The top 10 skating rinks were listed in no particular order, but it's great to see that Brentwood's Skate Center made the list!

Here's an excerpt:

"Where fun meets fitness" is the motto of this skating center in the Nashville area. Fittingly, the facility offers 4 party rooms, along with live DJs and an elaborate lighting and sound system. "Miley Cyrus skates here, and American Idol sensation Kellie Pickler's music video was shot at Skate Center," [Budd] Eversman [of the Roller Skating Association International ] says. One amenity that harried parents may appreciate: supervised child care during daytime sessions.

Check out this list of other Top 10 lists that Nashville, Franklin, and Williamson County have appeared on!

He loves Thomas the Tank Engine and we couldn't miss this. The big draw is the 25-minute train ride pulled by Thomas himself.

All in all, it was worth the $18 a ticket because my son had a good time.

We arrived at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum around 11 a.m. and noticed that the parking situation was a little crazy since most of the lot was dedicated to the event, not cars.

So we had to find a spot on the grass up a hill from the event. This was not too difficult since there were some helpful people directing traffic.

Once we were back down the hill, we could feel the excitement. Many kids like my son were wearing their Thomas t-shirts and were yelling that they could see him already and started to walk even faster.

Through the gate, we could see that the Thomas train (a dummy train) was attached in front of many real passenger trains. We saw several activity tents set up in the parking lot, along with very large bouncy houses. It looked a little like a carnival.

Plenty To See & Do

Inside the event, there was plenty to do. The Day Out With Thomas event was jam-packed with fun things for the entire family.

Since we had an hour before the ride at noon, we decided to get some lunch first. There was one food tent with the typical hot dogs and hamburgers.

While we sat at a picnic table and ate, we watched a live magic show that was happening on the small stage inside the tent. Then we got our son's picture taken in front of Thomas, which was about the only time we were really near the famous train.

Next, my son rode a small scale motorized train that did about 3 laps around a small fenced-in area. We didn't have time to do all of the other activities which included:

• storytelling
• Thomas video viewing
• playing in the bouncy houses and slides
• getting creative with the Legos Imagination Station
• petting the goats at the petting zoo
• meeting Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of Thomas' railway

On Board The Train

Finally, it was time to get on the train -- my son's favorite part.

We were greeted by men dressed in traditional railroad conductor suits, and we boarded the train. We were able to choose our seats and my son, of course, sat by the window.

The ride was very slow and smooth which allowed for easy viewing of the landscape around us. We rode past many trains on the tracks at the museum and then under some bridges towards Nashville and back again.

If You Go To  A Thomas The Tank Event...

Give yourself plenty of time. That way, you will have time to check out all the activities before or after your ride on Thomas. The Thomas ride will take about an hour total -- since the ride itself is 25 minutes, and you need to be in line for the ride 30 minutes before that.

Be prepared for a large crowd. There will be lines to wait in for each of the activities. If you have a younger child (3 and under) they may not understand this.

Bring cash. The food vendors do not take credit or debit cards.

Be prepared for heat if the event is held in the summer. This event is located on cement and there are few shaded areas.

Be prepared to see homeless people under the bridges during the train ride. And be able to explain to little ones what they are seeing.

More pre-event information here: Day Out With Thomas FAQ

What I Liked Most About The Event

• There were several train ride times available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and I could work it into my son's schedule.
• The staff at the event seemed genuinely excited for the kids and were in great spirits.
• There were plenty of activities for the kids to do while waiting for the Thomas ride.
• There was a magician doing a show in the food tent.
• My son got to ride on a real train! 

See Thomas The Tank Engine In Nashville

Thomas will be in Nashville again on Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th.

Get tickets for Day Out With Thomas.

If you miss him that weekend, he will be back next year. (Keep checking back for dates and times.)

The Tennessee Central Railway Museum is located at 220 Willow St. Nashville, TN 37210. Phone: (615) 244-9001.

Brentwood's Gymboree Play and Music is located in a strip mall off of Mallory Lane behind Krispy Kreme donuts.

I have been taking my son to the play classes for a year now and he is still excited to go every week.

Here's what it's like at the Brentwood Gymboree Play & Music Center...

Inside, it's visually stimulating for young kids with lots of color and shapes.

There are colorful padded mats on the floor, which are convenient for any falls that might occur!

There is also an assortment of fun structures to climb, slide, and jump on.

Gymboree Play & Music Classes

These weekly classes are set up by age so that the kids playing together are all around the same developmental and physical stages. (That way, you don't have a 5-year-old running over a 1-year-old!)

There are many days and times available, so you can easily work a class into your child's specific schedule.

They also allow you to attend another class during that week if you miss yours. I like this, since I am paying for it regardless.

What The Play Classes Are Like

The play class is 45 minutes long and is lightly structured.

It is mostly a place for kids to play together in a safe and fun environment. However, there is a "teacher" in the class who keeps things moving along.

It starts out with a song and an introduction to the theme of the day. Then she walks around the room and explains how the structures fit in with that theme, and she encourages the kids to use their imagination.

For example, one theme was about cars. On that day, the structures were a pretend car wash and gas station. You get the idea. But if the kids want to ignore the theme and just run and play, that is fine too.

Besides the climbing and sliding structures, there are also:

• hand puppets
   
• a basketball hoop
   
• a rowboat
   
• buckets of balls
   
• tunnels to crawl through

Fun Parachute Time!

Towards the end of the class, the teacher assembles the kids together again for parachute time.

First the kids get to play on the parachute with bubbles. Then they ride on the parachute as the parents pull them around. Lastly, they play under it while the parents hold it over their heads.

Then it's time to say goodbye with Gymbo, the Gymboree clown.

How Much Does It Cost?

The cost to me seemed a bit pricey at first: $65 a month.

If you compare the price to others, it is very comparable. I also checked out The Little Gym and My Gym.

Why I Like Gymboree Play Classes

The reason I chose Gymboree is because they also offer open play, in addition to the classes. These are times during the week when there is no class and your child can just play on the Gymboree equipment.

Since my son goes to the open play once a week, that means I get 2 play times a week for the price of one.

I also like it because I take my son to his class one day and my husband takes him to the open play another day, and I get a mommy break!

I like Gymboree for many reasons:

• It's a clean and safe environment for my son to play in.
   
• He has great interaction with other kids and has an opportunity to practice sharing.
   
• He has an introduction to following instructions from a teacher.
   
• I get to socialize too and talk to moms in the same boat as I am.
   
• It's especially nice on rainy days and in the winter when being outside is not an option.
   
• It gets us out of the house weekly!

Where It's Located

The location is great because it's close to the Cool Springs Galleria mall for shopping and close to many places to eat in Cool Springs.

Krispy Kreme donuts and Cracker Barrel are in the same shopping plaza as Gymboree as well.

In addition to the Play and Music classes, art and school skills are also offered.

Gymboree Play And Learn
1731A Mallory Ln Ste 108
Brentwood, TN 37027

If you are interested in trying the Brentwood Gymboree, they offer a FREE trial class. Just give them a call at (615) 221-9004 or visit their website to schedule it.

Joey's House of Pizza in Brentwood, TN is a really good one.

The owners are an Italian family from Brooklyn, New York. It's a nice change of pizza flavor for me, since my pizza staples are usually the Mellow Mushroom and Matteo's.

Since I live in Franklin, I never would have come across Joey's House of Pizza on my own if my neighbor hadn't suggested it. It's kind of tucked away in the Maryland Farms area of Brentwood in a strip mall.

When we arrived, I had no idea what to expect.

My neighbor hadn't explained anything else about the place except that the pizza was good. So I was surprised when we walked in to see that Joey's House of Pizza in Brentwood was set up differently than I imagined.

It's a more casual restaurant with no servers. You step up to the counter to either place your order, or choose from the items ready to eat. Now that I think about it, the set-up makes sense. When I was in New York, that is how all the pizza places were designed -- to get you in and out fast.

The dining area is designed to look like the outdoors. The walls have patches of brick and there is a gate painted on one side. The ceilings have vines and a few butterflies hanging down. In the middle of the room is a big fountain with coins thrown in the water. I noticed that most of the people with kids were sitting around it.

I was there for pizza!

Pizza By The Slice, Or By The Pie

I found that you can either order by the slice or order an entire pizza. If you go for a slice, it's much quicker. They have large cheese pizzas already made and waiting for you to choose your toppings.

I went for a simple slice of pepperoni. They cut a slice from the pie, added the toppings, and then put the slice back in the oven to finish it off. They take your name and you pay at the register. After a few minutes, they call your name to pick it up.

But be warned... because it's hot! I wasn't patient, and I did burn my mouth on it. But once I recovered from that I was able to enjoy my slice of Joey's pizza and it tasted really good.

It's the big and thin kind that you can fold in half and just devour. My husband was smarter and ordered 2 slices from the get go. I had to go back to the counter and get one more. For only $2.79, it was not a big deal.

Ordering Off The Menu

The rest of the menu at Joey's House of Pizza is reasonably priced as well. Besides pizza, they also have pasta, subs, salads, calzones, and desserts.

With the exception of a full pizza, most everything is under $6.

Super Nice Staff

The owners and staff were real nice too. They waited patiently when I was trying to both order my slice of pizza and chase my 2-year-old over to the fountain. I also noticed that the cashier was giving a toy to a young boy in line in front of us.

I was interested in the service since I had read a few reviews online that said they had poor service. But don't get me wrong, the reviews I read on citysearch were great, 5 stars from 85 reviews. Of the very few complaints about the place, the service was all I found. And I didn't find that to be the case.

The only downside I found to Joey's House of Pizza in Brentwood is the fact that they are not open on weekends. They are open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.. However, they do have another location in Spring Hill that is open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Joey's Locations

You can find Joey's House of Pizza at the following locations:

• 214 Ward Circle, Brentwood, TN 37027 (615-661-0032)
   
• 404 B. McLemore Avenue, Spring Hill, TN 37174 (931-489-5992)

How dare they close the doors to their loyal customers?! (I seriously had this talk with 3 people at work one day.)

Well, have you been to check out the Krispy Kreme now that it is re-opened?...

It changed to a cool retro theme.

The colors are now green, blue, yellow, and red on the walls.

They moved the tables around a bit, but the counter got the biggest makeover.

 

In what seems like a ploy to compete with the Dunkin Donuts on the other side of Cool Springs that shares its space with Baskin Robbins, Krispy Kreme has added "Kool Kreme," also known as soft serve ice cream, to their menu.

 

So now they have separate counter spaces for doughnuts, coffee, and Kool Kreme.

Kool Kreme adds treats like Very Vanilla and Deep Chocolate cones, sundaes, and Arctic Avalanches (similar to the DQ Blizzard) to the menu. With all of those choices, along with their Kreme or Fruit Chillers, this will be a great place to cool down this summer!

Next time you go, just ask... they'll give you a free sample of the Kool Kreme in a cute little cone.

We really love going to Krispy Kreme when they are making doughnuts so my daughter can watch the process through the glass. She always gets a paper hat to wear.

She typically chooses the special seasonal doughnut they are offering at the time or a yummy sprinkled one. Sometimes when she can't decide, she gets 2 mini doughnuts for 99-cents.

And now that they have ice cream, it just sweetens the deal!

Krispy Kreme is located at:

1733 Mallory Lane
Brentwood, TN 37027
(615) 221-8859

The building is typical "Brentwood" red brick and quite attractive. The customers are a lot less, um, colorful than other Waffle Houses that I frequented in the past.

Of course, I haven't visited this one at midnight either. Things may change depending on the time of day. But all in all, the Brentwood Waffle House really is a nice, family-friendly place to eat.

And I've passed that love of breakfast any time of the day and yummy waffles on to my daughter. We end up there several times a month.

They've always been especially nice to my daughter, sometimes giving her a paper Waffle House hat to wear. And they always have coloring books and crayons available on the cart by the jukebox.

 

Recently, I noticed that they are now offering a kid's menu. On the kid's menu, they have a waffle for $1, two strips of bacon or a sausage patty for $1, and an egg breakfast for $2. That is a good deal!

Lately, I've been venturing out from my normal All Star Breakfast Special, trying to watch my weight. I have found that Waffle House also has dollar items on their adult menu that include a grilled chicken sandwich for $3 and a garden salad for $2.

While it's not my first place to consider when looking for grilled chicken and salad, they make some good grilled chicken! The garden salad is just lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pieces of American cheese slices -- not quite gourmet -- but the ingredients are fresh and it's one of the few healthy options on the menu.

One other fairly new addition to the Brentwood Waffle House is that they now accept credit cards.

 
The Brentwood Waffle House is located at 790 Old Hickory Blvd., Brentwood, TN 37027. Phone: (615) 373-6883.

It's only about 7 miles west, located in Bellevue, and well worth the trip.

• a real tree house
• a "sand" box (it's really rubber mulch)
• an art center
• a full-size play kitchen
• a dress-up theater
• various play stations throughout
• and a soft toddler area for the under-3 crowd

   

All of this is housed indoors, so weather is never a concern. You can even leave for lunch and come back later with no additional charge!

They have couches, chairs, magazines, and TVs so the parents can relax while their kids have fun.

 

They also have a little boutique in the lobby area for your shopping pleasure. It's a fantastic place to have a play date. The parents can sit and chat while the kids are playing together.

There is a McDonald's located conveniently in the same parking lot. With their re-entry policy, it is nice to take a break for lunch and return for more fun. I, personally, think that early afternoon is the best time to be there since most people have already left for the day.

The Monkey's Treehouse has set "open play" times:

• Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to  5 p.m.
   
• Saturday from 9 a.m. to Noon
   
• They are closed on Sunday for private parties.

Check out The Monkey's Playhouse FAQ for more fun stuff!

The expansion will increase the size of the library by 13,000 sq. ft.

It will include a new media room, study rooms, conference room, and a larger children's area, and should be completed by October 2009.

 

A few years ago, Brentwood changed its policies so that Williamson County residents outside the city limits needed to pay an annual fee of $50 to use the library. That helped local residents have more access to the library's resources.

The Brentwood Library offers books, periodicals, music CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, audio books, and artwork to check out.

They also have meeting rooms, adult classes, children's story time, and special events throughout the year -- like book sales and breakfast with Santa.

The library has computers available and offers free wireless access (it even works in the outdoor reading area).

I, personally, can't wait for the expansion to be completed. It seems people can't figure out the temporary parking spots for book drop. And my daughter can't wait for the train table to be put back into the children's library.

 

The slight inconveniences will be well worth it, though. The children's story time area was really too small for the weekday crowds, and a bigger media room will allow for more choices.

I can't wait!

As much as I love springtime, with all of the beautiful green grass and budding flowers, I have terrible allergies that start with the palms of my hands itching even before any of the normal signs of spring can be seen.

A friend once told me that I was to allergy season what the groundhog is to spring. Funny, but pretty true.

I'm not a doctor, so take this list with a grain of salt, but I thought I'd pass along some of the home remedies that seem to help me in the peak of allergy season...

I use it morning and night, and sometimes in between. It seems to flush away whatever I've breathed in during the day. And it has stopped my monthly sinus infections in their tracks.
 

#2  Use a Neti Pot when the saline spray isn't quite cutting it.

They are a little strange getting used to, but they really work wonders to flush away the allergens that have been taken in.

#3  Use eye drops.

I use rewetting eye drops for the same reason as the nasal spray -- the drops flush the bad things out of my eyes. It really helps with my itchy eyes.

#4  Eat local honey.

I alternate between clover honey and wildflower honey to build up my resistance to both.

One is primarily for spring allergies and the other for fall, but I use them both all year just to cover the bases.

I found some at the Global Market, next door to the Adventure Science Center, and I hear the Franklin Farmer's Market carries it but I haven't been able to confirm that.

#5  Drink apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar is one of those cure-all home remedies that's been around forever and is praised for helping with all sorts of things from sinus infections and weight loss, to gout and hot flashes.

I was very hesitant to start this one, but my sinus infections were so frequent that I had to do something. It sounded plain gross to me, but it really isn't bad. And this is coming from someone who cannot even stand the smell of vinegar.

I mix 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (the kind that is not filtered and has the mother of vinegar in it) with 1 heaping teaspoon of local honey and 8 oz of hot water. You can add more honey to taste. Drink it up twice a day.

#6  Lymphatic Drainage Massage.

I get a massage at Massage Envy each month. As a part of my massage, she does a lymphatic drainage treatment around my neck.

It isn't the most relaxing part because it really gets "stuff" moving in my head and I usually start coughing or sneezing in the middle of it. But it does seem to work.

#7  Drink plenty of water.

I once read that water is one of the best expectorants. It helps to thin mucus and naturally get rid of it. You should have at least 8 8oz glasses a day.

And last but not least...

#8  Get plenty of rest, take a multivitamin and extra vitamin C.

We should do these 3 things every day, but it is especially important when allergies are running us down.