The Kids Closet Sale...Out with the Old and in with the New!

As a transplant to the Lehigh Valley, I am always looking for new places to explore.  One area that I feel is often overlooked, since it is further north is Carbon County.  A close neighbor to the Lehigh Valley, Carbon County offers many "family-friendly events".   From the Fall Foliage of Jim Thorpe, to the Switchback Railroads, to the Pocono Mountains, there is so much to see & do!

So, in my travels I have become friendly with a Mom up in the Carbon County area, more specifically Lehighton, PA.  This Mom has taken on a big challenge...the challenge of CONSIGNMENT!

But "What is Consignment"? Consignment, as defined on Websters.com is "Property sent to an agent for sale, storage or shipment". Like a yard sale, you sell your stuff, except better!  Way better, in my opinion.  The "Consignment" Event takes care of all the Marketing & Advertising, they host the sale and they watch the inventory.  They do all the "Not-so-fun" stuff.

With that being said, one thing that I absolutely dread is cleaning out my kids' closets.  And with two growing girls this is done quite frequently.  However, I do LOVE the feeling once it is done.  Everything is neat again, I've finally trashed the stuff with holes and I am left with that feeling of completion.  Yay! 

Now What?  What do I do with the "gently worn" clothing that my "darling daughters" have used so preciously over the past few months?  Yes, I am a little sarcastic here but actually there are MANY times that a blouse or skirt is worn one time...Or that Easter dress that was used just for pictures and a trip to Church...Or how about those shoes that fit yesterday and now they are just too small.

Are you with me?  My eyes blink and all I can think of is
 "Show me the M-O-N-E-Y!!!"

Danielle Andreas of the Carbon County Area and employee of the family-owned business "Andreas Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning" of Lehighton PA. has figured out this "Consignment Thing" and has done a really great job for the people in the area. 

An active "WAHM" Mom (Work-At-Home-Mom) to 4 children, Danielle has a full plate.  With "kids in tow", she & her husband run the family business from their "Home Office"...literally in their home with a separate store front.  In addition to her daily activities of being a Mom, you know running here, running there...they are active at Church and also like to ski as a family. On top of all that Danielle finds time to own & operate a "Consignment" business. 

So back to the "Consignment Thing". 

The Kid's Closet Sale, established in 2010, came about when Danielle shopped at other consignment events and felt that the community of Carbon County and the surrounding area could benefit from a Consignment event.  With experience in running a family business, she and friend Mary Lichtenwalner, decided to put their talents to use and hence the beginning of The Kid's Closet Sale.   

With the help of 40+ Volunteers, Danielle & Mary organize the event, which takes place twice a year.  The next event is scheduled for March 22 - 24, 2012.

 "People are talking about it, we are growing, so the Community must be benefiting...and that is all we wanted" explains Danielle. With steady growth at each sale, 100 Consignees in the Fall 2011 and a goal of 125 for the spring, they decided to upgrade the location to The Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall, which is located at 101 East 10th Street, in Jim Thorpe, PA. 

With 1,000 checkouts through their system last spring, they expect to double the amount of shoppers they had in the fall with a new location and new advertising strategies for the spring of 2012. 

For those who may be in the market to purchase, this is an awesome event for you to check out.  You can purchase name brand items for less...much, much less.  And remember, most kid's stuff is hardly used.  So...

Mark your calendars now for the 2012 Spring/Summer Event

  "The Kid's Closet Sale". 

March 22 - Private Pre Sale

March 23 - 10am - 6pm

March 24 - 10am 6pm

Youniversity of Music And Arts - What is Musikgarten?

Youniversity of Music and Arts® located in Bethlehem's new Arts District and only steps away from ArtsQuest and SteelStacks, is introducing a new music series, Musikgarten.




Musikgarten, an internationally taught music program offered to infants through children 9 years of age, is a progressively sequenced, age-appropriate series of classes. Its focus is on a variety of musical concepts, rhythmic patterns, improvisation, playing skills and more. The early childhood classes provide a platform for children who may want to continue their music education through instrumental or voice education.

Registration is now open for the new series, which will launch March 5th, 2012.

According to LuAnn Longenecker, Early Childhood Music Specialist and instructor at the Youniversity, Musikgarten builds “a systematic path to music literacy.”

“Musikgarten is both an extremely enjoyable activity and a powerful tool in nurturing and developing young musicians,” said Longenecker. “These classes are an excellent foundation, as they place a strong emphasis on repetition of sounds and patterns, auditory and sensory skills and how to have fun with music.”

The new series will be offered on Mondays at the school. One parent or caregiver is asked to attend the 30-minute classes for babies/toddlers. The Music Cycle classes, (ages 3-5) are 45 minutes and the Music Makers (ages 4 and up) meet for a full hour.

Longenecker said Musikgarten promotes family involvement and parents are encouraged to enjoy and reinforce the activities at home. The Musikgarten curriculum also emphasizes multi-cultural music diversity and exposes young people to classic performance, Longenecker explained.

“We expose our little ones to musical gems like Peter and the Wolf,” Longenecker said. “We play Aaron Copeland’s “Hoedown” from Rodeo and children as young as 3 will recognize it and pretend to ‘ride their horses’ to it. Children love the diversity and will soak up many musical genres - not just music written for their age group.” she added.

The Youniversity, which opened in mid-2011, offers music classes and private lessons for all ages and levels of ability. Located in Bethlehem's SouthSide Arts District, the school occupies a 15-classroom facility and is staffed by more than 15 music professionals. The Youniversity of Music and Arts is owned jointly by Valentina Jotovic, C.E.O., and her husband, Dr. Antonius Bittmann, an Associate Dean and Professor of Music at Rutgers University.

To register for Musikgarten and for complete information on the Youniversity of Music and Arts, please call 610-849-2130 or visit their website.

Shafnisky Electric...Family is Top Priority

Lehigh Valley Family Fun is a FREE Website Resource for Parents, Grandparents, Caregivers or WHOMEVER, who are in & around the Lehigh Valley, PA area.  And to keep our site up & running we rely on the generous support of local business to sponsor us.  With that in mind, it is my goal to get the word out about my sponsors whenever I can.  My business would not be here without them.  They help me, I help them...Win, Win for everyone!

So one morning, I had the opportunity to stop out and visit Shafnisky Electric, a "Lehigh Valley Family Fun" Sponsor.  I enter their office where I meet the Office Manager, Heidi, a petite woman, nice as can be and so down to Earth.  We start "gabbing" about the business, where I learned more than I had expected.  She also serves as the "Dispatcher" and "Customer Service Specialist" too.

For those who have worked with contractors, you know, that on many levels, there is just something missing.  Sure, they know their craft but in my experience they lack that "Customer Service" Feel.  Return phone calls are few & far between...basic questions are never answered without a service call, which ultimately equals an invoice...and I could go on.

But Shafnisky Electric felt different...and I had to find out why.

I met up with them for lunch a few weeks ago at a local eatery.  I needed to find out what separated them from the competition.

Tom Shafnisky, owner & operator of Shafnisky Electric is also a family guy.  A devoted husband, and father to 4 little ones he also takes the time to be the Assistant Youth Group Leader at Holy Family of Nazareth Church.  As if that wasn't enough, he is a Substitute Teacher for the Institutde of Technology AND the President of the Electrical Contractors of the Lehigh Valley.  Gosh, I'm out of breath typing his credentials!

Sure, he has a great resume and he has kids...but so does every other contractor in the Lehigh Valley.  What makes him different?

The man could not stop talking about his family.  And I mean that in the nicest possible way.  Losing his Parents at an early age, he understands the importance of being there for his kids.  "I'm a "Hands-on Dad", he explains.  "We have fun going for walks, grocery shopping, we have movie nights and make popcorn...Daddy makes it fun".   He believes in stressing the importance of Honesty, Integrity and "Your Word IS Your Word".  He understands that he is responsible for forming his kids' lives and making them responsible adults.

Ok, so you know a little more about him...but how did Shafnisky Electric begin?    He started back in 1988, his business was simple.  He worked out of his car and helped his family & friends with their electrical needs.  Hence the beginning of Shafnisky Electric.

So, while sitting there at lunch with Tom & Heidi, I started to understand how Tom feels about his clients...they are never an interruption to his day.  As he ate, he took phone calls from his technicians, answering questions and providing direction, all while showing a great deal of respect.  At no time, did I feel that this was forced behavior or a show for me.  By the end of our lunch, I wanted to be part of  Shanisky Electric Team!

When you call Shafnisky Electric, you will never be handled by a "Call Center".  You will talk to Heidi directly, as she is your first point of contact.  When she is not in the office, she checks their voice mail system often to be sure all calls are handled in a timely manner.  And yes, this includes evenings & weekends.   When a service call is left after hours, Tom is paged immediately.

Heidi also explained to me that many people call with electrical issues that can be handled "over the phone".   I'm sorry, What?  Helping people with an issue "over the phone"?  Now that is what I call CUSTOMER SERVICE!  However, I do want to mention not everyone wants to fix their own problems, so in that case or when additional help is needed, a Service Technician is dispatched.

Tom also stressed to me the importance of the "Return Phone Call".  "There is nothing worst, wondering what is going on, when you have a problem", says Tom.  They like to be upfront with their clients and provide as much information as they possibly can. 

I guess to 'NutShell This', Shafnisky Electric is a family-owned business, that is run with the same principles as the Shafnisky family:  Respect, Integrity, honesty, with "Hands-On", Customer Service and a "No problem is too small" attitude.  Now, that's what I call a true service provider.

For the Love of a Pet...It's ALL the difference in the World to me.

This post is going to be a little different than the norm.  And for those of you who are able to live without a furry companion...you just won't get it.  And that's ok. 

My DH and I were married in our 20's and were just not ready for kids at that time.  As a kid, growing up in a household with a dog and a cat, I was used to having them around.  So, after we were married, our tiny little apartment seemed very empty...something was missing.  So, one spontaneous evening in November of 1996, we headed to the pet store to pick up bird food.  Bird Food?  Yes, we had a Sun Conure named Sadie...but she was just not the pet I was used to.  She didn't snuggle and she would scream and scream...I needed something more.

So, where was I?  Oh right, the pet store....long story short, we went to the pet store for bird food and came home with a puppy.  I know, I know...I'm a bad person...buying a puppy from a pet store.  But we were young, ignorant and I just couldn't resist those cute, little, brown eyes staring back at me.  Let me just say, I would never buy from a pet store again after learning the darkness of the puppy mills...but again, I was young and ignorant.

And there we were...the 3 of us driving home from the store, in my 1993 Ford Probe.  We called her Shelby and she was an American Eskimo, formerly known as a Spitz.  I guess the name "Spitz" had a bad rap and they re-marketed the breed as American Eskimo.  It didn't matter to us, she was our first little baby and she was mine.

As the years progressed, Shelby followed me everywhere, including the bathroom.  When I was in the shower she would lay right outside of the tub area.  When she would hear the water shutting off, that was her queue to leave the bathroom.  She was my laundry buddy too.  Every laundry load I would do, she would be there, sitting right outside the laundry room door. 

When we brought home our first little bundle of joy from the hospital, Shelby was there.  She was very interested to see what was making "all that noise".  Every night feeding, and for my first baby this was every 2 hours, Shelby was there.  We would sit together as I fed the baby.  When someone was sick and we were up in the middle of the night, Shelby was there too.  We referred to her as "Shelby Nightingale".

That leads me up to her name...every time we saw a funny show, commercial or just heard an unusual name, we added it to Shelby's name.  A lifetime of moments she became...Shelby, Cha-cha, Esposito, Luka-Bella, Charlamagne, Chiquita, Baby Spice, Rubatella, Whiskers the Wooby, Woo.   Yes, this little dog was a BIG part of our lives.

So, after 15-1/2 years of living, we had a tough decision to make this past Friday, February 3.  She had not been doing well, lots of shaking and panting and blood work revealed there was an issue with her liver.  We knew that we couldn't let our first baby suffer any longer, so we gave the 'ok' to the Vet to Euthanize her.  Gosh, what a moment that was...I can't even describe the feeling of hurt I felt as they injected her with the medication to stop her heart.  It still hurts.

But life goes on and now as it has been 48 hours since, I have to start focusing on the family again.  To some, they will never understand the hurt I feel of losing her.  But to others, they know exactly what I am going through.  But through the good and through the bad, Shelby was there.  And now life is so strange without her.  As I type this, my husband rolls his eyes and says "What are you doing?" with a very cynical tone.  This is therapy, this helps me...writing is what I like to do.  So, I am doing it.

For those without a dog in their lives, I feel sorry for you.  You will never know the true, unconditional love a pet can provide.  Pets won't judge you and they are ALWAYS happy to see you.  That feeling you get just scratching behind their ears or under their chin...one that is priceless when you are having a rough day.

Thank you Shelby for all that you were to me...I will miss u!  <3

And a special "Thank You" goes out to Hamilton Animal Care for all they have done for us.  If you need a caring and "No task is too small" type of Vet, I HIGHLY recommend them!

"Please Touch Museum" in Philadelphia...Your Little Ones will LOVE it!

Yes, we are a website that promotes people, places and things in the Lehigh Valley, PA.  But let's get realistic, you won't always stay in this area...so we decided to find stuff that is fun to do, slightly outside of the Lehigh Valley.

Megan, from Two Frugal Mommas took a trip to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia this past week.  And this is what she had to say...

As a mother to three little ones, I am always looking for places to take my children where they can enjoy play in a creative, safe, learning atmosphere.  But, with two of my children being fifteen months old and the other, four and a half, it is often difficult to find somewhere that interests both age groups.

In late January, my family and I were invited to spend the day at the Please Touch Museum, in Philadelphia.  Immediately upon our arrival, my three children were in awe.  At over 38,000 square feet, the museum was filled with bright colors and welcoming sounds as well as a very warm and friendly staff.    While the almost-completely-full parking lot was intimidating, this was no indication of how the museum looked inside as there was plenty of room for my children to explore and not a visible crowd in sight.

The Please Touch Museum is vastly different from any other museum we have visited in the past.  Within the first few minutes, it was clear that this museum truly “gets” the magic, wonder, and fun of being a child!  One of our favorite exhibits, City Capers, is complete with a mini McDonald’s restaurant, ShopRite supermarket, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) medical center. 

There were many moments of pure joy watching my children in this exhibit, including witnessing my older daughter, complete with white coat and stethoscope, place her doll through the mini X-ray and MRI machines (not functional radiology equipment, of course, but very real to children!) pretending to be “Dr. P” and for once, recognizing that these were items that help children, rather than hurt them.  I also couldn’t help but smile watching my twins clearly enjoying running around the supermarket placing items into their carts and giggling as their older sister tallied their orders in the checkout line.  All three later convened in the adjacent child-sized kitchen to share “lunch”….ADORABLE!

For parents of toddlers, you will be happy to know that there are designated exhibits where little ones can safely play without the worry of the older children accidentally knocking them over.  In one, the children can pick carrots in the garden!  As we made our way through the museum, every exhibit seemed even better than the one before.  From a mini-Septa bus and water play area to an incredibly detailed Alice in Wonderland exhibit (complete with a scented Rose Garden, a Tea Party and Hall of Mirrors and Doors), I was impressed at how in a matter of just a few hours, my children could dream so big and be anyone their little hearts desired to be.  

Just when we thought we had seen it all, we encountered a magnificent carousel in an indoor glass pavilion on the east side of the museum. Riding the carousel with my children brought back fond memories of riding carousels with my parents as a child, and I was thrilled to be able to experience that with my children.

The Please Touch Museum also features a reasonably-priced café which offers a wide variety of foods including those that are gluten, nut, dairy and egg free.   In addition, they also host birthday parties!

If you are in the Philadelphia area or are looking for a fun and exciting place to take your children, visit the Please Touch Museum.  I am sure that your children, like mine, will be overjoyed! 

(Many thanks to the Please Touch Museum and Lehigh Valley Family Fun for this opportunity! In the spirit of full disclosure, I received tickets in exchange for a review of the Please Touch Museum; however, all opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.)

Thank you Megan for this awesome blog about your adventure to the Please Touch Museum!  Please check out Megan and Two Frugal Mommas by visitng their website.