So what did the Sassies and our guest Sassies Veronica and Lauren think of Sweet Lizzie’s in Tooele? Was it worth the trek to Tooele? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Emily: This place SO does not belong in Tooele! This is the absolute cutest old-fashioned candy store I’ve ever seen. (Yes, even cuter than Sweet Afton’s and the one in Old Town Sacramento).
Kristina: The place was adorable. Not only did it look good enough to eat, it actually was good enough to eat. It gave me the same feeling as a magical unicorn does.
Lauren: Scrumptious! The decor, the goodies, the atmosphere—everything was deliciously delightful!
Quinn: Completely ADORABLE! This place is sooo dang cute and fun!
Stephanie: I was beyond pleasantly surprised. The interior was bright, cheery, beautifully decorated and most of all, filled with hundreds of jars of candy.
Veronica: They fit a LOT of stuff into a fairly small space but it didn’t feel overcrowded.
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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: The assortment of candy. Seriously, Sweet Lizzie’s has it all. I found my favorite Brach’s neopolitan coconut candy, coconut Jelly Bellies, dark chocolate-covered raisins and then discovered Chick-O-Sticks. Actually, I lied. All that was great but my favorite thing was this re-upholstered chair (antiqued creamy white with floral print) for only $42!
Kristina: The candy. Oh, and the candy. Also, did I mention the candy? Everything was very reasonably priced, and they had little dollar bags of candy next to the large jars so you could trick your children into thinking you were spending millions of dollars on their sweet tooth.
Lauren: Chocolate covered mint cookie bits—where have these been all my life?
Quinn: They have SO many varieties of candies and I love how you can just snag a small $1 bag rather than having to buy larger quantities. They rocked my world with their sour cherry balls—my favorite!!!
Stephanie: The environment of the store. It isn’t just a candy store, it’s an experience.
Veronica: Loved the great prices on both the candy and home decor items. I also loved the look of the glass candy jars lining the floor to ceiling shelves.
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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: Definitely the location, although this store makes Tooele worth the drive (not kidding). The burnt peanuts weren’t my favorite either.
Kristina: I wish there had been some sort of seating area where I could sit down as I gave myself three new cavities. I also didn’t like that the business was in Tooele and not in my backyard.
Lauren: Tooele is not nearly close enough for the daily visits I would like to make to this shop. Salt Lake needs a Sweet Lizzies!
Quinn: I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the chocolate items I tried. They were decent, but I expected much more from the chocolate (I really, really, really wanted to love them).
Stephanie: That it is in Tooele and not Salt Lake.
Veronica: That my kids weren’t there with me to experience all that sugary goodness!
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QUESTION

Would you refer Sweet Lizzie’s to a friend?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: That would be a “heck, yes!” I’ve already raved about it on Facebook and Twitter. Thinking about taking my kids there and seeing what else Tooele has to offer.
Kristina: Absolutely. I would even be willing to go back to Tooele to shop there. And if I’m willing to do that you know I am a fan.
Lauren: Absolutely.
Quinn: Absolutely! This shop is so adorable! I can’t wait to take my kids there.
Stephanie: Yes, I actually already have.
Veronica: Yes. Already have!
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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: Found the most adorable old-fashioned candy store in Tooele of all places. Sweet Lizzie’s is TOTALLY worth the drive!
Kristina: Satisfy your sweeth tooth, and your bottom dollar, at Sweet Lizzie’s.
Lauren: Sweet Lizzies is a treat for all the senses—you’ll have just as much fun looking around as you will munching on the sweeties!
Quinn: Check out Sweet Lizzie’s candy shop in #tooele #utah for the ultimate candy experience! Bring your kids & bring a truck for their lovely restored antique furniture too.
Stephanie: Sweet Lizzie’s is what a candy store should be. Bright, cheery, and most of all delicious.
Veronica: Need a sugar rush that won’t empty your wallet? Sweet Lizzie’s has it…and so much more! #candy #homedecor #gifts

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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for Sweet Lizzie’s.
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Atmosphere	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on Sweet Lizzie’s in Tooele! We’ll have a super tasty GIVEAWAY for our readers! (Gift basket full of candy, anyone?)

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassies. We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit their super sweet blogs!
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Lauren
Lauren Horsley is loving mama to three little ones, freelance writer, struggling guitar player, avid traveler, neighborhood cookie-baker, voracious reader and blogger. She currently runs SuperMom Central, a parenting site where she hopes to pass along the love she has for motherhood. She works with Traveling Mom as their Social Media Manager and contributes weekly articles on Family Travel. She’s also the Savvy Source Salt Lake City Editor, where she gets to show off her love for Utah!
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Veronica
At her house she is the wife and the mom. At her home office she is a Virtual Assistant. Behind closed doors she is a container-aholic and has a severe office supply addiction. Most wives love to receive flowers but her husband knows the way to her heart is with paperclips and file folders. Veronica’s other interests include graphic design, sewing, reading and watching her kids play sports. You can find her on twitter (@SavvyVeronica) or on either of her blogs: Welcome to My Chaos & Veronica’s Viewpoint.
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Disclaimer: The Sassies were invited to Sweet Lizzie’s and were treated to some old-fashioned candy in exchange for this feature.

When was the last time you took a leisurely Saturday afternoon drive to Tooele?  Well, if you haven’t recently, you are missing out.  The locals already know about the sweet-treat-of-a-shop Sweet Lizzie’s the Sassies (and guest Sassies Lauren and Veronica) are going to share with all of you this week.

Sweet Lizzie’s is located on historic Main Street in Tooele, Utah.  From the outside looking in you are automatically transported into another era. You can just imagine children of all ages with their noses pressed against the glass peering in at what awaits them.  It is a shop for the young and the young-at-heart.

Here is just a “taste” of what you will see as you walk into this real old-fashioned candy store.

With over 400 kinds of candy and counting, there is something for everyone at Sweet Lizzie’s.

From fresh saltwater taffy…

…to every color of the rainbow of jelly beans…

…to a chocolate selection that even Willy Wonka himself would drool over.

But Sweet Lizzie’s isn’t just about delighting your taste buds. The decor is just as “sweet” as the candy.

Quaint and charming furniture throughout displays all of the beautifully arranged candy. The Sassies’ spent nearly two hours strolling through the shop and salivating over the yummy candy and lovely interior design. And we weren’t alone—all the customers that came strolling in left with smiles on their faces.

Check back later this week to find out the answers to the following questions:

Who got caught with her hand in the candy jar?

Was Emily really eating giggle candy?

Are those Kristina’s real teeth?

What “eye candy” is also for sale at Sweet Lizzie’s in Tooele, Utah?

And on Friday a giveaway that will make kid’s of all ages squeal! But if you are impatient like me and just can’t wait, visit Sweet Lizzie’s in person at:

36 North Main Street

Tooele, Utah

Or visit Sweet Lizzie’s online.

It’s that time of year again! The evenings start to cool down, families start their back-to-school routines and the memories of summer start to fade. That’s why this time of the year is perfect for the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival! Taking place in the parks of beautiful Provo Canyon, the festival is a family-friendly event that caters to the enjoyment of all ages while you sit back, breathe in the crisp mountain air and soak in some great entertainment!

Storytellers of all types (puppetry, music, juggling) from all over, gather together during this scheduled weekend to share their various stories. But these aren’t just “stories,” these are performances. Each storyteller is so animated, vivacious and passionate about their tale that it comes through with so much emotion. They’ll have you doubled-over in laughter, tearing up or in awe with amazement; you’ll feel as though you were just lifted up and transported to another world.

This year from September 2nd – 4th, the Storytelling Festival will take place in Orem and Provo, UT.

Cherish Bound, a proud sponsor of the event, is selling discount tickets from their website.  Be sure to purchase yours now and plan on spending the weekend with your family and friends for an event you’ll soon make a tradition!

And for more information, check out SassyScoops’ preview and review of last year’s festival.

I do everything I can to talk my husband and girls out of “family fun” places because I HATE family fun. Just kidding! But I do have a hard time at those places (I’ll try not to name any) … The filth, broken machines, bad customer service, and let’s be honest, most of the time the OVERWHELMING stench. In general, Incredible Pizza is not a place I would try on my own, but boy am I glad I did.

I am pleasantly, completely, overwhelmingly SURPRISED! It was spacious, clean, new, fun, well managed, clean with friendly employees and a HUGE amount of things to do, plus it’s clean and FUN. Wait, did I say clean?

All of the Sassies thought the same thing. We walked in with a bunch of tired kids (silly us went during nap time) and everyone perked up! “Woah!” “Really?” “Awesome!” were the murmurs from everyone’s mouths. And the kids soon realized they were in ultimate dream land and forgot they were cranky from no naps.

Every dream the kids had were about to be cashed in at Incredible Pizza.

Glow-in-the-dark miniature golfing.

CHECK.

Four different themed dining rooms to eat in. One that plays BLUE’S CLUES!

Laser Tag, Go Karts, Bumper…(Not Cars Not Boats Just Cool Circle Things) and a TODDLER Zone plus other fun activities. Perfect for date night, birthday parties, family FUN or you know, let me be honest…just a night out on my own!

Double Check and Done.

Arcade games that are fun and fresh and new and CLEAN and tons of options for everyone.

Done!

Now all YOU need to do is plan your trip to Incredible Pizza in Draper, Utah. Worth the drive from anywhere in Salt Lake or Utah Counties! Great place to take friends or family who come into town as well!

Incredible Pizza is located at:

12101 South State Street (formerly known as Factory Outlet Dr.)
Draper, Utah 84020

You can also find them online:

http://www.incrediblepizza.com/

Twitter: @Incredible Pizza

Facebook

It’s GIVEAWAY time!

One lucky SassyScoops.com reader is going to win a family 4-pack of buffets/admission at Incredible Pizza!

It is easy to enter. Just leave a comment telling us your favorite arcade game. Are you a classic Pac-Man lover or do you prefer the bust a move Dance Dance Revolution style?

But that’s not all…

You can earn EXTRA entries:

1 entry ~ “Like” Incredible Pizza on Facebook

1 entry ~ Follow Incredible Pizza on Twitter

2 entries ~ Tweet about this giveaway and include a link to your tweet in the comments.

2 entries ~ Facebook about this giveaway and include a link to your update in comments.

5 entries ~ Blog about this giveaway and include a link to your post in comments.

Good luck! This giveaway will end on Friday, September 10th at midnight!

P.S. All SassyScoops giveaway winners are notified via direct email.

So what did the Sassies and our guest Sassy Jen think of Incredible Pizza in Draper? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Emily: This is SO not the Chuck E. Cheese-style pizza place I had pictured in my mind. This place is freakin’ AWESOME!
Jen: A lot of fun things to do and places to sit and eat. It was like a super size Chuck E. Cheese.
Michelle: There was so much going on I didn’t know where to start. I’m glad one of our girls got the tour to explain what all the different areas were.
Quinn: This place is HUGE!  I was blown away by how much there was to do, the massive variety of food at the buffet, as well as how clean and fun the whole place was.
Vanessa: WOW! It was so spacious, clean, creative and like a huge amount of fun as soon as I walked through the door. Not what I expected at all—looked like we could have fun in there for two days straight without getting bored.
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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: That really is a tough question because there was so much to love. Seriously. Unlimited Diet Coke on tap was a fave of mine. Livi loved the endless soft-serve ice cream and glow-in-the-dark mini golf. George was big on the pizza, slushies and spinning bumper cars. And Madison and Lauren enjoyed the laser tag and roller coaster simulator game.
Jen: The service. When asking if dairy was on any of the food (we have a dairy allergy in the family) they immediately offered to make whatever we wanted without butter, since it was on everything. I also liked the toddler area they had, complete with a little person Dance Dance Revolution. My baby Jane loved the carousel. {Wait—how did I miss the carousel?!?!}
Michelle: We were big fans of the baby corns and soft serve station at the buffet. I also really liked that points from the games are automatically stored on your game card so you don’t have to keep track of tickets.
Quinn: I loved how there were different banquet rooms you could choose to eat in, rather than a big, impersonal common area.  My kids LOVED all of the fun games, the toddler area, miniature golf and riding in the go karts.  They could have spent much longer there.  I also love how the token cards don’t expire so you can take them back with you next time.
Vanessa: The idea of the cards: instead of tokens you have a certain amount of money on a card and you swipe it before you play the game. The glow-in-the-dark miniature golf looked awesome and I loved how there was something there for every single age in a family. And it was clean!
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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: Probably the fact my kids wanted to stay there for hours and hours. I finally dragged them out, nearly kicking and screaming, almost four hours later (after we’d eaten at the buffet twice!). I think the only other thing was the ice cream/slushy area. The staff did the best they could to keep the area clean but it was often messy and sticky. And I think they realized the hard way that red slush stains wood veneer table tops, but it may have simply made that high school gym dining room more lifelike!
Jen: It was loud and seemed like there was so much going on everywhere, kind of intense. And although the food was edible, I would more than likely eat dinner beforehand.
Michelle: Lots of unattended kids at the buffet. I am kind of a freak about this at any buffet. There were also a lot of dishes around because people just leave them wherever they want.
Quinn: It would have been great to have a few more fresh fruit and veggie options at the buffet (there were limitless entree options with hot dogs included, lol).  Regardless, though, there really was a lot to love.
Vanessa: The food in the buffet, but honestly, it’s a buffet at a family place. It’s okay to eat cheap pizza and a fountain drink while having a blast with the family.
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QUESTION

Would you refer Incredible Pizza to a friend?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: I’ve already told quite a few people about it and I know we’ll be back. We still have cash on our game cards and the kids beg me nearly daily to go to “that cool pizza place by that one water slide place.”
Jen: Yes, this would be a fun place to have children’s parties or even date night with the husband and some friends. It’s so much cleaner and has more things to do than similar pizza and games places; I especially love that they don’t use any paper tickets and the cards with your ‘credit’ never expire for that location.
Michelle: Yes, especially with the 99-cent buffet with game card purchase. It is a good price for dinner and entertainment.
Quinn: Absolutely, yes!  I was thoroughly impressed, especially by how clean everything was and how much there was to do.
Vanessa: YES YES! I ran home and called my mom and husband and was just raving about it. This really is an awesome place, so much fun and once again CLEAN! (Am I the only one that has had bad experiences with family places being gross?)
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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: Anywhere near Salt Lake County? Stop by @incrediblepizza for some serious food and fun. Good times for the entire family!
Jen: laser tag, bumper cars, arcade, bowling, mini golf, go carts… incredible pizza in draper gives me a fun buzz.
Michelle: Looking for dinner/entertainment for the entire family? Check out @IncrediblePizza for a buffet plus games/attractions for every age. #pizza
Quinn: For an absolutely fabulous family fun experience in #slc, check out @IncrediblePizza: huge buffet and tons of games and activities for all ages.
Vanessa: @incrediblepizza is in fact Incredible. Don’t let the name fool you, they have games and activities up the wazoo to do!

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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for Incredible Pizza.
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Atmosphere	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on Incredible Pizza in Draper! You’ll catch some video of those bumper cars in action! We should have a super tasty GIVEAWAY for our readers too!

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassy. We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit her super sweet blog!
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Jen
hello, hello. baking. my love. seasonal. crafting. peek-a-boo. autumn. singing. toesies. quilts. local. sundays. a good book. sweet baby jane. storms. cuddles. walks. textiles. homemade. eskimo kisses. forever families. Learn more about Jen here: http://delighfuldelicacieshello.blogspot.com/. Even better, read her tempting blog posts here: http://delighfuldelicacies.blogspot.com/.
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Disclaimer: The Sassies were invited to visit Incredible Pizza and received admission for their families in exchange for this feature.

You have probably seen the sign from the freeway, but get ready for an inside look at Incredible Pizza. The Sassies and their kiddos recently got to experience all the food and fun that is to be had inside this great, big entertainment center.

The menu at Incredible Pizza serves up much more than pizza, though you will find eight to ten kinds of pizza at a time. They have a buffet spread including pasta, soup, salad, potato bar, taco bar, a variety of homestyle options and a dessert bar to top everything off. Drinks are included, which is very important to our Sassy Emily who enjoys a certain diet cola.

There are multiple rooms available to dine in from the Gymnasium showing children’s programming on a giant screen to the Family Room that feels a bit more like home.

With more than 100 Games and Attractions including mini golf, mini bowling, laser tag, bumper cars and kids play area, you are sure to find something for everyone in the family. There are games for all ages, even little ones. My two-and-a-half-year-old had a surprising amount of options. You earn points from many of the games and they are automatically added to your game card to earn prizes. No dealing with ripping and counting tickets.

The buffet prices are fairly standard but currently discount to 99 cents with a children’s $12 or adult $17 game card purchase.

If you are looking for a birthday party venue, Incredible Pizza has private rooms that come with a variety of buffet and game card options starting at just $14.99 per guest.

Emily was given a tour of Incredible Pizza and caught it all on her Flip camera. To make watching even more fun, try counting how many times she uses the word “awesome” in her YouTube video below.

Incredible Pizza is located at:

12101 South State Street (formerly known as Factory Outlet Dr.)
Draper, Utah 84020

You can also find them online:

http://www.incrediblepizza.com/

Twitter: @Incredible Pizza

Facebook

Be sure to tune in Wednesday for the full review to see if Incredible Pizza lived up to its name!

P.S. Only a few more days to meet our Facebook contest goal for 2000 people to “like” SassyScoops!  Help us spread the word on Facebook by inviting your friends and family to “like” SassyScoops, showing their support for local business!

This summer my oldest two were able to enroll in a couple of the Utah Museum of Natural History’s summer camps for kids. With all the fun options (over 40 for kids ages kindergarten to middle school), it was hard narrowing it down. I could have easily signed them up for every one!

We finally chose Science & Art for Girls Only for Lauren (age 10) and then Ecological Investigations and Solve It Central for Madison (age 12). The Art & Science for Girls camp is an all-day camp while the Ecological Explorations and Solve It are half-day camps, so it worked out perfectly!

George was involved in one of UMNH’s spring camps and had a fabulous experience so I knew the girls were in for a real treat! The only thing I wasn’t looking forward to was the drive; fortunately my husband works in Research Park so he took them in the morning and I picked them up in the afternoon. Only one round-trip drive to the U made it even better!

Every day the girls came home with a list of cool thing they learned that day, though I will say after a week of all-day science camp, they were exhausted! But in the best kind of way. If Nathan is still working near the UMNH or I have someone to carpool with next year, I’m definitely going to check out the summer camps again.

Of course, don’t take my word for it. I had Madison and Lauren write a little something about their experience at the Utah Museum of Natural History’s summer camps. They even snapped a few photos for you! (Unfortunately Lauren’s photos are MIA. If/when we find them we’ll add them!)

Madison, age 12 (almost 13)
Ecological Investigations & Solve It Central summer camps

“I had a great time at the summer camp. My first half of the day was Ecological Investigations. We went on hikes, identifying animal tracks, and went to the museum’s herbarium. It was so cool! I loved our hikes and our teacher was fun.

The second half was Solve It where we dusted for fingerprints, had our very own crime scene, went to the crime lab where we met one of the people who worked there and she showed us how they dust for fingerprints and other cool things, and we learned how to tell which direction a blood spatter came from. I had fun and I really wish I could go next year, but I will be too old. Darn it! Oh well, I can still go to the museum!”

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Lauren, age 10
Science & Art for Girls Only summer camp

“It was awesome at summer camp. My first half of the day was SCIENCE!!!!!! I love science.

SCIENCE

The first day we went to the Sound Stadium it was really cool and we got to play a gigantic organ!!!!!!!, the next day a nice lady told us about bugs and I knew a lot about them because I read a lot of books about bugs but she told me a lot of stuff I didn’t know, next we DISSECTED OWL PELLETS!!!!!!! It was soooo fun I found I think three legs, a couple back bones, lots and lots of ribs , a skull and some bones that were broken, the last day I was there we learned a lot about engineers and make up for the make up we learned how to make bath fizzies and lib stick that was flavored ( mine was lemon flavored). (P.S. this was just the science part.)

ART AT BAD DOG STUDIOS

I love doing art so the second half of the day was awesome!!!!!!!!!!

The first day we did abstract art but because of my love for animals I made a bird and a bird nest in the cavity of a tree and the teacher because she is soooo nice I just had to add a couple of things on and then we spray painted it gold!!!!! The next day we did self portraits and I did my head on a dragon body with my cannibal catfish at my tail and a piano and a viola were on my body and it was raining and I had a paint in the sky. The next day we did horse sculptures made out of wire. My house is standing on its hind legs. My last day we drew and painted flowers. That’s my review, bye!”

Though the summer’s over and you’ve missed out on seriously enriching your children’s lives, mark your calendar now for UMNH’s spring and summer camps in 2011. They fill up quickly and you won’t want to miss out!

Okay, so the kids didn’t really get to play with the penguins or the piranhas (that’s a given!) but they did get to play with a few stingrays and sea urchins.

Before heading over to the luminescent jellies and local octopus, our kids were able to learn more about Utah’s endangered species, wetlands and our state’s important waterways. One of George’s favorite things to do is hop on the boat and take a simulated boat ride (life jacket not required).

After doing the local thing, which doesn’t take long because the kids are anxious to catch sight of the resident octopus and poisonous toads, we find ourselves staring transfixed at the jellyfish who change from neon blue to pink to who knows how many other colors. I could sit there for hours but my kids always have other plans…

From there we make our way to the stingray exhibit, arms outstretched to catch a touch of those silky smooth backs.

I have yet to touch one but my kids have been successful! And while the Sassies were there, Michelle’s little guy was a stingray magnet—those rays hovered, slapped and said hello to him multiple times! Me? I was too busy trying to get Livi’s arm to do the Plastic Man thing and stretch another foot as the rays went by.

Next to the rays is a fun hands-on exhibit with different open cases full of little creatures like non-poke-your-eye-out sea urchins. Wash your hands and you’re off to a little coral reef play area perfect for the little ones. Of course I prefer bypassing that for the large shark tank complete with nurse sharks and sea turtles. Love those sea turtles!

The last of the favorites are found in the rainforest section. George loves looking for the poisonous toads…

…and I love staring at fish larger than Livi. It’s almost unbelievable how big those fish can get! Not far down the path I can hear my girls giggling away and I know they’ve found the electric eel exhibit. Outside the case is a display where you can place your fingers and feel just how shocking those eels can be. It’s a hoot!

The penguin exhibit is awesome—another display where I could sit for hours watching those creatures swim and dive.

Of course my kids are always on the move, and this time we found ourselves enjoying the rainforest presentation. We had never attended one of the Aquarium’s presentations so this was a real treat! We shivered at the scorpions and giant cockroaches, got a little squeamish when the boa came around, and then oohed and aahed over the rainforest birds. Those feathered friends are quite talented!

Though the Living Planet Aquarium isn’t much to look at from the outside, you can find some real treats indoors. Oh, and their cafe is reasonably priced, which I love. It’s a great little family field trip if you need to escape the hot August sun or the frigid January snowfall.

It’s GIVEAWAY time!

Four (4) lucky SassyScoops.com readers are going to win a family 6-pack of passes to The Living Planet Aquarium!

It is easy to enter. Just leave a comment telling us your favorite water-loving creature.

But that’s not all…

You can earn EXTRA entries:

1 entry ~ “Like” The Living Planet Aquarium on Facebook

1 entry ~ Follow The Living Planet Aquarium on Twitter

2 entries ~ Tweet about this giveaway and include a link to your tweet in the comments.

2 entries ~ Facebook about this giveaway and include a link to your update in comments.

5 entries ~ Blog about this giveaway and include a link to your post in comments.

Good luck! This giveaway will end on Friday, September 3rdth at midnight!

P.S. All SassyScoops giveaway winners are notified via direct email.

So what did the Sassies and our guest Sassy Jen think of The Living Planet Aquarium? Read on to find out!
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QUESTION

What was your first impression?
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THE SCOOP

Emily: It’s proof of the saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” You would never think a fabulous little aquarium existed inside such a plain, unimpressive building. I remember when it was a craft store!
Evonne: Savannah is going to love this. Add this to our list of fun stuff to do in our area.
Jen: It’s a clean, well taken care of establishment.
Michelle: The parking lot was really busy so it must be a hopping spot. I thought it was fun that they have a giant “Bruce” (the shark from Finding Nemo) replica hanging above the gift shop.
Quinn: We LOVE the Aquarium, ever since our first visit over a year ago, we’ve just fallen in love with the quiet, peaceful atmosphere, along with all the fun animals to see and learn about.
Vanessa: The outside of the building does not match an aqarium but I am quite ruined after growing up right by the National Aquarium. The front room where you check in needs a lot of work; I hope someday they can move to a beautiful new building where they can design everything to a T.
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QUESTION

What did you like the most?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: I love the shark tank and the hands-on exhibits (the rays and the little ocean critters). I also love that the cafe is affordable—no $7 skimpy burgers or overpriced goodies. That’s a nice change! Oh, and the presentation was really fun too, though I don’t need to see a scorpion up close again. Once was enough.
Evonne: Savannah liked the hands on stuff, even though she cried when she actually did make contact.
Jen: Hands on activities like petting the sting rays and the presentations.
Michelle: My little guy’s favorite part is the hands-on area where you can touch the rays and starfish. He also really likes the giant coral that you can climb through and hide in. My favorites are the jellyfish and the rain forest displays.
Quinn: The Amazon and penguin exhibits are amazing!  I loved how the penguin exhibit was built so brilliantly to make it easy to watch the penguins jumping into and swimming through the water.  We had a great time in the class, too.  My kids are still talking about the parrots and being able to touch the boa constrictor and cockroach.
Vanessa: The penguins, the Amazon exhibit. I feel like the exhibits in the new addition (the Amazon) are very hands-on, educational, fun, bright, colorful and designed and put together very well.
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QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: I love that the Aquarium has a section on Utah-specific creatures and info, even if it’s not quite as exciting as iridescent jellyfish and sharks!
Evonne: I wish that there wasn’t construction right in front of the location. Boooo!
Jen: There’s not much to dislike, except for the very faint smell of ‘damp’ and that the building is surrounded by construction.
Michelle: All the road construction made it somewhat difficult to get there.
Quinn: Since I was bench-hopping this time (due to being heavy with child), I really noticed that some areas could use a bench (i.e. the penguin exhibit).
Vanessa: The Utah exhibit; I swear that thing just needs to GO as a whole.
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QUESTION

Would you refer The Living Planet Aquarium to a friend?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: Totally! It’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and kids of all ages love to go.
Evonne: Yes, I would not only refer a friend, I would take a friend with us.
Jen: Yes, to a friend with older toddlers and kids rather than small babies.
Michelle: Yes, I think it is a great indoor activity to beat the heat or get out of the rain or snow. I would like to check out their daily story time.
Quinn: Yes, I already have.  I think the year passes are a really good deal, though a big reason why I think this is how close the Aquarium is to our home.  If it wasn’t so close, we definitely wouldn’t be going as frequently.
Vanessa: Ok, here is my deal. I feel like this is something that is going to grow and we need to give it some local love while it gets there. I believe it is worth your money IF you make sure and time it right so you attend the free 30-minute exotic animal show. Then I would say yes, but without that…no. Not yet. But they will get there; until then we will still show them some support and love!
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QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

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THE SCOOP

Emily: Want to see some sharks, sea turtles and colorful jellyfish or touch a stingray? Visit Utah’s Living Planet Aquarium (@TLP2004) today!
Evonne: Do you wanna do something fun, and not be stuck in the heat? Visit @TLP2004
Jen: have you ever pet a stingray before? you can at the living planet aquarium in sandy, so awesome!
Michelle: Enjoy the sea life at Living Planet Aquarium where you can touch a ray & feel the shock of an eel.
Quinn: We LOVE the Living Planet Aquarium in #utah! If you haven’t been, you MUST go see all the fabulous animals, like the sharks, anaconda, octopus, sting rays, penguins and MUCH, MUCH more!
Vanessa: {coming soon}

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CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for The Living Planet Aquarium.
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Atmosphere	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

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Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on The Living Planet Aquarium! You’ll catch our kids and those stingrays in action! We’ll have a super tasty GIVEAWAY for our readers too!

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Here’s the scoop on our guest Sassy. We’d consider it a real treat if you’d visit her super sweet blog!
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Jen
hello, hello. baking. my love. seasonal. crafting. peek-a-boo. autumn. singing. toesies. quilts. local. sundays. a good book. sweet baby jane. storms. cuddles. walks. textiles. homemade. eskimo kisses. forever families. Learn more about Jen here: http://delighfuldelicacieshello.blogspot.com/. Even better, read her tempting blog posts here: http://delighfuldelicacies.blogspot.com/.
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Disclaimer: The Sassies were invited to visit The Living Planet Aquarium and received admission for their families in exchange for this feature.

Have you been to The Living Planet Aquarium yet?  The Sassies recently had the opportunity to experience all the fun and education available at The Living Planet Aquarium rand we’re thrilled to chat all about it this week!

Here’s a glimpse of The Living Planet Aquarium’s exhibits:

There are so many incredible animals to see.  From the penguins…

…to all the beautiful varieties of fish (including fish native to Utah), there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

The Living Planet Aquarium has over 1,250 animals and 267 species on display in their three main exhibits: Discover Utah, Ocean Explorer and Journey to South America.

Discover Utah houses some of Utah’s threatened and endangered species such as June suckers, least chub, Columbia spotted frogs and Boreal toads. Interactive exhibits include a simulated boat ride across the Great Salt Lake where you will learn about the life cycle of brine shrimp and brine flies, how the lake impacts the economy, why birds migrate to the lake and how the lakes’ ecosystem affects our planet. Families can learn all about the importance of preserving and protecting Utah’s waterways as they explore and experience this exhibit.

Ocean Explorer features saltwater species from all over the world. You’ll find sea jellies, eels, seahorses and 6 different species of sharks. Learn about why coral reefs are so important to our planet and find out the importance of invertebrates at the Bio-Facts Station. Interactive exhibits include the stingray touch tank and the coral community where the younger children can “swim” around through this magical coral reef, imagining what it would be like to be a fish at the bottom of the ocean.

Journey to South America takes you through the rainforests of South America, where you will encounter 10-foot anacondas, piranha, caiman alligators, desert insects, tree boas, electric eels, tree frogs and Amazon giants. The exhibit will also educate guests about the biodiversity of rainforest ecosystems, the benefits rainforests provide us and how we all can help protect these amazing habitats!

So what did the Sassies think about their time at The Living Planet Aquarium?  Better yet, what did their KIDS think of the Aquarium?  Stay tuned this week for our review on Wednesday and an AWESOME giveaway on Friday!

P.S. Only a few more weeks to meet our Facebook contest goal for 2000 people to “like” SassyScoops!  Help us spread the word on Facebook by inviting your friends and family to “like” SassyScoops, showing their support for local business!