Abundant Life Baptist Church FREE Kids Carnival, Lee's Summit, MO

Let me just say that I am so very glad I made the effort to take my girls to this. It was the best, THE BEST, completely FREE, kid's carnival I have been to! From the time we parked and entered the "fair grounds" we were catered to. They handed us a packet with their church info and a map laying out all the booths and rides available for our enjoyment. Thankfully we arrived right when it started so it wasn't that crowded and we were able to jump around on some bounce houses and get some grub without waiting in long lines. We started with nachos, cotton candy, and drinks (all free). Then we played some more and Picasso and Princess Tiger Lily each got tatted up and had their faces painted. We walked around and waited for the train which every time would leave the "station" Princess TL would cry, "No, come back" with real tears pouring out. I suppose she didn't realize it just made circles and always came back ha! We ate hot dogs and popcorn and played at least a dozen carnie games and the girls each won prizes to all of them. Picasso kept exclaiming, "This is the best day ever!" We waited in the very long line for the swing ride and picked one more bounce house to go in. We also played a few more games and the last one was the dunk tank. Picasso actually dunked the kid on the second try! This was the icing on the cake! I have to give major kudos to this church for the crazy amazing organization and awesome volunteers. Everyone was pleasant and helpful and their heart to serve the community showed in a major way. I am going to put this in my calendar for next year so we don't miss this treasure! What a wonderful day we had!

Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska

Ok, I have heard about this place for several years and just haven't made the 3 hour trek up there. It's really quite simple, it's literally straight up Hwy 71/29 the entire way there. We decided to drive up Saturday evening and stay overnight so we would have the maximum amount of time before we had to head back home. The drive was smooth, the hotel was clean, and we all slept well ready for our fun day at what tripadvisor.com has labeled to be the best zoo in the U.S. Well, seeing this advertised had my standards set pretty high. We arrived and it was a gorgeous day! The weather was beautiful, it was sunny but breezy, and there was plenty of shade for when it did get a little warm. We paid our admission and I purchased tickets for the Dinosaurs Alive exhibit as well. We made our way through the Mutual of Omaha Exploration Station and saw so many snakes, spiders, amphibians, and other little creatures. The girls kept squealing as they moved from habitat to habitat seeing the creepy crawly critters. We saw the Lied Jungle and were amazed at the beautiful rainforest like atmosphere, it really felt like we were in a different world. There were all sorts of monkeys in the trees and Daddy took the girls over a rope bridge which Picasso didn't care for at all. We went into this huge Desert Dome and saw so many types of cactus and thorny bushes, then we made our way down into the Kingdoms of the Night. It was like we walked into a cave, there were nocturnal animals including bats, owls, and a night time swamp area complete with alligators, eek! Oh wait, I grew up seeing gators lounging in the sun on the bank of the lakes, these didn't scare me ; ) I had read about the amazing Scott Aquarium and was so happy walk through the underwater world. We viewed sharks and jellyfish, sea turtles and starfish, stingrays and the largest crabs I've ever seen with their legs spanning at least 4 ft across. The Butterfly and Insect Pavilion was awesome and we saw so many beautiful butterflies! On our way out we were treated to see a whole section dedicated to real cocoons in each different stage. There were even a few butterflies that had recently emerged fluttering around. We walked through a time portal and were transported to the Jurassic age with the Dinosaurs Alive exhibit. There were over a dozen animatronic dinos and the girls were in awe at how big some of them were. Thankfully we made it out alive and decided it was time for a late lunch. We ate hot dogs and grilled burgers at the Omaha Steaks outdoor cafe and since ice cream cones were $1 for Labor Day weekend we got one on the way out. We were there for 6 hours and still didn't see everything. It is definitely worth the drive and we will absolutely go back at some point and see the few exhibits we didn't get to this time around. I highly recommend making the trip north to visit Omaha!

Sea Life Aquarium at Crown Center

I am so glad to finally have an aquarium in Kansas City! Originally from central Florida we never lacked for seeing sea creatures with so many local attractions. We first visited Sea Life about a year ago not long after it opened and we just visited again last week. The girls and I used one of the BOGO coupons off the kcparent.com website and since Princess Tiger Lily is not yet 3 yrs old I only had to pay for my ticket, score! I love when you first enter there's this neat room with all these small silver fish in lighted aquariums so the fish look like they are glowing. Then you walk through and view fresh water creatures native to Missouri. Picasso loved seeing the catfish. There's more ocean life and then you get to a touch tank. The first time we went it took forever to get Picasso to touch anything, she's a little nervous when it comes to doing something she's not used to but Princess TL showed no fear and loved touching the starfish, crabs, and the like. This time around both girls had fun touching the small sea animals. We travelled down the path and saw many more interesting fish and then the girls got an underwater view with this dome shaped aquarium that you can crawl underneath and stick your head up under it. Don't worry, you don't have to hold your breath, it's completely enclosed. They have a new turtle room with several different turtle friends to look at. They have this awesome ray tank that the kids can crawl underneath and peer into port holes to see them up close or you can climb the stairs and step onto a see through platform to see them swimming right below your feet. The grand finale is walking through an underwater tunnel with rays, sharks, and all kinds of fish to "ooohhh" and "aahhhh" over. There's a few benches so of course we had to sit down and imagine we were scuba diving in some tropical locale. The girls loved seeing the sharks and rays swimming overhead. I have to admit, I loved it too. There's something magical about seeing a world you don't normally see in your everyday life. That is unless you are a marine biologist, a snorkeling instructor in the Caribbean, or a Killer Whale Trainer at Sea World (which I used to want to be). I was a bad mommy and forgot their socks so they couldn't play in the play area right before the gift store. To my credit I did get them out and set them on the table which is exactly where I found them when we came back home. During the tour we filled out this scratch card scavenger hunt and turned it in for a prize at the end. The girls each received a gold medal necklace and were so excited about their treasures. We shopped around the combined Sea Life and Legoland gift store and then went home. Overall it's a smaller aquarium that only takes about 45min-1hr to walk through but it's so well done that I think makes it worth the trip maybe once or twice a year.
visitsealife.com
http://www.kcparent.com/Coupons/

Imperial Foot Care in Westport

imperialfootcare.com

Sorry I don't have any pics to go with this post. I wasn't planning on writing about this place until after I had such an amazing experience and decided I need to share with you! The other night my sweet hubby knew I needed some time to myself and took the girls to a movie. We had just returned from a two week trip to Fl and I had the girls by myself for the last several days including the drive back. Wow, I was just as mentally and emotionally tired as I was physically. I knew I needed an adjustment or massage or something to relieve the tension/stress I felt in my neck, back, and feet. I called a few massage salons and they were booked. I had a pedicure while in the Sunshine St so I didn't want or need another and while trying to figure out how to wisely use my time I remembered someone recommended Imperial Foot Care on Facebook a while back. It specializes in reflexology and offers 30 minute, 60 minute, and 70 minute sessions. The 60 and 70 minute sessions include head, neck, shoulder, arm, and back massage. I called them and made an appointment although they take walk-ins. It is kinda hidden in this little nook on Pennsylvania Ave in Westport, MO. I walked into a dark room with a relaxing fountain trickling water and went to the front desk. We kept our voices low and she led me to one of about a dozen over sized cushy lounge chairs. There was soft music playing and the blacked out windows were covered with sheer curtains. The provider brought a large wooden bucket of warm water for my feet to soak in while he worked on my scalp, neck, shoulders, and arms. Then he gave me the best, and I mean THE BEST foot massage ever!!! I was unaware of how much time had passed and thought that it was over but then he lowered the back of the chair and had me turn to my stomach while he gave me a full back and leg massage. It was like a deep tissue massage and I probably should have asked for the pressure to be lightened some since the next day I was so sore lol! But in the moment it "hurt so good" and I did really enjoy it. I left there feeling like a new woman. Never had I had a reflexology  experience and though the pedicures I get occasionally are great, they are nothing like this! I told my hubby that from now on I'll probably just paint my own toenails and go back here from now on! It was only $15 for a 30 minute experience, $29 for an hour (which is what I got), and $55 for the 70 minute session. Seriously if you haven't been I highly suggest you make a trip in the very near future! They are even open until midnight. I will definitely be going back, hopefully pretty soon : )

Lowe's Build and Grow (Free) Program

So in my normal fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants nature I signed the girls up last night for the FREE Build and Grow program at Lowe's this morning. I have seen this before but for some silly reason have never done this. We printed off our release form protecting Lowe's in case your kid hammers a nail through their finger. I figured Picasso can't hit a hammer that hard so we should be ok. We got there right at 10am and made our way to the back of the store where they had a very long table set up and a guy behind a makeshift desk. We signed in and he gave us our Monsters University build kits, mini hammers, aprons, and goggles. The girls and I find a seat and open up the kits. The directions seemed simple enough but since I'm not inclined in architecture I nailed Princess Tiger Lily's Mike figure on the wrong side and had to go get another kit. Then the light bulb went off and I hammered away perfecting her Mike and Sully wooden puppets. Princess TL helped put on the stickers and I helped Picasso finish up her figures. Princess TL decided she didn't want to wear her shoes; she kept taking them off and trying to dodge underneath the shelf. She quickly started getting agitated and wouldn't let me take a picture of her with the finished product, boo. I did get one of Picasso at least. They both earned a certificate of completion and an iron on badge for their adorable little aprons. Lowe's typically offers this on most weekends and you just have to sign up online. I would highly encourage you to take your kids, they will love it!

Shoal Creek Living History Museum in Kansas City, MO

At the last minute I decided to take the girls to Shoal Creek, yet another pioneer village that I've been wanting to see. This time I was prepared, I packed a picnic lunch and we hopped in the Odyssey and on 435N. As we were getting closer I said a little prayer that the ominous dark gray clouds would not release buckets of rain on us. We arrived and I may have been slightly out of breath from pushing the stroller up the gravel paved hill, whew! Who needs the YMCA when you go on outings such as these. Thankfully we were at the top and kept down the path to see the old houses, cabins, jail, grist mill, schoolhouse, church, and the like. It was so quiet and peaceful, just what I needed after a very stressful morning full of whining and fussing and little 'tudes. The first house we came to had a chicken coop behind it but it didn't have a path and I wasn't quite recovered from the gravel hill so we kept on trekking and found the grist mill. It reminded me of the Little House on the Prairie show. Most of the buildings we could look in but not actually enter. We saw an old jail where they had a fake person laying on the cot which really creeped the girls out. On the top floor of the jail was City Hall. Picasso and Princess Tiger Lily were famished so we found a picnic table and ate our lunch. There were a bunch of little green caterpillars that captivated Picasso and she kept trying to convince me to let her keep one. I had to remind her several times to eat her lunch and not worry about the butterflies-to-be. Princess TL started off with the stroller and said "See ya later boys", oh my goodness, I cracked up! We packed up our picnic and peeked in the church which was thankfully next door to the bathroom, ahem. As we were walking down the path Princess TL was running and took a tumbling dive into the gravel, ouch! We sat down while I examined her and she calmed down. Thank the Lord she had nothing more than a tiny scrape on her leg. We had finished seeing all the quaint buildings and made our way back to the parking lot. I noticed Picasso was still holding on to one of the caterpillars on a leaf and I told her that we cannot take it home, she must put it down. Whoa Nelly, was she in travail! She fell on the grass and was wailing. "But I named him Happy, please oh please can I keep him?" "No." "Ahhhhh, boo hooooo, arghhhhhhhh." I literally had to lift her off the ground and escort her to the van as I was trying not to laugh. I could have reacted differently but decided to keep my cool since she had no sense about her and I didn't need to loose mine either! It really was quite hilarious and I'm sure the dad that was packing up his van found it to be humorous as well. Side note, I'm taking tonight as mommy time and getting away from the circus for a few hours lest I become a side show act myself ; )

shoalcreeklivinghistorymuseum.com