Free Museum Day for Bank of America & Merrill Lynch customers

I just found out today that if you have a bank of America debit card you get free entrance to many museums in Miami! Bank of America customers can go to some of the coolest museums without ever swiping a credit card. Bank customers get into museums and attractions for FREE the first weekend of each month just by showing their debit or credit card. The Miami sites participating in the bank's Museum on us program are:

Miami Science Museum
Miami Art Museum
Miami Children's Museum
Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale
Young at Art Children's Museum
Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery & Science
South Florida Science Museum

For more information go to http://museums.bankofamerica.com/arts/MOU.aspx

To qualify for Museums on Us, customers simply present their Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card along with a photo ID to gain free general admission to any participating institution on the first full weekend of every month.

Play-In

This summer has been scorching hot!! Thankfully a lot of new indoor playgrounds have been popping up all over Miami. A few weeks ago my sister & I decided to take our kids to Play-in, a multi-sensory activity center. Our kids being used to going to My Gym every week welcomed the change. Think of Play-In as an all-purpose indoor fun zone. 

Munchkins of all ages can enjoy open play, after school programming, homework helpers (kids 5-11) and various therapy offerings. When I walked in I was like "WoW this place is so uber cool, so modern, so edgy, and so unlike anything I had ever seen". They had a really cool zipline that ended in a ballpit. Of course this was everybody's favorite activity (Warning: The zipline is only open for about 15 minutes of every hour). All the kids zipped dozens of times. They had an art room full of crafts & paint supplies. They had awesome silk ropes hanging and a little boy hoisted himself on it, and started doing acrobatics (he was a Play-in camper). They had a a big cave, that once you climbed up it was a slide inside. 

This place is quite innovative with so many things to do, things to swing from, things to climb up on,and to things to jump on, that I honestly wanted to be 5 years old again. We were there 3 hours, & the kids did not want to leave at all. Best of all it wore them out!

From their website: Play-In is an indoor multi-sensory environment, where all children can come together to stretch, play, learn, feel and grow. We are unique from all other indoor playgrounds because our play area is set up with each child's sensory system in mind, and offers specialized equipment to help kids achieve balance. Play-In provides a creative and innovative space where kids of all ages can climb, jump, swing, spin, hang, build, glide and feel their way through a variety of different environments. Play-In is a safe space for genuine exploration, imagination, and fun.

The open play is a little pricey & of course super far from Kendall. But if you're in the mood to try something different, or if you're in the neighborhood this place won't dissappoint.

Play-In Features

• Indoor Open Play — Drop in any time and stay as long as you want!
• Assisted We-Play — Structured, guided play sessions with one of our staff.
• ABA and Recreational Therapy
• Occupational and Speech Therapy
• Homework Helper — After school program for kids ages 5 and up.
• Trazos Art Academy — Fine art, clay modeling, Photoshop and more!
• Birthday Parties — Unique private parties for children of all ages
• Summer Camps— RecTherapy & art summer camps
• Mini-Gallery Night— Second Saturdays during Wynwood Art Walk
• Yoga for Kids and Families

They are located 2501 NW 2nd Ave. Miami, FL 33127 • 305.576.7604
in the Wynwood District. Plenty of parking!!

If you are in the area long enough for a meal there are a lot of good places to eat between there and the design district (just about 10 blocks north). Here are some good ones (that are very kid friendly):
Lost and Found Saloon: http://www.yelp.com/biz/lo​st-and-found-saloon-miami
Buena Vista Deli: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bu​ena-vista-deli-miami
Crumb on Parchment: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cr​umb-on-parchment-miami "

Also if you go on I Am the Maven she has coupons for Play-In! What is I Am The Maven? Connecting savvy moms with fabulous local deals at the best places. That means tons of FREE online coupons you can't find anywhere else.

Swimming Lessons!

Traci Cole

Miami moms are always on the search for for swimming lessons. I know I was when Angel was small. My parents had a pool in their backyard and I had always heard horror stories of drowning being the number one cause of death in toddlers and the scary statistics of toddlers drowning, especially in South Florida. 


I was born in the Dominican Republic so my older sister and I learned to swim very young. It was important for us to make sure our kids learned water safety and basic floating, swimming, etc. We had a friend that used to attend our church who was a private swimming instructor, so we reached out to her to teach our kids to swim. My daughter was one and a half and my nephew was two and a half. The summer of 2008 we hired Traci Cole, an experienced swim teacher and swimming coach. She came to our pool to teach our kids swimming. She gave each child a 30 minute lesson and we purchased 10 sessions each. 


I have to admit I was really wary that she was going to be able to teach my daughter, who was so young, anything at all. The first few sessions my daughter was screaming murder and I felt like someone was going to report me for child abuse! It was so heart wrenching watching the first few lessons but halfway through something amazing happened she stopped crying, screaming, and was actually putting her head under the water. By the last lesson she could actually paddle, kick, and swim short distances alone. My nephew picked it up quickly and was swimming like a pro. I liked Traci because she did private lessons, it was only one child at a time. Traci worked with our shedule, came to our pool, was very warm, professional, and all around excellent. She charges $40 per lesson, but gave my sister, a friend, and I the group rate of $20 per child, per lesson. 


A year went by and I didn't take Angel to the pool much since my parents moved away to Orlando and I didn't have their pool to practice in. When the summer time came again and I took Angel to the pool, I realized she had lost most of her skills and needed swimming lessons again. My nephew didn't need to take swimming again, so I opted for a more inexpensive class than private lessons. This time I took her to Little Swimmers, located at the Killian Palms Country Club, where they promise your child will learn to swim in 5 lessons. I was a little skeptical but I tried it out, her instructor was very good and patient with her but I missed 1 lesson and when I tried to reschedule a make up they were always giving me the runaround so I never got it. So really Angel got 4 lessons and on her last day they kind of push the kid to the water to show what they learned. She swam but it didn't really stick, so I wasn't very satisfied with the program. She was mostly wearing floaties the rest of the summer. At the moment I felt like she learned the technique but a few weeks later kind of forgot about it. 


The following summer, when Angel was 3, I enrolled her in a summer camp for 8 weeks that offered swimming. I felt this would help her master and keep her swimming skills. She got swimming lessons from Swim Gym, a swimming school that has a location in Cutler Bay, and also teaches swimming at private schools & camps. With these swimming lessons, I felt like it was baby swimming.  I felt that she wasn't really learning how to swim independently. The classes promoted water safety and learning how to be comfortable in the water. I wanted something a little more advanced. 


This year she is 4, enrolled in the same camp, taking swimming lessons from Swim Gym again and I have to say my long journey into teaching Angel how to swim may finally be coming to end because she is now swimming from one end of the pool to the other end by herself!!! She will also continue to get swimming lessons throughout the school year at her preschool from Swim Gym because her school offers swimming twice a week as part of her curriculum. I believe she needs the practice and consistency to improve. This might be why her swimming has progresses slowly since after the summer is over I typically do not take her to many water activities. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!


Additional information on the instructor and schools mentioned above:


Traci Cole
http://fit4lifezenstudio.com/
(305) 796-8838
Special Savvy Hookup: 2 or more kids in private lessons at a rate of $20 per child, per lesson. Also, purchase 10 lessons and get the 11th free! Just mention the Savvy Hookup sent you.


Little Swimmers
http://www.littleswimmers.net/


Swim Gym
http://swimgym.net/main.php

Check out a free museum pass at your local library

Miami Dade public libraries have started a museum pass program months ago, I noticed that many people don't know about it and are not taking advantage of it! We are in a recession, these passes are a great way to take your children out for free.

Library Museum Pass Program
Your FREE entry to art, culture, entertainment and so much more!
Miami-Dade Public Library System proudly presents the Museum Pass! Just visit your nearest branch library, see staff for availability and use your library card to check out a museum pass. The Museum Pass offers patrons FREE admission for a family of four to the Deering Estate at Cutler, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, HistoryMiami, Miami Art Museum, Miami Children’s Museum, Fruit & Spice park, and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
.

How the pass works: Pass is good for up to a family of four. Pass is good for one visit. Pass is not renewable or available for reserve. Pass is valid for seven days from the time of check out. Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pass will not be replaced if lost or stolen. Only one pass may be checked out at a time. Museums may apply restrictions including blackout dates or separate admission to special event/exhibits. Here's how to get it, Miami has 49 libraries. Each library has for each attractions only 1 pass per library. Go on www.mdpls.com on your top left you will click on "LIBRARY CATALOG". Under search you type "MUSEUM PASS PROGRAM". Then it will pop up the 7 attractions, you click on the one you want to check out & it will show you the 49 libraries, and which library has the pass. The libraries re-up on the passes after the 7 days are over so if you check out a Science museum pass on a Monday, the following Tuesday the pass will be available to check out again. So everyday different libraries have different passes. One library might have Art musuem, across town another library may have Miami Children's Museum. Librarians cannot hold the pass for you if you call & ask them to(believe me I have called & begged!!). Sometimes if you show up to a library a little bit before they open you might see that there is already a line in front of library door of people waiting for the library to open, yes they are in demand! I have checked out Zoo Miami pass maybe 6 times, Miami Children's Museum twice. To get it I have shown up to the library 30-40 minutes before they open & stood in front of the door like i'm crazy lol. Or I drive to libraries that are kind of far like downtown, or near Opa Locka those libraries never run out of passes. The ones in Kendall, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay the most demand passes (MIami Children's, Science) run out by opening time, week after week. The library used to offer Zoo Miami, but they no longer offer it right now.

Welcome!!

Hi! And thanks for stopping by The Savvy Hookup Blog. When I became a mom I thought Chuck E. Cheese was the only place to take your kids. But as my daughter has grown and as I've researched activities in Miami, I've connected with some great businesses and organizations that have shown me what an amazing collection of activities there are locally. People are always telling me that I seem to have an inside scoop on things. Well, that's not really true, I just really want my daughter to experience as much as possible without breaking the bank. I will be blogging about many experiences I've had including Jungle Island, Seaquarium, water parks, movies, and different indoor play places.

I'm blessed enough to be a stay at home mom, but many moms my age don't seem to be as connected as I am. I don't have any "Sources" and I do not receive any compensation from places I review. If and when I do, I'll let you know. All my posts are for places I've personally been to by myself or with my daughter. I am signed up with some of the websites, newsletters, and organizations that offer some of these deals, discounts, and coupons. When I do get some info from another source, I'll let you know so you can get the hookup also! Typical information I look for is when are grand openings happening, when special events are scheduled, what places are good, when companies are having giveaways, or contests, and more.

So stay tuned, follow this blog, and email me your suggestions and comments! Please feel free to share your hookups and share The Savvy Hookup with your friends!

My Gym Fitness fun Palmetto Bay & Kendall

My sister has been taking her boys to the Kendall My Gym for years. I would always say, "That looks like fun,  I'm going to enroll my daughter in it". But it took me  awhile to get going. Last year I moved to Palmetto Bay and literally 2 minutes away from my house is the Palmetto Bay My Gym.

They had an open house where they offered free lifetime membership & 2 weeks free so I enrolled my then 3 year old. Because she is a lifetime member that means she could participate in any My Gym so occasionally I would take her to Open Play at the Kendall My Gym for $5. I love both My Gyms & I did my daughter's 4th birthay party at the Palmetto Bay My Gym. It was awesome! This year in a Facebook contest I won a free birthday party at My Gym & I did it at the Kendall location it of course exceeded my expectations. My Gym parties are the best because they keep the kids entertained & then clean up afterwards what more can you ask for? My daughter loved it, she's the center of attention, and she had a blast.

Here's what I like about the Palmetto Bay My Gym: They have karatenastic, cheer, yoga, & gymnastics. My daughter loves going to gymnastics every Saturday morning at 11:45. They are always throwing 2 hour summer play-days for $5, they add new classes every couple of months, the owner Angie is super nice (and a black belt in karate) & super sweet. The only thing I don't like is that the open play is early in the day. Two of them are in the morning & one is at 2:15. Since my daughter goes to school until 4pm, she really doesn't get to enjoy the open play time.

Here's what I like about the Kendall location: They have an open play once a week at a later time for older kids at 5:15 every Tuesday, the staff is fantastic, & they have an art class once a week. The owner Kathy has had this My Gym location for over 10 years and she's also super bubbly and happy all the time. My daughter loves both places & all their teachers. Locations for these two My Gyms as follows:

My Gym Palmetto Bay

unfortunately this wonderful My Gym has closed down but is currently giving classes at
 Jump A Roos @ Southland Mall 20505 S. Dixie Highway Cutler Bay, Fl 33189 (305) 238-jump
My Gym Kendall Shops of Kendall
12588 SW 88 Street
Miami, FL 33186
Telephone: (305) 270-0230

·  Non-enrolled members $5 for Open Gym
·  Non-members $10 for Open Gym

·  Siblings receive 10% off

·  Enroll in two classes and receive 20% off second class.

·  Ongoing Session All Year

·  45 min. class $ 63.00 per month
·  1 hour class $ 65.00 per month

·  One time family membership fee $75.00

·  Active members can enroll in the art class program (L.C.E) for just $35 per month!!!

My Gym Doral  
7902 NW 36 ST SUITE 203
Miami, FL 33166  305-500-9688 (I have never been to this My Gym but I have heard great things)

My Gym Coral Gables 2531 Coral Way Miami, Fl 33145 305-285-9440 (I went to a birthday party here & some of the staff that worked at Palmetto Bay now work here my daughter was so happy to see them again. The party of course was awesome) 

My Gym Aventura 17881 Biscayne Blvd. Aventura, Fl 33160 305-933-0496 (I have also not being to this one they do however offer a Hebrew music class)

Cool-de-Sac a wonderful place to take your kids!

Cool-de-sac is an indoor children's play place paired up with a cafe/restaurant so that parents can eat & relax while their kids play. Cool de Sac features exciting activities that allow kids to “play smart” in clearly defined creative play stations: Arts, Blocks, Salon, Discovery, Games & Computers, A Play Unit, and a Tots area.

Here's why I like it: This place totally rocks! The food is great, service is good, prices on point. The activities are all designed to stimulate creativity & interest. Toys are the building kind (Lego, K'Nex,), the craft area is fully stocked (glue, glitter & all), and the dress-up area has a wide variety of girl and boy costumes. Computers are large-screen Macs loaded with fun educational software in favorite Nick Jr. characters. And get this, for grownups, WI-FI IS FREE, so you can work (or surf Facebook ) if you have to, while the kids have a blast. I come here frequently & my 4 year old daughter never tires of it! They also have a salon where your little princesses can get a "makeover" at no extra cost (aka nail painting, face painting). 



One day on FB I liked the Cool-de-Sac page to get information on special events, & discounts. They were having a giveaway for 4 passes to see the preview of Winnie the Pooh & 4 passes to a Cool-de Sac Winnie the Pooh afterparty. Well I won, I was chosen for being their most "energetic" fan & the events was in Dolphin mall. When I walked in the Cool-de-Sac there my mouth dropped to the floor, it was way bigger, with more technology, & the cafe looked more elegant like a restaurant. But after going to that location twice, I realized it was super packed, chaotic, full of older kids. So while I still love that location, I rather take Angel to the Sunset Place one.

Their prices are $13.50 for kids 3-12, $6.50 kids under 3. Teens & adults are free. They have 2 convenient locations:

Shops at Sunset

5701 Sunset Dr #355

Miami, FL 33143

305-446-1686

This location is more intimate, parking is not free (garage or meters necessary) employees are more attentive, and the activities are more geared toward smaller children.

Dolphin Mall

11401 NW 12 Street, Space # E610

Doral, FL 33172

305-477-5505

This location is bigger, parking is problematic, they have video games & Guitar Hero for older kids, and the employees are overwhelmed.

Cool-de-Sac Dolphin Mall

Cool-de-Sac Sunset Place