Favorite Winter Activities: Out & About in Minnesota

Our MOPS group recently asked me to put together some material on Kid-Friendly, Winter "Survival" Activities in Minnesota. When asked to compile this, I was thrilled because I have been looking for an excuse to take the time to sit down and gather a complete list of our Winter Favorites (and a few excursions that our family has never personally tried but would like to do in the near future!).

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I love to document fun activities to do with kids (whether at home or out n' about). Now, I have a complete list of our favorite places to go for those Winter Blah days, so that when we are having moments like this, and need to get out of the house quickly, we have somewhere to go FAST!! :)

(Click on the names of the activities to go directly to the site...oh, and please forgive the sloppy format below. I copied and pasted most of the text from a Word document and for whatever reason my layout and font sizes aren't changing and saving).

1. Minnesota Zoo - 13000 Zoo Boulevard, Apple Valley, MN 55124, 952-431-9200

A couple of years ago (just after Cooper was born) I was taking the boys to the zoo literally every week. Some days we would go just for a picnic lunch and to see one big exhibit, and other times we would spend 3 hours walking through the indoor exhibits. The Membership is totally worth every penny if you can go several times a year. (Ours is gifted to us each year as a Christmas present; it's truly the gift that lasts throughout the year! Thank you Papa!!!)
Click here, here, here, and here, to see a few of our family trips to the zoo.

2. Como Park Zoo and Conservatory - 1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul, 55103, 651-487-8200
Check website for current events and happenings. We have only been here during the Summer and Fall but I hear a lot of moms talk about taking their kids their during winter!)
Click here to see a glimpse of the Conservatory and some of its beautiful species.

3. Minnesota Children’s Museum  (3^rd Sunday of each month is Free!) - 10 West Seventh Street, St. Paul, 651-225-6000
You can see some of our fun times at the Museum here, here and here.

LOVE this place and would also recommend a Membership here if you can go several times a year.

4. Minnesota Transportation Museum – 651-228-0263

Time to take Parker and Cooper! They would love this!!! It is on my list! :)

5. Mall Of America - LegoLand, Toddler Tuesdays, Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium and Free Family Flicks every Saturday at 10am; 60 East Broadway, Bloomington
The Mall of America practically saved us our first two years we were in Minnesota. If anything, you can strap the kids in the stroller and walk, and walk, and walk and smile at the moms you pass who are also walking, and walking and walking. :) For even more fun though, check out the activities listed above. Note to self: Need to take pictures next time we go to the Mall!!

6. Kid Create Studio - 7918 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie, 952-974-3438

7. Creative Kidstuff – various locations

8. Edinborough Park – open gym and climbing area (Edina) 7700 York Ave. S, Edina; 952-833-9542

9. Indoor Waterparks - click here for even more.

10. Ice Skating at Centennial Park - 7499 France Ave. S., Edina; 952-833-9580

11. Eden Prairie Center’s Soft Play Area – (lower level near Kohls); 8251 Flying Cloud, Eden Prairie, 952-941-7650

12. Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store - 2050 Marshall Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104; 651-646-5252

His storytimes are awesome; the kids will love singing songs, hearing an engaging story and then getting to play at one of the large train tables in the back!
Click here for a peak into one of the storytimes.

13. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum - 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska; 952-443-1400
This is our first year to have a Membership at the Arboretum, although we have visited at least once every Fall since 2008. I plan on taking many a walks and drives through the development now that we have a Membership. Fresh air! Yes! 
Here is a links from one of our outings there...(not of winter though)

14. Lake Harriet – 4135 West Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis

Find the secret troll tree, write a note and leave it there overnight. The next day, go back to the same place and your note will have been answered by the troll himself! Seriously, I sooo want to do this!

15. Wild Rumpus Storytime – Monday’s at 10:30; 2720 West 43rd Street, Minneapolis; 612-920-5005

16. Red Balloon Bookshop (various storytimes) - 891 Grand Ave, St Paul, 651-224-8320
Click here to see one of our Storytimes here.

17. Minnehaha Falls - 4801 South Minnehaha Park Dr, Minneapolis,  612-230-6400

 

Minnehaha is truly one of our favorite places in Minnesota.

18. Pump it Up – Various locations

19. Stages Theatre - 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN 55343; 952-979-1123

20. The Depot - (ice skating and indoor waterpark)- 225 South 3rd Avenue, Minneapolis; 612-375-1700

21. The Walker Art Center – Kids Day: 1^st Sat of the month

22. Children's Theatre Company, 2400 3rd Av. S, Minneapolis; 612-874-0500

23. Trapp Farm Park (tubing, ice skating)– Eagan, 651-675-5511
Great outdoor fun for the whole family!!!

Have fun and Happy Wintering!!! :)
...and if you really get "ancy", you could always mow the snow. ;) 

Happy 2013!!!

 

Wishing you and your family a wonderful 2013 with many blessings and colorful memories!!!

 

"[Today] is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” Brad Paisley

Yesterday, Dear Hubby and I celebrated seven years together. We went to the movies and saw Les Miserables. Wow. Loved every part of it and can't wait to own it on DVD. Perfect movie pick for us to end 2012. We then had a scrumptious dinner at Outback Steakhouse. (one of our favs). Left for our friend's house for their annual New Year's Eve Party and rang in the New Year. (My eyes were literally being forced open after the clock struck 11pm; just look at the picture of us above...out of 4 shots, only 1 had my eyes partially open! I joked with everyone today that I think this is my last year to ring in the New Year on my feet and not in my bed! haha! My kids were up and ready to go at 6:15 this morning. This mama was quite the tired one today. Thanks Nana and Poppie for having your own special date night with P and C so Clay and I could have our date night!!! We have loved having y'all here!!)

To Clay,

Can't wait to grow in 2013 with you!

xoxo, Carrie

A very Merry Season of tidbits and more!

A favorite snack this month (thank you Parents magazine!)

A trip to the doctor for strep. :(

Froggy boots and Christmas pjs for last minute post office runs. (and apparantly, one glove.) Our city post office wins the award for Best Entertainment for Adults and Kids for the month of December...one singing Santa's hat, a singing and dancing reindeer and a singing elf...perfect entertainment for impatient adults and little ones during the not-so-short-lines-season.

 

A favorite candle.  (thanks mom!)

A fun pillow picked up at Target on sale last year. Love it on my red couch downstairs!

Cute picture of the boys.

Playtime with Rassie during her Christmas visit.

 

Dear Hubby enjoying his new Christmas toy. An IPad that he has had on his wish list for over a year! Yea for gift cards from family!!

 

Ever since Christmas morning I have been finding Rescue Heroes all over my house.

 

Parker's handmade paper chain after Christmas day. (he wanted to use the torn chains as ornaments for his miniature tree in his bedroom.)

 

A visit from Nana and Poppie!!!

 

Watching Curious George one morning after Daddy got home from work.

 

An ornament that made me smile every time I looked at it this season.

 

Ornament that I would recommend to every mom.

 

My little snowman that I have become quite fond of this winter. He will definately stay out with us through February.

 

An ornament from the year we married.

 

What our fridge looks like today. LOVE the handmade stuff that Parker brings home from church and school. It makes me so very happy!

As usual, I am not quite ready to take down our Christmas decorations, so they will probably stay up another week or two. I always have them down by mid-January, but I am never in a rush to say goodbye until that point. Hey, it is 8 degrees here with snow covering the ground...I am quite happy to keep believing it is still Christmas! :)

our Christmas morning, day and evening!

Sipping cold milk out of Elf mugs that Rassie got for the boys...our traditional egg/sausage bake, fresh fruit variety and muffins for breakfast.

Singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!

 

Discovering what Santa left under the tree and in our stockings.

Trying out his new workman's tools. 

A view from above.

Trying on his very own, brand new cowboy boots from Nana and Poppie! Rodeo time is just a hop skip and jump away!!!

 

The little Mr. Mr. likes them very much. :) 

 

 

Cooper's favorite things right now: tractors. 

 

Parker's favorite toys right now: Rescue Heroes and any transportational vehicles 

Santa brought the boys their very own red snow shovel for them to help mama and daddy keep snow off of the deck!

Lots of dress up clothes!!! The little men are going to have so much fun with imaginative play this year with all their new custumes: Ninjas, Knights, Fireman, Spiderman, Cowboys...my, my we will have a busy and adventuresome household!

 

 

The boys (amazingly) slept till almost 8am on Christmas morning (parker had been sick though and had lost a lot of sleep in prior days and neither boy had napped the day before) so we didn't go downstairs to see Santa presents until almost 8:30. Then came breakfast...and at 10:30ish we started opening our gifts from family. I was hoping to unwrap some the night before, but the boys were completely wiped out so practically every gift was left for opening on Christmas day. That was a LOT of gifts. By almost 12:30 the boys were ready for lunch and a break (aka naptime). The whole family ended up falling asleep in the process of trying to get the boys down and we did not wake up until about 3:30 that afternoon. We started unwrapping around 5 that evening. To be completely true to the story, I still had gifts to wrap and that took up like an hour of the mid-afternoon. At 8:30pm, when we finished unwrapping the last gift, we all crashed in our beds in the same pajamas we woke up in earlier that morning. :)

Thank you to all of our sweet family who made us feel so special and loved this Christmas season!! We missed each of you and hope you all had a wonderful time on this special day as we celebrated each other, new toys and playthings, traditions, and most importantly, our dear Saviour's birth.

Christmas is Coming!

(I am having issues with blogger and hoping those technical problems to be fixed soon!! But until then, a few of these posts will be later than what is shown on actual post time! Sorry!!!)

I love Christmastime and the magical feeling that accompanies it every year. This season, we spent our holiday close to home. After the school events and parties were through, it was time to put a check mark next to a few items on our "family activity to do list" for the month.

A few of those traditions included things around the home that we were already doing, such as reading a Christmas book every day in December and documenting our elf on the shelf visits. Other activities had us venture outdoors...

Like last year, we wanted to take the boys to see Santa at downtown Macy's.

And who could forget about the Day in the Life of an Elf?!

I believe two of my favorites in this fairytale exhibit are the Christmas Tree Forest and the Reindeer Stable.

Afterwards, Rassie (who was in town for the adventure!) took the boys by Mrs. Claus' bakery for some sugary treats.

We wrote our letters to Santa and popped them in his giant red mailbox.

And then we took a stroll in downtown Minne, for as long as our bodies could stand the cold, which was not very long for my born-and-raised-in-the-deep-South-loves-the-beach-and-warm-temps mother. haha!

We saved our sugary treats for the Holidazzle Parade that we watched from inside one of the skyways over the city. (We missed getting to hear the beautiful music that accompanies the annual parade downtown, but did get to see the grand lights and holiday fair. I did not get any blog worthy pictures from inside to share though! Next year, we will have to dress warmer to be able to sit outside with the rest of the Minnesota folks. ;))

Sunday morning, mama went to church with us and we had a friend snap this quick family photo of us.

Outside our church, a group of kids had built this big fellow -- Frosty's cousin-- after our big snowstorm. This picture was taken two weeks later after a lot of snow had melted, but still he was standing tall. I should have picked up his missing eye that was on the ground before snapping the picture. :)

Before Christmas, we had lots of Christmas storytime with Rassie.

On Christmas Eve, we ran out early that morning for a quick shopping trip to our favorite General Store.

That afternoon/evening we attended Wooddale's Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Beautiful. Cooper played down in the nursery and Parker got to sit in the sactuary with us. I think I stared at his precious face at least 1/4 of the time to see his reaction to everything.

  

 

While on our way home, we stopped by Prairie Lights to check out the spectacular display that our friends had told us about. To go along with the 256 channels of incredible animation, is synchronized music that is broadcasted on 88.1 FM. Cars parked on all sides of the streets to watch the lighted show. If you live in the area, I would recommend making it a yearly tradition during the holiday season!

We arrived home that evening to more boxes on the front porch, to which the boys could not wait to climb on once we brought the packages inside.

However, with all the excitement and busyness of the day (and no naps!!) both boys lasted all of 6 seconds before wails from both mouths broke out. Bedtime came shortly after...

...but not before we opened our Christmas cards for the day,

unpacked the just arrived boxes from family,

 

and baked cookies for Santa (easy pre-made dough from the store). :)

 

a view of our tree on Christmas Eve.

 

Just before heading upstairs to say prayers and dream of Santa, his sleigh full of toys and his eight reindeer, Clay pulled out his phone for them to track Santa and see where the big man was currently visiting. That brought much excitement to the room when the little men found out he was dropping off packages in Brazil and would be in the States shortly after. Up to our beds we went and off to sleep we fell...dreaming magical thoughts and waiting to see what Santa would leave behind for the good boys and girls...and hoping we had all been good. ;)