Archives for March 2015

Hey, Spring Breakers,

Just click the graphic below for loads of ideas for your week. There is also plenty more to explore, of course! Try the menu bar for all kinds of other fun, or give us a shout if you’re looking for something particular!

Heavier Than Air Theater presents Shrek the Musical at Green River Community College  ongoing with various dates and showtimes

Free Easter photos and crafts at Bass Pro Shops

Last day of the JBF sale at the Puyallup fairgrounds. Most items are half-off and admission is free. Read this post for tips if you’v never been. Hint from me: Do not wait until right before closing, or you will be in a big, ‘ol line. Runs until 2PM

The Miracle Worker at ManeStage Theater in Sumner show times through the 29th; would be nice for little-bit-older children

Lego Expo and Play at Freighthouse Square in Tacoma

Easter egg hunts at the Old Cannery in Sumner

Our Only May Amelia from Olympia Family Theater Ongoing showings of the adaptation of the Newbery Award winner about a plucky 13 year old girl living in Southwest Washington in 1899. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Visit the new South Sound Estuarium  10AM-3PM

and, of course, you’ll find lots to explore in the menu bar. If you’re feeling panic-y about your Spring Break st home, head here for our round up of South Sound Spring Break fun! 

Happy Friday! Welcome to Sounds Fun Mom, where you’ll find an amazing list of things to do with kids in Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Olympia, and Your South Sound home!

We also have tons to explore when you’re done planning your weekend. Consider using our outdoor adventures tab to take advantage of the sunshine, or you might want to visit our Easter Egg Hunt guide to make your game plan for the big day.

Need something to do with Spring Breakers? We’re here to help, with a whole guide to Spring Break adventures right here! 

Friday

Bounce Play in Gig Harbor  free inflatable time and conversation for moms and preschoolers and tots  Missed it this week? Follow them on Fb and preregister to hold your spot for next time.

Indoor Park at Pen-Met Indoor Soccer Center in Gig Harbor  Every Friday from 11:15-12:30; toys usually left up longer  2.00/child

It’s always kids’ night out at Pump It Up on Fridays. Call for details and to hold your spot.

Many libraries have story times and fun on Fridays. Here is the Puyallup Public Library site, and here is the PCL site.

Saturday

All Over

Kids’ Club at Michael’s Stores  2.00 per child/ sessions start on the half hour from 10AM-11:30  For ages 3 and up

South King County

Touch tanks at HCC Mast at Redondo  Free and open to the public every Saturday from 10-2

Bike helmet fitting and giveaway at the Renton Community Center 10AM-1PM one per child under 18; first come, first served; child must be present

Heavier Than Air Theater presents Shrek the Musical at Green River Community College  ongoing with various dates and showtimes

Puyallup/Greater Pierce County

Just Between Friends Kids’ Consignment event at the fairgrounds in Puyallup   All weekend-See this post for a free entry pass you can show on your phone.

The Miracle Worker at ManeStage Theater in Sumner show times through the 29th; would be nice for little-bit-older children

Easter egg hunts at the Old Cannery in Sumner

Lego My Library at the Puyallup Public Library  Lego story time and building fun 11AM

Tacoma

Free Easter photos and crafts at Bass Pro Shops

Lego Expo and Play at Freighthouse Square

Spring Fling at the Portland Avenue Community Center  Free festival for the whole family 10AM-12 arts and crafts, entertainment, and more

Urban Hike: Discovering DomeTop on Foot  Explore this eastside neighborhood with a guide. Free walk, suitable for most ages who can enjoy a walk of 2.5 miles

Play and Grow storytime at the Wheelock Library  stories, play, and art for families with children under 5 10:30

Family movie-The Gnome Mobile at the Moore Library 2PM

Children and all ages shows at the Pierce College Science Dome/planetarium  Bring cash!

Olympia

Easter Egg Hunt at Ralph’s Thriftway

Our Only May Amelia from Olympia Family Theater Ongoing showings of the adaptation of the Newbery Award winner about a plucky 13 year old girl living in Southwest Washington in 1899. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Visit the new South Sound Estuarium  10AM-3PM

Visit the LOTT Wet Science Center  Free and open to the public every weekend

Gig Harbor

Easter Egg Hunt at Uptown

Storytime at Sandcastle Toy Store 10AM  Every Saturday, but you may want to call to double check

Craft at Michaels The Gig Harbor store has traditionally  offered weekly crafts.

I’ll update with some Sunday adventures later. As always, if you know something we missed, just let us know! We would also love to talk to your group or business about low cost advertising.

And, finally, can you spare ONE minute to win chicken for your family for a YEAR? I thought you could! Just head here for the details. We have super low entries so far, and we have been promised two winners just from the site. This is a prize worth hundreds of dollars, folks! Go here to find out how to enter, and  Good Luck!

If you’ve been looking for a way to lower your food bill, you’ll want to learn about GoDirect Foods, a brand new company that will help you buy in bulk and save big!

The idea is simple: They get their meat direct from the suppliers, and then skip the middle man and bring it straight to you. Yes, you end up picking up a giant box of meat somewhere like a roller skating rink, and yes, you have to take it home and find a place to put it all!

Why would you do that? Well, just by stepping out of the (big) box (store), you’ll be saving money over what you would pay for the same products at the traditional grocery store. I can also tell you from experience that it is Awesome to have chicken or beef or your family’s favorite proteins in your freezer, ready to go. Not having to make all those last minute trips to the grocery store truly is awesome! If you’ve never tried bulk shopping, give it a whirl, and see if you don’t save on your food bill!

This new company is from JC Conrad, who was one of the original founders of a similar company. He’s made some tweaks with this new venture to make your buying direct experience even better! If you’ve tried this before, I think you’ll love the improvements he’s made to the concept.

With GoDirect Foods, you can

• Order the same quality meat products at a lower price.
•  Have more products to choose from.
•  Have the option to order your favorite products every month.  **LOVE that you don’t have to wait for an, “Event.”
•  Know all your delivery dates for the whole year. ** So much easier for planning!
•  Receive your product within 30 days from the time you order it.
•  Have all your favorite fresh meat products come on the same delivery
•  Make a huge dent in your grocery bill with their referral program.  Woot!!

We had the opportunity to try both a roast and ground beef. I’ll be honest, the roast is still in my freezer waiting for Easter (SO EXCITED), but we have already had many delicious meals with the ground beef. We found it to be rich and flavorful, and the boys loved every meal I prepared with it- even our oldest, who is so fussy I sometimes wonder how he’s thriving. Seriously, it’s a mystery!

I was particularly excited to see them gobble up chili, a meal they normally turn their noses up at. #Winning!

In addition to making several meals, I also made a supersized batch of seasoned meat that I froze in freezer bags. If you like the idea of freezer cooking but find you don’t have time, try this shortcut instead. By simply freezing the browned and seasoned meat, I’ll be able to make all kinds of my family’s favorite standbys like tacos, spaghetti, and shepard’s pie, in a flash!

Before GoDirect Foods opens their doors for business in June,you’ll want to take full advantage of their topnotch referral program and save even more for years to come.

Now, they’re launching this company with a big splash….Get ready, because you can win a whole year’s supply of chicken!

 Yep,if you win, you’ll receive 40lbs of Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts– 4 times a year this coming July, October, January, and April (2016)!

That’s a total of 160 pounds of chicken! Think what a difference that could make for your family’s food budget this year! I know!

This contest is a little different than others we’ve done. 

To enter, simply go here! You’ll be registering with GoDirect Foods (they won’t spam you, but they will let you know when they launch), and you’ll automatically be entered to win the year’s supply of chicken, AND you’ll also automatically be entered into a separate contest to win a year’s supply of ground beef!

Want to improve your odds? You’ll have a chance to get a referral link of your own. If a friend signs up through your link and she wins, you’ll win, too!!

Yep, right after you sign up, you will definitely want to pass this on!!

To get started, just head here to G0Direct Foods. There is an informative video you may choose to watch, or simply scroll down to sign up with your information and click the, “Register,” button! You’ll receive notice when G0Direct Foods launches in June, and you’ll automatically be entered in this amazing contest! Note that it mentions the ground beef contest-which is awesome-but the chicken contest is Exclusively for you, and you’ll be entered into it by going through my link.

Giveaway Fine Print:

• Please do NOT ENTER HERE or on any of the SFM channels – the only way to enter is to go through this link.
• Only 1 Go Direct account per household
• Winners will be notified by email shortly after the contest ends on April 24th, so please do leave one you check. J C  will be emailing you directly!
• If you win, you must be able to pick up your product at one of the 16 locations where they will be launching.

 

If you have questions about Go Direct or any of the information in this post, you can head here to the site.

If you’re just ready to win yourself a whole year’s worth of chicken (!!), just head here!

Good Luck!!

 

Disclosure: We were provided with free product to facilitate this review. Links in this post are my referral links. I was not otherwise compensated. As always, sponsored posts are written based on material supplied by the client. Opinions are my own!

 

 

 

Tacoma, I’ve got some free fun for you and your family today!

It’s Songbird Night at the Slater Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound.

What’s that? You didn’t know there was a museum at UPS? There is one, and it’s free!

Now, it’s not big the way you might think of a, “Regular,” museum, and yes, it is pretty much dead bugs, dead birds…well, you get the idea. In other words, it’s perfect for your budding naturalists and scientists (Just as long as they’re not super sensitive)!

It’s normally open on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday afternoons,  or by appointment. It depends on student volunteers, so you do need to go during the school year. You can get more scoop on the museum and contact info. at their website here.

The museum also periodically has special events, like the one tonight! The theme is Sounds of Spring: Songbird Night, and you’ll get to learn all about songbirds, their songs, and their travels, and yes, there will be lots of (dead) ones for you to look at! The event runs 6-7:30PM tonight.

You can get more information about the event here on their Facebook page. 

UPDATED 04/06/15

Sticking around the South Sound for Spring Break?  Sounds Fun Mom is here to make sure you don’t go crazy trying to figure out what to do with the kiddos for an entire week.

First things first, if the weather doesn’t want to cooperate, try these posts on for size by clicking the images:

  

   

If the sun decides to make an appearance, you might want to check out the outdoor fun featured on the site. (Be warned, I tried to hit up the trails at Pt Defiance this week and it was still muddy, muddy, muddy. Bring your boots!)

Ten South Sound Nature Walks Perfect for Young Hikers

Have a go at Geo Caching in Pt Defiance

Check out the Best South Sound Playgrounds

Hunt for Gnomes in Bonney Lake

ALL WEEK LONG

Spring Break Superstars at the Pt Defiance Zoo  A new animal is highlighted each day this week with accompanying special activities included in the price of admission or membership. Note: The zoo is pricey. SFM highly recommends investing in an annual pass, which pays for itself in just a few visits.

Our sponsors at the Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia have special fun going on for the entire Spring Break season (March 30-April 26). All activities are free with admission. If you’re looking for a drop off option, sign up for one of their awesome camps (April 6-10)!

Check out a free museum pass from your local library!  Your spring breakers will become junior culture vultures!

Special open hours all week long at the Children’s Museum of Tacoma, daily from 10:00am-5:00pm.

Special open swim hours at the Federal Way Community Center. See our post on Cool Indoor Pools for all the details.

Check out the Brick by Brick Lego Expo in Tacoma, open through April 12.

Wednesday-Friday, visit the McChord Air Museum, which is free (donations accepted) and only open Wednesday-Friday, 12:00pm-4:00pm

MONDAY, April 6

Build It! at the Auburn Library Play with Legos and bring your friends for constructive, creative fun at the library from 4:00pm-5:00pm, ages 6 and up, 3-5 with an adult

TUESDAY, April 7

Minecraft Mania at the Algona Pacific Library, 1:00pm-3:00pm

Fly Guy Party at the DuPont Library. Test your knowledge, play games, and enjoy all things Fly Guy from 4:00pm-5:00pm

WEDNESDAY, April 8

Story Hour at the Conservatory in Wright Park, 11:00am-12:00pm

Kids Movie Time! at the South Hill Library. Join us for a family movie and popcorn at 4:00pm

Block Party! at the Enumclaw Library Build, create and share with other LEGO lovers. Other building supplies will include blocks, straws, marshmallows and toothpicks. 4:00pm-5:00pm

THURSDAY, April 9

Spring Break SCRATCH programming. Learn basic SCRATCH programming on the KCLS mobile TechLab Van, 12:30pm-2:30pm

Spring Break Movie Matinee at the Woodmont Library, playing the new Annie, 3:30pm-5:30pm

Discover Art at the Gig Harbor Library. Enjoy a story with us about a great artist. Be inspired! Create your own artwork in that style! Creating great art can be messy. 4:00pm-5:00pm

Gig Harbor Library Chess Club, grades K-8, Join in for 20 minutes of chess instruction and 40 minutes of play, 6:00pm-7:00pm

FRIDAY, April 10

Check out a story time at your local library. Find all the sites nearest you at KCLS, Tacoma Public Library, or Pierce County Library.

BouncePlay in Gig Harbor has  free inflatable time and conversation for moms and preschoolers and tots  Missed it this week? Follow them on Fb and preregister to hold your spot for next time.

Open Jump sessions all day long at Pump it Up Tacoma, and it’s Parents Night Out, too from 6:30pm-9:30pm

Indoor Park at Pen-Met Indoor Soccer Center in Gig Harbor  Every Friday from 11:15-12:30; toys usually left up longer, $2/child

::

Additional Ideas

Visit Cabela’s in Lacey. How can you resist with a description like this: the 185,000-square-foot retail showroom is an educational and entertainment attraction, featuring a decor of museum-quality animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats.

Visit Bass Pro Shop and Outdoor World in Tacoma. Similar to Cabela’s in Lacey, there’s also a bowling alley and restaurant on site! Bass Pro Shop boasts a 12,000-gallon freshwater aquarium, 3-D diorama of a running waterfall with mountain lion, big horn sheep, and mountain goats against a backdrop mural of Mount Rainier.

Visit Daddy at work for lunch. This can be a fun way for the kids to see what Daddy does, and also break up his workday!  Find a nearby park to make it a fuller trip, and explore the area. Perhaps there are other relatives who would enjoy a similar visit?

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival The tulips are in bloom in La Conner! This is a good 2 hour drive from the South Sound, but one folks come from all over the country to experience.  There is lots to do in the surrounding area, too. Check out the site to plan your trip.

Plan a meet up with your pals at a local park. Create a Facebook event and invite anyone who can show up at a specific day/time. This is a fun way to see lots of folks at once, and it’s a built in play date for the kids and the mommas!

As always, I’ll have plenty more fun coming your way in the weekend list up Friday morning.

Have something I should list from your group? Drop me a line!

New here? I’m so glad you found Sounds Fun Mom!  You might consider subscribing to my emails, joining us on Facebook, or following me on Twitter!

Update: The contest is now over. Congratulations to our two winners, Marissa and Mari-Beth, whose comments were chose at random. If you didn’t win, I think you’ll still find plenty of bargains! Do read on for all the details on this sale, and remember you can show this post for FREE entry! If you’ve never shopped this one before, you’ll find some great tips from readers in the comments.

Oh, and while you’re here….we’re running our biggest contest EVER, and so far it has SUPER low entries. What gives?

Head here and find out how you can win free chicken for a year! Our blog will have two winners, so seriously-go enter now! 

Start your engines, bargain hunters!

The huge, Just Between Friends sale at the Puyallup fairgrounds is this weekend.

If you’re a bargain hunting parent in Tacoma, Puyallup, or anywhere close, you won’t want to miss this chance to save on everything you could possibly need for babies to big kids.  I took these pics at the last event, but really, they don’t even come close to capturing it all.

Never been? Just Between Friends is a consignment event where you’ll find gently used equipment, clothing, and more. It’s all neat, clean, and organized, and it’s a great way to save big without the hassle of a garage sale or thrift store. JBF merch is also thoroughly inspected and checked for recalls.

I’ve personally found great buys at every event, and I know tons of you have been counting down for this one, too. I have a few tips below for newbies (I’d love for you to share yours, too), and do read to the bottom for a giveaway!!

Tips:

• Do remember to bring your own baskets or reusable bags to haul your loot.
• Be prepared for Very Long checkout lines. Bring a book. Note from SFM: I’ve had no wait at all when I’ve gone on Saturdays late in the day, and Allison tells me even Friday is a good day, if you go later. But, if you want to go early to have your pick of the merch, just be prepared to play a little Candy Crush-or, hey, ask the gal behind you if she reads Sounds Fun Mom and make a new friend!
• Leave the kiddos at home. Really-you’ll be overwhelmed trying to shop with them.
• Don’t forget to check toys and equipment in addition to the clothing, and be prepared to explore! This is one of the biggest JBF events in the country!
• Do say, “Hi,” to the community vendors. It’s nice to support local, small businesses!

The public sale runs 12-8 Thursday, 11-7 Friday, 9-5 Saturday, and 8-2 Sunday (most remaining items are half-off on Sunday).  You can also see the complete hours and schedule here.

There are free admission coupons all around town, or you can get in free when you show the coupon in this post on your phone!

Oh, and I also have a little giveaway for you!  

[Read more…]

Are you looking for a great preschool in Tacoma?

 

We’re pleased to welcome Jack & Jill Cooperative, one of Tacoma’s favorite preschools, back to our sponsorship team this month.

At Jack and Jill, kids will learn and grow together as they enjoy indoor and outdoor play and exploration during group time and free choice periods. Look at the Amazing choices your little one will have every single day!

• Art options every day including paint, play dough, crayons, markers, cutting, and gluing for fine motor development…
• “Muscle Room” has climbing, slide toy with padded mats, therapy balls, and other gross motor skill building items…
• Dramatic play options including kitchen, doll house, trains, trucks, blocks, costumes…
• “Circle Room” has books, puzzles, Science shelf including model animals, non-fiction books…
• Fenced playground includes play equipment for climbing and sliding, sandbox, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, foot powered cars and a tricycle, play house…

Doesn’t it just make you want to take your little learner there today? I know it makes me wish I had a preschooler again!

Jack and Jill is the oldest cooperative preschool in Tacoma. Because it’s a co-op, tuition is low, and the adult to child ratio is awesome.  As a co-op parent, you’ll be learning, too, and enjoying the support of other moms and dads. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I did a similar program with the boys, and some of my closest friends are still other preschool moms.

Oh, and problem solved alert-potty training is not required, AND students enjoy a daily snack at the school which is tree-nut and peanut free. Woot!

Classes are available for children ages 2-5, and prospective parents are always welcome to visit (this really is the best way to choose a school).

For more information, visit their website or call (253)756-0637.

 You’ll find Jack & Jill at 2507 N Vassault Tacoma, WA 98406, a convenient location from most anywhere in the greater Tacoma area. Enrollment is now open!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Sponsored posts are always written based on text provided by our awesome clients. The opinions are always my own.  I’d love for you to tell our friends at Jack & Jill you saw them on Sounds Fun Mom!