Furlong Mom Creates Ultimate Weekend Survival Guide for Parents

They are two of the most dreaded words children can say to their parents.

"I'm bored."

With that simple phrase, images of expensive, mind-numbing trips to Chuck E. Cheese or the Burger King playground flash before mom and dad's eyes because they can't find anything else to keep the kids occupied.

That's where 4kidsinPA.com comes in handy. From her home in Furlong, Donna Moy Holmes scours the web for family friendly activities, day trips and events happening all over the state. 

"I got tired of looking for things to do and finding websites that were outdated with old events," said Holmes. "I started gathering up the info into a calendar and sending it to some of my friends."

Like a scene straight out of Bye, Bye Birdie, those friends shared the calendar with other friends, and soon complete strangers started e-mailing Holmes for weekend tips and ideas. Having spent years traveling the country to help companies like E-Bay and VerticalNet develop software, Holmes used her experience to launch 4kidsinPA.com in January 2009. Not long after going live, she partnered with Karen Walker, who lives in State College, to help with the site management.

"I was updating it every night," said Holmes. "I wanted something that was simple to read and entertaining. I spent more money than I made because I just wanted to help families and kids."

She held off on recruiting advertisers, simply because she felt uncomfortable taking money from businesses without being able to guarantee success. Finally, the owner of Split Rock Resorts convinced her to give it a shot.

"It was a $10 off coupon," said Holmes. "I really didn't know what we had. We agreed to test it out, and if it didn't work, then we would know. He said he had more than 100 people come in with the coupon in just a few weeks."

Over the next four years, Holmes has seen her idea become an absolute necessity for parents. She has expanded in New Jersey with 4kidsinNJ.com, with plans for Delaware and beyond in the works.

The site's Facebook page is equally robust, with constant updates on special deals and upcoming notable events all over the state.

To her amazement, Holmes has a staff of employees that work remotely. She hopes to have office space within the next year.