A few weeks ago, James's parents came to visit and we spent an afternoon at Bluebird Gap Farm, one of our favorite weekend spots. That October day the Hampton Master Gardener's display garden was in bloom with fall pretties and we spent some extra time exploring it. A lot of time, actually -- there was a lot to see.

The garden is bigger than it looks from a distance, divided into beds for flowering plants, veggies and fruits, bulbs, grasses, and evergreens. There's a scent garden and rain garden and spots to showcase things like bog plants and compost and xeriscaping (A. and I loved poking around the Bug House and I think we might end up making one for our own yard?). Oh, and there's also a little free library full of books on nature and gardening manuals. Don't forget that. (We brought home Manfish, which has started us on a journey of all things Jacques Cousteau).

Most people head to Bluebird Gap for the animals but the garden is worth a trip in itself. And if you're thinking of visiting, make sure to stop in for the Bluebird Gap fall festival this Saturday (Nov. 21). More info about that here.




If you're looking to enjoy this fair fall weather and get outside a little more before it gets cold, check out our #HRVA Garden Guide here. 

 Last year we really enjoyed cutting down our own Christmas tree at Bright's Christmas Tree Farm, but this year we decided to get our tree a little closer to home at the Norfolk Farm Market. Because it's so close to our house, Norfolk Farm Market has become a holiday tradition in our family -- it doesn't really feel like Christmas until we've been. We have a ritual of visiting every year in the first week of December to see the decorations and to let Anouk pick out an ornament of her very own (hard to believe this is her third one so far!)

Sadly, Santa wasn't there on this visit, but we did find the perfect tree, a spruce with the featheriest branches. And A. found the perfect reindeer ornament (she is a little bit obsessed with Rudolph right now). After visits to the poinsettia house and a cup of hot apple cider, we declared the Christmas season officially kicked off.







Over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads, I blogged about a FREE Holiday Yule log bonfire happening at Town Point Park tonight! Click here for more info. It sounds so fun!

Anouk and I were super excited to find out the other day that the long-closed-for-renovations barnyard at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk has partially reopened! We were even more excited when we trucked back there to discover that the main pen has been completely populated by adorable friendly goats. The new petting-zoo setup means that visitors are free to enter and roam around among the goats and even brush and feed them.

We had a great time meeting the animals and seeing the little baby goats up close. They were nursing from their mothers and headbutting each other plenty, but mostly just trying to stay out of the hot sun. We can't wait to go back and visit some more (and to see the rest of the barnyard when it reopens fully).

Bonus points: the new barnyard is right next to one of our favorite zoo spots, the under appreciated reptile house! And the old Beastro adjacent has opened up again, too, which means tasty treats for all.

Here are a few snaps from one of our favorite adventures so far this summer -- blueberry picking at Beatson's Blueberry Farm in Virginia Beach. We went on a truly hot day (the temp was in the high 90s) and as a result, didn't get quite as many berries as we'd planned but we had a great time picking and talking and singing silly songs together as a family. Anouk thought it was super cool that we were acting out the plot line from one of her favorite story books (sans bears, thankfully). She also thought it was pretty impressive the way her dad could throw a berry up in the air and catch it in his mouth, every single time.

The berries were so delicious -- and interspersed within the blueberry bushes were occasional blackberry brambles so of course we had to test some of those out, too (also delicious). Beatson's is open from Monday through Sunday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and u-pickberries are $2.50 a pint. We heard from a staff member that they will probably have berries for another month or so, so there's plenty of time left if you want to pick a basket of your own.

Happy Monday!

A few weeks ago, Anne picked up a horse barn and a dozen plastic horses at a yard sale, and immediately started asking to see some real horses in person. I figured it would be a great opportunity to introduce her to Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton, which was a favorite place of mine when I was a little older than her. Bluebird Gap is kind of a magical place for a little kid -- not only can you see and meet all sorts of barnyard animals but you can, in many cases, get the chance to pet and feed them, too.

We set off on a perfect day and made friends with some very nice chickens, turkeys, goats, fluffy sheep and alpacas, and even a very inquisitive emu or two. Anouk loved seeing the cows grazing and was fascinated by the pigs. And as for horses, we not only got to pet several, but we got to see them being exercised in the yard, which was a treat.




Besides the barnyard, Bluebird Gap features one of the prettiest flower and vegetable gardens in the area, and a really boss playground and an easy, kid-friendly nature trail, too. We spent a good chunk of our Saturday there, checking it all out. It was one of the things I love best about living in this area where I grew up -- sharing places that I loved as a child with A., and seeing her fall in love with them just like I did.

Bluebird Gap is a city park, which means it's FREE and open to the public seven days a week. If you go on a Wednesday morning between 10:30 and 11:30, you just might get the chance to see the sheep being sheared in the livestock barn! Too cool. Find a checklist of things to plan to see/bring to the farm for a wonderful visit here.

With this latest spate of rainy days, things are really greening up around town and it seems spring is officially in full swing. Which also means that a lot of local farmers markets are opening for the season! We are big fans of buying local produce whenever we can, and so this time of year is a little like Christmas for our family. Below are some of our favorite markets in the area but we're always looking to add new ones. What are your favorite #HRVA farm markets? And what do you buy there?

1. New Earth Farm: Out Pungo way in Virginia Beach, this organic farm sells some amazing fruits and vegetables in season, some of which you would be hard pressed to find even on a Whole Foods shelf! In years past, we visited New Earth Farm for heaps of watermelon radishes, sunchokes, and tatsoi, fresh eggs, and even seedlings and seeds to start our own garden. It helps that the people are so nice, too. Thats New Earth Farm in the header photo -- look at that Baby A., so happy at the thought of eating some New Earth veggies. Open: Saturdays, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 

2. Tidewater Community College Greens on the Green: I love this market because it's right smack dab in the middle of downtown Norfolk on the TCC campus. It's a smaller market but so convenient! Open: First and third Thursdays, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. 

3. Suffolk Farmers Market: The Suffolk Farmers Market is having its grand opening for the season this Saturday and everybody will be out to help celebrate, from the Suffolk Art League to the Teeny Tiny Petting Zoo. In addition to eatables, this market also features local handmade crafts, well worth the drive if you're farther away. Open: Wednesdays from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. 

4.  Five Points Farm Market: Five Points feels more like a general store than a traditional farmers market, but I'm including it on the list because it really is a gem. In addition to local meats and produce, honey, breads, and desserts, there's a great little library with books on all sorts of healthy-living topics and there's also the Get Fresh Cafe, one of our favorite places to grab a quick lunch. Open: Thursday and Friday, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM (year round!)

5. Williamsburg Farmer's Market: The Williamsburg Farmers Market is truly a CW attraction in its own right with an impressive list of vendors. There's often local music and bonus! offerings from local vineyards, too. This Saturday, they are hosting their Children's Day. Open: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. 

Over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads, I also wrote about the Atlantic Coast Kite Festival coming up at the Oceanfront this weekend. It's perfect kite-flying weather, so click on over. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Last Saturday evening, we went to Hunt Club's Winter Wonderland with our friends and their two boys and had a (wait for it) wonderful time! We'd been to Hunt Club at Halloween, but it looked totally different tricked out for Christmas. Lights were all over everything, and the long barn had been outfitted into a replica of the North Pole, with scenes from Santa's woodshop and little woodland creatures peeping out from under decorated trees. Little J. was enthralled by all of it but Anne seemed to find a lot of the animatronic animals and elves a little creepy. "I don't want that near me, I'm scared of it," she said several times but then again, she wouldn't let us take her out of the barn either.

She perked up when we went back out into the barnyard. We strolled through them to the other side of the farm, stopping to pet a few friendly goats and donkeys and to take a turn through a maze picked out in red and white lights. On the far field, next to the Christmas-tree lot, there were a few bonfires set up (with s'mores kits for purchase) and so we stopped for a while to warm ourselves by them and to watch the nearby light show, with dozens of lighted plastic figures that blinked in time with the Christmas carols playing. It was like the tackiest, most overdone yard in your neighborhood times eleven (which is to say it was awesome).







Overall, despite a few bumps that mostly came from pushing the outing a little too close to bedtime, we had a great experience. Pros: you get a lot of holiday bang for your buck (admission is $7 a person, 2 and under free), there is so much to do and see. Cons: It was extremely muddy (bring your wellies) and thus not very stroller friendly (bring your babywraps). But if you're looking for pure Christmas cheer and don't mind a little cold and wet,
Hunt Club is the spot.

We made our annual fall pilgrimage to Bergey's Breadbasket a few weeks ago to pick a peck of perfect pumpkins. Click over to My Active Child to read more!