

Haunted House- The haunted house is a smaller size one, but it's still pretty good. There is an age limit to who can go in, so that's good. It must be a little bit scary for that to happen.

FOOD- One of the best things about going to a pumpkin farm is the food. This is the time of year where apple cider donuts and pumpkin bars are a staple snack item. This farm has several places to buy these different types of foods including fudge, cookies, apple cider, churros, apple butters, jams, and much more!!!!

Conclusion

There are so many different things that you can do at a pumpkin farm. Jerry Smith's offers this and so much more. If you get the chance to visit one, it doesn't have to be this one because I know you all don't live here, go!

While the wristbands seemed expensive to pay at the time, when we thought about it, we would have paid that, plus more for our kids to do some of the things they did, so it made it worth it in the end.

You get the chance to get some fresh air, exercise, and you get the joy of your kids getting worn out and sleeping nice, that night.

It's not too late to go. Halloween has yet to come and if you're looking for a good, family fun, fall activity, head to your nearest pumpkin farm or apple orchard!

31+ Movies You Should Watch in October

 I meant to have this written and published sooner, but this is the time of year where things really start to get busy and well, illnesses like to spread. If you're reading this and it's just before October, than great, if not, October isn't over yet so there's still time to start on this list and if you're very enthusiastic and have time, you can still complete it by the last day... that might mean you'll have to watch two or more movies a day (at least), but if you're like me and love Halloween, (I mean October) then this could just be as simple as watching some on the weekend as a marathon.

The Real Baby Essentials- What We Used and What We Didn't

Becoming a first time parent can be overwhelming, especially when you are trying to figure out what you will need once baby arrives. While creating a registry can be fun, it can also be daunting. It's important to research, and I found that I was constantly doing everything I could in order to prepare me for motherhood, whether I watched documentaries or joined online sites. 

Be Your Own Person and Not Someone Else

   

  Today, I found one of my daughter's toy princesses. This figuring is a small, fits in the palm of your hand Elsa from the Disney movie Frozen. This is one of her many dolls that have interchangeable dresses. You just push the bottom in like a clothes pin and it will open up the dress and the princess can slip right out.

     



       When I found her, she was wearing the dress that belongs to Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The first thing I thought was, "Girl, this isn't your color."

       Immediately, after that, I thought, "I shouldn't be so mean and judge" but then another lesson came to mind.

Not Everything is made For Everyone

      Look at Elsa: She's very pale skinned, her hair is platinum blonde, and if she were a real human, this color would wash her out. The dress is very pretty, but it wasn't made for her.

       This doesn't mean that she's ugly, but she has other things that she could wear, like blue or green, that would suit her better.

      I'm not saying that she shouldn't wear this dress. Maybe it's more comfortable than her other dresses or maybe she likes the color better. And this isn't really about looks, anyways.

      I know that sometimes, we want our kids to be just like us and do things like play sports or learn to play the piano. We shouldn't put it on them if it isn't something that they want to do, though. Our intentions may be good, like "I want them to have structure" or "I want them to do what I couldn't do", but really, you should see how your kid feels about it.

      Maybe you really liked to play football and you want your child to follow in your footsteps, but your child just wants to swim or dance. Don't shame them for not wanting to do what you want them to do. They aren't you! No matter how many similarities there are between you, they are still their own person.

Just because everyone is doing it, doesn't mean that you have to, too.

      How often do we let our kids wear things just because everyone else is wearing them? In a world where we have to be careful because anyone can look up things about you, we need to be careful with how we're dressing our kids. There really is a need for censorship.

     Yes, that mini skirt and low cut blouse looks cute, but it's not made for little girls. Even teenage girls shouldn't be wearing them because they should be more focused on learning in school and building healthy relationships and not trying to catch all of the guys attentions. Your kids can choose what they want to wear when they are legally an adult.

      Set some boundaries and follow through on them. I mean, Elsa shouldn't be wearing a strapless dress when her land is frozen. It's impractical, put on some sleeves! Yes, Belle is the most beautiful and best princess, but Elsa, you have your own style and qualities too. You don't need to be like Belle.

Conclusion

     I may have pushed this lesson a bit, I blame it on my ever thinking/wandering mind. I always got in trouble in English class, or rather any class where I had to have coherent thoughts written down in the way that someone else wanted me to write- which you know, that really stifled my creativity. Someday, I'll show them.

      You don't have to be like everyone else. You are your own person. Just do what makes you happy as long as it doesn't break the law. I mean, we can't all walk around naked just because clothes confine us, but you know, I wouldn't anyways because- cold. Brrrr!

      Don't suffocate your kids with things that you want them to do. Instead, allow them to do some things that they enjoy, but also, don't let it be a burden on you, either. I mean, does your child really need to be in art, soccer, dance, and learning to be the American Ninja Warrior all at once? No!

      Lastly, don't worry too much about how you are as a parent. We all do things differently. Some of us believe that a quick, in control spanking or time-out helps their kids with disciplining and structure while others believe that all things can be done well with incentives and love. Kids are all different and maybe they need more tough love than gentle love or maybe they need more words of affirmation than words of disappointment. There's a reason why we call it parenting style because things work differently for everyone.

     
Anyways, be your own person and not someone else.

What Can You Learn From a Broken Washer Machine?

What's the Problem? 

        Twice now, my washer machine has broken and each time, my husband and I decided that we were going to get a new washer so I could wash clothes without a hassle.

       The first time it broke, my washer machine kept filling up with water and wouldn't stop. In order to get it to stop filling up, I had to turn the water off in the whole house. Thankfully, it went onto the next cycle and the water drained. Unfortunately, this happened for hours and water had poured all over the basement floor and the blankets that I had set there to wash (stomach flu season) got soaked.
       I had to get those washed or they would mold and be ruined. So I was extremely happy that when I turned the water back on, the washer didn't start to fill up again. I still had to drain and spin out the load that was already in there, so I put it on the spin cycle and it spun all the way out. I transferred the clothes to the dryer and took a chance and washed another load, but this time I stayed to watch it.

       The same thing had happened again. The water kept rising even after the next cycle began and the washer began agitating the clothes. I went to the main water valve and turned it off again and the water stopped. It seemed that as long as it stopped filling, it wouldn't start again until it was time to rinse. Thus, my journey began when I had to babysit my washer machine in order to get it to work properly.

     


        My husband and I both decided that this was too big for me to fix or want to try (I like to fix the things around my house) and that we would buy a new washer.

        I began cleaning up and around the basement so there would be room to install the new one when we bought it. While I was cleaning I put on a smaller load of laundry. To my AMAZEMENT, the washer machine worked on its own. I tried the large size load, (I normally do my laundry on super mode because we have a ton of laundry) and that worked too. I called my husband up and told him that we could wait on looking for a new washer.

       The second time it broke and I figured that the part to fix it was probably worth more than what the washer machine was worth, happened a couple of days ago. The washer would start it's load, but then the whole power box turned off every time the washer was to begin agitating and spinning.

       Naturally, I tried troubleshooting it, ruling out what the problem could be and figured it was the motor. So, again, instead of buying a new part that was probably going to cost a large amount and then possibly break the most important part of the machine, we decided to get a new one.

      So I'm back downstairs in the basement, trying to clean up that area. It's a huge mess. I've fallen behind on laundry from babysitting the washer before and from working on the blog full time. Since I know that the washer machine will drain, I figured I should try to get out as much access water as I could because it would be a mess to move it if it was full. I tried to put the drain cycle on (different from the spin and agitating cycle) and it went straight to spin and turned off.

      Well I'm an expert now on how to make my washer do things it doesn't want to do, so I spun the knob around to the wash cycle and turned the washer back on. I let it fill with water (because at this point it's starting to smell from everything sitting for a couple of days) and to my chagrin, the washer starts doing a full cycle including agitating and spinning.

     




       To test it out to see if it still works, I put on a small load and guess what.... It worked!

       Naturally, I have to tell my husband because we were going to call a guy who sells washers and well, we may not have to. I told him that it was working, but I would try a second one just to be sure.... and it worked too!

       So what have I learned about this experience?

Just because it seems broken, it doesn't mean that it can't be fixed. 

     How many times have we thrown something out just because it was broken? How many times have we given up on someone or something because we didn't want to work on our problem?

     I've had problems with this washer before. It was with our house when we bought it four years ago. At the time, I wanted to see if I could fix it because we didn't have a lot of expendable income coming in and I thought that our money could go towards something better than a new machine.

    With the help of YouTube and the GE website, I was actually able to diagnose the problem and fix it. It turned out, all it needed was a lid switch and that was an easy job to do, once we got it.

     The second time it happened, I was able to diagnose that too and get it fixed. I can't remember what the problem was, but I did it, with a little help from my husband because I needed the muscle to move the washer.

Once you've fixed the problem, you gain some peace.

     Not only did I feel overjoyed that it started working again, I felt accomplished and content. I did something with my two hands and fixed it. We wouldn't need to pay more than what we needed to and I knew that it was going to work for a while longer.

     When we have problems with people, parenting, or married life, we should first try to work it out. Of course there are exceptions like being in an abusive relationship, in which case, find someone who could help you get out, but in other cases, there most likely was a misunderstanding.

      Sit down and talk with them and listen. I'm guilty of shouting when I want to be heard, but I know that can damage relationships more than anything. Really listen, really talk things out. If a counselor can help, let them.

      The same thing applies with your children, especially young ones who don't know how to verbally tell you what is wrong. Sit down and talk with them and listen too. When you're finished, try to come up with a solution and ways to apply it. I bet you'll feel at peace afterwards.

Sometimes, you just need to be ready to throw in the towel and give up in order to get results.

       Maybe my washer machine knows what's really happening... I'm kidding, I know it doesn't. But how is it that coincidentally that each time we were ready to get a new washer machine, it decides to randomly start working again?

      Maybe it needed time to readjust. Actually, when you look in the manuals or look online, it tells you that you need to try to reset your washer. Sometimes it's as simple as lifting the lid and closing it several times and other times, you need to restart it and try an empty load so it re-calibrates. I'm guessing that is what I did when it decided to work again, today.

      In relationships, getting to that point when you're about to give up, that can really open the other person's eyes. It may just be enough to get them to see that what was happening was something that bothered you more than they thought it did. Even if you told them, sometimes its when they see it happening they realize.

     Maybe then, they'll take action and know that it's time to change.

If it's really broken and it can't be fixed, get rid of it.

      Sometimes, things can't be fixed. Throw out that washing machine and get a new one.

       Obviously, or I hope that it's obvious, don't throw out your kids. In a parenting scenario, if something like spanking or time outs don't work, throw out that strategy and try parenting with a different approach. Redirect them, love them. Not all strategies work.

       With adult relationships, there can be very toxic relationships. There are many people who are master manipulators who know the game and will change for a little time, but if they keep repeating it, they're broken. Leave that relationship. In cases of abuse, please get help. It's not easy, in fact Danielle Steele writes a book all about that.

       This is actually a very good book. It was frustrating and engaging and an emotional roller coaster read. In this book, she explains how some women, especially those who were physically abused, don't realize that they are in an abusive relationship when they are in one. I recommend the book, immensely!

Conclusion

       All that we're saying, is give things a chance. Ok, so not really. I know that eventually, we're going to need to replace our washer machine and I was embarrassed that I had to ask my in-laws to use their machine because I couldn't wash my kids uniforms at home. (another reason that I think uniforms are unnecessary.)

      I'm annoyed that I cleaned my basement when I could have been working on other things. On the plus side, though, at least it's one less thing that I have to worry about when it does come time to replacing the washer.

      On the downside, I cut my hand on something in the basement, so I might contract gangrene or tetanus and no, I'm not going to the doctor for a shot unless my hand starts to die and fall off or I start to mutate. I'm just going to rub some dirt in it- you got me again. I'm just going to wash my hand and bandage it, maybe put on some Neosporin. Maybe someone has an oil for that?

      But really, sometimes, a blog post might come out of something totally unexpected and maybe, you can learn something from a broken washer machine.

How To Throw A Fall Tea Party

 
Last year, we started our annual tea party. It's a time where we women and children can dress up and partake in tea and snacks. My daughter has been looking forward to this second one ever since the first one finished.  (You can read about how we threw it economically in  How to throw an Economical Tea Party.)

 

      Unfortunately, this year, it wasn't as economical. My husband took our daughter out to find a dress and well, baby girl might have daddy wrapped around her little finger. I can't complain, though, because my outfit wasn't as cheap either. I had a difficult time finding any dresses or nice outfits on sale, this time of year.

      Other than the outfits, I tried to keep the cost of the tea party lower by getting decorations from the Dollar Tree- where everything is a dollar, and the food that I made for it was made with things I already had or things that could be used in multiple things. Since we hosted this tea party in October, the theme was fall. I made a lot of pumpkin foods so I got to use the same can of pumpkin puree.

       So enough about the cost and this and that, here's what we had!

Photo Wall

     Fall themed backdrop- I hung up a white table cloth on the wall and hung up a couple of fall themed felt decorations. It was a cute idea in theory, but felt+tape= disaster. They kept falling off.

Another problem that we had is that I should have hung up another table cloth because not everyone fit into the frame when they were all gathered around. It was great for two, maybe three people, but that was it. It was also difficult to get a good picture because everyone wanted to take pictures at the same time so those who were in the picture didn't know where to look.

Decorations

I found these little solar powered flowers with a butterfly at the Dollar Tree- actually all of the decorations are from there. We had two different kind- this one had tulips and the other kind had red roses. Each family that attended was able to take one home with them. 

Pardon the worn out table cloth, I forgot to take pictures before everything had been used. I bough three vases with matching flowers. The red ones were actually one bouquet, but I split them apart so I could put one in each red vase. I lined the vases across the table and then weaved the mesh tubing around them in a figure 8 pattern. The leaves were spread evenly across the table. I hung the two lanterns on the light fixture above my dining room table. 

My friend was awesome enough to have taking this before picture of the table. I was putting the finished touches on everything and placing food about the tables. 

Food!

Ok, so I had a lot of help with the food. Most of these recipes I found on Pinterest. I made 3 dozen muffins. Each dozen was a different recipe. I only took pictures of this pumpkin recipe as a teaser to those who were still on their way over to visit. 

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins- Anna Ginsberg Cookie Madness is who I found this recipe from. The recipe is in the link. They were absolutely delicious!

Banana Streusel Muffins- Somewhatsimple.com- I thought that these were a little buttery and salty, but that was probably just me.

Chocolate Chip Muffins- Sugarspunrun.com- These were really good, but also dry. Again, this was my fault. I didn't realize that the recipe had called for sour cream so I used what I had (not enough) and I forgot to set the timer on them. Oops!

Pumpkin Caramel Enchiladas-KeyIngredients.com- These were the favorite of the day. Very delicious!

How mine came out- after some were already eaten. I didn't rub the cinnamon sugar on them, but they were still very yummy and the best part was, they were super easy to make!

Cucumber Sandwiches- This was my own recipe and I unfortunately didn't take any pictures of it. I plan to make a post with the recipe soon to come!

Activities-

Ok, so I had planned on doing some crafts, but we never got to them. The men and women split up- there were 18 of us there! 9 of us were children so things didn't go as planned, but it was still a lot of fun!

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The Very Best Part

The very best part of all of this is that my house got cleaned and we were able to almost comfortably engage in fellowship with each other. It may have felt a little chaotic with us getting up and putting a kid in time out or struggling to talk to one another over the noise, but we were together and had fun and that's what matters!

What did you do this weekend? Do you have any traditions that you do each year?