What to Do Today: Jan. 8

DALLAS
Try your hand at the Olympic sport of fencing at En Garde! Free Fencing Class at 7pm today at Farmers Branch's Fencing Institute of Texas. The class, for students of all ability levels, includes lessons, drills, games and more. Give it a try! Free.


FORT WORTH
Enjoy an evening of classical music with Vivaldi's Four Seasons at 7:30pm today (and 8pm Saturday; 2pm Sunday) at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will perform Vivaldi's nature-inspired masterpiece plus other classical gems. Tickets start at $10.


NORTH TEXAS
It may be cold, but you can still go swimming! Check out Kid's Night Out from 6-9pm today at Flower Mound's Community Activity Center. Children ages 5-12 will dive into the indoor pool, watch a movie and enjoy dinner. Call ahead to pre-register. $21-$10 per child.

Call for "Explosive" Essays!

To all of those little Dallas Cowboys fans out there: Get ready to bring your "A" game when writing an essay that might just win you the chance to help demolish Texas Stadium!

Sponsor of the demo, Kraft Foods, asks that kids 9-12 submit 300 word essays describing how they've made an impact on their local community. The winning writer will get to push the trigger button during the Texas Stadium demolition later this year (a date has yet to be set). Essays will be accepted Jan. 7-Feb. 5.

The explosive event will coincide with Kraft's release of a brand-new version of the beloved mac 'n' cheese, named "Cheddar Explosion." In addition to bringing light to the new cheesy food, Kraft plans to donate $75,000 that will be split between local charities and an additional $75,000 toward local food banks.

—Gretchen

What to Do Today: Jan. 7

DALLAS
Have some creative fun at JumpstART Stories and Art: A Year With Frog and Toad at 10am today at the Irving Arts Center. Kids ages 3 and older will hear the classic tale before creating a fun art project. Free.


FORT WORTH
Jump into fun at Preschool Playtime from 9:30am-12pm today at the Grapevine Community Activities Center. Little kids will have fun socializing and playing with toys, soft mats and more. $1 per child.


NORTH TEXAS
Don't miss Toddler Time at 10 and 11am today at the Flower Mound Public Library. Children ages 18 months-36 months and their caregivers will gather for stories, songs and more—all inside the warm and cozy library! Free.

What to Do Today: Jan. 6

DALLAS
Animal lovers will experience hands-on learning at Colors, Numbers and Noise With the Creature Teacher at 10:30am today at the Bookmarks library inside Dallas' NorthPark Center. The program, geared toward children ages 3-5, will feature come cute (and some not-so-cute) critters. Free.


FORT WORTH
Get your groove on at the Music and Movement Storytime at 11:30am today at the Arlington at the Parks Mall Barnes and Nobles Booksellers. Representatives from the Arlington Music and Movement program will lead kids of all ages in a fun and funky program. Free.


NORTH TEXAS
Show off your kids' creative side at Storytime and Craft from 10:30-11am today at the Lake Cities Library in Lake Dallas. The program, for children ages 2-5, includes books and a cool art project. Free.

Cookie Season!

Girl Scout Cookie Season is right around the corner! Sales start January 8—have your orders ready and your nearest Girl Scout on speed dial! Orders will continue through the end of March.

This year, the girls add a new batch to the bunch: Thank U Berry Munch, a cranberry and white-fudge cookie (sounds delicious!). All the favorites (like Thin Mints, Samoas and more) will remain on the cookie roster.

To learn how to order cookies or support "Project Troop to Troop" (which provides cookies to men and women in the armed forces), go here.

—Gretchen

What to Do Today: Jan. 5

DALLAS
Have some creative fun with First Tuesdays from 11am-2pm today at the Dallas Museum of Art. Kids younger than 6 and their caregivers will enjoy stories, crafts and more at this monthly event. The theme for January is "Our Community." Free.


FORT WORTH
Stories and art will come together for Pictures and Pages: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? from 10:30-11:15am today at Fort Worth's Kimbell Art Museum. Kids ages 4-6 will read the children's book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page before making a cool craft. Pre-registration required. Free.


NORTH TEXAS
Come together with other moms at the First Baptist Church of Lewisville MOPS meeting from 9am-12pm today at the church. Moms with children from infancy through kindergarten will enjoy crafts, fellowship and more. Childcare is provided. Free.

What to Do Today: Jan. 4

DALLAS

Kids of all ages will love settling in for Monday Morning Storytime at 10:30am today at the Preston Royal Shopping Center Barnes and Noble Booksellers. Free.

FORT WORTH

Cuddle up for a Pajama Party at 6:30pm today at Fort Worth's Ridglea Branch Library. Kids are invited to wear their jammies for this family storytime, which will end with cookies and milk! Free.

NORTH TEXAS

Bring a friend to Free Kindermusik With Heidi class from 10-10:45am today at Highland Village's Brilliant Sky Toys and Books. The class includes music and movement activities for kids and parents. Free.

What to Do Today: Dec. 31

DALLAS
Most kids can't make it till midnight, so let them celebrate a bit early at the Noon Year's Eve Family Celebration from 10:30am-2pm today at the Dallas Museum of Art. Radio Disney will be on hand to get the party started, with music, dancing and prizes awarded at the stroke of noon! $10 adults; children younger than 12 free; $5 adults between 10:30am and 2pm.


FORT WORTH
Ring in 2010 in style at Red Carpet New Year's Eve: A Night at the Oscars at 8pm today at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will perform music from well-known Academy Award contenders. Tickets start at $29.


NORTH TEXAS
Take a field trip south for a night of extraordinary music with The Dallas Symphony Presents A New Year's Concert Celebration at 7:30pm today at Dallas' Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The acclaimed orchestra will perform light classical music including waltzes and polkas. It will definitely be worth the trip! Tickets start at $25.

Write Your Own Mommy Diary!

What's a day like in your shoes? Tell us about it! We're calling on all of our loyal mommy readers to write their own Mommy Diary; your diary will be considered for publication in an upcoming edition of either DallasChild, NorthTexasChild or FortWorthChild magazines!

Let other moms know how you survive and thrive in your family's daily routine. Keep track of your activities from dusk till dawn, writing down your thoughts in a Word document. Format each time and activity like so: "8AM-9:30AM: Dropped the kids off and grabbed coffee at Starbucks." Submissions need to be approximately 850 words long; all diary entries should be submitted with a digital family photo. Please e-mail all submissions to gsparling@dallaschild.com.

Once submitted, you'll receive confirmation via e-mail and, if your diary is chosen for publication in an upcoming magazine, an editor will contact you for more information.

—Gretchen

What to Do Today: Dec. 30

DALLAS

Celebrate a special holiday with Kwanzaa: A Harvest Celebration at 10:30am today at NorthPark Center's Bookmarks in Dallas. Storyteller Melody "Afi" Bell will teach kids about the traditions of Kwanzaa with books, drumming and more. Free.

FORT WORTH

Bring in the new year with a fun book at Preschool Storytime at 10:30am today at Fort Worth's Summerglen Library. Kids will love hearing stories and making a cute craft to take home. Free.

NORTH TEXAS

Bring your little Einstein to the Little Scientists Storytime from 10-11:30am today at Frisco's Sci-Tech Discovery Center. Kids ages 3 and older will have fun with a science experiment, a story and songs that will get their minds working! Free.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all our fantastic readers and fans! Whether you're spending the holidays baking cookies, enjoying this rare white Texas Christmas or settling in for the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story on TV, we hope you're staying safe and warm.

We appreciate all your support. It's been a great year and we have lots of exciting ideas lined up for 2010!

—The DallasChild Staff

What to Do Today: Dec. 23

DALLAS
There's still time to get your holiday ballet fix! Catch the Collin County Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker at 6pm today at Richardson's Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts. The dance classic will be accompanied by the Plano Symphony Orchestra and the Collin County Children's Chorus. Tickets start at $15.


FORT WORTH
Time for a story! Children ages 3-5 will love Booker's Storytime at 10:30am today at the Fort Worth Central Library. Booker the Library Armadillo will lead the fun with books, puppets, songs and crafts. Free.


NORTH TEXAS
Finishing up some last-minute shopping? Stop by the Barnes and Noble Booksellers at The Shops at Highland Village for Weekly Storytime at 10am today. Kids of all ages are invited to sit down and listen to a story or two (while you finally get a breather!). Free.

What to Do Today: Dec. 22

DALLAS
Hear beautiful holiday tunes during Christmas at the Meyerson at 8pm today at Dallas' Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The Dallas Wind Symphony will perform fun songs like "The Donner and Blitzen Polka" and "Jingle Bells Fantasy," and the audience will be invited to sing along! Tickets start at $16.


FORT WORTH
Let your little ones hear a fun book at Preschool Storytime at 10:30am today at the Fort Worth Summerglen Library. Kids will hear a story and make a cool craft to take home. Free.


NORTH TEXAS
School's out, so why not treat your brood to Family Time at 7pm today at the Coppell Public Library! The whole family will enjoy stories, songs, crafts and more. Space is limited, so grab an admission ticket at the Information Desk before the event starts. Free.

Name That Baby!

Bruce Lansky—better known as the "Baby Name Guru"—shares his forecast of the hottest trends for baby naming in 2010:

Boys' Names
The upcoming trends for naming a new baby boy include using various spellings of sound-alike names (Jayden, Aiden, Hayden, Caden); using Old Testament names (Eli, Isaac, Nathan, Aaron); using Irish names (Brody, Liam, Connor); and using Western "C" names (Carter, Cooper, Colton, Chase).

Girls' Names
The upcoming trends for naming a new baby girl include using sound-alike names (Chloe, Zoey, Riley, Kylie); using faith-based names (Genesis, Nevaeh, Leah, Sarah); using "place" names (Brooklyn, Sydney); and using old-fashioned names (Madeline is most popular).

For more insight on naming a new addition, check out Bruce's full reports on Facebook here. Or, read his book 100,000 Plus Baby Names.

—Gretchen

What to Do Today: Dec. 21

DALLAS
Little ones will get their fix of puppets and stories with Spider's Christmas Surprise at 10:30am today at NorthPark Center's Bookmarks. Puppeteer Sandy Shrout will act out the story, a funny German folktale that will teach kids about the popular custom of putting tinsel on Christmas trees! Free.


FORT WORTH
Kids Who Care's musical version of A Christmas Carol will take the stage at 7:30pm today at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. Kids Who Care, an organization that gives children experience and education in musical theater, puts on the popular production every year! $16-$12.


NORTH TEXAS
Get your game face on for Fun and Games at 3:30pm today at the Coppell Public Library. Kids ages 5 and older will face off against other school-age kids in games like chess and checkers. Free.

Get Dimples (The Good Kind)

Ahh, cupcakes. There's nothing quite like them, in my opinion. Little bites of cake, a sweet smattering of frosting and, if I'm lucky, a few sprinkles on top. They're the perfect treat. So imagine how thrilled I was to find out about a new bakery that will help me get my frosting fix: Dimples Cupcakes just opened in Frisco Square!

Dimples' desserts come in two sizes and a variety of flavors, including red velvet and chocolate coconut. Yum! The shop is open for the holidays from 9am-9pm Monday-Thursday and 9am-10pm Friday-Sunday. And this weekend, while you're sampling the cupcakes, you can enjoy the Christmas in the Square Light Show on Frisco Square too, with lights, carriage rides, a snow tubing hill and more! See you there (I'll be the one with frosting on my face).

Dimples Cupcakes
8880 Coleman Blvd., Frisco
www.dimplescupcakes.com

—Claudia

What to Do Today: Dec. 18

DALLAS
See a performance of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at 7:30pm today at the McKinney Performing Arts Center. Word of Mouth Productions will stage the well-known show about four lonely siblings who accidentally stumble upon the magical world of Narnia. $10-$6.


FORT WORTH
Kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers will explore nature up close at Preschool Discovery Club at 10:30am today at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. The December program will show children how animals adapt for winter. Call ahead to pre-register. $10 per child.


NORTH TEXAS
All aboard! Enjoy a fun holiday adventure on The North Pole Express at 5:30pm today at the Grapevine Cotton Belt Depot. Kids will love taking a ride on a real train, and the trip will include a stop at the North Pole Fun Park, where they can make ornaments, play in a bounce house and tell Santa their Christmas wishes. $16 for ages 2 and older.

A Snowy Treat

Every Christmas, I look forward to snow ... but not the icy precipitation that falls from the sky. (I'm a Texan, after all!) Rather, a sugary, snow-topped confection made especially for me by my mom. Every year, no matter how busy my family is (a family that stretches across the U.S.!), my mom always whips up a special batch of homemade Mint Snow-Top Cookies just for me to enjoy.

Sure, you've probably tried them before—she certainly didn't invent the recipe. But I thought I might share this creation with our blog readers to try out at home (just in case you're looking for something to share with visiting friends and family). And, this particular recipe can be a blast to make with little helpers.

After you create the chocolate dough, the recipe will ask for you to roll tablespoon-sized drops into balls (after allowing the dough to cool in the fridge). This is where the kiddos come in handy: These dough balls need to be shaken up in a zip-lock bag of powdered sugar. You can envision the dusty, powdery mess that might occur!

Do you have a favorite type of holiday cookie? We'd love to hear about what kind of sweet treats your family creates together in the kitchen.

Mint Snow-Top Cookies
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
10 oz. mint chocolate chips, divided
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
About 2/3 cup powdered sugar

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Melt 1 cup mint chocolate chips over low heat or in the microwave. In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the melted mint chocolate chips and vanilla. Beat in the eggs. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients and the remaining mint chocolate chips. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats. Shape the chilled dough into 1-inch balls, roll in powdered sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until sides are set but centers are still slightly soft. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

—Gretchen

What to Do Today: Dec. 17

DALLAS

Cuddle up and head to Allen for Big Screen on the Green: Holiday Edition at 6:30pm today at Watters Creek. You'll get to see a cool holiday movie on a two-story inflatable screen! Bring blankets to sit on (lawn chair, coolers and alcohol not permitted). Today's movie is Elf, and the series will continue with Home Alone on Friday and A Christmas Story on Saturday. Free.

FORT WORTH

See the holiday favorite The Nutcracker come to life on stage courtesy of Texas Ballet Theater at 8pm today at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall. The classic ballet includes music, magic and ... mice! Tickets start at $19.

NORTH TEXAS

Of course the mall is the place to be for holiday shopping, but it's also the perfect place to catch a great story at Raising Readers Storytime at 10:30am today at Denton's Barnes and Noble Booksellers! The storytime is aimed at early readers of all ages (and is the perfect break from a busy morning of shopping). Free.

Healthy Holiday Cheer

To all the yoginis out there in the blogosphere: Grab your mat and get ready for a night of yoga, holiday-themed snacks and delicious beverages at the Dallas Galleria's Lululemon Athletica store.

The two-hour event (starting at 7pm) is a perfect night out to spend with your girlfriends—including a palm reader to predict your future in 2010 and even analyze last night's dreams! Join other area yoga enthusiasts at this free evening of fun, fitness and holiday cheer.

—Gretchen