| Springfield Moms April e-update |
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| Share your Tips & Win |
March Prize Winner
Congrats to Springfield Moms reader Bronwyn Eves for winning a copy of "Eat Well, Be Well!" from the Prairie Heart Institute's Center for Living. Next month's prize winner will receive Oprah's Favorite Green cleaner: Basic H2 Concentrate
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Greetings!
Spring is HERE, at last! I lived in Northern California for a few years, and yes, it was a beautiful place, but in central Illinois, we truly appreciate the seasons when spring hits!
Be sure to check out our Summer Camp Directory, which grows with new information every week. And now that spring is here, try out some new area parks for your family outings. Our Parks Directory includes pictures and charts about what's available at all our local parks. (Send us your opinions on your favorite parks, and we'll add your feedback into our Parks Directory as well.)
Ready for a challenge? Later this month, our family is taking the National TV Turn-Off Week Challenge from April 21 - April 27th. Wow. No television for a week. Just thinking about it makes me nervous. Yet, I choose to do this because I want my kids to understand that TV is not the best use of our time. Yes, I sometimes use TV as a handy "babysitter" so I can make dinner or catch up on phone calls. But now that spring is here, it's the perfect time to have them use more creative energy outside, or stay in and express themselves on paper, read a book and just play! I will update my blog and let you know how it goes! If your family takes the challenge, email me and share your feedback!
Stay tuned for our jam-packed "Spring Into Summer" newsletter heading to your inboxes on May 1st.
INSIGHTBB users: Remember, please update your subscription or email changes by clicking the Update My Profile link at the bottom of our e-updates.
Thanks! Kim |
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WIN! Tickets to American Girl Book Reading |
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The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum is giving away 3 sets of tickets (1 adult, 1 child) for the American Girl Book Reading on April 26th at 10:00 a.m. Tickets include the reading AND admission to the museum on any day that weekend. How do you enter? Contact us with any tip that makes your parenting life easier like a favorite website or useful strategy for dealing with temper tantrums. Or post a comment on our Family Forum! Deadline to enter is April 19th. |
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101 Tips for Living Green in the Springfield Area |
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You won't want to miss this handy 4-page guide that offers "101 Tips for Living Green in the Springfield Area" - simplified! Many thanks to Springfield Moms Advisory Board member Jen Dillman for compiling this wonderful guide that is sure to be your go-to Green Source. Tips are quick and to the point and specify local resources whenever possible. Do your part to spread the word: email a copy to your kids' schoolteacher or your friends and neighbors. You can get started here. |
| Calling All Neighborhood Garage Sales |
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Bargain Bonanza!
If you know WHEN your neighborhood is having their next Neighborhood Garage Sale, email us the date AND general directions for the neighborhood and we'll add it to our handy-dandy planning list so you can have some weekend fun looking for old or new treasures! All entries will also be added to our monthly prize drawings. |
| Family Forum Makeover! |
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Spring Break is a great time to dive into our online discussion board. Thanks to Springfield Moms Advisory Board member Carrie Sluga for organizing entries into more detailed subcategories so things are easier to find and post. Everyone who posts this next month will be entered in our April prize drawing to win a bottle of Basic H2 Concentrate (Green Clean) in Honor of Earth Day on April 22. |
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April is Autism Awareness Month |
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Take these tips from a mom who has been on this journey as we explore the issues surrounding Autism located on our Children with Special Needs Resource Page. Thanks to Springfield Moms reader Ann Chapple for sharing. Read on.
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| What's Happening: Upcoming EVENTS! |
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April 12th: Hazardous Waste Collection at IDOT. Full details on our Going Green page. Clean out responsibly!
 March of Dimes Walk for Babies. Don't miss this important fundraiser on Saturday April 19th Full details here.
St. John's Lutheran Preschool is hosting Playing with a Purpose on Saturday April 19th More here.
 Family Safety Day.
Join SpringfieldMoms.org and the American Red Cross for a fun-filled afternoon. Free bike helmets for the kids, activities, food and sunshine! Saturday April 26th at Southern View Park. The Air-Evac helicopter arrives at noon: More here.
Are you an Animal Planet fan? Wildlife Prairie State Park is celebrating its 30th year with a special event on April 25, 2008, at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom, headlined by Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin. Visit their website for more details on how to purchase tickets. Link to it on Day Trips
 Junior League of Springfield's 18th Annual Kitchens in Bloom Tour on Saturday May 4th. Grab your friends and leave the kids at home for a fun afternoon browsing these beautiful homes! Proceeds benefit JLS programs for our community. More here.
Southern Illinois Women In the Outdoors Get-Away Registration is now open for the Women In the Outdoors weekend in beautiful Southern Illinois scheduled for May 2 - 4th at Camp Ondessonk in Ozark, Illinois. Workshop topics include: Horse Trail Riding, Jewelry Craft, Back Country Camping, Outdoor Cooking, Canoeing/Kayaking, Outdoor Photography, Topo Map and Compass and others. More here  Buy your tickets for Springfield Youth Performance Group's Alice in Wonderland at the Hoogland Center. The kids will enjoy the tea-party before the 2:00 p.m. performance or check out the 6:30 p.m. show. Saturday, April 19th. Flier here.
The American Girl Fashion Show is coming to Springfield April 25-27, 2008. Tickets for the event are on sale NOW! Get the scoop here.
Save the Date! Old Capitol Art Fair May 17-18, 2008 more to come! |
| Book Nook |
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"I'm Glad I'm A Mom" New Book for Mother's Day
The short real-life stories in this book from Harvest House Publishing prove funny, heartwarming and surprising poignant, and they revolve around the triumphs and trials of every day moms just like you and me. These true-to-life stories come from moms (including Springfield Moms Jody Antrim, Mary Byers and Julie Kaiser) who have coped with newborns and slippery couches, 3-year-olds and runaway sleds, first prom, first dance, first kiss and so much more. More on our Book Nook here. Click on Mom's Only | |
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| Save $ |
A free cookie or coffee from Cafe Moxo, $10 off a massage or facial at Lift & Firm, 15% off at Food Fantasies, 20% off your first free home pick-up Dry Cleaning from Peerless Cleaners, Photography discounts and more! We are adding new coupons every month! PRINT our coupons from our Mom's Choice Directory here. |
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 Special Welcome to Heartland Credit Union, our Bronze Level Sponsor offering an exclusive promotion to our readers when you get your kids involved in their TEEN Club or Moola Moola Club. More here.
Please continue to help us reach more busy parents by clicking on the Forward email link. As always, we remain a permission-based email newsletter and a website that does NOT sell your email address to any third parties.
We'll be back May 1st!
Best,
Kim
Kim Leistner Little
Founder & President
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