Des Moines Families

Heads Up: Get into "Playdate" Free

DesMoinesFamilies.com will be exhibiting at this Saturday's Playdate event. As such, we've been granted the opportunity to allow our users free admission.

To get in free, just print this out.

See you there!

Heads Up: Registration Required at EVB Family Night

One of the best family-friendly events in the city has become so popular the organizer is now asking for RSVPs.

The East Village Book's Friday Family Fun Night, which successfully blends parent entertainment with kid fun, is now "registration required." Store owner Teri TeBockhorst asks that you call 515-244-5999 if you plan to attend.

This month's Friday Family Fun Night is occuring on an off-night -- still on a Friday, just not the first one of the month as usual. So, on Friday, February 8, the bookstore is hosting Freight Train Frank. You can learn more at the store's Web site.

One More & Then It's Bedtime! "You're My Little Love Bug"

By Jodi Whitsitt

You're My Little Love Bug

This book remains one of my favorite board books for babies and toddlers.

At the time I purchased the book (2 ½ years ago), it wasn’t readily available at big box stores, but good news! I saw it at Target the other day!

This book is like a sweet little love note from you to your baby. Filled with kid-friendly illustration and charming text, it is sure to remind your little ones of how much they are loved.

It captures the pet names we use for our children to communicate what a wonderful gift they are. (“You’re my Punkin Wunkin, my Peaches and my Pie, My Bread-and-Butter Peanut Butter, Apple of my Eye.) It even has a space where you can insert a photo of your child, which shows through as you turn each and every page. 

Although the small lights that flash are entertaining for the kids, the tin-ey music that plays when you open the book is more than slightly annoying after the first read-through. The good news is that with a miniscule screwdriver and about 15 minutes of parental frustration, you can remove the battery that powers those features.

This is one of my absolute favorite gifts to give new parents or as a birthday gift for a small child. So much do I love this book that after I bought the book I immediately contacted the publisher to see if the author would be releasing new books soon. (I told you I love it!)

At that time, she didn’t offer anything new – but in ’06 she released “I Love You More Than…”  I have not purchased this book yet, but if it is anything like this one, it's sure to please.

BOOO-HISSS: Kids DON'T Eat Free at Jimmy's

Sorry to "Booo-Hisss" one of my favorite restaurants, but Jimmy's American Cafe has gone from every night kid's meal discounts to just Sunday nights to never in the last year. We'll miss it!

As I understand it, the restaurant is under new management, so this is probably not the only change we'll see...

Remember to keep reporting Kid's Eat Free nights to us... send me an email at [email protected].

One More & Then It's Bedtime! "Picky Mrs. Pickle"

Thanks to Urbandale mom of three Jodi Whitsitt for our new regular feature, One More & Then It's Bedtime. In each submission, Jodi will review a children's book and give us the real deal on how it went over in her household.

Picky Mrs. Pickle
Recommended for ages 4-8

I’m pretty sure that getting kids to try new things is a universal struggle for parents. In this silly rhyming story, Mrs. Pickle (who always dresses in green, wears green eye shadow, eats pickle pie and even feeds her dog pickle poodle food) says, “I like the things I like, I’m very sure of that. I needn’t ever change because I’m happy where I’m at.”

Mrs. Pickle’s stubborn niece, Sophie Claire, makes a deal with her pickle-loving Aunt. If she tries a bite of something new, she’ll walk her dog for a year and polish all of her shoes. (This bribe sound familiar, parents?). This story provides an entertaining reminder that it can be fun to try new things, and we just don’t know until we try it.

If you are looking for this book to cure your picky eater though, don’t get your hopes up. Although my 2-year-old found Mrs. Pickle to be a riveting read, she still refused a single bite of her meatloaf.

THIS JUST IN: Playdate... for Moms

If you subscribe to the DesMoinesFamilies.com newsletter, you probably saw the little blip on the upcoming Playdate show. (If you don't subscribe, you should.)

Here's a bit more from show organizer BJ James on what moms can expect at the first show of its kind coming to the Hilton Garden Inn on Feb. 2...

Playdate will feature exhibitors offering fun and stylish ways for moms to manage their nutty lives. That's why we're sticking with the tagline "sanity saving fun from pregnancy through preschool."

The show will have a big emphasis on health and feeling good and will feature a style show, yoga demonstrations, and belly dancing.

Moms are encouraged to bring their kids, as their will even be a Valentine's Day craft for their little ones.

Admission is $5. However, if you are a DesMoinesFamilies.com subscriber, it's free. Simply print out your most recent newsletter and present it at the door.

Heads Up: Size 8 Shoes at Brenton Skating Plaza

I figured my 2-year-old was too small to give ice-skating a try. But when I sent an email to Robin McClelland at Brenton Skating Plaza, I was plesantly surprised to hear that they rent Size 8 toddler skates.

Not up for teaching your kids to skate? The skating plaza offers the Polar Bear program from 10 to 11 a.m. on Fridays for kids 7 and under. And it's only $5. 

REVIEW: Billy Joe's Pitcher Show, Weekend Matinee

I can't think of a better way to spend a cold and dreery Des Moines day than at Billy Joe's Pitcher Show (that is, if you have children who will sit through a feature-length film... I am happy to report that at 2 & 3/4 years of age and 9 months, mine are at the perfect age).

On Saturday afternoon, we went over for the feature weekend matinee showing now, "A Bee Movie." While parts of it were a little scary for our toddler, it was funny enough to entertain both me and my husband.

Two great things about a movie at Billy Joe's -- 1) You get to eat during the film. The menu is pretty large. It's mostly bar & grill-type food with some pizza thrown in, and the bar is open if you want a beer during your movie. 2) When you go to the potty, they have the movie's audio track piped into the restroom, so you can still keep up with what's going on in the movie. Oh, one more good thing: 3) It's smoke-free. Always.

It's not exactly a cheap way to spend an afternoon. We got an appetizer, three entrees, two beers and a large diet coke. With tip it was $44. Admission was $8, for the family, but we had a "buy one admission, get the second free coupon," so it would have been $12 without the discount. But, you don't have to have a meal. With the matinee starting at 12:30, you could have lunch before heading over and then just enjoy pop and popcorn or candy like the more traditional movie experience.

I mentioned earlier that this place is great if your child can sit through a movie. It's probably great even if your child can't, as I saw that quite a few of the more restless movie-goers just spent the last half of the movie running around in the back. And no one minds the noise because the theatee is full of kids, the house lights are dimmed throughout the movie and everyone understands this is not a traditional theater.

We will definitely be back, and I'll be adding the Billy Joe matinee to the DesMoinesFamilies.com calendar from now on so that more people can keep this great activity in mind.

P.S. Neat idea: One mom had her preteen daughter and friends sit at a different table, order their own meals and pay for their own tickets. While I'm sure the waitress was annoyed, it was a cool lesson for the girls, I thought.

P.P.S. If you'd rather go during the week, Billy Joe's runs a Kid's Week once a month where they show movies at 10 a.m. You need reservations, though. 

P.P.P.S. This is also great for mom and dad's "date night." It's cheap, you can acceptably talk during the film, and you get to eat and do the movie at the same time, so the money you have to pay the babysitter is halved!  If you're looking to do this on the extra-cheap, go on Thursday night when it's two-for-one admission. 

REVIEW: Chef's Kitchen, Beaverdale

While I'm sure it was appropriate for Chef's to win "Best Kept Restaurant Secret" at one point, I think the jig is up. The last couple of times we've been there, we've had to wait for a table and the tiny bar/lobby area can get pretty cramped awfully quick. (To be fair, we've always had large parties and haven't called for reservations... so this might be a problem unique to us).

The entire restaurant is cramped, which makes it a bit difficult for stuffing babies, diaper bags, high chairs, car seats, coats, purses, etc. around your table. So, if you want to go to Chef's, pack light (well, I should say pack smart because you might be there a while, so light is probably the wrong advice) and use their coat rack in the front by the bar.

The restaurant has added a changing table (to the ladies' room) in the last year, and it's a really nice one. So that gets them big points in my book.

The food is delicious, but the kid's meals are enormous (although this is not a big deal for us, as we are a leftovers family).

The manager (could be the owner) that we see in there every time we go is extremely accommodating and appears to enjoy little ones in the restaurant. No matter how many spills and tantrums we throw at the staff, they are all the same -- very appreciative of our business and working hard to have us back. 

REVIEW: Franklin Ave. Library Storytime

Submitted by Molly

Story time at Franklin Ave. Library offers your kids a chance to not only hear some great books read aloud but to sing and dance, as well.  The class is about a half-hour long, and Ann, the wonderful librarian, reads 3-4 books and usually has the kids stand up and sing (songs like "Itsy, Bitsy Spider," "I’m A Little Teapot," "If You’re Happy and You Know It") between stories.  I’ve taken my daughter since she was 1-1/2 ,and she has loved it.  It’s also a good chance to pick up some new books to read together.