It’s getting hot in here!
So take off all your clo….STAHHP. IT IS A FAMILY NEWSLETTER.
Fine.
But seriously, it’s a steamer of a week. 90 degrees in June!? C’mon man. If you are out and about, bring water, remember to check the back seat for your kids and dogs. Oh, and do not leave any snacks behind, if you do, well, have fun cleaning up mystery melted goop that is now all over the car seats.
Later on in the email, we got all the splash pads in the metro mapped out for you, so be sure to check that out so you are prepared the next heat wave!
Gif by pudgypenguins on Giphy
Have fun this week.
Adventures Ahead📅📅
Check out some below happenings in the CR area!
Have an event suggestion? Just click here and let us know what it is.
Wednesday, 6/10
MUSH! w/ an Iditarod Sled Dog & her human Karen
Fairfax Library, 10 am
Have you ever wondered… What does it feel like to ride the runners behind a team of dogs, steering a loaded sled through mountainous terrain, crossing the vast Alaskan tundra? What does it take to care for a team of Alaskan huskies? Could my dog be a sled dog, too?
Musher, Karen Land, will cover these subjects and more when she and her sled dog visit Fairfax Public Library.
Picnic & Pages @ the Pad
Guthridge Park Splash Pad, 12-12:30 pm
Join the Hiawatha Public Library for a fun-filled story time adventure at the park! Bring your lunch and your swimsuit!
Cedar Rapids Municipal Band
Kingston Yard, 7:30-8:30 pm
Watch the CR band take stage!
Thursday, 6/11
Freedom FEASTtival
Green Square Park, Cedar Rapids, 11 am - 7 pm
Savor the flavors of summer at the Freedom FEASTival, the ultimate food lover’s experience at the Freedom Festival, where local restaurants, food trucks, and artisans come together to celebrate community, culture, and creativity.
Five Seasons Water Ski Show
Ellis Park, 7 pm
Join us for a fun show on the water! We will feature tricks and talent on waterskies. Our theme this year is 'Disco Fever'.
Marion by Moonlight: 90’s Kids
Marion Central Place, 6-9 pm
Gather your people, a cooler and some lawn chairs and kick back to enjoy live music compliments of Farmers State Bank. Music goes from 6-9 p.m.
Palo in the Park Summer Kickoff
Clymer Park, 6 pm
Kick off summer with Kris Karr at the first Palo in the Park of the season! Food truck, Italian ice, and some extra fun for kids!
This is a free will donation event. Please stop by the West Linn tent for any food pantry or monetary donations!
Friday, 6/12
Sarsaparilla Friday
Ushers Ferry, 12-1 pm
Step into the old-time saloon at Usher's Ferry and enjoy a classic treat! Every Friday from June through August, stop by for Sarsaparilla, old-fashioned soda pop, and cold drinks, while the village is open to explore.
Moonlit Movie Series: Zootopia 2
Klopfenstein Amphitheater at Lowe Park, 7 pm
Join the Marion Parks and Recreation Department for free outdoor family fun. Bring your blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the movie. Activities begin at 7 p.m., and movies begin at dusk (about 8:30 p.m.)
Saturday, 6/13
Little Hooves Yoga (6+ yrs. with adult)
Old MacDonald’s Farm, 9:30-10:30 am
Stretch, laugh, and move together during this playful yoga session with friendly goats. Kids and adults enjoy a fun, shared experience built around movement and connection. Bring a yoga mat or towel and wear comfortable clothing.
Multiple children may register with one adult.
Robins Round Up, 250th Anniversary of America
East Knoll Park, 8:30 - 10:30 am
The 250th Anniversary of our Nation celebration is coming to East Knoll Park with a special Kids Parade for children of all ages.
Festivities will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the parade stepping off at 9:00 a.m. Children are encouraged to decorate their bikes, trikes, wagons, and even themselves in patriotic style as they march in celebration of the Nation’s birthday.
Organizers ask that no e-bikes, ATVs, or electric scooters be used during the event. Community members are encouraged to start planning their creative decorations and register to participate online using the link below.
Register here
Marion Farmers Market
Willowood Park, 8 am - 11 am
Mix and mingle and check out local vendors, plus get some delicious food!
Sunday, 6/14
Hiawatha Farmers Market
Guthridge Park, 10 am -1 pm
Whether you’re shopping for the week or simply enjoying the atmosphere, the market is the perfect place to gather, explore, and support local.
Monday, 6/15
Dog Story Time w/ Special Guests
Hiawatha Public Library, 10 am
Dogs are cuddly and cute, but it’s important to know how to stay safe when meeting one you don’t know. What should you do if you meet a new dog, or if a strange dog approaches you? The K9 Ambassadors and their four-legged friends are here to guide you step by step, helping you understand how to do this.
Bigger Bang Bubbles
Hiawatha Public Library, 1:30 pm
Experience an unforgettable bubble adventure with our highly skilled bubbleologist! This dazzling, high-energy performance features incredible tricks like fire bubbles, fog-filled bubbles, smoke bubbles, helium bubbles, and even a nearly perfect cube bubble.
Tuesday, 6/16
Armadillo Story Time
Hiawatha Public Library, 10 am
Get ready for a fun and entertaining time filled with stories and songs all about armadillos! Kids and families will enjoy learning about these unique animals through fun stories and the opportunity to meet Andy the Armadillo from Texas Roadhouse in person.
Messy Art! Bubble Painting
Fairfax Library, 2-4 pm
Make some messy bubble art!
Grown-Up Getaway… 99 problems and a kid ain’t one. (Except this week)
Cooking for a Cause
🗓 Friday, June 12, 5:30 – 7:30 PM @ Groundswell Cafe (201 3rd Ave SW, Cedar Rapids)
Cooking for a Cause: A Grandparent, Parent & Child Cooking Experience.
Rather than a date night with your significant other or a parent getaway, take your kid out instead! Daddy/daughter date. Mother/Son date. Whatever you call it, your kids deserve some 1-on-1 time with you too!
This special hands-on cooking class is designed for one parent or grandparent to attend with one child. Together, you'll learn how to make a delicious meal from scratch, including steak fajitas, handmade tortillas, and Tres leches dessert.
But the impact goes beyond your own table. As part of the class, you'll also help prepare extra food that will benefit shoppers at the Cultivate Hope Corner Store, turning a fun family activity into an opportunity to serve others.
$50 per parent/grandparent & child pair
Spend an evening learning, laughing, cooking, and making a difference together. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!
Register at: matthew-25.org/cooking
Knee-Slappers😂🤣
Kid Tested & Approved
Knock knock…. who’s there?
Figs…. Figs who?
Figs the doorbell! its broken! 😁
Why did the math teacher go to the beach? 🏖
To work on her tan-gent! 😅
Why can’t you give Elsa a balloon? 🎈
She’ll let it go! 😆
🥁ba-dumm, tsssst…. 🥁
Gif by peacock on Giphy
A perfect combo, easy to make, and delicious
Ham & Egg Crescent Bake
This meal is an easy, go-to breakfast for an early morning coffee playdate, great for when company is staying overnight, or a lazy weekend morning, or the classic change-up of breakfast for dinner.
It has been some time since we have broken out this recipe, but one of the kids was asking the other night to do the “egg thing in the oven for dinner.” So, guess it is time to do it again!
Ingredients
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls (we like store-brand, but Pillsbury works too, we did get this recipe from the Dough Boy)
6 eggs
1 cup diced cooked ham (or bacon, or turkey, or ground beef, or even chorizo)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (or green pepper or yellow pepper, or other veggies)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese blend (~6 oz, cheddar or Colby-Jack is preferred)
1) Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough, and press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. If using crescent rolls, press perforations to seal. Prick all over with fork.
2) Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until dough is set but not browned. (Set a timer!)
3) In medium bowl, beat eggs; pour into dough-lined pan. Top with meat, veggies, and cheese. (Don’t forget to season your eggs! salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.)
4) Bake 17 to 22 minutes longer or until eggs are set and crust browns.
CRFW Pro Tip 🧑🍳 : This recipe takes really well to mixing and matching. Seriously. Try different veggies, mix up your meat choices. It’s a simple recipe that can be used with multitudes of leftovers.
Image courtesy taken from Pillsbury.com
Need to know Nuggets
Weather Report ⛅⛈
Wednesday, 6/10 | 90℉/73℉ | 🌦 ⛈ |
Thursday, 6/11 | 80℉/58℉ | 🌦 ⛈ |
Friday, 6/12 | 80℉/62℉ | ⛅ |
Saturday, 6/13 | 81℉/58℉ | 🌦 ⛈ |
Sunday, 6/14 | 75℉/55℉ | ⛅ |
Monday, 6/15 | 70℉/56℉ | 🌦 |
Tuesday, 6/16 | 72℉/52℉ | 🌦 |
Well, most of the heat is already behind you, but yay! We get pop up storms now! Shouldn’t be too surprising though, enjoy the upcoming cool down, but keep your eye on the radar.
Weather courtesy of KCRG.com
News Worthy Nuggets
DICK’S House of Sport opens in Cedar Rapids, featuring ‘experiential elements’ - from Corridor Business Journal
Former Prairie runner and teacher wins hometown marathon - from Cedar Rapids Gazette
Advocacy group pushing for new entity to review Cedar Rapids police data, suggest policy - from IowaNewsNow
Coe College receives FAA approval for Restricted-Airline Transport Pilot authorization - from Corridor Business Journal
Make it a goal to check out each one!
Splash pads, baby!
If you have to get out of the house and it is going to be, like… 10 million degrees outside, why not go somewhere fun and keeps the kids cool? Parents can run through the water as well!
The CR metro has 19 total splash pads! That is, if you also count the ones our friends have up in Center Point and down in Fairfax. We built a map just for you, save the link as a favorite in your phone for easy summertime fun.
That’s it for this week.
We spent quite some time trying to think up a snazzy outro and sign off, and just unfortunately came up empty handed… Sorry, not sorry.
Keep on sharing the newsletter with your friends and also let us know of any fun events around town!
Stay cool. It is entirely acceptable for you to buy Kona Ice for your kids this week; tell your spouse that we said its ok.
See you later! 👋