Picture With Santa Photo Contest

The Village of Rochester Hills is the place to go to visit Santa!  Santa is darling with a real beard and the kids get a book, candy cane and reindeer antlers.  Best of all, you get to take your own pictures and it’s FREE!

The Village of Rochester Hills is having a contest on their Facebook fan page and here are the details:

Post your picture with Santa at the Village for a chance to WIN a $50 Village Gift Card!

Contest Rules:

How to Enter:

• Post a picture of your visit with Santa at the Village of Rochester Hills on the wall of the Village Fan Page.

Contest rules:

• Limit one entry per person.
• Entries will be accepted until Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 11:59pm.
• The Village of Rochester Hills will select one entry at random to win the prize.
• Winner will be announced on the Facebook Fan Page on Saturday, December 26 before 12:00pm.
• The prize will be available for pick up at the Whole Foods Market customer service desk on or around Saturday, December 26 at 12:00pm.
• Winner must provide a photo ID & signature to collect the prize.
• The prize must be claimed within 30 days (or prize becomes void and remains the property of the Village of Rochester Hills).
• No Purchase Necessary.
• Contest is open to all Village of Rochester Hills Facebook fans.
• All winner and contest decisions are final.

Happy Holidays from the Village of Rochester Hills

Good Luck!

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera, Tiny Prints and Ford (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Dinner With Santa at Meadow Brook Hall

My family and I were invited to have dinner with Santa at Meadow Brook Hall and a magical night it was.

First off, Meadow Brook Hall is located in Rochester and was the home of the Dodge and Wilson families.  Matilda, widow of automobile pioneer John Dodge and her second husband, lumber broker Alfred G. Wilson built the 110 room 88,000-square-foot, Tudor-revival style home.

Much of the home is inspired by English manor houses of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries that Matilda and Alfred traveled to on their architectural tours of England.

Meadow Brook Hall was completed in 1929 at a cost of nearly $4 million.

Dinner consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce and corn.  Dessert was a piece of chocolate or white iced cake with raspberry glaze.  The wine glasses on the table were filled with grape and apple juice for the children…it was however “their” evening and the special details were fitting.

The real excitement was Santa and the funny balloon making clown that traveled from table to table entertaining the children.  My girls had a great time making this an event we will probably add to our holiday traditions.

After dinner we took a tour of the magnificent home in all it’s splendor.  Each room had an exquisitely decorated Christmas tree and on each tree was hidden a pickle for the children to find.  At the end of the tour, once all of the pickles were found, the children got a prize.  This was a great way to entertain the children during the tour.

We had a wonderful evening as a family that was both special for the children as well as for the adults seeing the excitement in their faces.

I recommend if you are a Rochester resident, a resident of metro Detroit or traveling to the Detroit area, that you visit Meadow Brook Hall and see a huge piece of American history.

Disclosure: My family and I were invited to Meadow Brook Hall for a review.  The opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone and are not influenced in any way by anyone.

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera, Tiny Prints and Ford (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Finding Santa in Livingston County

Tuesday, December 15

Dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Children 11 and under can have dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Zukey Lake Tavern in Hamburg.  The cost is $3.95 per child and $2 of each meal will be donated to Trail’s Edge Camp for ventilator dependent children.  Adult dinner specials will also be available.  Call 810-231-1441 for more information.

Stacy Swann is a mom of two, wife of one and a freelance writer and blogger living in Brighton.  She worked in the world of Detroit advertising for over 12 years before starting her own Rights Clearance business.  You can contact Stacy at swanngirlz(at)gmail(dot)com and follow her on twitter @swanngirlz.

Have Sunday Brunch With Santa!

The Rochester Mills Beer Co. is hosting a Sunday brunch with Santa Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Reservations are recommended.

Don’t forget your camera and your Christmas list!

Kids under 6 eat FREE with an adult purchase.

Rochester Mills Beer Co
400 Water St.
Rochester, MI
248-650-5080

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera, Tiny Prints and Ford (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Sing Along With Santa

Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 4 p.m., The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestera presents a family friendly show.

$15 for adults, $6 for kids, $35 for a family(limit 6).

United Church of Christ
423 S. Fourth Ave.
734-994-4801

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera, Tiny Prints and Ford (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Enjoy Breakfast With Santa in Canterbury Village

Have breakfast with Santa and get your child’s picture taken with jolly ol’ Saint Nick.

The event will be Saturday, December 12 and it $8.25 for adults and kids and children under 4 are free.  Call 248-391-1900 for times.

Olde World Canterbury Village
2369 Joslyn Court
Lake Orion, MI

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera, Tiny Prints and Ford (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Santa’s Hours at The Village of Rochester Hills

December 5  11:30 am-5 pm

December 6  11:30 am-5 pm

December 12 11:30 am-5 pm

December 13 11:30 am-5 pm

December 18 11:30 am-6:30 pm

December 19 11:30 am-6:30 pm

December 20 11:30 am-6:30 pm

December 21 11:30 am-6:30 pm

December 22 11:30 am-6:30 pm

December 23 11:30 am- 6:30 pm

December 24 11:30 am- 5 pm

Bring Your Camera!

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera, Tiny Prints and Ford (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

The Village Tree Lighting Was Magical

If you didn’t go to the tree lighting at the Village of Rochester Hills, you really missed out.  It was the perfect event to take a child because, not only was Santa there, but the music was great, the evening wasn’t too cold and it was short and to the point.  When you have kids between the ages of 0-6, you only have a window of an hour or so and then, it’s time to move on.

The evening started at 7 p.m. with a Polar Bear handing out reindeer antlers to the children and Whole Foods handing out samples of hot tea.  Then the the Adams High School Chamber Choir sang some beautiful Christmas songs, Mayor Barnett introduced the Shomaker family, little Tommy pulled the switch lighting up the Christmas tree, Santa arrived in style behind the Adams High School Marching Band and the Mayor gave Santa the key to the city.

The whole thing lasted 30 minutes and delighted the entire audience.  Children cheered for Santa and parents watched with a twinkle in their eyes.  Then Santa made his way to his Snug to greet boys and girls and hear their holiday wishes.

By the way, the Snug is beautiful this year!  I took my girls last year to see Santa at the Village of Rochester Hills and the pictures were perfect for our Christmas cards.  This year we will do the same, but with the entire family!

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera, Tiny Prints and Ford (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Don’t Miss the Village Tree Lighting and Arrival of Santa Claus!

Friday, November 20th @ 7:00 p.m., The Village of Rochester Hills will kick off the holiday season with their Annual Community Tree Lighting and Arrival of Santa Claus in Fountain Park.

The ceremony will include Mayor Barnett, the Adams High School Marching Band and Chamber Choir and Santa Claus.

After receiving his key to the city from Mayor Barnett, Santa will make his way to Festival Park where he will be to visit the children throughout the holiday season.

Visits with Santa are FREE, but remember to bring your camera because photos are not provided.  For a schedule of Santa visits, visit www.thevorh.com.

The Schomaker family has been selected by Mayor Barnett to flip the switch and turn on the holiday lights at the Village this year. Mike, Colleen and their children Matthew, Tommy, and Genevive Rose were nominated to be the family of the month as part of Mayor Barnett’s “Families First” initiative. The program is intended to celebrate exceptional families and share their stories. Whether it is to celebrate unspoken acts of kindness or other unique examples of community service, the objective is to recognize those that make the community great.

The Village of Rochester Hills is located at the northeast corner of Walton Blvd. and Adams Rd. Village hours are Monday-Saturday, 10a:00m to 9:00pm and Sunday from noon to 6:00pm.  Village Gift Cards are available at Whole Foods Market or online at www.thevorh.com .

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera, Tiny Prints and Ford (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.

Support Breast Cancer Research by Having Breakfast With Santa

Dynamic Detroit Mommy Bridget Richardson knows how to fundraise for a great cause! Last Spring she completed the Breast Cancer 3 Day and has already got the ball rolling for her fundraiser for next year.   Bridget is a mom of 2 young girls and she knows the importance of this worthy charity event.  She has a fantastic event planned that the whole family can enjoy next month…. Breakfast With Santa! Bridget has been working hard to make this an incredible event and she even secured the fabulous Santa from Westland Mall.  Contact her today to get your tickets and enjoy a wonderful Christmas event with your children and support this worthy charitable event!

What:  Breakfast With Santa

When:  Saturday Dec. 12 from 8am-10am

Why:  Support the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk

Where:  Applebees’ 36457 Warren Road, Westland MI

*Breakfast Tickets: $6, kids 2 and under FREE

*Sit with Santa Tickets: $5

(Inculdes a visit with santa, bring your own camera for a (1) photo and a gift bag from     Santa. Each additional child in photo add $1)
*an elf doing face painting

*Great raffles and more.

*Get on Santa’s list and receive a letter from him before Christmas $3

Space is limited, please contact 734-748-0546 to reserve your spot!

Jennifer is a mom of 2 and founder of The Bilingual Fun Company.  She is a former high school Spanish teacher turned business owner.  When she is not busy teaching classes, producing educational DVDs and running her kids to activities, she loves to get out around Metro Detroit and enjoy the sights, sound, and events that our city has to offer.

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