Thursday, November 18, 2010

Visits with Santa

It's hard to believe that in less than a week it will be Thanksgiving and soon after, Christmas!

If you haven't already started getting into the Christmas spirit, this is the perfect time to start. Check out all the places you can visit with Santa (Remember to use the categories at the bottom for easier searching)! There are free gifts, free photos, visit for your pup, and more!

Dress up the kids and the dog and get your pictures taken with Dear Ol' Saint Nick!

Keep checking back for updates to the calendar as the holidays get closer.

Ho! Ho! Ho!!!

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Enchanted Forest

It's time again for The Enchanted Forest, which is sponsored by the Junior League of Northern Virginia.

The event takes place this weekend, Nov. 21-22 at the Sheraton Reston.

The Enchanted Forest, is a winter-themed festival designed for the entire family, and includes activities such as Breakfast with Santa, Cocoa and Georgetown Cupcakes with the Snow Fairy Princess, Kids in the Kitchen and Children’s Science Center interactive activities, a professional train display, musical and dance performers, arts and crafts, photos with Santa, a holiday shopping boutique, the 10th Anniversary Diamond Gala, and the “forest” itself filled with merchandise-decorated holiday trees.

Here is the schedule of events. These events are covered by the general admission. Additional events are priced according to event. Check out the website for specific times.

Come out and get into the spirit of the holidays by supporting this great organization. We'd love to see your pictures on our Facebook page from this event!

addition
**Tickets may be purchased in advanced, online, or at the door. General Admission tickets are $10.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

A Neat Opportunity

Do you know an artistic teen or college student who is passionate about our oceans?
Children's Events

Oceans 2030: Youth Outlook is a multimedia - photo, video and art - contest that provides a forum for youth to share their vision for our oceans over the next 20 years. It is being organized as part of the Our Changing Oceans Conference by the National Council for Science and the Environment.

Top winners will receive an Ipod Touch.

Winning entries will also received complimentary registrations to the Our Changing Oceans Conference in Washington, DC, get showcased at the conference's Waves of Change Ocean Expo from Jan 2-21, 2011, and be published online on the Encyclopedia of Earth.

High school students (15-17 yrs) and college students (18-24 yrs) are invited to submit ONE of the following:

  • Photograph - high resolution in digital format as a .jpg, .png, or .gif file
  • Video - short video (up to 5 minutes) uploaded via YouTube
  • Graphic Art - illustration or comic (up to 3 panels) in high resolution as .jpg, .png, or .gif file

Each submission must also include 200-300 words outlining your vision for our oceans in 2030 and why.


Submission Deadline is November 22, 2010


Contact Lyle Birkey at lbirkey@ncseonine.org
To learn more about the Oceans 2030: Youth Outlook Contest, visit http://www.ourchangingoceans.org

Pass it on - there's no time to lose!!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

It's Nutcracker Time!

The first time I went to see the Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center was when I was probably nine years old. It was the real deal, with men in tights, gorgeous women in costume and an orchestra. I don't think I will ever forget it. It was so, so amazing.

You don't have to wait for your kids to be nine years old though... nor do you have to travel to DC to get a similar experience. There are so many amazing and professional Nutcracker performances right here in our own backyard.

Throughout my years of living in this area, I have attended various performances of the Nutcracker performed by different companies. I have rarely been disappointed. So, if you have little ones at home and you're ready for them to experience the most breath-taking of all performances in living color, check out this listing of local performances.

I'd be happy to recommend a particular one to you offline. Just drop me an e-mail.

Stay tuned for listings of other Holiday performances such as A Christmas Carol and The Messiah.

Enjoy this little snippet of The Dance of Sugar Plum Fairies.




Or the Russian Dance



I could go on and on... but I know you can browse through YouTube yourself.

I hope watching these helped get you in the spirit.