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All-Star Driver Fatal Vision Demonstration

All-Star Driver is offering hands-on demonstrations on the dangers of impaired driving to schools, parent groups and local prevention organizations. These presentations are FREE of charge, in an effort to raise awareness on the dangers of underage drinking during the month of April, Alcohol Awareness Month.

Fatal Vision is a training tool used to vividly demonstrate the concept of impairment and the dangers of impaired driving. The Fatal Vision Goggles distort vision and cause behaviors that are similar to behaviors exhibited by someone under the influence.

Schools and organizations can have All-Star come to them by scheduling a demonstration and contacting Brandon Dufour via email at brandon@all-stardriver.com, or via phone at (860)631-4280.

Posted in News.

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Humpback Whales in Concert

From the haunting, eerie sounds of the humpback whale to the majesty and power of a 50-piece orchestra portraying a violent storm at seas, join the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) and Music Director William Boughton for Big Blue Marble, Sunday, April 11, 2010, 2:00pm at Woolsey Hall, New Haven for this 50-minute musical discovery of the seas and its inhabitants.

Big Blue Marble, part of the NHSO’s Family Concerts Series, introduces classical music to children of all ages through song and interactive exploration. Hosted by Steven J. Pynn, Principal of The Sound School, Big Blue Marble, features stories and songs about the sea featuring the most unusual soloists ever to appear in Woolsey Hall, a family of humpback whales! On the program: Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides, Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from the opera Peter Grimes, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, and Hovhaness’ And God Created Great Whales.

Concert attendees young and old are invited to our Instrument Discovery Zone, a free and interactive instrumental petting zoo from 1:30-2:00pm in the rotunda of Woolsey Hall. The NHSO encourages all patrons to bring a donation of a new or gently used children’s book to help Read to Grow build literacy for youngsters across the state.

Tickets to this exciting event are $15 (adults), $12 (seniors) and $5 (children). To purchase tickets contact the NHSO Box Office at (203) 865-0831, ext. 10 or visit newhavensymphony.org.

Posted in News.

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Martina McBride at Mohegan Sun Arena

MartinaMcBrideButtonMartina McBride seems to have it all.  She’s beautiful, she can belt out a song and has a husband and three kids at home.  But just like many of us, she  is a working mom who’s always juggling the demands of home and a successful career that takes her out on the road with her SunnyD Shine All Night Tour.  You can catch the Shine All Night concert featuring Martina and Trace Adkins on March 13, 2010 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville and get a discount on your tickets!

SAVE FIVE DOLLAR on each ticket to see her SunnyD Shine All Night Tour. Just go to http://www.ShineAllNight.com, find your closest show and when you are checking out, enter the code “MOMS” (without the quotation marks) to get your discount.

Check out this live video for the track “Wrong Baby Wrong”.  Lovin it.

Posted in Discounts.

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Dinosaur Days at the Peabody Museum

DSC02631Dinosaur Days at the Peabody Museum is a must for winter vacation.  The website notes the limited parking available, however, we had no problem getting free parking in the lot on Tuesday morning during the snow storm.

The Great Hall is definitely the crown jewel of the museum and during Dinosaur Days several activities are taking place.  After admiring the Apatosaurus (also called the Brontosaurus), we held an ostrich egg, touched feathers from many animals and held several fossils at the fossil touch table including fossilized dinosaur poop.  Yup, you heard me right.  On to the arts & crafts table we headed to make dinosaur hats.

DSC02635Next, we went digging for fossils.  After finding the perfect marine fossil, Orthocone Nautiloid, we looked at several samples to help identify exactly what it was and then put it in a labeled envelope to take home.

The second floor has another surprise in store for visitors, The Discovery Room.  Ants.  Tons of ants.  This room has the biggest ant farm I’ve ever seen as well as a number of other tanks containing live animals such as frogs and snakes.  We made it into the room with only a five minute wait, but it would be worth the wait should there be a line.

The third floor had a lot to cover.  The first room has a giant globe with lights that identify various locations around the world and we tried them all.  While moving on toward the Birds of Connecticut exhibit we stopped to see several other rooms including North American Dioramas and Daily Life in Ancient Egypt.

The special activity for the day was creating a dinosaur mural in the auditorium.  This was well organized and not too crowded during our visit.

The staff was very knowledgeable and did a great job explaining things to my son.  Our trip lasted about 3 hours before ending in the museum store.  One thing to keep in mind ~ there is no food allowed in the museum and no place to eat.  Plan your trip accordingly.

Hours:  Mon-Fri 10:00AM -5:00PM and Sun Noon-5:00PM

Cost:  $7 adults; $5 children.  FREE on Tues from 2:00PM-5:00PM from Sept to June.

Posted in Reviews.

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EVOO

I happen to cook with extra virgin olive oil all the time.  I occasionally use canola oil but extra virgin olive oil is my first choice unless it just won’t work with the recipe.  So when MomSelect sent me a bottle of California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil to review, I was excited because I knew it was something I would definitely put to good use.  It did, however, make me stop and think about the reason why I use EVOO and consider it to be better than any other oil.  The funny thing is I really didn’t have a good answer.  I honestly think the reason I started using it was because I used to watch Rachael Ray and she always said use Extra Virgin Olive Oil…or EVOO as she often refers to it.

COR_oliveoilDoing my research on California Olive Ranch did in fact justify my thinking.  True EVOO cannot contain any flavor defects.  One such defect is moldy olives which will make the oil musty.  To be deemed EVOO the oil must taste fruity and meet the International Olive Oil Council rigid standards.   California is the only state that has adopted these standards so many oils claiming to be extra virgin olive oil sold in the US do not meet these guidelines.

There are also many varieties of olive oil other than extra virgin.  There is virgin (without the extra) olive oil which may contain slight flavor defects and a higher acidity level;  pure olive oil has been refined to remove defects; first cold press represents the first pressing of the olives and doent’s ensure good quality and so on.

Needless to say, I feel vindicated in my decision to use extra virgin olive oil when cooking.  I can’t say I notice a difference between the brands of EVOO that I’ve bought in the past and the California Olive Ranch brand, but knowing that I’m getting a quality oil that meets these industry standards is reassuring.

Visit the California Olive Ranch website to order.

MomSelect sent me a free bottle of California Olive Ranch to review.  I was not compensated in any other way and the opinions in this post are my own.

Posted in Cooking, Reviews.

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Quick Weekday Dinner

chicken w/zucchini and tomato

chicken w/zucchini and tomato

I love this dish because it’s healthy, it’s all inclusive and quick to put together when I’m running late.

Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a non-stick frying pan.  Add cut up zucchini to brown.  Next, add grape tomatoes and chopped up fresh rosemary.  Cook approx. 1 to 2 more minutes.  Remove from frying pan and set aside.

Next, add 1 tablespoon EVOO to frying pan.  Add chicken breasts (pound to even out first and sprinkle with salt and pepper).  Cook the chicken, turning once.  When thoroughly cooked, place chicken on a plate.

Put the veggies back in the frying pan with 1/2 cup of cooking wine to reheat (about a minute).  Place veggies and chicken over a bed of rice and serve.

Posted in Cooking.

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Photo Essay Contest for Students

Quassy Blue 2Aspiring student photographers will have the opportunity to focus in on their classrooms as they click away in hopes of winning digital cameras for their school and having their work displayed.   Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Conn., and Olympus Imaging America Inc. are teaming up to present the Fourth Annual Photo Essay Contest For Students with divisions for elementary, middle and high schools.  The theme of this year’s essay is “Our School: Preparing Youth For Life.”

Prizes For All Divisions Olympus Imaging America, Inc. will provide digital cameras to the first place entry in all three divisions. First place entries will also receive 20 Quassy Amusement Park passes that may be used for school fundraisers or student awards. Second place entries will receive 10 park passes and third place entries five park passes. Distinguished Excellence Awards will be presented in all three divisions, provided by Quassy Amusement Park.
The award-winning photo essays will be displayed at the park at the conclusion of the contest.

“We are certainly pleased to continue to present this contest, which has had winners from throughout the region,” said Eric Anderson, a co-owner of the lakeside park.

Contest Rules Photos must be shot by student teams (up to four students on a team) or individual students at their school. Film or digital cameras may be used. Up to 12 essays may be entered from each school (teams and individual).

Essays must consist of at least eight photos with prints not larger than 5 by 7 inches. Photos must be mounted on a single piece of poster board with the entry form, signed by a faculty member at the participating school, attached to the back. Essays may be dropped off at the park office or mailed to: Photo Essay Contest, Quassy Amusement Park, Route 64, PO Box  887, Middlebury, CT 06762.
All entries must be received by May 1, 2010. Finalists will be invited to the awards ceremony to be held at Quassy Amusement Park on May 16, 2010.

Official entry forms are available at www.quassy.com on the Press Room page or by e-mailing ron@quasssy.com.

For more information about Olympus Imaging America, Inc. visit www.olympusamerica.com.

Olympus logo

Submitted by Ron Gustafson, Quassy Amusement Park

Posted in News.

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Six Ways I’m Saving Money

1. Shop for the best insurance rates. I was amazed to discover that I have not been getting all of the discounts that were available to me on my homeowners and car insurance. Many of us have had the same insurance carrier for many years and don’t think to revisit our coverage and comparison shop. I mentioned earlier that we were in the market for a new car. This prompted me to do some comparison shopping and I discovered two things: I wasn’t getting all the discounts I was entitled to with my existing carrier (10% discount as a college alumni) and my current carrier wasn’t as competitive as some of the other companies out there. Be sure you are getting all discounts you’re entitled to and comparison shop every few years to make sure your carrier’s rates are still competitive.

 2. Compare electrical suppliers. Did you know that you can choose your own supplier?  I saw representatives from Public Power & Utility talking about their company on TV and decided to look into it.  Because of deregulation, PP&U is able to provide energy at a lower cost than traditional providers.  They service all of Connecticut except Wallingford and Groton.  Much to my surprise, it was a cheaper alternative to my current supplier. Visit their website for more information at www.ppandu.com.   Note: This is NOT a paid advertisement for Public Power & Utility.

3. Visit your local consignment shop. Consignment shops are great for two reasons. You can put together a new outfit to add to your wardrobe for a fraction of the cost of buying new and you can actually make money on the items you aren’t using anymore. Generally, you will bring your items in and the store will accept what they consider to be in good shape and within the current style trends. Check back with the store periodically to see if any of your items have sold and they will give you cash or credit (typically a 60/40 split of sales price).

4. Use coupons. Many of us use the excuse that we are too busy to take the time to go through the Sunday circular. There are now many websites and blogs aavailable tht do the work for you. Try visiting mommysnacks.net or consumerqueen.com.

5. Borrow/Trade with friends. I can’t tell you how many baby items I’ve borrowed, loaned or given to friends and family over the past few years. I kid you not…one friend of mine has loaned out her universal car seat stroller to four different people including twice to me! Items that are in use for short periods or used infrequently are great for sharing.

 6. Take advantage of child care and health care spending accounts. If you or your spouse have this benefit available through your employer absolutely participate in the program. So many people don’t take advantage of these accounts for fair they won’t use all of it before the end of the year. Just budget your expenses on the low side the first year and get a sense of what works for your family.

Posted in Lifestyle & Shopping, Parent Tips.

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The Joys and Financial Challenges of Parenthood

By Dana Quinn, Waddell & Reed

Children are special.  There’s nothing like them. They can be our sweetest blessing, as well as our biggest frustration.  Most of all, however, they are our greatest responsibility as well as our most important-and expensive-commitment. We try to protect them and want them to grow up in a stable world, one in which they are physically safe, emotionally nurtured and financially secure.  There is no question that for most of us, meeting expenses can be a challenge.

The average nationwide cost of raising one child from cradle to age 18 ranges from $210,340 to $483,750.  Then, when they turn 18, add in college expenses and your financial outlay gets even larger.  How much larger? According to the College Board, for the 2009/2010 school year, the average cost of one year at a four year in-state school is $19,388 and a private college is $39,028.

The bottom line is: Children are expensive!  Between raising them and educating them and making sure they get a good strong start in life, one thing is obvious…they are a major responsibility.  Fortunately, as long as we remain alive and healthy, we somehow manage to meet the expenses for our children.  Its part of what parenthood is all about.

The difficult part for most families is that our children are not our only financial responsibilities.  We also have the day to day expenses of running a household, paying a mortgage, driving our cars and trying to put money aside for retirement.  These are crucial years that set the stage for our entire financial lives.

No matter what your current financial situation is, even small steps, can make a big difference over time.  The only thing you can really do wrong….is to not do anything at all!

Here are some things to review, and move ahead with…right now…that will help in the years ahead:

LIFE INSURANCE:  I know…you hate to talk about it!  The fact is that when your children are young, your savings are low and the death of a parent is a devastating event both emotionally and financially.  Buy the most coverage you can now, while you are young and healthy.  When your children are grown and on their own you can reduce your coverage but don’t scrimp on it now.  It is vitally important!

COLLEGE SAVINGS:  JUST DO IT! Even $50 a month…every month…adds up to something.  Also, don’t think you had to start when your child was first born.  Even if you have a 10 year-old it is never too late to start.  Ask any parent of college age children if they wish they had even a few thousand dollars extra and you will get a resounding YES!  Just open a savings at your bank and start putting away their birthday money plus a regular amount each month.  You can transfer that to a 529 plan or Coverdell savings later on.

YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN: Someday your children will be adults…and you WILL get to retire.  Many couples are becoming parents in their 30’s and 40’s which means that college funding, and retirement planning will be happening back to back…or even simultaneously!  You can take out loans for college…but not for retirement.  Always, make contributions to your retirement plan a priority!

Hang in there…you CAN do this, and enjoy watching your children grow up.  The years fly by and before you know it they are gone.  Simple steps, for you and for them, are what make the biggest difference along the way!

Dana has over 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, real estate and mortgage business.  As an advisor at Waddell & Reed, Dana designs and implements comprehensive and customized financial plans for families, individuals and businesses.

Posted in Parent Tips.

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Mother’s Day Essay Contest

Quassy Blue 2

The Fifth Annual Mother’s Day Essay Contest for elementary and middle school students is being presented by Quassy Amusement Park as part of the landmark property’s comprehensive educational package.  Youngsters will have to opportunity to put into words why they believe they have the greatest mom of all.

“The essay contest continues to be a great program for children to express themselves through words,” said George Frantzis II, a co-owner of the park. “The response is enormous, and that is very encouraging as we put a lot of emphasis on our educational programs.”

How to enter: With the theme “Why My Mother Should Be Selected As Quassy’s Mom For 2010,” students are encouraged to write essays of 250 words or less for the annual competition.  Teachers must submit completed essays by April 1 to: Quassy Mother’s Day Essay Contest, P.O. Box 887, Middlebury, CT 06762.

Rules: Each essay must be 250 words or less. The student’s name, grade level, school and teacher’s name must appear on the top of each essay. Essays may not be submitted by individuals.

Selection Process: After reading all of the essays, the park’s judges select a group from each grade level to be considered as finalists. The entries making the cut are read again and the winning essays are selected.

Winners will be selected from each grade level and teachers must include contact information for the awards to be mailed. Winning students will be invited to the park on Mother’s Day, May 9, to enjoy the rides with their mother and treat her to a lunch. The winning essays will be displayed at Quassy Amusement Park that week.

Posted in News.

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