Salem Mom

Places in Salem Where "Kids Eat Free"

2011-09-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

I've been paying more attention to restaurants posting a "Kids Eat Free Day". Here are a few I've been able to confirm so far in Salem. Note that an adult entree (and sometimes drink) will need to be purchased to get these deals.

Sunday - IHOP*
Monday - IHOP*, Cinebarre
Tuesday - IHOP*, Roadhouse Grill
Wednesday - IHOP*
Thursday - IHOP*, Shari's
Friday - IHOP*
Saturday - IHOP*

*Kids eat free every day from 4-10pm. Kids have to order off the kids menu

Kids Eat Cheap

Here is a list of restaurants that almost made the list above. I'm not sure why they wouldn't just offer a kids eat free day instead. I think it's much catchier than saying $0.99 or $1 kids meal, but oh well.

Ram Border Cafe
Kids eat for $1 on Sundays with adult entree purchase (excludes kid steak and kid shrimp).

Guadalajara Grill Inc
Kids eat for $0.99 on Sundays with adult entree purchase (must order off the kids menu).

Applebees
Kids eat for $0.99 on Tuesdays with adult entree purchase (must order off the kids menu).

Playtime Activities - 22 to 24 months

2011-09-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

As my son got older we started to add a few more activities to our list. If any of these do not make sense to you please let me know and I would be happy to update this post.

Playtime Activities - 22 to 24 months

Go to the Salem Center Mall
- Ride on the escalators
- Ride on the elevator
- Watch cars from the sky bridge

- Peekaboo with Mom or Dad
- Play with CD boom box and tape player (watch out if it's plugged into the wall)
- Walk around the neighborhood
- Check out neighborhood steps, cars, and animals (doggies & kitties)
- Visit with neighbors
- Watch airplanes and cars in motion
- Push kids shopping cart around
- Crawls through tunnel
- Ball - throw, hide, push around in cart, rolls through tunnel
- Climbs up and down the couch
- Enjoys squeezing through tight spaces
- Reading*
- Tickle time
- Music & Dance time
- Close household doors
- Open household doors
- Water the plants
- Grocery shopping in cart
- Walk around the store (don't forget shoes)
- Social event (2 hours max)
- Car ride ^^
- Visit the library (crawl up and down the stairs, ride in the elevator)
- Go through letters and numbers while in the bath

*At this point he mostly flip through the pages instead of letting us read them.

^^ Try to limit length of drive since most toddlers this age don't want to sit still that long and get fussy!

Note: Mealtime can also be a good time to introduce books. I read to my son every time he is in his highchair. Also he loves to throw books from his highchair. We were not able to stop this behavior. So instead we've taught Ben to hand us his books after every meal so we can put them back on the table.

Naps are a bit more consistent but so is resistance to said naps.

Naptime is between. 12:45 and 1:00pm. There were a few days where scheduling made naps impossible. On those days we kept him incredibly busy the hour and half before bed. Otherwise a complete meltdown would occur.

Playtime Activities - 17-21 months

2011-09-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

As my son got older we started to add a few more activities to our list. If any of these do not make sense to you please let me know and I would be happy to update this post.

Playtime Activities - 17-21 months

- Peekaboo with Mom or Dad
- Play with CD boom box and tape player (watch out if it's plugged into the wall)
- Walk around the neighborhood
- Check out neighborhood steps, cars, and animals (doggies & kitties)
- Visit with neighbors
- Watch airplanes and cars in motion
- Push kids shopping cart around
- Crawls through tunnel
- Ball - throw, hide, push around in cart, rolls through tunnel
- Climbs up and down the couch
- Enjoys squeezing through tight spaces
- Reading*
- Tickle time
- Music & Dance time
- Close household doors
- Turn dials on the washer & dryer
- Water the plants
- Grocery shopping in cart
- Walk around the store (don't forget shoes)
- Social event (2 hours max)
- Car ride ^^
- Visit the library (crawl up and down the stairs, ride in the elevator)
- Go through letters and numbers while in the bath

*At this point we mostly flip through the pages instead of reading them

^^ Try to limit length of drive since most toddlers this age don't want to sit still that long and get fussy!

Note: Mealtime can also be a good time to introduce books. I read to my son everytime he is in his highchair. His favorite books are "Dog want to play ball"', "Green eggs and ham"', and "Jamberry".

Naps are a bit more consistent but so is resistance to said nap.

Nap time is between. 12:45 and 1:00pm. There were a few days where scheduling made naps impossible. On those days we kept him incredibly busy the hour and half before bed. Otherwise a complete meltdown would occur.

Playtime Activities - 15 to 16 months

2011-09-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

Playtime Activities - 15 to 16 months

- Standing time with Mom or Dad
- Blocks Table
- Crusin' around house furniture
- Play with walker
- Ball - pass, chase, bite
- Reading
- Tickle time
- Music & Dance time
- "Help" with loading/unloading dishwasher
- Play with Tupperware & pans
- Inspect & grab the refrigerator magnets and bottom grill
- Try getting inside the fridge
- Push chair around on hardwood floor
- Open and close drawers
- Open & cruise on cabinets doors
- Stand up near open dryer while Mom loads laundry
- Grab at items in between washer & dryer (mops, broom, step stool)
- Go for a walk outside (take hats)
- Water the plants
- Grocery shopping in carrier
- Social event (1.5 hours max)
- Car ride ^^
- Visit the library
- Visit retired neighbors
- Stand in bathtub & play with toys

^^ My son started resisting the car seat more so car trips were limited to once a day. I'm guessing that's due to his increased mobility.

Personal Note: At 16 months we set nap time between. 12:00 and 12:30pm.

Playtime Activities - 12 to 15 months

2011-09-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

As my son got older we started to add a few more activities to our list. If any of these do not make sense to you please let me know and I would be happy to update this post.

Playtime Activities - 12 to 15 months

- Standing time with Mom or Dad
- Blocks Table (10 min)
- Crusin' around house furniture
- Play with walker
- Ball - pass, chase, bite
- Reading*
- Tickle time
- Music & Dance time
- "Help" with loading/unloading dishwasher
- Play with Tupperware & pans
- Open and close drawers & cabinets
- Stand up near open dryer while Mom loads laundry
- Go for a walk outside (take hats)
- Water the plants
- Grocery shopping in carrier
- Social event (1.5 hours max)
- Car ride ^^
- Visit the library
- Visit neighbors
- Stand in bathtub & play with toys

^^ Try to have this happen during nap time since he may fall asleep

Note: Mealtime can also be a good time to be silly with your child. We would practice our vowel & consonant sounds. Ben likes watching my mouth move :-)

Personal Note: My son had only one afternoon nap at around 13 months. Start time for nap changed from day to day due to teething.

Playtime Activities - 10 to 12 months

2011-09-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

As my son got older we started to add a few more activities to our list. If any of these do not make sense to you please let me know and I would be happy to update this post.

Playtime Activities - 10-12 months

- Standing time with Mom or Dad**
- Blocks Table (10 min)**
- Ball - pass & eventually chase**
- Reading*
- Tickle time
- Music & Dance time
- Help Mom or Dad with dishes or laundry*
- Go for a walk outside (take hats)*
- Water the plants*
- Grocery shopping in carrier
- Social event (1.5 hours max)
- Car ride* ^^
- Visit the library
- Visit our neighbors

*These are considered mellow playtime activities usually done while holding baby in a carrier..

^^ Try to have this happen during nap time since baby may fall asleep

** Physical development activity (grabbing, crawling, standing, etc.)

Note: Mealtime can also be a good time to be silly with your child. We would practice our vowel & consonant sounds.

Playtime Activities - NB to 10 months

2011-09-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

After my son was born I started writing down activities we did during the day. I figured this might give other new moms ideas for planning their day. Honestly, I was pretty stumped in the beginning on how to amuse my child.

Playtime Activities - NB to 10 months

- Blanket time with Mom or Dad
- Exersaucer (10 min)
- Reading*
- Tickle time
- Music & Dance time
- Help Mom or Dad with dishes or laundry*
- Go for a walk outside (take hats)*
- Water the plants*
- Grocery shopping in carrier
- Social event (1.5 hours max)
- Watch mobile in crib
- Car ride

*These are considered mellow playtime activities usually done while holding baby in a carrier.

For fun try describing your activity in a song. I would grab any tune that came to mind (e.g. Row, row, row your boat) and just start singing about washing the dishes :-)

One Size Fuzzi Bunz - Are too small

2011-05-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well, they fit until Ben was 19 months old at least. Now, with the help of my friend, we have converted over to bigger diapers (Happy Heiny's) that work just as well. Thanks Heather!

Meal Planning Spreadsheet

2011-03-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

I use this basic spreadsheet for meal planning each week. It's far from fancy but it works for me. I dislike having to type an item more than once so I set up pull down menus to speed things along. If you have any questions or suggestions I'm all ears!

Family Friendly Activities

2011-03-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated list of local family friendly events located in Salem, Oregon and surrounding areas. Check it out here.

Background for anyone who is interested: After my son was born in 2009 I desperately searched the internet for family friendly events we could attend together. Unfortunately, a master list of such events was not available so I put together my own list of annual events in an easy to read format with hyperlinks. Note that February and November are greatly lacking events so if you have a suggestion I'm all ears!

Enjoy!

Do you think Cherrios are cheaper at Costco.. think again!

2011-01-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

Based off my observations this week.

Cherrios at Costco cost $0.154 an ounce. So a 14 ounce box would cost ~$2.15.

A 14 ounce box of Cherrios costs $1.99 at Winco. If you go with a generic brand it's even cheaper!

Don't assume Costco is always cheaper!

Great Resources For Salem Parents

2010-11-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my favorite parent resources in Salem.

Salem Stay At Home Parents Meetup Group

Get out and about with your kids, meet other parents, and with any luck everyone can find some new playmates and friends. Visit parks, go on hikes, play in the children's museums, go to the zoo, enjoy relaxing play dates at members' homes, and find endless new ways of exploring Salem and beyond with parents and their favorite shorter people.

South Salem MOMS Club

The MOMS Club of South Salem (MCSS) strives to share ideas and talents so that we may grow as parents, learn better ways to understand our children, and help them become confident and capable individuals. The MCSS is non-political, non-partisan, non-sectarian and not-for-profit. Membership is open to all mothers located in Salem (South), Oregon.

NW Kids Club (has opened in South Salem)

Especially tailored and designed for children ages 7 and under, this indoor playground and birthday party center is the perfect "play date" solution for those rainy days or to escape summer heat. They offer 4 themed rooms: a train room, a play market, a princess room and a music room. In addition, they have a bounce house, merry-go-cycle, tea cup, slides, soft play Infant area; with the added attractions of child - sized kitchens and a playhouse to inspire unlimited imaginative play.

McDonald's (was just remodeled)
4020 Commercial Street Southeast, Salem, OR 97302-3839

This is the perfect place to take kids on a rainy day. The playland is usually pretty clean and not terribly crowded

Are there any other parent resources I might have missed?

Road Rage at the Crosswalk

2010-09-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

As we were crossing the crosswalk at Baxter & Commercial this very anger man in a truck (turning left) decided to yell at us for being in the crosswalk while the red hand was flashing. Obviously, this guy has no idea how long it takes to cross Commercial. We started across when the sign changed to the little white walking stick figure (which lasted maybe 3 seconds). We're not from Krypton buddy. So give us a break. Why yell at a women with a baby crossing the street? I'm assuming he just found out some horrific news and took it out on us. Why else would someone be so rude in the middle of traffic?

Salem Needs More Drive Thrus

2010-06-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

Since becoming a mom I've developed a love for drive thrus. If your business has one I will drive an extra 10 miles to use it.

Before having my baby I rarely ever ventured through a drive thru. Now I have to resist going through them every day. The convinience of not having to lug my child (& diaper bag) into a store is too great. Plus the car is one of the few places Ben will sleep.

Getting an extra 10+ minutes of peace in the car is pure bliss. Soon to be moms and dads I recommend getting together now a list of drive thrus near you. Trust me you'll use it.

Since Salem is a family centered town full of moms searching for the nearest drive thru why don't more businesses offer this service?

Do you have a favorite drive thru in Salem, OR?

Fuzzi Bunz are our favorite cloth diaper

2010-06-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking of using cloth diapers instead of disposables I'll save you a lot of time on research. Get pocket cloth diapers. I'll repeat that again get pocket cloth diapers!

If you are new to the whole cloth diapering thing I'll sum it up for you.

1) There are three main types of cloth diapers: prefolds, pockets, and All In Ones (AIO).

2) Prefolds are what most people imagine when they think of cloth diapers. Bulky and in my opinon a pain to deal with (compared to pocket and disposable diapers). If you want more information on prefolds I suggest googling it. I should mention they are the cheapest option of the three types.

3) AIO diapers take a LONG time to dry in the dryer. Also, the ones I liked were much more expensive than pockets and prefolds.

4) Pocket diapers are almost as simple as an AIO minus the price tag and drying issues.

Now I could go into great detail on the different types, but I won't since there are countless posts on the Internet that do just that. What I will tell you is why we decided to go with Fuzzi Bunz One Size (not Perfect Size) cloth diapers.

1) They have a high resell value and are generally harder to find used than other cloth diapers. I assume this is because people keep them to use with multiple kids. If I ever wanted to sell our diapers I'm confident I could without a problem.

2) They have numerous areas on the diaper that can be adjusted to fit your child better (back waist adjustable elastic, adjustable elastic leg area, and snaps that change the rise and run of the diaper).

3) They fit most kids from newborn through potty training. So I only needed to buy ONE set of diapers. To give you an idea of sizing, my son currently fits a size 5 disposable diaper and he still has room to grow more into his cloth diapers.

4) After 4 months of using cloth instead of disposables, we save about $100/month. Including shipping, the cost of 24 Fuzzi Bunz One Size diapers was about $400.

I could go on and on but I will stop there. Hopefully, my straight forward answers will be helpful to some of you.

Be well!

All new moms should have an iPod Touch

2010-06-09T04:52:00.000-07:00

Recently, I purchased an iPod Touch and it has helped keep me sane. My wonderful 8 month old baby has decided that sleeping in the crib during the day is a bad idea. So much of my time is spent holding him so he will nap.

Now I know what you're thinking, "Why don't you put him in the crib and walk away during nap times?" Well, we have many times, and each time it has ended badly. So here we are holding the sleeping baby.

About a month or so ago, Ben was just fine napping in his crib. Then after getting over several colds it all changed. He clings and cries every time I take him near his crib. The only other way to put him down for a nap is to drive him around in the car.

Now his dad can place him in the crib. Of course, when that happens Ben will only sleep for 30 minutes tops and be incredibly cranky until his next nap. At his age he's suppose to get about 3 hours worth of naps a day. So two 30 minutes naps won't cut it.

I've heard that babies get separation anxiety at this age so I'm hoping he will grow out of this soon!

CLEARly Bad - We're going back to Qwest

2010-05-04T04:06:00.000-07:00

We tried out CLEAR (internet & voice) and were disappointed. Service went down at least three times in less than a month. Each time we were on the phone with tech support for over 2 hours! (I'm glad we have our prepaid cell phone otherwise we would have been without a phone.)

The last time I called CLEAR customer service and explained the situation they responded,"Did you call tech support when your internet went down?" I had to laugh because phone service with them does not work if the internet service goes down.

To be fair, two of the service drops were after midnight. Of course, that's when I get work done so I notice the lack of connection.

I would understand if they had regular maintenance as long as they notified me in advance. Of course, when I brought up this option the CLEAR rep said a tech support ticket would have to be submitted and there was no guarantee they would agree to tell me (via email) that maintenance would be happening at such and such time(s). Well, days went by after this conversation and then "BAM". The internet went down again and not surprising they never responded to my request for advance notification of maintenance.

That was the last straw! We called Qwest this morning and have agreed to go back. What a waste of time and money! If you live in Salem, OR think carefully before you sign up with CLEAR.

South Gateway Neighbors

2010-03-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

So I live in one of the largest neighborhoods in Salem, South Gateway. Did you know that over 13,000 individuals make up this community?

Amazing! This area has definitely grown leaps and bounds over the last 20 years. Of course, this leaves many of us wondering, “Do I really need to get involved? With so many people in our neighborhood I bet they don’t need me.” That's not true. WE NEED YOU!

A neighborhood association is like a garden. With a bit of time and care it can grow into something wonderful to be shared by all, but if left uncared for it will fall apart. I do not want that to happen to the South Gateway Neighborhood Association (SGNA).

I moved to South Gateway with the hope of becoming part of a greater community. To make this happen I joined the neighborhood association board and discovered a great wealth of information about our area. As a new resident of Salem this information was invaluable. SGNA also provided me with a way to network with others in our neighborhood.

So far, getting new people involved has been a challenge. Maybe I am missing something since I did not grow up in this area.

Can someone please tell me what would get you excited about your neighborhood?

We have tried ads in the paper, word of mouth, flyers, a website, and even a Facebook page. I am asking for YOUR honest (even brutal) input on this matter.

What would encourage you to interact with your neighbors?

Qwest has lost a customer

2010-03-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

I know that no service provider is perfect and issues come up from time to time BUT.. Qwest has failed to provide us with good service for the last time.

Last week we noticed that our phone line stopped working a few times, for a few hours each time. This was annoying, but we assumed it was some sort of blip in the system and just chose to let it pass.

Sunday, March 14 rolls around and we realized early in the day that our phone was not working again. This time my husband uses my prepaid cell phone and tries to contact Qwest. After many attempts to find out what was happening he finally receives an automated message stating that our service would be back up by the 19th. You read that right, the 19th!

At 11:00pm the phone was still not working.

At this point we start to discuss our other options. We could get Comcast instead of Qwest. Of course, this sounds odd since we've never subscribed to cable television but who knows.. maybe there is a good deal out there for people who don't watch cable television on a television. The other option is to get CLEAR, an internet and phone service provider just recently available in Salem. They have some great specials. I just wish I knew how reliable they were overall.

So our only two options include Comcast, which I've heard many horror stories about, and CLEAR, which is so new in Salem I don't know anyone else who has it here. Hm.. We shall see..

At this point, the phone is finally working again.

The Goodness of Gardening

2010-03-12T03:40:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are looking to garden AND help the community, check out your local sustainable gardens. South Salem has a fairly good sized and beautiful sustainable garden just south of Kuebler Blvd. off of Sunnyside Rd. For more information contact Garden Project Manager, Jordan Blake.

I'm so excited about our garden this year. So far we have planted the following items.

Potatoes
Sugar Snap Peas
Onions
Garlic
Leaf Lettuce
Carrots
Radishes
Nasturtiums

As the weather warms up I'm sure we will get more seeds in the ground. This year looks quite promising on the gardening front!

Symphony of Sniffles

2010-03-12T03:21:00.000-08:00

So the cold season is in full swing. I did my best to miss the wave but alas here I am with a cold.

Last night I attended my neighborhood association meeting and noticed that the majority of neighbors there also had the sniffles. This got me thinking what would it sound like if we recorded the sniffles of everyone in the room? What patterns would emerge? Which tones would happen more often? Maybe we could have our own symphony of sniffles.

Welcome to the neighborhood

2010-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

Before I moved to Salem I visualized a friendly place where neighbors knew and socialized with each other regularly. Well, things haven't really turned out that way.

The neighbors on my street seem very nice. Unfortunately, I hardly know them. I'm ashamed to say I only know the names of three. When driving down the street I smile and wave, but that is the extent of our interaction. Now I guess I could have gone door to door and said hello to each of my neighbors when I moved in but that just seemed weird.. isn't suppose to go the other way around? Oh well.

Time has passed and now I feel like I can introduce myself and start a new trend. The next new neighbor to move in will get a welcome basket and a friendly,"hello". That's the way it should be, right?

Our vegetable garden 2010

2010-02-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

I love stepping out into the garden, feeling the breeze and just getting away from it all. My son, who is now 5 months old also seems to enjoy it so we venture outside when ever the weather permits.

This year we’re planning on growing more food. Here is our list so far.

Onions
Spinach
Radishes
Sugar Snap Peas
Tomatoes
Peppers
Leeks
Leaf Lettuce
Summer Squash
Winter Squash
Pumpkins
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Green Bean (pole)

That's about it. If time permits we may add garlic and potatoes to the list as well.

Anyone interested in exchanging seeds at the end of the summer?

How to organize clothes

2010-02-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

My husband & I tend to organize clothes differently (causing chaos in our closets), but we've come to a nice compromise. The following setup works pretty well. Note: We both wash & put away laundry.

Short Answer: Label everything!

Long Answer:

1) We utilized Closet Organizing Dividers and sorted clothes like so.

**My closet**
Robes
Short Sleeve Tops
Long Sleeve Tops
Dress Pants
Casual Pants
Short Dresses
Long Dresses

**His Closet**
Robes
Work
Casual
Warm
Home Only

2) We labeled all available shelves the way we wanted clothes put away. (For example, top shelf Pajama Pants and bottom shelf Jeans)

3) Last, but not least, we utilized plastic drawers. Drawers are great for storing socks, underwear, and other small items.

Morale of the story: Don't expect your spouse to be psychic! Remove all doubt by labeling your storage areas :-)