Louisville Science Center

Last weekend, Joseph went with us to the Louisville Science Center for the first time ever, and it was so fun. I can't believe we have lived here for seven years and never visited. (Well, I guess I can believe it because I really hate going downtown... but now that we have, I'm not nearly so nervous :)

Sitting in the cockpit of a space shuttle thing. The boys could have stayed in there for hours.

Here's how all four of us had a family outing at the science center for $10 total: We went after 5:00 on a Saturday, so adult admission was only $5. The kids had free tickets through our public library's summer reading program, so the total was $10 for Joseph and me. You usually have to pay $5 to park downtown, but nobody was there taking money at the Frazier Museum parking lot, so maybe it is free in the evening?

Regular admission is rather expensive. However, there are several other ways to go cheap. I wanted to share what I found out:

Go from 5-9 on Friday or Saturday night, and admission is only $5 per person. You can also see an imax show for an additional $5. Plan on paying $5 somewhere to park unless you luck out and find free parking.

Another option is to pay $20 for a months worth of weekday visits for you and up to four of your kids. This deal is good through the end of the year, so if you think you might want to go several times in a one month period, just pay $20 and go as much as you want. You have to buy this pass at the center. See the bottom of this link for more information.

Also, once a month, there is a FREE one hour playdate in their temporary exhibit for kids ages 0-4 and their parent. See this link for the dates and more information.

I'm definitely going back. There is a really fun KidZone where you can let your small children run around and play pretend in a safe and child friendly area.

David building with soft blocks.

Shutterfly- Long Live Summer Photo Contest

Shutterfly contacted me recently about a Facebook promotion they are having this summer. Here is the link: Long Live Summer Photo Contest.

If you "like" their facebook page, you have the chance to win a trip for four to The Bahamas and a professional photo shoot so you’ll remember your vacation forever.  All you need to do is upload your favorite photo and caption based on the theme of the week.  Get a gift from Shutterfly just for entering! You can enter at any point during the 5-week sweepstakes period.

Here are the photo themes:
•       Week 1(7/9): Americana
•       Week 2 (7/16): Great Outdoors
•       Week 3 (7/23): Water Fun
•       Week 4 (7/30): Sports & Activities
•       Week 5 (8/6): Parties & Celebrations

Here are the prizes you can win:
•      Instant win prizes just for submitting a photo!
•      Weekly prizes (contestants can enter one time/week)
•      Weekly featured photos: up to 5 weekly entries will be selected from the gallery and featured on the Facebook fan page and awarded a $500 gift card on Shutterfly and a copy of the new Lonely Planet travel photography book.
•      Grand prize: trip for 4 to Bahamas, 4 nights, family photo shoot

    Shutterfly Sweepstakes - Official Rules

Fun outings with my boys

Since Joseph works Friday night, sleeps Saturday morning and works his second job during the day on Saturday, I've been trying to do fun things on my own with the boys.

A few times lately, we've gone to Barnes and Noble's storytime at the Summit. The boys really respond well to the lady who does the storytime, which lasts about 20-30 minutes. There is also a train table and a lego table to play with before and after the storytime. I've heard there is a new playground at the Summit, but it has been too hot for me to check it out yet.

A few weeks ago, we went to the Creasey Mahon Nature Center in Goshen, KY for a special event all about snakes. We took a picnic lunch and walked on a short trail by a frog pond. It was a fun little outing. Free, of course.

Well, today I thought I would try out the Home Depot Kids Workshop. Most of the kids had their dad's with them for the wood working project, but I didn't feel out of place or anything. There were lots of moms there too. It is really geared towards older kids Austin's age and up, but they gave me a truck building kit for David without any problem whatsoever. It is a free event held the first Saturday of each month from 9-12. You don't have to get there right at 9:00, but plan on spending at least an hour or more working on your craft. This week, the boys made Penske rental trucks. These are some seriously high quality craft projects, and the apron is just like the ones the store employees wear. Definitely a cool thing to do on a Saturday morning.

David in his Home Depot apron with his Penske moving truck.

Austin with his Home Depot craft.

I've been keeping a list of things to do in Louisville as a Page on my blog. Here is the link: Things to Do in Louisville, Kentucky