Saturday, May 26, 2012, will be the grand opening of the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center at the Witte Museum.  This two-story, 20,000 square foot addition will serve as the permanent home for the Witte’s South Texas collections.  Visitors will be able to experience over 150 years of change and rapid growth in San Antonio and South Texas.

Some of the new exhibits include:

• San Antonio’s Main Plaza – a look at the famous square in the 1840s
• Life along the border
• Early years in South Texas – indigenous people, early settlers, the Missions
• Oil and gas industry
• Gallery dedicated to the 19th and 20th century early Texas art collections

With high-tech guides along the way, families can learn from cinematic robots, touch-screen computers, motion-trigger audio personas, and incredible sound and lighting effects capturing the interest and imagination of visitors young and old.

Kids will get to see what life what like for children in the 1800s.  A wagon display has a peek inside crate full of goods from that time period.  Families can work together to balance goods on a donkey’s back.  Kids can also carry two buckets of water with a yolk like kids back then had to.  In addition to the existing exhibits at the Witte, you’ll want to set aside a lot of time to really go through everything.

GRAND OPENING

Saturday, May 26: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday, May 27: Noon-5 p.m.

Monday, May 28: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Address:  3801 Broadway | San Antonio, TX 78209

• Witte Museum Boot Scoot and 5k Fun Run – opens the festivities with a morning run through Breckenridge Park
• Demonstrations throughout the day
• Cowboy/cowgirl dress up
• Trick Roping
• Horse interactions
• Interactions with San Antonio Living History association
• Much more!!!

SPECIAL EVENTS

The facility can accommodate up to 150 for a cocktail-style reception indoors and 250 for a seated dinner outside.  Please click here for more information.

As a mom and IT geek, I wanted to write a quick blog post to remind parents (and people who ever let kids play with their mobile devices or computers) to update the safe search settings for YouTube and Google.

YouTube:

go to http://www.youtube.com/…if you’re on a mobile device it will redirect you to their mobile site.  If you’re on a computer skip down a couple screenshots to step 3.

1 – Go to http://www.youtube.com/

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “Desktop” link:

3.  Scroll all the way down the desktop view and click on the “Safety” drop down.  You’ll be able to toggle safe search on and off from there.

If you are logged in, you can have youtube remember your setting on any device you’re signed into (computer or phone.)

Of course they caveat it with “it’s not 100% safe”…so always monitor your children wisely.  Detailed instructions from YouTube here.

Google Safe Search

After going to https://www.google.com/ scroll to the bottom of the page:

Click “Settings“:

Make sure that “Strict” search is selected:

and scroll to the bottom of the page and save before exiting the browser.

Detailed instructions from Google here.

Check out more information from Google’s Family Safety Center (that I didn’t realize existed before writing this blog post!)  It includes advice from their partners and a lot of other helpful resources:

• Sexually explicit and violent material
• Meeting strangers online
• Sharing too much personal information
• Cyberbullying
• Exposure to vulgar language
• Sites promoting inappropriate behaviors such as eating disorders and drug use
• Malware

If you’re like me and LOVE printables, you enjoy these Valentine’s Day themed ones! I have found over 40 printable valentines for kids and adults, whether you’re handing them out at school or your special someone. Happy Valentine’s Day!

• Download pdfs by clicking on printable’s images
• Blog images go directly to the “printable”-related blog posts if you want to check out other printables the blogger shared
• If it’s not a direct PDF it’s because there were multiple images to download

Don’t forget to check out my blog post on Kid’s Valentine’s Day Websites, Printables, and Crafts!

Printable Valentine’s Day Jokes!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tattered-and-Inked/174217669273613

http://twitter.com/30daysblog

http://facebook.com/30daysblog

Pencil Toppers!

Bag Topper

Cute Gift Labels “Open Me At”

page 1 & page 2

https://www.facebook.com/iheartfaces

http://twitter.com/iheartfaces

Download a zip file full of templates displayed below.

https://twitter.com/#!/amyistheparty

http://www.facebook.com/amylouisecluck

Skip to My Lou

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Skip-to-my-Lou/45710348090

http://twitter.com/cindyhopper

http://www.facebook.com/LivingLocurto?sk=app_265208426850693

http://twitter.com/livinglocurto

And cute bag labels here.

http://www.facebook.com/lovevsdesign

http://twitter.com/lovevsdesign

For people living in Sam Antonio or just visiting, the winter holidays are one of the best times of years. One family tradition we have enjoyed for the past two years is provided by the Westin La Cantera. This luxurious resort paints a beautifully festive backdrop to kick off the yuletide season with plenty for families, couples, and friends to do.

During a complimentary “mommy bloggers” preview, my daughter and I, her best friend’s family, and a couple other families were able to see firsthand all the excitement and Christmas spirit the Westin is returning to the Hill Country.

When: Nov. 18th through Jan. 8

Where: Westin La Cantera | 16641 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78256

Phone: (210) 558-6500

Website: http://www.westinlacantera.com/holidays.html

The fun kicks off with Frost – imagine be able to skate outside on a 1,200-square-foot synthetic outdoor iceless skating rink, whether it’s in the 20s or 80s!

This activity is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cost is $10 for 45 minutes of skating and skate rental.

*A portion of the proceeds will go to the George Gervin Youth Center, Inc.

**Guests who skate will instantly be included in a prize drawing. The grand prize includes: a 2-night stay, daily breakfast for two at Brannon’s Café and a personalized memento from Spurs legend George “Iceman” Gervin

Santa’s Workshop

When: Dec. 13 to Dec. 24

Drop by Santa’s Workshop where guests or locals can take a photo with Santa, make a holiday toy or decorate cookies with the elves.   A portion of the proceeds will go to a local charity.

Legendary Holidays

When: Dec. 13 to Dec. 24

The resort’s 13th annual Legendary Holidays program is sure to dazzle kids of every age. This one-hour resort tradition takes place daily at 5 p.m. Guests are guided around the property by the popular storyteller, Bandera Cowboy ‘Makin’ Dust’, who sings and tells holiday stories.

The program concludes with ‘snow’ magically falling from the sky as the choir begins to sing a holiday song at the top of Plaza San Saba.

Holiday Menu and Cocktails

Celebrate the season with culinary delights, including a special Thanksgiving Day Brunch as well as delectable Christmas and New Year’s Eve menu selections.

The Magik Theatre

San Antonio’s local children theater presents a holiday comedy “The Pirate’s Holiday”!

Cost is $5.00 for adults; children under 3 are free.

Shows start at 7:30 p.m. The kids (ages from 3-8) and the adults (slightly older) in our group all laughed throughout the show, everyone having a TON of fun!

• December: 12/3, 12/10, 12/16, 12/17, 12/19 through 12/23
• December: Special show times on 12/17 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

• Arrive 30 minutes early, seating is limited.
• The show is 45 minutes long.

Below are some more pictures from our visit!

Free stuff for reading? Yes please! Check out this list of retailers and local libraries offering incentives for kids to read with their families or on their own this summer! Beat the heat and reap the rewards, literally! In no particular order here are a bunch of great programs!

Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading program encourages kids to read by asking them to download a journal, read 8 books, and then pick a FREE book at the nearest store near you. Now through 9/6/2011!

Downloads:

• Kid’s Journal
• Teacher’s Resources & Activities
• Parent Resources

Borders book store is offering you a free book after the 10^th book read! Now through 9/5/2011! Download the reading form here. You get to pick which 10 and Borders is offering a great selection of freebies to choose from (see complete list of freebies here!)

Even Chuck E Cheese is getting in the spirit by offering this reading calendar in exchange for tokens!! Print our calendar here.

From now until 10/1/2011, you can join the HEB Summer Reading Club and after reading 10 books you’ll get a cool prize!

After printing out the form (download here), mail it in to this address:

H•E•Buddy® 2011 Summer Reading Program,

10530 Sentinel, San Antonio, Texas 78217

Download your summer reading log from Half Price Books here and spend your summer keeping track of all the great books you read! Start turning in completed logs between July 25^th through August 7^th and receive $5 Back to School Bucks reading rewards cards!

Scholastic if also offering freebies in their summer reading program here. Log your minutes to win rewards! This is by far the most modern and technologically filled summer reading program. Your child will sign up for an account where they log the hours they read each day. Meet the reading challenge each week and win FREE downloads and other prizes.

Last year was the first time San Antonio, TX participated in Lemonade Day. While their goal was 1,500 kids participating, San Antonio had 3,300 participants, the most every for an inaugural city! In 2011, their goal is 7,500!  On May 1, 2011, any kid (or young at heart) is encouraged to not only open a lemonade stand but pick up the FREE backpack ahead of time.  It includes information for kids and parents about planning and becoming a young entrepreneur.

The City of San Antonio passed a health ordinance on March 3rd waiving the temporary food establishment permit requirement for children and youth participating on May 1^st!

Website:
http://sanantonio.lemonadeday.org/

2010 Lemonade Day in San Antonio

• Last year the average stand was open for 4 hours and 51 minutes. In that time the average profit was $73.00
• In 2010 over 70% of profits were donated to charity
• Last year’s most successful stand in San Antonio made over $600!

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/ldaysa

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/LemonadeDaySA

Online Resources:

• Facebook app and more games here
• Teacher Guides here
• Compete for prizes this year!

2010 Lemonade Stand Map | San Antonio, TX

Backpack Pickup Locations

Register online or pick up your FREE 2011 Lemonade Day backpack full of educational information and coupons for kids and parents! Different bags for different age groups, pick up at any of the following events:

• San Antonio Library at any time starting April 4^th, Library locations click here.

What	Where	When
Fiesta de los Niños  Parade at noon Featuring middle school bands, elementary school students, Port San Antonio employees, SAFD fire truck, & lots more.   Rides, games, food, entertainment and lots of fun!!!!	200 Donald Goodrich Rd  San Antonio, TX | Map	Saturday, April 9,  10:00am-7:00pm
KidsDay in the Park  Free event for parents and children age 10 and under	San Pedro Springs Park | Map	Saturday, April 9, 2011  10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Kids’ Kingdom @ King William’s Fair      Kids’ Kingdom is the child centered park area in the King William Fair, features “kid” friendly attractions with games and carnival attractions. Activities include free arts and crafts by Mission Trail and other community groups	1032 S. Alamo Street San Antonio, TX 78210 | Map	Saturday, April 16,  10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
3rd Annual San Antonio Youth Summit    Small group sessions on important social issues in San Antonio with panel discussions with community leaders on how to build for a better future.   Motivational speakers and workshops on preparing for the future	200 E Market St  San Antonio, Texas 78205 | Map	Tuesday, April 5, 2011 8am-4pm
Valero Go! Challenge	Alamo Dome  100 Montana St. San Antonio, TX 78203 | Map	Sunday, April 10, 2011  12 noon – 3 p.m.
San Antonio Zoo	San Antonio Zoo  3903 North St. Mary’s St, San Antonio, TX 78212 | Map	Sunday, April 10, 2011  9am—12pm
	San Antonio Whataburgers	Saturday, April 23, 2011  2—5pm
Charlotte’s Web   Showing at the Magik Theatre from April 6 through May 7th.	420 South Alamo  San Antonio, TX 78205 | Map	Friday, April 22, 2011  6-8:30pm   Saturday, April 23, 2011 1?3:30pm

I don’t even need to own an iPhone to know how helpful a few strategically downloaded games can be when it comes to entertaining your child (or someone else’s!)  Here are one’s that I have downloaded on other people’s phones or that were recommended to me!

All the apps are free to download and have been kid tested and mommy approved!

*Make sure thought that before letting your child play the games, all default settings are as you expect.  Lately there have been a lot of articles about kid’s downloading full versions and automatically charging to their parent’s itunes account.  Don’t be caught with any surprise purchases!

Click Image for iTunes Link	iPhone App Description
	Tap Fish, you are only taps away from owning multiple aquariums where you can decide what fish to grow, to sell, and to breed!
	Toy Story takes you on the adventure of a lifetime:  A fully interactive reading experience packed with Games, Movie Clips, Coloring Pages, Sing-along Tunes, and Surprises on every page. Hear the story read aloud, record your own narration, or explore at your own pace.
	Approved by teachers, parents and toddlers alike Toddler Teasers Shapes teaches while it entertains. With a focus on simplicity and full voice overs, toddlers play and learn without the need for extra help. The app displays colorful quizzes and offers positive reinforcement and fun rewards. The child-safe menu allows parents to customize game play and difficulty.
	I Hear Ewe – Animal Sounds for Toddlers -Entertain and educate your toddler with this simple game full of 24 different authentic animal sounds and 12 different vehicle sounds. When your baby taps on an animal or vehicle icon, the game will verbally announce what type of animal or vehicle it is and play a recording of its real sound.
	Balloonimals (MY FAVORITE!!) Beautifully rendered Balloonimals spring to life when you blow into the microphone on your iPhone or press the screen with your iPod Touch. Watch the balloon inflate and then give your phone a shake to start constructing your Balloonimal. With each shake, your animal takes greater shape until… Voila! Your Balloonimal appears and is ready to play. Pet your Balloonimal to see what tricks it can do.
	Peekaboo Barn Lite Inside a little bouncing barn, friendly farm animals are waiting to pop out and surprise your little one. Try and guess who they are; tap the doors to find out!
	Chinese for Munchkins takes children on a journey, teaching them how to say animals and numbers in Mandarin and Cantonese – the two most common Chinese dialects in the world (there is an English option too). Whether they want to roar with the “lau fu” (tiger), munch on bamboo with a “hung mao” (panda) or count “yak, yee, saam” (1-2-3), kids will be drawn to the flashcard pictures, sounds and animations.
	The experts at Parents® magazine help moms and dads keep young children entertained and stimulate learning with Parents Flash Cards. The included card packs are Colors and Shapes.
	Shape Builder LITE – The Preschool Learning Puzzle Game – Each puzzle has 5 to 10 pieces and after positioning all of the pieces, the real image is revealed along with a professional voice recording of the word spoken by Jill Dews, a licensed speech therapist. Encourages cognitive thinking and fine motor skills plus exposes young minds to new music instruments, animals, produce, objects and the alphabet in a fun and engaging format with LOTS of fun sound effects!
	Tangram Puzzle Pro FREE – Get 12 puzzles for free and see what Tangram Puzzle Pro is all about. Intuitive one-finger controls let you slide and spin shapes, and a convenient shape tray keeps things organized.
	FingerPiano Lite – allows you to play the piano with your forefinger.
	Read Me Stories – Children’s books A fun new educational and entertaining book EVERY day helps your child develop good reading habits. Each book teaches your child new concepts, new words and how to say them.

So, I should be ashamed because after living in San Antonio, TX since 2001-ish, I have never been to drive through the Windcrest Light Up (link to official website…) and marvel at the Christmas lights.  This year’s Light Up theme was “A Star-Studded Christmas” and there were tons of “stars”!  One yard boosted everyone from the Beatles to basketball players and everyone in between!  One house had music that you could tune into while you watched the lights flash in time w/ the music.

WARNING:  I went on Christmas night and it was pretty bumper to bumper.  Some people walked through the neighborhood which was fairly good sized.  I know though, the people walking made GREAT time and although they may have been chilly, they would have enjoyed the lights far more quickly than anyone sitting in traffic.  I’m not sure how residents deal w/ the traffic, Fenwick was bumper to bumper for 45 minutes!  Bring snacks, activities, and don’t go before the kids have gone to the restroom.  The lights were incredible and even the side streets w/o winners had many neighbors in the holiday spirit.

Check out the google map below, based on the winners list found on the website, I have plotted where each of the houses is for easy Garmin GPS entry.

According to their website, the City’s official map of the lighted neighborhood is here.

View 2010 Windcrest Christmas Lights – San Antonio, TX in a larger map

City of Windcrest

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/CityofWindcrest

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/City-of-Windcrest/356850095710

Did you wait until the last minute to purchase a Christmas present this year?  No fear!  UNICEF is here.

The best gift is a gift that keeps giving…and what could be better than a gift that literally saves lives, natural resources, and makes the world a better place!

A couple of Sundays ago, at my church Oak Hills in San Antonio, Max Lucado quickly showed a video of missionaries from our church sent to different parts of Africa to build fresh water wells w/ money raised from the Bibleland Children’s Sunday School classes.  Not only were the children there laughing and thanking us, they are now able to enjoy clean, fresh water without worrying about contamination, disease, and travelling many miles to fetch a tiny amount.

Check out all the ways to give back to children around the world:

About UNICEF:

Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, protection, emergency relief, and more.

22,000 children die EVERY DAY from preventable diseases.  Imagine being able to buy a gift that saves the life of one or many children in poverty stricken parts of the world!  Several, charitable organizations like UNICEF let you do just that!  Dedicate the purchase in the name of a loved one or friend and send/print notification.

Right now the featured gift is a “Winter Child Survival Pack” that includes:

• supplies to sustain child for 6 months!!
• vitamins and minerals to grow healthy
• measles and polio immunizations
• enough water purification tablets for 50,000 liters of water!!

ALL of that is possible w/ a small donation of $81.35!  And if that’s too much they take general donations of $5 and more.

• Education & Play - school supplies, soccer balls, and more give these children a chance for quality educations!
• Immunizations – vaccinations for diseases that don’t even exist in modern countries ($20 buys 412 tetanus shots)
• Water – water pumps, purification, and family water kits
• Nutrition – baby scales, ready to eat food, vitamin powder ($18 buys 604 individual doses of vitamins and minerals!)
• Emergency – high energy food, water kits, tents and more to help during emergencies
• Health - first aid kits for field workers, mother/baby packs, for $80 save 1000k from deadly diseases

Did you know that as you’re shopping for people on other sites you could still be helping children fight preventable diseases?!

American Airlines | Causes on Facebook | Delta Air Lines
FEED | Gucci | H&M | IKEA |  Western Union

Click on the links for more details!  American Airlines is fighting diseases w/ incentives to donate to UNICEF by offering 2 AAdvantage miles in return for EACH dollar donated.  Donate right now!

The special edition “Gucci for UNICEF” Sukey bag, designed by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini in grey “La Pelle Guccissima” leather, is being sold in Gucci stores in over 20 countries and from April 15, 2010 through February 28, 2011, Gucci will donate 25% of the retail price!

UNICEF Social Media

• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UNICEF-USA
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/unicefusa

TeachUNICEF is a portfolio of UNICEF-focused resources designed and collected by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Education Department for educators, afterschool instructors, and parents. The units, lesson plans, stories, and multimedia cover topics ranging from the Millennium Development Goals to water and sanitation.

*Teaser for my next blog “Teach UNICEF”

I hope that even if you’re not a teacher, you share the information in this post with one you know!  I can’t think of a more intense profession – please take the time to thank the teachers in your life!

This post is chock full of deals, reward programs, and other incentives that teachers and educators might not have the time to find.  Check out these deals for back to school, a lot of which last all year long!  Most require sign up with proof of teaching license or school code but all programs are free with rewards offered to your school!

B&N Educator Program

• Educator Discount, Resources & More
• Save 20% off the publisher’s list price on all purchases for classroom use
• Get up to 25% off the publisher’s list price during Educator Appreciation Days
• Receive valuable email offers and information on special Educator events
• Listen to popular stories being read online
• Join by filling out this application and bringing it to any location! More FAQ
• Coupon code: B8X7U8U, Exp: 08/17/10 (save 30% off the Back to School Category)

Classroom Discount Card – savings for teachers

• Individual teachers, from preschool through high school, as well as school librarians and homeschool educators.
• Save 25% off the list price of books and music CDs
• Save 10% off the list price of DVDs for professional use.
• Applications are available at all Borders stores, and signing up is completely free.
• Follow on Facebook for more deals and events!

Half price Books – Educator Discount

• Half Price Books supports educators, school teachers and librarians in the community.
• Educator’s Discount Card saves 10% all year round!
• Just bring in valid ID and proof of current employment such as a pay stub or employee ID card.

Crayola – Gold Star Teacher Program

• Sign up
  for the program to get great deals, printables, and other online resources!
  
• Check out these resources, templates, and other freebies!
  
• FREE science lesson plan for teachers
  

Office Depot – Star Teacher Program

• Get 10% back in Rewards on ink, toner, and paper, plus 1% back on almost everything else.
• Get discounts with these “My Star Teacher” reward partners
• Find out more information about smart reward programs and going green!
• $10 off $50 (Coupon Code: 75009959)
• $15 off $75 (Coupon Code: 63427096)
• $20 off $100 (Coupon Code: 40124581)
• Expires 8/21

Adobe Software – Student/Teacher Discounts

• Get up to 80% off Adobe software products!
• FREE shipping!

ATT Wireless

• Teacher discounts, apply through email

Join PBS Teachers!

• Exclusive Content from PBS!
• Ability to Save, Rate and Comment on Classroom Resources (like their Activity Packs)
• Online Discussions on Media and Technology
• Just by signing up, you will receive a 10% discount on your next purchase at ShopPBS for Teachers.
• Follow on Twitter – @pbsteachers

• You must have a valid e-mail address at an educational institution ending with the domain suffix .EDU (i.e., leina@contoso.edu) OR have a valid email address at one of the educational institutions listed here.

• 20% Off All School and Office Supplies (In-Store Only)
• Valid 8/15/10–8/21/10

Michael’s has this program called “The Knack Faculty” which offers teachers and other educators tons of printable templates, ideas, and savings!

Make sure you take advantage of their teacher appreciation event:

What: The Knack Faculty Free Teacher Appreciation Crop Event

When: 8/27/2010 3:00 PM – 8:45 PM

“Create some fun for the classroom. Teachers and friends, join us for Teacher Appreciation Crop Event. Learn to create fun bulletin boards, bookmarks, signs and more. We provide the space and assortment of tools. Plus, we take care of the cleanup.”

HP – Teacher Experience Exchange

• Upload/browse through lesson plans on different subjects
• Checkout professional development resources