family Archives - Our Tiny Nest

0 In family/ Lifestyle

Where to see sunflowers in the Capital District

This post contains affiliate links

Sunflower season is upon us. And many of us are wondering where we can go and get some Instagram worthy photos frolicking in the flowers or perhaps family photos. I’ve done a little research and I’m sharing some spots where you can see sunflowers in the Capital District. (I’ve also linked my dress and headband below, both Amazon finds!)

Where to see sunflowers in the Capital District

Golden Acres Charolais Farm, Westerlo, NY – this was one of my favorite surprise finds last summer. (Closed for Summer of 2022 to allow rotation of their crops)

Bowman Orchards, Rexford, NY – Throughout August selling tickets for Sunflower blooms and butterflies. They also have fun farm activities for the little ones. offering blooms and butterflies.

Liberty Ridge, Schaghitocoke, NY – Now selling tickets for their Sunflower Festival. Admission includes access to the sunflower field, 1 free sunflower, live music, and the Barnyard Adventure full of activities and games for the kids.

Sand Flats Orchard, Fonda, NY – We just discovered this friendly family run farm this past weekend. You can visit their sunflower fields anytime during U-Pick season but they also are selling tickets for visiting during sunset.

Herrington’s Pumpkins, Buskirk, NY – This farm is near Rensselaer and has over 6 acres of sunflowers. $5 per person and includes 3 stems.

If you’re local to the Capital District and know of some other beautiful sunflower spots, comment below!

Shop my look

Dress // Headband

And stay tuned for my Guide to the Capital District with some of my favorite spots!

Sign up below so you don’t miss a post!

August 17, 2021 By Nicolle

0 In family/ travel

A Weekend Getaway for the kids to New Jersey

Disclosure – I received tickets to Diggerland and Legoland in exchange for this honest review.

After a long year in quarantine, we wanted to take the kids somewhere special and fun. We recently took a little weekend trip to New Jersey and the kids had a blast! We stopped at Diggerland, Legoland, and Nickelodeon Universe. I’m sharing all of our stops and some tips to help you plan your trip.

We split the weekend up in two days, doing Diggerland on Saturday and then Sunday we did Legoland and Nickelodeon Universe since they’re both in the American Dream Mall.

Diggerland USA – East Berlin, New Jersey

Our first stop was Diggerland USA. A place where it’s totally appropriate for kids to operate heavy machinery. A few things that are worth noting – We went on a Saturday and were there for 11am which is when their website says the park opens. We were able to get our tickets and get in however, the rides, attractions, don’t actually open until noon. So we waited for an hour which was a little tough with two excited kids who just wanted to explore. So my tip would be, plan to arrive at noon, otherwise, you’ll sit around. My suggestion would be pack a little lunch and have a tailgate party in the parking lot until they open.

Secondly, most of the rides require children to be 36 inches tall, which was perfect for our oldest, but with the exception of 2 rides, there wasn’t much our 2 year old could do so I would plan accordingly.

There is also a waterpark as well so if you’re going in the warmer months, bring your bathing suits and towels!

Legoland Indoor Discovery Center – in the American Dream Mall East Rutherford, New Jersey

This was our favorite part of the entire trip! Legoland is located right in the American Dream Mall near the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ, closest to Parking lot A on the first level. One important distinction is that this is not the same as Legoland. Legoland is an outdoor theme park which we plan to hit up in the future. Legoland Indoor Discovery Center is an indoor playground perfect for ages 3-10 years old. As soon as we entered Legoland, we hopped on the Imagination Express, a train ride through different lego worlds where you have the ability to partake in a simulated video game. The kids had a blast.

I think the one thing that captivated us adults was MiniLand, a New York City replica made completely out of legos featuring various famous NYC attractions such as Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Coney Island and the kids favorite – the NY Islanders hockey rink.

Other attractions include a 4D Lego movie, areas throughout the for building with legos and character meet and greets.

Also next door to Legoland is the New Jersey SEA LIFE Aquarium which featured over 10 tanks and an area where kids can actually be hands on with the sea life.

Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park – in the American Dream Mall East Rutherford, NJ

Right after we finished at Legoland and the SEA LIFE Aquarium, we hit stopped and got something to eat inside the mall and then walked over to Nickelodeon Universe. Buy your tickets online and you will be given a block of time to visit.

Nickelodeon Universe is an indoor amusement park featuring rides and attractions based off of popular Nickelodeon shows. There was something for all ages, thrill rides and big rollercoasters, to smaller rides for younger kids and families. Rick and I were hit with nostalgia seeing the shows from when we were younger such as Rugrats, Ren & Stimpy and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The kids enjoyed the rides with their favorite characters such as Blues Clues, Paw Patrol and Blaze and the Monster Machines.

There’s a little spot for toddlers where they can play in Adventure Bay and climb on all of their favorite pups vehicles. Mav’s day was made!

Overall we had a great time as a family! The kids had a blast and it was nice to have a little sense of normalcy after a crazy year.

For more travel, check out our Family Vacation to Rhode Island.

July 7, 2021 By Nicolle

0 In family/ kids

Our favorite backyard activities for the whole family

This post is sponsored by Fox Pest Control but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Since we’re home this summer, we’ve been getting creative with fun activities to do in the backyard for the whole family. And thank you to Fox Pest Control, we no longer have to worry about pesky mosquitoes, stink bugs or ticks.

Check out some of our favorite backyard activities for the whole family below. And be sure to scroll to the bottom for a special offer from Fox Pest Control!

Our favorite backyard activities for the whole family

1.) Make a giant water blob – If you’ve never seen the movie “Heavyweights”, there’s a giant pillow called “The Blob” . You can make your own giant water blob out of plastic sheeting and duct tape. Click here for the tutorial

2.) Make glow jars – these little jars are so pretty and whimsical. To make them you will need glow sticks (these are the ones I used from Amazon), glitter and a mason jar. Carefully cut the top off your glow stick and pour the contents into the mason jar. (I used 3 glow sticks for each jar). Sprinkle in some glitter, screw on the lid and shake. Then bring outside or put in your kiddos’ rooms at night.

3.) Make s’mores – It’s not summer until you’ve had one. My favorite is to use Reese’s peanut butter cups instead of the traditional Hershey bar.

4.) Bounce house fun – we recently got a bounce house for our yard and it was one of the best purchases we’ve made. It honestly keeps the kids occupied for hours. (Linking ours – it even has a ball pit!)

5.) Make a water slide – Rig up a hose to your slide on the bounce house or on your swingset to make a waterslide.

6.) Camp out in the backyard -Set up a tent and camp out in the backyard.

7.) Giant bubble bath – Fill an inflatable pool with water and some homemade bubble solution (click for my easy DIY recipe) to make a giant bubble bath!

8.) Star gazing – Layer a bunch of pillows and blankets in your inflatable pool, kick back and watch the stars.

9.) Water balloon pinatas – Fill a bunch of water balloons, hang them from a branch or clothes line and let your kids whack them with a baseball bat to spray water everywhere.

Save $60 off of your first treatment from Fox Pest Control

by mentioning code “TINYNEST” when you call

Pin for later

July 24, 2020 By Nicolle

7 In family/ kids

15 things to do with your kids while you’re social distancing

This post contains affiliate links

No doubt we’re experiencing some strange and uncertain times with the COVID-19 pandemic. Families are now spending alot of time together and you may be wondering how you’re going to keep your kids entertained while you’re social distancing.

Here’s a list of 15 things to do with your kids while you’re social distancing:

Make photo albums – this is a great opportunity to go through all the photos on your phone and actually make a photo album. I like to use the Motif Photo App and do it right from your phone or Shutterfly.
Have a “yes” day – I saw this idea awhile ago from Jennifer Garner. It’s one day where no matter what the kids ask, the answer is “yes”, within reason obviously. Ice cream for breakfast? Yes. Staying up late? Yes. Wear their pajamas all day and don’t have to brush their teeth? Yes.
Take your kids to the zoo – the virtual zoo that is. The Cincinnati Zoo will be live streaming some of their animals and exhibits on Facebook Live every week day at 3pm. Click here to head to their facebook page.
Camp-out in the living room – Get out all your blankets and pillows and make teepees in the living room. Even better if you have a fireplace and can have an actual fire. Tell ghost stories, play games and make s’mores!
Put on a performance – have your kids put together a dance recital or play complete with costumes.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt in the yard or at the park – find something soft, something yellow, something wet, etc.
Pretend to travel to another country – Have the kids pick a country and then make that day all about their culture. For example, if they choose France. Make macaroons, and build the Eiffel Tower out of legos or magna tiles. If they choose Ireland, play some Celtic music, watch RiverDance and bake Irish soda bread. It will give the kids a feeling of being somewhere else.
Pizza contest – everyone makes a specialty pizza and try one of each and see who’s was the best.
Make sensory dough – This is one of my favorite recipes to make your own play dough. It smells yummy and is completely edible!
Write letters – write some letters or cards and send them to a local nursing home or arrange to do penpals with some of their friends.
Go for a family bike ride – Head to the park or bike path and go for a nice family bike ride.
Have a backwards day – wear your clothes backwards, they have to walk backwards, you get the point
Do some spring cleaning – write down some things that you need to be cleaned or tidied up around the house that the kids can do. Put them in a hat and have each child pick one thing. Then set a timer for 15 minutes, play some loud music and they have to get it done in that time
Make shirts – make some crazy shirts with tie-dye or puffy paint
Have a Disney day – Watch movies on Disney Plus, play Disney games. You can even go on Youtube and virtually experience the rides.