Do you need ideas for activities to do with kids? Tried and true suggestions that real moms actually do? Here they are! We’re asking families to share their favorites, to help you find yours.

Are you following @heyrachelgregory  on Instagram? Fellow #boymom, Rachel is the creator + owner of The Cookie Board  which serves up the most beautiful custom sugar cookies along with offers fun cookie decorating classes which we cannot wait to check out!

Meet Rachel

My name is Rachel, and I am a mom to two boys, Conner almost 8 years old, and Noah 4 years old. We live in Plymouth, MI where I am a SAHM and owner of The Cookie Board, which specializes in customize sugar cookies for all your Holiday occasions and just last year started to teach cookie decorating classes! I’ve always loved to host, throw parties, and create. Since becoming a mom, I think that’s only increased, so most days you’ll find us on an adventure, doing a craft, cooking, or planning our next party.

Favorite Ways To Spend Family Time:

• Game Nights
• Cooking Together
• Smoking Meats while playing outside and having friends + family over

Favorite Places To Go:

• Springmill Pond at Island Lake State Recreation Area 
• Stemville 
• The Art Attic 

Favorite Bedtime Stories:

• I Am Not a Fish! by Peter Raymundo 
• The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak 
• Don’t Push the Button! by Bill Cotter 

Favorite Dinner Recipes:

We really love any type of charcuterie board breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And it’s one of the ways I got my kids to stop being picky eaters because it allows them to have options and feel like they are in control of what they are eating so now they will try almost anything new if I make it seem like it’s their choice! Here are a few of our favorites:

• Build-Your-Own Breakfast Taco Board 
• Summer Picnic Snack Tray 
• Hot Dog Board

Best Park/Playground:  McClumphia Park (Plymouth Township Park)

McClumphia Park has so much to do that you can easily spend a whole day there playing between the wooden playscape, the small train playscape, the new ADA Playscape, the splash pad, a huge walking path around the park that’s perfect to ride a bike or scooters on, a sand area, and a cute pond that’s perfect to have picnics by!

Your Mom Must Have: Gathre Mats

We love our Gathre mats! I had a small version when my second son was born, and as he started getting older, I invested in a bigger version, and we use it SO much. It’s a mat that you can lay down anywhere and is so easy to wipe clean when the kids make messes! We use it with playdoh, sensory bins, at the beach, and for picnics!

Best Fall Destination: Local Cider Mills

Since our older one is in school, it’s harder to travel during the fall, so luckily, Michigan has the most beautiful falls! We absolutely love visiting all our local cider mills. Our family loves the donuts, cider, and sunflower fields at Plymouth Orchards (closed for the 2020 season).  Three Cedars is a family favorite to play on the slides, ride the bike tractors, and take a train ride! The absolute favorite that we only do once a year is DeBuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch with their corn mazes (they have an easier one and a harder one), you can pick pumpkins, a huge jump pad, and so much more!

“Pat Yourself on the Back” Accomplishment: 

When I made the decision to walk away from my full-time job to be a stay at home mom, I went through a really hard period. My job title made me feel important and proud whenever anyone asked what I did. After walking away, I often found myself saying “Well, I’m a stay at home mom, but I use too…” because I didn’t feel like being a stay at home mom was enough. But finally, over the last two years, I’ve changed my mindset on a job title dictating my worth to society. I feel proud and blessed that I’m a SAHM and that raising and loving on two amazing boys every day gets to be my job.

Photo credit:  Instagram @heyrachelgregory

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