Surviving the Terrible Twos

By Katie M

In less than 24 hours, my two-year-old son managed to take a ball point pen to our leather couch, color with crayons all over our plasma TV and coffee table, and shove every penny, nickel and dime he could find into my car’s CD player! A few weeks earlier he also drew crayon designs on our painted living room walls. All this while our house was on the market, no less. Yes, we did manage to sell the house…and get all the crayon off (thanks to WD 40 on the walls, fyi), but there are still traces of ink on our leather couch.

As if that’s not bad enough, a friend of mine recently told me her two-year-old daughter combined Comet and cooking oil and poured that fancy concoction all over the back fabric cushions of their couch. Those cushions are now in the trash, and she and her family have resorted to sitting on cushion-less couches for the next five years or so.

So, what is it with these cute little demons? How do you manage this behavior?

The “terrible twos” (a misleading term because this phase can start as early as 18 months and last past age three), is pretty much a given no matter your parenting style. It’s not that we’re giving our child too much or too little attention, or too much or not enough discipline. You can try your darndest to not spoil your child, and chances are they will act spoiled anyway. And let’s fact the facts: play dates for children of this age are more for moms since toddlers rarely “play” with other children. It’s hard enough to get them to share a toy or even interact.

Well all this is normal – and for those of you who have gone through this phase once or several times – you know what I’m talking about. This is part of normal child development – and it’s actually good, so I've been told. It’s their way of creating independence – a character quality we should all help them achieve.

Since I am in the thick of it here in our home, I did a little research to find some tips for surviving the “Terrible Twos” and thought I’d share some advice I found from www.Baby-Medical-Questions-and-Answers.com. I also found a nifty Terrible Twos Countdown Calculator to let you know how much longer you will have to deal with this stage. According to the calculator, I have 98 days, 4 hours, 14 minutes and 10 seconds until my son is out of this crazy stage! You can bet I’m counting!

It's all about the "Here and Now"
Children live in a short time frame. The upside of this is that toddlers don't bear grudges. So any management of toddler behavior needs to be immediate. Your child won't get it if you wait to discipline him until later. Positive reinforcement needs to be immediate as well.

Be clear and consistent
Your child needs to get clear messages from you and you need to be consistent. It's no use laughing about a particular toddler behavior one day and then the next day being cross about it. Both parents need to be giving the same message, as well. Your child doesn't understand subtleties or mixed messages. Make sure your body language doesn't give a different message from what you're saying.

Don't sweat the small things
Give your child a break. He's not going to behave perfectly all the time. Don't get upset at every little thing. Concentrate on the big stuff (the toddler behavior you find unacceptable) and get that right.

Consider the behavior not the child
Your child will exhibit unacceptable behavior and be "out-of-control" from time to time. That doesn't make him a "bad" child. When you are unhappy with your toddler's behavior, make it clear that it is the behavior, not the child, that you don't like.

It's not a democracy
Not everything that happens in your family is by consensus. You have right of veto. You are the parent. There are times when discussion is not appropriate.

Don't fight with your toddler
It is pointless to get into an argument or fight with your toddler. You are the adult and you have to resist.

Positive Reinforcement Works
Positive reinforcement is the best form of child and toddler behavior management. Give lots of positive attention for behaviors you want to see. Your child needs the positive feedback. So, when he is being "good," tell him, make a fuss about how good he is and how much it pleases you.

You might even want to consider using a toddler-basic version of the reward chart. We featured an example of this on Triad Smarty Pants last year.

Ignore Unacceptable Behavior
Ignoring, or more correctly failing to give reinforcement, works. Your child's motivation is to get attention (and sometimes he doesn't care how) - if he doesn't get attention, he will try something else.

Use Time-Out for "Out of Control Behavior"
They way you choose to discipline your child is up to you, but time-out can be effective for changing toddler behavior. It is actually "time out" from positive reinforcement.

Model "good" behavior
Show your child how you want him to behave - it's very powerful. If you don't want your child to swear and curse, don't do it yourself.

What are your smarty tips for surviving the Terrible Twos?

Don't forget to register for this month's giveaway! You may be the lucky winner of a $50 gift card to Emma Jane's Children's Specialty Shoppe! Their clothing, furniture, toys and accessories are high quality and unique! Good luck!

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The "How We Do it Series" - Flexibility at Work

By Jenny D and Tracy S, Charlotte Smarty Pants

Tracy and I are excited to offer up our views as working mom’s for the second entry in our “How we do it series.” Being a great employee, wife and mom is very difficult, and flexibility can be a major factor in helping you achieve your desired “supermom” status. So here is how flexibility plays a role in our lives.

Jenny Says:

As I have mentioned before on CSP, I work a four day work week. But that wasn't always the case. When I went back to work after my first, I went back full time. And it was hard at first, but I got back into a groove quickly. Then when Zoe was about 18 months old, Brent started traveling weekly and I again found it very difficult to keep everything together. I approached my boss with the idea of working four days a week. I came fully prepared to support this proposal. I assured him that my work would not suffer. My goal has been to make sure that this works for both my employer and myself.

My original intent of having my Friday’s off was to join my stay at home friends in playgroups and outings.. I quickly found that I was trying to do too much in one day. Instead, I have changed my approach to this day. I now plan one outing with the girls and just me, versus trying to coordinate with others. I work to get prepared for the weekend, so that when Saturday comes around, I can be wide open for my family and friends. I typically use my Fridays to run errands, go to dr. appointments, prepare for the weekend and get quality time with my girls.

It has been a wonderful situtation for me. I realize that everyone has different work situtations, but here some advice and realities for a reduced schedule at work:

I still work on my days off and evenings. I have remote access so I am able to be productive out of the office. I have fewer hours in the office, so I have less time to socialize. My priority is to be a productive as I can while I am in the office. Plan your time wisely and you can get it done. Don’t be hard on yourself; you can't do it all, all of the time. Sometimes something has to give. I am amazed by the full-time moms who seem to have it all worked out. I know it can be done, but I have found that having one day off at work really works for me.

Tracy Says:

The decision to work is not an either work full time OR be a mom situation for me. It’s really important to find the right balance between having a fulfilling career as well as being the best mom I can be. Therefore I need to have a job that affords me the ability to also be a great mom. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t miss out on any of those special moments because I had to work. I am very lucky to have found that kind of job – my boss is super supportive of anything I need to do during work hours that involves my son, whether it is enjoying lunch with him, volunteering at his school, taking him to the doctor, or working from home when I need to. I’m also able to enjoy the special activities that his school does specifically for the kids and parents like family picnics and social events or the performance of a class play. That is not to say I don’t make up my work at other times, like after Jake goes to bed, getting in to work early or working through lunch. Like I said – it’s a balancing act! It was also important for us to choose a daycare that is close to work so that we can easily pop over there during the day.

One tip of advice that I would recommend to working moms is this: Don’t be afraid to have a frank discussion with your boss on your needs and expectations as a working mom. This was really hard for me at first because I felt like I had more to prove coming back to work. I didn’t want to feel like anyone thought I was taking advantage of the situation. But the truth is, it wouldn’t be worth it for me to be in a job where I wasn’t happy and send my son to daycare. And if I knew upfront that my manager was not okay with it, then that becomes my decision if that is the right job for me and my family. So I felt much better having had the conversation with my boss and therefore knew where he stood on things and I wouldn’t have to feel as guilty for leaving early or ducking out for an hour. However – that’s certainly not to say that you don’t still have to get your job done and done well, otherwise you will risk being perceived as a slacker. I just think it’s possible to do both as long as you lay the appropriate ground work with your manager.

For the working mom's out there, let us know how you strive for balance between a career and being mom. Thanks!

Don't forget to register for this month's giveaway! You may be the lucky winner of a $50 gift card to Emma Jane's Children's Specialty Shoppe! Their clothing, furniture, toys and accessories are high quality and unique! Good luck!

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Smarty Mom: Monica Casey

By Rachel H

Welcome to another Smarty Mom Saturday! Today we are happy to introduce you to Monica Casey. She and her husband, James, have twin daughters, Katie and Claire, who are 18 months old. Monica is a true mountain girl who was born and raised in Boone, NC. She went to UNCG as a freshman in 1990 and then after graduating, moved from Greensboro to Winston Salem.

Monica stays at home with her girls, but since starting her own business, she has the luxury of working as much or as little as she likes. She also still works in the radio business part time (since leaving her full time job as a radio personality at 100.3 The Buzzard after having twins) producing aggressive brand imaging from home for WQNS, which is a rock station in Asheville, NC. This is a fancy way of saying she creates all the sounds you hear in between songs that identify the station! Monica is a true Mompreneur who started Monkey Hooper Hula Hoops in May, 2009. She makes custom extra large hoops for adults and children and sells them online and at area festivals. She also teaches hooping fitness classes, hosts hula hoop birthday parties, and does special events at places like local schools, corporations, and The WS Children's Museum. She even started the website on her own!

She is involved in the TCMOMs group and serves as their PR coordinator. She supports organizations like 2nd Harvest Food Bank, St. Jude, The USO, and walks every year in the Women's Only 5K Walk and Run in the fight against breast cancer. Monica says, "Family time is the most important thing to me, and I feel like I'm accomplishing something big when my husband and I can get out and about with two toddlers in tow, and expose them to various new things.”

Let’s read more about Monica …

Working in radio always seems to interesting to me. Tell us what you liked most about it. Yes, it really was interesting, and I loved the fact that no two days were quite alike. For example, some days I'd go in thinking it was just a "routine" day, only to find out I was interviewing someone like Ozzy Osbourne that afternoon. Being on the air was just plain fun, not to mention theraputic....I was around music all day, plus I got to make fun of stuff (and people) as much as I wanted! Don't worry...they all had it coming. Access to countless live concerts was a huge bonus, and I also loved meeting people as part of the job. Whether it was celebrities, musicians backstage, or local listeners at live events, most of them were folks I wouldn't have had the chance to meet otherwise. Many listeners would say they listened to me for so many years, I had sort of become part of their family. That was really special and I still cherish that.

Any funny stories from your Buzzard days? Right away I think of the concert trip I hosted on New Years Eve 1999-2000....in a RV. Listeners won a trip to Detroit to see Kid Rock, Ted Nugent and Metallica, so we piled in and off we went, stopping at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along the way. Never did I think I'd be driving a massive home on wheels through the streets of Cleveland..much less on the Millineum New Years Eve! Writing and producing promotional contests was great fun, and I'll never forget the contest where listeners had to "Guess the Sex of Monica's Twins". We posted one of my actual sonograms at the website and listeners voted on the sex. The proud winner took home TWO 5 pound turkeys...just in time for Thanksgiving. Ahh, the things we would come up with. Other surreal things that come to mind would be interviewing tons of celebrities at the Radio Music Awards twice in Las Vegas...from Drew Carry, to Wolfgang Puck, to Night Ranger. I'll never forget hanging out with Gene Simmons from KISS while he was just kicking back playing an acoustic guitar before the show. Crazy times.

What inspired you to start your own business? Making extra large hula hoops was kind of a quirky hobby of mine and after people started requesting to buy them, I was inspired to turn it into a business. The timing was perfect in that I had recently left my career to stay at home with the girls, and was interested in a flexible way to make some income. Also, being able to design hoops with different colors and designs gives me a much needed creative outlet. I love being out and about working festivals with my hoops, and meeting all the different walks of life who enjoy them. A recent favorite spotting of mine was watching a group of nuns try them out. Even if I decided to quit the business now, that alone was worth all the effort!

Where can we see and/or purchase these hula hoops? You may have seen Monkey Hooper Hoops in various local papers and magazines (Relish cover story, June '09, Winston-Salem Monthly Magazine Sept. '09 issue, Winston Salem Journal, etc). You can purchase hoops at www.monkeyhooper.com, or you can buy them at H2O Tie Dyes in Winston Salem. You can also find me teaching hoop fitness classes at Gold's Gym in WS, teaching corporate fitness classes in business around town, or spreading the joy of hooping this Oct.-Dec. with Clifford the Big Red Dog at the Children's Museum of WS. Parents can also purchase hoops for unique party favors with a Monkey Hooper birthday party!

What is the smartiest way you save money? Using cash rather than a debit card helps. Also, my family has cut way back on eating out, and I am a big supporter of clipping/downloading coupons. Triple Coupon week rocks. Try to use them on food items that are already on sale. Extra bonus!

What is your favorite family activity? As the girls grow and mature this is constantly changing, but I would say for now it's just quality family time together. That could be hanging out at home on a Sunday night, having a picnic with my whole family, or taking the girls for a wagon ride through the neighborhood.

Favorite “me-time” activity?
Shopping

Favorite place to eat dinner as a family?
Waldo's Wings

Favorite date night spot?
Ryan's Steakhouse

Favorite book you have read?
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Funniest thing one of your children has ever done or said? They constantly crack me up, but one thing that comes to mind is how the girls have their own "twin speak" language with each other. It's a trip to sit back and watch them in action because once they start, they get loud quickly and don't stop!

Best place to eat lunch with the kids? I love sitting on the patio at 4th Street Filling Station with my girls on Mondays because it's relaxing, delicious, and kids eat free!

Favorite place to shop for children’s clothes? TCMOMS (Twin City Mothers of Multiples) clothing exchange twice a year

Best kept secret in the Triad? Flint Hill Vineyards, and the "upper" trail for walking and flying kites at C.G. Hill Park

What is the best birthday party you have attended? My great aunt Zeffa's 90th birthday party. It was outdoors at her home in the mountains and it's a wonderful memory I share with my mom.

What is your favorite mom’s must have item for around the house? My Blackberry cause I can keep up with email/business stuff from anywhere in the house.... and wine.

Favorite park? Pilot Mountain State Park, Salem Lake for riding bikes and walking, Tanglewood, Price Park in Boone, etc. My family spends a LOT of time having picnics. I think I was born with a marshmallow roasting stick in my hand.

Favorite or most helpful blog you have read on Triad Smarty Pants thus far? I have to shout out to my girl Jennifer Isaman for her recent blog on TCMOMS! All mothers of multiples are welcome and spreading the word about this fun and helpful club is a good thing. :-)

Best thing about raising a family in the Triad? The changing seasons, parks, festivals, and access to the beach and mountains.

I could not live without my...
Memory foam pillow...and my camera.

Monica is not only a Smarty Mom, but such a fun mom as well! Anyone who loves hula hooping knows how to have a good time! Thanks for sharing so many interesting things with us today!

Don't forget to register for this month's giveaway! You may be the lucky winner of a $50 gift card to Emma Jane's Children's Specialty Shoppe! Their clothing, furniture, toys and accessories are high quality and unique! Good luck!

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Navigating through TSP - Help with commenting, finding blogs, and smarty things you need to know!

By Rachel H

Today is focused on helping new readers, as well as our loyal followers, navigate through Smarty Pants and to find exactly what you need.

Every blog we write is archived. You can always find a past blog on our site. The question is how to do this. You have a couple options:

One is to use the Blogger Search Box in the very upper left-hand corner of the site. All you need to do is enter a key word that may pertain to the topic. For example, the other day I decided that I wanted to make the Breakfast Cookies that Deborah Martin blogged about over the summer. I went to the search box and typed in “breakfast”. A bunch of blogs popped up that all obviously contained the word breakfast. I scrolled through them and halfway down the page popped up Deborah’s Blog on Smarty Tips for a Healthy Breakfast.

We had a reader contact us looking for the blog her family member, Wendy Piazza, wrote for us. We showed her how to type “Wendy” in the search box, and all the blogs containing that name showed up. She easily found the one for which she was searching.

A second option to finding a particular blog is to use our Categories list. This list can be found on the left side of the website. Simply scroll down our page and you will see them directly underneath the banner ads from our sponsors. If you remember reading about a cool playset made by a business in the Triad, you could search under “Active Lifestyles,” “Smarty Sponsors,” “Greensboro Business,” etc. All of our previous blogs related to these topics will pop up. Many blogs are archived under more than one category. For example, our blog on Education Resource Group could be found by looking in any of the following categories – Tutoring, Education, Elementary, High School, Middle School, Resources, and WS Business.

This categories list is also useful just for browsing topics of which you may have interest. Our “Health” category always has terrific posts from local doctors. If you click on “Smarty Moms or Dads,” you may run across a friend who has been featured who you may have missed! “Parks” and “Day Trips” are great to check out when you want to find out new places to take the kids. We also think “Education” is a great category as well, with many blogs that can help you and your child throughout the school year. And lastly, you can find out all about TSP and the ladies behind the site by clicking on the categories labeled “About Us” and “About the Site.”

If all else fails when searching for a blog, you can click on the Contact Us link on the left-hand side of the page to email us directly and get help finding a particular blog. The only ones that we do not leave archived on the site are the Wednesday Event postings, but we can always pull an old one up for you if needed.

Another great tool on TSP is the pink and green buttons on the right side of our page. Currently, you will see “Most Popular Posts,” which can also help you find a blog that you and many others enjoyed, and “Birthday Party Directory” which is a terrific place to start when planning a party for your child. Many of the businesses on this directory also offer discounts to TSP readers, so make sure you read the write-up on each. We will continue to add more of these buttons on additional topics of interest to our readers.

Also note that any time a word is bold and underlined, you can click on it to take you to that particular website or blog. The same goes for our Smarty Sponsor ads on the left of the page. Click on their banner ad to visit their website and show them some TSP love!

Another topic I want to cover today is on commenting. The only way the TSP bloggers know if their article was helpful is if a reader posts a comment. Please participate in the daily conversations! We love to hear what you have to say, but more importantly, we love your ideas! As we say in our motto, “We don’t claim to know it all, but we’ll provide plenty of info on what we’ve learned through research, trial and error!” We count on other moms to give us their two cents and weigh in as well. We know you have great ideas that we have not thought about, so tell us!

Here is all you do to enter a comment: At the end of each blog you can click on “Post A Comment.” You will see a text box to enter your thoughts. Then you have four choices for “Choosing An Identity”. If you have a google account, click the first circle and enter your email address and password. Sometimes you may also need to enter the secret letters for security and then click “Publish Your Comment.” If you do not have a google account, you can click on Name/URL and write your name in the space provided. You can write just your first name, initials, or whatever you please! You can leave the part that says URL blank. Then “Publish Your Comment.” Finally, if none of the above work, you can click the circle next to anonymous and publish your comment that way. Again, the more comments we get, the happier we are because it is great feedback as to what our readers enjoy! You can read guidelines for comments under our About the Site category.

And last, but not least, the easiest way to stay tuned-in to TSP and navigate like a pro is to keep us on your Favorites List. Make us part of your morning or evening routine and check the site on a daily basis. We always have one new blog each day and once in a while will post a Smarty Alert mid-day if we have something else to share.

Do you have more questions? Email us at triadsmartypants@gmail.com and we’ll help you out!

Don't forget to register for this month's giveaway! You may be the lucky winner of a $50 gift card to Emma Jane's Children's Specialty Shoppe! Their clothing, furniture, toys and accessories are high quality and unique! Good luck!

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Smarty Give-Away: $50 Emma Jane's Gift Cards for Two Lucky TSP Readers!

By Katie M

If you are a loyal Triad Smarty Pants reader, then you’re no stranger to Emma Jane’s Children’s Specialty Shoppe in Kernersville. Emma Jane’s is one of our favorite children’s boutiques in the Triad. They’ve offered great discounts to TSP newsletter subscribers, participated in our Mother’s Day Give-Away last spring, and supplied all the adorable outfits our children modeled on the Fox 8 TV segment highlighting TSP’s “summer must haves.” Now this super Smarty Sponsor is giving two lucky TSP readers one $50 gift card each to put towards an unforgettable shopping experience.

To enter this give-away, scroll to the bottom of this post and complete the survey. You must be a Triad Smarty Pants newsletter subscriber to redeem the prize if your name is selected. We will notify the winners on Thursday, November 12 – one week from today – and we will announce the winners on Sunday, November 14. Please be sure to give us an email address and phone number where we can reach you on November 12.

The timing of this give-away is perfect too! Emma Jane’s is having a huge sale now through November 14 to celebrate its First Year Anniversary at its location in Kernersville. Everything in the store is on sale! Furniture is 25% off and all other items are “buy two and get one free.” Sale items include shoes, socks, leg warmers, tights, Leggins, clothes, winter coats and jackets, toys, Christmas stocking stuffers, frames, blankets, gift ideas and much more.

Even if you don’t win one of the gift cards it’s still a great time to shop at Emma Jane’s (even though every day is a great day to shop at Emma Jane’s!) In the store you’ll find everything from casual playwear to christening gowns and formal wear. At least 50% of the clothing in store is smocked. The shoe selection is fabulous – from traditional leather infant shoes to soft-soled footwear (like Robeez™) to Pip Squeaks™ - in colors to match any outfit. Emma Jane’s furniture selection dressers, book cases, armoires, toy boxes, desks – in a variety of woods. You can choose custom bedding. And you can shop for toys by top-of-the-line retailers like Melissa and Doug™, Webkins™ and Baby Gund™. Emma Jane’s combines it all into a one-stop shopping experience.

Emma Jane’s is a family-owned and-operated children's boutique that has been in operation for four years. The staff at Emma Jane’s offers personalized service and they spend a great deal of time with customers to find out what they are looking for. There is also a small room with toys and a train table for your children to entertain themselves while you shop!

And the best part: Emma Jane’s location is great, no matter where you live in the Triad. It’s conveniently located off Interstate 40 Business in the heart of Kernersville. Its address is 1030 F South Main Street (in the small strip mall in front of Target), and it’s phone number is 336-992-3559. The store is open Monday – Friday from 10 am to 7 pm, and on Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. Emma Jane’s also offers convenient layaway plans: 20% down, monthly payments, and six months to pay it off.

Good luck, Smarties! Click here to take the survey and get registered.

And if you don’t win this time, we still hope to see you at Emma Jane’s this holiday shopping season!

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Smarty Scoop on Weekend Events

By Katie M

Happy Wednesday! Before we jump into the weekend line-up, don't forget that Paper Sassy is holding its 2nd Annual Holiday Affair tomorrow (November 5) from 5 pm to 9 pm at its Kernersville store location. This is a not-to-miss event! You'll remember we profiled Paper Sassy and I told you it's my newest passion. Well, this passion is still hot - especially with the discounts it's offering!

Tomorrow night will be an evening of shopping, prizes, desserts and joyful music. Paper Sassy Owner Devora is offering $5 off to everyone – and an additional $5 if you bring a friend! All you have to do is print off this blog with the coupon pictured to the right, spend $25 or more, and you'll receive these discounts. Plus, as a Triad Smarty Pants reader, Paper Sassy will offer you 10% off your first visit! How can you pass this up? From fine stationary and gifts to everything from personalized invitations, envelopes, and letterhead to planners, bags and signature items like dry-erasable magnetic bulletin boards known as Magulletins, you'll be way ahead in your holiday shopping! Stock up, Smarties! (Note: The store will be closed today to prepare for this event, and will open on November 5 at 5 pm for the party). So simple! So sassy! We'll see you there!

To get the skinny on the rest of the weekend, read on!

63rd Annual St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Women’s (ECW) Bazaar and Luncheon
Wednesday, November 4 from 10 am to 2:30 pm, Luncheon starting at 11:30
There will be handcrafted gifts (100% of the proceeds from the Bazaar go to designated world and national, state and local, and parish beneficiaries), food, a silent auction with a wide assortment of wonderful items available for bidding, as well as a raffle where you can win prizes such as $250 worth of Wilco gas, dinner for four at 1703 Restaurant in Winston-Salem, or a magnificent firehouse made by St. Paul’s member Jim Lippart. Gas and dinner raffle tickets are $1 each or 6/$5, and firehouse raffle tickets are $20. Only 150 raffle tickets will be sold for the firehouse, and they are going fast! Please contact Robin Fulk at rfulk1@triad.rr.com to purchase your tickets or for more information.

Holiday Market
Friday, Nov. 6 at 10 am
Greensboro Coliseum Complex, SEC 1921 W. Lee Steet, GSO
The 20th Anniversary Holiday Market is the Your Complete Holiday Experience! There are more than 360 speciality vendors, boutiques, shops and retail exhibitors offering foods and fashions, gifts and glitter, music and magic � everything to make the holidays bright. This exciting Christmas extravaganza kicks off the season with specialty gift stores, fashion jewelry, clothing, gourmet foods, decorations and ideas, home accessories and d�cor, food and wine sampling, arts and craft. Adults $7.

Beauty and the Beast Jr
Friday and Saturday 7 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m.
Rives Cafetorium, Westchester Country Day School, 2045 N. Old Greensboro Road, HP
Presented by Westchester Country Day School, expect to be enchanted by Belle and her beast. Just $5.

Cinderella, the Enchanted Edition
Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m.
Edward C. Smith Civic Center, 217 S. Main St., Lexington
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (presented by Lexington Youth Theatre), features over 90 young performers in grades K through 12th grade. Tickets $8 in advance; $10 at the door.

First Friday in Downtown Greensboro
Friday, Nov. 6 from 6 – 9 pm
Elm Street area, Downtown GSO
A self-guided tour of local art galleries and studios, museums, retail shops, restaurants and alternative arts venues. Free to public.

DADA First Friday Gallery Hop
Friday, November 6 from 7 – 10 pm
Sixth, Trade and Liberty streets, W-S
Streets filled with downtown arts, artist demonstrations, music and dance. Free!

Community Care Fair
Saturday, Nov. 7 from 10 am to 2 pm
High Point Bank Operation Center, 1300 E. Hartley Dr. (next to Oak Hollow Mall).
High Point Museum is participating with more than 30 charities and non profits offering arts, crafts and gift items.

Second Annual Colfax Persimmon Festival
Saturday, Nov. 7 at 9 am
Stafford Farm, 558 North Bunker Hill Road, Colfax
$5 per car parking fee

FREE Community Day at SciWorks
Saturday, Nov. 7 at 11 am
SciWorks, 400 West Hanes Mill Road, W-S
FREE Community Day! Saturday, November 7 Sponsored by the J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, this day will feature programs on topics related to aging and booths with information/consultation. SciWorks will be open from 11am - 5pm with no admission fee. Join us! Tell your friends!!

Clay Day
Saturday, Nov. 7 at 9:30 am
Old Salem Museums & Gardens 900 Old Salem Road, WS
Make your own marbles, see the reconstructed 18th century kiln fired, try your hand at chinking logs and building a clay tile roof, and much more as we focus on the ways that clay was used in Salem. November 7 is also Scout Day, where Girl and Boy Scouts can earn a patch, and receive a special discounted rate to tour Old Salem. Reservations required to receive special rate.
Cost: $8 for Scouts, or an All-In-One Ticket required.

Santa at Hanes Mall
Saturday, Nov 7 Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday noon-6 p.m.
Hanes Mall, 3320 Silas Creek Parkway, W-S
Photo prices vary.

What did we forget? Please add your event below!

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FREE Admission to SciWorks this Saturday!

By Debbie Cesta, VP Development and Marketing for SciWorks

Mark your calendars! Smarty Sponsor SciWorks is offering FREE admission for all on Saturday, November 7th from 11 am to 5 pm!

Did you know that SciWorks was voted by Parents Magazine to be in the top 25 Science Museums for Children – in the U.S.? SciWorks is located in Winston-Salem. A visit to SciWorks is a terrific family outing – learn about science while having fun! It will keep children as young as two-years-old engaged – with “Tot Spots” in each of the main exhibit galleries and KidsWorks, an area dedicated to children seven years and younger. Tot Spots are areas for the preschool age child – with fun, hands-on exhibits with the same theme as the exhibit gallery in which it’s located. Families don’t have to split up. KidsWorks is a room with lots of fun stuff for children under age seven – a small grocery store, puppet theater, puzzles, and an area with padded mats for active movement.

In order to meet the needs of all families, SciWorks redesigned its membership program two years ago. Because families come in so many different “sizes,” there are multiple levels and prices. SciWorks’ membership program is now based on the number of people using the membership. For instance, if you are a small family with just one child, you might purchase a membership called “One Cardholder Plus Two.” The “plus two” would enable you to bring your child and another person (the other parent or a friend, or grandparent perhaps?). This membership costs $80 for unlimited visits in a 12-month period. SciWorks memberships go up to “One Cardholder Plus Four” for $110 and then the “large family membership” for $120 admitting two adults and all children living in one household. SciWorks members can use their membership card to gain free admission to other participating science museums - now more than 290 in over a dozen countries.

If you haven’t been to SciWorks in a while, you ought to go! The current “traveling exhibit” is “The Amazing Feats of Aging!” and even in spite of the name, there are lots of fun and interesting things for children. Explore the mysteries of why and how animals, including humans, age in this colorful, carnival-themed exhibition. Designed for families, adults, and school groups (grades K-8), this highly interactive health science exhibition focuses on the biology of aging, aging across the animal kingdom, healthy aging, and aging of the brain. Discover how normal aging of the brain differs from changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Can you affect the aging process? Find out in this fun and informative exhibit about biology, aging, animals, and you!

Presented by the J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, this exhibit invites visitors to consider what aging means and how it impacts them now and in the future. The Amazing Feats of Aging will be at SciWorks through January 2, 2010. Amazing Feats of Aging was created and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The exhibit was funded by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The exhibit’s national tour is sponsored by MetLife Foundation.

See you there!

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