A Stay at Home Mommy's Dream Come True! - Indoor Playscapes for FREE (mostly)

If you live in DFW and you are a Mom, you know that there is a very teeny tiny window of time between Spring and Summer where you can take your children outside to play without turning into a big pool of sweat that no amount of deodorant (or underarm botox injection) can help you out with.  It's Texas and we love it and hate it at the same time.  So, with that in mind, I have been scouring the metroplex for indoor playscapes for FREE (or relatively cheap) where all us moms can enjoy one of man's best inventions, the air conditioner.  Indoor play grounds are awesome because they allow us and our stir crazy children to get out of the house to socialize and burn off energy so they can take a nice loooong nap and you can watch re-runs of Friends, bake something, plan dinner or watch 30 minutes of last season's 4th episode of Grey's Anatomy that is STILL on your DVR before you promptly fall asleep.  We need these indoor playscapes for our sanity and I can't THANK these churches/organizations/businesses enough for allowing them to be open to the public so that our children can thrive in these lava-like months.

Here is the list that I've come up with thus far, please feel free to comment on others you know about so I can add to the list.  I'm providing a link to the church/organization also so you can call and verify times they are open because some of them I've just 'heard through the grapevine' that they are open to the public - especially if they are far away from where we live and we haven't had a chance to visit.

I also included a link at the bottom of 181 places in the DFW area that your children should experience. Some are free, some aren't, but lots of ideas for you to look through for that day when everyone is bored at the house!

- Bicentennial Park - Southlake - FREE - Open all the time.  This outdoor park is amazingness!  It has ziplines, huge slides, shade, a splash pad, a huge dragon with water coming out of his nose and a little river to splash in.  People, it has shade!  Trees are even big enough for climbing!  Also has swings a ginormous sandbox with water feature, a musical area, caves, TONS of things to climb on and in.  There are plenty of benches and picnic tables too AND it is fully enclosed with only one way in and one way out.  Geniuses built this park.  Geniuses with a lot of money.  Suggestion - bring a change of clothes - your kids WILL get dirty.  Also, bring a pair of swim shoes that way kids can go freely between the wet areas and the play areas with wood chips/rocks.  Um, did I mention there is shade?
- Fellowship at the Parks Church - Keller - Free - Mon/Wed- 10am-2pm
- Mommy Mondays @ The Movie House & Eatery in Keller- http://themoviehouse.com/keller/discounts/ - $6
- White's Chapel Church - Southlake - FREE - M/T/Th- 8am-5pm, Wed- 8am-7pm, Fri- 8am-1pm, Sat- 4pm-6:30pm, Sun- 8am-12:30pm
- US Golds Gymnastics - Open Gym Play time - Roanoke - Mon & Thurs- 11am-12pm, $5 per child
http://www.usgoldgymclub.com/Preschool2.html
-Bedford Splash - http://www.bedfordsplash.com/hours_admission_2.htm
- Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge - $5 (and up) - Go visit the Bison, Hike, or Story time every Wednesdays where you get to meet an animal (FREE w/ admission)
http://www.fwnaturecenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1
-Celebration Party and Event Center - Keller - $3-$5 per person
http://www.celebrationeventandpartycenter.com/
-Gateway Church - Indoor playscape in Southlake AND N. Fort Worth location (off Beach St.) - FREE (This also has a coffee shop for us sleep deprived moms...BONUS!)
-Urban Air Jump Park - Southlake - Toddler time is on Wed and Friday, 10am-1pm, $3-$5, plus an extra few bucks if mom wants to jump too.
http://www.urbanairtrampolinepark.com/trampoline-park-locations/southlake-trampoline-park/
-Library Storybook times - Check out library websites for times in Watauga, Keller, N. FW - FREE
-Bear Creek Park - Keller - They usually have family activities at night in the summer and also have a pond for fishing - FREE
-Grapevine Splash Park & Casey's Clubhouse - Grapevine
http://www.cre8play.com/custom_play/caseys-clubhouse-dove-park/
-Trophy Club Splash Pad - Trophy Club
http://www.trophyclub.org/departments/parks-and-recreation/aquatics.html
-Grapevine Vintage Train ride - Grapevine
-Nash Farm - Grapevine
http://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/nash-farm/
-Bob Jones Nature Center - Southlake - check out their website for summer camp info/cost and other classes
http://www.bjnc.org/
-Summer time at the Movie Theatre - Alliance Movie theatre - Keller - $1 movie each Wednesday, call for specific times, etc.  Other theatres participate in this - you will just need to check out websites and do a little calling around.

That's it for now...will update the main chart below soon! :-)

Indoor Activities
Name	City	Cost	Days Open	Time Open	Link
Milestone Church	Keller	FREE	M-Th	10am - 2pm	http://www.milestonechurch.com/ministries/children/lil-kidz/
The Hills Church of Christ	North Richland Hills/N. FW	FREE	M-F	See website	http://www.thehills.org/index.cfm/pageID/1915/
FBC Coppell (Gracepoint)	Coppell	FREE	M-F	See website	http://www.gracepointcoppell.org/the-ark
The Tubes at Irving Bible Church	Irving	FREE	M-Sun	9am-9pm	http://www.irvingbible.org/about/our-building/room-locations/public-spaces/the-tubes/
Paradise Pond - FBC Grapevine	Grapevine	$1 per child & adult	Thurs & Fri only	9am-11am	http://www.fbcgrapevine.com/ministries/children/paradise-pond/
Grapevine CAC Preschool Playtime	Grapevine	$ 1 per child (inc. 1 adult)	Friday only	10am-1pm	http://familyeguide.com/2013/grapevine-cac-preschool-playtime-2/
Vista Ridge Mall Soft Play Area	Lewisville	FREE	M-Sun	Mall Hours	http://familyeguide.com/2012/vista-ridge-mall-soft-play-area/
Glenview Baptist Church	Fort Worth	FREE	1st, 3rd and 5th Monday of the month	10am - 12pm	http://www.glenviewchurch.org/welcome-to-treehouse-kids-preschool/
Going Bonkers	Lewisville	FREE - up to $6	See website	See website	http://www.goingbonkers.com/
Dallas Fire Fighters Museum	Dallas	$2-$4 per child	See website	See website	http://dallasfiremuseum.com/schedule-a-tour/
Let's Jump/United Bounce	Keller	$2-$4 per child	M-F	9am - 11am	http://www.letsjump.net/General_Admission.html
Lake Point Church	Rockwall	FREE	MWF	Call	http://www.lakepointe.org/NewVisitor/Overview.aspx
Covenant Church	Carollton	FREE	M-F	8:30am-6pm	http://www.covenantcarrollton.org/children
Collin Creek Mall	Plano	FREE	M-Sun	Mall Hours	http://collincreekmall.com/dining-entertainment
Capstone Church	Benbrook	?	?	Call	http://www.thecapstone.org/connect/children/
FBC Colleyville	Colleyville	?	?	Call	http://firstcolleyville.com/ministries/children/
Altitude Trampoline Park	Keller	$5 & up (offer toddler time)	M-Sun	Call	http://altitudetrampolinepark.com/page.cfm?pageid=21107
Western Currency Facility	Fort Worth	FREE	See website	See website	http://www.dfwchild.com/calvenue.asp?calevtid=941
Outdoor Activities
Name	City	Cost	Days Open	Time Open	Link
Homestead Farms	Keller	FREE	Tues-Fri & Sat	Varies	http://homestead-farms.net/
Forest Park Miniature Train	Fort Worth	$3.50 per child/$4 per adult	Changes with the Seasons	Varies	http://fpmt.us/
Colleyville Kidzville Outdoor park	Colleyville	FREE	Anytime	Anytime	http://www.yelp.com/biz/kidsville-colleyville
Dinosaur World	Glen Rose	$9.75 and UP	See website	See website	http://www.dinosaurworld.com/hours_information/
Fossil Rim	Glen Rose	$14.95 and UP (Discounts avail)	See website	See website	http://www.fossilrim.org/
Another GREAT source:	http://www.dfwchild.com/Dallas/showarticle.asp?artid=1247

Lactogenic Granola Bar Recipe

I had a rough time with breastfeeding with my first child, Declan.  I'm about to pop with baby #2 and decided that this time I was going to be knowledgable about all the 'galactagogues' or foods  and herbs that can help with milk supply (fancy word, I know).  I bought a book called Mother Food by Hilary Jacobson, which is where I got the list of yummy ingredients that promote milk supply.  I made up the recipe...because that's the way I roll.  It is chock FULL of yummy ingredients and these puppies are relatively easy to make.  If you had a hard time breastfeeding you know more than anyone, that you will try ANYTHING to get your milk supply up (aside from purchasing mammary tissue from the black market).  So, why not make these yummy treats?  I'll keep you posted on whether or not they actually help me this time around, but either way, I'll know that I'm nourishing my body with healthy food and those foods are feeding my baby, so whether the bars work or not is really besides the point - but if they DO...heck, I'll be feeding them to my hubby and hooking him up to the breast pump!  LOL!  Enjoy!



Lactogenic Granola Bars

½ cup almond butter (unsalted)

2 tbsp. raw organic honey

1 tbsp. organic pressed flaxseed oil

1 whole mashed banana (used as a binder; if you notice bananas decrease your milk supply you may use applesauce or black strap molasses in place of the banana - ~1/4 cup)

1 tbsp. malt powder (optional)

½ tsp. kosher/sea salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. raw organic sunflower seeds

2 tbsp. raw organic pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp. organic chia seeds

¼ cup raw finely chopped cashews (can substitute pecans, almonds or macadamia nuts)

¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup rolled organic oats

½ cup dried chopped figs or dates

½ cup dried chopped apricots

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl to combine; add everything else to the bowl and be sure that all the dry ingredients are coated well.  Line a small baking pan (smaller than 9x13 if you have it)` with parchment paper and pour mixture over parchment paper, pressing to ½ inch thickness.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are browned.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then cut into approx. 12, 1x3 inch bars.  Wrap individually or keep in a Ziploc with parchment or wax paper between layers.  Keep refrigerated or freeze in batches!