I've been anxiously awaiting my next opportunity to post because there's so much exciting stuff comping up in our area. While I'm loving the rain, summer is right around the corner. I can tell because the Summer Activity Guides for the Cities of Livermore and Tracy have come out, and I'm so excited about what they hold.
Livermore has a ton of classes and camps for kids. We've been thinking about picking one that my step-daughter and my niece, who lives in Livermore, can attend together. They will be so excited when they hear about it. So far, I'm loving the GLEE Summer Camp and the Nature Camps. I wish I could go! Fortunately, the brochure contains many activities available for adults, as well.
You can find the Livermore Activity Guides here.
I'm especially excited about the Tracy Activity Guide, found here. They say that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but how can you not get excited when you see this?
I love old cars, and especially trucks, so I'm really excited about the Then & Now Car Show happening on July 21st in Downtown Tracy.
But inside, there's much more, too.
I've seen signs around the mall about this, but the brochure also mentions that they're going to have a Farmers' Market at West Valley Mall in Tracy. This will be so much more convenient for us in Mountain House and I'll probably end up going more often, since I'm in that area most weekends, anyway. It runs on Sundays, May 6th until October 27th, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The guide also lists many other Farmers' Markets in San Joaquin County, including the original Tracy Farmers' Market, on Saturdays May 5th through October 27th, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
There will also be some other fun community events downtown. There will be Downtown Block Parties: "Enjoy music, wine, beer, dancing & a bite to eat!" And each Party has a different theme:
May 4th will be a Cinco de Mayo Celebration
June 8th is Blues & Brews
June 22 will be Old Time Rock & Roll, 50's & 60's Night & Taste of Tracy
August 3rd is Boots & Buckles Country Night
August 24th is Classic Rock Night
There will also be outdoor movies on the Downtown Plaza at 6th & Central, starting at sunset on July 13th, July 27th, and August 10th.
I think they've had these events in previous years, but I feel like they haven't been so well advertised as they are this year, right in the very front pages of the brochure.
There's also Girls Night Out on May 11th, and Tracy's Best Yard Sale on June 16th.
Even further in, there's a wealth of Summer Camps for kids. I think Egal Lakes Day Camps sound like something our kid would love. From the brochure: "Each week includes: team sports, games, swimming, crafts, water activities, nature walks, fitness and more." There are many more camps available, as well as activities for adults.
My family is yet to decide which activities we'll participate in this summer, but we're pretty sure it will be a great time.
For the next four days, LocalGruv is offering a voucher for 2 hours of studio time, a 12" by 12" canvas and all the paint and supplies you'll need to create a beautiful painting at Sharaku Paintertainment in Pleasanton. (Although in my experience, I usually start out feeling like I'm going to paint like Van Gogh, but end up with something that looks like an elephant painted it. But most people are much more artistic than I am.) And at $11 you might as well give it a shot, since you couldn't even purchase the supplies you'd need to create a painted canvas for that price, so it's totally worth it.
Go here to purchase your voucher and see the details of the offer.
And what's even better, a portion of the proceeds go to The Taylor Family Foundation.
We're almost done with my step-daughter's basketball class, Just 4 Hoops, through the City of Tracy. She is having a great time learning skills in a non-competitive environment. For us, this was a good alternative for a kid who says she wants to join a team, but would probably be over it in about 2 weeks, once she found out how much work and dedication it really takes. So, this was our test run, so that she could learn and practice the game, before making that commitment.
And I have to say, I'm really impressed. The coach, just a young guy, really knows what he's doing, and is so good with the kids. I am so glad that we signed her up for the class. And she's really looking forward to her Just 4 Kicks soccer class, starting in a few weeks.
Just 4 Hoops and Just 4 Kicks have classes for a wide range of ages, and I really recommend it for kids who are interested in sports, but need a little help with their skills. And the City of Tracy Activity Guide really has something for everyone, and generally, at reasonable prices, especially compared with a private institution. (Note: Mountain House residents don't qualify for the Tracy resident prices.)
Check out the Winter/Spring Activity Guide here.
Need plans for this weekend and don't want to spend a whole lot of dough? Here's just a short list of fun and cheap things to do in The Altamont Pass Area:
Friday
Saturday
All Weekend
Thanks to Hip2Save for most of this fab info. Head on over here for much more, including lots of discounts for shopping.
Every few months, I look forward to LARPD's new catalog of classes and programs. It's filled with great activities for kids and adults and they're usually at great prices (or at least cheaper than private lessons and classes). There are always too many classes that I want to take, so my family and I usually attend one or two per year.
There are any kind of classes imaginable, and some you never would have thought of in your wildest dreams. Last year, my step-daughter took a kid's Zumba class, that she really enjoyed. (I've since discovered that kids can participate in the Zumba classes in Mountain House, but I'll post more on that soon.) Another fun thing that my sister told me about is the Friday Fun Night, which allows you to drop of your 5- to 10-year-old off at the community center so that you can have a "date night" (or just a break). It's only $15 for 3 hours and it sounds like a great time for all.
I'm going to look a little deeper to pick out which classes we might take this season. I'll update you on the ones that I think look the best, and are the best deals.
Find the full catalog here: http://www.larpd.dst.ca.us/brochures/Winter_Spring_2012_Brochure.pdf
And you can find the LARPD website here: http://www.larpd.dst.ca.us/
For $20 you can purchase this Trubates deal which is good for a $120 paintball package for 4, including equipment rental, although air and paint are not included. I thought I'd share this one because it can be used in Livermore, off of Stanley Blvd.
