Welcome to #PMBEspresso! Here you’ll discover various businesses, artists, writers, events, science, music and food (of course!, and more from all around our amazing city! This roundup of local flavors is brought to you by our contributors, sponsors, and other local Portland moms interested in sharing great findings. Did YOU stumble upon something your fellow local moms would love? Email details (and a photo we can publish, if possible), to info{at}portandmomsblog.com!
Things To Do: Senior Safari
On Tuesday, September 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oregon Zoo, seniors (who may each bring along one free companion for the day) can attend animal talks, explore the zoo, and ride the train for free. Seniors can also take advantage of a 10 percent discount in the zoo restaurants and at the zoo store. Come see why the zoo isn’t just for kids, just in time for Grandparents Day!
Mommy Owned Business: Tree House Children’s Boutique
A one-stop shop of locally homemade clothes, amazing educational and wooden toys, edible organic paints and even a space for music and art for infants! Available to rent for events, this beautiful space at 3954 N Williams Ave is brilliant!
Local Flavors: Laughing Planet Cafe
Through their patented mixture of fresh, healthy food; a fun, quirky ambiance; and a daily dose of laughter and inspiration, Laughing Planet can heal your body, mind, and spirit. Burritos, Bowls, & Goodness might be better said: Burritos, Bowls, & Goofiness, when it all comes down to it. (multiple locations)
Mommy Laughs:
Artist Spotlight: Shanon Playford
Shanon Playford paints in her native Portland, Oregon. Received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997 and attended the School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston from 1992 to 1994.
Oh My Gods series: NEREID
2014
Oil on Canvas
18 x 24
Parks Around Town: Fulton Park
Includes basketball court, unpaved paths, chess tables, picnic tables, playground, and soccer field. 68 SW Miles St
Photography: Becca Jean Photography
Rebecca is a laid back mommy by day and line dancing, bunco champion by night. She grew up in Agua Dulce, California as the 5th child in a large family full of love (and just a pinch of crazy). She’s studied photography and graphic design, and graduated from American Intercontinental University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s in visual communications. Since then she married her best friend Mikey and started a family before moving to Portland Oregon in 2010.
Caffeine Fix: Southeast Grind
Southeast Grind is a locally owned and operated café in the heart of SE Portland. They offer local and healthy drinks and snacks in a bright little shop. They believe in promoting what makes Portland such a stellar place by featuring local artists, choosing local vendors and honoring all things eclectic and fun. Open 24 hours! 1223 SE Powell Blvd
Mom’s Bookshelf: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert
OVER THE LAST HALF-BILLION YEARS, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us. In prose that is at once frank, entertaining, and deeply informed,New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert tells us why and how human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before. Interweaving research in half a dozen disciplines, descriptions of the fascinating species that have already been lost, and the history of extinction as a concept, Kolbert provides a moving and comprehensive account of the disappearances occurring before our very eyes. She shows that the sixth extinction is likely to be mankind’s most lasting legacy, compelling us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.
Inspire Me:
Great Apps: Who Has The Kids?
Running a family these days can be stressful. Between carpools, school, sports, doctor’s appointments, and nannies it’s hard for parents and caregivers to stay on top of their kids lives, let alone their own busy schedules. Being a kid should be fun and planning your kid’s lives should cause joy, not headaches.
Local Author Spotlight: Urban Goddess Mama: How I Got My Goddess Back After Postpartum Depression, Melania Tolan
From our very own Portland Moms Blog contributor!
“Nobody prepared me for what I would consider the darkest period of my life, the year I became a part of a statistic. Here’s my story of how I joined the growing number of women dealing with postpartum disorder and found my way through the black fog of depression.”
(Available in bookstores locally and on Amazon)
Technology: TriMet Opens New Orange Line
It’s time to celebrate the opening of the new MAX Orange Line and Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People. As of yesterday, Saturday September 12, the newest line for TriMet MAX is officially up and running!
| Weekdays | About 5 a.m.–midnight | About 5:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | About 6 a.m.–1 a.m. | About 8 a.m.–9:30 p.m. |
| Sunday | About 6 a.m.–1 a.m. | About 9:30 a.m.–9 p.m. |
Music: Tokyo Police Club and the Domestics at Doug Fir Lounge
Though the members of breakout blog-buzz act Tokyo Police Club feel more invested in achieving a tightly compressed studio sheen than the ragged energy that got them here on 2014’s Forcefield, there’s no accounting for what the group’s endless enthusiasm can do for the tracks in a live setting.
Safety: Oregonians Crossing
When Driving: Under Oregon law (OR 811.028) every intersection is a legal crosswalk. You must stop for people showing intent to cross the street at a marked or unmarked crosswalk or at a marked mid-block crosswalk.
When Walking: You have the right of way at marked and unmarked intersections and mid-block crosswalks when you signal intent to cross. Show intent to cross by extending your hand, foot, wheelchair, cane, crutch or bicycle into the roadway. For your safety – make sure vehicles moving in both directions have stopped before proceeding.
Mommy Hack: Use PostIt Flags for Menu Planning
By using the PostIt flags on your menu planner, you can rearrange the meals until you are happy with your plan. This cuts time in half and saves a lot of erasing and crossing out. {Link includes instructions and free printables}
PMB Craft: Cardboard Homework Caddy
MATERIALS
- 3-5 Empty cardboard cartons (leftover cereal, pasta, and granola bar boxes seem to work just great)
- Duck Tape (have you seen the colors and patterns this stuff comes in these days?)
- Scissors
- Cardboard tubes (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place your cardboard cartons side by side then tape the bottoms together. For this first step, you may find it helpful to employ a second pair of hands (one person to hold, one person to tape).
- Trim the tops of the boxes off to the desired heights.
- Keep wrapping the tape over and around the surface of the boxes and just inside the rim. You may wish to use a credit card or the back of a spoon to make sure the tape gets into every corner.
- To convert the front pocket into a market caddy, insert a few empty cardboard tubes trimmed to size. They will keep pens and pencils standing upright and accessible!
TIPS
- Here I worked in stripes, but you may find it easier to work in an abstract ‘paper-mache’ style.
- Surface wrinkles are part of the fun, but you will find them easy to disguise by choosing a patterned duck tape.
Recipe:
- 12 corn or flour tortillas
- 1 zucchini or yellow summer squash (medium in size) ends removed, cut in half-length wise and sliced into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 ears of corn. Shucked and kernels removed. (Discard cob)
- ½ of one sweet onion. Peeled and sliced thin.
- 1 small basket red cherry tomatoes (de-stemmed and cut in half)
- 1 bunch basil. Leaves only, hand torn into small pieces ½ inch in size.
- Fresh lime cut into 1/8’s (optional)
- Fresh radish cut into 1/4 ‘s (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 oz. Fresh goat cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the slice onion; cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, being careful not to color the onion. Add the corn and zucchini, cook for 2 more minutes, tossing or stirring as it cooks. Add some salt to taste, add tomatoes and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Have the torn basil in a bowl. Toss cooked vegetable into the bowl with the basil; add freshly ground pepper and toss. Let rest.
- Warm tortillas over a gas flame or in a hot skillet with no oil until warm or slightly brown.
- Fill tortillas half way with a spoon of the vegetable mixture. Crumble a little goat cheese over the top and roll the tortilla up. Serve on a platter with fresh cilantro, lime and radish if desired.
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