Saturday, July 28, 2012

Summertime Fun Acadiana

Summertime Fun Acadiana

no matter how hot or rainy it is or old you are


Children's Museum
of Acadiana
Learning By Doing

Downtown Lafayette








where...you can shop at a stocked grocery store, you can serve at a cafe, you can sit in the seat of an ambulance, you can be a vet, you can be a dentist, you can be a doctor/nurse, you can run a TV studio, you can be in a puppet show, you can make giant bubbles, you can create an awesome Mr/Mrs/Mixed up PotatoHead...or if you're a Wee one there's Wee Acres just for you...

and I'm here to tell you that parents-Mom's/Dad's/Mooma's (aka G-ma's) can pretend right along with the kids - WooHoo?!

On top of all this fun you can be Green & Community minded & Participate in the TerraCycle Brigade Program...

a Fab Recycle Program that's not your average paper/plastic/glass kind of deal either...

link to Terra Cycle - where you can "outsmart waste"...
http://www.terracycle.net/en-US/

link to about the Terra Cycle - Brigades Program...
http://www.terracycle.net/en-US/brigades.html

"TerraCycle offers national programs (Brigades®) to collect previously non-recyclable or hard to recycle waste. While some programs have a cost, most of our Brigades offer free shipping as well as a donation for each piece of garbage that you collect. Sign up to collect one or more of the waste streams listed, or find out more about how the Brigade programs work."

The Children's Museum of Acadian Participates in the Terra Cycle Brigade Program...
And if you have Questions or Need more Information then you can Contact CMA
Queen of Green - Samantha Simmons

at visitorservices@cmalaf.org
or call her at 337-232-8500


Collection Items List for CMA

"TerraCycle is a company that offers national programs (Brigades®) to collect previously non-recyclable or hard to recycle waste, and then converts it into cool new eco-friendly products.  This collection program provides an opportunity to raise funds for non-profits like the CMA and, most importantly, saves tons of garbage from ending up in landfills across the globe.  To join the CMA in participating in this program, please contact the items from the following list and deliver to the front lobby during business hours."

Bear Naked Packaging
Candy Wrappers
Used/Broken Cell Phones
Cheese Packaging
Cleaner Packaging
Colgate Oral Care
Dairy Tubs & Containers
Digital Cameras
Drink Pouches
Used/Broken GPS
GoGo Squeez Packaging
Graphing Calculator
Huggies Packaging
Ink & Toner Cartridges
Kashi Brand Packaging
Keyboard & Mouse
Used/Broken Laptops
Lunch Kit Packaging
Mp3 Players
Neosporin Tubes
Personal Care & Beauty Packaging
Scotch Tape Dispensers
Scott Brand Packaging
Sprout Brand Baby Foods
Solo Cups
Tortilla & Tostada Bags

"This is Not Your Average Recycling Program! - Thanks for Lending a Hand"

Not on the CMA list, but on my own I see I could be doing this...

Cork Brigade®

Recycle your waste with Nomacorc®

TerraCycle® is saving millions of corks from going into landfills by recruiting wine enthusiasts, restaurants, bars, tasting rooms, and wineries. As an eco-friendly innovator, TerraCycle upcycles natural and synthetic corks into cool products that are available nationally at major retailers.
Participating in a TerraCycle Brigade is totally free! There are no signup or participation fees, and the shipping is covered by the program. Once you have joined the Cork Brigade®, simply follow the steps below:
  1. Collect enough approved corks to fill up a box or bag (approved waste is listed below). Don’t be afraid to reuse a shipping box or bag and use eco-friendly padding!
  2. Download a pre-paid shipping label from terracycle.net. To acquire a pre-paid label, simply access your TerraCycle account online, and click “SHIP US YOUR WASTE”. You can print them out yourself or request that TerraCycle send the label.
  3. Ship the box to TerraCycle by affixing the pre-paid postage label and dropping it off at a UPS location.
There is no TerraCycle point contribution associated with shipments received through this Brigade.
For more detailed information please check out the Cork Brigade FAQ.
Cork Brigade accepted waste: natural wine cork, synthetic wine cork, cork stops.

Link to Terra Cycle - Cork Brigade®...
http://www.terracycle.net/en-US/brigades/cork-brigade.html

Note: I will be contacting the Queen of Green to find out if anyone is collecting for the Cork Brigade--just think about how many bottles of wine are opened in Lafayette, LA at not just restaurants but in folks homes...if they just knew were to send them/drop them off/have them picked up even we could be upcycling who knows how many corks for who knows how many cork boards (or suggest other uses for them to be crafted into after upcycling...hmmm...)


photo credit: Terra Cycle Cork Brigade®

Product Details

"This corkboard made from wine corks is the perfect place to pin a shopping list, a photo, or a hook for your keys. Uniquely assembled from 100% natural, biodegradable, and renewable materials, this solidly constructed corkboard will provide a valuable place to keep your hectic life pinned together for many years to come.  Dimensions: 16" T x 16" W

Over 15 billion wine corks are used worldwide every year. Stacked end to end, that is enough to circle the earth almost 20 times! As an eco-friendly innovator, TerraCycle® partners with wine enthusiasts, restaurants, bars, tasting rooms and wineries to keep corks out of the waste stream and converts them into environmentally responsible products. Help us help the earth by reusing this precious natural resource."

Link to Terra Cycle Facebook...
https://www.facebook.com/TerraCycle

Link to Terra Cycle Twitter...
http://www.twitter.com/terraCycle

Link to Terra Cycle YouTube...
http://www.youtube.com/terracyclevideos

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Jump Zone
Ambassador Caffery Pkwy

We went to Mom & Me Monday - with really Mom & Me & Mooma (aka G-Ma at our house) - plus there were really Me & Me as there was Sister & Sister that went...both under 6 years old - but it seems that on this day Mom & Me/Me & Mooma could 'all' get on all the Bouncey/Jumps...
But really we hung out mostly in the "Little Jumper Zone" & had more than enough fun?!




photo credit: me--cutest G-Baby
South of the Mississippi
Link to Open Play Schedule & a Calendar...
http://www.jumpzoneparty.com/JumpZone_Open_Play.php?jzpcity=Lafayette&jzpid=040

Link to Jump Zone...
http://www.jumpzoneparty.com/Birthday-Party-for-Kids.php?jzpcity=Lafayette&jzpid=040

Note: my fantasy adult birthday party still involves either a big jumper castle for just adults to jump in all afternoon or a swimming pool filled with plastic colorful balls like the kids get to play in at some burger joints I won't name...

Can you just picture it...a pool/maybe a swimming pool--full of these?!






Are you ready to Jump/Jump...am considering all the 'jump' songs there are too to go along with this fantasy party--lol?!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Zoo of Acadiana
Evangeline Thruway





where you can even go walk thru the jungle
in the rain, during thunder/lightning
tho you tend to miss a lot what with ducking under covered bridges
or snack areas
or like running for the hills (or your lives)
And you don't go to the playground
or the petting zoo kind of thing
but can still spend time in the shop looking for the perfect stuffed animal you just saw
it was fun I have to admit to watch gators blink in the rain
or the leapard shake like a housecat with his furcoat full of rain water


photo credit: from Facebook page
(I always want to catch peacocks spreading their spectacular tail feathers like this, but rarely do - so I have to enjoy other's photos of them...)

Note: there are white peacocks at the Zoo of Acadiana that I don't recall ever seeing before - of course tried to take their photos & would not wait (an eternity) to see 'if' they may spread their tail feathers (not with soaking wet G-Babies in tow, in a stroller or on foot splashing thru puddles in blinking little sneakers?!)



photo credit: again me & again the cutest - OK 1st cutest
& the previous 2nd cutest G-Baby, again South of the Mississippi



photo credit: Moi--but not with tail feathers spread, another time--white peacock, another time... we'll meet again...


Link to Zoo of Acadiana...
http://www.zooofacadiana.org/

Link to Zoo of Acadiana Facebook page...
http://www.facebook.com/ZooFan
(if nothing else go for the cute animal photos that you may have missed while visiting - like Gabriel the Giraffe when she turned 7 years old)

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Zoo of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA


Map of Baton Rouge Zoo...
we did it all...& the train too...we were melting, it didn't rain, we were sweat puddles by the end...
the girls liked to wash up in the Petting Zoo wash your hands/water fountain a lot, as well as sit in front of fans with mist makers or with a Slushee or Slurpee or Icee or whatever else folks call them now in their hands or water, lots & lots of plain water--anything to cool off?!

Our Top Fav (Second from Top--the River Otter's Pond...)

Zoo Webpage Photo

Link to Baton Rouge Zoo - Welcomes Baby Zebra...
http://www.brzoo.org/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=353&nid=0



photo credit: me--when visited with the G-Baby Girls...
Olympic/aka new baby Zebra is only One Day Old in this pic...Aww...
(Oh & it felt like Africa out there too, hot as I'm sure--only these two don't have to run for the closest watering hole, they're safe & sound at the Zoo...)

 

Zoo webpage photo
(how do they take such Fab photos?!)


 


photo credit: me trying to photo thru the glass, thru the water, trying to focus on moving fast river otter...sigh...I'll have to leave it to the professionals...


 


photo credit: me again, this time above water, zooming in to them playing on the bank of the manmade zoo river--still they look like they're having fun, but then it seems Otters/River or Pond are always looking like they're having fun (along with their cousins the Sea Otters as well...)

 

photo credit: me--it's the sign at the Otter Pond...
Otter to the Rescue
from The Atchafalaya Times
Sunday Edition
50 cents...

Otter to the Rescue
or a Good Indicator

Gator Says:
Did you know Otters help researchers evaluate the health of wetland habitats?

Otter Thinking:
OK Nurse send in The Wetlands!

Gator Says:
Not that way Silly!

Your presence helps show a river Wetland habitat is complete and healthy. You're what's called an Indicator Species!

Otter says:
Cool!


Link to Baton Rouge Zoo...
http://www.brzoo.org/


Thursday, July 5, 2012

Freetown Farmer's Market


Freetown Studios - home of Freetown Market
or at least every Wed & Sat...
(photo credit: Facebook album - logo for Farmer's Market at Freetown Studios)

Freetown Studios webpage link...





Was given 2 'lagnaippe' carrots with my zucchini/heirloom tomatoes (see pics below)
Should buy more--if I only had a bunny to eat all those green tops
(note: don't tell me I should eat the carrots tops, wouldn't know where to begin to cook 'em & also don't tell me to 'eat the flowers' either - had them once in a salad in either Colorado or Germany & it just felt wrong, perhaps I'm not 'animal' enough?!)









Baker had me at cranberry...




Organic eggs - Free Range Chickens


I so enjoyed my conversation with the couple at the table about...
"What's better the 'white' eggs or the 'brown' eggs?!"

Link to article about what Huffington Post thinks about this question...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/white-vs-brown-eggs_n_1342583.html


Also bought organic chicken breasts & had them grilled...
(felt better just for knowing where they came from?!)

Bayou Farm webapge link...
http://www.bayoufarm.com/


Heirloom Tomatoes - so small but oh so tasty
Zucchini - made veggie sticks

(Note: had both when company came to the house & they were impressed, we eat so few veggies--that would of been enough right there am thinking...Oh look it's a vegetable! And what do you call this one?!)






Freetown Market Sign
(photo credit - Facebook page...until I can take my own photo, thanks?!)

Freetown Farmer's Market - Facebook page...

Regarding Days/Hours...

"New Extended Summer Hours! We will be opening an hour earlier on Saturday and an hour later on Wednesday!

Our new hours will be:

Saturday 9am to 2pm and Wednesday 2pm to 7pm.

Hope to see you there at our great new place!!"





Diana's Lost Recipes

I don't see it, but I know I bought the jar of Fig preserves...
now to find them in the fridge again, so I can have them on toast tomorrow for breakfast
(note: seeing Quail eggs in the jars--I do recall trying them once in Doha, Qatar at a party as an appetizer & I was surprised they were OK, could be 'cause they taste just like eggs?!)

Regarding the move & new location...

"Freetown Market Tomorrow! 10am to 2pm at the at our new location:

421 Convent Street, Lafayette, LA 70501
Freetown Studios

Two blocks down from the Blue Moon Saloon, just past Lamar st.

...
Lots of summer goodies on our new lot!"
 




Jim's Kountry Pies

Yes - of course - I tried a pie, but chickened out & went only so far as to buy apple (there are so many more flavors--but I do not need to eat pie, no day...)

Link to Local Harvest Org. listing for Freetown Farmer's Market...
http://www.localharvest.org/freetown-farmers-market-M45652

(note: see flowers checked off & both times I went I didn't see any flowers, but did see some herbs...)

Eat Wild Louisiana link to their webpage - listing LA farms...
http://www.eatwild.com/products/louisiana.html

Brookshire Farms
Butterfield Farm
At Earth Friendly Farms
EquiTerra Farm
Gotreaux Family Farms
Hollywood Livestock
Iverstine Family Farms

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More about Freetown Lafayette, LA...

http://savefreetown.blogspot.com/

About Freetown

"- Glenn Armentor's
"History of Freetown and The Good Hope Hall"

-
Where is Freetown?

The name 'Freetown' is not an official designation.
As such, there is no clearly defined boundary to the area.
The name though goes back over one hundred years.
Roughly, Freetown is the area of Lafayette bounded to the South by Jefferson Street, as far as Johnston Street. The Western boundary runs from Jefferson Street, along Johnston Street as far as Garfield Street. Garfield Street forms the Northern boundary of Freetown, along the railroad tracks, as far as Taft Street. The Eastern boundary runs along Taft Street, back to Jefferson Street. An illustration of this area can be found here."

Link to the "here" - an aerial map with an outline of the Freetown area - at the time also under the possibility of further development outlined...
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7713/3049/1600/freetownOutline.jpg

(Note: Link to Google Map for Freetown - Port Rico area, see dashes on streets & didn't realize it went over the other side of the railroad tracks a few blocks, but here it does on the Google Map...

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=freetown+lafayette+la+map&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x86249c940fd51e15:0x5acaa592b6424c6f,Freetown+-+Port+Rico,+Lafayette,+LA&gl=us&ei=fzP1T-DwNIWK8QSA1-HQBg&ved=0CAUQ8gEwAA )

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More about Freetown Studios...

Article by Reggie Michael Rodrigue - of  Louisiana Aesthetic Blog...

Link to his Blog about the article...
http://louisianaesthetic.com/2012/05/28/as-the-rooster-crows-the-saga-of-lafayettes-freetown-studios/
Link to the article about Freetown Studios - As the Rooster Crows...
http://pelicanbomb.com/home/post/234

"Freetown Studios is Acadiana’s first and only non-profit multi-media arts center to open its doors in Freetown-Port Rico, the up-and-coming neighborhood adjacent to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette known for its roaming chickens. Near downtown Lafayette, the neighborhood is also home to many private artists’ studios, including the Francis Pavy studio and the Warehouse on Garfield studios, as well as the hybrid bed and breakfast/saloon/concert venue, the Blue Moon, which have all been part of the neighborhood for over a decade. The city government of Lafayette is planning to designate the neighborhood as an arts district in the near future with a new sculpture park possibly running along the train tracks that form one of its borders." - Reggie Michael Rodrigue

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Other links about Freetown...

An unauthenticated History of Freetown & the Good Hope Hall - by Glenn Armentor...

http://www.lafayettepublicpolicy.com/history_of_freetown2.html

The Freetown - Port Rico Neighborhood Plan - by Lafayette Consolidated Gov't/ City-Parish Planning Commission - LINC/Lafayette in a Century...

http://www.lafayettelinc.net/LINCWeb/LDAREAS/LINC7/Written%20Plan_Amend_3.pdf

Link to LINC/Lafayette in a Century - Comprehensive Planning...
http://www.lafayettelinc.net/linc/Area/LDA07/tm07.asp

"8.0 External Links

Several members of the Board have expressed an interest in creating non-official web spaces which will be less structured than this official web page. We encourage you to visit these links for other facets of an experiment in participatory democracy as we change over time..."
  • Savefreetown Blog: a blog by community activists
  • June 21, 2006 The Indpendent: Initial reports of the Capstone development
  • Google Capstone and Lafayette in the News
  • A History of the Neighborhood and Good Hope Hall by the Glenn Armentor Law Firm
  • Le Festival de Ville de Libre (Freetown Festival) in Lafayette Advertiser
(Note: all links were broken on this list - except for Save Freetown Blog & that I've already added a link to above...)