 Hey grkids.com friends! Did you know that Disney on Ice's Finding Nemo is coming to the Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids? March 18-21, the Arena will be transformed into a dream-come-true for Nemo fans of all ages! Follow the link to find tickets (opening night has discount tickets available!) You can also win tickets to Finding Nemo by leaving a comment (and your full name & email) on the blog telling me which Disney Movie is your family's Favorite and why. We are givingContest winners will be picked on March 15, so enter today! I was skeptical when I first heard that Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) was offering familiy-friendly art Saturdays. For me, a former chemistry teacher, art museums conjure images of guards, large, quiet rooms, and walls upon walls of pictures that are hard to understand. The Grand Rapids Art Museum has invested countless hours of thought and preparation to demolish that stodgy reputation. In the last few months, GRAM staff have outfitted the lower level of the Art Museum with kid-friendly workstations. Lest you think this is a glorified craft area, all family art activities offered by the GRAM are related to something on exhibit. The idea is that you will start by spending some time in the gallery with your family experiencing art and then wind your way to the lower level where you and your family can create based on what you have seen and learned. There is even a low table for those youngsters that do better creating without a chair! Each month there is a new theme and the stations families participate in change to accommodate the theme. This month, the activities focus on the work of Alexander Calder to go along with the display of his works that patrons enjoy. This is a great way to help bring art to life and get kids (and their parents!) involved with art. Here are some helpful hints to make the most of your visit:
Up for Grabs in our Great GiveAway is Family Admission for One Saturday All Day with the Arts at the GRAM. You choose the Saturday that you attend! To enter, please leave a comment in the blog (along with your email address, please) telling us how you bring art to life in your family. Thanks for entering. A winning family will be picked on March 22. Good luck! Gymboree Play and Music has been in the Grand Rapids Area for years, but now it has a new, more centralized home. Located near Celebration Cinema North & Knapp Meijer, it allows parents to combine errands and fun into one trip. Here is their new address and contact info: 1971 East Beltline Ave. Grand Rapids,Michigan 49525 (616) 365-0015 grapidsmi@gymboreeclasses.com We went to Gymboree Play and Music during their Grand Re-Opening Week and found a bright, clean space with enthusiastic staff ready to greet the many visiting children and adults. Kids ages 0-5 were climbing all over the play equipment and having a blast. Lots of padding and low structure heights ensure that kids are safe (parental supervision is required, too!) The music room doubles as an art room to accommodate the many different types of classes they offer here. They also offer open play gym where the general public can come in a play for a fee. This happens weekly on Mondays from11:15am-1pm, Wednesday 6:45pm-7:30pm, and Thursday 4:15pm - 5:15pm. Call ahead for details and more information. If you are interested in signing up for a class or program, be sure to use the coupon on grkids.com! Bouncing Around 03/01/2010
    Let’s face it; winter in Michigan can seem long. The kids start to feel like they have been cooped up for a long time and are anxious to burn off some energy and get moving without having to suit up in all the requisite snow gear. This weekend my family and I checked out Bounce Party to see if that would help temper our February cabin fever. If you don’t know what Bounce Party is, it is an indoor arena featuring eight interactive inflatable structures to play on. You can either rent out the space for a party or join one of the open bounce times to play. (Check website at www.bounceparty.com for open bounce times and pricing as they can vary) We went to a Sunday evening open bounce time and played for about an hour. When the arena is open to the public, parents are fully in charge of their kids’ whereabouts and safety. We took our four children (ages 2 ½ -6 ½ years old) and found that it definitely took both of us parents climbing through and being on the structures with the kids at all times in order to ensure their safety and ability to climb through the all of the structures. The staff at Bounce Party is super friendly and helpful. They shared plans to update the party room as well as enhance the safety of the inflatables and the play spaces as well. We left quite sweaty, but had a fun time together as a family climbing, sliding, and bouncin’ around.  A little about Jenna Scott- former HS English teacher and Human Resources Generalist who is married to a man of ministry and now gets to have adventures with their four children, cook fabulous meals, and sometimes put her professional writing degree to use. Read more from Jenna at her blog quite e-musing.  Thunder Nationals promises to thrill with massive monster trucks pouncing, climbing, and jumping over things my mini-van could never conquer! Treat yourself and your family to this fun night out, coming to VanAndel Arena March 12-14. Plus, we've got some tickets to give away. One lucky winner will get (2) tickets and the other will get (3). To enter this contest, leave a comment on the blog telling me what your monster truck would be named (if you had one) and why. Some trucks on the circuit are Blue Thunder, Backdraft, Digger, etc, just to give you some ideas. Winners will be announced on March 8 and tickets will be left for you at Will Call. Good luck! Thunder Nationals Discount! Get your Kids tickets for just $5! Simply log onto www.ticketmaster.com, type the password KIDS, choose the $5 Price and that’s it! Can’t beat a kids ticket for $5! CONGRATS SUSAN (3 tickets) AND APRIL (2 tickets), winners of this contest! West Michigan Mom's Sale 02/22/2010
 Do you have the itch? I start to get it this time of year, thinking of consignment sales, garage sales, and all of the bargain-saving things that come with spring. West Michigan has a lot of opportunities to save, and one of those is fast approaching- the West Michigan Mom's Sale at the DeltaPlex on March 20th. If you have the urge to purge, they are still accepting table registrations for moms who are interested in selling at the March sale. Think about signing up to sell soon because they always sell out their 200+ tables! (That's because tables are only $35 and that price includes everything.) You could spend well over $35 just advertising your own garage sale! West Michigan Mom's sale has also partnered with Alpha Women's Center, a local pregnancy care center this spring and will be holding a diaper and formula drive for them at the sale. Alpha is devoted to serving some of the most vulnerable residents in greater-Grand Rapids, women and children. Please consider helping Alpha serve these young families by bringing a package of diapers or an unopened can of formula with you to the West Michigan Mom’s Sale. Alpha needs 70,000 diapers and 14,000 cans of formula this year to meet the needs of their clients. Alpha Women’s Center will be present at the sale to accept all donations. For more information on Alpha Women’s Center and the work they do here in Grand Rapids, please visit their website, www.alphawc.org. You can find additional information about West Michigan Mom's Sale at www.westmichiganmomssale.com. Plan Now for Mom's Bloom "Out Came the Sun" 02/22/2010
 One organization I love to support is MomsBloom...they bring awareness to postpartum depression and provide amazing support and resources. You can help support MomsBloom on May 1 and have fun with your family at their Out Came the Sun Run/ Walk. MomsBloom is pleased to bring you an amazing event to raise awareness of postpartum depression and related illnesses... Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services Presents the Out Came the Sun Run / Walk. The 2nd annual event takes place on May 1, 2010 and will also raise funds for MomsBloom programs. In addition to the 5K Run/Walk/Stroll, there will be a Sundae Run for kids 12 and under. A Family Market will also take place that morning with local vendors offering demonstrations and sharing their amazing services related to families. Registration is $20 and includes a t-shirt (if registered by April 18th). It will be an amazing day! Come join us. Family Market: 8:30a-11:30a Runners start: 9:00a Walkers/strollers: 9:10a Sundae Run: 10:30a  Mickey, Handy Manny, Tigger & Pooh, Little Einsteins...this is fun to the max for the preschool set! And we delight in seeing the little eyes of those we love filled with wonder. So consider taking your little person to Disney Playhouse Live at DeVos Perfomance Hall on March 7. Who knows, maybe you will be one of the lucky ones to win FREE TICKETS. I have one set of (3) and one set of (2) tickets to give away. Winners will be chosen on March 1st. To enter the contest, leave a comment on this blog telling me how you heard about grkids.com and let me know if you want (2) or (3) tickets. If you use the code DISNEY on www.ticketmaster.com you can save $3 off of your ticket! Just log onto www.ticketmaster.com, type the password DISNEY and save $3 on Disney Live at the DeVos Performance Hall. Offer Valid until Wednesday, March 3,2010. Offer not valid on VIP Seats. CContest Winners: Jennifer K (2) tickets Michelle B (2) tickets Lisa T (2) tickets Julee G (3) tickets  Have you been to the Women's Expo? I went for the first time three years ago and made the mistake of going with my son (who was 2 and in a stroller.) Why was that a mistake? With a stroller, you can't get up to any of the tables to talk to people, and with a 2 year old, you can't focus on any of the fun shopping, make-overs, seminars, product samples, etc. I paid my entrance fee and spent most of my time pushing through crowds and doling out granola bars. Not terrible, but not a refreshing experience either. Contrast that to last years experience. In 2009 I got a sitter and went with a girlfriend. We had a blast! We bought cute scarves, had our makeup done, tested lots of free samples and talked, talked, talked! The Women's Expo is a great time to get out and remember what it means to be a woman. Yes, a lot of times that involves toting around children, but if you're looking for a real treat, get a sitter and spend some girl time with the women who mean the most to you. I doubt you'll regret it! In honor of the upcoming Expo, I get to give away a pair of (2) tickets each week until the expo. So to enter, leave a comment in the blog saying who you'll bring to the Expo and why it will be fun for you. Good luck, and see you at the Expo (I will be there in a booth, so come say "hi!") And if you don't win tickets, you can use this coupon. Enjoy! Winners: Michelle J. - 2 tickets How many of you have wanted to teach your kids this lesson? A hard lesson to learn, granted, but one that hopefully will be mastered by adulthood. We live in a very generous community. Grand Rapids historically has seen high levels of charitable giving, both in terms of time and money. But how do we teach our littlest citizens about this part of life? My personal thought on the issue: Daily live out what you want your children to model and they will eventually catch on...but many grkids.com readers have asked me to address that question in depth, so here goes:
|  Now booking for Mother's Day! Welcome!This blog is a place to share the ways we spend our time with kids. A pleasant experience should not be wasted! Where did you go, what did you do, how was it? We all want to know. I will be documenting the things that I do with my two kids, Ethan(5.5) and Norah (2.5) and I'll be sure to add in a little commentary along the way. ArchivesMarch 2010 CategoriesAll |
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