Farms & Zoos - Tanglewood Farm

171 Tanglewood Drive
Canton, GA 30115
770-667-6464
http://www.tanglewoodfarmminiatures.com

Yesterday, the whole family headed over to Tanglewood Farm, the town of miniature farm animals. Morgan had a great time seeing all of the animals that we sing about in “Old McDonald” and the animals were just her size. There were goats, sheep, llamas, cows, pigs, a buffalo, donkeys, horses and many more. The only animals that weren’t miniature were the turkeys and bunnies.

We were surprised that the turkeys were gentle even though they followed the bread around. Morgan tried to pet the bunnies, they weren’t afraid, but they were too fast. We walked out to a pasture and shouted “moo-cow” (as instructed) and a buffalo came running up to the fence. As a miniature, she wasn’t all that small, but very friendly.

The price was a bit steep for three of us at $10 per person. That included bread to feed the animals and a pony ride at the end of the tour. All in all, we had a great time and will go back as Morgan grows.

Kimberly

Restaurants - Whataburger

Starke, FL

Okay, most of you won’t have the chance to visit Starke, FL, but I’m writing this review because they typify what restaurants should be doing for families with little ones. The highchairs were lined up and each highchair tray had a packet of crackers and was sealed with plastic wrap. That just exudes cleanliness. I’ve come across some highchairs that were just plain gross.

Kimberly

Parks & Playgrounds - Jasper City Park

202 Burnt Mountain Road
Jasper, GA 30143

Today Morgan and I headed up to Jasper City Park with our playgroup. Today was absolutely gorgeous. There was a breeze and almost a hint of fall. This was definitely a needed respite from all of the rain we have gotten lately. I wasn’t sure what kind of condition the park would be in after the rain, but it held up nicely. To top the morning off, Morgan and I had a picnic.

There are two playground areas that are fenced off and both have sand bases. One playground is primarily for the younger tots and the other is for older ones. Both playgrounds are well shaded, making it much better for the kiddos to play on the equipment. There is a walking path that surrounds the park (4.5 times around = 1 mile), tennis courts and picnic tables. There are also two bathrooms, but unfortunately we did not go in them. Morgan’s favorite part was the duck pond. She really enjoys mimicking the duck sounds.

Kimberly

Restaurants - Cheesecake Factory

Cumberland Mall location

Yesterday we met friends at the Cheesecake Factory. There were 11 in our party, including an 18-month old, a 21-month old and a 4 year old. The waitress was great, when she came to take our drink order she brought each child a plate of bread and bananas. I wish more waitresses were more understanding of children. The one thing that kind of made me mad though was that the hostess who seated us did not offer us any kids menus. I was staring at the menu and couldn’t believe the $8 grilled cheese sandwich. The waitress finally brought us the kid’s menus. That is the first time I have ever been presented with one at Cheesecake Factory. Most of the meals on the kid’s menu range from $5 to $6 and include fries and a drink. They do have a kid’s strawberry plate, which Morgan loves, for $2, but they wouldn’t substitute the fries for strawberries. Oh well, we don’t exactly go to Cheesecake Factory for the kids. Okay, we go for the big kids.

On a side note, Morgan got strawberries on her shirt and I had a travel sized OxiClean On the Go spray and it took the strawberry stain right out. I was amazed.

Kimberly

Indoor Play - Little Bears Indoor Playground

2655 Cobb Parkway NW
Suite 105
Kennesaw, GA 30152
770-429-0331
http://www.littlebearsindoorplayground.com/

Friday, Morgan and I met Jessica and Samantha at Little Bears. It's an indoor play place. Morgan loves running around and playing with the puzzles. She also loves it when they turn on the bubble machine. They have one bounce house with slide, two Little Tykes gyms with slides, a playhouse and many, many other toys.

Little Bears is great for the little ones. The even have toys for babies to play with. I’m not sure of the upper end of the age range (Morgan is only 18 months), but I don’t think Little Bears would be as entertaining to preschoolers. That’s one of the things I like about this place, there are not a lot of older kids to run the little ones over. Also, you can bring your own food in. Many places won’t let you do that. Little Bears is a great place to go on a rainy day.

Kimberly

Parks & Playgrounds - Carters Lake Dam Site

Located near Ellijay, Georgia.
This weekend the whole family headed to Carters Lake for a picnic. The lake is located off of I-575/Hwy 5 on 136 near Ellijay. We were looking for a bit of nature and wanted a taste of fall. It was too hot for fall. We went to the Dam Site day use area. It has a playground, a group shelter, several covered picnic tables and an open field. The park also has bathrooms, but they are nothing more than fancier outhouses. There were no changing tables or sinks. Thank goodness we carry baby wipes. The playground has a couple of slides. On this day, the slides were too hot from the sun, so Morgan practiced walking up and down the stairs. There was a mister, but we did not play in that. Dogs are welcome and Morgan played with two puppies visiting the park. Overall, this part of the park is okay and is best reserved for a cool fall day. We have been there during fall and the color is spectacular. I’m sure the swim beaches are a much better option on hot days.

Kimberly

Restaurants - Taco Mac Roswell

Taco Mac
685 Crossville Road, Suite 146
Roswell, Georgia 30075

We had lunch at Taco Mac today and had a great experience. At first I was really worried that since it's College football Saturday and busy, it would be tough with the baby, but our waiter was prompt and the food came out on time too.

Taco Mac has a great kid's menu which included fish, burger, chicken fingers, pasta, corn dogs, grilled cheese and more. The meal included a juice box ( or a small drink of your choice), fries (which I ate) and a pack of Oreo cookies (DH and I shared) all for $3.99.

I ordered the grilled cheese for Samantha. The sandwich was not greasy and Samantha really enjoyed it.

The anbience is also great for toddlers. It is noisy, so the little ones can be loud and not bother the other patrons.

Taco Mac has locations around Atlanta.

Jessica