San Antonio Summer FREEBIES!!!!

Big THANK YOU to Jody for passing along the following information!  More Cheap (or free) summer ideas to come!!

Book Store Events:
Toy Story 3 Event at Barnes and Noble
http://www.examiner.com/x-44284-San-Antonio-Budget-Events-Examiner~y2010m6d7-Toy-Story-3-storytimes-at-Borders-stores-June-12

Every Friday at 10:30am at the Twig (Pearl Brewery) Miss Anastasia Storytime!! 

http://thetwig.indiebound.com/miss-anastasia

Inflatable Bounce Houses and indoor play places
Tuesdays and Thursdays – HALF price Rolling Oaks Mall Inflatable Wonderland (10am-9pm). ½ price is $6.50- 6909 N. Loop 1604 E. #2063, San Antonio, TX 78247, (210)212-4386

Tuesdays and Thursdays- HALF price Emerald Rainbow Family Fun Center (11am-5pm), 20,000 square feet of inflatables, mini bowling, rock climbing, batting cages, arcade games mini golf, and food! 21155 Hwy. 46, Spring Branch, TX 78070
one mile west of US 281, Phone: (830) 980-8981
http://www.emerald-rainbow.com/

http://funtasticplayland.com/Admission.html

MOVIES:
http://www.villageatstoneoak.net/go/Poolb.cfm?MallID=1000&FPURLID=2129971307

http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx?state=TX

http://www.santikos.com/summerseries.php

http://www.amcentertainment.com/smc/

Library Stuff:
http://saplkids.blogspot.com/2010/06/storybook-theatre-at-library.html
http://guides.mysapl.org/summerreading2010

Date and Time: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Cody Library 11441 Vance Jackson
Contact Information: For more information call 210.270.9000
This event is FREE and open to the public. There will be fun, educational activities,and a special appearance by Curious George. Don't forget to bring your camera!

Great page to find stuff:
http://www.littledailyplanner.com/

Store Events:
Free Crafts for Kids!
Every Saturday from 11am – 3pm, Lakeshore Learning Store offers FREE craft activities for kids ages 3 and up at all of our locations.

Bass Pro Shop
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPageC?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&pageID=4766&cm_ven=redirect&cm_cat=mktg&cm_pla=bps&cm_ite=summercamp


Museums:
Witte Museum- Free admission on Tuesdays from 3 to 8pm.

Thursday evenings is FREE general admission to the McNay Art Museum.

Not free but very cool... http://www.alamo.edu/sac/ce/scobee/faqs2.html

Texas Transportation Museum
http://www.txtransportationmuseum.org/

Parks and Rec Stuff:
http://www.sanantonio.gov/sapar/calendar.asp?res=1440&ver=true

FOOD
http://www.sayachtclub.com/
Great new place with great playground for kids, good food and drinks for mom an dad!

KIDS EAT FREE:
Mondays at the wonderful La Paloma Norte!!!!!! Its on the corner of Evans and Bulverde with the green umbrellas :)! Make sure you get a pineapple mojito, for you, not the kids...ha ha ha ha

Other Fun Stuff
ZOO:
Also, if you have a SA Zoo membership you can get in at 7:30am! So fun to take breakfast tacos and watch them feed the animals and have the zoo all to yourself.

Magik Theater:
Not Free but not expensive is the http://www.magiktheatre.org/ and the Hemisphere playground is right next door. How I became a Pirate is through this weekend and then it is Snow White and the Seven Amigos!

Fort Sam Houston:
Fort Sam Houston has been many things since it was built 140 years ago: an Army post, a supply depot, a prison for Apache Chief Geronimo … Today, the fort's quadrangle is home to deer, rabbits, chickens, geese and ducks. The fort is also the site of one of San Antonio's most fascinating historical monuments. Take your grandchildren on a tour of Texas history that they can see, touch, and feel, in a spot where the animals are tame enough to feed from your hand.
Info: Free
Hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 6pm

Roller Skating:
http://www.therollercade.com/SUMMER_SKATING_2010.php

Baskin Robbins has dollar scoop night every Tuesday night

  

All sounds great Jody...especially the pineapple mojito!!  Thanks again!!

Sun screens for your kids....GRRRRRR!

Listening to our local news this morning, I hear bits and pieces of information about sun screens and how some may not be all they are cracked up to be. Then I receive a post from a friend and blog reader (thanks Molly!) with a link attached about how some chemicals in sunscreens may be accelerating cancer cell development AND not protecting our kids the way they are advertising to be. Okay so I am fired up a bit and start doing some research.....and NOW I AM FUMING!!!!

I thought for sure the sunscreen I buy was a good quality lotion. It is the most expensive at the store, and after all, you get what you pay for, right? WRONG! It was rated ONE OF THE WORST! And these are products I am trusting to protect my children, my three and one-year old??

It is so frustrating! I use a lot of things that are considered "natural" but let's be honest, who has the time to investigate every little thing and the money to purchase all these things? So while running through the grocery store, I grab a trusted name (at least I thought) brand sun screen. Those of you who have done the same thing, READ ON!

Here is the article (Study: Many Sunscreens May Be Accelerating Cancer) Take what you want from it, but the most important thing I did was click on the EWG (environmental Working Group) link below, then click on the Find the best sunscreen for you link, then you can search for the cream you have been using to see it's rating (the scale of good to caution to harmful is there). And you guessed it, mine was not just "caution" but in the HARMFUL category!! The page also shows the EWG's list of best rated sun screens that do not have those harmful chemicals in them. I recognized a lot of the names and most of them you can not buy in the grocery store because they are all natural products and are not carried in the big chain stores. I have seen some of them at Whole Foods and Sun Harvest and even Babies R Us.
Looks like I will be purchasing new sun screen for the hot summer months to come!!

EWG Link to finding a safe and effective sun screen
http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/

If you don't read the article or rate your sun screen at least take the time to look over this page. IT IS GREAT!
It is the EWG Top Sunscreen Tips and includes a chart showing you how to shop for sun screens (which chemicals to check for to have and avoid), then what to do prior to applying sunscreen, and sun tips for infants, toddlers, children, and teens!
It is a must read!! Look for most posts on this issue to come!!