jan feb playin' around town 2011
DESCRIPTION
Everything about family fun happening in Dallas Fort Worh, TX. Free family activities and the opportunity to learn about national and local businesses face - to - faceTRANSCRIPT
Jan/Feb 2011Issue No. 3
FREE - Take One! All Things Fun in DFW!
Play Around Town with Your FamilyPlus
DFW Family AdventuresFamily-friendly Food
DVDRoad Trips!
cozy fleece blanketMake Your Own
Meet our Cover WinnerNash
See the finalists inside!
Oh, the places we’ve been
!
Nov/Dec
CONTENTS
Let’s Get Crafty
DFW Adventures 20
Photography by Sonia Lynn
10
Playin’ Around Town Spotlight16Play Time
5
9 Jr. Monkey Playground
Family Solutions
18
Tales from the Jungle
Family-friendly Food
15
Features
Put an end to “Are we there yet?” by planning a 1-2 dvd vacation to a great family location.
DVD Road Trips12
6
On the cover: NASH!
Jan/Feb 2011 Issue No. 3
PAT Event Calendar
Jan/FebIt’s PLAYTIME!Oh, the places we’ve been! See where PAT played in 2010.
Jan/Feb Cover Model Finalists
17 NEW Contest Announcement!
Jan/Feb 2011Issue No. 3
FREE - Take One! All Things Fun in DFW!
Play Around Town with Your FamilyPlus
DFW Family AdventuresFamily-friendly Food
DVDRoad Trips!
cozy fleece blanketMake Your Own
Meet our Cover WinnerNash
See the finalists inside!
Oh, the places
we’ve been
www.sonialynnphotography.com
Jan/Feb 2011 Issue No. 3
!
President, Publisher
Editor-in-Chief
Contributing Editors
VP, Advertising & Business Development
Jennifer [email protected]
Teresa [email protected]
Homemade FunAmy Davis
DFW Family Fun GuideValerie Preston (Family eguide)
Felicia [email protected]
972.922.3622
Contact UsPlayin’ Around TownPO Box 1415Frisco, TX 75035
Phone: 972.412.9712
Advertising Sales: 972.922.3622
Playin’ Around Town, the Magazine is published 6 times per year: Jan/Feb, Mar/April, May/June, July/August, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec. The PAT Magazine is distributed FREE of charge.
Only authorized agents of PAT may distribute or pick up the magazine. We reserve the right to edit/reject/comment on all contributed materials.
Original contributions become property of Playin’ Around Town, and may be used in print, online, or in any fashion. Contributions will not be acknowledged or returned.
Online at:www.playinaroundtown.com
The MonkeyBunch
Visit us online at:www.playinaroundtown.com
The staff at PAT has worked very hard to bring you a great magazine to kick off 2011. You’ve already noticed our adorable cover model winner, Nash! Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest, and don’t miss the announcement about our NEW contest, coming right up!
Got travel plans? Check out our PAT approved DVD Road Trip for a fabulous location, AND a marvelous way to pass the time getting there. Of course, we’ve got our regular pages of crafts, food, and kid fun. For just a sampling of the dates and places PAT took by storm in 2010, see “It’s Playtime!”
So what are you waiting for? Get on out there and PLAY with your family!
May 2011 bring you many blessings,
Teresa
Join over 4,000 families who already love Playin’ Around Town with their kids.
Membership is FREE!
Are you playin’ around enoughwith YOUR family?
2
3
Play with your kids all around DFW at events sponsored by local business owners & national brands
Discover new places, make new friends, and find valuable goods and services rel-evant to your life
1They pick up the cost of entry, and you and your family have a blast without breaking the family piggy bank!
Benefits of Membership
Membership
is FREE!
We want to hear from YOU!
Email or mail us your funny stories, practical solutions, recipes, kid
pictures & news!
www.playinaroundtown.com
We played A LOT in 2010 (check out “Oh, the places we’ve been!”) and owe a special thank you to our business partners who made it all pos-sible. Spread the word! We want every family in the DFW area to have opportunities to play around with their kids, too.
Emily reading “her” magazine while playing at BounceU in Carrollton!
Letter from the Editor
Playin’ Around Town Events are always FREE to PAT members!
Not a member yet? WHY NOT? Visit www.playinaroundtown.com and become a member today. Membership is also FREE!
Playin’ Around Town’s business Partners host a variety of events for
families all over DFW!
Local businesses get to meet their actual
customers, and kids get to play around town!
Not yet a member? No problem! Sign up today
for FREE at playinaroundtown.com.
PATPlay Time with
Tues, Feb 8thCentral Market, Southlake
10:00 - 12:00
January
February
Fri, Jan 14thPump It Up, Coppell
10:00 - 12:30
Wed, Feb 16thBounceU, Carrollton
10:00 - 1:00
Wed, Jan 26thPump It Up, N. Dallas
10:00 - 12:30
Mon, Feb 21stPump It Up, Frisco
10:00 - 12:30
Mon, Jan 17thFieldhouse USA, Frisco
10:00 - 1:00
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 11 12 13 15
16 18 19 20 22
23 24 25 27 28 29
30
January 2011
31
Pump It Up Coppell
10:00-12:30
17
26
Fieldhouse Frisco
10:00-1:00
Pump It UpN. Dallas
10:00-12:30
10 14
21
Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 16 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28
February 2011
BounceU Carrollton10:00-1:0
Central Market Southlake
10:00-12:00
15 17
Pump It Up Frisco
10:00-12:30
Always check the PAT website for the
latest updates to events!
Oh, the places we’ve been!Playin’ Around Town knows how to have fun with fami-lies!
We’ve been playing all over the DFW area in 2010. and we can’t wait for even more in 2011.
Spread the news! Our busi-ness partners provide fun and relaxing enviornments for you to play FREE with your family.
You can play with PAT with-out breaking the budget, and learn about relevant goods and services from local busi-ness partners who want to develop customers for life by giving you great service.
The dates on the opposite page represent only 1/3 of the play dates PAT and the Part-ners scheduled for families in 2010.
FUN 101 with PAT
PAT Staff Writer
“We love PAT and have been members for a little over a year! We’ve learned about kid-friendly venues around the DFW metroplex, seen great products and received infor-mation from the sponsors, and met lots of other parents in the area...
...and it’s all FREE, FREE, FREE! With this econo-my it is a blessing to be able to go to events when you are on a tight budget!”
--member family of Playin’ Around Town
All things fun in DFW
Looking for a place to play that’s close to
home? Go to www.Kaboom.com and enter the city or
zip code of the area you want.
Kaboom searches for all the local playgrounds in that area! You can even rate them and submit pictures to share with
other moms!
Join PAT at The Palaestra for a mommy & me class, tumbling, jumping, and lots of fun!
February 15, 2010 Leapin’ Lizards!!!’Rowlett Bowl-a-Rama
Fun 101 is in session at BounceU--
Splish & Splash the morning away at Emler Swim School in Southlake!
Playin’Around Town is Going Bonkers!TT
Join PAPP TAA at Pump It Up of FriscoT
March 16, 2010April 5, 2010
January 20, 2010hP lf &l blij
May 7, 2010Sl i h&S lh th
May 28, 2010June 2, 2010
July 12, 2010Burn o some energy at NTATT Sports in CoppellAOpen Gym at WinKids
Join PAPP TAA atT WOGA --A
Fun 101 is in session at BounceU
Get into the Holiday Spirit with Holiday Cookie Specktacular at: Central Market
Playin’Around Town is Going Bonkers!TT
October 11, 2010 --
November 16, 2010
December 20, 2010
August 13, 2010
August 19, 2010September 8, 2010
the famous World Olympic GymnasticsWW Academy
!
PATPlay Time with
We can not return your artwork or photos, so you might want to make a copy!
The Grateful Turkey
Ms. Josie’s class of 3-5 year olds at El Dorado Montessori school made this grateful turkety from Playin’ Around Town’s Nov/Dec 2010 issue.
Great job, kids!
Jensen “the shark” playing in the fall leaves.
Averi, age 10
Mail:PAT MagazineJr. Monkey PlaygroundPO Box 1415Frisco, TX 75035
Email:[email protected]
Calling all moms, dads,
and grandparents!
Mail or email your child’s art-work, poems, funny sayings, and
other expressions of genius!Share Your Creativity!
Jr. Monkey Playground
Ashli, age 7
Averi, age 10
Aubri, age 5
Ginny, age 15
2/28/11
2/28/11
Let’s Get Crafty
Stay cozy warm
1
Materials
1 1/2 yards printed fleece of your choice1 1/2 yards solid fleece to contrastScissorsA pair of hands to tie knots
with your very own
fleece blanket
Lay the two pieces of fleece together, so that the both right sides are facing out. Check to make sure the edges are even. If they are not even, trim the larger piece of fleece so that both pieces are even.
Let’s Get Crafty
2
3
Cut out a 5” square from each corner. Cut slits all the way around the blanket that are 5” deep and approximately 1 1/2” apart.
Be sure to cut through both layers of fleece at once to keep the ties even. Cutting these slits make the “ties” for the knots.
Knot each pair in an overhand knot*.
The knot should be pulled close to the blan-ket. Continue knotting each of the pairs all the way around.
This will make a fringe along all edges of the blanket.
*To tie an overhand knot, keep the two pieces of fleece together (as it they were one piece) and wrap them around your finger, forming a loop. Then, pass the ends through the loop you made and pull tight.
Striking out on one of the many hiking trails!
I couldn’t believe it! Only a short drive from DFW, and we have traveled to a moun-tain range with majestic views, great lodging and family fun! It’s time for this secret to get out.
The Ouachita Mountains are located in west central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. To get there, we traveled along Scenic 7 Byway in Arkansas and Talimena Scenic Byway in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The scenic byway is one of very few mountain drives in which you actually drive on the ridge (top) of the moun-tains! Of course, the view is spectacular.
Our adventure starts in Talihina, OK; a small pictur-esque town on the foothills
From the editor: As always, we are committed to bringing you affordable and real traveling adventures for real families. Our travel writers are people like you. Been to a great place? Let us know!
Contributed by Felipe Morales
We don’t see sunsets like this from our back door!
For more details about this location, visit:www.QueenWilhelmina.com
Queen Wilhelmina State Park & the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas
Getting There: 2 DVD (4hours, +,-)Entertainment: 3.5 out of 5Lodging: 4.5 out of 5
DVDRoad Trips!
of the Ouachita. The best thing about this town is that is truly a small town; no big mall, big chains restaurants, no big anything. There is one traffic light, a great ice cream & soda shop, a few restau-rants and the jumping-off point of the mountain drive.
Along the scenic Byway, there are many points of in-terest, photo opportunities, and many chances to slow down walk and hike one of the many trails along the way. let’s not forget the un-
avoidable as I travel with 1-, 4- and 5-year old kids! Both the Oklahoma and Arkan-sas sides of the byway have clean restroom facilities.
Just a few miles east of the Oklahoma - Arkansas border, we came to Queen Wilhelmi-na State Park and Lodge. This “Castle in the Clouds” may be the best kept secret in the area and was the jewel of the trip for me.
Located on top of the moun-tain and surrounded by the
state park. Every room has a beautiful view.
The lodge offers rooms suitable for families and provides cribs, if needed. And all for very reasonable prices! If camping is more to your taste, the lodge also offers RV and tent sites with power and water hookups.
The park area contains nu-merous hiking trails. You can even become a Jr. Ranger, and so much more!
Because of its altitude, Queen Wilhelmina State Park is about 10 to 15 de-grees colder than Mena, AK or DFW. The area occasional-ly gets snow when there may be no snow nearby, so check
The “Castle in the Clouds” lodge at Queen Wilhelmina State Park is family-friendly from the menu to the room sizes to the reasonable rates!
The views were just spectacular!
the local weather report for snow before you leave.
At the eastern end of the scenic byway, you will find Mena, Arkansas. Mena is a small town equipped with all the conveniences of home: big store shopping, phar-macies, banks, hotels and restaurants.
Mena is also known for its antiques markets, and as a starting point for outdoor adventures. The town is close to lakes for boating and fishing, kayaking and white-water rafting.
My favorite part of the trip was seeing my kids engage in adventures, exploration and to be in touch with beau-ty of nature. We have visited this area several times, and it remains one of my favorite weekend getaways. We will definitely be going again!
Deciding on lunch after hiking
Hanging out in the lodge
Family-friendly rooms!
Queen Wilhelmina State ParkMena Arkansas
DVD’s from DFW: 2 (4 hours)PAT Family Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Activities at Queen Wilhelmina include:
Daily planned activitiesDemonstrations, such as Native American tools & weapons Medicinal PlantsEvening programs include Astronomy Black Bear Spotting (most black bears in U.S!)Biking, Hiking, Sightseeing, Special Events Guided Hikes:
Sunset in the fire towerBest Fall Foliage in area (1st week in Nov)Thanksgiving Buffet in lodge restaurantChristmas on the Mountain Dec 22nd - Dec 24th
Nearby Activities:
White Water rafting on the Cossatot River RapidsWaterfallsBoating on Cedar Lake4-wheeling at Wolf Pin Gap
?Who knew scenic mountain views were
only a short drive from North Texas?
The quaint town of Mena, Arkansas
Queen Wilhelmina State Park3877 Highway 88 West, Mena, AR 71953
Lodge Reservation: 1-800-264-2477 Campsite Res: (479) 394-2863 or (479) 394-2864
Email: [email protected]
May 14, 2011
Check out these two upcoming events at Wilhelmina State Park!
Go to Things To Do > Calendar on their web site for more information and more events!
Pioneer Day10 am - 2 pm
Experience a day in the lives of the early Rich Mountain settlers. Gain insight into the lives of the pioneers by seeing some of their daily chores and learning skills that they used. Contact the park for a program schedule.
Admission: Free
July 9, 2011
N. American Butterfly Count9 am - 2 pm
Explore Rich Mountain with butterfly experts to search for the most beautiful of insects. Whether you’re a novice or seasoned butterfly-watcher, you’re sure to gain new knowl-edge of these winged beauties. Wear sturdy shoes and bring bug spray, drinking water and snacks.
Admission: Free
Tales from the Jungle
Moms, we know it’s a jungle out there, and you are the ones who know how to survive it! Often all it takes is a little laughter, inspired by those same little monkeys driving us up the banana tree!
Happy Birthday!
email [email protected]
When Cameron (birthday-boy, above) was 2-yrs old, he told his mom, “ I need to go to the doc-tor because my feelings hurt.”
~ Cheryl C.
Jensen is 1!
Zane is 12!
Cameron is 5!
Barrett is 2!
Wyatt is 4!
Feli is 6!
Jan/Feb 2011 Cover Model Contest
Nash
Jason
Congratulations to Nash for winning the Jan/Feb Cover Model Contest!
Thank you, Jason, for participating in our contest, and for being among the three finalists!
Thank you, Sonia, for providing such beautiful photographs for our contest participasnts!
DaxMason Alexander
Playin’ Around Town is hiring!
Position: Advertising & Event Sales
Location: North Dallas suburbs
We need help! If you have advertising sales expe-rience, love bringing businesses and customers
together in a fun environment, and want to help families experience old-fashioned FUN, then
we want to talk to you!
Sales position starts immediatelyPays commission on event & advertising sales Works with local businesses & national brands
Send resume to [email protected]
This is a commissioned position with unlimited potential
Sandra Hernandez Residential Cleaning 214.607.2569
Stop Hanging Around the House.... Get out and PLAY!Let Sandra take care of the housecleaning!
Sandra Hernandez Residential Cleaning214.607.2569
Personally recommended by the PAT Team!
Call Sandra for all your
cleaning needs.
Special occasions or
anytime!
May/June 2011 NEW Cover Model Contest! We LOVE to feature you and your ADORABLE kids on our magazine covers! We love it so much that we are going to have ANOTHER Cover Model Contest for our May/June 2011 issue.
Here’s how it works: Email a photo of your kids and their pets to [email protected] from NOW until February 15th. We’ll post the pictures on the web the first 2 weeks in March, and let the voting begin! The top three pics by mid-March with the most votes will be our top three finalists. The kids & their pets will be scheduled with a brief photo shoot, and pictures will be posted online for the final voting round for the cover.*
Get out the cameras and the pets!
*Final timelines to be determined by PAT staff and may be short in duration! Watch the web site for more details.
“Kids and Their Pets”
Family-friendly Food
2 lbs. round steaksalt & pepper to taste1 large onion, thinly slicedI can cream of mushroom soup1/2 can water
OR 2 lbs. round steaksalt & pepper to taste1 large onion, thinly sliced1 large can tomatoes1 can tomato sauce
Season the round steak with the salt & pepper and place in crock pot with sliced onion. Spread either soup or tomatoes on top. Cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve over rice or pasta.
Mom’s Chili1 1/2 lbs. ground beef4-5 cloves garlic
Saute and drain if necessary. Sprinkle on: 1 tsp cumin3 Tbs chili powder2-3 Tbs flour1 tsp oreganoCook a while longer. Add: 2 cups beef broth1 can tomotoes
Simmer about 45 minutes. Add: 2 cans of pinto beans, rinsed. Salt if necessary, and serve with fresh lime juice.
Optional Toppings: shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream, avocados, limes, chips & salsa
Do you have a good crock pot recipe? We want to share it!
Email it to: [email protected]
Hearty Dinners for ColdWinter Nights
Crock Pot Swiss Steak
playinaroundtown.com
We want to hear from you
Let us know how your recipe turned out. If you change or add any ingredients, send us a picture of your finished dish and tell us how you made it!
YOUR recipe could be featured on our website!
Brown 4 pork chops in 2 tsp. oil over medium high heat.
Slice 3-4 potatoes and arrange in bottom of casserole dish. Place chops on top of potatoes. Pour 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 can milk over them. Cook 1 hour at 350, uncover additional 30 minutes. Serves 4, easily doubled for larger family!
You can also put the ingredients into a crock pot and simmer on low for 8 hours.
Potatoes & Pork Chops
1 1/2 cups dried black beans1 large onion, chopped1 large green pepper, chopped2-3 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed6 Tbs. olive oil2 bay leaves1 Tbs. salt1 tsp. pepper2 Tbs. vinegar2 dashes Tabasco
Cuban Black Beans
Cook beans in 2 quarts water 2 hours or until tender. In large saucepan, saute on-ion & green pepper with garlic in the olive oil until soft.
Add beans and 2 cups of the water in which the beans were cooked. Add sea-songs and simmer over low heat 1/2 hour.
Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve with a variety of toppings!
Optional Toppings:
chopped green onionchopped purple onioncrumbled feta cheese
Substitute 2-3 cans of black beans, rinsed, for a quick meal.
4 pork chops2 tsp. oil3-4 potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup1 can milk
qu ck meal idea
DFW Area Adventures
DFW Area Adventures DFW Area Adventures
Classified Advertising
You could be reaching the 4,000
families of PAT by advertising
here.
Call for rates!
Classified advertising
available!
Contact Felicia Mupo for advertising rates and media kit.
972.922.3622
21 Monday 10:00 AM – 12:30 AM Free Play at Pump It Up in Frisco w/Playin’ Around Town!22 Tuesday 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Ping Pong Tournament in Lewisville 23 Wednesday 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Craft-o-Rama! at Lewisville Library 24 Thursday 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Thrift Store Fashion Show in Lewisville 25 Friday 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM Friday NIte Fun at Lewisville Rec (ages 3-11) 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Alice in Wonderland at Actors Conservatory Theatre Lewisville (Through 3/6)26 Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM DFW Family Expo in Dallas 27 Sunday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Bison Tour LLELA 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM LegoMania! at Lewisville Library
Exper iences come and go . . .but memories last forever.
*
**
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Per Adult based on adult double occupancy
6-Night/7-Day Package
Happily Ever After Travel Offers FREE Planning Your Vacation will be a Dream Come True!
214-274-1522 or [email protected]