Charlotte Smarty Pants

CSP Team

May 22, 2013

The Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities: May 24-27

CSP’s Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities is your weekend family event planning headquarters! This weekend marks the official opening of all neighborhood pools – yippeee! There is nothing that screams “summer” more than the Memorial Day BBQ at your pool and the hustle and bustle of swim team.

One of our favorite new finds is Food Truck Friday – we are junkies for food trucks and this representation will not disappoint! See below for details. Also, don’t forget to buy your discounted Carowinds passes. Carowinds’ Boomerang Bay opens this weekend – this is their awesome water park. The discounted offer on season passes ends May 27th, click here for deets.

Get out and enjoy and Happy early Memorial Day!

FRIDAY MAY 24

Kids Bowl Free
10 Park Lanes
1700 Montford Drive, Charlotte, NC (704) 523-7633
May 27, 9:00am-5:00pm, Ages k-8th grade, Free, Registration required
Summary: Register for kids bowl free and enjoy 2 free games of bowling every day all summer long!

Kids Bowl Free
StrikeCity
210 E Trade St., Charlotte, NC (704) 716-9300
May 24, 11:00am – 5:00pm, Ages 13 and under, $5 per person food and drink minimum
Summary: Are you a mom, dad or nanny looking for something to do this summer? Look no further because we are free bowling for kids all summer long. Come in, cool off and enjoy some family bowling. Kids 13 and under are welcome to come into StrikeCity anytime between 11am until 5pm, Monday through Friday.

It’s just hair, isn’t it?

It’s just hair.

That’s what I keep telling myself. It’s just hair. It will grow. Quickly.

My nine-year-old daughter recently told me she wants a hairstyle change. After growing it out for several years, she wanted shorter hair and side bangs. While she and I have completely opposite hair color, we have the exact same hair. Straight and fine. I’ve tried the short ‘do many times, and everyday I battle a fresh love/hate relationship with my bangs. I knew what she was embarking on, but for some reason every time I tried to warn her, she rolled her eyes at me. My baby rolled her eyes at me. About a hairstyle. Does this sound familiar to any of you?

I do know why she wants it – I remember exactly how it felt at her age (and let’s be honest – every other age) to want to do a little something different. I remember watching Mary Lou Retton flip her way to gold in the Summer Olympics and thinking that cute bob haircut might be just what my eight-year-old self was searching for. Surely it would make back flips easier – the ease and bounce of the haircut might just lift my feet right off that mat and into a round-off back handspring.

I thought that haircut was going to be perfection, but it ended up being a daily reminder of a mistake – my naturally straight, fine hair would not just “bounce” out of bed. My mom had to curl it under every. single. morning. It was excruciating for me as a third grader. Just imagine how excruciating it was for my mom. If she ever considered it a mistake, she never let on. She’d calmly curl it under every morning while I winced (screamed) every time the curling iron got too close to my forehead or neck. Read More →

3 Comments

Categories: Age 7-10, funny random stories, raising children

CSP Team

May 20, 2013

Smarty Giveaway: A free WEEK of camp at the Morrison YMCA’s Ballantyne Art Center

The summer countdown is ON, Smarties! Less than a month to go until the kids will be home with us 24/7!!! Are you cautiously excited? Yea, me, too. Today’s giveaway will just make you EXCITED for the start of summer. We’re giving away a FREE week of any Morrison Y camp located in their Ballantyne Arts Center (subject to availability).

The Ballantyne Arts Center, located at 11318 North Community House Road, is an 8,300 square foot space located in the Ballantyne Corners Shopping Center at the corner of Community House Road and Ballantyne Commons Parkway. It is home to many Arts and Performing Arts programs through the YMCA and Streetwise Music such as Ballantyne Preschool of the Arts and classes in musical theatre, music, dance and much more. You WILL find a camp your child likes – no question about it. This is one great giveaway!! Read More →

16 Comments

Categories: camps, giveaways

Susan Bowman

Hello, Summer!

The countdown to summer is on like bing bong (Uncle Si-ism, America’s favorite uncle). I am looking forward to letting the kids sleep in, not packing lunches and no homework (and the summer hiatus of me yelling “HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW THIS?!?”)

For many of you, it’s the beginning of ”Camp Mom”.

How did the generations of mothers before us survive the summer without Pinterest? I’m getting dumber by the day and have no fresh or creative ideas to keep the kids occupied.

Pinterest has saved me and makes me pass for a halfway decent mother.

Here are some summer activities that will not take all day to implement and have been Team-Bowman-certified.

Smarty North Event: The Old Bags Luncheon by the Patriot Charities

The Old Bags Luncheon, hosted by The Patriot Charities, is coming to Charlotte for the first time on May 23rd at The Peninsula Country Club in Cornelius. The Patriot Charities is a local, non-profit, 501(c)3 charity. Their purpose is to raise funds and financially assist local programs concerned with the immediate welfare, care and support of our wounded military and their families.

This event has been enjoyed in New York, Los Angeles, and West Palm Beach among other cities. A large silent auction will feature “gently used” designer handbags, along with fashion accessories. Louis Vuitton has generously donated a bag valued at $1700 to be raffled. A Neiman Marcus featured jewelry designer, Heather Moore, is also donating one of her signature necklaces. You will have the opportunity to meet this fabulous designer as she is one of the keynote speakers at the luncheon.

All of the proceeds go directly to benefit the Patriot Charities. Currently, they are working with other military charities to provide homes to 5 local veterans and their families. The homes are in the Lake Norman community.