Weekend in the 904

We’ve all seen that article. You know what I’m talking about. A study was done on 75 of the largest U.S. cities and Jacksonville, Florida ranked #1 in a contest that no city wants to win where we came out on top as America’s most boring city! Check out the article here to see all the factors they looked at. While I do agree our nightlife is seriously lacking, I would have to say, as a born-and-raised Jacksonvillian, our city has absolutely evolved in amazing ways over the past several decades.

I believe there are many to thank for this evolution such as the creators of Riverside Arts Market (RAM) , Downtown Vision , Games, Arts, And, Music (GAAM) and many more. These groups brought culture, events, and opportunities to local business to thrive in Jacksonville. These organizers may consist of appointed counsels or simply volunteers who felt the city deserved something more. Don’t forget to take into consideration that Jacksonville is the largest city in the United States by land area so even though it may take us a while- we are improving. Now let me take you along for a fun, affordable Saturday in Jacksonville to show you what the city has to offer.

We started our Saturday at 9AM for a free yoga class offered by Yoga Den in the San Marco Area . With the iconic lions of Balis Park nearby and the sounds of the bubbling fountain, we threw our mats down and followed the guidance of our experienced instructor for a much needed stretch on a peaceful Saturday morning. One thing about Jacksonville is that we love our four-legged friends and we were blessed that morning with the presence of Miss Petal the pit and were graced with her kisses.

Our next stop was San Marco Books and More, a local staple since 1972. Not only do they offer timeless classics but local flavor as well. We explored the store with its timeless charm and unique finds for bookish fans before we added to my daughter’s summer reading list. Then we stepped back into the sun to find something to fuel our day. This led us to Juice Box, a local business that offers fresh juices, smoothies, and fruit bowls. We were ready to hit up Riverside Arts Market which offers local farmer’s produce, artists’ creations, and food trucks in one local space with ample parking.

One such creator of RAM was Bella the Scientist: The Steam Squad that offers live experiments to inspire young minds to get hands on and learn. These local creators will get your children excited to learn about science with a fun, hands-on experiment that cost less than a bag of chips, and if they inspire them to take science beyond the classroom, they also offer camps and birthday packages for sprouting, young minds.

The Riverside Arts Market is really where it’s at in Jacksonville on Saturday. It’s just a place for niche art to thrive. For example, there was an elderly gentleman making balloon animals with the experience of a pro- something I never considered for balloon-husbandry. As my daughter walked around with a balloon creation on her head, we wandered over to the main stage where we got a chance to hear about local Jacksonville educators prepare and encourage the community to build up our youth during summer break. As we listened, we also devoured some pizza from a literal furnace on the back of a truck. Our whole experience was a work of love from the well manicured stadium seating in front of the local Jacksonville educators on stage to the rows of local artists and creators selling their goods.

Close to RAM are many opportunities for fun including The Cummer Museum and Gardens just next door that offers traveling exhibits, rotating art collection, and family events. Take a walk to the Riverside/5 Points area for antique shopping, restaurants, bars, and music. This is my favorite area of Jacksonville and we as a whole are only getting more exciting!

Honorable Mentions:

Artist Walk Skatepark under the Fuller-Warren bridge, between Park St. and Riverside Ave. This shaded spot under the bridge is a new addition to the area for skaters of all ages. From a former security card, don’t forget “No touching the art!!”

The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens: Voted one of the best zoo’s in the US, where you can check out over 100 acres of award-winning exhibits and gardens.

Fun Things to Do in Jax- Mayport Ferry

A beautiful sunny day in Jacksonville can pull you to the beach and make you dream of spending time on the water. One way to accomplish this without breaking the bank is rolling up to the Mayport Ferry for quick cruise over the St John’s River followed by a seafood dinner at for the whole family.

You can start your day at Huguenot Memorial Park for some fun in the sun. This beach does allow car access to get access to the Atlantic Ocean but 4-wheel drive vehicles are highly recommended to avoid getting stuck in the sand. Otherwise, there is parking on the Family Beach with designed parking areas. Afterwords, follow Heckscher Drive towards Fort George Ferry Landing to get in line for your trip on the Ferry.

Open daily, times frames vary but normally open between 6:15-7:15AM and close at 7:15 PM on weekdays and 8:45 Fri-Sun. One car would cost $6-$7 depending on the day and departs every half hour.

Once on board, you are permitted to get out of your vehicle for a better view of the River where you may spot dolphins and pelicans along the way. There’s also a chance to watch as huge freights transport their cargo as you pass the river which can dwarf the ferry and be pretty exciting for any children to see.

Once across the river, Singleton’s Seafood Shack is next door to the Mayport Ferry Landing and makes a great final destination to grab some fresh fish after spending a long day in the Florida Sun.

Singleton’s got a history. Found in 1969, Singleton’s is family owned and features the largest overwater deck in Jacksonville. The outside is decorated with murals by local artist Gary Mack and the inside offers a wooden boat museum created by the Captain Ray, husband of Miss Ann, who first started cooking fish from their charter fishing operation and led to what we know today.

We treated ourselves with the oysters including Oyster Rockefeller, Parmesan Crusted and Key Lime Panko Crusted. Then our family shared the Fried Mariner’s Combination for Two which included a combo of shrimp, oysters, scallops, clam strips, fish, & two deviled crabs with your choice of two sides. For $55, this fed a family of 3 with leftovers! They also offer a full bar with some specialty cocktails such as Rays Pride, Duval Teal and St John’s Slinger.

With summer coming around or with friends from out of town, the St John’s Ferry and Singleton’s Seafood Shack make for a unique way experience Jacksonville, FL any time of the year.

The Florida Theatre- So Much to Experience

Since being a child, I’ve visited the theater multiple times. First on a field trip for a play. Later I actually got the chance to perform onstage in a group piano recital. Now as an adult, I’ve been finding myself drawn more to their variety of events that seem more engaging than a trip to the movie theaters. Here are just a few examples of the types of shows you can expect from The Florida Theatre.

SPECIAL MOVIE VIEWINGS

Just this past year, I’ve attended The Princess Bride viewing with live guest, Cary Elwes, who answered submitted questions from audience members. Hearing straight from Westley made the experience truly unique as you got to hear first hand stories about life on set and working with fellow actors like Andre the Giant.

LIVE CONCERTS

Also this year, my friends and I attended The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight which involved live orchestra live on stage, in their best gothic garb, jamming out to favorite rock ballads from ACDC to Evanescence to The Cranberries and more. The set was transformed into a gothic cathedral lit up by candle light and adorned with skulls. You could feel the energy of the performs as they put their souls into their music.

SHOWS AND TALKS

Along with music and dance, the theaters offers some non-traditional talks and presentations including The Psychology of Serial Killers. Presented by Dr. Rachel Toles, she brings with her years of clinical experience researching and working with serial killers, and presents her formula for how someone becomes a serial killer. During this talk, a few talking points include: step-by-step breakdown of her nine part formula for what leads to some people becoming serial killers, explanation of some DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) terminology for better understanding, and clinical explanation of brain changes during trauma and how this can impact empathy centers. I don’t want to spoil too much but if you like learning about the dark side of psychology, this talk is information and for you. Dr. Rachel Toles also plans to have a book coming out this October and I’m looking forward to it.

Find out what amazing events are coming up next at The Florida Theatre !

Weekend Fun: Jet Puffed Hot Cocoa Bomb Kit and Gelli Baff Slime Reviews

I have made it a personal goal to be a more present mother. To me that means putting down the phone, letting go of some control, and embracing a little mess if it means making memories. This is what led me to finally say “Yes!” to try out two fun activities this past weekend. We tried our hands at the Jet-Puffed Hot Cocoa Bomb Kit and jumped in Gelli Baff Slime. Were they worth the mess? Here are my thoughts on them both.

To start off, Jet Puffed Hot Cocoa Bomb Kit was about $12 and the kit makes 12 fair-sized cocoa bombs which I found reasonable. Up until now, I had never tried making my own cocoa bombs because they seemed a bit complex so I’m glad we gave this kit a try. The kit provided us we everything we needed for 12 bombs even when I thought we were going to run out of chocolate, and the instructions were straightforward. We definitely feel confident that we could make them again!

My favorite part of the kit was the huge bottle of Jet Puffed mini marshmallows meant to fill the bombs as well as decorate with. Yes, they are just like the mini marshmallows in kids cereals and we could not stop eating them. This kit definitely requires oversight by an adult but I was pretty impressed seeing my daughter carefully pull chocolate shells from the mold without breaking a single one. And if you do break any (like I did) you can just melt it down and try again. We had to be extra and pulled out our own collections of sprinkles, but once we were down decorating, the final results were adorable! The only drawback is the actual hot cocoa came out very mild. Next time, I would like to add some additional cocoa powder to the bomb for a smoother hot chocolate.

Zoe has been begging me to Gelli Baff for weeks. I kept imaging it would be like slime- the bane of existence and plague of carpets or anything fabric I love in my house. After actually reading the box though, I decided to give it a try and see if the clean-up process was truly as simple as they claimed. The product comes with 2 servings of Gelli Baff and claims it will make a jelly-like Slime in a small amount of bathwater that is fun, safe, not toxic, and easy to clean. We filled the tub up just about 2” of water and added the green powder. After stirring, we let the mixture sit and saw the thin water solidify almost instantly. Together, we dug through the bath-water-now-turned- muck, just laughing at the oddity of it. We then added a bit more water as instructed which gave it a smoother, slimier texture before my daughter jumped in to play. She had a blast and her attention was held for maybe an hour before reckoning was finally near. The clean-up process started by adding Step Two, a white powder that was to be mixed in the slime and resulted with it once again becoming more of a liquid. There was still some spotty, Slime texture to the water, but once I removed the drain and splashed some cold water down the tub, Gelli Baff was gone! Pleasantly surprised by the level of fun we received as well and the simplicity of clean-up.

The Lost World of Dragons

I have no idea where August went but I had to make a post about The Lost World of Dragons before it’s gone as well! You still have one more weekend to check out the imaginative exhibit at Museum of Science and History (MOSH) in Jacksonville, FL!! Fantastical yet historical, the exhibit has interactive sections that teach about dragon lore from around the world. As someone who grew up with a fascination for mythology, my inner-child was hyped and taking my own little girl just made it that much more special.

Candy Keane and I had the opportunity to set up shop for the opening night and had a blast. We shared our book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention!, as well as some art and crafts. It was so fun being back in the convention scene again this year even though it is still a much smaller scale. We did get a bit in costume too with some medieval inspired looks and still rocked our masks.

The exhibit itself is full of interactive activites that pull you into the fantasy world with lifesize dragons that tower over you and come to life. Mythology, quizzes, and photo ops make for a fun day at the museum for all ages. Check out MOSH’s website for more details and explore this magical world this weekend while you still can!

GAAM Love Night- A Token of My Affection

GAAM Love Night was a time to celebrate love of friends, partners, and –of course- video games! Held at the contemporary Aloft hotel, 400 visitors gathered together to party and play the night away. Every GAAM event is unique but one thing does not change, it ss GAAM’s desire to be original and do good! For this event, I’ll share how GAAM raised money for local LGBTQ group, JASMYN, and how a group of invitational GAAM artists got together to give visitors a token of our love.

Traditionally, GAAM features artists who create and donate one-of-a-kind creations inspired by video game favorites to go up for auction for charity. GAAM Love Night was no different, but unlike the main GAAM event, the Love Night found a creative way to raise money by auctioning off GAAM Stars for a group date like no other! Promised with a night of fun, winners threw down cash for a good cause. There’s always a few surprises thrown in to every event. For Love Night, winning bidders even got bottles of Carve Vodka to take home!

https://www.facebook.com/MarkParianiProductions/ — Photo by Mark Pariani Productions

There’s always some element of art at every GAAM event, and I’m very proud and blessed to say I had the chance to head up the art direction for Love Tokens for this year’s GAAM Love Night! Taken from the early 19th century concept of ‘love tokens’ that were used to share one’s affection with another, I combined this idea with my love for games to create GAAM Love Tokens. These tokens featured characters from Overwatch, Sailor Moon, Zelda, and Final Fantasy for attendees to share with a special someone or take home as a keepsake of a fun night! To make this happen, I had an amazing team of talent to create the art for each token. Artists include: Fluffy Butt Arts, Kami Comics, Hannah the Bird, and even GAAM founder himself.

To get a special love token, attendees took part in silly challenges like “do your best Fort Night dance” or “recite a haiku, sonnet, or rap to the closest person”. It was a great way to spark some fun throughout the night. If you would like a Love Token, you never know when they may show up again! Limited GAAM swag has a way of rolling over to the next event!

One upon a time.. The Yelp Storybook Soiree

My first Yelp event was a definitely a night to remember! It was a night of food and fun with bites and brews from some of Jacksonville’s best local businesses, and of course a soiree wouldn’t be complete without a fancy dress code! Keeping with the literary theme of the night, guests were encouraged to dress as their favorite literary figure. I’m happy to say, attendees were quite in character.

The Soiree filled all 3 floors of the Jacksonville library with vendors, food, music, and fun to explore. The night flew by but here are a few of my favorites.

Food
Bento cafe
You can never go wrong with sushi but there’s something special about Bento Cafe. Spicy tuna was a favorite, but that vegetarian roll- Wow. I never would have thought it would have so much flavor!

Blue Bamboo offered a chilled noodle cup with a light vinaigrette and shredded vegetable topping with satisfied my noodle cravings.

Here’s a storybook made of actual cake! Sweet by Holly were there to satisfy our sweet tooth!

I’ve never been to 4 Rivers Smokehouse, but after trying their 6 Shooter, I know they are with a visit. This bite layer cheese grits, pulled pork, pickles, jalapenos and topped with their BBQ sauce. Yum!

My favorite bite of the night was Jaguars Eats who stole the show with fresh cut tuna poke bowls. Who knew football players ate so well?! They’re cooking up a menu that’s always winning.

Vagabond Coffee was brewing up sunbathing social with a mini cocktail of bourbon, coffee, and a chili coffee rim. 10 points to Gryffindor!
vaga 2.jpg

Still sporting those Gryffindor colors, we had two cocktails with Manifest Distilling.
mousse and hermione

Next magical potion comes from Aardwolf with their new peach IPA and their violet colored, shimmery sour.

After all those drinks, Thea and I got friendship tattoos 😱 but no worries, they are temporary art designs by real tattoo artist Myra Oh

What an amazing time to experience my first Yelp event which coincidentally was their largest fundraiser of the year. Not only was it a blast, but they were able to raise over $7000 for the Jacksonville Public Library! That I can get behind!

Thank you to Thea for some of the above pictures! Check out my fellow Food Adventure Team member at https://adventuresofthea.wordpress.com/ for her experience at the Soiree!

It’s a Jungle Out There!

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens holds a special place in my heart for the many memories my little family has made there. I could go on and on about our love for the zoo, but I’d love to share my most recent zoo adventure! I got to explore the new primate exhibit, the African Forest, as Jane alongside Tarzan! Jane
First, I have to say, the African Forest made me feel like I had an actual wildlife encounter. They have incorporated a new design that not only allows the animals more freedom to explore but also allows animals and people to safely view each other eye-to-eye like never before. No longer are the bonobos stuck on an island surrounded by a mote where visitors look down upon them from above. The primates can now walk and explore on the same level as humans while both are safely separated, and the wonderful news- both animals and humans love it! The care takers said the monkeys have been so active and happy because they can see children for the first time! Learning some behind-the-scenes information about these amazing creatures was a blast, and it made me feel just like Jane as I excitedly learned so much about them. It is a must see, wellness-inspired exhibit that you must check out! African Forest
As for my experience as Jane, it was exciting to interact with children as well!
This was my first time dressing up as a character to interact with the public. As I was getting ready, I realized my heart was racing as if I was about to step on stage or speak in public, but that all changed as we got out into the zoo among all the visitors. Next thing I knew, I was asking visitors if they had seen any gorillas in my best British accent. Tarzan and Jane.png
It was like a social experiment to see who excitedly ran up to meet, hug, and talk to us versus who shyly glanced over or didn’t dare to look at all. As for me, I surprised myself by not only kicking into character but following my motherly instincts to make some shy interactions easier. I did this by getting on to same level as some of the young ones, and I would ask fun and distracting questions like “What do you think monkeys eat?” and “Can you talk like a gorilla?? Tarzan can!”. Seeing the smiles, hearing the giggles, and even being asked for an autograph made me feel like I was giving the children an experience like a Disney theme park, and I know that’s a magical feeling.
I even recognized several visitors from “real life”, and they didn’t even recognize me! They took pictures with me! I almost felt as if I was wearing a mask, but I was wearing the character. It was odd to realize they saw Jane instead of Kat from school or the office.
It was a “wild” experience in many ways! Special thanks to the Jacksonville Zoo for offering me to be a part of the big opening and thanks to GAAM for thinking of me for the role ❤
Most of all, I have to thank my best friend Sarah who made this homemade costume possible!!
#momlife #momblog #nerdymom

Introduction- What’s in a Blog Name?

Hello, I’m Kat, a lover of art, fan of nerd culture and the proud mother of a little girl. They often say people change their name when they have experienced a major life change or want to start over. ‘That Nerdy Mom’ is a name I chose for myself and my art page after the birth of my daughter; both out of my insecurities and later self-empowerment. Let me explain…

When I found out I was pregnant, my world turned upside down. I was scared! I was finding being an adult to be hard enough, but now I was thrown for a loop imaging myself being responsible for another life.

I wondered what most mom’s do- Would I be a good enough mother?
So I did what I normally do when confused- research. Books, articles, blogs, I searched for answers to prepare myself when I ran across something upsetting…one writer said, when you are a mother, you will no longer be called by your name, you will be “::child’s name:: mom”.

This raised a new concern for me I did not have before…, could I lose my identity to become a mother?
I then pictured myself at a playground meeting other moms. What would we talk about? The kids of course..but what if I want to talk about how fun a videogame is, what’s the most recent animated film or what the cutest family costumes could be? I already grew up in an environment were my interests were just deemed weird or really geeky. Would that continue now into motherhood?

Not only was I afraid of losing my name but being known as “that nerdy mom” by strangers?!
Then I started to embrace it. It’s taken me a long time to embrace myself for my quirks and interests. I decided I wouldn’t stop being who I was and doing what I enjoyed because I don’t fit the standard mom stereotype. What better example could I be for my daughter than to love myself and not be ashamed by my passions and dreams no matter how uncommon or how long it takes! So here I am writing a post for a Blog- that’s been several years in the making- about a nerdy mom who loves sharing all things geeky while having fun with her 4 year old daughter!

That Nerdy Mom

Mom+Nerd+Artist

Uncategorized