Is It "Bye, Bye" to Bratz Dolls?

After a 4 year court battle between MGA, the Bratz makers and Mattel, Inc. who make Barbie, MGA has been ordered by a judge to stop all production of the Bratz dolls and pull them from the shelves after Christmas. I think I read somewhere they'll be pulled in February, but I can't find the source of that information. According to the article I read which quotes court records, Mattel had been investigating MGA and its executives for years due to declining Barbie sales ever since the Bratz dolls appeared in 2001. A 4 year legal battle ensued with both companies filing claims. Recently, a jury found in favor of Mattel that designer of the Bratz dolls, Carter Bryant developed and marketed the dolls to a competitor (MGA) while still working for Mattel. Read the entire article by clicking the following link http://www.walletpop.com/article/_a/bbdp/mga-ordered-to-stop-selling-bratz-dolls/267525#cmntbgn

Maybe, like me, you didn't know or care that there was a battle brewing in the land of dolls. Let's face it, many of us have bigger things to worry about in our personal lives than the fate of a line of dolls. However, I for one will not be sad to see them go away. I'm not a big fan. Also, it will end the battle in my house between my 6 year old daughter and me. She has been asking why she can't have Bratz dolls for a couple of years. My daughter even came home recently with a list of friends who are allowed to have Bratz while she is not. So I don't get in trouble here, I don't think Bratz dolls are evil. I just don't like the name, the way they dress, etc. And, my daughter has never been that much into any dolls so why should I waste money on something she'll only play with to impress her friends. I gave in on the Webkinz, actually her Nana bought it for her when I wasn't around. Still she has a couple of them now that we bought her. I put my foot down on those Bratz dolls though. There are plenty of other dolls out there. She actually has some of the Soda Pop girls which are made by the same manufacturer of Bratz. They have the big almond shaped eyes like the Bratz dolls, but are dressed in cutesy clothes and come with a pet. We were just playing with those this afternoon.

There is a chance that Mattel will keep the Bratz dolls on the shelf by producing it themselves. I hope that the next time we see the Bratz dolls will be in about 20 years on VH1's show, "I Love the New Millenium", or whatever they will call it. My niece and I were hysterical watching the "I Love the 80's" and "I Love the 90's" shows on VH1 this past summer. The show has modern comedians spoofing the fads, toys, sayings, etc. of the time period. Some of it was really funny.

Those of us who lived through the disappearance of our beloved Smurfs will be able to put this in perspective. Maybe the Bratz dolls will become collectors items, or maybe not.

The Fayette YMCA Could Expand if SPLOST Renewed

I recently received an email asking concerned citizens of Fayette County to write to the Fayette County Board of Commissioners urging them to include a community center/YMCA (including an aquatic venue, gym, wellness, teen, arts center, etc.) in the SPLOST renewal ballot next November.

After reading the email and doing a bit more research about the SPLOST, I do intend to write a letter to the commissioners asking for a community center in the SPLOST renewal ballot. Developing and maintaining the http://www.localkidfun.com website for the last year has biased me towards support of enhancing the community opportunities for children and families. Although Fayette County already has a lot to offer, a YMCA with indoor facilities could increase the recreational opportunities in Fayette County providing even more options. I am not stating here whether I will vote for or against the SPLOST renewal in November 2009. My vote will depend on what projects the SPLOST actually will include. The Fayette County Commissioners are currently planning the projects which they intend to include in the SPLOST renewal ballot next November. A letter from many of their constituents will help guide their planning.

If you would like to learn more about the current SPLOST and its projects. Click on the following link http://www.fayettecountyga.gov/finance/SPLOST_Information.htm

Here's a link to the Fayette Family YMCA: http://www.ymcaatlanta.org/Branches/FFY-Fayette_YMCA/default.asp

According to Pam Young, Regional Development Director Fayette/Summit Family YMCA's letters can be sent to Jack Smith, Jack Krakeel, Anita Goodbee, the Board of Commissioners and Recreation Commissioners. I think you write the letter to the following address with each Commissioner's name. County Commission, 140 Stonewall Avenue West, Suite 100, Fayetteville, Georgia 30214.

You can also go to the Fayette County Directory to get individual addresses and information: http://www.fayettecountyga.gov/information/address_directory.htm

Christmas with the Police ~ Giving Opportunity for Fayetteville, GA

This post is courtesy of Fayetteville Police Department MEDIA RELEASE


Fayetteville Police Officers Host “Christmas with the Police”

The Fayetteville Police Department will be conducting a “Christmas with the Police” event this holiday season. The Fayetteville Police Department will select families that may not be able to have Christmas otherwise, to celebrate the holidays with. Officers of the police department will meet with family members to get gift ideas. They will then shop for gifts for the families. Members of the Department and the families will have Christmas dinner, open presents and go to Dixie Land Amusement Park.
The Fayetteville Police Department has been conducting a similar program for the past five years. In the past events we found many of the kids bought not just for themselves but for their parents and siblings.

If you are interested in making a monetary or gift card donation to the program please contact Lieutenant Debbie Chambers at 770-461-4441.

Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe for an Easy Fall Dinner!

Here is a recipe I make every year for family and friends. I got it from my friend Sandy F. when we lived in Jacksonville, FL. It was a family recipe from growing up Rhode Island. Her family made every year to celebrate Fall. I thought I would share this with all of you.

It makes lots of food and it's easy to put together. Put it together early then pop it in the oven for at least an hour (sometimes 2 hrs). Invite your neighbors over and let the kids play outside in this gorgeous October weather while the pumpkin cooks. It makes your house smell yummy. I've made it twice already this fall for two different groups of friends. The leftovers are good too.

TIP: If you are inviting over picky eaters, reserve some extra ground meat for hamburgers to cook on the grill.

Stuffed Pumpkin Recipe
Ingredients:
Pumpkin - Buy a pumpkin at the grocery store or at a pumpkin patch. Look for a good size that will fit in your oven with the stem (usually medium size works).
1 med Onion
2 lb ground turkey OR 1 lb ground pork & 1 lb ground beef
1 Cup Chopped Celery (optional)
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1 Cup Plain Bread Crumbs

Directions:
Cut the top off the pumpkin and reserve. Scoop out the seeds and veins of pumpkin (like you would to carve it).
Precook in microwave 5-10 minutes until it starts to soften (this helps reduce the oven time)

Fry 1 chopped onion until brown
add ground meat and cook until brown
add 1 cup water (reduce water w/ reduced meat)& 1 cup chopped celery (optional). Cook until celery is done. Remove from heat.

Add 1 T. poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, & 1 C bread crumbs. Mix.

Once cool, stuff mixture into pumpkin. Place top on pumpkin and put it on a foil covered cookie sheet to prevent dripping.
Bake at 350 degrees until done (1-2 hours). Done when pumpkin is brown and very soft.
Serve in pumpkin or in serving bowls. For serving bowls, scoop out the meat into one dish and the flesh of the pumpkin into another. Serve also with rice (our preference), mashed potatoes, or any vegetable.

ENJOY! Candace

Trick or Treat for UNICEF

My kids and I are planning to Trick or Treat for UNICEF this year. My husband and I both collected for UNICEF as children. We want to pass this giving spirit onto our children. I've ordered a few of the orange UNICEF boxes for my kids and the neighborhood kids so that they can participate too.

Here's a link to get your own box http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patches

Thank you to my friend Diane of www.petsofgeorgia.com. She gave me a link for Pumpkin Patches by County. Here it is http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/GAEJpumpkins.php. Most of the places listed for Fayette, Henry and Coweta counties were already on LocalKidFun.com. You can find them on either on the Events Calendar or in the Seasonal Activities page under Fall Fun. The Pumpkin Patches site is nice though if you are venturing out of our area either within GA or elsewhere in the US.

My family is heading up to Connecticut this weekend. We'll be going to our favorite pumpkin patch in CT, Jones Family Farms. If I didn't already know about this farm though, I'd check the Pumpkin Patch site. Just in case, I did check and Jones Farm is listed 2nd on the CT page.

Hope this helps those of you in search of the "Great Pumpkin"!

Enjoy Family Friendly Theater in Your Community

I have always been enthralled with live theater and hope to pass that love onto my children. After starting LocalKidFun.com I discovered a hidden gem right here in our community that has allowed me to enjoy some wonderful shows with my children. The discovery of Fayette-Coweta Family Theatre, Inc. under the direction of Tammy Barton was like finding a gold mine in my own back yard. FCFT offers 6 family friendly shows per season held in various venues throughout the community. They also offer workshops, production camps and weekly acting classes for aspiring youth ages 5 -18.

The first show I saw was a small production put on by the students of a six week work shop. The show was free. The theatre was mostly filled with family members of the actors. For many of the children, this was their first experience in performing live in front of an audience. I honestly wasn’t expecting much, but thought my kids might enjoy this particular “kid show”. As it turned out, I was blown away by the junior musical and the talent showcased. I watched one little girl struggle a little bit with her nerves as she spoke in the first scene, only to hear her belt out the most beautiful song solo at the end. Her performance of that song put tears in my eyes. The show was incredible.

The next FCFT performance I attended was “School House Rock”, a part of their “A Company of Friends Educational Production”, the professional troupe. Again, I was impressed. For less than the price of a movie, we had a wonderful family bonding moment that continues as we still sing the songs from that show.

Besides pure enjoyment and affordable family entertainment, exposing your children to the arts can be a positive influence in their lives. Plays are like books coming to life. The audience gets to experience the story using all senses and feels a part of the excitement and unfolding drama. Attending theatre with your child may also inspire them to have the courage to try something new. Acting for the love of playing characters can give a child confidence and an inner strength that they will carry with them throughout their lives. According an article for Scholastic called “Supporting the Arts: Why it’s important to connect to the creative side of school.” by Carol Pitterman, there are 3 benefits of drama class:

• Sharpens sense of plot, setting, and characters — all integral aspects of being a good reader, too!
• Improvisation is fun and allows a chance to act silly in school.
• Flexes memory muscles when it's time to remember lines.
  
  

The article suggests you can give your child a head start with acting skills such as confidence and character voice development by reading aloud together.

The next show my family and I will attend is FCFT’s Mulan Jr. held in early November. Mention “LocalKidFun.com” while making your reservation and receive a special discount on concessions at the show. To find out more about FCFT’s workshops and upcoming shows, got to http://www.fcft.net.

For a list of other local theatre companies and their upcoming shows Click Here to go to LocalKidFun.com's Family Theater page.

Children's Consignment Sales

It's time for many Seasonal Children's Consignment Sales. Consignment Sales are typically for one weekend only. They are a great place to shop for Fall/Winter clothing, find Halloween Costumes, get a head start on Christmas shopping, etc.

Starting this weekend, August 23, 2008 and continuing through mid-September, many seasonal consignment sales will take place. LocalKidFun.com has a list of consignment sales in the Fayette, Henry and Coweta County, GA on it's Consignment Page. You can also find the sales listed on LocalKidFun.com's Calendar Page.

If you have never shopped consignment, now may be the perfect time to try one out. We could all use a little extra cash in our pocket these days. Whether you're selling your items at the sale or buying clothes and toys for your kids at a fraction of their original cost, Seasonal Consignment Sales can help keep your wallet nice and thick. Kids grow out of their clothes and toys with the blink of an eye. Selling the clothes and toys that are clean and look almost unused is a great way to keep clutter out and make money for the new items your children will need. Most sales offer sellers and volunteers a preview shopping day. Often, the best items are sold in these preview days to other sellers who now need to replenish their growing child's wardrobe. Check each sale's website link or contact them to find out how to become a seller.

For shoppers, I found some great tips for consignment sale "newbies" at http://www.kidsconsignmentsales.com/sresources.htm. They give some clever ideas on how to best shop for clothes that will fit your child. This is important because sizes vary by brand and some clothing shrinks in the wash. They also recommend leaving children at home while you shop consigment. Great idea because these sales can get crowded and it is hard to keep an eye on wandering little ones while you shop. Many sales ask you to leave strollers at home.

One tip I would add is to make a list of what you need before you leave your house. These sales are often held in large venues and there are many items for sale. You can easily get overwhelmed and impulse shop. I learned that the hard way. I felt great one time leaving a sale because I found a bunch of adorable and inexpensive shirts for my child. The problem was, my child already had a lot of shirts in that size. The shirt drawer ended up being over-stuffed and I didn't have many pants, shorts, etc. that matched the shirts.

Good luck to all who will be selling and buying over the next few weekends. Happy bargain hunting! Oh, and when you are checking out please be sure to mention that you found out about the sale on LocalKidFun.com.

"Imagination Movers" - New Show on Playhouse Disney

For the preschool group and their parents who may be looking for ways to entertain them now that the big kids are back in school, here is a little something. "Imagination Movers" will be premiering on Playhouse Disney at 10am/9am (central) on Saturday, Sept. 6th.

Kids are probably already familiar with the blue cover-all clad singing group from their videos that have been showing between shows on Playhouse Disney for a couple of years. The Imagination Mover's website explains the show will feature music performances, stories and skits. The skits and stories are designed to teach children problem solving skills. The band members will work hard to solve "idea emergencies" by brainstorming. They hope that brainstorming will become a part of your child's vocabulary. You can also download coloring pages and play online games at the For Kids section their site. The Playhouse Disney website also has "Imagination Movers" coloring pages and music videos. I personally liked the ones on Imagination Movers better.

If you want to hear a little bit about the background of Imagination Movers and about New Orleans where the show is being filmed, listen to the MommyCast podcast about their visit to the set of "Imagination Movers". Paige and Gretchen, hosts of MommyCast, tell how the band members of Imagination Movers felt there was a hole left in children's educational TV when Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo passed. They also talk about the bond between the band members and why the show is being taped in New Orleans. (To listen to the podcast, click on the MommyCast link. From there you can download it to your mp3 player or play it on your computer. You can also find all the MommyCast shows on iTunes. Look for show #319.)

Back to School, Back to Work & Work from Home Tips.

For those of us who are lucky enough to have summers off, back to school also means back to work. Even if you are a full-time stay at home mom, back to school might mean volunteering at your child's school or working on some house projects you've been putting off all summer. I don't really have summers off from my home based business, LocalKidFun.com, but I did spend lots of time with the kids this summer so back to school means back to work for me too.

As much as I am looking forward to getting back to having more uninterrupted hours to work at home, I am also reminded that sometimes working from home can be lonely. Many people think working from home is a dream. It does have it's benefits, like being able to work in pajamas or in stinky work-out clothes, no commute, you can wash several loads of laundry while you work, etc. The main negative for me is the lack of human interaction. Even when I had a job where I talked to people all day on the phone, I missed having co-workers to chat with while getting coffee. You have no one patting you on the back and telling you what a great job you are doing. Many times you have to work twice as hard as people in the office just to prove that you are not slacking off at home.

If you think you would enjoy working alone and can be self-motivated, you still have to make sure that the actual work is right for you and your family situation. I once had a work from home job that wasn't a good fit because of the hours. In that job, I found my phone was ringing off the hook from people returning my calls while I was making dinner or helping the kids with homework. Spousal support was key in that situation, but eventually I ended up leaving that job for something that was less disruptive to my family.

While not every work from home job is a dream. I have learned several tips from my almost 7 years of working from home that may make it easier for you if you are considering that path. Please feel free to add more tips to the comments if you have them for the many people considering work from home situations.

Tip 1: Don't work near the kitchen. I actually just learned that one when I found out I gained a bunch of weight in the last year since I started LocalKidFun.com. Snacking is a big form of procrastination for me, so I need to put my work space as far away from the kitchen as possible. My husband works from our only home office so I have set up a desk in the corner of another room to keep myself away from the kitchen.

Tip 2: Know where you can find a reliable WiFi hotspot. My husband and I have both worked from our local library or a coffee shop when we just needed to get out of the house.

Tip 3: Set goals and write them down. It was easier to work from home when I had a boss or a team that made me accountable on those days where it's hard to be self motivated. Now that I don't have a boss to answer to, I hold myself accountable to my goals and give myself little rewards for reaching them. (Just don't make the rewards food related or you won't fit into your street clothes when you do leave the house.)

Tip 4: Make sure you have your own computer. I prefer my laptop, but a desktop is OK too. Just keep it away from the kids.

Tip 5: Keep a structured and reliable work schedule and communicate that schedule with family. If you do have to work outside of your normal work hours, make sure you're kids and family are aware of the change in advance so you won't get unexpected interruptions from them.

Good luck with back to school!

Mamma Mia!

I went to see Mamma Mia! the movie with some girlfriends last night. About a quarter of the way through the movie, I couldn't get out of my head that this was High School Musical for middle aged women. I wouldn't show it to my kids because there are too many adult themes running through the plot. In the end though, I really enjoyed it. I have always been a sucker for musicals and can easily get lost in them. I laughed, I cried, etc.

I am embarrassed to admit that I had heard nothing of this film or the actual musical production that opened in London in 1999 before my friends suggested a "girl's night out" to see it. Today, I went to the official Mamma Mia! movie website and the official ABBA site. The ABBA site has an article that describes the process of making the musical into a movie. The beginning of the article states, "Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, it’s highly unlikely you’re not familiar with the global success story that is Mamma Mia!". I guess living under a rock perfectly describes me. My first child was born in 2000 and my second in 2002. Since then, my view of pop culture has been through the eyes of small children. I can discuss the finer points of Transformers & Lego Star Wars all day and of course I can sing every lyric to the songs of both the High School Musical movies. But, I digress. This is supposed to be a posting about Mamma Mia!. I can discuss the complete and total loss of coolness I experienced when becoming a stay at home mom in another post.

Overall, I thought Mamma Mia! was a fun and entertaining movie. It is not for everyone. There were a few groups of people who walked out during the middle of the movie. I don't think I've ever done walked out on a movie, although I wanted to when my youth group went to see Chariots of Fire back in 1981. Also, I recently fell asleep when I took the kids to see WALL-E (they enjoyed that movie, I found it a bit slow to get going). I probably go to the movies less than the average person. In the past 10 years I have been stuck in a Kid Movie or "Super Hero" movie rut. My husband loves the "Super Hero" movies. It was fun to see this movie with friends. I loved the music by ABBA even though I've never considered myself an ABBA fan before. I could see myself in the character of "Donna" someday in the future when my now 5 year old daughter gets married. I know that my sister and I will do our best to embarrass her by singing all of the songs we used to sing on the long car trips with our parents. We loved to string commercials together and even made up a song or two of our own. Later, we graduated to singing Rick Springfield songs. (Only 8 more days until I get to see Rick Springfield live in Peachtree City, GA at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater. I can't contain my excitement!)

Even though my entire family never hesitates to tell me what a terrible singer I am, I have always loved music. We are passing that pure joy of 1980's music to our children with Friday Night Dance Parties at the Robichauxs'. We don't do this every Friday night anymore, but I may have to start it up again after seeing Mamma Mia!. The kids are getting a little heavy to be our human guitars, but I think they are still young enough to dance around the house like idiots with us.

So, if you go see Mamma Mia!, I would recommend leaving the hubby and kids at home. But when you get home, dance around the house with them and have some fun while you remember your youth and pretend to be cool again.

Welcome to the LocalKidFun.com Blog

This is my very first blog. Finally! My husband has been blogging for at least 6 years so I really have no excuse for waiting so long.

I guess the best way to start your blog is to tell people what you will be writing about. This blog will contain updates about me and my family which may not be that interesting to people, but I'll try to keep it interesting and real. I also may have some information related to LocalKidFun.com, although this is not a commercial for any of the business or places listed on there. (sign up for LKF's newsletter if you want to see things only related to LocalKidFun.com) I'm also a bit of a nerd about careers, finding work, resumes etc. since I used to be a recruiter. I try to keep up with the latest trends in that area and may pass some of that along.

So, I hope you'll read and enjoy.