Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, tagged art, entertainment, family, festival, Lake Eola, music, playground magazine on April 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Fun for the whole family at Lake Eola!
Sunday April 18, 2010
What do you get when you mix live music, high-energy dance, never-before-seen interactive art installations, traveling performers and families? A community experience that will impress both kids and parents. Let your family explore through sight, touch, taste and sound the most creative multi-sensory event in Orlando. (more…)
Posted in Local "Green" Events, Natural Baby Care, Natural Products, tagged babies, birth fair, childbirth, doulas, family, midwifery on September 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
You are invited to attend Birth, Babies, and Beyond: A Family Affair, Central Florida Birth Network’s 5th Annual Birth Fair, held on Saturday, September 27th from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. Free to the public!
1st Presbyterian Church of Maitland
Gymnasium
341 North Orlando Ave
Maitland, FL
This year’s fair will feature over 30 vendors and exhibitors presenting products and services related to pregnancy, childbirth, mothering, newborn care, and family life. There will also be games, raffles, food, and a children’s corner with awesome activities and face-painting!
We expect another great turn-out this year, so come out and show your support for mothers and babies, and all those who love them! It’s going to be a fantastic event!
Click here for map and more information.
This year’s sponsors include Cristy Nielson Photography, the Central Florida Birthing From Within group, Heart 2 Heart Birth Center, the Central Florida Breastfeeding Center, Foto Flix, Whole Foods of Winter Park, and Let’s Eat.
Posted in Alternative Education, Dance & Exercise, Local "Green" Events, Spirituality, tagged dance, dances of universal peace, family, First Unitarian Church of Orlando, florida, meditation, nature, Orlando, retreat, Spirituality on July 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The International Network for the Dances of Universal Peace is a registered charity in the USA. The network connects dance circles and we’re lucky enough to have a chapter in Orlando! Here’s a description from the International Website:
From the beginning of time, sacred movement, song and story have brought people together – at times of seasonal ceremony and celebration, as part of everyday life and life passages, in daily renewal and meditation, etc… The Dances of Universal Peace are part of this timeless tradition of Sacred Dance.
As in these timeless mystic traditions the Dances use simple music, lyrics, and movements to touch the spiritual essence within ourselves and others. No musical or dance experience of any kind is required and everyone is welcomed to join in. Participation, not presentation, is the focus.
No special attire is required, although comfortable, loose-fitting clothing is best. Participants join hands forming a circle with the Dance leader and other musicians in the center. Throughout the evening, the leader teaches the group the words, melody, and movements for the next Dance and often provides some background history about that particular Dance. The teaching is always done from a compassionate heart in a comfortable, quiet, and often sacred setting.
I’ve also been lucky enough to attend “Dances of Universal Peace” at First Unitarian. I found it wonderfully refreshing and something akin to “moving meditation.” Of course, the potluck afterward is fun too.
Unfortunately I don’t get to go to this groovy retreat, but you can! Check it out:
“Showering Blessings”
Dancing Peacock Paradise
20622 NE Hwy 315, Ft. McCoy, Florida
You are invited to our sacred space: the warm lake waters of paradise for swimming & boating, walking the labyrinth, picnicking in the woods, & dancing. You may attend any or all parts.
“The lover of nature is the true worshiper of God” Hazrat Inayat Khan
COST
LEADER:
SCHEDULE (Subject to change)
Saturday, July 5
1:00 – 2:30 PM Arrival, socializing, enojying nature, swimming & boating
3:00 PM Dances of Universal Peace (Please be here by 3 so we can begin together)
5:00 PM Enjoying Nature & companionship
6:00 PM Potluck Picnic Dinner: cottage porch & lakefront
7:00 PM Sunset & Crystal Bowls with Cindy in the Treehouse
7:45 PM Deeper Dancing & Zikr
8:45 PM Desserts
Sunday, July 6
Practices & Services as desired. Let us know if you will be here Sunday and what you’d like offered. Possibilities Include:
8:00 AM Morning practices on the dock
9:00 AM Breakfast
10:00 AM Universal Worship in the Gazebo with dances
ACCOMODATIONS AND SUPPLIES
You are invited to spend Saturday night (or more) for $25 per person per night (space is limited, $35 for the treehouse, or in your own tent for $15 per person per night.) Reservations must be made in advance for overnight. Breakfast will be included, but you need to bring your own food and some to share for the other meals.
Or just come for Saturday with your cool picnic potluck dish. Bring a cooler for your non-alcoholic drinks and food, or put the potluck dishes in the cottage refrigerator. Non-smoking premises. You may park at the cottage or at the house. (Dinner will be at the cottage; Desserts at the house.) The house has fresh warm breezes & paddle fans!
Bring your swimsuit for swimming, sunning, boating, and floating.
Wear cool comfortable clothing & shoes that are easily removed for dancing.
This will be a summer play day, so bring a big smile!
Please RSVP if you would like to spend the night at (352) 546-1345 or Kanoy8@alltel.net
WORDS TO SONGS WE MAY SING
Be ye songs of glory,
be ye songs of glory,
that the light of Allah may shine upon the world.
E malama i ka heiau
E malama i ka heiau
E malama pono i ka heiau
Your love for all makes luminous the now
Ishq Allah Mahbood Lillah
Blessed always,
blessed always
For the love of God surrounds us
Let our joy be so triumphant
That we rest in God and say Amen
May the road rise with you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
Goddess hold you
In the hollow of her hands
Lead us from the false to the real
Lead us from the false to the real
I’m not who I think I am
I am that I am
La illaha il Allah
La illaha il Allah
La illaha il Allah
Mohammedar Rassoul lilla
DIRECTIONS TO “DANCING PEACOCK PARADISE”
20622 NE Highway 315, Ft. McCoy
(352) 546-1345
Dancing Peacock Paradise is 5 miles N of Ft. McCoy, 4 miles S of Orange Springs, and 11 miles west of Citra
Tips
From Orlando
If you need directions from somewhere else please request.
Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Lessons and Classes for Kids, Local "Green" Events, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, tagged Earth, entertainment, family, festival, games, green, JCC, Mr. Richard, rides on March 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The Jewish Community Center of Orlando will once again host its Family Festival, this year with the need for more space, they are moving to Lake Eola. Free live entertainment will be provided by Walt Disney World with Mr. Richard and Jack Hartman!The festival will feature rides, games, crafting areas, and local artists displays. They plan on having several interactive areas such as a health and safety zone, toddler town, circus town, and an inflatable forest.
The real icing on the cake is the Go Green and Planet Earth Area. Here kids can learn how to protect our Earth. There will be green craft projects, hands on activities, recycling searches, relay games, and more!
The JCC Family Festival will be held on Sunday, April 13, 208 from 10-5 at Lake Eola Park in Orlando. Admission is free but there is a charge for rides, games, and food.
Posted in Fun Stuff for Kids, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, Restaurants, Uncategorized, tagged dining, family, furniture, green, ikea, kids, recycle, restaurant, shopping on November 20, 2007 | 6 Comments »
Ikea Orlando opened last week, next to the Mall at Millenia, and has been flooded with shoppers each day since then. Although I was already a big fan of Ikea, I was impressed by some of the “green” qualities of the new store. I know what you’re thinking – how could a box that big be green? And, you’re right. It is a huge store, with a huge parking lot, and I’m sure it has a huge carbon debt to pay off. But, I noticed several eco- and family-friendly qualities that made a difference to me.
First, Ikea certainly seems to believe in reduce, reuse, recycle. There are recycling bins (separate ones for paper and plastic) alongside trash bins almost everywhere. They charge $.05 for every plastic shopping bag at checkout, or you can buy their enormous reusable blue bag for $.59 and fit in practically everything (they are great for the beach and carrying bulky items home from grocery shopping). They also carry a full line of compact florescent light bulbs, and many of their speciality lights take energy-conserving mini-halogens.
The flat-packed, do-it-yourself-assembly furniture that Ikea sells saves on shipping and storage costs and energy, and their self-serve warehouse keeps costs down and keeps everything under one roof. They sell their floor models and damaged pieces in their As-Is Furniture department (they even had used hard hats from the building construction for sale for $2.00).
Having catalogs available to borrow while in the store keeps customers from taking them just to throw them away, and their rugged covers ensure they are reusable (the catalogs themselves are made with some post-consumer recycled paper). I was even impressed with the toilets in the restrooms – they have two flush settings to conserve water (push the lever up for liquid waste, down for solid waste).
Ikea Orlando is also family-friendly, with a fantastic supervised play area for children 37″ – 54″, as well as several other children’s play spaces scattered throughout the store. The on-site restaurant serves kids’ meals (peanut butter & jelly, meatballs or mac & cheese), but even the adult menu offerings of steamed veggies and salad bar are value-priced options for healthy eaters. They sell jarred baby food and juice, and provide high chairs, bibs and children’s plates, cups and flatware.
Baby changing facilities are available in the main restrooms, in addition to the family facility at each restroom area. Strollers are plentiful and easy to steer. And, the very friendly staff members seem to be especially helpful to families with children.
Finally, it is worth noting that Ikea Orlando has chosen A Gift For Teaching to be its service partner, donating $10,000 to the organization. Happy shopping!
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Mrs. Zeiger
Melita Franzen
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