We love the library. We've been to different branches throughout the city and some are better than others but they are all a great asset to their neighborhoods. A few years ago when I was home with a three year old and a baby we went to the library literally every week. Now we go every two or three weeks, which I think is more normal but we still get so much from our visits. My daughters love books and we own so many but after awhile they all get a little stale. The ability to check out 30 books at a time is so incredibly great. Rarely do we check out that many because they get a little heavy to carry home, but we usually get somewhere around 15 books per trip - and we always find something new. It is really crazy to me when I hear people with young children say they have never been to the library. Most neighborhoods have easy access to a library and it is really easy to get a library card. All you have to do is go to a library, fill out a really basic form, and show them your drivers license or two forms of identification. That's it - super easy. Even your kids can get their own library cards.
Recently Mayor Emanuel has proposed cutting library hours even further (hours were already shortened about a year ago) and reducing library staff City wide. I don't want this to be a political post because obviously to balance the City budget cuts will have to be made and I'm sure it is difficult to find a place to make cuts that don't upset someone. I just think when a situation like this arises it makes you appreciate something that perhaps is often taken for granted. I really just want to celebrate the great libraries we have and for this post to be a reminder of what a fabulous and free activity a trip to the library is.
Besides access to free books and DVDs, the libraries also have great childrens programs. Most libraries have story hour for toddlers and preschoolers. I've been to a lot of these story times and they are really great for introducing new books to kids and teaching young kids how to sit quietly, listen, and be respectful to the reader. Every year the libraries also provide a summer reading program. There is always a theme with lots of special activities to go along with it, the libraries get a bunch of new books related to the theme and if your child completes the reading program they get a free T-shirt. In addition at the library you can check out museum passes that will get you into most of the museums in the City for free. You can return your books to any library in the City regardless of where you checked them out and can request books from other libraries to be sent to your local library and held for you. If you haven't been to the library lately, or at all, it is worth checking out. The website www.chipublib.org provides information on hours and events at all of the branch libraries plus allows you to search for books.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Wishbone
The cover story of the November issue of Chicago magazine is Best Breakfasts so I wanted to write about one of my family's favorite breakfast places. It is mentioned in the magazine article but the couple of lines written about it just don't do it justice. Everyone in our family loves to have breakfast at Wishbone (3300 N. Lincoln). The restaurant is quite large and always loud, which is perfect for toddlers. On Saturday and Sunday mornings probably 70% of the tables have kids at them so we always feel totally comfortable bringing in our crazy girls. Wishbone provides coloring pages, high chairs, and kids drinks with lids and straws like any restaurant that caters to kids. Plus the brightly decorated restaurant always distracts our girls while we wait for our food. Servers are generally great with the kids, too.
Wishbone specializes in Southern cooking and is open 7 days a week for breakfast. The kids breakfast menu is pretty basic and consists of eggs, a pancake (shaped like Mickey Mouse), granola, and french toast. My kids like a basic American breakfast of eggs and pancakes so this menu is perfect for them. The regular breakfast menu has quite a few more options that are really tasty. The omelets are really good and come with delicious home fries. My husband thinks they have some the best bacon. As I mentioned, Wishbone specializes in Southern cuisine and their breakfast menu includes shrimp and grits, crab cakes, red beans and rice, and blackened catfish. I really don't think you can order wrong. I also love the lattes and fresh squeezed juice. Lunch and dinner is also served here. On Tuesdays kids eat free for dinner.
Wishbone opens at 8 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. It is generally not that hard to get a table if you get to the restaurant on the early side. However, if you get there after 10 it can be really busy and you may have to wait awhile. There is a small waiting area inside the restaurant and a little room for strollers but not a lot. Parking is available at meters on Lincoln or if you can get lucky and find parking on a side street for free. The Paulina stop on the Brown Line is only a few block walk away.
Wishbone is definitely one of our favorite places to have breakfast and judging by the crowds it draws on the weekends it is a favorite of many families.
Wishbone specializes in Southern cooking and is open 7 days a week for breakfast. The kids breakfast menu is pretty basic and consists of eggs, a pancake (shaped like Mickey Mouse), granola, and french toast. My kids like a basic American breakfast of eggs and pancakes so this menu is perfect for them. The regular breakfast menu has quite a few more options that are really tasty. The omelets are really good and come with delicious home fries. My husband thinks they have some the best bacon. As I mentioned, Wishbone specializes in Southern cuisine and their breakfast menu includes shrimp and grits, crab cakes, red beans and rice, and blackened catfish. I really don't think you can order wrong. I also love the lattes and fresh squeezed juice. Lunch and dinner is also served here. On Tuesdays kids eat free for dinner.
Wishbone opens at 8 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. It is generally not that hard to get a table if you get to the restaurant on the early side. However, if you get there after 10 it can be really busy and you may have to wait awhile. There is a small waiting area inside the restaurant and a little room for strollers but not a lot. Parking is available at meters on Lincoln or if you can get lucky and find parking on a side street for free. The Paulina stop on the Brown Line is only a few block walk away.
Wishbone is definitely one of our favorite places to have breakfast and judging by the crowds it draws on the weekends it is a favorite of many families.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
County Line Orchard
I love fall in Chicago. The weather is great and there are so many fun things to do with kids. For the last two years we have gone apple picking at County Line Orchard in Hobart, IN. The weekends can get really crazy there but there is lots of fun things to do for kids of all ages. The main attraction, of course is the apple orchard. Depending on when you go, different apples will be in season but they could include Cortland, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Rome, Gala, and a bunch more - they grow over 20 different varieties. We picked a bunch of different kinds of apples and they have all been really good. It costs $1.75 per pound for the apples.
The cost of admission varies depending on what you plan to do while there. If the only thing you want to do is pick apples admission is $1. We did the Lil' Farmer Pass for $5/person that gives you access to the kid's farm in addition apple picking. For $7/person you get everything in the Lil' Farmer Pass plus you can do the corn maze. For $10/person, in addition to everything else, you get unlimited rides on the moo choo, which is a little kid train ride. We knew our group wouldn't have enough energy to do everything so we just stuck with apple picking and the kids farm. The ticket booths are located outside just beyond the big barn. There is a cute little map on their website (http://countylineorchard.com/orchard-map.asp) that shows the orchard layout.
A tractor pulled wagon provides rides out to the orchard. We always take the tractor out because the kids love the ride but if you want to avoid the line you can just as easily walk. We usually walk back (although a tractor will pick you up) after we've picked our apples because it is so close. Apple picking is just such a fun fall activity! Availability of apples, of course, varies from year to year but this year they had a very good selection available. It was super easy for the girls to find good apples to pick at their level. Last year we went at about the same time and there was very little to pick. There were some weather related problems that caused a bad apple crop all over the midwest but we still had a good time. The tractor will also take you out to the corn maze and pumkin patch, which are both a bit farther out but still walkable. A lot of people bring wagons to haul their pumpkins. The price for pumkings $0.30 per pound.
You can pay for your apples and pumpkins inside the big barn. In addition they sell a wide range of other products from squash and other vegetables to Christmas decorations. Our favorite are the donuts. They sell pumpkin and apple. Both are very, very good. While there we also had to pick up a gallon of apple cidar, which we also really enjoyed.
After paying for our apples and buying way too many other things, we headed out to the Kids Farm. The farm has goats, chickens and roosters, miniature ponies, pot belly pigs, and cows. There is also a maze made out of hay, which is a bit easier for little kids to manuever than the corn maze and tractors the kids can sit on. In addition, there is this robot dinosaur called Peter the Pumpkin Eater that puts on a show every hour. The highlight of the show is that he "eats" a pumpkin. It is the kind of show that kids really enjoy and but kind of annoys their parents. Of course my girls went crazy for it and are still talking about it a week later.
There are lots of food options besides donuts. You can bring your own food and eat at picnic tables provided. There is a grill that sells hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese, and that kind of stuff. In addition, there is an indoor eating area that serves a different menu and includes items such as chicken fingers and mac and cheese. We haven't eaten at the orchard but the grilled stuff always smells really good. Live music is provided on an outdoor stage near the picnic tables.
There are bathrooms located in the main barn and then some portable bathrooms located through out the grounds. Whether you bring a stroller or not really depends on how much your kid will be riding in it. It can be a bit of a walk from the parking lot and from the orchard to the outdoor eating area and petting zoo so if you don't think your child can walk those distances or you would have to constantly be carrying your child if you didn't have a stroller, I would suggest bringing one. One the other hand, it can get really crowded inside the buildings, a lot of the ground is covered in wood chips, which is hard to push a stroller on, and you can't really take your stroller on the tractor ride out to the orchard/pumpkin patch. There is plenty of parking but you may need to walk a bit.
The orchard gets really, really busy on nice weekends so if you want to avoid large crowds you might want to try a weekday, if possible. The Orchard is open daily from 9 AM until 6PM. Despite the crowds we always have fun here because it feels like such a perfect fall activity.
The cost of admission varies depending on what you plan to do while there. If the only thing you want to do is pick apples admission is $1. We did the Lil' Farmer Pass for $5/person that gives you access to the kid's farm in addition apple picking. For $7/person you get everything in the Lil' Farmer Pass plus you can do the corn maze. For $10/person, in addition to everything else, you get unlimited rides on the moo choo, which is a little kid train ride. We knew our group wouldn't have enough energy to do everything so we just stuck with apple picking and the kids farm. The ticket booths are located outside just beyond the big barn. There is a cute little map on their website (http://countylineorchard.com/orchard-map.asp) that shows the orchard layout.
A tractor pulled wagon provides rides out to the orchard. We always take the tractor out because the kids love the ride but if you want to avoid the line you can just as easily walk. We usually walk back (although a tractor will pick you up) after we've picked our apples because it is so close. Apple picking is just such a fun fall activity! Availability of apples, of course, varies from year to year but this year they had a very good selection available. It was super easy for the girls to find good apples to pick at their level. Last year we went at about the same time and there was very little to pick. There were some weather related problems that caused a bad apple crop all over the midwest but we still had a good time. The tractor will also take you out to the corn maze and pumkin patch, which are both a bit farther out but still walkable. A lot of people bring wagons to haul their pumpkins. The price for pumkings $0.30 per pound.
You can pay for your apples and pumpkins inside the big barn. In addition they sell a wide range of other products from squash and other vegetables to Christmas decorations. Our favorite are the donuts. They sell pumpkin and apple. Both are very, very good. While there we also had to pick up a gallon of apple cidar, which we also really enjoyed.
After paying for our apples and buying way too many other things, we headed out to the Kids Farm. The farm has goats, chickens and roosters, miniature ponies, pot belly pigs, and cows. There is also a maze made out of hay, which is a bit easier for little kids to manuever than the corn maze and tractors the kids can sit on. In addition, there is this robot dinosaur called Peter the Pumpkin Eater that puts on a show every hour. The highlight of the show is that he "eats" a pumpkin. It is the kind of show that kids really enjoy and but kind of annoys their parents. Of course my girls went crazy for it and are still talking about it a week later.
There are lots of food options besides donuts. You can bring your own food and eat at picnic tables provided. There is a grill that sells hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese, and that kind of stuff. In addition, there is an indoor eating area that serves a different menu and includes items such as chicken fingers and mac and cheese. We haven't eaten at the orchard but the grilled stuff always smells really good. Live music is provided on an outdoor stage near the picnic tables.
There are bathrooms located in the main barn and then some portable bathrooms located through out the grounds. Whether you bring a stroller or not really depends on how much your kid will be riding in it. It can be a bit of a walk from the parking lot and from the orchard to the outdoor eating area and petting zoo so if you don't think your child can walk those distances or you would have to constantly be carrying your child if you didn't have a stroller, I would suggest bringing one. One the other hand, it can get really crowded inside the buildings, a lot of the ground is covered in wood chips, which is hard to push a stroller on, and you can't really take your stroller on the tractor ride out to the orchard/pumpkin patch. There is plenty of parking but you may need to walk a bit.
The orchard gets really, really busy on nice weekends so if you want to avoid large crowds you might want to try a weekday, if possible. The Orchard is open daily from 9 AM until 6PM. Despite the crowds we always have fun here because it feels like such a perfect fall activity.
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