Summer = Baseball

When I think of summer, I think of hot dogs, lemonade, fireworks, swimming and baseball. Ok - maybe baseball doesn't immediately come to mind, but if you have boys it's definitely top of the list. Since I am such a fan of freebies, here is a list of the promotions/freebies on game days.

Days to note:

Monday nights are Value Menu nights where items like hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, cracker jacks and pretzels will only cost $1.

Tuesday nights are Blue Jay Tuesdays. Wear 51s gear, Blue Jays gear or hockey jerseys and get your ticket for $5

Firework nights - July 2, July 3, August 1, August 14, August 28, August 29

Tickets range from $9-$14. Go to ticketmaster to get tickets ahead of time. If you are interested in group rates, you will want to check them out here. There is a separate number to call for those.

Tourist-ey Frebbies

There are so many things I can post about things to do in Las Vegas. Being the wife of a concierge has allowed our family to see and do SO much in this town. I thought about doing a post about the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, or the Secret Garden at the Mirage, or the Adventuredome at Circus Circus, since these are the places we usually hit with family in town. However, unless you have a hubby with an employee badge they can be kind of pricey.

So, the wheels started turning about what great things you can do with the kids without spending any money. Here it goes... we are starting at the south-end of the strip and working our way down:

MGM

*Lion Habitat (Jarrett is obsessed with these guys, we have to stop in pretty frequently). They are at the MGM everyday (except Tuesdays) from 11am - 7pm

Bellagio

*Botanical Gardens - Gorgeous - open 24/7

*Dancing Fountains - if you haven't taken the kids to see this you all are missing out. The fountains are amazing. You can see them come to life Mon-Fri. 3 pm - 8pm every 30 min, then from 8-12 midnight, every 15 minutes. On Sat & Sunday the shows start at noon.

Rio

*Masquerade in the Sky - catch some beads and be amazed at the floating parade above. Parade happens at the top of every hour from 7-midnight Thursday-Sunday

(just checked out the website - seems it may be more risque than before - may not be ok for kids anymore)

Flamingo

*Wildlife Habitat - Wanna see some actual flamingos? turtles? ducks? swans? This is the place.

Caesars Palace

*Forum Shops - Remember those Roman statues that come to life? Pretty neat.

Mirage

*Volcano - just got a new makeover & it is spectacular! Erupts every day at the top of the hour from 5pm-11pm.

*Aquarium - while you are there, you may want to peek at the huge fish tank behind the front desk & the atrium is a little indoor rain forest - also lovely.

Treasure Island

*Siren's Cove - ok- not appropriate for the kids anymore, but free date night, maybe? Shows nightly at 7pm, 8:30pm, 10pm, and 11:30pm

Downtown Las Vegas

*Fremont Street Experience - This brings back fond memories of my high school days. Great light show every hour from 8pm - midnight.

Bonnie Springs/Old Nevada

Take a little drive west and you may find yourself looking at signs to Bonnie Springs. We like this little place since it is usually a few degrees cooler than in the valley. Plus, they offer a full day of fun for the whole family (sheesh that sounds like a commercial). Here are some stats...

Cost - $20 per car (so carpool to save $$)

Hours - Wednesday to Sunday, 10:30am-6pm

The admission price also includes entrance to the petting zoo which has to be the best part about the Ranch.

Bonnie Springs Old Nevada

1 Gunfighter Lane

Blue Diamond, Nevada 89004

Tip: if you happen to go on the weekend, you may also get to take a train ride and help track down a bad guy...

For even more fun, why not take the kids (over 6 yrs old) horseback riding. This, of course, will cost a bit extra, but is well worth it for some great summer memories.

Get Hooked on Dad

Just in time for Father's Day.... Michael's is also having a free* craft day. On June 14, bring your kids by from 1-3pm to make a t-shirt just for Dad.

Use your child's hand to make a special T-shirt for dad to wear. Just purchase the *T-shirt of your choice and decorate it for free using our paint supplies!
(I think I really like the idea of having them deal with the mess too)

Looking for more hand-made gift ideas for Dad? Here is a great list to get your ideas flowing.

This Week at Lakeshore

There is nothing better than handmade gifts for Dad on Father's Day. This Saturday's free craft is a "tie" for Dad. Stop by between 11am and 3pm to make sure the Dad in your house gets a fantastic handmade creation. Looks like fun!!

For some reason, the picture won't load, so you can click here to see what is can look like (imagine it with your child's own creative genius). Also, find a Lakeshore Learning Center near you.

Free Smoothie!

FREE SMOOTHIE!!!

June 19, 2009 is National Flip Flop Day at Tropical Smoothie. Show up to one of their locations and receive a FREE 24 oz Jetty Punch Smoothie! By supporting Tropical Smoothie on this day, you are also supporting a partnering charity, Camp Sunshine. There is a great video at this link that explains what a great cause this is - don't forget your tissues.

Want another freebie? Register for Tropical Smoothie's birthday club and get a free smoothie on your special day!!

The Gun Store

My husband, the concierge guru, insists that I post for any and all interests. So, here's one you may not have thought abut adding to your summer calendar. The Gun Store offers these free classes:

Firearms Safety

1st and 3rd Friday of each month 9-11am FREE

"Eddie Eagle" - Children's Gun Safety

For ages 5-11 yrs old - 2nd Friday of each month, 4-5pm FREE

They also have other classes for minimal fees: Concealed Firearms Permit, Ladies Self-Defense, Taser Operation, or Pepper Spray Training, and more. Check out their website for more information.

Splash Pads Open

OK - This post is a bit late, but Memorial Day marked the opening of the parks in the area with water features. I thought I would make the search easy for you by linking each park to it's mapped location. Hope this helps & don't forget your sunscreen!!!

Boulder City:
Veteran's Memorial Park - 1650 Buchanan Blvd (I hear this park is fantastic)

Henderson:
Acacia Park - 50 Casa Del Fuego, 89012
Esselmont Park - 2725 Anthem Highlands Drive, 89044
Hayley Hendricks Park - 811 Ithaca Ave, 89015
Mission Hills Park - 551 E Mission Drive, 89002
Paseo Vista Park - 2505 Paseo Verde Pkwy, 89074
Saguaro Park - 600 Pounds Way, 89015

Las Vegas:
All-American - 1551 S Buffalo Dr, 89117
Angel - 241 S Durango Dr, 89145
Bob Baskin - 2801 Oakey Blvd, 89102
Bruce Trent - 8851 Vegas Dr, 89128
Centennial Hills - 7101 N Buffalo Dr, 89131
Gilcrease Brothers - 10011 Gilcrease Ave, 89149
Justice Myron E Leavitt Family - 2100 E St Louis Ave, 89104
Polly Gonzalez Memorial - 5425 Corbett St, 89130
Rainbow Family - 7151 W Oakey Blvd, 89117
Sunny Springs - 7620 Golden Talon Ave, 89131
Winding Trails - 7250 N Ft. Apache, 89149
Woofter Family - 1600 Rock Springs Dr, 89128

Clark County Parks:
Alexander Villas Park - 3620 Lincoln Road, 89115
Duck Creek Park - 8650 Pollock Dr, 89123 (not in the best shape now)
Meyer Park & Center - 4525 New Forest Dr, 89147
Molasky Family Park - 1065 E Twain, 89169
Mountain Crest Park & Center - 4701 N Durango, 89129
Nicholas E. Flores Jr. Park - 4133 Allen Lan, 89032
Joe Shoong Park - 1503 Wesley St, 89104
Somerset Hills Park - 10717 Valencia Hills, 89141
Spring Valley Park - 7600 W Flamingo, 89147
Winchester Park - 3130 S McLeod, 89121

(If you know of any others, leave a comment and I will add them - thanks)

Movies in the Square

OK - I promise this will be the last post about movies... maybe.

Town Square on Las Vegas Blvd has "Movies in the Square" on the first and third Thursdays of the month beginning at sundown. There is really no other information about where it is located, but here is the list of movies:

June 18 - Jumanji (PG)

July 2 - E.T. (PG)

July 16 - The Goonies (PG)

August 6 - Shrek the 3rd (PG)

August 20 - Toy Story 2 (G)

September 3 - High School Musical 2 (NR)

September 17 - Hook (PG)

Rave FREE Movies

As if we don't have enough FREE movies this summer! The Rave Theatre is also participating in a Free Family Film Festival for 8 weeks this summer. If you have ever been to this theatre, you will know that it is AMAZING - so comfy! The movies start at 10am, but you will want to arrive early to get a seat - it is first come, first serve. Also, the theatre offers a $1 off movie lunch special. I'm not exactly sure what is included in that, but I love coupons so there ya go.

The Rave Theatre is located at Town Square (click link for map). If you want to make a fun afternoon, there is a splash pad and huge tree house/play ground in the middle of the area.

June 9 & 10 - Kung Fu Panda PG
June 16 & 17 - Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa PG
June 23 & 24 - Surf's Up PG
June 30 & July 1 - The Tale of Despereaux G
July 7 & 8 - Horton Hears A Who! G
July 14 & 15 - Space Chimps G
July 21 & 22 - Igor PG
July 28 & 29 - Shrek the Third PG

National Parks

In an effort to get more patrons out to the National Parks, this summer they are offering Fee-Free weekends! If you are thinking of a road trip this summer, try these dates on or size:

June 20-21, 2009 (Father’s Day weekend)
July 18-19, 2009
August 15-16, 2009

Some great spots in our neighborhood (some a bit farther than our own backyard):

Death Valley - 115 miles

Lake Mead - 14 miles

Bryce Canyon - 197 miles - gorgeous

Zion - 140 miles

Grand Canyon - 165 miles

Great Basin - 211 miles

Parks and Recreation

I LOVE that the cities have such great parks and recreation departments. These are quick links to the summer editions of the parks and rec brochures. Look closely as there are usually LOTS of free classes and/or events:

City of Henderson

City of Las Vegas

City of North Las Vegas

Clark County

Boulder City

Wetlands

I am attributing this post to my friend Julie who told me about this place - sadly, we haven't been.... yet!

The Wetlands Park is located at Tropicana & Broadbent (right by the Silver Bowl).

OK - this is Julie's idea too, but I loooveeedd it! Get a playgroup together and have a scavenger hunt! Make a quick list of items like: rock shaped like heart, barrel cactus, quail, butterfly - you get the idea. Give each group a digital camera to take a quick snapshot of the things they find. Guess what?? After a few trips, you can get pretty specific about the types of cactus they have to find or species of birds... again that sneaky education ;-)

During the summer, I am thinking the best time to go would be early in the morning before it gets too hot. The information center is open from 9am to 3pm.

HAVE FUN EXPLORING!

Fourth Saturday Fun

From the National Wildlife Federation: June 27th is the Great American Campout! Let's get the kids outside for some good ol' fashioned s'mores and sleeping bags. Register your "campsite" (aka the backyard) here. Got a big backyard? How about getting a few families together for extra fun.

(I am just excited to camp so close to my potty!)
Need some ideas for getting started? The GAC has some great links for ideas on how to get your campsite ready for a successful nigh under the stars.

Outdoor Fun

Do you have kids that love to be outdoors? Love to hike and explore nature? How about earning a reward for doing it?!

REI has a "Passport to Adventure". Download it here, or pick one up at the REI store. After 5 adventures, return your passport to the REI store to receive a FREE gift!! Sounds super fun! They have even linked to some great trails in our area that can be used for this activity. So, if you are planning a trip to Red Rock or the Springs Preserve, bring along your passport for some extra fun!

**Don't forget your sunscreen**

Check out these other posts for more outdoor ideas.

H.D.O.S.

FREE!!!
Hot Dog On a Stick Free Hot Dog Day
6-15-2009
Hot Dog On a Stick, America's favorite producer of sizzling hot dogs served on a stick and fresh lemonade- is hosting FREE Hot Dog Day on Monday, June 15 from 5-8pm. (limit one per person) Come on out and get your Free hot dog!!!

FREE Root Beer Floats

Did you see the commercial for Sonic yesterday. I'm sure it has been on for a while, but I just saw it last night... Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 3, from 8-midnight, Sonic is giving away FREE Root Beer floats!!! I checked it out on-line and sure enough!! Check this link for more details & to find a Sonic close to you.

Maybe we'll see you there!

Happy Start of Summer!

Home Depot Reminder

Don't forget... This Saturday is the first Saturday of June & it's Kid's Workshop time at the Home Depot! This month's project is a Hardware Sorter - just in time for Father's Day!

Simply go to any Home Depot on Saturday between 9am and noon for your project. I want to see some pics when they are done! ;-)

Let's Play

Some great ladies at a blog I love, Self Reliant Sisters, have put together a great little booklet of things to make and do with your kids. I just had to pass it along since I am sure there will be afternoons I still need to fill this summer.

(I really love the homemade guitar - cause you know we have tons of cereal boxes laying around)

Click here to view the booklet in pdf form and to print it out for yourself. Send me some pics or comments about how your kids liked these projects.

Red Rock ROCKS!

This is the first post in my "outdoor" series. My family loves to go to Red Rock Canyon and hike around and enjoy some typically beautiful weather.

It does cost $5 for entrance into the park or you can buy an annual pass for $20 is you plan on going a few times. Check here for a map of how to get there.

We have a few favorite trails... Calico is where you can actually climb on the beautiful "Red" rocks. The Children's Discovery Trail is our all time favorite (around the top of the scenic route).

Want some other cool ideas at Red Rock? When I was looking up links for ya, I found out that they have a LOT of classes and/or hikes for the kids. Check here for a list of June ativities or look at the calendar at the top of this blog. Simply call 702-515-5367 to register and save your spot.