Reduce, reuse, recycle and get a Slurpee of virtually any size for just $1.49 on Bring Your Own Cup Day (#BYOCupDay) this Saturday.
Just bring your own cup (or container) to a participating 7-Eleven on April 11 from 11am to 7pm!
But before you go running out the door with the nearest bucket for the biggest sugar high of your life, even Genie had a few rules and 7-Eleven does too…
1. Size: Must fit through a 10″ hole
2. Clean: It’s gotta be food safe.
3. Nothing Leaky: Sticky floors are gross, containers have to be watertight.
4. One per person. (Don’t be greedy.)
So, if summer doesn’t feel right without a Slurpee, snag one cheap and start summer early on Bring Your Own Cup Day!
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Show Hours
Friday: Noon – 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 7 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm
Ticket Prices
Adults: $10
Kids 16 and under: FREE
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Goodbye Summer!
“How can summer almost be over already?” my kids complain. I feel ya kiddos! Summer always goes by so fast.
And I was just actually getting to know them again!
Let’s face it all of the summer family activities are practically straight out our idealistic visions of what having kids would be like – before we actually had them!
You remember don’t you? Don’t you remember thinking “Oh I’d love to have children! It would be sooo much fun! We could take the kids to the lake/beach/(fill-in-the-blank-RVA) festival! We could bake cookies together! We could go to the park! We could go to the swimming pool! We’ll be just like a happy TV commercial family!!!”
And you know that it’s those moments that are the ones that wind up in the family scrapbook. Nobody has a page celebrating an A on a math test, or a great parent/teacher meeting.
None of us ever thought “Oh I’d love to have kids! I’d love to embarrass myself trying to help them with math homework (because I can’t remember any of it anymore)! Oh I am so looking forward to driving them to swimming/gymnastics/piano over and over again! Won’t it be fun to sit through loooong, stuffy school assemblies so I can see my kids perform for five whole minutes!”
Summer, on the other hand, is when the kids can be kids again, and exhibit the full range of creativity, goofiness and shenanigans… and we actually have the time to enjoy it! The jokes, the creative insults, the impersonations, the cartooning… the occasional stuffed animal kidnapping… And travelling! It’s always so much fun to get their take on things when we go somewhere; for example, my son’s comment while in Toronto: “Basically everything in Canada is delicious!”
But then fall comes around again, and they suddenly transform into Dependent Units who constantly need to be fed/tutored/taxied and hustled from one thing to the next. So much for the long conversations and sharing. I’ll even miss those awkward conversations about stuff they are really too young to be asking me about.
And I just know that on the first day of school I will look forlornly around my quiet house and realize I no longer have any convenient excuses for not doing all the boring stuff I was supposed to be doing in the first place…
I’m sure gonna miss you, summer!
Ah memories!
Nothing goes better with BBQ than a delicious cold local craft beer… and summer isn’t really summer without a barbecue (and beer) which kinda makes the RVA Brew-B-Q the ultimate celebration of summer (and beer).
All 11 Richmond area breweries are going to there to compliment almost any type of barbecue you can imagine from some of central Virginia’s most loved BBQ experts. There will also be live music and an expanded produce & crafts marketplace.
From the Enrichmond website:
RVA Brew B Q features some of the region’s most loved barbeque producers, from the well-known, to the whole-in-the-wall weekend barbeque warriors, you’ll be able to taste it all. After enjoying choices pulled, minced, smoked, saucy, vinegar-based, sweet, sandwiches, plates and more, wash down your favorite bites with cold suds from more than 15 local craft breweries, including Legend, Hardywood, Center of the Universe and more!
The RVA Brew-B-Q is free to attend. Food and beverages available for purchase. Beer samples $2.00 each, full pours are $6.00.
Find the band line up on the Facebook Event Page
3rd RVA Brew-B-Q
Sunday, August 17 12-5pm
17th Street Farmers’ Market
100 N 17th St, Richmond, Virginia 23219
All proceeds benefit the Enrichmond Foundation
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Important Safety Question:
Here’s an important summer child safety question for you: how long can you safely leave your child in the car unattended?
Trick question: the correct answer is no. Never.
According to Nathan Allen MD, emergency room doctor at the University of Chicago “There is no safe amount of time to leave children alone in the car.” Children are at much higher risk of heat stroke than adults, due to their size.
Every Year Children in the U.S. Die in Hot Cars
In the U.S., an average of 38 kids per year die of hyperthermia in locked cars; the majority of incidents happen during the summer months. Parents or caregivers thought the kids would be okay “for just a few minutes”. But the fact is, that on an average summer day, the inside temperature of your car can be like an oven in a very short time.
Source: Jan Null, adjunct professor of meteorology at San Francisco State University
Be Safe
The Virginia Department of Health has the following safety recommendations:
“Look and Lock” before you leave your car to make sure that you don’t absent-mindedly leave your sleeping child behind in the car.
Use reminders. Keep a stuffed animal or diaper bag in the front passenger seat to remind you when a child is in the vehicle.
Be on the Lookout
What to do if you see a child left unattended in a hot car? Call 911 if you suspect that an unattended child left in a locked vehicle is in danger. Remain at the vehicle until authorities arrive.
Let’s have a safe, fun summer RVA!
]]>To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-solutions-for-children-with-special-needs-tickets-11940914597?ref=ebtn.
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Heads up Richmond, Oakley is bringing California style to The River City.
The recently opened flagship store in Short Pump Town Center brings Oakley’s full custom program and optical center to all who push beyond limits in every day life. Yes, mamas, this means you.
In store you can find the full line of Oakley products—sunglasses, apparel, luggage and backpacks, watches and other essentials. Whether your family bikes, hikes, runs, kayaks, or walks, you will find accessories to enhance your outdoor adventures.
One of my favorite ways to spend time outdoors is to traverse the trails that run alongside the river. The boys and I often spend our afternoons exploring the banks and venturing new paths together. I travel light with a pair of sunglasses and a pack that leaves me hands free to assist the kids and navigate obstacles.
I recently had the opportunity to visit with Ari Mousavizadegan, the new store’s Manager, to learn more about the Oakley brand.
Here are a few good finds for the Summer:
The Jupiter pack: A colorful and solid pack with enough space to carry everything you may need on the trail, plus room to store drinks and snacks in the tarp-lined cooler base—lunch is ready whenever and wherever you are!
The Factory Lite Backpack: So portable yet so roomy! I love that it neatly folds into itself and can then be tossed in the glovebox and easily retrieved for jaunts around town, or impromptu time spent in nature. The honeydew color is refreshing and oh, so cool.
Factory Lite backpack in Honeydew
Summer is nearly here and while I like to splurge on a few fun accessories each season to brighten up my wardrobe, truthfully I’ll take a California brand any time of the year. Oakley glasses blend performance and function for every day wearability. They are stylish—with attention paid to feminine detail—yet integrate functional performance technology like comprehensive UV protection, polarization, impact protection, and nosepads and ear pieces made from rubber that actually increases grip as it absorbs moisture. No more worries about your shades slipping or sliding while running the city or biking the river! If you wear your glasses interchangeably as a headband, like I do, then you’ll appreciate that all metal frames boast a no-hair-snag noseguard.
I have a soft spot for the classic retro style of the original Oakley Frogskins and Oakley Eyeshades, but I really, really adore the new Oakley Feedback and Oakley Forehand.
Frogskins and Eyeshades
The Feedback: Polished gold frames with bronze polarized lens and candy stripe detail on the temples? So Summer 2014.
Oakley Feedback
The Forehand: Stay current with clear frames, and bask in the glamour of subtle silver sparkle and mirrored lenses.
Oakley Forehand
For little guys and gals ages 6-11, the newly launched quarter jacket—Oakley’s first line of youth eyewear—is now available in store and provides the same eye and impact protection that is available to adults and top athletes. A pair of properly fitted glasses and UV protection can prevent common sports related eye injuries and long term eye disease. Priced at $100, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Youth Quarter Jacket
If you wear prescription glasses you’ll love the convenience and ease of Oakley’s in store optical center, the first to use a newly designed motion-capture technology that streamlines the process for fitting prescription eyewear.
Opti-Kam Technology
Whatever your sport, whatever your passion, Oakley has a style that you can make your own. Check out the store’s custom eyewear center, or customize online. If you’re still not sure where to begin, check out Oakley’s Shopping Guide and find your style match.
This post is sponsored by Oakley.
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Summer is quickly approaching and for some families this means kids wanting several months of fun and activities. This means more driving, and more planning and coordinating. But with a busy career and not enough vacation days, sometimes it can be nearly impossible for parents to keep up with an action-packed summer that your kids really want. This is where a summer nanny would be incredibly beneficial.
I spent years as a nanny and being a nanny over the summer was especially rewarding. I loved it, the kids loved it, and I could tell the parents loved it as well. It is a win win situation where everyone had less stress and more fun!
Here are a few reasons why I loved being a summer nanny:
1. No school, no school work. I never like seeing how stressed children get over school work. In summer, they can be more relaxed. Without busy school schedules, you and the children can have carefree fun all day for months! It’s a great time for the children and the nanny to just sit back and enjoy hanging out together. And mom and dad know that the kids are safe, having fun but being supervised.
2. More time, more bonding. Of course, being with a family after school every day allows for plenty of time to get to know children, but in summer when you are with the kids all day, you can learn all sorts of things about them! You can find out their favorite activities, their best friends, what they want to be when they grow up and even what troubles them. A nanny can be a great sounding board for the things kids go through.
3. More free time, more crafts! Personally, I love doing arts and crafts and baking. Summer is the time where I can finally go through all those ideas I thought looked so cool on Pinterest and actually do them! This has always been a big hit with the girls I nannied. They loved helping pick out the craft or recipe and spending time working on it together.
Now for the reasons your family will love having a summer nanny:
1. Less school, more time (for nannies in college). Most summer nannies will be available to help you from the moment the kids wake up to the moment you are home from work. In the summer, you don’t need to work around the nanny’s class schedule. They can be flexible and totally available to you and your children.
2. Not the neighbor’s 15 year old, but a nanny with a license to drive. When you have the kind of children that need constant entertainment, it is great to have a nanny with a license and a (safe) car! This opens up a lot of possibilities. The kids would be able to go to the pool, the mall, the movie theater, sports practice, day camps, you name it. Nannies are used to driving children to activities, so this is something they would be completely fine with doing and will probably even expect.
3. Children gone, Laundry done. All of those household chores and groceries you needed to do, done. When your nanny isn’t entertaining your children during a playdate for instance, she could be helping out in other ways. Most nanny positions include these things already so it’s perfectly normal to ask your nanny to help out a little around the house.
These are just a few reasons why a summer nanny is a wonderful idea. If you need help finding one, let College Nannies & Tutors assist you! We will do the searching for you, screen and approve the candidates and find the right fit for your family. That’s what we do, all day, every day. Our nannies are experienced, professional, and most of all, fun! As a nanny placement coordinator, I love helping families find the best nanny match while providing jobs to some really great role models! So visit our website, fill out a profile, and let us handle the rest!
Lynsey, Nanny Placement Coordinator
This article is sponsored by College Nannies and Tutors
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Summer Experience is a six week camp held on the beautiful campus of St. Christopher’s School! Join us for one week, six weeks or anywhere in between! Each week will be exciting and different!
Come join us for activities and instruction in swimming, tennis, music, arts and crafts, computer, playground, soccer, basketball, indoor and outdoor games, bowling, and more. We’ll play games, meet new friends, learn new skills, and play more games…and that’s just the first day!
Summer Experience (June 23 – August 1, 2014) helps kids develop both socially and physically through organized recreation and positive encouragement. Campers gain self confidence in a fun and caring environment that stresses self control, responsibility, teamwork, and fair play. Summer Experience “lets kids be kids,” but gives parents the all important assurance of supervision and safety.
This coed camp offers a mixture of fun activities, including:
swimming, tennis, basketball, music, arts and crafts, computer, soccer, archery, bowling, and more
Also available:
Extended Day “After Hours” Program
Come join us “after hours” in the St. Christopher’s Extended Day Program. This program runs from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. every day while Summer Experience is in session. We offer children additional time for swimming, crafts, reading, and a host of other fun and exciting activities. We pick them up at the end of the camp day and take them to the Extended Day facility within the Lower School. The cost of the program is $75 a week.
Our enrichment classes can be taken just for fun, to get ahead, or for review. We offer opportunities in many different areas and grade levels. Each class is sure to make learning different and exciting! After all, it is summer!
Is your young athlete ready to work on skills in his or her favorite sport? Our athletic camps are second to none, with fantastic facilities and coaches. Our popular baseball, basketball, lacrosse, and football camps are back along with tennis, soccer, and wrestling. Both beginners and seasoned veterans, boys and girls, are welcome.
To sign up for camp visit the St. Christopher’s Website.
St. Christopher’s is an advertiser with Richmondmom.com
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UPDATE: Visit our Richmond VA Summer Camps 2013 for an updated listing of camps. Have fun!
Great summer camps for all ages right here. If you would like to advertise or be listed on this page please email info@richmondmom.com
Summer Camp registration has begun! Check out our listing of 2012 Richmond summer activities for kids of all ages!
We are adding information daily. Please check back often. We also encourage you to share your favorite camp or camp experience in the comments below.
Please submit your camp information to info@richmondmom.com. And be sure to check out our FREE Summer Fun and Events too.
All Fired Up Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 18 – August 24 for ages 6 – 14. Early Bird Registration: 10% off the camp fee discounted for sign up by March 15th.
Basketball Camp – Eric Maynor and Joey Rodriguez deliver a week of skill development, performance training and basketball education for ages 10 and up; boys and girls welcome. Trinity Episcopal School, 3850 Pittaway Drive. July 16-20, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Mike at IMPACT Basketball at (941) 704-1819.
Camp Friendship Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 17 – August 18. Ages 7 – 17. 
Camp Hanover Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 18 – August 22. 1st through 12th grade.
Camp Motorsport Registration is OPEN. Camps run from July 1 – August 3. Ages 9 – 16.
Chess Camp: MATCH (Maurice Ashley Trains Champions) July 30-August 3 at Collegiate School.
Collegiate School Summer Quest Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 11 – August 16. Kindergarten – 12th grade.
ComedySportz Improv Camp – Registration is OPEN. Camps are for kids 9 – 13 from June 26 – August 17.
CORE Kids Academy - Registration starts 2/20 for 2- 5 and 6+ year olds. Camps run from June 19 through August 30.
Diggin’ in the Dirt Gardening Camp Agecroft Hall 4305 Sulgrave Road Richmond and Virginia House 4301 Sulgrave Road, Richmond. Monday, August 6, 2012 – Friday, August 10 2012 (9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.). Campers will “dig” these activities: leaf identification, pressed flowers, garden stake design, Jug Heads, miniature Victory Gardens, & MORE! Sign up your gardener (ages 7-9) by calling Jill Pesesky at Agecroft Hall at 804-353-4241.
Dynamic Taekwondo- Registstration is OPEN. Early Bird super saver discount registration: Expires March 31st 2012. Mid Registration Savings: April 1st 2012 – April 30th 2012. Regular Registration: June 1st 2012 – August 31st. Camp runs from June 18th 2012 – August 31st, 2012.
Extreme Days Camp Monday, July 23rd – 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM Richmond Community Church – 11801 Nuckols Rd. You don’t want to miss Summer Day Camp at Richmond Community Church! Kids will have a blast the week of July 23-27 at Extreme Days enjoying many different classes, cool t-shirts, activities, great friendships and loads of fun! The cost is $40 per child and Extreme Days is for rising K-6th graders. For more information or to register online please visit this link.
Faith in Richmond summer camps listing includes many faith-based camps for kids of all ages. Visit the website to learn more.
Flying Squirrels Baseball Camp Registration is OPEN. For all kids ages 4-14; Session 1 is July 17th, 18th, 19th and Session 2 is August 7th, 8th,9th
HATTheatre – Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 18 – August 9. Ages 6 – 16.
ID Tech Camps - Williamsburg summer tech camps for kids and teens is a summer program where students can learn to create iPhone apps, video games, C++/Java Programs, and more at prestigious universities nationwide (held at the College of William & Mary, Princeton, Stanford, and others). Click here for more information.
James Finley Volleyball Camp (VCU Volleyball Head Coach) – Registration is OPEN. Camps for boys and girls kindergarten – 12 grades. July 13 – 22 based on program.
Jump Start Dance Studio Summer Camp (Ashland/Hanover/mechanicsville area) – Registration is OPEN for ages 3 – 18. Dates and pricing vary by age group. 10% off registration if registered before June 1st. Register anytime by Phone or Email- 804-564-2389 – Click here for Jump Start Dance Studio or email at sarah.zylstra@jumpstartstudio.com.
Key Signatures “Rock Star Camp” Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 4 – July 20. Ages 8 and up.
Lakeside Presbyterian Preschool Summer Adventure Series Registration is OPEN. Weekly camps run from June 11 – August 31 Ages 2-5
Latin Ballet of Virginia Registration is OPEN. Camps July 9 – July 20, July 23 – August 3, and August 6 – August 17, Two Locations: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen and Richmond Center Stage NEW!
“LatinSummer Richmond,” a two-week summer enrichment program that provides students in grades 2-7 a unique chance to learn about Latin and the classical world.
Luther Memorial Summer Programs Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 11 – August 10. Ages 3yo – rising 9th grade.
Mad Science Camps – Registration is OPEN. Camps run June 18 – August 31 at 14 area locations; offering a daily combination of in-class discovery and exploration, outdoor games and physical activities and hands-on applications of the scientific principles presented. FUN and educational day camps. Voted one of the BEST in Richmond 5 years in a row!
Martial Arts World of West End Registration is OPEN.
Martial Arts Camp at Mom’s Treehouse- Half-day sessions the weeks of June 25-28 and July 23-26.
Mathnasium, The Math Learning Center – Short Pump Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 1 – September 3. Pre-K through 12th grade.
Mathnasium, The Math Learning Center – Midlothian
Maymont Summer Discovery Camps No registration deadline (we accept registrations until camp is full) Registration begins Feb. 7 for Maymont members, Feb. 21st for non-members. 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 Summer Programs Registration is OPEN. Programs run from mid-June until the end of July. 
Minnieland – CampTastic (area locations Hanover, Wellesley/Short Pump, Skipwith Academy, Pebble Creek, Huguenot and Woodlake) Registration is OPEN. Programs vary by location.
Mom’s Treehouse Summer Fitness Camps including Animal Adventure, Summer Olympics, Superheroes, Winter Olympics, Tumbles & Flips, and Beach Party.
Mountain Tae Kwon Do Kickin’ Kids Summer Camp – Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 18 – August 31 for ages 6 and up.
Music That’s Mine Registration is OPEN. Camps run July 9 – July 27. Ages 7 – 16.
Overtime Athletics Sports Camps – Registration is Open now! Camps run June 11 – August 24 in various locations. Camps include variety sports camp, volleyball camp, soccer camp, lacrosse camp, flag football camp and ultimate Frisbee camp. Ages 6-12. Click here for more details about all of the camps in the Greater Richmond area.
Pamunkey Ridge Girl Scout Camp Registration is opens February 23 (for members). Camps run from June 18 – August 10.
Passages Adventure Camp – OPEN and on-going registration until the camps are filled. Boys & Girls – ages 5-17 – 1/2 and Full day – June 4 to August 24
Rainbow Station Amazing Races and Places summer camp runs from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm Monday-Friday.
Richmond Kickers – Registration is OPEN. June 18 – August 24. Ages 4 – 16.
Richmond Strikers – Registration coming soon. Ages 6 – 13.
Richmond Olympiad (area locations Chesterfield Airport, Hanover, Innsbrook and Trade Road). Sessions and times may vary by location.
Richmond Volleyball Club – Registration is OPEN. Dates and times vary by program. Ages 8 – 19.
Richmond Walks- Registration is OPEN. For rising 4th and 5th graders.
Richmond Young Writers – Registration is OPEN. June 18 – July 27. Ages 8 – 16.
Riverside Outfitters Camps Registration is OPEN. Camps run from June 18 – August 31. Programs for ages 6 – 15.
Romp n’ Roll – Registration begins February 20.
SCOR Summer Camps Registration OPEN. June 24 – August 31. Ages 3 – 18.
Spirited Art Registration is OPEN. Sessions available in June, July and August. 
- Matisse Camp – 5 – 8 years old. Four days 10am – 12pm. Snack included. One painting per day, learn basics of color mixing. $100
- Van Gogh Camp – 7 – 12 yrs old. Three days 10am – 2pm. Bring a sack lunch. We will provide snacks. Two paintings per day. Learn basics of mixing colors and Art History. $150 -
- Free t-shirt for kids who participate in the full camp.
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. Ages 6 – 14. Check out our article on our experience at Virginia Fishing Adventures for more detailed info.
Virginia Outside Camps – Registration is OPEN.
Visual Arts Center of Richmond Summer ArtVenture Camp: Week-long studio art classes in a positive, nurturing learning environment. Each class provides focused attention on a specific media, skill or subject, and each week brings a selection of unique choices. All classes are taught by a professional artist and artists-educators who will help inspire and develop individual expression. Morning studio classes (9:00am – 12:00pm) and afternoon studio classes (1:00 – 4:00pm) classes are available for all age groups. Enrollment is limited to 10 students per class to allow for individual instruction and learning. Some classes integrate teamwork or collaborative projects.
Waldorf School Summer Garden camps. Click on camps link in top left-hand of website.