Mini Cake Balls

I learned an easy holiday treat from a chef this week. Mini cake balls are all the rage with the Neiman's catalogue customers. The Highland Park baker who supplies Neiman's has shared the recipe, and it's very easy. All you need is a boxed cake mix, a tub of icing, chocolate for dipping, and something to roll them in. Think toffee chips or toasted pecans.

Get creative with the combinations of cake flavors and icings.

Go here for instructions and ideas..

Homemade Kettle Corn

Here's an easy snack for a relaxing game night over the holidays.

Put 2 Tablespoons of oil and 1/4 cup popcorn in a pan over medium/high heat. When the first kernal pops, sprinkle on 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar. Cover and shake continuously. Empty from pan quickly after it finishes popping. Salt to taste.

Martha Stewart says to used powdered sugar, but I've never tried that.

Fun Race for the Family

8:30 AM. December 12, 2009

Each Saturday before the White Rock Marathon is the Mayor's Race that starts at Dallas City Hall. This is a three mile race that you can walk or run, and it a great way to introduce your kids to running. After the race, you can stroll through the health and fitness booths at the Convention Center that are set up for the White Rock Marathon. Personal testimony: last year the race and the exhibits got me pumped up about fitness, and I've exercised just about every day since then!

It's $20 for the whole family to race, and you get a t-shirt plus a lot of other goodies.

Go here for info.

The World of Rocks

"The World of Rocks" is the theme for the 52nd annual Dallas Gem and Mineral Show. This is a great opportunity for your kids to learn about geology from experts with wonderful specimens to see and touch. It's this weekend, November 21 and 22 in Mesquite.

The weekend will feature many exhibits to keep your kids interested and learning: rocks and rare specimens, handmade jewelry, fossils, amber, arrowheads, polished gems, open your own geodes and agates, games, demonstrations, kids mine and a flourescent rock display. There will even be a class for scouts to earn their geology badge.

Cost: $8, Kids 4 - 12: $3, Family of four or more: $20, Scouts and leaders in uniform: free.

Resistol Arena Exhibition Hall

1818 Rodeo Drive, Mesquite TX

(1-635 at Military Parkway)

FYI: My flyer says kids four and under free, the website says 3 and under are free.

Go here for more info.

Congratulations to the Gilberts

Congrats to Jill Gilbert and family! Their oldest son, Joseph, starts SMU this spring, and Joy, SALT alum, has been accepted to Baylor University. We're proud of Jill's and her kids' hard work all these years.

Worship fully, spend less, give more.

If you're tired of all the crazy spending at Christmas, check out http://www.adventconspiracy.org/. You'll find ideas of ways to "replace compassion with consumerism." The site will help you tap into ways to give "relational" gifts rather than just piling on more stuff that we don't need.

Drumming Jam

SMU's School of the Arts presents a free concert by their World Music Ensemble. Thursday, November 19, 8:00 PM

Lots of hot drumming from percussion instruments from around the world in addition to guitar and keyboard.

Go here for a map and more info.

Free Gift Wrapping and Bow Classes

If you happen to be by a Container Store on Saturdays, they will be having free gift wrapping and bow demonstrations at 1 and 3 through the holiday season.

New Urban Park in Downtown Dallas

Music at the Park
Saturday, November 21
3 -7pm, FREE

Main Street Garden, 1902 Main Street

Live music from artists. Bring the dog and stretch your legs on the Great Lawn... relaxing in the middle of Downtown.

City Lights

Friday, November 20
Free - 6-10PM
Main Street in Downtown Dallas

7:00 PM: Neiman Marcus Building Lighting, Holiday Window unveiling (which actually allows kids to crawl through them in tubes this year!) and Santa's arrival
7:30 PM: From Neimans to Main Street Garden, follow Santa on a promenade to light the holiday tree, followed by performances from music groups and the Dallas Theatre Center.

Holiday characters stroll the district with music and family actitivities that surround the one-of-a-kind 60 foot Christmas tree.


Visit http://www.yourdspot.com/

Free Dallas Heritage Village

Free Admission to Old City Park: Sunday, December 6

December's Theme is "Simple Celebrations.

Noon - 4

Help the villagers prepare for the holidays and make a gift for someone special. Listen to cell phone tours to learn the history of the buildings.

Go here to find out more.

$1 Day at Dallas Zoo

Dollar Day at the Dallas Zoo

$1 admission, $7 parking (or ride DART)

November 24, 9 - 4

Get there as early as possible to avoid the crowd.

This would save a family of four $40.

Go here for details.

11th Annual Pow Wow

11th Annual Pow Wow

Saturday, November 14, Richland College
12:30 - 10:00 PM in the Gym
arts, crafts, food, singing, dancing and drums
12800 Abrams Road in Dallas
Go here for more info.

Horseback Riding Camps

Camp El Har is having horseback riding day camps for homeschoolers, December 14 -18. It will only cost $30 and they will be there from 8:00 - 4:00. (Great time for Mom to go Christmas shopping or wrap presents....)

Each additional day is $20 each.

Call 214-674-0893 or email kheil@lakeviewcamp.net to sign up. (I would do this ASAP because these are very inexpensive prices.)

Stocking Stuffer Tip

Ms. Alicia has taught us all to combine sales and coupons. Well, here's an easy one to help you stock up on little Christmas gifts. Bath and Body Works is having a sale on their signature products: buy 3, get two free. You can combine it with a coupon that gives you $10 off $30. Go here for the coupon. I just bought six bottles of Warm Sugar Vanilla shower gels for a total of about $20 that would have normally been over $65. (I used a second I got from a mailer.)

1/2 Price Music Lessons!

What if I told you I knew a group of teachers (more than 50 of the best in the US, in fact) you could hire for less than $70 a year who would come to your house as many times a week as you wanted at the most convenient times for your family? These teachers have been teaching guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and voice for 25 years, and they've perfected their teaching style for all levels and ages from absolute beginner to advanced. And they won't even care if you're in your jammies and the house is a mess.

WorkshopLive is an online video curriculum made by the National Guitar Workshop, and these top-quality lessons have been approved by the State of Texas for use in schools.

Today and tomorrow you can join workshoplive for half price! It's less than $70 for a year of lessons. You don't have to choose your instrument. You will have access to guitar, bass, voice, and drum lessons. The site says they have16,000 high quality videos. I've previewed a few and was impressed enough to join.

My brother has been an expert guitar player for over thirty years, and even he learns things from this site. Check it out here and try some sample lesson.

Wizard of Oz and Free Dinner

The Mockingbird DART Station is having a free outdoor screening of the Wizard of Oz tonight, November 4 at 7:00 PM. If you donate a slightly used children's book, your children can eat free at Valpiano tonight from 5 - 9 PM. Go here for more info.

Stuart Little Production Just $5

This weekend at Theater Arlington you can see the production of Stuart Little for just $5 if you go through Event Alert. First of all, you have to email Event Alert to tell them you want to join. (It's free and they send you daily offers for cheaper seats at both theater and music events.) Email them at eventalert@eventalert.org, and they will tell you through email where to mail your money.

For more about the show, go here.

Grand Opening: Downtown Dallas Y Free Open House

This Saturday, November 7th from 11 - 2, the Downtown Dallas YMCA is debuting it's major renovations in a free open house. There will be free exercise classes and nutritional tidbits. Go here for more info.

Best of Broadway

The University of Texas at Dallas presents The Best of Broadway, November 6 at 7:00 and November 7 at 2:00 and 8:00. Admission is free with a suggested $5 donation for their scholarship fund. Performances will be in the University Theater.

Call 972-UTD-ARTS for more info. Or click here.

ScienceFest, this Thursday!

This Thursday is ScienceFest at Southern Methodist University, November 5 from 5:30 - 9:30. It will be held in the Student Center. I had previously posted that it is at Southwestern Medical Center. Oops!

I have arranged for some of the science professors to give us a tour of some of the graduate science labs before ScienceFest begins. If you would like to join the tour meet us at the Student Center at 3:45 PM for a 4:00 tour. Bring some money for a quick dinner.

Click here to email me if you want to come.