Beltway Bambinos

(re) discover Washington DC through the eyes of your children

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  • Outdoor Play
    • 15 family friendly hikes
    • Pick your own fruit and vegetables
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    • Outdoor fun
    • Trails, marshes and gardens
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    • Trains and carousels
  • Beltway Bambinos Concierge
    • Customized itineraries
    • Introducing Beltway Bambinos Concierge
  • About
  • Beltway Travel
    • Introducing Beltway Travel
    • Family Summer Getaways
    • Traveling with Little Ones?
    • Why Now is the Time to Plan
    • Travel Advisors Save You More Than Money
    • Why You Should Work with Me
    • How Do You Make Sure the Trip Has Something for Everyone?
    • DC Hotels with Indoor Pools
  • Itineraries
    • 5 Days in Costa Rica
    • {Winter} Staycation
  • Home
  • Indoor Fun
    • Theater & musical productions
    • Guide to Indoor Fun for Kids
  • Fall
    • Halloween guide
    • Fall festivals, farms, orchards
    • Fall Foliage Spots and Drives
    • Fall events
    • Fall classes
    • Fall bucket list
    • Survive Daylight Savings
  • Winter
    • Holiday gift guide
    • Holiday shows, ballets and concerts
    • Hanukkah Celebrations
    • Holiday Tea
    • Christmas Trees, Lights & Markets
    • Ski and snowboard
    • Cut-your-own tree
    • Ice rinks and roller rinks
  • Spring
    • Cherry blossoms
    • Easter egg hunts
    • Easter basket & spring gift ideas
    • Spring bucket list
    • Mother’s Day
    • Memorial Day weekend
    • Tax day steals and deals
  • Summer
    • Summer Camps
    • July 4th
    • Ice cream
    • Sunflower Fields
    • Summer bucket list
    • Live outdoor music
    • Outdoor movies
    • Outdoor swimming pools
    • Splash parks
    • Trains!
  • Camps and Classes
    • Fall classes
    • Spring classes
    • Summer camps
    • Mid-winter break camps
    • Winter camps and classes
    • November 2, 4, 5, 11
    • DCPS spring break camps
    • Schools out, camps are in
    • Year-round classes
    • Gymnastics and dance classes
  • Neighborhood Guides
    • Annapolis, MD
    • AU Park, DC
    • Baltimore, MD
    • Bethany Beach, DE
    • Breweries in the DC area
    • Brookland, DC
    • Chevy Chase, DC
    • Georgetown, DC
    • Philadelphia, PA
    • Lancaster County, PA
    • Madison, VA
    • Frederick, MD
    • St. Louis, MO
  • Outdoor Play
    • 15 family friendly hikes
    • Pick your own fruit and vegetables
    • Beaches and state parks
    • Outdoor fun
    • Trails, marshes and gardens
    • 20 classic outdoor games
    • Trains and carousels
  • Beltway Bambinos Concierge
    • Customized itineraries
    • Introducing Beltway Bambinos Concierge
  • About
  • Beltway Travel
    • Introducing Beltway Travel
    • Family Summer Getaways
    • Traveling with Little Ones?
    • Why Now is the Time to Plan
    • Travel Advisors Save You More Than Money
    • Why You Should Work with Me
    • How Do You Make Sure the Trip Has Something for Everyone?
    • DC Hotels with Indoor Pools
  • Itineraries
    • 5 Days in Costa Rica
    • {Winter} Staycation

Date Night at The National Theatre+Giveaway

March 19, 2017

Fun Home at The National Theatre is a great date night alternative to your typical routine and you can win a pair of tickets to the grand opening show (see details below).

When: April 18, 2017 – May 13, 2017

Where: The National Theatre: 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004

Details:  Every once in a while a Broadway musical comes along that surprises, moves and excites audiences in ways only a truly landmark musical can. The groundbreaking, life-affirming and exquisite new musical Fun Home was the event of the Broadway season, receiving raves from critics and audiences alike, winning five 2015 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL and making history along the way.

Based on Alison Bechdel’s best-selling graphic memoir, Fun Home introduces us to Alison at three different ages as she explores and unravels the many mysteries of her childhood. A refreshingly honest musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes, Fun Home is extraordinary, a rare beauty that pumps fresh air into Broadway. (New York Times)

Run time: 1 hour, 45 minutes, no intermission

Tickets: $43.00-$98.00
We’re thrilled to offer you an exclusive discount to the first ten performances of Fun Home at The National Theatre! Use code KEYS to save more than 30% on select seats!

 

What the critics are saying:

“A RARE BEAUTY THAT PUMPS FRESH AIR INTO BROADWAY.” – Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“EXQUISITE. AN EMOTIONAL POWERHOUSE.” –Chicago Tribune

“A LANDMARK PRODUCTION THAT WILL FOREVER CHANGE WHAT IS POSSIBLE IN MUSICAL THEATRE.” –The Huffington Post

GIVEAWAY:  For a chance to win tickets to see FUN HOME at the National Theatre on grand opening night, Wednesday, April 19 at 7:30pm, leave a comment below. You can get an extra entry by entering on BeltwayBambinos Facebook page too! This giveaway will run through April 6, 2017, then a winner will be drawn at random and announced.

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Filed Under: Sponsored Post Tagged: date night, Fun Home, Giveaway, national theatre, theatre

A birthday party at My Gym Bethesda: A rare hands-off affair

November 23, 2016

We had a chance to celebrate our daughter’s 2nd birthday at My Gym Bethesda this weekend (Spoiler alert: You should book your child’s party there ASAP). Before you hear all about our birthday experience we wanted you to get to know the owner of the gym and learn more about it.

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                                                                                                                                              (Photo: Ball pit was a HUGE HIT!!)

Mandy Lemar has owned My Gym Potomac for 11 years and opened My Gym Bethesda 6 years ago. She is a member of the local community and had been taking her kids to My Gym for years and loved it so much she bought it! It has been an intricate part of her kids childhood and she’s so pleased that so many other kids have made My Gym a part of their childhood. Mandy met some of her best mom friends at My Gym and I know other moms have as well.

My Gym is such an amazing part of how kids grow and develop. Their goal is to teach kids how to be strong physically but also teach teamwork, cooperation and taking turns. They model kindness and thoughtfulness to all the families.

My Gym Bethesda and My Gym Potomac is family-owned and is an intrical part of the local community. There are My Gym teachers who have worked at these two gyms for many years. They have seen the My Gym families grow from 1 to 2 to 3 and more kids! And they love that keep coming back because My Gym is such an important part of the children’s and families lives. They make donations to local school auctions and charity events and strive to be an important part of the community and give back when they can.

They offer discounted pricing to members who book parties but non-members can and often do host parties at My Gym!

gym

                                          (Mr. Nick assisting the birthday girl and getting her used to the Gym before her friends arrive)

There are three available party packages, the Grand is the base and the other two packages offer more.

What was included in our Grand Package:

  • Exclusive use of the entire facility
  • 2 party specialists
  • 1.5 hour private party (Additional cost for 2-hour party-must be last party of the day)
  • Up to 20 children (Birthday child is FREE!)
  • Balloon decorations
  • Special My Gym gift for the birthday child
  • Service of cake, food and beverages
  • My Gym Evite invitation
  • One free class for the birthday child (Currently enrolled members receive a complimentary 2nd class per week)

gym-party

My experience:  Scheduling a date and time for the party took less than 5 minutes and the information above was re-iterated to me over the phone. My Gym Bethesda checked in with me 2 weeks prior to find out if I wanted to add anything to our package. A week prior to the party they contacted me again to get a final number and to remind me to arrive 10 minutes ahead of time. You read that right– 1o minutes ahead. I heard that and had some anxiety about not being able to bring in cute decorations and set up like I wanted to. But, we walked in 10 minutes prior to the party and tablecloths already covered the areas the children would eat at and where food would be placed. The 2 employees swiftly stepped in and started helping us plan, unpack, set the table, set up decorations and…voila in less than 10 minutes (with 2 kids in tow) we were set.

Mr. Nick and Mr. George were our My Gym employees and were absolutely amazing. Their energy and enthusiasm really showed how much they loved their job. They were engaging and fun while making sure everyone was safe. They had a plan and I was able to enjoy the party and actually play with our kids and socialize with guests while they ran the entire show. The kids enjoyed a fun stretch, circle games, swings, ball pit, climbing, bubbles, zip line, trampoline, songs and a lot more all to a fun, catchy soundtrack playing! Mr. Nick and Mr. George even put on sanitary gloves and served all of the kids plates and had them ready for when it was time to eat. They knew exactly how long before we should do cake so the kids didn’t grow tired of sitting and waiting. Once the food portion was over they assisted with wiping hands so the kids could get back out and enjoy the gym.

As a parent of the birthday child you usually are stressed out before the party begins because you’ve been juggling decorations, a menu, guest list and planning the itinerary of a 1-3 hour party that once the party actually begins you are ready for it to be over with. This party was SO much different. We showed up and My Gym took care of everything. I love you can add-on to each package which again the employees will take care of so you don’t have to. It was a fantastic party and everyone had a blast, including adults. I hadn’t ever been to My Gym so this was a great opportunity. We will be signing up for weekly classes as well as winter camps and parent night outs. Thank you My Gym Bethesda for an unforgettable and stress-free 2nd birthday party.

My Gym Birthday Parties for Children

  • Setup
  • Decorations
  • Service of Refreshments
  • Cleanup
  • & Much More!

Call or book your party online today!

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Filed Under: Birthday, Sponsored Post Tagged: bethesda, birthday party, Giveaway, indoor, my gym, potomac

Interview with local mom & musician plus giveaway

May 21, 2015

Carolyn Ross of Kindiemusicdc interviewed Here Comes Trouble’s front-woman, Kelly Donohue. Admittedly, I hadn’t heard of the band and my interest is now peaked; a band who writes songs that are “funny and a little brash” seems right up my alley. After all, my son is almost four and the variety of music we’ve listened to is finally starting to move on from familiar kid sing-alongs to songs like Sugar by Maroon 5 and Centerfield by John Fogerty. With that being said, our family is super excited to celebrate at the CD Release Party for “Goo on my Shoe” and expand the music we listen to.  Share this post on Facebook for a chance to win 4 tickets to the party (details are at the end of the article).

BandBand Members: Jon Babu, Jennifer Jones, Kelly Donohue, Colleen Dyer, Jacob Chmara (Photo credit: Paper Bird Photography)

If you’ve ever thought you’d like to be a rock star, or otherwise just have your voice heard, then you understand something of what drives trademark lawyer and Gaithersburg, Md. mother of two, Kelly Donohue.

As the front-woman and principal songwriter for her band Here Comes Trouble, Donohue is pursuing her dream of making it big, and making it happen right here in the D.C. metro area.

Here Comes Trouble or HCT plays original Kindie (independent kids) music inspired by Donohue’s own family life. Not unlike many area parents, just a few short years ago Donohue and her husband John Babu were commuting to their jobs, helping kids with homework and living well in the ‘burbs . But something was missing. It wasn’t until while seeking potential entertainers for her son’s 5th birthday party, and coming up short of what she was looking for, Donohue stumbled upon what was absent from her life, and as it turned out, sorely needed; Music. The music that was once central to her own and her husband’s life, a talent they both essentially abandoned for the legal field, and the existence of which their children knew nothing about. As conservatory trained musicians, Kelly and John each had dreams of pursuing artistic careers, but all too soon practicalities took over and their history as creative types, was all but forgotten. Until that day in the driveway.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Music, Sponsored Post Tagged: birthday, cd release, Giveaway, Here Comes Trouble, Kelly Donohue, local mom, local musicians, music

Sponsored: UrbanSitter Summer Safety Tips including a GIVEAWAY

May 6, 2015

UrbanSitter is an online resource where parents go to find and book babysitters recommended by people they know. It connects families to babysitters in 60 cities, including DC. You can find a last minute babysitter, a nanny or just a babysitter you can use for date nights. The site allows you to see video introductions of sitters, read reviews left by other parents who have hired the sitter and includes a place to request an interview and even an actual day to babysit. With summer almost here, UrbanSitter is recommending  7 Summer Safety Guidelines to Share with Your Sitter. In addition to the tips, they are also offering a $100 UrbanSitter credit to one lucky winner who comments on the article (or on our Facebook page post with the link to the article) with an additional safety tip worth sharing with babysitters. Seems like a great way to begin your summer! Giveaway ends Wednesday, May 13, 2015.

sprinkler

7 Summer Safety Guidelines to Share with Your Sitter

Give yourself a break this summer and hire a sitter to take over a day of pool duty, run the kids to the park or just spend an afternoon playing with them in your own backyard.

But, before you take off for your well-deserved time-away, make sure you have a responsible sitter. UrbanSitter enables you to find sitters whom friends or other local parents recommend, plus you can see if the sitters are First Aid and CPR-trained. Those added layers of comfort go a long way when choosing someone to care for your kids, especially at a pool or beach.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Sponsored Post Tagged: babysitter, Giveaway, safety, sponsored, summer, UrbanSitter

KindieMusicDC Giveaway for Jazzy Ash Concert

March 23, 2015

As you may have seen on our Facebook page, we are thrilled to announce KindieMusicDC is hosting Jazzy Ash at FNDTN Gallery and Liveroom on March 29th.

We’re giving away four tickets on our Facebook page, so take a look. Winners will be announced this Tuesday. If you don’t win, they are having a great deal if you purchase tickets online– Family Four Pack Special – $30 online // $40 at the door (Cash Only!) Introduce your children to kid-friendly jazz this weekend and enjoy some continental, jazzy treats.

FNDTN Gallery & Liveroom
3762A Howard Avenue
Kensington, MD. 20895

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Filed Under: Sponsored Post Tagged: FNDTN, Giveaway, jazz, Jazzy Ash, KindieMusicDC, music

Kidzbill giveaway for The Grandsons, Jr.

January 3, 2015

Start 2015 off right by winning tickets to see a show your kids are sure to love!

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As you may have seen on our Facebook page, we are thrilled to announce Kidzbill is hosting The Grandsons, Jr. at FNDTN Gallery and Liveroom on January 10th. We’ve seen them many times at Jammin Java but now they are performing on the other side of the river.

We’re giving away four tickets on our Facebook page, so take a look. Winners will be announced Friday morning. If you don’t win, tickets are only $6 purchased in advance and $8 at the door (cash only). Also, make sure to check out Kidzbill’s lineup for more exciting shows.

FNDTN Gallery & Liveroom
3762A Howard Avenue
Kensington, MD. 20895

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Filed Under: Weekend Picks Tagged: Facebook, FNDTN, Giveaway, Grandsons, Jr., Kidzbill

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