Fourth of July is celebrated on a Wednesday day this year. There are tons of parades, concerts, and fireworks displays happening all across Tampa Bay.

You can find a list of events on the Tamp Bay Parent Fourth of July Page.

If you are celebrating at home remember to stay safe. Some cities and counties have restrictions on the fireworks that can be used for personal use; so check before you start having you own Fourth of July show.

HypnoBirthing is a technique used to help relax the body while giving birth. Women still feel pain, but the focus is taken off of the pains of labor and the woman’s mind is focused on something more peaceful.

“Marie F. Mongan, Director of the HypnoBirthing Institute, says that with the aid of hypnosis, a woman can bring her body into a state of deep relaxation in which the body’s muscles can work the way they’re meant to during childbirth. She says it feels similar to daydreaming, or the feeling you get when you are lost in a book or movie. People who’ve used this technique report feeling relaxed, calm, aware, and in control.”

Source: Discovery Health

There are HypnoBirthing instructors across Tampa Bay. The HypnoBirthing Institute keeps a list of providers throughout the country. In addition, there are several birth stories on the web site. HypnoBirthing is an option for women that want to have a natural childbirth, but want to be as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Some women who have tried a VBAC (Vaginal birth after a C-section) have used HypnoBirthing.

It is great to have the rain coming down. Before experiencing the droughts and water restrictions, the rain seemed like a nuisance. Now it is a welcomed friend that does not come around often enough. Windshield wipers that have been scarcely used are used once again.

For those that do obey the water restrictions, our lawns had been looking pretty pitiful. There are those that obviously do some watering late at nights when everyone is asleep. Citations are still being issued for those that water their lawns other than their county or city assigned days. However, who really wants to turn in their neighbor?

When we do finally get back to normal and have a drought free Tampa Bay, hopefully we remember the days when the rains did not come and become more water wise. There are ways now to save money and water.

Conserve water:

1. Take showers and not baths
2. Fix any leaking or dripping sinks
3. Use low flow toilet(Some cities and counties will give a rebate to customers who switch to low flow toilets) ,City of Tampa may have a rebate for city of Tampa water customers

AMC theaters are offering free movies during the summer months in there Summer Movie Camp program. The free movies are every Wednesday from June 27 – August 15, except for July 14^th. The movies start at 10 a.m. Large groups can call ahead to get free group tickets to the movies. AMC theaters have several locations across the Tampa Bay area.

Summer Movie Camp Schedule:

June 27: Happy Feet

July 4: NO Movie because of July 4th

July 11: Ice Age: The Meltdown

July 18: Barnyard: The Original Party Animals

July 25: Flushed Away

August 1: Charlotte’s Web

August 8: Open Season

August 15: Over the Hedge

Please check with your local AMC theaters to verify that they are participating in the free summer movie program.

For more information visit the AMC web site.

Diego from Go,Diego,Go Live! The Great Jungle Rescue will be appearing at University Mall in Tampa. Diego will be there promoting the live performance Go,Diego,Go Live! The Great Jungle Rescue. Go ,Diego,Go is a popular cartoon appearing on Nick jr. TheNickjr show, Go,Diego,Go , is a spinoff from the hugely popular Dora the Explorer series; Diego is Dora’s cousin.

Go,Diego,Go Live! The Great Jungle Rescue will be appearing at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center June 22-24.

Last weekend Diego made an appearance at the Westshore mall where there was a chance to win a walk-on roll in the live performance. This weekend those there are a chance for those at University Mall to win free tickets to the live performance.

Diego will be at the center court of University Mal in Tampa June 16^th, from 12-2pm.

I watched the Oprah Debt Diet update today and it was very interesting. It really has helped a lot of people save and get into better financial situations. Some families did have to work a little extra during the week and cut back on expenses, but it is working for them.

The Four Key Elements of the Debt Diet are:

1. Maximize Your Income
2. Spend Less Than You Make
3. Invest Money You Don’t Spend
4. Protect Your Money

Oprah has information on her web site on how to start your own debt diet and have a better financial future.

Source: Oprah.com

Bob Barker has ended his tenure on “The Price is Right” by taping the last episode as the host on Wednesday. At the age of 85, Barker is retiring later than most Americans. CBS is still in the search process for their new host of “The Price is Right”.

I would have to say that this would be an extremely hard role to fill since “The Price is Right” is synonymous with Bob Barker. Bob Barker has said that he is willing to temporarily come back to “The Price is Right” until they do find a new host.