This year my two little guys celebrated some big ones, (1 and 5) so we had a blast planning parties and in the case of my 5 year old, creating present lists.  I was lucky this year to get introduced to a fabulous store on Etsy called Little One Birthday Boutique (Thank you Becky!).

Let me start by telling you that if you haven’t discovered Etsy yet RUN, don’t walk, your little fingers to the keyboard and check this site out!  It is filled with handmade products from some of the most creative people out there.  You will find things like jewelry, clothing, calling cards, art, toys, music, furniture and the list goes on.  I can literally spend hours browsing…

Below are some samples of what you’ll find at Little One Birthday Boutique, as well as the shirts we just couldn’t pass up.

Enjoy, and expect to see more from Etsy in the future.

The website is called Lunch in a Box (look for it in our links menu) and it is the work of author “Biggie” who has adapted the Japanese art of the BENTO box to a “world menu” for her 4 year old son.  Biggie is ridiculously creative and possesses way more patience for her kitchen than I can ever claim, but on her site you just may find some inspiration and techniques to adopt yourself.

Below are some of the super cute bentos Biggie has on her site.  Be sure to check it out.  You’ll find recipes, tools and tips for creating your own.

After spending time drooling over the cuteness of these great boxes I set out to recreate my own version for the little guys and completely “Americanized” the menu.  ;)

If you’re looking for containers, cutters and various other doo dahs to create your own you can order on-line from specialty bento stores or check out the LOCAL offerings.  I found the blue multi-diveded container at Target in the baby section and the dinosaur sandwich cutter at Publix.  You can find fun little trinkets at the dollar stores and even add little notes for your kids school lunches.  Have fun, be creative and send Momazine pictures of your BENTO BOXES!  We’ll feature them right here.  : )

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Here is the information from Regal Entertainments website:

I talked to the new owner, Gloria and she told me about a special they are doing Thursdays during the summer where you get two hours of play (10am-noon) for a reduced admission of $5+tax.  There will also be an optional music or art class each week.  (art class is an additional $5)

For more information visit www.funfactoryocala.com

If you are a local “mompreneur” please contact us and tell us a little about yourself.  We’d like to get to know you and introduce you to your most loyal clients.

Each month I will be highlighting one of these charities and the ways you can get involved.  Let’s take the time to LOVE our neighbors and make Ocala an even better place.

Ladies, if you are active in a local charitable organization and would like to share with other Momazine readers please contact us.  We would love to hear from you.

You give them strength, but in a gentle way.  You give them your time and attention even when you’ve got very little energy left to give.  You give them security by the sacrifices you make.  You show them what it means to be a man by living as an example.  You are faithful and true and you are the rock of our family.

Thank you.

Friday night found us in just such a situation and thankfully Grandma and Peepaws were happy to spend a night corralling the kiddos. So Drew and I headed downtown to meander around, eat some food and catch what has quickly become our favorite local band, Second Slice.

First we headed to Pi on Broadway because it is closing soon and we wanted to get one more meal in before saying farewell.  We grabbed a nice little corner on the upstairs patio and enjoyed some drinks and ahi lettuce wraps.  They were tasty, although I’m partial to Outback’s seared ahi tuna and these didn’t have quite the flavor.  Also, there were only 3 which was just barely enough to taste and gave us the idea to move on and try out some other flavors.

After a quick debate we headed over to Mojos because I keep hearing good things, but had yet to make it in.   We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table, but the owner, Ron, got us some ice cold Coronas and kept checking on us so it was hard to feel bothered by it.  We got seated as the live blues music began and enjoyed the cool air that doesn’t quite make it to the front kitchen area where we were waiting.  After a quick perusal of the menu we settled on an order of fried pickles (don’t make that face until you’ve tried it because….yumm!) and then split the Friday night fish taco special that comes with a bowl of black beans and rice.  Once again, yumm!  We’ll be back and hopefully soon.

At this point it’s 9:15 and the real reason we headed downtown this weekend is getting warmed up at Tin Cup Tavern so we scrambled across 40 only to realize the walk sign was lit up and the headlights shining on us weren’t on the move.  We found our way into the Tavern just in time to listen to our favorite cover band open with “Washed by the Water.”  If you like Billy Joel, Elton John and Pink Floyd you will love listening to Second Slice live and if you haven’t yet, friend these guys on Facebook.  They’ll let you know when and where there next show will be.

Every great night must come to an end.  So after listening to Second Slice for a bit we headed back to pick up the little guys and brought them back to the land of leggos and rocking horses, two crazy dogs, a cozy bed, a nightlight and a kiss goodnight.