Lehigh Valley Little Ones

I've lived in the Lehigh Valley area for over 13 years now and I have driven up Tilghman Street in Allentown a gazillion times. However, I've never really took notice of the Jewish Community Center of Allentown. Personally, I'm not of the Jewish faith so I never had an opportunity to go inside. But, a few weeks ago I did. And WOW! There is so much inside!

First, the pool - I'm not sure how big it is but it is just that, BIG! When I peeked inside there were classes going on for children and Senior Citizens. They also offer Red Cross training classes there as well. And yes there is a gym, all modern day equipment including exercise room where they feature Pilates & Zumba.

There is a child care center which goes up to the Kindergarten level. In a very child-friendly environment, the walls were filled with artwork created by the students who attend school at the JCC.

I was pleasantly surprised by all they have to offer people of the Lehigh Valley. It's a place where you can meet people, volunteer and be educated. It is our Community Center...check it out!

Here's a short blurb about the center...

JCC Children’s Services

The Jewish Community Center of Allentown provides an excellent array of programs for children of all ages. From Early Childhood and full care for infants through kindergarten, to school age, sports leagues, classes and fitness education, after school care, vacation dayz, weekend programming and trips, there is something for everyone. The blue and brick building at the corner of 22^nd and Tilghman Streets in West End Allentown is home to 85,000 square feet, including an indoor pool, fitness center, fitness studio, full court gymnasium, racquetball courts, auditoriums, classrooms and more. The JCC’s beautiful offsite campus in Center Valley is home to Camp JCC for eight weeks every summer, and encompasses rolling hills, indoor and outdoor facilities with a full day comprehensive program for children 3 years to 10^th grade. Please explore www.allentownjcc.org or call 610.435.3571.

A friend of my daughter's had her birthday party at Bounce U - in Allentown.  It was a Sunday afternoon party and it was snowy outside.  Both my 5 year old & 3 year old participated and both had a fabuolous time! 

We started out in the first bounce room and it reminded me of the carnivals I used to go to as a kid.  I remember always wanting to jump in the Moon Bounce -  It was the highlight of the carnival for me.  When I entered the bounce room it took me back to those fun childhood days! 

We moved on to the 2nd bounce room where there were bigger & better inflatable bounces than the room before.  The kids were having so much fun and my only regret was not "bouncing" with them!  And I could of...that is totally allowed.

We finished up with pizza & presents in the birthday party room. 

The staff was fabulous.  There was one guy in particular that was soooo kid friendly.  My 3 - year became attached to his side and he was fine with that.  He helped her up & down the steps, slid down a slide with her and made sure she was safe.  Yeah, he needs a raise!

All in all a great time was had by all.  I highly recommend Bounce U!

Long gone are the days when going to the local library means hours of searching through card catalogs to find the book of choice. 

These days, libraries, such as the Parkland Library - http://catalog.parklandlibrary.org/Parkland/default.asp - offer multiple computer terminals which makes searching a topic, book title or author very simple.  Even better, anyone can log on to the library website to see what book titles the library offers. 

This is great news for Parents.  When little Johnnie or Suzy realize the day before a report is due that they haven't even “Googled” a topic, Mom or Dad can log on to the local library website.  It cuts down on the previous steps of physically going to the library without a topic in mind. 

Even better, a person can reserve a book, have the title pulled by the Librarian and even receive a phone call once that book is sitting ready-to-go, behind the check-out counter. 

Have a question that only a Librarian can answer?  Email her!  The Stereo-typical Librarian can now seem more approachable by simply sending an email in lieu of visiting her at her desk. 

Again, great news when a parent needs help deciphering a topic for a report due in the morning.  So, I guess to break this article down...make sure your child is well ahead of any report due...but should you need assistance from your local library – help is only a click away!

Ok - So I wasn't the ONLY crazy woman out shopping at 4am on Black Friday.  However, most of my family thought that was probably the case.   I made it to Kohl's in Trexlertown shortly before 4am to find a line all the way out to the Bonton.  A manager was outside keeping the line in order and told us (those who had recently shown up & not all ready in line) to form a new line towards the other end of the shopping center.  So, we did as we told and the women in the "other line" started yelling and accusing us of line jumping.  It was crazy since we were only doing what we were told. 

After managing to get into the store, there was not a cart or bag in site.  So, it was up to me to carry every bargain I found.  I'm not sure about anyone else, but were there really any bargains?  I had my Kohl's coupon for 15% off - I had received it a week before - so this gave me some additional money off...but were there really any great bargains???

Cyber Monday?  A few years ago, I remember this big day coming on the scene.  You couldn't get onto ANY websites without feeling the pain of a slow connection.  I noticed absolutely nothing today.  Maybe technology has finally caught up with our latest gimmic holiday or maybe it wasn't a big deal this year.  I'll be interested to hear the results on the news on Tuesday!

My daughter had a birthday party at Sweet & Sassy this past Saturday night at the Promenade Shops in Center Valley.  She had a fun time, that is, once the party got rolling.  I guess we all go through those "shy periods" of our lives when meeting new people is a challenge. 

Afterwards we decided to do some "Mother-Daughter bonding" by shopping, eating ice cream and just strolling through the shops.

First, we ate at the Nestle Toll House store - the ice cream was yumm-o.  Nothing screams "loc - cal" like a cookie sundae :)

The Promenade has Fire pits through out the mall area.  My daughter was dying to sit by the fire and relax.  There were a ton of people lurking around the pits so it was actually a challenge to find a pit where we could sit down & chat.

We wandered up towards the Rave which was popping with activity.  We had hoped to catch a flick but our timing wasn't right so we decided to catch a movie on another night. 

So, we headed back the other direction and stopped in at the Yankee Candle Shop.  It was festive inside and everyone who worked in there was extremely helpful!  My favorite employee was a young guy who told us that he would find us a sample of any scent that we wanted to try.  He was way into his job but he was was a hoot! 

As we made our way back towards Sweet & Sassy, we checked out Stride Rite, Barnes & Noble and of course the Restrooms.  For a public restroom, they were extremely clean.  I was quite impressed as sometimes you don't know what you'll find when it is a public facility.

We finally found a fire pit and hung out with some teenagers.  That brings me to another topic...TEENAGERS - Sometimes at the mall the teens are a little unruly, with foul language.  But we really didn't see that.  The police were visible and no one was out of hand.  And, there were a ton of people around!

I have to say that the Promenade Shops at night was very family-friendly! I felt safe, it was festive and overall a fun time.  I think the next time we go back we'll take the whole family and just stroll around.

But the best part of the evening was when we were leaving my daughter said to me "This was the best night EVER!"  Yeah, mine too.  :)

I wanted to spread the word about a great website resource for the Lehigh Valley area.  The website address is http://www.nixle.com. 

Nixle is a service that allows you to receive trusted, up-to-date neighborhood information for where you live, work, visit – or for where your family and friends are located throughout the country. The service is at no cost to you. However, standard text messaging rates apply.

Nixle will send text messages to you when there is a police-related issue in the area or abduction. 

I signed up a short while ago and have received only a few texts but it is keeping me informed. Just an easy way for local law enforcement to keep you posted on what is going on in your area.

My family & I took a trip out to Hershey's Chocolate World on Sunday.  We generally do this twice a year, every year.  My kids love the idea of a road trip and Hershey is really only a short distance from the Lehigh Valley. 

When we arrive in the Hershey Area we look for a place to eat.  On Sunday we ate at Villa Rosa Italian Restaurant on Allentown Blvd in Hershey.  The food was great!  And they had a fountain that my girls enjoyed looking at...Here's the link - http://www.villarosarestaurantpa.com/

Afterwards we headed on over to Hershey which was only about 5 minutes away.  We rode the Chocolate Factory Ride which is always a hit with my kids - especially the talking/singing cows.  And of course received our free chocolate on the other side.

After browsing through the stores in Chocolate World, we can't even think of leaving without our visit to the Ice Cream Shoppe.  And then we sit & people watch while we consume some of the best ice cream in the area.

I highly recommend taking the trip out to Chocolate World.  Other than the Ice Cream & lunch at a local eatery, the Chocolate World Ride is Free!  There are other things to do at Chocolate World but with little ones...sometimes less is more!  :)

Here's the link - http://www.hersheys.com/chocolateworld/

What do you like to do or go with your family during the holiday season?

Where do your kids like to have their birthday parties?

We want your input for the holiday season!