Going to the movies?

I know lots of people like to go to the movies on a holiday weekend. We saw Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium last week, one of the few rated G choices out there. It's a great family film. Lots of funny stuff for grown-ups and the kids. Magorium has some great messages on believing in yourself, friendship and loss.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Aqua Dots

In case you haven't seen the big media blast on the toy recall for Aqua Dots, be sure to visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov .
The CPSC says that children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures. Hey there's a fun gift!

Great pumpkin!

For a fun family day trip, check out Burt's pumpkin patch near Dawsonville. They are open through Nov. 15. It's a lot of fun with plenty of pumpkins, autumn decorations and hayrides to enjoy. See the patch online at www.burtsfarm.com . The barn store has great stuff including pumpkin pie, gourds and lots more. Amicalola Falls is down the road. You'll have the best jack-o-lantern on the block.

Fun family place

The staff of The Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine recently had our employee picnic at DixieLand Fun Park in Fayetteville. It was an enjoyable afternoon with rides, miniature golf, an arcade and go-karts, enjoyed by kids of all ages! During the fall, the park is open on weekends only. It's clean, the staff was friendly, and there's no smoking at the park. Find out more at http://www.dixielandfunpark.com/

Enjoy the pretty fall weather while you can.

Another great sale...

Another good consignment sale is the First United Methodist Preschool Sale going on today through 5 p.m. and Saturday, the 22nd through noon. Items are half price Saturday. The church is located at 33 Greenville St. in downtown Newnan. The items from infant to children's clothing, toys, baby equipment and more, are "very gently used." There are more than 350 consignors participating this year. Happy shopping!

Consignment sale

I've taken a bit of a break from blogging. Helping with homework and serving as the shuttle bus driver for the kids has kept me very busy.

A couple of friends have mentioned how great the Consigning Closet sale is. It has very gently used clothes and good deals. It takes place today and Saturday (Sept. 7 and 8) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sonrise Baptist Church. The church is located at 6 Shenandoah Blvd. in Newnan. It's their fall/winter sale and if you're kids grow as fast as mine, you'll probably want to check it out.

More toy thoughts

I've been intrigued by all this toy recall news and the fact that so many toys are made in China. I did a totally random check Friday night of about 10 toys at our house and here's what I found:

1 Barbie car (Mattel) - made in China.
1 stackable wood train by Melissa and Doug - surprisingly made in China.
1 Thomas the Tank engine train car case by Learning Curve, made in China
1 V-Tech driving toy - made in China
1 Leap Frog ABC toy - made in China
1 Bumble ball, purchased at Dollar General, Made in China
1 Gund stuffed animal baby rattle, Made in China
1 AMERICAN Girl Doll (Yes, you guessed it Made in China)
1 Wilson baseball, 1 Rawlings baseball - Made in China (this surprised me being that baseball is the favorite pastime of so many American boys)
1 shark puzzle (3-D) - Made in Poland. But then again, it's a puzzle and not a toy.

I don't know what this all really means, but found it interesting. I do know that Lincoln Logs, which we have at our house, are still made in the USA. Oh, and Minivan Mom, thanks for the suggestion on "misplacing" the Polly Pockets on my previous posting. I have permanently "misplaced" them.

A review of High School Musical 2

High School Musical 2 was enjoyable, but I must admit I didn't like it as much as the first one. The baseball number was fantastic as was the pool number with the pink piano in the water. I just like the storyline of the first movie better. My daughter and niece also like the original movie better. There's my in-depth review.

Sharpay, Troy and the gang

Break out the popcorn and the smoothie ingredients! There's only a few hours left until the premiere of High School Musical 2! It's been on our calendar for weeks. Yes, I know. I'm way too excited about this.

Made in the USA

Trying to figure out of we have any of the recalled Polly Pocket play sets is too much trouble. They all look the same to me. Think I will just discreetly "misplace" them and start buying toys manufactured only in the USA. After a check of our toy boxes, that's probably going to be pretty difficult. So, now I have to worry about lead and magnets too.

Seriously, more information about all the recent toy recalls can be found at cpsc.gov (the Consumer Product Safety Commission's site).

Lunchbox notes

Hopefully you're enjoying your summer and not thinking too much about back-to-school tasks. I did see some cute, free printables today at familyeducation.com. They have lunchbox notes if you have a child who doesn't think it's embarrassing to get a note from mom or dad at the lunch table. They also have coloring sheets, and worksheets if you are looking for those.

We're trying to pack every last minute of fun into our summer. We've stocked up on Popsicles and are watching lots of Braves baseball.

Have any good brown bag lunch suggestions? I have one who eats school lunches, and one who won't, so I'm trying to get some new lunch ideas together.

Hope your summer is good to the last drop!

Mini meat loaves

One of our 2006-2007 Times-Herald Teen Board Members, Michelle Landrein, entered this recipe in the 4-H food contest earlier this year, and won in her category. I love this as a great, easy family dinner. And with school, homework, and activities about to pick up, maybe you will too.

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves
By Michelle Landrein

1 lb. ground beef
1 box (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix
1 cup water
Tomato sauce
Shredded cheddar for topping

Mix first three ingredients until moist and well blended. Preheat oven to 375°F. Distribute evenly into 12 medium muffin cups which have been sprayed with cooking spray. Make an indentation in center of each mini loaf with back of spoon. Fill with tomato sauce. Bake for 30 minutes or until temperature reaches at least 160°F. Take out and top with some shredded cheddar. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoying the older generation

My paternal grandfather, my last living grandparent, turned 90 Wednesday. My family all gathered for the occasion last week at a state lake resort in Kentucky (Land Between the Lakes). Grandpa's wife, Rose, had us all submit questions, and he answered them. My kids have really enjoyed the booklet she put together. I read part of it to them at bedtime and we learned a lot we didn't already know. They've enjoyed picturing "Grandpa Charlie" as a young person. He was telling my seven-year-old son about having to work in onion fields all day when he was that age. He had a tough childhood and worked hard his entire life, and turned out to be the sweetest person I know. Enjoy your grandparents and great-grandparents if you are still blessed enough to have them!

By the way, if you are looking for a great family vacation spot for future summers or school breaks, Kentucky Lake was great. It's beautiful country with lots to see and do.

A Happy Birthday

We should all approach our birthdays with the zeal and excitement of a soon-to-be first grader. Our daughter, who is the middle child of the family, gently placed her hands on my face last week and said, "Face it, I'm going to be six soon." Guess she was trying to help me adjust to the idea. Well, Friday was her day and it was a happy one. We had celebrated the occasion on the previous weekend with a make-your-own pizza party at Little Anthony's. What a fantastic time! Mary Lauren's group of very sweet friends and cousins really enjoyed being pizza chefs, and coloring their take-home boxes. One of ML's favorite gifts was a Webkinz, a pink dog to love and care for.

Summer Field Trips

The kids and and I had a great time at Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta recently. It was a fun way to beat the heat and summer boredom. The only snag in the day was when the automated parking payment machine ate my ten dollar bill. In recent summers, we've enjoyed trips to the Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain (take lots of hand sanitizer) and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History (especially if you have a young train enthusiast). Have fun on your excursions, and suggest some places for us to feature in our Day Trippin' series in the Times-Herald.

Laundry, Laundry Everywhere

Laundry. (Read with a big sigh). It's the chore that left me feeling the most overwhelmed during the past school year. When I got married 12 years ago, my cousins gave me a washboard. It's a "Dubl Handi" from the Columbus, Ohio Washboard Co. I thought it was a prank gift. But really it was a harbinger of things to come. Now it hangs in my laundry "closet." I desperately need a better system. The piles of clothes never seem to go away. I'd like for any family member to be able to go their dresser, open it up and see neatly folded, fresh-smelling clothes at any given time. Midway through the school year, we were always searching for matching socks, or a particular pair of pants. Eventually, the socks didn't even have to match; clean was fine. Maybe with three kids, laundry disorganization is inevitable. Panoply (a Newnan design firm) created a gorgeous laundry room for the Atlanta Symphony Associates Decorators' Showhouse this spring. It had sky blue ceilings, green walls, asparagus ferns and other pretty house plants,a tile back splash, a rinse sink and a desk area. If only I had that room I know I could conquer these clothes! If you've got a system that works, please advise.