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May, 2013

  1. Laumeier Sculpture Park – St. Louis

    May 30, 2013 by admin

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    You know by now, that this TR family loves a sculpture walk.  The combination of art appreciation and the outdoors is irresistible to us!  On a recent vacation trip, we discovered Laumeier Sculpture Park (LSP) in St. Louis, Missouri.

    Located on 96 wooded acres, LSP is dog friendly and free-of-charge to explore.  A majority of the main trails are wheelchair/stroller accessible.  Clean restrooms (with baby IMG_1967changing stations), water fountains, and benches are abundant throughout the park.  There are indoor galleries as well, but since we had our dog on this journey, we stuck to the outdoor exhibits only.

    Tip:  You can go off the main trails and experience some moderate hiking through beautiful woodlands.  These paths are not well marked so be sure you’re in the mood for a lot of meandering.

    LSP requests that you do not touch or climb on most sculptures.  But there are some exhibits that are clearly marked for you to enjoy exploring.  Our children loved climbing within the “cantaloupe”  and zigzagging through the House of the Minotaur.

    We spent about 2 hours at LSP and only explored ¼ of what they have to offer.  We highly recommend this destination!

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    Category Jaunts | Tags: ,, | Comments Off on Laumeier Sculpture Park – St. Louis

  2. Outfitting Your Car To Travel With The Dog

    May 28, 2013 by admin

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    Part of our Continuing Series on Traveling With Pets

    We take our Moo everywhere we can, including on vacation.  Many people we know see it as too much trouble to bring a pet on a family trip.  But we know we’d miss Moo and worry about her constantly, if we left her behind.  We see Moo as a member of our family.  So we follow a few simple steps to make the decision to take her with us on vacation successful.

    An important part to making traveling with your dog work well is to prepare your vehicle.  Things to include and consider:

    • Where will the pup sit and sleep?  We try to leave a dog-sized piece of floor free in a quiet part of the car.
    • Keep a food/water bowl and small jug of water in the car at all times.  Whenever you stop, offer the pup a drink.
    • Keep a towel in the car for wiping paws and drying off a wet dog.
    • If your dog likes to chase balls or Frisbees, make sure you always have one in the car.  Many a long drive can be pleasantly interrupted with a chance to run and chase in a roadside rest area.
    • Keep a stash of plastic bags in the car for clean up at bathroom stops.  Be a courteous pet owner.
    • An extra leash in the car can help set minds at ease if you lose track of the primary one.
    • Treats!  Who’s a good pup?  Yes, you!
    • Never leave your dog in a vehicle on a warm day.  Never.

     

    We find our Moo fits right in, once you take a moment to consider her pup needs.  And she is really no more trouble to bring along on journeys than anyone else in our family.

    Category Road Trippin' | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  3. Silence is Golden

    May 26, 2013 by admin

    Our 4 year old, Bluey, is at a napping cross-roads.  His young body and mind still benefit greatly from a mid-day nap.  It is very apparent when he misses out on sleep.  Bluey without a nap is harder to keep focused, his emotions are quicker to fire, and he is more inclined to test family rules.  He has a janky day, as does everyone in his company.

    IMG_1677Bluey is old enough to comprehend that he is missing out on “stuff” when he naps.  Even though it is just a short period of time, Bluey feels justified in protesting this temporary isolation.  And he is such a bundle of enthusiasm that it is hard for TR Mom and Dad to defend pulling Bluey away from what he is enjoying when nap rolls around.

    We have an early bedtime that wouldn’t sync well with moving a nap to mid or late afternoon.  And since Bluey typically naps in late morning, a lot of our activities are already scheduled for the afternoon.

    So we’re experimenting with “quiet” time on the days that Bluey bristles at the idea of an actual nap.  For 30 or 45 minutes, Bluey has to be in his room.  He can read or he can lay on his comfy bed with his stuffies, thinking about the day.  This allows Bluey a necessary break from activity and hopefully, a rest.  And it is a welcome moment for TR Mom and Dad to catch up on chores, or to also have a moment of peace in an otherwise fast-paced day.

    Category Parenting | Tags: , | Comments Off on Silence is Golden

  4. Mmmm, Marinara!

    May 23, 2013 by admin

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    We love marinara sauce!  We top our pasta with it at least once a week.  We use marinara on homemade pizza and in calzones.  It is our go-to sauce to compliment many meals.  We keep our marinara recipe simple, which also helps in its utility in other dishes, from soups to enchilada sauce.

    By making this sauce ourselves, not only can we tweak it to our own tastes, but we also avoid added or leached chemicals that are frequently found in canned sauces.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 T Olive Oil
    • 1 Medium Sized Onion, Diced
    • 1 T Oregano
    • S&P to taste
    • 1 T Vegetarian Bouillon
    • 8 or so Plum Tomatoes, Rough Chopped
    • 2-4 cups water
    • 2 T Tomato Paste

     

    Process:

    • It couldn’t get much easier!
    • Sauté onions in olive oil along with the herbs, spices and bouillon.
    • When onions are translucent, add the rough-chopped tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes.
    • Add the water, and let simmer for as long as possible- at least an hour.  If your tomatoes are very wet, use the lesser amount of water.  Add water if the sauce looks too dry.  You want it to simmer in order for all the flavors to mingle.
    • Add the paste towards the end of the simmer time.  We make our own paste at home, but there are organic varieties available.
    • Puree the sauce in the food processor—use short pulses for a chunky sauce, longer time for a more smooth texture.

     

    And that’s it!  This recipe yields about three cups of sauce.  Don’t forget to freeze the leftovers for next time!

    Category Recipes | Tags: ,,,, | 2 Comments

  5. Turn Off The iPad

    May 21, 2013 by admin

    We’ve posted before about our belief that it is critical to take the time to unplug from your electronic life every now and then.  We feel that people tend to use their devices to avoid face-to-face interaction; or as way to disengage from whatever is happening around them.

    We are preparing for a quickly approaching family vacation.  What do you think was one questions Plum asked when hearing of the trip?  “Can I bring my iPad?”  We know you can guess the answer!  It was, “No.”

    Here is why we forbid this device to accompany us on our family trip:IMG_1901

    • A vacation is about immersing yourself in your surroundings and discovering new sights, tastes, sounds, and feelings.  It is not about tuning out your world to focus on the latest App.
    • Your motivation to explore your surroundings plummets when you have an iPad feeding your boredom.
    • Your interest in conversation with your friends and family diminishes when you can instead engage with the tempting worlds and characters within the Apps on your iPad.
    • Once you disconnect from your iPad, it takes a good ½ hour, or more, for you to become a recognizable, functioning human once again.
    • Your iPad is an expensive piece of equipment that would be at risk of being broken, stolen, or lost while traveling.

     

    So for a myriad of reasons, some captured above, our vacation will not include an iPad.  Plum will complain at first.  She’ll use her wit and wiles to try and devise a way to get us to cave.  But hopefully, on the ride home from a wonderful journey sans iPad, she’ll realize that maybe TR Mom and TR Dad actually do know what they’re talking about- at least some of the time.

    Category Parenting | Tags: ,,, | 1 Comment

  6. The Temper Trap

    May 19, 2013 by admin

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    We recently read yet another article (“How to Tame a Tantrum,” Parents, April 2013) addressing how to deal with kids that are throwing temper tantrums.  It left us with another one of those ‘that’s not the way we do it’ moments in parenting.

    We don’t experience a lot of tantrums at our house, but when one of our kiddos does start to break down, TR Mom and TR Dad immediately step in with questions.  We ask them to pull it together so that they can explain what is so upsetting.  We instruct our kids to use their words in order to help us understand what’s going on.  We have practiced this with our children from the very beginning.

    But this is, apparently, the exact opposite of what the ‘parenting experts’ advise.  They say that questions confuse kids.  They say that children are incapable of pulling themselves together in the midst of a tantrum.

    Our kids can break free of a meltdown, when helped by a parent.  But then, they haven’t talked to the experts.

    It comes down to this: You know your child better than any expert you will ever meet.  We’re not saying that we know better than the professionals.  And we’re certainly not saying that we know what’s best for your family.

    We are saying that YOU know what works within your family.  Follow your gut.  Be open to other people’s ideas, but don’t let those suggestions become more important than your own instincts.

    Category Parenting | Tags: , | Comments Off on The Temper Trap

  7. The Finisher

    May 17, 2013 by admin

    Who is the Finisher in your house?  You know!  The one who squeezes out the last bit of toothpaste, while the rest of the family has broken into a new tube.  The one taking the end of the bread, or the broken bits of potato chips lingering at the bottom of the bag.  In our house, it’s TR Dad who is forever finishing off one item or another.

    It’s a life habit of frugality, we guess- a desire to not let those last few drops of shampoo go to waste and to use that pencil down to the nub.  It’s a good goal and one that we try to practice as a whole family- to not be wasteful.  We encourage our kiddoes to take only what they will eat onto their plates and to not request snacks their eyes want more than IMG_1891their bellies.

    But there’s a risk to a part of this practice—and it centers within in the kitchen.  If your instinct is to consume every last bit of leftovers, and you’re really the only family member willing to do so the vast majority of the time; you could be adding hundreds of unnecessary calories and grams of fat to your diet.  Eventually, it will add up.

    So in the kitchen, TR Dad follows a different path to being the designated Finisher.

    • First, we try to limit the amount of extra food.  Knowing how much food your family will consume is a great step in making sure you don’t end up with too many left-overs.   We have switched to smaller casserole pans for quiche and other single dish meals.  We cook smaller amounts of pasta on spaghetti night.
    • Second, we have expanded our idea of places food can go, beyond our tummies, that we don’t consider a waste.  This starts with our compost.  Since we need to feed the garden, small amounts of food scraps can go to compost instead of into TR Dad.  Then there are the wild critters- since we love having them visit our backyard, we don’t feel bad about putting corn chips, or bread ends, or uneaten toast out for the birds and squirrels to devour.

     

    By cutting back on the food produced for meals, and becoming OK with feeding the birds and the worms, TR Dad finds it easier to not feel he should eat whatever is lingering about in the fridge and cabinets.  And that makes us a healthier, happier TR family.

    Category Rambler Ramblings | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  8. It’s Our One Year Anniversary!

    May 15, 2013 by admin

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    At 102 Facebook likes and over 11,600 visitors to our webpage as of today, we want you to know that we are so very appreciative of your support.

    ThriftyRambler has grown out of our desire to try and answer friends’ questions of “how do you afford to do all that stuff every weekend?”  And, “how do you find the time to cook from scratch?”  We are, by no means, experts.  Nor do we achieve everything with grace and perfection.  And we share those struggles with you, too, as it is important to remember that no one is alone in this journey.

    Thank you for commenting on our posts.  We love conversing with our readers.  And thank you for sharing articles and posts that resonate with you.  We love reaching new audiences and we hope to grow to 200 likes, or more, by our 2nd anniversary!

    Here’s to many more years ahead as ThriftyRambler.

    Category Rambler Ramblings | Tags: | 1 Comment

  9. The Sinnissippi River Trail

    May 14, 2013 by admin

    IMG_1851We love a sculpture walk.  We find that it is a great way to combine outdoor exercise with art appreciation.  And in contrast of a visit to an art museum, there is no worrying about keeping the kids on their best behavior.  Everyone gets to relax and have a great time.

    Recently, we visited the renovated Sinnissippi bike path.  We parked at the Nicholas Conservatory for free.  Money was tight on this particular trip, so we decided against IMG_1844exploring the Conservatory, which has a steep fee for admittance.  Luckily, the property outside of the conservatory is open and free to the public.  These public grounds run sort of parallel to the bike path and you will find lovely flowers, manicured lawns, statues, and waterfalls.

    Once done exploring this area, we reconnected with the bike path.  Interspersed along the route are numerous sculptures to admire.  You’ll find yourself walking between the Sinnissipi River and some old railroad tracks.  The river water draws many geese, ducks, and cranes.  There are plenty of benches along the path, occasional picnic tables, and some good climbing trees.

    Tip:  The conservatory has a detached, public restroom on the bike path side that was very clean.

    We had a tremendous time exploring this area and look forward to returning soon.

    Category Jaunts | Tags: ,,, | 1 Comment

  10. Breathe

    May 12, 2013 by admin

    IMG_1818One Spring evening, our entire family decided to take a walk down to a local café, Victory.  TR Mom and Dad were well aware that bedtimes were quickly approaching.  But you have to know when to bend the rules.

    Victory is Plum’s favorite spot to pick up a small treat with her own spending money.  Bluey triked, Plum scootered, and TR Mom and Dad walked with our pup, Molly.

    As we made our way, Plum offered to treat her brother, Bluey, to something from the café.  He readily accepted, while thanking Plum over and over again.  The crisp Spring air was encouraging much love and generosity between these siblings!

    Snacks in hand, we randomly decided to take a different route home.  When we were ½ way down the block from the café, TR Dad spotted an elderly woman struggling on her front steps with her trash and recyclables.  TR Dad was quick to her rescue!  We chatted briefly with this new friend before Bluey discovered that he had lost a little accent item from his trike.

    Bluey was upset, so we decided to retrace our steps and soon found the toy!  As we continued toward home, Bluey and Plum paused to sample each other’s tasty treats from Victory.  TR Mom and Dad loved the displays of sibling friendship during this walk, as it doesn’t surface every day.

    All of a sudden, we spotted a well dressed man, sporting a pirate hat, walking toward us.  As he approached, we gave an “Aaargh” greeting, which this stranger happily returned with his own throaty, “Aaargh!”  Then TR Dad saw our dear squirrel friend, Stumpy, scurry up a tree.  We hadn’t seen Stumpy since last Spring !  And yes, we’re certain it is Stumpy as he is incredibly easy to identify, what with the missing tail.

    A simple Spring walk strengthened our family bond, allowed us to spread some TR Kindness, provided us a comical encounter with a pirate, and afforded us some exercise in the fresh air.  We would have missed out on all of these great experiences if we had just stayed indoors.  And we didn’t have to spend any money.

    Get outside!

    Category Get Outside! | Tags: ,,, | Comments Off on Breathe

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