Let out your inner cowboy (or girl) at Pizza Ranch!

There are a few Pizza Ranches in the area, including Ankeny, Altoona, Indianola and Waukee.  While Pizza Ranch is a chain, I love how much they do for the community.  They are always doing fundraising events to support local schools, sports, churches and other community organizations.  They donate a portion of a nights sales, or let the organization participants clear tables to earn tips that go to the organization.  Very cool.

They have a lot of selection on the buffet and you can request pizza toppings to be prepared for the buffet as well.  They also offer gluten-free pizza and take allergies seriously.

The environment is fun and very family-friendly.  We are fans of the cactus bread on the dessert table. Yum!  It's strudel and fruit-topping pizza and goes great with the vanilla ice cream also on the buffet.

The fried chicken is also popular and I've even witnessed fights over pieces of fresh chicken as it comes out from the kitchen.  Ok, maybe not actual fights, but people are really passionate about this chicken I tell you.

There are some online coupons here.  And the full menu can be viewed right on the website.

For a reasonably priced family meal, check out your nearest Pizza Ranch.  The kids will love it and you may just like it too.  You pay at the counter and can immediately start getting your food, so no waiting for hungry kiddos.  The food is pretty good and if you go on a fundraising night, you might be supporting a good cause too.  Check it out.

Kris' Hot Yoga Review--The Hottest Workout in Town!

Two doors down from our office is Kris' Hot Yoga. We've talked about going there during a staff development day for a long time and last Friday we finally made it to a class. 

Not just any class, but a Hot Barre Class. I've never taken a yoga class before but have done some yoga by watching videos so I thought I knew what I was going to be doing. I was in for a big surprise!

My hubby and I
trying to stay on our toes.

In the 45 minute class, we stretched (wonderful!), squatted, ballet-ed, pulsed everything, and worked large muscles and small muscles. At various times I had parts of my body shaking uncontrollably. This type of class utilized a ballet bar on the side wall, dodgeballs (for thigh squeezing), resistance bands, and lots of HEAT from overhead heaters. 

Kris was our instructor and she kept us motivated, using the best form, gave us scaling options when needed,  and had THE BEST soundtrack of 90's music ever.  

Dr. Jason and Cassie from our
Office show how to be graceful.

Overall, I was so impressed with the workout and overall atmosphere that I recommend this to anyone! In fact, I think it would be fun to do this on a date with my hubby again sometime. He liked the class too! It was such a wonderful feeling to accomplish something new and get a great workout in too!

Hints:

--Don't do any other exercise that day before you attend class. I made the mistake of going to Crossfit that morning and struggled with Hot Barre. :) 

--Bring a water bottle, sweat towel, & yoga mat. 

--Wear clothes you don't mind being in ANY position in. You will be in every position imaginable. 

--Be ready to work hard and feel great when you're done! 

--Some of our staff has taken the early morning class and loved the slower, calmer pace of that class. 

Check out their website for class schedules, descriptions, and yoga-wear. Try one class! I dare you. :) 

Dr. Jason, Cassie, Katie, and Dr. Wes with
Kris (owner pictured with white shirt) 

**My apologies to Kris and other yoga-professionals for my lack of yoga vocabulary!**

Kindermusik is Kool!

Did you know that one of the top rated Kindermusik programs in the world is located right here in Des Moines?  Yes! Jenn Horak-Hult (Miss Jenn) opened Pied Piper Studios in 2008 and Kindermusik has been a huge part of many local families' lives since.

Classes are held at two locations.  One is in Waukee and the other is in Urbandale. They have ongoing enrollment so you can join at any time.

I got to sit in a "laugh and learn" pre-school class today and I was thoroughly impressed.  This isn't your traditional music class.  Kids are encouraged to be themselves and you can tell that they love being there.  Administrative Assistant Staci explains that "there is no right or wrong way to participate in Kindermusik".  Some kids happily comply with every recommendation of the teacher during class.    Some kids just do their own thing and absorb.  Some pre-school kids prefer parents to attend the class with them and Staci says "It's all ok".   In the short half hour I was there, Miss Jenn when through activities from dancing and singing to stories and instruments and bringing out a special bear visitor.  If a child wasn't into one activity, it was ok, because the class kept evolving from one lesson to the next and there was something for everyone.



The kids adore Miss Jenn.  I think they all would have chosen to sit on her lap if there was enough space.  One little girl couldn't wait to show Miss Jenn her ponytail and there was excitement in their eyes as they leaned in to hear what Miss Jenn was going to teach them next.  The most amazing part was the silence that filled the room as Miss Jenn would sing to transition from one activity to another.  She has a voice you could listen to all day and the kids definitely agree.

I had a chance to talk to some parents and I think the Kindermusik community extends far beyond what is taught in the classroom. Every single parent told me that one of things they love most about kindermusik, is the personal connections they have made.  One Kindermusik mom said, "These teachers and the other parents genuinely care about our kids and it kind of starts to feel like family." Miss Jenn hand-picks and trains each Kindermusik instructor herself and they are all fabulous.

The Kindermusik curriculum includes classes for newborns up to age 7. Miss Jenn also offers voice and SIMPLY MUSIC piano lessons for older kids. Your child can even have a Kindermusik birthday party!  How fun!

We encourage you to try out a Kindermusik class for free!  Just visit their website to sign up!

You don't have to be a warrior to conquer these lanes!

We attended a kids birthday party at Warrior lanes in Waukee the other day.  I have to say, it was a great venue for a birthday party, or just for some family or date-night fun.  The website states that parties run $7.95 or $9.95 per person based on the type of party you choose.  Great for a winter option when it's too cold to have an outdoors party.  The venue is clean and the staff is friendly.  There are plenty of lanes for bowling, they have a separate party room, a small arcade with video games and a bar area where you can purchase food and drinks.  You can also have food delivered to your bowling lane to eat too.

They list special events on their website such as St. Patricks day and Cinco de Mayo family parties.  They offer leagues on almost every day of the week and there are also coupons on their website too.

They are able to put the bumpers up on the lanes so kids (and mabe adults too) don't have to worry about gutter-balls and they also have a bunch of the launchers (anyone know what these are called?) that kids can just place the ball on and aim it down the lane to launch it, instead of having to roll the balls.  Those things are heavy you know!!  We had kids bowling as young as 2 and they all loved it.  Check it out!

Check them out for weekend fun for the whole family, a date-night, girls or guys night out or a kids birthday party.

Can you climb?

There is a "Deal Chicken" deal going on right now for Climb Iowa.  If you haven't tried climbing, it's a lot of fun!  There are a few places in the Des Moines area to climb and I recommend giving it a shot.  You don't have to be in phenomenal shape to do it, but it does give you a great workout!  No experience is necessary! It's a lot of fun to try out with friends, or perhaps for a date-night.  Kids love it too, so you could make it a family event. 

 I'll let you check out the times of open climbing at the local locations, but it's a lot of fun to get a group together and take a class!  We did and I think the ladies agree that it was the most fun we's had in a long time!

Here are the locations I know of:

1. Climb Iowa- Tuesday Night is Ladies Night!
   3605 SE Miehe Drive, Grimes
   Des Moines, Iowa 50111
   (515) 986-2565
   Climb Iowa
   +10,000 sq ft climbing surface. 36' foot high walls, 13' bouldering with training area. Cracks, arêtes, auto belays, bouldering, fitness/cardio equipment. Also has Yoga and instructional classes.
2. Sportsplex West
   890 SE Olson Drive, Waukee
   Des Moines, Iowa 50263
   (515) 987-0806
   SportsPlex West
    36' high. Entre Prises climbing gym.

World Famous Jethros!

We, well mostly my hubby, love good BBQ and one of our local favorites is Jethro's. We started eating at the one in Des Moines in the Drake neighborhood. Since we work in Waukee, we've frequented the one on University often. We were ultra-excited to eat at the one at Prairie Trail in Ankeny too! 

I haven't tackled the "Adam Emmenecker" sandwich yet, but lots of people have tried and it's even made national TV! (see the link below). We've tried so many good things but here are the highlights from last night...

What We Loved:

• Somewhat guilt free dinner for me--smoked chicken with sweet potato fries (no bun)
• Mac N Cheese--the manager told us that they use fresh cheese that comes in a huge block. They shave off the cheese they need for that day--SOOO GOOD! 
• Half order of buffalo chicken bites--our friends order this and SPLIT it along with an extra side of fries. I tried one and they were AWESOME! 
• Our boys split one kid's chicken fingers meal. They are HUGE pieces of chicken--bigger than my hand and the meal comes with two of them. They each got one huge piece and split cottage cheese. 
• Jethro's is a loud atmosphere. We didn't have to worry about the little ones (we had four kids from 1 to 6 years old with us) and they were able to laugh and be a little silly without disrupting anyone.
• We got there ridiculously early--like senior citizen early--so we could avoid the long wait for a table. We typically do this often with little kids. 
• Great staff. Our waitress brought out lots of extra plates so that everyone sharing the food had their own plate, she kept the glasses full, and was so friendly to the kids. 

Total Bill with Tip: $36 for two adult meals and one kid's meal. All eight of us left very pleased with our meals and service, and we will definitely return again soon! 

Just for Fun: Check out Jethros on Man Vs. Food and "like" them on Facebook! 

So you think you're an artist?

You don't have to have taken tons of art classes to have fun at these painting classes!

All around the area, venues are popping up that offer a painting class along with options to purchase or bring in wine and snacks!  These make great girls-nights and have specified sessions that you can bring kiddos.  Some even offer date-night options where you each paint half of a picture on your own canvas....Valentine's Day date perhaps??

A few places offering these classes include :

*The Social Canvas in Waukee...They offer wine and beer for purchase, but allow you to take your own snacks.  We brought cheese and fruit last time and it was great!

*El Arte Uncorked which meets at local restaurants. This is kind of neat because you can order appetizers along with a wide selection of drinks while you paint.

*Wine & Canvas which also meets at local restaurants. They are also offering cookie and painting classes now! I'll let you know when I check THAT out!

*Glazed expressions in Clive...They've recently taken the plunge in offering these canvas classes after offering pottery and glass painting classes for a while now.

Tip: Make sure you check living social, group on or deal chicken as they often have coupons for these places!