Thomas Brooks Park

It's the beginning of another beautiful spring week, so we thought we'd tell you about another fabulous park.  This one isn't in Durham, but it's close.  Just a quick jaunt down Hwy 55 will take you to Thomas Brooks Park.

What it is: Thomas Brooks Park has baseball fields, soccer fields, batting cages, and trails.  It even is the home to the USA baseball National Training Complex.  These parts of the park are fun to look at, but it isn't what brought us to the park.  It's also got a great playground.  It looks new and is nice and clean.  It's partially fenced which is helpful for containing munchkins.  There are two parts of the playground, one for older kids and one for younger.  Both parts have an appropriately sized play structure and swings.  The bigger one has a neat tube slide that is a bit bigger and longer than most of the ones we're used to.  The two playgrounds are separated by large sandbox perfect for digging.  Right next to the playground is a shaded picnic shelter, and on the other side are some unlocked bathrooms which is always a plus at any playground!  We spent a great morning here.


What we liked: We loved the fence to keep everyone contained, and the sandbox was big enough to bring lots of sand toys and have a great time.  Our more adventurous climbers also liked the bigger play structure which was some unique features.


What we would change:  As we said, Thomas Brooks Park is not in Durham, so it can be a hike from those in North Durham.  It's just around the corner from Jump Zone and Paint your Pot off of Hwy. 55 so that can give you a good idea of the distance-not bad for those in S. Durham.  We went on a cooler day, but on a hot summer day, I bet it gets pretty sunny and hot.


Website and other important information:

Website: http://www.townofcary.org/Departments/Parks__Recreation___Cultural_Resources/Parks_and_Greenways/Parks/Thomas_Brooks_Park.htm

Address: 111 Brooks Park Lane, Cary


Photos: 

 (The younger kids' playground)

 (The sandbox)

(The larger play structure)

Food Truck Friday: Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo

What it is: This Food Truck Friday is a little break from Katie's fabulous reporting from Southern Part of Heaven.  This time, this Stir Crazy Mom finally went to a food truck event in Durham herself. (yay!) I keep meaning to catch these delicious food trucks, but for some reason I've only been able to catch one in Carrboro when the food was all sold out.  However, my luck was able to change that past weekend.

There was a food truck rodeo in Durham Central Park with 29! food trucks on Saturday from 1:30-5:30, the first one of this spring season.  While we couldn't get there right when it started, we got there as soon as my little one woke up from his nap, about 3:30.  We circled the food trucks once first to get an idea of what was there.  Then, we were able to park the toddlers in Durham Central park to play in the grass while one parent went and stood in line for some delicious Parlour Ice Cream for the boys.  My husband had to wait 1/2 hour for the ice cream, but the kids were still happily playing in the grass, and the ice cream was definitely good.  We were also able to sample a delicious grilled cheese from American Meltdown (goat cheese and figs).  We were lucky enough to get their last pieces of bread!

What we liked:  It's great to have the chance to sample all of that great local food in one place.  There were so many delicious options that we didn't know what to try.  When we did decide what to try, it was all delicious.  Plus, since the rodeo took place at Durham Central Park we had the nice park to play in while one parent waited in line and after we were done eating.  They had live music and it was a fun atmosphere.


What we would change:  The lines, oh the lines!  The lines were brutal, and we didn't even stand in the longest ones.  In addition, by the time we were standing in line, some of the trucks were running out of some things which was frustrating.  Next time that we go, we will make sure to get there before the rodeo is supposed to start and get in line early.  That way, we'll be sure to get what we want.


Website and other important information:

Website: http://www.durhamcentralpark.org/ (This is the website for Durham Central Park.  While there are no more food truck rodeos on the site right now, when there's another one at Durham Central Park, it will be listed on this site.)

*http://americanmeltdown.org/ (The website for a new food truck in the area where we got our delicious grilled cheese)

*http://theparlourdurham.com/ (The website for our delicious ice cream treat)

Photos:

 (A view of the rodeo from Durham Central Park)

 (Durham Central Park)

(The line at the American Meltdown truck)

And the Winner is...

Thanks for such a great first giveaway of 2012!  I loved reading all of your comments.  So, our randomly selected winner is:

"Brett, Jennifer, and Cole" who commented that, "I love when the kids wear matching outfits!" 


 If that is you, just send us an e-mail at scmomsgroup@gmail.com and we'll get your gift certificate to you.  If you didn't win this time, stay tuned for more great giveaways and keep reading!

Blend

What it is: Yep, that's right, there's another great dessert/coffee/sandwich place in downtown Durham.  So, of course, we had to check it out.  This one is located in the Golden Belt area of Downtown which is almost at the intersection with Alston Ave. on Main St.  We stopped by on a drizzly afternoon last week and checked it out. While they had some delicious options for sandwiches with bread from Loaf and coffees from Counter Culture Coffee, it was afternoon and our mission was frozen yogurt. They have a new twist on frozen yogurt called Yogun Fruz where they take a block of frozen yogurt and blend it in a machine with the fruit toppings of your choice.  My boys got chocolate mixed with raspberry and regular mixed with strawberries.  The yogurt came out all one color and consistency, and it was delicious.  My friend also tried one of their sandwiches and it was also super yummy.

What we liked:  Parking was easy, there was room for us to sit without feeling like we were crowding people there that were working on their computer, and the food was good.  We also loved how they are just a few feet away from The Scrap Exchange's new location.  So, after our frozen yogurt treat we were able to walk through the building and out the back and have some fun at Scrap Exchange.

What we would change:  The yogurt was a little pricey as are some other sweet treats in the area at over $3 per yogurt, and I could tell they were just getting started in certain aspects.  But we're looking forward to heading back and checking everything out again!

Website and Other Important Information:

Website: http://www.facebook.com/blendcafegoldenbelt?sk=wall

Address: 807 East Main Street, Durham, NC 27701

Hours:  Mon - Fri: 7:00 am-7:00 pm Sat: 9:00 am-3:00 pm

Photos:

1. A long distance shot of Blend

2. The view from our seats

3. Fruit mixings for the frozen yogurt

4. The mixing machine

5. Yum!

Durhamsummercamps.com

What it is: I received an e-mail about this website a few days ago, so I checked it out. This website couldn't have come at a better time for me.  I have a son that is about to turn 4 and we had been debating whether we would send him to a summer camp or not while he was on summer break from preschool, and if we did where would we send him.  I didn't even know where to start and it seemed like every camp I would find would already be booked or have something else that didn't fit with our needs.

When I received the e-mail, I checked out Durhamsummercamps.com, and it turned out to be very useful.  They listed many of the areas camps with links to their websites.  They were divided into categories depending on what they offered.  I found many camps and links on the site that I wouldn't otherwise have found.  So, I wanted to let our readers know about it.

What we liked: We love that it listed lots of Durham summer camps in one place.  In addition, they also have tips and FAQ's about how to find a good summer camp, save money, prepare your kid for their first summer camp, etc.

What to keep in mind:  The website does charge for camps to be listed so it is not a complete listing of camps in the area.  They do give nonprofit camps free listings.

Website: http://www.durhamsummercamps.com/

Three-fer Thursday: Duke Gardens+Blue Corn Cafe+Francesca's

This Three-fer Thursday we head up by Duke University to check out some great kid-friendly stops.  To start out, pick a day with beautiful North Carolina weather and head on over to the Duke Gardens.  The Duke Gardens are sprawling and beautiful, and there are so many things you could choose to do--run on the lawn, marvel at the beautiful flowers and plants, watch the birds in the lake, or just wander and see where a path takes you.  It's a great place to wear out some kids.

After wearing out your kids at the first stop, head on over to Ninth Street for a little refreshment.  While Duke Gardens is at West Campus, Ninth street is a block away from East Campus.  Fortunately, it's only about a mile down the road.  Once there, park in the lot and head to Blue Corn Cafe for lunch.  If the kids have any energy left, there is actually a kids' play area in the back of the restaurant (or at least there was the last time we were there).  So, you can sit and enjoy your meal, and if your kids get twitchy, they can head to the kids' area and play.

Once you have had your fill of deliciousness, you might be craving a little something for your sweet tooth.  That's easily accomplished on Ninth Street.  Just head out of the restaurant and walk a few doors down to Francesca's for a little gelato, yum!

Variations: Wow, there are so many variations on Ninth Street that you could add to this Three-fer.  If the weather is bad and you can't make it to the gardens, don't completely avoid this Three-fer, just head to Ninth Street and start at Playhouse Toys or The Regulator Bookshop.  You can easily spend some decent time at both of these stops.  Then, if Latin American food at Blue Corn Cafe is not your thing, you can head up Ninth Street and have a meal at the equally kid-friendly Elmo's Diner.  For dessert, if you're not feeling the gelato, you can stop by The Ox and the Rabbit for some shakes.  There are so many options, so prepare to have some fun!

When to go: You could head to this Three-fer in the morning with your meal at lunch.  Or, you could do this Three-fer in the evening for a dinner meal.  Keep in mind that Blue Corn Cafe is not open on Sundays and Playhouse Toys is not open on Sunday or Monday.

What it'll cost you: You will have to pay to park at the Duke Gardens, and that cost will vary depending on how long you stay.  So, plan on bringing around $5 for parking.  Then, entrees at Blue Corn Cafe will cost you $5-10 for lunch or $10-15 for dinner.  Francesca's will be another couple of dollars for your gelato.

What to bring: Bring money and your diaper bag.  You may want to bring a blanket to lay on the lawn at the Gardens or a ball to kick around, and definitely bring your camera for some cute kiddos in the picaresque gardens.  For the Ninth Street park of the excursion, just bring your appetites!

March Giveaway-Portrait Innovations

It's back!  After a several month break it's time for another Stir Crazy Moms giveaway!! This one comes at the perfect time too.  Now that spring is about to arrive, it's the time that we all start thinking about cute springtime photos of our kiddos.  I know I've been eyeing the store windows for adorable little spring or Easter outfits for my boys.  This giveaway gives you the perfect opportunity to dress the kiddos up and get some beautiful pictures of them.

Portrait Innovations is an a NC-based company with two Triangle portrait studios.  For this giveaway they have been kind enough to offer one of our lucky readers a $100 gift certificate for any photos.  (Check out our post on them here.)  Having been a VERY regular customer at their Durham location near Southpoint I know just how many great pictures $100 can get you, so this is a great opportunity.  We love the photographer that takes our pictures and absolutely love the price and quality of the pictures, so we're excited to have the opportunity to share this great giveaway with you.

So, what do you have to do to win?  Simply write a comment on this post on the blog or on facebook and tell us what your favorite photo outfit for your little ones is.  I have to say that some of my favorite photos of my boys involve cute hats of some sort.  I love a cute boy in a hat!  To gain extra entries simply become our follower on facebook, blogger, or twitter and let us know that you did, or if you are already a follower just let us know and we'll give you the extra entries.  You will have until Tuesday, March 13 at midnight to enter the giveaway, so happy entering!

(Just a note: the gift certificate is only valid for photos, not any other specialty product offered by Portrait Innovations, but feel free to purchase any of these products on your own because there are some really cool new products.)