Let's get real - the Easter bunny?
Even though there are more colder days of weather in store for us in the coming weeks, we can’t help but anticipate spring and summer. This past week’s warmer days have given us a taste of what’s to come and we can’t wait!
Before we know it, Easter will be here and we’ll all enjoy the true beginnings of Spring.
As I thought about Easter and what it’s all about today, I remembered so many of the holiday traditions that surround us. Coloring and hiding eggs, filling baskets with plastic grass and chocolate candy, and gathering with family to feast on way too much food. And then the idea of the “Easter bunny” caught my attention.
Now, let’s get real.
The Easter bunny scares me.
How can anyone believe that there is a bunny who hops around with baskets filled with lots of chocolates for children around the world. Santa is one thing — but the Easter bunny? How in the world did such a tradition catch hold in our society?
Easter is a religious remembrance no matter how you look at it. Yet, we have bunnies frolicking through the grass and entertaining children. We even take our kids and grandkids to visit the Easter bunny at the mall — a giant rabbit — how frightening!
We introduce our children to this tradition at a young age and we all enjoy the fun that comes with preparing for Easter and yes — that often means visiting the Easter bunny. I shared stories of the giant bunny with my children and I still do it with my grandchildren.
But the absurdity of an enormous rabbit hopping around the globe filling Easter baskets with candy is about as far-fetched as it gets. And yet, we promote it.
Life is full of absurdities that help us enjoy life. Whether they’re traditions celebrated by the world, or ones we create within our own families, traditions are a way to keep ideas and activities alive across the generations. Many are real and others are make-believe. I love them all too — even the Easter bunny.
But I also remember that the Easter holiday is a time to reflect on more than colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, and marshmallow peeps. It’s a time to reflect on life, living and the beauty that surrounds us. It’s a time to remember that we are all here for a purpose and that purpose is to love and do good for others in some way — every day. It’s a time to celebrate life and to be thankful for all we have.
I will definitely take time to celebrate life and new beginnings this Easter as we prepare for my youngest daughter’s wedding on April 30. I will reflect on all the blessings of my life and remember that new beginnings are a gift.
And I’ll also gather the grandchildren to color the eggs as I carefully place the pink and yellow plastic grass in their Easter baskets — as we anticipate a visit from the Easter bunny.
Active kids are at less risk of childhood obesity than sedentary children.
With the increased risk of childhood obesity, parents and grandparents should be well-educated, informed and aware of the resources available to help fight against weight issues. The women of the Junior League of Richmond are fighting childhood obesity in a big way on Saturday, March 19, 2011 — and they’re helping parents and grandparents do it too.
Kids in the Kitchen
The Junior League is hosting the Annual “Kids in the Kitchen” program at the Science Museum of Richmond from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. More than 200 children will participate in activities and games aimed at teaching good nutrition, exercise, hygiene and overall good health. Learning how to manage a healthy lifestyle starts at an early age and the Junior League is doing their part to help children learn.
There will be lots of activities, including:
- Golf
- Yoga
- Gymnastics
- Tae Kwon Do
- Basketball
“Kids in the Kitchen” is a national program sponsored by the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. They are focused on empowering young people to make healthy lifestyle choices and reverse the looming threat and growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues.
Kids will enjoy goodie bags filled with healthy living information, activities and tools. They’ll receive seeds, measuring cups, jump ropes and cookbooks. Learning about the origins of healthy foods and becoming more active every day are all included in the messages kids will receive at the event.
Come out on Saturday, March 19, 2011 and support this important effort to help fight childhood obesity. Bring the kids and let them have fun while learning healthy lifestyle habits and good nutritional habits too.
Help kids break the cycle of obesity and live healthier, higher quality lives as they face the future.
The Junior League of Richmond is located at 205 West Franklin Street, Richmond, Va. You can reach them at [email protected] or 804.643.4886.
Sweetly Smitten's smores cupcakes are scrumpdiddylicious!
If you love cupcakes — and who doesn’t — there’s a new cupcakery in town that you will love. Richmond is home to lots of great cupcake bakers, but now Sweetly Smitten has joined the ranks of Richmond’s best!
They offer some of the most delicious treats available for grandchildren or children’s birthday parties and more.
Sweetly Smitten was founded in Mechanicsville, VA by sisters Demi Emmanouil and Litsa Kotsis who have a passion for baking. They pride themselves in only using the freshest ingredients possible to create their delicious creations. Since opening in November 2010, they have enjoyed steady business growth and customer compliments galore.
With flavors like almond raspberry, black forrest, carrot cake, chocolate orange, grasshopper, sherry, smores, and more, they have something for every sweet tooth.
But they don’t stop at cupcakes.
Greek desserts
Greek desserts are also a specialty with Baklava (layers of flaky pastry, honey and nuts), Koulourakia (butter shortbread cookies), Kourambiethes (almond cookies covered with powdered sugar), Paximadia (Greek biscotti), and Galaktoboureko (custard baked between layers of phyllo and soaked with lemon flavored syrup) are also available. Since they use the freshest ingredients, these Greek desserts are fresh, flaky, and delicious!
You can order your treats online and they also offer catering for weddings, parties and lots of other events.
Check them out and see for yourself and you’re sure to return for more.
Yummo!
You’ll be definitely “sweetly smitten”!
Kids love crafting!
Kids and crafts go together like peanut butter and jelly.
You can’t have one without the other!
When children gather, a craft is always something they enjoy. They love to be creative and do things that allow them to use paints, paper, stickers, scissors and glue. Children have an incredible imagination and encouraging them to think about fun ways to make crafts is easy to do. Don’t forget the value of education in crafting too. Not only can you make it fun but you can make it a learning experience.
Whether you have responsibility for your grandchild daily, weekly, monthly, or just occasionally, there are many unusual craft ideas that are sure to please everyone.
Start by choosing a simple letter of the alphabet. Start with “A” and go through the alphabet with ongoing projects. If you’re at a loss for words for what you can do for each letter, don’t worry – children are very creative!
Once you’ve decided on the letter to start with, it’s easy from that point on. You’ll need the usual craft supplies such as glue, tape, pencils, markers and paper — and maybe some of these:
- Old magazines, newspapers, greeting cards, or photos for finding pictures and artwork.
- Dry pasta in different shapes.
- Tissue paper in a variety of colors
- Leaves, twigs, and other outdoor treasures.
- Small broken pieces of rocks and pebbles.
- Broken necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry they can pull apart.
- Paper plates in various sizes.
- Disposable cups.
- Anything else that spurs creativity.
Now think about the letter and create a craft around it. Your grandchild can create something each day that begins with the letter he or she chooses. For example, if the child chooses the letter “A”, the first craft can be an apple tree.
Give each child a piece of heavy white paper or cardboard. Using brown finger paint, have them lay their arm from wrist to elbow lightly in the paint and then place it on their paper to create the tree trunk. Next, using green paint, have them use their handprints to create the leaves of the tree just above the tree trunk. Give them a brush and some red paint and let them paint with their fingertips on the sheet and they’ve got an apple tree!
Yes, it can be a little messy, but the fun is worth it and it spurs creativity for grandchildren. It also keeps them entertained! An alternative would be to just paint the trunk and leaves but it’s not nearly the fun.
If it’s a holiday such as Easter, then choose the letter “E” and build a craft for the holidays such as a bunny or Easter basket.
Using letters is a good way to help them learn about sounds, shapes, and phonetics, while having fun. It’s also a way to teach them to make hand-made personalized cards for birthdays, holidays, Mother’s or Father’s Day, and just “nothing” days.
The possibilities are endless and the children will love creative activities. They won’t even know they’re learning either. It’s a simple way to keep a child busy, but it’s something that they will look forward to every time.
And they just might learn something in the process!
Go fly a kite on March 5!
We are flying high this weekend in Richmond!
Kite Festival & the Tastes and Sounds of Henrico is in full swing on Saturday, March 5, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Dorey Park. Rain date is March 6 from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
And best of all, the event is FREE!
All ages are welcome to join in for a day of kite flying and fun hosted by the Richmond Air Force Kite Club, in cooperation with Henrico County Division of Recreation and Parks, Henrico County Public Schools and Dominion Resources.
Kite flying and demonstrations, hot-air balloon rides, children’s activities, exhibits, contests and games, as well as a live dairy exhibit provided by the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association are all in store.
At 1 p.m., 2011 kites will fly over the soccer field at Dorey Park. There will also be live music with talent from Henrico County Public Schools. A tasty sampling of culinary creations from some of Henrico’s favorite vendors will also be available.
Don’t miss this 2011 event to commemorate Henrico County’s 400th Anniversary.
Call Jeannie Murray at 804.501.5121 for more information.
We are adding information daily. Please check back often. We also encourage parents to share theirs and their children’s experiences in the comments.
Please submit your camp information to [email protected].
All Fired Up Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 20 – August 26 for ages 6 – 14.
Camp Friendship Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 19 – August 20.
Camp Hanover Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 19 – August 20.
Camp Motorsport Registration is OPEN. Camps run from July 3 – August 5.
Camp Treehouse Registration is OPEN. Camps run May 31 – June 3 and July 5 – July 8
Children’s Museum of Richmond (Central and Short Pump locations) – Registration is OPEN. Camps run weekly from June 20th to August 26th.
Collegiate School Summer Quest Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 13 – August 5.
CORE Kids Academy – Registration is open for 3 -13 year olds. Camps run from June 7 through September 1.
HandsOn Greater Richmond TeamWorks – August 1 – 5 for teens 12 – 18. Space is limited. Apply HERE by July 1.
HATTheatre – Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 20 – August 11.
James Finley Volleyball Camp (VCU Volleyball Head Coach) – Registration is OPEN. Camps for boys and girls rising 5 – 12 grades. July 16 – 20 based on program.
Key Signatures “Rock Star Camp” – Registration is OPEN. Sessions run weekly.
Kindermusik-Registration is open for 0-6 year-olds in a variety of music camps running weekly from July 5-August 19, 2011.
Little Scholars Registration is OPEN. Programs run from June 6 – September 9.
Luther Memorial Summer Programs Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 13 – August 12.
Mathnasium, The Math Learning Center Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 1 – September 3.
Martial Arts World (locations in Chester, Chesterfield, Powhatan, West End, Hanover and Midlothian) Registration is OPEN.
Maymont Registration is OPEN. Camps run from May 31 – August 19. Dates vary by program. Maymont’s wildly popular summer camps offer outdoor adventures, animal encounters, games, crafts and hands-on activities for young nature explorers ages 4 to 14. Plus we have a special volunteer program for teens ages 15 to 18 to help our young campers while gaining great experience in the environmental science field.
Millwood School Registration is OPEN. Programs run from mid-June until the end of July.
Minnieland (area locations Hanover, Wellesley/Short Pump, Skipwith Academy, Pebble Creek, Huguenot and Woodlake) Registration is OPEN. Programs vary by location.
Music That’s Mine Registration is OPEN. Camps run July 11 – July 29.
Nancy Jacey – Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 20 – September 2.
Pamunkey Ridge Girl Scout Camp Registration is OPEN (for members). Camps run from June 21 – August 5.
Passages Adventure Camp – Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 6 – August 26.
Richmond Fencing Club – Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 20 – August 5.
Richmond Shakespeare – Registration is OPEN. Dates and times vary by program.
Richmond Olympiad (area locations Chesterfield Airport, Hanover, Innsbrook and Trade Road) – Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 20 – August 20. Summer Schedule July 5 – August 29, 2011. Sessions and times may vary by location.
Richmond Volleyball Club – Registration is OPEN. Dates and times vary by program.
Richmond Waldorf School Summer Adventures – Registration is OPEN. Camps run weekly June 6 – August 12, 2011.
Richmond Young Writers - Registration ENDS June 12. Afternoon and morning sessions Monday through Friday.
Riverside Outfitters Camps Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 14 – September 3. Dates vary by program.
Romp n’ Roll – Registration begins February 21, 2011. Camps run weekly beginning Tuesday, June 7 – September 1, 2011.
Sabot at Stony Point, A Sabot Summer – Registration is OPEN. Ages 4 to 14 year olds. Programs run in June and July.
Science Museum of Virginia Mad Science Camps – Registration in OPEN. Camps run weekly June 20 – September 2, 2011.
Smart Moves Yoga Smart Moves Yoga for Kids at Mom’s Treehouse. We are offering unlimited yoga for kids, ages 3-9, for the summer!
Swift Creek Academy of the Performing Arts Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 27 – August 12.
The Greater Richmond School of Music Registration is OPEN. Dates vary by program (Camps include ROCK CAMP, Piano Camp, Chamber Music Workshop, and the St. Cecilia Summer Music Festival.)
Treasure Hunt Camp – Registration is OPEN. Camps run July 18-22, July 25-29 , Aug 1-5
The Latin Ballet of Virginia “Be Proud of Yourself” Day Camp – Registration is OPEN. Two week camps July 5 – August 12.
The Learning Experience – Short Pump – Registration is OPEN.
The Little Gym of Mechanicsville – Registration is OPEN.
Tuckaway (area locations Varina, West, Barony, Innsbrook, Harbor and Ellwood House) Registration is OPEN. Camps vary by location.
Virginia Fishing Adventures Camps Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 20 – September 2. Check out our article on our experience at Virginia Fishing Adventures for more detailed info.
Virgnia Historical Society Summer Camps The Virginia Historical Society also offers entertaining and educational summer camps its property Virginia House. To register, please contact Tracy Bryan at (804) 353-4251 or [email protected]
Virginia Outside Mountain Biking Registration is OPEN. Camps run from August 1 – August 26. (June week is full.)
Visual Arts Center Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 6 – August 26. Click here for more info on Artventures 2011 at the Visual Arts Center.
Volleyball Camp at VCU Ages: entering grades 5-12
West End Academy of Dance - Registration is OPEN. Camps/Intensives run June 20 – August 20.
West End Baptist Church Soccer Camp – Registration is OPEN. Camp run July 11 -15. FREE.
Windy Hill Golf and Sports Complex
Young Chef’s Academy Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 7 – August 25.
Youth Vocalist Songwriter Summit’s (YVSS) Summer Music Camp – Registration is OPEN for children 8 – 15. Camps held weekly June 20 – August 26 at Visual Arts Center of Richmond.
YWCA Passport to Adventure - Registration is OPEN. 12 available weeks
