ToysRUs/BabiesRUs Giveaway

It's Wednesday and to celebrate being halfway through the week, here's a little giveaway for you!

The fine folks at ToysRUs/BabiesRUs have provided phillyfun4kids with a $25 gift card in celebration of their new combined megastores that launched the weekend of Sept. 10-11th. You may have noticed that some of the area stores are now combined megastores with Toys R Us and Babies R Us product lines all under one roof now. Pretty handy, huh? We visited ours in early Sept. and they were still stocking the shelves but it was great to have both Babies R Us and Toys R Us products all in one stop.

To win the $25 gift card, leave a comment below by Oct. 5th at midnight. The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced next Wed. Oct. 6th. Increase your chances to win by following us on facebook and/or twitter. If you already follow, just leave additional comments below that you already follow us. And if you tweet about the contest using the hashtag #phillyfun4kids, you get another chance to win. Make sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win. Good luck!!

Congratulations Liz!!! You are the lucky winner of the ToysRUs/BabiesRUs giftcard. Now you can get that belated baby shower gift for your relative.

ToysRUs/BabiesRUs Giveaway

How to Survive a Rainy Week? Plan your visit to see the Rockettes

It's supposed to be a pretty rainy week here in Philly this week. Hope you're finding good things to do indoors! Here's one for ya for the weekend that is sure to be a hit for your little dancers:

The Rockettes @ Macy's
Macy's Cherry Hill
Kids Department Lower Level
2pm

Bring along the little ones as the Rockettes® will show them how to perform those eye-high kicks, provide a glimpse of the history of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular® and tell them what it takes to become a world-famous Rockette®. Kids will even get to join in a mini-performance and receive an "Honorary Rockette®" certificate. Following the Dance with the Rockettes® experience, snag a photo and meet with the stars of the world's most precision dance troupe.

And if you spend $50 or more in the kids department at this event you can receive a pair of tickets to their Radio City Christmas Spectacular® during their national tour. Plus, enjoy a special offer of 25% off your ticket purchase to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular® in addition to your two free tickets with code MACYS at www.radiocitychristmas.com.

Now I've never been to Radio City Music Hall for the Rockettes show but I *know* my little daughter will go ape over this if I take her. (I am not even kidding when I say that she is upstairs asleep in her "tap" shoes right now...)

Disclaimer: Macy's in no way paid us to write this. We received no free tickets to post about this event. We simply think it could be very cool to meet the Rockettes in person.

How to Survive a Rainy Week? Plan your visit to see the Rockettes

Weekend phillyfun picks

In addition to Museum Day and Sculpture Saturday and Free Sunday mornings at the Brandywine River Museum events this weekend, check out this amazing list of select fall festivals and fun for all:


RotorFest
Helicopter Museum & Education Center
West Chester PA
Saturday 25th - Sunday 26th

Did you know the world's largest all-helicopter air show takes place right in our backyard in West Chester??? Well it does and it's happening this Saturday and Sunday Sept. 25-26th from 10am-4:30pm at the Helicopter Museum & Education Center. RotorFest aims to celebrate our helicopter history and inspire the inventors of tomorrow. Helicopter Rides are only $40/person so you can take your kid or your sweetie for a ride for a special treat. Adults and children over 2 years old $10.

Linvilla Orchards Apple Festival
Media
Saturday Sept. 25th and Sunday Sept. 26th
9am-6pm

Linvilla Orchard's Apple Festival features pick your own apples (15 acres of fields, 25 varieties), participate in a pie-eating contest & enjoy seasonal foods including candy apples & baked goods. Also enjoy costumed characters & pony rides. Pumpkinland is open. Free festival but attraction prices vary.


48th Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade
Ben Franklin Parkway
Sunday Sept. 26th
Noon

Complete with music, dancing and fabulous floats, Philadelphia’s annual Puerto Rican Day Parade holds the designation of the oldest and largest outdoor event celebrating Puerto Rican and Latino heritage in the city. On September 26th, the parade begins at 12 noon at 16th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and marches along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway towards the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Free.

"Elixir of Love" in the Italian Market
The piazza of the Italian Market
S. 9th St. Montrose St.
Philadelphia
Saturday Sept. 25th
2pm

Center City Opera Theater presents a fully staged production of Donizetti's popular comic opera Elixir of Love. Local vendors will be selling Italian water ice, espresso, panini & other Italian treats. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. All donations benefit CCOT & Italian Market Association's education programs. Free (donations accepted).

Founders Day Fall Festival
Washington Memorial Chapel
Valley Forge
Saturday Sept. 25th
10am-4pm

Colonial-themed Founders Day Fall Festival family event features artisans & crafters, food, children's games, a dog show, pumpkins, a moonbounce, chapel tours & a bake sale. Free admission and parking.

Fine Arts & Crafts Festival
Rose Tree Park, Media
Saturday 25th - Sunday 26th
10am-5pm
Community Arts Center in Wallingford presents this 8th Annual Fine Arts & Crafts Festival with a fine arts & crafts festival & sale, music, food, kids' activities & artist demonstrations.

New Hope Arts & Crafts Festival
New Hope
Saturday Sept. 25th 10am-6pm
Sunday Sept. 26th 10am-5pm

Over 150 artists present and sell their work at the annual juried New Hope Outdoor Arts and Crafts Festival in historic New Hope, Pennsylvania. The event includes musical entertainment in various locations throughout New Hope, plus local food vendors. A children’s activity booth offers youngsters the opportunity to experience the festival’s creative atmosphere.

Fall Festival
Princeton Presbyterian Church
Springfield
Saturday Sept. 25th
12-4pm

This Fall Festival sponsored by the Ridley Springfield Girl Scouts will be packed with many fun filled activities including Moon Bounces by Family Inflatables, Balloon Scultpures by Why Not Magic, Face Painting, Crafts, Games, Refreshments and more. Stop by for some fun, food and to discover all the excitement Girl Scouts has to offer!! This is a FREE event and all are welcome! The Girl Scouts are asking for a donation of a canned good for their fall food drive.

Pumpkin Palooza
Garden State Discovery Museum and Springdale Farms
Saturday 25th -Sunday 26th
11am - 5pm

The Discovery Museum and Springdale Farms present the Pumpkin Palooza Festival with hayrides, pony rides, a petting zoo, a corn maze and pumpkin picking & painting. At the Discovery Museum, enjoy the full array of exhibits including the market-style produce stand. Springdale Farms is one mile down the road. Visit both spots for $15


Blessing of the Animals Ceremony
Unitarian Society of Germantown
Saturday Sept. 25th
2pm-4pm

The 6th Annual Blessing of the Animals Ceremony features a multi-faith blessing of the animals. Also enjoy live music, face painting, crafts, vegan food, a drum circle & an animal healing booth. Animals must be on leashes or in carriers. Free.

Weekend phillyfun picks

More Great Museum Discounts in September

September is a BIG month for museum discounts in Philly. This coming Saturday, September 25th is Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day with free (yes FREE!) admission to 20 museums in Philly. The list of participating museums includes those big and small so there's something for everyone at one of these wonderful participating museums: Fireman's Hall Museum, Historic St. George's, Independence National Historical Park, Independence Seaport Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), National Liberty Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Rosenbach Museum & Library, Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, The Academy of Natural Sciences, The Franklin Institute, The Galleries at Moore, Moore College of Art & Design, The Print Center, and University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

And you already know that September is Buy One, Get One free at the National Constitution Center and Sunday mornings are free from 9:30-12Noon at the Brandywine River Museum.

But did you know that you can get half price memberships to Bartram Gardens, for the month of September if you join on-line? You didn't? Me neither! But now we do.. A $50 Seed Saver Membership is now only $25 through Sept. 30th. So rush onto your computers and click "submit" to get your half-price memberships before this month flies by. Here are the details:

Join online as a new member during the month of September for just $25!
Follow this link: http://www.bartramsgarden.org/shop/index.php?cPath=22

You'll enjoy these great benefits while supporting one of America's most important botanic gardens!

Seed Saver members receive:

• 15 Program Passes (value $10 each or $150) for house and garden tours, specialty tours, and monthly home school and toddler programs. Passes are transferable so you can share them with family and friends.
  
  
• Fall specialty tours include: Wild Plants (Sept. 18), Archaeology (Oct. 2), Fall Foliage (Oct. 16), and Family Cider Making (Oct. 30). Calendar with details here: http://www.bartramsgarden.org/?page_id=24
  
  
• 4 tickets to use for admission to tours of the Physic Garden at Pennsylvania Hospital (Oct. 2) or a holiday poinsettia-themed house tour at Bartram's Garden (Dec. 11).
  
  
• 10% discount on spring plant sales in May
  
  
• 10% discount on museum shop purchases (excluding select consignment items and cafe/vendor items during special events)
  

One membership per household only, please. Memberships purchased now are valid through September 30, 2011. Offer available to new members joining online during the month of September only. Cannot be combined with any other special offers.

More Great Museum Discounts in September

Sunday Picks

It's a beautiful weekend in Philly (last official weekend of summer) with lots of great things to do with the family. What will you do today?

Sunday September 19, 2010


Peddler's Village Annual Scarecrow Festival
Lahaska, PA
10am-6pm

Fall family fun including scarecrow-making workshops, pumpkin pie-eating contests, pumpkin painting, live entertainment & festive foods. Free and free parking. Fee & registration required for scarecrow workshops.

Art & Music Festival at Linvilla Orchards
Media, PA
9am-5pm

Enjoy artist demonstrations, a craft sale & performances by six live bands. Hayrides, apple & pumpkin picking, pony rides, a corn maze & face painting.

SeptemberFest
Medford, NJ
10am-5pm

Craft Show with over 40 crafters showing off their unique Handmade crafts, and a Kids Fun Fair to benefit American Cancer Society (Relay for Life) of Medford and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Featuring Live Music and a fun, free play area for the kids!

The Village Renaissance Faire
Newtown, PA
11am-6pm

11th annual festival features horseback jousting, live performances, a working catapult, crafts, living history demonstrations, medieval games & carriage rides.Cost: $5, ages 8 & younger free

Chester County Restaurant Festival
West Chester, PA
12Noon-5:30pm

Chefs compete to win the title of the best chef in Chester County. More than 50 restaurants are participating. Also enjoy arts & crafts vendors and live music.




Jenkintown Festival of the Arts
Jenkintown, PA
1-5pm

Jenkintown Festival of the Arts will showcase the creativity and imagination of regional artists. Thousands will walk through the town to enjoy a juried arts show, taste fine foods and craft brews, listen to the sounds of great music, watch live performances, frolic in the Kids Court, shop and experience the fun in our historic town.

Free Sunday Mornings at the Brandywine River Museum
9:30-Noon
Discover the wonderful world of art every Sunday morning in September with free Sunday mornings from 9:30 a.m. until noon.

Fall Super Sunday in Media
9am-4pm
Media, PA

Fall Super Sunday features over 150 vendors, offering fabulous bargains on everything from antiques, appliances and books, to bric-a-brac, collectibles, attic treasures and handmade craft items. Many of Media's stores and restaurants will be offering Super Sunday specials, and some of the restaurants will serve their wonderful specialties "al fresco."


And don't forget, the Happy & Healthy Mom Fair today at the Please Touch Museum from 11am-3pm.

Local (many mom-owned) businesses and national sponsors will offer information and samplings, great Raffle Prizes, Seminars on topics including "Pre and PostNatal Health and Nutrition;" "Pregnant and Uncomfortable?"; "Going Green with Baby"; "Healthy Meals for the Family," and more! The fair is free with paid admission to Please Touch Museum. The first 200 people to pre-register for the Fair will receive a VIP swag bag at the event! (One registration per Happy and Healthy Mom, please!)

Sunday Picks

Linvilla Orchards Johnny Appleseed Art and Music Festival

The Johnny Appleseed Arts & Music Festival is this weekend September 18-19th at Linvilla Orchards and welcomes select local artists and crafts persons to gather and exhibit their work. This great show offers music and unique exhibitors for folks to browse a wide variety of woodcrafts, jewelry, photography and much more!

Live music line-up includes:

Saturday Sept 18:
10:30 The Broozers
1:00 Run of the Mill String Band
3:30 Zorro Gato

Sunday Sept 19:
10:30 The McChords
1:00 Genny and the Westmont Playboys
3:30 The Fair Trade

Pumpkinland will be open with its larger than life display and tons of pumpkins for the fall harvest! While you’re there take a hayride through their fields and enjoy the scenery. Linvilla also offers Pony Rides, Pick your Own Apples, Face Painting, Mazes, Music and much more. Don’t forget to stop by the Farm Market and purchase one of thier famous pies.

Linvilla Orchards Johnny Appleseed Art and Music Festival

Special Friends Visits at the Please Touch Museum

Everyone's favorite curious little monkey is coming to the Please Touch Museum this Thursday September 16th as part of their Make Friends Make Memories Program and in celebration of H.A. Rey's birthday, author of the Curious George books. George will be live in the Story Castle at 10:30am, 12:30pm & 3:30pm on Thursday September 16th.

And on Friday September 17th, kids can have a meet and greet with Bert and Ernie from “Elmo’s Healthy Heroes” in Hamilton Hall at 11:00 a.m.

Free with paid admission to the museum.

Special Friends Visits at the Please Touch Museum

Open House & Free Admission at The Rosenbach Museum & Library

On Saturday September 25th from Noon-6pm, families can enjoy an Open House & Free Admission at The Rosenbach Museum & Library as part of Smithsonian Museum Day. Philadelphia’s Rosenbach Museum & Library opens its doors on the 25th, offering free admission for visitors to the museum’s Open House from Noon – 6 p.m. Part of Smithsonian Museum Day – an annual event in which participating museums across the country open their doors for free – museumgoers are invited to explore the historic Rosenbach brothers’ home at their leisure, an option available only one day of the year, in addition to the museum’s current exhibitions and galleries. Museum staff members and docents will be available throughout the day to guide visitors and answer questions about the collection.

During the Open House, visitors are invited to experience:

* Historic 2010 Delancey: The Rosenbach Home – On the National Register of Historic Places, 2010 Delancey was home to renowned art and book dealers, Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach and his brother, Philip. Their parlor and dining room feature portraits by Thomas Sully and Gilbert Stuart as well as furniture by Anthony Quervelle. Dr. Rosenbach’s spectacular personal library is a highlight of any trip to the Rosenbach.

* Marianne Moore’s Greenwich Village living room – The modernist poet left her papers and the contents of her living room to the Rosenbach, creating a poetry landmark.

* Exhibition Galleries – Special exhibitions show off the depth and breadth of the Rosenbach collection. Two exhibitions currently on view include:

o Dreadful Things Happen: The Brothers Grimm and Maurice Sendak (thru November 7, 2010) examines illustrator Maurice Sendak’s perspective on the folktales popularized by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

o Westward Ho! The Lure and Lore of the American West (thru November 28, 2010), featuring dime novels, photographs, guides, maps and more

The Rosenbach Museum & Library seeks to inspire curiosity, inquiry, and creativity by engaging broad audiences in exhibitions, programs, and research based on its remarkable and expanding collections. The museum was founded by legendary book dealer A.S.W. Rosenbach and his brother and business partner Philip. With an outstanding collection of rare books, manuscripts, furniture, and art, the Rosenbach is a museum and world-renowned research library, set within two historic 1865 townhouses, that reflects an age when great collectors lived among their treasures. Located at 2008-2010 Delancey Place, the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. The Saturday, September 25 Open House offers free admission. Regular museum admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and groups of 10 or more, $5 for students and children ages 5-18, and free for children under 5.

Open House & Free Admission at The Rosenbach Museum & Library

Weekend phillyfun picks

Lots to do this first weekend in September!! Hope you get out and enjoy some great family fun!


Day Out with Thomas
If you haven't taken your little ones to this, it's a great family trip for all. The deafening screams of the toddlers and kids when they see Thomas come down the tracks makes you think you're seeing the Beatles together live. The crowds are intense (tip: try to book your reservations early in the morning!) and the lure of the shops is great but if you combine the day out with Thomas with a visit to the Strausburg Railroad and one of Lancaster County's great PA Dutch restaurants, it's truly worth the trip. Note: if you want to make a long weekend out of it, stay at the Bird in Hand Country Inn where we stayed last year (has its own little zoo, duck pond, mini-golf, ice cream parlor and more!) or The Red Caboose Motel and then do some outlet shopping or head over to Dutch Wonderland the next day.
Ticket prices for all attractions vary (and are definitely NOT FREE)

Philadelphia Live Arts Festival - picks for kids:
Philadelphia’s 14th annual innovative Live Arts Festival + Philly Fringe boasts more than 1,200 live dance, theater and music performances throughout the city from Sept. 3-18. Among the vast line-up of abstract and avant-garde works, you can find a few kid-friendly shows. Family-appropriate highlights recommended by festival representatives include:

• Cankerblossom, a modern fairytale about parents who save their baby by entering a cardboard place called Flatworld, through Sept. 18 at Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 North American St.
• AFOOT!, a giant game board in Northern Liberties where you can follow clues to win prizes, Sept. 4 & 11
• The Crowded House, a children’s opera about a poor family helped by a good witch, Sept. 9-12 at the Lantern Theater
• Bang on a Can Marathon, ten hours of non-stop music on Sept. 12 at World Café Live.

Be sure to double and triple check any events you might take your wee ones to though because a quick search on the Philly Live Arts + Fringe website for "kids" yielded a decidedly *NOT* kid-friendly event (for most families) that had happened to simply have "nursery rhyme" in the title...

45th Annual Chadds Ford Days in Chadds Ford, PA
Don’t miss the 45th Annual Chadds Ford Days in Chadds Ford, PA. The event features colonial crafts demonstrations, Brandywine Valley art and artisans, children's rides and games, great fair food, live music, museum store offerings, tours of the John Chads house and more. Craftspeople will demonstrate beekeeping, how to make paper, canning and much more. The festival runs September 11 - 12 10 am to 5pm. For more information: www.chaddsfordhistory.org/ Free!


Kennett Square Mushroom Festival
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all of Kennett Square will be decked out for their annual celebration of the noble fungi (it’s the 25th annual shindig). Festivities start on Friday night with a 7 p.m. community parade at South and Broad. Visitors will have the opportunity to check out the Mushroom Growing Exhibit, the Painted Mushrooms Silent Auction, a Mushroom Soup Cook-off and an Antique and Classic Car Show. A number of local chefs will also be on hand to demonstrate a variety of mushroom recipes in the Culinary Hall. Admission to the Mushroom Festival is just $2 for everyone ages 12 and up (kids 11 and under get in for free). All proceeds go to benefit regional non-profit organizations through the Mushroom Festival Grant program. Parking is $5 and includes a free shuttle bus ride to the main Street Fair. For more information about hours and festival policies, click here. Free!

Free Sunday Mornings in September at the Brandywine River Museum
Discover the wonderful world of art every Sunday morning in Sept. with free admission to the Brandywine River Museum from 9:30am until 12noon. Free! Bonus - Stop at Hank's Place for breakfast, lunch or early supper after your trip to the museum for a really yummy affordable family meal.

Sculpture Saturdays
This Saturday kicks off six Saturdays of FREE family-friendly programming along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, including artist-led sculpture workshops for children and semi-guided iPod tours. Hands-on programs for all ages will be available. Explore public art in Philadelphia through Sculpture Saturdays! The event is from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia. There will be sculpture-making workshops at Aviator Park (20th and the Parkway and iPod Tours begin and end at Capriccio at Café Cret (16th and the Parkway). Ongoing activities throughout the day will include:

• Kids’ Sculpture Workshops: Each week, kids can stop by the PNC Arts Alive tent inAviator Park (20th and the Parkway) for artist-led sculpture-making activities inspired byPhiladelphia’s public art
• Outdoor Sculpture Fun Guide and Art Kits for Kids: Children will receive aprofessionally illustrated kids sculpture booklet and art kit to take home;
• iPod Tours: Self-guided iPod tours of up to 15 people at a time will venture down theParkway and Kelly Drive. Participants can borrow an iPod Touch loaded with 35 audioprograms about the sculptures and will learn how to further engage with the art works by using advanced iPod features, such as GPS mapping and messaging
• Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO: Public art “ambassadors” will be on hand todistribute Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO maps and to help guide participantsinterested in experiencing the program on their cell phones, smart phones, or mp3players.

Penn's Landing Celebrations
- Doo Wop Festival on Saturday Sept. 11th from 1-7pm. Free!
- Mexican Independence Day on Sunday Sept. 12 from 1-7pm. Free!

Lansdowne Arts Festival .
This Saturday and Sunday Sept. 10th-11th marks the 8th Annual Lansdowne Arts Festival. Now as I mentioned, I happen to be a little partial to this great event since it's in my town but truly if you can make it out, it's a great fun day for all. The Lansdowne Arts Festival, now in its eighth year, is a weekend-long event featuring an array of creative and performing arts, including painting, crafts, sculpture, jewelry, live music, drama, spoken word and children’s events. Set in the historic suburb of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, the festival has grown to include dozens of exhibiting artists and musical acts. All festival events will be held at the historic Twentieth Century Club at 84 S. Lansdowne Avenue in Lansdowne. Free!

Weekend phillyfun picks

Happy and Healthy Mom Fair

Do you know about the Happy and Healthy Mom Fair? It's a fair displaying a wide range of products and services available to new, expectant, and seasoned moms in the Philadelphia area taking place next weekend on Sunday September 19th at the Please Touch Museum from 11am-3pm where the focus is on empowering and supporting moms!

Local (many mom-owned) businesses and national sponsors will offer information and samplings, great Raffle Prizes, Seminars on topics including "Pre and PostNatal Health and Nutrition;" "Pregnant and Uncomfortable?"; "Going Green with Baby"; "Healthy Meals for the Family," and more!

The fair is free with paid admission to Please Touch Museum. The first 200 people to pre-register for the Fair will receive a VIP swag bag at the event! (One registration per Happy and Healthy Mom, please!)

And it's all brought to you by the ladies at BellyButtonBoutique.com and Premier Baby Concierge. And keep your eye out for more soon from Karla of BellyButtonBotique who will be our first guest mommy-blogger in a new upcoming series of guest mom posts sharing their top picks of phillyfun things to do with kids in their particular part of the city.

Happy and Healthy Mom Fair

Lansdowne Arts Festival

Next weekend Saturday and Sunday Sept. 10th-11th is the Lansdowne Arts Festival. Now, I happen to be a little partial to this great event since it's in my town but truly if you can make it out, it's a great fun day for all. The Lansdowne Arts Festival, now in its eighth year, is a weekend-long event featuring an array of creative and performing arts, including painting, crafts, sculpture, jewelry, live music, drama, spoken word and children’s events. Set in the historic suburb of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, the festival has grown to include dozens of exhibiting artists and musical acts. All festival events will be held at the historic Twentieth Century Club at 84 S. Lansdowne Avenue in Lansdowne.

The Arts Festival is a rain or shine event. Musical performances are held under a huge tent while art exhibits and other performing artists are inside the Twentieth Century Club. Art education is truly a hands-on experience for children of all ages at the Arts Festival, where there’s lots to do under our Kids Art Tent. Design your own hacky-sack ball, create goofy googles, make scratch-off art, or just enjoy coloring pages. From 11 am to 2 pm on both Saturday and Sunday, kids of all ages can join in these fun, free activities. The Kids Art Tent is located on the front lawn of the Twentieth Century Club near the festival entrance.

The entire borough of Lansdowne is brimming with activity the entire weekend, including Saturday’s Lansdowne Farmers Market, another rain or shine event that takes place just up the street from the Arts Festival. The Lansdowne Farmers Market just won a spot as the #1 boutique size Farmer’s Market in Pennsylvania and #2 in the country!

Lansdowne Arts Festival

Summer in the City Honey

Celebrate Milk & Honey Market's one year anniversary Saturday Sept. 4th. They'll be introducing SUMMER IN THE CITY HONEY!

Starting at 2pm BT Brownies, Shellbark Farm, Better Together, Sugar Philly, and Otolith will all be on hand with samples galore,. Inside will be samples from Green Meadow Farm, Cosmic Catering, Michelle's Granola and Old City coffee among lots of others. Live MUSIC with The Great Unknown at 2pm! Free face painting and bee tattoos for the kids. And the best block party of the season is right outside the door on 45th Street from noon til 8! Free.

Summer in the City Honey

Labor Day Weekend Fun

It's Labor Day weekend (where did the summer go???) and despite warnings about Hurricane Earl it's still a 3 day weekend, people, with lots to do if you decide not to head to the shore so enjoy!!

Friday Sept. 3nd

It's First Friday everyone so if your little ones stay up late (mine don't) or if you have a sitter (yeah, me neither), head out to any of these great First Fridays:


Old City - Art lovers of all kinds who wander among the neighborhood’s 40-plus galleries, most of them open from 5 until 9 p.m. BONUS - The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival kicks off tonight!!
Narberth - First Fridays feature expanded shop hours, free events, giveaways & shop specials.
Haddonfield- Enjoy the work of regional & national artists, live music, dining & extended shopping hours.
Main Line - Shops & restaurants in Ardmore, Bryn Mawr & Haverford feature local artists' displays & live music. Free trolley available along Lancaster Ave. BONUS - tonight is Main Line Sings the Blues Annual blues event featuring Carol Moog, Tom Mullin, Twister Baby, Johnny Never Band, Square Wheels & fab visual art.
Phoenixville - Cultural event includes special events & entertainment at shops & restaurants.

Free Friday Night Lights
Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m. and be launched from the quay in the Penn’s Landing Marina, near the new RiverStage at Penn’s Landing. The Friday Light Lights displays will be a chance to experience fireworks in a more intimate way, providing a perfect end (or start) to a summer evening on the waterfront.


Saturday Sept. 4th

Labor Day Celebration at the National Constituion Center
Explore the history of the American worker during an interactive program. Families can also create arts & crafts. Free with admission, $8-$12, ages 3 & younger free. BONUS - September is Buy One Ticker, Get One Free month at the Constitution Center so now is the time to go.

RedBull Flutag Viewing Party
Red Bull Flugtag challenges the brave and brainy to design, build and pilot homemade flying machines off a 30-foot high flight deck in hopes of soaring into the wild blue yonder…or often, plunging into the waters below. Flugtag, which means “flying day” in German, pushes the envelope of human-powered flight, but competitors need more than airtime to reach the podium. Gates open: 11:00AM, First Flight: 1:00PM, Last Flight: 3:30PM. Free!

Makin' Music at Hillwood Farm
Join Makin' Music at Hillwood Farm on Saturday, Sept. 4 from 10 AM to 2 PM. You can come see Makin’ Music’s home in the Barn and find out about classes and parties. They will be performing throughout the day, doing face painting, crafts, balloons for the kids—all sorts of Makin’ Music fun! Plus, Rockdale will be having an Open House in the Cottage, so you can stop in there and meet the teachers, find out all about Rock Bands and hear some great music. AND, Soul Source will be having an Open House in the Farmhouse, so you can stop in there and find out all about their offerings (they’ve got stuff for grown-ups and kids). 5561 Pennell Road, Media. Free!

Sunday Sept. 5th

Free Sunday Mornings in September at the Brandywine River Museum
Discover the wonderful world of art every Sunday morning in Sept. with free admission to the Brandywine River Museum from 9:30am until 12noon. Free! Bonus - Stop at Hank's Place for breakfast, lunch or early supper after your trip to the museum for a really yummy affordable family meal.

Monday Sept. 6th

AFL/CIO Labor Day Picnic
Festivities for the day at Great Plaza at Penn's Landing are sure to please adults and children alike! There will be face painters, magicians, a make and take craft center, Rocky Mountain Wall Climb, a wide variety of food and much more! Numerous musical acts will perform throughout the festival on the main stage, including the Business and the Urban Guerilla Orchestra. Admission wristbands are $5. Food and beverage sold separately. The ceremony and parade begins at 9:30 a.m. and runs on Columbus Boulevard from Washington Avenue to Market Street. The festival runs from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, Columbus Blvd. at Chestnut Street. Free!

Labor Day Fun at Franklin Square
Fun & games on the Great Lawn starting at 12 Noon, including a Water Balloon Bonanza (while supplies last) & potato sack races. Free!

Labor Day Weekend Fun

Ben and Jerry's Deal on Groupon

Today's Groupon is $10 worth of ice cream at Ben & Jerry's for 50% off!! Can't beat that now, can you? There are shop locations at 40th & Walnut as well as within 30th Street Station. Get yours and enjoy this weekend or give it away (what mom doesn't need her fix of ice cream once in a while??)
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu7238156

Ben and Jerry's Deal on Groupon

Back to School and A Little Something for Moms Too

It's September 1st and you know what that means.... Back to school!!

Took my sweet girl to get her "back to school haircut" yesterday and the kiddie haircut place was mobbed. Then we went to Old Navy and there were kids and parents back to school shopping for coats, uniforms, you name it. I found out recently that my local mall (Springfield) gave away a free back to school package with each $75 purchase. Not sure if the promo is still on at all mall locations but if you're out shopping take a look for the signs at the customer service desk to pick up some free back to school supplies.

Here are some more shopping deals while you're out stocking up:

30% off and Fill a Bag Sale at Gymboree (plus earn $25 Gymbucks on purchases) at Gymborees (all locations).

Additional 25% off already reduced sales at The Childrens Place (all locations).

Up to 60% off at Janie & Jack (all locations).

50% off at 77kids by American Eagle (all locations).

$10 off every time you spend $50 at Aeropostale Plymouth Meeting now through Sept. 19th. Use it every time you shop.


And possibly my favorite "Back to School" shopping event is for us moms... In need of a quickie??? Check out the Bare Escentuals Rethink The Quickie Tour coming to many locations throughout Philly in the coming week starting at King of Prussia Mall on Thurs. Sept. 2nd and wrapping up in University City on Sept. 7th. You can get a total "make-under" in 5 minutes or less (now that's what I'm talking about!!). It's fast, free love that's guaranteed to knock your socks off. Just look for the little pink van with the big satisfied glow.

Back to School and A Little Something for Moms Too