Elephants!

Yes, that is right, Hope Maine is now the home to two super fabulous retired circus elephants.

The elephants, Rosie and Opal, arrived in November.  We have been very excited to see them and this past week we finally did.  I can not say enough wonderful things about our time at Hope Elephants.  We had a blast and the kids were in awe.

If you live in Maine or will be visiting Maine, our family highly recommends putting this on your list of things to do.

You can tell by the smiles on their faces how much they enjoyed it.

To visit Hope Elephants, all visitors must sign-up in advance for a scheduled presentation.  You can schedule your visit by calling 207-619-4801 (must include area code when calling, even if located in Maine) or emailing the center at info@hopeelephants.org.  They are very prompt at responding.

Strawberry Picking in Maine

Maine has some wonderful "Pick your own" seasons. 

Late June / early July is Strawberry Picking in Maine! 

Picking strawberries, apples, pumpkins, raspberries are all great family adventures.  Oh and don't forget about picking out your own Christmas tree and cutting it down as well. 

You can find a list of Pick your own location for all seasons and fruits here: http://www.pickyourown.org/MEA2E.htm

My girls and I picked Strawberries at Ravens Strawberry Farm in Thorndike Maine and had a great time.

The girls ate about 4 quarts of yummy Maine Strawberries and we also made 11 jars of strawberry jam. 

 

New Baby Bjorn Travel Crib

We are excited to share we have added BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib to our inventory. 

The BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib Light may be rented for a day, week, or month for newborns and up until the age of three.

                          BABYBJÖRN Travel Crib vs. Graco Pack n Play

    Bjorn Travel Crib                                       Graco Pack n Play

Mattress: 24 x 41 x 1.6 in.                        Mattress: 28.5 x 40 x .75 in.

Height: 32 in.                                                 Height 33.2 in.

Ages: Newborn to 3 years                        Ages: Newborn to 3 years
Weight Max: 30 pounds                           Weight Limit: 31 pounds

 

Press Release - Drop Rail Cribs

Local Company Act on Crib Recall

Mid-Coast Maine, June 25. 2010



Over the past five years the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled over 9 million cribs due to strangulation, entrapment issues or injuries. On June 24th another very large crib recall of over 2.2 million cribs was announced. There have been reports of 27 babies using drop rail cribs that have become entrapped and even suffocate, prompting this massive recall. These cribs were manufactured by seven different companies.

Mid-Coast Family Rentals, LLC (MCFR) recently replace all of their drop-rail cribs with non-drop rail cribs in anticipation of this recall. It was a costly expense purchasing all new cribs, but there is no dollar amount you can put on a child's safety. MCFR checks recall lists daily to keep ahead of any safety recalls on their baby equipment. MCRF suggests that if you are currently using a drop rail crib that is listed in this recall, STOP USING IT IMMEDIATELY until you have contacted the manufacture and received the free repair kit to immobilize the drop-sides. If you own a business that uses drop rail cribs for your guests of if you sell used baby equipment, please discontinue using/selling these products.



Please contact Jill at MCRF, 207-342-2147 if you need assistance getting these free repair kits or if you have any questions. For more details on this crib recall visit the CPSC's website: www.cpsc.gov .



Business Info: MCFR offers high quality, name brand baby equipment rentals to families traveling to Mid-Coast Maine. MCFR services Belfast, Camden, Rockland, Rockport, Warren, Cushing, Owls Head, Tenants Harbor, Searsport, Saint George and all surrounding towns

.

Contact info:

Jill Lepow, Mid-Coast Family Rentals, LLC, jill@midcoastfamilyrentals.com – www.midcoastfamilyrentals.com.

New Full Size Cribs

We at Mid-Coast Family Rentals are very excited to announce we have purchased all new non-drop side cribs this year.  The decision to purchase brand new non-drop side cribs came as a result of the drop side crib recalls.
 
We pride ourselves in providing our customers with premium, brand name baby gear.  We rent the same brands and products to our customers that we use with our own 2 young daughters.  Our 2 daughters cribs are not drop side and with all of the products recalls related to drop side cribs we would not use with our children.  That being said, we decided to purchase new cribs for safety and piece of mind.   

After extensive market research on all stationary side cribs available, we choose to purchase a couple different brands to try them out and see which we liked best.  All of our new cribs are JPMA and ASTM certified.

Please feel free to contact us via email or phone with any questions you have regarding Maine baby gear rentals.

New Compact Cribs have arrived!

We are happy to have found some great quality compact cribs to add to our inventory. They arrived yesterday and are beautiful. The cribs are quality, solid construction

Unlike most cribs on the market today and other baby products, our new cribs are commerical tested. Built to withstand the set up and breakdown over a long period of time.

If are you considering a crib rental and feel a full size is too big for your vacation home but want something a little more than a pack n play, we highly recommend our new compact crib.

Happy New Years - 2010!

Mid-Coast Family Rentals wants to wish you a Happy New Year.

May 2010 bring everyone good health and happiness.

You & Me - Great Song

Before having children myself I heard this great fish song being sung to a friends baby. Something about the rhythm of the song, I really liked. Almost four years later when it was my turn to sing to my first daughters I forgot the words to the song. A million times I said, I need to call Shelly and ask her for the words to my favorite fish song. Well you know how life goes, busy, forget, do not want to bother the person (who I see maybe one a year, but would like to see more), etc.





WELL, I am so happy to say, I saw her today at the grocery store with her two adorable little boys. I immediately said, PLEASE email me with words to that great fish song you used to sing Julia. Shelly is such a wonder person that tonight in my email were the words to the song I have been wanting to sing to my girls. I am so excited I can not even tell you..... and the girls are in bed. Tomorrow morning when they wake up, we will be a singing home!!!!





Here it goes; sing it with your little ones

You and me go fishing in the sea and the waves roll by

You and me go fishing in the sea and the waves roll by

We caught one fish, two fish, three fish and four

Then UP pops a whale with a splishy splashy tail and

We swam and we swam for shore

Halloween Party and Pumpkin Palooza - Camden

As a family, we wanted to share this with all of our Maine Families as well as all others who will be in Maine for Halloween.

Camden Public Library Halloween Party and Pumpkin Palooza

Calling all Pumpkin Carvers!!! Thursday October 29th. Join Amy and Susan for spooktacular stories, games, crafts and don’t forget to come in costume! Bring your carved Jack-o-lanterns to show off and display on the steps in the amphitheater, fully lit for an amazing and spooky spectacular. Everyone is encouraged to come out with their masterpieces for a community display of fabulous pumpkin carvings!

All ages welcome!

Join us for fun stories and activities at 6:00, and the pumpkin lighting will take place at the amphitheater at 7:15.

Call Amy with questions at 236-3440.

Haunted snack volunteers needed!

I'm a Nut

A favorite song in our home today - we want to share it with you

I'm a little acorn small and brown

Lying on the cold cold ground

Somebody came and stepped on me

That is why I'm cracked you see. . .

I'm a nut, (click, click)

I'm a nut, (click, click)

The Flannery Brothers

As a family we recently discovered the Flannery Brothers! The Flannery Brothers sing great silly kids songs.

We recently saw them at the Camden Maine Farmers Market as well as the Common Ground Fair. At both venues the kids were singing and dancing to all the songs. The songs are silly and the brother are constantly moving and being silly to kids stay engaged.

At the Camden Farmers Market we purchased their new cd and it is great! So great I have to admit when the kids are not in the car I still find myself listening to them. Shortly after of course I realize it and change the music, but I think they are great.

Check them out - http://www.flannerybrothers.com/

SUPER DUPER ADORABLE BOOK - I Met a Moose in Maine One Day

Oh how our family loves to read childrens books. We read books to our girls morning, noon and night. They both love to choose a pile of books and have mommy and daddy read to them.





My in laws do a wonderful job at updating our girls library monthly. Very generous of them I know. Well a few weeks ago they gifted a great book to our girls. Our oldest one loves to read about and see Maine Moose. So the book I Met a Moose in Maine One Day was a great find from the start. Well after reading the book just once, we all fell in love with it. It is a super duper adorable book about a day between a boy and a Maine moose. We as a family highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you enjoy Maine and Moose. The rthyme and great illustrations in this book are just simply adorable.





The author Ed Shankman and the illustrator Dave O'Neill have been found in Maine a few times signing books at LL Bean. You can also keep updated by becoming a fan of the book on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Met-a-Moose-in-Maine-One-Day/44951111574

For the next event or occassion you need a great education childrens gift, purchase this book.

Feeding the Camden Harbor Ducks

Yesterday my daughters and I went to the Camden Public Library. We participated in story hour and played with friends. The Camden Public Library and Story Hour are wonderful! Amy does a fabulous job singing and reading to the children.



Almost every trip to the Camden Library also requires a loaf of bread. What for you ask? Well, for when our oldest daughter says, "We are in Camden, can we feed the duck Mommie?" She loves to feed the two dozen or so ducks that have made their summer home in the Camden Harbor.

The moment you arrive these ducks start swimming your way. If I had to guess, these ducks feed on bread or crackers at least 10 times a day. The ducks are so used to people feeding them, they come within a few inches from you. By a few inches, I mean 3 or less.

When you are in Camden next, stop and feed the ducks. Your children will enjoy it and you will great some great photos of your children feeding them.

Turtle Named Tiny Tim

My oldest daughter is a very musical child. She is 2.75 years old and knows a ton of kid songs. I also have to say she can sing Taylor Swift songs, it is SUPER cute. She loves for me to sing her new songs and then within a time or two she is singing the song herself and no longer wants me to sing it with her.

So todays song is:

I have a little turtle, his name is Tiny Tim,

I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim (make a swimming hand motions)

He drank up all the water (make a gulping sound)

He ate up all the soap (make a munching hand motion)

Now he's got a bubble in his throat

Bubble bubble bubble, POP!

Maine Baby Leaf Peepers

This is a copy of a blog story I recently submitted to Baby Travel Pros Association.

“Maine Baby Leaf Peepers”
By Jill Lepow – Mom and owner of Mid-Coast Family Rentals, LLC – Maine Baby Equipment Gear Rentals

What is a leaf peeper? A leaf peeper is a person who engages in the activity of viewing the changing colors of foliage.
Fall in Maine, also known as Leaf Peeping Season, is a great time of the year to visit Maine as a family. Maine is known for the most brilliant and colorful foliage of all the New England states.In a little less than two months my husband and I will take our two daughters, ages 2.75 years and 10 months on an annual leaf peeping hike. We enjoy taking a day, putting on warm sweaters, packing a picnic lunch and choosing a local hiking trail to explore.

We enjoy parking in Lincolnville and hiking the Bald Rock Trail, a portion of Camden Hills State Park. We find the Bald Rock Trail to be a kid friendly hiking trail.
Camden Hills State Park is one of Maine’s hottest attractions for Leaf Peepers. On a clear day you can see for hundreds of miles, surrounded by water. It is a view worth seeing and do not forget your camera. A photo atop Mt. Battie makes a wonderful holiday card photo. If you prefer to experience Maine’s Foliage from the comforts of your automobile, you may do so using the Mt. Battie Auto Road.Kids love the fall season in Maine. It is not too hot or too cold yet and they can be outside for hours rolling around in the leaves, collecting them, tracing them on paper, and anything else their imagination suggests. There are several breath taking locations in which children can play safe while adults enjoy the views and historical features of Mid-Coast Maine. The Camden Amphitheatre next to the Camden Public Library is a great place for children to romp and play in the leaves while adults sit and enjoy the Camden Harbor. Another great secret spot is the Vesper Hill Children’s Chapel in Rockport Maine. The Children’s Chapel was erected in 1960 and draws hundreds of people each year. On your way to the Children’s Chapel from Camden, I highly suggest taking Chestnut Street and about a mile on Chestnut Street look for “Oreo cows”, at Aldemere Farms. Aldemere Farms is one of the world’s premier breeders of Belted Galloway.

Just down the road a few miles you will find the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse in Rockland. The Farnsworth Art Museum offers an opportunity to view art related to Maine, including the works of the Wyeths. Adults are $12.00 and children under 16 are free. The Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse is one of Maine’s more than 60 lighthouses. As a family we enjoy walking 7/8 of a mile along the lighthouses granite block pier and touring the lighthouse.

How about enjoying apple and pumpkin picking, we do! Kids love to pick their own apples and eat them on the spot or pick their own pumpkin for carving. Maine pumpkin patch owners enjoy getting creative. In the past their creativity has earned them national recognition for designing their corn maize to support the troops, shaping it like a yellow ribbon or Red Sox Nation by replicating a game ticket.

While visiting Maine as a Leaf Peeper, let Mid-Coast Family Rentals supply you with a jogging stroller or backpack for your hiking experiences and all other baby gear needs.

New Belfast Playground

The new Belfast Maine playground has officially opened!

After more than 20 years of use and abuse the Belfast Playground was in need of a major renovation. A dedicated and caring group of locals saw the need and after a few years of planning and fundraising kindly made a new playground reality.

The new playground is located within the Belfast City Park, on Northport Avenue.

The new playground is creatively designed with wood, rocks, logs, and other natural products.

Kids will enjoy many hours in the forts, climbing on rocks, relaxing in the birds nest swing, strattling the mini see-saw, playing with water table and more.

When enjoying the new playground, do not forget to take a short walk down to the ocean to see what treasures you can find.