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Ok, I know this is somewhat limiting to all of you out there not currently in Arizona. But for those of you burned out on the traditional pumpkin patches of Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek or Mother Nature’s Farm in Gilbert, we’ve got a new alternative for you! Hop on over to DeWitt Stables and let your kids enjoy “The Patch of Pumpkins, Pets and Ponies”! You definitely can’t beat the price! Kids under 3 are FREE and admission is $5.00 for 3 and up. Families can purchase a group ticket for only $25.00! They also have special rates for larger groups.

Besides picking out that perfect pumpkin from their pumpkin patch, kids can enjoy hayrides, a petting zoo, pony rides, a hay maze, a craft fair, games and even more rides! The festival hours are Fridays from noon until dark and Saturdays from 10:00am until dark.

DeWitt Stables is located at 2211 E. Quince in Mesa, just 1/2 mile north of the 202 Red Mountain on Gilbert Rd. For more information, call (480) 717-9540 or visit their website at www.dewittstables.com

Be sure to mark your calendars with our pumpkin graphic to help remind your little ones of the upcoming holiday fun! Halloween is almost upon us!

Kids will love this great petting zoo!

Pony rides are sure to delight those little western rustlers!

Don't forget to stop by the pumpkin patch for the perfect holiday pumpkin!

Tags: arts and crafts for kids, Crafts, easy crafts, entertainment, Family and Home, fun, halloween crafts for kids, holiday activities, holiday crafts, pets
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If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids this weekend (September 10-11), come and beat the heat at the Wonder Pet Expo at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The cost for parking ($7 per vehicle) and admission ($6 for adults, children 12 and under are free) will cost you less than a trip to the movies, and everyone – parents included – will enjoy themselves with the variety of exhibitors and events at the Expo.

First, take your children over to the PetsWeekly Booth (Booth 116) to get their free puppy and kitten activity books. While the kids are coloring, you can view some of the best products on the market for pets – from keeping everyone (including Fido) safe on a road trip to tracking pets (or kids) with the newest TAGG GPS collar from Qualcomm. Once you’ve finished saying “hi” to the PetsWeekly crew, take the kids over to have their face painted, or for a jump on the moon bounce.  The Expo will also have clowns and lots of games for the kiddies to play. That’s a ton of good, clean fun!

There will plenty of other things for your children to see and do at the Expo, including taking part in a flash mob with Megan Blake and her dog, Smiley. If you and your kids want to learn the dance before the Expo, click here to see a video demonstration.

If that’s not enough to convince you to hop in the car and come on out to the Fairgrounds this weekend, Deb’s Dragons will be on stage with her amazing reptiles, the Splash Dogs will be showing off their dock diving skills, and the AZ Disc Dogs will be there, wowing kids and adults alike with their awesome disc tricks!

So get out of the heat this weekend at the indoor, fully air-conditioned, Wonder Pet Expo. There your children will be entertained and learn about the pet world all at once – creating memories to last a lifetime.  You won’t get from just another trip to the movie theater!

General Expo Information:

September 10-11, 2011

Sat. 10am-6pm

Sun. 11am-5pm

Held at the Arizona State Fairgrounds (the event will be indoors in the air-conditioned Expo building) at 1826 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, Ariz. Click here for directions.

Admission:

$6 for Adults

FREE for ages 12 and under

$7 a car for parking

Tags: education, entertainment, Family and Home, fun, pet adoption, product reviews
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Hello Everyone,

I am 7 years old and was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in July 2010.  I want to help find a cure so I can live a more comfortable life.  I talked to my mom about what I could do to help.  She told me about the CCFA Take Steps walk at the Phoenix Zoo on Saturday, May 7th at 6:00 p.m.  I decided to form a team called Crohn’s Cruisers.  Please join my team and walk with me and or make a donation to help find a cure. 

Love,b

Elise Burris

If you would like more information or to donate to my team please go to my web page at  http://online.ccfa.org/site/TR/2011TakeStepsWalk/Chapter-Southwest?JServSessionIda004=8v720zw251.app307d&px=2337418&pg=personal&fr_id=2643

CCFA’s mission is to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these digestive diseases.
Information Resource Center: 888.MY.GUT.PAIN (888.694.8872)
Web site: http://www.ccfa.org/

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Are your kids just chomping at the bit to get their little hands on what is sure to be another Halloween masterpiece of Jack o lantern proportions? There are of course very inexpensive ways to make these pumpkin purchases and while Walmart tops our list of cheap alternatives, we’ve got some suggestions for helping you make this festive purchase a memorable experience for your little one! Taking your little one right out into the pumpkin field to retrieve their special pumpkin can be a very fun activity to help your child mark he season. Check out some of these options…

PUMPKIN AND CHILI PARTY

Schnepf Farms, 24810 Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek. Phone: 480-987-3100. Website: www.schnepffarms.com

Description: Voted as one of the best family friendly experiences by Phoenix Magazine, this pumpkin patch festival offers something for everyone. Featured rides are a hay wagon, a mini roller coaster, carousels and trains. Try finding your way through a 4- or 10-acre cornfield maze. And check out the chili.

Times: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
 
Prices: $15, $10 military. $12 discount tickets available at Fry’s. Be aware that a lot of the farm activities are priced a la carte so discount tickets are definitely recommended. This is not a cheap experience but it is sure a lot of fun for the kids!

PUMPKIN PATCH

Mother Nature’s Farm, 1663 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert. Phone: 480-892-5874. Website: mothernaturesfarm.com

Description:  Families can purchase pumpkins and decorate them, plus take part in activities including an inflatable bounce house, hayrides, a straw bounce, animal feeding and Alexander’s Adventure Maze created with bales of hay.
 
Times: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily through Nov. 5.

Prices: $7, $3 adults. 

Wherever you decide to purchase your pumpkins this year though, keep your little ones age in mind when it comes time to decorating. Remember, pumpkins don’t necessarily need to be “carved”. Fingerpaints can be an especially popular way for the youngest of your crew to still enjoy the experience. Topping your childs painted creations with a little glow in the dark paint or fingernail polish, glitter glue or the like, available at most grocery stores, and you’re good to go!

Does your enjoy Mr. Potato Head? How about working on the work bench with their play hammer and pols? Well, Paper Magic Group from Creative Seasonal Solutions has some great pumpkin decorating kits available at your local Fry’s Marketplace. The Fright Lights kit allow your child to pound in some transparent colored pegs with a small wooden mallet which then light up when a light is placed inside the pumpkin! Great for ages four and up. You could also try the Pumpkin Push Ins for ages 3 and up that allow your child to decorate their pumpkin with eyes, ears, horns, teeth, mouth and nose in true Mr. Potato Head fashion!

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful time making this years Halloween masterpiece!

Tags: arts and crafts for kids, easy crafts, entertainment, Family and Home, halloween crafts for kids, holiday crafts, product reviews
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Tags: Family and Home, free stuff, homemaking, parenting, safety, toddlers
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The toddler slide is an ever popular attraction!

If you’re like us, you have bid farewell to your older kids for the better part of the morning as they march back to school and you watch sadly as your littlest ones roam the house wondering where all their playmates went! Well, we would like to help inject some excitement back into these little ones worlds with two days devoted just to toddlers at Jump and Shout!

If you’ve never been to Jump and Shout!, then you have definitely missed out! It is exactly what it’s name implies…a fun place for your kids to literally jump and shout their way through various inflatable bounce zones, climbing gyms and soft obstacles. And every Monday and Wedensday morning from 10:00-11:30, they have dedicated their play areas to our toddlers, ages 4 and under!

This is one of the many climbing areas available to kids at Jump and Shout!

The price for this playtime is $5.00 per child (under 2 are free with a playing guest so get your friends together and come in groups!). Adults are always free. You’d think that the play zones would be entertainment enough but no!  They have arranged for a variety of activities that vary by the day such as crafts, games, bubble time, story time and more! It’s a great opportunity for your toddler to socialize while the big kids are in school.

And in case you are on the hunt for a birthday party site, this has now become the birthday pavilion of choice for all of my kids, young and old. They truly have something for every age. And shhhh!…don’t tell your kiddos, but there’s also a quiet room where parents can sit and work or read while still having their kids in full view as they play! It’s Utopia!

Jump and Shout is located at 1061 N. Dobson Road, Suite 110 in Mesa, AZ and you can reach them at 480-834-7529 or visit their website for the location nearest you and to keep tabs on upcoming specials and promotionals at www.jumpandshout.com.

Tags: Family and Home, fun, toddlers
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If you’re an Arizonan, you know exactly where this article is coming from! Those of us sweltering away in the Arizona summer are on the prowl again for some summer fun that does not involve melting away in the afternoon heat! So we’ve got a few ideas for those of you looking for excursions with your kiddos that will wear them out well before the afternoon sun begins to beat us into submission! Incidentally, we’ve included some pricing here but if you want to get in some of these places for free, get to your local library and check out a “Culture Pass“!

The Phoenix Zoo has welcomed two new baby zebras along with a host of other new little ones!

Visit the Phoenix Zoo! If you have never been to this locale before, then it is definitely time! And if you’ve visited enough to say, “we’ve seen it all!”, then we’ve got news for ya…you haven’t! The Phoenix Zoo has welcomed a slew of new babies into their midst. Zebras, marmosets, big horn sheep and even a couple of year old giraffes have joined the crew. Plus, their new summer hours make it a much more enjoyable experience for all. They open now at 7:00am (or 6:00am if you’re a member) and close at 2:00pm on the weekdays and 4:00pm on the weekends. Enjoy the animal encounters throughout the morning, pack a lunch for a picnic with the monkeys at monkey island, and then cool off at the refreshing waterfall, waterslide and splash pads of Yakulla Caverns before departing for a welcomed afternoon nap! Admission is $16.00 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $7.00 per child (ages 3-12).

Check out the brand new Sea Life Aquarium at Arizona Mills Mall!

Visit Arizona Mills Mall for a unique experience at their Sea LIfe Arizona Aquarium! You can enter through the mall but once inside, kids will see an underwater playground where thousands of marine animals are shown in 12 distinct habitats. You will even be able to walk through a 360-degree tunneled walkway  directly through a massive tank full of schools of tropical fish, rays and sharks as they swim above, below and all around you! There is a children’s play area, video room and educational center. You can purchase day admission tickets, flex passes, and memberships. A day pass will run you $9.50 for kids 3-12,and $17.50 for adults (these are the online prices which are slightly cheaper than buying at the door).

Think the library is just for reading? Guess again!

Think the library is just for reading? Guess again! Our Public Libraries not only have a great summer readers program for kids, but they’ve also got some fun events you might want to put into your calendars!…

• Every wednesday (except June 16th) from 10:30-11:30am, the Main Library offers Toddler Time for Ages 24 through 36 months and their parents/cargivers (siblings welcomed). 20 minutes of stories, songs and fingerplay fun especially for Toddlers! (Limited to the first 50 people)
• June 8, 1:00-2:00pm (Main Library) Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium activity…Wonders of the Water: Learn about and meet some cool aquatic and semi-aquatic animals. Also available on June 24th, same time, at the Red Mountain Branch as well as June 30th at the Dobson Ranch Branch.
• June 9, 10:30-11:30am (Dobson Ranch Branch)…Join the puppeteers for a performance of the classic fairy tale Rapunzel. And at 1:30, bring your older kids to try their hand at making their own “ball” book!
• June 10, 1:00-2:00pm (Red Mountain Branch)…kids of all ages will have a blast with the crafts and bubble blowing at this event! You can catch this event at the Main Library June 15 from 10:30-11:30am or June 16 at Dobson Ranch Branch, same time.
• June 19, 1:00-3:00pm (Red Mountain Branch)…great opportunity to get your video game addicts out of the living room and into a library! On the 3rd Saturday of each month, the Red Mountain Branch will test your skills on their Wii along with board games and fun for ages 4-18.
• June 26, 1:30-3:30pm (Main Library, Dobson Ranch Branch, and Red Mountain Branch)…In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, you might not be aware of the Eclipse movie coming to theaters at the end of this month. Join the Library in celebrating this books release to theaters with Twilight trivia games for prizes (such as Harkins movie tickets, drink cups, and popcorn coupons), raffles for a book purse made from the Eclipse hardback, dress like your favorite Twilight character (JUST BECAUSE!), sink your teeth into some snacks and if you’re into preparing a little, make and wear your own Twilight-themed T-shirt to enter the “Wear Your Own Twilight T-shirt” contest to win a copy of Eclipse!
• June 28, 1:00-2:00pm (Main Library)…Express your artistic side through the art of silk screen printing. Learn the basics and create a cool t-shirt (supplies and t-shirt provided)!

Looking for some free books for your kids? Barnes and Noble can help! Sign up at any location for their readers program! Just download their Readers Passport to record your child’s progress. Once your child reads 8 books, they get to choose one for free from their local Barnes and Noble!

Well, that should hopefully get you started! Maybe we’ll see you somewhere along the way! Enjoy your kiddos while they’re at home and don’t forget to mark your planned activities on your child’s personalized calendar so they can look forward to and remember all the fun you have this month!

Tags: arts and crafts for kids, Calendaring Tips, Crafts, education, entertainment, Family and Home, free stuff, fun, toddlers
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Lest anyone shirk their duty by using the excuse, “I didn’t know where to go!”, we’ve put together a list of websites that will help you find your voting location for the Tuesday, May 18th vote on Proposition 100. Please don’t miss out on voting for this very important legislation which will determine the future of our education and public services over the next few years.

If you live in Maricopa County, visit http://recorder.maricopa.gov/pollingplace/pollingplace.aspx to find the voting location closest to you. Simply enter your address in the fields provided and they will find the closest poll to you.

If you live in a county other than Maricopa, you can visit http://www.azsos.gov/election/county.htm#Maricopa where you can click on your individual county and be directed to their polling place locators.

For more information on this proposition, visit http://www.yeson100.com/

Remember, voting is not just a right, it’s a responsibility and a privilege!

Tags: proposition 100
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010 should be a date marked on  your calendar if you live in Arizona. We will be weighing in on a very important proposition, Prop 100 (the temporary 1-cent sales tax), which will determine the fate of our public services and education over the next 3 years. Currently, our education, already staggering under serious budget cuts last year, is facing another blow which will truly  cripple it beyond reasonable repair. Arizona currently ranks last in per-child funding nationwide. If Prop 100 passes, two-thirds of this funding will go directly to K-12 eduction with the remaining one-third funding health and human services and public safety. The sales tax would automatically repeal on May 31, 2013.

As much as I wish our problems could be solved by cutting back on government alone, we currently have a $3.2 billion structural deficit, meaning Arizona is not bringing in enough revenue to fund basic services.

There are some scary actions that are on the drawing board if Prop 100 fails. One such idea proposed by the Sheriff’s department is to begin retrofitting existing buildings like motels, hotels and even schools to house the overflow of prisoners. I wonder what this will do to property values in these areas…doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Tucson Unified School District is already looking to close nine of their neighborhood schools this fall as a direct result of the budget cuts already in place from last year. This one school district could face a $28.6 million deficit of Prop 100 fails. They have already announced layoffs of more than 60 administrators. What will happen if education gets another swipe of the budgetary ax?

Some of the cuts already in place from November of 2009 were $144 million mid-year cuts in the state’s K-12 soft capital budget which pays for books, technology and school busses. This is in addition to the $133 million cut from K-12 in January of 2009. Increased class sizes, fewer qualified and experienced teachers, non-existent teaching materials, and reduced or eliminated electives and special needs programs are just a few of the outcomes we will face if Prop 100 fails. According to the Arizona Education Network, we will face a funding crisis of a $428 million loss to K-12 alone. Traditional public schools can expect a total funding cut of $748,775,148 while public charter schools can expect a cut of $63,663,047 in total funding. Even if voters approve the 1-cent tax increase of Prop 100, the state will still face significant cuts to even come close to closing the budget gap. If you would like to see how this will directly affect your own school district, check out a report released by Governor Brewer’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting which provides district-by-district estimates of the impact of legislative budget cuts for 2011, showing effects both with and without the passage of Prop 100. If this doesn’t keep you up at night, I’m not sure what will.

Whether you choose to vote yes or no on this proposition, I would hope that you at least intend to vote. One of the saddest commentaries on our time is the low turnout when it comes to exercising our right to vote. Please take a stand and show up at the polls. As for myself, I intend to vote yes on Prop 100. As unfortunate as it is to advocate additional taxes in a recession, my passion lies with my kids education. I hate to face a future in which my children’s education will not just suffer but will seriously cripple them when it comes time to compete with other states graduates for a place in a good college or a decent job. This isn’t the best solution but as we are finding out with many things right now, it’s the only solution we have.

Please take a moment and weigh in at our forum discussion. This is one of those most difficult topics and one we will all have an opportunity to voice our opinions on come May 18th. Share your views with us so that we can view the topic from all perspectives and be educated going into the polls.

Tags: proposition 100
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We have a very special member of our family that works awefully hard though not so anyone would notice. He scares the monster away each night, comforts a mothers tears when she’s had one of those days, listens intently to a child when they feel no one else could understand, scares the bad guys (and some of the annoying door solicitors!)  away, is always ready to play, gets us all off our butts to exercise and appreciate the beauty around us by taking the morning walk,  and never ceases to warm our hearts when everything else in the world seems cold.

Comforter, playmate, body guard, monster-under-the-bed scarer... our family pup has a full time job!

Sound like a pretty hefty job description? Not for our family pup! He takes it all in stride. And while the rest of us moan daily for appreciation, or pay, or some sort of recompense for every good deed, he is content to carry this job out with a wag of his tail and comic loll of his tongue! Our pets do so much for us without ever expecting a return. It is amazing to me that we constantly search for heros for our children to emulate when in reality, the selfless nature of our family pets should be example enough for all of us!

Well, thanks to PetsWeekly.com, we now have a way to repay our little heros by giving them what they love most…time with us to play! They have organized their first Travel Contest for pets and their owners with the grand prize being a five day trip to the Rocky Mountain Wilderness in Colorado Springs, Colorado for two people and their pet!!

Some of the other prizes for runners up:

• $300 in Visa Gift cards
• DERMagic Groom and Go gift basket
• VIP package of Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway
• VIP entry to the Garden of the Gods Trading Post and 10% off of all purchases
• Free HD Movie at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center
• VIP entry to Historic Manitou Springs, which includes a free mineral spring tasting cup and map
• VIP entry into Manitou Cliff Dwellings
• VIP entry to Miramont Castle
• VIP entry Pikes Peak Highway
• VIP entry Royal Gorge Bridge & Park
• VIP entry Seven Falls
• VIP entry to Cripple Creek District Museum

It’s easy to enter! Simply visit their entry form page, upload a photo of your pet with an explanation of why your pet needs a vacation and you’re ready to go! Check out some of the entries where you can also vote for your favorite. He who has the most votes goes to Colorado! And yes, I have to make a hapless endorsement…if you see our photo (entitle Jennifer Allen and Chance), give us a vote will ya because me and my pet NEED A VACATION!

Tags: Family and Home, free stuff, fun, pets
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