Free and cheap with the kids
Hoo boy, busy week, huh? In addition to begging for candy door to door, here's our look at things to do the rest of this week that cost less than a large pumpkin:
It's grand opening weekend at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, which means shoppers in north Tampa and Pasco County have lots of deals nearby. If your baby is in costume, moms can join a free fitness class from Stroller Strides Friday at 9 a.m. in the center court of the mall. RSVP for your sSpot by pre-registering for the free class and placing Wiregrass in the Class Location. Please arrive 15 minutes early for om-site registration. The first 20 moms who sign up for a membership receive 50 percent off November's classes. Call (813) 394-7754 for more details.
There's so much to do at Thursday's Halloween Fun Fest at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Recreation Complex, 2300 N Oregon Ave. in Tampa. The kids will find a moonwalk, haunted house, games, a sack race, board games, arts and crafts, a cake walk, refreshments and face painting. The fest runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and it's $4.
Pack a picnic basket and see a free outdoor showing of E.T. on Saturday sponsored by the Bank of America and Tampa Theatre at Al Lopez Park 4810 N Himes Ave. in Tampa. The film will begin just after sunset, about 7 p.m., but people start arriving as early as 5 to picnic and people watch. Frisbees available for purchase at the dedicated Frisbee zone. Then check out the exploits of a boy and his alien on an inflatable 50-foot wide screen.
If this crisp weather has you itching to get outside, join the Nature Walk at Moccasin Lake Nature Park, 2750 Park Trail Lane in Clearwater on Saturday morning. Starting at 8 a.m., the group will walk a 3/4-mile trail to see song birds and raptors in a water and hammock habitat. Bring binoculars if you have them. Price: $3.50; $1.85 for children 12 and younger.
Tickets start at $8 for hockey games, so shake off the baseball season by checking out the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Ottawa Senators on Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive in Tampa. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. Call (813) 301-2500.
After you've stuffed yourself with Halloween candy, shop for organic produce at 
the Sunday Farmer's Market at the Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, 6942 W Comanche Ave. in Tampa. The market, which runs from noon to 4 p.m., features live music and classes on how to make organic gardens and how to live healthier.
No time to cook before the Halloween fun begins? Let's Eat, the make-and-take meal assembly store, is stocking up on meals you can pick up and throw in the oven when you get home. It's $20 for an entree that serves four to six people. They have more than 20 menus to choose from, such as Southwestern beef enchiladas, meatballs and sauce, shrimp fettuchini with blue cheese alfredo, vegetarian lasagna and white bean chicken chili. Just stop by the store or call ahead to have a favorite set aside. They are available daily until 6 pm. Friday. Call (727) 289-7126 or just show up at 4946 Fourth St. N. And let us know about other deals like this out there.
Now, we know you want to still enjoy some Halloween fun, so check out these events. And check here for more fun all weekend long.
-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne
[Stroller Strides and vegetabls photos: Times files; E.T. -- Associated Press]
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Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
Amy Hollyfield is a workaholic mother of two young
daughters, blessed to have a work-at-home husband who makes their life possible. She was born in Detroit and moved around a lot as a kid (read: Air Force brat). She has lived in Florida since the month after she
graduated from Northwestern University. She lives for the yelps, hugs and kisses that greet her on nights that she makes it home before bedtime.
Sherry Robinson was born in the Sunshine State but she feels more comfortable inside a mall than outside at the beach -- thank goodness her husband is the outdoorsy type. He takes their two sons on night hikes, beach runs and bug hunts while Sherry does her best to take care of the homestead -- and find out what is new on the store shelves. A graduate of the University of South Florida in 19noneofyourbusiness, Sherry has been at the Times for nearly 20 years. And with nearly 10 years of parenting experience, Sherry is eager to offer up some great dish on raising kids and keeping your sanity.
Guest blogger Tracey Henry, a.k.a. Suburban Diva, is a frantic, slightly frazzled mother of four. She is a freelance humor writer and author which is the only thing that parenting four children ages 12-1 trains you for, except perhaps court jester and professional bull rider. She and her husband have lived all over the country, but settled in Florida eight years ago because the beachcombing is so much better here than on the banks of the Mississippi. Their family time includes a lot of sport -- both watching and playing -- and fun in the sun and surf. Catch her in Whoa, Momma! and on her site, 
Sherri Day and her husband welcomed their daughter into the world in early 2008. So far, she describes parenthood as exciting, exhausting and exhilarating. A self-described Southern belle with small-town values and big-city idealism, Sherri was born in rural Georgia. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from Clark Atlanta University and her master's of journalism from the University of California at Berkeley. She is the Brandon bureau chief for the Times. Sherri moved to Tampa from Brooklyn four years ago.
