Author: Mia

Kids’ Sewing Classes: 2 Great Places in Newton!

Sewing Classes for Kids: 2 Great Locations in Newton!

Did you know that there are now two locations that teach sewing to kids in Newton? Hip Stitch was the first one to open in Newton. It started off in Newtonville and has since moved next to L’Aroma Cafe in West Newton behind West Newton Cinema. 5th grader PickyKidPix and her friends took a class on early release Thursday last week and made pillows, Christmas tree ornaments. She even helped her make a sash for her Hernando De Soto costume for school!

Now, another sewing studio for kids has opened near the old Giroux Brothers Martial Arts in Newtonm, Newton Sewing Studio! As luck would have it, PickyKidPix attended its first sewing birthday party for kids! She made a pillow there too! Now, she is motivated to learn to sew and bugs me daily to sign her up for more classes.

This December vacation, Newton Sewing Studio has sewing Camp. They also offer classes. He suggests, “Send kids to sewing camp and let the fun and creativity begin! Beginners and seasoned stitchers will appreciate our mix of fun and useful projects.”

Newton Sewing Studio

Lots of pretty fabrics to choose from at Newton Sewing Studio!

Newton Sewing Studio welcomes kids as young as five. Parents are more than welcome to stay and sew with us.

December vacation camp is: Dec 26th through Jan 1st – Half or Full days.

PickyKidPix attended Newton Sewing Studio’s first ever Birthday Party for her friend. She loved it (and she’s not easy to please!)

They made pillows and Christmas Tree Felt ornaments.

Front of pillow by PickyKidPix she made at Hip Stitch.

Back of pillow.

Owner Brian Remlinger of Newton Sewing Studio.

Front of pillow PickyKidPix made at Newton Sewing Studio birthday party.

Back of pillow sewn at Newton Sewing Studio.

Examples of sewing projects for kids.

Hope to see you in sewing class!

December 19, 2012
Newton Holiday Pop-Up Store!

Holiday Pop-Up Store at L’Aroma Cafe in Newton

Friday, December 21 8:30-Noon
at L’Aroma Café
15 Spencer Street
Newton, MA

Featuring gorgeous handmade goods from local artists and companies:
ceramics, hair accessories, accent
pillows, jewelry, wreaths, centerpieces,
photographs, hostess gifts, and outdoor
containers decorated for the holidays

A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO FAMILIES FIRST!

holiday pop up store poster

December 18, 2012
Like NewTV to Donate to Newton Food Pantry

LIKE to Feed the Hungry in Newton

This holiday season NewTV will be running an online promotional campaign throughout the month of December to help raise money for those in need. For every ‘Like’ they receive on their Facebook page, they will donate $1 to the Newton Community Service Center and the Newton Food Pantry.

If you would like to join us in supporting these causes, please visit NewTV’s Facebook page at facebook.com/newtv and click the ‘Like’ button. With just a few seconds of your time, you can help make a difference in our community.

Newton’s Food Pantry is a non-profit organization run by volunteers, and is located at the former Waban branch library at 1608 Beacon Street. Food is distributed every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 pm, and is also open on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 11:00-12:00 pm.

The Newton Community Service Center is a non-profit organization that empowers and strengthens families and serves thousands of residents from Newton, Waltham, and the surrounding communities. Operating for over 100 years, the NCSC’s programs include child care, parenting support, childhood safety education, and volunteer resources for non-profits and adults 55+.

NewTV is an Emmy award-winning, state-of-the-art media center that is committed to supporting and strengthening the community of Newton by providing its residents with the resources and platform to share their news and opinions. To learn more about our services and programming visit newtv.org.Happy holidays from NewTV!

December 17, 2012
Special Holiday Fundraiser for New Repertory Theatre

New Repertory Theatre A Christmas Carol Fundraiser

Ken Cheeseman will be reading Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on Sunday, December 16th at Terry O’Reilly’s Irish Pub in Newton. Only 40 seats are available! Admission is a minimum donation of $25 which will be matched by New Rep’s matching program. Only 4 seats per person.

Please buy tickets here.

December 13, 2012
Upcycled Toy Invention Birthday Party for Kids

Science-Meets-Art Kids’ Birthday Party

Do you need a new birthday party idea for your kids? Something eco-friendly and creative? I just met the founders of KinetiCreations. Check out these toys kids make from upcycled materials!

Catapults!!!

Marble Maze!

Foosball!!

KinetiCreations shows kids that they have the ability and imagination to create ways of having fun themselves, using mostly recycled materials to build kinetic toys and games. Kids build and play with toys they invent.

This is a new local business developed by two experienced educators. For more information, please visit KinetiCreations for more information.

They also do birthday parties and private classes with prices ranging from $125-$250.

My kids would love this combination of invention, creativity and art!

Eileen Gagarin is a state certified K-12 art teacher and a local sculptor (www.eileengagarin.com). She has over a decade of experience teaching art to students of all ages. She has spent multiple summers volunteering as an art teacher in Latin America, teaches at various after school and adult education programs, and is an adjunct professor at Emmanuel College.

Matt Westling is an outdoor enthusiast and science dork with a history degree from Boston University. He has worked for after-school programs and summer camps in Brookline, Newton and Dedham as well as non-profits in Boston and abroad for under-privileged children.

December 12, 2012
Celebrations! A Family Discovery Concert & Instrument Petting Zoo

New Philharmonia Orchestra Family Concert & Instrument Petting Zoo

Sunday, December 16 at 3pm

First Baptist Church

848 Beacon St, Newton Centre

T-accessible by the Green Line “D Line” Newton Centre stop

Please join the New Philharmonia Orchestra and special guests, Newton’s Boston Ballet School and All-City Honors Chorus Treble Singers!

Join us to celebrate friendship, joy and peace on earth through music, song and dance! The New Phil and their special guests, Newton’s Boston Ballet School and the 80-member Treble Singers children’s chorus, will delight the audience with this magical program – dance among the snowflakes, take a sleigh ride, and fill your heart with song! New Phil’s famous Instrument Petting Zoo follows the performance; this is a terrific opportunity for children of all ages to meet and try the orchestra instruments! This imaginative and interactive program is appropriate for family members of all ages.

Tickets: $10-$15

For tickets and more information, please visit www.newphil.org or call 617.527.9717.

December 11, 2012
Newton’s New Indoor Winter Farmer’s Market

Newton has started its own Winter Farmers’ Market, which runs on Tuesdays from 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Hyde Community Center in Newton Highlands. I visited today and guess what I found?

Crisp and Delicious Apples!

Fresh Salad Greens! Hydroponic!

Artisanal Cheese!

Lovely soaps!

Artisanal Pasta from Nella Pasta.

Maple syrup from a local sugar house!

Live musical entertainment by Newton’s own Newton Family Singers. The Newton Family Singers are an intergenerational chorus and band celebrating family, community and American folk music. They are performing on Sunday, December 9th at 4pm at Memorial Spaulding Elementary School (250 Brookline Street). $10/adults $8/kids

Kettle Corn! YUM!

Coffee from Nicaragua … from her family’s own farm!

A LOCAL vineyard, Turtle Creek Winery, with Award Winning Wine!

Artisanal Jams, Jellies, Relish, Pickles, and Sauces from Coutts Speciality Foods.

Fresh Fish!

Spindrift healthy sodas and flavored sparkling waters!

Gorgeous fresh produce from Freitas Farm.

The nice folks at Whole Foods!

Seafood Chowder!

Thank you to the market manager for setting up such a great indoor Farmers’ Market in Newton! You should come by! As you can see, you can put together a wonderful dinner from the vendors here! Hope to see you next week!

December 9, 2012
Open House & Craft Fair at New Art Center!

Newton New Art Center Craft Fair and Open House

Sunday Dec. 9, 1-4pm, FREE

-Craft fair by New Art Center faculty

-Meet teachers

-Register for classes

-Register for February, April and Summer Art programs

–FREE Art activities for children

-Ceramics Demo

-Free Exhibitions with Family Connections Drop-In visits

Please stop by!

New Art Center in Newton

61 Washington Park

Newtonville, MA 02460

p.s. KIDS ART SPACE for grades 1 to 4Every Tuesday from 1:30 to 5:30pm – or you can pick your hours of drop-in and pick-up.
Fee: Drop-in fee $35 per afternoon OR tuition fee from January 8 to March 19: $320 (if you register by December 19) or $352 after December 19.

December 6, 2012
Fun Things for Kids During December Vacation Week

Kids Programs, Camps and Activities for December Vacation

Looking for fun things to do with kids this December school vacation? Here are some options near and far from Newton. Activities include family outings, and camps for one day or the entire week. I also rounded up some ice skating options for indoor and outdoor fun!

Newton Sewing Studio: Half or Full days.

Kids can’t wait to have time off school but how soon does the novelty wear off? Don’t get stuck scrambling to entertain them. Send the kids to sewing camp and let the fun and creativity begin! Beginners and seasoned stitchers will appreciate our mix of fun and useful projects. We welcome kids as young as five and parents are more than welcome to stay and sew with us.

Puddlestompers in Newton: sign up for the day or the week.

Newton Historic Society in Newton: Stories in the Snow, A Vacation Week Family Program.

Newton Parks and Recreation: December Vacation Programs for Kids.

JCC in Newton: Children’s Choice December Vacation Programs for Kids.

Arsenal Arts in Watertown: December Vacation Art Workshops for Children.

Museum of Fine Arts in Boston: You don’t need to sign up for their great December vacation programs. They set up stations that you can visit with a changing roster of fun art activities for kids throughout the museum. We love them and the programs are set up to entertain a wide age range of kids.

Museum of Science in Cambridge: Mama Smiles recommends the Spontaneous Fantasia show in the planetarium. Artist J-Walt has combined improvised animation with music, and shown on the vast screen of the planetarium it is quite amazing. The show lasted 70 minutes, and the kids sat, mesmerized. They are still talking about the performance.

Peabody Essex Museum in Salem : Drop In Activities for Kids.

5 Wits in Foxboro: Espionage and 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea interactive adventures for kids.

IMAX Movie in Boston: Museum of Science and New England Aquarium.

Ice skating

Auburndale Cove Ice Skating Rink (outdoor): Lessons available when rink is open. Hours: Mon- Fri, 3pm – 9pm (opens one hour earlier on Tues); Sat, Sun, holidays and vacation, 10am – 9pm.

Daly Skating Rink (indoor): Just over the line in Brighton, the Daly rink offers season and day passes. Classes are also available. Hours: Mon – Fri, 9am- 12am; Sat, 9am – 4pm; Sun, 9am- 2pm.

Coffin Ice Rink (indoor) at the Fessenden School: Available for rental for practices and birthday parties, but not generally open to the public for “free skating.” Home ice for the Newton North Tigers. See website for more information.

John A. Ryan Skating Arena (indoor) in Watertown: The arena is professional-sized and seats 1,250 people. Private rental hours: Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Public skating hours: Sat., Sun., 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Larz Anderson Park in Brookline: outdoor ice skating and rentals available.

Frog Pond at Boston Common: There are shows, lessons and food at Frog Pond!

December 4, 2012
Cappella Clausura’s alternative Christmas pageant!

Cappella Clausura’s Christmas Performance

Cappella Clausura’s alternative Christmas pageant is back December 15th and 16th! This program is ever-popular with families, with its graceful child dancers, sing-alongs, giant puppets – and gorgeous music. But what makes it different is the source of the music: written by mostly cloistered nuns from 12th – 17th century Italy and Germany and told from Mary’s point of view. Who knew they composed such beautiful music, hidden away in their convents!

In a truly different sort of Christmas pageant suited to the entire family, with puppets, adult and child dancers and beautiful costumes, Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director, and Creationdance, Helena Froehlich, Director, present Gloria: A Renaissance Christmas Pageant. This magical foray into the wide variety of music written mostly by cloistered women celebrates perhaps the most famous mother and son, as seen from Mary’s point of view. For this unique concert, Cappella Clausura has chosen works from its repertoire of lush medieval, renaissance and baroque music by Hildegard von Bingen, Sulpitia Cesis, Raffaella Aleotti, and Chiara Cozzolani, as well as the stunningly beautiful contemporary music of Patricia Van Ness inspired by ancient chant. Giant puppets and lively laude, or anonymous processional hymns, from 14th century Florence, will be included. Froehlich and company dance to spectacular choreography dressed in richly-hued costumes as Cappella Clausura sings the Christmas story all the way from the birth of Mary to the Visit of the Magi. The audience is invited to sing with the performers and join in the wonder and merriment!

Who: Cappella Clausura with CREATIONDANCE

What: GLORIA: A RENAISSANCE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

When/Where:
Sat., Dec. 15, at 2:00PM – First Parish Church, 349 Boston Post Rd., Weston

Sat., Dec. 15, at 8:00PM – University Lutheran, 66 Winthrop St., Cambridge

Sun., Dec. 16, at 8:00PM – Parish of the Messiah, 1900 Commonwealth Ave., Newton

Contact: Director Amelia LeClair 617-964-6609 or manager@clausura.org

Tickets: $15 – $25 at www.clausura.org or at the door

December 2, 2012