The Inside Scoop on Holiday Mall Activities

If your family is like mine, seeing Santa Claus is an annual tradition. In our family, so is fighting the kids to get dressed in something beyond a t-shirt and shorts for the photo and then trying to entertain them while we wait in line. To help you keep the season jolly, I asked Jennifer Dunaway with KC Public Relations to give us the Inside Scoop on seeing Santa at area malls.

1. When is the best days/times to see Santa at the Mall? Evenings and weekends are usually the busiest times. The later in the day you get the more crowded it gets. To see both Santa and ride the Pink Pig at Lenox, typically the earlier in the day one arrives, the shorter the lines. (Editors note: We do both of these each year. As you wait for Santa, the Pink Pig line grows, so you may want to have one person go get the Pink Pig tickets while you wait for Santa. At least then you only have to wait in the ride line, not the ticket line as well.)

2. What's the best color clothing to wear for better photos? Santa's attire and his chair are red, so we would recommend not wearing red. If you want to be seasonal, choose green instead.

3. Any suggestions to help kids who might be scared of Santa? For kids that are scared of Santa, be sure to describe him as a cheery friendly fellow, to ease their fears. Remind them that he comes to bring them presents each year. (Editors note: I've found letting them watch Santa for a while helps too. If you can let them see him prior to the day you take the photos, it could help. However, if they do cry, you'll love that picture later. I have one of my middle son as a one-year-old. Every time I see it I want to reach into the photo and grab him, but it also makes me smile.)

4. Any suggestions for those who want to attend the Macy's tree lighting at Lenox? For the Macy's tree lighting at Lenox, some people begin to arrive in the late afternoon or earlier. Due to it's height, it's very visible from many locations around the mall.

For Information on Santa's arrival at the malls, click here.

Things To Do
Atlanta

Your Invited - FTWS First Holiday Mixer

What: Holiday Mixer
Where: Pizzeria Venti
When: Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7 pm
Why: Because it's that time of year!

On Dec. 3, Jenn Maciejewski of Atlanta on the Cheap and I are hosting a Holiday Mixer at Pizzeria Venti in Buckhead. Why you ask? Because you can't live online alone. As much as I love social media, it's still nice to shake a hand and have a real time conversation while looking someone in the eye rather than at a computer screen.

So, join us on Dec. 3 at Pizzeria Venti in Buckhead. We're working on some fun goody bags and have a few exciting surprises too. Here's a link to the official invitation. Please RSVP via the invite, as we have limited space. You're welcome to bring a friend too.

A special thanks to those organizations with items in our goody bags.
Half-off Depot
Theatrical Outfit
Simon Malls
Museum of Patriotism
Atlanta Braves
Feld Entertainment - Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus
Vikki with Thomas & Silva Salon
Centennial Olympic Park
CBS Atlanta

If you'd like to add something to the goody bags, please let Jenn or me know.

Inside Scoop on Centennial Park Ice Skating

What: Centennial Park Outdoor Ice Rink
When: Nov. 14 - Jan. 31
Where: Centennial Olympic Park
Cost: $7 to skate and $2 for skate rental, Click here for discounts and see how you could win tickets.

Ice skating at the Centennial Olympic Park ice rink is a holiday tradition in my family. I recently asked Nicole Rateau, public relations specialist at Centennial Olympic Park to give FTWS the Inside Scoop on skating at the rink.

1. What is the best time to skate at the rink? There is no bad time to come to the rink :) But if you want to feel like you own the ice, come early in the week (M - W) or early in the mornings. Also just an FYI, groups that have 50+ or more skaters and pre-purchase tickets, we will open the rink privately outside of regular operating hours at no additional cost.

2. Sometimes we've been to the rink and the ice is a bit mushy. When is the ice the smoothest and most frozen? The ice rink does have a miniature Zamboni to smooth out the ice but the ice is the most fresh first thing in the morning and the most solid on cold, winter days.

3. What if I have small children? What is the best time for them to come? The best time for small children is in the mornings.

4. How long is the skating? Skating sessions are 90 minutes, but most people don't spend 90 minutes on the ice. They are essentially going around in circles :)

5. What other holiday events are there at Centennial Park? Holiday in Lights opens Nov. 14 as well (but ends Jan. 3). 4250 individual strands of lights have been installed around the Park, (each 25 ft. long) that's approximately 20 miles of lights!

Things To Do
Atlanta

Weekend and Thanksgiving Activities Highlight Better Mornings Segment

I always love to see who's in the studio when I do the Better Mornings Atlanta segments. This morning they had Sean, a professional bull rider from Summerville, Ga. who is in town for the Professional Bull Rider's championship at the Gwinnett Civic Center. Tickets start at $10, so if you have a hankerin for some bull, it's very affordable.

Also in studio was the biggest cat I've ever seen, a siamese and a hairless sphinx from this weekend's Cat Fanciers cat show at the Georgia International Convention Center. The sphinx was surprisingly soft, but it's definitely a face only a mother would love. There's just something strange about a cat with no fur.

And of course, there was the world famous Field Trips with Sue segment where I talked about the following:

Thrashers Kids Day
Georgia Tech Observatory Public Night
Bass Pro Shops Santa's Wonderland
Georgia Aquarium's Princess Weekend
High Museum of Art's Go All Night
AMC's A.M. Cinema

We also mentioned our current contest for passes to the Centennial Olympic Park Skating Rink and our upcoming chance to win tickets to see the Georgia Ballet's Nutcracker.

If you'd like to watch the segment, click here.

Toddler Thursday's Fun for Everyone

What: Toddler Thursdays
Where: High Museum of Art
When: Thusdays from 11 am - 3 pm
Cost: Included in the price of admission. Admission at the High is $18 for adults, $11 for children 6 - 17 and Under 5 is FREE

Toddler Thursday is designed for children ages 2 - 5, and it's a wonderful way to experience the museum with your preschooler. The experience includes a hands on workshop where children make and take a craft that correlates to an exhibit in the museum or something in the child's world. This week children will make pop-up turkey hands.

The day we went, the craft was African masks, and correlated to the High's African Mask collection. We made a mask in the craft room then went to the gallery to see the real thing. The High's resident plush cat, Ellsworth, was waiting in the gallery with an appropriate children's story to read, which gave my son some perspective on the exhibit.

While you're at the High, don't forget to stop at the Greene Family Gallery for more hands on fun. If you'd like to explore more of the museum, literally check out a Discovery Backpack at the coat check area. Here's a great video on the Discovery Backpacks. The packs are one of my favorite things about the High.

Things To Do
Atlanta

Kids Day at the Thrashers This Sunday

What: Atlanta Thrashers Tickets
Where: Phillips Arena
When: Thrashers Kids Day Nov. 22, Mar. 7 & 14
Free Tickets for Your Birthday
Cost: FREE with some restrictions

My kids did the Atlanta Spirit's Check it Out Reading program this summer and earned FREE Thrashers tickets. Unfortunately, the tickets were for last Sunday and we had too many things going on. I'm sure the boys will ask about the game because they look forward to going each year and so do I. I like hockey. Thank goodness I found these other great deals.

This Sunday is Thrashers Kids Day which means children under 12 are free with a paying adult. Monday was my oldest's birthday and #2's is in December. Thanks to the Thrasher's Birthday Club, my boys can get a free ticket during their birthday month. If you're birthday falls during the summer, no worries, you can still choose any game in October or November. Check out the Atlanta Thrashers site for other discounts.

Things To Do
Atlanta

Princesses Free at Georgia Aquarium this Weekend

What: Princess Day at the Aquarium
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, Princess activities from 10 - 4 pm
Where: Georgia Aquarium
Cost: Free for the princesses 12 and under who wear a princess costume or princes who wear a prince or frog costume (offer valid for one free child per paid adult)

I love that the aquarium is starting to do special free kids days. This Saturday they are offering children 12 and under who wear a princess, prince or frog costume free admission. The offer is valid for one free child per paying adult, so if you have several princesses or frogs, you'll need to bring several adults.

From 12 to 4 pm there are special themed activities and giveaways. The best part for star struck little princesses is a photo opportunity with popular Disney princesses like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Ariel.

The event is celebrating the opening of Disney's The Princess and the Frog which premieres in theaters Dec. 11 and is a benefit for frog conservation.

This is a good deal, but if you have children under 5, the best deal going at the aquarium is still the Mommy and Me program. Click here for that blog post.

Things To Do
Atlanta