{candy dish} the official blog of KCMetroMoms.com

New EcoKids Summer Club

Oak Park Mall has just added a very cool summer club for your kids this summer!  EcoKids at Oak Park Mall is a FREE series of educational activities that teach ways to reduce, reuse and recycle!  Reservations are requested.  To register you can visit the Barnes & Noble Customer Service counter or call 913.888.7597 for more information.   The series calendar is as follows:

July 9 - Water Conservation
Sponsored by: WaterOne

Learn about water conservation in the community and at home. Receive a free water audit kit, plus, bring a clean metal can for a fun activity. <br>

July 16 - Bottle Recycling
Sponsored by: Coca-Cola Midwest Bottling Company

Learn about the recycling process plus make a fun piggy bank. Please bring a clean water, juice or soda bottle.

July 23 - Eco-Friendly Flooring
Sponsored by: Classic Floors and Design Center/Shaw Industries, Inc

Wear your play clothes for a fun painting activity and learn how new carpets featuring your favorite Disney characters can be recycled.

July 30 - Green Buildings
Sponsored by: Zipco Contracting

Learn how the new Johnson County office building is more energy efficient and helps to conserve our natural resources. Make a birdhouse feeder from a milk or juice carton. Bring a paper milk or juice carton with you!

August 6 - Bucks Bus Eco-Trivia & Game
Sponsored by: The JO

Wrap up the summer with a special Bucks Bus kids event featuring eco-trivia, games and prizes!

'Do You Dairy?' Giveaway

The Midwest Dairy Council recently conducted a survey which found that consumers are shifting priorities when making grocery purchase decisions in this economic climate.  More than half of consumers say price — not nutrition — is the most important factor when grocery shopping in the current economy.  We’re  proud to be helping the The Midwest Dairy Council spread the word about how dairy makes sense in this economic climate. 
 
Did you know?

• Milk packs nine essential nutrients at only 25 cents per glass!  Many designer drinks, sodas and fruit drinks are high in calories and expensive, which won’t help your wallet or your waistline.
• Though protein is one of the most expensive parts of the diet, dairy foods are one of the most economical sources of protein and calcium, both of which are important for the growth and development of strong bones and teeth.
• A one-ounce serving of hard cheese, like cheddar, contains 8 grams of protein, and an eight-ounce serving of yogurt provides nearly a third of your suggested daily calcium intake.

Suffice it to say that dairy’s nutritional value can benefit your family and give you an excellent bang for your buck when it comes to nutrition.   Check out the fun, interactive cow-culator at the Dairy Makes Sense website.  While you're there, don't forget to check out their dairy recipes!

In honor of dairy and what a nutritious, economical solution it is for Kansas City families, we're giving away a bundle of goodies (pictured above) from the The Midwest Dairy Council, including a reusable shopping bag, jump rope, recipe booklets, magnetic fridge pad, two $25 Hy-Vee Gift Cards, and four coupons from Borden Cheese, good for “1 free Borden Singles Sensations” and “$1 off Borden Singles Sensations” for a friend!  Now, that's a great giveaway!  So, how do you enter?  Simple!  There are three ways to earn entries for this fab giveaway:

1. Leave a comment with your favorite dairy recipe or snack!  (Don't forget to include your email in the 'email' field when commenting - it will remain private).
2. Twitter about this giveaway and leave your twitter ID with a link to your tweet in a separate comment.
3. Become a fan of ours on Facebook and tell us you did so in a separate comment.
4. Post about this giveaway on any other local message board and leave a separate comment with the link to your post.

Entry period runs through Monday July 13th at noon Central time.  Winners will be notified via email.  So, what are you waiting for?  Get your dairy on and enter to win our giveaway today!

Missouri Tax-Free Weekend for Back-to-School Shopping!

Mark your calendars now, Kansas City moms & dads!  Missouri's tax-free weekend will be August 7-9, 2009.  The tax-free weekend applies to purchases of clothing under $100, school supplies under $50, computer software under $30, & computers and computer equipment under $3,500.

Be sure and check the website for more details, as some cities and counties elect not to participate.  Hopefully you'll be taking advantage of this great promotion in the Kansas City area to get your kids' back-to-school goodies!

Ella's Sitter Service Makes Life Easier for KC Moms!

Are you or someone you know looking for reliable, affordable sitters & child care for your kids these long summer days?  Well, don't forget to book your sitter!  As a busy mom of two, I know first-hand that sometimes it's so hard to make plans because booking a babysitter causes more stress than it's worth to actually go out!  Well, now there's a great solution for KC parents.

Ella's Silver Spoon Sitters was created by Overland Park residents familiar with the challenges that most metro residences face when searching for a reliable sitter.  Silver Spoon Sitters are not your average babysitters.  All sitters are background checked & certified in CPR & First Aid.  Ella's Sitters don't arrive empty-handed; our Sitters abide by and have a strict no TV policy so expect your child to be entertained and educated with games and activities that your Sitter plans with you in advance!  Seriously, what mom doesn't LOVE that??! 

To book a sitter now or for more information on how the program works, contact them via email at chelle (at) silverspoonsitters (dot) com.  Here's the best part - the first 4 people to contact Ella's will receive a FREE membership & everyone that mentions kcmetromoms will receive $25 off membership! Get all the details at www.SilverSpoonSitters.com.

Now, get out there and go on a date with your loved one or get out for a moms night out!  You can trust Ella's Sitters to put your mind at ease!

inspiring Moms Feature Event for Kansas City Moms.

Hey Kansas City moms, here's your chance to catch inspiring Moms for their FREE presentation “Creating Balance while Raising Happier and Healthier Families”.  Amy Davis, Founder of inspiring Moms, will be debuting her keynote address on Tuesday, June 23rd from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Shawnee Mission Medical Center.  This is a great opportunity to see Amy for FREE and learn more about strategies and best practices to make your most important job as mom more efficient and more fun! Register by emailing haley (at) inspiringmoms (dot) com.

FREE Donuts in KC for National Donut Day

Looking for a tasty Friday outing with the kids?  Celebrate National Donut Day at several metro area donut shops.  You'll have the chance to get a FREE donut this Friday!  Your kids will give you lovies all day, I am sure and will be sugared up to boot!

Here's the scoop:

LaMar’s is offering a free Ray’s Original Glazed donut to all of its customers.

Krispy Kreme is also offering a free donut.

Dunkin' Donut, located in Lawrence, is offering customers a free donut with the purchase of a beverage.  (And let's face it, who couldn't use a coffee, milk or juice to go with your FREE donut??)

National Donut Day is a holiday that started back in 1938 as a fundraiser for the Chicago Salvation Army.  Today, it celebrates the creation of the donut and will probably very soon become one of my kids' favorite holidays!  Mark your calendars because National Donut Day is held on the first Friday of every June.  A special thanks to all of our Kansas City donut shops who are participating! We moms, love it!

Kids Bowl for FREE in KC!

Looking for a way to get out of the summer heat but don't just want to stay home?  Check out KidsBowlFree.com and register your Kansas City kids for FREE bowling coupons all summer long!  There are several local KC metro bowling alleys participating in this promotion, and I've used it with my kids and it works! 

Just register for your free account, choose your preferred KC bowling alley, and you'll be emailed coupons for 2 FREE games of bowling per child for every day this summer!  All you pay is the shoe rental fee!  My kids and I went bowling last week and it cost all of $6 for both pairs of shoes and that's it!  They each bowled 2 FREE games and got their bowling fix! 

Also, another great added feature is that you can add a Family Pass option for about $24 for the entire summer.  This upgrade allows up to four additional adults to bowl 2 FREE games throughout the summer as well!

Time to get your bowl on in KC this summer!

Jiggle Jam Your Way Over to Crown Center This Weekend for Some Family Fun!

  

 

If you're looking for the spot to be this Memorial Day weekend in Kansas City, KC Jiggle Jam at Crown Center is IT!  Talk about family fun!  This family-friendly festival will have tons to keep parents and kids jiggling and jamming all weekend long.  Mr. Stinky Feet, Funky Mama, Dino O'Dell, oh and don't forget - They Might Be GIANTS - will ALL be in the house rockin' to your favorite beats!  I'll also be introducing to the stage, Kansas City's very own mom-duo, The La La's on the Jiggle Stage on Saturday!  Stop by the Wonderscope activity area for bubbles, face painting, playtime, or crafts.  And, don't forget to come say hi to me while I hang out in the inflatables area!  I'll be wearing a blue Staff shirt so please come find me and say hello!  Plus, there'll be a TONS of other fun things to do and lots of yummy food!

Tickets are $10 for children at the event gates, or $8 in advance ordered either online or at your nearest HyVee!  Adults are $5 and kids under 2 are FREE!  This one-of-a-kind music festival was designed with your Kansas City family in mind, and we've thought of everything!  From a cozy diaper changing & nursing station to a lullaby nap area, your family can play ALL DAY!  Plus, you heard it here first - this year, JJ is pleased to offer your kids a "stimulus package"!  They'll get TWO FREE JJ Bucks for use at the inflatables!  This means that their first two go-rounds at the bounce houses are on JJ!  Single tickets and wristabands for the inflatables will also be available for purchase! 

For more information like the complete lineup of entertainment, visit the KC Jiggle Jam website!  I'll see you this weekend at KC Jiggle Jam! 

Family Fun Day at KCP&L District!

Sprint Family Fun Days are back from now through every 3rd Saturday in October!  Bring your kids down for some FREE fun in the sun.  May's theme is "All that You ART!"

SPRINT FAMILY FUN DAYS!
MAY 16, 2009
NOON - 4 P.M.
KC LIVE! in the Power & Light District 

The 2009 Family Fun Days are presented by Sprint.  For more info check out the KCP&L events page.

Making Memories at Disney on Ice - Kansas City!

Disney on Ice at Kemper Arena in Kansas City last night was fantastic!  We all had such a great time.  Our favorite Disney characters, popcorn, cotton candy, silly hats - what more could you want out of family entertainment?  You can still get tickets for this weekend's shows!  The weather in KC is "iffy" but the value of this family outing is certainly NOT!  You and your family will LOVE it!

We got to take part in a special VIP meet-and-greet session where we arrived a little early to enjoy refreshments, a goodie bag, and meet Minnie!  The kids were excited!  We told her she needed to get back down to Orlando soon since we'd be there after Easter to see her and the gang!

After the VIP party, we went to find our seats which were more like box seats!  They were great!  We settled in and enjoyed seeing the rest of the general public trickle in before the show.  Of course the food and merchandise vendors were in full force but we made the kids hold out a bit on getting anything. 

Nathan and I headed up about 20 minutes before showtime to grab some popcorn, cotton candy and lemonade for the show.  The music, the lights, the sights - the kids were in awe!  We were able to see some of our favorite Disney characters like Ariel, Lilo & Stitch, Simba, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and of course the usual suspects - Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, & Goofy!

This was a perfect precursor to our upcoming Disneyworld trip coming up in just a little more than a week!  I need to get packing!  Get your tickets now and surprise YOUR little ones!