I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Friday, May 3, 2013

Funny Friday - You Got That Backwards

Me -

When I was little, instead of saying I was saving up for something I would say I was spending up for it.

Mom -

 When Melia was 2, her grandfather was holding her, and she said "I'm holding PopPop."


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Pocketbooks

Me - Pocketbooks, wow! I have thousands of pocketbooks. I barely ever use them. I use the same one or two over and over again. My Mom and My Grandma are always giving me their old pocketbooks. Aurella and I have to split them. Every time my Mom is done using a pocketbook, Aurella and I take turns getting it. Next, it will be Aurella's turn. My favorite pocketbook, my Grandma gave me for the holidays. It has an M on it for my initial. I have pocketbooks of all different sizes. I have from little tiny to small to medium to big. My favorite size is big but not too big. I like to be able to fit books in my pocketbook. My favorite pocketbook can only fit a small book. My second favorite pocketbook which I use most often is pretty big and has one strap. My third favorite is a black one that is medium sized and also only has one strap. I like pocketbooks that only have one strap because the two strap ones always fall off your shoulder. The one strap ones you can put around your neck so they stay on. I am not that picky about pocketbooks. I'll pretty much use all kinds, but my Mom is super picky about them. She needs just the perfect one. It has to be big with lots of pockets and compartments. What she puts in there, she keeps in there either unless it's like a book. She keeps her calender and her wallet and her phone in there and a bunch of other stuff, and then when we go out she's always got a hardcover book, her Kindle and magazines in there. She barely ever empties it out, and when she does, it's still heavy. At the present time, she has two pocketbooks; a small one and a big one. She got the small one from K-Mart. It had a lot of compartments but wasn't big enough to hold her books so she had to get another one. When I get older, I am going to keep stuff in my pocketbook, but not as much as my Mom does.

Mom - I am a big pocketbook person who would like to be a small pocketbook person. When I carry around a small pocketbook, I never have enough room for all my stuff. I like a very specific kind of pocketbook with pockets in the front and back and sections in the middle but that is still big. Also, the pockets in the front have to be really high and/or zip so I can put things like my cell phone and/or my glasses in it without worrying about them falling out and losing them. A lot of pocket books that have lots of sections, the sections are kind of small.  I used to change pocketbooks twice a year, but now I don't change that often. It is too hard to find exactly the kind of pocket book I am looking for. If I had a lot of money, I think that one thing I would splurge on is a custom designed pocketbook because I so know exactly what I am looking for. Another reason, I don't change pocketbooks so often is because whenever I get a new pocketbook it is never exactly the same as the one before. Therefore, there is always a period of adjustment while I get used to the new pocketbook. I hate that period of adjustment. I once had a pocketbook that the front and the back pockets were exactly the same. I had to get rid of because I kept forgetting what I put where and having to go through the whole thing every time I needed something. I once had this pocketbook that was almost perfect. It had lots of pockets, pockets all around and the pockets were high enough that things didn't fall out. Also, even when you put a lot of stuff in it, it didn't feel that heavy. The only problem is  it didn't last that long. The insides started ripping out. I wouldn't have even minded that because it wasn't that expensive, and I would have just bought another one of the same. However, I could never find that same pocketbook again. If I would have known then what I know now, I would have bought a bunch of them. Well, you know what they say about hindsight and all because a good man may be hard to find but a great pocketbook is even harder.

And that's our view. What is the best pocketbook you ever owned?

Tune in Monday for another Talking Topics.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Pick Your Own Fruits

What: Pick Your Own Orchards

Where: Various Locations

Who: Everyone

Our view: If you like fresh fruit and your are interested in picking your own, there are  pick your own fruit orchards in every state of the country including Alaska. They vary as to when they are open and what is available to pick there depending on the time of year and the location. Some allow you to pick your own vegetables and/or flowers as well. Some provide other activities, such as, hayrides and corn mazes. Others only provide additional activities seasonally, such as, haunted hayrides (or unhaunted hayrides) and pumpkin picking at Halloween or Christmas tree picking at Christmas. Do come dressed for mess. Only come hungry if you want to spend as much time eating as picking. Pick Your Own Orchards in NJ include the following:

Lee's Turkey Farm: 201 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor, NJ:

Here you can pick your own fruits and vegetables. There are also flowers available. There are hayrides, a corn maze, walking tours and you can even get a fresh oven ready turkey.

Terhune Orchard : 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ
Here you can pick your own fruits. There are flowers available. Apple Cider is available freshly made in their own cider mill. There are farm animals to see. Birthday parties and school tours are welcome.

Battleview Orchard: 91 Wemrock Road, Freehold, NJ

Here you can pick your fruit. Fresh apple cider and apple cider donuts are made right on the premises. Seasonal events are offered including a spring customer appreciation day which this year will be this weekend Saturday May 4 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Customer appreciation day includes wagon rides, food sampling, fun and games, and a discount in the orchard store. If you do not like big crowds, it is best to avoid this event. If you are not attending this event and do not like sitting in big traffic jams, it is best to avoid driving in the vicinity of the orchard on this day.

For more about Lee's Turkey Farm go to leesturkeyfarm.com
For more about Terhune Orchard go to terhuneorchards.com
For more about Battleview Orchard go to battlevieworchards.com

For more information about orchards in other parts of New Jersey, other states, or even other countries go to pickyourown.org.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.