HELP LOCALLY: Roscoe Village SHOP FOR SCHOOLS on Thursday, September 26, 10am-8pm

Need a good excuse to go shopping?   

Kick off your fall  shopping  season and come out to Roscoe Village and shop from 10am-8pm  Thursday, September 26, 2013.   On this day, 20% of your purchase will go back to Lane Tech College Prep.  The school that earns the most money will win matching dollars up to $1000!

The following boutiques in Roscoe Village that  will be participating include: a pied, baby take a bow, city olive, CRUSH, kickin, Fixture, Cinnamon Boutique, Designs by Guzzardos, Glam to Go,  d Spa &  Pet Boutique, Hubba Hubba, Little Threads, Meringue, Denim Lounge, Village Paperie & Gifts, Roscoe Village Bikes.

Bring your receipt from any participating retailer to the Roscoe/Seeley Starbucks and enjoy a Grande drink of your choice for $2, valid  only  on September 26th! Limit one per customer.

Come out and join in the fun while raising money for our school!

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.

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.