Too Hot Outside!!!

These have been a few long hot days with the kids...and there is only more heat on the way!!! We have been keeping busy with crafts and movie nights...but I think tomorrow we may go to the library and bowling! Dont forget to sign up for your free bowling coupons at http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/!

Happy 4th of July!

I have been trying to find as many activites as I could for the 4th...if I have missed any please let me know!

Borough of West Reading Fireworks & Music CelebrationMonday, July 4, 2011
Join us at the West Reading Pool at 12:00PM for games, music and fun throughout the day. Good Foot, a West Chester based dance rock party band, will take center stage in the West Reading Playground at 6:30PM. Fireworks begin at 9:30PM! For more information call 610.374.8273 option 5.

Philadelphia is having their annual Welcome America Celebration this weekend. Today there is a Block Party in China Town from 12 - 4, Super Scouper AYCE Ice Cream Party from 12-4 and from 6-9 ($7 donation) and Fireworks over the Delaware River. http://www.welcomeamerica.com/

The Kutztown Folk Festival begins today at 9am and is open until 6pm! We have never been before but I plan on taking the girls next week! For a list of activites please visit http://www.kutztownfestival.com/

Waltz's Golf Farm in Limerick is having their annual fireworks on Monday at 9:30 pm. They will also have live music from Second Hand Cherry!

Wyomissing is hosting their annual Fourth of July activities. They begin with a parade at 10am and is followed by activites (including a pie eating contest) at 11am. Please check the Wyomissing Borough website under Parks and Recreation for more info.

The Reading Phillies is having a weekend full of fireworks and food!! Tonite the game is at 6:35pm and fireworks will follow.
Tomorrow all R Phillies Kids Members will recieve a free ticket to the game! There will be a SuperHero Meet and Greet and Autograph Session starting at 4;30. They also will have $1 hot dogs and fireworks after the game.
If your kids are not signed up for it, I would suggest all of your kids become members!! We have been able to do a lot of amazing things...including sleeping over on the outfield! Best of all it is free to sign up!!
http://www.web.minorleauge.com/ for more info!
Happy 4th everyone..and as for us we are off to Game Day at Crestwood Pool!!!  Hope to see everyone out and about this weekend!!!

Chick fil a Night at Exeter

Tonight is Pajama night at Chick Fil A in Exeter!  They are having breakfast for dinner there tonite!! My girls love the crafts and actvities at Chick Fil A and it is a great for dinner too!
Hope to see some of you there tonite!!!

I'm Back!!!

I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything, but now that summer is here there are some amazing activites for kids!!!
The first I love is the playground program in Alsace and Exeter Townships!! The program runs Monday through Friday from 9am until 2pm. The cost is $8 a week or $45 for the summer!! I love the weekly option to pay $8 and choose the weeks you would like to go.  On Fridays, they usually have field trips for the kids to go on and are an additional charge.  http://www.exetertownship.com/ and click on Parks and Recreation.
I signed my girls up for every library program that Exeter Library has to offer! The girls are having a wonderful time (and learning as well). Tomorrow night we have a multicultural potluck dinner and the girls are looking forward to trying some new foods. On Friday they have a great make and take for all ages and we spent nearly an hour there on Friday!! Be sure to call the library and make sure there is no registration required! http://www.berks.lib.pa.us/
We also love the free movie program running at the IMAX in Reading! They run Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10am. This week they are playing Shrek Forever After and next week is Barnyard : The Original Party Animals. http://www.rctheatres.com/ and scroll to the bottom and click on The Family Theatre.
My final tip for the night is to sign up all the kids for free bowling!!! You will recieve weekly coupons to print out and the only thing you have to pay for are shoes. My girls and I loved using this on really hot days and rainy days!  http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/
Check back daily for more summer tips to help keep the kids busy!!
Coupon tip for the day:
Giant Food Stores has a great GM cereal deal this week! Buy 4 GM cereals and use your coupons for each box. You will automatically get $6 off at check out and a coupon for a free gallon of milk!!! This is the time to stock up on cereal!! Let me know if you have any questions!!
Thank you for keeping with me and I cant wait to hear all of your ideas for keeping your kids busy this summer!!!

Coming home!!

This has been a very exciting week for my family, because my husband is coming home from a year long deployment!  It is amazing how much has changed in 1 year and how much we have been able to achieve in this year! I went into this deployment unsure of how I would be able to make it this year without my hubby and how the girls would make it without their dad!  Not only have we done it, but I think we have become stronger and more confident and made us a better family for the future. When I look back at this year I look at the 5 weeks I spent with the girls in Europe, Avery's first day of 1st grade, Sydney's first day of preschool and all the other firsts that have come and gone this year. This military life isn't for the faint of heart, but I am proud of the way we have come through stronger on the other side!

Tuesday Night!!

Tuesday night it Movie Night at Exeter Library!  The movie is Megamind and my girls loved it when we saw it in the theatre!  The movie starts at 5:30, but doors open at 5:15.  Last month is was really crowded and we were glad to get there early. Be sure to pack dinner (pizza, McDonalds, or something homemade), blankets and pillows for the kids! Last month I brought my Kindle and enjoyed the hour and half reading while the kids watched the movie!!
Hope to see some of you there!!

First Day of Spring!!

Finally...spring is here!  Sunday is the first day of spring..and we know what that means...Free Rita's water ice!!!  Don't forget to stop over an try a new flavor..maybe swedish fish!!
Also, Sunday is the last day for the Pet Expo at the Reading Expo Center. Be sure to go online and get a coupon for $2 off your admission fee.
Finally, it is the last day for Old Navy and Gaps Give and Get Program. If you have not recieved the email with the 30% please let me know and I will email you the print out!!!  We bought all new spring and summer clothes for me and the girls!!
Enjoy the first day of spring!!!

Stories we tell our kids!

This has been an extra long week with the girls..especially with my 5 year old!  I have quickly realized that her will power and stamina is greater than mine!  Thanks to facebook, I had a hysterical talk with other moms about the tricks of the trade for raising strong willed kids.  One mom had told me that she actually had convinced her daughter that the candy machines were filled with dog treats!
Anyway, tonite my oldest has CCD so I play the game of how to keep my youngest occupied without her sister.  One of our favorite things to do is at Exeter Pubic Library...they have Sleepytime Story time from 7 until 7:30.  Tonite they will also have the character Biscuit along for the story.  The kids can have their pj's on and then home for bed!
One warning...there is a drawing at the end of the storytime!  My daughter usually loses her mind and has to be carried out screaming, so needless to say we leave before the drawing!!!e
Hope to see some of you tonite...and let me know any things you have told your kids to help you through your day!!!

Weekend Plans!!!!!!!!!!!

It is finally Friday night..and as you can see by the time of this post my Friday nights have really changed!  I just reserved a space for my daughters at Chick Fill A(www.cfarestaurant.com/exeter) for the American Girl Tea tomorrow starting at 9 am and ending at 11am. My girls have been trying to choose outfits for the dolls all night..hopefully I will see some of you there.
Lowes is have there Build to Grow Program tomorrow morning.  They will be building a basketball net and if if is like last year the girls loved it!  http://www.lowes.com/ 
Boscovs is have a Relay for Life event at all the locations.  There will be many teams participating with activites and information for everyone!  It runs from 11am until 3pm.
Bark Along the Boulevard will have a 2 mile dog walk, 10-11am at Nolde Forest Environmental Center, 2910 New Holland Road, Cumru Township.  All dogs should be leashed.  Call 610-796-3699 for more information.
Michaels Craft Store will be having a Make it Take It Yarn Doll activity for kids!  It will be at 2763 Paper Mill Road in Wyomissing. The craft runs from 10am until 12pm. http://www.michaels.com/
Finally, the Home and Garden Show is running all weekendat the Greater Reading Expo Center. There is a coupon you can print out by visitng http://www.readinghomeandgardenshow.com/.  There is lots to do including cooking demos, wine samples and interactive kids activities.
On Sunday, Goggle Works is having its monthly 2nd Sunday Open House.  There will be demonstrations, walk in workshops, meet the artists, live music and kids activities.  Please call 610-374-4600 or visit http://www.goggleworks.org/
After you have visited the Goggle works, don't forget all the great restaurants where kids eat free..you can find the list at the bottom of my page!
Have a great weekend, and I hope to see some of you out and about this weekend!!!

Groupon Alert!!!

Today only Groupon (http://www.groupon.com/reading) if offfering a One year membership to Reading Public Museum (http://www.readingpublicmuseum.org/)  for $30, that is a savings of 50%.  We belong to the museum as well as the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Zoo.  Hope to see some of you at the museum!!

Finally Friday!!

Let's hope this rain stops soon...the kids are starting to go stir crazy (actually I am going stir crazy!).  The weekend is almost here, and for those of us in Exeter the weekend has already started.  If you are like me, you are already thinking of things to get the kids out of the house and use up all their energy!  On Friday, March 11th Barnes and Noble will have storytime at 10am at the store at 2751 Paper Mill Road, Wyomissing  Pa  19610. The website is http://www.barnesandnoble.come/ . The 8th Annual Southeast Pennsylvania Home and Garden Show starts March 11 and runs through March 13th at the Greater Reading Expo Center.  There will be live cooking demos, wine tastings, free interactive kids' activties and DYI seminars all weekend.  Visit http://www.readinghomeandgardenshow.com/ for more info and discount coupons. 
Also, if any of you are done cooking and ready to go out and eat check out http://www.restaurant.com/. If you type in the code SAVE you could save 80% off the gift certificate!  The girls and I are going to Good Eatz in West Reading..we got a $25 gift card for $2!!!  Enjoy the weekend with a night off for everyone!
I will be posting more about the weekend activites in the next post.  Good luck to everyone and hopefully all of your kids are in bed..and stay there all night!!

What to do on these rainy days???

While I am sure many of you are thinking about building an ark...here are some things for the kids to do today!  Exeter Library is having preschool storytime from 10 to 11 and then from 1 to 2. Please call Laura to sign up at 610-406-9431 or visit www.berks.lib.pa.us/exetercl/ for more information.  Looking ahead to the weekend, Chick Fil A is having an American Girl Tea on Saturday, March 12th from 9 to 11am. Please check the website www.cfarestaurant.com/exeter/home .  I will post more ideas for the weekend including the Lowes Build to Grow Program on Saturday morning..they are building a basketball net for the kids!!
Check my growing list of local restaurants that offer kids nights at the bottom of the blog..I will be adding them as I come across different ones.  Now off to encourage (read as make) my kids clean their rooms..we have been trying since Sunday!!!

Ash Wednesday

Woke the girls up today and was explaining Ash Wednesday today to them. I was still explaining why they can't have pancakes and sausages when I found a dead mouse in the middle of the dining room floor and the cat staring at it!  I guess I should have explained it to the animals too!  I have 2 tips today.  The first is there is a woot off!  For those of you that don't know what that is go to http://www.woot.com/.  They have daily deals for purchase and when the yellow lights are blinking they sell an item every few minutes! I have purchased a digital camera and video camera.  Also look on the bottom right hand corner for kids.woot and wine.woot!  The second tip is for Barnes and Noble. Go to http://www.gifts.barnesandnoble.com/ and find the link for Parents Magazine.  You can purchase a 2 year subscrition for $10!!

Sleepy Time Storytime

Exeter Library has a great program called Sleepy Time Storytime on Wednesdays night!  My girls (ages 5 and 7) have loved it each time we go. It starts at 7pm and ends at around 7:30pm. I like to dress my girls in their pj's so they are ready for bed when they get home! Hope to see some of you there!! The link for other Exeter Library programs is http://www.berks.lib.pa.us/exetercl/

Welcome!

Well, this is my first attempt at creating a blog.  I have been told by many friends and moms that I should start a blog letting everyone know all of the great deals, finds and bargains in Berks County!  My kids are on the go most of the time!  We love to keep ourselves busy going to the library, museums, parks and other great recreation places in our county.  Join my blog to find out what is going on in Berks County and where are the great deals are! Please also feel free to post any great deals that you find as well!!!