Mom’s Night Out at The Battery Atlanta

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Every so often, for our sanity, it’s good to leave the kids with Dad and have a Mom’s Night Out. Atlanta offers a large array of activities for kids, parents, date nights, and even mom’s night out.  So grab your gal pals and take advantage of the opportunities you have for a mom’s night out!

Battery Atlanta Escape Room Mom's Night Out

A few weeks back, I went out with some other local blogger moms to an outing at The Battery Atlanta for some good food and a little escape room fun.  You can check out my vlog about it here. [Read more…]

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

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Free and Frugal Ways to Beat the Heat Around Atlanta – Part 2

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Free and Frugal Ways to Beat the Heat in Atlanta

They don’t call it “Hotlanta” for nothing, that’s for sure. Although Summer 2013 was drenched considerably with rain for the Atlanta area, who knows what’s in store for this summer!? Hot, humid seemingly-never-ending heat seems par for the course in the southeast, come June, July, and August.

But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer! Atlanta is home to quite a few fun, free, and frugal ways to stay cool during the dog days of summer. Be prepared with this extensive list of free and frugal ways to beat the heat around Atlanta this summer!

I’ve broken the guide in to three parts: splash parks/pads, water parks and attractions, and indoor places.
Check out these aquatic centers and attractions. While some are not necessarily “frugal”, it may be worth a shot to mix it up during the summer heat, offering a special treat for the family:

  • Cumming Aquatic Center offers classes, lessons and more – there’s something for everyone here. Features include several different levels of diving boards, indoor and outdoor pools, and opportunities for intense swimming and diving lessons. The outdoor facilities are open during the summer, from May through September, and features a slide, a lazy river, and a play structure for children. The outdoor area also features four cabanas for birthday parties and three giant umbrellas for shade {FREE for kids 2 and under; up to $5 admission; or passes for longterm use}
  • Gwinnett Aquatic Centers, including the West Gwinnett Aquatic Center,offer walk-in pools, sprayers, slides, floating rivers, and more! With locations throughout the county, there’s bound to be a center near you. Please note: all pools are closed for maintenance 5-17-13 through 5-24-13. {Residents: $3.25 – $5.50; non-residents: $6.25 – $10.50}
  • Cherokee County Aquatic Center offers indoor and outdoor pools, as well as a super-cool water playground, two water slides, beach entry, pavilions, concessions, and more! There is also a special splash park at Cline Park as well. {FREE for kids 2 and under; up to $6 admission for adults and kids over age 2}

    CherokeeCountyAquatics

    photo courtesy of Cherokee County Aquatics

  • Lake Lanier Islands Beach and Water Park or “Lanier World” will keep you occupied and entertained for at least an entire day! The Raging River sends older kids down rapid, complete with splashy turns. Wild Waves is the states largest wave pool (And it’s got a kid-size version, Wiggle Wave.) There’s also their splash park, Kiddie Lagoon; as well as a swim area and beach area. Then there’s the ultimate “floating playground” – Aquatic Adventures, along with several thrilling water slides for kids over 42″ tall. {FREE for kids 2 and under; children and adults range from $12 to $35}
LanierWorld

Lake Lanier Islands Beach and Water Park – photo courtesy of http://www.lakelanierislands.com

  • In addition to diving boards, shaded kiddie pool, and concession stand at Wills Park Pool, they also host “Dive-In Movie” nights during the summer! Located in Alpharetta. {$3/person/day}
  • Six Flags Over Georgia – Ok, yeah, not necessarily a water park, but they DO have a handful of good water rides.  They, um, always leave me with wet britches, at least.  And now, two words: Hurricane Harbor!  Discount tickets frequently available via local establishments, like McDonalds (online promo code: MCDatl to save up to $20) and from a good ol’ Coke can.
  • South Cobb Aquatic Center, located in Austell, is one of six aquatic centers in the county; it includes slides, diving boards, and a lazy river. {$2.12 – $4.50 daily admission}
  • Stone Mountain’s Geyser Towers is a great option for anyone over 32″ tall. With an intricate web of nets and tunnels, kids enjoy occasional splashes. {Individual Attraction Tickets: Adults: $14.00; Children (age 3-11): $14.00; OR Included in Adventure Pass & Mountain Membership}

  • And then there’s always White Water: with over 50 water different attractions, there’s something for everyone, including the 90 foot Free Fall for the adventurous types, and the wave pool and hooch river for everyone, and Captain Kids Cover for wee ones. {Buy tickets for just under $30, or group tickets for under $25}
Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Summer Reading Program: Dig in to Reading!

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The Summer Reading Program is just the first in many for my “Whatcha Reading” series.  Promoting literacy is such an integral part of my life, as a teacher and a mother, and I wanted to extended it to all of you. Therefore, I aim to bring a series “Whatcha Reading” to AFM. Here you will find book picks for children, adults, as well as tips for promoting literacy within your home.

Summer Reading Program WhatchaReading

Among my many lofty goals to accomplish this summer, summer reading tops the list. (Specifically, working on teaching my daughter to read. But I’ll dive in to that topic on another day…) We recently hit up our Gwinnett library, and signed up for their summer reading program, called “Dig in to Reading!”

Upon signing up, our “kit” included some great tools to help us get started, including a log to help us reach our reading goals, stickers, a some bookmarks. (That it also contained a coupon for a FREE Chick-fil-a kids meal, good anywhere in Gwinnett, and a coupon for a FREE slushie at Sonic were but mere bonuses!)  Along with their program, there are events happening at each location throughout the summer, including puppet shows, story times, and more!  If you’re a resident of Gwinnett, I highly encourage you to check it out!

Similar summer reading programs for children can be found throughout the metro Atlanta area.

Check with your local library to see what they have to offer!  Here is Dekalb’s program, and here is Fulton’s.
Summer Reading Program

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Atlanta's Frugal Mom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. In other words, if you click through to Amazon from some of the books or products I recommend and make a purchase, I get a small percentage in exchange for your purchase. It's a small way you can support AFM.