PAWS/John DeBella Dog Walk April 26

Remember the good old days, when John DeBella was our favorite Zoomaster and every year we celebrated…well, anything…with the “Louie Louie” parade?  Remember Mark the Shark, Clay Heery (who?) and all those darn kazoos? Ah, good times.

But it seems the old Kingsmen tome has been replaced with “Who Let The Dogs Out?” as DeBella hosts his 7th annual John DeBella Dog Walk in Green Lane Park on Sunday, April 26 from 10 to 2. The zookeeper’s still hanging with the animals, but these are the four footed variety, so come on out and learn how to adopt cats and dogs from PAWS.

And if the parade is anything like last week’s Doo Dah extravaganza, you’re in for a good time. So grab your pup and head on down! More info here.

Contest: Win Tickets to the Greatest Show on Earth

“Come to the circus,everyone loves the circus,
And that includes the merry Mouseketeers…”

Okay, so I’m dating myself. But let’s face it – everyone does love the circus. I mean, what’s not to love? The elephant parade, the dancing bears, the smell of the popcorn and the sticky sweet cotton candy….everything that adds up to making some special memories.

It’s the truth: I can still remember my mom and grandmom dressing the four of us up and taking us on the train to New York City, where we were treated to the big Kahuna of circuses – the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey three ring show at Madison Square Garden. I remember the animals, the crazy clowns squeezed into a tiny car, the beautiful ladies swinging on trapeze overhead and, most impressively, the man who was shot out of a cannon. Ah, good times.

But you don’t have to go all the way to NYC to catch the latest and greatest in circus shows. Next month, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey will bring its latest offering, Zing Zang Zoom to our very own Wachovia Spectrum. And these circus giants have teamed up with the great folks at Mom Central to bring a very special deal to you (think CircusOnTheCheap!).

You can get a family four pack of tickets for just $44 by logging onto Comcast Tickets and using the coupon code MOM. That’s good for any performance (see schedule below).

And thanks to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey and their partnership with Mom Central, you may be able your brood to opening night for free! One lucky reader will win a Family Fourpack just by sharing a favorite circus memory in the comment section below. All comments including a memory will be entered into our handy dandy random number generator, which will select a winner. Contest opens now and will run through April 15. Winner will be announced on April 16.

But don’t forget – using the coupon code MOM, everyone is a winner. The circus opens on May 13 and runs through May 25. Shows are as follows: Wednesday, May 13 at 7; Thursday, May 14 at 7; Friday, May 15 at 10:30 am and 7 pm; Saturday, May 16 at 11 am, 3 and 7 pm; Sunday May 17 at 1 and 5; Wednesday, May 20 at 7;Thursday, May 21 at 10:30 am and 7 pm; Friday, May 22 at 10:30 am and 7 pm;Saturday, May 23 at 11 am and 3 and 7 pm; Sunday, May 24 at 1 and 5; and closing Monday, May 25 at 1.

Plenty of time to check out all the fun….so enter our giveaway now, or grab your trapeze and swing on over to Comcast Tickets. Don’t forget to use code MOM….and save me a seat under the big top!

(Oh, and just so you know, I only know that Mouseketeer song because of reruns. Honest.)

Day Tripping On The Cheap

We had planned to make the rounds of yard sales on Saturday, but the rain sort of ruined our plans. So what to do with the kids on a rainy Saturday that’s educational, fun and (most important to my budget) cheap?

Well, never fear, the City of Brotherly Love came through again. First, our foursome (one 6 year old in pigtails, one 12 year old art lover, my dh and I) headed over to the historic district, where we visited the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street. This is a great bargain – $3 for adults, $2 for kids, which means we could flag down (hee) an educational museum experience for just one Alexander Hamilton ($10).

And we were doubly lucky on this particular trip. First, the guy selling us the tickets asked if we wanted the audio tour, which was being offered at the sale price of just a dollar that day (it’s usually two). So we snatched up the headphones, which saved us a lot of reading aloud. (Note to self: wait until the kids are old enough to read before taking them to museums. If that’s impossible, bring along a lot of Sucrets.)

Second, the museum was holding a special exhibit called Marching to the White House: Election Memorabilia from the Sublime to the Ridiculous which was free with admission. This was so neat – presidential campaign buttons (like “Nixon Now!” and “All the Way With JFK“) were displayed along with surprising posters (Elvis for president? Really?) and even Jimmy Carter toilet paper. The kids had a blast checking out the oddball items, while I tried to see which campaigns I could actually remember based on the memorabilia (I’ll admit to the Nixon – Humphrey race).

After finishing the tour, we were directed to the courtyard, where the famed seamstress and her husband are buried. Although we were too late to catch her Saturday, “Betsy Ross” also makes personal appearances out there and is quick to teach children her one-snip method of making five-pointed stars.

The campaign memorabilia will be on display through May. Betsy Ross makes the rounds daily, with a special story hour on Sunday mornings.

Happy Birthday Baby….

In honor of my friend’s birthday today (enjoy, Miss!), I’m sharing this post that first appeared on AtlantaOnTheCheap:

“I love free stuff. I love it even more when people give me free stuff just because I exist. I’d like to think it’s just because I’m cool like that, but really, they’ll give it to anyone. Want yours? Check out these two sites & register to get free stuff on your birthday.

• BirthdayFreebies.com: With this site, you can be sure that you’re finding the freebies that are close to where you live, thereby enabling you to maximize the number of freebie redemptions. A quick search of my zip code brings up 71 restaurant freebies & 5 services. Not bad. (FYI–Since my b-day isn’t for a few months yet, I haven’t registered. David did, and he posted a comment on Atlanta on the Cheap that the numbers are inflated because they count each location separately. YMMV.)
• FreeBirthdayTreats.com: Here, you can register for free birthday swag for yourself, your kids, or even your pets. Yes, your pets. Really. You can’t make this stuff up. A quick search of my area brings up a list of about 40 freebies, including entrees, desserts, & even a cigar (for me, not my pet…she’s stuck with a free toy from Petsmart, not that she’ll complain).

Some deals are valid on your birthday only. Others give you a few days to a few weeks to cash in, so plan carefully to work in a few free post-birthday pick-me-ups.”

Of course, this is a little too late for my 3/1 birthday….oh well, there’s always next year….

Nocturnal Animals – Zoo Tourist Deal

Here’s one for you travel animals coming into the Philly area between now and April 15.  (Yes! Get away before tax day!)

The Sheraton University City Hotel is offering a special in conjunction with the Philadelphia Zoo (first zoo in the country, doncha know?).  For as little as $219 a night, visitors can bag overnight accommodations, two adult tickets for the zoo, a zoo map, a 10 percent off coupon for any zoo shop, the zoo’s “insider tip” sheet, two cab vouchers and a zoo pencil. You’ll also receive a fun scavenger hunt to do in the zoo and bring back to the hotel for a special surprise.  Heck, they’ll even throw in a disposable camera so you can capture your day with the giraffes, the lorakeets and (my personal favorites) the orangutans.

To get in on this wild adventure, go visit the Sheraton web site and be sure to use the code ZOOPKG when booking.

Get A Kick Out Of Kixx

Attention soccer fans – the Philadelphia Kixx appreciate you!

Want proof? Then buy tickets for the March 22 game – it will be Fan Appreciation Day at the Wachovia Spectrum. Our favorite footmen will be kicking around the Massachusetts Twisters in their last home game at the Spectrum – and all the fans in attendance will be eligible to win great prizes.

But the gift giving starts now….all Wachovia Complex Cyber Club members can buy one, get one for this historic game. Just use the password BOGO when purchasing…and save 50 percent. That may be enough to buy a dog and a Pepsi during the game!

Black and Decker Will Take You Day Trippin’

In honor of the launch of CitiesOnTheCheap – and in the spirit of my blog post yesterday – the good folks at Black and Decker are offering OnTheCheap readers a chance to win the latest in Day Trip gadgetry – the Black and Decker portable 100 watt Power Inverter. Just plug this handy dandy little gadget into your car’s cigarette lighter and instantly you have a portable household outlet – perfect for recharging iPods, cell phones and all those other electronic devices that make riding in the car for an hour so much more pleasant than it was when I was growing up. (Twenty seven rounds of “Kumbya,” anyone?)

So how do you win one for your own? Simple. In my post “Quoth the Raven,” I shared a recent day trip I took with two of my children. Now I want you to do the same. Share a great day trip destination in the Delaware Valley.  This way, I’ll have new ideas the next time my family hits the road…and you may just have your very own Power Inverter.  No more “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” for you.

ALSO – IMPORTANT – Leave your email address with the post. If you don’t wish to do that, please email your address to me at phillyonthecheap at gmail.com. I need some way to reach you if you win!

Post your idea in the comments section between now and March 20.  For you sticklers, the official rules are here, and the winner will be chosen at random.  Good luck, and happy launching, CitiesOnTheCheap!

Philly in the News (and Cheap, Too!)

The Detroit Free Press had an interesting article about doing Philly on the cheap yesterday.  (Actually, it was written by Associated Press writer Randy Pennell, so it was probably printed all over the place, though I saw it here.)

Anyway, I wanted to share a couple of  highlights for you guys.  Of course, these are directed towards the touristy types, but hey, you locals can take advantage too (especially in the age of Staycations…):

• Transportation – ours is a bargain. Subways, buses and trolleys can get you around for $2 a ride, which is lots cheaper than parking. Regional rail (to get to the edges of our fair city) won’t cost more than $5. Save gas, go green, take public transport, peoples!
• The Big Purple Bus – the writer reccomends the Phlash bus as the best way to get around.  Again, it’s $2 a ride or $5 for an all-day pass, but the 21 scheduled stops take you all over the historic districts and museums. Runs seasonally, May through November (and may I add looks way fun, too!)
• Free(dom) Rings – as the locals all know, the major historic sites in the city – those being the Liberty Bell and Independence Mall - don’t cost a dime. They’re located right next door to each other and pretty impressive symbols of what this country was (and is) all about.
• If museums are more your thing, the Rodin Museum is just down the Parkway and is home to the most Rodins you’ll find outside of France. They suggest a $3 donation.

Flower Show Savings

This Sunday isn’t just my birthday – it’s also the first day of the annual Philadelphia Flower Show. Okay, so maybe you’re alright with just seeing the shrubs in your neighbor’s garden. But if you’re longing for a taste of spring after a long gray winter, then the Pennsylvania Convention Center is the place to be the first week of March.

Of course, beauty comes with a price…and a pretty hefty one at that. Advance purchase tickets are $22 an adult and $13 for kids. And if you hesitate, you’ll be paying $24-28 at the door depending on the day (ouch!).

But there are a few bargains to be had. If you buy your ticket through SEPTA, you can get $3 off a March 7th or 8th ticket, or $1 off any other day. Family Fun Packs (2 adult and 2 kiddie tickets) are available for $65, and students 17-24 can get in for $17 with a student ID.

Post Game Skate – Dollar Dogs!

It’s a big weekend for the Phantoms….on Friday, February 27, our favorite farm team will debut their third specialty jersey this season. It’s Spectrum-themed – in honor of their soon to be demolished home – and will be worn several times between now and the end of the season. You big spenders, take note: these special jerseys will be auctioned off after the April 5th game. Talk about instant collector items!

But there are still Phantoms deals to be had, even for us with minor league budgets. On Saturday, February 28, kids 14 and under can skate with their favorite Phantoms stars after the game. It’s also Dollar Dog Night, so mom and dad can munch on dogs while the kids are skating. It’s all good.

For real Phantoms fans (or fans of a good deal), check out the new three game deal. You get six lower level tickets (two for three games) for just $79 – and they throw in a voucher for a free Phantoms hat and T-shirt. No skating on thin ice here – just a solid deal and great hockey.