Happy Holidays Everyone!

When I started this blog back in February I couldn't have guessed how much fun I would be having! I have lots of great parks, indoor venues and restaurants already reviewed and coming soon.

I hope everyone has a great holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Haley M. Smith Park in Herndon, VA!

Since the weather has been amazingly warm this December the boys and I struck out to find some new parks. We came across Haley M. Smith Park in Herndon,VA located off of Van Buren Street in Fairfax County! The park is situated between newer and older single family homes as well as a few industrial parks.

This park was very nice with newer equipment including swings and lots of grass. It also has a ride on two person airplane and dinosaur.The park includes two baseball/softball fields, a sand volleyball court and soccer field. There is a porta potty and when we were there it was very clean.

This is a very cute park in Herndon. It probably doesn't have a lot of shade in the summer but there are plenty of benches and picnic tables to take a break and a water fountain.

Big Chimneys Park in Falls Church, VA!

Big Chimneys Park in Falls Church, VA is located behind the Bowl America Falls Church bowling alley. This cute little park is tucked in between the bowling center and some townhomes in the City of Falls Church on West Annandale Road.

The park is not very large but it has large older trees which create lots of shade even without their leaves. The equipment is in great shape with two playsets and a swing set. There are no restrooms but if you were really stuck you could walk around to the bowling center to use the restrooms.

This is a cute little Fairfax County park and is in walking distance of townhomes and single family homes in the City of Falls Church. Parking is available on the street and if you live nearby you should check it out!

The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille in Sterling,VA!

This weekend we checked out The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille located next the Dulles Town Center Mall in Sterling, VA! We had heard some great things about the restaurant especially that kids meals are free with every purchase of an adult burger, sandwich, or entree.

The restaurant was very kid friendly. The booth seating had a personal TV at each table that allowed you to change the channel to whatever you wanted to watch plus you could turn it off once your meal arrived. The waitress also offered to bring the children's food out early as the kids were starving from walking around the mall. One little tidbit that I thought was neat was they had triangle shape crayons! No need to chase crayons under the table they don't roll away. It's the little things in the life! They offered a good variety of healthy foods for the kids including apple wedges with every meal. The restrooms were very clean and even though the place was busy our food got to us in a good time. 

One thing we did read is that the free kids meals are 7 days a week all day long but only at this location. I can't speak for other Greene Turtles but the Kids Eat Free offer is only good at this location. If you ever  get stuck with hungry kids and you want cheap and healthy alternative to home cooking check out The Greene Turtle!

New Reviews Coming on Family Friendly Restaurants!

It's rough enough taking the little ones out to the grocery store but taking the kids out to restaurants can sometimes be a trying experience. In Northern Virginia there are lots of family friendly restaurants out there that have great food and the kids don't mind sitting down to eat. In addition to doing reviews on local parks and museums I'll be reviewing family friendly restaurants that cater to the little ones while the parents get a stress free meal out. If you know of any great restaurants shoot me your recommendations!

Sterling Community Center Tot Drop-In in Sterling, VA

The Sterling Community Center offers  a great tot drop-in program to escape the cold weather. The kids get to run around playing with balls, riding toys, slides and much more.

The tot drop-in is open on Mondays, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The drop in is for children 5 and under and free. The cost for adults is $2.50 and you can also purchase a Drop-In activities Card so you won't have to worry about bringing cash with you. If the mornings aren't good for you they do offer an afternoon Tot-Drop In on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m.

My kids always have a great time going especially when their friends join us! It's a clean and safe environment for both kids and parents. This is just the start of the indoor reviews I will be doing over the winter months. If you have any favorite places feel free to share and I will go and review each venue.

Pat Rodio Park in Fairfax, VA!

Pat Rodio Park is located in the City of Fairfax right next door to Paul VI Catholic High School. You can get to the park either by parking on the street in neighborhood behind the high school or parking in the school parking lot. I wouldn't recommend parking in the lot during the school day.

The park has a small set of the swings and a decent piece of play equipment. The park has two baseball fields and soccer goals. In the afternoon hours the play equipment is completely in the shade. There is a porta potty next to the baseball field and when we were there it was is in good condition.

This Fairfax County park is small but if you live in the neighborhood it would a nice place to take the kids to burn off some energy as there is plenty of grass for them to run around on.

Amalthea Ridge Homestead in Great Falls, VA

I'm very excited to announce that Amalthea Ridge Homestead will be releasing a new line of bath and body products. The release of the new goat milk soaps and lotions is their very first of the season!  All of the creations are hand crafted on the homestead using fresh goat milk that is produced by Amalthea Ridge goats.

Amalthea Ridge is owned and operated by my good friend Sarah. This was a great year for Amalthea Ridge Homestead with their first kid being born in April and it looks like next year we will see several new additions to the Homestead. Check back next year for photos of new kids and exciting new goat milk soaps and lotions!

The Long Winter Months....

It was great having the warm weather stretch into November but alas the winters months are upon us. Since we won't be able to be outside checking out the parks I'll be checking out venues where we can have fun inside! Follow us while we travel around the DC Metro Area looking for fun things to do indoors. If you know of any great indoor venues that are great for kids and families please email me.

I hope you and your families have a great holiday season and a Happy New Year!