Kids Reader Meetup- St. Patrick's Day Jump

So this month, our Kid-Friendly Reader Meetup will be a super fun bounce day at Pump it Up of Manassas!

This meetup is for ELEMENTARY AGED CHILDREN (K-5th).  I will not be taking younger siblings as a safety issue (have you seen my 11 year old? He's a giant.  You don't want him knocking into your 2 year old).

Our host will be Pump it Up of Manassas, and we'll be having a blast from 5:30-7pm.  The fun is totally on us if you snag a spot, but if you'd like to save yourself the trouble of dinner, you can get 2 slices of pizza and a drink for $2.95.

To win your space, please be sure to use the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Minion Party!!

 This is Savannah.  She is adorable.  She also really really really really really really really really likes minions.

A lot.

PS- this level of writing skill is why I get paid the big bucks.

Oh wait.  Nevermind. :)

 So for her 7th birthday we had a minion party, which, apparently, many of you were interested in having also! So, here's what I did.  Above you will see a bay window with blue streamers and yellow balloons.  I also got yellow paper lanterns, which you can turn into minion faces if you want!

 I am a giant dork and make themed food.  These are "shrunken moons" like from the movie.  They were just going to be the white cheese on the white crackers (these are round Saltines) but Savannah likes pepperoni, so...our moon is red.  Whatever.

 This is the cake my mom made for my cousin. Yes, I said my cousin.  Second marriage, things happen.  He's the same age as my middle son.  It's his birthday, too, so they had a joint party :)

The interwebs has some cute printable info.  I liked this banana language printable-

I made pin the eyes on the minion out of posterboard, and I found the eye masks at Target.  I just cut the edges off so they were just eyes.

Yes, we are using a Griffyndor scarf I made for my son's Harry Potter birthday as a blindfold.  I forgot about needing one that was minion-y!

These gift bags were super simple.  Black paper, black marker, and the eyes are just the tops to Mason jars with an eyeball on white paper.

Minion bowling- we used spraypaint on empty two litre bottles.  Just a note- you'll want to make sure these are REALLY REALLY dry or they'll leave paint on your hardwood floor and you'll have a panic attack.

Not that I know that from experience.

PS- You're gonna want some Goof Off.  And maybe a magic eraser.

I am a dork.  I don't know what else to say.  Yes, I did Purple Minon Juice in the form of Honest Kids Grape Drink.

Same concept on the gift bags with a little purple feather boa to make crazy purple minons.  Our pinata was filled with cotton candy (it's so fluffy I'm gonna die!), necklaces, tattoos, and candy, and then we sent home a unicorn horn and a cup with each child, too.

I just bought the plates at the store.  I had a plan for really cute polka dot stuff, but my daughter wanted these, so it's what she got.

I am obsessed with the Party Co in Manassas.  It's amazing.  They had minion shaped pinatas, too, but they were a little smaller than I wanted, so I went with this one.

This cake is what you get when you inform your mom the night before your party that you want a "Girl Minion Ice Cream Cake".  I bought a pre-made ice cream cake from Harris Teeter, scraped the decorations off, and re-spread yellow on top (which I also bought from HT- they'll sell you frosting by the pound in the bakery and it's SO MUCH BETTER than that crap frosting in a can (and I am not apologizing for that stance- it's gross) if you lack either the time or the inclination to make your own.

We had a great time. The kids arrived, played a little or colored on some sheets I printed off, then we played games, had snacks and cake, did the pinata, and watched the movie.  The party ran from 2pm-5pm, and if we weren't watching the movie, 2pm-4pm would have been more than sufficient.

Review: Peace of Pottery

 I love this kid.  He's awesome.  He's funny and smart and he does hilarious voices and impersonations.  He's the first person to comfort someone who feels left out or scared, and he's just an all around great person.  He's also the middle kid, so that makes getting alone time all the more special to him.  We had some time on Saturday to hang out, just the two of us.  I decided that we'd grab lunch and visit Peace of Pottery- which is located at 9838 Libera Ave in Manassas just across from the car wash.

 If you've never been to a paint your own pottery establishment, this one works pretty much the same way all of them do.  When you come in there are a large variety of plain white pottery pieces for you to choose from.  Little statues of animals, plates, bowls, tea pots, big small, inbetween.  Each piece has a different price, so be sure to set a budget before you go in.  Peace of Pottery also charges a $6 studio fee on top of the price of the pottery (some studios include this fee in the price of the piece, others charge it separately- either way you're paying it).

 There are plenty of tables, you can sit and enjoy a quiet afternoon or you can host a party (scout troop, large family, etc). Logan and I each picked a mug.  Mine had polka dots and Logan opted for a mug with a "mouth" for cookies. The first step is to wash your piece of pottery and then you pick out glaze colors.  To get an even, non-streaky finish, the owner recommended three coats of glaze, which takes a little bit of time, but getting on base colors is pretty mindless work and we had a lot of fun chatting while we worked.

I didn't get a picture of my finished mug, but I thought that Logan's minion mug turned out really cute.  He's planning to make some banana cookies to eat with his tea when we get it back on Saturday (firing turnaround is about a week).

Peace of Pottery is a lovely, inviting space.  It's not a cheap afternoon- we spent $45.92 for two mugs, so it was perfect for a one-on-one day, but isn't something I'd just do on the spur of the moment with all three kids (which would have put me closer to $100 assuming they'd all picked mugs and not something bigger).  Pottery parties, on the other hand, start at $19 per person, so if you have a large group of kids you'd like to take, that could be a great way to keep your costs a little lower.

We definitely had a fun time and enjoyed the laid back, peaceful atmosphere.  I'd definitely recommend Peace of Pottery for a fun afternoon or a great venue for a party if you've got a kid with a little artistic flair!
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Disclaimer: We just went to Peace of Pottery.  Nobody invited us or asked for a review.  All opinions are our own.

Game Truck Party Review

Look at my precious little baby.....11 years ago on Thanksgiving Day (which happened to be November 27th) I got this little guy....

And this year on November 27th (also Thanksgiving- he's had 3 Turkey Birthdays so far) he turned 11.  ELEVEN.  I do not understand how that happened.  I mean, I do- so if one of you says "well, every year the world turns" or something, I'm going to give you a Facebook eye roll and we're not friends anymore....but 11...wow.  We have less years left with him than he is old.  It's crazy.

(If you'd like super cute baptism pictures of your kid, my friend Lisa Julia did these and is amazing)

Anyway.  I digress.

So.  Birthday parties change every year for your child.  At first it's just everyone cooing while they look confused and smash frosting everywhere, then it's whatever character obsession they have, maybe one year you turn your townhouse into Hogwarts, whatever. But one year, and this year was it for us, they're getting too "cool" for you to decorate things.

Oh.  Okay.  Let me just go un-Pinterest a few things and have a cry....

And when that happens (or before) you should call Game Truck. Riley (that would be the 11 year old) wanted to do something fun with his friends, but didn't want me to decorate or theme anything.  I was permitted a few balloons in green and blue, but just a few and only by the cake, which was to be an ice cream cake with no weird anything on it.

Sigh.

Anyhow, the Game Truck was amazing, and despite not being allowed to decorate anything, it's my new favorite type of party and here's why:

This is me, hosting 16 boys for a birthday party.  I'm eating some chips and watching "Pretty Woman" with my mom.  It was chilly that night, so we had the fire going.  

I literally sat on my bum and watched a movie y'all.  It was amazing.  And quiet.  Have you ever had one or more boys over to your house and had the feeling it was quiet and peaceful? 

Nope, you haven't.  And if you HAVE had the feeling it was quiet, there was probably something bad happening, but not in this case! In this case they were just in my driveway playing Minecraft and Madden and Mario.

 Here is the Game Truck.  It fit nicely in my driveway, and the people who drive these suckers are totally amazing- I can't back my minivan in without bumping either our basketball hoop or the light- but he whipped this puppy in like it was nothing.

 Inside the truck, there are flat screens attached to every gaming system I've ever heard of.  There was Xbox and Wii and....and some other one, but y'all when it comes to video games I really just don't care, so suffice it to say all the kids were thrilled. (PS3...it was PS3)

 There's a wall with all the available games on it.  When the Game Truck arrived, I went out and pulled down anything I didn't want offered- which in our case was based on rating.  We kept it to E10 and under based on our guest list and the fact that I'm mean. Nobody seemed to mind.

Across from the TVs there are nice cushy sofas.  It doesn't feel like you're in a truck at all, in fact, my son said it was "the best man-cave ever" and insists that when we finish our basement, this is what it should look like.  

All told, this was the easiest party we've ever thrown.  The kids came 30 minutes before the Game Truck was scheduled to arrive and had Jersey Mikes, which I picked up.  Then the truck arrived and they played video games for two hours.  Then we had cake.  Then they went home. My house did not get dirty, I watched a movie, really you guys, it was brilliant.  And, beyond birthday parties, I think this would be an AMAZING way to do New Years Eve, or any other party where you want the adults and the kids to have fun.  You should note, though, that we did lose two dads who went out to play Madden, but we didn't mind because then we got to pick the movie. 

Game Truck Party will do any type of event you want, from birthdays to bachelor parties, and they did a great job for us! I'd definitely recommend them, and every single kid who left our party was hinting to their parents they wanted the same experience for their next birthday.  

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Disclosure: Game Truck asked for me to do a review of their services, but all opinions are my own. 

Birthday Party Venue Ideas

I want to start off by saying that there is nothing wrong with having some kids over to hang out, play pin the tail on the donkey, maybe do a piñata (hint- look for the pull string and not the baseball bat required kind), eat cake, and go home happy. 

However, I know that with the advent of "you must invite the whole class" rules, sometimes you just cannot fit everyone in your house.  Or, perhaps you just would rather pay the money and not have to deal with setup and cleanup.  I feel that, too :) 

Here are some of our mom's favorite ideas (and ours, too!) for birthday parties! 

VENUES:
Animated Child
Had a Minecraft party for my child at Animated Child in Montclair. Had about 12 boys who had a ball. 
 Animated Child rocks!
See our PwcMoms Review here. 

Chick Fil A-
Chick Fil A has the best deal

Chinn Park- 
 Chinn has birthday party packages that worked for us. You get a party leader, pool time or moon ounce, and room time with the party leader running games if you wish.

Chuck E Cheese- 
Take advantage of their weekday parties for lower rates.  Do an early afternoon party after school or watch the calendar for teacher workdays and holidays! 

CiCi's Pizza-
CiCi's for a birthday party at about that age....a kid's buffet is a great price and there is a cute grassy area / pavilion behind it to sit and open presents on a nice day.

Edgemoor Art Studio- 
We LOVED Edgemoor Art Studio. Might be considered pricey at $275, but we would have spent WAY more than that at our house... and she goes ALL OUT
See our PwcMoms review here

Engineering For Kids
Went to Engineering for Kids party in Woodbridge this weekend. My son had a blast.

Gymnastics World-
Gymnastics World makes an active structured gymnastics party. Afterwards, you sit picnic table style and eat your own treats. I believe goodie bags are included.

Hello Karate-
Www.hellokarate.com you can have as many kids as you want the provide everything you only need to bring the cake. They provide pizza drinks plates napkins everything. They do a karate demo, teach the kids and give kids each a board and teach them to break it 

House of Bounce Manassas

Joann Fabrics-
The craft lady at Joanns does a great job at hosting birthday parties.

Jumping Jimmy's-
Jumping Jimmys. Monday through Thursday is 115 for 10 kids includes bouncing and pizza for 1 1/2 hours.
Jumpnjimmys in Haymarket and little gym in Gainesville

Kids N Motion-
Kids N Motion. Not sure what their rates are but we went there yesterday for the first time and my 5 year old and 2 year old had a blast. 
We did Kids in Motion and the kids loved it!! We did the bouncy rooms,then we had cake and drinks and party favors........the kids had a great time.
See our PwcMoms Review here. 

Laser Quest
Definitely Laser Quest in Woodbridge!
 Preschool age kiddos seemed to have had a blast at All that Jazz in Montclair & SwimKids-Woodbridge. We also attended fun parties at Youth & Sports in Dale City. My older son absolutely enjoyed Laser Quest.

Leesylvania State Park

The Little Gym
Jumpnjimmys in Haymarket and little gym in Gainesville

Magic Putting Place-
Once open, the putt-putt golf course and Nathan's on Mathis drive. Think it is about $8 per child and that includes round of mini golf, pizza, soda, and a small cone. I much prefer the pay per child method rather than $200+ for up to 25 kids at places like indoor bounces. Plus, kids as young as that tend to get overwhelmed if it is too big of a celebration, that's been my experience anyway.

Majest Martial Arts

Michaels Arts and Crafts-
Michael's. Room rental is 50 dollars. You can bring your own food, cake, etc. 

NOVA BMX
See our PwcMoms review here. 

Pizzeria Uno-
Pizzeria uno does kids bday parties. They can make their own pizza. Dough is premade. With drink I think it's 5.00 per child.

Premier Martial Arts

Prince William County Parks (Outdoor)-
 Great alternative: rent a pavilion at a local park (reserve now). For example, for my son's 4th party, rented a Long Park Pavilion for $60 -- let the kids run around with dollar store bubbles, beach balls, pinwheels, etc. before eating and cake/presents, also had a playground suitable for their age. Like home, but mess is outside! Note: that time of year, schedule for noon or later, after the soccer games.

Plan you child's party at SplashDown Waterpark, the largest waterpark in Northern Virginia. Deluxe and standard packages available or just come as a group... We take the work and worry out of this special day..Call Aimee Burke at 703-361-4451 ext. 226. Want a catered event-call me 703-361-4451 ext. 222.

Pump it Up Manassas-

Sport and Health Kids Club-
Sport and Health had an amazing area and good packages
Sport and health in Gainesville. So many things to do, they are super nice, and lots of room.
Sport and Health in Woodbridge is excellent!! I didnt have to lift a finger and the kids were able to swim for 45 minutes.

SwimKids
 Preschool age kiddos seemed to have had a blast at All that Jazz in Montclair & SwimKids-Woodbridge. We also attended fun parties at Youth & Sports in Dale City. My older son absolutely enjoyed Laser Quest.

Toddlin Time Manassas

Tumbling Time-
Check out the new timble time part of all that jazz ms christy from gymboree is running it its at the back of montclair.
 Preschool age kiddos seemed to have had a blast at All that Jazz (Tumbling Time) in Montclair & SwimKids-Woodbridge. We also attended fun parties at Youth & Sports in Dale City. My older son absolutely enjoyed Laser Quest.

Urban Evolution

Vertical Rock
See our PwcMoms Review here.

ENTERTAINERS:

Magician Michael Chamberlin
See our PwcMoms Review here. 

Princess Parties with Kingdom of Azuria
See our PwcMoms Review Here. 

Tea With Mrs. B
See our PwcMoms Review here. 

Edge Party Trailer

Giveaway: Majest Martial Arts

Our friends at Majest Martial Arts are bringing you this weeks' giveaway! Check it out below! 

In a society that likes to glorify violence, the idea of enrolling your child in a martial arts training class may seem crazy. The image of martial arts instructors as the over the top "Karate Kid" Cobra mental cases makes the prospect seem totally insane. Contrary to popular image, martial arts is actually extremely beneficial for children.  Led by Master K.B. Kim of Korea, Majest Martial Arts - Montclair is dispelling these myths, helping develop our students in both body and mind.  Tae Kwon Do helps children by increasing respect, developing skills in listening and self-control, encourages teamwork and support, helps children learn to set and achieve various goals, and fosters increased self-esteem and physical fitness. 

Our programs are geared for students ages 3 to 99, with a variety of special classes, including our brand new HOME SCHOOL Tae Kwon Do Program!  Whether you are young or old, looking for self-development, or helping your child set and achieve personal goals; Majest Montclair has a fit for you. Programs include:

            Ø  Tiny Tigers (Ages 3-5)

Ø  Evening Color Belt Classes

Ø  Family Classes

Ø  Teens and Adults Classes (Ages 12 to 99)

Ø  Demo Team

Ø  School Break Camp Programs

Ø  *NEW* Home School Program (Ages 5 and Up)

Ø  Leadership Team

Ø  *NEW* Silver Tae Kwon Do (Age 55 to 99)

Ø  Olympic Style Sparring (Gyeorugi)

Ø  *NEW* Cardio Kick Class

Ø  School Age Child Care Programs (Serving Pattie, Henderson, and Ashland Elementary, as well as  Saunders and Graham Park Middle School)

Enter to win 3 Free Classes and a FREE Uniform (a $90 value!).  To win, visit the Majest Facebook and click "like".  Then, check out their reviews and pictures from class.  While you're looking, watch for the picture where PWCMOMS is hidden and comment on the photo to win! You must comment AND like to win! If more than 25 people enter, two winners will be chosen.

Want to check out Majest? They've got an open house coming up, too! Saturday, November 1, 2014 from 10am-2pm. 

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As always, giveaways are governed by our giveaway rules- and by entering you agree to be bound by them.  Good luck! 

Giveaway: Kids N Motion

Ah, Kids N Motion.  We have spent some serious birthday party time there!! My oldest son used to have the "if you want to invite one person you must invite the class" mandate, which meant everyone was not going to fit into our townhouse- but they'd definitely fit (and need a nap) after Kids N Motion.  My daughter actually decided to have her birthday party there this year, which was fantastic because it was the week before Silver Sparkles and I didn't have to do a thing except send an evite and pick up the cake.

In addition to birthday parties that will fit your entire class, Kids N Motion also offers open play, parents night out, a preschool program, and a drop-in Summer Fitness Program, which is fantastic if you need a morning off-duty but don't want to pay for a week of camp, or if you have an appointment to get to.

As a bonus for those of you with allergies, Kids N Motion is a peanut-free facility.  I know that is a concern for many of you on the page!  They also do school fundraisers.

For today's giveaway, Kids N Motion is offering a $50 gift card good for Parents Night, Open Plays, Parties, Preschool and Camps (anything they offer).  Enter using the Rafflecopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Disclosure: By entering you are agreeing to all of our giveaway rules.  Gift Card is provided by KNM and any issues/liability/play-related difficulties should be directed to them upon claiming your prize. PwcMoms is further not responsible if your kids fall asleep in the car after open play and then wake up when you get to your house and won't go back to sleep and do the "I'm so cranky" thing all afternoon.  We've all been there, but it's not my bad. Good luck, have fun.

Review: Vertical Rock

I don't really know how to start this other than to say that Vertical Rock was absolutely awesome.  Just so much fun.  Any age, any level, any ability, your family can have fun doing this.  If your child is old enough to try to scale your bookshelves or the kitchen pantry, they can rock climb.

I know that trying a completely new activity at a completely new place can be intimidating, so here's how it works.

1) Enter the address (10225 Nokesville Rd, Manassas, VA 20110) into your GPS/Garmin/iPhone.  
2) Follow directions
3) Arrive. 

That's really it.  Everything else that you need is taken care of.  Get a day pass and climb all you want for $18 (adults), $16 (students), or $12 (military).  You'll need your own equipment, or you can rent what you'll need ($11 for everything).  Alternatively, if you're new, you can try it out for $20, which includes your harness, 3 climbs ($5 for each additional) and a Vertical Rock belayer to help you figure it all out.  For $35 you can take their "Learn the Ropes" course, during which you'll learn how to top-rope, how to "tie in", and how to belay safely for your partner. Classes are drop-in and offered Monday-Friday from 6-8pm and Sundays from 3-5.  

Really love it? You don't need a Bally's membership- you can join Vertical Rock as your gym! In addition to climbing, they have a fitness room, and offer "Rock Ready" (which looks a lot like the class that rhymes with "Boss Bit"), Krav Maga, Yoga, and a host of other fun stuff to keep you in shape without relying solely on a treadmill, which, let's be honest, is boring. 

We did an open climb, and the one thing I'll say is that you should spring for the $5 to rent shoes.  They're sexy like bowling shoes:

But they are SO MUCH EASIER to climb in.  Seriously.  I was informed that if "they're not tight, they're not right" so don't hop up a size because your toes are giving each other a bear hug.  

Next, our friendly belayers helped us get into our harnesses.  One thing I didn't know about rock climbing is how fashionable it is ;) 

 Yesssss! Work it! Work it!

 So now you head to the walls.  Courses are rated with cards (and they have funny names like "I should be with my mommy right now" or "Fried Squirrel Brains").  They start at 5.5, or as I like to call it "That sounds about right" and move up to 5.10, which then get letters after them.  Obviously the higher you go the more difficulty is involved.  The idea is to follow the tape color for the course you're doing.  Some specify that you can use "any feet" which means that you can use an of the grips you can get your hoofs on, and others want you to just use the color you're following.  Rock climbing involves a good deal of thinking when you add those caveats- you have to check where you are and think about where you're going- I was surprised the first time I climbed myself into a corner and had to back up and think about how to approach where I was going!

 This is the wall that Logan, Savannah, and I started on.  It has about a bijillion grips on it, and you can "climb the rainbow" and pick anything you want.  Here's where the staff really came in.  Logan got to this point (above) and was like "Yup, I'm scared and I'm done" and Zack, our belayer, was like "Yeah, totally hear that buddy- just touch that green one first" and by the time he did that, he realized he was just a few "rocks" from the brown section.....

And well, then it was just a few hand grips to the green spongy thing....and at that point, you may as well touch the top.  He was too nervous to rappel down the side, which I get, because it's a big exercise in trust to have someone you just met tell you to let go of the wall and trust them to not drop you.  Especially when you're 8.  He climbed down slowly, but surely. However, he did rappel on his last climb of the day, which was great! 

We had a few tears on the harder wall- somebody made the mistake of looking down.  (I climbed to the top of this one- but I didn't look anywhere but the place I was currently at- I probably would've cried, too!) but, again, the belayers did a great job of providing direction and assured us that they've had to climb up before to help someone down, but they didn't have to.  

The minute his feet touched the floor, he asked to go up again. I guess Belayer Anna did a good job :) 

In addition to open climbs and classes and memberships, Vertical Rock also offers a kids night, birthday parties, climbing teams (Team meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 530-730! VR hosts competitions and travels to other gyms to participate in competitions), indoor and outdoor camps, scout merit badges, LOCK INS(!!!), corporate events and outdoor climbing tours.  There's also a bouldering wall if you really want to climb but not quite so high:

Best part about their kids night is that you don't have to reserve (although you can) so you can just be like "It's Friday night and my kids are making me crazy!! Vertical Rock!" and drop them off from 7-9pm for $25 for Non Members and $15 For Members, Safety equipment included.   I am informed that the kids "come home tired", which is just what I like to hear :) 

If you'd like to give your child a chance to try Rock Climbing, but aren't ready to strap in yourself, check out the Vertical Rock Summer camps!

**Thinking about a membership? Here's a note from owner Lindsey**

Memberships receive the Learn the ropes class for Free, Yoga, Rock Ready, Discounts on Youth Teams and Summer Camps and much more. A Family of 4 can have access to a fitness activity that they will love doing together M-S for just $31.25 a person a month. A 2 person family membership is only $47.50 a month. Why go to the movies!?

We are family owned and operated facility who really get to know our members. We introduce members to each other through cookouts and parties to keep the community strong. Parents meet each other and climb with each other while their kids play and climb together. The family environment is amazing and we are so excited to share it with more people!

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Disclosure: Vertical Rock is a sponsor of PwcMoms and allowed us to come climb.  However, all opinions and experiences are true and my own.  If I had looked down, I think I would've cried- and I really do think the ugly shoes make it way easier.  #TrueStory. 

January 20th "Day Off" Recap

We don't typically follow the PWCS schedule in our homeschool, but we decided we'd take yesterday off with the rest of you and have a little fun :)

We started the morning off with my reader meetup hosted by The Animated Child, which my kids were SO excited about, especially the boys, because, in a word, Minecraft.  Am I the only mom out there who really has no clue what Minecraft is? My kids were totally addicted to it before we even had it at home.  I'm so thankful to The Animated Child for hosting all the kids at such a special discount.  Their Parents Night Out programs are typically $35/child, and they had us out for $10/child, plus $3 for lunch.  It was such a fun opportunity and I hope that everyone enjoyed learning more about the center!

I have to remember to invite a photographer for every event I host.  My iphone pictures are horrid :)

As for our moms, we had a pretty good crowd- I should've counted- but I think there were about 25 of us.  Not too shabby for a Monday lunch! If you haven't made it out to one of these reader meetups, I do hope you'll join us in the future. In March I think I'll start doing a playdate type meetup and a moms night type meetup, but we'll see if I survive Silver Sparkles first ;)

After we finished up at the reader meetup, we had to drive to Stafford.

Stafford is usually where I draw the line.  I know that it takes me just as long to get there as it does to get to the other side of the county, but for some reason there's a block in my brain about going south! However, today there was a really great reason for me to man up. 

Sweet Scene Photography hosted a "Tea Time with Belle" which, for $15, included snacks, crafts, pictures with "Belle" and a small goody bag for each girl.  My daughter, Savannah, is almost 6 and she'd been looking for an excuse to get some girl time with a few friends.  While she's definitely mine (she shares my appreciation for pink and sparkles) she would rather wear pink jeans than a dress, but she did humor me and dress up for the occasion.

 There were plenty of coloring sheets, along with a decorate your own crown craft, and the girls seemed to have a lovely time.  I appreciated that the photographer took pictures before she let the girls start in on their teatime snacks (mini cupcakes, fruit snacks, and a few candy options).  It definitely helped keep the pictures frosting-free.

All of the girls got a few professional snapshots of them with Princess Belle (there was a library-themed backdrop) and there was also time for- you guessed it- iPhone pictures!! Yay!  I think if I did this again, I'd ask to have my daughter's group get their pictures together with the photographer rather than her alone- they were sweet, but the fun part of the day for her was being with "her girls".  All four of the ladies that came with us had a really fun time, and I definitely think this was a fantastic special treat, especially with the bonus princess time.  Sweet Scene hosts these fairly regularly with various princesses and they also do "Diva Parties" for birthdays. 

One note- if you decide to go, the studio is on the left hand side of 610 across from the Arby's.  If you pass Sherwin Williams you went too far.  There's a sign for the studio (it's in a shopping center) but it's at the bottom of the sign, and if you are me, you will be late because you passed the Sherwin Williams several times....on both sides of the road...

Luckily my friend told me she did the same thing, so at least I was in good company!

I hope you enjoyed your scheduled holiday- and that you enjoy your unscheduled break today, too!!  I know a few businesses are planning to open- but if you go please call first to confirm and use caution when you drive!
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Disclosure: I paid for my lunch, just like everyone else, as well as for my daughter's tea time with Belle.  The Animated Child is an advertiser with PwcMoms.com.  However, all opinions are my own and were  not requested by any company/business.