Do you build things with your kids? Meaning with wood, a hammer, and nails? If not, give it a try. Home Depot has Kids Workshops every first Saturday of the month and they are FREE! We went for May’s planter box project, and each child went home with a cute little apron, a pin marking their participation in May’s workshop, a painted planter that they built, and a strawberry plant. The staff was friendly and helpful, and my kids enjoyed being carpenters for the morning.

The workshops at Home Depot take place the first Saturdays of the month from 9 a.m. – noon. Each Saturday they host a different project. Home Depot provides a kit with instructions and everything you need to build the project, such as hammers, nails, wood glue, etc. It is a great learning experience for your child, because you can teach them how to read instructions by words or pictures and how to use tools safely. Our planter box project didn’t take us long. I believe in about 45 minutes we checked in, built it, painted it, picked our strawberry plants, and were on our way home. If I knew acquiring “wood skills” was this easy, we’d be building all sorts of things!

Aprons go home with the children – ours are hanging in the garage in case daddy needs help with something or for when we hit the next workshop. I believe in June the project is an organizer box, which would be a great Dad’s Day gift! Or, I was thinking of putting squinkies in them – maybe it will keep those tiny toys out of my silverware drawer, the dog food, or getting stuck inside their sippy cups. Check out their website for further information and a Home Depot location near you: www.homedepot.com.

If you go:

• Go early – less crowded.
• Bring wet wipes or plan to take the kids to the bathroom to wash their hands. My kids had paint all over their hands when we left.
• Trying to gauge age – I would say three and up. I would fear a two year old or baby would grab a nail and shove it in their mouth. I know you’re watching them, but those little buggers can be fast!
• They had paper plates for the freshly-painted wet boxes to sit on for the car ride, just be sure to have space for them.

Remember the MOMologues? Need an idea for Mother’s Day? Maybe for Mother’s Day you can get a night out with fellow mom friends? If so, don’t miss MOMologues: The Original Comedy About Motherhood coming to Columbus for one night only – Friday, May 11, 2012. 100% of the show’s proceeds benefit POEM: Perinatal Outreach and Encourgement for Moms.

The comedy has the same set up as the Vagina Monologues, in that it highlights four moms telling a story and they banter back and forth. From reading reviews and part of the script, you’ll either be laughing or crying as the women touch upon subjects such as infertility, postpartum depression, or even how crazy it can be as a stay-at-home mom overseeing your child’s “social” schedule. Check out a snippet from the Boston show here: MOMologues: The Original Comedy About Motherhood.

This show was written by moms for moms. Take a look at last year’s write up: Momologues 2011.

Last year's cast

Here’s the nitty-gritty:

MOMologues
Friday, May 11 at 8 p.m.
Tickets:
$30/each

Bryce Eck Center
3880 Reed Rd, Cols., Ohio 43220

Purchase tickets online:
www.momologuescolumbus.com

Questions? 614.285.5443 or
momologuescolumbus@gmail.com

**Thank you to POEM for creating and including a cbusmom.com ad in the playbill free of charge.**

Have you been to the Cincinnati Museum Center? It is fantastic and worth a day trip or weekend away. The museum complex includes the Duke Energy Children’s Museum, the Museum of Natural History and Science, and the Cincinnati History Museum. The museum center also hosts incredible exhibits, for instance right now they have “A Day in Pompeii” and visitors can learn about the devastation caused by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. All of the museums, exhibits, and OMNIMAX films are separate costs, check out rates here: http://www.cincymuseum.org/visit. If you have a COSI membership there are admission discounts, and they recommend to call and ask about them before you buy tickets. Don’t forget your membership card when you go.

The architecture of the museum is quite impressive. It used to be a train depot in the 1930s, and walking in is like stepping back in time. Union Terminal has high ceilings, ornate signs in what I like to call “Harlow font,” and beautiful woodwork which make gazing at architecture and design part of your trip. The museum complex has so much to offer that it would be easy to make a weekend of it, and that is exactly what my family and friends did.

We had so much fun climbing, crawling, pretend playing, and learning about animals and insects in the Duke Energy Children’s Museum. We parked our stroller and coats in a safe area, but they offer lockers if you don’t want to carry your things. Our children played for hours in the treehouse, which was exciting. The trees were connected by rope bridges and tunnels at various height levels. If you are daring try the highest rope tunnel, and don’t worry, they are netted all around for safety.

Next we stepped into a land of dinosaurs, bats, and fossils. The Museum of Natural History and Science was fascinating for adults and fun for children. Getting through the displays and learning materials could easily take a day. I think the best part about the museum complex, is that you can come back and again and again and always find something new to explore or learn. If I lived in Cincy, I’d definitely have a yearly pass.

Cincinnati Museum Center
at Union Terminal

1301 Western Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45203
www.cincymuseum.org

Plan your visit:

• Buy your tickets in advance, I can’t stress that enough – especially if you are going on a weekend. The line for prepaid tickets is much shorter and quicker. Also, be sure to look for discount tickets online or call to see if they are running specials. They have “Free Fridays” going on this summer. Look here: http://www.cincymuseum.org/events/freefridays
• You could do the Children’s Museum and the Natural History Museum in one long day.
• They have a food court with decent options, so don’t worry about packing.
• Bring cash for parking.
• Wear comfortable shoes for walking, and bring a change of clothes for your littles (in case they get wet in the water area). Better safe than sorry!
• Across the river are economical hotels with restaurants within walking distance.

Thanks to all who tuned in to my appearance on WTTE Fox 28′s “Good Day Columbus.“  Here are the activities I mentioned coming up in May (I tried to choose a little something for everyone):

ProMusica Chamber Orchestra is playing at Franklin Park Conservatory
Youth and Family Day includes: musical performances, crafts, drum circle, and take the family in to see butterflies released

Saturday, May 12
11am-3pm
$11 adults/$6 children 3-17, under age 2 FREE

Family-friendly magic show with Rory Rennick

Easton Town Center’s Funny Bone
Saturday, May 12 11:30a doors open, 12:30 show
Tickets only $5 and show is recommended for kids 6 and up

Pirate Weekend at the Santa Maria

May 19 & May 20

At approximately 2 PM, pirate reenactors will storm the ship with lots of gun fire and cannons. Bring a picnic lunch and spread out on the lawn for the show

Educational tours are $3 for youth 5-17, $4 for adults

3rd Annual Green on the Green

Worthington’s Historic Village Green on the corners of 161 and High Street
Saturday, May 19 from 9a – 2p

Local earth friendly businesses and organizations will have booths, eco-friendly shopping, live music, kids activities, and food

Commons for Kids at the Columbus Commons

Fri, May 25
10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Come down for the first Commons for Kids of the season, with free carousel rides, inflatables, face painting, balloon animals and a visit from the Columbus Metropolitan Library Bookmobile

The kids and I picking up trash in our neck of the woods. We volunteered through my daughter's Girl Scouts' troop.

Earth Day is around the corner, and Columbus is looking for help to get the city cleaner and greener. Gather the family together and volunteer to Keep Columbus Beautiful! Here’s the skinny straight from my inbox to you:

April 14 and 15, Volunteers of all ages needed for Earth Day Work Sites!

Columbus, Ohio—Green Columbus is looking for schools, churches, non-profits, parks and business sites that would like help with trash pick-up, planting, and making their community cleaner and greener. The organization is teaming up with lead sponsor The Nature Conservancy to plan a large-scale volunteer service event for the weekend of April 14 and 15, with the help of Keep Columbus Beautiful. A citywide celebration will follow a week later on Saturday, April 21, to be held for the first time at Columbus Commons Park.

“We are reaching out to Central Ohio non-profits, schools, parks, churches and businesses who would like help “rooting down” — cleaning, digging, planting, and making their space greener and more environmentally sustainable,” said Tad Dritz, founder of Green Columbus. “We are really pushing to make 2012, the year of Columbus’ Bicentennial, the largest Earth Day effort to date.”

This year will mark the 6th annual Earth Day event organized by Green Columbus, a local non-profit organization. Last year’s event, titled ‘Lighten Up’, brought out over 3,000 volunteers to
137 worksites around the city, where they put in more than 8,000 hours of work planting trees,cleaning up neighborhoods, establishing community gardens and much more. The volunteer
turnout in Central Ohio was the largest anywhere for Earth Day.

If you are interested in signing up, Green Columbus is asking that you to register your site at www.earthdaycolumbus.org and be prepared to: provide a description of the exact nature of
the project, designate a site leader during the weekend of April 14th and 15th, recruit at least 10% of the workers from within your organization, and determine the number of volunteers
and the type of equipment and tools you will need to complete the task.

Some family-friendly work sites already created:

The Greater Bexley Cleanup
Gateway South Parking Lot – Intersection of Main Street and Parkview
Organizer: Kelly Allen
Contact: kellyholdenallen@yahoo.com or 614-633-7705

Bluffsview Elementary Cleanup
7111 Linworth Road
Organizer: Amy Krohn
Contact: apkk1@yahoo.com or 614-301-5015

Community Garden Installation with Franklinton Gardens
909 W. Rich St
Organizer: Patrick Kaufman
Contact: patrick.kaufman@franklintongardens.org or 614-205-3591

Goodale Park Earth Day Cleanup
120 W. Goodale St.
Organizer: Julie Hallan
Contact: volunteercoordinator@goodalepark.org or 614-887-7275

A few things to remember:

• Bring gloves for you and your children.
• Wear layers you can peel off if you get warm, and clothing that can get dirty or wet.
• Call the contact to see what kinds of tools they need. If you bring your own rake, shovel, hoe, etc. be sure to put your name on the handle in permanent marker.
• Bring water and snacks in case they are not provided.

Have you experienced your child outgrowing every pair of their shoes at once? Seriously, I didn’t know that could happened…but it can, and it happened to me. My almost six-year-old daughter went upstairs to get her shoes and disappeared for ten minutes. She came down in her socks and told me none of her shoes fit. What?! None? So, I promptly marched her back up the stairs and sat her down in front of the shoe box. I had her try on one pair after another, and she was right, not one shoe fit. The only thing that fit were snow boots. We were off to buy new shoes…

I remembered my friend telling me about Jax Treehouse and how cool it was, so I checked it out. Let me state that the place was awesome and so was the service. The main reason I am writing this post is *because* I received such good customer service. I ended up buying shoes for her and my son. When I walked in the store, I was greeted with a smile and an explanation that the girls’ shoes were on the right and the boys’ on the left. There was no line, but if there was a line the wait wouldn’t have been long. They were quick and customer-focused.

On display were Umi, Skechers, Keen, and other name brands I drool over online but never order. Some of them were a bit pricey, but from what I have researched, many of the shoe companies that cater to kids’ shoes make them cute AND durable. I typically buy one pair of good shoes and then supplement mary janes and crocs at Target or Once Upon a Child. Jax Treehouse will be my go-to shoe store for my kids’ good shoes, no doubt.

Jax Treehouse is a family-owned and operated shoe store located on Sawmill Road in the strip mall behind Chipotle. Be prepared, they’ll be nice to your kids and give them a balloon…and maybe some sidewalk chalk. Oh – and leave the shoe boxes. They donate the boxes to HomeReach Hospice for kids’ to make memory boxes of loved ones.

*They are currently running a 10% off special. Just print out this coupon: COUPON

Jax Treehouse
6634 Sawmill Road
Columbus, OH 43235
614-766-4529
www.jaxtreehouse.com

What other celebration can you have friends over and serve them pickled beets and eggs? Seriously, if it was my husband’s birthday and I said to my friends, “Let’s play games and I’ll order a pizza. Oh, and we’ll also have pickled beets and eggs!” I’d probably just get a smile and a nod. They wouldn’t even know what to say. BUT, I can get away with it at Easter! I love hosting Easter dinner, mainly because it reminds of me of childhood traditions with my grandmother…Anthony Thomas chocolate bunnies, orange peel candy, and Easter eggs masterfully hidden by my granddad. This year, though, my bank account is stretched (doin’ some learnin’ at the university) and I had to do a little digging to find ways to save this holiday. Have you heard of Aldi?

Aldi is a small discount grocery store. They offer quality brand foods at more than half the cost of the leading grocery store chains. The reason I mention Aldi is because I know how challenging it can be to afford groceries when you have kids, or host a big meal. I buy local as much as I can, but simply cannot afford organic, Ohio-grown food all of the time. I need to buy what I can when I can, and Aldi offers great savings on staple items. They carry all you need for a week’s worth of groceries.

Be sure to bring your own bags and a quarter for a cart. Aldi does their best to cut costs on groceries so you can save, but that also means they need to cut costs on average items we take for granted, such as bags and grocery carts. They also do not accept credit cards. Be prepared to pay with cash or your debit card.

Please also note: my husband bought camping chairs and great food items for camping at Aldi. Be sure to check out their coupon page if you get The Dispatch or online for non-food items!

Aldi
4664 Sawmill Rd
Columbus, OH 43220
http://www.aldifoods.com

Doing a brunch instead of a dinner? Be the hostess with the mostest with the Aldi Easter brunch menu below (all items can be found at Aldi and at seriously cheap prices). Serve some fresh fruit, yogurt, and offer some tasty beverages such as coffee or juice and let the egg hunts begin! *They are also carrying flowers and Easter candy*

Easter Brunch Menu:

Sunnyside Breakfast Casserole

Recipe courtesy of Chef Michelle Schmidt, ALDI Test Kitchen

Serves 20

• 7 each Season’s Choice Frozen Hash Brown Patties
• 1 bag Little Salad Bar Flat Leaf Spinach, sliced
• 1/2 bag (9 patties) Breakfast Best Pre Cooked Sausage Patties, Original
• 1 bag Happy Farms Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 12 Goldhen Large Eggs
• 3/4 cup Friendly Farms Half and Half
• 5 medium tomatoes, ends removed and sliced into quarters
• 2 tbsp Stonemill Essentials Parsley Flakes
• 1½ tsp Stonemill Essentials Salt
• 1 tsp Stonemill Essentials Ground Black Pepper

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350° and coat 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2.    Pan-fry the hash brown patties in a skillet according to packaging directions. Once fried and cooled, crumble the patties and evenly spread them into the baking dish.

3.    Microwave the sausage patties for 40 seconds and then crumble them.

4.    Evenly top the hash browns with the sliced spinach. Follow with the sausage, and 2½ cups of the cheese.

5.    In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt and pepper. Pour over the casserole and pat down the mixture with a flat spatula.

6.    Evenly top with the sliced tomato and sprinkle with remaining cheese and parsley.

7.    Bake 45 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Baked French Toast with Orange

Recipe courtesy of Chef Alyssa, ALDI Test Kitchen

Serves 10-12

• 16 oz L’oven Fresh Sandwich Bread, any flavor, toasted
• 4 Goldhen Eggs
• 24 oz Friendly Farms Hazelnut Coffee Creamer
• 8 oz Nature’s Nectar 100% Pure Florida Orange Juice
• 1/4 cup            Baker’s Corner Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup            Baker’s Corner Granulated White Sugar
• 1 tsp Stonemill Essentials Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Stonemill Essentials Ground Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Stonemill Essentials Pure Vanilla
• Zest and juice from 1 orange
• 2 cups Millville Natural Granola
• 1/2 cup            Countryside Butter, softened
• Cooking spray

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 60-90 minutes

Total Time: 70-100 minutes

Directions:

1.    Prep the day before and refrigerate overnight before baking.

2.    Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

3.    Layer slices of toasted bread in the baking dish.

4.    Whisk together eggs, creamer, orange juice, sugars, spices, vanilla and orange zest and juice.

5.    Pour mixture over bread. Make sure it covers all pieces and press down gently if needed.

6.    Mix together butter and granola and spread over top.

7.    Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

8.    Preheat oven to 350°.

9.    Bring to room temperature, remove plastic cover and bake for 60 minutes covered in foil.

10.  Remove foil and bake for 15-30 minutes until casserole bounces back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean.

11.  Top should be golden brown.

12.  Top with Berryhill Pancake Syrup and serve with Breakfast Best Pre Cooked Sausage Patties.

 **Cbusmom was not given discounts or products to write this post. She did it out of the kindness of her heart to help her fine readers save MONEY!**

There is truly some awesome kids music out there, and Columbus is lucky to have Rolie Polie Guacamole coming in from Park Slope, Brooklyn. They are on tour for the release of their new album “Houses of the Moly.” The band will be playing at What the Rock?! this Thursday, March 15 at 4 p.m. and the show is FREE. I used to live in Park Slope, and it is full of awesome talent. I am certain kids and adults alike will enjoy the show. Check out their website by clicking here.

If you’ve never been to What the Rock?!, it is a rock-n-roll retail boutique located in the Short North area. They sell stuff such as onsies and cool kid rocker shirts, as well as a ton of novelty rock-n-roll gear for adults. The shop is planning to push aside some of their racks to open space for kiddies and their parents to get their groove on. Rolie Polie Guacamole shows are interactive and get the audience up and moving. Songs have positive influence messages such as the importance of a healthy lifestyle or my favorite “My Mama Said,” as well as other silly fun lyrics kids will enjoy.

Come enjoy the show this Thursday afternoon. Please remember that the Short North area has metered street parking, so allow time for parking and bring change. If you can’t make it, stop by What the Rock?! and pick up a Rolie Polie Guacamole CD for your kids. New music is always a great gift!

Rolie Polie Guacamole
Thursday, March 15 at 4p.m.
Show is FREE, CDs on sale for $15

Have you heard of “Seussical the Musical”? Well, if not, you need to check it out (ticket giveaway information below)! Pleasure Guild of Nationwide Children’s Hospital is presenting “Seussical the Musical” at the Palace Theater this weekend. The first show is tonight, Friday, at 7 pm. I had the opportunity to speak with one of the child actors of the production, and she gave me some insider information. I know, I know, I’m so cool…well…The show is about two hours in length and brings to life those Dr. Seuss characters children love: Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie and a little boy with a big  imagination—Jojo. Seussical is colorful, full of energy, and lots of music. It is the form of entertainment that’ll keep your kids on the edge of the seat.

Enjoying a show with your kids is just part of the fun. The other half is that proceeds from ticket sales go to helping sick children. Each year the Pleasure Guild does a theater production as their fundraiser, and money raised goes to the Hospice and Palliative Care Program at Nationwide Children’s.

I also love that local kids got to audition for the show. Lucy is one of the bright-shining-stars on the stage this weekend, singing and dancing as a “Who” during the circus scene. She started rehearsing in January and has spent hours on the stage each week perfecting her “Who” character. On top of all of her hard work as a thespian, she’s an “A” student and cheers for her school’s basketball team. I am so proud of our ambitious young ones in Cbus!

Seussical Performance Schedule:
• 7 p.m. Friday, March 2
• 2 p.m. Saturday, March 3
• 7 p.m. Saturday, March 3
• 2 p.m. Sunday, March 4

Tickets can be purchased by calling the CAPA Ticket Office at (614) 469-0939 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Patrons may also visit the CAPA Ticket Office at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State Street, Columbus, OH 43215) or any Ticketmaster outlet. For more information about Pleasure Guild and Seussical, visit www.pleasureguild.org.

When I told Pleasure Guild I was writing a post about the show, they offered FOUR free tickets to tonight’s opening performance to one lucky reader. Here’s the skinny:

Be the first one to leave the name of you or your child’s favorite Dr. Seuss book on my Facebook page. The first person to comment will have four free tickets waiting for them at the Palace Theater box office tonight, March 2 for the 7 pm performance. Go to the Will Call line. Tickets are for tonight’s performance only. I will announce the lucky reader on my facebook page as well. Thanks for your interest!!

**Cbusmom.com was not paid, given personal tickets, or asked to write this post**

Disney On Ice is back! I took my girl last year to Princesses on Ice and she absolutely loved it. I am a sucker for theatrical productions, even the big names such as Disney. We’ve seen two productions by Disney and both were worth the ticket price. Characters kids read about in books are brought to life in colorful costumes, over-the-top theatrics, and a variety of exciting scenes. My favorite part about going, I think, is watching my children’s reactions to seeing Snow White or Mickey Mouse “in real life.” To them, the characters are truly alive. My girl said to me last time, “I didn’t know Cinderella could ice skate!”

This year, the theme is Disney on Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic and will feature many of the Disney characters, such as: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Jiminy Cricket, the Disney Princesses, some of the characters from The Lion King, and Mulan. Oh, how could I forget Buzz Lightyear and Jessie from Toy Story? My kids are going to flip. Performances will be held at Nationwide Arena February 1 – 5, 2012. For those that haven’t been to a Disney performance, many kids dress up in their princess gowns or Mickey Mouse ears (it is kind of fun to have your kids get dressed up) – the adults can too, but I just wear jeans.

Now that we got all the good-feely stuff out of the way, let’s talk cost. Shows like this can be pricey for families, especially for those with multiple children – and, you don’t want buyer’s remorse because your kid can’t sit still or freaks out because the music is too loud. The evening will consist of possibly $5 for parking your car, potentially giving into a $15 Tinker Bell cup with a flavorless icee (that one is from experience), or a magic light up wand that you know will break as soon as your child gets in the car (that one is *also* from experience). SO, what I’ve done is ask my gracious contact about how my readers could save on tickets. Here’s the deal:

1. Purchase your Disney on Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com/

2. When you check out plug in “MAGIC” in the promo code area

3. Now your tickets are $10 flat rate each

Please read this disclaimer:

Service charges and handling fees may apply. Valid on up to four discounted tickets. Not be used in conjunction with any other discount, premium or rebate offer.

Tickets for 100 years of Magic also available at the Nationwide Arena box office, at all Ticketmaster locations, select Kroger stores, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1.800.745.3000. Tickets are available at Chiller Dublin, Chiller Easton and Chiller North. All tickets are subject to service charges and facility fees.
Ticket prices range for $12-$45.

Thank you to Irvin PR  for graciously allowing me to share this discount with my readers and for the family of four tickets.