This post was sponsored by ThinkFun. I received a free version of their Move and Groove game in return for writing an honest review. The opinions in this post are my own.


One of the most difficult things to deal with as a stay-at-home parent is figuring out a way to keep Anouk entertained and active while the weather is less than cooperative. The answer? Board games.

But some of the traditional little-kid board games are just a wee bit too complicated for my only just three-year-old, with all of the many rules/dice/moving parts. Enter ThinkFun's innovative Move and Groove game, which was developed specifically with the active toddler in mind. The focus is on getting up, getting creative, and getting silly instead of getting competitive. It's a simple-but-fun concept: you roll the soft colored cube, choose a corresponding card, and then act out the action on the card (like "dance like a ballerina" or "do the swim" -- which J. and A. are doing below).




Anne's favorite part of playing just might be taking her turn to roll the cube (she's gotten extremely creative with how she kicks/bounces/throws it around the room) and also laughing at mommy and daddy as we march in circles or crab walk or raise the roof along with her. For our parts, James and I are happy that she has a new way to get active and we love the opportunity Move and Groove gives us to spend time together doing something as a family.

Besides Move and Groove, other games in the ThinkFun catalog that sounded intriguing to me include the brand new Last Letter creative card game (for ages 8+) and Zingo! Time Telling and Zingo! Word Builder games (ages 5+). In addition, some old favorites (Rush Hour Jr., Hoppers, and Square by Square) are being re-released with new challenges.

Do any of these sound like something your kids would go gaga for? Well -- you might just get the chance to try it out! ThinkFun has generously offered to send a choice of one of these above-mentioned games to a lucky (U.S.) reader. You can enter to win below -- the contest will run through Sunday, April 6, and a winner will be randomly chosen and announced next Monday.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Last weekend, I found myself driving through Chesapeake's South Norfolk neighborhood for the first time in ... well, ever. I'd read a lot about SoNo -- how it used to be a thriving independent small town but has been struggling since it was incorporated into the City of Chesapeake in the 1960s. Did you know that once, a streetcar ran from Ocean View all the way to SoNo? I had no idea.

Signs of the old days are still there, if you look, in the beautiful homes, vibrant businesses, and in the efforts of a tight knit community to restore the neighborhood to its full glory. As I meandered my way around the neighborhood, I started to note a few gems of places that seemed especially worth a visit and made me resolve to spend more time exploring there. Here are the places I'll hit first.

1. Rodgers Banana Pudding Sauce, Retro Candies, and Gift Shop: Reggie Rodgers, the "banana pudding man" started his business years ago serving his mother's famous banana pudding recipe. Today, you can buy his famous banana pudding sauce -- and much more -- at the Rodgers storefront on Poindexter Street. Not only is their product supposed to be super delicious, but I adore the shop's story and the mission of its nonprofit, which donates free vacation lodging to Purple Heart recipients and their families. So much to love about this local business.

2. South Norfolk Library: The SoNo library is one of the newest and nicest in the #HRVA area, with a drive-thru checkout and return and an archives room full of resources on the area's history. There's also the Bookend Cafe, which opened just last week, and provides employment opportunities for adults with disabilities in addition to all sorts of food and refreshments.

3. Lakeside Park: It wasn't an especially nice day when I passed by -- gray and drizzly, in fact -- but I was still charmed by Lakeside Park and the little wooden footbridge that spans its namesake lake. The park is home to SoNo's annual Fourth of July celebration and other festivals throughout the year. There's also a nice-looking playground, score!

4. Historic homes: The architecture in South Norfolk is some of the most distinctive in the area, with tons of beautiful Victorians with ornate gingerbread moulding and classic metal roofing. It's worth poking around the side streets to see some of these old gems or looking up a home tour (there's a holiday home tour near Christmas that looks amazing).

5. SoNo Flea Market: someone on their Facebook page called the flea market the "best kept secret" in Chesapeake and you know that means I can't wait to check it out, especially the Buy Local Corner Store, which features all sorts of local gifts and goodies and is located inside the market.

What are your favorite places to stop in South Norfolk?

Have a great weekend!

On our snow-day-before-last (? they've all started to blend together), when boredom was setting in with a vengeance, I learned how to make bagels at home. This might sound really stupid, but I'm not sure I ever really knew that you could make bagels at home. I mean, I guess I knew ONE could, but not an average person like me. I think I thought you needed special training or equipment or something like that.

Turns out -- you can make bagels at home! You make the dough, you let it rise the appropriate number of times, and then you boil your bagels in water before baking them in a very hot oven. It's all a lot simpler than it seems it should be (although once you get going things move pretty quickly, which is why we have only iPhone photos to mark this post, sorry about that).

And yes, I will admit that ours are not the most attractive bagels ever but you have to trust me: they are so, so good. I never had had a fresh, just out-of-the-oven bagel before and now that I have, I don't think I can ever go back.

We've sampled several different recipes over the past few weeks but keep coming back to this one for New York Style Bagels by the Sophisticated Gourmet because 1) it's tastiest and 2) you don't have to let the dough proof overnight, which I hate because I am impatient. We like this recipe so much that we've been making up a batch every Sunday. A. really loves the whole play-dough aspect of this recipe and I really love having my family together in the kitchen baking for the week ahead, it seems like such a wholesome (read: generally unlike us) thing to do. And James really loves these bagels with butter, and he's not a carb guy, so that's saying something.

Happy Thursday!

For the past few months, I've been on the hunt for a very specific item: namely, a set of iced tea spoons in my (seventy-year-old) silverware pattern. Whenever I pass a promising looking antique or vintage shop, I always pop in to check but so far, have had no luck finding what I need (though I have found dozens of other things I don't actually need).

Last week, I had a free afternoon and decided that since I'd be in the neighborhood anyway, I'd expand my search to Chesapeake's Antique Alley. "Antique Alley" refers to the spate of antique stores at the corner of Canal Street and Military Highway in Chesapeake, famous among Hampton Roads treasure hunters for the bargains and interesting finds that can be had there.



I started with Days Remembered, and spent about an hour poking around there. They had a little bit of everything, but most notable was their collection of antique tools and vintage kitchenware. They had a large selection of vintage china and stoneware and big bins of adorable retro cookie cutters, everything from dinosaurs to hearts to barnyard animals. I was sorely tempted by a 1950s lemonade set (love the snowflake motif) but managed to walk past it (it was hard, believe me, and I might go back for it yet).






Next, I moseyed over to Granma Had One Antiques and Collectibles, which is in the same building as Days Remembered (I believe the two stores used to be one, or are owned by the same family?) And I spent another hour there, combing through more treasures. Granma Had One is an especially good place to look if you're in the market for costume jewelry or vintage Pyrex (they had a whole wall of the more popular patterns and some harder-to-find pieces, too). They also had a large vintage book section, including a selection of those local/fundraiser cookbooks that I get so many of my favorite recipes from.





Though I left empty-handed (let's hear it for self-control?), I very much enjoyed browsing these stores and have already mentally moved both onto my rotation of places to check regularly.

Have you discovered any new antique hotspots -- or made any good finds -- lately? Tell us about them in the comments (and if you've happened to come across a set of Tudor Rose iced tea spoons, message me!)

A few months ago, I posted on Facebook looking for recommendations for books, games, toys, anything, to encourage science, technology, engineering, and math skills, especially for little girls. When I was offered review copies of two new titles from Kids Can Press that seemed to promote just those skills, I jumped at the chance to read them with Anne. And we loved them so much that we're passing them along to you guys today.



The Mermaid and the Shoe by K.G. Campbell: Minnow, the littlest and most unremarkable of King Neptune's daughters, thinks she has no special talent until she discovers an unidentifiable object floating near her watery home and sets out to find out what it is. As Minnow questions and observes and tries out different theories, young readers learn a little bit about the scientific method. I'm not sure which A. and I liked better about this one: the idea that being brave and curious is something to cultivate or the gorgeous, evocative drawings of life in the mermaid kingdom under the sea. Either way, my mermaid-loving little girl wants this one over and over again and I am only too happy to oblige.



The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires: A little-girl inventor and her dog assistant set out to make the MOST MAGNIFICENT THING ... only to find out that what they come up with isn't quite magnificent at all. Instead of giving up, the girl and dog tweak their design until they come up with one that's perfect. The best thing about this book were the vocabulary words scattered throughout -- words like ratio, and antennae, and saws, and wrenches -- words you don't usually come across in a book about a female protagonist in pigtails and a dress. I also appreciated the message that it's OK to get frustrated and angry sometimes, and the one about how not everybody will be able to understand or appreciate your work, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have faith in your vision. All very good lessons for young ones to learn.

The Mermaid and the Shoe and The Most Magnificent Thing will be released on April 1, 2014. Click the titles above to order a copy.

Have you come across any great kids' books lately?

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, which may result in a small commission for me. I received review copies of these books from the publisher. The opinions in this post are my own. 

Anouk is turning three this weekend and we're celebrating with her first official birthday party with a few of her nearest and dearest friends in addition to family. I wrote last year when she turned two about how her preemie experience affected me and how I always donate to March of Dimes on her birthday. If you can, I hope you will consider making a donation, too. Below are a few other links that captured my imagination this week.

• I can't wait to watch the TED talk given by Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala's father, in which he speaks about raising a woman to be strong and independent in a culture that values the opposite of that.

• This story of a scrap dealer who discovered an imperial Faberge egg owned by the Romanov's is every thrifter's dream. Wouldn't you love to find a hunk of "junk" that turns out to be a priceless piece of history?

• Another story of finding an unexpected treasure is this one of a man who bought a box of undeveloped film at an auction and discovered a trove of work by a female street photographer in the 1950s and '60s. Her photos -- and story -- are amazing!  

• It's never too early to be dreaming of a Nags Head vacation and I love these tips for making it affordable.

• My friend just started a wonderful new blog about raising her girls in a DC rowhouse, just like the one she herself grew up in. Even if you don't live in the area, it's worth a read (her garlic baked ham recipe is one I must try).

• I've discovered some great bands from this recap of the SXSW music festival. La Femme, a French band, is currently getting a lot of play on my Spotify channel. This song sounds so good with all the windows down.

This week I'm also writing about STEM activities for kids of all ages at local public libraries and also a National Agricultural Day celebration at the Virginia Beach Farmer's Market (their first event of the year!) over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads. Don't forget to check it out.

Have a great weekend!

It's officially spring today, so I thought it would be the perfect time to share a citizen science initiative that I heard about a while ago. This project -- Project Budburst -- deals with phenology: the study of organisms and how they change with the seasons and with variations in climate or habitat. The creators of this project ask ordinary people to make observations of the plants around them in the hope it will help scientists understand how plant species are reacting to climate change.

There are two ways to participate in Project Budburst. You can make a single report -- observing a plant once on a walk or hike and writing down what it is doing (budding, flowering, etc) at that moment. Or else you can choose a plant -- a tree, shrub, patch of wildflowers or grasses -- and observe it throughout the year, reporting the date when that plant buds, flowers, fruits, and loses its leaves. (Project Budburst provides worksheets for thousands of different plants and lets you know what you're looking for if you're not sure).

Anne and I have been watching the plants in our yard for signs of spring for a few weeks now. The previous owners of our house planted a ton of bulbs in our yard, and every morning it seems like something new has come up overnight. So far we have gorgeous hyacinths and crocuses and beautiful double daffodils. We've been watching diligently for the first bud on our our bare hydrangea bushes and found it yesterday.

Happy Spring! What's growing in your yard? And do you think your kids would enjoy participating in Project Budburst?

If there's one good thing about being sick, at least for a busy parent, it's that you finally have time to read like you used to. Over the weekend, when I wasn't feeling well, I jumped into Jean Hanff Korelitz's new novel, You Should Have Known, and managed to finish it just as I shook off the tail end of the flu. I loved Korelitz's prior bestseller, Admission, and was delighted when I was offered a copy of her latest (which comes out today, as a matter of fact).

You Should Have Known is this year's Gone Girl, a taut, suspenseful novel about a woman who makes her living by pointing out the flaws in other peoples' crumbling marriages. But when Grace Reinhardt-Sachs's charismatic oncologist husband becomes embroiled in something darker than she ever could have imagined, she begins to ask herself what it is about her own marriage that she's failed to notice.

The writing is just so nuanced and well done -- despite the foreboding tone of the story, there were moments that made me laugh out loud, and I gleefully enjoyed the glimpses into the everyday excesses of Manhattan life. In short, I really liked this novel and am sharing in case you're looking for something to curl up with on these last drizzly days of winter (hopefully in better health than mine when I did!)

What are you reading lately?

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions in this post are my own. 

I was going to post today about the St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday and our after-parade party at our house. Our first year living on the parade route, a big deal! Sadly, James and I came down with the flu Friday night and spent the weekend in bed while A. went to the parade (and then home) with my folks. So we have no parade photos (though it sounded fun, judging from the ruckus on our street).

Instead, I thought I would share one of my favorite sick-day recipes, which also happens to be a traditional Irish recipe, a happy coincidence. I whipped up a batch of champ yesterday, as soon as my appetite came back. It's one of those comfort foods that can't help but appeal to you, no matter what else is going on. Simple and hearty and good.

Ingredients:

4 lbs potatoes, peeled
3/4 cup milk (we used soy)
1 bunch spring onions
5 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Mash thoroughly (I like to use my Kitchenaid for this, with the paddle attachment). Slice the spring onions thinly and simmer in saucepan over low heat with the milk (do not let the milk boil). Add hot milk and scallions and salt and pepper to mashed potatoes. Top with more butter, and serve.

We're feeling much better but still taking it easy today. I'm going to curl up with Anouk and watch Darby O'Gill and the Little People (young Sean Connery! Singing!) Happy St. Pat's, all.

 

I've never hidden the fact that our little family love love loved going to the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk together (you can see some of our previous outings here, here, and here). The day it closed its doors in 2012 was a sad one. (Just so you can get a scale of things, that photo up top was taken only a few months before the museum closed! Look how small Anoukie was! There's nothing like a baby growing up to help you mark time).

Well, after a lot of work by a lot of dedicated people, the Chrysler Museum is set to reopen in May even bigger and better than before and we can't wait. For the Friday Five today, I thought I'd let you all know the main reasons why we're so excited about the new Chrysler Museum.

1. There's going to be a giant inflatable rubber duck floating in the Hague. Seriously: giant. The 40-foot (yacht-sized) sculpture by Florentijn Hofman will be bobbing through downtown Norfolk from  May 17 to 26 to celebrate the Chrysler's reopening.

2. There will be an extended sculpture garden outside the museum, featuring some pretty amazing geometric mirrored sculptures by Danish artist Jeppe Hein. I know we parents are always looking for an outdoor space where our kids can run free and still reap some cultural benefits, and this looks like just the spot.

3. One of the exhibits we have to look forward to when the museum reopens is Worn to Be Wild, a history of the leather jacket that shows this quintessentially American item of clothing's "journey from function to freedom to fashion." The exhibit, which is on loan from the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, will open in October and I can't wait.

4. As an amateur photographer and longtime lover of all things photography (the smell of a good old film darkroom is still one of my all time faves), I'm really looking forward to the Frank Photography Galleries, which will document the various forms of photography across two centuries. It promises some pretty amazing history and good looks at old-fashioned photo equiment and techniques.

5. In honor of the re-opening, the Chrysler is offering a new membership level, according to AltDaily.com: the $40 young professional membership. This will get you into some exclusive events at the museum and its glass studio AND the members-only reopening party.

...so are you excited yet? Let us know how much in the comments.

P.S.: This week I wrote a guest post for MyActiveChild.com about the Hermitage Museum's Stories and Songs program. I also started pinning to the HRVA Bloggers Pinterest account -- check it out to find posts by some of the area's best bloggers all in one place! Finally, stop by the Friday link party at Virginia Bloggers to leave yours!

Happy weekend!

With spring just around the corner (at least officially -- today's cold weather notwithstanding), I figured it was time to put together a list of our favorite places around town to see beautiful blossomy things. There are so many well-curated and cared for public gardens in Hampton Roads. If you are looking forward to spring as much as we are, definitely add these to your list.

Below are the local gardens we've visited and loved (we know there are many still missing and can't wait to visit them, too).


Hermitage Museum (Norfolk): This gardens surrounding this gorgeous Arts-and-Crafts style house feature a rose garden, a wetlands garden leading down to the Lafayette River, a secluded grotto with fountains and statuary, and vintage millstones scattered throughout the gravelled yard.

Norfolk Botanical Garden (Norfolk): With 155 acres and 12 miles of paved trails, NBG is noted for its amazing azaleas and for its resident bald eagles. Take a tram tour or a boat ride, or stop by the Children's Garden.

Red Wing Park: Home to the Miyazaki Japanese Garden, planted in honor of Virginia Beach's sister city in Japan. Probably the best place to see cherry blossoms, come April or so.

Pagoda and Oriental Garden (Norfolk): More than 130 plants of Asian origin fill this picturesque space by the Elizabeth River.

Crezia Covington Lotus Garden (Virginia Beach): Blink and you'll miss this patch of lovely lotus flowers out near Back Bay.

Weyanoke Bird and Wildflower Sanctuary (Norfolk): A wild, woody spot beloved by local birdwatchers.

Fred Heutte Center (Norfolk): Features some lovely statuary, perennials, and a beautiful camellia bower (my favorite flowers, so this is a special favorite of mine).

Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (Virginia Beach): One of the most inspiring places in the area for plant lovers, AREC has a ton of interesting and useful demonstration gardens (and offers advice and help for planning your own.)

New Earth Farm (Virginia Beach): One of our favorite places to buy farm-grown fruits and veggies (and to buy seedlings for our own backyard space). Great food, great people.

Virginia Zoo (Norfolk): Several beautifully staged gardens (a rain garden and butterfly garden among them) are scattered throughout the Virginia Zoo. Be sure to look out for them on your next visit or attend Garden Tales when warmer weather comes and learn about the plants the zoo's animals depend on.

Elizabethan Gardens (Manteo, NC): Planted to honor the first English settlers in America, these gardens take inspiration from Elizabethan England and from the native flora of the New World.

Bacon's Castle (Surry, VA): A sweet colonial garden is maintained at this historic plantation house.

Colonial Williamsburg: Peeking into the kitchen gardens while walking DoG Street is always a treat (speaking of treats, here are two great places to eat when you're in CW).

Yorktown Victory Center: The colonial village exhibit has an interactive vegetable and herb garden where children can help water, tend, and harvest plants that would be grown in a traditional colonial garden.


If you'd rather do some gardening at home, here are some of our DIY gardening posts to get you started:

• Start your own compost pile
• Make a terrarium
• Grow plants for bees and butterflies as part of the Pollinator Protection Project
• Plant some wheatgrass -- easy for beginners and lovely living decor for Easter and spring holidays

This post can be found in the sidebar of the blog until summer. Happy spring! And now: your favorite HRVA gardens in the comments -- go!

 

Anne and I spent our last snow day learning how to dye carnations with food coloring. We already had a bunch of white carnations, we had food coloring, it was cold and gloomy and St. Patrick's Day is coming up. Enter: a beautiful rainbow bouquet.

This was a pretty easy experiment -- we filled jars/cups with about an inch of water, added 20-30 drops of food coloring, and trimmed the flower stems and set them in. Within an hour or so, we could see faint tinges of color staining the edge of the petals, and by the time we woke up the next morning, our flowers were pretty thoroughly saturated.





When we mixed more than one color, the results tended to be underwhelming -- our purple flowers didn't saturate completely, no matter how much food coloring we put in (they also looked kind of brownish instead of purple?). Oh well! We're still happy with our cheerful and seasonal rainbow bouquet.

Are your kids as fascinated with rainbows as Anne? She thinks they come from the moon (love.)

 
 These photos were taken last month on our walk around Pleasure House Point Natural Area. At the end of the walk, Anne was flagging a bit but perked up considerably as we spotted a small playground through the trees; it's amazing how quickly a toddler can go from cranky and tired to full of energy and ready to play, I'll never figure it out.

Loch Haven Park is a standard small city park in a relatively quiet residential neighborhood. It's so teeny that it's not on GPS and not listed on the Virginia Beach parks and rec site. There's a well-maintained play structure (with some pretty neat climbing walls), big kid and toddler swings, and picnic shelters. What really makes it stand out is the beautiful scenery, it's neighborhood feel, and it's closeness to Pleasure House Point. When the weather warms up, a nature walk ending with a picnic lunch at Loch Haven would be a great way to spend a day.

Speaking of swings -- last summer, A. was terrified of them. We'd plop her on and she would smile for a moment as we pushed her but then demand to get down as she picked up speed. Now she's fearless on them, and her favorite thing is to have her daddy push her as high as he can. What a big difference a few months can make.

Happy Monday! Get out there and enjoy those extra daylight hours today.

It feels strange to be saying Happy Friday -- with the storm on Monday and the resulting snow days, I feel like this week never really got going. I never thought I would say I was tired of snow -- I feel like I spent most of my formative years praying for it and never getting it -- but being cooped with a rambunctious toddler for days on end has changed my attitude a bit.

We did take a snowy walk yesterday and noticed that the first signs of spring were creeping up around our neighborhood. Camellias everywhere -- daffodils beginning to pop. Crocuses are popping up in our backyard. I own crocuses! This is almost as exciting to me as owning...well, a house. I love the late winter/early spring flowers best of all.

Here are some of the links I found while poking around on the internet lately. A. and I both have had way too much screen time over the past few days.

• Just in case you haven't seen it (because it really is a must-see): Idina Menzel, Jimmy Fallon, and the Roots sing Let It Go accompanied by classroom instruments.

• Maybe this is just because I'm married to a managing editor, but hearing that the NYT issued a correction this week for a misspelling in an 1853 article tickled my fancy.

• Boys can so wear pink!

• Did you know Margaret Wise Brown (of Goodnight Moon fame) wrote lullabies, too? Neither did anyone else until they were discovered recently. They're going to be published this month. 

• Spring is just around the corner and these coastal scenic drives are just a hop, skip, and a jump from #HRVA. 

• I'm in love with the Waterlogue app, which turns your iPhone pics into gorgeous watercolor photos. Darcy's bold pops of (water)color are the most striking so I'll let her be the one to convince you to download. 

And if you just can't get enough of me (I know you can't), this week I wrote about free planetarium shows and also an introduction to Indian spices and Ayurvedic healing over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads. Feel free to check it out (GEDDIT?)

Happy Friday!

James's mom sent me this copy of My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag: And Other Things You Can't Ask Martha -- almost as soon as I saw it I knew it was destined for a place of honor on the kitchen shelf with my favorite cookbooks. I generally think the idea of being a "housewife" is a little nauseating (even though I am one?) but I do take a secret pride at being good at cleaning and I love learning new tricks.

Jolie Kerr's second book answers reader questions on how to clean the most random (yet filthy) things: everything from hair dryers to car seatbelts. The book has only been in the house a few days but I've already read it cover to cover and even used a few of its tricks (Woollite + vinegar to de-deoderantify workout clothes is my fave).

Most of all, I love Jolie Kerr's refreshing honesty and ability to deal with the grossest, most off-colored scenarios. And for reminding us all that you can still be a Clean Person even if you occasionally fall asleep eating chocolate in bed.

Purists are going to hate this recipe because authentic Irish soda bread has only four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. This dairy-free recipe has a few more and comes out a bit more dense and sconelike than the traditional recipe. But my kid can eat it, so that's a plus. And it's also really good.

And easy -- Anouk mixed this one up herself (I pre-measured everything and laid it out for her). Just so you know, each raisin was placed into the dough individually. It looked like a very important part of the process so don't forget it.

Dairy-free Irish Soda Bread (from Food Allergy Mama)

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar (we used about 1.5 T honey and .5 T molasses)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups soy buttermilk
1 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or currants

Mix up the soy "buttermilk" by adding 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to 2 cups of plain soymilk. (Don't be a hero and try to taste this. It isn't like real buttermilk at all, but it works for the recipe). Let sit for 5-10 minutes. It should look grainy and thick when it's ready.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the soy buttermilk a little at a time and mix with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. Add the raisins. Press into an oiled 9-inch round cake pan or iron skillet. Mark a cross in the top and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until brown.

A lot of the finer points on sustainability were lost on our young crowd but it was interesting for us to see how many ways we use (eat, drink, even!) trees in our day to day life. This exhibit is a perfect (temporary) addition to the museum for the elementary school set, but the littlest ones will still enjoy a romp through the trees before hitting the bubble room.

Look Who Lives in Trees will be at the Children's Museum through May 17.