Are You Ready for the Spring Yet?

Dancing With Fire

I don’t know about you, but I think we’ve had enough snow for one year. I mean 65 inches of snow should really be enough for just about anyone. Unfortunately, there’s a certain groundhog (who will remain nameless) that insists we are going to have another 6 weeks of winter, so what’s an exhausted snow shoveler to do? Well, there really are only two things you can do. You can try to get your mind off of the snow or you can move south. If the first choice sounds more practical, that’s probably because it is. As a result, you may want to know some of the things that you can do this weekend to get your mind off of the snow and to focus on the lovely season that makes all of the white stuff go away (eventually at least.)

First, if you’re looking for a way to get you mind off the snow or you’re looking for a safer way to satisfy your fascination with fire than taking a blowtorch to the ice in your driveway, you may want to check out Fire & Ice: A Winter Festival. This festival, which is sponsored by the Somerville Arts Council, is a celebration of all things hot and cold, and it’s a great way to celebrate the fact that it won’t be this cold forever. In fact, you, your friends, your family, and anyone else you feel like dragging along with you will have the opportunity to warm themselves up with a hot cup of coffee or freeze themselves to the bone with some ice cream while they watch fire spinners perform amazing feats and ice sculptures take shape right in front of their eyes. For more information on Fire & Ice: A Winter Festival, which is scheduled to take place in Union Square Plaza tomorrow from 3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M., please visit the Somerville Arts Council website.

Secondly, if fire isn’t really your thing (“Fire bad!”) or the very mention of the word ice makes you cringe (“Ice worse!”), you may want to check out the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society’s Polymer and Beading Show entitled “Spring Starts Here!” This show, which begins tomorrow and runs every day from Tuesday through Sunday until the 16th, is a collection of artistic works that have a garden or spring-related theme. However, what really makes the show impressive is the fact that each of the works in the show are constructed completely out of polymer clay and/or beads, which means that each flower, wreath, and/or other spring-related piece of artwork took weeks, if not months, to complete. For more information on the Spring Starts Here Polymer and Beading Show, please visit the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society website.

Photo credit: *~Dawn~* / Foter / CC BY

Your Kids’ Vacation Isn’t Over Yet!

Circus Oz

February Vacation is almost over but that doesn’t mean that you’re off the hook just yet. In fact, if your kids have been cooped up inside all week because snow, rain, sleet, and pretty much everything else that could possibly fall from the sky has been messing up your plans, you may be desperately looking for a way to salvage the end of their mid-winter break. Fortunately, there are a lot of places that schedule extra activities this week to draw in kids and their families while they don’t have school, and these events will continue until this weekend. As a result, if you’re looking for something to do with your kids before their vacation is over, there are a couple of places that you should definitely check out.

First, if your kids have been demanding some face time with the lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!), this may be a great time to give them what they want. This is because this weekend is the last weekend of Franklin Park Zoo’s Tropical Adventure program. This program will allow you and your kids to listen to stories about tropical animals, learn special facts about the animals that live in tropical climates, and, of course, see all of the tropical animals that the zoo has to offer. Best of all, this program is included in the zoo’s normal admission price, so you won’t have to surrender all of your hard-earned cash (as long as your kids don’t buy everything in the gift shop.) For more information on Franklin Park Zoo’s Tropical Adventure Program and other events at the zoo, please visit the Franklin Park Zoo’s event page.

Secondly, if your kids aren’t really into animals, but they love death-defying feats when other people are performing them, you may want to check out Circus Oz. Circus Oz is a troop of Australian acrobats known for their comedic antics, music, and most of all, their daredevil feats. These performers, which are actually recognized as the National Circus of Australia, don’t use live animals because they don’t need them. In fact, they are some of the most skilled (and silliest) acrobats you will ever see. For more information on Circus Oz, which will be performing at the Citi Shubert Theatre until this Sunday, please visit the Celebrity Series of Boston’s website.

Photo credit: BotheredByBees / Foter / CC BY

Wait…What Day Is It Again?

Be Mine

 

No matter what you do, there’s never enough time in the day to accomplish everything. In fact, there’s a pretty good chance that one of the most difficult tasks you will face on a daily basis is trying to figure out how you’re going to accomplish the mountain of tasks that you have set before you. As a result, it really should come as no surprise that you have to prioritize and put off things that you think you can accomplish later. The problem is that later, like tomorrow, next week, and eventually, never really comes, and it is very easy to find yourself in a situation where you have waited a little too long to accomplish the tasks that you needed to accomplish. Fortunately, if you have just looked at the date on this post or looked up at your calendar and realized that you are in one of those situations right now, there’s no need to panic. I’ve got you covered.

First, if you remembered to get a gift, but you’re desperately looking for some way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your mystery-obsessed Valentine, I have the event for you. The All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Braintree, MA is hosting a chocolate-themed murder mystery at 7:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, February 15, 2014) entitled “A Chocolate Affair.” This event will allow you and your Valentine to help solve a murder mystery involving a series of chocolaty characters, including BonBon Goodbar, Mayor P.T. Butterfingers, Melky Way, Mr. and Mrs. Reese, Truffles Lindt, Zagnut Goodbar, and more. Best of all, you will be able to sample a wide assortment of chocolates while you attempt to figure out who did it. For more information on A Chocolate Affair and/or to order tickets, please visit the All Souls Braintree Blog.

Secondly, if you totally forgot about Valentine’s Day and you’re desperately looking for some way to show your chocolate-loving Valentine that you care, I would highly recommend that you take a trip to Salem this weekend. This is because Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival, which began last weekend, runs until this Sunday (February 16, 2014.) This festival will allow you and your Valentine to view a number of carefully crafted ice sculptures as you wander the streets of Salem making your way from one chocolate shop to the next. In fact, if you didn’t remember to get your Valentine a gift, you may come across a number of chocolaty delights, jewelry, and other gift ideas in the small shops throughout the city. For more information on the festival, please visit the Salem Chamber of Commerce’s event page.

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter / CC BY

How to Have Some Winter Fun in New England

Snow Much Fun (Snow Tubing)

New England has been known for its harsh winters ever since the first English settlers stepped foot upon its soil. However, just because the area is regularly buried in snow with a temperature ranging anywhere from 0 to 50 and a wind chill of who knows what doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t enjoy the weather outside. In fact, if your children are going a little stir crazy (and, in turn, driving you crazy), there are a couple of wintry activities this weekend that are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.

First, if you and/or your kids have always loved snow tubing, you should definitely check out Amesbury Sports Park. This is because Amesbury Sports Park boasts the steepest snow tubing hill in all of New England, and with 8 lanes that are kept almost constantly snow-covered during the winter (temperature allowing), your entire family should have no problem enjoying the hill over and over again. Best of all, it’s only $27 a person for up to three hours of snow tubing, and you don’t have to buy your own tube. It is important to remember though that you cannot bring your own sled, and you will have to sign a waiver for each person going down the hill before anyone in your group can go sledding. For more information on Amesbury Sports Park and its facilities, please visit the Amesbury Sports Park website or call 978-388-5788 ext. 106.

Secondly, if really steep hills seem a little unnecessary to you and/or the price of tubing doesn’t really sound like such a great deal when you have eight kids, you may want to take a trip down to Holyoke, Massachusetts. This is because the Third Annual Holyoke Winter Carnival runs from today, February 7th to Sunday, February 16th, 2014. This event will give you and your family the opportunity to enjoy arts and crafts, chili cook-offs, dancing, hockey, hot chocolate, ice-skating, music, quilts, races, scavenger hunts, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Third Annual Holyoke Winter Carnival, please visit the Holyoke Winter Carnival website.

Photo credit: gfpeck / Foter / CC BY-ND