For four summers, before and while I attended Meredith, I worked as a nanny for Hillary and Jackson Stone. That first summer Hillary was 8 and Jackson was 4. They were such sweet kids and five days a week, 8 hours a day we had a ball hanging out by the pool, making brownies, going to the movies, playing outside, reading books, and going back and forth to dance lessons and tae kwon do. Their family went to the same church as mine, but we had more than that in common. Their mom, Karen was also a Meredith alum. During the school year Hillary would come stay with me in the dorm for Little Friends Weekend. Now, I can hardly believe it, but Hillary is graduating high school and even more exciting... she's going to Meredith!
I'm so glad I was in town to be able to go to her graduation party! Mom, Kate, and I thought it would be fun to assemble a must-have Meredith basket. And in true Meredith fashion, I wrote her a poem. I'm so excited and proud of her! Congratulations, Hillary!
Meredith BoundWe're so thrilled for your graduation,
We had to offer our congratulations!
And most of all, we can hardly wait,
For you to drive through Meredith's gate!
The four years ahead hold so much in store,
Friendship, learning, and so much more!
Here's a basket of goodies to help you prepare,
From previous Angels with experience to share.
First and foremost you'll notice the pearls,
The must-have accessory of all Meredith girls.
Markers to decorate posters, banners, and notes,
And an organized Angel always loves her totes.
A soft, cozy blanket will help keep you warm,
During movie nights and study sessions going on in the dorm.
Polka-dot bath linens are among Meredith likes,
And will keep you covered when a sudden fire drill strikes.
A notepad to jot down your lists and "to-do's,"
With so much going on, you'll have little time to snooze.
A french board and frame to display your favorite pics,
Of family, friends, and places, adding MC faces to the mix.
So, now you're almsot ready and will soon go on your way,
But before you seek those Angel wings, we have one thing left to say,
"Get involved" is our advice, "and don't hold back one bit,
These years will fly by so fast, you must enjoy every minute!"
You are finally Meredith bound, can it really be true?
Joining the ranks of Meredith Angels...
Yes, that's definitely you!
The factory is located in downtown Easton. Don't you just love the sign? Here's our little group of "artists": Pappy, Grandma, Mimi, Will, GrandBrad, and Aunt Kate.
Meeting "Tip the Crayon."
This place was full of fun photo ops, so bear with me I just had to post them all.
With the purchase of your ticket, you get three tokens that can be used throughout the factory to get souvenirs like a tiny box of crayons, different color magic markers, or modeling clay. Here's Will making his first selection.
Loving the ginormous crayons!
At least my "photographer" warned me after this shot that Will was trying to eat his clay. Good thing Crayola products are non-toxic.
GrandBrad enjoyed tapping into his creative side, making quite an impressive dinosaur.
Will suprised us all with his rolling pin skills.
Next stop, the chalk walk. That's right, a giant indoor sidewalk you can draw on with chalk! 
Light drawing was a big hit with this toddler.
Of course, there as a crayon color station. I don't think I've ever seen so many crayons.
They had Happy Father's Day cards to color... especially perfect since Daddy would be flying in to meet us that evening. 
Enjoying the play area.
And this was our favorite... the color motion wall! You dance to the music playing and the screen catches your movement. Can you tell who this is?
And again in silhouette?
Last stop, a show on how crayons and markers are made. Did you know employees used to roll on the crayon covers by hand?! By the way, the orange color crayon on the right is named Macaroni & Cheese... so cute.
One final shot of us in front of the color wall. Such a fun place to visit!
Emily joined us for dinner when she got off work. It was so much fun to catch up over yummy Mexican food at the new Cantina 18. I love these ladies!
