Santa Claus is coming to town!
We Mommas know that once Halloween has come and gone, we are just rolling downhill to Christmas. So it should be no surprise that the jolly old elf himself is coming to town and he's not waiting until Christmas Eve to make his rounds. Santa will be checking in at bay area malls as early as Friday. And while I love Christmas, even that seems too early to me especially since it isn't very cool here yet. But I digress.
At International Plaza in Tampa, which always has those cool snowglobes, Santa will be listening to kids toy wishes beginning Friday through Dec. 24. Santa's hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (30-minute reindeer break at 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.) and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (1 hour reindeer break at 2 p.m.)
The next day, Saturday, Santa will show up at Westfield Brandon Shopping Centre to greet the kids. Photos will be available through Dec. 24 in the Dick's Sporting Goods Court. Hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (with one-hour breaks at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.) and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (one-hour break at 3 p.m.) Westfield malls at Citrus Park in Tampa and Countryside in Clearwater will also welcome Santa on Saturday.
On Nov. 14 between 6 and 8 p.m., Santa will make his way to Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg.
On Nov. 15, Santa will make his arrival for breakfast at University Mall in Tampa. Buy tickets for $5 at customer service for a Chick-Fil-A breakfast, goodies and fun with the man himself. All proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County. Through Dec. 24, kids can go sit on Santa's lap and ask him for that special toy. And from 6-9 p.m each Monday from Nov. 24 through Dec. 15, bring your pets in for a photo with Santa.
Santa will also arrive at WestShore Plaza in Tampa on Nov. 15.
New mall on the block, the Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, is showing a little restraint, waiting until Nov. 23 to welcome Santa Baby.
And at Old Hyde Park Village, Santa will arrive Nov. 28 between 6 and 8 p.m. to light the 30-foot Christmas tree next to the fountain. Let's hope that the weather is a little cooler by then.
-- Sherry Robinson
[Yep, that's Ralphie wishing he was asking for his BB gun instead of a football]
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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.