I highly recommend this retreat, hosted by my friend and personal wellness coach Cristie Ritz King of Real Life Wellness. Her sessions have inspired me to take better care of my body. Her informative, personally tailored counsel has taught me how to increase healthy greens and plant-based proteins in my diet for increased energy, health and mood. She has offered a good deal of advice that has made it easy for me to decrease my caffeine and alcohol consumption, and get more sleep and exercise (and these were hurdles I have been fighting for years). I credit her guidance in losing 10 more postpartum pounds.
This retreat also includes so many restorative goodies: massage therapy! guided meditation! and more. Register before May 15 to receive $50 off the retreat price!
The retreat will be hosted by Cristie Ritz King, M. Ed, CHC 
of Real Life Wellness. Cristie received her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where she studied more than one hundred dietary theories and a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. She offers her clients simple solutions and plans that work when they are trying to balance challenging, hectic, REAL lives.
Visit Cristie’s Web site and blog Real Life Wellness.
P.S. Cristie is a Silver Spring native and former parent in Silver Spring. She is old my MOMS Club buddy and current blogging mama colleague — check our her parenting site, The Right Hand Mom. Cristie now lives in the New Jersey suburbs with her family.
This Saturday April 28 is FAMILY DAY at Glen Echo Park
Glen Echo Park’s Family Day is full of free events abound from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. including face painting, music and dance performances, magic shows, a youth art exhibition, family dancing, T-Ball Extreme, tours by National Park Service rangers, and more. If you have attended in the past, new to this year’s event is storytelling. There is also cake and lemonade for all.
Family Day marks the opening of the Park’s historic Dentzel Carousel carousel for its 92nd season. Visitors will enjoy many FREE activities, Carousel rides are $1.25/person. The Park’s new Ballroom Café will be open — operated by the Brown Bag — and will serve lots of tasty and healthy fare.
While at Glen Echo Park, head to The Puppet Co. to relax and take in a show!
Pinnochio
Thursday at 10 am
Saturday at 11:30 am and 1 pm
Sunday at 11:30 am and 1 pm
Half life-size rod puppets, performed in the Italian “Commedia del Arte” style, tell Carlo Collodi’s story of what it means to be “real.” Share the trials and tribulations of the little live puppet as he finds in one adventure after another that the “easy way” isn’t always the right way. Deemed, ”One of the most exquisite productions to ever grace our theater,”by the Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater. Running Time: 45 minutes; Recommended: K through Grade 6. Tickets $10.
Tiny Tots – Mother Goose Caboose
Saturday at 10 am -Geared towards tots age 0-4. The Tiny Tots program is designed for the youngest theater patrons. The lights stay on, the doors stay open, and everyone has a great time! All individuals must have a ticket, including babes-in-arms. Tickets $5.
Mother Goose introduces us to her friends, including Leonardo the Lion, in the opening number. There’s Kelly – a near-sighted duckling, a chorus line of puppies, performing bears, and Molly the cow and her calf who jump over the moon. Mother Goose makes a final appearance to close the show and say goodbye to her friends. Running Time: 30 minutes; Recommended: 0 – 4; Producer: Bob Brown Puppets.
Playhouse Puppetry Slam
Saturday 7 – 8:15pm and 9-10:15pm
Leave the children at home! The Puppet Co. Playhouse presents its adult-friendly programming with another popular “Playhouse Puppetry Slam.” A ”Slam” is a showcase of vignettes presented by amateurs and professionals alike, performing both edgy and provocative works that might not be seen in any other venue. Content ranges from the raunchy and risqué to the tender and tear-jerking, in a fast-moving succession of both rough and polished acts. Limited seating.
Age: 17 and up, 13-16 must be accompanied by an Adult or Guardian. (12 and under not admitted)
The Puppet Co. Playhouse
7300 MacArthur Blvd
Glen Echo, MD 20812
Phone: (301) 634-5380
Website: www.thepuppetco.org
E-Mail: boxoffice@thepuppetco.org
Please visit www.thepuppetco.org/directions/ for directions to the venue.
Disclosure: The Puppet Co. and Creative MoCo, of which both Glen Echo Park Partnership of the Arts and The Puppet Co. are members, are advertising partners of this website. However, in support of these performing arts non-profits in which I believe and which enrich local families’ lives, they receive a highly reduced advertising rate as well as whatever promotional support I can give.
Washington, DC National Children’s Museum Launch Zone at National Harbor: A Preview of the Coming New Children’s Museum
Last week the kids and I were invited to the Launch Zone to learn about the new offerings and programs, and a good deal has changed since I reported on the free children’s learning site back when it opened. Although the upcoming National Children’s Museum (NCM) at National Harbor is scheduled to open in 2013, kids can get a taste of what the museum will offer NOW at this interactive, free play space.
Here is what the Launch Zone has to offer for your family:
Toddler Tuesdays – Free Drop-In Programs for Children Age 2-4 and Their Parents from 10:30am-2:30pm
Tuesdays at the Launch Zone are all about toddlers and preschoolers. Activities have a different theme each month and include games, art projects, stories and movement for kids and parents to experience together (it’s a drop-in program, not a drop-off). No reservations are necessary.
- Upcoming themes: September – The Sun and Stars, October – The Wizard of Oz, November – The Human Body.
You can find Toddler Tuesdays on the A Parent in Silver Spring calendar.
Special Weekend Programming and Themes
On Saturdays and Sunday, the Launch Zone goes big with the learning projects for families who stop by. With a different theme each week based on a seasonal or interesting educational topic, kids age 3-8 are the stars of the Zone. Here are the upcoming weekend special celebrations in learning:
- September 10 and 24, 11am-4pm at Launch Zone : Get Eggcited for Better Breakfast Month - Come learn how to make your own breakfast with the School Nutrition Association.
- September 18, 12pm-6pm at Lane Manor Park in Adelphi: 30th Annual Hispanic Festival – The NCM is an exhibitor and invites families to take part in cultural dances, sample cuisine from various countries, enjoy live entertainment, an interactive children’s and teen area, carnival rides and games. Free admission.
- October 8, 11am-4pm at Launch Zone: Dino-Mite Dinosaurs – Join a dinosaur dig, skeleton puzzles, claw printing and more.
You can find all of the Launch Zone’s weekend activities on the A Parent in Silver Spring calendar.
Developing Programming for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Families with a child with ASD are invited to help make the upcoming NCM as accessible as possible. Be part of the prototyping by assessing the social story for the museum and help create a successful visit for children with ASD.
Drop-In Play and Learning ANYTIME
Looking for a fun way to spend a day with your child? Head to National Harbor and visit the Launch Zone. In addition to the free rotating open play and arts and crafts options available during the week for children, you can ride the ferry/water taxi, play on The Awakening, hit Family Fest the last two Saturdays remaining on September 3 and 10, climb on the Calleva Pirate Ship Course (there’s a weight minimum, best for bigger kids), visit the Peeps store, eat, shop and explore all the National Harbor has to offer.
Hours and Location
Now until September 6th: Open Sunday 11am-5pm, Monday-Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday & Saturday 10am-7pm
September 7 – October 31: Open Sunday 11am-5pm, Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Hours at other times of year
The NCM Launch Zone
112 Waterfront St.
National Harbor, MD 2074
Map and Directions
Disclosure: My children and I were invited to the Launch Zone to meet the staff, have lunch and play.
August 26, 2011 | in:
summer weekend picks
The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang is forecasting showers and winds for Saturday during the day, heavier rains on Saturday night and says, “It appears we may actually end up with a decent Sunday….”
However, I don’t believe we’re going to get through this weekend without having to call Pepco to report an outage (1-877-PEPCO-62 or 1-877-737-2662), do you? They have already been making the electronic rounds with their “expect loss of power for multiple days” automated messages. Fun!
J.J. Newby has the 4-1-1 for family preparedness for a hurricane over at the brand-spankin-new collaborative blog The DC Moms, where I am an editor and contributor. (We are officially launching in September, but I was never good at keeping a secret!)
HURRICANE WEEKEND ACTIVITY IDEAS
The Puppet Co. Playhouse in Glen Echo will be open for all performances this weekend – tickets still remain to Wizard of Oz at 11:30am and 1pm on Saturday and Sunday. (Tiny Tots on is sold out.) To ensure that they are indeed open, note that if Glen Echo Park is closed, The Puppet Co. is also closed. Call the Glen Echo Park hotline at 301-320-2330 (the message on this line is updated by 7am for daytime activities; 3pm for evening activities) to double check. You can also check puppet house website at www.thepuppetco.org and the park’s website at www.glenechopark.org.
Great Kids Village is anticipating being open all weekend for regular play. You can call 301-309-2386 to double-check if you need.
The Playseum’s locations (Bethesda 301-807-8028 and DC 202-999-0510 ) are also usually open during inclement weather for indoor learning and play.
Thinking of heading to Arundel Mills for some back to school shopping? While you are there your big kids and tweens can attend the Radio Disney Shake It Up Dance Party on Saturday. The fun is happening from noon to 2pm in the Arundel Mills Mall Food Court, 7000 Arundel Mills Circle, Handover, MD 21076. Hang out with the Radio Disney Road Crew for the dance, play Shake It Up games and win awesome Shake It Up prizes. They are giving away a Nintendo Wii, a Just Dance 2 game and the Shake It Up soundtrack every 15 minutes.
Know of other family weekend events still going on? Leave your info in the comments!
Rock-n-Romp Kids Fest THIS Saturday August 27 at the Silver Spring Fenton Street Market
On Saturday, the celebrated Rock-n-Romp Kids Fest – featuring rocking music for parents and kids – is back! This series is famous for providing local families with a good time and featuring non-pandering live music played at a kid-friendly volume. This Saturday the lineup is fantastic local artists Ugly Purple Sweater, Lady Hatchet (the band you get when you combine Olivia Mancini + The Mates with The Scotch Bonnets), and Your Pal Pete.
The price? Totally free, baby!
In addition to the great music, there will be loads of booths for kids. There will be hot mini donuts, face painting, and even a model train exhibit for Thomas and choo-choo fanatics. There will also be a Community Roundtable with Paulette Mpouma, inventor of the Africa Memory Game. Ms. Mpouma and volunteers will be teaching children ages 4 and up and adults how to play the game from noon to 1pm. Local artisans will be selling lots of baby- and kid-friendly merchandise like art, jewelry, hair accessories, clothes, plush toys, cloth diapers, and more. What a perfect way to celebrate the end of summer and the start of school on Monday!
WHEN: Saturday, August 27, 9 am to 3 pm
WHERE: The Fenton Street Market, Veterans Plaza, corner of Fenton Street and Ellsworth Avenue, Downtown Silver Spring
KidzRock at The Rooftop in Rockville’s Town Center on Sunday September 18
KidzRock at The Rooftop is a seriously fun dance party for kids age 2-10 and their parents and favorite grownups. There will be dance instruction from street breakdancers, pro dance teachers from Studio-310 and a real live DJ spinning. The Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance will also perform for the kids and Reptile World will be showing off their scaly friends.
This is also an event you can feel good about: Ticket sales raise funds for other kids through the City of Rockville’s Parks & Recreation Foundation and other local charities endorsed by the City of Rockville.
The event is rain or shine – if the rain hits, KidzRock will be moved indoors to the 2nd floor VisArts Event Gallery.
WHEN: Sunday September 18, 4-6pm
WHERE: The Rooftop at Rockville’s Town Center, 155 Gibbs Street, Rockville above the VisArts Event Gallery.
TICKETS just $5 each for adults and kids
