We've welcomed more new subscribers over the last few weeks, and we want to make sure you are all going to get the most out of your Macaroni Kid subscription. It's a great newsletter, and we hope you enjoy it! Even if you've been a subscriber for awhile, read over this list, and you might see something you didn't know about Macaroni Kid!
The GREAT ways to use Macaroni Kid!
1. Table of Contents: The white bar on the left side of the page is the "Table of Contents" for this week's edition. You can jump to any of the articles or the event sections by clicking there and you will remain in the current week's edition.
2. Past Issues: If you would like to look back at previous editions, scroll down a bit until you see "Past Reading - Pottstown News" in the side bar on the left. This is below the Facebook and Twitter icons. You will go to a list of dates and you can choose which newsletter to look at. This is great if you're looking for crafts for a certain season, or things to keep your kids busy during the summer months. Click the Macaroni Kid logo at the top of the site to come back to the current newsletter home page.
3. My Macaroni: (This is my favorite!!!) The pink "My Macaroni" button that appears above the Table of Contents list is a wonderful feature! You can click the plus sign (Add to My Macaroni) under any event listing and after you've selected all of the events that you are interested in, you can click the "My Macaroni" button and it will show your list. Then you can download everything to a pdf that you can save and/or print to take with you!! Then you'll have all the details right at hand when you're on the road!
4. Calendar: The "Calendar" feature will allow you to see the whole month at a glance to see how you may want to plan ahead for events. You can click on "View More" on any specific date and you'll see a more detailed list of that day's events. Our newsletter itself, displays the events coming up in the next 2 weeks, but in the calendar, you can find events happening further in the future.
5. Business Directory: The Biz Directory is the "Yellow Pages" for local families! Find local businesses who are family friendly! Some even offer specials for Macaroni Kid readers!
6. Sponsors: Please support our sponsors. Sponsors make it possible for Kim and I to offer this free service to you. Each local ad is approved and added to the page by us, so I can assure you that they are safe to click through. Likewise, all national ads are approved by the home office. Of course any transactions between you and the advertiser are the responsibility of the two parties involved and not myself or Macaroni Kid. So visit those sponsors and show them some Macaroni love!
7. Facebook, Twitter: Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter for the in-between newsletter news. We often post spur of the moment contests, announcements, great things we find, etc., on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter and don't want you to miss out! Follow us, please!
8. Feedback: Comment on things you like or send us an email by replying to the newsletter so we know what kinds of things you like to read about and see in the newsletter and events! If you have any suggestions for articles or events or even sponsors, please let us know! Your feedback makes us better and we want to be the best!
9. Share with Others: Share Macaroni Kid with your friends! What parent isn't looking for ideas to keep the kids busy? Don't limit this to parents - scout leaders, grandparents, teachers, and babysitters can all use Macaroni Kid! Don't keep this to yourself! Plus, the bigger we get, the more features we can add - this means more giveaways, more parties and more everything!! In your weekly email at the bottom of the page is an easy way to send to a friend! You can also share our Facebook posts on your own wall to spread the love as well! We love when you share!
10. Submit an Event: Use the "Submit an Event" button that you'll find on the upper left-hand side right above the Table of Contents to send us the info on an event in our area! Free local kid/family-friendly events will be included at our discretion.
11. Read More: If you click on the "Read More" below any article in the email newsletter or on the website the whole article will be visible.
12. Teens: Macaroni Kid isn't just for the younger crowd! We search for events going on in the area just for them! You can find them in the "Teen Scene" in the Table of Contents. Keep those teens busy too! We also keep on the lookout for articles that pertain to teens to share with parents as well.
13. Giveaways: Macaroni Kid Reading-Pottstown is always trying to bring you great giveaways! Not only are they fun, it's great to get something for free! BUT, you must be a subscriber to enter our giveaways! If you own a business, letting us do a giveaway for you is a great way to get your name out there! Combine it with an article about your business, and it's sure to be a big hit!
14. Help the Community: We both live in Berks County, and we are always looking for ways that we can help our local community. We have an annual fall fundraiser, for which we choose local non-profit groups to donate the proceeds to. We try to participate in many community fundraisers, and if we can't participate, we can still provide information to you in our newsletter. Let us know of your community projects, outreach programs, fundraisers, and more!
15. Become a Sponsor: Advertise with us and reach your targeted audience -- local moms & dads!! We can customize any advertisement package to work with your needs and your budget. Send us an e-mail (jenandkim@macaronikid.com) and let's talk! Our sponsors are what allow us to provide this awesome free resource for parents and our community! And with an average of 20,000 page views/month and over 1,200 subscribers, you know you're reaching your targeted audience!
16. What's at the End? Not all the "Good Stuff" is up at the top! Don't forget to scroll down to the end of the newsletter/website where you can see our Macaroni Groups section, the local library information, and more! Many times, due to all the great content in the newsletter, it is cut short in your e-mail. Click through to the website to see all of the great events and our entire content!
17. Traveling? If you are away on business, vacation or visiting friends in another city, make use of our Macaroni Kid sites throughout the country to see what is there is to do! We have over 500 , including Canada and even the North Pole! Simply go to www.macaronikid.com and choose the state you will be in and the drop down will show all the choices you have! If there is not one in a city you are planning to visit, let us know, maybe we can find a new publishing mom! Kim and I do love our job!
18. National Newsletter Options: There are several national newsletters available (Family Travel, National Newsletter, Macaroni Kid Eats, Military Families, Macaroni Stork, Safety Announcements, Family Fitness, etc.) and you can change your subscription preferences anytime by re-entering your information in the subscribe form, as long as you use the same email address as the original subscription. (If you need to change the newsletter subscriptions AND email address, you can reply to the newsletter for each one.) If we entered your information for you, you are only subscribed to the local newsletter and you are invited to subscribe to any of the other national newsletters available. We are also happy to help if you need it!
19. Change of Email: If you ever need to change your email address, simply hit reply on any newsletter and send us your new email address and we will be happy to change it for you.
20. And Finally: Questions, comments, just want to say hello or have a fun idea you would like to share?
 Contact us at jenandkim@macaronikid.com. We LOVE to hear from our subscribers - you are our Macaroni Family!
