SAHM seeking housekeeper

I’m just going to put it out there.

I am a housewife/stay-at-home-mom sort of person. But I hate to clean.
 
Deciding to stay at home with my daughter and only work part-time didn’t mean that I suddenly started to love vacuuming. Instead, I think my level of hatred went up a few notches. Back when I worked full-time at a time-eating, all-consuming job, I didn’t fully realize how a clean house only stayed that way for 2 minutes. I would clean, and then I’d head off somewhere fun or go away to work. Now that I stay home all the time I am constantly reminded that the cleaning NEVER. ENDS.

Just this morning, because my mom and sister were possibly coming over, I had the house spick and span. And I mean, it looked great. It practically gleamed. I don’t remember the last time I washed my counters, the faucet AND the table all at the same time. My daughter actually picked up almost all of the toys littering the entire main level floor space. I even carefullly arranged the pillows on my couch. But then, instead of leaving right away, we ended up at home another couple hours. And in less time than it took me to clean the fricking place, it was a disaster again. The only comment my mom could truthfully make when she got to my place was that the bathroom floor was really clean.

Ugh.

It’s kinda like the time I swept the floor mid-day, and by the time the hubby came home it was almost unpassable due to crumbs and toys. Oh, wait, that’s every day.

I really don’t think I’m the only SAHM out there who doesn’t find a whole lot of satisfaction in the whole Martha Stewart-inspired housekeeping. Why is it that other women and our husbands think that our houses should match those magazines just because we no longer work outside of the house? Let me tell you: In the course of my day at home, I have a million things to do. And well, housework, it falls at the bottom of my To Do list.

And I don’t want to hear how I should have plenty of time to do it and what else do I do all day. It’s not I’m sitting around watching soaps, I can tell you that.

But who wants to clean constantly?

Not this SAHM.

They put real cream in your coffee at Silverwood Park...

Are you a city dweller pining for nature? You don’t have to drive far to find peace and quiet. Silverwood Park in St. Anthony is a 15-minute drive from downtown Minneapolis. Nestled on the shores of Silver Lake, the park is a tranquil spot full of mature oaks, restored prairie, picnic tables and fishing piers. We were there on a Friday morning, and the fishing was hot.

Everything about this park is beautiful, from the stone-covered sign to the main building. I was impressed.

Yes, the fire pit on the island is in the shape of a canoe.

The girls ran up and down and all around the outdoor amphitheater. I'd love to return for a concert. The place reminds me of Stonehenge.

Nature-inspired art classes taught by Silverwood staff and outside expert instructors are offered year-round, according to the web site: http://www.threeriversparks.org/parks/silverwood-park.aspx. Sign up for a ceramics class, join in on a photo workshop, or expand your musical skills. I was amazed at just how many fantastic classes are offered. Here’s just a sampling of what’s coming up:

• Pumpkin Carving on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 5-7 p.m., $7

• Family Clay for Grandparent and Child, Sept. 7 (land), Oct. 5 (water) and Nov. 2 (sky), $15

• MacPhail Family Music, 12-week session Thursdays Sept. 22 to Dec. 15, $220/first child, $130 addition children

• Puppets Can Fly for ages 5-6, Thursday, Oct. 20, $45

• Animal Masquerade for ages 5-14, Saturday, Nov. 5, $15

• Walk When the Moon is Full: Migration, Thursday, Nov. 10, $6

• Camera Club for ages 14+, Saturdays, Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Nov. 12, $5 each session

• Using Expressive Color in the Watercolor Landscape for ages 16+, Tuesdays, Sept. 20 to Nov. 8, $160

• Wedding Fair, Sunday, Sept. 25, noon to 4 p.m. (This looks like a perfect place for a wedding...)

You can also hold a birthday party at the park, and treat the group to an activity they can do together. Options include: clay, seed art, bird puppets and feeders, printmaking: fish printing, bookmaking, apple cidering (April to October), and kicksledding (December to February). The cost is $100 for 15 participants ($150 for the clay activity as it includes project glazing and two kiln firings). How fun, right?!

The park used to be a camp run by the Salvation Army.

Now operated by the Three Rivers Park District, Silverwood used to be a Salvation Army camp. It has been under county control since 2009. They are still expanding the gardens, and we watched folks plant while we were there.

I really want to return for one of their outdoor concerts. I guess musicians are welcome for an accoustic jam session every Saturday morning. They hold other larger concerts throughout the year. Charlie Maguire performed there on Aug. 7.

If you go, be sure walk across the bridge to the island. Bring a picnic lunch and soak in the peacefulness of this hideaway that is so close to downtown you can practically see the skyscrapers over the trees. But the best part is, you can’t see them. You’re surrounded by nature instead.

It's not a huge park, but it packs a lot of bang.

This is the front desk. How cool is that?!

A park with a coffee shop. Sounds perfect to me.

Opt for Izzy's Ice Cream. It may be the best in the city.

Real cream. Indulge yourself with real cream from the glass jar from the coffee shop.

Menu at the park's coffee shop.

Any coffee shop that offers toys and activities for kids ranks pretty high for me. If the kiddos are busy, I might actually get a chance to chat!

The activity calendar at Silverwood Park is jam-packed with fun stuff.

I want to hold an event here. Isn't it simply gorgeous? And there's an outdoor fireplace just outside that bank of windows.

Bring a picnic lunch and hang out on the veranda. Or, bring it down to the island.

You can see the fishing pier belonging to Silverwood Park, and the city-operated swimming beach nearby.

The girls peer out the window at the delights offered at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony.

Bonus: There’s a coffee shop on site that serves a variety of drinks and sandwiches. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to sit on the expansive porch, take my drink down to the lake, or soak up some rays in the outdoor amphitheater. I know I’ll be back this winter. There’s a comfortable chair sitting next to a roaring fire waiting for me.

Here is where I want to be when the weather turns cold.

Drawback: The only drawback to Silverwood Park is that there isn’t a playground for the kiddos. However, the city operates a beach with a playground right next door. Take the sidewalk from the parking lot over to it.

Hours: 5:00 AM–10:00 PM

Phone: 763.694.7707

Address:

2500 County Rd. E

St. Anthony, MN 55421

Web site:

http://www.threeriversparks.org/parks/silverwood-park.aspx

It’s gonna get loud around here...

Grab the honey, your black leather jacket and your motorcycle and head over to Dulono’s Pizza at Garfield and Lake in Uptown (Minneapolis) on the first Thursday evening for a roaring good time. And by roaring, I do mean ROARING. When you’ve got hundreds of motorcycles cruising around, it’s a pretty loud time.

If you’re like me and you can’t ride AND bring your kid, follow the honey’s motorcycle while you drive on over in your child-friendly car. It gets a little hard to manuever a stroller through all the motorycles parked haphazardly on the sidewalks, but it is worth it. This is one great bike show.

The hubby, toddler and I headed over the first Thursday night of August. I believe this event continues through at least September, and maybe longer. I suppose it depends on the weather. The banner on the side of the pizza joint didn’t specify a time frame, and there isn’t exactly a web site out there specifically for this event (or the pizza place). That kinda tells you what you need to know about this event. It’s more of a word of mouth sort of thing. Or one where you follow the noise...

Dulono’s is to the motorcycle world what Porky’s used to be for the classic car enthusiasts.

Dulono’s is a bit of a dive, but the pizza is cheap, especially on the first Thursday. There’s also a brat stand in the parking lot across the street from the parking lot. Or, splurge and head over to the sushi restaurant, Fuji Ya, across Lake Street. They have rooftop seating, great happy hour specials (5-7 p.m., 10 p.m. to close), and half-price bottles of wine on Thursdays.

You’ll see every type of rider at Uptown Bike night. We gawked over two trick crotchrockets, complete with a hole in the passenger seat to better ride wheelies on. Then there was the space-age-looking side car; it seriously looked like it belonged in a Batman movie. There were lots of Ducatis, Hondas, Harleys, Yamahas, Boss Hogs and more. There were riders in head-to-toe gear and those in shorts and tank tops (it was HOT out!). I was surprised at how many chicks there were who came roaring in on their own bikes. Motorcycles sure are gaining popularity among all sorts, and I’m glad to see it.

We finished off our evening by strolling down to Crema Cafe at 34th and Lyndale for some mouthwatering homemade ice cream. Try the tiramisu. No, go for the dark chocolate. No, try... Well, you’ll want to try them all. Take the little one and the cones across the street to Painter’s Park.

See, wasn’t that a great night?

Hot man. Hot bike.

Try Sonny's ice cream at Crema Cafe. It's delectable.

Painter's Park has some great slides, including one that daddy just barely made it down.

Dubbed "The Aquarium," this cool building was between Crema and our car.

IF YOU GO

Dulono’s Pizza

(612) 827-1726

607 W Lake St

Minneapolis, MN 55408

FOOTAGE

Check out this blog post showing lots of images from the April 2010 bike night.

http://www.everydayriding.org/2010/04/first-thursday-april-2010.html

BIKE NIGHTS

Two Wheel Wednesday @ Yarusso’s (Every 1st Wed.) St. Paul

The Joint Bar (Every 2nd Wed.) Minneapolis

Doluno’s Pizza (Every 1st Thur.) Minneapolis

Cowboy-Up Bike Night (Every 2nd Thurs.) Plymouth

Mad Jacks Sports Bar (Every 3rd Thurs.) Brooklyn Park

Products to love

Here are two products I think that you’re going to love. I sure do.

SWIMMING IN SAFETY AND COMFORT

Josey’s new puddle jumper life jacket has completely changed how we swim. Upon Sara’s recommendation, I bought my two and a half year old a puddle jumper last week. I was surprised at how reasonable it was at only $15 from Target. We hit a pool the next day. Not a kiddie pool, but a 5 to 8-foot-deep pool at a friend’s house. I put the puddle jumper around her and then popped her in a floatie to keep her safe in that deep water. No need. By the end of the afternoon, she was swimming around perfectly fine wearing only the puddlejumper.

It is SO MUCH better than a life jacket.

Unbelievably better.

So much that I’m pretty sure a woman designed this one.

With a lifejacket, the front is always riding up into a kid’s face. It is tough to manuever. My child always screams when I put it on her. The puddle jumper is completely different. It kinda looks like two arm floaties connected by a floatie on the chest. All parts of made out of the same sort of material that a life jacket is, which is why it is Coast Guard approved. It kept my daughter afloat without being uncomfortable. Plus, she could swim away. Wow. Her swimming skills dramatically improved during that afternoon swim. I would recommend it to everyone I know. Get a puddle jumper.

NIGHT TIME BATTLES

I don’t know about you, but nighttime has never been easy at our place. My daughter just hates to sleep. There are so many better things going on, and she’s doesn’t want to miss anything. We really hit a wall last fall after moving into Minneapolis. It was so difficult to get her down at night or for a nap. Based on the recommendation of a friend, we bought a Noise Machine.

It’s made such a difference.

We use the EcoTones Duet which costs about $80 on Amazon right now. There are 10 different sounds to pick from: waterfall, fireplace, ocean, meadow, train, city, rainfall, brook, meditation and white noise. Plus, you can make the sounds adaptive. When there’s a loud noise, such as a plane overhead or mom dropping a dish downstairs, the machine will automatically get a little louder to cover the sudden loud noise. There’s a timer and a richness function, as well.

The machine did suddenly stop working about four months after we bought it. I let the manufacturer know, and the company immediately shipped out a new model. That’s customer service. I’m thinking about buying another one for the other light sleeper in our house: my husband.

Listen to the various sounds this machine offers at http://youtu.be/WS99gpCNZds