Usery Pass "Just for Kids"

image from here


Okay, we have mentioned this one before, but maybe you just didn't get the chance to get out and go. So once again, here are the details:

"Just for Kids" Hikes
Usery Mountain Regional Park



Dates in January:
Wednesday, January 28th
Saturday, January 31st



Time: 10:00 AM
no registration required


Cost: $6 per vehicle to get into the park (so team up and carpool to save money)

The entrance to Usery Mountain Regional Park is located at:
3939 N. Usery Pass Road Mesa, 85207
Ellsworth, north of McDowel Road.

This one-mile hike is designed for parents and grandparents with small children, ages 3 – 6 years old. Along with Ranger B, children will explore the desert and learn about plants and wildlife. Exploration will be from the comfort of the well- manicured Merkle Trail, designed to be barrier-free and offer universal access. The hard-smooth surface of this trail will accommodate wheelchairs and strollers. After completing the hike, kids will receive a Junior Ranger badge. Please bring water and hats. Families meet at Area 6.

I have hiked at Usery Park several times but have never had the chance to try out the Merkle Trail. However, a friend of mine tried it out recently and said it is a GREAT trail for young ones. So get out and involve your kids in your New Years resolution to be healthier. Plus, the weather is just fabulous lately.

information from here

Jeepers!

Awhile back Lindsey K. tipped us off onto special 2009 pricing for Jeepers! in Mesa. This year Jeepers! wristbands for all day indoor amusement park rides are $5 and parents ride free with a paying child.

Here is the little description their website has to offer (I thought the "No way! Yes way!" was funny so I just had to include it.):

Amusement park? Indoor? No way! Yes way! Imagine a 28,000 square feet climate controlled indoor amusement park with your child's favorite rides - mini roller coaster, carousel, bumper cars, monkey barrels, spinning cups, safari train, jet airplane ride. Add over 90 non-violent games, many with redemption tickets & prizes. Now add a giant soft play area with tunnels & slides for hours of fun.

Jeepers! Amusement Paradise is located at:

2726 S. Alma School Road, Mesa

Phone: 480-820-8300

Hours of Operation are:

Open daily: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Closed Thursdays

Now, we have heard that kids love this place, however, it is an indoor amusement park, so it will come with a certain smell and I'm sure there will be germs. But with wristbands being less expensive this year, it just might be what you are looking for. Jeepers is probably most appropriate for toddlers on up (well, I'm sure some kids are too "grown-up").

information from here

Library Story Times

image from here

They're back. It's time for STORYTIME. Here is the list and overview of Mesa's 3 libraries' storytimes. Remember, these are free and you do not need to register. Go once or every week, it's up to you.

Main Library Storytime
Every Wednesday through March 25th

10:30-11:00 AM

Located in the Youth Activity Room

Overview: Please join us for stories, music and fun, geared for ages 3-5. As a courtesy to our storytellers and audience, no one will be admitted 5 minutes after the program begins.

Main Library Baby Lapsit
Every Thursday, running through March 26th

10:30-11:00 AM

Located in the Youth Activity Room

Overview: Baby Lapsits introduce the rhythm and beauty of language to babies aged birth to 18 months, using rhymes, songs, and simple stories. This program, limited to one child* per grown-up lap, helps enrich the bond between caregiver and child while building the foundation for a lifelong love of books and reading.

*Has anyone with twins tried this? Mine are too old to try it out, but I still say go even if you have multiples.

Dobson Ranch Branch Library Storytime
Every Wednesday, running from January 28th - March 25th

10:30-11:00 AM

Located in the Meeting Room

Red Mountain Branch Library Family Storytime
Thursdays, January 29th - April 2nd

10:30-11:00 AM AND 1:30-2:00 PM

Located in the Program Room

Overview: Come join us for this fun literature-based program of stories, songs and activities. This program is geared toward ages 3-5.

Red Mountain Branch Library Toddlertime
Tuesdays, January 27 - March 31st

10:30-11:00 AM

Located in the Program Room

Overview: Come join us for stories, songs, fingerplays and lots more fun! This program is geared toward ages 18 months–36 months.

Enjoy expanding those young minds.

information from here

Help For a Family

It's not like us to cover news, but every so often a news story comes along that takes your breath away. A tale of tragedy that changes your life. And although you do not know the family or those affected, you feel the need to do what you can to help.

Today at the Mesa City Cemetery a family buried their sons ages 6 and 11. Last Friday night a drunk driver killed these 2 young boys and critically injured their mom. The boys were pronounced dead at the scene and the mother had to be airlifted to the hospital. Their father and another passenger also had to be taken to the hospital. The details astound me. However, today, as I read the obituaries for Nolan and C.J., I was even more astounded to learn that the boys were preceded in death by their brother. This is a family that has had to bury all three of their children.

Although I do not know this family or all of the details, I do know that burying your children is emotionally as well as financially draining. So tonight, I write this post with no pictures, no frills, just some simple information about how you can help this family.

Here are the bank accounts you can donate to:

Wells Fargo Bank Account #273 309 9838: Traci & Frankie Smith

and

Desert Schools Credit Union (any branch): CJ and Nolan Smith

Please consider and help spread the word. Be the miracle in this tragedy.

MLK Parade

image from here

Yes, it's time for a parade in Mesa again. Yea.

Monday January, 19th, 2008

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Join the celebration and enjoy a parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The parade will include the 8 school bands. There will also be scout troops, church groups, civic organizations, school clubs, pep and cheer squads as well as student councils with floats.

The parade route runs North down Center Street from 1st Ave. to 3rd Pl.

Following the parade, there will be a festival at the Mesa Amphitheater from 1:00PM - 3:00 PM.

information from here

Friday Night Astronomy

Astronomy fascinates me. I'm not sure if it's the fact that space is so far away and our knowledge of what exists in it seems so mysterious or if I am amused at how much astronomy has been utilized by all mankind, hundreds and thousands of years ago. Whatever the reason, it's neat.

If you find it as exciting as I do, you might want to head to Lost Dutchman State Park (6109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction) this Friday the 16th for a little lesson about the night skies.

It begins at 7:00pm and it is "free" but you have to pay for park admission which is $5 per vehicle. $5 though, for the entire family? That's basically free. :)

Picture from here. (Don't ask why there is a picture from Lost Dutchman for this post but not astronomy, but there is).

For more information call 480.982.4485.

City of Mesa Auctions and Sales

(Image from here. You won't actually see this sign if you go to the auction, I just liked the picture.)

I'm kind-of a sucker for thrift stores, auctions and anything that may boast a good deal. I think I might check this one out soon to see what I've been missing.

Every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 AM - NOON the city of Mesa sells and auctions it's surplus items at:

7041 E Adobe, Mesa, 85207

North of University at Power Rd. east on Adobe

For More Information
Call 480-644-2663

Items may consist of surplus items, equipment and unclaimed police evidence (sounds interesting). Some of the items with set prices are:

-16 cu. ft. Refrigerators (no ice maker) $85.00 each + Tax

-BMX & Mountain Bikes priced at $5.00 and up each + Tax

-15" Flat Screen PC Monitors $50.00 each + Tax

-Desks - $10.00 each + Tax
-Computer Equipment

AND much more!

NO VEHICLE SALES are conducted at City of Mesa Warehouse Facilities.

Surplus sales are not held on city holidays or rainy days. ALL ITEMS SOLD AS IS - NO REFUNDS - NO DELIVERY. Everything sold "AS IS - WHERE IS" to highest bidder. No warranties given.

PAYMENT: Cash or approved check w/bankcard & Drivers License, VISA and MasterCard accepted.

PICK-UP: Items must be removed within (72) hours of Auction /Yard close. Items not removed within 72 hours will be disposed of at City's discretion.

Information from here.

It's Back: Kids Club

I can't remember if we've made mention of the Westcor Kids Club at Superstition Springs Mall. They took a break for the Holidays but now it's back. Every Thursday from 10 - 11:00am they have free, educational entertainment for the kids by Persephone and Dewper. The activity/presentation takes place near the North Court. It resumes on January 15th and the theme is a rhyming safari. Previously, by signing up for and attending the Kids Club, children would also receive a free ride on the carousel, but I haven't found information on that so I'm not sure if they've done away with that perk.

Here's what I pulled directly from Westcor's site:

Everything Thursday at 10am in the JCPenney Court, the Westcor Kids Club program is held. This free event is an interactive community program designed to educate and entertain children in a safe and happy place. Members learn about a new topic each week along with music, dance and reading. The program is ran by entertainer, Persephone along with Dewper the Praire Dog, the Westcor Kids Club mascot. Along with your free membership, various discounts are give on Thursday with your membership card. See Guest Services for more details on discounts. To become a member, click the link below and signup online.

webinquiry.net/macerich/kidsclub

For more information contact Guest Services at 480.396.2570.

Queen Creek Olive Mill

One thing I will admit is that I sometimes wish Arizona had some factories. I've heard about touring factories in other states and it just sounds pretty darn cool. I enjoy seeing what goes into the production of items that we use/consume every day. Imagine my delight when I stumbled across this bit o' information: a tour at the Queen Creek Olive Mill (that, by the way, I didn't even know existed, did you?).

But it does! And you (and I) can take a tour of it for $5. Their website says:

We invite you to the Queen Creek Olive Mill, Arizona’s only working olive mill & farm. Our 30 minute tour is designed to educate you on Olive Oil, the different varieties of olives grown around the world and what specific types we grow here for the express purpose of creating our own high quality EVOO. You will also learn why Arizona is a prime location for growing olives.
We will also talk about the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil and why it is recommended by doctors, nutritionist and even former presidents.

Tour Schedule
Monday - Friday 9:30 - 2:30 every hour on the half hour.

Saturday 8:30 to 2:30 Sunday 8:30 to 1:30

Groups of 8 or more, please call the Mill at 480-888-9290 or email us at tours@queencreekolivemill.com to schedule your tour in advance because tour size is limited.

The Mill is located at 25062 S. Meridian Road Queen Creek, AZ 85242. After your store, consider staying to eat at del-Piero at the Mill, where you can eat inside or in the olive grove.

Picture, info and more info here.

Best of 2008

It's Friday, there's not much going on this weekend and I couldn't resist posting my own top 10 favorite things that money can buy from 2008.
1: My Canon G9. After seven months of ownership, I'm certain this camera is the best bang for your buck without getting an SLR. Great pictures, many options and reasonably priced.

2: Purity loose powder by Mineral Science: I'm a sucker for deals and I signed up for a free trial of this powder, since I was in the market to try something new, and I love it. It's oh so light so you can't see any trace of it, yet using it blends my discolored face beautifully. I got the blush, a white powder for shine control and two different shades of powder, which allows me to blend and best match my skin tone.

3: Scotch Brite Microfiber Kitchen Cloths: I'm pretty sure the Kitchen fairy used magical thread when she sewed these cloths. This makes scrubbing hard crusty food off hard surfaces a breeze. Not that I'd know, since I clean up after my daughter immediately after each and every meal.

4: ShowerFlosser: My hygienist recommended this and I bought it for less than $20. It tickles like crazy but it's like a little pedicure in your mouth. It feels great and apparently it is really good for your gums.

5: Edamame: I know, it's been around forever. But this year I started buying the little frozen packages at Costco and I can eat one whole one by myself. So tasty and so worthy of being on my list. Despite the new concerns about whether or not soy beans are really healthy for you, I still enjoy my servings of Edamame.

6: Miniature Tea Set from Ikea: This one speaks for itself, really. Cute, affordable and the perfect size for those tiny little hands that prefer to drink once out of every cup rather than use just one. Besides, that would be so boring.

7: American Express/Costco TrueEarnings Card: Not really a product, but I've gotta have something to buy my products with. Right? This card, available to Costco members, has the best rewards I've found for a credit card that has no annual fee. 3% cash back on gas, 3% at restaurants, 2% on travel and 1% on everything else. It makes me happy to save on EVERYTHING.

8: Giant Chewy Nerds: Try them. Soon. The inside is similar to a jelly bean and the outside tastes like Nerds. I'm very happy Costco had them on sale when they moved their warehouse near me so I felt like I needed to buy some. Otherwise, we never would've met.

9: My Sherpa blanket (by Studio for JC Penny Home): I'm not sure what Sherpa means, but it's probably something similar to "insta-warm". I love blankets and bought this not long ago to use as a little throw on my couch. Since I've discovered it's ability to never be cold, it resides permanently in my bed. Somehow, the moment I come into contact with it, I feel warmth. It's especially nice getting into bed because I no longer experience the initial sting of the freezing sheets. Just the nice, cozy welcoming of my very own Sherpa.

10: E6000: After being introduced to this adhesive, I'll have a hard time using anything else. It is easy to use, it's fairly inexpensive, it bonds (most, if not all, surfaces) magnificently and it smells great. What more could you want out of an adhesive?

Barrett-Jackson

Picture from here.

Surely you've heard of the world famous Barrett-Jackson car show that comes to Scottsdale each year. But did you ever think about attending? The 2009 show opens Sunday, January 11th and goes until the 18th. There are different events scheduled throughout the week. But on the opening day, Sunday, it is Family Day. The schedule of events that day is as follows:



8:00am – 5:00pm Gates Open
10:00am – 5:00pm Kid’s Zone Hours (Located just west of Tent 3, on the Polo Field
Noon Tire Safety hosted by Discount Tire Co. Located in the Car Staging Lanes
Noon - 2:00pm Radio Disney Live Radio Remote & Activities. Location TBD
1:00 pm Kid’s Fashion Show hosted by The Garage. Located in The Garage Tent
1:00 pm FREE PIZZA: Provided by California Pizza Kitchen. Located near the Garage Patio; Kids under 12 get a slice of free pizza.
2:00 pm How to Wash a Car hosted by Mother’s Wax & Polishes. Hands-on activity for kids and adults, all ages welcome. Located in the Car Staging Lanes
3:00 pm Robosaurus Demonstration. Located on the Ford Drift Track



Adult tickets are $12 and if you go to their website, you can see the events scheduled for the rest of the week. The address of the event is 16601 N. Pima Rd. in Scottsdale, 85260.



I've been to a few car shows myself and I've found them enjoyable and somewhat fascinating. They don't just have a bunch of cars sitting in a room. There are cars (old, new and futuristic), vendors and opportunities to learn neat facts.

Free Donuts

To clarify if we have confused you: Yes there are 2 people who post to IHM. One is a hard working mother of 1. She works as an accountant and has been busy with clients at the end of the year. Therefore, her posts have been minimal the past few months. But luckily for you, it looks like she will be able to pick up the slack of blogger number 2 who is working on growing babies #3 and #4 (it's hard work). We go back and forth with postings and we know that is confusing, but hopefully you can deal.

With that out of the way, I just wanted to let everyone know I'm a little ticked off today, okay, a lot ticked off. Forbes Magazine has named Mesa the biggest "boring" city in the country. I hate little lists like this because they are usually based on skewed data and weird findings. (Such as Arizona always being ranked low in education based partly on the fact that teachers are not paid as well as other states. The fact that I was not paid very much during my years as a teacher does not prove that my students did not receive a quality education while in my classroom.) So back off my tangent, Mesa is not boring and Krispy Kreme is doing something to prove it.

image from here

TONIGHT, January, 7th from 5:00 - 10:00 PM

Head to Krispy Kreme Mesa at 6626 E. Superstition Springs Blvd and share why Mesa is not boring. If you verbally share why Mesa is not boring, you will receive a FREE doughnut of your choice. If you are willing to be videotaped sharing your message, you will receive a FREE dozen Original Glazed. The Mesa Convention and Visitor's Bureau will be on-site also conveying all the wonderfully non-boring things to do in Mesa! For more information, call 480-325-6789.

Information from an e-mail directly from Krispy Kreme.

Before Someday

Before someday, the other half of this blog will near the end of a project for a new client she began about a month ago and be able to post regularly again while the pregnant half continues to incubate those two little growing beans.

Lucky you. Before someday is TODAY.
Picture from here.


I've been enjoying our chilly, wintry temperatures lately. However, some people like that extra cold and icy feel to remind them of growing up somewhere other than Arizona. If you're one of them, why not hit up one of the Valley's ice skating rinks? Even if you're not one of them, try something new and go ice skating. I've only been to the Oceanside Ice Arena, but ice skating is ice skating, right? I'd fall repeatedly regardless of the arena.

Because there are several arenas to choose from, I'm just going to list the arena name and contact information so you can find out price, hours and other information you may need.

Arcadia Ice Arena: 3853 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix. 602-957-9966, arcadiaice.com
Ozzie Ice: 10436 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. 602-493-4667, ozzieice.com.
Oceanside Ice Arena: 1520 N. McClintock Drive, Tempe. 480-941-0944, iskateaz.com.
Desert Schools Coyotes Center (2 locations): 7225 W. Harrison St., Chandler, 480-598-9400, polaricechandler.com; 15829 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria, 623-334-1200, polaricepeoria.com.

Contact information obtained from here.

Someday

Someday I'll go back to regular posting. Someday, my 2 kids will become 4 (twins times 2). Someday I'll feel better and on some days you'll get a nice little post or two. But for now (January), postings will be less than usual and naps will be often. Until someday...