The Family O | Author Archives

About Mrs. O

Website: http://www.lifewiththefamilyo.com
Mrs. O has written 208 articles so far, you can find them below.

Our Trip to The Shoppe

Filed under Blogging, Kid Fun by Mrs. O on February 2, 2012 at 8:08 am {no comments}

After our exciting field trip to the United States Mint we wanted to take the boys some place fun to eat. So that is what I googled “fun places to eat in Denver”. BINGO, one of the first results was for The Shoppe, a cupcake and cereal eatery! I have always wanted to go to a place that served cereal. Don’t think of those lil boxes that Dennys serves. This is more like a “Cereal Bar”. It is a fairly new trend, they stock a mind-boggling amount of cereal, you get to try any kind and can add extra toppings if you like.

Delicious Varieties!

This place has such fun decor too!

They have a massive game collection! Craig and Preston jumped at the chance to play Monopoly while Oliver and Adam played Chutes and Ladders. Samuel kept himself busy with Don’t Spill the Beans.

Our order, pretty huh?!

Oliver and his cupcake…

…it was Death by Chocolate

Sam ordered the Cookies n Cream, he gobbled up the Oreo that was on top before I could snap a pic. This was delicious, it was ice cream looking frosting on top, there was an Oreo inside too!

Craig and I shared a Salted Caramel Cupcake, this was amazing. The cake is to die for. Amazing.

My sweet Nephew and his huge bowl of Corn Pops

We had such a fun time hanging out, playing games, enjoying yummy food and great conversation.

Did I mention that you can write on the bathroom walls? Too cool, the entire bathroom is made of dry-erase walls and there is a big basket of colorful markers. Loved this idea!

Make time to go down and check this place out, your kids will LOVE it!

Denver Mint Field Trip

Filed under Homeschooling, Kid Fun by Mrs. O on February 1, 2012 at 8:51 pm {no comments}

Today we went to Downtown Denver and took a tour of the Denver Mint. We went for two reasons, homeschool and Cub Scouts. We are learning about money in Homeschool and my oldest is in Cub Scouts, their assignment is to start and display a coin collection. He decided to collect State Quarters. So, I thought we should take a trip to the Unite States Mint. I went online to get the scoop and it turns out you can make a reservation online. Convenient, easy and guarantees you a spot on the tour.

We lined up and waited, an armed guard came out to tell us the “rules”. No cameras :O( for obvious reasons. We went through the metal detectors into a 2 story room with diaramas and other displays, placards on the walls gave us the history of the Mint and of money. The Tour Guide was so friendly, he took the time to take my kids to a display and talk about it before the tour started. We came face to face with a giant tube filled with 147,000+ shiny pennies, the boys were in awe.

We moved on and watched a video, then on to a room that overlooks the machines. We saw samples of the sheets that the “blanks” are cut out of. We learned how coins are made blank, then heated up until they soften, a die stamps both sides, to finish them off they put a rim around the coin. The rim helps keep the impression on the coin, extending its street life. This Mint can produce up to 50 million coins per day!

We also got to see 100k in gold dollars, so pretty!

To end the tour, they take you thru the original building that housed the mint since 1906. Miners used to bring gold down from the Rockies and trade it for money. We got to see a replica of the Assay Office, very neat & cool!

This part of the building has original light fixtures and gorgeous marble walls. We ended up going down stairs that were one side of a gorgeous, double staircase. wood banisters, iron fixtures, we could see up a few stories to an atrium. We got to see the 350 pound Tiffany Chandeliers, exquisite wood molding, it was truly breathtaking. I was blown away. I wish I could have taken pictures.

The kids really liked seeing all the coins, my oldest was so attentive when it came time to listen to the tour guide. He was very much into it.

Since I knew we would be downtown I researched some fun places to eat. I came up with The Shoppe. That post coming up next… this place deserves a post all its own!

Feeding Little Ones Healthy Meals with Rice

Filed under Blogging, Inspiration, Recipes by Mrs. O on January 30, 2012 at 4:11 pm {no comments}

It’s the age old battle. Kids vs. Parents. Junk vs. Real Food. Food vs. Healthy Food.

Growing up, my Mom always made sure we had a complete and healthy meal every single evening. She worked full time and so I imagine this was a challenge for her but she always came through. Now that I am a stay at home Mom I strive to have a healthy meal on the table every night. That is not always the case though. I started working evenings and this has proved to be a big challenge when it comes to feeding my family.

For our family, it is quality over quantity. We try not to buy a lot of junk food even though it is usually always cheaper than whole, fresh food. I try not to use items that have additives and preservatives too. Who needs the extra garbage in our bodies?

Luckily my children LOVE fruit, love it. We can’t keep it around long enough though because they gobble it up. As far as veggies go, that’s a different story. My kids don’t really love raw veggies, even though I would always try to force them to eat them, they refused. I had to get creative.

BINGO – my husbands all time favorite staple is rice, and I agree, it is so versatile, yummy and healthy! I decided to try stir fry veggies with veggie seasoning and serve them over rice, my kids cannot resist. Looks yummy and TASTES delicious!

We went the vegetarian route for a couple of years, which was great! Did you know rice and beans together make a complete protein? A very healthy meal and good for you too. There are so many veggies that go great with rice!

Another way I have incorporated rice into their diet is by using rice/sushi molds. They are so cute and come in a TON of different shapes. My kids love them and they like dipping their Rice shaped bite into Soy Sauce. My husband and I love them with Sriracha.

I must say that our family’s absolute favorite rice dish of all time? It is a tradition passed down through both sides of our families and it is = Rice Pudding! Love it! You prepare it as a dessert and it is heavenly. Creamy, sweet, mellow, smooth, delicious!

Speaking of rice, did you know that Uncle Ben’s is giving away $20,000? You and your children can create a video demonstrating your favorite healthy rice recipe and you will have a chance to win $20,000!! It is called Ben’s Beginners Cooking Contest and it open to submissions until Feb. 26th. Start coming up with ideas now! Did I mention the winner will get to be ON the Rachel Ray Show!?!?!

Think of all the fun you will have with your kids creating a recipe, testing it, making a video and submitting it! Talk about quality time!

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://BensBeginners.socialmoms.com/about)

A Field Trip to the Denver Zoo

Filed under Blogging, Homeschooling, Kid Fun, Thankful For by Mrs. O on January 25, 2012 at 6:41 pm {no comments}

A Field Trip to the Denver Zoo

Thanks to Groupon we were able to spend 5 wonderful hours at the Zoo. We went in late November. It was chilly that morning but I checked the weather and it promised to be warm. It ended up being about 57 degrees, for a Coloradan(oan?) that is practically Summer, lol.

When we arrived we were all bundled up and the skies were gray, it was 9:45. By the time we left, we were hot, without coats and the skies were blue. I love Autumn in Colorado, bright blue skies, brisk fresh air.

There were not many people there, so we took our time, enjoyed every sight to see. We rambled along and learned a lot, talked about everything. We sat and had a leisurely lunch next to the Seals, they are so cute and fun to watch. We were happy to have Cousin Adam along with us. The entire field trip was fantastic.

How far can you jump?

Cute little Snow Fox

A Unique Creature – The Okapis – a cousin of the giraffe (look at his head). He had a super-velvety coat.

The Majestic Lion

Samuel with a lizard, I love his reflection on the glass!

Playing iSpy fish

Climbing the Hippo Statue

I love these animal flags! This picture was taken on the way out, check out the blue sky and compare to the first picture, that is why I love Colorado!