Summer's Free Fun for All in Massachusetts

From free bowling to free tours to free museums there are so many ways to keep your children busy and educated during summer break! Free Fun Fridays & Free First Fridays are our family's favorites because they provide the variety and spontaneity we crave without burning a massive hole in our pocket. I have an extensive amount of favorite websites that I'll share a few of at throughout  this post that I use on nearly an everyday basis. First I'll start by telling you about FREE FUN FRIDAYS every Friday there is a short list to choose from not all are appropriate for young kids but I always find at least one that my young ones can go to. The site has 60 participating museums throughout the course of the summer! Then, we have Boston Central  which provides you with an event calendar not all events are free and it doesn't always list an event that I'm off too but it is always my first stop when attempting to find a boredom buster! Fridays from 5PM TO 9PM Boston's Children's Museum has a nearly free night sponsored by target with an admission price of just $1 per person! First Friday of the month (Today) is free admission at the Acton Children's Museums from 4:30 PM TO 8:30 PM. Also free on the first Friday of the month is the MFA in Boston from 6PM TO 9:30PM. Check out Boston.com for more  events! I'll keep updating this as the day goes on I hope there is something on here that will make your day more exciting!

See Through Planter

What you will need:
Disposable- Diapers or Sleep Pants

    OR 

Clear box or resealable bag
OR 

Seeds

Roots are a great choice

Water

OPTIONAL 

Saran Wrap

Duct Tape

Large Rubber Band

Lets Start!

1. Cut into the inner layer of the diaper or sleep pants and pull out its filling 
2. Place the filling into the planter/bag (You may need lots of diapers /sleep pants to fill whatever container you chose)
3. Add small amounts of water and mix
4. Let your mixture sit until a clear gel forms and isn't watery. Add more water after a few minutes if it is too dry. If its too wet add a small amounts of diaper fluff
5. Once you have a nice solid gel take your seeds and press them into the mixture about half an inch or whatever depth your seed packet direct you to.
6. If its a bag you chose seal it and tape it in a window. If you chose a clear container tightly seal the top off with one that was included or saran wrap make sure to secure the saran wrap with an elastic or duct tape to prevent water from evaporating. Place in a sunny spot.
7. Enjoy your learning experience! 

This entire article was created and written by Felicia Marie Bowler 

The Photos are not mine

Baby Brain

So, I've been wondering does having babies make you temporarily moronic? I used to make all my things by scratch without a recipe or even a thought really. I knew how to keep my organizing binders tidy and ORGANIZED. I used to be paid to organize brickabrack stuff and insane closets. I "religiously" organized and cleaned all my work spaces. Honestly~I still went about life in my old weirdo ways I was never normal I guess you would have called me a creative genius but after my kids, a cube shelf hitting me square on the head and a serious car accident I've noticed that I can't even keep my things in a closet let alone organizing one! Even using pinterest to pin what I used to whip up on my own (soaps,lotions,cleaning products, cosmetics you know, all that DIY stuff) I can't keep up! How about you? Did you notice a change in your memory retention after having a child?

Making Your Starter Green Cleaning Kit

You can make it fancy with its own special bucket or simply a cardboard box it doesn't matter just keep them together  and in a dark place =)

What to have in your "supply kit"

• Baking soda
• White Vinegar
• Borax ( find it in the laundry isle... its not boric acid pay attention to that)
• Pure Undiluted Essential Oils like clove, lavender, juniper, eucalyptus, tea tree or thyme (but tea tree is best) in dark blue or brown bottles 
• Activated Charcoal
• Washing Soda
• Vegetable/Olive/Coconut Oil
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Lemon Juice
• Lime Juice
• Grapefruit Seed Extract 
• Salt
• Beeswax
• Club Soda
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Corn Starch
• Liquid Castile Soap
• Pine Oil

Now that you have your supplies you can make just about any thing here are my favorites you can google them or wait for me to get links on here =)

• Laundry Detergent
• Dish Soap
• Dish Washer Soap
• Floor Cleaner
• Tub/Toilet/Tile Cleaner
• "Soft" scrub
• Carpet Cleaner
• Stain Spot Cleaner
• Furniture Polish
• Upholstery Cleaner
• Window Cleaner
• Fabric Refresher
• Odor Eliminator
• Shampoo
• Body Wash
• Mattress Cleaner
• Bug repellent
• Disinfectant Wipes
• Sanitizers

March Issue 2013

First off I'd like to say Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Home life has not been  updated in over a year, I apologize!

In April 2012 Cj and JB were tested for autism, Jade had already been being tested since 2009.

In May 2012

Cj was diagnosed with ADHD combined type with autistic tendencies and JB was diagnosed with autism,PDD, &ADHD combined type. Both were off the record diagnosed with sensory processing disorder (SPD) aka sensory integration disorder (SID) since health cares in Massachusetts and other states do not acknowledge the disorder. 

We've been super busy. Here's what we've been doing since May 2012 !

So in less than a year.....Not necessarily in the correct chronological order~

We've gone to almost every Free 1st Friday of the month event. 

We spent a lot of time together with sloppy crafts.

We've made bouncy balls.

We've put up Skate Board Shelves that we simply made by mounting mini skate boards to the wall.

Jade started kindergarten and lost a tooth.

We've tried ice hockey.

We've went sledding.

Of course we've visited numerous parks!

Our favorite though is Imagination Station in Leominster, MA.

We've made goops.

We've made scented and all other sorts of play doughs.

They've helped me make my homemade cosmetics.

We've tried squishy baffs.

We've gone to the Worcester Ecotarium @ least 2x.

We've been to Acton Children's Museums@ least 2x.

We've been to Boston Children's Museum @ least 2x.

We've been to the Orlando Studios Dinosaur Expo in Boston.

We've been to zoos 3x.

We've went swimming.

We've tried gymnastics.

We've tried Dance classes.

We've tried Mixed Martial Arts.

We love to use the lite-brite flash art paint wheel.

We've made scented finger paints.

We've read tons of books.

We've been bowling.

We've been to the movies about 3x.

Cole learned how to play video games and navigate the Xbox.

We went to Worcester Airport for  Santa 's flight in.

I'm sure there are so many more but I simply can't remember them all at the moment. =]

The September Issue 2011

Wow, what a month! Jade and Cole have learned and experienced so much just in this month alone! Jeff and I have been overwhelmed with our busy bees' energy, and we had to find a solution. I'm an out door and science nerd myself. My husband, not so much. Though he has displaced energy from his ADHD, like most men he would much rather have the kids quietly entertain themselves. But, with these kids, that will never happen! So, after my many late night lectures to my husband about how we must do more events with them it finally happened. My husband's major concern was the fact that we had no space for events in our budget. Very true, if in fact we went to adventure parks. Unfortunately, we have yet to attend my favorite Bolton Fair and the Actual Hebert Factory. Yet, BostonCentral.com has been a very  favorable resource this month! I must attend to my wild children for the next hour, but when I return I'll tell you about our great adventures that we have experienced as a family this month that has helped us bond and also, keep our kids a little more tamed on the week ends!