Today I feature my first guest blogger, my son! I told him he could write about any topic he wanted and he picked this, as The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota is one of his favorite places to visit.

While a quarter million (250,000) currently live in Scottsdale, the original downtown/Old Town feels very much like a small town. There are many small shops of all types, fun restaurants, artwork and galleries galore, beautiful public areas, and an unbelievable amount of Western Americana.

My mom, sister, daughter, and I went to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. They host a special holiday event each year called Las Noches de las Luminarias” which is simply incredible.

Since we were going to be in town on Christmas this year, I decided to surprise my family and reserve a decorated igloo at the zoo for the evening (6-9 pm) of December 26.

While the weather may look just a little frightful for the next day or two, there’s a bunch of fun stuff for folks to do in the Omaha area between Christmas and New Years. I’d highly recommend taking advantage of it!

At this time of year, many folks like to get in the car and take a short holiday road trip if the weather cooperates, especially if the destination brings out the magic of the holidays. Kansas City is one of those places for me!

Zoolightful is fabulous and, if you possibly can, go!!! The decorations are fabulous, the atmosphere magical, and there are lots of opportunities to get family photos.

Last Wednesday evening my family and I attended one of the Bright Nights events at Lauritzen Gardens. If you love any of the things on this list - lights, poinsettias, flowers, good food, outdoor games, plants, or the holidays this event is for you!

Ready for some indoor fun (and learning)? Then I’d encourage you to explore the new Kiewit Luminarium Museum on the Omaha riverfront!