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 Local Events, Info and Savings for Grown-ups and Their Kids
Springfield Moms E-Update       March 3, 2010          
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In This Issue
Disney Tips
Healthier Lunches for Teens/Tweens
Family Exercise Options
Contractor Tips for Home Improvement Projects
New! Job Postings
Pet Corner: Flea Prevention
Reader Laundry Tips
Fun Links and News You Can Use
Upcoming Events
Weather 2010
5-Day Forecast
courtesy of Fox Illinois

Quick Links
Share and Win!
Share Your Tips and Win

Which parks do your kids clamor to visit as soon as the weather warms up?  Send us info on the favorite parts of your most popular parks!
 

Email us and be entered to win in our monthly prize drawing!

NEW PRIZE WINNERS

Amy Peterson & Aimee Ayers Mansfield each won a family 4-pack of tickets to the Children's Discovery Museum.

Email us your favorite family photos for the home page rotator and you could WIN, too!  Next drawing is Feb. 19th


Greetings!

South ParkThe sunshine is such a lift today.  I love it!

You know that means Park Dates are coming ... we promise!  Send us your favorite parks (and why) so we can update our popular Parks Directory.

Sanity Savers iconKeep an ear out for Sanity Savers coming every Thursday morning on WDBR with Dave & Dina. We'll discuss anything and everything that helps us survive the parenting and household maze with sanity saving tips!  Be sure to tune in.  Send us your top time savers, organizing tips, get-away retreats, anything you do as a parent to save your sanity. (All entries will be entered into a weekly t-shirt drawing from Security Bank and Premiere Physical Therapy every Friday!)

Welcome to new GOLD sponsor Isringhausen. We also welcome Flooring of Springfield and BC Pet Sitters to our Mom's Choice Directory as new advertisers.  We so appreciate our local sponsors, and we know you do, too.

Happy March, everyone.

Kim Leistner
Founder and President of Springfield Moms
SPRING BREAK COMETH: Enjoy These Reader Tips For Enjoying Your Florida Disney Vacation
Laura and MinnieYou asked for it, you've got it!  We are bulking up our Travel Resources in 2010 starting now. Enjoy the veteran advice from Springfield Moms readers who have been there and done that!  Article here.  Also, for professional tips from a reader who is also a Disney travel planner, read Lyn Young's article here.  Safe travels!
UPGRADE THE LUNCH EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR TWEENS AND TEENS: Make Healthy "Hip" and Fatty "Out"

school lunchAre your kids heavily influenced by the cafeteria choices they face every school day?  Linda Castor offers helpful hints to combat the plague of french fries, pizza and hamburgers at school.  Healthy can be cool.  Read her article here.

GET YOUR FAMILY UP AND MOVING!  Tips for Family Exercise ... Together
family building snowmanWith all of us glued to endless technology options, it's more important now than ever exercise together as a family.  Cindy Kropid from the Springfield YMCA offers fun ideas in her article here.
HOME IMPROVEMENT SCAMS: How To Hire A Reputable Contractor For Your Spring Projects
HomeConcerns about home improvement and repair companies are the second highest category of complaints received by consumer groups and government offices. What you don't know can hurt you. Read Bridget Moore's article here about what to consider when hiring a home improvement or repair contractor. 
LOOKING FOR WORK?  New Job Postings Here
Job postingsWe now offer Job Postings on our Mom's Choice Directory. Be sure to forward this information along to friends and family who may be searching for a new opportunity.  Job Postings Here.
PET CORNER: Spring Flea Prevention Tips
Shake the dog Spring is around the corner, and your pets will be chomping at the leash to get outside more.  Be pro-active about the fleas who are also excited to chomp on your pets!  Read Carol Lex's article here.
ENDLESS LAUNDRY GOT YOU DOWN?  Reader Survival Tips Here!
laundryWe asked our readers to write in with their favorite laundry strategies.  Plus, Kari Thevenot links to a helpful "Real Simple" magazine article on time-saving laundry tips. You can find it all here.
Fun Links and News You Can Use! Check It Out.
Save $$

EZ Print
coupon icon
 

  • Enjoy a FREE Saturday Tasting at The Corkscrew
  • Host an IS Clinical Skin Care Event for Special Discounts with Dr. Jennifer S. Lee, MD
  • BC Pet Sitters: 10% off Pet Sitting or Scoop Removal
  • 15% off at Flea Market to Fabulous
  • Mariah's Sunday Brunch Special: $5 Off
  • Midstate Tire & Auto $22.95 Oil Change & Tire Rotation
  • Premiere Physical Therapy: Free Consult
  • 10% off at Robert's Seafood Market
  • Luer's 10% off Any Dance Apparel

For even more money saving coupons, visit our E-Z Print Coupon Shortcut on our
Mom's Choice Directory.

 
Offers Good For a Limited Time: Print and Use Now!
What's Happening!  Upcoming Events 
 

honeyThis Weekend!  March 6 - 7
: 12th Annual Illinois Products Expo: A Food and Cooking Extravaganza.  Over seventy Illinois food companies (and a few non-food companies) will be exhibiting. Food companies will provide free food samples and most of these products will also be available to purchase at the Expo.



wine tastingWine Tasting at Robert's SeafoodMarch 6th from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.  Also, new cooking classes on Tuesday night.  Details here.


Style of HopeGirls Night Out!  Call, email or text your girlfriends and buy tickets now for the Style of Hope Fashion Show, silent auction and more! Thursday, March 11, 2010.




Family Wellness DayFamily Fun and Wellness Day on Saturday, March 13th at Dunphy Wellness Center from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Includes FREE games and activities for the kids and healthy snacks and refreshments for the entire family!  RSVP's appreciated.  Details here.




Dave Ramsey event"Total Money Makeover, LIVE! With Dave Ramsey" 
Make plans to attend on Saturday, March 13th from noon to 5:00 p.m.  Doors open at 11:00 a.m.  Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover LIVE! is an action-packed, entertaining event that will change the way you think about money.

Parkway Christian Church, 2700 Lindbergh Blvd,  Springfield, IL 62704.  Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at Parkway Christian Church or any Security Bank location.  Act now - only 250 tickets are available.  Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to support Mercy House Communities.  For information, please call 787-3445 or 789-3500.



SPARCSPARC Sugar and Spice Chilli Dinner, March 13th at Westminster Presbyterian Church from Noon - 6:00 p.m.  Celebrity servers will be dishing up some fabulous food.  Click here for more info!

American Girl Event 2010
American Girl Fashion Show Commentator Audition
: March 15 at 6:00 p.m.  Details here.

American Girl Fashion Show! 
Delight your favorite girl (and her doll) with a day of fashion, fun and activities.  April 24 and 25th.  Details here. 

Illinois State Fair 2010
Illinois State Fair:  Easter Basket Megapass SALE March 15th-April 2, 2010.   Buy NOW and Save!  Just $50 (regularly $60).




Expand Your Horizons
Expanding Your Horizons. March 20 at 8:00 a.m.  Girls in 6th, 7th and 8th grades throughout central Illinois are invited to come to the University of Illinois Springfield campus to have fun while learning about cutting-edge careers in math, science and technology.  Register Now! Registration form and brochure here.


YMCA logo

Register Now
for YMCA Spring Soccer and Flag Football.  Details here.



Maple syrup demonstration timeLincoln Memorial Garden Maple Syrup Demonstration Time: Weekend afternoons through March 13 and 14th. Details here.  Also, if you have a budding young naturalist between the ages of 6 and 12, check out the Spring Junior Naturalist Program at the Garden.  Once a month, March - May.  Details here.


ConnectED Pairs10 Great Dates
Have a special someone in mind?!  Sign up for "10 Great Dates" offered in Springfield monthly through November of 2010.  (Childcare available.)  Complete an online survey for a $25 off coupon.  Also register online to be entered in a drawing for a free summer getaway and to see the full schedule here.



ask_the_professional_iconSAVE the DATE!


Join the Single Parent Network.  Grab your kids and prepare for some roller skating fun! Saturday, March 27th at 1:00 p.m.  Come and go as you please at Skateland South  (next to Knights Action Park). 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  For more details, click here.



PRIVATE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE


Our Savior's Lutheran SchoolOur Savior's Lutheran School Open House through tomorrowDetails here.







Whats_Happening_IconOur What's Happening Calendar is updated every week with the latest fun for you and your family!  Bookmark this page, and stay in the know!  
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Featured Premium Sponsor: Watson and Linder Attorneys at Law

Watson and Linder Attorneys at LawWatson and Linder Attorneys at Law provide legal representation for the Rights of Disabled Individuals and concentrate on Family Law, Social Security, Bankruptcy and Wrongful Termination/Employment Law.
 
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Kim Leistner
Founder and President
Springfield Moms
[email protected]