Thursday, May 28, 2009

YMCA Cool Days Family Pool Party


Join the Family YMCA as they kick off summer with their YMCA Cool Days Family Pool Party presented by Reliant Energy on Saturday, May 30th.

They Y will have swimming, games for kids, prizes to give away and lots of fun in the sun. Don't forget your sunscreen! This day will be open for the entire community. Bring your friends, bring your neighbors and spread the word about our YMCA Cool Days summer promotion. They are even waiving the one-time joining fee for anyone that joins the Y before May 31st.


Pool party times will vary by YMCA; make sure you check with your local YMCA for times.

For more information about YMCA Cool Days, click here.

YMCA Cool Days...you'll run out of summer before you run out of fun!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Pine Cove Day Camp

Summer is all about new adventure and trying new things....but is your kiddo (or maybe you) not quite ready for the over-night camp thing?

Then Pine Cove Day Camp might just be what you are looking for.

Day Camp Down Under is crazy fun for 2nd-6th graders living in the Houston and Columbus areas. This program is great for those little ones that are not yet ready for overnight camp or for those whose schedule doesn't allow it.

There is no need to worry about lunch…we’ve got it covered with a delicious meal, loud cheers, and crazy skit characters that could show up at any moment.

Also, the wheels on our bus go round and round as we pick up campers each morning at 8:30 am, at Katy High School, 6331 Highway Blvd in Katy. Campers will be returned to the high school at 4:30 pm. Proper identification to pick up your child will be provided by Pine Cove. Or feel free to drop your child off at Pine Cove directly!

And just so that mom and dad don’t miss out on the fun, we offer a special closing ceremony on Friday so that you can see everything your child has learned that week.

Through exciting activities, teaching, and singing, our desire is to share the message of Christ’s love with your child. We know you’ll agree, Day Camp Down Under is awesome!

Dates and Pricing can be found here.

Give them a shout and see if there is a special spot reserved for your kiddo!

Wine and Food Week Kidz R Cooking




This Saturday, come be a part of the largest, most comprehensive culinary and wine event from New Orleans to Aspen.

Aspiring young chefs learn the keys to cooking in a hands-on, family-friendly setting. Children will have fun exploring the flavors while preparing healthy, tasty food. Lively fun for the whole family. The classes are designed for children ages 5 - 12. (An adult must join the child for the class.)

Classes are free but reservations MUST be made in advance.
Please email diaz@foodandvinetime.com stating the time you would like to reserve and the number of children, along with their names.

Four Times Available:
*Chef and Author Michael Flores of San Antonio will teach the 11am and 12:30pm class
*David Denis, Executive Chef of Houston’s Le Mistral will teach the 2pm class
*Chef Jose Duarte, owner of Taranta in Boston and winner of the 2008 Wine & Food Week Chef of Chefs Award will teach the 3:30pm class.


Family Expo:

  • Crossing Borders School
  • Giggles and Galas
  • Laura Wilkinson Foundation
  • Little Horse Farm
  • Mad Science
  • McMinns Photography
  • Dr. Judith Ragsdale
  • Tealightful Parties
  • Tekno Games
  • Woodlands Tai Kwon Do
  • and many more!

Kidz R Cooking

Date: Saturday, May 30, 2009
Time: 11:00 am - 3:30 pm
Price: FREE
Location: The Future Court at The Woodlands Mall


Friday, May 22, 2009

Apple Summer Computer Classes for kids ages 8-12


This could be the best summer yet!

This summer, your kid could make a movie, create a photo slideshow, write and record a song, put on a show for everyone, and have a blast doing it all. At Apple Camp, kids learn how to do cool stuff on a Mac and discover their hidden talents along the way. Apple Camp occurs at every Apple Retail Store, and each free workshop lasts three hours. Sign up your kiddo today and get ready for an adventure.

Movie Workshop Icon

Movie Workshop: Lights. Camera. Action.

Kids take the director’s chair in the Movie Workshop, where they learn how to make a movie in the time it takes to watch one. From importing and cropping video clips to adding cool special effects and transitions, kids go home as up-and-coming filmmakers with a DVD of the movie they’ve just made.

What to Bring: If you have an Apple notebook running Mac OS X, a digital camcorder, or existing footage, feel free to bring them, along with any required cables.

Music Workshop Icon

Music Workshop: Ready to rock?

Kids become instant rock stars in the Music Workshop. With GarageBand and a MIDI keyboard, they get to play bass, electric guitar, drums, and sing their own lyrics — even learn how to play a real instrument. Kids will also explore iTunes and see how to sync an iPod. And they’ll burn their latest hit to a CD so they can share it with adoring fans at home.

What to bring: Have your kid bring a few favorite CDs or an iPod or MP3 player to work with. Sample CDs will also be available for demonstration purposes.

Photo Workshop Icon

Photo Workshop: Point. Shoot. Share.

The iPhoto Workshop will show kids the basics of digital photography — and then some. They’ll learn how to import photos from a digital camera and make them look even better. Organize photos by who’s in them and where they were taken. Create slideshows with music and cool photo effects. And even build their own photo web page using iWeb to show them off to the world.

What to bring: If you have an Apple notebook running Mac OS X, a digital camera, or favorite photos, feel free to bring them, along with any required cables.

Presentation Workshop Icon

Presentation Workshop: Take the stage.

Kids are the stars in the Presentation Workshop. First, they’ll create a super-slick slideshow with movies, music, photos, and charts and graphs. Then, they’ll learn how to present it all to a captivated audience. By the time this workshop is over, they’ll go home with a multi-media presentation in hand and lots of tips to wow family, friends, and everyone at school.

What to bring: If you have an Apple notebook running Mac OS X, favorite photos, videos, or music, feel free to bring them along, with any required cables.


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Latest and Greatest

Updated 5/27/09

5 days and counting...

Here's a few additions:

*CyWoods Crimson Cadettes 4th Annual Dance Clinic
August 12th-14th
8:30-11:30 am

*CyCreek Silverados Silvie Dance Clinic
August 11th- 13th
8:30-11:30
Hamilton Middle School

*Dance Central's Summer Dance Camp

*Chrysalis Summer Day Camp
9 weeks of Action-Packed Fun
June 8th - August 7th
email for more information info@chrysalischildren.org

*Cypress United Methodist Son Powered Summer: Field Trips, Fitness Camp and Science Camp

*Applause Musical Theatre Summer Camps

*Free Hockey Clinic by Houston Wild Hockey Club

*Champion Youth Outreach: Karate, Cheerleading, Soccer and Hip Hop

*Summer Tennis and Day Camp : Cypress Tennis Academy is hosting its THIRD Summer Tennis and Day Camp at Lakewood Residents' Club. The camp is open to kids entering grades 1-6. Campers will not only receive tennis instruction from a certified USPTA professional, but will also learn additional sports and skills as well (fishing,swimming,arts and crafts, etc...)

*Time Flies Clubhouse: Summer Camps featuring Music and Movement for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Located in Coles Crossing

*Precious Dancers Dance Camp

*After School Education Summer Enrichment Camps; Math facts, reading enrichment and Spanish

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Summer Camps Updated



13 days until summer...do you have a game plan?

A few additions have been made the the summer camp posts. Check them out! If you are a lover of horses, science, or volleyball (2 choices)....you're in luck!

Know of a camp I've missed? Please leave a comment or email me at intheknownorthwest@gmail.com. There is still serious fun to be had this summer!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco Ticket Pre-Sale


Pre-Sale tickets are now available to Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco that will be featured at the Berry Center this July.

The new Cirque du Soleil signature show, Saltimbanco is inspired by the urban fabric of the metropolis and its colorful inhabitants. Decidedly baroque in its visual vocabulary, the show's eclectic cast of characters draws spectators into a fanciful, dreamlike world, an imaginary city where diversity is a cause for hope.

See this unique show in the intimate setting of the Berry Center, plus avoid the traffic in town and save money on gas, parking and ticket fees!

Tickets can be purchased here.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

St. Basil's Greek Festival

Can I just say outloud that I am a big fan of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? It is one of those movies that sucks me in EVERY time....just like Remember the Titans. Where do you think the oh-so-popular phrases like "You are overcooking my grits" and "Zero fun, Sir" came from? Love me some Remember the Titans.

Big Fat Greek Wedding gives you a sneak peek into what a Greek family looks like. Big, loud, crazy, nosey, nutty but amazingly fun at the same time. Some of that crazy behavior has to be due to the Hormones (pronounced Hor-mon(long o)-nes (neez). Have no idea what I am talking about? Rent that movie today. It's an insant mood lifter. Promise.

This weekend is your chance to experience 'Life Outloud' at the St. Basil's Greek Festival or better known as The Festival of Greece. There will be eating, dancing, stuff for the kids, eating, cooking lessons and MORE eating! Even a Gyro eating contest.

I have to admit I've never attended...just heard about it from my pal Christina F. over at Nina Loca and I'm thinkin' this is MY year to experience it for myself.

The fun begins Thursday night at 7 and continues until 5:30 on Sunday. Check their schedule for more details.

I could tell you more but I'd have to kill ya. Oh wait...that's Italian.

If I missed anything, leave a comment and I'll add it in!

Opa!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

An Ounce of Prevention

Do you ever wish that you could have a do-over? Or perhaps you wish you were better prepared with knowledge before you visited a hotel or restaurant? I know there are no guarantees in life, but there are certainly ways to 'try before you buy', if you know what I mean.

Let me explain.

I am a big fan of reading reviews. I read reviews of restaurants, hotels and even products I am thinking about buying. My favorite site for restaurants in the Houston area is B4-U Eat . I really like this particular site because these people are totally honest, I mean brutally honest. Sometimes I do feel they need to cut the wait staff some slack and perhaps even just get over themselves, but I will say I have benefited from their experience.

I SO wish I had read the reviews of a restaurant we popped into on Friday night. We are huge fans of Mexican food and have had great luck with the 'dives' around town but tonight was NOT our night. It had been recommended to us and the parking lot was packed....we decided to give it a shot. Service was decent, food was above average, but not great.....but as we were paying, a crawly guy scampered across the table....and all the waiter had to say was, "Um, Sorry?"

People, hear my clearly, I had to smash it with a packet of Sweet 'n Low. I am not sure what kept me from totally losing it, perhaps because it was a baby and not a full-on Grand Daddy Cookaracha, but I can safely say I will never go back. No ma'am. And then I read the reviews and sure enough, the place has gone down hill and then a friend informs me that she had been to a different location, same chain, and she spotted crawly guys and then when she brought it to the waiters attention, he squashed it mid-stride, never missing a beat. Eeewww! We were SO close...but alas, we will just keep going here and here.

Now, on to hotels. Trip Advisor is a great site. Their motto is 'Get the truth, then go". Love that! Again, nobody is paying these people so they can throw caution to the wind when they give their rendition of their stay. Expedia (don't tell me their marketing group failed because you KNOW you immediately heard the expedia.com jingle in your head) is another go-to site as well as. Note: When visiting these review sites, be sure to look at the dates of the reviews as some are older. Case in point, we were in Round Rock for a baseball tournament and stayed here and found it to be nothing like the reviews. The management was delightful and the breakfast spread was incredible- perfect for 11 hungry baseball boys and their families.

And finally, this site is the end-all-be-all of the reviews. This is my go-to site for books, appliances, toy ideas for my kiddos and any other thing I just want to know a bit more about before I lay down the cash. Epinions.com and Mysimon.com have proved helpful in the past. Give them a look as well.

So for all you type-A's out there, considered yourself armed and for all you adventurous, go-where-the-wind-takes-you types, I wish I could come over to your side, but I just can't. I'm a work in progress....still have those tendencies to manage everyone's fun instead of allowing it to happen naturally. It just it what it is, right?

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

St. Mary's FUNfest

St. Mary’s FUNfest

Affordable Family Fun For kids and adults of all ages…



Saturday, May 9 (rain date May 16)

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

St. Mary's Episcopal Church

15415 N. Eldridge Parkway

(corner of N. Eldridge & Louetta)

281-370-8000

www.stmaryscypress.org



You are invited to enjoy….

*Boardwalk style carnival games with tons of prizes

*Inflatables, including a preschool 3-in-1, pirate 3-in-1, giant slide, huge obstacle course race and sports combo

*Dunking Booth with appearances by:

*Rev. Beth Fain

*Rev. Eric Zubler

*Celeste Booker

*Ken Monroig

*Alex Rahn

*Doug Sefcik

*Beccy Smith

*Cindy Wingfield

*Tom Wingfield

*Zach Wingfield



* Face Painting, Hair Painting and Tattoos

* Splash Pad (from 3-4 pm)

* Free Concert (from 2-3 pm)



Most games 1 ticket and rides 2-3 tickets

An all day unlimited ride and game wristband available for just $10.00

Tickets $.50 each or 12 for $5

Hot dogs, sausage on stick, Jerk chicken, popcorn, cotton candy and snow cones.

Food will be affordable and prepared fresh on-site

Monday, May 4, 2009

Art Car Show



Houston Art Car Weekend is three days of events!

Friday, May 8th
Sneak Peek at Discovery Green
sponsored by Opportunity Houston
Get your first look at the new art cars for 2009, plus see some old favorites. There will be live music and Art Car films on the main stage with art and entertainment throughout the park.

6pm - Discovery Green - 1500 McKinney - FREE

Saturday, May 9th
The Houston Art Car Parade

Watch as over 250 wheeled wonders turn concrete into a colorful canvas that celebrates the artist in everyone…including you!

1pm - Allen Parkway - between Taft and Downtown - FREE

VIPit Party
(during the Art Car Parade
)
It's where the elite meet to check out the street! The VIPit offers the absolute best views of the Art Car Parade, plus ice-cold beverages and tasty treats from Houston-area restaurants.
(Money raised helps to cover parade costs)

11am-3pm - The Heritage Society - 1100 Bagby - Tickets: $125

Sunday, May 10th
The Art Car Brunch
and Awards Ceremony

Art Car artists, family and friends gather to celebrate a job well done at this last blast of the weekend. Food, drinks and live music guarantee a good time.

11am - 2pm - The Orange Show - 2402 Munger Street - FREE - FREE - FREE -

More information needed? Head over here.


Friday, May 1, 2009

Outside The Box


When it comes to Summer '09, your head might be spinning at all the choices for camps and activities.

I'm updating the choices weekly, but here are 3 new additions I'd like to highlight that are unique ideas that may not have crossed your path.

St. Aidan's Lutheran Fast Forward Summer Camps

Lakewood Methodist Sizzlin' Summer Camps

Foundry Methodist Dive In '09

Do you know of Summer Fun that I have missed? Please leave a comment and I'll update the list. Thanks!

Mother's Day Concert



89.3 KSBJ's Free Mother’s Day Concert
Noon, Saturday, May 9th sponsored by
Towne Lake.

Come to Towne Lake to celebrate Mom, right at the
water’s edge.

Concert featuring –
• Jimmy Needham
• Denver & The Mile High Orchestra
• Chris and Conrad

Enjoy music, food and beverages with Mom along the
shores of Houston’s 4th largest lake, Towne Lake.

Bring a package of disposable diapers or non-perishable
food item to aid Northwest Assistance Ministries’ efforts
in helping mothers in need. (Donation not necessary for free entry.)

www.townelaketexas.com