An Unexpected Surprise found at Fiesta Olé, in Whitehall

Ok, so picture this...it is Saturday night and I have no desire to cook, go figure... So, on the spur of the moment, my family and I decide to go out to eat. We weren't sure where to go or what we wanted but our youngest daughter, Lexi wanted a taco.

We had some shopping to do at Best Buy in Whitehall, but with food on our minds, we were a bit distracted.

As we headed down MacArthur Road, we had the urge to hang a right into the parking lot of Fiesta Olé.

Having never been to Fiesta Olé before, I didn't know what to expect. But on a Saturday night in Whitehall, that usually means long wait lines to any of the local restaurants.

We entered the door and were pleasantly surprised to be seated almost instantly. The inside was festive, there was a cute little bar area and a man playing live Mexican Music. The place was very clean and the employees were very nice.

We waited only a short time for our food to arrive and let me tell you, the food was OUTSTANDING!

The man playing the guitar walked around and serenaded each table as we ate. And to top it off, it did not cost a fortune for us to eat and drink.

Everyone enjoyed their meals and before we left, we were all ready talking about going back again.

Here is a breakdown of our visit:

Child Friendly: 5 STARS
Food: 5 STARS
Staff Friendliness: 5 STARS
Establishment Cleanliness: 5 STARS
Overall Visit: 5 STARS

As a Mom, I highly recommend Fiesta Olé. As a lover of Mexican Food, I also highly recommend Fiesta Olé. When checking out their website, I found a coupon for $5 off...wish I had this! I hate finding a coupon after the fact...but now it is a great excuse to go back again soon since it expires 12/31/11.

**Ratings are based out of a 5 Star System""
1 Star is "UNACCEPTABLE"
2 Stars is "POOR"
3 Stars is "JUST OK"
4 Stars is "GOOD"
5 Stars is "ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!"

Holiday Crafts and coloring at the Lehigh Valley Mall

On Saturday, December 17th, from 11am to 2pm, join Kidgits Club and the Lehigh Valley Mall Teen Board in the Macy's Court for Holiday crafts and coloring! We'll be making reindeer food for Rudolph and all of his friends for Christmas.

Bring your Kidgits Membership Card and your imagination and let's start creating!  Not a Kidgits member? Join today at Guest Services, online or on Craft Day for a special gift!

Visit the website for more information.

A family tradition - Cutting down the Christmas Tree

As my girls get older, holiday traditions are becoming quite important. One that we enjoy is "Cutting down the Christmas Tree". Sure, you can find a Christmas Tree on any street corner in the Lehigh Valley. But for us, the event to "get a tree" is the fun part.

Our place of choice is Pine Brook Hollow Tree Farm in Macungie. My family just loves it here. And that love starts as soon as you enter their property.

We jump from the car and wander down the dirt path that leads to the area that I refer to as the "Christmas Village". The Village includes a cute little building where they sell arts & crafts (also where Santa can be found on certain days/times), an area where they sell wreaths and have free popcorn & apples and a place where your tree gets "shook" and wrapped.

We like to cut down our own tree but you may also choose from fresh cut trees as well. We retrieve our saw from the "Saw Hut" and begin our trek to find the perfect tree.

 Usually, this is where the playful arguing begins "I found the perfect tree!", "No, I did!", "Check this one out, it is better than those!". At that point, my husband just rolls his eyes and says "just tell me which one to cut down".

We carry our tree back down to the area where they will shake it for you. This eliminates the loose pine needles ending up in my living room...yes, I'm picky like that. Lastly, we visit the building where arts & crafts are sold, as this is where we will pay for our tree. From there you can view out to the pond where the resident swans can be found.

I have to say, the people that work there are so very friendly. In my 10+ years that I have come here, I have never encountered an unfriendly person. And that says a great deal about the people who own & manage this business.

If you are looking for the holiday experience & a place to create memories with your family, Pine Brook Hollow is the place to go.   

Breakfast with Santa at the Lehigh Valley Mall

The start of the holiday season just isn't complete without having breakfast with the one & only Santa Claus.  Well, you are in luck!  Santa is planning a special get together at Bravo! Cucina Italiana! on Sasturday, December 3rd.

Reservations are required for this event, please call the restaurant directly at 610-266-4050 to place your reservation.

This event is partly sponsored by Lehigh Valley Mall's Simon Kiddgits Membership program.  For more information visit their site. 

Hope to see you there!

A Little Christmas Miracle: From 1 to 100 Toys for Tots in 48 Hours

After a month of promoting the annual drive to customers and offering an admission discount for every donation, as of last Sunday, BounceU Bethlehem had exactly one toy in its Toys for Tots collection box. 

Forty-eight hours later, the same box overflowed with 100.  “There was no way we were going to disappoint local children who count on us,” says BounceU Lehigh Valley General Manager Carissa Santos. So, on Sunday afternoon she fired off an email to the 60+ teenage employees who staff the company’s two locations. “I know this is last minute,” it read, “but our Toys for Tots bins are looking pretty bare…if any of you are out shopping tonight or tomorrow maybe you would be able pick something up…Let’s spread a little Christmas cheer this year and help out kids less fortunate then us.”

BounceU owner Mike Principato liked Santos’ idea so much that he upped the ante by offering to match every donation, toy-for-toy “Hope you’re ready to go shopping,” Santos told Principato.

Twenty-four hours later, Principato was roaming the aisles of a local department store on a quest to buy 50 toys…one to match every toy contributed the day before by BounceU employees, their friends and their families, for a total of exactly 100 Toys for Tots.

Principato says, “I’m not a guy who likes to shop, but I sure didn’t mind that trip. I’m so grateful to and proud of Carissa and the great group of kids who work at our stores. In 48 hours, we went from one toy to one-hundred. They created their own little Christmas miracle for the children who will receive those toys.”

BounceU Bethlehem and BounceU Allentown are the region’s premier indoor recreation centers for active family fun, offering 10,000 square feet of climate-controlled, spotlessly-clean fun on giant interactive inflatables. BounceU is a national franchise network that specializes in children’s birthday parties, summer day camps, open-to-the-public play sessions and other events in a safe, supervised and private setting. BounceU Lehigh Valley’s “Bounce It Forward” program sponsors dozens of free parties every year for local nonprofit agencies that serve the needs of children and families. For more information, please visit www.bounceu.com