Tips for Fun at the Lake
August 12, 2010 by screweduptexan
Filed under activities, feature, fun, mom
One of the best ways to beat the summer heat is to spend a day (or even a few hours) at one of our many local lakes in the DFW area with the kids and family or as a fun day out with friends. I have had the personal pleasure of visiting many of our lakes, and so far my favorites are Lewisville Lake at Lake Park and Grapevine Lake at Murrell Park just south of Flower Mound on the north shore of the lake.
During the summertime, I make it a special priority to get the kids out as much as I can so they can enjoy the water while it lasts. Murrell Park has become one of my personal favorites because of its easy access and free price tag. Although Murrell Park does not offer a playground like Lake Park does, it does offer quieter and more secluded surroundings as well as many hiking and biking trails in close proximity. Murrell park currently has tent and primitive camping, but is undergoing an expansion to increase camping facilities.
I’ve found the following tips helpful when planning a day out with young children:
1.) Wear sunscreen and bring extra, applying as directed. There is nothing worse than spending good quality time together just to be miserable afterward. Bring a hat and sunglasses for extra protection.
2.) Bring towels and wear old shoes you don’t mind wearing in the water and therefor getting wet.
3.) Bring a cooler with drinks, water, fruit, and premade sandwiches or other snacks to eat. Alcohol is prohibited at Lake Grapevine (check with other lakes on their rules).
4.) If you don’t mind carrying them, bring foldable lightweight chairs and a radio with batteries.
5.) Bring fun water toys such as pool noodles, water squirters, flotation devices.
6.) WEAR A LIFE JACKET! There are no lifeguards on duty and a drowning can happen in seconds!
7.) Don’t forget your fully charged camera!
You can also take these tips from my dog, Lily:
Websites for Moms in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
June 30, 2010 by Texasholly
Filed under cheap, free & easy, feature, mommy tech 101
One of the things I LOVE about being a mom in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is that there are tons of things happening. There are places to go and people to see. This is not limited to in real life (IRL) experiences . There is an ever-growing list of online resources for moms in North Texas. These are websites tailored for what moms want and need here in DFW.
Of course…
*drum roll*
*rim shot*
*deep announcer voice*
We will begin with BURB MOM!
really, what did ya expect?
What is inside: Burb Mom is a website that has new daily content for moms in the Dallas-Fort Worth ‘burbs. It is like that that girlfriend that everyone needs that knows stuff – you know the friend you call when you need an electrician, a hair dresser, or a night out. She may not know the answer to your question, but she will definitely have a contact name for you. She is also the kind of friend that totally understands being hung up in the middle of a conversation because a child in the background yelled, “Mom, I just pooped!”
Stuff I like: Beyond the daily informational stories about mommy stuff in DFW, there is silliness. Funny stories about moms and families that happened right here in North Texas. Burb Mom is a great way to connect with your Dallas-Fort Worth ‘burb on a mom’s schedule…2 minutes here, 7 minutes there…even at 1 am.
What is inside: Around Town Kids is a website with a calendar of activities for kids in Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Allen. There is also information about each city, resources for parents, coupons and a directory.
What I like: The calendar at Around Town Kids is super easy to use. Each city has it’s own calendar so the information isn’t overwhelming.
What is inside: Daily Candy Kids – Dallas is part of the Daily Candy family of websites/e-newsletters for 5 major world cities. The Daily Candy Kids – Dallas is updated weekly with something unique for kids.
What I like: I love Daily Candy and receive all the daily email articles for Dallas. The look of the website is great and there is always something funky and off the beaten track featured. It isn’t really for kids…it is for the moms.
What is inside: Dallas Child is a part of the family of websites that include Fort Worth Child, North Texas Child and DFW Everything Family. Each website features the latest Child magazine plus website-only stories.
What I like: I love the look of the Dallas Child website. I also like that the stories are written by experts right here in Dallas-Fort Worth.
What is inside: DFW Area Moms is a forum-based website. Members sign up to participate in discussions of just about anything related to mom, family, work and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Regular membership is free, but members may upgrade for $20 a year after a trial period.
What I like: I am a member of DFW Area Moms under the name Texasholly. I like that it is an active forum with quite a few members participating on a daily basis.
What is inside: Moms Like Me is a discussion site for moms. I first heard about it when vacationing in Colorado where they were doing a lot of TV and newspaper advertising. There have over 100 local sites within the US and one of them is here in DFW.
What I like: I am a member of Moms Like Me under the name Texasholly. I like how easy it is to navigate the site and find what discussions interest me.
What is inside: The Fort Worth Mommies website is part of the Mommies Network of 95 websites nationwide. The site has news and mom-related stories on the front page and a discussion community where members can participate.
What I like: I am a member of Fort Worth Mommies under the name Texasholly. The website is a non-profit organization “dedicated to helping parents find support and friendship in their local community”.
What is inside: Family eGuide is an extremely comprehensive calendar of family events for the North side of the DFW metroplex. At the website you can sign up for a weekly e-newsletter which is an organized overview of what is happening close to home.
What I like: I love the Family eGuide. So much so that we are coordinating some future content exchange with Family eGuide in the near future! YEAH. If you are not on their email list…go now and sign up!
What is inside: Go City Kids is part of Nickelodeon’s Parents Connect Network of almost 50 local websites. The website has information about local activities, events and a directory of services. There is also a parent discussion forum.
What I like: I am a member of the Parents Connect network under the name Texasholly. Besides the discussion groups, there is a lot of local information on this site about things happening in the metroplex.
What is inside: In the Loop has been in the loop via email for over a year. July 2009 they launched their first website. The website provides general information about all things Dallas Mommy plus upcoming events.
What I like: My favorite part of the newly constructed site was the series of recipes for kids by local chefs.
What is inside: The Lila Guide is part of The Bump network of 25+ local websites for parents across the country. There are local reviews, events, groups and online message board for parents.
What I like: I am a member of this message board under the name Texasholly. I like the modern, yet retro look of the website.
Mamasource – various DFW groups
What is inside: Mamasource is the ultimate mother forum. Moms sign up at the main website, enter their zip code and each morning they receive an email of 8 selected requests from the last 24 hours. Requests are questions from local moms. All you have to do is click on whatever request you want to answer and you are transported to the website where you can add your 2 cents. Mamasource is also behind the new website Mamapedia which will be compiling popular questions and answers into an encyclopedia-like format.
What I like: Mamasource is simple. I have been a member for over 2 years – under the name Holly H. in Flower Mound. It is so simple that I was interacting online with other local moms regularly on mamasource long before I started blogging. I have answered almost 200 questions. I love that there is tons of local interaction. It is part information and part soap opera.
What is inside: Metroplex Baby & Kids is a website for “MetroMoms”. It has a calendar, list of events, area directory, and a social network where moms can connect with each other and post to forums.
What I like: I am a “Metromom” under the name Texasholly. The network has current and frequent postings. I like that on member home pages they can display RSS feeds – this is one of the few local online networks that allow this.
What is inside: The Metroplex 4 Children website is a part of the Kirace.com family of websites. They have locations in several Texas and Wyoming cities.
Modern Babies and Children – DFW
What is inside: Modern Babies and Children is the website for the complimentary local magazine by the same name. Dallas-Fort Worth is one of 6 locations that currently has Modern Babies and Children websites/magazines. The magazine is published three times a year and can be read online. There are also resources, an event calendar and articles to read.
What I like: I like that the resource directory is broken down by child age and that grandparents are one of the targeted audiences of this site.
What is inside: Mom 2 Mom – DFW is a Fort Worth Star Telegram website for moms in the metroplex. There is new daily content from 11 featured bloggers that rotate days. Members of the Mom 2 Mom online network can also post blogs which can be featured as well.
What I like: I have been a member of Mom 2 Mom for almost 6 months. They have made some changes lately that make it much easier to navigate the network and post things easily. I am Texasholly there and write under the “June Cleaver Nirvana” blog. I really like that they allow full blog posts with links which is why I contribute to this site occasionally. I also appreciate that there is new content daily that is not dependent on a parent forum.
Moms Blog – Dallas Morning News
What is inside: Dallas Moms Blog is a feature of the Dallas Morning News website. It is updated on a daily basis and has information about Dallas specific to moms.
What I like: There are interesting and informative pieces about family life in Dallas written by local reporters.
What is inside: MeetUp is a website that connects online groups to in real life groups. You enter your location and a type of groups for which you are searching and a list appears in order of how close the group is to you. The screenshot above is Mom MeetUps near Flower Mound.
What I like: I love finding out how far away something is from me. I also am impressed with the variety of groups that are available. There is everything from exercise, playgroups, supper clubs, scrapbooking, etc….kickball for moms, anyone?
What is inside: Moms Outloud is a website and online network for moms in North Texas. Moms become members and create a profile that allows them to add reviews, post to forums and share information. Moms Outloud also has an extensive calendar of events for families in DFW that is featured monthly in North Texas Kids magazine.
What I like: I was one of Moms Outloud’s first members (under the name Texasholly). The site offers a lot of good information including area business reviews that isn’t available anywhere else. The calendar is very comprehensive. Moms Outloud often features DFW moms and their inspirational stories. Rebekah, the founder of Moms Outloud also writes at My Kind of Mom.
What is inside: North Texas Kids is the website for the North Texas Kids magazine. You can read the magazine online or view their calendar of things to do in North Texas. They also list summer camps in DFW. North Texas Kids also hosts periodic events for moms in the area.
What I like: You can sign up for a monthly newsletter which will give you the inside scoop for upcoming events and contests.
What is inside: Parent Zone is one of almost 75 local websites in cities across the United States. Dallas is one of their newest. Each site has a local tour guide who oversees the members who are invited to add listings and events. There is a calendar of event where all the added events are listed.
What I like: Parent Zone is easy to navigate and join. It appears to be a relatively new site (still listed as beta), yet has some information which is unique to its site. I am a member under the name Texasholly.
What is inside: Southlake Moms is an online forum for moms in the town of Southlake. Members post and answer questions related to family life in Southlake. There is a directory, calendar and classified area.
What I like: The website has a nice look. I am a member under the name Texasholly. I hope they don’t mind too much that I live 10 minutes out of Southlake…
What is inside: The Parent Hive is a website and online network for DFW parents. There are articles, events, a calendar, online groups and forums. The site is very new and still listed in beta form.
What I like: I am signed up as a member under the name Texasholly. I like that there are rewards for interaction in the social network that can be redeemed for prizes.
WHEW!
I think that is all of ‘em. If you know of a website specifically for moms in the DFW metroplex, please mention it in the comments below. I will check it out and add it.
Cheap fun in Lewisville
June 1, 2010 by Jamie
Filed under DFW North, To Do in DFW, feature
I’m a country girl. I grew up in a farm town, and I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a community pool. Well, I saw them on television, but they looked kind of gross and dirty. So, when a friend mentioned taking her kids to the Lewisville Pool I was a little shocked.
She’s a good friend though, so I decided to trust her. I loaded up my kid, and we headed to the Old Town Lewisville Pool. This park is so cheap, and you bring your own food, so you can get out of there for next to nothing. It has a water slide for the bigger kids, and there’s almost never a line so they can slide down it all day. Your little ones can play in the beach entry pool or in the fountains.
My daughter brings her tea party set and just sits on the side all day serving tea to her friends. (Don’t bring toys you don’t want to get lost though–I had a small altercation with a woman over an ice cream cone scoop last year.)
They have season passes if you’re into the swimming thing, and they are good at both Lewisville Pools for the year. That’s nice because the other, more expensive pool across town has a lot more for kids to do as a special treat, but we usually avoid that one because of the insane crowds.
If you are like me and looking for some cheap fun this summer I suggest you check out the Lewisville Pools. Here’s all the important information you need to know!
Remember, each pool is closed one day a week, so that means the other one will be way more crowded that day, so I usually avoid Wednesdays and Thursdays all together.
SUN VALLEY AQUATIC CENTER
801 S. Valley Parkway
click for map
972-219-3743
HOURS
- Sunday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Monday 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Tuesday 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday CLOSED
- Thursday 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Friday 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Lap swimming will be available on weekdays at
Sun Valley from 6:00 pm. to 7:00 p.m.
ADMISSION
- Sun Valley Admission Cost $5.00
- Resident Admission Cost* $4.00
- Twilight Admission Cost $3.00
- (Monday – Friday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
- Under 3 Free
OLD TOWN AQUATIC PARK
535 W. College Street
972-219-3744
HOURS
- Sunday 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Monday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Thursday CLOSED
- Friday 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
ADMISSION
- Old Town Admission Cost $3.00
- Resident Admission Cost* $2.00
- Twilight Admission Cost $2.00
- (Monday – Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.)
- Under 3 Free
SEASON PASS
- Individual Season Pass $65.00
- Individual Resident Season Pass* $50.00
- Resident Family Pass** $175.00
Season passes are good at either facility for the entire swim season.
*Proof of residency is required for discount.
**Up to 6 family members.
Jamie Harrington is an aspiring author that spends her days frantically writing about super heroes and band geeks. She’s married to a pretty cool guy, and has a beautiful three year old daughter that’s the topic of most of her blog posts at Totally the Bomb.com. You can also find her mindlessly chatting away all day on twitter.
Art Lab at Irving Arts Center
May 23, 2010 by Happy Campers
Filed under To Do in DFW
A few Sundays ago, the Irving Arts Center hosted an Art Lab for children & young adults.
Jessie & I took Reese to see what exactly an “Art Lab” was, and what a neat surprise!
The Arts Center had a large room set aside for the children, & our guide gave us a short introduction to the artist on display in the Museum, Arie Van Selm.
He uses stencils to create his very large paintings, so our guide showed us how to use the stencils & sponges to create our own works of art. Van Selm uses lots of head, bird, & “blob” shaped stencils, and so did we!
Jessie’s Favorite Painting
Reese’s Favorite Painting
My Favorite Painting
Heather writes of daily life with a homeschooler at Reese’s View of the World.
Hiking At LLELA…And A Poop Story…
March 18, 2010 by Happy Campers
Filed under To Do in DFW, feature
Gotta have a good walking stick!
OK, so behind this picture is a really nasty story.
But you don’t really want to know, right?It’s seriously gross.
OK, well…
We kept finding these great owl pellets along the path.
What is an owl pellet you ask?
Owls swallow their food but cannot process the fur & bones,
So they “vomit” these leftovers formed into tight pellets.
Science supply companies sell owl pellets, and as a middle school student I got to pick an owl pellet apart. Inside are tons of bones, teeth, a skull or two. It truly is fascinating stuff to see what the owl ate!
So imagine my excitement when WE found owl pellets on our hike!
I began picking at them with two sticks…
but that was hard to pick out the bones to show the kids.
Besides, what’s a little regurgitated fur & bones on your fingers before your picnic, right?
So I started picking through them with my bare fingers.
We had antibacterial wipes. We had antibac gel.
I figured I’d be clean enough to eat later.
There were certainly neat things in the owl pellets.
We found part of a skull, perhaps a mouse? It had a row of tiny teeth along the jaw.
Really neat!
We also found front teeth that maybe belonged to a rat…
some vertebrae…
I had some extra ziplock baggies with us, so I started putting the owl pellets into the bag for us to take home and pull apart more.
I could not get over how many owl pellets we were finding!
When we got home, I emailed the educational director of our hike location to ask about what kinds of owls live in the area we were hiking.
The email I got back turned my stomach.
Apparently, while there are owls around the area, what I was digging through…
with my bare fingers, right before I ate lunch…
was
COYOTE SCAT!!!!!!!!
Yes, dear friends,
Yours truly was digging into coyote crap. And I carried a bag of coyote crap home, and I split said bag of coyote crap with our friends to take home!
Owl pellets really ARE cool,
Coyote scat looks a LOT like owl pellets and are certainly
NOT COOL.
Moving on….
There were tons of footprints along the path…
A raccoon (below), deer, coyote (duh), dogs….
There were also little bones scattered here & there,
Which I did not have to dig through feces to find…
Ribs…
Our keen-eyed buddy, ER, even found some beaver teeth!
About 2/3 through our hike, we stopped by the creek for lunch….
It was a spectacular day….Lego Mania!
February 24, 2010 by BlessedinTexas
Filed under To Do in DFW, feature
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.
Remember Shrinky Dinks?
February 12, 2010 by BlessedinTexas
Filed under cheap, free & easy, feature
Do you remember Shrinky Dinks? I loved those things back in the 70′s. You color this special paper, put them in the over and they shrink up and harden into bright little plastic figures. It was so much fun. Well, when I ran across them at Teacher’s Tools in Lewisville I just had to get some for Nicholas to try. Ok, I confess, I really just wanted them for myself but I did pick out the robot/alien Shrinky Dinks with Nicholas in mind!
Nicholas isn’t always excited about craft projects but the thought of this project shrinking made it irresistible. He couldn’t wait to tear into the package. The package came with about 20 pre-drawn and pre-cut images ready for coloring. Nicholas, Stuart, and I all had fun coloring a few of them.
We put them in a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and put them in the oven on a low temperature.
In just a matter of minutes they started to curl up and shrink. It was fun to watch!
When they are almost done they flatten back down. The final product are little miniatures of our original art work. They are hard and the colors are much brighter than when we originally colored them. It’s just amazing how these things work. The kit we bought has some key chains, magnets, and stands to give you options on what to do with your shrunken dinks.
Lunar Mini Golf
January 26, 2010 by BlessedinTexas
Filed under To Do in DFW, activities, feature
We had a blast today at a friend’s birthday party. It was held at Lunar Mini Golf inside Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville. In case you don’t know what in the world that is, think of Putt-Putt golf, indoors, lit only with black lights, and lots of neon paint and golf balls in the room. It was fun although quite challenging, I dare say impossible, to get a good picture capturing the mood without destroying it by using a flash (although I’m sure Stuart could prove me wrong!)
Here’s my lame attempt. Slow shutter speed to let in more light which wasn’t fast enough to capture the moving 5 year old in the middle of the picture
. 
What? You can’t see him? He must have turned invisible. No, there he is. Look closely at the blacklight illuminating his white shoes and his glow in the dark bracelet. We had a great time and I’m sure we’ll go back!
Bowling 101
January 12, 2010 by BlessedinTexas
Filed under To Do in DFW, activities, feature
Nicholas went to a friend’s birthday party at Main Event in Lewisville and he tried bowling for the first time. He got some pointers from Daddy. The lanes had the bumpers up to keep the kid’s balls from going straight into the gutter. I don’t think anyone kept score. It was just a lot of fun!
After bowling, the kids enjoyed Spider-man cupcakes and some video games.
Finally, an oil change that didn’t leave me frustrated!
December 27, 2009 by Happy Campers
Filed under cheap, free & easy, feature
I loathe getting my oil changed. It never fails that the shop always tries to up-sell me on something.
You should get the synthetic-super-duper oil change that only costs 10 times more.
You need to have ten filters changed and also let us rotate your tires!
You ought to flush your whoosie-whatsit and hey, we can do that for you!
I ask that Hubby keep the phone nearby so I can call him when the inevitable question is asked. Honey, what is my whoosie-whatsit and do I need it flushed?
So imagine my utter delight when I went to get my oil changed this week & it was actually a good experience! I went to Meineke Car Care Center/Econo Lube in Lewisville & was so pleased with their service I actually called the manager when I left & spoke with him to let him know how much I appreciated their customer service!
I called ahead of time and they suggested I come around 3:00 on a Saturday…the gentleman on the phone said that is their least busy time of the weekend (they are closed Sundays).
I arrived and brought my book. Oil changes are never fast, you know!
I presented my coupon that came in the mail, making my basic oil change $14.95. I noticed on the mailer that they also accept competitor’s coupons. I sat down in the chair and started to read.
And I kid you not, 10 minutes later the service man called my name. OK, here we go. What are you going to suggest I spend more money on?
Well, he was handing me my keys because they were done.
Not ONE offer to upgrade something with my service. Amazing!
Like I said, as I drove away I called the manager. Folks are quick to call and complain when there is a problem, but few call with kudos for a job well done. I wanted to make sure he knew that, as a woman who is clueless about car care, I really appreciated his staff not trying to sell me more than I asked for.
The details:
Meineke Car Car Center/Econo Lube
1550 W. Main St, Lewisville (next to Boston Market & KFC)
(972) 221-1689
Hours: Monday-Saturday 7:30am-6:00pm; closed Sunday
And don’t forget…they accept competitor’s coupons!
This is just one woman’s opinion, but I will definitely go back when I need my oil changed again!
