Looking for a fun outing with the kids that doesn't require a life jacket? Head to Columbia Park to feed the geese, ducks, pigeons, seagulls and other fine feathered friends at Bird Park. Located on the south side of Columbia Park Trail near the Edison Street exit in Kennewick, you will be amazed at the number of birds that gather for carb-filled treats.

Your kids will be excited at how close they get to see the various birds and many times you'll be able to watch a mom and her ducklings swimming in the pond! Take plenty of bread, and as a tip, tear the slices into bite sized pieces before you get to the park (kids have a tendency to throw entire slices in their excitement).

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside, there's a very good reason to stay indoors! On a weekly basis, the Sun Mart Reading Van, sponsored by Sun Pacific Energy, is sharing the love of reading with kids around the community. Through a partnership with the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation, volunteers are focused on visiting daycare centers, preschools and in-home childcare centers to lead story times and get kids excited about reading. The kids receive a free book, and teachers or providers often receive additional activity ideas to extend the story experience. If you are interested in having the Sun Mart Reading Van visit your child's preschool or care provider, or just want to volunteer some time to read to children, contact the Reading Foundation at 222-7323.

Parent/Child Golf Tournament.

Who:  Children ages 7-14 and their parents!  (not limited to a parent/child pair)

What: 6^th Annual Parent Child Golf Tournament

Where:  Canyon Lakes Golf Course

When: August 21^st at 6pm

Cost: $60/per pair

Why:  64 parent/child pairs enjoy a day  of fun in the sun while playing 9-holes of golf together.  Each pair gets a goodie bag full of great stuff, dinner is provided.  After the tournament we have an exciting awards ceremony and raffle off tons of great prizes!

All proceeds from this event go towards the YMCA Youth Scholarship Fund, giving youth the opportunity to thrive and grow in our programs.

When it's too hot outdoors and your kids are boiling over with energy at the house, beat the heat by taking them to one of your local theaters for FREE (or almost free) summer movies! Regal, located at the Columbia Center Mall, is offering rated G and PG movies starting at 10 am every Tuesday and Wednesday this summer.

Likewise, Fairchild Cinemas in Pasco is showcasing kid movies during the summer months on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. And for just a buck, some of your kids' favorite blockbusters from the past will run every Tuesday at Carmike across from the mall-plus you can add to the movie experience by adding popcorn and a drink for just two bucks more. Tickets and seating are first-come, first serve and limited to seating capacity. Check out your favorite movie hotspot for features and showtimes and say cool this summer!

Even when temperatures don't reach the triple digits, it's easy for kids to end up redder than a sun-ripened tomato. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied regularly, but it's also important to ensure kids don't suffer from dehydration or sunstroke. One way to help outsmart the sun is to use Sun Signals stickers that alert you when your child has reached a high level of sun exposure and needs to reapply sunscreen, cover up with sun protective clothing or seek shade. The stickers measure UVB rays, changing from yellow to deep orange. Just stick on clothing or skin after applying sun screen and watch for the color change. Stickers come in fun shapes that kids love to wear! Look for them in the sun screen section of your favorite retailer.

Here is a list of benefits:

• Helps rid the body of toxins and waste,
• Supports improved digestion and thorough internal cleansing*
• Provides 10 grams of fiber per day
• Helps remove impurities from the body*
• Supports healthy weight loss*

Candy, assistant editor of MOM Magazine, and I have been taking this Herbal Cleanse and I must say I feel better and am glad I tried it!

Contact Kesha Vrieling @ 460-0921 for more details.

Hello!  Mom's Nite Out in May was a great success at Columbia Center!  We had over 300 women attend the event, many participated in the passport, wine tasting was a hit, and we received many positive comments about vendor and store participation both during the event and on our Facebook page following the event. 

With such tremendous feedback (many requesting the event again!), we've developed two additional dates for 2010. 

Since Mom's Nite Out is a trademarked event that takes place ONLY in May, the next two events will be called Trends & Friends. 

The event dates will be: 
August 12 from 6 - 8 pm 
October 21 from 6 - 8 pm

As we did with the last event, we would like to work with Habitat for Humanity for a tasting area and with Fistfull of Coupons and MOM Magazine on advertising.  We're hoping to gain permission from the liquor board to have martini tasting during the August event then wine/martini/beer tasting at the October event.  This will keep adding fresh pieces of the event for our shoppers.

See you there!!

Can you take on the challenge??

Here are the best photos of the Mt Everest 15 scoop ice cream treat. It has chocolate shell, oreo cookies, and marshmallow topping. The Mt Everest challenge is that you get it free if you can eat it by yourself in 40 minutes. If you fail, you are listed on the Wall of Shame.  If you win, you are listed on the Wall of Fame.  You choose the ice cream for the scoops from our 50+ selection of ice cream flavors. Rosy's hours are 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM Monday thru Saturday serving breakfast, lunch & dinner. Sunday hours are 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Come & visit our Fabulous Fifties Diner.

Look for our yummy ICE CREAM spread in the Aug/Sept. issue of MOM Magazine!  Complete with kids recipes.  YUM YUM!