Mommy Monday

In an effort to make this blog a little less rambling and random, and a little more consistent and updated. I'm trying out something new, beginning with Mommy Monday! (Ideally), every Monday will be Mommy Monday ... still not sure entirely what this means, but I like the alliteration. :)

For my first Mommy Monday, I'd like to recommend checking out your local library! Other than books, music & movies, ours has multiple storytimes for various age groups, book clubs, craft times, sing-a-longs, multi-cultural programming with singing, stories and/or crafts, people who bring animals/reptiles, etc. for the kids to see & learn about ... the list really goes on and on. I have to get a calendar of the programs they offer every month or I'd never be able to keep track on my own. On top of this, the children's section has its own kid-friendly computers, a play kitchen, puppet theater, blocks and other stacking/connecting toys, puzzles that rotate and fit different holidays/seasons, and various other toys and things to do while you're there. On top of THIS, the librarians are SO nice and while they don't want kids running around, screaming at the top of their lungs, they are a far cry from the stereotypical strict, no-nonsense disciplinarians of my time.

For myself, I've gone to cooking classes offered by Whole Foods & exercise classes and have wanted to check out classes on investing $, buying your first home and others, but didn't have the time - all of which were free. We also use it to check out free dvds, blu-rays & wii games - I just brought home How Do You Know with Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson, so their collection is pretty up-to-date. I also used it to watch a lot of the Oscar nominees before the awards show aired. Finally, they just posted on their website that they're now offering free mp3 downloads! I don't know all the details, but each cardholder is allowed up to 3 free downloads/week. Yay!

But back to being a mom ... there have been times when, desperate to get out of the house, but not wanting to spend $$ on admission fees to a museum, we've just gone to the library and they've had a great time while I've enjoyed a little mental rest. Now that M is in 1st grade, she doesn't go as often and has complained that she "never gets to play at the library anymore." So anyway, if you're looking for something free & fun, check out your library and see what they have to offer! And if you're in the Wheeling area, I'd definitely recommend ours - Indian Trails - as it has the best children's section & programming (at least for babies-preschoolers) out of the libraries I've visited in the area.