Virginia is for Kids!

Wow – this looks like so much fun!  A water balloon piñata!  Thanks to ZiggityZoom.com for this great idea!

This Water Balloon pinata is a fun way to cool off on a hot summer day.  The kids love this and it gets them up and moving.  Just be sure to only use a plastic bat for swinging at the pinata.

What To Do:

• Prior to filling balloons, select a spot where you can tie the balloons overhead so that the kids will have to reach up with the bat, but not too high.  We utilized a patio structure, but a tree  limb or another structure would work well.
• Attach a balloon to the skinny end of the funnel and then slowly fill the balloon with water.  Tie end.  Note that the fuller the balloon is filled, the quicker it will burst.
• Fill about 7 (seven)  balloons, setting each aside on a soft surface, such as patio furniture or an old blanket, to prevent puncturing the balloons ahead of time.
• Cut a piece of string about 40 inches long.  Tie each balloon securely to the string, keeping each balloon about 2 inches apart.    Do not tie balloons to the last 12 inches at either end of the string.
• Tie ends of string to tree limb or selected structure.  Tie securely , as balloon string is going to be heavy.

Children should line up and take turns, swinging the bat one swing per turn.  Make sure all children remain back a safe distance from the batter and definitely make sure that the bat is made of plastic.  If you don’t have a bat, you can fashion one from a length of cardboard, rolling it up and taping with duct tape

The Regal Cinema’s Free Family Film Festival begins June 2009!

When school’s out, kids around the country visit selected Regal theaters for the Free Family Film Festival.  It’s a fun-filled nine weeks of movies for kids and parents.  Since 1991, Regal has provided this service to the community, and best of all it’s FREE!  Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival.

First-come, first-served seating is limited to theater capacity.  The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer.

Tickets are available the day of the show at the theater box office.  Click here to go to the site and search for theaters near you.

What do you think of when you think of southern cooking the way “grandma” makes it?  Meals that take all day to prepare?  Vegetables that are fresh from the garden?  Breads that are made from scratch?  Meats that are purchased from the farmer down the road?

You will find all of that…..and more at The Home Place in Catawba, Virginia.

The Home Place sits on the top of a hill in a renovated colonial farmhouse.  Flanked by big trees and a huge front lawn perfect for playing – it is reminiscent of the quintessential “Grandma’s house”.  Be prepared to spend some time out front too….reservations are not accepted and it’s not unusual for the wait to be over an hour for a table.

But, you don’t go to Grandma’s to eat and run and you don’t do it here either.

Dinner is a family event at The Home Place.  It’s not unusual to hear a call for “Brown – party of 25!” while waiting for your table.  Families bring frisbees and footballs to play on the lawn until “called” to come in for supper.  While the young kids play, the adults visit on the benches or in the gazebos out front.

When you finally sit down for dinner, you’re hungry and ready!

Prices current as of May 3, 2009

The menu here is simple…2 or 3 meats?  Choose from country ham, roast beef or fried chicken.  Then the vegetables:  corn, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, cole slaw, pinto beans…..yum!  And then the biscuits…..the best biscuits in the word with homemade apple butter.  Best of all, you get refills of whatever you like.

For dessert, homemade fruit cobbler with or without ice cream.

The Home Place is open Thursday through Sunday.  Located about 7 miles from I-81 and Roanoke and a 30 minute drive from Blacksburg.  Don’t worry about driving the country roads, no alcohol is served at The Home Place so you will be fine for the drive home.

Tina’s tips:  Wear elastic pants!  Bring a few toys or things for the kids to do while waiting for the table.  Don’t be in a rush.  Bring a camera and some friends!  For drinks, The Home Place offers tea, coffee, lemonade, Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.  If you want the kids to have something else, be sure to bring it with you.