It's Winning Wednesday People! Winners Announced from Goldfish to Whales... And Current Giveaways #giveaways

It's finally getting to be outdoor swimming weather in Chi-town with temps in the 80's, and we have an aquatic assortment of winners to announce today.   Congrats!!

ChiIL out with the coolest swim lessons in town at Goldfish Swim School!   We had an awesome response with 455 entries to win 2 months of swim lessons and a free registration at Goldfish Swim School, Chicago ($199.00 value).

Big congrats to our winner:  Nicole F!!!!

Click here for our past Goldfish coverage.

We also had a rockin' response to our 2nd family 4 pack of tickets to see The Elephant and The Whale, Chicago Children's Theatre's stellar show (160 entries).   Come see a baby whale depicted to scale in an awesome multimedia production that includes screen projection, puppetry and live action.   There are even mermaids, too!   Check out this whale of a friendship tale.   All ages.

Big congrats to our winner:  Selena!!!!

Click here for ChiIL Mama's past coverage of The Elephant and The Whale.

If you missed our original interview with the Co-Directors Frank Maugeri (Redmoon) and Leslie Buxbaum Danzig (500 Clown) and actor/narrator, David Catlin (Lookingglass), check it out right here.

All 3 are parents as well as theatre professionals and they have some excellent insights on the creation of the show as well as "How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create".   We were pretty blown away by what this talented trio had to say.   Check it out.




Current Giveaways:
(click link to enter)

Chicago:

*(low entries!!) 4 free tickets to Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies at Beat Kitchen this Sunday 5/19 at noon.   Ages birth-8 with parents.  Season finale!!   Be there.   Open through midnight 5/16.


*(low entries!!) 4 pack of tickets to Future Hits at Wilmette Theatre Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 10am ($48 value)

*(low entries!!) a coupon for free LACTAID® Product (you can even use it for your choice of 5 ice cream flavors!


USA:

*ECOBAGS® Classic String Market Bags™ in Earthtone sold as a set of five ($40 value) Open through midnight 5/18.

*Skrub'a Gloves ( kid and adult) and Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD. (TOTAL VALUE:  $36.92)



Coming Soon:

Chicago:

*Family 4 pack of tickets to Putting Edge Glow In The Dark Mini Golf & Arcades 

USA:

*DANCE ACADEMY: SEASON 1, VOLUMES 1 & 2

Street Date: May 14, 2013

DVD SRP: $19.95 ea. (2 Discs)

 "The most striking quality of this enjoyable series is its dissimilarity to many of the flashy teen-geared shows available today, thanks to relatable, diverse characters and realistic interpersonal issues that are handled with maturity." 

-- Commonsense Media

THEY'VE GOT THE WORLD AT THEIR FEET,

BUT HAVE THEY GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

THIS MAY, JUMP INTO THE FIRST TWO SEASONS OF TEEN NICK'S TWEEN SMASH, AS FLATIRON FILM COMPANY RELEASES FOUR SPECIALLY-PRICED 2-DVD SETS NEVER BEFORE RELEASED!

Congrats again to our winners.   Be sure to check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often.   We give away lots of sweet Chi-town tickets to theatre and family friendly concerts every week.   We also have giveaways open to anyone in the USA that include books, DVDs, CDs, toys and more.   We're your source for photo and video filled features, reviews, and original content, so ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama.    

ChiIL Mama:  2 ii's... one L... all fun in Chi, IL and beyond.

LAST CALL: WIN 2 months of swim lessons and a free registration at Goldfish Swim School, Chicago ($199.00 value) #ad

We're so excited to welcome our new neighbors, Goldfish Swim School. ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and win 2 months of swim lessons and a free registration  at Goldfish Swim School, Chicago ($199.00 value)!!

Click the Rafflecopter link below through midnight 5/14 for your chance to win! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My kids (10 & 12) have been enthusiastically and quickly honing their swimming skills this month.  The warm water and even warmer staff make swim lessons a joy instead of a dreaded event.   And with small class sizes the kids get lots more quality learning time and advance faster.   Check out ChiIL Mama's past Goldfish coverage here.

Thanks to Goldfish Swim School for giving us this rockin' prize package for one of our readers as well as the classes we're reviewing.   Check out their main site here for more info on Goldfish Swim School  like their classes, philosophy and more. (Roscoe Village near IK Gymnastics, Chicago)



Babies and little kids especially love the space.   It's like a big, warm bathtub full of colorful floaties, giant rubber duckies, and caring, silly staff.   Even the bright wall murals, tanks of real fish and turtles, and the tiki hut umbrella in the waiting area all lend a festive vacation air to the space.

If your kids are motivated by rewards or positive reinforcement, Goldfish takes the gold!   Once a month, the kids get achievement ribbons, fun little fish themed toys, and a progress report.   Goldfish Swim School also has a sweet, reusable swag bag for every family at initial registration with shirts for all the kids, goldfish shaped snacks and car decals.

My kids were non too enthusiastic when I first told them they were going for weekly swim lessons.  They'd taken lessons as toddlers and young kids at first the YMCA then the park district.  We live on a gorgeous lake and I wanted them to know the basics.   But it became such a screaming ordeal, we stopped, at first for winters since drying all our long, thick hair was impossible.   Then we stopped formal lessons all together.



Recently we'd been in a quandary about swim lessons because as tweens they're being invited to water park birthdays and swim fun and they're too old to be stranded in the shallows while their friend play and have fun.  They're also too old to be in a class of little, preschool advanced beginners without being mortified.  With Goldfish, they can have private or semi private classes--our class is just 4 kids, and they've made huge strides on strokes in just a few short weeks.   

Even the big kids get to race and play ring games.   And they're having so much fun they don't even realize how much they're advancing.   I never thought my kids would be bubbly and enthusiastic about swim lessons!    

I'll admit, Goldfish Swim School won us back over.  The kids come home smelling sweetly shampooed instead of reeking of chlorine.  The locker rooms are spacious and have blow dryers like a private club, and funky surfer decor to keep everyone amused.   And the space is so clean and comfortable, with plenty of showers and dressing rooms to go around.

Every week the kids beg to stay after their lessons for open swim.   It's worth more than gold to me as a mom, to drop the drama and have the kids truly enjoy swimming!   Go from cold fish to Goldfish, and make swim lessons fun again.

Disclaimer:   Thanks again to Goldfish Swim School for providing lessons for us to review and give away to one of our readers.   All opinions are our own.

ChiIL Mama's Chicago Based April Giveaways All In One Handy Place #giveaway #sponsored

Hey Chi-Town!   Come ChiIL out With ChiIL Mama.   April brings showers of sweet shows and we've got free tickets for YOU.   Spring forward and check out live kindie concerts, theatre, swim lessons at Goldfish and more!    Check back like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often.   We'll be adding to and updating our giveaways throughout the month.

(Disclosure:   Thanks to all the concert venues, theatres and Golfish Swim School for providing tickets and classes for giveaway and review purposes.   All opinions are our own.)


Chicago Ticket Giveaways Open for Entry Now:
(Click links for info and entry forms.)

WIN 4 FREE Tickets To TUTA Studio Theatre--US Premiere of The Silent Language (Ages 8+)  
Entries accepted through midnight 4/18.   Winners will be announced the following day.   Tickets are for winners choice of any weekend 4pm matinee shows.

Parents Night Out--Funk at The Congress (4 pairs of tickets available).   *Enter through midnight 4/17    

We're back to cover CIMMfest again this year and that includes some sweet music as well as rockin' film line ups.
   
Check out our past coverage including upcoming 2013 fest highlights here.

WIN ChiIL Mama's Legoland Family 4 Ticket Giveaway!  ($84.00 value) Entries accepted through midnight 4/30.   Winners will be announced on Winning Wednesday May 1, 2013.




Beat Kitchen Concerts for Kids (Family 4 pack of tickets to any/all weekly April concerts $24 value) Entry is open through midnight every Thursday with weekly winners announced every Friday.

Baby Loves Disco(Lincoln Hall Chicago)

4 free tickets from ChiIL Mama for Baby Loves Disco April and May ($55 value each).

4/13 (Fun in the Sun)

5/11 ( May is for Moms)

*CircEsteem's BIG spring circus Show CircEAU!   Family 4 pack to your choice of 6 shows ($64 value) Entries accepted through midnight 4/18.   Winners will be announced the following day.   Winners choice of 6 show times.

The Elephant and The Whale-Chicago Children's Theatre & Redmoon Theater
Family 4 Pack to the Thursday 4/25, 6:30 pm show  ($100 value & a free pizza party too!  Enter through midnight 4/21.)

*Wilmette Theatre Kids' Shows (Win Family 4 Packs of Tickets To Any/All Monthly Kids' Shows for Spring and Summer ($48 value)

*ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Goldfish Swim Lessons Giveaway 2 months of lessons and a free registration at Goldfish Swim School, Chicago/Roscoe Village location ($199 value!) 

Click the Rafflecopter Link below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click here for more info on Goldfish Swim School (Roscoe Village near IK Gymnastics, Chicago)

Giveaways Open Nationwide (USA):

H20: JUST ADD WATER 

WIN a Full Set Of Seasons 1,2, & 3 ($74.85 Value)!  Enter through midnight 4/9. 

From Cold Fish to Goldfish! Open House THIS Saturday

They had me at WARM WATER.   Welcome to the hood, Goldfish!   We're excited to announce there's a new option in town for high quality kids' swim classes.   Come by and check 'em out THIS Saturday at their open house and see for yourself.  

If you're like me, it's important to you that your kids have at least a grasp of the basics of swimming.   We live on a glorious, giant lake, surrounded by sweet water parks and plentiful water play options.   Still, park district classes fill instantly and are tough to get into.  

We've had swim classes through the parks and the local Y, and the water was always dauntingly cold.  Now we're ready to go for the gold.   We'll have a photo filled recap after the grand opening, and a review of their classes that my own kids are just beginning.   Check back with ChiIL Mama in the very near future. We'll be offering a rockin' Goldfish Swim Lessons giveaway for our readers, too!!

 

The new Goldfish Swim School in Roscoe Village (in the same facility as IK Gymnastics is officially open for business and welcoming little swimmers into their state-of-the-art facility! This fun, vibrant and safe indoor pool is a much-needed resource for Chicago families looking for year-round swim instruction for their kids. 

Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons for children ages 4 months to 12 years-old with highly trained instructors, small class sizes, warm 90-degree pools, and a state-of-the-art water purification system. They are also proud to offer swim classes for children of different ages at the same time so that families with multiple kids can get everyone in the pool for a lesson at the same time each week. 

Goldfish Swim School's free grand opening event is February 9, 2013. All interested Chicago families are invited to enjoy a free swim and check out the facility. 

Grand Opening Event: 

What: Goldfish Swim School Grand Opening
When: February 9, 2013 from 1:30-5:30 p.m.
Where: Goldfish Swim School, 2630 W. Bradley Road, Chicago
Details: Grab your suits and towels and join us for a swim at our FREE Grand Opening Party!  Enjoy complimentary snacks and entertainment as you check out our brand new, state-of-the-art indoor swim facility. We ask that families limit their swim to half an hour to allow for all guests to have a chance in the pool.

Website: http://goldfishswimschool.com/swimming-lessons/

Goldfish Swim School Opens in Roscoe Village

Leading water safety and swim lesson school

to serve Chicago families

Goldfish Swim School, a leading water safety and swim lesson school offering infant and child swim lessons, is pleased to announce the opening of its newest location in the Roscoe Village neighborhood. Goldfish Swim School provides swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years-old in a unique setting with highly trained instructors, small class sizes (max 4:1 student to teacher ratio), warm 90-degree pools, and a state-of-the-art water purification system to chlorinate the pools so it is safer for children’s skin.

Conveniently located at 2630 W. Bradley Road, Goldfish Swim School Chicago will offer a wide range of swimming classes for all ages and skill levels at times that are convenient for every family’s schedule. Owner/Operators Bob and Kathy Ryan, Chicago parents of two, are proud to open a Goldfish Swim School right here in their own community. “We are parents of two little swimmers ourselves and we saw the need for better swim instruction options for Chicago families,” said Kathy Ryan. “We knew that the Goldfish Swim School model was the best one out there and we are thrilled to bring their proprietary, patented curriculum and systems to our state-of-the-art new swimming facility.”

Goldfish Swim School families can expect developmentally appropriate water safety and swimming lessons for babies and young children in a safe, kid-friendly and fun environment Families with kids of different ages and skill levels can conveniently have all of their swimmers in the pool during the same time slot.

Goldfish Swim School is thrilled to have over 1,200 students already booked into classes and ready to swim when they open their doors. Spaces are still available for winter and spring lessons. Scheduling and pricing details are available on the website here or by calling 773-844-2547.

 About Goldfish Swim School

Established in 2006 by husband and wife team, Jenny and Chris McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years old. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, kid-friendly and fun environment. Opening its doors with more than 500 students at inception, Goldfish currently teaches an average of 2,000 students per week. Headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School opened its first franchise in 2009 in Farmington Hills, Michigan and is in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout Michigan and the Midwest. For more information, visit www.goldfishfranchise.com.