Category: Day to day

For blogs on the day to day activities

Public Parks – Moline, Illinois

Moline city in Illinois has around twenty public parks for the community. The Riverside Park, Greenvalley park, Prospect park, Sylvan island and Stephens park are some of the bigger parks. The park board arrange summer concerts and movies for public entertainment and free of cost. 🙂


Moline public parks organize summer concerts at Stephens Square every Monday at 7pm. Further, starting June 23rd, the parks arranged Jazz concert series at Bass Street landing.

Summer Programs

Moline Public parks offer training in different areas such as basketball, softball,tennis, dodgeball, kickball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, mushball and so on. In addition, they have classes for cooking, oil painting, swimming, dog training, yoga, fitness classes, flag football, greenhouse classes and so on. The parks offer summer day camp for children apart from other fun activities.

You can reach the park office at 3635, 4th Avenue or call them on 524-2424. You can register for swimming at Riverside Aquatic center on 797-0788.  The parks feature free movie in the Riverside park in August every Friday.

The park shelters can be registered by calling 524-2424. The picnic shelters may be reserved in advance for $35 for small shelters and $95 for large shelters. The shelters are ideal for birthday parties or family get-together. Playgrounds and rest areas are available in all the parks for public convenience.

For simple play and family fun the public parks are the best option. 🙂

Public Parks – Bettendorf, Iowa

Bettendorf city in Iowa has multiple public parks which have planned amazing summer programs for the community. There are around twenty two parks out of which Veterans Memorial Park, Kiwanis Park, and Middle Park are the largest.


McManus Park is my personal best, though smaller in acreage it has all the facilities. The mulch surface playground is safer and preferable for kids. The sand surface playgrounds found in other parks are also found in this park.

Summer Programs

Veterans Memorial park airs movies every Saturday after sunset in June. It is a free family entertainment and a great time pass for children.

Bettendorf public parks offer many other programs such as  disc golf courses, swimming sessions, softball training, tennis training, baseball coaching, fitness classes and so on. Crow Creek Park has a skate park and cross country course. The cross country course is a two mile and three mile layout with rest areas in between.

The picnic shelters in the parks can be registered by calling 344-4113. The park’s summer camps can be reached at 344-4467. The camps include day camps for younger children and teen camps for young adults. Bettendorf parks have neighbourhood playground programs for children agres 6 to 12 which can be registered on 344-4131.

My best pick is movie in the park which am looking forward this Saturday. 🙂

Hennepin Canal Parkway Carnival, Colona, IL

The carnival at Hennepin Canal Parkway, Colona, IL is worth visiting once if you have nothing else to do on the memorial day weekend. The small city has annual parade and carnival on the memorial day.

Hennepin Canal Parkway

Hennepin canal parkway is a popular site for fishing. There is a boat ramp at the end of the canal which joins the Rock River.  The play area and the park by the canal are a good spot for children and young adults. We saw many young adults and high school kids at the park enjoying their summer evenings.


Carnival > Rides and Games

The carnival has many interesting rides. They include the Wipe-out, Super slide, Dashing car, Pumpkin ride among others. The tickets for these rides range from 3 to 5. The tickets can be purchased at the carnival entrance. Thwy cost $20 dollars for 21 tickets or $40 dollars for 41 tickets.

The other games include catch a fish, gold fish, balloon throw, ball throw, dart throw, gun shoot and others. These games are expensive. The charges are $3 for one chance or $5 for three chances. If the player wins in these games, they get a soft toy as a prize. Some games are compulsory win a prize irrespective if you win or lose.

Fun for Children

The carnival is fun f or children in the neighborhood with the rides and games. The children will sure enjoy the time in the carnival as they have games and rides suitable for all ages. Once you are exhausted with the rides and lost enough money, you can spend some time in the park and come back. 🙂

Regis and Kelly – A fresh way to start your day

I saw Regis and Kelly when I was randomly browsing the channels. Eventually, I got addicted to this show and hooked on to this weekday morning show airing  from 9 am to 10 am on ABC channel. This is why I like Regis and Kelly!


Live with Regis and Kelly is a chat show airing on ABC channel from New York city. It features Regis Philbin, who has been hosting the show for over 25 years. Kelly Ripa has been co-hosting the show for about ten years.

Regis Philbin

A native of New York city and supporter of the Yankees, Regis Philbin has been a host for talk shows and game shows. He won numerous awards including the Guinness record and Emmy award for his performances. He featured in the movie Shrek and created an music album with his wife Joy.

His wit and humor along with knowledge on political, sports and entertainment industry makes  his presence and performance special.

Kelly Ripa

Kelly Ripa was acting in a day time opera “All my Children” and is one of the funniest women on television.  She has couple of Emmy  nominations and has voiced for a few animation movies. She hosted other talk shows on ABC and is famous for her sense-of-humor.

She and her husband Mark Consuelos have a production of their own in New York. Her ease of receiving the guests on the show along with the funny comments make the show more lively.

Michael Gelman

The show’s executive producer is Michael Gelman who is often the victim of Regis’s frustration. Gelman receives the comments in a sportive manner and guides Regis and Kelly throughout the show. Regis and Kelly tease Gelman often and he in turn adds to the fun of the television show.

The Show


The show has multiple trivias, contests, performances, recipes, fitness, gardening among other seasonal interesting themes. The show introduces new actors, books, musicians in the industry apart from gaining insights of the upcoming and experiences actors.

Regis and Kelly act funnier while they call people throughout the USA. The chemistry between them is amazing and the timing of the comedy is commendable. The hosts talk about weather, TV shows, movies, daily routines and about everything. They make all the topics seem funny and humorous.

I laugh out loud many times just watching the facial expressions of Regis and Kelly. Their comments in the show make my mornings lighter and are good for a positive and happier mornings. 🙂 I wonder how they appear every day mornings without any hint of tiredness.

Weekend Getaways in Quad cities: Savanna, IL

Savanna is around 60 miles from Quad cities and can be reached within one and half hour. It is located along the Mississippi river and at the mouth of the Plum river.  It is a small city also known as Sportsman’s paradise.

Road trip

During summer drive you can see many bikers racing on the road to Savanna and Galena. The road trip is pleasant with abundant greenery by the road side. You can see Albany and Thomson on the route and Exelon nuclear power plant in Clinton and 3M manufacturing plant in Cardova. The bridge between Savanna and Sabula in Iowa was constructed in 1932.

Activities

The Mississippi Palisades State Park is a major attraction in Savanna. The State park facilitates different activities such as boating, camping, hiking, biking, hunting, picnicking and fishing during summer. Cross-country skiing, sledding and ice fishing are the sports possible during winters.

Wildlife

The park gives a dense forest-like environment and is home for birds, wild turkeys, shore birds and eagles. Other animals that could be traced include deers, squirrels, muskrats, skunks and weasels.

Must See

The layout in the park is clearly marked and is self-directed. The lookout points and other points are oak point, Louis point,  Ozzie point among other site seeing platforms. The Indian head and Twin sisters are the rock formations which can be found there. The park is home for hiking trails which are clearly marked.

You can hear only the singing birds in the park and has peaceful and quite environment. It is ideal for children to experience different atmosphere in the forest. The train whistle and the tracks can be heard which is also amazing to watch. It is worth driving and visiting the park. 🙂

Nearby Attractions

Savanna Train Car Museum contains railroad artifacts and Monument park and Marquette park are some of the other attractions in Savanna. You can drive further ahead on the highway to reach Galena in Illinois which is a scenic road trip.

Weekend Getaways in Quad cities: Le Claire, IA



Summer weekend can be utilized to maximum potential by exploring surrounding cities of Quad cities. If you have no appointments or parties you can get away to nearby cities and enjoy the road trips. Here is what I observed when I visited Le CLaire last weekend.

Le Claire is a small town by the Mississippi river which has abundant greenery. Mississippi river is the largest river flowing across the US. The people living around the river are lucky to enjoy the beauty of the river. The river takes a sharp turn at Le Claire to the west at the head of the rapids making the town an important place for river commerce.

Yesterday owing to the weather it was sultry, warm with cold breezes. If you are visiting Le Claire in the business hours, you can visit the museum and the shops there. My Sister’s Coffee shop offers variety of coffee flavors. If you visit Le Claire after business hours, you can just enjoy the riverside beauty and come back.

The walk along the river side and the boating decks are good time pass. It is fun to watch the birds and listen to the flowing water. Being summer you can see many boats racing in the river. I think a boat is a must for people living around the Mississippi river! 🙂

The Tug Fest and Cruises are some of the popular events of the town. The Riverboat Twilight offers a two-day cruise from Le Claire to Dubuque and back. The serenity by the river and the greenery make a Le Claire worth visiting at least a year, in fall as well as in summer.

Engaging kids in Summer 2010

Summer vacation is around the corner and most parents especially at-home mothers must be horrified at the thought of having kids in the house 24×7. It is difficult to engage the kids in summer and try to match to their expectations.
Travelling and visiting elders and grand parents is the best alternative but may not always be possible. However, here are some of the ideas which you can try out.
  • The local public library has very good programs for kids during summer vacation. the reading programs and book bunch clubs encourage kids to read as well as socialize with others. The best part of the program is it is absolutely free and there is no charge involved.
  • The local swimming camps coupled with Red Cross and YMCA offer swimming sessions at a reasonable rate. They can charge a nominal amount of $48 per an eight class session. Blackhawk college has some summer youth camps for youth ages ranging from 8 to 18 years. These classes include pottery, writing, lego games, Stage performance and so on.


  • You can send them to summer camps at YMCA and at Abe Lincoln. These are a little expensive but include camps with families which may be a wonderful experience with your family.
  • You can send them to East Moline Christian School for summer school. They charge $175 for half day (8 am to 11.30 am) and $300 for full day (8 am to 3 pm) apart from $45 registration fees. The charges are higher but the coaching and the teachers provide support for your child’s academic development.
  • The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) has summer programs for children in grades third to tenth. These programs are great to encourage children to learn mathematics and science. The programs cost $250 for five full day sessions from 8am to 3pm. It is a day session. So, you have to pick and drop your kid daily.
  • You may check out other local events and take your kids to the event. The Rock river music festival and the tug fest are two great events and offer a new perspective for children.
  • The public parks offer a variety of programs such as movie in the park or bike race or one mile family walk which are great for family fun.
  • Summer 2010 has many new upcoming movies releasing which are fun to watch with family and children.
  • You can visit places such as Wisconsin Dells, St. Louis, Mt. Rushmore or Washington DC or any nearby attractions which will be educational and entertaining for the entire family.
  • You can encourage the kids to learn a new language or pick up an activity book from Brain Quest to pass their time in a productive manner.

Parents must limit the time for watching TV and playing video games. It is a better idea to prepare a summer timetable and let them follow their own rules. 🙂

AHA endorses Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort – Go video games for healthy hearts

Coming summer the American Heart Association (AHA) is going to embed its logo on Wii. The American Heart Association endorsed the Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort packages. Let’s look at the reason behind this endorsement while exploring the features and benefits of Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort.


Physical Activity

The amount of physical activity your family is involved depends up on the life style. Apart from daily chores at home and at work, every individual requires certain physical activity to stay fit and healthy. Even children in modern times are adopting sedentary life style.

Engaging in outdoor sports depends on the infrastructure facilities available in your community. Further, weather plays a crucial role to play outdoor games. Areas with continental climate conditions limit the chance of outdoor sports or any other outdoor physical activity.

Other alternative gym, proves to be costly and sometimes upsetting the normal body condition of a person. The lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and improper diet increases the chances of heart attack even at a much younger age!

Video games

Video games are condemned originally for their tendency to promote laziness in children and young adults. At an average, modern kid spends around ten hours of their free time with electronic gadgets. These include TV, laptop, ipad, iphone, Nintendo, Video games, listening to music and so on.  Thus limiting their ability to communicate face-to-face and personally.


Wii

When Wii was introduced in 2006, its competitors were Microsoft’s XBox and Sony’s Play Station 3. Nintendo’s Wii revolutionized video games by increasing the physical activity through the games. The video game has a console along with a Nunchuck and Remote. Within your living room, you can play tennis, base ball, boxing, bowling and golf. Wii Sports comprises these five games.

The next version of Wii Sports is Wii Fit, which has a Balance Board along with the console, Nunchuck and  Remote. It comprises forty games in four categories. The main areas are yoga, balance games, aerobics and strength training. The software in the game allows an individual to record the Body Mass Index (BMI) based on the person’s details.

Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports

Wii Fit Plus is an advance version of Wii Fit. It has additional games along with calorie tracker, personlized training routine, creating profiles for children and pets. In addition, certain games have been added in Training Plus. You cn check your body status and balance every day, weekly or after a pre-determined time.

Wii Sports Resort has more games such as Swordplay, Wakeboarding, Frisbee, Archery, Basketball, Table Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Power Cruising, Canoeing, Cycling and Air Sports.

Active-Play and Fun

Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort have games which encourage active-play instead of sitting at one place and playing with buttons. You have to physically move and involve to play these games and get better. That is the reason The AHA has endorsed these products. You can play alone or play in groups with friends and family taking turns. Its always a competition in sports as to who is performing better in any given sport.

My personal favorites are yoga, aerobics and free run. I am the best in my family in hula hooping. While my son is good at Snow ball fight that improves planning ahead, my husband’s best is Lotus Focus, a game that improves your concentration! Its time for my Wii Fit Plus and personal  training session to reach my weight loss target. 🙂

What’s with kids and gifts? How to encourage good behavior?

Kid with a gift

 

A guest offers a gift bag to your kid. The kid takes it. He may or may not offer a thank you. You have to remind him to say it. Next, the kid tears open the gift right in front of the guest. You and the guest are shocked. Next, the kid says to the guest he already has it and he does not like it. Now, the guest and you are embarrassed and totally clue less what to do.

Kids think it is alright to behave and say what they want. To some extent, parents do encourage kids to be independent and not to be afraid in any circumstances. But, parents need to explain the difference between being independent and being rude. The basic manners of being courteous, kind and nice to others must not be forgotten while emphasizing independence.

Every kid is different and may need different disciplining style.  Here are some tips and best practices to encourage good behavior when presented with gifts:

  • Reminding the rules of receiving guests. Saying ‘Hello’, ‘How are you’
  • Responding to the guests questions. Saying ‘Thank you’, ‘I’m fine’
  • Looking in to the guests face directly while they are talking
  • Waiting until the conversation is complete
  • Listening actively to the conversation
  • Taking permission from the parents or guests
  • Saying ‘Thank you’ for the gift
  • Being polite and attentive all the time

The kids have to be taught that the gift has to be opened only after the guest leaves or only after coming home. They can express their view about the gift but not in front of the guest. Parents must emphasize that the guest has spend lot of money and time to buy the gift and the guest has shown lot of love and affection by buying the gift.

If the kid does not like the gift, it is better to say, ‘Thank you’ and ‘It is good that you thought of me’. This way the kid will  not be lying and at the same time not hurting the guest. It is important to show the kids to maintain smooth tone and polite language along with the body language. If the kid makes any rude comment, parents have to immediately ask to rephrase the statement with a polite comment.

The same rules hold good with respect to return gifts too. Rude behavior can be stopped by increasing the awareness, modeling and practice. It is also important to maintain positive reinforcement for good behavior and negative reinforcement for rude behavior.

Hosting a party with Evite – Pros and Cons

The most daunting task of hosting a party is managing the invitations. Planning for the food, drinks and all other arrangements depend on the number of people attending the party. I have been receiving a lot of Evite invitations and was wondering how it all works out. Recently, I hosted my son’s birthday party using Evite and here are my observations.

Create an Account

First and foremost, you need an account to get started with. You can create an account at Evite. Once you fill out the registration form and Submit, Evite will send you an email to your registered id. You have to follow the steps listed in the email to complete the registration. You will also receive your login details in the first email, which you may want to save for future use.

Filling up the registration form and completing the registration is familiar and similar to any other account creation process.

Choose a Design

The next step is to login and choose a design and theme for your party. The designs available are not many. You cannot customize the designs. They have limited options in the design. You have to select the best one that suits your need.

I have changed the image of the theme later to make it more personal!

Enter Details

After you choose a design, you have to enter all the details about the event such as location, time, host name, party title and a personal message to the guests. Evite automatically includes a map of the location with the invite.

There are multiple options available such as including the end time, asking the guests to bring something, adding music to the invitation, making the invitation recurring, polling the guests or asking suggestions from guests and so on.

Add Guests

To add guests, add the email addresses of your contacts separated by comas. For the first time, you have to enter manually the email addresses from your contacts on other emails. For the subsequent events, you can copy the addresses from the contact list.

You can check the other options such as to indicate the number of kids attending or notifying when a guest replies and so on. You can customize the reply options suited to the party instead of the standard Yes, No or Maybe.

Send the Invite

Before sending the invite, you can customize the message for the guests and preview the message. You can save the draft to continue at your own convenience. Once you send the invite, you will receive an email from the Evite confirming the message.

Pros and Cons

While Evite facilitates the process of inviting the guests, it sends multiple emails which may be irritating for the guests and you too. You can view the invite and view the responses from the guests. You may continue planning the arrangements based on the responses.

You will know whether the guests have viewed your invite or not.  But, sometimes you may be stuck with the guests who have not viewed at all or who have viewed but not responded. You may have to make some phone calls depending on the responses.

You can send a reminder message to the guests who have not responded. Once the event is done, you can upload your event pictures and ask the guests to upload the pictures which they have taken at the party. You have to download an application to upload or download images to or from Evite.

Evite does not work well with Google Chrome. Some of the features such as uploading your own image or uploading the party pictures work only in Internet Explorer.

So, next time you plan an event you may try Evite for its cool features. Its a simple tool for our tech-savvy friends. 🙂

How to get driving licence – Tips to alien dependents in Quad cities, IL

Step 3: Road test

Once you are comfortable and are bored of driving practice you can go for the test. If you want to gain more confidence, you can ask your family friend or other experienced driver to rate your driving skills and ask for suggestions. This is useful as you may be blinded by your spouse’s positive as well negative comments.

Check Points

Stopping at the signals and Stop signs, Indicators, Lane change rules, Left and right turn, Backing up from a parking lot, Parking are some of the basic skills tested. The other resources and rules of Illinois can be found at Rules of the Road.

You will be tested to start the vehicle, back the vehicle, turn about, park uphill, start uphill, park downhill, start downhill, control the vehicle and so on. 

Acceptable Documents

Along with the passport, I-94, letter with your name and address printed, it is mandatory to have the letter from SSN office. Also, insurance card of the vehicle is mandatory.

  • The validity of the proof of address, that is, a letter with your name and address printed is only one month.
  • The letter from SSN office is valid for only three months or 90 days.

So, check the validity before you decide to go for road test.

Car Condition

The car you are taking for the test must be in good driving condition. Make sure all the indicators, lights, wipers and other controls are working. The tyres and seats must be clean and in good condition.

Clean the car windows, rear-view mirror, side-mirrors, rear window shield with clean cloth. Keep the dash board and the cup holder clean and cluster free.

Day of the test

I started early and drove to Rockford along with my spouse and kid. The journey was smooth though the kid got bored in the backseat. After reaching the office, here is what happened.

  • As it was a week day, the office was not crowded and I was led directly to the counter
  • The officer checked my documents and learner’s permit and insurance card of the vehicle
  • After checking the documents, they asked me to wait until the officer arrives
  • The officer was a white American. He appeared friendly and was soft spoken
  • He instructed me to sit in the car and turn on the signals and break
  • He checked the left signal, right signal and then the break light
  • After he was seated, I  asked him to adjust the seat height and leg distance
  • He instructed me to take the car through the parking lot to a small road at the back of the DMV office
  • He observed whether I stopped correctly at the STOP signal and traffic signals
  • The officer checked whether I was scanning the road, whether I was using the indicators properly and how I started from a STOP signal
  • The officer asked me to take right and left turns in a small residential road with maximum speed limit if 30 mph
  • At a downhill, I was asked to park the vehicle and immediately asked to get to the main road. Remember to switch on the parking light, when you park the vehicle at the downhill or uphill
  • I was asked to take a three-point turn at an intersection
  • And finally after multiple left and right turns we came back to the DMV office
  • The officer suggested that I could park anywhere I like
  • I waited for ongoing pedestrians and then parked opposite the DMV office
  • I was really scared now as the car was in a cross position and was not parked straight
  • Then, the officer turned to me, smiled and said that I ‘passed the test’

Finally, the officer instructed me to wait in the office. After a while, the counter officer called   y name to take a picture. They took the picture and a minute later handed me my licence.

I was happy to see  my face on the card in the outlined by the border of Illinois state. My spouse and kid were happy. My spouse was happy that all his training was fruitful and I had successfully completed the test. My son for having passing the test and he could go to karate classes. 🙂

What was surprising is the test is far easier than actual driving on the road. I wonder what would happen if the officer tested me on a highway or in the downtown.

How to get driving licence – Tips to alien dependents in Quad cities, IL

Step 2: Practice, Practice, Practice

When it comes to the road test, you really need two months of on the road driving experience to gain enough confidence and expertise. The basic requirement is fifty hours of training including ten hours in the night.

Key Rule

The important rule is to drive. Get your spouse in to the passenger seat and take charge of the driving. Of Course, your spouse is going to be your driving coach.

It is better to think all the scoldings and screamings from the spouse as the suggestions of the coach, instead of getting irritated (which we all do daily :)).

Your spouse is an experienced driver (Probably got a couple of tickets already :)) and is going to guide you perfectly than any other private trainer.

Car controls

Get acquainted with the basic controls of the car, which my seven-year-old already knows well.

Some of the first actions once you are seated. Starting the engine, wearing a seat belt, adjusting the rear-view and side mirrors, checking everyone is buckled up, see the gas level, music level and temperature level in the car, and so on.

Adjusting the seat height and distance from the accelerator and breaks is must every time for me. My physical measurements are different than my spouse so I have to make the adjustments every time. My car has this cool feature of setting the seat positions and with a press of a button your seat is back to your required level. Voila!!

Practice on Road

Back to the road practice, I made this mandatory that whenever we get out to a store or a friend’s place, I would drive with my husband’s guidance. Once you get a learner’s permit, you can drive with an experienced driver in the passenger seat.

Instead of spending separate time for practicing driving, it is better to drive whenever you go out. Of Course, this is risky but you have to take the chance to drive more. That’s the only opportunity to get more driving experience.

Next step is to take the road test.

How to get driving licence – Tips to alien dependents in Quad cities, IL

Taking your kid to the library or getting an urgent grocery from Walmart can be a challenge if you cannot drive in US. You are practically crippled if you cannot drive. I got my Temporary Visitor Driving Licence (TVDL) recently.

All these days, I was hoping to get a valid identification document once I receive a Driving licence, but  was surprised to learn that alien dependents who do not possess an SSN get a TVDL, not a DL. The TVDL is not a valid identification document, it says.

Anyways, here are some tips I followed:

Step 1: Computer test

Take the computer test after you have gone through the driving manual of Illinois. Reading the entire book once or twice will help.

You may not memorize all the rules, but it is better to remember the basic rules and signals. Passing the computer test is easier than the road test and may require one week study.

It is a must to acquire a letter from SSN office before going to the Rockford DMV office. The other documents required can be found at Acceptable Documents.

Being a Saturday, the office was busy and crowded when I took the computer test.

  1. You will be required to take a token number on entering.
  2. Once your number is called, you need to submit your required documents at the counter.
  3. The people are courteous to speak slow enough that we can understand them. So I wasn’t scared.
  4. An eye exam will be performed at the counter to screen your vision. It is similar to the one which do at the doctor’s office.
  5. After verifying the documents, you will be asked to wait to take the computer test.
  6. Once the queue is cleared, you will be asked to start the test.
  7. If you are familiar with computers and English, the test environment is comfortable.
  8. The questions appear one after the other. All are multiple choice or fill in the blanks. You will have to select an answer from the given options.
  9. If you are unsure of an answer, you can skip that question, which will appear later.
  10. Sometimes the questions are linked and are leading answers to other questions.
  11. Once you are done with all the questions (35/100), the results appear.
  12. You need not answer all the questions correctly, if you get minimum correct, you are through.

The officers will give you a Learner’s Permit after you pass the computer test. You can drive a vehicle under the supervision of a licence holder. The validity of the permit is one year. Now, you can practice driving the vehicle.

Read my subsequent posts about the remaining two steps.