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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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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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Children’s Orchard is looking for the “Greenest Mom in America” with the winner will receive a $500 Children’s Orchard gift-card. Times are tough right now and it can be a challenge to come up with the extra means to spend on your kids, especially as they are quickly growing out of their clothes or wanting to follow the latest trends. Children’s Orchard is an upscale resale retail store that sells gently used designer clothes in an upscale retail environment—they pride themselves on being green by reducing waste, recycling old clothes and selling them to moms to reuse!

To enter the contest, just follow these simple guidelines…

1. Get Creative! Show what you do to live a green lifestyle
2. Post your entry on Children’s Orchard Facebook Fan Page starting 01.15.10
3. Comment to Share your entry & get more ‘Like’ votes
4. The entry with the most votes by 4.5.10 wins $500 to Children’s Orchard!

Good luck everyone and may the “greenest mom” win!

Tags: announcements, contest, Family and Home, free stuff, homemaking, housekeeping, parenting
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The Kid Cave, a featured inflatable at the North Phoenix PumpItUp Location

When the temperature jumps to 109 degrees and your kids are bouncing off the walls with unspent energy, where do you go that won’t cause heat stroke, dehydration or heat exhaustion? I have a solution to your problem! …PumpItUp! The Inflatable Party Zone!

They are currently getting ready to celebrate their 4th anniversary on August 31st! Congrats! This will be a special event in that it will offer a free “open bounce” from 5:00pm-8:00pm with groups of 25-30 kids being moved through two bounce zones every 30 minutes (equalling 1 hr of open play for each attendee). Probably the most exciting thing about this anniversary, however, is that Banerjee is going to accept donations to support the American Society of Autism.

Banerjee has hosted events for the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) before along with many private parties for autistic children’s groups. Banerjee confided, “the (autistic) kids really seem to enjoy themselves…something about the environment awakens something in them and they truly have some amazing fun!”. Banerjee added that he is careful to consult parents in attendance about the environment (ie. music volume and selection) to make sure that he creates the best environment possible for these special needs children.

“We have a deep appreciation and concern for autism in our community…these families are truly special and have given us some sobering insights into the struggles faced by autistic children and their caregivers,” says Banerjee. “This is our way to give back to the community that has supported us these last four years,” he adds.

I would encourage you to attend this free bounce event if possible but if you don’t make it, Banerjee assured me that they are open year round, with the exception of major holidays. Banerjee recognizes that his business depends on the disposable income of families, something not many have a lot of these days. So he has restructured some of the standard PumpItUp! party package options at his location specifically to address these tough economic times. So don’t be afraid to give it a try! Remember, “no matter how far life pushes you down, no matter how much you hurt, you can always bounce back!” (quote by Sheryl Swoopes)

If you have ever been to a BounceU or Jump and Shout, then you will be very familiar with this type of indoor inflatable playground. The North Phoenix location boasts two arenas of over 4000 square feet each, filled with various inflatable activities. PumpItUp has a brightly colored and exciting atmosphere to offer even the most seasoned bouncer! There are 4 valley locations (Tempe, Scottsdale, North Phoenix and Arrowhead) that offer open bounce times as well as scheduled private parties for all ages. For those of you who are bounce-savvy, you might be interested to know that PumpItUp was actually the original “indoor bounce zone”, later adapted by BounceU and others. But now, even BounceU falls under the corporate umbrella of PumpItUp Holdings.

I spoke with Swapan Banerjee, owner and operator of the North Phoenix PumpItUp! location on August 26th about his operation. His facility holds two open bounce sessions per week for smaller kids (6 and under) as well as one session per week for older kids (although these older kid bounce sessions are only available during the summer months and are discontinued during the school year). The open bounce price is $7 per child and siblings two and under can enter free. In order for the two or under sibling to enter for free, though, there needs to be an older sibling that has paid admission.

While they offer these open bounce sessions as opportunities for prospective clients to sample the goods, private parties are their bread and butter. They specialize in children’s parties but have even hosted corporate parties for adults; after all, you don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing!

For more info: Visit the PumpItUp website or you can contact the North Phoenix Location at (623) 434-7867 or visit their location at 22515 N. 18th Drive in Phoenix, AZ 85024-1356.

Tags: entertainment, free stuff, fun, product reviews
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Yes! I know, I know…you must be rolling your eyes right about now. Tucson? Really? My answer is absolutely! I have to say, I would have been sharing your same reaction if someone had shared this thought with me. But give me a chance to defend our southern desert.

I recently vacationed here with my family for a weekend away from home. We were looking forward to getting out of town and really didn’t care much where we were going. We are like everyone these days and needed our vacation spot to meet some specific criteria…namely, pricetag and close proximity of activities. Tucson delivered and then some! We stayed at the Tucson Omni National Resort where they are currently running an amazing summer deal where they match dollar for dollar what you spend on your room in resort dollars. So basically, whatever you pay on your room, you get back in cash you can spend at the resort! We golfed, dined, and some of our group even visited their spa…all for the price of the room!

Now, I know what your saying…the food must’ve been nasty or the accommodations had to be poor. But I will tell you now that the room we stayed in was probably one of the nicest, largest and most well-equiped rooms we have ever stayed in. We had a dining area, sitting room, bedroom with two queen size beds, and a bathroom as large as the bedroom. The food was amazing whether we were eating in the formal dining restaurant, eating room service on our couch or munching on some great lunch dishes at the little cafe overlooking the golf course. The pool area was clean and large with a sand volleyball court and two full size tennis courts. They even offered lunch barbequed poolside along with drinks for guests playing in this area.

The golf course was well-manicured and a lot of fun for experienced golfers as well as those of us who don’t play quite as often. It was challenging without being frustratingly difficult. The weather was amazing…warm in the mornings but by afternoon, Tucson’s legendary monsoon storms settled in and dropped the temperature 10 degrees while entertaining us with some spectacular lighting! Who needs fireworks? But Tucson delivered that as well over the fourth of July weekend.

We visited the Kartchner Caverns which was a delight for my husband and I as well as my little ones. Amazing cave formations coupled with a family-friendly guide made the 45 minute tour a great experience for us all. Word to the wise, Kartchner Caverns sports an 80 degree temperature with about 98% humidity so don’t plan to go anywhere you have to look nice for afterwards! We were a little disappointed we couldn’t see the “Great Room” because this area closes down this tim eof year while the bats that make this cave their home are taking care of their babies. But maybe on our next trip.

Pima County Air Musuem had some great hands on activities for the kids as well as some fun historical trivia for the adults!

We also visited Pima County Air Museum. This had a wonderful array of history. I was impressed as I read about the different types of planes how many historical air events took place in Arizona. The kids had a wonderful time playing in the kid-friendly hanger where kids can be hands on with various types of planes, simulators and even toddler friendly equipment. We probably spent at least two hours here and didn’t even see the entire museum. There is a tram that will carry you throughout the outdoor exhibits but we declined this trip because it is not air conditioned and we didn’t like the idea of baking in the sun for 30 minutes. It gives us something to try next trip!

Wyatt Earp, Morgan and Virgil stopped by for a photo

We took the short drive to Tombstone one day as well and had a wonderful time reliving the OK Corral with Wyatt Earp and his brothers. We even got some spooky fun visiting the real life haunted saloon, the Birdcage (I ended up with a few photos here that smack of ghost action!). This museum also has some amazing history. Did you know where the term “Aces and Eights = Dead Man’s Hand” came from? Wild Bill was shot in the back while playing poker…he died clutching his hand of aces and eights. The Birdcage is full of incredible history and worth taking some time to walk around and read the plaques.

I read about a Children’s Museum here as well but we didn’t have time to visit this trip. Hopefully we can make it next trip because there will certainly be a “next trip”! I know most would roll their eyes at vacationing in Tucson, but I’m here to tell you…it’s a wonderful spot for a family on a budget and with a little forethought, you can find some wonderful “things to do” here!

Tags: entertainment, Family and Home, free stuff, fun, product reviews
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If you’re like many of us looking for fun things to do with our kids this summer that don’t break the bank, Chuck E. Cheese has come up with some fun rewards charts that when completed, can be brought to a Chuck E. Cheese location for free game tokens! Some of the charts include the following:

• Sports Awards
• Tooth Fairy Award
• Getting Dressed
• Reading Rewards
• Active Kid
• Homework Helper
• Potty Training
• Sleep All Night
• Magical Manners
• Doctor/Dentist Good
• Stop Thumb Sucking
• Clean Your Room
• Teeth Brushing

Each completed rewards poster will earn your child 10 free tokens as a reward! What a fun way to encourage good habits in your children.

Tags: Add new tag, entertainment, Family and Home, free stuff, fun
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Eating out with kids can be an expensive venture and very
frustrating when you know they may have more fun playing
with the food you purchase than eating it.

Dining out with the family can be an expensive venture, especially in today’s economically stressed times. But who wants to cook EVERY night?! Salvation is here! Several valley restaurants have come to the rescue to provide kid friendly menus with parent friendly pricing. Take a look at some of these available options…there are price ranges to cover everyone’s taste. Menu’s, promotions and restaurant locations are subject to change so it is advised that you contact the individual location  you wish to visit to verify their promotion before arrival.

In the mood for Mexican? Try these locations…

• Arriba Mexican Grill…on Sunday’s kids eat free from the kid’s menu when accompanied by and adult ordering an entrée. One child per adult
• Chevy’s Fresh Mex…kids 12 and under eat free all day Tuesday excluding holidays, one child per regular priced adult entree purchased. Glendale, Mesa and Phoenix participating locations.
• El Torito…Saturdays until 3pm children under 12 eat free. one free kids meal from kids menu for each regular adult entree purchased. Phoenix and Scottsdale participating locations.
• Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant…Kids eat free on Mondays, all day, for each kid accompanied by a payting adult. Chandler, Glendale and Tempe participate.
• Manuel’s Fine Mexican Food…on Wednesdays, after 4pm one child for each accompanying paying adult eats free. Adult entrée muct be more than $7. All locations participate.
• Taco del Mar…Maricopa location only. On Mondays kids eat free with each adult din-in entrée purchase. Kids can sit at a surfboard table with crayons and a TV for watching movies.

How about good old fashion American cuisine…

• 5 & Diner…Burgers, fries, milkshakes. There are various locations in the Valley and many of them offer a Kids Eat Free deal. They have different offers however, so you have to call and check on the deal at the one that you’re interested in.
• Bill Johnson’s Big Apple…One child under 1 eats free with a paying adult after 3pm on Wednesdays. Locations in Phoneix, Mesa, Goodyear and Glendale.
• Charleston’s…American grill, with steaks, ribs, fish and burgers. On Sundays, one child per adult ordering an entrée eats free if they choose one of the first 3 items on the kids menu.
• Chick-Fil-A…Free kids meal with an adult meal purchase. Nine locations int he Valley. Day of the week for kids eat free promotion varies by location. Hours vary, too, but are generally evening only.
• Denny’s…Breakfast, sandwiches, burgers and salads. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, 2 kids per adult eat free when they order from the Kids’ Menu. drinks and dessert not included. (Not all Denny’s participate)
• IHOP…67th Avenue and Peoria location. Kids eat free all day Monday and Tuesday, one child per paying adult.
• Rainforest Cafe…Each child accompanied by a paying adult gets a kids meal for $1.99 after 5pm on Wednesdays.
• TGI Fridays…Each child 12 and under accompanied by a paying adult eats free. Mondays and Tuesdays, all day. Not available at the Chase Field location.

For those interested in Italian fair…

• Arizona Pizza…on Mondays, kids eat free. One child meal from kids menu per paid adult meal.
• Fazoli’s…offers a $.99 meal on Tuesdays. More than 10 locations in greater Phoenix. They even have activities and arts and crafts for the kids.
• NYPD PIzza…Pizza, pasta, subs. Every Wenesday after 4, kids (10 and under) receive a Kids’ Meal with the purchase of a 14′ pizza, pasta entrée, hero or large salad.
• RigaTony’s…Southern Italian food. On Wendesdays, kids eat free with each adult dine-in entrée pruchase. One child per adult.

Hope this helps give everyone some great dining out ideas for their family. With Father’s Day upon us, there is something for everyone! Make sure you call ahead to the location you want to visit and ask about their “kids eat free” promotions. Have a happy Father’s Day weekend!

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Thank you for your subscription to MyTime Calendars and congratulations on being one of our winners today! There are a few prizes left for those of you still trying to decide on your membership options…don’t delay and sign up today! Meggin, we hope you and your kids enjoy your new activity books from GrokQuest!

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From 8:00am to 8:00pm today, we’re celebrating our first week live on the web by awarding some very special activity books courtesy of GrokQuest throughout the day! Be one of our first 3 subscribers of the day and you will receive several of these great activity books for your kids! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to collect some of these great book titles today only!

Tags: education, entertainment, Family and Home, free stuff, fun, toddlers
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