THIS EVENT HAS EXPIRED

The City of Beavercreek is having their annual Popcorn Festival September 10-11. Located at Dayton-Xenia Road between Fairfield and Meadow Bridge in front of Beavercreek Plaza. The festival has over 200 booths with festival foods, crafts, and all types of things made with Popcorn. The festival includes a children's area, lots of entertainment, 5k Popcorn Run and Car Show on Sunday. Be sure to check out their site for all the details.

It seems like almost every company or business is on Facebook nowadays. But who should you follow? To help you out we've decided to give you a Facebook Follow tip from time to time of some of our favorite local companies and businesses to follow. Here is our favorite Facebook Follow today:

Cake, Hope & Love

Their shop is a cute little store in Beavercreek and it's full of deliciously, beautiful cupcakes, fun push pop cakes and elegant cakes, it's so bright and cheerful that it seems like you are in a magical cupcake land! We love them because besides having delicious cupcakes and other fun goodies they always seem to be offering fun deals for their Facebook followers. Currently they have a Living Social deal- $10 for $20 worth of cakes and cupcakes. They often remind you about any BOGO deals that they have or even what yummy flavors are out. My favorite thing they do is their little contests where all you have to dress up to score FREE cupcakes.

Here is there deal for this Saturday, September 3-
Do I have any Buckeye fans out there? This weekend is the first game of the season! We're dressing our Buckeyes up for the occasion. Come in wearing THREE pieces of Buckeye gear and get a FREE cupcake!

Seriously how easy and fun is that? It seems like they are always adding fun new flavors every week. And while these Alice In Wonderland cupcakes (in photo above) aren't typical for their every day cupcakes, it just seems to be a perfect way to show how fun they are there over at Cake, Hope & Love! You can check out what some of their treats typically look like on their Facebook page though.

So, be sure to head over to Cake, Hope & Love on Facebook and follow them today. If you want to buy me a cupcake or two while you are there.. feel free to also.

And while you are there be sure to follow Deals For Dayton on Facebook too!

For those of you that attended Ultimate Mom's Night Out, I'm sure you remember the DELICIOUS chocolate covered strawberries and  krispy treats that The Melting Pot brought for everyone to enjoy. Well, if you are looking for a reason to head there be sure to check out their latest specials.

The Melting Pot has some great new daily specials including Kids Eat Free on Sunday. My personal favorite is Thursday night when 4 people can eat for $76. Be sure to follow The Melting Pot on Facebook to be kept up to date on all their deals and specials. Be sure to sign up for their emails by joining Club Fondue so that you don't miss any deals, plus you will get coupons for your birthday and anniversary.

MONDAY – FRIDAY - Happy Hour & a Half
From 5:00-6:30 p.m., in our bar area, enjoy half price cheese & chocolate fondue, $5 select cocktails, martinis & glasses of wine, plus $2 select beers.

MONDAY – Budget Stimulus Night
Enjoy our new Four-Course Classic for $50 per couple.

TUESDAY – Military Appreciation Night
We salute our service men and women with 30% off all food with proof of military service.

WEDNESDAY - Service Industry Night
Kick back and relax on your night off with a Fondue Feast for $30 per person.

THURSDAY – Double Date Night
One couple eats free – Enjoy our new Four-Course Classic for $76 per foursome.
(Not valid during Girls’ Night Out, the last Thursday of every month)

FRIDAY
Parties of five or more can dip into our popular Fondue Feast for $30 per person. Plus enjoy 15% off any bottle of wine ($100 or less).

SATURDAY & SUNDAY – Lunch Special
A special three-course lunch option for just $25.The special includes your choice of salad, a featured light brunch entrée and a chocolate fondue.

EVERY SUNDAY – Kids Dip Free
Every Sunday, kids eat free fondue at The Melting Pot of Dayton. For every adult-sized individual entrée ordered, you'll receive a child's entrée, including steak, chicken, shrimp and ravioli. So bring the kids out for some family friendly fondue fun.

THIS EVENT HAS EXPIRED

Kettering is having their annual Holiday at Home festival this weekend. There is something for everyone including a parade, kids area, car show and more! This event takes place in several locations in the Kettering area. Be sure to check their site for exact locations of events. (Although most of the events are around the Fraze area)

Sunday, September 4
Lincoln Park Commons, Government Center - 11am-6pm
Arts & Crafts
Kid's Zone
Concessions
Entertainment
Antique Truck Show

Monday, September 5
Lincoln Park Commons, Government Center- 12-5pm
Arts & Crafts
Kid's Zone
Concessions
Entertainment
Auto Show

Most parents know that mixing a toddler and a long car trip can be a recipe for disaster. When we headed to the beach this summer we decided that our iPad 2 was a perfect way to help pass the time for our 2 year old on our 12 hour drive. Our problem is that we don’t have a in-car DVD player, we really wanted to use the iPad2 so that he could watch a cartoon or two on our way there. So, we headed to our ever trustworthy friend, Griffin Tech to see what options they had available. Our result? The CinemaSeat. This simple case helped turn our iPad into the best in-car entertainment system that our van had ever seen!

Features:
Wide, adjustable straps that go around the headrest (actually around the bars)
Several access points that make it easy to reach the volume, headphone jack and other buttons while in the case.
Sturdy case and frame construction
Mesh pocket on back of case to store headphones or various cords

While it sat nicely on the headrest it was a little difficult for anyone not sitting directly behind the CinemaSeat to see the screen. This isn't a fault of the CinemaSeat but more an issue with the shape and size of the iPad screen. Although I like how easy it was to put the iPad in and out of the case when it was in use. Since we have a Honda Odyssey we were able to balance the case on the hand bar on the back of the seat it was attached to. I did wonder how high or low the case would sit in a vehicle that doesn’t have anything to support the bottom of the case. If I could make one change I wish that there was a way to strap the case between the driver and passenger seat so that we could use it in the middle so that both kids could easily see the screen. My conclusion: with it’s solid Griffin frame it is the perfect option for our DVD-less van, or any DVD-less vehicle for that matter. It makes it so that our kids can easily watch a movie while we travel and with the headphone jack readily available it’s nice to think that I really don’t HAVE TO listen to them watch another episode of Chuggington again (while in the van at least). So, if you are also DVD player-less in your vehicle for only $25 on Amazon.com the CinemaSeat is a perfect option. Trust me we’ve tried the “shoestring” option too, but now this way I can rest assured that our iPad is secure! On a side note, I also like that we can easily use this in any vehicle that we want and all we have to do is strap it onto the headrest and we are set.

PS- Please notice that we are watching the much loved Toy Story movie on our iPad snug inside the CinemaSeat.

Disclosure: Griffin Tech provided me with our CinemaSeat mentioned above. But this post and opinions are my own and not paid for or influenced by the item provided. To read their reviewer policy be sure to check out http://bit.ly/griffinreview.

If you have a Twitter account, it's about to help you get $5 FREE credit on Amazon for Video On Demand. Just click on the yellow "Tweet and Get $5" button and follow the steps to redeem your credit. This credit expires on 10/31/11.

This sounds like there is going to be a cheap or free date night at home in our near future!

Thanks Freebie Shark

Do you remember those personalized cassettes that sang your name along with your favorite songs? Well, there is a company called Just Me Music and you can now have Elmo, Mickey or even Bob and Larry sing to your child. Right now you can get three free songs on their site. Just enter MYELMO in the code box and your email address to score a FREE Personalized Elmo Song for Your Child!

Make sure to click on the “No thanks, I just want my free tracks” blue button if you only want the free tracks.

Thanks Hip2Save

Join them at Town & Country on September 3 from 11am-1pm for their Community and Volunteer Firefighter recruitment event. There will be activities for children and adults, equipment displays, demonstrations, blood pressure checks and more! Little B LOVES fire trucks so I'm pretty sure that we will be here!

To show appreciation to all the active duty military families the Boonshoft is part of the Blue Star Museums program. The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park and Fort Ancient have joined more than 600 museums from across the nation in offering free admission to military families throughout the summer. The Blue Star Museums program is in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and participating museums, and is scheduled to run through Labor Day 2011. For more information about the Blue Star Museums program, including eligibility and the proper forms of ID required, please visit: http://www.arts.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/faq.htm

Free admission under the Blue Star Museums program applies to active duty military and up to five (5) immediate family members. So if you are looking for something to do between now and Labor Day.. this might just be the thing!

Thanks Family Fun Mom

CLOSED: This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to our winner Christy.
YOU CAN VIEW OUR LIST OF GIVEAWAY WINNERS HERE.

INTERESTED IN USING SIGN LANGUAGE WITH YOUR BABY OR TODDLER? DON’T MISS THIS GIVEAWAY!
An Interview with Amy-Hope Guisleman, from Spring Into Learning

What led you to teach your children more than just those basics?
When our oldest son was about 8 or 9 months old, I discovered Baby Signing Time which led us to teach him signs for pets, family members, toys, etc. When he was about 18 months we started learning even more signs as we began learning the signs taught on the regular Signing Time videos as well.

What are the benefits of signing with infants and toddlers?
Two of the key benefits during these early years are early communication and reduced frustration. Children are able to begin signing between 6 and 14 months of age - much earlier than they typically begin speaking clearly. Toddlers experience a great deal of frustration due to not being understood. They understand a lot of what we say, but we cannot understand them and they find this very frustrating. Children who are taught sign language can clarify what they need or want and so experience much less frustration (and typically fewer tantrums) than their non-signing counterparts.

These are only two common benefits of signing with infants and toddlers – the full range of benefits are hard to put into words and really must be experienced first-hand. It is so much fun to teach your very young child something so perfectly suited to his or her ability level (children develop control of their hands and bodies long before they develop the control of their mouths necessary for clear speech). Your child will love to learn to sign and you will love to see her learning. Time spent reading books together will be more fun and will hold your child’s interest more as you incorporate signs you have learned. Mealtime may be less stressful as your child begins to incorporate signs to express his desires. You will be able to easily communicate with your child across a room or while other children are sleeping without making a lot of noise. I could go on an on about the potential benefits for your interaction with your child, but the best recommendation is to try it first hand and see what you think!

What types of classes does Spring Into Learning offer?
We currently teach two types of classes: Baby Signing Time Play and Sign Classes are 30-45 minute classes that meet once per week and use stories, songs, and activities to introduce and/or reinforce signs to you and your children from birth up until their fourth birthday. (I am flexible on age; please talk with me if you have questions about which class is most appropriate for your child or if you need for an older child to attend with a younger sibling.) Start Out Signing Workshop is a 2-hour workshop designed for the new or expectant parent who has little to no experience signing with children. Parents are introduced to the many benefits of signing with children and taught many of the most useful signs for signing with infants and toddlers. Tips and activities for signing with young children will also be provided.

Our Giveaway:

Spring Into Learning is giving away one free 4-week module of Play and Sign Classes with supporting materials (a $60 value) OR one free Start out Signing Workshop with supporting materials (a $65 value) to one lucky reader. PLUS- They are offering 10% off any September class (either Play and Sign or Parent Workshop) for anyone who registers through their site by August 31st and enters "Deals for Dayton" in the comment box on the registration page.

How To Enter:

Main entry: Check out Spring Into Learning and tell us what class you like would want to win. (Be sure to leave your comment on this post so that it gets counted)

Additional Entries:

Well, here are some more ways you can enter, just be sure to leave a additional comment for each additional entry requirement that you fulfill.

- Follow Deals For Dayton on Facebook, if you already do just leave leave that in your comment. Be sure to leave your comment on this post.

- Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter. If you already do just leave leave that in your comment. Be sure to leave your comment on this post.

This contest ends Saturday, August 27, at midnight EST. We will use Random.org to pick our winner. Amy-Hope Guisleman is a sponsor of DealsForDayton.com

Photo credit: Tiny Fingers