Jones Park in Holly Springs - All New Playground Equipment

It used to be just softball, baseball fields, but they recently finished two sections of playground and a sheltered eating area with three picnic benches, and Jones Park in Holly Springs (off of Holly Springs Road behind the elementary school) is fantastic!

It looks beautiful and is clearly a wonderful addition to Holly Springs' Park & Recreation Department. However, the potties were a bit of a hike, which was unfortunate for me on my first visit because I was forced to change a blowout diaper on a towel on the ground and ended up with it on my pants, hands, the towel and more and no place to wash my hands (that I could find). Any potty trainers may have had a rough time, too.

Also, and this is an unavoidable issue in year-round school areas, but there were at least three huge groups of kids that came to the park, nearly knocking over the toddlers and certainly dominating the once (but briefly) quiet playground.

So when the big groups came we jumped on a trail and walked around a bit. It was definitely worth the chaos, and the trail was revisited and biked by my 3 and 4 year olds. And the trail led to Veterans Park and pond, which is wonderful for those looking for a scenic walk with a stroller.

All in all it was a great morning. We loved the mini monkey bars, different ways to climb, balance, slide and more. For once it was nice not to have swings because I don't love pushing the whole time. But it would have been nice to see a sandbox. Just my two cents.

I'm excited about this park, go there on a regular basis now, and recently heard about the renovations to Womble Park. I hear it's much nicer. Can't wait to try it out again! I do have some misgivings about Womble, but that's a blog for another day!

P.S. IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK!

405 School Days Lane 
Holly Springs, NC 27540

HIGHLIGHTS: Fantastic turf (not grass) that you can play in just after it rains - still gets wet but not muddy, great little sidewalks for kids to run around, playground equipment for most sizes and lots of hanging things.

LOW LIGHTS: It gets a little crowded at times, but nothing like Kelly Road Park or Womble, a My kids love sandboxes, and there are none here - nor are there swings (but for some that is a highlight cuz some of us moms don't like to push swings for hours on end!) and the potties are a bit of a hike from the playground.

COST: Free!

South Park in Fuquay-Varina - A Nice Change of Pace

She's pretending to be upset. :)

Want to spend some time with really nice moms? Well this is the place to go in Fuquay-Varina.South Park is off of Main Street in Fuquay-Varina. There are softball fields, a little running track that goes right by the playground, jungle gyms (one for the toddlers and another for brave toddlers and older) and swings (both baby swings and big-kid swings).

I really enjoyed my morning with the girls. My smallest is just getting over a cold and got a sinus infection, so we've been sort of cooped up at home since Saturday. But we sneaked out for about 40 minutes to hang out at a new park and enjoy the sunshine. I am so glad we did. There's nothing special about this place, except maybe the track for runners/walkers that is in plain view of the playground for moms and dads who want to get a workout in while their older ones play. But the people were so nice.

We had a pretty good time considering it was right before lunch time, and my toddler is still a little sick. Don't judge - it's just a cold.

We will definitely go back, and we found out about another park in Fuquay-Varina that is great to go to in the evenings. Can't wait to check it out.

900 South Main Street
Fuquay-Varina, NC

HIGHLIGHTS:Awesome moms and dads! Maybe I just got lucky, but the people were so friendly - Adults & Children! It's not terribly crowded, and there's a cute little running/walking track around the nearby softball field so your kids can play while you work out (if they're at that age). Nice shelter nearby.

LOW LIGHTS: I didn't see a bathroom nearby, although that doesn't mean there isn't one. It's pretty small and doesn't have the newest of equipment.

COST: Free!

Not Just a Walk in The Park!

I slugged my way over to Apex Community Park for a fun morning, and quite a surprise I might add, with Stroller Strides.

This is kind of a first for me, reviewing an actual company rather than a park/farm/museum/activity. Stroller Strides is a workout group for mommies of children 6 weeks to 4 years old (and dads, too). I thought it was just going to be a walk in the park - literally and figuratively. IT WAS NOT! It was so fun. It was interval exercises, some strength, conditioning, aerobic, mixed in with a walk/run while the kids watch and take in the sights from their strollers. In fact, I have a bad back problem that keeps me from doing any impact workouts at all (doctors and physical therapist's orders). There were a lot of things I couldn't do, unfortunately. But I don't think the workouts were ridiculously strenuous or requiring top-level fitness either. It was the kind of class that you get out of it what you put into it - it works you as hard as you work it.

Let me just say, if it were not for my back problem, this would have been perfect for me! I loved it. It was a chance to socialize with other moms, who were very cool by the way. And it was a great way to think outside the box on my workouts. You can do it up to six days a week, too, including Saturdays.

The cost is $55/month for unlimited attendance at a number of different parks and locations, including Apex Community Park, Pullen Park, Crowder Park, North Hills Mall and more. Most urgently, though, is this week (Sept. 24-29) is free. Click here if you want to try it for locations and times.

Also, if you decide you want to join, Stroller Strides is offering 15% off the first three months if you mention this blog (The Not-So Stay-At-Home Mommy or www.wheretogowithyourkids.com)
Jennifer Kedrowski, who was my instructor, said most moms do a monthly unlimited membership option, $55/month plus one-time registration fee but some also do a 10-class pass that lasts three months for $110, which is more of a drop-in style membership.

HIGHLIGHTS: Really fun way to work out with your young kids, it's not just a stroller walk, you get to check out different parks and work out at the same time, meeting new moms and kids.

LOW LIGHTS: My little one (20 months) doesn't like sitting in the stroller very long unless she's moving, so it was a little hairy when we'd stop to do the interval work.

COST:$55/monthly or $110 for 10 sessions over three months. (Mention this blog for a 15% off discount for the first three months)

For the record, this is NOT an advertisement, and I received no money or special treatment to write this blog. As this is my first real review of a "mommy group" I thought you should know!