River Region Family

Montgomery County Library: http://mccplblog.wordpress.com/

New Vision Theatres Chantilly 13 Montgomery

Saturday 6/3/17
Alabama Nature Center Hydrangea Fest

9 AM-Noon Home Depot Kids Workshop-Tic Tac Toe Game

Sunday 6/4/17

First Sundays at One at MMFA

Birmingham Vulcan's Birthday Bash

This Weekend-Memorial Day

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Fri, 26 May 2017 21:55:00 +0000

Here are some things to do for families in the river region this weekend.

If you know of an event I should add to the list, please leave a comment here or on the River Region Family Facebook page! Have fun exploring Montgomery with your family! As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

Friday 5/26/17
Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge-Downtown Montgomery

Jubilee Pops Concert

Saturday 5/27/17
Alabama Nature Center -Aquatic Invertebrates

Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge-Downtown Montgomery

Free Canoe, Kayak Safety Training-Autauga Creekwalk

Michael's Kids Klub-Patriotic Cookies

Bass Pro Shops Go Outdoors Event

Sunday 5/28/17

Jazz Jams at Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

Music In May at The Waters

Bass Pro Shops Go Outdoors Event

Memorial Day Monday 5/29/17

American Village Memorial Day FREE

Prattville Pool-Retro Pool Party

Disclaimer: We do our best at River Region Family to provide accurate, useful information about events and activities. This information (such as times and locations) is gathered from press releases, local newspapers, signs around town and word of mouth. We do our best to confirm details before they are posted here. Sometimes details change or we are given inaccurate information. Whenever possible we link our write-ups to the source in which our information came from and strongly urge you to confirm details before you go. River Region Family is in no way responsible for any problems that occur while participating in activities recommended on this site.

River Region This Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Fri, 19 May 2017 14:38:00 +0000

5/19/17 Friday

Biscuits Baseball

5/20/17 Saturday

Bass Pro Shops Go Outdoors Event

Reptile Rendezvous at Alabama Nature Center

Michael's Craft Kids Club Craft

EAT South May Workshop: Worm Wrangling and Compost Critters

Classic & Antique Car Show at Union Station Train Shed

Prattville Kids to Parks Day (Mayor's Bike Ride and Touch a Truck)
More info here.

Third Saturday at MMFA

CHick-fil-A Royal Dinner

Toys R Us Hatchimals CollEGGtibles First Hatch Party
Hatch and keep a free Hatchimal CollEGGtible, get a free Hatchopia map and collectors sheet and participate in a coloring activity.

Biscuits Baseball

Sunday 5/21/17
Bass Pro Shops Go Outdoors Event

Biscuits Baseball

Toys R Us Pre Memorial Day Event

Family Art Affair & Jazz Jams Art Museum Day

Cloverdale-Idlewild Spring Concert Series

Music in May at the Waters Concert

2017 Free or Cheap Summer Movies In The River Region

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 18 May 2017 04:36:00 +0000

Looking for a way to get out of the house with the kids but stay in the air conditioning and not spend a fortune? Look no further than the free and cheap movies offered by various local theaters.

As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

Capri Theatre

1045 East Fairview Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36106

334-262-4858

Summer Children's Matinee

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

All seats $2. Popcorn and Soda 50 cents each.

May 31- June 2 Minions

June 7-9 Kung Fu Panda 3

June 14-16 Trolls

June 21-23 Home

June 28-30 Rio 2

July 5-7 Ice Age Collision Course

July 12-14 Secret Life of Pets

July 19-21 Penguins of Madagascar

10477 Chantilly Pkwy
Montgomery, Alabama, AL 36117

(334) 819-1638

Kids Summer Movie Series
10 am Monday and Thursday
$4 includes admission, small popcorn, and small drink.
May 29 & June 1 Secret Life of Pets
June 5 & 8 The Lorax
June 12 & 15 Sing
June 19 & 22 Boxtrolls
June 26 & 29 Curious George
July 3 & 6 Alvin& The Chipmunks
July 10 & 13 Kung Fu Panda 3
July 17 & 20 The Peanuts Movie
July 24 & 27 The Croods
July 31 & August 3 Trolls

Promenade 12 Prattville

New Vision Theatres Promenade 12 Prattville
Kids Summer Movie Series
10 am every Thursday from June 1-Aug 3, 2017
$4 includes admission, small popcorn, and small drink
June 1 Secret Life of Pets
June 8 The Lorax
June 15 Sing
June 122 Boxtrolls
June 29 Curious George
July 6 Alvin& The Chipmunks
July 13 Kung Fu Panda 3
July 20 The Peanuts Movie
July 27 The Croods
August 3 Trolls

AMC Summer Movie Camp
AMC Festival Plaza 16
Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 am
$4 included ticket and Kids Pack
June 12 & 14 Trolls
June 19 & 21 Secret Life of Pets
June 26 & 28 How To Train Your Dragon
July 3 & 5 Pup Star
July 10 & 12 Sing
July 17 & 19 Home
July 24 & 26 Despicable Me
July 31 & August 2 The Peanuts Movie

Get Free Products to Try With Influenster

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Mon, 15 May 2017 21:19:00 +0000

I think I may be a few years behind on this but I recently found out about Influenster and wanted to share with my friends.

You can sign up for Influenster for free. You connect your social media accounts, complete short surveys (called Snaps), and review products. Based on how "influential" you are, you can get free boxes of products (called VoxBoxes) to try. Of course, the companies want you to try the products and then review them, post about them on social media, and share about them with (or "influence") your friends. I really would be doing that anyway if I found a new product and thought my friends would like to know about it.

After you try a product, you can even win more products by completing more activities related to the products you tried. And of course, the more you review or post or the more activities you complete on Influenster or on the app, I'm sure it increases you chances of getting another VoxBox.

I got my first VoxBox within a month of signing up and haven't finished reviewing all the products in it yet but have been enjoying trying all the new products!

I hope I get to try another box soon.

River Region This Weekend 5/13/17

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Fri, 12 May 2017 15:56:00 +0000

This weekend is all about MOM and music in the river region. Lots of fun events for families to spend time together and lots of great music events happening this weekend.

Happy Mother's Day!

Bass Pro Shops Free Mother's Day Photo

Old Alabama Town Herb Society 20th Annual Herb Day

Michael's Craft Events

Toys R Us Pokemon Trade and Collect Event

Lanark Archery Day

Prattville City Fest

Music In May at The Waters-Rachel Wilson

Clovedale-Idlewild Spring Concert Series-Fibergrass

River Jam Music Festival

Coming Up:

5/16/17
Chick-fil-A Kids Night

5/20/17
Prattville Kids to Parks Day (Mayor's Bike Ride and Touch a Truck)

Third Saturday at MMFA

CHick-fil-A Royal Dinner

5/21/17
Toys R Us Pre Memorial Day Event

Family Art Affair & Jazz Jams Art Museum Day

6/1/17 & 6/2/17
Rail Safety Day at Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

6/3/17
Home Depot Kids Workshop Tic Tac Toe Game

For events at area libraries follow these links:

Wetumpka Library:

http://www.wetumpkalibrary.com/Default.asp?ID=183&pg=Youth+and+Children%27s+Department

Autauga County Library:

Montgomery County Library: http://mccplblog.wordpress.com/

Friends for Faulkner Yard Sale

River Region This Weekend 5/6/17

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 06 May 2017 03:28:00 +0000

Here are a few events happening this weekend!

As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

Hampstead Fishing Rodeo

Family Fishing Class at Alabama Nature Center

Flimp Festival

First Sundays at MMFA

Home Depot Kids Workshop-Paint a Flowerpot

Toys R Us LEGO Star Wars Building Event-Micro Princess Leia

Toys R Us Geoffrey's Birthday Club Event

Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day 5/6/17

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Wed, 03 May 2017 18:10:00 +0000

Every first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day- the comic book industry comes together to give away free comics and encourage fans, both old and new, to flock to the best place in the comic book community: local comic shops.

Fans also love dressing up in costume for Free Comic Book Day, showing off their favorite series. Many stores throw their own events, bringing in cosplayers, local comic book creators, and partner with local businesses to make Free Comic Book Day one of the best family events throughout the year.

Participating comic shops in the river region are:

CAPITOL CITY COMIC SHOP

7919 VAUGHN ROAD

MONTGOMERY, AL, 36116

(334) 215-3335 -

This shop will have door prizes, prizes for wearing a costume, special deals when you purchase, cosplayers, free pizza from Pieology Pizza and more!

For more info about festivities at this store check out their facebook event page here.

QUALITY COMIX

7968 VAUGHN RD

STURBRIDGE VILLAGE MALL

MONTGOMERY, AL, 36116

(334) 272-1787

QUALITY COMIX

153 W. MAIN ST

PRATTVILLE, AL, 36067

(800) 548-3314

Calendar: February 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 05:48:00 +0000

I "love" to share events for families in the river region with you! (Get it? Haha!) If you know of any other upcoming free or cheap or worth the price family events in the river region, leave a comment here or on the River Region Family Facebook page.

Ongoing:

Alabama Nature Center-Naturalist Led Hikes Every Tuesday & Friday 11:00-noon
Hike some of Lanark’s 5 miles of trails with an experienced ANC naturalist by your side. Learn how to bird or ID plants and animals, splash through the creek, or catch insects in the meadow! General admission applies and includes this awesome program! NaturePlex General Admission: $5/person with a $20 maximum per family

Alabama Nature Center-Creature Feature Every Monday and Wednesday 3:30-4:00pm
Come learn about Alabama’s woods, water, and wildlife. Get up close and personal with some of the creatures you may find in your own backyard, and even some you may have never even heard of!
General admission applies and includes this awesome program! NaturePlex General Admission:
$5/person with a $20 maximum per family

W.A. Gayle Planetarium Public Shows Monday-Thursday 4pm and Sunday 2pm $6.50 admission for ages 5 and up.

For library storytimes and other library events:

Wetumpka Library:

http://www.wetumpkalibrary.com/Default.asp?ID=183&pg=Youth+and+Children%27s+Department

Autauga County Library:

Montgomery County Library: http://mccplblog.wordpress.com/

1/28/17 Through 2/12/17
Lego Americana Road Show at Riverchase Galleria in Birmingham

Saturday 2/4/17
Alabama Nature Center Tour of Lanark Hike Hike some of Lanark’s 5 miles of trails with an experienced ANC naturalist by your side. Saturday programs are from 9:00 am-4:00pm. Guests encouraged to arrive by10:00am to enjoy the first of the day’s activities. Take a look around the hands-on Discovery Hall, enjoy the movie specials in the theater, and explore the trails. Daily admission is $5/person with a $20 maximum per family.

9 am-3 pm Rosa Parks Birthday Celebration Rosa Parks Museum FREE
Free admission, music, arts and crafts, theatrical performances, birthday cake, and more!

12-4 pm Lego American Roadshow LEGO Statue of Liberty Build at Riverchase Galleria FREE

12-2 pm Pokemon Trade & Collect Event Toys R Us FREE

3-4 pm Geoffrey's Birthday Club Celebration Toys R Us FREe

Sunday 2/5/17
12-4 pm Lego American Roadshow LEGO Statue of Liberty Build at Riverchase Galleria FREE

1pm First Sundays at Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Learn more about artwork in the Museum in these FREE docent-led tours, held the FIRST Sunday of each month at 1 P.M.

Tuesday 2/7/17
6-8 pm Chick-Fil-A at Eastchase Kid's Night- Robotics night FREE

Saturday 2/11/17
11 am-3 pm Prattville Mardi Gras Celebration FREE
This family-friendly celebration will begin at 11:00 a.m. with food and arts and crafts vendors, specialty products, and children’s activities. The parade will roll out from the Autauga County Courthouse at 2:00 p.m. with floats, music, dancers and more and there will be lots of candy and beads tossed to the crowd.

1-3 pm LEGO Batman Movie Building Event Toys R Us FREE
Make & take home Emmet's Bat-Car!

5:30-7:30 pm Chick-fil-A at Midtown Family Night

Sunday 2/12/17
2 pm Landmarks Foundation Discovery Sundays Midcentury Modern Preview Tour
Join Landmarks Foundation for its dynamic new series, Discovery Sundays! Discovery Sundays will meet one Sunday afternoon month, and the program will vary from presentations at Old Alabama Town to field trips around Montgomery. Free to the public.

Wednesday 2/15/17
10:30-11 and 11-11:30 am Tales for Tots at Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
This FREE monthly program helps develop early learning about art fundamentals as participants are engaged with storybooks and simple craft activities related to art on display in the galleries.

Saturday 2/18/17
Alabama Nature Center Go Fishing Get Outdoors and fish for catfish and bream in one of ANC's bountiful ponds. From bass to catfish, the ponds are stocked and ready for your line! A limited number of fishing poles will be available for $2 a day as well as a limited amount of bait for a small fee. Daily admission is $5/person with a $20 maximum per family.

9 am-2 pm Millbrook Mardi Gras Festival and Parade FREE
Vendors in the park open at 9am Umbrella Stroll Mardi Gras style with the King & Queen at 10:15 am Parade at NOON More Info: http://www.millbrookrevelers.org/

Monday 2/20/17
10 am-4 pm Washington's Birthday Celebration American Village in Montevallo
Special Admission on Washington's Birthday is $5 per person when someone in your group is wearing a historical costume; otherwise, admission is $10 per adult, $9 for students and seniors, free to veterans and active military and children age 4 and under. We will have family-friendly events from 10 am to 4 pm. Have birthday cake with Washington at noon!

4:30-7:30 Chick-fil-A at Eastchase Daddy Daughter Date Night

Saturday 2/25/17
9 am Mardi Gras Festival Wetumpka
Festival starts at 9 am. Parade at 1 pm.

9 am-2 pm Montgomery Trees Seedling Giveaway Ida Bell Young Park FREE
We will have several Alabama Power vehicles onsite for the kids to play on as well as drawings for free trees and a one year membership to Montgomery Trees. Seedlings this year are limited so please make sure to get there early for the best selection. Each visitor is limited to three trees. Rain or shine.

Calendar: December 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 18:02:00 +0000

Here are some great free or cheap events for families in December in the river region. If you know of anything else to add to the list, leave a comment here or on the River Region Family Facebook page. Thanks for reading and sharing and Merry Christmas!

Thursday 12/1/16

6 pm Millbrook Christmas Tree Lighting Village Green

Music and Christmas Caroling for everyone.

Friday 12/2/16

9 am-6 pm Montgomery Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show

Adults $2.00 daily or $3.00 for a weekend pass. 18 and under free with student ID and one paid adult ticket. Free parking. Free door prize ticket only with each paid adult admission. Follow the link for a $1 off admission coupon.

5:30 pm Governor’s Christmas Tree Lighting- State Capitol

6-8 pm Christmas in The Forest at Vaughn Forest

Bring the family and come on out for a live nativity with animals, horse-drawn carriage rides, a polar express kiddie train, pictures and meet n greet time with all your kids’ favorite characters (including Mickey, Minnie, Elsa, Anna, Star Wars characters like Han Solo and Princess Leia, and more!), inflatables, crafts, ornament making, live music, hot cocoa, cider, Christmas cookies, and tons more!

7 pm Prattville Christmas Parade

Saturday 12/3/16

9 am-Noon Eastmont Christmas Festival

Admission one canned food item or school supply item donation. Breakfast with characters, pony rides, inflatables, crafts, manger museum, and more.

10 am Lowe’s Build and Grow Christmas Ornaments FREE

10 am-6 pm Montgomery Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show

1-4 pm MMFA Holiday Open House

Activities include performances by local choral groups, festive studio activities, and carriage

rides. The galleries will be open, as will ARTWORKS. Be on the lookout for a

certain red-suited guest who will listen to all holiday wishes. There is no charge for Holiday Open House, but we encourage you to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots or canned goods for the Montgomery Area Food Bank.

2 pm Millbrook Christmas Parade

Parade will begin at the Sports Complex behind Smokehouse Bar-B-Q and end at City Hall. Activities from 1:30-4pm.

Sunday 12/4/16

11 am-5 pm Montgomery Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show

http://www.christchurchxp.net/

1 pm First Sundays at MMFA
Free docent-led tours every first sunday at 1 pm.

Monday 12/5/16

5:30-7:30 pm Governor’s Mansion Candlelight Tour/Open House

1142 South Perry Street, Montgomery 834-3022

Thursday 12/8/16

5 pm Wetumpka Pictures with Santa Gold Star Park

6 pm Wetumpka Christmas Tree Lighting Gold Star Park

Friday 12/9/16

6 pm Candlelight Harpsichord Chamber Concert at Christchurch

6 pm Wetumpka Nativity/Luminary Night & Downtown Open House

7 pm Living Christmas Tree www.montgomeryfbc.org $5 per ticket

Saturday 12/10/16

Christmas on The Coosa

4 pm & 7 pm Living Christmas Tree www.montgomeryfbc.org $5 per ticket

Sunday 12/11/16

3pm and 6pm A Celtic Christmas Celebration at Frazer

www.frazerumc.org

4 pm & 7 pm Living Christmas Tree www.montgomeryfbc.org $5 per ticket

Monday 12/12/16

5:30-7:30 pm Governor’s Mansion Candlelight Tour/Open House

1142 South Perry Street, Montgomery 834-3022

Tuesday 12/13/16

4-6 pm Old Alabama Town Holiday Open House FREE

live music, children’s pioneer-style crafts, storytelling, candlelight house tours, history of the holidays, and cookies & cider!

Wednesday 12/14/16

10:30-11 am and 11-11:30 am Tales for Tots at MMFA FREE

Each month Tales for Tots focuses on a different work of art in the Museum’s galleries. This FREE monthly program engages preschoolers through storybooks and simple craft activities related to the artwork in focus.

Friday 12/16/16

6 pm Capital City Christmas/Camellia Bowl Parade

Sunday 12/18/16
5-8 pm Baptist Health Live Nativity

Monday 12/19/16

5:30-7:30 pm Governor’s Mansion Candlelight Tour/Open House 1142 South Perry Street, Montgomery 834-3022

5-8 pm Baptist Health Live Nativity

Calendar: November 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 05:15:00 +0000

Here are a few events going on in the remainder of November.

If you know of an event I should add to the list, please leave a comment here or on the River Region Family Facebook page! As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

Saturday 11/12/16

Prattville Home Depot Customer Appreciation Event

Kids activities and DiY Clinics. More info: 285-1693

12-2 pm Toys R Us Lego Nexo Knights Build

Build and Take home a Nexo Knights monster.

12-5 pm Pike Road Novemberfest

Food, arts, games, fun for all ages. More info.

2-4 pm Family Karate Center Self Defense Class for Ladies FREE

Sunday 11/13/16

2pm Landmarks Foundations Discovery Sundays

Field Trip to Cypress Nature Park. Meet at Old Alabama Town 301 Columbus St.

Wednesday 11/16/16

10:30-11 am and 11-11:30 am Tales for Tots at MMFA

Saturday 11/19/16

4 pm ASF Tree Lighting FREE

Schedule: 4pm: Holiday Music by the Upbeats Combo

Carriage Rides Free Hot Chocolate & Donuts Community Partner Treats & Activites 4:30pm: Dance performance by ASU Honey Bee'z 4:45pm: Carol Sing by Montgomery Chorale 5pm: Tree Lighting with Santa, Visits with Santa

Spectrum Media will sponsor an outdoor showing (in the Shakespeare Garden) of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" as part of the event.

7-8 pm Lights Up! Shoppes at Eastchase

The Shoppes at EastChase will kick off the 2016 holiday season with events for the entire family including Santa's grand entrance with the holiday parade, fireworks, and tree lighting.

Sunday 11/20/16

2-4 pm Family Art Affair and Jazz Jams at MMFA

Monday 11/28/16

5:30-8 pm City of Prattville Christmas Tree Lighting

The event will be full of music, dancers, children’s activities, fun characters, and, of course, a visit from Santa. Join in as the Prattville Pops and Community Chorus perform Christmas carols and enjoy the local dance troupes as they present dances of the season.

Just after the Tree lights up at 7:00 p.m., Santa will arrive to visit with the children and to hear their Christmas wishes. Be sure and bring your camera to get a picture with Santa and to capture other special moments throughout the evening.

Wednesday 11/30/16

http://www.wetumpkalibrary.com/Default.asp?ID=183&pg=Youth+and+Children%27s+Department

For info about local library storytimes and events:

Wetumpka Library:

Autauga County Library:

Montgomery County Library: http://mccplblog.wordpress.com/

http://www.wetumpkalibrary.com/Default.asp?ID=183&pg=Youth+and+Children%27s+Department

Halloween Weekend Events

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 15:25:00 +0000

Wow! There are a lot of fun things to do this weekend!
Besides the Alabama National Fair, there are TONS of free Fall Festivals and Halloween events in Montgomery , Prattville, Wetumpka, and the river region.

Saturday 10/29/16
Halloween Comic Fest
Halloween ComicFest is an annual event where participating comic book specialty shops across North America and beyond celebrate the Halloween season by giving away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. Find participating shops here.

9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm-Guided Tours of State Capitol
Use rear entrance at 1 North Union Street -- Guided tours are available at 9, 11, 1, and 3 to individuals and groups. (No self-guided tours on Saturday.) Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Pre-arrangement suggested, but not required, for groups of 15 or more.

10 am-Noon BooFest Village Green Millbrook

12-2 pm Lego Bricktober Make and Take Frankenstein- FREE

Noon-5 pm Bass Pro Shops Great Pumpkin Event FREE

2-5 pm River City Church Trunk or Treat FREE

4-5:30 Harvest Family Church Trunk or Treat FREE

5pm Eastdale Mall Malloween FREE
Spooky movie and trick or treating at the mall stores.

5-7 pm Trick or Pink at Shoppes at Eastchase

Sunday 10/30/16
Noon-5 pm Bass Pro Shops Great Pumpkin Event FREE

3-4:30 pm Capitol Sounds Concert Band Fall Concert FREE
at Montgomery City Hall.

4-6 pm LBC Fall Festival FREE
Free hot dogs, hayride, games, inflatables, and more!

4-6 pm FBC Prattville Fall Festival
Inflatables, pony rides, prizes, candy, games.

4-6 pm FBC Montgomery Familyfest
Free games, fellowship, prizes, hot dog dinner $3

4-8 pm Taylor Road Treats the Town FREE

Monday 10/31/16 Halloween
4-8 pm Bass Pro Shops Great Pumpkin Event FREE
Face painting, hot chocolate samples, decorate a treat bag, costume parade, trick or treating, free photo with the Peanuts gang.

4:30-6:30 Prattville Fire Department Trunk or Treat Free

Disclaimer: We do our best at River Region Family to provide accurate, useful information about events and activities. This information (such as times and locations) is gathered from press releases, local newspapers, signs around town and word of mouth. We do our best to confirm details before they are posted here. Sometimes details change or we are given inaccurate information. Whenever possible we link our write-ups to the source in which our information came from and strongly urge you to confirm details before you go. River Region Family is in no way responsible for any problems that occur while participating in activities recommended on this site.

Giveaway & Book Review: Flash The Donkey Makes New Friends by Rachel Anne Ridge

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 04:42:00 +0000

Flash the Donkey Makes New Friends is a story of an adventurous donkey who finds himself in a little trouble at the beginning of his story. In his time of need, he is taken in and cared for by three barnyard animal friends-a hen, a pig, and a goat. The story emphasizes how helping others can lead to friendships and fun. This book is inspired by an actual stray donkey that the author, Rachel Anne Ridge, adopted. The author’s page can be found here.

The book is beautifully illustrated by the author herself and includes a fun little extra: a hidden daisy on each page spread that my children love finding. My children, aged 3-8, love the humorous situations and dialogue between the characters. I find myself identifying with Ruby the “mother hen” of the group (I wonder why) and appreciate how she is drawn with a kind, caring look about her face.

At the end of the book, the author provides some questions that can be the start of some good conversations with your children. We have recently had friends move away and have other friends who are currently planning a move so moving is on my mind. I can’t help but think that this book would be great for a family that is facing a move or has recently moved. Making new friends in their new place can be difficult for children and adults, alike. The discussion section provides several great examples of ways to help others that can lead to new friendships such as: Help someone who is having a hard time with a chore or task.

The author even offers a free download of a Mommy & Me Journal with activities, more discussion questions and coloring pages on her website here.

I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House for review purposes. I want to share this book with you so I will be giving away our review copy to one River Region Family reader who has a U.S. mailing address. The contest will end on 10/30/16 and I will pick a winner the next day. To be entered to win, comment on this blog post with an answer to this question. What is a practical way to help others and make new friends?

(If your comment profile doesn't have your email address accessible, you will need to leave your email in the comment, so I can contact you if you are the winner.)

Disclaimer: This giveaway isn't sponsored by Tyndale, they just gave me the book to review. I am choosing to share it by giving it away myself.

Weekend Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 22:13:00 +0000

Here are a few events coming up this weekend in the river region!

Thursday 10/20/16
6 pm ANC Program- Exploring Alabama's Caves.
$5 admission. Exploring Alabama's Caves - Ray Knott, Executive Director of The Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc, will tell us all about the secret world below our feet. The SCCI is the largest land conservancy solely dedicated to the conservation of caves and karst environments. Watch an exclusive screening of Southern Exposure's Sharing the Secrets, a film that takes viewers underground into the vast subterranean geology of a few of Alabama's more than 4,000 caves! We will also have some live bats on-hand as part of this cool presentation!

Friday 10/21/16
11 am Naturalist Led Hike at ANC
$5 admission. All ages.

Saturday 10/22/16
9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm-Guided Tours of State Capitol FREE
Use rear entrance at 1 North Union Street -- Guided tours are available at 9, 11, 1, and 3 to individuals and groups. (No self-guided tours on Saturday.) Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Pre-arrangement suggested, but not required, for groups of 15 or more.

9 am-4 pm Alabama Nature Center Saturday Program- Creek Trek
Admission charged.

10 am-4pm Lifeway Christian Stores Fall Family Fun Day FREE
Decorate a superhero mask, enjoy snacks, enter for giveaways and save money on one-day specials. We’re also hosting a canned food drive to raise awareness about global hunger.

11am-3 pm Whole Foods Pop Up Pumpkin Patch FREE
Stop by between 11AM to 3PM in the Whole Foods Market parking lot to pick out your pumpkin and meet some of our team members! We're excited to get to know our community as we prepare for our grand opening in November. Pumpkins are first come first serve and one per household.

Sunday 10/23/16
2-4 pm Family Art Affair and Jazz Jams FREE
Participants will be invited to explore the exhibition Federico Uribe: Transformart and create inventive 3-dimensional artwork with jazz performances ongoing. The afternoon will end with a dance interpretation of Uribe’s work by the Booker T. Washington Magnet High Dance Theater starting at 4 P.M.

4-5:30 pm FUMC Pumpkinfest
Trunk or treat, hayride, music, inflatable, face painting and more.

Disclaimer: We do our best at River Region Family to provide accurate, useful information about events and activities. This information (such as times and locations) is gathered from press releases, local newspapers, signs around town and word of mouth. We do our best to confirm details before they are posted here. Sometimes details change or we are given inaccurate information. Whenever possible we link our write-ups to the source in which our information came from and strongly urge you to confirm details before you go. River Region Family is in no way responsible for any problems that occur while participating in activities recommended on this site.

Local Grocery Deals 10/19-10/25/16

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 03:46:00 +0000

Here are some of my favorite deals at local grocery stores in the river region this week. For the entire ad or to find store locations, click the links below.

AG Store:
Cooks Shank Portion Ham $1.39/lb
Fresh Fryer Drumsticks Family Pack $0.59/lb
Jumbo Pack Ground Beef $1.69/lb
Russet Baking Potatoes 5lb bag $1.50
Whole Fryers $1.09/lb
Yellow Onions 3lb bag $1.50
Red Delicious Apples 3lb bag $2.79
Bone In Select Chuck Roast $2.69/lb

Renfroe's Market:
Boneless Shoulder Roast $2.99/lb
Idaho Potatoes 8lb bag $2.98
Gala or Red Delicious Apples $0.88/lb
Food Club Cheese 5-8 oz shredded, cube, chunks 3 for $5.00
Springer Farms Whole Chicken $1.18/lb
Beefsteak Tomatoes $1.28/lb
Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell Peppers $1.48 each
Almond Breeze Milk 64 oz $2.50

Cashsaver:
Bone In Sirloin Pork Chops Family Pack $0.97/lb
Family Pack Ground Chuck $1.97/lb
Best Choice Ccanned Vegetables Select Varieties $0.49
Best Choice 4lb Sugar $1.79
Green Cabbage $0.47/lb
On The Vine Tomatoes $0.99/lb
Red Delicious Apples $0.99/lb
Mandarin Oranges 3lb bag $4.50
Sweet Red Onions 2lb $1.77
Jumbo Yellow Onions $0.45/lb

Food Outlet:
Join the Mobile Rewards Club for deals texted to your phone. (I usually get a message on Friday about special deals only on Saturday and Sunday.)
Download the app for more deals like 2 for Tuesday and Thrifty Thursday
Ground Beef $1.95/lb
Fresh Ground Chuck $1.68/lb
Russet Potatoes 20 lb bag $4.94
Red Delicious Apples 3lb bag $2.61/lb

Capital Market:
Boneless Shoulder Roast $2.89/lb
Tilapia Fillets 10 lb box $19.99
Family Pack Beef Stew Meat $2.99/lb
Bell Peppers 2 for $1.00
Cabbage $0.49/lb
Tomatoes $0.99/lb
Bananas $0.59/lb

Weekend Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 14:25:00 +0000

Here are a few events going on in the river region this weekend and early next week. I have marked with a * events that are a River Region Family Favorite Pick.

Saturday 10/15/16
9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm-Guided Tours of State Capitol FREE
Use rear entrance at 1 North Union Street -- Guided tours are available at 9, 11, 1, and 3 to individuals and groups. (No self-guided tours on Saturday.) Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Pre-arrangement suggested, but not required, for groups of 15 or more.

*Noon-7 pm A Shakepeare Celebration-Blount Cultural Park FREE
MMFA and ASF in collaboration will present a day for families to view the First Folio with offerings on the grounds of the theater including performances, creative children’s activities, artisan demonstrations, fight presentations, talks on Shakespeare, and more. Several arts activities (1 to 2 P.M. and 3 to 4 P.M.) will also be offered at the MMFA. The day will begin at noon with a special Theater in the Mind Lecture on ASF’s Festival Stage in anticipation of a 2 P.M. performance of Gravedigger’s Tale. The First Folio will be on view at the Museum until 5 with related drop-in arts activities offered at the Museum from 1 – 2 and 3 – 4 PM. At these times young visitors will be invited to create their own paper Hamlet characters with costumes. Throughout the day, a variety of the entertainments listed above will be ongoing at ASF. More info at the ASF FB page here.
For tickets to the matinee of Gravedigger’s Tale, please visit ASF.net.
Event schedule:
12 p.m. –5 p.m. First Folio Exhibit - MMFA
12 p.m. Theatre in the Mind Lecture -Festival Stage with Dr. Susan Willis and Ray Chambers
1 p.m. Craft Activities at MMFA
1 p.m. SCA Shire of Thorngill Demonstration -ASF Grounds
2 p.m. **Gravedigger’s Tale -Festival Stage
3 p.m. Craft Activities at MMFA
3:30 p.m. SCA Shire of Thorngill Demonstration -ASF Grounds
4 p.m. Theatre AUM: No Holds Bard- Shakespeare Garden
5:30 p.m. SCA Shire of Thorngill Demonstration -ASF Grounds

3-4 pm Toys R Us Geoffrey's Birthday Club Celebration

*4pm-6:30 pm Alabama Nature Center-Creatures of the Night FREE
Activities will begin at 4:00pm and include a slithering snake encounter, Black lighting for insects, ewwy gooy touch table, flashlight spider search and night hike, and a movie under the stars! Smores is complementary for the movie. Please feel free to bring a blanket or chairs for the movie. Recommended ages 5 and up.

Sunday 10/16/16
1-4 pm HALO 5th Annual Make a Memory Day
Free fall family fun, live music, live characters, games, pumpkin patch, bounce houses, concessions, and more!

2 pm Landmarks Foundation Discovery Sundays FREE
Fieldtrip to Sidney Lanier High School, Meet at the school, 1756 S Court St.

3-5 pm Prattville Pops Fall Concert FREE

Monday 10/17/16
*4-6:30 Farm City Festival FREE (with canned food item donation)
Pony rides, farm animals, tshirt painting, equestrian drill team performance, petting zoo, live music and much more! Hot Dogs and refreshments provided.

Weekend Event Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 04:20:00 +0000

Here are a few events this weekend in the river region!

As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

Saturday 10/8/169 am-4 pm Alabama Nature Center Saturday Program-Birding With Binoculars$5 Admission per person Charged. Birding hike begins at 11:30.

9 am-1 pm Capitol Heights ARToberfest

9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm-Guided Tours of State Capitol FREEUse rear entrance at 1 North Union Street -- Guided tours are available at 9, 11, 1, and 3 to individuals and groups. (No self-guided tours on Saturday.) Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Pre-arrangement suggested, but not required, for groups of 15 or more.

9 am-3 pm Ag Discovery Adventure FREETour wagons, gps treasure hunts, corn maze, milking demonstrations and other fun activities. Located at E.V. Smith Research Center in Shorter. Concessions available.

10 am Lowe's Build & Grow Pumpkin Carving Demonstration FREERegistration opens 10/3

Walmart Grocery Pickup Review & Save $10 off $50

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 03:31:00 +0000

I picked up my first Walmart Grocery order today! Overall it was a good experience and I recommend it highly for most people. I do have a few reasons why I don't see us using grocery pickup regularly and I will share those at the end. If you want to hear all about my experience then keep reading, but if you just want the link to save $10 your first $50 purchase, skip down to the last paragraph.

Before I even made my order I searched for a few things that I know I always buy at Walmart and when I found the exact item that I wanted, I clicked on the heart in the corner of the item listing to add it to my favorites list. It was fun and easy to make a list of all my favorite items so that shopping was even easier when I was ready to make a purchase. When you are ready to shop just look for the words "Add items from your favorites" in your cart. Click there and your list will come up to shop from. Easy as pie.

You can choose your pick up time first or add items to your cart and then pick a time. When I shopped, the next available pickup was the next day but according to their site you can get it as fast as the same day. You can book a time slot up to three weeks in advance if you are super prepared.

The minimum order is $30 for the service. It was convenient to be able to add my grocery items to the cart online, see the total and then schedule a pick up time. Being able to keep up with my total in the online cart made it easy to stick to a budget. (Walmart collects your payment info and the total showed up as pending in my account when I placed the order but doesn't charge you until you pick up so that they prices can be adjusted for things like produce, meats or out of stock items.) Much better than walking around the store writing down prices and adding them up so I don't spend more than I mean to. Plus, I was on my comfy couch in my pajamas-bonus!

On the day of my order pickup, I received a phone call before my scheduled time to let me know that my order was ready and to tell me to call to give them 10 minutes before I came to pick up. When I called with my "10 minute warning," I was instructed on where to park and to call when I got to the special parking places and tell them my parking space number.

My pickup store is the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Federal Drive. The Grocery Pickup parking is clearly marked with signs leading you from the entrance of the parking lot all the way to the side of the store where the pickup parking places are located. You can't miss the orange signs and you should not be able to not find your way to the right place.

When I got to my parking spot I called the number on the sign and told the person my parking spot number and in a few minutes, my cart of bagged groceries was wheeled out by a nice, friendly Walmart employee. She gave me a goodie bag for trying Grocery Pickup (the kids loved all the snacks in the bag!)

My order included some produce and some chicken, so she showed the packages to me to make sure they were acceptable and the contents were as nice as I would have chosen if I had shopped for them myself. One item that I ordered was not in stock so she let me know that I would not be charged for that item. Then she loaded them in my van, I signed for my order and I was ready to go.

After you pick up, you get an emailed receipt with the correct total for your purchase.

Even though the experience was fun & convenient (not having to take all the kids in the store, being able to drive up and have them load the bags in your vehicle) I don't think it will be something that we will be doing very often and here's why.
- I'm pretty thrifty. I buy marked down (close to sell by date) meat if I can find it and there is no chance of getting the mark downs when you order online. I also shop the local grocery stores weekly because they have superb deals on produce and meats and are hardly ever beaten by Walmart on their sale prices.
-We prefer to use cash for our groceries. Ordering online and using the credit card for us makes it easier to justify overspending. Right now Walmart Grocery Pickup can only be paid for by credit card, not even Walmart gift cards.
-There are certain items that we use regularly that the particular Walmart Grocery Pickup store in our city doesn't carry. So after I left with my order I ended up having to go to another Walmart anyway to get a certain pita bread that we eat for our low carb lifestyle. The chance is that they will begin to carry it if enough people request it though so maybe that will change.

Overall, I recommend the Walmart Grocery Pickup and will gladly use it sometimes. Especially when there is a coupon code to save money on my order. Speaking of that...

Click this link (it's my referral link) to save $10 off your first order of $50 or more, then get your referral link and share with your friends to save even more!

Local Grocery Deals 10/5-10/11/16

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 15:39:00 +0000

Here are the best deals at local grocery stores in the river region this week.

AG Store:
Fresh Quarter Loin Chops $1.49/lb
Yellow Squash $0.99/lb
Tomatoes $0.99/lb
Sugardale Shank Portion Ham $1.29/lb

Piggly Wiggly/Mega Meats:
Boston Butts $1.29/lb
Yellow Onions 3lb $1.69
10lb bag Chicken Leg Quarters $3.99
Grapes $1.99/lb
Ground Beef $1.69/lb
Medium Eggs Dozen 2 for $1
Double Q Salmon 14.75 oz can $2.00

Renfroe's Market:
Boneless pork loin $1.98/lb
Boneless Skinless Chicken breast $2.28/lb
Yellow Onions 3lb $1.00
Split Chickens $1.49/lb
Seedless Grapes $1.68/lb

Cashsaver:
Ground Beef $1.78/lb
Bone In Sirloin Pork Chops $0.97/lb
Boneless Fryer Breast $2.19/lb
Wrights Bacon 40oz $8.77
Green Cabbage $0.33/lb
Barlett Pears $0.99/lb
Golden Delicious or Gala Apples $0.99/lb
Hot Jalepeno Peppers $0.99/lb
Russet Potatoes 10 lb bag $2.50
Medium Yellow Onions 3lb bag $1.25

Food Outlet:
TBone Steak $4.96/lb
Ground Beef $1.86/lb
Lean ground chuck $2.28/lb
Fryer Drumsticks $0.88/lb

Calendar: October 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 21:16:00 +0000

Fall is in the air, finally! Time for pumpkin picking, dressing up in fun costumes, boots, hoodies and hay rides!!!!

Here is a list of family-friendly events in Montgomery, Prattville, Wetumpka and surrounding areas for October.

As always, I recommend that you follow the links for more information and call ahead to confirm. Event information often changes!

If you know of any other events to share with families in the river region, send an email to: riverregionfamily @ gmail . com or leave a message on this post or on the River Region Family Facebook page.

For library storytimes and other library events and clubs:

Wetumpka Library:

Autauga County Library:

Montgomery County Library: http://mccplblog.wordpress.com/