Famplosion

Super Healthy Kids - 2010 Olympian JR Celski

2010-02-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Happy, healthy families that enjoy time together is our passion at Famplosion.com. At Super Heathy Kids, Amy writes about healthy family eating. A Utah mother of three children herself, Amy recently interviewed Los Angeles-based short track skater 2010 Olympian JR Celski about how he prepared his body for olympic competition. Through interview questions prepared by Amy's children, readers learn about JR's training schedule and the importance he places upon healthy eating.

JR, which is short for John Robert, recently earned an Olympic bronze metal in the 1500 meter short track skate. His official website chronicles how his entire family dedicated themselves to JR's skating throughout his lifetime. In fact, his family referred to JR's skating as 'The Family Project.' Congratulations to JR and his wonderful family.

For Super Healthy Kids tips, visit Amy's blog daily for new ideas on getting your kids to eat fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, more protein, or just getting active as a family.

For specific active and healthy events in your neighborhood, check Famplosion.com daily.

The Brees Family and Big Daddy Paul

2010-02-13T10:48:00.001-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

By now, most everyone has witnessed the joy of New Orleans Saints Quarterback, Drew Brees, as he enjoyed his superbowl victory with his wife and baby boy. The tears on his face, touched the more than one hundred million people that witnessed their moment together.

It is these momoments in life that Famplosion is all about. The joy of sharing good times together is something all families can do; Famplosion gives you thousands of events to choose from right in your neighborhood.

Visit Famplosion when you're looking for an event to enjoy that day. A quick search by age, price range and location, will provide you with a list of fun activities to choose from. You'll even find a map that will help you find the activity. Search. Choose and off you go to enjoy family time together.

Our weekly newsletter, delivered directly to you email box, is completely customizable by you. Choose venues your family especially enjoys and we'll let you know about new events that come up there. Your newsletter will also offer spotlighted events for activities or venues you may never have heard of, allowing your family to explore just outside your own front door.

Dad Blogger, Big Daddy Paul, of Oakland, California provides an entertaining description of the Superbowl Sunday before, and then with, kids. Paul provides a dad's take on the change when he points out:

'Seeing [his son] Malcolm actually watching the game, though, was pretty cool. Answering his questions about what was going on made the game fun in a brand new way. I guess I’m actually glad we had kids there and I was able to share some experiences with Malcolm.'

To find fun family activities in Oakland, or in your own neighborhood, visit Famplosion.com. Don't forget to add events to Famplosion! It's free and other families will be glad you did.

Southwest Airlines Mommy Blogger - Flying with Baby

2010-02-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Who knew...even Southwest Airlines has their own mommy blogger. Jessica Turner is the resident Mommy Blogger for the airlines. Her guest blog posts and video blogs focus on traveling with her baby, tips she discovers and family-friendly activities to experience around the country. When she isn't traveling, she enjoys spending time with her family, working, blogging and scrapbooking. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Nashville, Tenn., with their 10-month-old peanut, Elias, who is currently into everything!

Among Jessica's posts is, 'How Not to Go Nuts When Flying with a Peanut'. 'Peanut' is Jessica's Southwest-friendly term for kids. Get it? In this article, and the accompanying video below, Jessica outlines truly helpful hints for parents flying with babies. Every parent has struggled with this process; most of us learned how to do it 'the hard way'. Thanks to Jessica, moms today don't need to muddle their way through.

Famplosion offers thousands of current family activities for families. Many of the cities serviced by Southwest are included among the cities covered by Famplosion. Here are some examples: Austin, TX, Chicago, IL, Columbus, OH, Dallas, TX, Detroit, MI, Houston, TX, Indianapolis, IN, Jacksonville, FL, Los Angeles, CA, Nashville, TN, New York City, NY, Oakland, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, Sacramento, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, San Antonio, TX, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, Seattle, WA, Reno/Tahoe.

GladDads Blogger - "Being Involved'

2010-02-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

At Famplosion.com, our passion is to make it easy for families to find fun, diverse and economical things to do together. Today Famplosion found a truly inspirational blog, 'GladDads'. This dad-oriented parenting blog is the brain-child of Danny Grubb, proud Seattle dad to twin girls. As we read through his blog, the following quote from his article, '5 Things Parents Must Get Right' touched us:

Being Involved: This concept is the easiest to understand and the hardest to implement. These days every household is a two income household with both parents working. It can be very difficult to feel like you are involved in your children’s lives. The term “quality time” was invented for just this reason. When you are home and with your children, make sure you are awake and engaged. If this requires another cup of coffee on the way home then so be it. Spending time with your children is rewarding to all of you, so if you completely ignore everything else I’ve written in this post, please heed this point.

We're listening, and we whole-heartedly agree. In honor of GladDads, Danny Grubb and his girls here are a few delightful activities, listed on Famplosion in Seattle, for parents to do with their kids in Seattle:

Zoomazium: An indoor play space at the Woodland Park Zoo

Free Friday Afternoons at KidsQuest Children's Museum

Winter Wonderland at Camp Long

These and hundreds of other family activities throughout the United States await you at Famplosion.com.

Treasure Blogger - Sac Treasure Hunt

2010-02-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

In Sacramento, a fun group of marketers have found a new and super-interactive way to blog and engage families in a treasure hunt. January was the launch of the first Sac Treasure Hunt. March will mark the beginning of the second treasure hunt. Here's how the treasure hunt works:

Beginning on March 15, 2010 Sac Treasure Hunt will release daily treasure hunt clues, via their Twitter page.

As the treasure hunt progresses, updates will be posted on the groups blog.

There are two ways you can win and receive prizes: being one of the first 100 people to find the secret location of the treasure chest and or by retweeting the clues on a daily basis.

The Grand Prize Winner (the one who's key opens the treasure chest!) will receive the prizes. (See video below to see the January prizes.)

Retweeting the daily clues: Every night at 9 PM, Monday thru Friday of the STH week, someone will be randomly selected who has retweeted the daily morning clue that same day. Only 1 retweet is necessary to be eligible for the daily prize (note: numerous retweets will not help your chances of winning and may offend your followers!) Daily prizes for retweeting will be announced each day.

Happy Hunting

Discovering Mom Bloggers-Debbie Abrams Kaplan

2010-02-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

You've no doubt noticed the influx of blogs written by parents over the past few years. Famplosion feels a natural affinity for parents who write about family activities. For this reason, we will be highlighting truly unique parent bloggers here.

The first blogger we'd like to introduce you to is Debbie Abrams Kaplan. A mother of two children herself, Debbie describes her work:

I'm a journalist specializing in family travel. I write for Shape, Family Fun, AAA Traveler, the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News and others.

In addition to the above writing, Debbie hosts her own blog, 'Frisco Kids', a current fun and entertaining look at activities for kids and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among the fun activities for kids Debbie mentions are Valentines Craft at Michael's.

Also in the San Francisco Bay Area, and featured on Famplosion, are a few Valentine activities for families to enjoy.

Love is in the air at the Habitot Childrens' Museum! Between February 6 and 14, the museum invites families to bring art supplies to make Valentines and receive a free adult admission during Habitot’s Week of Valentines. Young children can make heart-themed art for their loved ones at different interactive stations. Come during regular hours (Monday-Thursday 9:30-12:30; Friday-Sunday 9:30-4:30) to share the love. Free adult admission with art supply donation; otherwise, regular admission rates apply ($8.50 per person).

Snow Tubing at Heavenly Mountain Resort, Lake Tahoe

2010-01-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

The tubing venue at Heavenly Mountain Resort is not your ordinary sledding hill. More suited to thrill-seekers than little ones, this hill is akin to a five lane luge run; it's fast. Each of the five lanes is approximately 500 feet long. One lane is set aside for those preferring a more gentle ride. Tubing guests are delivered to the top of the hill by the deluxe covered magic carpet.

The ''high end' nature of this tubing venue explains the $30 price tag to ride for one hour. Add to the sledding hill price the price of the gondola ride. You can't reach the Adventure Peak, where the tubing venue is located, without taking the gondola first. The gondola ride is nothing short of spectacular. The views of the Lake Tahoe area unprecedented.

Here are some tips to make your sledding adventure at Heavenly Mountain Resort's Adventure Peak the best it can be:

Dress warmly.

While helmets are not required for tubing, you might choose to put a helmet on children. You can't rent a helmet at Adventure Peak, but you can rent them at most any sporting goods store at the base of the gondola.

Buy your gondola tickets at the base of the gondola. You'll buy your tubing hill tickets at Adventure peak.

On your way up the mountain on the gondola, make sure to jump off the gondala at the first stop: Malcolms deck. Don't save this stop for the way down, it can only be accessed going up. There you'll be able to grab a coffee and really take in the amazing views. At Gondola Sports, you can find fun Heavenly gifts and accessories. Reboard the gondola to get to Adventure Peak.

At the bottom and at the top of the gondola you can rent a locker for anything you don't want to wear on the sledding hill.

Arrive early in the day to make sure you get the chance to go tubing. If you arrive later in the day, the tubing venue may have sold out for the day. Before purchasing your gondola tickets, ask the folks selling the gondola tickets if the tubing venue is still available for the day. Hopefully, they'll be able to let you know if the tubing venue is sold out before you get on the gondola. The tubing venue is open from 11:30a to 4p on weekdays and from 11a to 4p on weekends. The gondola operates from 9a to 4p on weekday and 8:30a to 4p on weekends.

Use caution at the end of the tubing run. Listen to the Heavenly employee's there to help you cross the other tubing lanes.

Make sure you have the ribs at the Smokehouse Grill. Honestly, you just can't pass them up.

Sundance Film Festival-Locals' Secrets

2010-01-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will officially be underway on January 21st. While the festival is a popular tourist event, we've uncovered some of the locals' secrets for this year's festival.

The Park City Box Office, located in the Gateway Center on the corner of Heber Avenue and Swede Alley, officially opened on Jan 9. The 2010 Film Guide is now available at the box office as well as at merchants throughout the Gateway Center.

Tickets to the festival are available online or at the box office starting Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. through Jan. 29. If you aren't able to get the tickets you want because a screening is sold out, your best bet is checking again on the day-of-show. Each morning, the main box offices in Park City and Salt Lake City release a limited number of tickets to that day's screenings at 8 a.m. These tickets must be purchased in person and are not available online or by phone.

After the festival is over each year, the Sundance Institute Film Series presents free screenings of the award-winning films. "Best of Fest" tickets will be distributed, free of charge, to locals Jan. 16-17 at each city's main box office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. There is a limit of two tickets per person per screening, with a maximum of four tickets total.

Summit County residents are also invited to pick up free tickets to the Jan. 26 screening of "The Tillman Story" to be shown at the Library Center Theatre at 8:30 p.m. Tickets will be distributed on Monday, Jan. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Park City Main Box Office. A legal Utah ID with a Summit County zip code or a utility bill must be presented. The film is a documentary about professional football star and decorated U.S. soldier Pat Tillman, whose family takes on the U.S. government when their beloved son dies in a "friendly fire" incident in Afghanistan in 2004.

The Secret-Get Polar Express Train Tickets This Year

2010-01-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

This past Christmas season in Sacramento, California, many families that wanted to ride on the The Polar Express Train at the California State Railroad Museum were unable to get tickets. This article unveils the secret to making sure you have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2010 Polar Express Train, before these tickets are even available to the general public.

During the Christmas season, the California State Railroad Museum offers a magical ride on the Polar Express Train. This event is patterned after the classic childrensstory, The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg.

This past year, tickets for this special holiday event went on sale October 1st. By the end of the day, all 15,000 tickets were sold out. Here's the secret to making sure you and your family secure a ticket for next year.

Museum members are afforded the priviledge of purchasing Polar Express tickets before they are offered for sale to the general public. Museum members purchased a staggering 9,000 tickets during the 2009 presale offering. A museum official stated that many people became members solely to be allowed to purchase Polar Express Tickets early.

In 2009, a family did not need to purchase a museum membership for each member of their family in order to purchase tickets in advance of the general public. If a family purchased a $20 children's membership to the museum this year, they then had the opportunity to purchase, in advance of the general public, an unlimited number of Polar Express tickets.

Membership to the musem offers much more, however, than the mere chance to purchase these tickets early. All memberships include:

Free Admission at the California State Railroad Museum
Free Excursion Train Rides on the Sacramento Southern Railroad*
10% Discount at the Museum Store in Old Sacramento+
15% Discount on Photographic Reproduction Orders from the California State Railroad Museum Library.
Invitations to Members-Only Events
Subscription to the Museum's publication, On Track!
Annual Membership Pin
Donor Book Recognition

*During the regular operating season April through September and excluding special ticketed events and train rides

Get your California Railroad Museum Member now and enjoy an entire year of membership benefits, including a chance to pre-purchase the coveted Polar Express Train tickets.

New Year's Eve in New York City

2009-12-30T11:44:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Worldwide Time Square in New York City is synonymous with New Years Eve. Just to give you an idea of the epic nature of this event, event organizers confirm that one ton of confetti will be dropped on Times Square revelers. The Times Square New Year's Eve Ball descends from a flagpole at the top of One Times Square. It can best be seen along Broadway, from 43rd Street to 50th Street, and along Seventh Avenue, as far north as 59th Street.

To get the best view of the ball as it descends, arrive early. The earlier you arrive, the better your view and the closer you will be to the action. The sound system is set up in the Bowtie area (where Broadway and Seventh Avenue cross), and the video screens on One Times Square (where the Ball is lowered) are easily visible. There are additional screens set up at Broadway and 50th Street, Broadway and 52nd Street, Broadway and 54th Street and Broadway and 58th Street. The following Times Square restaurants have a view of the ball:

DoubleTree Guest Suites
Marriott Marquis
TGI Fridays
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
Sbarro Pizza
Olive Garden
2 Times Square

The best way to get to Times Square is via public transportation. To get to Times Square, the # 1, 2, 3, 7, A, B, C, D, E, F, N, Q, R, W, V and S shuttle trains all service the Times Square area. The MTA has advised revelers not to use the 42nd Street Subway Station on New Year's Eve, due to crowded conditions - instead, exit at one of the surrounding stations and enter Times Square by foot. It is expected that the MTA will keep all subway stations open on New Year's Eve. Some entrances and exits may be closed as crowd conditions require. After 7 p.m. on December 31st, the N and R train station at 49th Street and Seventh Avenue may be closed until after midnight. Trains may also bypass some stations, depending on how the crowds build.

Families will want to take into consideration that no portable toilets will be set up in Times Square, leaving those 'in need' at the mercy of local merchants. On the upside, however, police will set aside a viewing area for the disabled, located on the northwest corner of 43rd Street. However, this area will fill up quickly, and it is advised that disabled visitors arrive early in the day. Alcholic beverages will not be allowed in the area. If you bring it anyway, the Police will confiscate it.

New Year's Eve in Nashville

2009-12-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Nashville is singing out 2009 and playin' in 2010. Starting at 7:30p, at 1st and Broadway in front of the Hard Rock Cafe, join in the free street party fondly named, Bash on Broadway. Performing live at the event will be: Rodne Atkins, Tommy Sims & Friends, with special guests Marc Broussard and Johnny Lang, The Dirt Drifters and Gabe Dixon. As midnight approaches the crowd with await grand fireworks and the 'Guitar Drop'. Similar to the 'dropping' of the crystal ball at New York City's Time Square, Nashville lowers its revered symbol, the guitar, as midnight approaches.

Families looking for a more active New Years Celebration? In Murfreesboro come on down to the Skate Center West for the 'New Year's Eve Late Night Skate'. From 7:30p until 2:00 skate and celebrate all that 2009 was and all that 2010 will be for you family. Party includes: Admission, party favors, slice of Perky's Pizza, soft drink, and a glowstick

Winter Break Special at Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle

2009-12-23T13:09:00.000-08:00

The kids are all out of school for winter break. Now what to do?

Well, you're in luck. The Woodland Park Zoo is offering free admission to kids ages 12 with each paying adult every day until January 3 (except December 25). Just mention "Winter Fun" to get a child in free!

The Zoo has lots of fun events for the holiday season. Enjoy the Zoo's Winter Celebration, where each of the animals receive holiday-themed treats and toys, a program designed to enrich each animal's lives and keep them mentally stimulated.

While the forecast looks sunny for Seattle, the temperatures might require some inside time as well. Check out the Zoo's Zoomazium, a year-round, indoor play space designed for kids. Check out Famplosion.com to find times of specific activities held at the Zoomazium, such as the Nature Exchange.

Find more fun ideas of things to do with the kids during Winter Break at Famplosion.com!

Ice Skating in San Francisco's Union Square for the Holidays

2009-12-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

The ice skating rink, located at the heart of Union Square, in downtown San Francisco is filled with holiday spirit this time of year. Especially exciting is the Menorah Lighting and Hanukkah Celebration.

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.

The last two nights of Hanukkah will be celebrated in San Francisco's Union Square. On Friday, December 18th, the Chanukah Celebration begins at 12:30p. The Menorah Lighting Ceremony starts at 3p. On Saturday, December 19th, the Chanukah Celebration begins at 7p. The Menorah Lighting ceremony starts at 7:30p, complete with songs and dancing.

Families can visit the Dreidel House and enjoy arts and crafts from 3p to 6p. Each child attending will be given their own Menorah to light.

The ice skating rink will remain open until January 18th and is available for public skating and private parties.

Happy holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours.

Christmas Events for Families in Seattle

2009-12-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

Looking for some great things to do with your family in the Seattle area? Well, here are some of the great activities that we found.

Remember Where the Wild Things Are? Well, the renowned author Maurice Sendak helped create Seattle's one-of-a-kind Nutcracker performed by the Pacific Northwest Ballet at the Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall until December 30. Tchaikovsky's classic score will come to life in this wonderful Christmas tradition.

Join one of the thousands of people each year who participates in the annual Christmas Ship Festival. Be on shore with a bonfire and hot chocolate and listen to the concert broadcasted live from the flotilla of lit boats. Or splurge and join the crowd on the boats in the largest holiday floating parade in the world.

Take your family to see one of the many light displays, such as Bellevue Botanical Garden's Garden d'Lights, where thousands of light creations are "planted" every year and lit from 5:00 to 10:00. Or Renton's quirky Clam Lights at the Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park.
Light displays are also held at the Seattle Waterfront and Point Defiance Zoo.

Check out Famplosion.com to find more great Christmas Activities!

Christmas Carol Sing-Along in Salt Lake City

2009-12-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

On December 21st, at The Energy Solutions Arena, families are invited to the 25th Annual Larry H. Miller Christmas Carol Sing-Along. This event, quickly becoming a Salt Lake City tradition, is free and open to the public. This event, sponsored entirely by the Larry H. Miller Family and composer/conductor Robert C. Bowden, will feature a 30 piece orchestra with music specially arranged for the concert.

'Christmas is a very special time for family and friends to be together and enjoy the holiday spirit. This event was one of the highlights of the Holiday Season for Larry each year and his dream was to fill the EnergySolutions Arena so that everyone could participate. We are excited to be able to continue this tradition in his name and look forward to sharing it with the community,' said Gail Miller.

Admission is free of charge and the public is welcome. No tickets are necessary and seating is general admission. Audience members are encouraged to sing, and printed programs with song lyrics will be provided. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Each guest who attends the event will receive a free hot dog and Coca-Cola soft drink, a free Utah Jazz game ticket, a complimentary ticket to a 2010 Salt Lake Bees game, free popcorn at any Megaplex Theatre and a buy one, get one free coupon for super go-karts at Miller Motorsports Park.

This event, along with many other Christmas and holiday events are available to families this season. Happy Holidays and all the best in the coming new year from our family to yours.

Christmas in the Nashville Area

2009-12-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Who doesn't love making a gingerbread house during Christmas? Did you know that the spice ginger can be traced back to Europe during the 11th century. Explorers came back from the Middle East with the spice ginger. It quickly became popular, especially in Germany. Nuremberg, Germany is reportedly the gingerbread capital of the world.

This Sunday, at the Viking Cooking School in Franklin Tenessee, on December 20th, from 2p to 4p, families with children ages 7 years and older will have the delightful opportunity to make a gingerbread house together. Event organizers say:

Have fun creating royal icing snowmen and majestic holiday trees adorned with premium sprinkles, sparkly decoratifs, and colorful sanding sugars. Your gingerbread house will come alive with candies, gumdrops, peppermints, sprinkles, cookies and more. Start a family tradition that will carry on for generations.

This holiday event and many other Christmas family events in the Nashville area can be found on Famplosion.com. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from our family to yours.

Postscript: Our sincerest sympathies go out to our friends at the Nashville Zoo. This week Kiba, the African Elephant passed away. Kiba was a source of delight and education for Nashville families for many years.

Cruising Lake Tahoe in the Winter

2009-12-04T15:32:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Visiting Lake Tahoe in winter brings to mind skiing, snowboarding, sledding and generally playing in the snow. A well-kept secret at 'the lake' is how amazingly fun, beautiful and educational it can be to take a cruise on the M.S. Dixie II in the Winter. This boat, reminiscent of the steamers that graced the lake nearly one hundred years ago, departs from Zephyr Cove Marina.

M.S. Dixie II was captained by Ozzie Gonzalez, on the day of our visit. He greets passengers at the gangway with a delightful smile and an eagerness to share his knowledge of this unique boat. Captain Gonzalez began his career on the M.S. Dixie, in 1994, when the it was new.

The two hour tour of Emerald Bay is gentle, comfortable and scenic. The boat travels an average of 7.5 miles per hour. There are 3 levels. Guests enter on the first level, where you'll find plenty of indoor tables and chairs. The indoor tempature on this level is set at a cozy 72 degrees ferenheit. There is a small outdoor deck on the first level bow (front of the boat). There is no seating outside on level one.

By taking 12 steps up, either indoors or out, you can access the second level bow of the boat. Indoors, on the second level, is where the food is. (and it's good family-food too) In addtion to the snack bar and grill, the second floor also has restrooms and abundant indoor table/chair seating. You can place your order at the counter and your meal is brought to your table by friendly staff.

The third level is entirely outdoors, and provides an awe-inspiring view of the lake and surrounding mountains. Dress warmly to enjoy the outside decks, where the views are the most spectacular.

The highlight of the cruise at the half-way point, as the boat arrives at the mouth of Emerald Bay. The view of Emerald Bay in the Summer or Fall is a completely different experience from seeing this natural wonder in the quiet of Winter.

In Winter, the bay is much more majestic. This might be because, most often, you are likely to be aboard the only vessel in the bay. In the Summer, the bay is filled with many boats.

As the history of Emerald Bay, from how it formed to the construction of the Vikingsholm, plays on the ooat speakers passengers are treated to the rare beauty of Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe in the Winter aboard the M.S. Dixie II.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, click here.

Best Birthday Party Locations in Old Sacramento

2009-12-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Finding a fun, unique and affordadle place to host a child's birthday party is always a challenge. Old Sacramento offers a variety of locations for birthday party fun.

Old Sacramento holds a special place in history. It once was the western terminus of the Pony Express postal system, the first transcontinental railroad, and the transcontinental telegraph. The history and ambiance of Old Sacramento make it an extra-special place to have a birthday party. Three locations, in particular, within Old Sacramento offer unique birthday party venues.

At the California Railroad Museum, kids can enjoy a Union Pacific Caboose Birthday Party. Imagine a birthday party in a real, honest-to-goodness railroad caboose. The Union Pacific Caboose is located next to the Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station at the museum. The caboose is available only for stationary (non-moving) rental, and is perfect for children’s birthday parties. Capacity of the caboose itself is only 25, but nearby picnic tables are available to assure that larger groups have ample room to celebrate. Take the kids on a train ride, for an added treat.

The Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum is a quaint, affordable and well-located Old Sacramento birthday party venue. It is a replica of one-room schools found throughout the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills during the latter half of the 19th century. It is ideally located on the Sacramento River, near Interstate 5, with ample public parking across the street to accommodate a family, youth group or club planning a special event. The Schoolhouse can seat up to 50 people and has a fenced yard for outdoor events. The museum is run by volunteers, so you might have to call more than once to reach them. The schoolhouse rents for $25, you supply the party and the kids. If you want to add an activity, take the kids to the California Railroad Museum, on a Train Ride, or to the Gold Rush History Center. Each activity is located within walking distance of the schoolhouse.

The Gold Rush History Center also offers a special birtday party spot. Formerly the Discovery Museum History Center, the Sacramento History Museum is a true celebration of all aspects of life in Sacramento over the past 200 years. The Gold Rush History Center and the Science & Space Center offers unique and fun environments for your child's birthday. The museum provides the room and the museum experience, and you bring the cake and the kids! The cost is $125.00 for members and $150.00 for non-members (total of 24 guests) and includes museum admission for all participants, birthday room rental and clean-up.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, click here.

Utah Ski Resorts - Snow Reports

2009-12-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com
The Utah ski season is officially underway. Resorts are opening and celebrating all their fresh powder. Famplosion makes it easy to check the snow conditions at all resorts, all in one place. Skiers and boarders can also keep up with the latest Utah ski resort events and activities by checking these continously updated links:

Solitude Mountain Resort, Salt Lake City
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Sandy
The Canyons Resort, Park City
Park City Mountain Resort, Park City
Deer Valley Resort, Park City
Brighton Ski Resort, Brighton
Alta Ski Resort, Alta

Check back with Famplosion, throughout the Winter season for snow reports and all the best Winter family fun in Utah.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, click here.

Father - Daughter Date Night

2009-11-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

by: James J. Ackerman, Famplosion.com

On two separate occassions, my wife has traveled overseas for a week or more. While it is common for me to be out of town, it is very uncommon for my wife to be away. When she's away, the whole dynamic of our household changes. I have to be both father and mother to our teenage daughter; a solid reminder of how much my wife has on her plate.

While I will never compensate for her absence, I have truly enjoyed time with my daughter, Lily. One of my most cherished memories will be taking our daughter out on "dates". Dads of teenage girls, I highly recommend this.

On date nights with my daughter, I have a three goals. The first is to expose her to culture and art. The second is get her comfortable around adults. And lastly, I want her to experience what it is like to be treated like a lady, so when she is really dating someday soon the bar will have been set good and high.

On our first date, I took Lily to a concert at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center , where we saw a wonderful jazz concert. While she enjoyed the concert, I think she most enjoyed being in such a beautiful place and having a grown-up night out.

On our second date, which was just a few weeks ago, we attended an evening exhibit at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. The exhibit featured several pieces by Georgia O'Keefe which my daughter loves. As we toured the gallery, I saw how well she responded to the art and what she liked. She made good observations and had brilliant questions too. Her favorite was an O'Keefe painting of a sunflower. We didn't stay too long; long enough to enjoy the art without feeling the need to really study it too seriously. Again, I could see how much she enjoyed a grown-ups night out. We ran into a few people we know, like our next door neighbor, who commented on how beautiful she looked.

Famplosion is a great resource for finding fun things to do with all of your kids, no matter what age.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, click here.

Thanksgiving in New York City

2009-11-24T12:47:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has become a hallmark of Thanksgiving, not only in New York City, but all over America. This year, the parade route will change and the big inside scoop is the location of the best place to view the parade. Famplosion.com has you covered. Acording to parade organizers, the best place to get a view of the parade as it proceeds down its new route is to place yourself along Central Park West, between 61st and 72nd Streets.

The entire parade travels down Central Park West from 77th Street to Columbus Circle along Central Park South to 7th Avenue, down 7th Avenue to 42nd Street, along 42nd Street to 6th Avenue, down 6th Avenue to 34th Street and along 34th Street to Macy's Herald Square (34th Street).

In order to get a good viewing spot, many people arrive before 6:30 a.m. the morning of the parade to stake out space along the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route. Be sure to wear plenty of warm clothes and bring a thermos full of coffee or hot cocoa, as it can be quite cold. The duration of the parade depends on where you view it from -- near the beginning of the route, it will last about 1 1/2 hours, closer to Macy's, the parade will last closer to 3 hours.

If you'd like to get a chance to see the balloons as they get blown up, on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 you can observe the inflation of the 25 balloons from 3 - 10 p.m. near the American Museum of Natural History just off Central Park West between 77th St. and 81st St.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is just one of over 300 family activities available to your family over the Thanksgiving weekend.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, click here.

Thanksgiving in Nashville

2009-11-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Thanksgiving is all about blessings. As we count our own blessings this year, we also have the priviledge of sharing blessings with others. The Salvation Army in Nashville is looking for volunteers to serve a Thanksgiving meal to those that need it the most. Contact Matt Vamvas for details: 242-0411.

With Thanksgiving dinner under our belts, Nashville turns its holiday sights to Christmas with all sorts of yuletide events over the four day Thanksgiving holiday.

At the Belle Meade Plantation, families can celebrate a Victorian Christmas. As you tour the mansion you will become a guest of William and Annie Jackson, as they host a holiday celebration. The mansion will be lavishly decorated in Victorian finery in honor of the occasion.

At Gaylord Opryland celebrate A Country Christmas. Enjoy the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, including the fabulous Radio City Rockettes. The Opryland folks say it best

We’ve got Louise Mandrell’s "Joy To The World" Christmas Dinner & Show; entertaining cruises aboard the General Jackson Showboat; our Winter Wonderland area featuring Photos with Santa; our Holiday Craft Show and Hall of Trees; Carriage Rides; Brightest Star Christmas Fountain Show; and nearly 2 million Christmas lights. It’s everything Christmas and all at Gaylord Opryland!

Enjoy these and many other holiday events over the Thanksgiving weekend in Nashville.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, click here.

Thanksgiving in the San Francisco Bay Area

2009-11-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Are you and your family looking for something to do over the Thanksgiving holiday? Famplosion has you covered.

In Walnut Creek, join other families as they get a healthy start to Thanksgiving Day, with the Walnut Creek Turkey Trot. Participate in the 10k or 5k runs, or just watch the kiddos run the quarter mile or 100 yard dash. After the run, you're all set for a guilt-free Thanksgiving feast.

Also on Thanksgiving morning, join the Nitro Turkey Thanksgiving Run in Richmond. Event organizers claim the Native Americans taught the Pilgrims the joys of trail running, making this a perfect way to show your gratitude on Thanksgiving.

Another delightful holiday activity is ice skating at the Union Square Holiday Ice Rink. Ninety minute sessions on the ice begin on each even-numbered hour throughout the day. For less than $10 per person your family can glide into the holiday season.

Many families enjoy preparing and serving food on Thanksgiving. At the Bay Area Rescue Mission they're looking for assistance to offer a Thanksgiving meal to those who would not otherwise have one. Reverend John M. Anderson points out,

It may not seem like a lot to you. But here at the Bay Area Rescue Mission $2.05 is all it takes to serve a hungry person a hot, hearty Thanksgiving meal. For over 44 years, we have been reaching out to the Bay Area's neediest people at Thanksgiving through the generosity of caring friends in the community.

Famplosion has over 200 activities for you and your family to explore over the four day Thanksgiving Holiday. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, click here.

National Gaming Day @ your library

2009-11-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway

On Saturday, November 14th, Kimball Junction Branch, Summit County Library will join hundreds of libraries throughout the country for the second annual celebration of National Gaming Day @ your library. Like so many other libraries across the country Kimball Junction will offer special gaming programs and events especially for teens and tweens.

Libraries are becoming family destinations, and are continuously offering new formats and innovative programs and services that educate, entertain and expand interaction with their users. Gaming is yet another example of how libraries are becoming more than just educational resources for the communities that they serve. They are also places where users of all ages are welcome to have fun together.

National Gaming Day @ your library is a national initiative supported by the American Library Association.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, free of charge, click here

Haunted Houses in Sacramento

2009-10-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

This Halloween, the Sacramento area offers a chilling assortment of haunted house attractions. Each of these attractions is specially prepared for the Halloween season. Click on the highlighted links below for all event details.

In Roseville, at the Placer County Fair & Events Center, families have a wide array of spooky choices. 'Heartstoppers Haunted House' be joining forces with the great Callson Manor, to create, what they consider to be, the area's largest Halloween Haunted Event. This year event organizers promise visitors will experience more than in previous years, as they walk the expanded decaying town where Hex had to fight off the incoming hordes. These events are probably not for younger kids; parents are urge to exercise their discretion.
Also not for the the younger members of the family is the Fear Overload Haunted House, located downtown at the Westfield Downtown Plaza. For some 12 years this group has been honing its haunting skills. The head haunt-makers at this 'house' boast:

With over 25 years of combined haunting experience, our lead design team is highly distinguished for their realism and intricacy to make our attractions deathly terrifying. We take pride in each haunted attraction we create.

In Citrus Heights, at the Marketplace at Birdcage, thrill-seekers can enjoy the 'Fright Planet World of Fear' Haunted House. Since Fright Planet organizers state, with pride, that they have '...made grown men leave in tears...', this event is also not for the young or easily disturbed. Those under 13 are required to be accompanied by an adult. To maneuver through this attraction, it will likely take 30 to 45 minutes, probably longer on weekends.

For kids under 10 years old, there's the 'Boo at the Zoo' event at the Sacramento Zoo. While this is not exactly a haunted house, it does provide a fun and safe environment for younger kids to enjoy Halloween. Kids are invited to 'trick or treat' around Lake Victoria, all dressed up in their Halloween finery. Other activities include magic shows, kid's haunted house, food, music, spooky train, creepy carousel and lots of family fun!

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, free of charge, click here

Halloween Events for the Family in Los Angeles

2009-10-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Los Angeles, and its surrounding communities, offer some of America's best entertainment. Halloween entertainment for families is no exception. Special Halloween-themed events abound during the month of October, from heartwarming plays to bone chilling (but fun) family events.

In Santa Monica, The Santa Monica Playhouse is presenting, for the 17th consecutive year, the chlidren's play, 'Absolutely Halloween'. This play is the heartwarming tale of "Candy," a sweet young girl who learns some surprising lessons about life, love, laughter and sugar. An intriguing array of characters take her on a magical All Hallow's Eve adventure, enlisting the audience's help to save Halloween for one more year.

On selected days in October, the Ghost Train departs the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum. This 7½" gauge model train is offered for the general public to ride at a suggested donation of $5, for this special event. Little train, big fun. Pictured below, without Halloween adornments.

For families with older children, there's the somewhat-scary 'Shipwreck' haunted attractionsat The Queen Mary in Long Beach. The event lasts 15 days and boasts 'haunted' mazes, top named live performances and and DJs. The Queen Mary also offers Paranormal Tours and dining experiences.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, free of charge, click here

Free Family Events in Seattle

2009-10-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

In and around Seattle there is an assortment of free family fun. Check back with Famplosion.com often; new and exciting events appear everyday. These free events are surprisely fun and undeniably budget-friendly.

For example, on October 24th, there is a free Star Party hosted by the Seattle Astronomical Society. If your family enjoys art, or would simply love to learn more about it, there are free admission dates at the following museums: Frye Art Museum, University of Washington - Henry Art Gallery, KidsQuest Children's Museum, Nordic Heritage Museum, University of Washington - Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Wing Luke Asian Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Seattle Art Museum Downtown, Kids Discovery Museum, Northwest African American Museum, Museum of Flight, Children's Museum of Tacoma, Bellevue Arts Museum, Hands on Children's Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, and Museum of Glass.

During the month of October, there are pumpkin patches, cornmazes and delightful fall fun, and most of it offers free admission. Families will find there are items and activities for sale at these events. The 'Bonfires, Beaver Pelts & Bogeyman' event caught this parent's eye.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, free of charge, click here

Best Ghost Tours in America

2009-10-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Do you believe in ghosts? Even those that don't, admit to loving a good ghost story. Here at Famplosion.com, we've searched behind countless creaky doors to find the 'Best Ghost Tours in America'. Featured here, are just a few of the chilling ghost tours listed on Famplosion. To see a list of ghost tours by city, click on the city names in this article.

In Nashville, there are a number of ghost tours to enjoy with your family. Nashville Ghost Tours, an event suitable for all ages, is a comfortably paced ninety minute walking tour of 'the shadow-filled streets of downtown Nashville'. At Hermitage, the one-time and maybe present home of Andrew Jackson, guests of all ages are invited to have a frightfully good time. Tour former President Jackson's plantation at night, and enjoy Tennessee ghost tales

Like Nashville, San Francisco offers countless grim, grinning ghosts of their own. Families with children 8 years and older, can go on a real guided ghost hunt. The one mile walking tour 'in a safe quiet neighborhood on tree lined streets with fine Victorian architecture' is lead by an experience story-teller.

Also for families with older children, the Winchester Mystery House, offers the 'Flashlight 'Ghost' Tours. Each Friday the 13th, and around Halloween, guests roam the rambling halls of this unique home, aided by nothing more than a souvenir flashlight.

The 'Not-Too-Spooky Halloween', at the Habitot Children's Museum in Berkeley, California, is likely to be more to the liking of families with children 6 years old and younger. While paranormal encounters are unlikely at this event, kids are invited to arrive in costume to play miniature golf in the infant-toddler garden graveyard and to conduct experiments with slime in the Art Studio. Paper ghost will fly in the wind tunnel and Halloween stories will be recounted in the 'Witch's Tent'.

The RMS Queen Mary, docked in Long Beach, California, offers a number of chilling potentially paranormal experiences. Beginning in the dark of night on October 16th, guest can brave the perils of the '15th Annual Halloween Terrorfest'. Families with kids 12 years and older can, if they dare, experience the 'Shipwreck: 15 Days of Terror', described by previous survivors as 'terrifying mazes located both on and off the haunted vessel'.

At Lake Tahoe, visit the former haunt of the charismatic 'Rat Pack', the Cal Neva Resort. Take a private guided tour of the Secret Tunnels below the resort:

Learn about Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior, Dean Martin and Al Capone's more private moments as the Cal Neva staff takes you on an historical tour of time gone by. See where Marilyn Monroe slipped away with political favorites and spent some of her last hours overlooking this Lake Tahoe resort from its rustic cabin decks. Don't forget to ask about the paranormal activity that still exists
today!

In Salt Lake City, guided ghost tours take a two hour guided tour by a professional storyteller, as you travel by bus to the great "haunts" of the City. Learn about the ghosts who reputedly dwell in these historic buildings and cemeteries.

Seattle also has some great ghost tours--including one at the world-famous Pike's Place Market.

To add your own activity or event to Famplosion.com, free of charge, click here

Oktoberfest in America

2009-09-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Oktoberfest is reputedly the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending the Munich celebration each year. Originally a wedding reception, of sorts, to celebrate the 1810 marriage of Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. Today, cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the original Munich event. Here are some of the Oktoberfest celebration, as found on Famplosion.com, in America.

In the Germantown section of Nashville, they will be celebrating the 30th Annual Oktoberfest on October 10th. During a conversation with event organizers, they wanted to make sure everyone knows they have a 'free Funland for kids'. In addition to the great entertainment for kids, the event will showcase authentic German food, drink and music. Tours of Germantown historic churches will also be offered, free of charge.

In the northwest section of 'The States', Puyallup, Washington will hold the Oktoberfest North West. This event will also offer a special area just for kids, including German arts and crafts projects. These folks really thought of everything...they offer a Crater Lake Root Beer Garden for kids looking to partake. A unique event offered at this Oktoberfest: The Running of the Wieners. Yes, that's right, on Sunday the 11th you can cheer for your favorite dashing daschund.

South of Puyallup, in the San Francisco Bay Area Oktoberfest will celebrated at the Dunsmire House and Gardens. On October 24th, families can enjoy Oompah music traditional games, crafts and hayrides. Don't miss their pumpkin patch; we hear it's great.

In San Francisco proper, revellers can enjoy the 'Oktoberfest by the Bay' in the expansive Pier 48. The festival will include nonstop music, dancing, singing and the very best of German food and drink. Families with children are encouraged to attend this event on Sunday. Children will not be admitted to the event on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Just northeast of San Francisco, in Sacramento, Oktoberfest will be celebrated at the Sacramento Turn Verein (Taylor Hall). This venue offers more than 150 years of German tradition and promises a truly authentic Oktoberfest event for the whole family.

At nearby Lake Tahoe, Oktoberfest celebrations will take place all around the lake. On October 3rd and 4th, Oktoberfest will be celebrated in the rustic alpine setting at Camp Richardson. In Tahoe City, the October 10th Tahoe City Oktoberfest marks the beginning of the Harvest Festival that extends to October 17th.

In Salt Lake City, Oktoberfest is celebrated at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort from the end of August to mid October. Oktoberfest Halle located in the Snowbird Event tent is chock full of music, dancing and traditional German cuisine. Enjoy a bratwurst and sauerkraut and apfelstrudel and more. Kids young and old can enjoy face painting, caricature artist, inflatable rides, the world champion YO-YO MAN, a zany clown, music, balloons and more!

Hispanic Heritage Month

2009-09-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

Each year, families across America observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 31-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.

September 15 is a significant date, because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 31 day period.

Atlanta's largest Hispanic Heritage Month outdoor celebration, Fi esta Georgia will take place Sunday, September 20th, at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, Georgia. Over 20,000 people attended the inaugural Fiesta Georgia in 2008. Fiesta Georgia serves as the unofficial kick-off to Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations in Georgia. Fiesta Georgia will be a day long celebration of Latino culture, music, and food featuring continuous live performances by national and local recording artists, vendor booths offering free product samples, arts and crafts, and authentic Latino foods.

In San Jose, hispanic culture is celebrated at the Mariachi Day at Children's Discovery Museum. This is just one event of many events scheduled during the San José Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival. Event officials point out:

Now in its 18th year, the San José Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival presents a weeklong schedule of music and educational events, drawing over 50,000 people to hear artists like Linda Ronstadt, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Mariachi Cobre, Los Lobos, and Carlos Santana.

In Los Angeles, families can enjoy Target Feria de la Familia (Family Festival) together. Highlights of this event include musical and dance performances, youth art activities, storytelling and mural making.

All Aboard - Kids Love Trains

2009-09-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

There's something magic about a train. Kids light up at the mere sight of them. Historic trains are celebrated throughout America, and available for families to enjoy together.

The New York Train Museum features the Long Island Railroad, reputed to be the oldest railroad in the United States. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the state of New York points out,

Initially built as a shortcut to Boston, it has adapted to the
ever-changing needs of its customers and survived competition, takeovers, hard times, and bankruptcy. Today it is the busiest commuter railroad in the country. Historic photographs, maps, illustrations, and objects tell the fascinating story of the railroad's influence on the development of Long Island.

A visit to this train museum is a delightfully affordable excursion for families.

Chicago, long regarded as America's crossroads, where trains crossing the country would intersect, bringing with them the tales of travelers from far and wide. The Chicago History Museum highlights these tales in its Great Chicago Stories exibit. Just an online visit gives families access to the wonderful story of 'Joseph's Railroad Dreams'. Click on the 'Listen to the full story' button and hear these stories read aloud, as the text streams by.

Further west, visit the Heber Valley Railroad, near Park City, Utah. Completed in 1899, this railroad first served new settlers to this area. Today, vintage coaches are pulled by two 1907 Baldwin steam locomotives, and three vintage diesel electric locomotives. Themed excursions are available throughout the year, sure to delight kids and adults alike.

In Sacramento, California families enjoy the California State Railroad Museum. Completed in 1869, the Sacramento Southern Railroad was borne out of the gold rush and the need to transport the rich grains, and fresh produce of the the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta area, across the continent. Today, train rides are offered at the museum weekends, through September. The Polar Express Train rides are a holiday season treat.

National Community Gardening Week - August 23 - 29, 2009

2009-08-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

by: Elizabeth Sedway, Famplosion.com

U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, proclaimed August 23 through 29, 'National Community Gardening Week'. Echoing our affinity for family togetherness, Secretary Vilsack points out,

Community gardens provide numerous benefits including opportunities for local food production, resource conservation, and neighborhood beautification," said Vilsack. "But they also promote family and community interaction and enhance opportunities to eat healthy, nutritious foods. Each of these benefits is something we can and should strive for.

We were delighted to discover thousands of community gardens throughout the Uniteds States. From thriving urban patches to alpine gardens, we've featured some of these wonderful family gardening spots on Famplosion.com.

In New York City, the Department of Parks and Recreation claims to have 'the largest community gardening program in the country', with over 600 gardens serving 20,000 people. Among the many organized programs featured in the community gardens of New York is a block party taking place on August 29th.

In Nashville, the Davidson County Parks & Recreation offers a flourishing program called 'GROW Nashville'. Nashville community gardens, including the East Children's Community Garden, are a great way for neighbors to work outside together and grow healthy food. Community gardens build friendships and bring fresh food to the city.

Atlanta's West End features the Rose Circle Community Garden. Once a vacant field overgrown with kudzu, this land has been transformed to include raised garden beds, where neighborhood families can grow fresh organic food for their tables.

In Salt Lake City, Wasatch Community Gardens has served the Salt Lake County community for 20 years. Their mission is to empower people of all ages and incomes to grow and eat healthy, organic, local food. Thousands of local kids benefit from their youth programs each year. A one half acre community garden on the southside of Salt Lake City, humerously named the 'Grateful Tomato Garden', grows an impressive variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year.

Alemany Farms, in San Francisco, is a 4.5 acre working organic farm, collaboratively managed by volunteers, San Francisco city officials, and residents of the Alemany community. Volunteers oversee organic food production at the site, offer workshops and educational courses, manage a free neighborhood produce delivery, and hosts field trips for children and adults.

California, as you might expect, is teaming with community gardens. In Palo Alto, locals have enjoyed their main community garden since 1970. Lake Tahoe features a number of community gardens, including those at the Rideout Community Center, that host summer camps and local gardeners during the warmer months of the year. At Santa Monica's Main Street Community Garden local residents cultivate 65 plots of organic fruits, vegetables and flowers.

Living History Day at Sugar Pine Point State Park

2009-07-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

The public is invited to visit the Sugar Pine Point State Park, for Living History Day on July 25th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to enjoy a variety of family activities for free. These include guided tours of Pine Lodge, nature walks through the park’s 2,000 acres, use of its two-mile beach, music, games for children, and a display of antique cars and famous wooden boats. Parking is $7 per car.

This is our 26th Living History Day, said Ranger Heidi Doyle of the California ParksDepartment, and already it is one of the larger summer events in the Tahoe
Basin. There’s fun for everyone in the family.

Pine Lodge, also known as the Ehrman mansion, is a three-story American CraftsmanStyle home built in 1903 for Isaias Hellman, a pioneering California banker. The estate is about10 miles south of Tahoe City on Highway 89.

On Living History Day visitors walking through the mansion will watch volunteers inperiod costumes portray members of the Hellman-Ehrman family, as well as the family’s butler,the upstairs maid and the cook. Admission is free for this event only.

Elders of the Washoe tribe, whose ancestors were the original residents of the TahoeBasin, relate their people’s history. Visitors can take guided nature hikes through the Edwin L.Z’berg Natural Preserve to the “highest lighthouse in the world” or along the Washoe Path ofthe Water Babies.

For younger visitors, Living History Day will offer a Kids Zone, with story telling, perioddress up and the opportunity to create pictures of the lodge to take home as souvenirs.

Living History Day gives visitors their only opportunity to go inside General Phipps’sCabin. Frontiersman William Phipps came to Tahoe in 1860 to homestead 160 acres thateventually became part of Sugar Pine Point State Park. Guides playing Phipps’s friends will tellstories of pioneer life as they demonstrate use of their tools and black-powder rifles.

Visitors will want to bring swimwear and towels to take advantage of the estate’s beach.A bathhouse is available for changing clothes. Those who would like to picnic on the vast lawnoverlooking the lake can bring their own lunch or, buy hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecued chicken and soft drinks from one of the participating vendors.

A fun day at the farm

2009-07-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we moved from San Francisco south a ways to Palo Alto. After nearly 15 years in the city, I have to say it was a bit traumatic for me, but the kids seem to be digging the back yard! And I have to say I think I do have a talent for bar-b-que needing to be developed and explored.

The move has also made it possible for us to check out a bunch of cool new places to take the kids now that we're living in a new part of the Bay Area.

Today we went to Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. This area is literally on the bay and the trails are the berms that separate the water spaces that line the southern part of San Francisco Bay and are home to numerous migratory birds as well as other critters. It's a great place to walk till you drop.

But yesterday was what I really wanted to share. We checked out Ardenwood Farm. We had been wanting to make the drive for some time, but now that we're closer, we decided to go for it. Ardenwood is a working farm but managed by the East Bay Park Department. There's an old farm house where you can get a tour (the first tour is designed for your younger kids since the regular tour can last 45 minutes). We had a blast picking berries, checking out the farm animals and following a couple peacocks around the property.

But I have to say, the highlight of our day there was a special event we stumbled upon. They were celebrating the anniversary of the Oreo cookie...not exactly sure why...but the celebration involved a taste test for the kids visiting the farm. It was a blind taste test, so the kids lined up, closed their eyes, held out their hands and got a sample of 4 knock-off cookies, and one genuine Oreo. I'm the proud father of a son who totally nailed it! Well, I guess I'm proud...hmm, maybe I should think that through...

In any case, we're fans, and will be back to Ardenwood regularly!

Channels

2009-07-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

We recently soft launched Channels.

Channels are a way to save venues to your personal Profile and then access them in a personalized list through a link on the main template of the site.

Once you're logged in, you can save Venues to your personal channel by clicking on the Add to my channel link located at the bottom of the description on every Venue detail page.

You can Share your Channel, subscribe to it via RSS, link to it and let others leave Comments or Rate it...or not...

Next step for us is to add the ability to save specific events to your personalized Channel, and then also to enable email newsletters for your own Channel so you can get your listings in your InBox as God intended.

We'll also be working with local Park & Rec and Public Libraries, among others, to create Channels for these organizations so there will be quick links to all the stuff our local civic organizations are hosting around town. I'm particularly excited about that actually!

Again, as always, check it out, let me know your thoughts. This feature is really brand new, so your feedback is crucial to determining how it grows and becomes more useful.

Customized Newsletters

2009-07-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we soft launched customized newsletters, which we're calling MyPicks for now. It's a pretty exciting step for us. The idea is you can select venues in our listings to add to your customized newsletter, and then when stuff is happening at those locations, the stuff gets added to your personalized event newsletter. I think it's very cool...and only going to get better. We launched it with a pretty spartan graphic design as we tinkered with the structure on the back end. But we should have a better design rolled out in the next few days. We'll also be adding levels of customization such as the ability to pick a category of content you want to track going forward such as Wildlife or Plays.

Check it out if you get a chance, and as always I welcome all feedback and comments on how to make it better.

Newsletters

2009-05-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

Today we launched Newsletters! I have to say it's pretty exciting since so much of our strategy as a company has to do with what we have in store for the newsletters over time.

As for today, you can now subscribe to newsletters for each of the cities we cover and these will get sent to your email Inbox on Thursday am.

Again we have a lot more in store for how our newsletters will evolve. These plans have been fleshed out in large part through conversations with many of the tougher to find but awesome local venues we list events for in Famplosion. We're really excited to promote those kinds of venues as we've had the opportunity to discover them during the course of building out our listings. There's a ton of great things to do with the kids in every community we cover. We want to make that stuff easier to find!

Look for the graphic above on our home page to sign up for your city's newsletter.

Places & Events

2009-05-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me that it was February since my last post regarding new features and functionality on the site. Hmm, not sure what I was thinkin' since there's TONS that has happened since February to the site!

Some of the stuff we've done is behind the scenes. Those of you who have been using the keyword search for sometime may have noticed the dramatic increase in search speed that kicked in a month or so ago. We swapped out the old search application for a new and super groovy search framework, and well, let's just say if I'm not a geek, our new search framework made me want to be one real bad. It's much faster!

More recently, we brought back an Event view which can be selected by clicking on the Stuff to do button on the home page. This changes the list of stuff you get and limits it to just the events that meet your search criteria.

The Places to go mode, by comparison, lumps all the events we know of according to venue and lists the venues as the primary orientation. Having both modes is much more useful, so I'm glad we got that back up.

Now we're working on our Newsletter platform. First step will be to enable newsletters for the Spotlighted content on the Home Page, but the ultimate goal is to provide customizable newsletters. You'll be able to select venues, categories and preferences that determine the information included in the email newsletter you receive. It's going to be awesome. Stay tuned...

Mother's Day...Dads don't forget!

2009-05-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

As the CEO of a startup company, living frugally is not a new concept. It's a way of life. Which is probably why I get so excited when I find something to do with the kids that doesn't cost a dime! Yes, my kids have to live the same way I do as an entrepreneur...but I'm convinced they'll learn to love it!

I use the Price filter in Famplosion almost by default at this point and love it when I find interesting stuff to do with the kids that fits my budget. This is why Mother's Day is going to be huge for us. The Koret Foundation here in San Francisco is sponsoring a Free day at tons of local museums. I'm probably going to hit some places close to home first and work out way out from there. Nearest our place is the Exploratorium. But here's a comprehensive list if you live in San Francisco on one of my favorite sites, Examiner.com.

Oh yea, and if you're a dad like me, while you're running around town taking advantage of all these deals, don't forget to spend some of the money your saving on flowers for the kids' Mother! That's the whole point I'm pretty sure.

Beautiful day at the beach

2009-04-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

We were expecting an over cast day here in San Francisco, so had planned to get out of the city and go city a place South of here about 45 minutes which has some farm animals and hiking trails and picnics tables. But, of course, as things tend to do with us these days, plans changed. This time however, plans changed for good reasons, namely, it turned out to be a gorgeous day here in the city, so we walked a few blocks to our favorite beach in our neighborhood and spent the last couple hours digging ditches, searching for sealife and jumping over small breakers. Another amazing day in San Francisco!

Birthdays and Summer Camp

2009-04-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Famplosion is a place to find all sorts of great things to do locally with the kids. We're also now adding tags for birthday spots so you can click on the birthday cake icon or do a search on keyword to get a list of local places well suited for hosting a birthday party. My kids are 4 and 2, so it seems my entire social life is spent at birthday parties these days. One of my favorite places these days is the bouncy house venues. Pump it up is a chain of these places, and they seem to do a great job with the birthday parties...and I really don't mind the kids sleeping the whole drive home after running themselves ragged!

It's also that time of year to start figuring out what in the world the kids are going to be doing all summer long! So, we spent some time organizing summer camp ideas and alternatives in the system. Click on the Spring & Summer Camp Spotlight to get a list of ideas for the summer. In the cities we cover, there are all sorts of awesome summer class and camp options...I'm pretty sure they didn't have this stuff when I was a kid!

As always, if there's stuff you know about which is missing from our list, let us know through feedback at famplosion dot com or submit new content yourself through the Add to our Listings link.

2009-04-07T15:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Square Root Day!

2009-03-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today is a unique day. It's a square root day.

March 3, 2009
03/03/09
square root of 9=3
3X3=9

I think the next time this will happen is April 4, 2016...better enjoy it! Go to a science museum or something today!

What's your favorite thing to do with the kids?

2009-02-25T16:53:00.002-08:00

In Famplosion we list hundreds of Places and thousands of Events in our pursuit of listing all the great things to do with the kids around town. We cover several cities now across the US and are segmenting and adding new cities all the time. I get to see so many cool places to go and things to do in all the cities we cover and I get excited to go there some day with my kids when it's in cities other than our own. For those reading this blog and tracking our company's progress, I'd love to hear from you as to your favorite places in the cities you live. Where's the greatest place to take the kids? Or, what's the greatest thing to do in your town with the kids? Let me know and we'll feature those Places, Activities, Events, whatever they may be in future blog posts and on the site.

We want to encourage parents to spend time with the kids, and inspiring people who are parents is the first step. My hope is this site can be a place where we inspire one another.

Post your favorites in Comments below and I look forward to hearing from anyone willing to contribute to the discussion!

Hello Mom Bloggers, and Dads also!

2009-02-18T12:43:00.001-08:00

The last couple weeks have been very exciting as we've added a lot of features and seen the site's depth of content grow along with the traffic we're garnering from families in the regions we cover. We have a lot of people to thank for all this, but one group of folks seems to be setting themselves apart in our world. That is the Mom Blogger! Now, I'm a dad, so I had no idea there were so many mom bloggers out there writing about so many interesting things. In fact, several of our editors are also mom bloggers with blogs covering their areas such as Tahoe Kids Guide, Seattle moms and New York moms.

The synergy has been great. Our mom bloggers write on their blog about the great things they are doing around town with the kids. They can write a lot of detail, and then link back to the venues in Famplosion which they spend time at with the family. Then, on the venue page in Famplosion, we now support links in the Comments so a blogger can post a comment with a link that directs the reader back to their blog post. We've gotten great feedback from our user base as to the usefulness of this depth of information about local venues and experiences. And, the cross linking helps both Famplosion and the mom blog see greater results from organic search!

I love it when we discover the proverbial "win-win."

So, if you're a mom blogger, or dad blogger for that matter, and are writing about the great things you're doing around town with the family, we'd love to support your effort in getting the word out by having you write comments in the Famplosion venue page for those venues that link back to your post. And if you could link to us in your post as well, even better!

New features!

2009-02-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about the new stuff we've added to the site!

In the last couple weeks we've been able to add several new features. I wanted to write a post about some of them and describe how we hope these features will help parents discover great things to do locally.

In light of the current economy, one feature we've added recently that will likely prove to be well used is the price filter. With this filter you can find stuff that meets your price range. As for me, while there's tons of stuff around town I happily spend a few dollars to do, free is awesome also! The information we use to make this filter work is growing every day, so we expect this filter to get more and more powerful every day. If it can be used to help parents find things to do around town when economic times are tough, we'll feel we have done our job.We've also added some features for us all to communicate with one another. One of these is the Rating System. Simply click the thumbs up or thumbs down icon and thereby let everyone know a little something more about local venues and events.If you want to share more, we added a Comments feature. Our editors are already going to town with this one. You can post a comment about a Venue or Event directly on those detail pages. We also support posting links within the Comment. Several of our editors are also prolific bloggers and write in their blogs about their experiences at local venues. Now you can link directly to these stories to gain a bigger picture understanding of the stuff that's listed here in Famplosion. We are very excited about how this will be an opportunity to work alongside the many mom and dad bloggers out there. If you're one of them feel free to post!
Lastly, we've made it easier to share the existence of Famplosion as well as specific listings within Famplosion with your friends and network. Click on the Share button at the bottom of every page and you'll get a menu of many ways to help spread the word...and we appreciate it! Also, click on the share icon below the description text on any listing, and you'll get a form for filing out a specific email address you want to send the information to. We know our community of users is highly social, so we want to support that!

As always, thanks for checking out the site, and let me know if there's stuff you think we can add to it or do better. We're still adding/changing super fast right now, so all input is welcome!

Go Cards!

2009-01-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

This story was forwarded to me...I wish i could attribute it properly, but I don't know where it came from. Regardless, it's reminder of the value that comes from when we sacrifice for our kids.

Enjoy and go Cards this Sunday!!

KURTIS THE STOCK BOY AND BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4.

Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26 and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, and then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona, where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

A time for serving

2009-01-28T17:46:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, my family went to a friend's house to help pack food bags for the homeless. We assembled maybe a couple hundred bags with food, socks, toothpaste and brush...basic stuff for folks who could really use these things. Once packed, my 4 year old son and I went with our friends downtown to hand out the bags. A couple hundred bags went in less than 20 minutes walking around downtown San Francisco. We even came across a family in need with a kid about the same age as mine. My son gripped my hand tightly as we walked around a tougher part of town. He didn't say much then, but a couple weeks later, completely unsolicited by me, he asked when we were going to go hand out some more food. It made an impression, and I have a feeling that impression will be a lasting one.

Today, we had a great phone call with the Salvation Army in Nashville. The idea is to list in Famplosion the many opportunities to serve the community which the Salvation Army provides. They serve in powerful ways some folks who really need a helping hand. I'm excited to find more opportunities to serve in the other cities we cover, and get them listed in Famplosion under the Service category. If you know of opportunities such as these in your town, please list them here and let me know about them! It's been said, you make a living with what you get and a life with what you give away.

Tours are sweet!

2009-01-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

Jelly Belly, long a family favorite candy, is actually headquartered just North of San Francisco. They have a really cool tour I discovered in Famplosion thanks to our awesome Bay Area Editor, Laura McConnell!

So, yesterday, we picked up our preschooler and drove North about an hour to the Jelly Belly factory to take the tour! It's a 40 minute tour with several stops along the way. The tour guide gives some background information and they also have TVs set up to play video segments about the history, production and shipping processes. All of this is done on a catwalk of sorts suspended above the actual factory floor where you have a great view of bin after bin filled to the brim with brightly colored jelly belly jelly beans! For my milk allergy son, who has never even tasted chocolate, this is pretty much what he expects Heaven to be like someday!

Unfortunately, there's no photography allowed on the tour...they need to protect their trade secrets, and the pronouncement at the beginning of the tour made me feel like we were entering Willy Wonka's factory! But in any case, this is the best I could do with the sign out front and the family. I highly recommend this tour!

It's grow time!

2009-01-07T18:28:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, right as we were heading into the holidays in fact, we launched the new design for our website. It was something we had been gearing toward for months and I'm pretty sure some of my friends may have wondered if it was ever really going to happen! Well, it happened, and the response has been awesome. Comments from new users such as Jenny who let our San Francisco editor know, "Holy Toledo, it is a work of art!" or Veronica who wrote in through our feedback link to say, "The best website I've found for me and my family," well, I can't even say how much we appreciate these comments. It's been a long process getting the site to it's current state, and we are so happy to finally be at the stage where people can really take advantage of it in finding great things to do with the kids locally.

We're still adding features and functions to the site at a furious pace. For those of you who have asked for the ability to post comments regarding events and venues you've experienced, we're adding the commenting feature this week. Also, for those of you who are like me and LOVE to find the least expensive way to spend the most fun time with the kids, we're putting up the Price filter this week as well. In fact, we'll be adding one or two significant features per week for the next several weeks. For instance, many of our users have asked for the ability to post photos taken at the many venues we list...that'll be coming up soon along with a bunch more features that will hopefully make the site ever more useful to parents in our target cities.

And that leads me to mention we'll also be adding cities and regions! Next up is Lake Tahoe, which we expect to make available in the next few days. I was in Lake Tahoe this past weekend with the family, and actually found the Kidzone in Truckee through the listings in Famplosion supplied by our most excellent Tahoe editor who also manages a site called tahoekidsguide.com. My city kids were not all that into the snow just yet, so thankfully, there were several indoor activities to choose from!

Basically, there's a lot more coming up for us in the coming weeks, and I'll be announcing everything here at a pretty frequent rate. Check back for the latest and greatest and keep the comments coming! We love hearing from everyone!

A parent in tune with her child

2008-12-31T12:45:00.000-08:00

Holidays can be rough and rewarding.

2008-12-26T14:51:00.000-08:00

What a difference some activity makes!

On Christmas day we woke up with all the excitement and enthusiasm one might expect with two Pre-K kids who had been dreaming about Santa and presents waiting to be opened in the morning. That excitement fueled a frenzied fever of tearing into those presents and diving into the toys that were revealed. Then came exhaustion from waking up at least an hour earlier than normal. Then came crankiness, and then came the one thing that seems to be a tradition for us on Christmas day in the later afternoon...two super sad kids. I think my 4YO son set a record for timeouts on Christmas Day!

So, last night, Leslie and I checked out the listings in Famplosion. We were determined to get out of the house first thing the next day since that always seems to make for happier kids.

This morning, we loaded up the family and went to the Conservatory of Flowers where they have a model train exhibit running...think small train trolling around a miniature tourist attraction version of San Francisco made out of exotic plants and house hold junk...very interesting. (My office is in the pointy building!)

Then we headed West in Golden Gate Park maybe a couple hundred yards to the Carousel. Two dollars per adult and kids ride for free...sweet deal after spending a fortune on presents! The ride was pretty much like every other carousel we've ever ridden, but the kids love that stuff.

From there we played in a recently remodeled Park & Rec playground adjacent to the Carousel; got hungry and went to the beach for lunch at the Beach Chalet.

After some burgers & fries, while driving home, my wife and I sat quietly holding hands and feeling emboldened by the two tired out...and happy...kids nodding off in the back seat.

Now, what are we going to do this afternoon!? Back to famplosion.com for ideas...

Spotlights and more

2008-12-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

Spotlights are here! Today we pushed into production a new major element to the Famplosion Home Page.

Spotlights are events we want to promote locally, and now we have a vehicle for doing that in the Spotlight widget. It's also the beginning of a strategy to increasingly segment local event information content for the sake of distribution through RSS, widget and Newsletter formats. This is going to be key to the business development strategy of Famplosion, but more importantly, it significantly increases the usability of the site for parents interested in browsing for ideas in addition to searching for specific stuff. And maybe most importantly, the widget looks super cool on our home page! I'm excited.

New design!

2008-12-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

Today we pushed to our production server the beginnings of a whole new front end design for Famplosion. After many months of back end engineering, and a couple months of front end redesign and engineering, we are bringing together the front end with the back end and the service that is Famplosion is slowly, but hopefully meaningfully, taking shape!

We'll be adding a lot to the site in short order, as there are many features on the shelf ready to go with some minor tweaks and testing.

But the big news of the day is that the site now reflects the design we are building on into the future! And that is exciting.

As we add new features and interactivity to the site, I'll be sure to write about it here and a few other places of particular interest. We'll keep you posted.

For now, peruse our lists, and see what's going on locally. As I always seem to be saying, get off the couch, out of the house and into the community with the kids!

Democrats & Republicans love their kids

2008-11-04T17:07:00.002-08:00

Certainly some of the campaign hyperbole has gotten pretty steep. While the political rhetoric can get shrill, I'm heartened to realize I live in a country where political passions are largely driven by a desire to provide our children with the best world possible. This evening, as we wait for the results of this historic election, I know that no matter who wins, that desire shared by parents of all persuasions will persist. My prayer tonight is that we always seek the wisdom necessary to serve our children and leave the world a better place.

rain rain go away...

2008-11-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

Two days of rain, a small city apartment, two Pre-K kids to contend with...makes for a very long weekend.

As excited as I am about the new user interface we're launching in the coming weeks, I'm especially excited about adding to the system a weather feature that allows you to filter events and venues for the kids according to what makes sense given the weather. There will be an indoor/outdoor filter, as well as a weather feed, and we're going to integrate it all so we can make weather appropriate recommendations on the site and through our newsletter service.

Man, after two days of rain, I'm very excited about that feature.

More coming soon!

Tough economic times

2008-10-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

As the financial crisis continues to unfold and we all seem to be settling into the expectation of a long recessionary period, I'm often asked by friends and colleagues, how does the current economic circumstance affect our efforts in building Famplosion. This is a daunting question to dive into for sure, and the easier approach would be to avoid thinking about what's going on all together. However, prudence demands taking some sense for what's to come, and attempting to divine the implications for what we're trying to build.

The worst case scenario is simple to grasp. Namely, raising the next round of financing for the company's growth is going to be a lot harder than we anticipated a year ago when we got started on this project. It might even be so hard as to be impossible.

With that worst case scenario in mind, we've been spending a lot of time really drilling into the business model and our company's core value propositions. What do we offer of value to the consumer? What do we offer of value to our partners, and how valuable is that going to be to our partners, really? What kind of revenue model can we truly expect to implement, and how do we really expect that revenue to grow over time? If we take the most dire or conservative expectation, will it be enough to keep this project going and our hopes alive?

The good news is that the need for what we're doing didn't go away when the economy changed under our feet. What I mean to say is that parents still need to spend time with their kids, and they still need a resource to help them find fun and important things to do together. The other thing we have going for us is that when economic times get tough, those are the best times to focus more on the most important things like friends and family. This is a time to redirect former expectations for wealth generation and focus that energy on building into the next generation which is our kids. I know my kids don't need me to drive a Mazarati as much as they need me to love them and spend time with them. This truth lends itself to our endeavor.

So, what does Famplosion do in the face of such extraordinary economic circumstances? We carry on. To be sure, we pursue a business plan that is as realistic in its approach as it is audacious in it's ambition, and maybe things take longer. But our goal here is to encourage parents to spend time with their kids. That goal can be pursued in the best of times as much as the worst.

A worthy cause

2008-10-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last night my wife and I attended a benefit dinner for an organization called International Justice Mission. IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.

The issue of pervasive and persistent slavery seems to have been rising in our cultural conscience for the last couple years. Major events such as the movie Amazing Grace and other events have served to remind us that slavery still exists and that people are still oppressed around the world as well as closer to home.

As we sat there, in the elegant setting of the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel grand ballroom, we listened to stories of men, women and children being forced into physical or sexual labor. We also got to hear about the success stories where IJM investigated, conducted raids to release people being held and then doggedly pursued the slave holders through the local legal systems in many different countries.

As I sat there listening to these stories, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the atrocity that is human bondage. And the pictures they showed of the kids suffering from unspeakable abuse, these images haunted me.

As I consider the role Famplosion hopes to play in the world, I think we're focused on the other side of that evil equation. What I mean to say is IJM is addressing evil when it's been perpetrated against innocence and helplessness. The evil has been committed and IJM goes in to fix the situation and heal the victims. Famplosion labors further up stream and seeks to grow the love between parents and children by encouraging them to spend more time together. If we can be a stimulus for more love in the world, maybe we can help by preemptively removing space for evil to take root.

I know it may be a small thing, and it certainly is more comfortable to be on the love building side of things compared to the evil reduction side, but it is something.

And here's something else. I encourage anyone reading this to go to www.ijm.org and check them out. If you feel inclined, they need your donations. We're all entering this period of financial uncertainty together. We need to ensure evil is not given room to grow for lack of funds supporting the organizations and efforts that truly matter and are truly effective.

What's next?

2008-09-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been following our progress, thanks! I thought I'd give you all a little update on where things stand. As many of you know, we've been working really hard on the back end for several months now, aggregating and organizing content. Just in the seven markets we cover today, we have several thousand events, and over a thousand venues that are kid and family friendly. Now, a ton of content is great as long as there is a way to find the stuff you're looking for somewhere in the heap. That can be a trick. Some of you have high school kids, some have babies and many are somewhere in between. So, key to getting the right information is figuring out how to sort and filter it. For that, we've developed an algorithm to determine how the content search performs, and we've developed filters for giving individual users the ability to personalize their search. While still not perfect, we're well into the process of making sure the content we carry conforms to the algorithm and filters we've developed.

So, with a solid start on the back end, we're now starting to work on the front end. Our current front end looks as good as my own design sensibilities could muster. Many of you have been kind with me in your assessment of the design, but I'm nothing if not self aware when it comes to my sense of design and style:) So, we hired a pro to give us something that looks like it should and makes it easy for new friends to figure out how to use the site.

We start coding this new front end next week, and I can't tell you how excited I am!

I'll keep you posted on our progress, but look for a whole new site sometime in November.

Public Beta!

2008-08-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

We are live!

That's to say we are now publicly available as a beta version internet site for parents. That's not to say we're done...in fact, it seems the more we build the longer grows our list of stuff to add. But we are now publicly available and that's a huge start!

What have we been working on for the last few months? Well, we've built a back end system architected for aggregating and organizing specific content intended for families with kids of all ages. We've designed and developed a search application that relies on multiple variables to algorithmically determine search returns we hope are as intuitive and obvious to our friends as they are technically complicated to deliver correctly. We've designed the algorithm to be tunable according to markets and demographics we hope to serve more and more over time. We built a first version of a front end for the website to get a sense for how our community will interact with the information and how we will interact with one another. We've built an editor's suite of tools to equip our editors with the tools necessary to maintain excellent content.

Most importantly, we've gathered up a ton of cool things to do and places to go with the kids.

And that's really the bottom line.

Our goals for Famplosion are founded in our belief that a large quantity of time is as important as quality time for raising healthy kids and having a strong family. And strong families make for a strong society. But with all the pressures today, it's tough to spend quantities of time together. With Famplosion, we hope to inspire parents with cool stuff to do and places to go that gets the family off the couch and out of the house and into the community doing fun and important things together.

Many of you have interacted with me about stuff in your area...keep it coming! The more the better! And as always, if you're interested in getting involved, let me know as we are always looking for friends in new markets to help us find out about the stuff to do and places to go for families across the country.

FIRST Rocks!

2008-05-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

I came across this video interview with Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway. He's still inventing and I'm a huge fan! On the non-profit side of life, he seems to be equally prolific and this interview is about an organization he founded called FIRST. Essentially, FIRST runs science competitions for school kids and has thousands of local schools participating in the events alongside thousands of businesses supporting the effort. What FIRST is doing is really inspiring so check out the video if you get a chance.

For those of you interested in a Famplosion update...We're still plugging away in our ambition to build a service for parents to share and find fun and important stuff to with their kids locally. If you are part of the private beta, you may have noticed a slant in the events toward art and educationally oriented activities. While we expect to add a ton to our content over time, we are focused in wanting to make sure families interested in educational, ecological and even service opportunities know that they will be able to find something here that's age appropriate to do with their kids. But pulling this off is a bit more complicated than we maybe thought at first :) As they say, one step at a time... And along the way, it's great to be inspired by guys like Kamen in how they are impacting the lives of kids in positive ways every day!

Feature fast mode

2008-05-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been tracking our progress you may have noticed some new features on the site recently. We are adding fast and furious and figuring it out as we go. Most recently, we added various filters that enable you to select more specific preferences in a list of search returns. For instance, if you perform a broad search for stuff to do with the kids locally, and get a broad list of returns, now, from the list page, you can further filter the broad list and see just the stuff happening at various venue types or select a specific age relevancy, distance, or activity category. Of course, these filters are only as good as is the data in our database, and there is a ton of stuff that is not yet tagged with the appropriate data to filter appropriately...but we're getting there:) And, as always, we continue to evolve the search logic according to feedback we receive to make the returns more accurately reflect the intentions of the user. On that note, to those of you who have made the effort to let us know your feedback, THANK YOU! Your insights have been invaluable as we seek to make this a service parents everywhere will soon benefit from.

learning fast

2008-04-29T16:14:00.001-07:00

This past week I attending the web2.0Expo in San Francisco. As I am relatively new to the web & new media industries and economy, the conference was a bit like taking a sip of water out of a fire hydrant! I attended sessions on topics such as ad yield optimization, search engine optimization & marketing analysis, copy as content, viral loop strategy and user lifecycle metrics & analysis. Fascinating! For as much as has been learned in this industry, it's amazing to me that it is still so young!

While I was at the conference, I also had the chance to speak or correspond with several users participating in our recently launched private beta. The feedback is still limited but at the same time varied...I guess I should get used to being in the consumer application business! There are so many good ideas for product direction and user interface tweaks; some of which were instantly added to the service wireframes, while others require a little more analysis to determine how best to proceed.

It was really fun to have the feedback loop from beta users going on during my time at the conference as this provided a chance to pit some user feedback against recommendations being made by the experts giving the sessions. For those of you who were willing to provide feedback, you should know you were almost always validated by the experts' recommendations. I think this shows we got some great feedback, and I guess it also shows the value of experience in this business.

I look forward to going back to the conference next year to hone the lessons learned this year, and then going back the year after as an expert speaking on a panel or leading a session of my own!

kicking things off and more to come

2008-04-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

This week marks the first time people outside the company have had a chance to see the site and kick the tires. We're suffering through some email server issues, so only a few people have been able to click through the verification link on the private beta emails we've sent so far. We should have that issue ironed out in the coming days as we switch some email authorizations around a bit.

While it's exciting to let other people see the site for the first time ever, it's unsettling at the same time. There is so much more to do in terms of graphic design and features to the site before the current road map is fully implemented. Also, there are likely dramatic redesigns in the coming weeks as we get feedback from the initial users. It feels a bit like walking down the street without my pants on actually. As a consumer service, I want our site to look as great as it functions, and I know we have a long road ahead on that front.

We also need content! I'll be putting tons of new content in personally, and if anyone reading this blog feels inclined to contribute, get in touch with me, and I'll happily put you to work inputting stuff to do with the kids. There are so many great things to do and places to go; we want to cover it all! Beyond the human effort, we're on the front end of developing web spyders which we expect to help with the content aggregation operations. This is software that gets our engineers super geeked up as it is a complicated endeavor, but if we're successful, it will dramatically impact our ability to maintain an excellent level of content that is dynamic and useful. Keep your fingers crossed!

What a difference some time makes

2008-03-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

As we gear up for the private, private beta release...basically, asking 30-40 friends to check out some functionality to the site and give us some initial feedback, I'm reminded of the process we have gone through over the last few months. Here's a screen shot from when the site was just an idea.

We've been checking out old images of famous web sites on www.archive.org's "Way Back Machine" to remind ourselves that Rome was not built in a day. The great thing is that with the help of today's open source tools it's amazing how building a seriously useful website has changed over time.

Here's a shot of where we're at now, and hopefully, we're only a matter of days away from this screen being the page on the site we can share with our friends!

Where do I sign up for dance lessons?

2008-03-28T21:07:00.001-07:00

I found this video and had to share. This kid knows how to get it goin' on...as we used to say back in the neighborhood.

Goal: Happy Kids

2008-03-20T17:48:00.001-07:00

As we continue to build out our site, and are driven by the audacity of our goals to perpetuate cultural and societal change by impacting families everywhere which we know will undoubtedly result from our labors, I'm sometimes reminded that there is a goal much simpler than all that. Namely, the goal to have happy kids.

As any parent knows a happy kid is what you work for and hope for, but when you do get a chance to see the joy of a happy kid bubble over it feels like nothing less than a complete and wonderful gift.

So much to do, so little time!

2008-02-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend we were in San Diego for a wedding. The family had a chance to visit the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. Spending time at the aquarium with the kids reminded me again of all the great places there are to spend time together as a family.

Here at Famplosion, we're still working hard at this point on the back end software and the front end design as we prepare for our testing phase with friends and family in our lead off markets. There are so many places we'd like to cover beyond our lead off cities. Our hope will be to work with friends and partners to submit stuff in their towns so we can grow the site's geographic reach as quickly as possible. Really, there are so many places with families we'd like to have our site serve!

Here's a pic from the aquarium. If it inspires you to find the closest aquarium and take the kids there for a morning or afternoon, we've done our job for today!

Team grows by 1!

2008-02-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

This week marks the arrival of Don, our very first full time Engineer! Don comes to us after several years working for the Helen & Charles Schwab Foundation doing web application development and engineering management. With nearly ten years of technical roles under his belt, he's a guru concerning the range of technologies and methods we are using to build the Famplosion platform. But most importantly, his time spent with the Schwab Foundation was really focused on serving parents. These were the parents of children with learning disabilities, and the Schwab Foundation has been tremendous over the years in providing tools and resources for these folks as they navigate a complex circumstance for the whole family. Our ambition at Famplosion is similar in that we want to provide parents with tools for facilitating life together as a family and in the community. While our focus involves being a platform for parents of all kinds of kids, we greatly respect the work the Schwab Foundation has done through the years bringing unique resources tailored to the needs of parents of kids with learning disabilities.

And we're happy to benefit from the skills honed and experience gained by Don while at the Foundation!

Getting started

2008-01-25T14:35:00.001-08:00

We've begun! A couple months ago, after several weeks of planning and discussions, we decided to go for it and create a platform for parents to find and share fun stuff to do around town with their kids. Now, after nearly two months of development, we're closing in on completing the first phase of engineering and beginning to embark on the all important phase of interface design and usability testing. I'm not sure which phase will prove to have been more challenging. But we're eager to get this out to the world and let parents use it as a tool to facilitate family life.

That's really our goal here. We want to encourage families to spend more time together. We'll hopefully be doing just that in seven major markets as part of our beta testing plan. Those markets include Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, Washing DC and Atlanta. We expect to add markets as we go and eventually blanket the country with a service that helps families spend time together. If you're eager to see this service in your area and might be willing to help us out with localized event/activity content, email us at info@famplosion.com.

One of our ambitions is to help families find service opportunities they can do together. Time spent together as a family is important all by itself, but we believe it can be even more amazing when spent serving others in the community. For this reason, we plan to focus on representing these service activities and events on our site.

We're going to be working very hard to make this a platform where users can post events and activities in their local communities that others ought to know about. We welcome feedback on how we're doing as well as ways we can improve the platform as we grow!