iThe “most wonderful time of the year” is nearly here! Whether you travel or host, most of us will end up doing some cooking for Thanksgiving.  How can you plan a holiday meal that will still have you giving thanks for your family and friends?  The trick is to start early and make lots of lists.  Write out all of your favorite foods for Thanksgiving.  Then narrow it down to the ones you’re going to make this year.  Clip those recipes to the list (or hyperlink digital recipe links to your digital list) so that everything is in one place.  Then begin to identify food allergies and sensitivities.  Thanksgiving is an easy meal to make for vegetarians.  An array of veggie-based side dishes can upstage even the finest turkey or ham.  
Are you cooking for gluten-free eaters? Before you throw in the towel, see if you can easily modify any of your existing recipes.  One of our holiday favorites is butternut squash casserole.  We swapped the flour for cornstarch or an inexpensive gluten-free flour from Aldi.  
















If you want to branch out, search for “flourless recipes” and you’ll find many new recipes for favorite foods. Check out sites like Gluten Free on a Shoestring to get everyday ideas.
The next step is planning your shopping.  I like to make a comprehensive list from my recipes of every ingredient needed.  Then I check my pantry and cross off what is already here.  That way you can reduce or eliminate the day-of “oops, we don’t have…” shopping trips. Have those recipes you’d LIKE to make, but aren’t sure you’ll have enough time to make? Add them to your pile and get the ingredients.  That way if you get extra time, you’re ready to whip it up.
There are many fun ways to dress up your holiday table.  If you have kids, you can have them help you make napkin rings out of a paper towel tube and construction paper.  Simply cut the tube into 2” rings, cover with glue, and roll them in a shallow dish of cut or torn construction paper squares.  These become a cute Indian corn-style napkin ring.  You can save them for next year, or simply recycle them after dinner.  Gather pine cones and turn them into turkey place card holders.  Cut a turkey head out of construction paper, and use craft feathers (or make construction paper ones) for their plumage.  Cut a paper rectangle for each person, and tuck it in to the quills of the pine cone. Make it even easier and cut out pilgrim hats.  Fold a black construction paper square in half lengthwise, cut down both sides leaving a square sticking up in the middle.  Glue on a yellow square for a buckle (or use a paint marker), and write their name across the top of the hat in white.  For easy place mats, teach your kids how to weave paper strips into a mat or decorate sheets of construction paper. If you don’t feel crafty, you can use some pillar candles in varying sizes and make an arrangement with small gourds or pumpkins.  Search sites like Better Homes and Gardens and you’ll find all kinds of interesting, inexpensive ideas. 
The most important thing to remember when you find yourself stressing about the menu or decorations or cleaning, is to just pause. Anxiety affects nearly 20% of the population and you can feel this pressure most keenly over the holidays. Stop what you’re doing; take a deep breath and remind yourself that this whole day is about being thankful for the people in your life.  They could get a “picture perfect” meal anywhere.  They’ve chosen to spend their time with you. If you feel like your anxiety is ruining your holiday joy, contact QC Counselor for some help.  Focus on a healthier, happier you this year.

This Labor Day marks the 20th anniversary (and final running) of the Run With Carl memorial race for Carl D. Schillig.  Carl was only 15 years old when he was hit by a vehicle and killed while participating in a Civil War re-enactment.  His parents, along with the Jaycees and now Rotary, hold this race each year as a fundraiser for the Carl Schillig Memorial Scholarship Fund.  This is a really fun event for a great cause!  There is a 5K run/walk, and 5 mile run for those 13 and over and a  1 mile run, and 1/2 mile fun run for those 12 and younger.  Immediately after the race, runners can join the post-race party and awards ceremony.  You can register now-race day, but you can only get prizes and awards if you pre-register.  Visit their site for more information on how to be part of this special final event. 

The employment process has certainly changed since I was a teen looking for work.  Though there are many opportunities available to today's teens, sometimes FINDING those opportunities is challenging.  Here are some local tools that might help...

Blackhawk College has a Career Services Center that's open to the public (you don't need to be a BHC student)!  Their staff will help your teen with guided job searches and printed resumes--for free--and no appointment is necessary.  The office is located at Blackhawk College Quad City Campus in Building One. 

QCSTEP.com is a local website with job hunting podcasts and videos.  They also provide a link for job leads (updated weekly during the school year).  Their current start post is all about the importance of volunteering and how to find volunteer work.  It's a great site for teens to bookmark as they start their search.

Goodwill also sponsors a center to help people create and print their resumes and search for jobs online, as well as occasional career fairs.  The Helms Career Center is located at 4805 22nd Avenue, Moline and is open from 9:30-6 Monday-Friday. 

Another resource available to many QC teens is called Career Cruising Quad Cities (CCQC).  This is an online program to help teens find out what kind different careers entail, as well as their aptitude for certain types of work.  Many Illinois and a few Iowa (Davenport and Pleasant Valley Jr/Sr highs) schools participate in this program through Junior Achievement.  To find out if your child's school participates, click here.  If they do, your child can request a login from their school and can use the program from any computer. 

Give your teens their best start with career planning by utilizing the above mentioned resources.  I'd love to hear any "real-life" feedback about these services.  Email me at FYIQuadCities@gmail.com if you've had experience with these, or any other, local job training
 

Although I'm not promoting the "summer's over" camp, there are a FEW back-to-school things that need to be scheduled a little in advance.  One of these is sports/back-to-school physicals.  Many of us automatically assume that needs to be done at our doctors' offices.  That's one option.  Here are a few more for you....

*Palmer Chiropractic Clinic offers $20 physicals from 8/1-9/20.  To make an appointment, call 563-884-5801.  Visit www.palmerclinics.com/qc for more information.

*Plaza Physical Therapy is offering a Student Sports or Camp Physical for $30.  To schedule an appointment, call 563-344-6645

What are some other places where you can take your kiddos to get their physicals done?

"Come on over to Adventureland.  You're gonna have a fun-filled day!"  At least, that's what the song always promised.  We had always chosen Great America/Six Flags for our Amusement Park trips.  It seemed less hokey and much bigger. 

This year, a family obligation brought us to Adventureland in Altoona, IA.  Despite the convincing jingle, we had pretty low expectations.  ;)  When we arrived at the park, we were able to get a front row parking space right near the gate.  I was impressed, but thought maybe it was just because most people didn't go there.  We were greeted warmly at the front gate, by young-ish people who were smiley, friendly, and helpful.  (So far, so good)  As we walked through the tunnel leading into the park, all my Adventureland cynicism began to fade.  What we saw was a very pretty, clean, cute, old-fashioned town.  The train station up on the hill had a few riders ready to go.  Our gang started out on the carousel.  There weren't many people there yet, so they went about 6 times before we called it quits.  We wandered into a couple of the shops where I was once again taken aback.  Instead of ridiculously priced hunks of junk, we found some very cute, REASONABLE souvenirs.  Then we started on the rides.  Everyone wanted to go in different directions, so we found some mid-ground and let the kids wander a bit from there.  It felt like a safe, local park.  The grounds were clean and very well-maintained.  The only ride we passed that had had, er...an incident on it, had 4 men cleaning it up with different types of cleaning implements. We spent 7 hours there and still weren't able to see and do everything.  I'd wager we missed half the park.  We got a brief stop at the water park but unfortunately a storm drove us out.  (You could spend an entire day right there!!)

Here are some reasons we were REALLY impressed by Adventureland...
*Tickets are reasonable.  If you do any scouting around, or if you bring 15 or more people, you'll get discounts off the $40 gate price. 
*You can bring in your own water bottles!  That is a huge money saver right there!  You can't bring in food, but you can eat outside the grounds in a shaded area.
*You can leave and re-enter the park without any rigamarole.  They stamp you, check you and you're back to having fun.
*The entire park is smoke-free!  No walking through smoke clouds or finding cigarette butts on the ground.
*Their maps are really helpful.  One section is set up with two columns "If you are looking for..."  and "You'll find it at..."
*Souvenirs and many snacks are very reasonable.  We got sno-cones for $2/each. 
*The employees are all really professional and were all very nice. 
*The amazing waterpark, Adventure Bay was included in our admission price.  There are cabanas and lockers around you can rent and the area is huge and REALLY good for older kids.  (I wouldn't recommend a full day there with an under 5 or so.  Many of the rides are REALLY big and the lazy river is pretty fast)
*Even though we aren't huge amusement park people, we had a GREAT time! 

Adventureland, my apologies to you!  My snobbery and disdain for you all these years was COMPLETELY unwarranted!  I would go back in a heartbeat.  We really DID have a fun-filled day!

I've been doing the summer activities thing for a LOT of years, and every once in awhile I'm STILL surprised by what there is to do in our area!  Today I discovered that Michael's (craft store in Davenport) offers a program called Passport to Adventure.  This class costs $2/day and takes place Monday/Wednesday/Friday from June 16-August 1.  Each week the kids take an imaginary trip to a museum and make crafts based on what types of exhibits are found there.  Each day they make different crafts, so kids can go all summer long and always do new things.  The first couple of weeks they'll "visit" the Field Museum and the Georgia Aquarium.  These are the crafts that they're scheduled to do on the first day.  Cost includes all materials and supplies.  Pretty cool, huh?

Summer is in full swing.  School is out and moms are looking for fun things to do that won't break the bank.  Here's something  that you can do with your kiddos for 8 weeks!

One excellent feature that our movie theaters offer during the summertime is a weekly cheap movie.  These vary by theater, but all are in the mornings and all are very reasonably priced.  They are first-come, first-served so don't wait until 5 minutes before starting time and figure you'll always get in.  We have actually hit a couple of times where they were full (daycare groups love these!).  Most of the time they'll play the movie in multiple theaters, so if you're meeting people there, have a plan in place (we've frequently missed our friends and run into them out in the parking lot afterwards)  The concession stands are always open for drink/popcorn/snack sales, and since you are getting such a great deal on your tickets, consider supporting them (believe me, we don't EVER do this except in the summer).

We've attended these for several summers and you can bet we'll hit a few this year as well.  These are a great rainy or too-hot day activity, and a nice way to have a playdate with your kids' friends. Here's this year's run down....

Cinemark Theater (Davenport)- Wednesdays. movies begin at 10 AM, Doors open at 9:30.  Movies are $1/person OR $5/person for all 10 if you buy your pass in advance at the theater or www.cinemark.com

6/11--Ice Age The Meltdown
6/18--Epic
6/25--The Croods
7/2--Turbo
7/9--Smurfs 2
7/16--Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
7/23--Walking With Dinosaurs
7/30--The Lego Movie
8/6-- Rio 2


Regal Theater  (Moline)- Tues & Wed. movies begin at 10 AM, doors open at 9:30.  Movies are $1/person.  Choose either movie or see one each day.  Tuesdays are a bonus concession day for club members.  Get a small popcorn for only $2, or upgrade for a couple dollars more.

6/10-6/11-- The Pirates: Band of Misfits  or Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
6/17-6/18--Despicable Me 2 or Arthur Christmas
6/24-6/25-- The Lego Movie or Free Birds
7/1-7/2--Adventures of TinTin or Rise of the Guardians

7/8-7/9-Kung Fu Panda 2 or Madagascar 3
7/15-7/16--The Croods or Epic
7/22-7/23--Turbo or Walking with Dinosaurs
7/29-7/30-- Mr. Peabody & Sherman  or Rio 2

Nova 6 Theater  (Moline) has closed as of 5/27/14

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is offering some cool camps this summer.  To register, visit eicc.edu/summercamp or call 888-336-3907.

June 16-20:
Health Careers Camp  (Class #141953) 9-3 PM, for 8th/9th graders. Held at Scott Community College. Cost $160
Wilderness Camp  (Class #141951) 9-3 PM, for kids 7-10 years old.  Held at Nahant Marsh Ed Center. Cost $160

June 16-19:
College Connection Camp (Class #141956) 9-noon, for 7th/8th graders.  Held at Clinton Community College. FREE

June 23-26:
College Connection Camp (Class #141955) at Muscatine Community College (all info same as above)

June 23-27:
Zombie STEM Camp (Class #141950) 9-3 PM, for kids 11-14 years old. Held at Midwest Public Safety Training Center. Cost $160

July 14-18:
Wilderness Camp (Class #141951) 9-3 PM, for kids 7-10 years old.  Held at Nahant Marsh Ed Center. Cost $160

July 30-August 1: Culinary Skills Camp (Class #142051) 9-3 PM, for 11th/12th graders. Held at Scott. Cost $160

Moms love to see their kids reading and kids love to get new books--the Summer Reading Programs are great for both!  In addition to encouraging our kiddos (and us!) to read, the local libraries have a ton of fun activities planned for the summer.  Here's the rundown of what to expect this summer from our local libraries....

BETTENDORF
Once again the BPL will have a summer program!  Stop by the library to sign up you and your children.  Their prizes are a secret, so you'll have to get reading to find out what you'll win. To see the entire list of activities, visit bettendorflibrary.com/youth-services

DAVENPORT
All three libraries are working together on this program.  Stop into any one of the Davenport libraries (Fairmount, Main, Eastern Avenue) and get signed up.  You'll receive a coupon for a FREE book from the Friends' Book Stores, a cloth library bag at the half-way mark, and a new FREE book when you finish.  Once you're done, you get entered into the grand prize drawings for prizes like a Wii, iPod Shuffle, Color Nook, Fuhu Tablet, $50 iTunes gift card, or a Kindle Paperwhite.  Visit www.davenportlibrary.com for more information.

MOLINE
The Moline library allows you to sign up for their reading program online.  Kids in 1-6th grade can sign up at www.molinelibrary.com.  You'll record your minutes online and the library will notify you when it's time to come pick up your prize.  How easy is that?

ROCK ISLAND
The RI library is kicking off their program this Saturday with a carnival.  To kick off summer in a big way, the Rock Island Library will host the Paws to Read Summer Reading Carnival from noon to 3:00 pm on Saturday, June 7. Activities include summer reading registration and prizes, hourly prize drawings, a children's bounce house, games, mascot visits, free face painting, magic, chalk art, and special presentations, including a K-9 police demo, and a costumed pet parade.  For more information, visit rockislandlibrary.org

If you have an 8-18 year old who likes Legos, Robots, or both, the Bettendorf Library has a program for you! Build-A-Bot! Lego Robotics Club will meet June 16th from 2-4, and July 7 and 21st from 2-4. Registration IS required for this program. You can register online  HERE