Weekend Family Fun!

You don’t have to spend much money this weekend to have some family fun.

• Let their creative juices flow at Lakeshore Learning’s FREE craft on Saturday. Drop by their East Cobb location between 11am-3pm to make a Honeybee Hive.
• Barnes & Noble at Town Center Prado has their storytime at 11am on Saturday. Grab a Starbucks for yourself, sit back along with your kiddos and enjoy finding out what happens when Itsy Mitsy tries to run away!
• Get your work boots on and head to Lowe’s for their Build and Grow Kid Clinic on Saturday at 10am. Kids will have fun building and decorating their own school locker. Each participant receives a free apron, goggles, a project themed patch, and a certification of merit along with their project. Although not required, it is best to make reservations online!
• Princesses (age 3 +) will be jumping for joy if you take them to the Disney Store at Town Center Mall on Saturday for their “The Story Begins with You” craft event on Saturday. Two 30 minute sessions are offered - stop by at 10:30am or 1pm dressed up as a princess for their enchanting crafts. If your princess is anything like mine, she will love any excuse to be in costume!
• Beyond Cobb, Centennial Olympic Park has their Fourth Saturday Family Fun Day from 12pm-4pm on…Saturday! The event is full of interactive, entertaining and educational activities for children based on this month’s theme “Games & Gadgets”. Activities include educational programming, specialty workshops, touring shows, street performers, family-friendly performances, children’s crafts, life-size chess games, appearances by on-air personalities, local sports mascots, contests, prizes and more. Oh, and don’t forget bathing suits and a towel so you can splash in the Fountain of Rings!
• If you want to get away from the city, scoot north on I-75 to Red Top Mountain. Pack a picnic, hike around a bit, then stop by the Visitor Center at 3pm for a special program about “Snaaaaaakes”. Everyone will get to touch a few of Georgia’s non-venomous snakes…if you want! Program is free but you’ll have to $5 for parking.
• Our pick for family flicks this weekend is the Coca Cola Film Festival at the Fabulous Fox Theater. On Saturday, catch Mr. Popper’s Penguins at 2pm & on Sunday, Cars 2 is showing also at 2pm. Be on time so you and yours can sing-a-long with “Mighty Mo” and watch a classic cartoon before the movie! Tickets are $8 each at the box office or online but B98.5 has a “Buy One Get One FREE” ticket deal! To take advantage of it, click here!
• Do a good deed on Sunday, eat ice cream! The 7th Annual Miss Mary’s Ice Cream Crankin’ is happening on the Roswell Square from 2pm-4pm. For $5 per person or $15 per family, you can eat all the ice cream you want and you will help raise money for The Drake House, a crisis center for women and children. There will be entertainment, children’s activities, contests, and loads of hand cranked ice cream!

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Reasons We Are Happy July is Here!

1. Chick-fil-A Dwarf House in Woodstock has "Back Stage Tours" during July! Sign up for a special behind the scenes tour: grill area, kitchen area, back of the house prepping areas and our dishroom. Make sure you wear flat, closed toed shoes during the tour! Monday/Wed 2:30-4:30 & Tuesday/Thursday 9:30-11:30. Tours last about 30 minutes, are FREE but please register online since space is limited. (9728 Highway 92, Woodstock)  More info and to register, click here! PS- if you don't already know (it's been hard to miss) that July 8th is Cow Appreciation Day...click here and you'll find out what you have to do to get free food!

2. It's National Ice Cream Month! In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation that July would be "National Ice Cream Month" and the third Sunday of the month (July 17th) as "National Ice Cream Day". He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by a full 90% of the nation's population. In the proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities." - that means GO EAT SOME ICE CREAM! Try making your own with this fun "Ice-Cream-in-a-Bag" recipe!

3. Flying Colors Butterfly Festival at Chattahoochee Nature Center on the weekend of July 16th! Fun-filled weekend all about butterflies. Activities for all-ages including a butterfly/caterpillar costume parade, butterfly releases, crafts, face painting, vendor, exhibitors and more!

4. Blueberry season! Take the kids blueberry picking so they can see where blueberries really come from! Berry Patch Farms in Woodstock is open for picking but call for picking conditions. They never use pesticides so you can pop a few in your mouth while you pick. You can also join them on Facebook to get farm updates, click here! Find other "pick-your-own" farms, click here!

5. The Wiggles "Big Birthday" Concert is in town July 12th at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Shows are at 2:30 & 6:30. Tickets range from $15.50-$75.50. Wiggles Fans will also enjoy Georgia Aquarium's "The Wiggles & Friends Day" on July 8th from 10am-4pm. Guests will have an opportunity to take their photo with Henry the Octopus, and the day will include activity sheets, crafts and giveaways (including concert tickets!)! Learn more about this event, click here!