Target the Stars Blog

Here's a sneak peak at the cover of the upcoming Alphabet Adventures book I'm currently writing.  It will be out in the middle of May and ready for purchase.  Alphabet Adventures will be more comprehensive than Alphabet Summer with the same great idea of structuring kid's activities around the alphabet.  I will be adding our last summer's adventures and even some craft ideas to the mix this time. S IS FOR SAVE THE DATE! Friday, June 7 at 6 PM will be our 4th Annual S is for Sayonara to School/Start of Summer Soiree at the Blue Park with a suggested donation of $1 for a root beer float to benefit Children's Tumor Foundation. Wednesday, June 12 from 5 - 8 PM , please join us at Heartfelt in Linden Hills to celebrate the launch of Alphabet Adventures .   There will be plenty of refreshments and all kinds of crafts for the kids to make.

Career Workshops, Tues, March 13, Sat Mar 31, Tues, April 3, $50 Polar Bear Bash, 3/9 Tropical Encounters - 3/24 Building of a Japanese Garden, 4/28 Fine Feathered Friends - 5/19 Dinosaur Stomp - 2/21 Art Attacks - 3/5 Bunny Hop - 3/28 Monkey Madness - 4/9 A Japanese Garden for You - 4/25 Blooming Beauties - 5/7 Sparky and Friends - 5/23 Fancy Frog Friends - 2/27 Hands-On - 3/13 Mini Beasts and Gentle Giants - 3/27/13 Noisy Zoo - 4/10 1...2...3...Zoo! - 4/24 Plant Pals - 5/15

Family Day: Cityscape Sunday, March 10, 2013 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Celebrate cities big and small at this free family event. Draw a bustling city scene inspired by the Minneapolis skyline. Fashion a fabulous skyscraper hat. And, check out the MIA's exhibition, "The World at Work." Family Day Sunday, April 14, 2013 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Discover art that blurs the line between fact and fiction. Alter your ego in an avatar design studio. Trick your eyes with optical illusions, or be astounded by live magic. And explore the special exhibition, "More Real? Art in the Age of Truthiness." Family Day: Growing Power Sunday, May 12, 2013 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Spring is here! Make a mini terrarium using natural materials. Draw from life and craft a unique gift for someone special, or create a work of art for your own backyard. And be inspired by vibrant flowers and green garden scenes in the MIA's collection. Youth & Teen Programs Multi-sessi

Free First Saturdays Kid's Film Festival - March 2 Experiments in Looking - April 6 Some Assembly Required - May 4

Macy's Flower Show: The Painted Garden , Sunday, March 24, through Sunday, April 7, during store hours, Minneapolis Macy's Store | 8th Floor Auditorium Free and open to the public The theme this year, "The Painted Garden," will meld the colors of various plant and flower materials with the surrounding architectural features, creating areas of distinct color palettes. More details to come as we get closer to the date! (The flower show will be closed on Sunday, March 31, for the Easter holiday.)

Click here for show times and to order tickets Owl Moon, March 8 - 24, all ages Zen Shorts, April 12 - May 5,  ages 3-7 Cinder Edna, April 26 - May 25, all ages Aladdin Jr. June 28 - August 4, all ages  

Moose Mysteries: Understanding an Iconic Minnesota Mammal Thursday, February 21 6:30-8:30 p.m. Can We Feed the World and Sustain the Planet? Tuesday, March 5, 2013 , 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. An Ape’s View of the Congo Basin , Monday, April 8, 7-9 PM Preschool Classes  9:30 – 11:30 AM, 1 – 3 PM These child-only classes are designed for children age 3 1/2* through Kindergarten and include animal stories, crafts and activities along with exploration of the Zoo and our amazing animals. $28 non-members, $23 members Package Discount : Register for four Preschool programs** during the school year and receive $10 off every 4th class! Friday, March 1, Little Stinkers Friday, March 8, Lucky Leopards Saturday, March 16, Shark! Friday, March 22, Tigurrrs! Friday, April 5, Hippity Hop Friday, April 12, What's Hatching? Saturday, April 20, Bear Necessities Friday, April 26, Cluck with the Chickens at the Farm Toddler Time , 9:30 – 10:30 AM, 11 AM – 12 noon, ages 2-3 years with an adu

Toddler Play Time W ednesdays Feb 20 - May 29, 10am – 12pm, St. Paul, The West End and Wayzata, FREE! Storytime - all stores Thursdays, February 21, 10 - 11 AM Small Talk: Sign Language For You And Your Hearing Baby Wed, March 27, May 21, June 25, 6pm – 8pm , St. Paul 1074 Grand Avenue Tuition includes an instructional booklet, Price includes two adults in the same family, babies welcome too! Tuition: $45 for one 2-hour class Potty Training T hu, March 21 and April 18, June 17, 6:30pm – 8:00pm, Wayzata Tuition: $30 per family for the 1.5-hour class. Children must stay home so the grown-ups can learn. We invite each couple to bring one additional care giver (nanny, grandparent) if needed, so you all can work together to potty train Baby Fair at The Galleria S at, March 9, 2:30pm – 3:30pm, Galleria, Edina Galleria merchants and local experts will fill the center with mini-classes. ideas, and information to help bringing home baby

Be sure to double check the West Perk's websi te to make certain these events are still scheduled at the times and places listed. February 22 - Lilo and Stich March 1 - Hoodwinked March 8 - Happy Feet March 15 - Happy Feet 2 March22 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory March 29 - Snow White April 5 - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs April 12 - Peter Pan April 19 - Aladdin April 26 - Enchanted

Be sure to double check the Mall of America website to make certain these events are still scheduled at the times and places listed.   Ice Castles: Mall of America until February 20, 2013, closing date dependent on weather Monday - Friday: Noon - 10 p.m., Saturday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sunday: Noon - 7 p.m.   Bead Bash, Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Rotund This unique event will feature classes, beads and jewelry from around the world! Some of your favorite instructors will be teaching classes. 100% of the make & take table fees will be donated to Make-A-Wish Minnesota. Click here to learn more about the event and to register for jewelry workshops. Toddler Tuesdays: The Very Hungry Caterpillar,   Tuesday, February 19, 10 a.m. - Noon, Rotunda Walk to Cure Diabetes , Sat, Feb. 23, 7 AM – 10 AM, Rotunda Toddler Tuesdays: Morning Movie Showcase, Tuesday, February 26, 10 a.m. - Noon, Theatres at MOA. Join us at Theatres

Be sure to double check the Mall of America's Theatre website to make sure the movie listed is still scheduled. Every Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m .,The entire family can enjoy select movies for FREE every Saturday. First-come, first-served as seating is limited to the theatre capacity. Sensory-friendly films offer families struggling with autism an opportunity to enjoy a family outing in a safe and accepting environment. Simple adjustments like turning the sound down, leaving the lights up and offering additional staff within the theater to help with concessions, make a film screening sensory-friendly, and welcoming to families who struggle with autism. Audience members are welcome to dance, sing, and walk around without judgment or scrutiny. February 23 - Madagascar 3    March 2 - Charlie and The Chocolate Factory March 9 - Shark Tale  March 16 - Shrek  March 23 - Legend of the Guardians  March 30 - HOP        

Be sure to check out the American Girl Doll website to confirm these events before you head out to make sure they weren't cancelled or rescheduled. Monday, February 18, 2013,4:00 p.m. American Girl Historical Character Scavenger Hunt Learn about the beloved American Girl historical characters! Your girl will go on a scavenger hunt throughout the store, collecting fun facts about each historical character along the way. She’ll discover what it was like to grow up in America’s past, and find hidden clues she’ll need to solve a fun puzzle. Plus, she’ll get a free American Girl poster at the end!  Monday, February 18, 2013, 4:00 p.m. Addy’s Embroidered Card Craft To celebrate the end of the Civil War and her birthday, Addy chose a traditional American treat—cherry pie! Your girl can learn how to stitch a sweet cherry-pie design on an embroidery card.  Thursday, February 21, 2013,4:00 p.m. Saige’s Scavenger Hunt Learn about Saige, our newe