The Bluebird Patch

Mmmm yeah! Austin is on the road with Fifth Harmony, The Vamps & Shawn Mendes and the high energy show will have you dancing, singing and screaming at the top of your lungs all night. At just 18 years old, singer/songwriter Austin Mahone is making his mark. Kicking off the year with an MTV VMA win for “Artist to Watch” and MTV EMA awards for, “Best Push Artist,” and “Artist on the Rise,” Mahone’s new album “The Secret” was released in May. Not only does he have a solid fan base, known as “Mahomies,” but the teen sensation is gaining a legion of loyal fans in the media as well.   He’s hot on the press trail, appearing in Details Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Wall Street Journal, Live! With Kelly & Michael, Today Show, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, E! News, Extra, The Insider, VH1, and MTV. Austin additionally has been featured on covers of J-14, Popstar!, M, Astro Girl, Quiz Fest and Twist. His previous hit singles, “What About Love” and “Ban...

ChoreMonster   makes chores fun by engaging and rewarding your kids! ● Kids earn points by completing their chores ● Earn rewards like ice cream, an hour of Xbox, or a camping trip ● Win monsters at the Monster Carnival (over 250 available, more being added monthly!) ● Parents manage their children’s chores and the rewards they can earn ● Takes the tension out of household chores How does it work? For Parents Quickly and easily create scheduled chores with point values. When your child says they're done, you approve and they get the points. Add rewards that your kids “purchase” from their point collection. A reward can be anything from money to a camping trip. Watch your kids willingly and enthusiastically do their chores, without the need of chore charts. For Kids Sign into the ChoreMonster mobile or web app, designed especially for kids, and see their chores for the day. Review all the possible rewards they can get and how...

Do you homeschool? Medieval Times , Atlanta is proud to announce their very first Homeschool Day! Unlock the Secret to an Unforgettable Field Trip! • Matinee includes 30-minute educational presentation, show, and lunch • Group rate extended to homeschool groups of all sizes • First 50 guests to book receive a free Stables Tour Please visit the event page for more information. For ticket prices and event inquiries, please contact our Group Sales Manager by calling (770) 225-0495 or emailing gaschools91@medievaltimes.com.

Sometimes it's not about the big things in life, but the little things we do for others that brings the most happiness to our lives. If you are lucky enough to be on the  receiving  end, d on't forget to stop, and admire them! 

Deaf Film Camp at Camp Mark Seven is designed for 13 – 16 year old aspiring filmmakers, regardless of prior experience. For two weeks, campers eat, drink, and breathe filmmaking in the fresh Adirondacks air of Old Forge, New York! Each camper wrote, produced, direct, and edited her or his own film on digital video! On the music video project, the campers learned how to integrate an American Sign Language translation into a  Pharrell's  youtube  mega hit  hit song “Happy”. The result is a heartwarming version, full of love and happiness that makes it impossible not to smile while watching. 

Join the Atlanta Track Club and members of its youth running program, Kilometer Kids , for a free fun run. The events are are is approximately one mile, and a fun way to get kids active and fit. The course includes a mixture of grass and trails. This event is open to all children ages 7-14. Registration is available online through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, September 23, and event day registration is available at the event beginning at 4:15 pm. A waiver must be completed and signed prior to the event.  Online registration is available at atlantatrackclub.org , and there will also be onsite registration the day of the events. Here is the fall schedule:

Proceeds to benefit Sarah Jones Scholarship Fund & Dare 2 Make a Change WHO: Sister Hazel will be performing to benefit the Sarah Jones Scholarship Fund and the Dare 2 Make a Change organization. Sarah Jones was an aspiring filmmaker and crew member who tragically lost her life this past February while on a movie set due to unsafe working conditions. The scholarship fund created in her name will enable future aspiring filmmakers to receive the necessary education needed to fulfill their dreams. The Dare 2 Make a Change organization seeks to establish campuses in developing countries that will provide shelter, education, medical attention and, most importantly, safe havens to otherwise destitute women and children.

Come Celebrate Dinosaurs At The South’s Best Natural History  Museum Fernbank Museum of Natural History has declared August  Dinosaur Month . Of course no Fernbank celebration is complete without events, crafts, throwbacks and some exciting ways to learn. Throughout the month, Fernbank will be posting throwback photos on social media channels honoring the many places visitors can encounter dinosaurs throughout the Museum. Fernbank will also offer dinosaur-themed editions of the popular story-time program,  Tadpole Tales , on August 16 and 17, and of the family-friendly  Weekend Wonders  program every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month.   On Saturday, August 23 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Fernbank will host its annual  Dinosaur Birthday Bash  to celebrate the anniversary of the Giants of the Mesozoic  exhibit. The exhibition was the first time the world saw the full skeletons of the world’s largest dinosau...

Atlanta, we need your help! Our friends at Ronald McDonald House Charities have until December 31 to claim a $2.5 million challenge grant. Help us meet our fundraising goal to build a new Ronald McDonald House so the can provide comfort and hope for families of sick and injured childre n .  WHY ARMHC NEED A NEW HOUSE • Since 2011, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities (ARMHC) has had to turn away more than 650 families because rooms weren’t available. With only 11-bedrooms and growing demand, the current House has a waiting list most nights. • A larger House is needed to fulfill the Charity’s mission of providing temporary housing and support services to families of children receiving medical care in Atlanta. • To meet this growing need, ARMHC is building a new 31-bedroom, three-story House at the current Peachtree Dunwoody location to replace the existing 11-bedroom facility, nearly tripling our capacity to serve families.

Timeless Characters Team Up to Tell a New Tale at Center for Puppetry Arts   Mother Goose is missing! Classic characters from everyone’s favorite nursery rhymes must band together to solve the crime in the  Center for Puppetry Arts’  inventive production of  Shake a Tale Feather with Mother Goose , August 21- September 21 . Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Peep, Jack & Jill and all the other citizens of Rhymeville need help to look for clues and piece together the mystery of Mother Goose’s whereabouts. Filled with music and high levels of guest interaction, this show will have audience members tapping their toes, clapping their hands and singing with their little ones!             Adapted and directed by Amy Sweeney,  Shake a Tale Feather with Mother Goose  is a new production for  Theater for the Very Young , featuring performances b...

Nintendo fans invited to experience the ultimate videogame playground during three-day event BUFORD, Ga. (August 12, 2014)  —  Game on!  From  Friday, August 15 – Sunday, August 17 , th e  Play Nintendo Tour  will transform  Mall of Georgia’s Nordstrom Court  into a giant videogame playground. The immersive, three-day video gaming event gives  gamers of all ages the chance to  play the Nintendo 2DS, along with the latest games from the hottest Nintendo titles and characters. Fans can strike a pose with their favorite Nintendo characters and explore themed gaming zones filled with iconic items, including banana-shaped seats in the Donkey Kong area, a giant Pokéball in the Pokémon section and Yoshi egg chairs in the Yoshi’s Island zone. Racers can satisfy their need for speed in the Mario Kart racing area, where their skills will be put to the test on Mario Kart 7. Qualifying drivers will advance to compete...

Lunch  is more than just a break in the day; it’s truly a refueling opportunity for your kids. This is why it’s important that they have a balanced meal with foods that are designed to keep them feeling full for the longest amount of time.  A power lunch  should include a protein and carbohydrates. Note: Protein (ex: lean meats, cheese, hummus, etc.) takes twice as long to digest, which means kids stay fuller longer.  Kids who don’t eat a protein at  lunch  are the ones who are typically hungry and dissatisfied before the end of the day.   Carbohydrates (ex: 100% whole grain bread, wraps, crackers, pasta, fruit) fuel your kid’s brains and give them energy.    Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s  Strong4Life  Registered Dietitian provided the following sample meals (that are fulfilling, easy to make and inexpensive and easy to make) 1.       Gobble Me Up:  A turkey sandwich on 100...

    Nonprofit, Giving Comfort, collected photos, videos and messages of encouragement at sites across greater Atlanta to share with low-income cancer patients currently in treatment ATLANTA, GA – This week, Giving Comfort, a program of the McKesson Foundation, visited sites across the city of Atlanta – including Grady Health and McKesson’s Alpharetta site – as part of its first ever nationwide bus tour to collect comforting and inspiring messages from the general public. The messages will be part of Giving Comfort’s Words of Comfort initiative and will be shared with cancer patients as they endure painful chemotherapy treatments. This tour through Atlanta is the one of many across the country where the bus is collecting messages of comfort and letting patients know they are not alone. At each site, the Giving Comfort bus will have video and photo booths where people can submit their own comforting message on the spot, accompanied by Giving Comfort’s mascot...

The Fresh Beat Band Greatest Hits Live Presented by Nickelodeon Will Feature New Songs Plus Fan Favorites; Tickets On Sale Starting Friday, August 8 ATLANTA, GA (August 7, 2014) – The Fresh Beat Band , Nickelodeon’s preschool music group and stars of the Emmy Award-winning TV series of the same name, are back on the road for a brand-new nationwide concert tour and perform at the Fox Theatre on Sunday, November 9 at 5 p.m. The show will feature Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout performing the band’s greatest hits including “Bananas,” “Here We Go” and a remixed version of “Great Day,” plus new songs including the pop classic, “Walk Like An Egyptian.”  Tickets range from $30-$40 and are on sale this Friday, August 8 at www.FoxTheatre.org , by calling 855-285-8499, or at the Fox Theatre Ticket Office.

Simon Invites Students and Families to Prepare for the New School Year with “ABC’s of Style” Event at Mall of Georgia August 16 Simon and Teen Vogue Introduce “Back-to-School Saturdays” with Special Offerings throughout August; Australian Pop Singer Cody Simpson to Serenade Shoppers BUFORD, Ga. — With the new school year fast approaching, Simon®, a global leader in retail real estate, and Teen Vogue , the number one source of fashion, beauty and pop-culture news for trendsetting teens, are hosting a series of back to school events at more than 80 shopping centers across the country to get young people prepped to head back to class. Mall of Georgia’s “ ABC’s of Style [SM]” festivities take place on Saturday, August 16 from 2-6 p.m. in the Village Amphitheatre, helping families have fun while shopping for seasonal must-haves.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – The Gwinnett Braves have announced the recipient of their $1,000 grant for the month of June.  Lindsay’s Legacy Mentoring, Inc. has been awarded June’s “Summer Safety” themed grant, aimed at assisting organizations that fund or run safety programs for children. Lindsay’s Legacy Mentoring began serving students in Jackson County schools in 2005 under the direction of Jackson County Family Connection.  In March of 2013, LLM branched out and became a youth-serving non-profit organization dedicated to friendship-based mentoring throughout Jackson County.  The goal of LLM is to guide children and youth toward personal and academic success through mentoring and friendship. The grant money awarded by the G-Braves will be used for mentor training, informational brochures and activity supplies in hopes to continue the ongoing growth of the program.

If you have a kid that loves science, math and  technology  then you need to check out  Georgia Tech’s K.I.D.S. Club , a program designed to enhance and encourage curiosity and enthusiasm for science, mathematics, engineering and technology. Students in grades 2-5 are invited to join student-centered, hands-on discovery sessions on Saturday mornings from 9 am to 12 noon. During each meeting, students will rotate and experience three different hour long activities. 

Three nights of curated short-form adult puppetry performances from across the country WHAT: The 2014 National Puppet Slam at Center for Puppetry Arts Experience the beauty, ingenuity and hilarity of short-form puppet theater in this showcase of slam acts from across the country. Nominated by their respective slams in the Puppet Slam Network and curated by the Center for Puppetry Arts, the nation’s best slam performances will be presented for three nights only! Recommended for ages 18+ ONLY, the National Puppet Slam is sponsored in part by Dragon Con and the Puppet Slam Network.  The lineup is as follows:  ·         “ The Joshua Show: Trick Yourself into Being Happy ” by Joshua Holden from New York.  Mr. Nicholas, the sock puppet, expresses his frustration with feeling grumpy and sad every day. Joshua, his soul mate, teaches him how to kick the blues by tricking himself into being happy.

The Atlanta History Center is ready to keep the summer-fun going! This month families are welcome to attend the Meet the Past Festival on Saturday, August 23, 2014 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Attendees will experience the best of Atlanta History Center Meet the Past museum theatre offerings through interactions with characters that bring to life the stories of people from Atlanta and the surrounding areas. Throughout the campus first-person interpreters share about prominent figures from Atlanta’s past as well as common  individuals  through dialogues and interactive experiences – giving a new understanding of history. Guests will even have the opportunity to take part in historical simulations and learn dances from the mid-nineteenth century. 

New design collections, playful furniture, bold colors and a new seasonal series, Ikea 2015 catalog lets you create a living space that's uniquely you. The theme for this year’s catalog is about how we start and end every day. We all go to sleep, and we all wake up. That much is true for everyone. But everything else about those moments, and everything in between them, is totally unique. I recently attended the 2015 catalog media event at IKEA Atlanta, and our team was able to have an inside look of how this year catalog came to be.  This year’s cover stretches from the back to the front of the catalog, from sunrise to sunset, illustrating the beginning and end of one day in one home. This is a city from anywhere in the world, and the room evokes comfort, privacy, beauty and care. Because as more people choose to live in cities and life gets more hectic, they are looking for ways to create a calm place to relax and recharge. You’ll find lots of unique ways to do ...

  One child. One wish. Millions touched. Who would have thought a 5-year-old boy who fought leukemia would transform a city and a nation for a day? No one. Not his family. Not his friends. Not the thousands of volunteers who came from near and far to help make his wish come true. But it did. Last November’s  #Batkid event  rocked our worlds. More than a billion people took to social media to cheer on BatKid, even President Obama! In all, the #SfBatKid and #BatKid hashtags reached more than 1.84 Billion people on Twitter and Instagram. Now BatKids has a new opportunity to highlight all the great work Make-A-Wish does. A brand new documentary is coming out about the huge amazing incredible #Batkid day!  This independent film is being made by  KTF Films , who wanted to tell the behind-the-scenes story of that magical and moving event. Batkid Begins is a sponsored project of Moving Train, Inc., a non-profit organization that funds ...