Easter Pageant

image from here

For weeks my kiddos have be talking about the Easter Bunny. He's going to bring candy and he's coming in April is all that their little 2 year old minds know right now. However, a lot of families are like ours and also try to teach the reason behind the Easter celebrations - more than just the Easter Bunny. Mesa is known for it's presentation of the Easter Pageant Jesus the Christ, a live depiction of the life of Christ. And tonight, this Easter celebration begins.

Tonight is the public invited dress rehearsal at 7:00 PM. This is actually the show that I prefer to take my children to because it is less crowded and it starts an hour earlier.

Regular show times are as follows:

English Performances

April 1st-2nd and April 7th -11th at 8:00 PM

Spanish Performances

April 3rd-4th at 8:00 PM

ASL Performances

April 1st-4th at 8:00 PM

Location: North lawn of the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors' Center

525 East Main St.

These shows are free and donations are NOT accepted. Tickets are not required, but seating is based on a first come first serve basis, so pack your dinner and get their early.

Information from here.

Helping Others

Sometimes we get caught up in our day to day lives that we forget to help those less fortunate than us. I thought I would share an e-mail that was sent to us from the city as a little reminder of something we can do - volunteer or donate:

"Volunteers and donations needed for Project Homeless Connect

The East Valley Project Homeless Connect will take place in the City of Mesa Friday, April 17th from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM at City of Grace Church, 655 E. University Drive. Nonprofit and government agencies will provide services to the homeless such as housing assistance, medical care, obtaining identification cards, etc. Showers, haircuts and lunch will also be provided.

The East Valley Project Homeless Connect is asking for donations of several items, including new bath towels, underwear, socks, sunscreen, backpacks and money to purchase lunch for guests and volunteers.Volunteers are also needed to serve meals, distribute clothing and help the homeless contact the different social service providers at the event.

'The City of Mesa is honored to provide this service, which will be an additional resource to help the homeless in the East Valley,' Mesa Human Services Program Coordinator Lisa Wilson said. 'This volunteer effort began in San Francisco and was successfully duplicated in Tempe and other Valley cities. Mesa is pleased to be able to partner with several different agencies to also offer this program.'

Among the agencies partnering with the City of Mesa for the East Valley Project Homeless Connect are the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles, Maricopa Association of Governments, Save the Family Foundation of Arizona, A New Leaf, East Valley Men’s Center, Valley of the Sun United Way, Mesa United Way, Central Christian Church and City of Grace Church.

If you would like to volunteer or donate items for the East Valley Project Homeless Connect, contact Mesa Human Services Program Coordinator Lisa Wilson at (480) 644-5831."

Swimming: Part 1

Swimming season is upon us. With that comes issues of water safety. Teaching children to swim is one of their best defensive in water safety. This upcoming week we will focus a few posts on options that parents have for teaching children to swim and be safe around water. We realize that we are a little late in posting this (Nikki got us the info in plenty of time, however, this week was full of non-blogging things for me) but, tomorrow EVO swim school is offering a solution.

"We are celebrating warmer weather and raising awareness of water safety by hosting a mini swim competition for kids of all ages. Join us this Saturday, March 28th from 1:30 to 4:30 PM. Friends and family alike are invited to come and participate. There is a $5 entry fee for any child entered in the swim races and you don't have to be enrolled in classes to race. Come on down and enjoy the day with us!

-SWIM RACES

-FREE FOOD

-RIBBONS & PRIZES

-WATER SAFETY MATERIALS

-GIANT BOUNCER

-FREE SWIM FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

-GILBERT FIRE TRUCK TOURS"

EVO Swim School

868 N. Gilbert Road

Suite 100

Gilbert, AZ 85234

They are located on the northwest corner of Gilbert and Guadalupe, next to the Good Will shopping center.

Thanks Nikki for the info.

MPS Budget Information Meetings

Mesa Public Schools is hosting budget information meetings. "Parents, residents and district employees are invited. Choose a session near you March 26-April 1. Each meeting will feature the same information. Days and locations vary for your convenience. A question-answer session will follow the presentation. Because of the nation's economic situation, Arizona is experiencing a budget shortfall. To maintain a balanced budget, the Legislature faces cuts of more than $3 billion. These state cuts impact K-12 education, which is about 43 percent of the state budget. Our district funding for 2008-09 and 2009-10 will be affected. The Governing Board and superintendency invite you to attend one of the following meetings":

TONIGHT - 7:00 PM, Thursday, March 26, Westwood High School auditorium, 945 W. 8th St.

TONIGHT - 7:00 PM, Thursday, March 26, Red Mountain High School auditorium, 7301 E. Brown Road

7:00 PM, Tuesday, March 31, Rhodes Junior High School auditorium, 860 S. Longmore

7:00 PM, Wednesday, April 1, Brimhall Junior High School auditorium, 4949 E. Southern Ave.

Of course as a parent and past educator I have my own opinions as to what programs I feel are worth saving and what programs need revamping, but that is not the important part. The important part is that you go to get informed and go to let your opinion be known for the sake of our children.

Thank you Malinda and Andy for the e-mails.

Ted's Hot Dogs

I would apologize for not posting for a week, but really, making my own Spring Break adventures and getting 2 little girls to sleep in their new big girl room were my first priority - sorry.

I hope everyone was able to find a few ways to entertain themselves this past week. We did a little spring cleaning and then took a road trip to southern Arizona through Tombstone, Bisbee, and the Chiricahua Mountains. It was great and I'm always amazed at the diversity of people, land and history we have here in Arizona. Tour Arizona - you won't be disappointed.

For those of you that still need something to do, here is a little restaurant review from Burgess. This restaurant is actually in Tempe, but from what Burgess has said, combined with my husband's opinion, it was worth posting. I'm a hot dog person myself, but my husband has never shared the same love that I have for the food. So you know I was a little jealous when he came home from work talking about this wonderful hot dog place he went to for lunch with the "best hot dogs ever." My mouth is still watering thinking about the day when I myself get to try these highly recommended hot dogs.

Ted's Hot Dogs
1755 E Broadway Rd
Tempe, AZ 85282

"If you like hot dogs you're going to LOVE Ted's in Tempe. Hot dogs are my favourite food, and these are the best around. They're based out of Buffalo New York and the Tempe location is the only one outside of Buffalo (who knows why they chose Tempe, but let's just thank the hot dog Gods and enjoy). The meat comes straight from New York and they have White hots(veal), Italian sausage, foot longs, regular, and my fave the Jumbo All Beef. They make they're own hot sauce (which I've actually never tried) and onion rings that are never frozen and so DELISH.

So, while you wait in line they ask you what you want them to throw on the grill for you. While it's on the grill they poke and prod and basically just beat the heck out of your hot dog. By the time you get to the front it's done and time to top it off with whatever you want! They have all the regular stuff (tomatoes, onions, etc.) plus peppers, chili, cheese, speared pickles, and more. They're only around $3 per dog. They also have hamburgers if you're not into the hot dogs, but you will be! It's a total family place and they even offer a "Kiddie combo" that's only $4 and comes with fries and a drink.

For our little fam of 3 it's usually not more than $18. SO cheap and YUMMY!!"

It's spring, it's baseball time, it's time to try one of these hot dogs. Thanks Burgess for the recommendation.

Get Outdoorsy

Do you need something more outdoorsy to do this Spring Break? You could take a hike, go fishing, go camping - really, now is the time to get in all that fresh spring air.

Hiking:

Okay, we always like Usery Pass Park for hiking. You can go with the hard packed Merkle trail if you desire to take young ones. The hardness even allows for strollers. Or you can hike up to the wind caves. You don't even have to be an expert hiker, just pack some water, a few treats to enjoy at the top and your tennis shoes and you are set. (And don't forget the $6 per car fee.)

Fishing:

"Children don't remember their best day of watching T.V." - AZ game and fish website

There are tons of places to fish in Arizona, so I'll just stick to the basics in the east valley. There is always Saguaro Lake, or you can go with urban fishing at Red Mountain Park, Riverview Park, or the Riparian Institute of Gilbert (I know there are a lot more, but that's all the local spots I've fished at.) Urban fishing is nice for the real young ones because there is usually a playground close by when attention spans grow short. For all fishing, don't forget the fishing permit. Fishing permits can be bought at Walmart or your basic hunting/fishing shops like Bass Pro. An urban licence, which allows you to fish in the city, is $18.50 for the year or if you plan to make many fishing trips, you can get what I prefer and go with the regular fishing/urban fishing/and trout stamp combo for $53. This allows me to fish urban, fish at places like Saguaro or up north, and allows me to catch trout. Just remember that children under 14 do not need a permit as long as they have a permitted adult with them. So basically, my dad can take all 20 grandkids with just his permit. If you want more information on permits and regulations, go here.

Camping

Alright, I'm a little bit of a pansy, so I'm not one for camping up north yet - it's still too cold at night for me. Shoot, when I went camping for almost 2 weeks last summer I still froze at night. But I'm trying to convince my husband that camping in our own backyard would be fun. I would have a bathroom close by and packing would be a breeze. You know it sounds like fun. Bust out those marshmallows and make yourself some smores (yes, you can have fire in your own backyard. Small fires don't need a permit, big ones do.) If you don't have a fire pit but you have a BBQ, just roast your mallows over the grill. Explore your backyard with your flashlights, go get glow-sticks at the $1 Store, tell stories, have a fun evening without even leaving the comforts of your property.

Do you have favorites for fishing, camping and hiking in the spring? Let us know.

Superstition Farm

Image and information from here

Need a little country in the city? Check out Superstition Farm. Roccy was kind enough to send a little information our way.

Superstition Farm

3440 South Hawes Rd

Mesa, AZ 85212

Phone: (480)986.7781 (please leave message-they may be with the cows!)

or email them at info@superstitionfarm.com

Learn of cows, tour the farm, take a hayride, find your way through the hay-maze, and visit the farm store. Also, for $1 extra you can hit up the milk bar (which boasts 12 flavors - now that sounds interesting) or for $1.50 extra you can go with the ice-cream bar.

Check out the details on how you can get in on this fun opportunity, straight from their website:

"We are now open open to the public on Saturdays from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The first tour is at 10:00 AM and the second is at 12:00. This is on a walk-in basis so you do not need an appointment. If you are planning to come with a large group then please just give us a call beforehand to let us know so we can be prepared to accommodate you. If Saturday's are not good for you then just give us a call or email us and we can set you up with a reservation. We do tours by appointment on Tuesdays-Fridays."

Pricing:

"Only $7.50 for big kids 13 and up, $5.50 for kids (not the goats) 12 & under, Babies in arms - Free. Hay! That's cheaper than a moo-vie! Bring the whole herd! Rate (20 or more) - $6.50 per big, scary chaperon and $4.50 per little, lucky learny, touchy children! (it's OK, we encourage it here)."

Oh, and that's not all:

Do you have a horse crazy youngster? Check out their info on HORSE RIDING LESSONS here.

Interested in ORGANIC PRODUCE? Check out their organic buying club here.

Okay, so get out there on Saturday or get on the phone or send them an e-mail to make your reservation. Muffin the cow would love to see you.

Spring Training

(image from here)

Okay, maybe a Spring Training game would interest you.

Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants

Wednesday, March 18th

game starts at 1:05 PM

HoHoKam Stadium

1235 N. Center St.

Ticket Line: 800.905.3315

"The Cubs charge differently based on whether a game is a regular game or a premium date. Field Box, $26/$29; Terrace Box, $24/$27; Terrace/Field Box, $19/$20; Patio Bleachers, $16/$17; Grandstand Reserved, $13/$14; Lawn General Admission, $7/$7. "

Information from here

Spring Break Part 1 - Museums and Various Recreational Sites

During the next few days we will feature some quick posts about activities that you can enjoy for Spring Break. It may or may not be your Spring Break, but we want everyone to try to celebrate a little more this upcoming week - it's spring and you live in Mesa. Be happy. Forget the economy for a bit. Some of the ideas will cost money and some will be activities that you can do for free. Some may require you to get out of the house and enjoy the spring air and some activities will be ones you can do from the comforts of your home. We just hope we can help you put a little extra zip in your spring this week.

To start off some of our Spring Break posts, we thought we would remind everyone of the fabulous museums and various recreational sites that we have in our area. These are places that generally have an entrance fee, however, provide a fun service for children and adults. We know we have posted about most of these before, but we would just like to remind everyone that there is a huge variety of things to do around here.

The Arizona Museum for Youth - you can't miss out on Artville for the younger ones and then there is Recycled into Art or African Stone sculptures for all ages.

The Natural History Museum - dinosaurs, Mars, poop, the Hohokam people - this museum explores it all.

Red Mountain Multigenerational Center - climbing wall, fitness center, a get out and get moving kind of place.

McCormick Stillman Train Park in Scottsdale - a fabulous train to ride, carousel rides, park and museum. A little far, but in my opinion, well worth the drive.

The Phoenix Zoo - Spring Break is not a reason to stop learning. Go and see first hand all those wonderful animals.

Hall of Flame - a museum all about firefighting, from heroes to truck and everything in between.

Mesa Historical Museum - visit the Wallace and Ladmo exhibit or even Play Ball: The Cactus League Experience.

X-Treme Play - have a fun filled day with indoor inflatables.

Broadway Palm Dinner Theater - see Singin' in the Rain while enjoying a meal.

Family Day at Cinemark - take advantage of a little Monday movie deal today.

Queen Creek Olive Mill - visit and tour this working mill.

Ice Rinks - feeling like summers coming too soon? Hit the ice at various ice rinks across the valley.

Light Rail - you still haven't gone for a spin on the light rail? Why not take a trip to Phoenix this week via the light rail?

Picture Show - try out the new discount theater. Remember Tuesdays are only $1.

Freestone Park in Gilbert - ride the mini train, carousel, and another small amusement ride, or maybe just feed the ducks and enjoy the various playgrounds.

Stay tuned for country in the city outlets and outdoorsy and indoorsy stuff.

2nd Friday

Yep, another 2nd Friday is upon us again.

Oh, and we are looking for any and all ideas for Spring Break. Thanks to a friendly reminder from Roccy, we are working on some good posts for ideas to make your Spring Break special. I personally do not have kids in school, and both my husband and I are all done with ASU, but that doesn't mean I don't look forward to Spring Break every year. It's an excuse to celebrate. So let us in on any secrets that you have for the week and e-mail us at iheartmesa@gmail.com. (And don't think that because budgets are tighter this year, that you still can't celebrate - Disneyland isn't the only place on earth to create lasting memories.)

Picture Show

image from here

This one was sent to me by several of you and it sounds great. I'm so glad they are finally bringing back a lower priced theater in Mesa. Hopefully it turns out to be a good one.

The Picture Show is located at the Superstition Springs Mall. We are assuming it is the old dollar theater, just newly remodeled. The theater is located near The Cheesecake Factory and the double decker carousel. The entrance (if still the same after the remodel) is from the outdoor amphitheater at the mall.

Picture Show opens March 13th! Picture Show offers eight screens of movies at discount prices. Check out the newly remodeled theater with a bright inviting atmosphere, new seats and enhanced projection and sound presentation. This is a family focused discount movie theater with movies costing $2 all day and only $1 on Tuesdays.

To celebrate, Thursday, March 12th at 1:00 PM is a free movie at Picture Show! Show your Kids Club Membership Card and the entire family (limit 4) will enjoy a free movie, popcorn and drink. Doors open at 12:15 PM with the movie starting at 1:00 PM. Be sure to arrive early as there is limited seating and guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis. Come see Bolt, Bedtime Stories, Marley and Me or Tales of Despereaux in an amazing theater!

A Kids Club Membership is free at the customer service desk and your kids can ride the carousel for free with their pass on Thursday's from 11- 1pm.

Thanks Malinda, Lindsey, and Nik for passing this along.

Information from here.

Ah-So Good

(Picture from Wikipedia. This isn't Ah-So, but close enough.)

Ah-So Japanese Restaurant

480.497.1114
1919 S Gilbert RD
Mesa 85204
(on the same corner as Trader Joe's and Michael's)

Ah-So and I met about 8 years ago when I first started dating my husband and it's been love ever since. Ah-So has been a place of many dates for us, a place we can treat out-of-town guests and a place I have come to crave. It just seems to always "hit the spot." I grew up as a fish-stick kind of girl. Meaning, the only fish I ever ate was breaded. Since meeting Ah-So, I have turned into a shrimp and even a little bit of a sushi eater. My family is still in disbelief.


Ah-So is a Japanese Sushi/Teppanyaki restaurant. One side is the sushi bar and one side is filled with tables where you sit around the teppan grill and watch your food being cooked right in front of you. I have only tried the teppanyaki side. The chefs are very talented and entertaining. Once in awhile we will get one that is a little less exciting, but usually we aren't disappointed. We do like to make sure we have at least a few dollars to give to the chef when he is done cooking for us as a tip. In addition to our chef tip, we still leave a regular tip when we are paying for the meal.


Each meal comes with fried rice, a salad, miso soup, vegetables, a few shrimps (even if you didn't order shrimp) and your chosen meat. Prices range from $8 to around $30 per plate. If you want to share your meat, I think the charge is around $7 so that way you still get your own rice, soup, salad and vegetable. When I go I usually get the fillet and shrimp combo. I love their rice so much that my husband has figured out how to duplicate it at home. You can even buy their sauces to go. As for children, we have only taken our girls once to Ah-So, but I'll probably wait until they are older. They were entertained and had a good time, but Ah-So doesn't have a kids menu, so we still had to pay adult prices. For 2 year olds, it is not worth it (well, at least not for me). I've been with my older nieces and nephews and it was fun to watch them be entertained.

Have you been to Ah-So? What do you think.

Family Day at Mesa Grande

Thanks everyone for finding out the good info on Lehi Days. I've been so busy juicing and juicing and juicing (I think I might be juicing for the rest of my life) all the oranges from my backyard that I didn't have time to go into super sleuth mode when I couldn't find any information. So for those of you wanting info on Lehi Days, just check out the previous posts comment section - Emily and Jill came to the rescue.

image from here

Now for something else exciting this Saturday. It is Family Day at Mesa Grande.

"Family Day at the Mesa Grande archaeological site is being held Saturday,March 7th from 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM. The free event will give you the chance to tour this large prehistoric Hohokam temple mound, view prehistoric technology demonstrations and participate in ancient games at the third annual open house held at West 10th Street and Date/Brown, across from the former Banner Mesa Hospital. A free pancake breakfast, sponsored by the Mesa Grande Community Alliance, will be served from 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM."

This one intrigues me because since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to go explore that big mound of dirt across from Mesa Lutheran (Banner Mesa). My mom told me stories of when she was a little girl they would sneak onto the land to find Indian artifacts but an old lady with a shotgun would come out and chase them away. That was over 50 years ago, so hopefully there aren't any ladies with shotguns at this event :)

information from here

Lehi Days

It is rumored that "Lehi Days" are this weekend and a few of you have asked for more details. However, I have been unable to track down any information about this event. So I'm turning it over to iheartmesa readers. What details do you have on Lehi Days?

Now for those of you confused, I consider Lehi the section of Mesa that is "down the hill" or the most northern part of Mesa. It is an area of Mesa that is rich in farmland and history. To celebrate, every year there are Lehi Days. And like many people, I've heard of this event for many years now, but don't have any details because I myself do not live in Lehi. So I leave it up to you. Hopefully we have some Lehi dwellers in our midst who can bail us out. I don't even have a cool picture to post here to show you the beauties of Lehi - so please let us know what you know.

Out to Lunch Concert Series

Apparently, the "OUT TO LUNCH FREE CONCERT SERIES" is back at the Mesa Arts Center, and I didn't even realize. There are more spring concerts in March, so you have a few more chances to enjoy the outdoors and music.

"Mesa Arts Center is bringing back its popular free outdoor concert series! Bring your lunch and enjoy live music in a serene setting. Concerts will be held on Thursdays on the Wells Fargo Garden from 12:30 - 1:30 pm."


Concerts Include:

MARCH 5th - Desert City Six (Dixieland and more)
MARCH 12th - Liam Mackey and Tim Sadow (Traditional and original Irish tunes)
MARCH 19th - Back Porch Bandits (Bluegrass)

Queen's Bakery and Pizzeria

(Image from here)

This restaurant review comes from Nik again. We appreciate her willingness to help us out. Besides, when it came time to find a place to eat on Friday night, I thought, "Hey, I just got a fantastic review from Nik, let's try out Queen's." And oh, we were not disappointed. Along with great food, I found the owner equally great. He was kind, helpful, and when he asked if #3 was on the way and I informed him that it was #3 and #4, he replied, "What a blessing." No snide remark about twins, just kindness. I appreciate good owners. They make me want to go back again and again and I'm pretty sure we will. Plus, we went on a Friday night and it was not busy. Why do people wait hours at chain restaurants on the weekends when they can get better food with less crowd? It's still a mystery.

Queen's Bakery & Pizzeria

125 W Main St

Mesa 85201
480.964.1609

Between Robson and McDonald, on the South side of Main.

"I heard from 3 separate, unrelated people that this was their all-time favorite pizza restaurant, so I couldn't resist going to check it out. We went on a Saturday afternoon. The menu sounded so great, it took us forever to decide what to get. One of the customers who saw us agonizing over the menu reassured us that this was the best pizza she'd ever had and we couldn't go wrong with any of the pizza options, which made our decision that much more difficult. Haha. She recommended the Anneliese, which has pepperoni, gorgonzola, and... something else...? The man behind the counter also said we couldn't go wrong with any of their pizza flavors... We ended up trying the Vegas (meatball, gorgonzola) --about $15 to $16 for the 16" but we were so tempted by the Reno (ham, pineapple, jalapeno), and a couple others... Next time I'll definitely get the King of Hearts, which is a 6 topping combo--you can go with the preset menu toppings, or choose your own from an extensive list. It costs about $$18 for an 18 inch. The Specialty Combo Pizzas are the best deals on the menu. The atmosphere was fun. Colorful original artwork adorned the exposed brick walls. The aged brick lends a rustic, interesting quality to the decor. The tables are also painted in colorful, original artwork. There are counters at the back that people are supposedly welcome to write all over. We didn't see any pens or markers, though, so perhaps that's changed? It was fun to watch the employees tossing the dough in the air, like we've seen on TV. The crust was awesome, so it must really make a difference. Great place! Go support local Mesa businesses! Yum!"

So there you have it - yummy truth. And if you don't feel like leaving your home, they deliver. My house isn't very close to downtown, but the owner said to just call anyways. If he's busy, then he'll give a really long delivery time. If he is slow, it won't be a problem.

Have you tried Queen's? What do you think?