The Topiary Park of Columbus

Columbus Ohio is one of our go-to places for family fun. The city has so much to offer to families. From the Columbus Museum of Art to the awesome playgrounds for kids, there is always something to do in Columbus!

A few weeks ago we attended Brick Universe, to the delight of my Lego loving kids. After we had taken the time to play with all kinds of legos and browse the vendors, we decided to take in the Topiary Park of Columbus on Town Street. This is such a lovely little spot in the city. If you have never been, you are really missing out on something amazing.

Giving my kids exposure to art is important to me. Both kids love to sculpt with playdough and they both love to draw. Encouraging their love of the arts keeps them interested in creating! A little-known fact is that as a child, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I often wonder what might have been if only someone told me to keep sketching or had taken me to a fashion week kind of thing...

So, as we arrived at the Park, and found ample parking opportunities, we entered an almost empty park. An elderly man sat reading on a bench. At the other end of the park, a father-son duo conversed quietly. It was nice to be able to allow the kids a little freedom to stretch their legs and observe this living art in their own ways.


The park is one of a kind. It is a gorgeous, green and lush atmosphere with breathtaking flowers, a pristine pond, and these amazing topiaries. It is an interpretation of the painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte by Georges Seurat.

The experience is delightful. It offers one the chance to walk amongst the art, a rare occasion in this digital day we live in. The stroll was nothing short of magical for my kids. They have been several times and they never tire of a trip to The Topiary Park of Columbus.

I loved how serene the park was, despite the location in the city. If I were frequently in the downtown area, I could see myself slipping away to the Topiary Park for coffee and contemplation or a dreamy place to pass time with a good book in hand.

Paper Plate Lion Craft

This easy paper plate lion craft requires basic supplies and makes for a roaring good craft for the little ones!

I am an advocate for crafting with kids! I think that with simple supplies you can open up an entire world for the kids. This easy paper plate lion craft is a perfect activity for preschoolers and kindergarteners. It utilizes fine motor skills and it gives kids a chance to explore their own wild side as they give their paper plate lion a personality!

To make this easy craft we used:
Kwik Stik
Uncooked Rotini Noodles
A clean paper plate
school glue
2 googly eyes

Begin by painting the rim of the plate orange
Paint the center of the plate yellow
glue rotini noodles on the rim of the plate to make the mane
Add eyes
Draw on a face with your Kwik Stik

We love to make easy crafts! With 2 kids under the age of 6, I grab every opportunity I can to get crafty with them! Some of you might be familiar with my crafting show on facebook live, where we make a lot of adorable and easy crafts, if not, I hope you will join me on the Quirky Momma facebook page on Monday or Friday nights at 8:30 pm, or Wednesdays at 9 am eastern or 7:30 pm.

Find more paper plate crafts here:

Paper Plate Crafts for Kids

Paper Plate Witch

Mason Jar Lasagna

Mason Jar Lasagna is a fun way to easily take a favorite dish picnic style for date night or a family dinner at the park!

There is something about mason jars that make me giddy. They are so incredibly useful; they are cute and come in so many shapes and sizes, and they are perfect for taking delicious things just about anywhere! 

There is also something about lasagna that makes me swoon. The layers, the cheesy dreamy textures, the sauce. Sigh, now that folks, is what dinner is all about the euphoria the mention of a food, like lasagna, can give you!

I brought these 2 favorite things together to create an awesome dish to take along with us, while we enjoyed this unseasonably nice Ohio winter weather! Mason Jar Lasagna keeps warm during the transport, is so easy to eat, where ever and it adds so many amazing layers to the dish that who could resist it?

My recipe is a little better than anyone else's because of my secret ingredient cream sauce, but I am going to share it with you because anything this yummy should be shared with a smile!

Ingredients:

1 pound of Ground Beef, browned

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

8 lasagna noodles broken into chunks to fit into a mason jar

2 cups of mozzarella or Italian Cheese

1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 cup of diced onions and green peppers

Secret Cream Sauce {see below}

Directions

Begin layering all ingredients into jars until they are almost full. 

Seal the jars and submerge them in a pot of boiling water for about 10-12 minutes until the noodles are cooked and the layers are thoroughly heated. 

Carefully remove them and wrap them in towels to transport, or pop the lids off and enjoy right away. These jars will stay piping hot for about 25 to 30 minutes!

Secret Recipe Cream Sauce for Lasagna

1 block of cream cheese

2 ounces of milk

garlic powder

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cream cheese is completely melted

This is such an easy recipe for a yummy dinner that is packed full of veggies and cheese, not to mention meat and sauce!

Do you have a favorite mason jar recipe? I would love to hear about it!

Let Goldfish Lend a Helping Hand to Family Fun Time

                             

Being a mom means I wear many hats; from the schedule coordinator to the sorter of socks; the head chef and the chief smile officer. I also fill in a lot of supporting roles for my family; I am the activity coordinator we are always up for a creative project on my tour of duty which is otherwise known as being a Mom.

Not long ago, I got to wear a few of those hats I juggle all at the same time. My son came home from school and he felt glum. I assessed the situation and worked up a plan to make him smile while spending time together and having a snack.

We love Goldfish, it is a snack I feel good about offering my growing kids. Not only are they a tasty snack, but they are also baked with real cheese and they are free of artificial flavors and colors! Goldfish are the perfect snack when someone feels blue.

On this day, we went with Goldfish Colors, to brighten the day. Mr. SayCheese was looking a little happier, but I knew we could do better than that. We took snack time to a whole new level and made this fun stop motion video together.






It took a while, we munched many Goldfish as we brainstormed, but when it was finished, my son was smiling, he had snacked in style, and a few encouraging words helped his mood. After all, it was Quality Time, Spent Like a Couple of Bosses!

Guess what you guys?! You can visit this awesome Goldfish Smiles site to get inspired and learn more about the Goldfish Tales Animation Xperience! While you are there, visit the GoldfishTales page to submit your stop motion for a chance to win $5,000!

Salsa Steak Kebabs

The  weather is turning colder, but there is still time to fire up your grill and make something amazing like Salsa Steak Kebabs for dinner!

I don't know much about steak you guys. I really only eat it every few years. Sometimes I feel bad for my husband, who happens to love steak. So, a few weeks ago I made him something yummy, spicy and meaty! He was most pleased with the results and assured me anyone who likes meat will like this recipe!

Ingredients:

bacon pieces

green pepper

onion

steak cut into small rounds

salsa

salsa verde

skewers, presoaked in water

tortilla shells, soft

Directions:

Cut your onion and green pepper into small chunks

Make a few thin slits into your steak rounds, so that the salsa can soak into the meat.

Place salsa verde directly onto the meat, 

Place bacon bits on the salsa then add a chunk of pepper and a chunk of onion, wrap the meat around the veggies and salsa and thread it on to the skewer.

Add a chunk of onion and pepper to the skewer.

Repeat until you run out of veggies and meat.

Grill for 6-8 minutes, flipping half way through. Adjust cooking time to reflect what is recommended for the cut of meat you are using.

Place a skewer on a tortilla shell and slide the kebab off of the skewer.

Top with additional salsa, sour cream or ranch dressing.

Wrap and enjoy.

This was an easy to make and even easier to eat dinner. My husband loved it and has been asking me to make it again with chicken! 

How do you like to make your steak a little spicier? Tell me about it in a comment.