FREE Children's Museum of Phoenix

I've got one more artsy thing for you and your kids to do this weekend:

Check out the Children's Museum of Phoenix for FREE on Target first Friday nights.

Tomorrow night (Friday) from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM enjoy the museum for free thanks to Target.  I went this summer to this museum and my kiddos loved it.  It's pricey though so a free evening seems perfect to me.  Just a little advice though.  There are 3 floors.  We spent our time going through each room and adventure and we didn't think the 3rd floor housed much.  Much to our surprise, the 3rd floor was our favorite.  So, plan your museum time accordingly.

image from here

The museum is housed in an old school building.  I sure wish schools could still be build with this amazing architecture.  I know I would have liked to teach there.

This free event is good on the evenings of October 1st, November 5th and December 3rd (and hopefully they do it again next year).  

Artsy Stuff to Do This Weekend

There is a lot going on this weekend if you're looking for something artsy in the East Valley.  There is something for everyone, whether you want a nice day or night out or a family-friendly event.  Click on the title of the event for more information.

MacFest 

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2

Downtown Mesa will be buzzing with activity with the return of Mesa’s celebration of Mesa Arts and Culture Festival (MACFest) beginning the first Saturday in October.

MACFest is a free event featuring unique artist creations, music and fun for the whole family. The 2010 – 2011 season will be every Saturday, October 2 – to – April 30, except December 11th and 25th and January 1st, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Artist’s exhibits will be displayed along Main Street sidewalks centered at Macdonald Street.  Info from here.

Herberger Theater Festival of the Arts

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. Spend the day celebrating the arts at downtown's newly renovated performance and arts center. Enjoy shows in the different theaters throughout the day, as well as film shorts, live music and family activities. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. $5, FREE for kids 12 and younger. 602-254-7399. For more info, go here.

Target 3 for Free

Noon-5 p.m Sunday, Oct. 3. Educational and free: the perfect family event.

-Visit the exhibitions at Arizona Museum of Natural History for free on the first Sunday of every month. 53 N. MacDonald, Mesa. FREE. 480-644-2230. www.azmnh.org.

-Visit the exhibitions at Arizona Museum for Youth for free on the first Sunday of every month. Enjoy the various interactive stations and child-friendly artwork. 35 N. Robson, Mesa. FREE. 480-644-2468. http://www.arizonamuseumforyouth.com/.

-Visit the exhibitions at Mesa Contemporary Arts for free on the first Sunday of every month. 1 E. Main St., Mesa. FREE. 480-644-6500. www.mesaartscenter.com.

Costume Story Time


10 a.m Saturday, Oct. 2. Kids can pose for pictures with one of the characters from Maurice Sendak's book "Where the Wild Things Are," about a boy named Max who takes an imaginary journey to an intriguing land. The story is also read to the kids. Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S. McClintock Drive, Tempe. FREE. 480-730-0205. www.changinghands.com.

"The Little Mermaid"


Through Nov. 27. 11 a.m. Saturdays. Enjoy a cool morning under the sea with this mystical musical fairytale, based on Han's Christian Anderson's tale of Arabelle and her sisters. The girls strive to escape the Sea Witch and look for their prince charming. Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert. $13, $11 for children. 480-497-1181. http://www.haletheatrearizona.com/.

Thanks to AZ Central for most of this information.

MCC Astronomy Night: Stars of the Pharoahs

Cheap date night, anyone?

This Friday, October 1st from 6pm to 10pm

Learn how the astronomy and religion of ancient Egypt were connected. The creation myth, the pharoah burial rites, and their connection with the sky are described. Stunning computer recreations of Egyptian temples and pyramids are portrayed and their art is explained as it relates to the night sky.

FREE show tickets are handed out at the event on a first-come, first-served basis. Wait times are usually no more than 30 minutes. If a staff member does not approach you about tickets during the event, please ask for them!

During Astronomy Nights, we also offer telescope viewing of the Moon, planets, and other celestial sights. Unlike the planetarium shows, telescope viewing will only occur if the skies are clear.

Astronomy Nights are held at the Physical Science Building (PS 15) just east of Dobson Road, two traffic lights south of Southern Avenue. Please see the map for our location on MCC's Southern & Dobson campus.

Free parking is available in the lots south of the Physical Science Building. Please avoid parking in the "Employee Lot".

The show for October 1 is "Stars of the Pharoahs".

Due to the length of this program, shows will repeat every 45 minutes:
6:00, 6:45, 7:30, 8:15, 9:00, and 9:45pm.

Stars of the Pharoahs
Run Length: 35 minutes
Appropriate Age: middle school and up

Information from here.

Free Childcare for Job Seekers

Being out of work is never fun.  It might especially challenging when you have children to care for.  A couple of large childcare chains want to help.  Unemployed parents can take thier children, ages 6 months to 12 years to one of 17 Sunrise Preschools or 10 Tots Unlimited locations and benefit from up to 4 hours of free childcare on a "space available" basis each time the parent goes to a job interview.  Make sure to bring the child's immunization records and emergency information. 

To find a location for Sunrise Preschools go here.  For Tots Unlimited go here.  Call in advance to make sure space is available and to find out specific documents you'll need to bring.


Photo from here.

Free Kobari Beef

I just got this e-mail from Preston telling us about FREE Kobari Beef at Panda's TODAY.  Maybe they are celebrating my father-in-law's birthday.

Simple:
Go here
Print coupon
Enjoy free food

SWAP and Fruit

It's getting late.  Tuesdays are my busiest days and I end them feeling like a ball of mush.  So what better time to blog and ramble?  

But I just thought I would take a few moments to say that we here at I Heart Mesa signed up to Swap.  Yep, we are excited.  What?  You have no clue what that is?  Well, check out what a SWAP is here.  And we will be back in a few days to answer any and all your questions.  Cause we think you should SWAP too.  And did I mention that I'm excited?  I am.  Cause to me, this is what community is about.  Coming together, having fun and leaving better for it.  It totally has that Pollyanna feel to me, you know that quaint charm that is sometimes missing from city life.  So join us.

Second, tomorrow is your last chance for Utah fruit.  This past week we have survived on peaches and pears, raspberries and tomatoes.  (The raspberries were for jam, but we ate too many).  I don't know what we will do when Utah fruit season comes to a close.  Thank goodness I now have bags of frozen Utah peaches in my fridge to make the goodbyes not so harsh.  Fruit is sold on the North West corner of Val Vista and Brown on Wednesday.  Trucks unload starting at 6:00 AM.  Apples will be available the end of October, just in time for candied apples.  YUM.  And please keep bringing clothes and shoes for needy families.  

Thanks

P.S.  Pictures are for when my brain is not a ball of mush

Pumpkin Festivals

Never fear, we have gathered all the information you need to get yourself and/or selves to something festive this fall.  Check out one of these Pumpkin Festivals, for instance.  If you need more details, click on the name of the farm to go to its website.

Schnepf Farms

24810 S. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek

"Arizona's BEST Family Fall Experience," voted by Phoenix Magazine

Voted as one of the "Top Five" Pumpkin Farms in the Southwest (Sunset Magazine)

 This is THE big festival.  Prepare to stay for a while and have a great time.

Admission

$15 per person at the gate

Discount Tickets for $12.00 ON SALE at any Fry's grocery store
Wear a costume the last weekend and get in for 1/2 price

Admission Includes:

Hay rides, miniature golf, 4 acre Sonic Burger Maze, numerous kid rides and adult rides and roller coaster, straw bale maze, rock climbing wall, "live" entertainment, bon fires & marshmallow roasting (6:30pm), lil' farmers play yard with lil' farmer town, Schnepf Family Museum, Sweet Shop, Country Store, Gift shops and a spectacular fireworks show Friday & Saturday nights only.

Hours:

Thursday - Sunday for entire month

Thursday & Sunday 10am to 9pm

Friday & Saturday 10am to 10pm

Additional Costs....FOOD, PUMPKINS AND TRAIN RIDES

Mother Nature's Farm

1663 E. Baseline Rd, Gilbert

Come visit The Pumpkin Patch at Mother Nature’s Farm, rated Arizona’s best in the New Times.

This is the one our family has gone to a few times.  It's inexpensive and a great event if you're not looking for something too overwhelming bringing young kids. 

Admission

$7.00 per child, adults are $3.00 to tag along and ride the hayride.
(Any October Birthday is FREE to enter on Saturday the 9th or Sunday the 10th.)

Our opening day is October 2nd, 2010. Due to a high volume of requests we have extended our season through November 5th 2010, so please take advantage of it and come visit us more than once.

Admission Includes:

The farm entrance fee is $7.00 per child, this includes an OZ pumpkin, decorating your pumpkin, the air bounce, a hayride, straw bounce, feeding the animals and Alexander’s Adventure Maze. Adults are $3.00 to tag along and ride the hayride. Bring a picnic lunch and your friends. We have picnic tables, grassy fields, big shade trees and PLENTY of room for the kids to be kids! Food is available at Maneau’s Munchies; hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, drinks and much more.

Hours:
9am to 9pm, closes early at 3pm on Halloween

Vertuccio Farms

4011 S. Power Rd, Mesa

This is a great spot to go for a date or with friends, adults or teens.  Their corn maze is gigantic (10 acres!) and has a new design every year.  They also have plenty of activities for kids as well.

Admission

$6 per person

Ages 4 and younger FREE

Admission Includes:

•10 acre corn maze

•Mini hay maze for young children

•Barrel train ride

•Farm Animals

•Bounce house

•Educational Pizza Farm

•Pumpkin Patch

•Pedal race cars

•and much more!

Hours:

October 1st through November 20th

Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm

Friday-Saturday 9am-10pm

Sunday 10am-6pm

(Nov 1st through Nov 20th the farm is open Thursday through Sunday)

Have fun,

The World's Largest Ice Cream Social

It's the 9th annual world's largest ice cream social... and you're invited!! This Thursday, Sept. 30th from 5pm-8pm, Coldstone Creamery is giving away FREE ice cream in honor of "Make a Wish" month. (Yes - you just read that correctly - this is not a pop-up ad for the 500th visitor to this site, it's free ice cream from Coldstone!)

The featured free sweet treat is three heavenly ounces of "Kate's Creation" - caramel apple ice cream mixed with chocolate shavings, graham cracker pie crust, and apple pie filling. For more calories, I mean for more information, go here.

See you there!



PS - Oh, where are my manners? In all my excitement about the free cold stuff I forgot to mention the most important warm fuzzy stuff. All during September, Coldstone has been/will be collecting donations for the Make-a-Wish foundation. Customers buy a paper star for $1, and the money is sent to the foundation. Simple. Nice. Way to go, Coldstone customers!

Meet the Doulas

No, it's not a new reality show in Mesa... it's a meet-and-greet party for those interested in Doulas! I've never met a Doula I didn't like. [Okay, I've never actually met one. But let's not be-labor the point here. Heh... heh...] Anyway, while I don't intent to make it a habit of posting about events just 4 hours in advance, I felt this was too fun and unique to pass up. SO... if you are:

a) Pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant, or

b) Thinking about hiring a Doula and want to interview one, or

c) Would like to learn about different types of childbirth classes available, or

d) Just want to learn more about Doulas and what they have to offer,

Come to "Meet the Doulas" night with childbirth educators! TONIGHT from 6-8:30pm at Paradise Bakery at Dana Park (3426 E. Baseline Rd, Ste. #119, Mesa 85204)

image from here

My source says there's supposed to be a massage therapist there, and "A light dinner of delicious Paradise Bakery sandwiches and cookies will be provided!" Yeah... YUM! Or yummerific. Or yum-o. Need I say more? Yes? Okay. Go here for more information.

Mesa Council Districts

Do you know what city council district you are in?  If you do, you've got one up on me.  Or I suppose you would have, because I just found out (again) which one I'm in.  

Go here to find a map of the districts and to learn who your city councilperson is if you don't already know.  Did you know each member has his/her own page?  I learned, for instance, that those of you who live in district 4 are invited to a free pancake breakfast this Saturday with your representative, vice mayor Kyle Jones.  Look! He's even got a You Tube video.  Lucky ducks.  

Two Boutiques

How about that?  Two of our sponsors are having boutiques this weekend.  Cool for you.  One's in the morning, one's in the afternoon.  So you can go to both.  Have a girls' day out and go to lunch in between even.  Just don't forget to stop by the ATM.

First, this one's from Flour Clothing: Kayleen says: "come see/buy available items in person. clothing currently in shops and/or previewed for sept will be available for purchase at Sale for up to 1/2 off the original price, along with hoards of mint condition pieces not yet seen."  Click on to review what you should expect to see from Flour, midstate, and The Owl Tree.

The Everything $25 and Under Boutique is worth a reminder too.  A heck of a lot of vendors.  Read our original post or go here to preview some of the vendors.

Grab a few things this weekend to make your Christmas shopping that much easier.  Or, buying for yourself is always good enough reason to go shopping.

Greater Arizona: Fall Colors

Every October for the past few years our family has traveled up to Sunrise Ski Resort in northern Arizona to ride the lift and see the fall colors.  It's breathtaking and truly makes it feel like fall (even when it's still well over 100 degrees here in the valley).  Each year we plan for this and look forward to a relaxing weekend away as a family.  Well, Sunrise has cancelled their event.  My husband and I are a little shocked, but we decided that now might be a good year to check out Snowbowl's Fall colors.  If you decide to go up to Flagstaff, here are some details that you may be interested in:

Snowbowl's Skyride operates from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until mid October. The cost is $12 per adult, children 7 and under and those over 70 are free, ages 8-12 and seniors are $8.  Any more details can be found here.

Marily wrote about her daytrip to Snowbowl this summer here.  So it's time to think about it again, just now to enjoy the fall colors.

Now the only problem with our family is deciding where to stay since we are making a whole weekend out of it.  If we stay here, our lift tickets are included in the cost of lodging.  Besides, a little one room cabin seems pretty quaint.  

Oh, and we plan to check out the Lowell Observatory while there.  Check here for admission rates and hours.

I'm excited.  Bring on the cool weather.  Bust out the jackets.  Our annual fall trip is fast approaching.  

My girls last year at Sunrise.  I'm hoping that Snowbowl is just as pretty.

AZ Fruit Lady

Get some good deals on fresh, tree-ripened, delicious fruit shipped from our neighbor state of Utah. 

Kathryn wrote this post last week and we've gotten some help from our readers to fill us in on the rest of the info. Thanks to you all for some more details on the fruit.  Here is the info about what you can find on Wednesday mornings at the stand on the northwest corner of Val Vista and Brown. 

Barbie, the Fruit Lady as she's called, works with her husband Bob to get fresh, beautiful fruit straight from Utah to you.  You can only buy the fruit in bulk, so it is great for sharing or preserving.  To give you an idea on price, a 24-lb box of tomatoes is $20 and a $38-lb box of pears is $28.  This might be some of the best-tasting fruit available around here.  

Barbie does most of her work through email and phone orders, but you could also just stop in on a Wednesday morning to see what's available (and there's usually plenty available).  If you'd like the list of what she sells and when, send us an email at iheartmesa@gmail.com and we'll forward the info to you.  The fruit stand is open at 6am on Wednesdays and stays open until the fruit is all sold.  Unfortunately, there are only a couple of weeks left that Barbie's fruit stand will continue until next year.  Also, sweet Barbie does a charity drive along with her fruit sales.  She is looking for clothes, shoes, and accessories for needy school children in the area.  Bring what you don't need--Barbie would be delighted.

Also, this is from an email that came from the Fruit Lady's husband today (Wednesday):

Because the last two weeks we ran out of both tomatoes and pears Barbie got a bit overzealous and ordered a lot (maybe too many).  We currently (2:30 PM) have over 100 boxes of pears left.  They are just picked and beautiful. 

          We also have plenty of beefsteak tomatoes. Barbie won’t be ordering any pears next week.  Please come today or tomorrow for pears.  We have raspberries and peaches left also.

          We will be at the fruit stand on Val Vista and Brown Rd at 8:00 AM Thursday, 23rd of Sept. until around 12:00 PM or until all is sold.  Please come then or call for an appointment.

          Any questions please call Bob at 480-202-2351or email azfruitlady@yahoo.com.

Got all that?

Free Drive-In Movie

To say thank you to all of its loyal customers, the West-Wind Drive-Ins will host a free movie night on Thursday.

Featured movies will include "Toy Story 3," "Iron Man 2" and "Grown Ups." The Scottsdale 6 Drive-in is located at 8101 E. McKellips Road at McClintock. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and movies will start at 8 p.m.  In addition to the free movies, there will be bounce houses for the kids and other fun activities planned prior to the start of the movie.

Info from here and here.

Thanks to Melissa and Roccy for sending this to us!

If you know of something worth sharing with other I Heart Mesa readers, send us an email at iheartmesa@gmail.com.

New Member, Old Favorite

Hi everyone! I'm Karri and I'll be popping in here periodically to bring you more of what's already great about Mesa. Though I've kept in touch with Marily and Kathryn a bit here and there since we graduated from high school, it wasn't until we chatted about I Heart Mesa at our recent ten-year reunion that M & K decided to bring another person on board. So here I am. I love this blog, and I love Mesa!

One of the things that makes Mesa so great is the the people that live here. That, and Organ Stop Pizza. (My kids love it too!) I can't say enough about how cool that place is, so if you haven't been you'll just need to go.

[image from here] I'm only going to give you an obscure comment about the cats, disco ball, bubbles, flags, and dozens of funky little percussion instruments there that all make the place super fun. And of course, let's not forget the star of the show, the world's largest Wurlitzer theatre organ. For the best seats, sit on the top level. They open nightly at 5pm. Located on the South side of Southern, just West of Stapley. Come hungry and you'll leave full-ly entertained.



Happy eating!




PS - Per Marily's request, I'm including our most recent family photo so you can get to know me a little better. I'm the second one from the left. We're sitting on the bench that I sat on as my husband proposed to me 5 years ago. Yes it's in Mesa. Can you guess where?

Prince and Princess Night at Chick-fil-A

It's obvious the "Prince" idea is to try not to be exclusive of boys.  But still...

Take some little ones out to Chick-fil-A in the food court at Superstition Springs mall on Friday night. Princess available for photos (not princes), and clowns for scaring the children away, actually I mean they are doing balloon art.  If the kids (princes or princesses) are dressed up they get a free kid's meal.

Visit a Museum for Free

This Saturday, September 25th, you can visit the Smithsonian Museums for free.  And in case you're not in the neighborhood, several museums across the country are participating as well.

Below is a list of the museums in the valley that are taking part in Museum Day.  You can find a list of all the museums in Arizona here if you are just that interested.  Cheap date, anyone?


Mesa Historical Museum

Mesa



Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix
Pueblo Grande Museum
Phoenix


River of Time Museum
Fountain Hills


The Bead Museum
Glendale


Deer Valley Rock Art Center
Phoenix

Important Notes: 

The Museum Day ticket is only good for two people per household, per address. 

In order to get in free you MUST download a free ticket, so go here and fill out the form if you want to go.  Yes, giving away personal info is generally the trade off for getting a freebie.  

Go here for more info.

Have fun,

Girls Night Out Event

Direct from an email from Erin at POOL: 

So Cute! Boutique and Sugar Mama’s Sweets are partnering for a 

FREE Girls Night Out event 

on Thursday, Sept. 23. 

 (Click picture to enlarge)

The event will feature hair styling, chair massages, mini-manicures, delectable sweets, dancing and music. A pair of jeans will be given away every 20 minutes and the first 30 guests will receive a goody bag filled with sweets and fashionable treats.

A portion of the night’s proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the East Valley Child Crisis Center. 

So Cute! Boutique specializes in offering “the boutique experience without the boutique price." From fashion jewelry and rhinestone belts to stylish tops and denim, the merchandise changes weekly so there is always something new. Sugar Mama’s Sweets offers a variety of tantalizing cupcakes in flavors ranging from mint chocolate to peanut butter cup. From cupcakes for an office party to a dazzling wedding display, Sugar Mama’s Sweets bakes it all.

WHAT:              Girls Night Out

                        Hosted by So Cute! Boutique and Sugar Mama’s Sweets

WHEN:             Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010

                        6:30pm to 8:30pm

WHERE:           POOL

                        1240 E. Main St.           

(NE corner of Main and Stapley)

                        Mesa, AZ 85203

MORE INFO:     http://www.socuteboutique.com/

                        (480) 686-0265

                       

**This event is free and open to the public.

Car Pool at POOL

That's right.  It's called Car Pool.  It's a car show.  It's at POOL.  It's catchy.

Here's the info:

(Click the photo to enlarge.)

This Friday and Saturday, September 24th and 25th

from 4pm to 11pm

POOL is located at 1240 East Main Street (at Main and Stapley)

200 plus custom cars, live music, and fun for the whole family.

Free event for all ages.

For more details go here.



Free 3-Month Zoo Membership from Banner Hospitals

Image from here.

Our friend Bekah forwarded this message along she got from a friend. 

If you've delivered a baby at a Banner Hospital you can fill out Banner's form here to receive a free Kids' Health Guide and a

Free 3-Month Family Membership to the Phoenix Zoo. 

Click the link you find on the right side of this page. 

I registered today.  Our family should be able to get a few visits in while its warm enough to play in the water features then when we'll still have free membership for a couple of cooler months.

Enjoy! 

(Thanks, Bekah)

Ballet Under the Stars

I think this is finally my year to take my girls to enjoy Ballet Under the Stars.  Every year I have not been able to attend.  I've been looking forward to taking my girls for a long time.  So enjoy my copy and past job from here with all the details:

This September 22nd-26th, Ballet Arizona will present its 13th annual Ballet Under the Stars, series at parks throughout the Valley. FREE and open to the public, Ballet Under the Stars, allows Arizona communities to enjoy dance in a unique outdoor setting complete with a stage, lighting, costumes and beautiful Arizona weather. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy a varied program, ranging from classical to contemporary. You won’t want to miss this perfect show for the entire family – it is a great way to introduce ballet to your children for the first time.

All performances start at 7:00pm and are FREE and open to the public.

Ballet Under the Starts includes excerpts from Divertimento #15, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Four Temperaments, full performance . Programming subject to change.

Wednesday, September 22nd at Beardsley Park, Sun City West

Thursday, September 23rd at Fountain Park, Fountain Hills

Friday, September 24th at Tempe Center for the Arts Amphitheater

Saturday, September 25th at Steele Indian School Park

Sunday, September 26th at Sahuaro Ranch Park, Glendale

Too bad Mesa didn't secure a spot this year, but I think I'm going to the Fountain Hills one.  See the ballet and the fountain in one night.  My girls would love it.

Restaurant Week

I married a foody.  And slowly, he has turned me into one too.  Who would have thought that the girl who ordered french fries when her family dined at Matta's (a Mexican food restaurant) would grow to be someone who loved things like lobster bisque and well, things that I've often had to ask my waiter, "How do you say that?"  I've come to understand the art of food and how amazing tastes can be when you perfect them.  

Tomorrow kicks off Restaurant Week here in the Phoenix/Tucson area.  It's a great way to bring expensive food tastes down to a more reasonable level.  My husband and I were able to sneak away last year and enjoy a new restaurant in celebration of my sister-in-law and her husband finally selling their house (yes, it's called sneak away when you have to nurse your babies and set a count down clock till the next feeding).  I'm thinking it's been awhile since we have snuck away for a good restaurant (like a year :) so I need a good reason to celebrate.  Maybe just the fact that I don't need to be watching the clock and rushing everyone so much this time.  mmmm...lobster bisque..... 

Now this part come from Marily:

Arizona Restaurant Week is an exciting event developed to showcase the outstanding culinary scene throughout the state of Arizona. Playing off the huge success since it's inception in 2008, Arizona Restaurant Week will include more than 150 restaurants from both the Phoenix Metro and Tucson markets in 2010.

Each restaurant will offer a three-course dinner menu of signature dishes for $29 or $39 per person.  Some restaurants include a drink at that price and others do not. 

Food photo from here.

This is a great time to try out a nice restaurant, get a fancy three-course meal and pay a reasonable price.  Reservations are recommended.  Go here for more information and check here for a list of participating restaurants in the Phoenix area.  Most of these are in Phoenix and Scottsdale, but two are in Mesa: The Landmark and Vito's Pizza. 

Take a Class or Two

People are looking out for you guys.  A couple of readers sent us some info about some classes going on around Mesa.  Maybe you'd be interested in one or more of these:

Home decor classes offered at

1715 S. Stapley Drive

Mesa, AZ

Home Fabrics and Rugs offers a variety of classes and workshops.  Get started on a project and get answers from someone with experience.  Classes coming up include decorative pillow, upholstery, draperies, duvet covers, and dust ruffles.  Some of these classes are hands-on where you bring your own materials and others are just a how-to session.  Most classes are free but you do need to register.  Go HERE for a detailed explanation of each class and to register (space is limited.)

By the way, Jeni from Peppertowne sent us the info on these classes.  She took an upholstered headboard class from them and thought it was great.  Thanks Jeni! 

______________________________________________________________________

Knitting, crocheting, etc

The Fiber Factory is located in downtown Mesa at 216 West Main Street.  Head down there to take a class and learn how to knit, crochet, dye yarn, or even spin your own yarn (how very Rumpelstiltskin).  Our friend Roxy who sent us this info is going to a Mommy and Me knitting class with her daughter.  Sounds fun! 

Go HERE for a list of courses offered by the Fiber Factory and to find out fees for each class.

________________________________________________________________________________

Mommy and Me Classes on the Farm

Superstition Farms

 

Superstition Farms offers two different classes for moms and kids to go to together.  Get your kids up close and personal with the farm animals or learn how their food gets from the farm to their table.

 

Also, I was excited to see that the farm has extended its $5 special through September.  We didn't make it last month and I'd still like to go.  All September long for a discounted price you can tour the farm with your kiddos:  For $5 you will get to enjoy the petting zoo, tour the dairy on a guided hayride and get an ice cream treat.

Thanks Roxy for sending us this information!

If you know of something to do in or around Mesa, send it to iheartmesa@gmail.com



Jamba Buy One Get One

image from here

I'm a sucker for smoothies.  My favorite:  Caribbean Passion from Jamba Juice.  My husband even found a recipe for me so I can make them at home (though it still isn't quite the same).  So my mouth and my wallet did a leap for joy when my husband once again stepped up to the Jamba plate and found these buy one get one free coupons.  Good until September 22nd.

Go here to print your coupon(s).  (I know you may want to print multiple copies.)