I can hardly believe that another blog-i-versary is upon us! That’s right, in just a few days this blog will be 7 years old! (Our baby is growing up!)
Technically the big day is next Thursday (August 16th), but since next week I’ll be taking off from blog posting to spend some extra time with my family (and maybe catch up on some sleep–LOL), I didn’t want to let the moment go by without our annual look back at the favorites from the past year.
This post is also a good excuse for me to, ahem, make some long overdue updates to our “About Us” page. And let me tell you, there was a lot of updating to do this year! Last September BOTH Tiffany and Audrey welcomed new baby boys into their families. In January, we welcomed our first ever Out and About Dad, John O’Leary to the site. And then in April we welcomed back one of our very first guest bloggers (first post circa 2012!), Jodie Sadowsky. Counting bloggers, kids and spouses, our Out and About Mom family has grown from 9 to 22!
Once again, we’ve also been extremely lucky to have some wonderful sponsor partners this year, like PhysicianOne Urgent Care, Renbrook School Summer Adventure, the Connecticut Trolley Museum and Imagine Nation Museum all of which have been working with us to create specialized content for our readers. The Mandell JCC also continues to be one of our longest-running supporters. Of course, we must give a shout-out to a couple of fabulous photographers, Kristin Vacca (a.k.a. The Flash Lady) and Nicole Bedard, who gave their support to our site this year. And to all the others who graced our pages–Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Goldfish Swim School, Hoffman Auto Group, the Railroad Museum of New England, the Wapping Fair, and more, we also want to say ‘thank you’ for supporting our site and allowing us to keep “scouting those outings” for another year. We could not do this without them.
And then there’s you. Our readers. Without you, our site would not exist. Thank you for reading our posts. Thank you for commenting on our Facebook page. Thank you for suggesting new places to explore and write about. Thank you for those loving and lovely emails that literally bring us to tears (of joy) and inspire us to keep helping parents find new and exciting places to enjoy with their kids. We really couldn’t do this without YOU!
I hope you enjoy this quick look back at a handful of our favorite outings from year 7! And I hope you’re ready for even more fun in year 8 🙂
(In chronological order)
Sonny’s Place in Somers
We came for the famous Go Karts, but we stayed (for hours and hours) to play mini golf, hang out in the arcade, swing in the batting cages, jump in the bounce house and more! Now we hear there’s a NEW indoor playscape (have you been? we’d love to see your pics!) and a carousel restoration project as well.
Jonathan’s Dream Playground in West Hartford
This playground has always been near and dear to our hearts because it was the subject of one of our very first blog posts. And while the original Boundless Playground was spectacular in its day, we were thrilled to learn that a brand new playground, updated with today’s more modern materials and play equipment, was being installed on the old Jonathan’s Dream site. Last November, we were able to check it out shortly after the playground’s grand re-opening in October. From the many-height-hoops basketball court to the airplane zip line to the multiple playscapes, this playground has everything a kid could wish for. Plus, it’s fully fenced-in, making it a parent’s dream come true too 🙂
Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, MA
As Tiffany discovered upon her visit last winter, a fun shopping trip for the grownups can also be a dream day for kids at Yankee Candle Village! From candle making activities to sweet treats to Santa’s Workshop, which is open all year ’round (Yes! You really can have Christmas in July! With snow!), this unique destination has a variety of entertaining options for the whole family.
Hartford Stitch in West Hartford
They came. They sewed. They made pants! In July, Jodie shared her sewing adventure with her two sons at Hartford Stitch Sewing Studio. In this world of digital everything, where practically anything is available with the click of a mouse, we love this inspiring place where kids and adults alike can learn how to make things with their own two hands.
Black Hall Outfitters in Old Lyme
I won’t pretend that we weren’t a little skeptical when Black Hall Outfitters invited Audrey and her 4-year-old out for a 2+ hour Eco Tour along the Black Hall River. A preschooler trapped in a kayak for hours? What could possibly go wrong? But as it turns out, we were the ones who were wrong! Audrey and her family thoroughly enjoyed their picturesque kayaking experience, and 4-year-old Bug helped us prove that we should never underestimate our kids’ appetite (and aptitude) for adventure.
Happy Trails!
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