Just a quick tip for moms in the Phoenix area who like to snag those Culture Passes at the library: You can check if they are available at various library locations online. That way you don't go early in the morning to stand in line before anyone else arrives for a Zoo pass only to find out it's not available at your nearest library, but two are available at the branch across town.
I just checked and know at my library zoo passes are NOT available for check out today. And if I want to go to the Children's Museum of Phoenix, I'd have to go to another in-town library. However, I know there is one pass for the Arizona Science Center and two for the Desert Botanical Garden at my library. So if those are on my list, I can take a gamble that they'll be there if I arrive early.
Checking online first is a great time (and money - gasoline isn't cheap) saver because at least you know what possible passes you can get. It's still a gamble whether you'll get the one you really want since some other mom or dad may get in line before you.
If you're wondering, what's the big deal about the Culture Pass? The pass is essentially two free admissions to participating museums and other arts/cultural experiences in the Phoenix area. Free in this economy equals awesome! Library card holders who check out the passes have a week to pop in for a visit. Borrowing on Monday doesn't mean you have to go that day. That's huge when you never know if your plan will work out.
BTW, I must thank my friend KD for sharing this tidbit with me. :)
Cheers!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Theater: Strike up lively chats with your children
I love the theater. I don't always go because it can be expensive, well, that is if you want really good orchestra seats. But even from the less expensive balcony seats, it's so magical seeing performers on stage.
I've been blessed to take my kids to a few shows. We started with children's theater as little ones. We felt it was important to expose them to all kinds of performing arts from a young age. Not only is it entertaining, it's also great ways to strike up meaningful conversations. Bonus: They learn to behave in public.
I remember taking the kids to "Lion King" at ASU Gammage a few years back. My daughter and I were with her Girl Scout troop in more expensive seats, while my husband and son watched from another budget friendly section. At intermission, the kids talked about how beautiful the sets and costumes were and how the story differed from the Disney movie. As a parent, it was wonderful watching their eyes light up and talk to each other. No fighting!
We found some theater material great for bigger discussions. I remember at "Grease," which played at the Dodge (now Comerica) Theatre, my son leaned over and commented on the teen behavior. We discussed smoking, teen sex, peer pressure and the 50s. Instead of talking AT my kids about how I feel about these things, we talked WITH them. They asked questions and shared their feelings about how the show was presented. I quickly learned my son did not like "Grease" because he didn't agree with the teen behavior. My daughter loved it because of the music, and chalked up the teen behavior as just a way to draw in people to the show. Hmmm.
I'm excited about this 2011-2012 theater season at ASU Gammage because of so many wonderful choices for families. We keep discussing "West Side Story," which runs Sept. 27-Oct. 2. My kids have seen part of the movie version. My daughter loves the songs. And the story opens up plenty of conversations about prejudice, rivalries, gangs and immigration. The venue's recommended age for this is 13 and up.
Another seemingly good one for a chat about war and prejudice is Rodgers & Hammerstein's "South Pacific," playing Jan. 10-15, 2012. I've not seen it yet, but it's on my list. Venue recommends 8 and up.
We've already seen "Stomp" as a family. I recommend it, particularly if your family is new to theater. It's engaging and your kids will clap and stomp along as performers created music using pipes, sinks, grocery bags, newspaper, street signs, lighters, brooms, cans, and more. Click the link to an old blog I wrote back in 2009. Maybe a post Christmas treat? It comes to ASU Gammage Dec. 28-31, 2011.
Another I recommend for older kids is "Wicked," which runs Feb. 15-March 11, 2012 at ASU Gammage. The story is about how Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz" come to be. Topics of discussion include popularity/mean girls, judging people by their skin color, friendship, standing up for beliefs, political manipulation and media spin, sibling relations, social barriers, etc. Check out an old review blog of mine by clicking the above link.
Others with family friendly potential coming to ASU Gammage: Blue Man Group, Nov. 1-6, looks like a lot of fun for the whole family. And Irvin Berlin's "White Christmas," Dec. 6-11, seems like a perfect treat for the holidays. "Million Dollar Quartet," June 5-10, 2012, sounds like it will be fun for music lovers of all ages.
Gotta check out schedules for other venues now. Cheers!
I've been blessed to take my kids to a few shows. We started with children's theater as little ones. We felt it was important to expose them to all kinds of performing arts from a young age. Not only is it entertaining, it's also great ways to strike up meaningful conversations. Bonus: They learn to behave in public.
I remember taking the kids to "Lion King" at ASU Gammage a few years back. My daughter and I were with her Girl Scout troop in more expensive seats, while my husband and son watched from another budget friendly section. At intermission, the kids talked about how beautiful the sets and costumes were and how the story differed from the Disney movie. As a parent, it was wonderful watching their eyes light up and talk to each other. No fighting!
We found some theater material great for bigger discussions. I remember at "Grease," which played at the Dodge (now Comerica) Theatre, my son leaned over and commented on the teen behavior. We discussed smoking, teen sex, peer pressure and the 50s. Instead of talking AT my kids about how I feel about these things, we talked WITH them. They asked questions and shared their feelings about how the show was presented. I quickly learned my son did not like "Grease" because he didn't agree with the teen behavior. My daughter loved it because of the music, and chalked up the teen behavior as just a way to draw in people to the show. Hmmm.
I'm excited about this 2011-2012 theater season at ASU Gammage because of so many wonderful choices for families. We keep discussing "West Side Story," which runs Sept. 27-Oct. 2. My kids have seen part of the movie version. My daughter loves the songs. And the story opens up plenty of conversations about prejudice, rivalries, gangs and immigration. The venue's recommended age for this is 13 and up.
Another seemingly good one for a chat about war and prejudice is Rodgers & Hammerstein's "South Pacific," playing Jan. 10-15, 2012. I've not seen it yet, but it's on my list. Venue recommends 8 and up.
We've already seen "Stomp" as a family. I recommend it, particularly if your family is new to theater. It's engaging and your kids will clap and stomp along as performers created music using pipes, sinks, grocery bags, newspaper, street signs, lighters, brooms, cans, and more. Click the link to an old blog I wrote back in 2009. Maybe a post Christmas treat? It comes to ASU Gammage Dec. 28-31, 2011.
Another I recommend for older kids is "Wicked," which runs Feb. 15-March 11, 2012 at ASU Gammage. The story is about how Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz" come to be. Topics of discussion include popularity/mean girls, judging people by their skin color, friendship, standing up for beliefs, political manipulation and media spin, sibling relations, social barriers, etc. Check out an old review blog of mine by clicking the above link.
Others with family friendly potential coming to ASU Gammage: Blue Man Group, Nov. 1-6, looks like a lot of fun for the whole family. And Irvin Berlin's "White Christmas," Dec. 6-11, seems like a perfect treat for the holidays. "Million Dollar Quartet," June 5-10, 2012, sounds like it will be fun for music lovers of all ages.
Gotta check out schedules for other venues now. Cheers!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Scary how well you know me (sometimes)
I've not bought much online lately. But I did opt to buy my kids a few of the Harry Potter books that they've been wanting to read. The library waits when students are reading for AR points don't always work out with the testing (um, grading) deadlines.
It's so amazing (and scary) still, even with all the media and social networking experience I have, how quickly retailers can customize recommendations for ME. In my inbox today, I have recommended reads for middle school students. It probably doesn't help that I bought "Lemonade Mouth" on DVD for my daughter. Guess my purchases scream "pre-teen in the house."
What's amazing (or sad or scary) is how predictable I really am. If I buy X, then I'm likely to buy Y. Well, sometimes I guess that's true. I do still get emails that don't apply because I looked something up for a gift or just was comparison shopping before heading to a bricks-and-mortar store. Those recommendations get trashed, but often so do the ones that are more fitting.
I've never really cared for a computerize program guessing what I could possibly want based on what I've bought because it makes me feel as though I'm no longer unique or special. So I try to defy those expectations...so you think I'll like X, well then I'll try something else. And then another recommendation. Ugh.
I also don't like when assumptions are made based on my name or age. I get a lot of bilingual offers, many starting in Spanish. I'm sure I'll be getting more retirement planning solicitation, as my husband did once he turned 40. Sigh.
Wonder what purchases will be recommended next?
Cheers.
It's so amazing (and scary) still, even with all the media and social networking experience I have, how quickly retailers can customize recommendations for ME. In my inbox today, I have recommended reads for middle school students. It probably doesn't help that I bought "Lemonade Mouth" on DVD for my daughter. Guess my purchases scream "pre-teen in the house."
What's amazing (or sad or scary) is how predictable I really am. If I buy X, then I'm likely to buy Y. Well, sometimes I guess that's true. I do still get emails that don't apply because I looked something up for a gift or just was comparison shopping before heading to a bricks-and-mortar store. Those recommendations get trashed, but often so do the ones that are more fitting.
I've never really cared for a computerize program guessing what I could possibly want based on what I've bought because it makes me feel as though I'm no longer unique or special. So I try to defy those expectations...so you think I'll like X, well then I'll try something else. And then another recommendation. Ugh.
I also don't like when assumptions are made based on my name or age. I get a lot of bilingual offers, many starting in Spanish. I'm sure I'll be getting more retirement planning solicitation, as my husband did once he turned 40. Sigh.
Wonder what purchases will be recommended next?
Cheers.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Decluttering = Happiness
A benefit of being laid off is having a bit of time to do things that I never made time to do when juggling kids and career. High on my list: decluttering.
Decluttering took a back seat when I worked. I just found space for my new stuff. And so long as a room didn't look anywhere near as scary as anything on "Hoarders," I was OK with it.
It's not that I didn't ever declutter. I'd regularly get rid of stuff, but I still hung on to plenty. And every weekend I'd dust and polish all those things that I don't use when I could be doing something a bit more fun with my kids.
So now that I have my online job-seeking routine down, I'm making a sweep of each room and saying GOOD-BYE! And you know, it's making me happy.
My donations include fake plants, trees, decorative pillows, knick-knacks and books. Haven't tackled the DVDs, but at least they are all nicely organized and are still entertaining to the kids. I'm also recycling a lot of magazines kept for recipes or projects I'm never going to do, so why pretend?
I've found these questions helpful when I start a room purge:
1. Does this room really need this item? Does it have a purpose?
2. If it doesn't, why do I have it? Am I emotionally attached? Think it's cool?
3. If it's unnecessary, could it be useful to someone else?
4. Will I ever use this again or is this just taking up space?
5. Is this item too old, worn out, broken? Why do I keep it?
6. Does looking at this stress me out?
The two rooms that I've tackled so far make me feel relaxed. Too much stuff had me stressing, as well as eating up my precious time cleaning.
Tackling the office will be a bite, but I look forward to the challenge.
Cheers!
Decluttering took a back seat when I worked. I just found space for my new stuff. And so long as a room didn't look anywhere near as scary as anything on "Hoarders," I was OK with it.
It's not that I didn't ever declutter. I'd regularly get rid of stuff, but I still hung on to plenty. And every weekend I'd dust and polish all those things that I don't use when I could be doing something a bit more fun with my kids.
So now that I have my online job-seeking routine down, I'm making a sweep of each room and saying GOOD-BYE! And you know, it's making me happy.
My donations include fake plants, trees, decorative pillows, knick-knacks and books. Haven't tackled the DVDs, but at least they are all nicely organized and are still entertaining to the kids. I'm also recycling a lot of magazines kept for recipes or projects I'm never going to do, so why pretend?
I've found these questions helpful when I start a room purge:
1. Does this room really need this item? Does it have a purpose?
2. If it doesn't, why do I have it? Am I emotionally attached? Think it's cool?
3. If it's unnecessary, could it be useful to someone else?
4. Will I ever use this again or is this just taking up space?
5. Is this item too old, worn out, broken? Why do I keep it?
6. Does looking at this stress me out?
The two rooms that I've tackled so far make me feel relaxed. Too much stuff had me stressing, as well as eating up my precious time cleaning.
Tackling the office will be a bite, but I look forward to the challenge.
Cheers!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)