First of all, I want to send out a great big ol’ WELCOME to all of our new readers. And then I want to send out an even bigger ‘thank you’ to everyone who helped to share our Summer 2014 Bucket List post last week, which has received an amazing total of more than 35,000 views so far. What?! That’s so crazy. Back when Mandy and I started this little blog project, we used to get excited when we got 35 views 🙂
If you are new to our site, you’re in luck, because it’s Roundup time! That’s the time every month where we look back over all our adventures and create this handy summary so you can catch up on what you’ve missed, remind yourself of that place you read about 2 weeks ago but can’t recall the name of, or just create a bookmark to come back to as you plan your outings for next month.
While you’re here, I also thought you might like to check out a few of our other popular posts too, like this one for NEW MOMS or this one for WORKING MOMS, or even this one with our TOP 10 OUTINGS from last year or maybe this growing list of FREE FUN or some family-friendly RESTAURANTS (like Mandy said on Tuesday, we are trying to get a “Start Here” page together because we know it can be overwhelming to look at this page listing more than 200 outings!).
And if you’ve really got some time to kill, take a gander at this cute SLIDESHOW featuring some hilarious outtakes from our first year of blogging. Let’s just say our kids tried really hard to tantrum us into submission that first year 🙂
But we are so glad that we stuck with it and so humbled by the support of our amazing community of readers. Because that’s what we are here at Out and About Mom. We are a community of parents and caregivers just doing the best we can to have some fun with our little ones while they are still little. And we’re really glad you’re here!
Now, let’s get this roundup started…
MAY 2014 ROUNDUP
I don’t know about you, but I was just so excited that spring decided to make an appearance this year, even if it was a month and a half later than the calendar said it would be. So as soon as Mandy kicked off our May line-up with a lip-smacking list of ice cream and frozen yogurt places in her hometown of West Hartford, I was practically out the door to get my own sweet scoop of icy deliciousness.
Fortunately, my next outing was a long walk on the incredible Airline State Park Trail (perfect for burning off those ice cream calories). This rails-to-trails project recycled 50 miles of abandoned railroad track into a scenic, stroller-friendly multi-use trail that winds its way through ELEVEN towns in eastern Connecticut.
The following week, Mandy tugged at our heartstrings as she and her crew explored the living memorial playground dedicated to Sandy Hook victim Ana Grace Marquez-Greene in Hartford’s Elizabeth Park. This beautiful playscape is a fitting tribute to a beautiful little girl whose spirit will live on in the joy and laughter of the children who visit her playground.
Then, as if the ice cream binge wasn’t enough, I indulged myself at über family-friendly b.good in Glastonbury where I sampled everything from juicy burgers to kale and roasted butternut squash salads to sweet potato fries to fresh fruit smoothies and seriously good milkshakes. Are you hungry yet? Hurry, for a limited time, OAAM readers can get a FREE order of real fries!
Of course, then came our crazy popular Bucket List (we’re still reeling from that success!) with 50 ideas for summer fun. You’ll want to bookmark this one and reference it all summer long. How many places on the list will you check off???
And right on the heels of the Bucket List bonanza, Mandy and I made our TV debut on NBC Connecticut sharing some great kids’ products perfect for the summer months. We were so nervous, but our wonderful readers were there to support us with encouraging comments and just general OAAM love. Have I mentioned lately that we have THE BEST readers? Well, we do 🙂
Finally, it was back to blogging business as usual this week as Mandy shared the new-to-her and actually NEW Ridgefield Library. This beautiful new building boasts a wonderful children’s library complete with an adorable play area plus free weekly drop-in classes (yay for drop-in classes!) where moms and their little ones can both make some new friends.
It’s been an exciting month, and now we can’t wait to introduce you to more amazing places for family fun as summer gets into full swing. This season we’re exploring everything from kids’ classes to farmers’ markets to state parks to playgrounds to nature centers to beaches and more. It’s going to be one busy summer! And that’s just how we like it 🙂
As always, if you have an outing that we need to scout, send us an email at outandaboutmom@gmail.com or just leave a comment below. We LOVE reader recommendations!
- 4D Vision Gym – A vision training center located in Cromwell, CT where Dr. Juanita Collier, MS, OD and her staff show members how to utilize Vision Therapy to correct visual issues and make learning and playing easier and more fun.
- The Independent Day School – Located on a rural campus in Middlefield, CT this private pre-school, elementary and middle school serves families from over 20 communities.
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Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we dish up more Momsense for getting out and about with your little ones. Don’t have time to check back in? Let us send you an automatic notification of new posts straight to your email inbox by signing up here. Also, you can like us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest posts and get some extra tidbits we share only through those sites.