Are you a Disney fan? Do you love Mickey Mouse? If you answered yes, this event is for you. Barker Animation will be hosting Bret Iwan; he’s the voice of Mickey Mouse. This amazing opportunity to meet the man behind the Mouse is very exciting and a great event to share with the entire family. If your  older child has the natural skill of doing voices and entertaining their friends this is perfect for them too. Make sure you put this on the calendar to meet Mickey and Bret it’s sure to be a memorable experience. See you there, event details below.

Here’s a great Youtube video with Bret Iwan and a few other characters.

Here are the event details as posted on Moms Aventura.

BARKER ANIMATION is very excited to host actor/artist Bret Iwan for a fantastic family event with contests and demonstrations.

Location: Barker Animation Art Gallery
Street: 600 Silks Run, Suite 1270
City/Town: Hallendale Beach, FL 33009
Website : http://www.barkeranimation.com
Phone: 954-457-2280

Friday, May 18 6-10 PM

Saturday, May 19 2-9 PM

Sunday, May 20 12-8 PM

Bring the whole family for:

• Live Painting Demonstrations
• Mickey Mouse Voice Contests
• Special Show Prices on Art
• Free Gifts for the Kids

Here’s what the future might look like…

According to an article in The Miami Herald, titled Broward gets Grant to Speed Fort Lauderdale-Aventura Bus Route, Broward Transit Systems recently acquired funds to explore technologies that will improve transit time. Soon it will make that much more sense to leave that car at home and take the bus. Already Miami-Dade and Broward Transit services have easy to understand tools to help you plan out your route to Aventura Mall. Once you get there be sure to take advantage of the Aventura Express Shuttle Bus Service. The shuttle bus service is a transit system, offered by the City of Aventura, that will connect you via multiple routes to exceptional shopping and all the places you need in Aventura. So the next time you’re planning a trip to the Aventura Mall, take some of the stress out of the journey and take the bus. You’ll shop much better and you’ll never have to remember where you parked!

Find out more about how technology can improve transit times read the Miami Herald’s full article entitled Broward gets Grant to Speed Fort Lauderdale-Aventura Bus Route…

As a new parent there is a lot of change that happens in your daily life. Now instead of a quick trip to the grocery store, you have to pack up yourself and your child and a quick trip turns into a much longer ordeal. Often when it comes to going out to eat or visiting local parks, it is important to know what accommodations they have for new moms and their new additions. Though many restaurants are family-oriented, there are still some that are more meant for older children or adults when it comes to their accommodations.

When it comes to getting out with the kids in the Miami area, there are general issues many new moms will run into without realizing it. One of the biggest issues new moms find when they are visiting a new place is the use of family bathrooms. These types of bathrooms allow both parents and children of different genders to enter the bathroom and help their children. Many family bathrooms will include changing tables for younger infants and more accessible bathrooms for toddlers. When visiting local parks or beach play areas, some locations will have stroller parking and lock stations where mothers an leave their stroller locked up and not have to worry about keeping an eye on it while they are allowing their children time to play on the playground. If you are taking your children out to eat, you may find to your surprise that the children’s menu consists of two items that your child may or may not be able to eat. It is important to consider the restaurant you are going to and the menu they offer for children before heading out to eat. That way your children can enjoy the eating out experience just as much as you.

In the Miami area there are plenty of family friendly locations to visit. These can include family-friendly restaurants like Applebee’s, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Bahama Breeze and IHOP. Though many of these restaurants are chains, they pride themselves on offering family-friendly eating for all ages and have menus that appeal to even the pickiest eaters. Along with kid-friendly menus, many of these locations have family bathrooms and every location in the Miami area has an infant changing table for parents totting along their little ones. With Miami it is all about the sand and the surf. New moms should check out locations such as Miami’s famous South Beach. This long strip of beach has a long boardwalk that new moms can take their little ones for a walk and will find several locations where they can lock away their stroller and head out onto the beach.

Still finding yourself dizzy at the thought of finding family friendly locations in the Miami area?

MomsAventura.com is a new resource for new mothers visiting or living in the South Florida/Miami. These locations can include parks, beach areas, restaurants and even local museums. Unlike other sites, this utility will rely on the information provided to them by other mothers, just like you, that have visited these locations and can attest for their kid-friendly environments and mothers can even recommend new locations that they have found to other new moms in the area.

So what locations in Miami do you find to be the most kid friendly by mom standards? Join today and let us know.

What amenities do these locations have that you feel make it a family staple? Join today and let us know.

Click on the link above to see if you’re lucky enough to win the 560 WQAM Home Improvements contest. Stellar Public Adjusting Services is the main sponsor of this exciting contest. If somebody has all the correct matches they’ll win the 100k. Home improvements are always a priority for Stellar Adjusting when the help homeowners recover from their insurance company. When there’s damage in a home or business Stellar takes the necessary steps to assist in a quick and full recovery.

Take a moment to enter the contest and spread the word, it’s time you did something to make those home improvements happen and 100k would certainly help!

Spread the word and share on Facebook and Twitter.

J-CAT is the theatre educational arm of the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center’s Rabbi Norman Mussman Cultural Arts Department

It is a year-round theatre arts program for youth, teens, and adults.

J-CAT initiates students of all ages to the magical world of theatre through a full season of productions, Summer Stock Theatre Camp, and a whole range of after school and evening classes in acting and technical theatre, and more.

J-CAT presents 6 productions during the theatre season with both Youth and Adult. Drawing upon community theatre roots, our actors and techies make up a volunteer ensemble that showcases their love and passion of theatre. ALL AUDITIONS are by appointment. The shows will be listed on the J-CAT website (www.jcctheatre.com) with a description and requirements of the characters. For more information and to schedule an audition, contact Lillian Andron at 305-308-8055.

In today’s economy, it is all about keeping your business afloat.  Businesses such as dry cleaners, dentists, doctors and even lawyers have trouble keeping up the right amount of clientele in order to keep their business running and the competition is fierce.  Though a well-working company and excellent services are a must to keeping customers, getting the customers to your storefront to use your services is the first step.  This is where the internet comes into play for many of these businesses and why it is important that every service business utilize the internet to promote their overall business.

Go Where the Customer Is

These days more and more consumers are on the internet.  They are performing internet searches to find doctors, lawyers, hair stylists, restaurants, etc.  The internet is a valuable tool that allows a customer to read reviews on a company, visit their website and basically try them out before ever actually stepping through the door.  With so many customers on the internet a business needs to put them out there for customers to browse.  Though a website is a good start, not every business shows at the top of a search engine results page.  When a local company lists themselves on a local directory, however, customers are drawn to finding services in their area and will more likely be able to find that company’s website.  Companies that are listed with online local directories do not have to actually have a website to list their company.  This can be beneficial for the company looking to get their information out on the internet without paying to actually start up a website or hosting program.

Locating Services

A lot of smaller service companies are located in random locations within their city.  This can be placed in the middle of an industrial or commercial park or off the main streets where customers may drive by, but never actually see their storefront.  For services that are located in large commercial buildings, often exterior signage is not available for their use.  That means that many customers that do actually drive by that building will never know of their services or that they are located there to begin with.  By listing your company name, address and services with an online local directory, customers can find your company without having a large sign in the front displaying your name.

Referral Confusion

Often friends or family members will refer other consumers to a particular service provider.  In the event the name is mispronounced or the friend or family member does not have the right contact information, a local online directory can provide that information so the referral customer actually finds the company they are looking for.  Without being listed in an online local directory many companies may simply go unnoticed and not retain the referral customers they expect to.

In the end, the internet is a valuable tool no matter the size of your company or the services you offer.  Even if your services are as basic as carpet cleaning, there are many other cleaning services out there that you have to compete with.  A fighting edge goes to the businesses that have their names listed on the internet and essentially go where their customers are.

Being a new mother is an exciting time. Your life has changed for the better, but with that change comes a lot of lifestyle alterations that many new mothers do not realize. One of those alterations is just getting out of the house. Getting out of the house is no longer as easy as picking up your purse and rushing out the door. Now leaving the house includes packing a stroller, diaper bag, the baby and your own stuff before leaving. On top of the leaving routine, new mothers tend to find difficulty in finding a place to go that is kid-friendly.

In the Aventura area it seems there’s a mom geared resource on every corner – baby shops, cafes, classes, and more. There are even haircut studios specifically geared to kids. There are so many amazing places to visit and creative ways to spend the day. Our new network always moms to interact with each other and share the latest events, photos, coupons, and more. Also this is great for new moms in the area because you can tap into a new social scene.

As a new mother you now have the task of looking out for specifics in a location that you would never have looked for before. These specifics can include things like restrooms. The average woman’s bathroom no longer works when you have a newborn in tow. Bathrooms that are family-oriented and include infant changing tables are a must for new mothers. When taking your new addition to a restaurant, many restaurants are not prepared to take on infants. A good restaurant will offer high chairs or car seat slings that allow parents to set their child down and still enjoy their meal. When bringing older children that can select their own items from the menu, new moms need to realize that not every restaurant will have a child-friendly menu, let alone selections that meet the needs of their little ones.

When heading out with your little ones, visit locations that promote family activities. These can include museums like the Ancient Spanish Monastery, Art Deco Historic District or Jungle Island. Each of these locations promote family visits and offer family bathrooms, infant changing tables, activities and play centers for children as well as family-friendly restaurants that are equipped for infants, toddlers and older children. Parents can bring in their own strollers to these locations or rent a stroller directly from the facility to limit the amount of gear that they have to bring in with them.

New mothers have the most difficult time finding places to take their little ones. If this applies to you,there is a new resource network for moms that list locations within the Aventura area that are family friendly and amenities they have that fit to your family needs. Unlike other sites that simply list the information, these listings and recommendations will be provided by other mothers who have visited these locations and tested their kid-friendly abilities first hand. Being able to ask other mothers for advice is the best way to find family-friendly locations in the Aventura area.

We want to hear from you! What locations in Aventura do you find to be the most family friendly? What kind of amenities do you look for at a place to decide if it’s right for your family?

1. Aventura Grand Cove: The plaza that is home to Aventura’s Bagel Cove is currently undergoing a major renovation and construction. The free standing restaurant has been demolished to make room for Jared The Galleria of Jewelry. The parking lot is being reconstructed. There is complimentary valet parking and all businesses will remain open.

BEFORE:

NOW: (UNDER CONSTRUCTION – COMPLIMENTARY VALET & ALL STORES OPEN)

2. Loehmann’s Plaza Aventura: The sweet smell of Burger King fries, burgers, and shakes no longer pierces through the air of Loehmann’s Plaza. The BK building was demolished to make way for another bank in Aventura. PNC Bank will be on the North East corner of Biscayne.

BEFORE:

NOW: (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

3. Fresh Market Plaza: The plaza South of Fresh Market is being redeveloped. One of the new flagship tenants is Natuzzi, which will have a large showroom when their new space is complete. All stores are open during construction.

BEFORE:

NOW:

BEFORE: (OLD OLIVE GARDEN LOCATION)

NOW: (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

BEFORE:

NOW:

Pei Wei is the brainchild of PF Chang’s Asian Bistro. They serve a variety of freshly prepared contemporary Pan-Asian dishes in locations spanning across the United States. The food at Pei Wei is reasonably priced, gluten-free and they offer vegetarian options for many of their dishes.

I arrive to the counter and I’m greeted by a beautiful aroma of delectable smells surrounding my senses. Thai Basil Shrimp, Bangkok Noodles and Thai Coconut Curry just to name a few. So much is good here that the only time consuming activity is making up your mind as to what to order. I decide to go for the Dinner Select, in which you can order a smaller portion of 5 entrée dishes and pair it with your choice of spring roll, cup of soup, or Asian Slaw. Pei Wei offers a wide selection of alcoholic (including Sake!) and non-alcoholic drinks and at select locations they are served through an ultra high-tech soda serving machine in which you get to program your selected drink via touch screen and it comes out made-to-order through a single faucet. Quite Entertaining!

Pei Wei offers both dine and take out options. I highly recommend dining in if you can. The atmosphere is casual, fun and the service is fast enough that you’ll be sure to back from your lunch break on time.

Mid-Day Asian Food Fix Accomplished…!

Thank You Pei Wei!