FREE Cat Spay and Neuter Clinic

I grew up watching Price is Right. In the summers, I hardly missed a day. I can still hear the words, "This is Bob Barker reminding you: help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered."

If you want to help control the pet population and get your cat spayed or neutered, now is your FREE chance.

"Maricopa County Animal Care and Control Services, in cooperation with Mesa Animal Control, are holding a 'Cat Only' Spay/Neuter Clinic

Saturday, April 17 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Home Depot parking lot

853 N. Dobson Rd.

Check in time is at 7 a.m.  Surgeries are on a first come, first serve basis and space is limited to approximately 80 cats. No food or water is allowed after 10:00 PM the night before. The surgery will not be provided to more than two cats per household.

There are several other rules to keep in mind:

· cats must weigh at least two pounds

· no hernias or cryptorchid males

· no pregnant or in-heat females

· no feral or stray cats

For additional information, please contact Mesa Animal Control at (480) 644-2268. For clinic information, check here."

Hope this helps for any cat owners out there.  

Information via an e-mail from the City of Mesa.

*****Don't forget to enter our $10 Yodipity gift card giveaway.

And sorry, couldn't help myself but get a Lolcat picture.

National Park Week

Throughout Arizona and all of the United States, the fees will be waved to the country's national parks. 

Saturday, April 17th through Sunday, April 25th. 

What a great opportunity to take a little day trip to a neat destination right here in Arizona--for no entry fees. 

The National Parks Service website says this:

"Explore the stunning beauty and amazing stories found in your national parks and celebrate National Park Week!

Also, Saturday, April 24, is National Junior Ranger Day, and children can take part in kid-friendly activities and earn their very own junior ranger patch!

So come on out! National parks across the country are hosting events and volunteer projects on Earth Day - April 22 - and throughout the week.  We hope to see you in a national park during National Park Week or sometime soon!"

For a list of Arizona's national parks including more information and maps for each one go here.

For more information about National Park Week and for picture credit go here.

Day of Play

Image and information from here

"Mesa was recently selected as a 'Playful City USA' by KaBOOM!, and to celebrate this award Mayor Smith announced a 'Day of Play' for September 25, 2009. Come out and take advantage of all the fun and FREE things to do."

Open Gym & Youth Activities

2:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Jefferson Recreation Center

120 S. Jefferson St.

Webster Recreation Center

202 N. Sycamore

Rock Wall & Open Gym

3:30 PM - 8 PM

Free admission for kids 5-15
Red Mountain Multigenerational Center

7550 E. Adobe

Family Movie Night

BOLT (PG)

Doors open at 5:00 PM, Movie starts at 6:45 PM

Free bounce houses for the kids and craft activities presented by the Arizona Museum for Youth
Mesa Amphitheatre

201 N. Center St.

Thanks Roccy for making us aware of these fun FREE events.

Ballet Under the Stars

image from here

It's that time of the year again. Things are cooling down, well, at least at night, so it’s time to pack up the lawn chairs and head to the ballet. This week, Thursday through Sunday, is Ballet Under the Stars.

"Spend a relaxing evening under the gorgeous Arizona sky as Ballet Arizona continues its annual season opening tradition with "Ballet Under the Stars". Bring the entire family and enjoy a combination of classical and contemporary works in a casual setting for FREE.

All performances begin at 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, 9/24: Fountain Park, Fountain Hills
12925 N. Saguaro Boulevard

Friday, 9/25: Tempe Center for the Arts Park, Tempe
700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Amphitheater
The Amphitheatre is located on the East side of the theatre complex.

Saturday, 9/26: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix
3rd Street and Indian School Rd.
Parking is suggested in parking lot furthest North and the stage will be set in the Amphitheatre Area just to the West of the parking lot.

Sunday, 9/27: Sahuaro Ranch Park, Glendale
59th Avenue & Mountain View Road
Recommended directions: take 59th Ave to Mountain View (between Northern & Peoria). Turn West into driveway through black metal gates. Performance held on the outdoor stage in front of the Historic Fruit Packing Building.

Includes a performance of George Balanchine's Stravinsky Violin Concerto, excerpts from Swan Lakeand excerpts from Don Quixote"


It's a little sad there are no performances in Mesa, but for a short drive you can enjoy a free night at the ballet. Information from here

Free Time at Zoo

Are you 'hanging' in there this summer? (photo courtesy of my husband)

"For the first time in its history, the Phoenix Zoo is offering free daytime admission to kids 12 and under for an entire summer. Valley youngsters will be able to enjoy a summer full of wild water play at Yakulla Caverns and Leapin' Lagoon, great experiences at Monkey Village and the Forest of Uco, plus all of the other wild fun at the Zoo – for free.

Zoo guests can also enjoy earlier operating hours to take advantage of cooler morning temperatures. The Zoo is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays."

The zoo is striving to keep us cool during summer months by opening a little earlier, turning on the misting systems throughout the Zoo, and they now have 2 great water play areas.

This special offer runs now through August 31st.

***Kids 12 and under are free this summer, however, 13 and up still have to pay the usual admission which is $16. Or you can go here to check out zoo membership costs. Basic memberships for one adult start at $55 and you can add children for $10. So, as an example, if you go with the year membership and the ones that are attending are one mom, a teenager and two children, that would make the cost of attending the zoo all summer long $65 ($55 for the mom and $10 for the 13-18 year old).

Also at the zoo this summer:

"Yakulla Caverns will also be open during Starry Safari, the Zoo's successful summer nighttime event that is expanding to include both Friday and Saturday nights this year. Starting June 5 through August 8, the Zoo will host Starry Safari every Friday and Saturday night from 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Incorporating animal experiences like Money Village, the African Savanna and special animal encounters along with plenty of fun activities with water play, inflatables and other experiences, Starry Safari is an affordable night of cool fun for the whole family. Admission to Starry Safari is only $5 per person, $4 for Zoo members. Children 2 and under are free."

Thanks Sandy for letting me in on this summer special. All information is directly from the zoo website.

Free Breakfast and Lunch

(image from here)

They say there is no such thing as a free lunch, however, 18 Mesa Public Schools are offering just that, a free breakfast and lunch for those 18 years and younger. Most schools serve free meals now through June 25th, Monday through Thursday, with exceptions being noted next to the location. Breakfast is served from 7:30 - 8:30 AM and lunch is served from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM. Adults pay $2.00 for breakfast and $2.75 for lunch. (And sometimes there may even be special activities during breakfast and lunch times.)

Check out the list for the location closest to you:

Brinton
Emerson

Eisenhower

Field

Guerrero
Hawthorne
Jordon
Lehi (through June 26th, Monday through Fridays)
Lindbergh (through July 30th)
Longfellow
Lowell
Madison
Porter
Redbird
Robson (Breakfast served 8:30-9:30 and lunch is served 11:30-1:00)
Roosevelt
Washington
Webster
Whitman
Whittier
Carson Junior
Mesa High (through July 10th, Monday through Friday)
Mesa Junior
Poston Junior
Powell Junior
Rhodes Junior
Taylor Junior

If you are uncertain about the location of these schools, go here for elementary and here for junior high locations. Happy eating.

information from here

***For those of you wondering about cost and how the district can afford such a thing when budget cuts are being made, this is a federally funded program through the USDA. The district does not pay for this service.

Free Float Night

image from here

Wednesday, June 3rd is FREE FLOAT NIGHT at Sonic

Go to a participating Sonic from 8:00 PM to Midnight and get a free 10 oz. root beer float. Sweet!

Go here for a location near you.

(They say it is for customer appreciation, but dad, I think it's really in honor of your birthday. Happy Birthday Pops!)

Spicy Friday

Okay, I have to admit that some of the 2nd Friday festivities seem a little ordinary, but this month they added a little spice - literally. We are talking chef competition (sure to please the Iron Chef watchers out there and a chance to get to know some local chefs), chips and salsa and open mic, an outdoor Beatles tribute concert and face painting and balloons for the kids, plus much more all for FREE.

And like usual, the Arizona Museum of Natural History is having their own celebration. This month celebrate the new “Night at the Museum” movie at the museum!

To help celebrate the opening of the movie “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” Arizona Museum of Natural History, 53 N. Macdonald in Mesa, will be open Friday, May 8th from 5:30 PM to 8 PM with a special showing of the original “Night at the Museum” movie. Popcorn will be provided. Please plan to come in costume as your favorite character from “Night at the Museum” for a fun night at the museum! There will be seating for 120 people in the theatre on a first come, first serve basis.

“Nights at the Museum” will also allow you to enjoy the Mars! exhibition, along with PSI: Poop Scene Investigation and Hohokam! Ancient Monuments of the Salt River Valley. Special admission is $4 for those 18 and under and $7 for everyone else. Museum members and children under three are admitted free.

Poster from here and information from an e-mail sent out by the museum.

Bike It Up

Need a bike? This Royal Blue beauty could be yours and plenty of other fun ones just by checking out Craigslist. You still have a day to get yourself ready for the event.

"It’s time to ride! April is Valley Bike Month and the perfect time to be outside. Save money on gas, reduce air pollution and stay healthy by riding your bike to work, school, on errands or just for fun. In celebration of Valley Bike Month, the City of Mesa is having two events for bike riders. Our first Bike4Life free family bike ride is on Saturday, April 18th. It starts at O'Connor Elementary School and is a seven mile out-and-back ride to Mesa Multigenerational Center. Registration begins at 8:00 AM and the ride starts at 9:00 AM. There will be free t-shirts and backpacks for riders, while supplies last, along with a raffle for prizes donated by local bike shops. Raffle tickets are$1 and the grand prize is a TREK Cruiser Classic beach cruiser donated by Pat’s Cyclery. All of the raffle proceeds will benefit the Not One More foundation, whose goal is to stop collisions between cyclists and vehicles. Helmets are required for all bike ride participants. More information about the ride, including a printable registration form, is available online at http://www.mesaaz.gov/transportation.

On Wednesday, April 22 join the City of Mesa in celebrating Bike2Work Day. Stop by the north entrance of Mesa City Plaza while biking to work or school for refreshments to pick up a free Mesa Rides! water bottle and to enter into a raffle for more prizes donated by local bike shops. We’ll be out there from 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM. If we are not on your route please ride safely. Thanks for riding to work on Earth Day because every trip counts. More information about Bike2Work Day is available online at http://www.mesaaz.gov/transportation."

Thanks city of Mesa for the e-mail and fun events.

And really, don't forget those helmets. I've learned just how thankful I am for them - they keep those carefree rides going.

The Culture Pass

I first heard about the Culture Pass a few weeks ago. At first I thought that maybe it was a joke since it began on April 1st, but it's official (see here), and I'm pretty sure it's a deal you can't pass up.

A few sponsors got together to help support local arts and activities and because of this you get to experience local museums for FREE.

How do I get to go to museums and other cultural institutions for FREE?

- Bust out your library card and go to the Mesa library.

- Choose a participating location that you would like to visit and check out the card for that museum/location.

- Within the next 7 days, you and 3 others (total 4 people) get to enjoy that museum/location for FREE.

A few minor restrictions:
-Available cards at the library are on a first come first serve basis and cannot be reserved online through the library.
- Admission may be limited to general admission only and may limit some special exhibitions.
- Only one culture pass per person per 7 day loan period.

Participating locations include (although this deal lasts until April 1st, 2010, some locations are not available all year long):

-Phoenix Zoo
- Desert Botanical Gardens
- The Arizona Science Center
-Arizona Museum of Natural History
- Arizona Museum for Youth
- Children’s Museum of Phoenix
- Heard Museum
- Phoenix Art Museum
- Cave Creek Museum
- The Bead Museum
- Mesa Contemporary Arts
- Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Arts
- Taliesin West

Oh, and don't even worry about having to return the pass. Awesome.

Check here for more details and info on participating locations and museums.

Thanks to all those that sent the e-mail my way.

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.

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.

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.

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

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)

Education

Educating our children is so very important. We all have different views of what should be expected, what age formal education should begin, what the role of the parents are in education, etc. etc. I've come to learn through my experiences in education that there is no one right way to educate everyone. And that is the beauty of being a parent, you have the ability to decide what is best for your child. So if these issues have been on your mind, here are a few more things to think about (even if your child is still a baby):

Laura Modrell will be starting a preschool in her home this fall. She has a bachelors degree in early childhood education and has 4 years teaching experience in kindergarten. This upcoming year she will focus on using the Zoo Phonics Program, which uses multiple learning styles to teach the letter sounds. In addition to literacy, she will also focus on science, math, art, music and socialization. Check out her flyer here. She will also have summer classes that are 2 weeks long for preschoolers.

Holly Spilsbury-Eddy is a Montessori teacher and is in process of opening a Montessori Nido. She is associated with the Montessori International School in Mesa. One of her main objectives with the Nido is to provide parent education about the importance of the first three years of life. February the 24th and 26th she is offering a 2 session complimentary Mommy and Me course and wanted to invite anyone in the community that might be interested. The course times are 10:00-11:00 AM (morning session) or 6:30-7:30 PM (evening session). She will focus on ways we can create an environment in our homes that will help your child towards independence and confidence which will unlock your child's learning potential. Please call 480-264-7195 to reserve a spot. This course will be beneficial for parents of those up to 3 years of age, but the Nido is only set up for children up to 14 months, so leave children older than 14 month at home. For more information about the Nido visit her blog.

Shamrock Farms Day at Children's Museum of Phoenix

"The Museum will be open to the general public FREE on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, as Shamrock Farms unveils its new Essentials to Grow On milk line. Try some free product samplings, get your questions answered by a dietitian, make a milk jug igloo in the Art Studio PLUS meet Shamrock's ROXIE THE SPOKESCOW , AND Sesame Street's ELMO and GROVER!"

Children's Museum of Phoenix

215 N. 7th Street

Phoenix, Arizona 85034

Phone: 602.253.0501

Now doesn't that sound fun for the young ones and wonderfully free!

Information from here and thanks to Marisa for our friendly reminder.

Canstruction

Sorry we are overloading you with things to do this weekend, but I ran across this event and couldn't help myself.

In an effort to raise canned provisions for the poor, teams made up of architects, engineers, contractors, designers and students participate in "Canstruction". This is a design/build competition in which canned foods are used to construct giant objects. The Arizona results from 2009 are on display at Fiesta Mall through Saturday, February 21st. You can vote on your favorite, donate your own cans or simply enjoy some interesting 'art'. All canned food will be donated to the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance at the end of the competition.

Go here to read more about Canstruction and see some of the previous items constructed across the nation. Or, go here and read about the contestants from Arizona for 2007 and 2008. There are some pretty creative ones that made me laugh.

Family Fun Van

Awesome van clipart from here.

I am not exactly sure why, but the phrase "family fun van" makes me laugh. However, I hear this is a really great thing to do. There is a van that visits a different Mesa park each day of the week (Monday through Thursday) from 10:00 - 11:30am. It offers free educational entertainment for parents and children ages 0-5. Go here to see the schedule, what parks it will be at on what days of the week and to read more about what it is. Sounds pretty cool, even if they don't have a van that looks similar to the one pictured above.