ReadySetMom

Where to donate stuff in Portland

Out with the old? If you're like me, you've got a pile of stuff to get rid of -- the result of much end-of-year, snowbound de-cluttering. A few things will go on Craigslist and to my favorite kid's resale shop, but most will be donated. I try to avoid donating stuff to thrift store-type organizations and prefer non-profits that give donated items to people in our community. Here's where I'll be taking my stuff:

NW Children's Outreach: anything kid-related goes here: clothes, toys, gear -- you name it, they'll take it and give it to needy families in our community. Locations in the Pearl District, Hillsboro and Vancouver, but they have odd hours and closures so make sure to check the Web site carefully. Children's Relief Nursery in St. John's is another good one, though not as convenient for SW-dwellers.

Community Warehouse: furniture, housewares, kitchen utensils, towels, bedding, anything that makes a house a home. This is a fantastic organization that helps the homeless and people who are getting settled in a residence. 2267 N. Interstate Ave.

Portland Impact: we bring all of our adult clothing here, though they also will take kid items and housewares. 10055 E. Burnside

Free Geek: any electronics or computer equipment. These folks train people to strip or refurbish equipment -- "Helping the needy get nerdy" -- and then give them a computer in return. 1731 SE 10th

Title Wave Bookstore: this shop is run by the Multnomah County Library and the proceeds benefit the library system. I bring used books, magazines, CDs and DVDs here. 216 NE Knott

Feel free to add more resources in the comments! 

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Reduce, reuse, recycle - and consign

Now that the kids are back in school (Is that a collective cheer I hear?), I've started a closet-by-closet purge of clothing that is no longer being worn. The reasons are typical: Pants and sleeves are too short, shirts and sweaters are too tight, dresses and jackets are out of style or stained or torn.

There is the odd piece that makes me cry, "What was I thinking when I bought that???" and the suits my husband refuses to let go of. Yes, honey, those lapels are a little wide. No, honey, shiny fabrics are not making a comeback.

Heather has written about community organizations that accept donations, which I will probably contact when I'm ready to give away stuff that I've unearthed.

But I've come across some clothing that would be ideal to sell at a consignment store or online. The Ralph Lauren sweater that I bought for my son to wear to a wedding or other fancy occasion, but never got worn because we were never invited to any fancy occasions. The cute sweater dress I got for my daughter that fit her only when she was in her no-dresses-will-touch-my-body phase. The sheer and chic blouse I had hoped to wear on a date night sometime. Alas, it's way too sheer, I'm way too opposite-of-chic and date nights have been few and far between

Anybody know of any good consignment stores for very gently worn or brand new clothes for adults and children? Have you had success selling clothing on Craigslist or ebay? Is anybody interested in a size 42 sharkskin suit?

Airplay Cafe: new kid-friendly hangout

Have you heard about Airplay Cafe yet? It's a new spot at 701 E. Burnside that caters to music lovers of all ages. The owners, Andy Simon and his wife Patti Jagger, are musicians and parents and wanted to create a comfortable cafe where everyone can come, eat and enjoy music. From their Web site:

With a toddler of their own, Jagger and Simon realized some of Portland’s most enthusiastic music lovers are children.  Kid-friendly daytime performances are planned, Jagger says, and “we’re planning some special family events where parents will have the opportunity to introduce their children to the music they love, whether that’s classical music or the blues.”

Simon is also an audio engineer and writes that he's designed the acoustics of the space to be ear-friendly, not deafeningly loud. Gourmet coffee, beer, wine, light meals, snacks, baked goods and unique desserts are on the menu. Mondays feature Storytime with Raquel - 10am for ages 3 and under, 10:45am for ages 3 to 5 and Wednesday, Sept. 17 will feature Open Tike from 10-11am. Check the calendar for updates.

Anyone been there yet? Report back!

Food Front opens tomorrow (most likely) and other Hillsdale news

UPDATE: Food Front did not open today. They say they will open on Sunday, August 31.

I didn't realize how much I depended on the Hillsdale Wild Oats for my groceries until they closed last year. News that the Food Front Cooperative was moving in was cause for a happy dance (involving moves that would make Elaine Benes blanch). I just called the front office and learned that tomorrow, Friday, August 29, Food Front will be open -- hopefully -- by noon. There is an inspection taking place in the morning, and barring any unforeseen obstacles, they will open for business by noon. Woo hoo!!

A few more interesting businesses have just opened or are getting set to open in Hillsdale. In the space where Dava Bead used to be, we've got OmBase Yoga Studio, specializing in 'organic, free-range yoga.' Next door will be a new wine shop called Corkage. Then, over in the Salvador Molly's strip, we've got a new pilates studio called Moving Moxie! They offer all the fancy machines as well as mat classes. Mat classes are $6-$10 each for a one-hour class. Not bad! A friend has said that doing pilates is the best workout she's ever had (and she looks amazing, too). Now that my yoga teacher has moved to Denmark (traitor!) I'm seriously thinking about giving pilates a try. God knows I need something to get this sorry arse in gear.

It's summer, let's eat outside

Last weekend, my brother and his family sat through a three-hour dance recital to see my daughter on stage for two minutes. I figured we owed them dinner for that.

We were at PSU and it was a beautiful day, so we brainstormed for places to eat outdoors. We decided on McCormick and Schmick's Harborside at the River Place marina. I don't think we could have found a more perfect place.

It was around 4:30 pm, so we easily snagged one of the many outdoor tables, which is the very, very best place to be dining when you have kids along. Overall, our three kids are well-behaved in restaurants, but there are moments and those moments just seem less of an issue when we're outdoors. No walls to bounce noise back to us and nearby diners, perhaps. More room for wiggly bodies. More visual distractions.

We experienced all of the above. The kids walked around a bit while we were waiting for our food. They did a little window shopping at nearby stores and we could still see them from our table. We pointed out interesting boats in the river and counted the number of FedEx trucks we saw cross the Marquam bridge. The four adults were able to talk, relatively uninterrupted, and the food was pretty good, too. (Loved the fried calamari.)

After dinner, we walked down a long dock, where lots of boaters were having BBQs and hanging out. (Do you call it tailgating when it's a boat instead of a car?) A wonderful time was had by all.

The weather's perfect for outdoor dining. Where do you take your family?

New kid-friendly places to explore in Beaverton and Hillsboro

When I hear about new family-oriented places here in Portland, I get so excited. There already are so many places that are geared toward keeping kids and parents happy. People are opening more places. Just for us! Near where we live!

Two new westside places I hope to try soon are Me Too! cafe and Out of This World Pizza and Play, and if you've already been to either of these places, please tell us what you think.

Me Too! is a Beaverton establishment where grownups can have a leisurely meal while the kids play in a "fun, interactive play area." Parents can enjoy a meal or coffee with other adults while watching (through windows) their kids play. Salads, paninis and wraps are some of the menu offerings. Meanwhile, kids can jump around to their hearts' delight in the supervised play space. And, of course, there's a kids' menu.

There's a special event room called "Mom's Boardroom" for meetings, baby showers and parties. Me Too!'s calendar currently lists a crock pot recipe swap, a baby sign language class and mommy massages. Kids play, mommy gets a massage. Sounds perfect.

There is a play fee at Me Too! The first child in a family is $5, the 2nd is $4, the 3rd is $3, the 4th is $2, and 5 + kids are $1 each. (We've written in the past about Grandma Leeth's, another parent dine/child play restaurant.)

Over in Hillsboro, Out of This World has been attracting a lot of moms and kids looking for indoor play options and new birthday party venues. Here are some highlights:

• Astronaut Training play structure with a capacity to hold 200 kids.
• Separate inflatable obstacle courses for small and large astronauts.
• Eight-foot high Crater Crawl rock-climbing wall.

The owners are parents of three kids who wanted to create a "fun, safe and secure environment for our children." Like Me Too!, you have to pay to play at Out of This World - $5 to $7 per kid. Pizza, salads and ice cream are on the menu.

I haven't visited either of these places yet, but I'm thinking Me Too! might be more suitable for infants and toddlers, while Out of This World would be fun for toddler and older kids.

Laughing Planet Cafe moving into the restaurant formerly occupied by PB&Ellie's

After leaving swim lessons at the Southwest Community Center last night, I looked mournfully over to the restaurant space that used to house PB & Ellie's, and wished it was still there so I didn't have to go home and cook for my kids. Lo and behold, I swear the marquee said "future home of Laughing Planet Cafe." I didn't see an announcement on Laughing Planet's website. Has any one heard this is so? I'm glad that great family-friendly space will be filled with another home-grown family friendly eatery.

Dreaming about getting a "little work" done?

Do you ever dream about getting a little work done? I hate to admit it, but I do. You know how it goes. Those birthdays just keep coming year after year. And every day you look into the mirror and try to remember how perky and rosy everything looked when you were 25. And it's just not looking that perky any more. The loose neck skin. The freckles and sun spots on your face. Teeth that used to be blindingly white, but now are sad-to-say, on the yellowish side of the spectrum. The laugh lines that just don't seem that funny any more....

Although I didn't say anything at the time my mom got a face-lift in her middle age, I remember feeling scornful. How vain. It's about WHO you are, not HOW YOU LOOK. Now every time I pick up a family newspaper, it seems I'm forced to look at an ad showing someone's before and after cellulite treatment fanny in a thong. Why is that OK? I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my fanny, but seeing those pictures sure is a good reminder to keep my fanny under wraps.

Then there's this part of me that thinks, if I could just prioritize what really bugs me about my aging body, then I could probably afford to get a little work done. For me, it's a toss up between the saggy chin, neck skin and the sun damage on my face. There's seems to be a plethora of choices for laser, microdermabrasion, photo-facials, etc. that will improve the look of red, damaged skin. So that's probably my most likely bet. I don't imagine anything could be done on my saggy neck skin without going under the knife. And I just don't think I'm up for that, nor could I afford it. Then the devil's advocate jumps on my shoulder and says:

DA: You are so full of it. What kind of a hypocrite are you?? Thought it was about WHO you are not HOW you look. Or does that just apply when you're young and being critical of your mom?
Me: Well, forgive me for once being 25 and having utterly no perspective on what it would be like to turn 40, OK? I didn't think I was going to get old. I figured I'd age gracefully like Catherine Deneuve.
DA: Catherine Deneuve? You're not French, for crying out loud!! Go take another look at those fanny pictures in the newspaper if you want a refresher course on what you look like!!
Me: Hey now. No reason to get all snippy to me... I'm only daydreaming here.

Maybe my daydreams of getting a little work done are pushing me toward the outer limits of sanity. Maybe I need to totally unplug from commercialism and stop reading the paper?? Take all the mirrors out of my house? Or is this sort of normal, and you think about it too? Or better yet, have YOU had some work done? If you want to share, you can always post with a made-up name to protect your identity. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. If you did, what did you get done, and how did you like the results? Any clinics or docs you'd recommend? Was it worth the money, and did it break the bank?

Pediatrician and pediatric dentist recommendations in NE

Ana is new to Portland, living in NE and looking for recommendations on a good pediatrician and pediatric dentist:

Hello, I am new in Portland, and I LOVE your blog. It has been very helpful for a newcomer. I am trying to get recommendations on pediatricians for my boys, and would love to post a question to the group. I live in the NE area, in Alameda, but I am willing to drive anywhere for a good doc. There isn't anything special, just looking for a nice pediatrician. Also, it would be great to know if they have any recs for a pediatric dentist as well... I guess this is the hardest part of moving into a new town...

Wecome to the Rose City, Ana. We're glad you found us! We had a post a while back from another mom looking for a Portland pediatrician, where I recommended my kids' doctor, Dr. Catherine Thompson. Still love her! She is part of the Childrens Clinic Peterkort, on the westside of town near Providence St. Vincent hospital. Another recent post was about pediatrician recommendations in SE (Sellwood). I've also written about our pediatric dentist, Dr. Alan Pike, who is also on the westside, in the Sylvan area.

Great docs, all. But I'm betting our readers can suggest some peds much closer to NE/Alameda. Who do you recommend, readers?