Pasadena Community Pick: (for a limited time offering a free first tutoring session)

Comfort Zone Tutoring
One on One * In Home Tutoring

Ph. (888) 924-8541 or (951) 924-8560
E-mail: info@comfortzonetutoring.com

Visit: Comfort Zone Tutoring on-line.

Summer is here so it’s time to plan activities for your kids. Many families are opting to cancel travel plans and stay home this Summer so work on the indoor and outdoor activity list. You’ll definitely need it!

Beyond the standard activities like sports camps, theme parks and swimming consider the ones that often take a back seat during the Summer like music lessons and tutoring.

Music lessons, whether it be for piano, guitar or even voice lessons are a great idea that help your child’s development in a number of areas. The best way to find a good music teacher is by personal referral first then search google and look for positive comments and other content on local teachers. Be careful of centers where there is high turnover with the teaching staff. We recommend in-home teaching whether it be at your own home or that of the teacher to solve this problem. It’s a comfortable environment for your student where they’ll be more productive.

School is out but that doesn’t meant your kids should stop learning to keep up or get ahead. Tutoring is similar in that in-home and one-one-one sessions are the most effective.

Tutoring has come a long way. If you’re looking for one in Pasadena here’s what you need to do. First, understand and identify the need for a tutor. Second, make sure you have found not only the right tutoring agency but also the best individual tutor for your son or daughter’s needs.

There needs to be a fit between the tutor and your son or daughter. It’s best to go with a tutoring agency or program that offers an initial free tutoring session, preferably in-home. This way the parents will have a very good idea as to how the tutoring session went and can make an informed decision.

The need for a tutor varies but generally they are used to keep up, get ahead or for special needs children with autism, down syndrome etc. A good tutoring agency will have sufficient staff to handle all of these needs and in a number of cities.

Last, check to see if the tutoring agency offers an analysis. This is money well spent. Before a tutor can begin with your child they need to have a good assessment of where they are in their development and with specific subjects. Although there is typically a cost up front for analysis it will save you money by making future sessions more effective.

There are many large agencies offering kid’s tutoring from Sylvan Learning Centers, Kumon, Math Monkey to Tutorwhiz in Pasadena.

Obviously a one-on-one approach is the most effective. Yes we need to define “one-on-one” as one tutor tutoring one student. If you aren’t specific with these questions you’ll be surprised at how easily your hard earned money will go toward something that isn’t truly what you had expected.

Check that the tutors have the necessary credentials, which could mean they are teachers, college graduates or honors students with at least 2 years of tutoring experience. Also, are they using the school curriculum and will they contact your child’s teacher if necessary? These are all great questions to ask.

Do you want your son or daughter tutored in your home? Intuitively, this is a good choice. It’s time saving for the parents while allowing a safe learning environment for your kids. This likely will help with parent involvement too, time permitting. We all work long days but it’s important to know how our kids are progressing in school.

Is tutoring affordable? This is relative, but one question you should ask is, can you afford to not have your child keep up or get ahead?

Pasadena kid’s tutor citizen pick:

Comfort Zone in-home one-on-one Tutoring
Ph. (888) 924-8541 or (951) 924-8560
E-mail: info@comfortzonetutoring.com
Visit: Comfort Zone Tutoring on-line

Ca. Cities include: Alta Loma, Arcadia, Brea, Chino, Claremont, Corona, Duarte, Etiwanda, Fontana, La Canada, Moreno Valley, Norco, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Riverside, South Pasadena, San Marino, Upland, Yorba Linda.

Bakersfield, CA Community pick for: Kids birthday party, fundraiser, business event, group party, non-profit venue

John’s Incredible Pizza Company
3709 Rosedale Hwy.
Bakersfield, CA 93308
p. (661) 859-1111
map

Other Locations: Fresno, Modesto, Montclair, Riverside, Roseville, Stockton, Buena Park (opening 2009 at Buena Park Mall)

Event planning whether it be for a children’s birthday party or corporate function will typically be handled by one lucky person. This person is 100% responsible for making sure everything goes smoothly from the food options to parking, accomodations, gifts and connectivity if the event happens to be a group party or business meeting.

Business meetings, fundraisers, group tours and large group parties require some serious planning if you want all to go well. In general make sure you have an established area, room or space for your event. If you’re planning a business meeting the room will likely need to be private so make sure there is sufficient seating, lighting, restroom facilities and connectivity. Most business meetings and other group events will need projection screens, podiums, dvd/vcr’s and internet connections so make sure your venue will accommodate these needs.

After you’ve established the actual space for the get-together put some serious thought into the food options. Regardless of the size of your party or event it will not be possible to please everyone but you can come close. Choose an event place that offers a large variety of food and drinks. Productivity is sure to increase if everyone is well fed and ready to go.

A party venue that offers all the necessities for your event is good but will it keep your guests happy and engaged? Consider a venue that not only offers the standard accommodations like laptop link and podium but also an environment that is fun, engaging and creates an escape for your guests from the day’s tasks.

Kid’s birthday party planning really isn’t all that different from planning a corporate event. You still need to have a place to host the party, food and drink variety for your guests and possibly a dvd/vcr player. With kids birthday parties you will have to pay close attention to the calendar, particularly over the Summer as not to conflict with holidays or too many of your guest’s vacations.

So we know the basics of what we need for these type of events now where do you go? There’s one party place that can handle a range of events from kid’s birthday parties to corporate meetings-John’s Incredible Pizza Company. Here’s why:

-The food is an all-you-can-eat buffet style offering a multitude of fresh pizza options, full salad bar, pasta bar and yes, dessert bar. Drinks are unlimited for an additional $1-2 per person and includes a variety of fountain drinks and coffee. Beer and wine are also available at an additional charge with a two drink limit.

-If one of your guests is in the mood for chicken or a different flavor pizza, ask. John’s will accomodate as they did for us over the recent holiday weekend. The available food and drink options are the closest you’ll get to pleasing everyone at your party or event.

-We’ve been to kid’s birthday parties at John’s. It’s a great set up because on top of all the other offerings, you get a private room to open gifts, cut the cake and have private time with friends and family. This is great for picture or video taking without interruption and creates an environment where everyone can take a break from the activities.

-Much larger rooms and areas are available for business related functions where it’s completely quiet with closed doors and all the connectivity you’ll need for presentations and communication.

-Most important though for your event is the engaging and interactive environment John’s offers aka Fun World. This side of John’s offers a perfect break from mundane business activities as well as an incredible indoor play area for kids for birthday parties. Activities range from rides like the speedway go-cart track and bumper cars to the dino kiddie ride and Bear Necessities.

Organizing your next birthday party, group party or corporate event doesn’t have to be difficult. Remember to keep food options open and to offer an engaging environment that also provides an accommodating private space. We found all of these at John’s Incredible Pizza.
Bakersfield, CA Community pick for: Kids birthday party, fundraiser, business event, group party, non-profit venue

John’s Incredible Pizza Company
3709 Rosedale Hwy.
Bakersfield, CA 93308
p. (661) 859-1111

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Community pick: Summer fun things to do, kid’s birthday parties, indoor activities on a hot day > Fresno, CA 93720

Other Locations: Bakersfield, Modesto, Montclair, Riverside, Roseville, Stockton, Buena Park (opening 2009 at Buena Park Mall)

John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
p. (559) 323-1111
map

Summer vacations this year will be at an all time low due to the economy and rising cost of gas. The traditional 1-2 week family fun time will be spent at home this year for most, while others will simply shorten their vacation plans or plan full-day or half-day activities around town.

We’ve noticed at our local outdoor shopping mall a significant increase in the number of people there, taking advantage of live music and the fun mini-parks for the kids. However, we also noticed that not many people were carrying bags, which obviously means they aren’t spending money with the retailers. The reality is that an outdoor mall is an easy way to kill an hour or two but it likely won’t be that fun for the kids and it really won’t be fun for the parents if the family budget doesn’t allow for a little shopping spree.

There are other fun things to do for the kids this Summer, starting at home. Create a short list of indoor activities for the kids and keep it on the refrigerator. At the top of our list is arts and crafts, which includes many quick craft ideas we found simply by searching google for kids arts and crafts or kids activities, be sure to add the city name in there somewhere so you get local results for supplies.

Many of these ideas can be done with household items so there’s no need to make a special trip to pick up art supplies. If you do decide to get more creative there are a variety of stores that have great arts and crafts supplies for kids.

We also suggest pulling out the family board games or picking up a few new ones. The kids will enjoy the old time favorites just as much as we did. A few to remember are monopoly, twister, chutes and ladders, checkers, chess and a new one called cranium hullabaloo. Board games are a great way to eat up a couple of hours indoors when it’s too hot for outdoor activities.

And it will be hot this Summer. We’ve already exceeded temperatures of 100 degrees in many California cities and although we’re granted a few cooling off periods each Summer, you can plan on many more hot ones.

If you have a swimming pool you’re guaranteed immediate relief from the Summer heat but eventually the kids will want to mix it up a bit and get away from the house. Remember, for most Summer vacation is out, but half-day and one-day activities are in as they’re more cost effective while providing a much needed get away from work and home.

The kids playgroup we’re involved in has been to many indoor kids activity places in California from the simple play areas at Chick-fil-A to bounce houses and Chuck E. Cheese. They all have great services to offer and are an easy way to stay cool indoors while keeping the kids happy.

If you’re looking to consume a half-day or full-day though, you’ll need something with extensive offerings and lots of variety. Our choice has been John’s Incredible Pizza Company because they take care of the food, the fun and even provide a little break for the parents.

The Food: We’ll say this is the best food set up for kids and adults anywhere. John’s offers and all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, pasta, salad and desserts. For each category they offer many toppings, flavors, combinations and choices. The kitchen is constantly bringing out hot pizza while replenishing the salad and pasta bar. Beverages are all-you-can-drink with an additional cost of $1-2.

The Fun: John’s is unique in that it is completely indoors but offers the fun of outdoor style rides and things to do. Our two favorite traditional rides are the twister and the bumper cars. We mix up the ride fun by playing video and other games then take a break from the action with a game of laser tag and a few frames of bowling. The great part is when the kids get hungry from all the play, you just walk back over to the food side and fill up again. This is one reason why John’s is perfect as an all-day activity for the kids.

A Break for the Parents: John’s is a very active environment, but they still offer quiet seating for dining in their multiple themed rooms. The themes range from cartoons to music videos and one with a more log cabin feel, which is intended to be the most quiet of the bunch. They also offer beer and wine with a 2 drink limit.

This Summer most families are staying local. The kids will eventually grow tired of the indoor activities at home or they’ll want a break from the pool. Create a short list of options and keep it on the fridge, you’ll need it!

Community pick: Summer fun things to do, kid’s birthday parties, indoor activities on a hot day > Fresno, CA 93720

Other Locations: Bakersfield, Modesto, Montclair, Riverside, Roseville, Stockton, Buena Park (opening 2009 at Buena Park Mall)

John’s Incredible Pizza Co.
7095 N. Cedar Ave.
Fresno, CA 93720
p. (559) 323-1111

View Larger Map