If you are looking for some gently used clothing, toys, and kid gear, you might want to check out these consignment sales. I’ve never been, so I can’t give you the full C-Y endorsement, but I am always up for getting a good deal.

• The Monkey Hut, starting Tuesday, March 3, from 9:00am - 7:00pm.  On Wednesday, all items are 25% off (hours 9:30 - 5:00) and Thursday, all items are 50% off (hours 9:30 - 5:00).  Location: 13 Calendar Court in the basement.  Spring and Summer clothing (0-16), games, electronic toys, strollers, room furnishings, and accessories. 
  

• The Genesis Children Consignment Sale is sponsored by Shandon United Methodist Church Genesis Sunday School Class.  Sale runs March 11 - 13 at the Shandon United Methodist Church Gymnasium.  Hours are 9:00am - 1:00pm each day, and also 5:00 - 7:00pm on Wednesday only.  Spring and Summer clothing (0-16), games and toys, etc.  The best thing about this sale is that the consigners get 60% of the money and the other 40% goes to the Genesis Sunday School Class.  In the past, they have used the money to provide Christmas for several needy families, updated cottages at Epworth’s Children Home, supported their Youth Mission Project, and many more service projects.  So, you can get something cute for your kids and give back to the community at the same time!  Win-Win!

If you go and find these events to be worthwhile, please let me (and other readers) know by commenting on this post!  Happy shopping!

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The new Curious George exhibit opened at Edventure earlier this month. My kids both loved it. My 4 year old was fascinated by the conveyor belt/construction area, and my 2 year old is still talking about playing golf (putting). Personally, I liked the windmills. The Curious George exhibit really is lots of fun, so if you haven’t been, plan a trip. I am also very excited about the work being done on the new Garden exhibit, which will open Mother’s Day weekend.

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Don’t miss the 1973-classic Charlotte’s Web at the Nickelodeon Theatre this weekend.  Show starts at 10am.  Admission is free, but a $10 donation per family is suggested.  Again, if you are a business owner or know of a business owner in Columbia who would be interested in sponsoring the Nick’s Family Film Series (called Second Saturdays at the Nick), please contact Larry Hembree for more information.

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In January, I decided to start adding a “featured blog” on my site.  Last month, it was Design Mom.  I love this site.  Gabrielle Blair is a mother of 5!  That alone is impressive enough, and yet she finds time to create this amazing blog.  I think the images she displays are beautiful, and her posts are interesting.  If you didn’t check it out in January, check Design Mom now!  Be forewarned….you will get so many great new ideas for decorating, activities, parties, and gifts, your head might explode!

For February, I am featuring Read ‘Em and Leap.  The mom who created Read ‘Em and Leap has a background in producing children’s educational websites, and decided to combine her interest in children’s literature with her current job as stay-at-home-mom.  If you want some great ideas for tying hands-on activities to children’s stories, don’t miss Read ‘Em and Leap!

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• Why is it so hard to get your kid in preschool around here?????  I don’t want to be on your waiting list.  I don’t want to participate in the lottery.  I just want to give you my money and enroll my child in your school so he can play with other kids and learn colors and sing some songs.  Seriously.  It isn’t college.  Not to mention that I am not trying to get him in preschool so I can go play more tennis (though I do wish I had that option).  My job requires that I have my childcare situation under control.  Planned.  Confirmed.  So, no, I can’t sit around all Spring/Summer just hoping you will call me to tell me you have an opening.  I need him to be enrolled.  Period.

• And while I am on the school subject, hello school board, take a note of how many people want their kids to get into Brockman.  Over 200 parents have attended the information sessions this year and there are about 25-30 openings, with the marjority of those being for 3-year olds.  That means a lot of families are going to get denied entry.  Maybe someone should care about that statistic.  We were number 1 on the waiting list last year for 3 year olds and did not get in.  It is a very successful and popular program…. Maybe, just maybe, Richland One should look at expanding the public Montessori options around here!

• How awesome is this weather?  I love having some cold weather, but yesterday….70s, no mosquitoes, no humidity.  Totally awesome!

• Soccer season is starting.  We may give it a try.

• I went to college with Jennifer Nettles.  If you saw the Grammy’s last night, you saw her rock her performance of “Stay.”  By far one of the best performances of the night.  Why?  Because it wasn’t over-produced like all the other acts.  It was just her showing the world her real talent. I saw her perform live lots of times back in the college days, and yes, her voice is THAT awesome!!  (Note: She is also an awesome person.  Very charismatic and fun, just like you see her in interviews and on stage.)  (Note 2: Tied for favorite, in my opinon, was the Radiohead performance.  Awesome.  Cold Play wishes they were half as talented as Radiohead.)

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As I mentioned in my last post, we took a day trip to Charleston. If I could teleport, I would travel A LOT more. The car ride is the hardest, as my kids turn into major need machines. If they aren’t eating snacks, they are whining or asking me to do something like read them a book or tell them a story or hold their hands or pick up something they dropped on the floor.  This was the first time where we also had the added bonus of my daughter asking every 10 minutes, “how much longer?”  I remember doing that when I was a kid, and now I know how my parents felt…

Aside from the less-than-relaxing car ride, we had an awesome day! We arrived in Charleston around 11am and went directly to the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, which is right behind the Visitor’s Center. The museum is very well organized, and it provided the perfect setting for the kids to burn some energy. The museum had a big art space, which I loved. There were several tables set up with all the materials needed for painting and making puppets or collages. Also, they were having a special reading of a book about Jackson Pollock, and then letting the kids splatter paint. Don’t worry, the museum had lots of smocks to prevent any major messes. There was also a water room that my kids loved. Boats, bridges, roads, a mini lock system, rain, sun, you get the picture. Oh, and more smocks! A shrimp boat, a market, a castle, and a children’s garden that we didn’t even get to see! Lots to see and explore. I recommend it!

After we had been there about 1.5 hours, we walked around the corner to have lunch at Juanita Greenberg’s Nacho Royale! A little pricey for lunch, as there was no kid’s menu, but the food was great and quick. My shrimp tacos were awesome! The kids had cheese quesadillas.  Bonus: A few storefronts down from Juanita’s was a shop called Cupcake! You know what that means… I was basically pressing my face to the glass when we walked by! Mmmmmm. Cupcakes! Then we loaded up and drove out to Fort Moultrie. Took about 15 minutes to get there. We spent an hour walking around the fort. My kids loved the cannons. It was a bit much for my very tired 23-month old, but he hung in there. A quick stop at Starbucks for the adults to fuel up on some caffeine and then back to Columbia. We were home by 5pm. If your kids are a little older, you could certainly stay in Charleston later and take in Patriots Point and dinner at another yummy Charleston restaurant.

All in all, a great day trip.  There is so much to do in Charleston, and really, I think kids just like being somewhere new and seeing new things.  Happy travels!

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