Des Moines Families

REVIEW: Rock Bottom Brewery, West Des Moines

This brewery-meets-grill restaurant has by far the most genius idea for a kids menu -- Build Your Own Pizza.

Now before you roll your eyes and accuse me silently of being a lame-o who hasn't ever heard of Build Your Own Pizza, just listen (or read on, I guess).

They actually bring the pizza out to the table while it's still in dough form. They present it to the kid on a brick-oven style wooden tray, and next to it on the tray are the sauce, cheese and pepperonis in three little stainless ramkins.

So, the kids actually do get to build their own pizza. My son freaked. He loved it. And when the server came to get it for the oven, he was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

And by the way, it's great-tasting pizza, too. I'm pretty sure they beefed it up a bit in the back before cooking it, as it looked a lot better than the one we sent back for baking. Delicious.

Other cool things to note... plenty of high chairs and crayons, no sighs at extra-napkin requests, attentive servers, and a very accomodating "split" policy (perfect for parents who just realized the importance of 401Ks over meals out).

Enjoy... oh, and tell 'em DesMoinesFamilies.com sent ya'!

REVIEW: Little Angels Annual Charity Photo Shoot

I finally put aside my stupid paranoia about dressing a baby boy like an angel and took my almost 1-year-old to East Village Books for the Little Angels charity calendar shoot on Saturday.

You've heard it from me before, but photographer Lori Nordstrom has got this down, boy. She had my son in and out in less than 10 minutes... and had taken at least 30 outrageous photos.

(Yes, I gave in and bought one... but just one... and they are totally cool with that... here it is...)

Keep in mind my son is famously into the "mommy phase," so he didn't want me to leave his side. I'm thinking, "Great, now we'll never make the calendar with my fat double chin in the background." But it was no problem for Lori. She plopped us both down together and took the photos so close in that I wasn't even a factor.

And let me tell you, she knows how to butch-up an angel outfit. My little man doesn't look fairy-ish at all. He looked like the studly little cherub he is.

I know Lori has two more dates to shoot calendar contenders, so if you're at all interested, give her a ring today. 515-462-9211.

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH Jack's Bear?

Does anybody know the status of drop-in daycare Jack's Bear? It's been over a year since we heard it was coming... anybody in the know?

PARTIES THAT WORKED: Pump It Up

If you're looking for a low-maintenace, super-fun party for the 2-and-up set, look no further than Pump It Up.

They will do just about everything from the invitations (not glamorous, but they get the job done) to clean up.

We had our son's 3-year-old birthday there just a few weeks ago, and he and his bouncy friends had such a great time... as did the adults, who are also encouraged to play on the huge inflatables that fill two warehouse-sized rooms in the Urbandale building.

Pluses are the all-inclusive packages and the very organized staff, which makes "hosting" a piece of cake. Minuses are the no-alcohol rule (I know, it makes sense) and the fact that you have to order their pizza (which isn't bad, but it isn't awesome).

We added a little extra pizzaz to the party by having caricature artist Tim Read of 5 Fingers Creative on hand to sketch the kids during the pizza and present portion of the party, which smartly follows the bouncing portion.

He was awesome, and the sketches, which we framed for each of the guests, made a perfect alternative to the party-favor bag.

Tim also did our invitation, which set the tone for the entire event. Check it out:

LOVE THAT! New Cake Decorator

Mayra Doehrmann is opening a new cake decorating business called One Sweet Treat. Here's some of her work...

 

LOVE THAT! SmartyPig.com

Bye-bye greedy pig, hello smarty pig!

So, we've all been a little guilty of giving into the instant-gratification temptation at some point. Not a problem really, unless you've got little sponges witnessing that willy-nilly attitude about money.

That's why I totally dig this new savings solution. I think it'll be a perfect (and super cool) way to teach our tech-savvy kids about the value of money and the "smarty-ness" of saving.

Here's the gist:

You log on to SmartyPig.com, set a savings goal for yourself (maybe you want to take a vacation, buy a new TV, get a new car) and tell the tool which of your bank accounts to pull the money from. You earn interest on the money, (and here's the coolest part) and when you've reached your goal, SmartyPig partners, like Amazon and Best Buy, will give you a discount! Awesome.

I think this would be perfect for kids. Say they want new tennis shoes, a new video game, whatever. Because SmartyPig lets you communicate your savings goal with friends and family who can contribute themselves, it's a great way for grandparents... and even for you parents... to give easy birthday, graduation, confirmation, etc. gifts.

Awesome. Mike Ferrari (creator), you are one smart Des Moines dad! 

THIS JUST IN: Earth Day in the Junction

We're all keen on the idea of teaching our kids to respect their mothers, but what about Mother Earth?

If you're like me, slowly becoming aware of the fact that it's my job to teach my kids some enviro-responsibility, this upcoming Earth Day will excite you... that's because the folks in Valley Junction have thought of the little ones as they've planned the 3rd annual Earth Day in the Junction.

Here's some of the stuff you can do with the kids at this event, scheduled for Sunday, April 20:

10 a.m.: Kids Fun Run (for ages 10 and under) -- The fun run will take place in front of the Theatrical Shop on 5th Street.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Family Fun Exhibits -- Check out who's coming here by clicking on the Exhibitors button at the top... the list is on the right-hand side of the page.

10:30 a.m.: Hybrid Car MPG Race -- Hybrid-car drivers will compete for the best miles-per-gallon rating while covering a pre-determined 25-mile course, within the allotted 45 minute time.

THIS JUST IN: Sesame Street Discounts for You

Another discount offer just came in from the folks at the Iowa Events Center for DesMoinesFamilies.com subscribers. They're offering $3 off each Sesame Street Live – Elmo Makes Music ticket.

If you're not already signed up for alerts, do so now so you don't miss out on these great offers.

Anyway, here are the details and instructions.

REVIEW: Old Chicago, Merle Hay Mall

It's hard to sing praises when your mouth is stuffed with Italian Nachos from Old Chicago, but I'm gonna give it a try.

I adore this place. Adore it. I love the menu (kids and adults), and the staff is phenomenally friendly with families. I've only been there twice, but each time, the wait and hosting staff has been so great with our kids.

Last week, our server checked on us probably every 10 minutes. To a couple without kids, this could get annoying, but it was perfect for us, as we usually require something from our servers every 8 minutes or so.

Give it a try. The location is great. The wait is short. The food is awesome. And the people are fantastic.

THIS JUST IN: Homework Help Online

My kids are too little for homework, but I'm already nervous about the day that will inevitably come when they'll ask for help with math, and I'll be as good as a box of rocks.

If any of you are ever in this situation, chin up... appears you have some help. Check out this news from the Des Moines Public Library:

Beginning today, students from grades four to twelve, and in introductory-level college courses, can visit the library’s Web site to get on-demand, homework assistance from real tutors.

How It Works

Between 3:00 and 7:00 PM daily, students or parents with a library card can log on to the library's Web site and be connected to a live tutor specifically certified in the grade level and subject matter which they selected.

Tutor and student simultaneously use online tools: a chat window, a white board, file sharing, and website sharing, to engage in a learning experience which helps the student solve their homework problem.

After the session students may print the entire session, including a record of what websites were viewed, what documents were shared, and all of the whiteboard activity.

Very cool!