Easter Goodness!!

Here is a list off the happenings around the State! If you know of any others please add them to the comments!

Anchorage

The Great Cloth Diaper Change-APDEA Union Hall--SAT
Come celebrate Earth Day and the day before Easter setting a world record! We will be chaning cloth diapers all at once! Please pre-register. If you do not have cloth, come on out, we will have some on hand for loan. There will be a silent auction to benefit For The Love of Lauren!

Easter Egg Hunt- Park N Play FREE --SAT

There will be toys, candy,Easter baskets, chocolate rabbits, free passes and more so don't miss out we will open at 9AM sharp for hunt should last about 15 to 20 minutes so don't be late. Doors will open at 8:30 to Lobby however entrance to play area  for hunt will start promptly at 9AM

Community Easter Egg Hunt- Sand Lake Baptist Church --SAT
Huge outdoors Easter Egg Hunt for children ages 0 Through 5th Grade. Tons of prizes (H2Oasis passes, Bicycles, The Cage batting coupons, Dino's Donut coupons, Jewell Lake Bowling, Thousands of candy filled eggs, Tastee-Freeze ice cream, and toys). Free Hot Dogs and cookies after the hunt. Free pictures with the bunny. Separate area for the toddlers.

Eggstravaganza- Lidia Selkregg Chalet --SAT
Watch out for bouncing bunnies as you join in on some spring-themed arts and crafts, outdoor games, and an egg hunt. Egg Hunt Schedule:
1st Hunt: 3-5 yrs, 1:00p
2nd Hunt: 3-5 yrs, 2:00p
3rd Hunt: 6-12 yrs, 3:00p
For ages 3-12 yrs. Pre-registration strongly recommended. $2 per child 343-6992

Easter Bunny-Dimond Mall
Visit the Easter Bunny by the Gap entrance. Mon-Thurs 11a-8p Fri & Sat 10a-8p Pay to get pictures.

Alaska Railroad Easter Train-Anchorage Historic Depot--SAT
Climb aboard the Alaska Railroad’s Easter Train for a special run from Anchorage to the Mat-Su Valley. Riders will delight in a special visit from none other then the Easter Bunny, who will be on board to visit with the children and pass out Easter treats and other surprises along the way.  Don Russel the magician will also be along for the ride to keep the kids (and kids at heart) entertained. Every rider will enjoy the panoramic view from the Alaska Railroad’s glass-domed cars. It will be an Easter to remember! $49 for adults and $19 for children 11 and under.

Eagle River/Chugiak
Easter Egg Hunt-Eagle River Lions Park --SUN FREE
Four age groups: 0-3; 4-6; 7-9 and 10-12; 1pm start Eggs & Bikes given away! The Eagle River FIRE Truck blows whistle at 1:00 pm sharp!

Community Easter Egg Hunt-Mirror Lake Middle School --SAT FREE
Donation of Food for ER Food Pantry accepted.

Wasilla/Palmer
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny-Wasilla Senior Center
Pancake Breakfast with The Easter Bunny. Get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny. Picture in include in the price, $5 per person, $20 per family

Easter Egg Hunt-First Baptist Church of Wasilla--SAT
10am at the church

Easter Egg Hunt-Big Lake Baptist Church--SAT
From 1-2:30 at the church for kids ages 1 through 5th grade.

Girdwood
Easter at Alyeska Resort--SUN
Easter Egg Hunt - 9:15 am in the Pond Courtyard

Kenai
Community Easter Egg Hunt-Abundant Life Assembly of God
Hunt starts at 2p on church grounds for kids preschool through 6th grade.

Seward
Little Kids Easter Egg Hunt-Forest Acres Park--SAT
Starts at 3pm

Stylin Stitches Diaper Derby
Saturday, April 23rd from 10:00am to 11:30am at the Sports & Rec Gym - another fun event with surprises provided by the young contestants all newborns and toddlers up to 24 months old are invited to “show us their stuff” in over 10 categories! Sorry no on-site registration, deadline to enter is Wed, Apr 21

Fairbanks
Easter Egg Hunt-Santaland RV Park--SAT
11:00 a.m. North Pole Community Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by New Hope Methodist-Presbyterian Church to benefit New Hope Church School. Held at Santaland RV Park in North Pole, 11 am sharp. $1 donation per child. Bring small gathering basket. Filled eggs, prizes, free cookies.

Indoor Community Easter Egg Hunt-J.P. Jones Community Center--SAT
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. J.P. Jones Community Development Center 2400 Rickert, Off 24th and Cushman** The Easter Bunny Will Be On Hand Giving Out Candy** Free: Indoor Egg Hunt, Hotdogs, Popcorn, Cookies, Prizes **Come On Out and Have a Hopping Good Time** Sponsored by area businesses and organizations For More Info Contact 378-3440

See Meez Kidz Giveaway (closed)

Do you ever see products and think "Genius! Why didn't I think of that!" That's how I feel about See Meez Kidz! They have cute hoodies and hats with reflective tape in it, which is GREAT for fall Alaskan days when we start losing all that light. I think this is so great especially in the fall when kids are playing outside. Who wants to wear a bright orange safety vest to be seen? I have 3 items to give away so read on to learn about this awesome product and learn how to win! Here is a pic of my son in his hat, warm, cute and reflective!

Please tell us about yourself and why you started the business.
My husband and I noticed a lot of people walking and bicycling in the long hours of darkness here in Alaska. We noticed how easily most of these people were not visible, even with automobile headlights and street lights. I especially watch for the children. Here in Alaska the winters are long with extended periods of darkness. We noticed that state, government and blue-collar workers were always wearing reflective clothing.  So, we wondered if there was fashionable reflective wear for everybody, especially children.  We researched the availability of reflective clothing and we were unable to find what we were looking for.

I saw an opportunity because my husband has worn safety gear for the last 20 years. I am more alert to reflective materials in general because of this. When you take the time to look around you see it on all kinds of things, like school buses, police cars, fire trucks, stop signs and even street signs.
  I looked for everyday clothing with safety in the design. I found nothing that fit the bill. I purchased some 3M “Scotchlite” Reflective Material and with the help of some dear friends started to make what I wanted. The idea was born, a product that provides 360 degrees of safety with 100% comfort.
Now I needed a name and that is cute. The name See Meez came from our then three-year old granddaughter, who always says “see me, see me” when she wants to be noticed or picked up.  Wow! That phrase was perfect for what we had in mind-practical, fashionable clothing with an emphasis on night safety. “Flashionable”
Finally, after over 3 years of research on reflective products, their versatility in clothing application and then coming up with some fun styles, I have started out with simple pieces with the anticipation of adding many more wonderful items. After a while we had enough to hand out and ask people what they thought of them,we were told we should be selling these things, so here we are. I hope everyone enjoys both the comfort and peace of mind “See Meez™’ brand “Flashionable™” apparel and accessories has to offer.

Where do I get these products?
See Meez products are available on line @ http://www.flashionable.com/. We are currently shopping local consignment opportunities in the Anchorage and Wasilla. We attend most local trade shows and are also sold through High country Kennels and Mushing events throughout Alaska. We donate headgear to local elementary schools, the willow jr.. dog mushing association, and vets helping heros.

What do you love about Alaska?
the challenging lifestyle

So here are the 3 clothing items that I am giving away!



This is a kids large hoodie. Notice the reflective tape on the sleeves? I had my 4 year old model them, great faces huh? A cool giveaway AND entertainment!

This is a kids large hat! My son wears a small and he still has room to grow in it. This has cool cross bones on it. Notice the reflective tape around the brim?

Yes, my son is wearing a girls jacket, don't tell my husband. =) Isn't it too cute! It has hearts on it. This is a kids small zip up hoodie. Notice the reflective tape around the arm cuffs. They actually have girls hoodies, the tape is thicker and is placed where you can see it better.








These are all handmade and great quality!! If you don't win one, be sure to buy one! I think they are very affordable. So you want to try and win one? Here are the rules:

1. Must live in Alaska
2. Follow our blog (Anonymous will not be counted)
3. Comment on which one you would like to be entered to win, WITH an email address that I can contact you with. (You can enter to win all 3 =))

The winner will be chosen randomly on Monday night, good luck!

Simply Saying Vinyl Giveaway (closed)

Seems like vinyl is all the rage right now. You can do some amazing and cute things with it! Kaye from Simply Saying Vinyl has some really cool projects that you can add to your home. This family est. sign is what Kaye is going to giveaway! Of course picture your last name. =) There are some many different fonts and colors to choose from! Be sure to visit her site! Kaye is offering 30% off items from her new catalog till the end of April if you mention Alaska's Kids! Let's learn more about her!

Please tell us about yourself and why you started your business:

 I am from Sunny& Warm Arizona.  I moved up to Alaska when I got married 4 1/2 years ago.  After a year of living here I noticed that people up here really hadn't heard of vinyl lettering and everything you can do with it.  It was kinda weird to me because it is was/and still is a pretty popular thing in the lower 48.  So I decided to take the plunge and start my own business.  I wanted to have vinyl in my home and decided what better way to get vinyl up here in Alaska than to do it myself.

Where can I purchase your products?

 I just launched my catalog on my website this last month and you can order your products directly from me by either calling or emailing.

What do you love about Alaska?

What I love about ALASKA....has to be the summers!!  I love the outdoors and enjoy camping, fishing, hiking with my family.  I am also finding things to help get through the winters and just took up cross country skiing with my husband and 3 1/2 year old...hate to admit it but my 3 1/2 year old is probably much better than me...but it is still really fun to get out and do something during the winter.

Make sure to visit Kaye's site and check out all the cool products! She also holds a Girls Night Out if you want to get some friends together and make your own item! We did this as a Moms Night Out and had so much fun!

Want to win a personalized family sign?
1. you must live in Alaska
2. you must be a follower of the blog
3. leave a comment and please be sure to have a way to contact you, anonymous will not be counted!

The winner will be chosen randomly on Monday evening! Good luck! Dont forget, if you dont win and want one of these cool signs, Kaye is offering 30% off to you if you order something from her catalog and mention Alaskas Kids!!

Eagle River Puzzle Giveaway (closed)

  Isn't this puzzle the coolest!!! This one is my favorite! It's made in Eagle River by a cool dad who lives in a yurt with his family! Ben Schneider, owner of Eagle River Puzzles, hand makes these amazing puzzles. If you don't win one here, be sure to check them out in some local stores. These puzzles make a great Alaskan gift! They are not just for kids but for adults as well! 

Before you enter the giveaway, learn more about Ben!

Please tell us about yourself and how you got into making puzzles.
   My family and I moved to Alaska almost 3 years ago and we love it.  What better place is there to be able to get your family outside all year round in a wide variety of activities.  Probably the most unique thing about my family is that we live in a yurt.  A yurt is a large round tent who's design is based on the shelters lived in by Mongolian nomads.  You can see what I mean at our families blog: http://www.movingtoak.blogspot.com/
   When we moved up here my wife's career really took off and we made the decision that it would be best for me to stay home and take care of the kids.  I like being a stay at home dad, but it has its ups and downs like any other job.  Being able to watch my kids grow, make my own schedule (when the kids let me), and get outside every day (when the kids let me) are some of the big ups.  Ones of the big downs was that when the kids were napping and I finished cleaning the house (the tent: it's only 800 sq ft), I found myself just twiddling my thumbs or napping too.  I had a clean home and was well rested, but I was lacking something.  I needed something to ward off baby brain; I needed a hobby. 
    I needed something to challenge the mind, offer an artistic outlet, and that I didn't require me to leave the house.  I tried getting into photography for awhile, making note cards, and selling photos. But, I needed to get out by myself a lot to take pictures to really make it work and I found myself spending way too much time on the computer.  My wife got tired of me complaining and moping, so she got me a woodworking book from the library about toys.  Making puzzles was one of the projects in the book.  Luckily we have a garage (900 sq ft, bigger than our house, awesome) beneath our yurt so I had space to work and not disturb the sleeping kids.  I made a few for my son and he loved them.  Then a few other parents saw them and said "Hey, you should sell these."  Now I have a less than clean home, don't get much sleep, but am never bored.

Where can one get these puzzles? 

  There are several stores and art galleries in Anchorage and Eagle River where you can buy them:
Anchorage:
Dos Manos Art Gallery, Katie Sevigny Art Gallery, and  Sweet Adeline's Children Store.

Eagle River:
Belly Baby and Beyond and Eagle River Nature Center

You can also shop at my online etsy store  and see what is currently available. http://www.etsy.com/shop/YurtMade

But my favorite is to interact with customers at craft fairs or by having people pick what they want, make it, and hand it directly to them.  You can see all of our designs at http://www.eagleriverpuzzles.com/ and on facebook.

What do you love about Alaska?

  Winter.  I'm bubbling with anticipation when the sun starts disappearing in September.  I'm sad in May when all the snow starts disappearing and I finally have to hang up the skis for the summer.  I'm one of those annoying people who is always praying for cold stormy weather while every one else is looking for sun.  Alaska is the perfect place for me.

Here are the rules to enter:

1. Must live in Alaska

2. Be a follower of the blog

3. Visit Ben's facebook page and tell us your favorite puzzle. Please be sure to leave an email address, anonymous will not be counted.

The winner will get this cool salmon puzzle!! The winner will be chosen randomly this Sunday evening.

Mo'Rockin Creation Giveaway (closed)

Owl designs seem to be everywhere and why not, they are so cute! Our giveaway is a one of a kind homemade owl by Maggie from Mo'Rockin Creations. This will make a great Easter basket present!

Please tell us about yourself and how you started your business:
I am a homeschooling mother of 5 children ages 7-15. My husband is a youth and children's pastor in Wasilla, loving kids and serving the community is what we do most. I love to create and am tickled that people like my creations. I won't lie, the cash from my creations also helps to support our love of homeschooling and the life of ministry we've chosen for our family. I really began crafting in 2003, when I began making hand braided rugs to donate to a mission fundraiser and to give as presents. The summer of 2004 is when I began making baby slings, receiving blankets, tooth fairy pillows, hooded bath towels, kool aid purses and more. I sold my creations at farmers markets and craft bazaars in Idaho until 2007, when our family moved to Wasilla. Since then, I've primarily sold my creations on Etsy.com, a wonderful website dedicated to selling all things handmade. This last year I said goodbye to creating baby slings and hello to making different animals out of recycled wool sweaters. Valentine's Day of 2010 , I really wanted to give my children something special, so I decided I would attempt to make them each owls. I looked all over the Internet for a pattern to use, but didn't find one I liked, so I created my own. I included hearts in their eyes and on their wings to show each of my kids that "Owl Always Love You" .  These were a hit and soon all of my kids' friends wanted one of their own. This inspire me to make them for my etsy shop. I absolutely love making my owls. It brings me so much joy to hunt out wool and create one of a kind owls, mushrooms, cats and monsters. Each owl and monster seems to have its own personality and I love seeing others enjoy my creations.  The best part for me is they were born out of my love for my own kids. I continue to make towels, blankets, burp cloths and purses made out of recycled materials, but my owls are definitely my favorite.

Where can I get these owls?
Currently you can buy my creations on my Facebook page and you can also purchase my, Owl Always Love You, owls at Sweet Adeline's Children's Store on Huffman in Anchorage.

What do you love about Alaska?
It's hard to say what I love the most about Alaska. I've dreamt of moving here since the 8th grade, when I was inspired by my Grandpa's stories of serving in the Aleutian Islands during WWII. Over the years I would dream up how I could make it up here.  In 95' I  just happened to marry a man with Alaska in his heart as well. We were overjoyed to finally move  up here in 2007 and are still in love with Alaska ,her great beauty, wonderful people and pioneer spirit. I still pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming! It brings me great joy to say my creations are Alaskan made.


Want to win one of these sweet owls? Please follow the rules:
1. Live in Alaska
2. Visit Maggie's facebook page and let me know which owl you would choose if you won.
3. Follow the blog and PLEASE leave an email address to contact you. Anonymous will not be counted.

One winner will be chosen Sunday night, good luck!!

Alaska Love Giveaway (closed)

I love seeing all the hand designed apparel in Alaska. One designer that I think was so creative is Marne Lastufka. She is the owner of alaska love and I love how she placed hearts in places of the stars of the big dipper, which is on our state flag. Simple yet powerful.

Marne donated a kids long sleeve shirt size 8. (She said they run a little small) It is charcoal gray with baby blue lettering on it.

Please tell us a little about you and your business:
I am a life-long Alaskan and started my business in 2009.  I started small, but it quickly grew into a larger entity of its own. 

Where can I get these products?You can get Alaska Love items at Dos Manos, located at 1317 W Northern Lights, and at the Fiddlehead Gallery on 4th Ave.  I also do craft shows, I have several coming up, "A
Woman's  Affair", April 1-3 in Fairbanks, "Spring Fling", at the Egan Center on April 16, 17, and the "Today's Woman Show", in Wasilla, April 29-May 1. I will also be at the Downtown Saturday Market this summer June- August. 
Visit her website, alaska love and "like" her facebook page!

What do you love about Alaska?I love the people that live in Alaska, and I love the fact that the days are so different, always are changing.

Want to win the tshirt? Please follow the rules and good luck!

1. You must live in Alaska
2. Leave a comment and make sure your profile links back to your email address or post it here. (Anonymous will not be counted! If your phone doesn't let you do it, please sign in from your computer)
3. You have to be a follower of the blog


One random winner will be chosen Sunday night. Remember the shirt is a long sleeve KIDS size 8 shirt.

Good luck!

SnuggleBoo Giveaway!! (closed)

Whenever I carry my baby in her car seat, I usually get comments on her cover. I LOVE my SnuggleBoo cover. I used to have another fleece cover, but I didn't like how it laid on my sons face. The SnuggleBoo acts as a tent and I can peek in without waking her. I am still able to carry the car seat on my arm as well. It keeps her so warm and keeps the wind off when I am taking her to and from the car. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone with a baby. Its so much easier then throwing a blanket over the car seat as well. This is a great gift for the new momma as well!

Naomi donated a neutral cover for our giveaway!! Let's hear about Naomi first and we can move onto our giveaway.

Please tell us a little about you and why you created the SnuggleBoo:

I’m blessed to be a stay-at-home-mother of 4 wonderfully crazy kiddos. Not the easiest job, and yes it IS a full time job in itself, but I’m thankful to have the option. My husband got me a sewing machine the Christmas that we found out that I was pregnant with our second child. She was born the following September, just in time for the cold weather! I was and still am, not comfortable with the car seat covers that lay directly over the baby’s face so I bought one of those JJ Cole BunndleMe things to keep her warm. But her face was still exposed to the sometimes sub-zero temps. She also kicked her feet so much that she would actually work the zippers down and eventually be completely uncovered!

So then I decided to make something myself since I couldn’t find ANYTHING that stayed away from her face while still protection her from the cold.
And so the idea of the SnuggleBoo was born.
It was never my intention to turn this into a business, but I was constantly being asked where I got my car seat cover. One thing lead to another and here we are!

Where can I purchase the SnuggleBoo?

www.snugglebooonline.com

And soon in the Nursing Boutique inside of Prov.
We also have a facebook page!

What do you love about Alaska?What I love most about Alaska would be the summers!
I love the light and the warm and all the beauty that comes with it. There is so much to do outside…
Alaska In the summer is just AMAZING! The winters I actually enjoy too….till about mid-January…then I’m ready for summer again!

Thanks Naomi!! SO here are the rules to enter for your chance to win a SunggleBoo.

1. Must live in Alaska.

2. Be a follower of the blog (Anonymous WILL NOT be counted!)

3. Leave a comment on who would get to enjoy the cover. Please make sure you leave an email address to contact you or have your profile link to your email address.

One random winner will be chosen and the giveaway will close on Sunday night. Good Luck!