Free Friday's 2011 at Cincinnati Museum Center

The 2011 Free Friday dates have been announced - June 3, July 8, August 5 and September 9! As usual Free Friday will run 4 to 8 p.m. This year Free Fridays include the Museum of Natural History & Science, Cincinnati History Museum and Duke Energy Children’s Museum. The Cleopatra exhibit, OMNIMAX, and parking are extra.

Ohio National’s Victorian Holiday Village - FREE

Here's one of my favorite FREE Christmas activities - Ohio National’s annual Victorian Holiday Village. It's a nice Christmas walk with lights and kid sized houses decorated with holiday scenes. They also have free hot chocolate, cookies, balloon animals and a free 5x7 photos with Santa. There's also a little train that will take you from the parking garage to the village (a really short trip but we always have to do it).

They're only open 4 nights (rain or shine):
• Friday, December 3 from 6-8:30 p.m.
• Saturday, December 4 from 5-8:30 p.m.
• Thursday, December 9 from 6-8:30 p.m.
• Friday, December 10 from 6-8:30 p.m.

They do ask, that if you can, you to bring a nonperishable food item (no glass containers), which will be donated to the Freestore Food bank. No one's collecting them, there's just a bin to put them in so don't worry if you forget. One thing to note, the path, once you get off the train, is gravel, so it’s not easy to push a stroller.

Directions:
Take I 71-North exit at the Pfeiffer Rd. exit (Exit 15). Ohio National is immediately on the right. For more information, please visit www.ohionational.com.

Country Pumpkins

We recently discovered Country Pumpkins through our daughters field trip and I thought I would pass some info on it along!

This has been the only farm that I have found to date where there is no admission fee!
Some of the activities that are free are the corn maze, hay bale maze, corn box (like a sandbox but with corn), use their walking trail that is beautiful right now because of the fall colors, etc.
There is pumpkins to purchase (they aren't in a patch), you can feed the animals for 25 cents and on the weekends they have hay rides that are 30 minutes long for $2.

This isn't my favorite farm I've been to but like I said, there is no admission fee and it is open every day of the week, so you aren't just limited to the weekends.

Country Pumpkins
2165 Sherman Mt. Zion Rd.
Dry Ridge, KY 41035
www.countrypumpkinsky.com

Last Free Friday at the Museum Center for the year.

This Friday will be the last Free Friday of the year at the Cincinnati Museum center. Parking is $6 before 4:30 and $4 after 4:30. The 3 museums are FREE! Just stop at the ticket booth and tell them how many tickets you need. Adults can enjoy this too - The Cincinnati History Museum has lots of cool things to see and so does the Natural History Museum. Also check out the I AM exhibit downstairs near the children's museum - This might require a separate ticket so ask about it at the ticket booth.

2010 Cincinnati Top Doctors

At the beginning of every calendar year, Cincinnati Magazine runs a section in their January issue called "Top Doctors."  I think this is a valuable tool to use as a starting point for finding a good physician, or for finding a physician in a specialty that you are unfamiliar with.  The list works like this:

Cincinnati Magazine surveys 5,297 physicians in eight counties—Hamilton, Warren, Butler, and Clermont in Ohio; Boone, Campbell, and Kenton in Kentucky; and Dearborn in Indiana. They ask those physicians to tell us whom they would turn to if "you, a family member, or a friend needed medical attention." (And they are asked  to refrain from nominating themselves.)

The results: 571 physicians in 42 specialties, each of whom received at least five votes from their peers. The final results are checked against state medical board records to ensure that the list does not include any doctors with formal actions against them. The list does not, of course, include every caring, knowledgeable, and responsible physician in Greater Cincinnati. Unless otherwise indicated, physicians on the list are accepting new patients. Also unless otherwise indicated, these physicians are M.D.s. Some physicians are listed in multiple specialties.

You do not need to subscribe to the magazine to view the list online.  You can click on the link below.  Note:  the first page of the list is blank, so you will need to scroll down to get to the list.

Cincinnati Top Doctors 2010


Kate Charlesworth

Favorite Friday Night Dinner Plans

Our favorite family date night is every Friday at Qdoba on Mall Road.  With the purchase of each meal, you get a free kids meal, including a drink (a softdrink or milk).  So Brian and I can each get something, and feed our kids for free.  My kids usually choose soft tacos.  They are very kid friendly. 

You do not need a coupon, and this promotion runs every Friday.

If you've never eaten there, it is very similar to Chipotle.  My kids actually like it better because the meat is not quite as spicy as Chipotle.  I highly recommend the summer salad with mango salsa.  Yum!

Kate Charlesworth

Zoo Deals - 7/21, & 8/6-7

I know this is a little late, but the Cincinnati Zoo will be having a special tomorrow (Wednesday July 21st). They will be hosting the Kids, Cultures, Critters and Crafts Festival on July 21 from 9am-6pm. Admission is ONLY $1 for everyone (parking is $7). I've gone the last 2 years, getting in to the parking lot there was a fair amount of traffic, but it was better last year, since they redesigned the parking area. I also went earlier last year and missed a lot of the traffic.

If you can't make it tomorrow, there's another opportunity to save on the admission price on August 6th & 7th - with half price admission and parking. Normally tickets are Adults: $14, Children (2-12) & Seniors (62+) - $9, Parking - $7. Bringing the prices down to $7, $4.50, and $3.50 can save you a bundle. Enjoy!