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Monday, December 21, 2015

Experience the NEW Children's Museum of Atlanta!


The Children's Museum of Atlanta (CMA) went through major renovations and opened its doors again to the public this month! I took my kids and nephew (see photos below) to the newly renovated museum over the weekend to view the enhanced space and exhibits.

The museum features 2 additional permanent exhibits, a new 3,000 square foot mezzanine level, enhanced existing galleries, a permanent performance space for the Museum's Imaginators and much more!

Cool Fact! CMA is the only educational venue of its kind in Atlanta, with education programs and exhibits designed for young children ages 0-8. Learn more about CMA here.







A video posted by Sojourner Marable Grimmett (@sojournerruth) on




Tuesday, December 08, 2015

Try the New ZeroWater Ready-Pour

Did you know that around 40 percent of people who purchased a water filtration system said it was because of the taste of tap water, and about 50 percent of them were concerned about contaminants. I'm glad I was able to team-up with the good folks at ZeroWater to try their new Ready-Pour container. 


Ready-Pour’s innovative sealed lid and reservoir enables the pitcher to be kept full while adding up to two cups of additional capacity, helping to eliminate the wasted space on the top of the pitcher.  That means it can hold 10 cups total (eight within the pitcher itself and two in the reservoir). The underneath water filter assembly ensures water passes directly through and not under the filter. As a result, users of the Ready-Pour Pitcher can rest assured that every drop they are drinking has been filtered via ZeroWater’s patented five-stage, dual-ion exchange filtration system.

The Ready-Pour Pitcher from ZeroWater 10Cup retails for $32.99 and the 12Cup for $37.99.  Both Ready-Pour Pitchers come with an integrated Total Dissolved Solids meter (Value of  $29.99) which comes at no additional cost to the consumer. As the only water filter in its class to meet the FDA’s definition for TDS in purified bottled water, this meter allows users to see at a glance the purity of the water they are drinking.

Click here to learn more. 

Thursday, December 03, 2015

Elf the Musical is Showing Now at the Fabulous Fox Theatre!


Don’t miss your chance to see Elf The Musical on Tour - the musical for every Buddy! The boys and I had the opportunity to see the show on Opening Night at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta! 

ELF is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. Buddy is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and his step-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

A photo posted by Sojourner Marable Grimmett (@sojournerruth) on

A photo posted by Sojourner Marable Grimmett (@sojournerruth) on

Purchase your tickets here

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Winter Wonderland and New Year’s Eve on The Historic Marietta Square


The Historic Marietta Square has transformed into a nostalgic Winter Wonderland this Holiday Season. Features include an open ­air ice skating rink, Santa’s Workshop, multi­-story Christmas Tree and the inaugural New Year’s Eve Celebration.


There are a few more enhancements in the works (i.e. Ice Sculpting), but be sure mark your calendar for the following key dates:

Skate Rink Hours:
Monday ­ Thursday 4:30pm to 10pm
Friday 4:30­ 11pm
Saturday 10am to 11pm
Sundays Noon to 10pm.

(There will be extended hours during school breaks and open Thanksgiving and Christmas.)
$12 includes entrance and skate rental.
Thursday, December 3rd­ Santa Claus is coming to town.
5:00pm Party begins, performances by local school choruses.
5:20pm Santa Arrives (until 8pm)
6:00pm The Lighting of Christmas Tree


*Santa will visit every Saturday and Sunday December 6 ­ December 20// Monday, December 21 ­ Christmas Eve

Santa’s Workshop:
Thursdays (Times TBA) Home Depot sponsored workshop where children may make their own toy!
New Year’s Eve:
2:00pm ­ 7:00pm Family Friendly Activities
7:00pm Children’s Ball Drop
8:30pm ­11:30pm Whiskey Gentry performs on the Bandstand in Glover Park
11:30pm ­1:00am Late Night Party
Midnight Ball Drop


About Marietta Square:
The Historic Marietta Square is an easily accessible, unique urban destination located just 5 minutes from I­75 with an abundance of FREE parking. For Metro ­Atlanta residents or tourists who want a place to gather and enjoy Intown Culture with Small Town Charm, the Marietta Square is the place to be. Nineteenth century buildings serve as the backdrop to an intriguing blend of contemporary dining, arts, culture, and entertainment. The heart of the Square, Glover Park, hosts a never ­ending calendar of events and markets. An eclectic mix of cultures has given rise to an array of chef­ owned restaurants as well as a thriving art and theater community.

For more information about Marietta Square Winter Wonderland & New Year’s Eve Celebration, visit: www.WinterWonderlandMariettaSquare.com.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Ditch Tradition and Dive In to New Experiences at Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium’s annual Festival of the SEAson transforms North America’s most popular aquarium into a veritable winter wonderland through daily special events, thousands of twinkling lights, music, extravagant holiday trees and appearances from Santa and SCUBA Claus. 

This year’s Festival of the SEAson is set to be more thrilling than ever before thanks to the debut of a 3D-mapped, 60-foot-high atrium nature show. This extraordinary show, titled “The Sea Around Us,” explores the natural wonders of the sea and its connection with the natural world on land.

“It is with the full family experience in mind that Georgia Aquarium’s Festival of the SEAson shakes up holiday traditions year after year,” said Georgia Aquarium’s VP of Marketing and Communications, Debbie Campbell. "Whether the visit is a gift or a family outing, we promise to give visitors a truly unique holiday experience that will create special and lasting memories.”

Bring the entire family to the aquarium this holiday season. Additional Festival of the SEAson highlights include:
  • SCUBA Claus – For the tenth year in a row, guests can catch sight of SCUBA Claus diving into Ocean Voyager Built by The Home Depot and swimming among the whale sharks, manta rays and thousands of fish during the dive shows at 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday until December 25.
  • Holiday Tree Lightings – At 10:30 a.m. daily, Georgia Aquarium will host a festive Tree Lighting in the Atrium, complete with carols sung by the attraction’s own Holiday Singers. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to sing along!
  • Holidazzle – The choreographed Holidazzle light and music show shines and sparkles to the rhythms of classic holiday tunes in the Georgia Aquarium’s Atrium at the top of every hour.
  • Underwater Menorah – See the amazing underwater menorah in the world’s largest aquatic habitat, Ocean Voyager Built by The Home Depot. In celebration of Hanukkah and in accordance with tradition, another candle will be magically lit under water each evening of the holiday, beginning December 6 and running through December 14. 
  • Symphony of Snow – Back for its second year, Symphony of Snow is Georgia Aquarium’s popular Broadway-style live musical, which includes holiday classics and culminates with the entrance of Santa Claus. Symphony of Snow takes place every weekend beginning November 21.
  • Breakfast with Santa – Have breakfast with Santa while also taking in majestic aquatic animals. This special A.M. meal will be prepared by Wolfgang Puck Catering. Guests will have quality time with Old Saint Nick and enjoy activities such as letter writing and creating a festive holiday craft. Breakfast with Santa is on December 12 at 9 a.m. Tickets are $19.95 per person for non-members and $14.95 per person for members. 

Festival of the SEAson runs from November 21 through December 25. General aquarium admission is required for all Festival of the SEAson activities. Admission tickets are $32.95 for children, $38.95 for adults and $34.95 for seniors. Some Festival of the SEAson activities require a separate activity ticket purchase. For details, to purchase tickets or learn more about Festival of the SEAson, call (404) 581-4000 or visit georgiaaquarium.org

Friday, November 06, 2015

SLIDESHOW: Atlanta 40 Under 40 Awards! #‎ATL40Under40


Proud and honored to be selected by my peers for Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 Under 40 Awards. Humbled to be recognized for my service in the community, and to be a part of such an influential and inspiring group of Atlantans. About 400 people turned out for the annual awards event Thursday night at the Fox Theatre.






Meet the other honorees and view images here: http://bizj.us/1k24wi

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

US Swim School Association Guides Parents Through Performing a Water Safety Audit in their Home

Drowning is the leading cause of injury death among children aged 1–4 years, and while swimming pools are a major risk, not all deaths occur in or around a pool. There are many potential risks for drowning in the average home. Parents with young children should regularly conduct a home water safety audit to determine where the risks are in their home and what they can do to better protect their children. The United States Swim School Association, the preeminent swim school organization in the country, has created a guide for parents to follow when conducting an audit.

Home Water Safety Audit Tips
  • When performing a water safety audit in your home, first create a list of each room inside your home and include garages, sheds, front yard and back yard, and other structures on your property as rooms so you can check them off your list as you survey each area.
  • Look for common risk factors found in the average home in each room including buckets, diaper pails, toilets, ice chests/coolers, hot tubs, spas and whirlpools, ditches and post holes, wells, ponds and fountains.
  • Identify unique risks in each area of your home and list them under that room. For example:
    • Kitchen – dishes are left soaking in a sink filled with soap and water overnight.
    • Laundry room – the utility sink has a bucket sitting in it with a few inches of water leftover from cleaning the floors.
    • Back yard – old five gallon buckets were left sitting upright behind the shed and could collect rainwater.
    • Bathroom – the bathtub doesn’t drain properly and sometimes water can be left sitting in it for over an hour after it is used.
    • Front yard – a decorative fountain could be a risk when the kids play outside.
  • Fill your bathtub with the amount of water normally used during bathing and use a stopwatch to time how long it takes to drain. Never leave the bathroom unsupervised after a bath until that amount of time has passed.
  • Create a plan for correcting or mitigating risks in your home including toilet lid locks, pool fences and other barriers.
  • To remind yourself to change habits like soaking dishes in the kitchen sink over night, post a note next to the sink.
  • Correct any issues in the home like slow draining sinks or bath tubs, improperly stored buckets or containers, children’s play pools, etc. Hire a plumber to fix drains if you do not have the expertise and always store buckets or containers upside down so water cannot collect in them.
  • For risks installed in your home landscaping including fountains, fishponds, ditches, etc. consider putting up barriers to block children from falling into them and carefully supervise children playing outside.
In addition to surveying the home for potential drowning risks, parents should also know how to react to a drowning situation by learning CPR and keeping up to date with certifications.

To find a USSSA affiliated swim school near you, or for details on becoming a member of the nation’s leading swim school organization visit: http://www.usswimschools.org.

About US Swim School Association
US Swim School Association (USSSA) began in 1988 to fill a gap in the swim school industry. USSSA has become the largest and preeminent swim school association in the country with over 400 members providing swim and water safety instruction to over 500,000 students each year. Swim schools receive invaluable benefits as USSSA members, receiving the latest training in water safety, swim instruction methods and tools, invitations to annual conferences, and many other benefits that help establish and build each individual business. USSSA has partnered with Safer 3 Water Safety Foundation for its official water safety program. Through USSSA, parents and students are provided with a reliable and trustworthy resource when searching for a swim school and can rest assured they have chosen a top school when they choose a USSSA affiliated location. For more information, visit www.usswimschools.org.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Help launch African Americans for Hillary!

This Friday, Hillary will be in Atlanta to kick-off African Americans for Hillary. She’ll discuss how together we’ll tackle the issues facing African Americans, from raising incomes, to criminal justice reform, to voting rights. 

Come hear from the glass-ceiling breaker herself -- and a whole bunch of special guests. Here are the details:

WHAT: African Americans for Hillary Kick-Off
with Hillary Clinton
WHEN: Friday, October 30, 2015
1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Clark Atlanta University
650 Fair Street 
Epps Gymnasium
Atlanta, Georgia 30314 

This is an important moment for the campaign. Prepare to be inspired and leave informed about what Hillary is going to do to improve the lives of families in Georgia and around the country. 

RSVP as soon as you can. Space is limited:


Thanks,

Sojourner Marable Grimmett

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Fulton County Arts & Culture South Fulton Arts Center presents 2015 Family Film Festival


Free Halloween Event - This Sunday


Free fun, food & surprises. Please join us at the Anderson Park Recreation Center located at 120 Anderson Ave NW Atlanta, GA 30314. For more information, please contact Sgt. Flinders at JFlinders@AtlantaGa.Gov.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

"African Americans for Hillary" Grassroots Organizing Event in Atlanta



Hillary Clinton is Coming to Atlanta!

Join Hillary Clinton at the "African Americans for Hillary" Grassroots Organizing Event! 

On Friday, October 30, 2015 Hillary Clinton will launch "African Americans for Hillary" at a grassroots organizing event at Clark Atlanta University. During the event, Clinton will lay out how she’s fighting to address issues important to the African American community.

Members of the public interested in attending can RSVP here: https://www.hillaryclinton.com/events/view/?id=733508 

WHERE: Clark Atlanta University, Epps Gymnasium, 650 Fair Street, Atlanta, GA 30314

WHEN: Friday, October 30, 2015 at 2:30PM

DOORS OPEN: 1:00 PM

See you there! 
Sojourner Marable Grimmett

The Fresh Market’s “Cupcakes for a Cause” campaign raises over $300,000in support of No Kid Hungry®

During the month of September, The Fresh Market hosted its third annual Cupcakes for a Cause campaign to benefit No Kid Hungry®. Thanks to the generosity of customers across the country, the two week campaign raised a total of $300,045. Since the launch of the partnership in 2013, The Fresh Market has raised over $1 million to help end childhood hunger in the United States, where one in five children struggle with hunger.

“Childhood hunger is a problem that affects nearly every community in our country, and The Fresh Market is honored to play a role in helping No Kid Hungry raise awareness and funds to combat this issue,” said Rick Anicetti, the company’s chief executive officer. “We hope The Fresh Market customers and employees have been inspired by the Cupcakes for a Cause program to fight childhood hunger in America, and we are grateful for their generosity.”

“The Fresh Market Cupcakes for a Cause campaign has made a tremendous impact on childhood hunger by connecting kids in need with nearly 3 million healthy meals” said Founder and CEO of Share Our Strength Billy Shore. “We are thankful for The Fresh Market’s support in helping us end child hunger in the United States and ensuring that children have access to healthy food where they live, learn and play.”

Each of The Fresh Market’s 178 stores, located across the Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, raised money through the company’s Design a Bag Challenge reusable bag sales, Cupcakes for a Cause paper cupcake sales, and its signature Cupcakes for a Cause cupcake decorating event. The Fresh Market donated 100 percent of the money raised to No Kid Hungry, which is dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with healthy food where they live, learn and play.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Super Saturday - A Community Education Event

Super Saturday is an annual event hosted by the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals (ULGA-YP) that seeks to enrich the civic and political awareness of the Metro-Atlanta community. This signature event is an integral part of the ULGA-YP mission to facilitate civic empowerment and political engagement. 

This year’s Super Saturday event will provide community members the opportunity to be educated on Georgia politics, discuss why civicengagement matters and engage in a hackathon on community and police relations. Spread the word and come out to participate in this interactive experience. 

To volunteer for Super Saturday, please contact political@ulga-yp.org.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Healthy Munchy Lunchbox Friendly Fruit Crispies

“Snack time” at school was designed to feed young bodies and brains.  But too often, it’s just code for candy, chips and other snacks that are full of sugar, salt, and fats.  Enter an all-natural, technological innovation in the kids’ snack category:  Healthy Munchy Fruit Crispies. 

This is a truly nutritious treat with the sweetness, and satisfying crunch that kids crave in snacks. Each individual bag features some of kids’ favorite licensed Nickelodeon characters like Spongebob Squarepants or Dora the Explorer, so it’s as fun on the outside as it is flavorful and healthy on the inside.  No salt, no added sugar, just pure delicious fruit.

For more information, visit www.healthymunchy.com.

Monday, October 12, 2015

Zombie Hunting Season at SAS Black Ops Indoor Arena in Marietta during Halloween


Over the weekend, I took the boys and some of their friends to SAS Black Ops Indoor Arena, located at 1280 Field Parkway, Marietta, GA 30066. What happens at SAS Black Ops? Zombie Hunting, of course during Halloween! 

Every Saturday night - 9/26 thru Halloween from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. you and your kids can have the thrill of chasing Zombies in a fun game of laser tag. 


Right before entering the arena, you'll grab your gear (a featherweight laser tag pro battle rifle and head gear), attend your briefing, and head out to the indoor arena to take down the Zombies! 

My boys and their friends had a blast hunting "The Walking Dead". Book your 15-minute session today, and set out on a survival mission. 

Call to reserve space at (678) 659-9319. For more information, visit www.sasblackops.com







Monday, September 28, 2015

Atlanta Blogger's Family Wins a Free Carnival Cruise Vacation at Taste of Atlanta


We're going on a ship! Carnival Cruise Line brought its spirited brand of fun to this year’s Taste of Atlanta festival. The Carnival Kids’ Corner programming offered a variety of fun activities, as well as   complimentary cooking demonstrations, with Chef D’Souza teaming up with locally and nationally-celebrated chefs to prepare simple, healthy dishes for children and their families. 

We participated in the Carnival's Family Foodie Challenge and won 9-7 in a wonderful competition against another family from Atlanta. Carnival is the number one cruise line for families, carrying more than 700,000 kids annually. We're looking forward to our upcoming amazing getaway! 

For additional information about Carnival Cruise Line, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Walk like MADD! End Drunk Driving


We walk to end drunk driving.
Will you take up the fight by joining us at Walk Like MADD?
Atlanta Walk Like MADD & MADD DASH
5k Walk, Run, & Fun Run

WHEN: SEPTEMBER 26, 2015
WHERE: PGA Tour Superstore
2911 George Busbee Pkwy

Kennesaw
TIME: 7:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
WALK LIKE MADD is your chance to do something about drunk driving in our community. This year, thousands of people in over 60 cities around the nation will participate in 5k events to eliminate drunk driving from our roadways.
You can help MADD eliminate drunk driving in Metro Atlanta by signing up as a walker, team captain, or volunteer.  Interested in participating but can't make it? You can sign up as a virtual walker and walk with us wherever you are or make a donation to another walker or team.