1. Enjoy the arts
Children have an amazing passion for arts – from puppetry to parade bands, from finger paints to play dough. Art includes everything from visual art to performing arts and music. Art is healing. Research has shown that art can be therapeutic. It has benefits for patients experiencing anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, cancer, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder, and other serious health conditions. Furthermore, research has shown the benefits of art on brain function and the significant benefits to Alzheimer’s patients through offering new ways to communicate and connect in a non-verbal manner, express emotions, promote relaxation and improve moods. Enjoying the arts should be a life-long hobby and has a proven track record from young to old.

Live Like a Kid in KC: Learn to decorate a cake or create the perfect dish at the Culinary Center of Kansas City. Engage in a discussion of the unique works of art at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art and sign-up for an art class of your own. Take in a performance at the New Theatre Restaurant, featuring Broadway-style musicals and comedies.

2. Let it Go
Children do not hold grudges. They may be furious one second and your best friend the next. We may joke about these mode swings, but kids understand the power of forgiveness and know how to let it go. The dictionary defines forgive as granting pardon for an offense; to cease to feel resentment against. Forgiveness allows you to let go of the hurt you felt and allows you to focus on more positive aspects of your life. It doesn’t mean you deny the other person’s responsibility in hurting you, it just allows you to move forward and no longer be gripped by the anger and hurt you felt. Research has shown that forgiveness can lead to healthier relationships, greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less anxiety and stress, lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression and lower the risk of substance abuse.

Live Like a Kid in KC: Visit the National WWI Museum to discover the global implications of hurt . . . and how the world can move forward after destruction.

Live Like a Kid in KC: Unlock the secrets of the world at The Museum at Prairiefire, the only satellite location for the American Museum of Natural History. Exhibits are deeply engaging and entertaining for all ages! World’s Largest Dinosaurs opens in fall 2013. Escape to another world of mystery and intrigue as you delve into a good book from Mysterscape in Downtown Overland Park.

4. Active Play
Children love to play. But play is more than just about having fun. Active play may involve games with rules and can be social or solitary, but the distinguishing features are a playful context, combined with activity that is significantly above resting metabolic rate. Adults have a way of making working out less fun and more work. Active play brings back the fun in excising, which brings a lifetime of healthy benefits. Benefits include building strong hearts, muscles and bones; developing and maintaining motor skills, improved movement, balance, coordination and reaction time; increased mental awareness; improved self-esteem; healthy weight management; and, prevention of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some forms of cancer and other health conditions. As George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Live Like a Kid in KC: Splish, splash and slide at Schlitterbahn Kansas City Waterpark, open May through September. Skim, spin and swirl along the ice at the Park Place Ice Terrace, open November through February.

5. Simple Pleasures
Kids understand that some of the best things in life don’t come in packages at all, sometimes it is the packaging. Life is filled with simple please, the gifts of life that bring us much happiness. Everything from making a yellow light to finding money you didn’t know you had, from putting on clothes straight from the dryer to making someone smile or laugh. Finding happiness and pleasure in life leads to an increased life span, better immune system, more energy and better mental health. It is now claimed that happiness could be more important than smoking in determining your health. Remember, the Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness, you have to catch it in the moments that come your way.

Live Like a Kid in KC: Take a nature walk at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. This 300-acre arboretum is a serene and tranquil place to enjoy nature with miles of trails and multiple gardens, including an International Sculpture Garden.

What lessons have you learned from a kid that will last you a lifetime?

Seasonal attractions
The heart of Downtown includes the iconic clock tower pavilion and Farmers’ Market, and live entertainment is featured at the clock tower during the market season. More information on clock tower entertainment can be found on pages 12-13. To check the latest produce, vendors and hours for the Farmers’ Market, visit www.opkansas.org/farmers market.

A taste of the world
Bring a cultured palette to the many Downtown restaurants, which simmer in unique, multi-cultural flavors. Try the spirited cuisine at Elsa’s Ethiopian Restaurant. Visit the taste of Italy at Villa Capri and glimpse Central America at El Salvadoreno. Neighborhood favorites Dragon Inn and Mr. Gyros bring China and Greece to the table. The Snack Shack on Santa Fe has visitors lining up at this cozy niche. Travel south of the border at Mi Ranchito or Torreador. Sports emporiums Maloneys, The Other Place and The Peanut on Santa Fe satisfy the pizza and wings lovers; and coffee fans find their joe at Homer’s Coffee House, Great Day Café, Mysteryscape and Clock Tower Bakery & Cafe.

Licking the bowl
Downtown is a foodies’ haven for those will all levels of kitchen experience. The Culinary Center of Kansas City brings classes of all levels and interests to the metro. Also a popular stop is The Tasteful Olive, specializing in over 60 of the richest olive oils and vinegars from all over the world. A short walk down the street is Penzeys Spices. One step into this shop and the aromas alone inspire shoppers to stock their cabinets.

A vibrant art culture
Steady infusions of galleries are opening in Downtown Overland Park, such as Prairiebrooke Arts, Images Art Gallery, Olive Branch Art Gallery and Studios, Alice Carman Studio, The Studio and more. Each third Friday of the month, more than 20 shops and galleries stay open late for an evening of specials and entertainment.

Unique and eclectic fare
The charm of Downtown is its unique, privately-owned shops. To name just a few, find two quilt shops, Harper’s Fabric & Quilt Co. and Quilted Memories. Check out consignment and antique shops TLC Thrifty Boutique, Now and Then, and Sacks on Santa Fe, Peterson’s Antiques and McNary’s Antiques and Refinishing. Model trains whistle at Fred’s Train Shop, and visit our feathered friends at the Wild Bird House. Traditions Furniture is the Midwest’s largest Stickly furniture dealer, and The General Store & Co. is a whimsical shop for home décor.

Plan a day in Historic Downtown Overland Park, and visit the unique, eclectic culture an d tastes it has to offer.

~Robin

Robin Fish is the executive director of the Downtown Overland Park Partnership.

For the second consecutive year, the Kauffman is staging a four part National Geographic Live! speaker series featuring photojournalists, researchers and scientists. That particular night in Helzberg Hall, we had the privilege of hearing San-Francisco based photojournalist Catherine Karnow share her journeys from around the world through pictures. Known for her “vibrant, emotional, and sensitive style of photographing people,” Karnow has seen more of the world than most of us have ever dreamed of seeing in a lifetime. She has a special passion for Vietnam and her experiences in this colorful country truly mesmerized the audience. She also shared photos of favorite dishes from around the world and portraits of “regular” people who in some way left a lasting impression on her.

I have loved photography as long as I can remember and one of my favorite messages from Karnow that evening was “photography connects people in ways that nothing else can.” Let’s just say that after an hour, I was really sad her presentation was over and longed for more!

If you have not yet visited the Kauffman, I encourage you to explore their events calendar today and find what moves you. Whether the symphony, the opera or the next National Geographic Live! presentation on May 14th (focus on Mars exploration), I encourage you to replace your typical evening or weekend with something truly magical.

~Liron

We are early arrivers; getting to the parking lot at 7 am to set up our tailgating area around our bus.  YES, we have a tailgating bus.  It is not pretty and oh the stories the bus could tell, but it is a great way to get everyone out to the track and it has a clean bathroom!  Upon arrival we get the turkey fryer rumbling with boiling water so we can start our breakfast omelets and let the games begin – ladder golf, corn hole, or anything new we come across during the year.  The guys hoist the flags on the flag pole and stand on top of the bus to watch the traffic start rolling in.  We love watching the sea of flags start going up and by race time the parking lot has an atmosphere you cannot explain until you experience it for yourself.

We always meet someone new each year as we are tailgating.  We share stories of our bus, find out where everyone is from, and just have a good time.  We have never met anyone unfriendly or unwilling to strike up a conversation at the track!

There is so much to do at the Kansas Speedway from tailgating, walking around to see the Army vehicles, or watching a live taping of Speed.  We have done the Fan Walk experience and walked through the garages before the checkered flag drops as well as attended pre-concert festivities on the track.  There is always something to do for everyone at the track.  The fly over’s are always great! And, the rumble in your chest when the cars start their engines is like no other experience; not even a rock concert.

If you are going to be in town longer than the race weekend there is much more to do around the track; shop the Legends stores, eat at any of the delicious restaurants across the street, try your luck at the Hollywood Casino and eat at the Turn2Sports Bar and Restaurant (it has an excellent view of the track and outside tables) or try one of the other great dining experiences they offer.

Whatever you choose to do at the track and however long you are in town, the Kansas Speedway is the track that will blow you away!  Hold on tight.

~Lisa

Lisa Hughes is a children’s services specialist for Johnson County and an avid race fan.

Plan your race weekend at the Kansas Speedway now – buy tickets and book a hotel room.

However, one day my husband came home and told me he had gone to lunch at Cascone’s Grill in the River Market area of downtown Kansas City.  I was surprised to hear that he had eaten pancakes and Italian sausage for lunch. He suggested that we should go for breakfast sometime on a Saturday morning.  I was still finding it hard to believe that an Italian restaurant served good old American pancakes. Well, to my surprise Cascone’s Grill serves up a very good home-style breakfast and lunch with a wide selection to choose from.  People sometimes wait in line to enjoy this delicious meal.

Cascone’s Grill is now one of our breakfast favorites and we like to invite family and friends to come enjoy it with us. One of their fluffy pancakes (or two) is always on our meal selection. And, I love the Italian toast, and country sausage and gravy with crispy hash browns. You can also order a side of marinara to go with your Italian sausage!  They also serve breakfast sandwiches. My nephew really enjoyed the BLT.  Last weekend we got to taste the fried chicken for our mid-morning outing.

This quaint diner is family owned and operated, and has been a major presence in the River Market area for many years. It is a neighborhood favorite with its great food, friendly staff and casual dining atmosphere.  If you have not already been there I highly recommend giving it a try next time you are headed to the City Market for a morning of shopping.  It might just become one of your favorites too.

~Jeanne

Now, you may be asking yourself, “what is Lions International all about?”  The short answer is: More Volunteers Doing More Community Work in More Places than Any Service Club Organization.

When it comes to meeting challenges, their response is simple:  They serve. In 207 countries, in hospitals and senior centers, in regions battered by natural disaster, in schools and eyeglass recycling centers. Lions are doing community volunteer work, helping, leading, planning and supporting. Because they’re local, they can serve the unique needs of the communities they live in. And because they’re global, they can address challenges that go beyond borders.

Lions want everyone to see a better tomorrow. That’s why they support sight programs and services including vision screenings, eye banks and eyeglass recycling. Provide eye care services to those at risk of losing their sight. And raise donations through campaigns like SightFirst and Campaign SightFirst II.

Lions believe everyone deserves a healthy life. From providing health programs that focus on hearing loss to supporting efforts to control and prevent diabetes, Lions volunteers are working to improve the health of children and adults around the world.

They empower the next generation. Whether it’s providing youth volunteer opportunities and leadership experiences in a Leo club or sharing a message of peace through our Peace Poster contest, our youth programs invest in the future by reaching out to young people.

Lions serve local communities – and protect the planet. From performing hands-on community work and service projects to providing emergency assistance, our community and environment programs improve our communities – and protect the environment.

As a result of working with this group to bring their event to Overland Park, the hospitality community has had the opportunity to learn more about the efforts of Lions International. Many of the local tourism partners have become dedicated to the mission and efforts this group represents and decided to form the Overland Park Hospitality Lions Club. Anyone that has a role in the Overland Park hospitality community – hotel staff, restaurants, spas, transportation companies, etc. – can join the Hospitality Club!  If you would like more information about the Hospitality Lions Club, or becoming a Lion’s member in general, please check out and “LIKE” our Facebook Page or contact Mindy Lallier.  We would be excited to have you become a member and participate with our meetings.

Our next meeting will be March 14, 2013 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at the Overland Park CVB Offices, 9001 W. 110th Street, Overland Park, KS. Cost to attend will be $10.00 for non-Lions members and lunch will be included. If you would like to attend please bring cash (we are unable to accept credit cards or checks at this time). A receipt can be provided.  The event is free to Lions Members and lunch is included. The agenda for this meeting includes a a short presentation on becoming a member of Lions Club, as well as, a presentation by Candy Merrill on Prairiefire. Please RSVP to Mindy no later than March 12th to save your seat!

~Mindy

It is also the month commonly known as “March Madness” because of basketball championships at all levels are played throughout the month to determine who are the best teams in their respective states, conferences and divisions.

Each year at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City is home to the NAIA Men’s Division I National Basketball Championship. This year’s championship will be March 13-19 with 31 games in just six days.

The Overland Park Sports Alliance had the opportunity to be a part of the championship last year by partnering with the Ritz Charles and participating in the Honorary Coaches Program.  It gave us the opportunity to be an honorary coach with one of the teams, and it was a firsthand, all-access pass with a team for as long as they were in the tournament. It was a sponsorship opportunity that had a great impact in many ways, both personally and within our office that you couldn’t put a price tag on. We had an opportunity to be with a team from New Orleans and the coaching staff and players were truly a class act and carried themselves in a very professional manner during their time in our area. We got a chance to share the experience with them in being one of the top 32 teams in the country to make it as far as they did to the tournament.

This year, our office will again take part in the Honorary Coaches program and there are other Overland Park businesses that are becoming a part of this championship as well. The Fieldhouse of Kansas City is partnering up with the NAIA on a number of things with for the event including having some of the teams reserve practice time at their state-of-the-art facility. Agape Hoops Productions is hosting a youth basketball tournament called the NAIA Champions Weekend that will take place at The Fieldhouse of Kansas City and on the Missouri side as well. Cinzetti’s is currently working with the NAIA in looking at what opportunities maybe there for them to partner.

This is a great basketball tournament that has a lot of opportunities for local businesses in Overland Park and the metro area to showcase themselves by becoming more involved with the event and supporting the for the NAIA (based in KC).

If anything else, I would encourage you to attend some or all of the games at this year’s event!

~Justin

Lettuce Eat is a quaint, refreshing, compact, friendly and clean haven in which to enjoy a fresh healthy lunch.  A worthy challenge is deciding on a final selection from the numerous offerings.  A very tempting array of choices including salads (6), sandwiches (10), wraps (6), paninis (5) and soup of the day await your pleasure.  Oh, did I mention mac and cheese?  Of course, combos, sides and sweets are also available.  As I examined the menu, I couldn’t help but notice the signage on the counter which said; Live Well, Love Much and Laugh Often.”  And then, guess what, I stopped to realize that the patrons in the café as well as the person waiting upon me naturally and effortlessly represented those very themes.  Kindness, laughter and caring emanated throughout the café.  I comfortably settled upon the spinach, mushroom, grilled cheese sandwich (a café favorite I came to learn) and a cup of tomato basil soup (one of my favorites).  Wow!  Such was more than I had anticipated.  What a great choice!  The preparation was efficient and timely.  The service was exceptional!  And, my lunch experience fulfilled all my expectations.  As I was ready to leave, I wondered.  Should I try one of those fabulous looking Apple Oatmeal Caramel Cookies?  Oh, why not!  As I was driving back to the office, I was thinking I should have bought a dozen cookies for my colleagues.  But then, I quickly realized I would have to buy two dozen because the temptation would be great to eat a dozen before I got back.

Looking for an alternative dining experience, yourself?  You will not be disappointed with the “lettuce eat café” at 7317 W. 95th Street in Overland Park (located in the 95 Metcalf shopping center in the southwest quadrant of 95th & Metcalf in Overland Park).

Oh, by the way, they also cater and have sidewalk seating.  Enjoy!

~Jerry

As an avid reader myself, I recently started attending these types of events over the past few years. At first, I have to admit, I felt a little intimidated. I wondered if these events would be too formal for me to enjoy or would I be called upon the give my opinion of what happened on page 247! Silly – right? My fears couldn’t have been further from the truth. My experiences, at these events, have been quite the opposite. They are very informal and in a very welcoming environment where the authors have been gracious and open to their readers. I have been lucky enough to meet two of my favorite authors, Nancy Pickard and Sally Goldenbaum who both write mystery books. And by the way, they are both local authors. (A little hometown pride here!) Most recently, in October, I had a great time attending an event for author Adriana Trigiani discussing her latest book, The Shoemaker’s Wife.

Following is a listing of some places that you can attend author events, many of which are free or have a small fee and generally includes the author’s book. Also, many of these events offer books written by the author for purchase. You might want to consider attending a culinary author event. You never know you just may be treated to a sampling of one of their recipes! Please check their individual websites for more information about their upcoming author events.

•Mysteryscape
Author Events: May 2013 local authors Sally Goldenbaum and Linda Rodriquez will be discussing their latest books.

•Johnson County Library (CRL)
Author Event: February 12 – elementia Reception featuring author Walter Dean Myers

•Rainy Day Books
February 11, Bobby Deen (Paula Deen’s son) discussing his latest book, From Mama’s Table to Mine

•Barnes & Noble

•The Reading Reptile

I hope that you consider going “Beyond the Book” and attend a local author event in our area.

~Rosemarie

A few weeks ago at a family dinner, my husband’s uncle mentioned that his family stopped by Take Five Coffee and Bar because they just didn’t feel like going home just yet after a Saturday night gathering with friends. Because I thoroughly enjoy a good cup of coffee or a glass of wine by the fire, live music, a cozy atmospher, I just had to check this place out.

Take Five is the perfect place to forget your winter blues, even for just a night. The beer and coffee menu is impressive (an O’Dell’s brew or cappuccino for me) and although I haven’t tried the food yet, it looks tasty, too. There are no TVs which the owners pride themselves upon. “It’s so you’re not distracted from conversation, from just thinking, from getting lost in the music.” I love this mantra along with the diverse mix of musicians that take the stage on the weekends and sometimes during the week. Covers range from free to $3 to $5, depending on the musician or band. The sounds emanating from the stage are primarily Jazz-inspired but they “mix in a healthy dose of good rock, funk, soul and rhythm & blues,” according to the Take Five website.

Whether you live nearby or visiting the area, be sure to check out Take Five. Their website details their entire music line-up for January and February and I know you’ll be impressed. Have seat, take a sip, share a smile with your friend or loved one, and lose yourself in the music. If you want to borrow a book off the bookshelf or play a game of Scrabble, they have that, too!

Before you know it, spring will be here.  =)

~Liron