Lights, lights, lights!

I have a theory that the more warm weekends there are between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the more houses you'll see with Christmas lights that year. This year has been a warm one, and driving home last night it was obvious that many more people had decided to put up a display.

I've always loved Christmas lights, and while I'm not a fan of random "throw every ornatment in the world on your lawn" displays, I do enjoy seeing the kids' faces light up when they see an inflatable Santa or snowman.

I've compliled a list of some good places to see lights in Ithaca at the Holiday Lights page. If you know of any houses with nice displays or areas with a more than usual amount of lights in Tompkins County, please let me know! I'm lucky enough to live in Eastern Heights, where most houses have lights, and several have LOTS. If you take the trip up the hill, maybe you'll see my yard twinkling in the dark!

Up Ornament...?

When I saw this fabulous idea from Little Gray Fox...

My first thought was "OH SO CUTE" and my second thought was, "That looks like the balloon cluster from UP!"

Forgive my terrible photoshopping, but Am I Right?  I'm thinking someday, I'll have to create this ornament for Finn, my little balloon enthusiast.

Cancer Sucks

Hug your kiddlettes close and be thankful for their health. My friend's cousin just lost her 4 year-old to cancer. If you or a family you know is facing a childhood cancer diagnosis, please direct them to Mira's Movement, a local organization whose mission is to provide informational and emotional support to families of a child diagnosed with cancer; dvocate for increased public and private funding for childhood cancer research and family support; and raise awareness of the prevalence and the impact of the disease.

BoatYard Grill's "Fill The Truck" donations to Hurricane Sandy victims Sunday

Looking for a way to help Sandy victims? One of the easiest ways is to text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps people affected.

But maybe you're like me and are also thinking, "I have have stuff here that I don't need that could help people so close but so far away." Well, the BoatYard and Ciao are helping with this.


FILL THE TRUCK
Donation Drive!

The BoatYard Grill & Ciao will be hosting a donation drive to assist those affected in NY/ NJ by Hurricane Sandy.

Sunday November 4, 2012 from 10:00 AM- 6:00 PM.
Donations Collected at The BoatYard Grill
525 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca NY 14850.

The following is a list of the requested donations:

• Warm Clothing all sizes (children’s clothing is in high demand)
• New Toiletries
• Blankets
• New Unopened Baby Formula
• Bottled Water
• Canned Food

(If you choose we will be accepting cash donations to be distributed to Island Harvest and Save The Children)

And here's another way so help while getting something back!

On Sunday 11/11 and Sunday 11/18, Ithaca Community Acupuncture will open its doors to provide community acupuncture treatments for DONATION only. 100% if the proceeds will go to the disaster relief effort. Check out the website for details to come.

Halloween activites everywhere!

Check out the calendar and the holiday tab to plan all your family's Halloween activities in the next week! Happy Halloween!

Please note that the Wegmans Costume Parade time was originally entered incorrectly. The parade is Thursday, Oct 25 from 4-8.

Project Orange at Cayuga Nature Center

Have you heard of Mira's Movement? It's a wonderful local organization providing informational and emotional support to families of a child diagnosed with cancer, advocating for increased public and private funding for childhood cancer research and family support, and raising awareness of the prevalence and the impact of the disease. This Saturday marks the 5 annual Mira's Movement fundraiser and awareness celebration, Project Orange! My family has attended Project Orange several times, and it's always a very fun event. Here are the details:

The 5th Annual Project Orange!
~ A Day of Fall Fun to Celebrate Families! ~

Saturday, October 20, 11AM-2PM
at Cayuga Nature Center, Ithaca, NY

Join in a beautiful fall day at Cayuga Nature Center!

Activities include: carving and painting pumpkins, face painting, a "pol nailish" station, games, apple pressing, arts & crafts, and all the Cayuga Nature Center has to offer, including hikes, animal interactions, and Treetops treehouse!

Admission is $20 per family and includes a pumpkin for every child!
All activities are free with admission.

Also available for purchase:
Delicious food from Three Herons (Trumansburg)--pulled pork, black beans, and mac & cheese!!!

SPONSORED BY: Cayuga Medical Center

Free Playgroup in Brooktondale

The cold weather is blowing in and more and more people are looking for indoor places to play. The good news is, there's a new free option! A playgroup has started meeting every Tuesday and Thurdsay from 10am to noon at the Brooktondale Community Center. The playgroup is free and open to everyone. If you haven't been to the Brooktondale Community Center before, it's located on Valley Road in downtown Brooktondale which is off of highway 79, just a few miles past the Six Mile Creek Winery. There is a nice outdoor playground, and inside, there's a kitchen and a big open community room with a play structure, trikes and push toys, etc. Many parents bring their own bikes and toys as well. For more infomation on the group, contact Kate at kmvanzile@aol.com, or just show up!