Category Archives: Uncategorized

Save $100 on season passes to Purgatory/Durango Mountain Resort

A young, but quite flamboyant, skiier at Purgatory Mountain. Photo courtesy of Durango Mountain Resort.

Planning a family ski trip this winter?

Purchase a season pass to Purgatory/Durango Mountain Resort before Saturday, Oct. 15 and you will save up to $100.

A 2011-12 season pass includes:

• Unrestricted skiing/riding
• 10 FREE days at Kirkwood
• 3 FREE days at Loveland, Powderhorn, Monarch and Taos (blackout dates Dec 27-31)
• half-price tickets at Alta, Crested Butte and Arizona Snowbowl (blackout dates apply)
• 10% off food and beverages (excluding alcohol)

Purgatory Mountain is located 25 miles north of Durango, Colo. Its name was adopted from that of a nearby creek, a tributary of the Rio de las Anima Perdidas (the River of Lost Souls), so called because a group of Spanish explorers disappeared on the river during Durango’s early history.

The mountain offers skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and snowbiking for beginners to experts, plus five terrain parks, a children’s play park, a NASTAR racing course, 88 trails, 1,325 acres of terraced terrain. The Purgatory Plunge Zipline operates even in the winter!

Purgatory Adventure Camp for Kids is a day camp program for ages 7 offering activities like tubing, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, scavenger hunts, building snow sculptures/forts/igloos and more.

Other attractions in the Durango area include a narrow-guage railroad, rafting/jeep tours, fly fishing, a children’s museum, Mesa Verde National Park and other archeological sites.

For more information about season ski passes, call 970-385-2168 or visit skipurg.com/seasonpass.

Day two of Everything Kids Fest

"Horse" racing with at Everything Kids Fest.

Day one of Everything Kids Fest was lots of fun! Beautiful weather, lots of excited families, plenty to do and see on the grass field and some great entertainment on stage. Find more pictures from Saturday’s activities on our Facebook.

Thomas and Friends arrive on Sunday! Here is the complete schedule of appearances, photo opps and entertainers. Join us from 10am to 4pm at Salt River Fields for Everything Kids Fest!

Main Stage

The Little Gym – 10:30am
Thomas & Friends Stage Show – 11-11:20am, 2-2:20pm
Thomas & Friends on-stage Meet n’ Greet – 12:30pm, 3-3:30
Kaizen Martial Arts Team Elite – 1:15-1:45pm
…and throughout the day, performances by the Foot Klan Dance Troupe.

Photo opp area (south of the main stage)

Max from Max and Ruby – 10:30-11am, 2:30-3pm
Clifford the Big Red Dog – 11:30-12, 1-1:30pm
Curious George – 12:30-1, 3:30-4

Appearances

POSA K-9 – 10-11am
Bearemy from Build-a-Bear Workshops – 11am-3pm
Marty Moose from the Ice Den – 11:30am-2:30pm
Phoenix Coyotes Howler – 12-1pm
Sharkey from SEA LIFE Arizona – 1-3pm
…and all day: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George and Max from Max and Ruby.

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is located at 7555 N Pima Rd, in Scottsdale. For more information, call 480-626-8289 or visit everythingkidsfest.com

Free Kidtoons at UltraStar Cinemas

UltraStar is offering FREE admission to their Kidtoons programs!
Follow this link to print your free tickets.

Kidtoons are G-rated films that play every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 am. The same movie plays for an entire month and the program is always family friendly and affordable: Regular admission is only $2.50 per person (guests 2 and under are always free).

Most Kidtoons features run between 60-75 minutes so they are the perfect opportunity for parents to introduce the movie environment to little ones who may not have the attention-span or ability to sit still for a normal 90-120 minute feature presentation.

The Kidtoons program features characters and stories that preschool to school-age children are familiar with, like Strawberry Shortcake, Barbie, and Thomas the Tank Engine. After each show children receive a free give-away item such as stickers, temporary tattoos or a coloring sheet.

The UltraLuxe Scottsdale is located at 9090 E Indian Bend Rd in the Scottsdale Pavilions on Indian Bend and the Loop 101.  UltraStar Surprise is located at 13649 North Litchfield Road in Surprise.  For more information ultrastarmovies.com. — Susie Drake

Teaching oral hygiene to students with autism and Asperger syndrome

Photo courtesy of Gateway Academy.

Last Friday I took a trip to Gateway Academy, a private K-12 school specializing in students with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism. Gateway administrators believes that combining a safe and supportive environment, a predictable schedule and an integrated and well trained faculty enables them to make a significant difference in the lives of their students.

I was there because Robin Sweet, Gateway’s CEO and executive director, had told me that the school has been selected to partner with Carrington College for the Dental Hygienist Program, which allows students with autism/Asperger syndrome to actively learn about the importance of oral hygiene. This is the first
of its kind to partnership with the college and I was looking forward to
observing the presentation.

I was so impressed by the way the dental hygienist’s talked with the students about their dental care. The presentation included various props, none of which was a bigger hit than the stuffed animal — an alligator with large teeth! The kids were really interested and asked great questions as they learned how to brush properly, use floss and take care of their teeth.

“We could not be more exited about this opportunity,” Sweet said. “It’s truly going to make a great impact on the overall health and self-esteem of the Gateway students.”

Gateway Academy is located at 9659 N. Hayden Rd. in Scottsdale. For more
information, call 480-998-1071 or visit gatewayacademy.us. — Catherine Griffiths

Photo courtesy of Gateway Academy.

Caught up in Garage boutique’s retro-hip vibe

This time of year, back-to-school shopping is always a challenge. However, I was pleasantly surprised when my daughter Katie and I went to one of our favorite boutiques: Garage, a body shop for kids.

We quickly were caught up in the retro-hip store, located at 7144 E. Stetson Dr., #100 in Scottsdale. We browsed through the back-to-school necessities and while I pulled out some clothes for Katie to try on, I found myself a few “must-haves.”

I couldn’t help but notice the sweet smells wafting over from the ice cream bar. Yes, the Garage boutique has an ice cream bar. We bellied up and enjoyed a scoop of ice cream. We had to take a few candy items to get Katie (and me) through the first week of school.

I have been working with the Garage for years. I love the quaint atmosphere and have to give Katie Wilson kudos for creating the Report Card Program (more information below). — Susie Drake

Bowling league registration is Saturday

Children who register for an AMF fall bowling league this Saturday (Aug. 13) will receive two free games of bowling plus a free hot dog and soda.

AMF Youth Day Fall League Reigistration will take place from TIME?? to TIME?? at AMF Squaw Peak Lanes, 3049 E. Indian School Rd. in Phoenix.

AMF’s “Fun Summer” promotion continues through Sept. 15. Get two hours of bowling plus shoe rental for just $8.99 per person. GET TWO HOURS OF BOWLING & SHOES FOR
JUST $8.99 PER PERSON!
Receive an email every Sunday with coupons for every day (Monday through Friday) of the following week. Click here to sign up.

Learn more: 602-956-2400 or amf.com.

Two great deals in the Valley arts scene

Some news from two of our clients in the arts:

Photo courtesy of Ballet Arizona.

BALLET ARIZONA

Early birds get the discount on tickets for Ballet Arizona‘s “The Nutcracker.” Click here and use the promo code “EARLY” to get the best prices through July 31.

“The Nutcracker” runs Dec. 9-24 at Symphony Hall.

VOICES STUDIO

On Saturday, Aug. 6, your child can try any group class that VOICES offers for free! Twenty-five-minute sample classes start at 9am and continue all day. Classes include preschool, musical theater, glee, auditioning skills, acting, comedy improv, stage skills, beginning guitar, voice and more. Download the schedule to find out which classes are offered when, and to learn the age range for each class.

Photo courtesy of VOICES Studio.

This is a great chance for you to get a feel for the classes and find the right fit for your child. All classes will be 25 minutes in length and will provide an introduction to the type of activities that are covered throughout the year.

All students who attend a free class and register for a group class by Aug. 6 will be entered into a raffle to win a month of group classes.

VOICES Studio is located at 16674 N 91st St., #D102, Scottsdale. For more information, call 480-905-4102 or visit voicesstudio.com.

Susie Drake

Just one more week to ride the waves daily

Kiwanis Recreation Center will offer daily wave pool hours for one more week. Then, back-to-school hours kick in, limiting wave pool time to Saturdays and Sundays.

The indoor wave pool is part of Kiwanis Park Recreation Center, 6111 S. All-America Way in Tempe. During wave pool hours, three-foot waves are generated in cycles of 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off. When the waves go off, people line up for the double spiral water slide, which is 127 feet long and 15 feet tall.

The water is heated to 84 degrees and the best part is you don’t have to worry about sunscreen.

Regular prices are $6 for adults, $3 for kids. Rafts and tubes are available for an extra fee. From 1 to 3pm today only, receive half off admission when you bring items for the center’s back-to-school drive.

More info: 480-350-5201 or tempe.gov/pools/kiwaniswavepool. — Catherine Griffiths

Kiwanis Wave Pool.

Kidtastics offers discount for CPR-trained parents

A confident swimmer in Miss Nikki's class. Photo courtesy of Kidtastics.

Scottsdale-based Kidtastics is offering  $40 off of swim lessons for families who have at least one parent who holds a current CPR certification. The offer is valid for new bookings only and you must email or fax a copy of your current certification with your registration.

Kidtastics offers private, semi-private and group lessons at your home or one of its own outdoor pools.

Classes are available for infants and children (including those with autism) and cover the range from survival skills to stroke technique. Kidtastics serves the areas of Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Phoenix and Cave Creek.

Registration for the next session starts Monday, July 25.  For more information, call 480-994-KIDS or visit kidtastics.com.

Haven’t taken CPR training? Kidtastics is also offering a free class on infant and child CPR from 10:30am-1:30pm on Saturday, Aug. 27. (This is a participation class with the option of certification for a $10 fee.) The class will take place at Windgate Ranch Community Center, 10095 E. Windgate Ranch Rd. in Scottsdale. RSVP to 480-994-5437. You must register in advance and space is limited to 12 adults.

Future CPR certification classes are scheduled for:

• 9am-12pm Saturday, Sept. 24 at Windgate Ranch Community Center

• 9am-12pm Saturday, Nov. 5 at Fireside Community Center, 3819 Ember Glow Way in Phoenix

For each of these classes, a $25 fee applies. Well worth it for the peace of mind! — Susie Drake