Breakfast with Santa

Tomorrow and Sunday you can join in a fun Christmas event. At the Washington County Fair Complex KUIK is hosting Breakfast with Santa as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army Food Box Program. You can have your picture taken with Santa, go on a pony ride, play games, make some arts and crafts and go shopping.

When: December 11-12
10am-3pm
Where: Washington County Fair Complex in Hillsboro
How Much: $10 per family
Bring a non perishable food item and get $2 off your admission
$1 per plate for Breakfast

Fun for the WHOLE Family!

Pictures with Santa & Mrs. Klaus

Holiday Trees/Wreaths/Poinsettias
Holiday Games and Fun for the kids
Inflatable bounce houses & obstacle courses (small fee)
Pony Rides (small fee)
A petting zoo (small fee)
Rudy the Red Nosed Lama on Saturday Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer on Sunday
Fire Trucks and Police Cars
KUIK’s Safe Assured ID both days
“LIVE” holiday music by local school choirs & ensembles
Holiday Movies
Kids can make holiday cards for soldiers
Much more!!!

Check out the website for more details.

Hillsboro Holly Days

I love Downtown Hillsboro. I have so many memories of wandering around my Dad's JCPenney store, eating at Supernatural Deli and Hillsboro Happy Days. During Happy Days they had a cow pie flinging contest off of the US Bank building. Some of that small town charm will be on hand during Hillsboro Holly Days.

Ho, Ho, Ho! Santa Claus is in the Civic Center lobby! Come enjoy warm cocoa, cookies, and holiday music while you wait to tell him your Christmas wishes. Bring the whole family to the Hillsboro Holly Days celebration sponsored by the Hillsboro Downtown Business Association. Santa will join in the Tree Lighting Ceremony, where the Holiday Tree that reigns over Main Street will be lit to shine over the city throughout the holiday season. This event is free and registration is not necessary. 2:00 - 4:00 pm at the Civic Center in downtown Hillsboro.

Lots Going on this Weekend

It has been a really long time since I posted! Now that I am working more I haven't been making my weekly list of events. I am so glad I have friends who are willing to help me out. My friend Sara sent me an email with some fun stuff, I hope you enjoy!



Always a good idea to call your local store to confirm participation!

The Home Depot - Saturday 9am-Noon, Free "How-to Workshop": build a Holiday Picture Frame.

Lowes Build and Grow - Saturday 10am-Noon, Free: Kids build part one of 3 train kit.

Toys R Us - Saturday Noon-3pm, Bring your camera and take pictures with Santa and Geoffrey. Enjoy story time (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) and Decorate your own Gingerbread cookie. Plus, Receive FREE giveaways!

Borders - Sunday 3pm, Hanukkah Celebration - stories, sing alongs, games, and more!

Bass Pro Shop - Saturday & Sunday, see website for times, Santa's Wonderland: crafts, photo, games & activities.


Michaels - Saturday, The Knack Free Family Events: Finger Knit Scarf from 10-11am and Reindeer Ornament from 11am-Noon. Sunday, Make-it Take-it Events - 1-2pm: Duck Tape Luggage Tag, 2-3pm Tree Ornament.

Walmart Event Finder - enter your zip code to see what is going on in your area.

Bank of America is hosting a Museums On Us day December 4th & 5th. If you are a Bank of America cardholder you can take advantage of this awesome deal! There are over 100 locations across the US.

Cleaning the Stove

Today I decided to clean our glass top stove. This is a task that I don't love doing, so I put it off. A while ago I bought these fancy cleaning cloths designed for our stovetop. As I was scrubbing away today I thought I would try tossing a little baking soda on the burners and adding lemon juice.

Bronson has been studying chemical reactions, so that is why it was fresh in my head. I let it sit there for a while and then wiped it up. The oxidation removed a lot of the grime and I didn't have to scrub as hard. Cheap and good for the environment, that is the kind of cleaner I like.

Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals

Today we took the kids to the Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals right here in Hillsboro. Bronson is doing a unit at school on rocks and went on a field trip a couple of weeks ago. He was really excited and wanted to share the experience with us. We were able to get a Cultural Pass from the library so it was FREE!

The museum is located off of Helvatia Road in the former home of Helen and Richard Rice. Every room is full of beautiful rocks, minerals and gems. Our favorite was the rainbow room with fluorescent rocks. The NW Mineral Gallery is really neat too. You can see giant thunder eggs and beautiful crystals.

What I really liked about this place was how much they love and respect children. The guides could tell that Bronson had been there before and they asked him questions so he could "show off" to his parents. They made sure that we saw interesting things and were not nervous about Keziah touching the cases.

Where: 26385 NW Groveland Drive
Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-647-2418

How Much: Adult $7, Senior $6, Student $5, Under 5 Free
Call the Hillsboro Library to reserve a cultural pass and you can get in for FREE

Rice Museum

Plumper Pumpkin Patch

We discovered Plumper Pumpkin Patch a few years ago and it quickly became our favorite. It is easy to get to, there is plenty of parking and there are lots of activities. When you first walk in you will see a pony ride, lots of pumpkins, the barn and food areas. Richard and I refer to most pony rides as slave ponies, but we let the kids ride here because the animals are well taken care of. Most of the pumpkins are already picked, but you can go into the patch and check out some really unusual ones in the patch. My mom and sister went home with some really beautifully colored squash.

What really sets Plumper apart are the fun activities. For $5 you can go on a hayride, do pumpkin bowling, duck races, go down some awesome slides, hay mazes, farm animals, playhouse and tractor tricycles. The hayride is my favorite. Usually we buy a sticker for the kids to do everything and then we all go on the hayride. The view from the top of the hill makes my heart sing. It reminds me why I love where I live.

If you go on the weekend you can watch them do the pumpkin trebuchet and the pumpkin cannon. It is free to watch and always so much fun. For an extra fee you can do the pumpkin slingshot and the barrel train. How much you spend is really up to you. Our family has specific things we love to do, so we make sure to set aside time for that.

Another thing that we always find amusing is that there is usually a goat that hangs around the barn and climbs on a ladder. You can also see the turkeys for free.

Check out their website

Orbitz also did a review

Lakeview Farms

The next pumpkin patch to be reviewed is Lakeview Farms in North Plains. The first time Bronson went with Richard and some friends while I was at work. The pictures were cute and he came home with a great sailboat painted on his face. Unfortunately it was also very rainy as you can see from the picture. The pumpkin patch was quite muddy. The following year Bronson went on a field trip with his daycare. He enjoyed the caterpillar ride.

We went as a family, but Bronson seemed not very excited for the trip. When we got there he was really scared and didn't want to go on the train or the boat. To get to the pumpkin patch you have to pay $4 to ride the train or boat. We decided to take the train over and the boat back. He cried in the tunnel because it was dark and there were spooky decorations. The boat ride also was scary because a shark and a lake monster come out of the water. If your kid is not a fan of Halloween decorations I would skip this patch.

As a parent I felt that it was very expensive and commercial. I know that this is the favorite pumpkin patch for a lot of families, so don't take my review as the whole picture.

Peterson Farms

One of my favorite things about being back in Oregon is visiting pumpkin patches in the fall. I love this season; leaves crunching, orange everything(it is my favorite color), apples, pumpkins, crisp mornings and the anticipation of spending time with family.

Our first year back we took Bronson to Peterson Farms on Glencoe Road. This is a charming farm. They have a great country store, free hayrides, tasty cider and a hay maze that is perfect for the younger set.

Where:4800 NW Glencoe Road
503-640-5649
When: Oct 20-21 and Oct 27-28

This week I will be profiling different pumpkin patches in the area. If you have a picture of one of your kiddos wearing a pumpkin hat I have made, I would love to see it! Please leave comments letting me know your family's favorite spot!

Lego Master Build

Bronson loves anything Lego related. He received the Brickmaster membership from Grandma Pat and Popeye for his birthday which keeps him up to date on all the events going on. This summer we took the MAX to Pioneer Square for the Lego Game Stop. They had life size game boards and we got to try all the new games.

Today at Washington Square there was a Master Build. A master builder from Lego was on hand to create an 8 foot Buzz Lightyear out of bricks. We got to make rectangles to be part of the sculpture. We went shopping at the store when we were done and got a certificate saying he had helped build and a special brick to take home.

We had a great time and made very special memories. Check out the Lego Store website for a calendar of activities. On November 2nd you can make a mini turkey for free.

Munchkin Playland

Keziah and I really enjoy Munchkin Playland at West Union Village. The play structures are modeled after trees, ducks and boats. I can enjoy a nice cup of coffee and adult conversation while she plays with the dollhouse and in the kitchen area. Try it the next time you are in need of a place to play and it is raining. This is a much better choice than Burger King.

Where: 18335 NW West Union
Portland, OR 97229
How Much: $6 to play
$20 play pass ($30 value)

Munchkin Playland

Oregon History Museum

To celebrate Oregon Cultural Days the Oregon History Museum is offering free admission from October 1-8th.

The Greek Vegetable

We went to the Greek Festival in Beaverton which was a lot of fun. There was amazing food, dancing, pony rides and a kids area. There is a bigger festival this weekend in downtown Portland presented by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

Keziah had a good time and she called it the Greek Vegetable. That has become our little family joke. You can enjoy a full dinner, or buy food ala carte. At the information booth you buy "talents" that you use in the booths. You can watch food demonstrations and tour the church. I learned a lot about the history of the Orthodox church, which was very interesting.


Greek Festival

OMSI

This weekend you can bring the whole family to OMSI without going into debt. For only $2 per person, you can enjoy a fun filled day of science exploration.

Sunday, October 3

Explore the museum for only $2 per person the first Sunday of every month.

(Made possible through the generous support of Bank of America, The Standard, and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.)

Free Night at the Children's Museum

The theme of Night at the Museum never stops. The Children's Museum is a great place for kids of all ages. We have spent a lot of time playing on the stage, riding in the bus and shopping at the grocery store. It is pretty expensive for a family of four to get in most days. We have used the Cultural Pass before. ( A post will be coming later to explain what that is.) This Friday from 4-close, Target is sponsoring First Friday. You can go to the museum for free!

Story Time at Pottery Barn

I went this summer to the Pottery Barn story time. It was pretty crowded and we didn't stay long. Now that school is in session maybe it will only have toddlers and not their larger siblings. The bonus about going to this is that there is a Sanrio store at Washington Square.

Where: Pottery Barn Kids at Washington Square
When: September 28 11 am
How Much: Free

Polish Festival

I love food and cultural fairs. The food is always amazing and it is so neat to see dancing and art from around the world. This weekend in Portland there is the Polish Festival. Try some pierogi, kielbasa, and delicious desserts. There is a children's area featuring a bouncy house. When we went to the Greek Festival our kids spent most of the day in the kid's area. So worth the extra money to get them in there.

When: Saturday Sept 25 11am-10pm
Sunday Sept 26 12 pm-6pm
Where:3900 N. Interstate Ave., Portland, Oregon
How Much: Free Admission
Food is extra

The best kept secret in Portland

Family Fun Night

We love the library and it is a great place for cheap entertainment. Tonight at the Hillsboro Main Library they are holding Family Fun Night. There will be board games and a Wii. What a great place to try out new games and meet other families.

Where: Hillsboro Main Library
When: Friday September 24th 6pm
How Much: Free

Alpaca and Sheep and Rabbits, Oh My!

So I may have mentioned a few times that I love knitting. I love everything about it; yarn, fiber, animals, beautiful colors of yarn, patterns, yarn. You get the picture.

Oregon hosts two amazing fiber festivals and one close to home is this weekend. Head down to Canby for the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. There will be vendors selling YARN, fiber for spinning, and everything fiber related. There are also animal barns and auctions. I took the kids two years ago and they loved looking at the rabbits and sheep. Bronson also loved putting his face in the bats of wool and he also tried wet felting.

If you like lamb, and I sure do, this is the time for some delicious eating. The line is long, but well worth it. We tried the lamb stew and lamb sausage, and wow, so good.

There will also be some knitting celebrities on hand. Yes, there are knitting celebrities. The Knitmore Girls from one of my favorite podcasts, Anatomy of Knitting podcast and possible Sylvia Harding.

Where: Clackamas County Fairgrounds
When: September 25th and 26th
How Much: Free (Unless you buy food or YARN)

http://www.flockandfiberfestival.com/

Night at the Museum 2

The free culture train just keeps rolling on. For my friends who didn't want to drive into Portland (you know who you are) check out the Rice Museum and Washington County Museum.

The Nikkei Legacy Center sounds great. It focuses on Japanese American history. If you are looking for a book to read about Japanese American history during World War II check out Nissei Daughter.

If you miss out on this opportunity, Oregon Cultural Days are just around the corner. Hint:More free stuff!!!

Smithsonian Free Museum Day.

Download coupon to visit participating museums free. Area museums include: Oregon History Museum, Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals, Washington County Museum and World Forestry Center.

The following link doesn't work, so just copy it to your browser.

www.microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday

Night at the Museum

If you are looking for a way to get some culture without spending a lot of dough, check out free museum night. This week there are quite a few free museum days. Stay tuned as I highlight the rest.

Free Fourth Friday.

Visit the Portland Art Museum FREE from 5-8 pm. Music, tours.

1219 SW Park Ave. 503-226-2811. portlandartmuseum.org.

Happy Birthday Beaverton Library

If you looking for something to do today with the younger set, head down to the Beaverton Library. It is not a day to splash in the fountain, but a day for music education.

When:10:30 a.m.
What: Oregon Symphony Storytime: Join a flutist from the Oregon Symphony for a storytime and hands-on instrument time. Make a related craft with common household items, too! For ages 3-5. Registration required. Call (503) 350-3600 or visit the Children’s Desk to sign up.

Weekend Fun

This weekend there are so many fun festivals and events to check out. I am very excited for the annual Corn Roast in Forest Grove. I started attending this festival as a child and watched my dad put on big gloves and roast the corn. It is a tradition that I love sharing with my family. Since moving back to Oregon, we make a point of going every year.
This is a picture from 2007. Bronson enjoyed the fire engines.

http://www.forestgrove-or.gov/visitors/attractions-and-amenities.html#FoundersDay

At Hillsboro First Baptist you can check out the Quilt Show. This is a really neat event with beautiful quilts displayed throughout the church. There is also lunch you can purchase in the fellowship hall. Ken always makes delicious food. I will also be selling some of my knitted goodies.

When:Friday and Saturday from 9am-3pm
Where: 2nd and Lincoln
How much: $3


Oktoberfest.
I have never been, but it sure sounds fun.


If none of these events are to your liking check out the Beaverton Old Towne Festival. I was always working when this event was going on, but it seemed to bring a lot of people into town. There is a parade, face painting, treasure hunt and entertainment.

I hope to see you at one of these events!

New Blog

I decided to start a new blog logging all of the free and cheap things to do as a family. The name of my blog is inspired by my dad. He taught us to be very thrifty and it has carried over into our family. I remember going on a date in high school and he handed my boyfriend a coupon for mini golf.

This summer I had the opportunity to stay home with my kids and I was always in search of something fun to do that didn't cost me anything. From shows at the library, food festivals and cheap day trips we had a great summer. In this blog I will write about our adventures and hopefully your family will want to try some of the things we have enjoyed.