Lebanese Festival - June 1-3

Last weekend we enjoyed the Lebanese Festival. I love to go because I enjoy the food, music, and dancing. Sorry, I was stuck on taking pictures of my kids and my friend's kids, so you won't see dancing pictures. However, I can tell you, like always it is exciting. They didn't have cabbage rolls when I was there this year (a little bit of sadness on my part). Of course, I can't say if I was just too late getting there or if they just decided not to make them this year (hoping it's the former).

Cultural events are always fun in my book. I get to escape to another world so to speak and it is a great learning/teaching opportunity for the kids. Sure, they have the bounce house and obstacle course. Sure they have cotton candy, snow cones, and face painting - but they also open the kids' eyes to other cultures. I am a travel fanatic (even though I have been grounded since having children) - this is my opportunity to share what I love with my kids.

Festival in the Park - May 25 and 26

Okay, so the Festival in the Park runs longer than two days, but I can only really tell you about my experience. For the first time, I went to the Friday night concert - which I was excited about because it was the Gin Blossoms. I remember this band from back in the day - I am not going to date myself, but let's just say I do remember them from the early 90s. I wasn't much into music back then - I could tell you if I liked a song, but could not tell you the song title or the band. However, I enjoyed sitting at the concert listening to this band again.

It did make me feel old to watch all the teenagers running around in extremely skimpy outfits. I don't think that I am much of a prude, but definitely not things I would want my kids running around in (much less what I would wear at that age). The cool thing about the concerts is that they are extremely family friendly - kids 6 and under get in for free. Depending on the bands playing next year, I will probably bring the kids with me.

Saturday, I headed to the Festival to check out the family fun. Not only do they have tons of family friendly events (including the beloved Fireman's Foam). I love wandering through the tents looking at all the items people are selling. Sometimes I wish I had a lot more money than I did - it would be nice to support these local ventures. I love the jewelry that people create, my kids love the crazy creatures. There is no end to the gifts and artifacts you will find.

Not to mention the performances. There are all sorts of exhibits and talents that you will see. From Pro- BMX bikes to artists to sand sculptures. Many children love the little petting zoo - with the alpacas, bunnies, ponies and more.

Memorial Day Weekend is an important, special weekend. This Festival brings out everyone - we even met some people who drove in from Richmond for the concert. If you haven't checked out this Festival yet, put it on your calendar for next year. I already know that it is on mine.

32nd Annual MDA Car Show - March 3, 2012

It has been an extremely busy last couple of weeks as I finished prepping for Consignment Sales. As a quick aside before I start talking about the car show, two wonderful week long consignment sales started yesterday (March 3rd). I love Lauren's Friends & Alex over at the CMT Building. I always find a season's worth of clothes for 2 kids for around $200.00. There is also Back-on-the-Rack at Tanglewood Mall. This also allows me to find great buys for the upcoming season for my kids. I took the kids with me to LFA on Saturday and actually let them pick out their clothes for the first time. They did really well - we only had to veto a few things, but they know what they will wear. I am going to hit up Back-on-the-Rack - but I probably won't make it there until Tuesday or Wednesday because life has a way of happening.

Okay, so my shameless plug that everyone with kids should check out those sales. Yesterday afternoon we took the boys to the MDA Car Show. We have gone to this for the past two or three years. The husband actually puts together model cars - it's a bit of a hobby - and he thinks about putting his cars in the show. He hasn't done it yet, but he loves to see what other people have been up to with the building. He has started building little models with the kids (I like the $1 wooden models from the craft store) with the kids and they are most likely going to share his love in building models. We spent a lot of time in that room alone.

There were also two rooms full of cars. This is an event that draws the entire Roanoke Valley. Well it feels that way because it is pretty crowded. My kids really focused on which cars had trophies this year. This was new this year, but it allowed the husband to tell them stories about the cars he used to drive growing up.

I had to throw this picture in - I have never seen a Corvette that was marked for Farm Use. Only I would appreciate the irony of that.

There are all sorts of vendors at the Car Show (it wouldn't be any type of show if there weren't a few people trying to sell something). The kids got stuck at the 3D television. They weren't even wearing the glasses - they just sat there watching Alice in Wonderland - the Johnny Depp version. I stayed with the kids while the husband checked out the rest of the cars. And yes, the movie was much better once I had the 3D glasses on and got to see the teacups come flying at my head.

The MDA Car Show is still going on today, in case you missed it yesterday. I highly recommend that if you appreciate classics, you check this out.

Kids Helping Kids Fun Day - Saturday, February 25, 2012

Sounds like fun doesn't it? This might be something that I will be doing this weekend. Are you trying to come up with something fun for your kids? Not only will your kids have fun, but you can teach them a little bit about giving back to others. Children's Miracle Network is a good cause.

"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future."

-John Fitzgerald Kennedy-

What To Do This Weekend

The husband isn't working this weekend, which gives us an entire weekend to spend doing things as a family. Now, I am having a difficult time narrowing down what I would like us to do. Since tomorrow is Saturday, we could always go to Spectacular Saturdays at the Taubman Art Museum. I would love to check out the "In the Moment: Light, Vision, and Memory." That is going on from 10am until 5pm tomorrow.

Another option is to take the kids to the Mill Mountain Zoo. It has been a long time - my youngest was in a stroller the last time we went - so I think we are due for a trip to the zoo. It was not my intent to make that rhyme, but I like the way it sounds now.

The third option for us would be to head over to the Transportation Museum. The kids love the trains and it's a great "free" day for us since we already paid for the membership (and we have already gotten our money's worth).

There are other things that we can do as a family in Roanoke. However, I am trying to come up with something that is fun and free for us this weekend.

Transportation Museum

I didn't get a chance to write about it last weekend, but I think we visited the best museum in Roanoke. We headed to the Virginia Museum of Transportation. The kids absolutely loved it. So much so that I am considering making this our Membership Museum (sorry we can't afford to have memberships to all the museums unfortunately...maybe next year we'll add a membership to another museum and so forth).

When you walk in, you are greeted by an awesome model train exhibit. My oldest thought this was the most amazing train exhibit ever. He watched it go all over the place. There were tracks right at his level so he didn't have to keep asking to be held. Of course my favorite view of this model train was from the Model Circus Exhibit that could be found upstairs. Being able to look down over the whole model train exhibit let me see everything much better.

My youngest LOVED the automotive gallery. Where else could you see the vehicles from the Dukes of Hazzard near the car from Ghostbusters. Totally worth the ticket price just to be amongst all the movie and television automobiles. There was even a Jeff Gordon race car. By the way, that was the car my youngest went running to yelling, "Look Mommy! It's Jeff Gordon!" You know your child was born in the heart of Nascar country when he knows the names and cars of all the drivers before he is 4.

Right now the Wings Over Virginia Aviation Gallery is closed for construction. They allow you to peak in the room and there are some planes there. I think once it is up and running it will be amazing too. For the record, we had spent 45 minutes in the automobile gallery, and the models areas before we hit the rest of the museum. There is a Main Street that shows scenes of the Roanoke Valley in the early 1900s. The Rail Gallery was full of excitement too. The boys loved climbing aboard the Norfolk Southern SD-40 Locomotive Cab.

Last but not least is the Railyard. The Railyard Collection had automobiles and locomotives. I enjoyed exploring this history filled railyard.

So sorry, I forgot my camera, but I will be sure to take my camera the next time. I can't wait to get some shots of the history between these walls.

Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 1pm-5pm

Can't wait to go back!

Getting to Know the Downtown Restaurants

Working downtown can be a positive or a negative. My waistline is telling me it is a negative because of all the restaurants downtown. You don't run into the chain restaurants that you see at the mall - instead you get to sample the culinary skills of the locals. There are a few restaurants that I enjoy eating at (and if I was made of money would frequent more often). Then there are others that I know of but have never tried anything they offer.

Last week I decided that I wanted to try out Cornerstone. Most people know this as one of the popular bars to hang out at on a Friday or Saturday night. However, I am downtown during the day (and not so much on the weekend nights). So, I went in last week to see if we could get a few to go menus for work. They were out (which to me speaks volumes in a good way). I came back this week to see if they had any. Unfortunately they were still out - so they told me to take one of their menus with me so we could check out the options. I was shocked - who would really do that? So at this point, I am fairly pleased by the service and I haven't even placed an order yet. Today a few of us placed our order - this could become one of my new favorite places. I got the Cobb Salad Wrap and the Buffalo Chips. Wow! The wrap was perfect - in my opinion - because it had the right amount of dressing. A co-worker tried one of the buffalo chips and said, "eh it tastes like seasoning salt." The tune quickly changed and the response was "oh there it is" We were absolutely delighted by our meal (reasonably priced and delicious).

So thank you to the crew at Cornerstone for your service and cuisine. I can't wait to come back and try some other options on the menu! On another note, if you do like to head out on the weekends, this is a great place to go. There is usually a good crowd on the dance floor (I used to go more frequently before the kids...now I get out maybe once a month). It's a nice atmosphere for a fun night out.

Good Old Fashioned Night at the Movies

Sometimes, you just need to kick back and relax old school. It may be getting more expensive to go to the movies these days, but what a great way to take a breather from reality. Over the weekend, we decided to use our 3 Free Cars 2 movie tickets to go check out this movie. Disney-Pixar know how to produce some good movies. The boys were on the edge of their seats the whole time. I was glad because I had heard some lukewarm reviews of the file before going. Even the husband laughed and said it was pretty good.

Monday is Movie Night for a friend and I. This has been a steady Platonic Date Night (or Grownup Night as we like to look at it) for a little over a year now. Usually we rent a movie from the Redbox, but this past week, we decided it was important to hit the theaters. We checked out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I'm not going to lie - I had some coupons for $3.00 off that made this movie adventure a little more appealing.

I don't go to the movies often at all. So, I was glad that both movies were worth seeing. I laughed, I cried, and I was definitely on the edge of my seat. Most towns/cities have movie theaters. Every now and then, it's nice to go Old School as I like to say. Speaking of Old School, I haven't been to the Drive-In Theater yet. A lot of people have mentioned it and I would really like to check it out. That being said, right now the movies playing are the ones that I saw this weekend. However, here are a few details if you want to check it out: Mayberry Drive-In

Cost: Adults $7.00
Children 11 and below $3.00
Children 4 and under FREE

So, this could be pretty good...considering it's about $6.00 cheaper than 2 adults heading to the movie theater. Plus there is a '50s style diner, so you won't starve. Through July 25, they are doing a double header with Cars 2 and Harry Potter. The first feature starts at 9:15.

Honestly, I am getting excited just thinking about going. That site is one of my new favorites, so I can keep an eye on what is playing.

Salem Fair - June 30,2011 through July 10, 2011

We are lucky enough to have the Salem Fair in our area. Not every town has a fair so close (trust me - I have lived in towns that don't and towns that do). The fair is a 2-week gig that comes into town right around the end of June/beginning of July every year. I finally made it down there to check it out last night. I will be honest, I have never been one who loved the rides at fairs and amusement parks - well, I like some of them, but I am not a roller coaster girl by any means. That being said (and that I have been working hard to save money instead of spend a lot), I did not buy the unlimited ride pass. However, if you are going to ride more than 3 or 4 rides, this is the best deal. Here is the information for wristbands:

THURSDAY, JUNE 30: FOX 21/27 CW 5 OPENING NIGHT $10 RIDE WRISTBAND
MUST PURCHASE BEFORE 6 PM

FRIDAY, JULY 1 and 8
WSET 13 - $24.00 RIDE WRISTBAND MUST PURCHASE BEFORE 6 PM .

SATURDAY, JULY 2 & 9
PEPSI DAYS
AFTERNOON WRISTBAND $17 GOOD ONLY 12 NOON-5 PM MUST PURCHASE BEFORE 4:00 ALL DAY WRISTBAND $29.00 GOOD 12 NOON-11 PM
MUST PURCHASE BEFORE 6 PM SHARP

SUNDAY, JULY 3 & 10
ALL DAY WRISTBANDS 12 NOON-11 PM
$19.00 IF PURCHASED

BEFORE 6 PM; $24.00 AFTER 6

MONDAY, JULY 4
FAMILY FOUR PACK-4 WRISTBANDS FOR $50 MUST PURCHASE BY 5 PM SHARP
AFTER 5 PM ALL WRISTBANDS ARE $20 EACH

TUESDAY, JULY 5
SALEM FOOD PANTRY/SPIRIT FM NIGHT
$19 WRISTBAND WITH TWO ITEMS ON NON-PERISHABLE FOOD/$24 WITHOUT FOOD DONATION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6
PEPSI NIGHT

$19 WRISTBAND WITH TWO PEPSI PROOF OF PURCHASE/$24 WITHOUT

THURSDAY, JULY 7
STELLAR ONE MERCHANTS NIGHT
$20.00 WRISTBAND NO COUPON REQUIRED

FRIDAY, JULY 8
SAME AS FRIDAY JULY 1

SATURDAY, JULY 9
SAME AS SATURDAY, JULY 2

SUNDAY, JULY 10
KROGER FINAL DAY BLAST AT THE FAIR
$17.00 WRISTBAND IF PURCHASED BEFORE 6 PM $24.00 AFTER 6

SALEM FAIR HOURS:

SATURDAY and SUNDAY 12 NOON-11 PM
WEEKDAYS 4PM-11 PM

It is free to get into the fair, if you can find parking. Sometimes the lots are closed as being full even though there are several open spots. I am not sure if there are limitations to how many spaces can be filled, but it would be nice if there was an open spot (or 20) that they allow some cars to park there. Some of the houses around the Salem Civic Center will allow you to park there (for a cost). When we walked through the gates, we immediately saw The Tiger Encounter.

The Bengal tigers were not doing much when we walked up. One of the tigers was just circling the cage and checking out the people staring at them. These are not the only live animals you will find there. One of the best attractions for the kids is the Petting Zoo. It can be found next to the Pony Rides. The Dairy Farm is a great option to check out cows up close. Aussie Adventure is a chance to see kangaroos and wallabies.

As you walk through the fair, you will find tons of Midway games and of course, fair food. I am shocked that Funnel Cake costs between $5.00 and $6.00 (depending on where you decide to get it). This is of course, my favorite fair food...I can overlook the fried Oreos, fried bologna sandwiches, and even cotton candy, but I can't call it a trip to the fair without a delicious piece of fried dough.

Rides have certainly changed since I was younger (and I don't think I am that old yet). Here is a picture of a ride that brought out all my phobias. You get put in this plastic ball and air is blown into it so it will float.

Then you walk around in the ball while it is floating on water. Okay, so the water is not deep at all...there was a ride attendant standing in it and the water was barely above his ankles. I have a slight fear of water (deep water when I can touch the bottom with my feet). I am also claustrophobic. So, although the line to this ride was extremely long and all the people doing it looked like they were having fun, it was not for me.

Bottom line with the Fair: It is a fun time if you enjoy rides, fair food, midway games, and exhibits. This is something that you can take the whole family to or just hang out with your friends. It is something that can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be. I haven't taken the kids yet because I feel like they would want to ride the rides. Right now they are too short for some of the rides and I can't justify spending $1.00 per ticket to ride a few of the kiddie rides. I think next year my oldest will be tall enough to start riding on some of the other rides and it would probably be worth getting the wristband. Another thing to note is that before the fair, they were selling tickets online at a discounted rate. You have to buy the wristbands for a specific date, but the plus side is that it is cheaper. For directions or more information, you can check out the fair's website: http://www.salemfair.com

Enjoy just one of the many events in the local area!!!

Festival in the Park

Today was a gorgeous day for the Festival in the Park. As my poor back can attest, the sun was shining bright. We headed to the festival at 11am and checked out the Auto Show. I was devastated to learn that a 1984 Ferrari was considered an antique. I am not sure what that makes me then. My youngest loves to look at cars. I was trying to teach my older son about compromise - if we look at cars for brother and daddy, then we can do something we enjoy too. We took a stroll through the park to see what was there. There wasn't anything scheduled for the Main Stage that early, so we wandered up Food Vendor Alley and checked out what was there. On a smaller stage, they had some performances going on. What a crowd - it was hard to see from the outskirts what was going on. We wandered through all the arts & crafts vendors. The boys picked out a few new animals (a dragon and a lizard - these are live critters by the way). My oldest had a blast going through the bouncy obstacle course - he did it twice. He also took a turn in the Fireman's Foam. We caught a few acts and I couldn't believe that it was 2:30 when the boys were starting to get worn out. My youngest told me he was going to do those crazy BMX tricks on his bike. I hope my children never lose that drive.

I doubt we will be able to catch any of the evening performances, but tonight, tomorrow night and Monday night have some great performances planned. I will definitely put volunteering for this festival on my list of things to do next year. Depending on how the rest of the weekend goes, we may take the kids back out to the festival tomorrow or Monday.

Experiencing the Fun Roanoke Has to Offer

"Mom, there's nothing to do and I am bored." How often do parents hear these words when the kids are home for the summer? Remove the "Mom" and this is a phrase I hear often said about my current hometown. When I was in college, I would whine and complain that I was bored and this town had nothing to offer. Boy, was I ever wrong. I was just being lazy because there is so much to do! Some weekends I find myself having to make a choice between three events and in a case like this, I become overwhelmed and decide a quiet weekend at home with the family is the best case scenario. I have decided to start this blog to chronicle all the amazing events Roanoke has to offer. I am sad to start it 5 months into the year, but the thought of it just came to me. However, over the next twelve months, I hope to fill this blog with so many events and places to visit that your head will spin with the overwhelming thought. I've grown to love my adopted city and want to share this love with anyone who is interested. Today, I am taking my boys to the Local Colors Festival. I have never been before, but I hear there is a parade and tons of good foods to try. I do not know what else I will find, but it is time for me and the boys to get ready.