Tampa Mom » Family

Happy Halloween!

Ann — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:39:25 +0000

Have a fun and safe Halloween tonight! Here are a few safety guidelines:

Trick-or-Treaters should be accompanied by a parent or guardian
Only visit houses that are obviously inviting Trick-or-Treaters with the lights on
Do not eat candy during your outing, wait until parents go through it for safety
Food allergic people should exercise additional caution with their treats
Wear comfortable shoes
Use reflective tape on shoes, costume, and/or trick-or-treat bag
Carry a flashlight that works
Stay in areas that you know, like your own neighborhood

Halloween Safety Tips from America’s Most Wanted

1. Be sure older children TAKE FRIENDS and younger children are accompanied by a TRUSTED ADULT when “Trick or Treating.”

2. Accompany younger children to the door of every home they approach and make sure parents and guardians are familiar with every home and all people from which the children receive treats.

3. Teach children to NEVER enter a home without prior permission from their parents or guardians.

4. Teach children to NEVER approach a vehicle, occupied or not, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

5. Make sure all children wear reflective clothing and carry a glow stick when out at dusk and at night.

6. Make sure children are able to see and breathe properly and easily when using facial masks. All costumes and masks should be clearly marked as flame resistant.

7. Teach children to NEVER approach a home that is not well lit both inside and outside.

8. Teach children to stay alert for any suspicious incidents and report them to their parents, guardians and/or the proper authority.

9. Teach children if anyone tries to grab them to make a scene; loudly yell this person is not my father/mother/guardian; and make every effort to get away by kicking, screaming and resisting.

10. Consider organizing or attending parties at home, in schools or in community centers as a good alternative to “Trick or Treating.”

For more information about child-safety topics, please visit
the America’s Most Wanted website or contact us at
1-800-THE-LOST® (1-800-843-5678) or www.missingkids.com

October Fun

Ann — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 06:03:51 +0000

Tomorrow, we will be out at the Top O’ the Bay Oktoberfest at Tampa Bay Downs. Friends of ours are in a traditional shoe-slapping dance group and we are looking forward to celebrating with them. If you haven’t gotten out to an Oktoberfest this year, check out Oldsmar this weekend. If you’re still not feeling like you’ve done enough, check out the Schnitzelhaus for lunch this week. Have a brat, some strudel, and a Spaten.

Friday is Halloween. This is one of the biggest times of the year for food allergy problems. Please distribute candy without nuts of any kind. There’s plenty of straight sugary things out there! Many food allergy families completely avoid Halloween activities simply due to the amount of dangerous candies floating around. We are looking forward to Halloween, though trick-or-treating will not be a part of it.

This year, I’ve noticed a few Halloween alternatives popping up at places like the shopping malls, Publix grocery stores, and churches. I encourage you to give these a try. They are safe environments and more controlled situations rather than the randomness of individual houses in a neighborhood can be.

Get out and enjoy the cooler weather!

Post Game 1 Update

Ann — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:35:24 +0000

The Rays’ Bartlett stole a base, so we’re on for free tacos next Tuesday! Unfortunately, no free donuts today. Lets get it done tonight, Rays!

TECO Line Streetcar Fest

Ann — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:36:46 +0000

Celebrate the 6th annual TECO Line Streetcar Fest with 5-cent streetcar rides all day, October 11, 9am-midnight! Ride historic and open-air streetcars, streetcar car barn tours, free kids’ activities outside The Florida Aquarium, $7 Yacht Starship bay tours & Ybor City Saturday Market.

Visit TECO Line Streetcar for more information.

Halloween Family Fun

Ann — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:41:59 +0000

Lowry Park’s ZooBoo is open on Thursdays-Sundays through Nov. 1. Admission is $17/Adults (ages 12+), $14/Kids (ages 3-11). ZooPass holders pay $12/$10. Open 7-10pm on Thursdays and Sundays, 7-11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Important information: For the safety of guests, adults (ages 12 and older) are not permitted to wear masks, wigs, face paint or costumes of any kind. Little boys and “ghouls” (ages 11 and under) are invited to come in their most spooktacular attire. Toy weapons of any sort will not be allowed into the Zoo.

Guavaween Family FunFest will be held Saturday, October 25, 2008 (10am-3pm) in historic Ybor City. This is a totally free event with a daytime crowd estimated at around 20,000. Safe trick-or-treating, costume contest and parade, and pumpkin contests are among the fabulous family activities.

The Florida Aquarium is holding Guppyween 2008, a safe, fun, and supervised children’s trick or treating on Sunday, October 26 from 4 to 9 p.m. Bring your ghosts and goblins in costume for a deliciously fun time! Candy stations will be set up throughout the facility with plenty of kids’ activities in between. Kids in costume are free, while adults (12 and over) pay $12. It’s a safe, fun party with spooky creatures and loads of tasty treats. * Limit four children per adult. Aquarium members get in free to this event.

MOSI presents their 3rd annual Hall-O-Boo! Family Halloween Event on October 24 & 25, 5-9pm. Admission for members is only $8, and non-members is $10. Activities include hayrides, monster mash ball, mad scientist demonstrations, and much more!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom is a fun Disney event especially geared to the under-10 crowd. Tickets vary in price depending on the date. Expect to spend up to $56 for an adult ticket. October 31st is sold out. Event takes place 7pm-midnight, though October 31st.

If you know of another family friendly Halloween event, please post your info in a comment! Thanks! Happy Halloween!

Support the Tampa Bay Rays!

Ann — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:04:39 +0000

It’s baseball fever in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area! The Rays have made it to the playoffs. Amazing!

Today is the first of these post-season games, and maybe you are at work or running errands and you want to listen to the game. I’ve just discovered that I can listen to the game for free on my computer and smartphone. Check Streaming Sports for all of the details!

The little ball player in your family will want a Tampa Bay Rays Toddler-Youth Jr Neo Flex Fit Hat. You could also get a Tampa Bay Devil Rays MLB Car Magnet to show your support. Go Rays!

Evan Longoria #3 Rays Youth Home Jersey
Scott Kazmir #26 Tampa Bay Rays Home Youth Jersey
Tampa Bay Rays 2008 Home White Women’s MLB Replica Jersey
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Stack T-Shirt by Majestic (this is a steal for $5.95!)

Oktoberfest in Tampa

Ann — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:45:40 +0000

Celebrate Oktoberfest all month long in Tampa! Each weekend, checkout a different festival, and if you are longing for a mid-week bit of Bavaria, have lunch at the Schnitzelhaus! All of these events have family-friendly components to them, so bring the kids! The highlight of the month will be the big Oktoberfest in Oldsmar at Tampa Bay Downs during the last weekend. Attendance was 20,000+ last year.

If you have other events to add, please leave a comment and link at the end of this post! Enjoy!

Schnitzelhaus German Restaurant
- Oktoberfest will be from Sept 19th to Nov 1st
- Live Music with Inga
  Fri and Sat 5pm – 9pm and Sun 4pm – 8pm
- Fri and Sat Special, Four Course Dinner
  $21.95 – $25.50, reservations required
- Open Wednesday-Saturday, 11am-9pm and Sunday, noon-8pm
- Closed Monday and Tuesday
Dunedin Brewery OktoBEERfest 2008
- October 2nd-4th, starts at 4pm daily
The St. Petersburg Clay Company OktoberBest & Brew HaHa II
- October 11, noon-7pm
- The event will include food, beverages, music, kids activities, and best of all work from our talented artists!
World of Beer (Westchase) WOBtoberfest 2008, 2nd Annual Beer and Music
- October 17th, 3pm till, October 18th, noon till
- Live music featuring Chris Nathan
- German and American Food
- Authentic Oktoberfest Liter Mugs
- Family Friendly
- $5 admission (free for 12 and under)
- All ages welcome, 21+ to drink
Oktoberfest on the Beach – 7th Annual Celebration Activity Schedule
- October 18, 11am-7pm, Kinderfest 11am-3pm
- Held at Kolb Park, Indian Rocks Beach
- Live music, German Band “Lorelei” performs at 1pm until 7pm
- Adult activities include: Food Court, Beer Wagon, Vendors, Art Exhibit, Antique Show, Boat Show, Silent Auction
- Championship Competitions include: Stein-carrying, Wife-carrying, Keg-throwing, and Polka-dancing!
- “Kinderfest” (11am-3pm) activities include: Dodgeball, Children’s Dunk Tank, Shuttle Race, Capture the Flag, Spider Web, Red Light—Green Light, Hula Hoop Contest, Water Balloon Contest, Jelly Bean Relay, Inflatable Experiences, Tattoo Booth, Balloon Artist & Magician, Kiddie Olympics, Children’s Arts & Crafts Booth
Top O’ the Bay Oktoberfest, Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar
- October 24, 25, 26 – Friday 5pm to 11pm / Saturday 11am to 11pm / Sunday 12pm to 7 pm
- Schedule of events (pdf)
- Traditionally held the last weekend of October, Oktoberfest brings the best of Old Bavaria and New Florida together for three full days of authentic German food, drink, music and dancing… along with a spectacular carnival & Midway, a great arts & crafts show, and the wildest array of audience participation contests that the Tampa Bay area has ever seen!
- New this year… VolksMarch (5 & 10K Family Fun Walks) and Kinder Zone!
- Oldsmar’s version of the 198 year-old German tradition is both the largest and longest-running Oktoberfest in West Central Florida, attracting between 20,000 and 25,000 attendees.

Swaptember is almost over!

Ann — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 06:40:22 +0000

You have a few days left to take advantage of Swaptember! If you have an annual pass to Lowry Park Zoo, MOSI, or the Florida Aquarium, that pass can get you in to all three for the month of September! So, this weekend, get out and visit the Zoo, MOSI, or Aquarium. The weather’s going to be great!

Make Plans for National Family Day

Ann — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:24:55 +0000

What are you having for dinner Monday night?

From 2003 to 2008 research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has consistently found that children who have frequent family dinners are less likely to use marijuana, tobacco and drink alcohol.

CASA research reveals that compared to children who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), children who have infrequent family dinners (less than three per week) are two and a half times likelier to have used marijuana and tobacco, and one and a half times likelier to have drunk alcohol.

Monday, September 22nd will mark CASA’s eighth annual Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your ChildrenTM celebration. Family Day is a national movement to inform parents that the parental engagement fostered during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s children substance free and reminds parents that “Dinner Makes A Difference!”

“If you asked me based on CASA’s 16 years of intensive examination of substance abuse and addiction in our nation what’s the most effective thing we can do to curb this scourge and protect our children, I would say parental engagement. And there is no more effective example of this than frequent family dinners,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s chairman and president and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. “Years of surveying teens have consistently shown that the more often they have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs.”

This information was excerpted from a press release from CASA this week. How many more reasons do we need to have dinner together? Health? Money? Those are some very good reasons, but the relationship building and accountability to one another in love is another great reason. My favorite web celebrity in this area is Leanne Ely, author of Saving Dinner. She finds great solutions when it comes to family eating situations. I came across Leanne Ely and her fantastic work on Marla Cilley’s popular website FlyLady.net. I’m a huge fan of her menus and eating ideas. She also has a great book about Nutrition and a companion Unit Study.

Avast, me hearties! Pirates all ’round!

Ann — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:50:40 +0000

Ahoy! T’day is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Avast! Many pirate-y activities abound here in Tampa, the home of ye ol’ Gasparilla Pirate Festival.

Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise has cruises for pint-sized to frigate-sized grog-drinking seadogs! Our wee matey gallavanted off to sea with his Grandma, an’ had a rip-roarin’ time afloat!

Ahoy! The Pirate Ship at John’s Pass is another place full o’ pirate-y goodness with gun battles, face painting, and treasure hunts! Arrr.

Capture this cool stuff for junior pirates from ye founders of this ‘ere day of celebration!

In our family, we’ve casually celebrated this day over the years since Dave Barry’s infamous column appeared in 2002. We still aren’t very good at pirate slang, but we try! Just sprinkle in “Avast!” or “Arrr…” into your daily conversation and you’re all set. If you really want to get into character, get your own pirate name at one of these sites:

Dig up a treasure chest o’ fun with your mateys t’day!