Category: Family & Parenting

Prom has become such a huge part of high school and it all starts with the promposal. At one time this might have been a boy asking a girl to the big event, but now it is so much more than that.

Boys ask whomever they want to take, and of course, girls do the same. And the asking has gone from a quiet conversation to the kick off to the big event. Here are some great ideas for those who are looking for a moment of romance, a light-hearted moment, or a shared love of sports. 

Great ideas for a winning promposal

For the Romantic 

Romantic promposals can create a special moment. These will make a heartfelt and memorable impression.

1. Candle Lit Pathway: Create a pathway of candles leading to a spot where you wait with a sign asking them to prom.
2. Sunset Beach Picnic: Arrange a beach picnic at sunset and write “Will You Go to Prom With Me?” in the sand. This works for oceans and lakes. 
3. Starry Night Proposal: Set up a telescope for stargazing and then reveal a sign under the stars asking your hopeful to prom.
4. Memory Lane: Create a walk down memory lane using photos and memories of you two, going all the way back through childhood if you can and ending with a promposal.
5. Balloon Surprise: Fill their room, locker, or car with balloons, and in one special balloon, put the promposal note.
6. Movie Theater Magic: If possible, arrange with a local theater to have your promposal shown on the big screen before a movie. Or maybe an usher can hold up a sign before or after the show. 
7. Romantic Scavenger Hunt: Send them on a scavenger hunt with romantic clues leading to your promposal.
8. Serenade Them: Surprise them with a guitar or piano serenade, ending with the promposal in the lyrics. If your friends are musical, involve some of them with multiple instruments or singing a song. 
9. Favorite Book Scene: Recreate a scene from their favorite romance novel or movie, culminating in your promposal.
10. Personalized Puzzle: Give them a custom-made puzzle that reveals your promposal when completed. These can be created or ordered. 
11. Message in a Bottle: If you’re near a body of water, a “message in a bottle” promposal can be a charming touch.
12. Artistic Expression: Create a painting or a sketch asking them to prom, and present it as a gift. Go big with a huge poster board. 
13. Dinner Date Surprise: Take them out to a nice dinner and have the waiter bring the promposal written on a platter or menu.
14. Garden of Flowers: Set up a beautiful garden scene with their favorite flowers and a sign popping the question.
15. Romantic Balloon Ride: Propose in a hot air balloon (or even just in front of one if a ride isn’t feasible). This is a BIG budget item. 
16. Love Poem: Write them a love poem that ends with your promposal.
17. Flash Mob: Organize a flash mob with friends and family to surprise them with a dance, ending in your promposal.
18. Customized Playlist: Create a playlist with songs that have special meaning to both of you, and the last track being a recording of your promposal.

For a good laugh

Does your date have a good sense of humor? Here are sone ideas that are just fun.

1. Foodie Request: Spell out “Prom?” using their favorite food, like pizza toppings, candy or sushi rolls.
2. Movie Marquee: If you have access to a marquee or a letter board, set it up to read, “I’d be the happiest person at the movies if you’d go to prom with me.”
3. Pet Proposal: If they love animals, use a pet (yours, theirs, or a borrowed one) with a sign around its neck asking, “Will You Go to Prom With Me?”
4. Science Nerd Ask: Use a periodic table to spell out “P-R-O-M?” or create a fun science experiment that reveals the promposal.
5. Meme Magic: Create a custom meme that asks them to prom, featuring a favorite character or inside joke.
6. Treasure Hunt: Set up a mini treasure hunt with clues leading to you holding a sign asking them to prom.
7. Balloon Pop: Fill balloons with confetti and a note inside one that asks, “Pop a balloon, will you pop up at prom with me?”
8. Chalk Art Proposal: Create a sidewalk chalk masterpiece that pops the big question.
9. Coffee Cup Caper: If they love coffee, write the promposal on a coffee cup and have it given to them at their favorite coffee shop.
10. Bookworm’s Bliss: If they love reading, use book titles to create a message asking them to prom.
11. Fortune Cookie Fun: Replace a fortune in a fortune cookie with a slip that reads, “Your fortune says you’re going to prom with me!”
12. Costumed Capers: Dress up in a silly costume and hold a sign asking them to prom.
13. Magical Method: Perform a simple magic trick where the final reveal is a promposal.
14. Board Game Bonanza: Customize a board game that ends with the question, “Will you play at prom with me?”
15. Cartoon Connection: Draw a cute cartoon or comic strip that ends with the promposal. Artificial Intelligence can now create this for you at no cost. 

For the Athlete or Sports Lover

1. Baseball Field Message: Use a baseball field to spell out “Prom?” with bases or in the outfield grass.
2. Stadium Scoreboard: If possible, arrange to have a message displayed on a stadium scoreboard during a game.
3. Jersey Customization: Gift them a jersey from their favorite sports team with the word “Prom?” on the back.
4. Sports Game Ticket: Present them with a fake ticket to a sports game, but with the details of the promposal.
5. Basketball Hoop Surprise: Hang a sign on a basketball hoop that reads, “I’d be nothing but net at prom if you’d go with me!”
6. Golf Course Quest: Arrange a mini-golf course with the final hole leading to your promposal.
7. Soccer Goal Celebration: After scoring a goal during a game or practice, reveal a shirt or sign asking them to prom. Make sure that your coach is fine with this and that you actually score!
8. Tennis Match Message: Spell out “Prom?” with tennis balls on the court.
9. Hockey Puck Plea: Customize a hockey puck with a promposal message and present it to them.
10. Running Race Reveal: At the end of a track race, hold up a sign with your promposal.
11. Volleyball Set-Up: Write your promposal on a volleyball and toss it to them.
12. Surfboard Invitation: If you’re near the beach, use a surfboard to write your promposal. 
13. Cycling Challenge: Go on a bike ride leading to a scenic spot where you pop the prom question.
14. Swimming Pool Plunge: Place waterproof letters in a swimming pool spelling out your invitation.
15. Bowling Alley Bonanza: Arrange with a bowling alley to have the pins set up to spell “Prom?”
16. Skate Park Stunt: Perform a skateboarding trick with a sign or shirt that asks them to prom.
17. Ski Slope Sign: During a ski trip, use a sign at the bottom of a slope or at the ski lift.
18. Rock Climbing Request: At the top of a climbing wall, have a sign or banner asking them to prom. Or go on a climb together and ask them at the top.

More Great Reading:

This Is for All the Teens Who Don’t Go to Prom

The winter holidays are all about family time. Whether it’s playing games, enjoying sports (both the doing and the watching), sharing great meals or settling down to watch a movie, this is our favorite time of year. With the dark coming early there is nothing better than gathering to watch a Christmas movie together.

We have put together a list of some or our favorite classic and contemporary movies for your family and shared a clip of each. We used a cut off of 6.5 IMDb (The Internet Movie Database) rating to offer you some of the most engaging movies we could find. 

Now, all we can say is grab the throw blanket, the popcorn and Enjoy!

Modern Holiday Classics

Home Alone (1990) 

We had to start with this classic. Sure you might have watched it twenty times before, but this is at the top of our rewatch list. IMDb rating: 7.7/10

Elf (2003)  

We have no trouble believing that a baby stowed away with Santa, was raised with elves and came back to NYC to meet his human father who never knew he existed, and neither will you. IMDb rating: 7.1/10

Holiday Movies with Romance

Love Actually (2003) 

We love a good romance even though we know exactly how it will end. Worth watching just for Hugh Grant’s dance scene alone. IMDb rating: 7.6/10

The Holiday ( 2006 ) 

Sticking with British love stories, we fall in love with Jude Law each time we watch this. The casting could not be better and Shere, the beautiful English village where the movie is set, could not be more beautiful. IMDb rating: 6.9/10 

Holiday Classics We Hope To Watch With Our Grandchildren (someday)

These will take both you and your teen back to your respective childhoods, in all the best ways and remind us why we love the Xmas holidays so much. They are those treasured classics that need to be watched every year and with every generation. 

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) 

Based on the children’s book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. This classic tells the story of the Grinch, who tries to ruin Christmas for the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway. Who doesn’t love this one? IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

Frosty the Snowman (TV Short 1969) 

Twenty-five minutes of fun with a living snowman and a little girl. IMDb Rating: 7.3/10 

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)  

Another classic take on the original. No one does it like the Muppets. IMDb Rating: 7.7/10

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) 

Join Charlie Brown as he tries to find the deeper meaning of Christmas. IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

The Polar Express (2004)  

Tom Hanks is amazing in this animated tale. IMDb Rating: 6.6/10

Holiday Movies That Take Us Back, Way Back 

These are the classics that we’ve been watching since we were little kids and, although we may get old, these classics never do. We can pull out quotes from them at the drop of a hat. 

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) 

How many times have we all seen this one? It doesn’t matter because it’s timeless message never gets old: “Remember- No Man is a Failure who has Friends.” IMDb Rating: 8.7/10

White Christmas (1954) 

Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney make this a classic for all time. IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) 

Who among us can’t relate to Rudolph? IMDb Rating: 8.0/10 

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) 

Is Kris Kringle, the Santa at Macy’s the real Santa as he claims. At first it seems impossible, but what is impossible in a Christmas movie? IMDb Rating: 7.9/10

The Snowman (1982) 

An adaptation of the classic book. IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

A Christmas Carol (1951) 

Adapted from the classic Charles Dickens tale of Scrooge and Christmases past, present and future. Take a trip to Victorian London with Ebanezer Scrooge.  IMDb Rating: 8.1/10. If your family hates black and white as much as ours, the 1984 remake was also well done. IMDb Rating: 7.8/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW78zcIdCG0

It’s All About Friends and Family

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)  

The Griswolds plan on having a wonderful family holiday, but families are families and in true National Lampoon form, it doesn’t all go to plan. IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

Die Hard (1988) 

A different type of Christmas movie with a cult following. A New York City policeman is invited to a Christmas party in LA by his estranged wife when a hostage situation ensues. (Rated R). IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

The Best Man Holiday (2013)

College friends reunite over the Christmas holidays and they discover how easy it is for old feelings to be dredged up. (Rated R) IMDb rating: 6.6

War movies 

Joyeux Noel (2005) 

Poignant and deep with an underlying message about the foolishness of war. “In December 1914, an unofficial Christmas truce on the Western Front allows soldiers from opposing sides of the First World War to gain insight into each other’s way of life.” IMDb rating: 7.7​​

Silent Night (2002 TV Movie) 

Starring Linda Hamilton, this movie is based on a true story in which a German mom mediates a truce between 3 German and 3 American soldiers so they can all celebrate Christmas Eve 1944 together. Based on a true story. IMDb rating: 7.5

Comedies

The Santa Clause (1994)

Tim Allen becomes the new Santa Claus after accidentally causing the previous Santa’s demise. His journey to becoming the jolly old St. Nick is full of laughs. IMDb rating: 6.5

Arthur Christmas (2011)

Explore the high-tech operations at the North Pole as Santa’s youngest son, Arthur, embarks on a mission to deliver a forgotten gift to a child on Christmas Eve in this Christmas comedy. IMDb rating: 7.1

A Christmas Story (1983)

In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift. IMDb rating: 7.6

More Great Reading:

100+ Best Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Teens and College Students (2023)

I’m a parent of a high school senior. So naturally, for the last year or so, my mailbox has been littered with letters, brochures and postcards from universities, each trying to make the case for why its institution is the finest fit for my student. Parents and students alike already know the reputations of many wish-list schools. (If you need a refresher, just watch any high-school rom-com where the characters seem incapable of imagining life anywhere other than Harvard or Stanford.)

We see various lists and rankings, most notably from US News & World Report, where the Ivy League schools—and their cousins—jockey for position each year. And the Fiske Guide to Colleges provides helpful data for what seems most crucial to know: price comparisons and acceptance rates. 

I want to know if the colleges we are looking at are kind

But all these important metrics don’t tell the anxious mother in me what I really want to know: Which colleges are kind? Which universities naturally attract and foster students who exhibit kindness?

Sure, we rank the financial value of colleges, but what I ache to see is a ranking of colleges with values. Schools tout their amenities, but are their students amenable? For just a moment I’d like to forget about ‘reach’ schools and ‘safety’ schools. I’d like to hear which ones will make my kid feel safe, and reach for him if he needs help. 

Because look around: the world is an increasingly harsh and inhospitable place. Students today are stressed—following a generation of school shootings, a global pandemic and increasing climate disasters. 

I do believe students today are more accepting of differences, whether neurodivergence, sexual preferences, gender identities, physical or otherwise, than any class to claim diplomas before them. But while seniors prepare to march through ceremonies to the cadence of “Pomp and Circumstance,” the circumstances around them continue to be ones of political name calling, war and anonymous digital bullying.

I’m not trying to be a helicopter parent

I’m not scanning the horizon to shield my child from the challenges he’ll encounter in adulthood. Those are part of real life. If ever I were a helicopter parent, it’s time to cut the engine. Unlike many decisions I’ve made for my child, the college decision is out of my hands. It is for my kid—and the almighty air traffic controllers in admissions offices—to make. 

So, on the eve of this monumental choice, I did what I’ve done every time my child was facing a crossroads, stretching back to whether he should enter kindergarten at age 5 or be red-shirted for a year: I crowdsourced for information. I took informal polls everywhere I went: Moms a year ahead of me in the journey, dads a generation older, strangers at the grocery store, parents at parties.            

I want to find where kindness ruled in collegiate America

I wanted to know which campuses are populated with students known to take early action when kindness is concerned. I’m not talking about kindness simply to use as fodder in an admissions essay. Something more than a motto on a coffee mug or a Harry Styles song to “Treat people with kindness.” I mean real, put-into-action stuff. 

Over coffee one morning I broached the topic with a writer friend, Heather Shumaker, who had a 2-year head start from me in the sending-a-child-to-college race. Heather is a fastidious researcher and a parent I admire—author of books with titles like It’s Ok To Go Up the Slide. Plus, she values education. She’d been a national merit scholar a generation ago and graduated from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Heather and her son had toured a half dozen campuses, all types and sizes in various states. 

So I asked Heather her thoughts on the topic that weighed on my mind. “Brown University,” she responded. She explained, it was where she most noticed students laughing and smiling while walking to class. She also recalled seeing groups with racial diversity comfortably mingling together on campus rather than just co-existing. “That tells me something.” (She considered Bowdoin College in Maine as runner-up.)

I asked the president of my local college which college was most kind

A few nights later, over dinner, I posed my kindness question to my neighbor. Nick Nissley serves as President of Northwestern Michigan College, the community college in my hometown. I knew his opinion would mean something. A former employee once described Nick as “so nice, it would be suspicious if it weren’t so genuine.” 

After thinking for a moment, Nick’s vote went to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), which shares a campus with the National Technical Institute of the Deaf. He thought, perhaps a college population that is keenly aware of sensory differences might be more welcoming and inclusive of other differences, too. A place where both kids and compassion could thrive. 

I kept asking people what colleges were kind

 Later in the summer, at a family reunion, I served up the question to my uncle Tom Plough, a retired college president of both a large state university and a small, private college. Again, without any baiting he brought up RIT. Then he wisely added, “People get focused on top-tier schools but there are so many small schools under the radar that are really special.”

 The following week, over pizza, I cornered my jet-lagged brother-in-law to ask where might education and empathy entwine like DNA’s double helix. He’s a science professor at a Big 10 university. And speaking of kindness, he’s the type of person who recognized the needs of people in rural Kenya, where he’s been doing research for 20 years, and started a school for children orphaned by the HIV crisis there.

But the scientist was stumped by my warm-fuzzy question. He surmised a small school would have a better chance of having a uniformly kind student body, but added, “I’d suspect it would change from year to year as the students changed.” 

I needed to get some boots-on-the-ground insight

So, as I accompanied my son on college visits, I looked less at ivy climbing the walls and more for kindness growing at the grassroots. During a very rainy tour of the University of Chicago, I learned the dining halls designate tables for every dorm just in case a student might be better at astrophysics than introducing herself to a group of strangers for lunch. That way, everyone always had a welcoming place to park at mealtime. The simple concept reminded me of the ‘Friendship Bench’ on the playground at my son’s elementary school. (Don’t have anyone to play with? Sit here so another student can intercept you and invite you to join their game…) 

More research showed that certain schools have tried to code kindness into the curricula

At the University of British Columbia Okanagan, students were asked to conduct a series of small acts of kindness as part of their regular coursework. The results of the experiment were published in the Journal of Further and Higher Education. The big reveal: Those students who completed the most kind acts reported deeper self-satisfaction, hinting at kindness boosting well-being.  

Additionally, Harvard is known to have instituted an initiative—now adopted by all the Ivies as well as Stanford, MIT, Michigan and others—called “Making Caring Common.” The goal is to try to focus the admission process on students who possess character traits that enhance campus life. 

I peeked at admission essay prompts for another indication of the welcome mat schools lay at their front door. The University of Notre Dame, for example, aims to admit people who foster service in their communities and act as changemakers for good in the world. 

I also liked that Western Michigan University created an Autism Center of Excellence to assist students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in and out of the classroom.

Still, I wondered where kindness was happening altruistically, without being a mandate from the top

I was looking for something more than “kind in name only” or a nascent office devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion. I was seeking students driven less by DEI and more by a DIY sense of caring.

I found a student-run group at Northwestern called The Happiness Club, which hands out candy and high fives around exam week to boost peers’ spirits. Hmmm, do happy students equal kind kids? If so, the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia tops the list of happiest colleges in the country. And it just so happens to be home to The Random Acts of Kindness Club. 

I fondly recall kindness in action at my alma mater, Saint Mary’s College in Indiana. There, students covered the mirrors and stall doors of public bathrooms with sticky notes scrawled with positive sayings, like “You’re beautiful” and “You are strong.” The feel-good graffiti—call it goodffiti—offered strangers in need a mental pick-me-up. Just maybe the all-women population made it easier to look out for one another. More camaraderie, more kindness.

I reverse engineered my question, looking at it from the college graduate’s point of view, rather than the incoming freshman’s 

If kindness enhances the entire school experience, then Dartmouth ranks #1 for boasting the most content alumni (measured by those willing to give back financially to the institution), according to Forbes. And while no institution is perfect, this campus was home to former professor Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. He gave us the mysteriously kind character of the Lorax, who said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

And if I’m going down that rabbit hole on a sleepless night, then I should consider Carnegie Melon. It’s situated in Pittsburgh in the very same neighborhood that was home to “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” the TV show that taught a generation exactly how to be neighborly with one another. 

As for a ranking of what colleges do for their country—in terms of public service or putting other’s needs before one’s own—Stanford tops the list. Harvey Mudd College and Pomona College, both in California, also rank high. 

My research was not exhaustive

Did I miss some strong contenders? Absolutely. Did some people tell me that higher education is obsolete and we can learn everything we need to know—including kindness—from free podcasts and YouTube videos? Possibly. 

But before long I had to wrap up my search on common kindness because the Common App went live. It was finally time for my son to apply to schools he loved and wait to hear if they loved him in return. As for me? I’d have to kindly wait to learn exactly where he’d have a chance to contribute his own dose of kindness to a campus culture. Because at the end of the day, college, much like kindness, is a personal choice.

Until then, I’m just a mom, standing in front of my children’s senior year, asking his future school to be…kind.

More Great Reading:

7 Mistakes Smart Parents Make in the College Search Process

Lisa Maxbauer is a senior writer at First for Women magazine and the author of the award-winning, independent children’s book Squash Boom Beet. She’s been writing professionally for national audiences for 25 years, inlcuding as a guest blogger for The New York Times Motherlode. She lives with her husband and three sons in Northern Michigan. She can be found on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

By Louise Kinross

Last night I watched the new HBO documentary about Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double on the Harry Potter films: David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived.

You may have seen the trailer. 

David was a teen gymnast hired to do dangerous stunts for then 11-year-old Daniel in 2000. Ten years later, after the two are best mates, David breaks his neck during a rehearsal stunt for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. He’s paralyzed from the chest down.

The stuntman, described as ‘indestructible’ by his crew, faces gruelling rehab. Just as he’s adapting to his new life in a wheelchair, he develops a cyst in his spine which necessitates many difficult operations, including a brain surgery. Complications set him back, and lead to further loss of ability in his arms.

Support from his Harry Potter friends and family sustains him. A friend becomes an indispensable personal support worker.

But other than one scene where he and another rehab patient are in wheelchairs, the film focuses on his relationships with nondisabled people.

I wanted to know whether he made connections over the years with other disabled folks. Surely he got to know other people with spinal-cord injuries who were further along the path he was on? How did that stretch his mind?

Does he ever talk to newly injured patients to offer support?

During rehab there’s a scene where Daniel and a woman who I assumed was David’s girlfriend are playing a game that involves stuffing as many marshmallows into their mouths as possible. What ever happened to David’s girlfriend? We don’t hear. What is his romantic life like as a disabled person? There’s no mention of that.

There’s a scene where he returns to his old gym to encourage up and coming young athletes. Does he ever visit adapted gyms designed for people with disabilities?

Another scene is at an annual cricket fundraiser he runs for the hospital where he did his rehab. In this setting he’s filmed as the lone disabled person.

Did David embrace the disability community and culture after his accident? If so, what did he get out of that?

Does he ever bring friends from the two worlds together?

How have his thoughts about human value evolved? He does make one comment about how his new life is about “being present,” rather than being cool.

A review in Rolling Stone notes: “Both Radcliffe and Holmes are executive producers of the doc, which subsequently feels extremely authorized. This is a film in which the principals seem to control the flow of information and the tone. It’s not an uncommon exchange–access for creative autonomy. And the main players seem like good people. But The Boy Who Lived lacks the complexity and frisson that might have set it apart in an increasingly crowded documentary field, or pushed it beyond its feel-good parameters.”

What did you think? Leave a comment!

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One Kidding Around Greenville reader will win 4 FREE TICKETS to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Greenville Theatre! Scroll down to enter. Giveaway ends November 28, 2023.

Thank you to Greenville Theatre for sponsoring this giveaway.

The Show

Greenville Theatre is excited to transport audiences into a world of “Pure Imagination” this holiday season with the regional premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Audiences will be swept away into the eccentric world of Willy Wonka as they follow Charlie Bucket and the other golden ticket winners into his extraordinary chocolate factory. This brand-new Broadway adaptation is based on the classic Roald Dahl book and hit films. Featuring beloved songs like “The Candy Man,” “Pure Imagination,” and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” in addition to brand new songs written by the team that brought audiences the musical Hairspray, this show is the perfect holiday gift for the whole Family!
This magical cast is led by Carter Allen as Willy Wonka, Mathew Molina and Juni Martin as Charlie Bucket, with Neil Shurley as Grandpa Joe and Mary Evan Giles as Mrs. Bucket. The show is Co- Directed by Max Quinlan and Drew Whitley with choreography by Fawn Clark.

“In my youth, I became enamored with the Roald Dahl books, and was especially drawn to “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” described Willy Wonka actor Carter Allen. “The idea of an eccentric recluse who has a whole world of pure imagination and possibilities intrigued me. I cannot wait for audiences to experience this show at Greenville Theatre. I also love family shows like this because it is inevitable that in every audience there will be someone coming to their first ever live show. The ability to bring the magic of this type of storytelling to a whole new group of people every day is a true gift.”

Chance To Get Your Very Own Golden Ticket

Not only will audiences get to experience this incredible show, but they will have the opportunity to purchase their very own chocolate Wonka Bar. At each performance, one lucky winner will find their very own “Greenville Theatre Golden Ticket” inside! The winner will get an exclusive backstage tour of Greenville Theatre’s “factory” from Willy Wonka himself, Carter Allen, complete with a photo on stage!

Run Time: 2.5hrs (15 minute intermission between acts)
Age Recommendation: ages 4+
Ticket Price: $40 | Seniors & Veterans $38

Show Times

Too excited to wait? Purchase tickets online today!

• November 30, 2023 | 7:30 PM
• December 1, 2023 | 8:00 PM
• December 2, 2023 | 8:00 PM
• December 3, 2023 | 3:00 PM
• December 7, 2023 | 7:30 PM
• December 8, 2023 | 8:00 PM
• December 9, 2023 | 2:00 PM, 8:00 PM
• December 10, 2023 | 3:00 PM
• December 14, 2023 | 7:30 PM
• December 15, 2023 | 8:00 PM
• December 16, 2023 | 2:00 PM, 8:00 PM
• December 17, 2023 | 3:00 PM

The Giveaway

One Kidding Around reader will win 4 FREE TICKETS to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Greenville Theatre! Giveaway runs Nov 21st – Nov 28th, 2023, 11:59PM. Good luck!

• You must be 18 or older and live in the USA to enter this giveaway.
• You must use a valid email address to enter this giveaway.
• One entry per person per day.
• We will contact the winner via the email address provided within three [3] days of the giveaway ending. The winner will have three [3] days (72 hours) to respond via email. If the winner does not respond within the three [3] days (72 hours), the prize will be forfeited and another winner chosen. Directions for claiming the prize will be given via email. A valid photo ID and/or mailing address may be required.
• For a complete list of Kidding Around Greenville SC’s giveaway policies and terms and conditions, see the Kidding Around Greenville SC policy page. By entering this giveaway, you agree to comply with Kidding Around Greenville SC’s terms and conditions.
• If you have issues with the giveaway not appearing, please email [email protected].

Before college, I was told these next four years would be the best of my life. Going in, I knew this was not a guarantee. Still, after graduating from high school, I was ready to embark on the next leg of my journey and finally experience this pivotal part of young adulthood I had heard so much about.

However exciting or empowering this “best years of your life” statement was supposed to be, my inherently anxious brain immediately turned making the most of my college experience into a task I had to complete. Social media only added to that anxiety. I constantly saw posts of others’ college experiences and heard stories from my parents and family friends about their college experiences.

Everyone told me that the college years were going to be the ‘best years of my life’

I saw posts and heard stories warning me to soak it up now because: “You will never get to live carefree with all of my best friends again.” This sentiment does not encourage growth but creates fear about graduating high school and what comes next.

I became scared for college to end because I wasn’t sure I was ready to take on the burdens of financial stress, job stress, and all that comes with “adulting.” The idea that your college years are the best of your life comes with the assumption that after peaking at 22, the rest of your life is downhill, which is deeply discouraging and incredibly untrue.

We need to change the messaging around college years

We need to dismantle this messaging and reshape it. College is supposed to be a time of growth, and I have had a wonderful last three years at Smith. Was it everything I expected when I imagined college as a child? Of course not.

Has it been an impactful experience from which I have learned tremendously? Absolutely. I have had incredible classes where I have learned invaluable information and met wonderful friends with whom I hope to have lifelong bonds.

While I have had a positive college experience, I hope these are not my life’s best years. I hope to get to “live carefree with all of my best friends” post-graduation, and maybe after that, my priorities and goals will change, as they tend to do. Or maybe not; Monica and Rachel lived together for ten years, right?

Telling us that these are the best days of our lives adds tremendous pressure

Either way, perhaps by removing the label and its associated pressure of the “best years of my life,” I can better enjoy this unique time without needing to make the most out of every second until the clock runs out and it’s all downhill.

I don’t know what the solution is. This sounds cliche, but perhaps we should simply try to live in the moment. I am trying to learn how to do this myself. Worrying that my college experience will end without me having accomplished everything I arbitrarily think I “should” have done has a paradoxical effect; it turns carefree years into stressful ones.

I recently put up a message for myself on my door that says, “You have time.” It feels a little silly (I am not usually an affirmation post-notes person, though I aspire to be), but it’s an excellent reminder to slow down and enjoy it. Maybe that’s an oversimplification, but perhaps it will help me.

I hope to look back at my time at Smith not as the best years of my life but as fun, formative years that will give me the needed tools for the next step. I will use the skills I learned for even more formative years post-graduation — I have time. And who knows, maybe I will “live carefree with all of my best friends” in a senior living facility one day.

More Great Reading:

College Freshman: I Hate College, I Really Do

Phoebe Rak is a Senior at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, from the San Francisco Bay Area. Phoebe is majoring in Government and Psychology and is the Editor-in-Chief of The Sophian, Smith’s student newspaper. After graduating, Phoebe hopes to attend law school and work in criminal justice. She is passionate about writing and politics and loves reading and watching sitcoms.

Are you tired of hearing the same old “What’s for snack, Mom?” from your kids? Well, we’ve got just the answer to keep those little appetites satisfied with 20 Cracker Recipes That Will Make Your Kids Beg for More.

Today, you’ll discover a world of crispy, crunchy delights that are not only delicious but also fun to make. From savory to sweet, we’ve got a recipe for every palate, and we promise that once your kids try these homemade crackers, they’ll be asking for seconds, thirds, and more. Let’s explore the world of homemade crackers and give your snack time a tasty twist!

20 Cracker Recipes

Baked Ragi Crackers with Sesame Seeds are a wholesome and nutritious snack option. Made from ragi flour and sprinkled with sesame seeds, these crackers offer a delightful combination of crunch and flavor. They are a perfect guilt-free treat for those looking for a healthier snack alternative to your little ones.

Baked Sathumaavu Veggie Crackers are a nutritious snack bursting with wholesome ingredients. These oven-baked crackers feature a medley of vegetables and Sathumaavu, offering a tasty and healthy snack solution for your child. Enjoy guilt-free snacking with these flavorful, crunchy treats.

Cheesy Carrot Cracker recipes from super healthy kids, which combine the goodness of carrots with a savory cheese flavor. These crispy snacks offer a delightful blend of nutrients and cheesy indulgence, making them a delicious and nutritious treat for snack enthusiasts.

A wholesome and easy Whole Wheat Crackers Recipe for you and your little ones from First Cry Parenting! Packed with the goodness of whole wheat, these crackers are a nutritious and delicious snack option for your child.

Chickpea Oat Crackers recipe from my kids lick the bowl, which is designed with your little ones in mind, these crackers are not only delicious but also packed with nutritious goodness. Join us on a culinary adventure that promises to delight those discerning taste buds and make snack time a nutritious joy for your kids.

Rice crackers recipe from my kids lick the bowl is perfect for those looking for a gluten-free and crunchy snack, these crackers are a delightful addition to your kid’s snack time. These homemade rice crackers are a fantastic alternative to store-bought snacks, and they allow you to customize the flavors to suit your kids’ preferences.

The world of wholesome flavors with Tarla Dalal’s Methi Bajra Crackers recipe! This culinary adventure promises a delightful combination of fenugreek (methi) and pearl millet (bajra) in a crispy, homemade cracker. Methi Bajra Crackers, making every bite a celebration of taste and well-being!

Indulge your little ones with the scrumptious goodness of homemade cheese crackers from Yummy Toddler Food! Today, we’re sharing an easy-to-follow recipe that combines the irresistible flavors of cheese in a perfectly crunchy snack. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a kitchen novice, this recipe is crafted for simplicity and deliciousness.

Oaty hummus crackers recipe from baby food recipe , These crispy, flavorful crackers are the perfect balance of wholesome oats and the creamy goodness of hummus. combines the heartiness of oats with the savory, earthy notes of hummus, creating a snack that’s not only tasty but also packed with essential nutrients for your kids..

Soft-baked carrot crackers recipe from the healthy home cook, is soft, chewy crackers are not only irresistibly delicious but also sneak in the goodness of carrots, making them a wholesome choice for young ones. Whether it’s a lunchbox treat or an after-school snack, these carrot crackers are sure to become a family favorite.

Homemade Whole Wheat Goldfish Crackers recipe from super healthy kids, is adorable, bite-sized crackers are not only delicious but also made with whole wheat flour, offering a healthier twist on the classic store-bought version.

Turmeric and Fennel Seed Crackers recipe from moon and spoon is not only delicious but also bring the benefits of turmeric and the aromatic essence of fennel seeds to the table. Whether you’re looking for an exciting cooking project to do with your children or a unique and healthy snack option, these crackers are an excellent choice.

Crispy crunchy paleo crackers recipe from my kids lick the bowl, is crafted with wholesome ingredients, these crispy delights are satisfies every craving, making every bite a delicious journey into the world of flavorful eating.

Grain free crackers recipe from fork and beans , is Packed with wholesome ingredients and customizable to your little ones’ preferences, these crackers are a fantastic addition to their snacking options . It is really easy to make.

Here is an interesting recipe, Olive Oil Sea Salt Crackers from make and taste. These crackers are not only delicious but also bring a touch of sophistication with the rich flavor of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Whether you’re looking for a kid-friendly treat or a sophisticated yet easy-to-make snack for the whole family, these crackers are the answer.

Homemade ritz crackers recipe from cupcake project ,is a delightful and fun kitchen adventure! These classic, buttery, flaky crackers are a delicious choice for young ones (and the whole family!). They offer that familiar taste of Ritz crackers but with the joy of making them at home.

Corn flake crackers recipe from fork and beans , is combine the beloved crunch of corn flakes with a savory touch, making them an enjoyable snack for little ones and the whole family. They’re perfect for lunchboxes, after-school munching, or a fun snack time at home.

Seedy wholemeal crackers from superhealthy kids,offering a flavorful and healthy snacking option for young ones. Whether it’s for school lunches, playdates, or an afternoon treat, these crackers are sure to be a hit with children of all ages.

Cheesy Quinoa Crackers from healthy little foodies , combines the goodness of quinoa with the irresistible flavor of cheese, making them a delightful and healthier alternative to store-bought cheesy snacks. If you’re looking for a delicious, homemade treat for their lunchboxes, these crackers are sure to please.

Homemade Honey Wheat Crackers recipe from super healthy kids , is made with the goodness of honey and whole wheat, offering a naturally sweet and nutritious option for young ones. Whether it’s for a school snack, an after-school treat, these crackers are sure to be a hit.

These 20 delightful cracker recipes are sure to turn snack time into a culinary adventure for both you and your kids. Not only do these recipes provide a tasty alternative to store-bought crackers, but they also offer a fantastic opportunity to bond with your kids in the kitchen. The joy of making and sharing these delicious treats together can create lasting memories and instill a love for cooking from an early age.

So, whether you’re crafting a fun after-school snack or preparing for a family movie night, these cracker recipes are guaranteed to make your kids beg for more. Get ready to explore the world of flavors and textures with these homemade crackers, turning ordinary moments into extraordinary ones for you and your little ones. Happy snacking!

Have no time to make crackers? Don’t worry, we’ll make it fresh  & deliver it straight to your doorstep.

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Looking for a new holiday tradition this year? The Earthshine Lodge Christmas celebrations offer a truly magical experience that your kids will talk about forever after experiencing Appalachian Christmas. Kidding Around contributor, Liene, has all the information about staying at the lodge, Christmas crafts and activities, llama hikes, brunch with Santa, and a whole lot more.

The last few years have created an opportunity for more family time, closer relationships with our children, and the chance to start new family traditions. As we turn our attention to the holidays, I wanted to share a weekend experience in the nearby North Carolina mountains that might offer your family a respite from the craziness of the season. Make memories and start a new family tradition at Earthshine Lodge during their Appalachian Christmas event!

Looking for additional travel opportunities this holiday season? Here’s our list of 7 festive holiday destinations with vacation rentals perfect for the season.

An Appalachian Christmas at Earthshine Lodge

During the month of December, the Lodge transforms into a winter wonderland with all the trimmings. Book a stay at the lodge with your family for a weekend filled with holiday festivities and cheer: Appalachian crafts, a hot chocolate bar, s’mores around the fire, cookie decorating, and more!

We recently spent a weekend at Earthshine during leaf-peeping season, and I can report the Lodge is perfectly suited for the role of a Christmas fairyland: gorgeous views from the guest rooms of the surrounding mountains, big stone fireplaces in the great room, and the road from Greenville leading over the river and through the woods of Pisgah National Forest!

On-site lodging, meals, and activities are all part of the weekend package which includes two nights at the lodge (private room with a queen bed, loft with two twin beds, balcony, and private bathroom), dinner on Friday and Saturday evening, a hearty mountain breakfast on Saturday morning, the Santa brunch, holiday movies on the big screen (complete with hot chocolate and snacks!) and holiday activities on the property.

Christmas Festivities: Brunch with Santa and other fun activities

If you can’t get away for a whole weekend, whisk your family off to the mountains for brunch with Santa on Sunday morning. Spend time with jolly St. Nick while dining on a special holiday brunch with all the traditional holiday treats. Don’t forget to bring your list and get a few pictures! Brunch is included with your package if you are a guest at the lodge, but if you are going just for the brunch, be sure to make a reservation.

Among the activities that are included in the weekend package are holiday movies on the big screen where your kids (and you) can enjoy warm hot chocolate and treats. There are also holiday activities at the lodge, including cooking making, crafts, and more.

If Earthshine Lodge sounds familiar, you probably read the KAG article about hiking with llamas! The llamas will be at the Living History Village in the morning to visit with guests and take a guided llama hike! Read more about the llama hikes here).

About Earthshine Lodge

Sandwiched by the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, the Lodge provides access to popular Gorges State Park, DuPont State Recreational Forest, and Panthertown Valley. If you can tear yourself away from the holiday celebrations at Earthshine, you can utilize the proximity to these natural areas for winter adventures.

My children love searching for frozen waterfalls, ice needles, and other winter phenomena that are a bit harder to find in the warmer elevations around Greenville. Local tip – they make their own snow in Sapphire Valley (which is only 20 minutes away), so going sledding and snow tubing is always an option. Then, return to the Lodge to warm up with hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire in one of the stone fireplaces!

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Earthshine Lodge
1600 Golden Road Lake Toxaway, NC 28747
[email protected]
828.862.4207

Earthshine is also on Instagram and Facebook if you would like to get a better picture of the holiday atmosphere at the Lodge:

Instagram Earthshine Lodge
Facebook Earthshine Lodge
Earthshine Lodge Homepage

Take your whole family on a holiday adventure this December in the North Carolina mountains. Let Earthshine handle the Christmas magic for you!

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Upstate’s Only Walk-Through Holiday Light Display Now Open at Heritage Park: Simpsonville, SC