The Making of a CarBot

Every other Saturday from 10:00 – 11:00 am, Lowe’s offers a Build and Grow clinic for kids. They provide safety goggles, a work apron to keep, a wooden kit to build complete with instructions and all of the nails and stickers needed, and the tools needed. This morning Stuart and Nicholas headed off to Lowe’s to build a CarBot. It’s a car! It’s a robot! It’s both!

First you get your safety gear and kit. Open up the kit, separate all of the pieces, take a look at the directions, and start building.

Hammering the fender…

Nicholas loves any excuse to wear safety goggles. I just wonder if they clean those goggles between classes?

Nicholas did a great job on this project. He did almost all of the hammering except for two parts that were a bit challenging to do so Daddy helped with those.

Time to add the finishing touch…stickers!

The CarBot is a #48 Lowe’s sponsored race car that turns into a robot called the Lowebot (a construction robot). Once Nicholas finished his CarBot, he got a badge to put on his apron. It’s a shame that it needs to be sewn on. I have a sewing machine but I don’t know the first thing about how to use it and no, I don’t really know how to sew by hand either. Sad, isn’t it? Fortunately, our neighbor and her daughter like to sew

Build and Grow clinics – What a great way to teach a child building skills while they make a fun toy for themselves. Plus it’s a great way to spend time with Dad. Stuart enjoys building things so I know he really enjoys this kind of bonding time with Nicholas. And best of all, it’s FREE!  We’ve already got the next two Build and Grow clinics on our calendar…

March 13th – Tabletop Basketball Goal
March 27th – Kaleidoscope

Lego Mania!

The Lewisville library has a special event for little builders.  It’s called Lego Mania!  We recently stopped by to check it out. We were a little late so everyone was already absorbed in their creations but Nicholas quickly found the table with the cool Star Wars Lego pieces and went to work building.

It was neat watching the boys at the table. None of the boys seem to know each other and they were each building their own ships yet for the most part they would help each other find particular pieces that each other needed. It was a great experience in teamwork.

Lego Mania! is held on the fourth Sunday of each month at 2:00.  There are tons of Legos as well as Duplo blocks from younger children.  And best of all – it’s FREE!  The Lewisville Library is located at 1197 West Main in Lewisville and their phone number is 972-219-3570.

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme has the best donuts in the world. They melt in your mouth and have the sweetest taste around.  Of course, everything tastes better when you get to watch it being made.

We watched the batter being loaded into a hopper then squirted into the hot oil. It runs on a conveyor belt to the flipper which flips the donuts to the other side for even browning.

Then comes the best part…the glazing. The donuts go under a waterfall of glaze and continue down the conveyor to the cooling and boxing area.

Nicholas got into this crazy pose with this silly grin. We asked him what he was doing. He said that he was a statue pointing the way to the counter where people place their orders. Such a helpful little guy! I can’t believe Krispy Kreme didn’t hire his services on the spot.

Then it was time to place our order and bite into those awesome donuts that just melt in your mouth! Nicholas put on his Krispy Kreme hat and said, “Chow down!” He ate his donut then washed it down with some chocolate milk. Yum!

Fun New Year’s Eve Customizable Printables – free offer!

Whether you are planning a NYE party or a quiet evening with your family at home (did I just imply that I could achieve a quiet evening at home?), this is something you might want to check out.

They are holiday printables - games and activities – that can be customized and printed at home.

There are a bunch of New Year’s Eve sheets that can be printed at the last minute (not that I would ever need that) in any number that you desire.

A to Z has a special deal for Burb Mom readers – they are offering the first 10 who mention Burb Mom and respond via phone to their customer service line (888-722-0306) a free game of their choice from any of the A to Z sites.

Thanks A to Z!

Rachel Loves Freecycle

I love Freecycle. It’s an email list where people can post stuff they want to get rid of and other people can take it off their hands for free. Free stuff gets passed around to others who can use it and none of it ends up taking up space in a landfill. What a great idea!

This afternoon I picked up this great little pink push car for Rachel from a nice lady down the street who posted it on Freecycle. We probably wouldn’t have spent the money to buy her something like this since she will soon be inheriting Nicholas’ tricycle which has a push bar for the child to be pushed around before they can pedal. But this little push car is really perfect for her right now and will make for a nice transition into the tricycle later. Rachel had her first ride in it today when we picked Nicholas up from school.

Nicholas had fun pushing Rachel down the street.

Rachel is just learning how to walk so we don’t bother with shoes for her because we want her to feel what her feet and toes are doing when she stands. However, she also likes to let her feet drop off of the push car as we are going down the road. Each time I saw her do this I would stop the car and put her feet back on the foot rest. But apparently it happened more than I realized. When we got home today from picking Nicholas up at school, I noticed that there was a hole in her sock and her little foot was bleeding!

She never seemed bothered by it and was laughing the whole trip to school and back. I feel terrible about her toe but I know I stopped and picked her feet back up a squillion times during the trip so I don’t understand how it happened. Fortunately we have some like-new pink and white tennis shoes (also acquired from Freecycle) so now she will have to wear those anytime she rides in the push car.

Win Sky Box Tickets to Honor Society Concert on Chevrolet Main Stage

Whoo hoo…this is super fun!

Due to the generosity of Chevy we have another giveaway….and it is awesome.

We are giving away 2 VIP packages of 4 tickets each to the Honor Society Concert on the Chevrolet Stage at the State Fair of Texas.

What is in this VIP package?

Hey, thanks for asking!  Here are the details:

• FREE Admission to the State Fair of Texas anytime on October 12 which is the Columbus Day holiday for 4 people
• FREE Parking all day
• Credentials for sky box seating for the Honor Society Concert for 4 people
• Meet at Chevy Test Track Tent for VIP backpack with special goodies

Here is the concert information:

Honor Society is playing on the Chevrolet Main Stage at The State Fair of Texas at 5:30 pm on October 12.

To enter, please leave a comment below .

We will be closing this contest on Tuesday October 6 at 9 pm to give Chevy time to get The State Fair parking passes & admission tickets to the winners which we will notify by email to receive their mailing address.

Cool, huh?

UPDATE: We have chosen our winners via random number generator and they have been notified.  Watch Twitter to follow the fun during the concert!

Free Events for Moms – Southlake & Grapevine

Playin’ Around Town is hosting the following FREE events for moms/dads and kids:

Wednesday, September 23 – 9:00 to 11:00 am at The Choo Choo Station in Grapevine Mills

Join the fun at The Choo Choo Station.  There are trains, trains and more trains.  A special toddler area makes this outing a good one even for the littlest family members.

Wednesday, October 7 – 10:00 to 12:00 at Indoor Safari Park in Southlake

Meet other moms and let the kids play at Indoor Safari Park in Southlake.  There is a train, bounce house, mini-golf, ball pit, play tables and much more at this unique location.

Admission is free, but is limited.

Sign-up today to reserve your family’s space!  As with All Playin’ Around Town family events, you need to be a Playin’ Around Town Member.

But that is easy…and FREE.

Just click here to go to the Playin’ Around Town website and sign up

After you sign up, you will need to RSVP for the event.

See you there!

Family Activities and Things to Do in North Texas

Oh, the places we go!

Here at Burb Mom we wanted to make it easier to find all of our mom-written DFW adventures so we started this link list.  These are links to stories we have written about family activities in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond.  We were a little shocked that the list has over 70 articles.

Get the inside scoop, told by real Moms, so you can load up the kids in the minivan and have a fantastic adventure of your own…

Argyle Activities:

• Wazoos

Arlington Activities:

• Creative Arts Theatre & School

• River Legacy Science Center and Park

Bartonville Activities:

• Farmer’s Market

Copper Canyon Activities:

• Elm Fork Trail – Old Alton

Cypress Valley Activities:

• Canopy Tours

Dallas Activities:

• American Railroad Museum at Fair Park
• Dallas Arboretum and HERE and HERE and HERE

• Dallas Museum of Art
• Dallas World Aquarium
• Dallas Zoo and HERE
• Frontiers of Flight Museum

• Medieval Times
• Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park
• Thanksgiving Square

• The 6th Floor Museum
• Trains at NorthPark (Holiday Only)
• Trinity Railway Express

Denton Activities:

• North Texas State Fair and Rodeo and HERE
• South Lakes Park and Eureka Playground

North Denton Activities:

• Sharkarosa

Flower Mound Activities:

• Boomerangs
• Gaston Park
• Great Harvest Bread Company
• Latte Da Dairy
• Marcus High School Choir Annual Madrigal Dinner
• The Flower Mound Library and Here
• Wilkerson Park

Fort Worth Activities:

• Bureau of Engraving and Printing

• Eagle Mountain Lake
• Forest Park Miniature Railroad
• Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and Here

• Log Cabin Village

• Texas Motor Speedway

Frisco Activities:

• Book Club at Pottery Barn Kids
• IKEA
• Lego Store at Stonebriar
• The Mosaic Art Factory
• Stonebriar Centre Carousel

Gainesville Activities:

• Frank Buck Zoo

Glen Rose Activities:

• The Safari Park

Granbury Activities:

• Fall Creek Farms
• Fossil Rim

Grapevine Activities:

• Build-a-Bear
• Main Street Days

• The Gaylord Texan

Highland Village Activities:

• Kid’s Kastle at Unity Park

• WinKids

Irving Activities:

• Art Lab at Irving Arts Center
• The Planetarium at UTA

Keller Activities:

• Bear Creek Park

Lewisville Activities:

• Actors Conservatory Theatre and HERE
• Central Park

• Fishing at Lake Lewisville
• Going Bonkers
• Lewisville Farmer’s Market
• Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Center

• LISDOLA–Lewisville ISD Outdoor Learning Area
• LL Woods Park
• Old Town Waterpark

Mesquite Activities:

• Kids Quest Playground

Roanoke Activities:

• Henrietta Creek Orchard
• Roanoke Community Pool

South Lake Activities:

• Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve

The Colony Activities:

• Hawaiian Falls

Waxahachie Activities:

• Scarborough Faire Renaissance Festival

Events this Week – August 9 to 15

Here are some of the really fun things we found on the Family eGuide calendar for families in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex:

When you click on the event links below they will take you to Family eGuide’s information about the event – while you are there be sure to sign up for the weekly e-newsletter and check out the other fun things on the calendar.

Week of August 9 through August 15 – Events and Activities for DFW moms, dads & kids!

Sunday – Wizard of Oz at Studio B in Highland Village – 2:30 pm

Monday – Summer Movies at Studio Movie Grill: Price of Egypt – 11:00 am

Tuesday –Free Ringling Bros. Party – Ft. Worth – 7:00 pm

Wednesday – Callie’s Kids – Feeding Nature (free kids clinics at Calloway’s) – 9:30 am

Thursday – “How to Raise A Money- Smart Child” – 6:30 pm*

*Check out Burb Mom’s take on teaching kids about money

Friday - Highland Village Balloon Festival – 5:00 pm

Saturday – The Knack Free Family Event: Summer Fun Tote Bags – 10:00 am

Events this Week – August 2 to 8

Here are some of the really fun things we found on the Family eGuide calendar for families in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex:

When you click on the event links below they will take you to Family eGuide’s information about the event – while you are there be sure to sign up for the weekly e-newsletter and check out the other fun things on the calendar.

Week of August 2 through August 8 – Events and Activities for DFW moms, dads & kids!

Sunday – Wizard of Oz at Studio B in Highland Village – 2:30 pm

Monday – Fun and Games at the Coppell Library – 3:00 pm

Tuesday –FREE concert at The Shops of Highland Village – 6:00 pm

Wednesday – Fish Feeding Frenzy at Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine – 12:30 pm

Thursday – Summerfest at the Gaylord Texan – 5:00 pm*

*Check out Burb Mom’s take on Summerfest at the Gaylord Texan

Friday - Movies at the Park – Coppell - E.T. – 8:00 pm

Saturday – Wee Boogie End of Summer Bash – 4:00 pm

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