Great Night of Thanks and Giving!

Tonight we had a terrific time assembling 'Welcome' baskets for Hubbard House in Orlando. More than 200 toiletry items were donated by those Lakeland Mamas who came out tonight and also by some who were unable to attend but wanted to an opportunity to participate.

The baskets will be taken to Hubbard House in early December, so if you were unable to attend and still wanted to make a donation, you still can!

Contact Melissa at mddbrady@gmail.com for questions or if you're interested in participating.

Season of Thanks and Giving

This time of year always prompts us to relfect on what we are truly grateful for and how we might be able to give to others who may be in need.

If you'd like an opportunity to participate in giving to an amazing cause and to celebrate our blessings, join me Friday, November 6th for an evening of fun, food, and friendship as we create gift baskets for Hubbard House.


Event Details: November 6th, 7 pm at my house. Email Me for directions.

The Cause: Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, FL - Hubbard House (Hospitality House for Families of Sick Children)

The Donation: Hubbard House has a wish list that you can contribute to anytime, but we will focus on toiletries and will create 'Welcome' baskets for families who will use the house.

The Gift: Beautiful gift baskets that include toiletries a family might need during their stay.

Needed items:

• baskets
• toothbrushes
• brushes/combs
• chapstick
• colored celephane
• basket straw
• ribbon
• encouragement pendants, ornaments, etc...

Travel size products:

• toothpaste
• shampoo
• conditioner
• mouthwash
• body wash
• lotion

I do hope you'll join me for a great evening! So, start collecting your supplies and bring them with you on Friday night and we'll put them together!

....I'm counting on my crafty mama friends to really make these baskets AMAZING!

See you all there!


Melissa

Kid's Events Around Town (Jul-Sep 2009)

Lakeland's Environmental Lands

July 25
Location: Polk's Nature Discovery Center
Starts at: 10:30 AM
Ends at: 11:30 AM
Photographic journey into the different Environmental Lands in the Lakeland area. Explore the different habitats in Gator Creek Reserve, Lakeland Highlands Scrub and the Circle B Bar Reserve.
Located in the Workshop
Space is limited; sign up at the reception desk of Polk’s Nature Discovery Center located in the Circle B Bar Reserve 4399 Winter Lake Rd, Lakeland, FL.
For more information, call 863-668-4673.


Lakeland Farmer's Curb Market - Water Conservation for Kids

September 19
Location: 200 N Kentucky Ave, Lakeland
Starts at: 8:00 AM
Ends at: 2:00 PM
Watch for us the third Saturday of every month at the Farmer's Curb Market in Downtown Lakeland. Come and buy your local produce and learn something from the City of Lakeland, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program, UF/IFAS Polk County Extension Service, Master Gardeners, and the Polk County Builder's Association. We will have information on new topics each month and feature free giveaways, literature, and helpful gardening advice. This month we will feature free giveaways and lots of fun activities for the eco-conscious kid (adults are welcome too!).


Explorations V Children's Museum

ADMISSION
Museum Members - FREE
Children Under 2 - FREE
Ages 2 through Adult $5.00
Seniors 65+ $2.50

HOURS
Monday-Saturday 9:00am - 5:30pm

Located in downtown Lakeland in the historic Kress Building across fom Munn Park109 N. Kentucky Avenue Lakeland , FL 33801-5044 (863) 687-3869 mailto:info@explorationsv.com%20

July Pool Party!

What: Pool Party

When: Saturday, July 25

Time: 2 pm to 4 pm

Where: The Bradys

Come on and cool off, we're having a pool party.

Bring your family and some cold drinks and join the Lakeland Mamas for some family fun!

Directions will be sent to your email. If you're not on the Lakeland Mama email list send a request to add your name to lakelandmamas08@gmail.com

Please RSVP by July 22.

See you there!

Diggin' Up the Past

 

We had a terrific time on the Peace River, Saturday.  The kids found alligator teeth, horse teeth, dugong bones, and shark's teeth.  It was a great way to spend the day with our kids and learn about Florida's past.

Family Fossiling Fun - May 9, 2009

Florida is one the richest areas for both vertebrae and invertebrate fossils in the states. Commonly known as 'Bone Valley,' Polk county is herald as a treasure troth of prehistoric fossil finds.

Fossils found in this region include the giant Megalodon teeth, mastodon tusks, and 30 million year old sand dollars.

For more information about fossiling in the area check out these sites:

http://www.fossilweb.com/fwlinksFL.shtml

http://news.ufl.edu/2009/03/12/fossil-shark/

http://www.empireoftheturtle.com/Fossils/peace_river.htm

Our next family adventure will be Saturday, May 9th at the Peace River in Gardner for a day of fossiling.  

If you're interested in going email me at mddbrady@gmail.com and I'll send you the details.

Reading Lists

Reading is a favorite past time for most of us, so why not share what you're reading now and recommend some of your all time favorites to the group!

Reply in the 'comments' section with the answers to these questions:

1. What book are you reading now?
2. Do you have a favorite author?
3. Recommend your favorites and include a short description of the genre or link to the book through Amazon.

Happy reading!!

Sunscreen Products We Love

It's that time of year when we all start to spend more time outside.  So sun protection becomes an important part of our families' lives.  Do you have a favorite sunscreen product that you love? Then share it with us!

To leave or view a comment:

1. Click the comments link at the bottom of this post.
2. Enter your comment into the text box.
3. Type the word you see in the Word Verification box OR
4. Register a google account and you won't have to use the Word Verification box again.

Spring Break Party

Date:  March 20, 2009

Time:  7 pm

Place: Melissa's House

Next Friday, March 20^th at 7 pm, we’re having a Spring Break Party at my house!  Come dressed in sundresses and flip flops! 

Remember those Spring Break days when we left the beach sunburned, but happy to have a tan?  

While we all probably would love to just hang out for a week with friends having a great time, those days we spent laying in the sun have become less and less appealing.  We’re bombarded with news about skin cancer and how harmful the sun can be.  And for us over 40, wrinkles and sun spots are a constant worry.  

According to FamilyDoctor.org there are ways to prevent sun damage:

• Avoid the sun, especially from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the sun's rays are the strongest.
  
• Don't use tanning booths or sunlamps.
  
• Wear protective clothing and hats.
  
• Check your skin yourself every month for signs of skin cancer.
  
• If you see an area on your skin that looks unusual, ask your family doctor about it.

However, there is a way to eliminate the worry, but still get that golden glow fair skinned girls work so hard for on the beach!  It’s a spray tan.  At our Spring Break Party, Penny will be there to offer a spray tan to anyone who wants to look like they just spent the whole week on the beach only without the harmful effects of the sun!

Check out A Spray of Sun for more information about spray tanning. 

Can't wait to see you all! 

Melissa

If you'd like to join us, but aren't currently on the email distribution, email me at mddbrady@gmail.com.

Kids Eating Habits Driving You Crazy?

Happy New Year!

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays over, we all have a chance to reclaim a small amount of our sanity...or so we'd like to believe.  Being a mother makes the term 'sane' completely relative to the stage our children have entered.  When my children were newborns sanity was equivalent to the amount of sleep I had the night before.  Today, with active 3 and 4 year olds, my mental state is driven by my children's cooperation and believe it or not their eating habits.

Daily I battle with picky eating and whether or not my kids are getting all the food they need to stay healthy.  I've tried to resign myself to the age old saying that if they're hungry, they'll eat, but it doesn't seem to make me feel any better about what's going into or not going into them.  

With the holidays, sweets were the primary food group in my house, so now moving into a new year, I've resolved to make sure my kids eat well!

I just bought Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food and can't wait to try out the 'Cauliflower Brownies' on my unsuspecting angels!

I'd love for some of you to try out the recipes as well and let me know which ones are 'hits' with your kids!

Happy Healthy Eating!

Can't wait to see everyone this year! 

Melissa