delaware Archives - Look What Mom Found

Dover Welcomes Outback Steakhouse

October 5, 2016 by Melissa

I’m not sure what a juicy steak, a deep fried onion or chicken tortilla soup have to do with Australia but I do know they all taste so so good at Outback Steakhouse. A new restaurant has opened in Dover, DE, and their opening day was one to be proud up. On October 3rd Outback Steakhouse donated a portion of the restaurant’s sales to the Food Bank of Delaware.

The Food Bank of Delaware distributes millions of pounds of products each year to its network of 575 hunger-relief program partners throughout the state and also provides thousands of meals a month for children through the After-School Nutrition Program, the Summer Food Service Program and the Backpack Program. The Food Bank’s hunger-relief programs provide for Delawareans at risk of going without meals each year. The Culinary School at the Food Bank of Delaware, the Food Bank’s workforce development arm, provides training for adults interested in careers in the food service industry.

As new comers to the neighborhood the support Outback Steakhouse is showing towards the communities needs is astounding. It’s gestures like this that make brands and businesses stand out and make us keep going back.

This restaurant will feature a “Modern Australia” design with décor that mirrors the indigenous flora and fauna, adventure, geography and leisure of modern day Australia. Guests will also enjoy a spacious, energetic bar area that includes two community tables – a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy specialty beer, wine and hand-crafted cocktails. The bar will also feature customized seating and furnishings.

We welcome Outback Steakhouse for many delicious years to come and want to celebrate with our readers with a $50 Outback Steakhouse Gift Card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Apple Picking and Fall Festivals in Delaware Valley

September 10, 2015 by Melissa

It’s a special time of year for my family. Yes it’s back to school. Yes it’s almost fall. But most of all it’s APPLE PICKING and Fall Festival season.

Each year, as a family, we pick apples. We pick very specific apples too, Honey Crisp. If you haven’t had a Honey Crisp apple you are missing the most delicious apple in the world. Their window of opportunity for picking is short and some people like to blame us for their short supply.

There have been years when we’ve brought home 40lbs of apples. It sounds like a lot but with 5 people picking at the same time the bags fill up very quickly.

So each year as Labor Day approaches I scour the local orchards to see when the picking begins and make sure we’re there on opening day.

This year, just like the last 4-5 years we were at Milburn Orchards at 10am. We hoped on the tractor and got a ride right into the apple orchard to have our way with their dwarf trees. It’s one of our favorite things to do.

There are so many great orchards in the area. These orchards are the the epitome of pure family fun. There are baked goods to eat, fresh cider to drink, hay bales to climb and animals to feed. Each location has different amenities and features but you’ll never be disappointed. Whether you’re looking for Pick Your Own fruit and pumpkins or build your own scarecrows or hayrides through haunted woods you’ll find so much in the area.

Milburn Orchards
1495 Appleton Rd
Elkton, MD 21921
Family owned and operated for over 100 years this farm practices modern but environmentally friendly farming. With dozens of varieties of pick your own fruits available there is something tasty to choose from Spring to Fall.

Filasky’s Produce
1343 Bunker Hill Rd,
Middletown, DE 19709
Not just any produce stand. If they can’t grow it they’ll share the local love by providing other local farms goods including ice cream from Woodside Creamery in Hockessin, Delaware.

Berry Good Farm
7637 Lancaster Pike
Hockessin, DE 19707
This place does one thing but they do it very very right. Being very young doesn’t stop Berry Good Farm from producing some of the juiciest and sweetest blackberries in the area that started by just an idea and has blossomed into a thriving and sustainable passion.

Fifer Orchards
1919 Allabands Mill Rd
Camden Wyoming, DE 19934
4th generation Fifer’s continue to grow a very diverse mix of high quality fresh fruits and vegetables including: asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries, apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, heirloom varieties, apples, pumpkins and more.

Highland Orchards
1000 Marshallton-Thorndale Road
West Chester, PA 19380
With over 200 acres of growing crops, there’s always something going on the farm. Highland Orchards offer all of their crops already picked for you in their Farm Market or you can Pick Your Own out in the field.

Arasapha Farms
1835 Middletown Road
Glen Mills, PA
Family friendly from a true family farm. Arasapha Farms is home the the Ultimate Harvest Festival with pedal car racing, pumpkin golf, petting zoo and of course a maze for the the adventure types.

Linvilla Orchards
137 W. Knowlton Road
Media, PA 19063
This is where our family had their first orchard experience. With so much to do almost anytime of year Linvilla Orchards is definnitely a staple for the Delaware County area with experiences that include fishing, swimming, Christmas tree cutting, corn mazes and the wonderful Pumpkinland.

Fruitwood Orchards Honey Farm
419 Elk Rd.
Monroeville, NJ 08343
Not just a fruit farm of nectarines, pears, apples and cherries this family owned business raises pollinating bees to help other farmers across the country. Oh they sell their honey too, fresh straight from the bees.

Pick one or two, visit and let me know how much fun you have.

DIY Dog Wash @PetValu

September 3, 2014 by Melissa

Some of you might follow me on Instagram and Facebook. If so you’ll see that one of our family members rejoined us. Sam the dog left us 2 years ago and circumstances arose that brought him back. We had a little adjustment period but he slid right back into his spot in our home.

Not much has changed. He loves running, balls, chasing cats and rabbits and cuddling like he’s a lap dog. Unfortunately something happened while he was gone and I don’t feel 100% comfortable with him around strangers. The day after he came home we took him for a check up and he snapped at the Vet and the Assistant. This also meant he’s labeled as an aggressive dog. That makes me sad. He’s far from aggressive. I’m thinking it was more of a trust issue and a lot of changes in a 24-hour period.

This also means taking him to the groomers for a bath heightens my anxiety. We haven’t done it yet but that’s ok because we found a neighborhood pet store, Pet Valu that has the greatest dog wash station in the back of their store.

I consider Pet Valu more of a boutique pet store. You won’t find animals for sale for one thing. Stay out of those places. BUT ours did have cats from the local no-kill animal shelter that were up for adoption. The cats didn’t like Sam.

Pet Valu seems to have a different approach to pets. They seem that as part of the family not just animals we’ve brought into the home. The selection of toys, food, care items and toys are a higher quality than what I find in other stores.

The dog wash center was amazing. We found 3 clean, large, tiled tubs with sprayers, towels and toiletries are available to whoever wants to bathe their own dogs. Sam is a 70lb lab mix. Bathing him in our home isn’t fun. These tubs were off the ground so the process was so easy. He was relaxed and let Rob do the washing, rinsing and drying with no problems. All of this for just $10. They provide the water, shampoo, towels and dryers. You have to supply your own comb or brush. We even borrowed a rubber apron to keep kinda dry.

Imagine taking your dogs to the local park and they jump into the pond. They smell terrible afterwards. Take your dog directly to Pet Valu for a bath.

Check out your own Pet Valu to see if this service is available to you.

Five Star Home Foods for Home Delivery

July 22, 2014 by Melissa

We are officially customers of Five Star Home Foods. This past week we accepted our first delivery of natural and organic foods while avoiding the grocery store, coupons, long lines and unloading from the car. Five Star Home Foods is the largest home delivery grocery service in my area but they are growing.

Five Star Home Foods brings quality and convenience to your door with a customized menu of Certified Angus beef, organic vegetables, wild caught fish, prepared meals and more. You get restaurant quality ingredients without the high costs of eating out. This is key for our family as we don’t eat out very much. As a family of five it’s impossible to stay on budget when spending $12 on burgers or $7 on fancy desserts.

Our initial delivery included what is explained to be a 3-month supply for a family of five. Our family of five is going through this food pretty quickly. Since we don’t tend to eat out much and I’m not one to serve breakfast or sandwiches for dinner we’re flying through our order. I prepare more traditional dinner style meals but so far have been pleased with the quality of what we received.

This is what we received as our 1st 3month supply

16oz London Broil
8 burgers
1 lb Beef Fajita Strips
6 Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops
4lb Boneless Center Cut Pork Roast
1lb Pork Sausage
2lb Country Style Ribs
1 Whole Roaster Chicken
6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2lbs Cod Filets
8 Chicken Thighs
8 Split Chicken Breasts
4 Crab Cakes
40oz Chicken Pot Pie
2lb Manicotti
6 bags Frozen Organic Vegetables
3 bags Frozen French Fries/Potato Products
Frozen Onion Rings
8 Twice Baked Potatoes
64oz Vanilla Cheesecake

We’ve enjoyed a few items already. I’m going to share a couple recipes I prepared with the meats we received. Be on the lookout for that.

See if Five Star Home Foods is in your area? Try out their free sample pack that includes chicken breasts, pork chops, chopped steak and 1 bag of frozen organic veggies.

Here’s a peek at what we did with that delivery. It feed all of us easily with the addition of a side dish.

Five Star Home Foods can be found on Facebook too. Reach out and see if their coming to your community.

Indoor Play Areas in Delaware

January 15, 2014 by Melissa

Delaware may be one of the smallest states but we know how to stay entertained and busy by packing in the fun within our small walls. When the weather is too cold or too wet to visit the beaches, state parks or playgrounds in our area we head to one of the many indoor attractions located in New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties.

When visiting museums, playlands or historical settings be sure to call ahead to confirm hours of operations, admission fees and exhibitions. As a parent I’m always curious to find out if I can bring in my own drinks or snacks or if those things can be purchased inside that particular place of interest. Taking a few moments to plan ahead can make for an easy day when you know what to expect from your intended destination.

Don’t forget to ask the guest relations or help desk is there are any hidden gems in the area that aren’t on your list. You might find something like the world’s largest Doctor’s Bag or the Fountain of Youth

Vince’s Sports Center
14 Gender Road
Newark, DE 19713
302-738-4859
Vince’s features a 9-Hole, Par-3 Golf Course, Indoor Baseball and Softball Batting Cages, two Miniature Golf Courses, and a huge Video and Ticket Arcade.

Delaware Children’s Museum
550 Justison St.
Wilmington, DE
302-654-2340
Unique exhibits that educate and inspire kids in art, architecture, banking, the environment and more

Delaware Museum of Natural History
4840 Kennett Pike
Wilmington, DE
302-658-9111
Encounter life-sized dinosaurs, look beneath the seas, experience an African watering hole, come face-to-face with a jaguar, marvel at the diversity of birds and shells from around the world.

Hagely Museum and Library
200 Hagley Road
Wilmington, DE
302-658-2400
Our scenic 235-acre campus along the banks of the Brandywine River includes the original mills of the DuPont Company, working machinery, a restored workers’ community, and more. Explore this microcosm of American industry and discover the fascinating links between history, science, and technology.

Christiana Mall Small Wonder Play Area
132 Christiana Mall (in front of Target)
Newark, Delaware 19702
(302) 731-9815
This 800 square foot play area showcases some of Delaware’s most beloved attractions.

Mount Cuba Astronomical Observatory
1610 Hillside Mill Road
Greenville, DE
302-654-4807
One of the world’s greatest astronomers, Miss Annie Jump Cannon, was a native of Delaware and Mt Cuba Observatory was established in her honor. On select public viewing days guests are invited to view the planets, moon, or other objects of special interest through the 4.5″ F. G. du Pont refracting telescope.

Winterthur Museum, Library & Garden
5105 Kennett Pike
Wilmington, DE 19735
800-448-3883
Winterthur (pronounced “winter-tour”) is the premier museum of American decorative arts, reflecting both early America and the du Pont family’s life here. Its 60-acre naturalistic garden is among the country’s best, and its research library serves scholars from around the world. Winterthur closed to the public January 6–February 28, 2014.

Center for the Creative Arts
410 Upper Snuff Mill Row and Route 82
Yorklyn, DE
302-239-2434
Explore drawing, painting, sculpture, pottery, glass work, mixed media, theater and much more with a variety of classes at this community center!

Bowlerama
3031 New Castle Avenue
New Castle, DE
302-654-0704
Bowlerama offers 62 lanes of bowling, arcade and redemption area, Dunkin’Donuts, a restaurant and sports bar.

Pump It Up
103 S James St
Newport, DE 19804
302-998-1144
Play areas filled with gigantic inflatables and colorful party rooms where your child is treated like royalty.

Christiana Skating Center

801 Christiana Road
Newark, DE 19711
302-366-0473
Classic roller skating fun.

The Pond Ice Arena
101 John F. Campbell Drive
Newark, DE 19711
302 266-0777
The Pond is open year-round and offers a variety of programs for recreational, figure and hockey skaters of all ages and abilities including daily open/public skate

Mid-Atlantic Grand Prix Indoor Karting
4060 N Dupont Hwy
New Castle, DE
302-656-KART
8 minute, 6 mile Go-karting races for ages 8 and up. Birthday party packages available.

Hullabaloo Amusement Center
44 Fox Hunt Dr
Bear, DE 19701
302-261-6169
Crawl, climb, slide and zip around in 2500 sq foot softplay area which includes softy climbing wall, ball guns and zip line.

Delaware Art Museum
2301 Kentmere Parkway
Wilmington, DE
302-571-9590
The Delaware Art Museum connects people to art, offering an inclusive and essential community resource that through its collections, exhibitions, and programs generates creative energy that sustains, enriches, empowers, and inspires. Family and Youth programs are available multiple times a month.

Abbott’s Mill Nature Center
15411 Abbott’s Pond Road
Milford, DE
302-422-0847
The nature center manages the 373-acre Milford Millponds Nature Preserve with hiking trails, boardwalks and teaching stations provide unique education opportunities.

xbōs Family Fun Center
456 W. Glenwood Ave
Smryna, DE 19977-1087
302-653-1800
Safe and fun-filled family environment with largest soft play on East Coast, bowling and arcade

DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum
708 Coastal Highway
Fenwick Island, DE
302-539-9366
One of the most comprehensive collections of shipwreck artifacts on the Delmarva Peninsula. There are thousands of items on display ranging from gold and Silver bars, coins, weapons, china and items used aboard early day sailing ships. The seashells, marine life tanks and our working lab will help to educate guests of all ages about the aspects of treasures from our ocean’s depths.

Chuck E. Cheese (2 locations)
3601 Silverside Rd.
Wilmington, DE, 19810
302-478-4420

1275 N. DuPont Hwy.
Dover, DE, 19901
302-736-9881
Free admission for games, rides, prizes, food and entertainment for the whole family.

McDonald’s Restaurant w/ Playland (multiple locations)
1401 Governors Place
Bear, DE
302-836-1308

Rt 404 & Rt 13
Bridgeville,DE
302-337-7882

2351 S College Ave
Glasgow, DE
302-733-0818

580 Middletown Warwick Rd
Middletown, DE
302-378-3936

653 North Dupont Hwy
Milford DE
302-422-5161

374 East Main St
Newark DE
302-737-0502

4527 Rt One
Rehoboth Beach DE
302-645-4885

4625 Kirkwood Hwy
Wilmington DE
302-999-8170

Not in Delaware but still looking for more fun indoor places for play and activities? Try these other lists created from my friends in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania

Berks County Indoor Play Areas

Bucks County Indoor Play Areas

Chester County Indoor Play Areas: Northern and Eastern

Chester County Indoor Play Areas: Western and Southern

Delaware County/Greater Philadelphia Indoor Play Areas

Delaware County Indoor Play Areas

Lancaster County Indoor Play Areas

Lehigh County Indoor Play Areas

Montgomery County Indoor Play Areas: Western

Montgomery County Indoor Play Areas: Eastern

Philadelphia Indoor Play Areas: Center City

Philadelphia Indoor Play Areas: Beyond Center City

Schuylkill County Indoor Play Areas

New Jersey

Atlantic County Indoor Play Areas

Burlington County Indoor Play Areas

Camden County Indoor Play Areas

Cumberland County Indoor Play Areas

Cape May County Indoor Play Areas

Essex County Indoor Play Areas

Gloucester County Indoor Play Areas

Passaic County Indoor Play Areas

Salem County Indoor Play Areas

Union County Indoor Play Areas

Sussex County Indoor Play Areas

Zip Lining with Go Ape at Lums Pond Delaware

November 5, 2013 by Melissa

A thrill seeker I am not! I don’t like roller coasters, I would never white water raft, hell I don’t even like to drive fast but when the opportunity came up to do zip lining I jumped at it. I very literally jumped off of a perfectly good working platform high in the trees.

Go Ape Zip Line and Tree Top Adventures in Lums Pond, Bear Delaware was NOT what I expected. I got up that morning and prepared myself for a short excursion in the woods where I thought I was just jumping out of a tree and landing gracefully at the end of the line.

What I didn’t expect was the ropes obstacle course I had to maneuver to get to those zip lines.

The course is made up of numerous rope ladders, 42 exciting crossings to include the Double Stirrups, Zigzag Trapeze, Flying Carpet and Canyon Crossing, 2 Tarzan swings and 5 zip lines.

When it got to moment where your only option was to jump and glide across the pond I happily did it because that meant I was giving my hands, arms and legs a break from the workout of climbing and strategizing the complex obstacle course.

I am not an athletic person but I kept up with my friends, Robin, Florida Steph and Kelly.

In fact Robin was my motivation to take a slightly more difficult path and overcome my laziness.

Robin was my motivation to keep going and not cry at the base of the tree

Go Ape Zip Line is new to Delaware. In fact I hadn’t heard of it until we were invited to try it out. The instructors give a great tutorial on safety, jumping and climbing the ropes.

You aren’t left out in the trees wondering how to get yourself out of the situation. I wish I had researched a little more on what to expect because I would’ve planned better for my own comfort. While I had one of the best times and overcame a bit of fear i’m not sure it is something I would ever do again. The obstacle course kicked my ass but the zip lining was amazing.

Here are my tips if you’ve ever wanted to try this for yourself.

Wear gloves
Make sure your shirt has sleeves
Wear lightweight and flexible sneakers
Brace yourself for the landing
Get a Go-Pro to catch the action

The shirt sleeve and brace yourself comments come from the crash landings most of us experienced. The ride down to the end is peaceful and relaxing but then the realization hits you that you have to stop. The instructors make it look simple but none of us were able to master it. In fact I landed on my back each time. Luckily for me I had on a tee. My partners and their skinny bodies wore tanks that exposed their backs and arms to the mulch burns upon impact.

The next day I felt good, slightly sore but most of the discomfort was from the “whiplash”.

It’s definitely something everyone should experience. If you are afraid of heights this is the perfect way to fight that, not too high but definitely up in the air.

Visit Go Ape to find a location nearest you.

Why Do Delaware School’s Around Us Suck So Bad?

September 6, 2010 by Melissa

One of the ONLY reasons and I mean ONLY reason we didn’t want to move back to Delaware was because of the school system. Right now the high school that Sabreena is going to is on academic watch. Being on academic watch means you didn’t fulfill testing requirements and a bunch of other criteria set by the state. The guidelines say if your child’s school is under academic watch they can choice out (meaning transfer) to another district school that isn’t under improvement but guess what all of the schools around us are on academic watch also.

We lived in Maryland for the last 3 years while Sabreena was is grades 6, 7 and 8 and Shaun was in K and 1st. We LOVED the schools in Maryland that Shaun and Sabreena went to. We felt the teachers were great and academically they were challenged. This year Sabreena’s high school sucks and so do all of the high schools around us the only good thing is that Shaun’s school is actually rated superior by the state. Thank goodness for one small nugget of good news.

This year is going to be a big challenge for Sabreena for a couple of reasons. The first is because it is high school. I think high school is a HUGE adjustment for kids and takes some getting use to. Teachers and students work differently in high school then they do in middle and elementary school. The second reason is her classes. Sabreena told us the honors science class that she is in this year (9th grade) is the same class that she had last year in Maryland in the 8th grade (NOT GOOD). Also they put her in Spanish 1 when she is suppose to be in Spanish 3. Sabreena went to see her guidance counselor Thursday but she was not in the office so she is going to try again after the Labor Day Weekend. I hope everything works out and the guidance consoler is able to help Sabreena get her schedule fixed.

I haven’t heard one thing about Shaun and school so in my book no news is good news. Plus if anything was going on Melinda would be sure to fill me in. So I am hoping next week things turn around for Sabreena and this class crap gets fixed so she can focus on her studies and not her schedule which should have been taken care of in the first place by school.

This is a NOT a sponsored post but the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Your experiences and reactions may differ from ours.

Right In Our Own Backyard

September 3, 2010 by Melissa

Maybe not literally but this is a park just minutes from our house that we have driven past hundreds of times but for some strange reason never visited. It was HUGE! The playground itself was broken down into 3 or 4 sections; which spots for toddlers and special needs kids too! I like the special UV protection “sails” that are over the picnic tables so you don’t have to roast while the kids play.

This is NOT a sponsored post but the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Your experiences and reactions may differ from ours.

We Have A New Blog

July 30, 2010 by Melissa

Now that we are back in the Delaware Valley we started a new blog called Discover the Delaware Valley. When I say we I actually mean Melinda because Melinda did the setup and the header for our new blog which I think looks awesome. It is in the very beginning stages and will give different information on the Delaware Valley like places to visit, events going on, etc.

I put our first post up tonight about events going on this weekend in Ocean City, NJ. If you are in the area please make sure to check out our new blog and if not stop by anyway just to show support and see what is going on in our neck of the woods.

Always Needing Something

July 28, 2010 by Melissa

With our move to Delaware we have been doing a lot of things to make the house ours. We have been doing a ton of yard work like weeding the garden and trying to make our deck a place to sit and hang out.

It feels like every time I turn around Melinda and I need something else for the house. I guess since we moved into a bigger and nicer house it is only natural to need and want new stuff. A few things on the list are a new coffee maker for work, outdoor lighting, deck box for storing toys and gardening tools and a storage bench for the foot of our bed for extra blankets and sheets. The list can go on and on, those are just a few of the things I can think of off the top of my head. At the end of the day we are just happy to be settled back home in Delaware.

We’ll be shopping soon at one of CSN’s many stores like www.luxebycsn.com or www.cookware.com. Check them out for yourself and find a HUGE selection of things for home, work and play.

What is on your list of needs/wants?

This is a sponsored post the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Your experiences and reactions may differ from ours.

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

Read Something

Kids in the Kitchen Linky Party

Find it Here

How To Cancel?

What’s Mom Found Now?