reviews

ringling brothers and barnum & bailey's FUNUNDRUM

Last night I took the girls to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus' Funundrum show, now playing at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia! We had so much fun!!

Now one of the coolest features of the circus is the all-access preshow  that is included with every ticket. You can see clowns and magic tricks, meet performers and get autographs and get up close with some of the animals. The kids had so much fun -- they were sad when we had to go back to our seats so the show could start! (They had no idea that things had only just begun!)

The show began and the kids were riveted  -  I don't think they even blinked! Between the elephants and horses and acrobats and trapeze artists and motorcycles and music and clowns... it was everything a circus is supposed to be!

My kids both are crazy about animals, so they loved any act that involved animals in any way (the tigers! the elephants!). They were absolutely hysterical at their antics and Ellie was hiding her face when the tiger tamer was working his magic! But they were SO impressed with the motorcycle cage -- Gracie was seriously worried about them! It was so cute.

We hadn't even pulled out of the parking lot when they were asking when we could go again! If you're in Philly, go check this show out! Thanks to Mom Central, you can purchase a 4 pack of tickets for only $44 on a weekday (or $4 off weekend tickets) by logging onto http://www.comcasttix.com and entering the coupon code: MOM. (Seriously, for the cost of a MOVIE you can go see the circus!! SUCH a bargain!!) And - just so you know - this is an AMAZING deal, so take advantage!

If you do go, a few pointers:

• GET THERE EARLY.Philadelphia traffic aside, there is a ton to do before the show. You do not wantto miss the animal meet-and-greet and the preshow. Its all included with your ticket, so go and get your money's worth!
• Be prepared to buy a hat or a program or something. I know, I know, they cost a small fortune. But all the performers will give autographs at the preshow, which our kids thought was so much fun!
• Go to the dollar store beforehand and buy some of those glow-in-the-dark necklaces and stuff. I meant to do that and forgot, but some other families did and - not only were my kids were totally jealous - but they looked so cool! (We are meanies who refused to buy $15 flashlight-thingys.)

disney social media moms celebration: day two

Thursday morning, all of us moms were up bright and early to catch the bus to Epcot for breakfast.  I met some fabulous 'Disney moms': JL, Jennifer, Jackie, and some others I can't remember.  While we were enjoying a yummy breakfast, we listened to a fabulous presentation by Guy Kawasaki. He was so real and funny as he gave us tons of tips on how to harness the power of Twitter for our sites... such great information that was  especially appreciated by us busy moms who are always trying to make the most of our time!

Then came one of the highlights:  Disney’s involvement in the conference was to share about Disney’s Give A Day, Get a Day program. Already, 600,000 volunteers have signed up and completed the program to date - but Disney's goal is to get to one million volunteers. The entire day's events focused on honoring those who have volunteered, spotlighting volunteer opportunities and encouraging people to continue to give. It was inspiring! 

And, boy, was the audience surprised when Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition  made an appearance and had the audience to shout with him “move those balloons!” to reveal the  world’s largest canned food sculpture–more than 115,000 cans.   (Later that day there was a volunteer event to dismantle the sculpture and pack the canned food into boxes for distribution to food shelters.) Can you believe I forgot my camera for this morning? Of all mornings! Like I'm going to run into Ty Pennington again someday. UGH!!

After the presentation, my family and I headed over to the Princess Storybook Dining at Norway's Akershus. We've never been to any character meal at Disney and it was everything I'd heard! This was the highlight of the trip for Gracie, so for me it was worth every penny. We met Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Ariel, Belle and Cinderella:

I was worried the kids wouldn't really enjoy Epcot after our day at Magic Kingdom, but they had a blast. Disney has done a great job of providing fun activities throughout the park. They loved walking through World Showcase (where we saw tons of characters: Aladdin, Jasmine, Mulan, and Mary Poppins to name just a few). The girls were crazy about Test Track and rode it twice. But the highlight for the entire family was when Colin got to see Nemo! The Seas with Nemo and Friends ride is totally amazing... I was blown away. SUCH a cool ride! We rode it three times, I think. I wish it had been around when Ellie was 2 and totally obsessed with all things Nemo.  Colin was squealing with excitement the entire time. I'll never forget it!

Later that evening, we were treated to yet another surprise: an amazing dinner prepared by Chef Robert Irvine and his crew from Food Network's Dinner Impossible. Thursday night’s event was held outside and it was cold, but Disney staff was handing out hand warmers and had outdoor heaters to help kept us warm. We parked ourselves next to a heater at a table with Mandy's adorable family and enjoyed the food that was inspired by the Disney Princesses!  I loved the seafood shepherd’s pie while Gracie and Colin inhaled the chicken lo mein: I  can’t wait to see the show when it airs on Food Network in the spring!  
After dinner we were treated to a concert by a new band, Allstar Weekend (winners of Disney’s Next Big Thing contest), then  Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato took the stage.  The concert ended with a fabulous fireworks display. This was my girls first concert experience and they were totally into it! They were waving their glow sticks and dancing around with their arms in the air... they were so cute they even got up on the big screen :-) It was a fantastic night and a terrific party. Disney pulled out all the stops to honor the volunteers!

Disclaimer: I paid a fee to attend this conference, but as an attendee I received complimentary items, special discounts, and other exciting benefits such as food and entertainment, so my family and I could experience the magic of Walt Disney World.

because i love you all. and i love purses.

Here's a coupon for an additional 20% off your purchase at Coach outlet through 2/28.

Go buy yourself a treat.

 

disney social media moms celebration: day one

Wednesday morning we were woken up bright and early at the Embassy Suites Orlando Airport by three extremely excited little people! We headed downstairs for breakfast, where we ran into Janine and her adorable twin girls who were so sweet. What a great way to start our Disney Mom experience! We hopped on the shuttle and transferred to the Magical Express at the airport and were on our way to the Walt Disney World Resort.

We were dropped off at the Polynesian Resort, checked in (and met Christy - such a sweetie!) and went to pick up my conference packet (and a sweet bag of goodies!) and immediately headed out to the Magic Kingdom!  We spent a fabulous day at the Magic Kingdom, taking full advantage of the media fast pass that was in our packet! It would be hard to pick a single highlight, but a few included:

• Colin's face when he saw Pooh for the first time. He was jumping up and down in pure joy, giggling and pointing yelling "POOOOHH!!" Disney Magic at its best.
  
  
  
• The rides. Its a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo... I can't describe how fun it is to see my kids loving the rides I loved as a kid!
• Ellie and Gracie are finally old enough to do some big rides! Their favorite ride was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Ellie even braved Pirates of the Caribbean!
• Meeting Ariel. We never got to meet her on our last trip to Disneyland, so Gracie was in heaven!



We returned to our hotel around 4:30 get ready for night's festivities! At 5:00 we caught the bus to ESPN Wide World of Sports. The kids and families were whisked away for some hot chocolate and sports-themed fun while the bloggers were treated to a short briefing and presentation by Meg Crofton, President of the Walt Disney World Resort. We listened as she and several others spoke to us about what's next for Disney. And there are some amazing things on the horizon:

Fantasy Land Expansion - For me, the mom of two little princesses, this was the most exciting news of the night. Guests will be able to have even more magical encounters with Disney princesses, like hanging out with Cinderella and attending Princess Aurora's 16th birthday party - complete with helping the three good fairies with preparation!  Each princess will have her own themed village within Fantasyland Forest. My girls will think they've died and gone to princess heaven!! Even Dumbo is getting a makeover, doubling the ride's capacity and riders can play carnival games while they wait in line. (And if you have kids, you KNOW how long the line for Dumbo usually is!)

Summer Nighttastic - The Mainstreet Electrical Parade we grew up with is coming back this summer!!  Oh, what I would give to see this again! It was always my favorite parade growing up and I'd love to share it with this kidlets!


Disney Cruise Line - Not only is Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas, getting a  huge makeover, but there will be two new ships in the Disney fleet. Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are scheduled to set sail in 2011 and 2012. Disney Cruise Line will also be sailing beyond the Bahamas - ships will be sailing both to Alaska and Europe. It has been my dream for years to take an Alaskan cruise - totally on my 'bucket list'. And now I know what cruise line I want to go on! 

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex - Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex has joined forces with ESPN to create a truly amazing sporting experience for athletes of all ages and levels. Every athletes will feel like professionals as they see themselves featured on ESPN and get the Disney touch on their sporting events.

After the presentations, we met up with our families and were treated to an amazing night of Disney entertainment – yummy food, dancing for the kids, characters visiting our tables, and schmoozing with other bloggers. This night was by far my kids favorite. Who knew my girls had inherited their Mama's love of dancing the night away? We practically had to drag them off the stage. It was a fabulous party and just a small taste of the amazing week that was to come!

Disclaimer: I paid a fee to attend this conference, but as an attendee I received complimentary items, special discounts, and other exciting benefits such as food and entertainment, so my family and I could experience the magic of Walt Disney World.

disney's polynesian resort

We just recently enjoyed a three night stay at Disney's Polynesian Resort, part of the gorgeous Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Flordia. And when I say "enjoyed" I mean "had the socks knocked off of us." Lets start at the beginning:

We pulled up to the Polynesian after getting off the Magical Express, walked over a waterfall-lined, tropical walkway lined with flaming tiki-torches and into the amazing lobby. We were all given leis and my kids were literally squealing in delight - it was just so beautiful. The main building - the Ceremonial House - hosts the hotel main desk, several shops and restaurants and the walkway to the monorail. Seeing as its Disney, the staff was absolutely delightful.

Our room was a standard garden view room. It had two queen beds, a day bed, gorgeous Polynesian-style decor  and a huge marble bathroom with private toilet. The rooms also have coffeemakers, refrigerators and microwaves (on request), hair dryers, irons and ironing boards and an in-room safe. We also had a crib in our room (also complimentary on request). There was more than enough room for our family of 5, the huge double stroller, our four suitcases and our piles of other stuff. Our room was quiet, comfortable and gorgeous!

As I've said before the two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1) comfy beds and 2) a great shower. The beds at the Polynesian were very comfy. I loved the bedside lamps on a dimmer - they made perfect nightlights for the kids. (The hotel also will provide bedrails if you need for little ones). The shower was literally my only disappointment with this hotel. Our shower was week - only one setting worked and not very well. I couldn't even get my hair clean.  

The hotel offers so much right on site (which we learned during a rainy day!). There are four restaurants on site - one of which is Ohana, which offers a popular character breakfast. (Get there early, even with a reservation. Its really popular!!) Captain Cook's is a quick service restaurant that offers kids meals for around $5 as well as bottles of milk and juice that we stocked our fridge with to pacify the toddler until we could get him real breakfast. The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show is very popular as well. They even had craft activities every afternoon for the kidlets.

As for location, I cannot imagine a better location within the Disney Resort - its located directly across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom. You can even watch the fireworks from the sandy beach at the resort! The monorail comes right outside the lobby and within minutes you can be at the Magic Kingdom. Buses to Epcot, Downtown Disney, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom full up right outside, or you can walk one block to the Transportation Center and get the monorail to Epcot.

This hotel was FABULOUS! Our next trip to Disney, I will look into staying here first before any other Disney hotel. The location is just too perfect!! And my kids, who have stayed at lots of hotels in their young lives, said this was their most favorite hotel ever!

disclosure: i stayed at the polynesian as part of the disney social media moms conference. while i did pay to attend the conference, we were given a terrific deal by disney!

Cuisinart Grind-and-Brew Coffeemaker

Hovering at the top of my Christmas list this year was the Cuisinart Grind-and-Brew Coffeemaker. I needed a new coffeemaker in the worst way... I NEED coffee in the mornings and my old coffeemaker was on the fritz. I asked a few fellow coffee-lovin' friends and the response was practically unanimous: Cuisinart Grind-and-Brew.

What they say:

• this 10-cup automatic coffeemaker grinds whole beans right before brewing to produce a fresh and flavorful pot of coffee.
• 24-hour fully programmable unit works great for "wake-up" coffee or having coffee ready when it's time to serve dessert--without getting up from the table.
• Smaller amounts can be brewed without any loss of flavor thanks to the unit's 1- to 4-cup setting, and its grind-off feature allows for using pre-ground coffee.
• 10-cup (5 ounces each) thermal stainless-steel carafe with a generous stay-cool handle and drip-free pouring spout. 

What I say:

This coffee lover has died and gone to heaven. This coffeemaker has my coffee perfectly brewed, piping hot and waiting when I stumble down the stairs every morning. Unlike other pots I've had with a programmable feature - this one actually works. The thermal carafe keeps my coffee hot for hours without having to keep the coffeepot "on" which is fabulous: I'm saving electricity and I no longer have to worry about shutting of the coffee pot as I'm running out the door.
And the taste is phenomenal. Even my normal coffee tastes better (maybe its the charcoal water filter?) and - when I'm in the mood for a treat - I have fresh ground gourmet coffee at my fingertips. The grind feature is automatic, so if you always use pre-ground coffee, its a little annoying to have to remember to shut off the grinder. But for me its worth it to have to option when I want to brew some of my gourmet stash. (They do make a version without a built-in grinder.) Its quiet, its very easy to clean and it looks terrific on my countertop! I can't imagine ever buying another coffeemaker!!

disclosure: i was not compensated in any way for this review. the above links are affiliate links.

some deals this week

• Old Navy is having a huge sale on baby and kids clothes -- and there is a TON of cute stuff on sale!! Use the coupon code ONGET15 to get an additional 15% off your purchase.
  
• If you've been waiting to buy a Dyson, this week at Target all Dysons are on sale - about 20% off!
  
• Williams Sonoma has a 3.5-qt oval dutch oven on sale for only $130 -- that's $125 off!
  
• The circus is coming back to Philly next week and we're thrilled!!
  Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday shows, or receive $4 off weekend tickets by logging onto www.ComcastTix.com and entering the coupon code: MOM

embassy suites - orlando airport

On our recent trip to Orlando, we spent two nights at the Embassy Suites Orlando Airport.

This hotel's convenience can not be beat - we got our luggage, called the hotel, and they sent the shuttle right over. Within 15 minutes, we were at the hotel checking in. The hotel was very nice and all you expect from a typical Embassy Suites: a huge lobby and gorgeous atrium with a fountain. It was located only 6 miles from the airport and is surrounded by several great restaurants, all within walking distance. 

Our room was perfect for our family of five: two queen beds, a crib for the baby and a sofa bed. There was plenty of room for all five of us and our mountain of luggage. It had everything we needed including a fridge, microwave, two televisions (Disney Channel for kids, Olympics for mom and dad), a huge bathroom (big enough for three kids to take a bath!), and a full hot breakfast every morning. And it was all for a very reasonable price.

I highly recommend what we did: The first day we flew in to Orlando, we stayed at Embassy Suites for a night, then caught their airport shuttle back to the airport and hopped on Disney's Magical Express. Our last night, we did the same - taking the Magical Express to the airport and transferring to to Embassy Suites for a night before flying out the next morning. It was so great with the kids - we were able to decompress and relax before and after the craziness of Disney. After 5 busy, tiring days at Disney, a relaxing night of ordering pizza in our room (and complimentary wine for mom and dad) was just what the doctor ordered!!

The staff at this hotel went above and beyond for our family. At the welcome reception the first evening, one employee - without our asking- found apple juice and a bowl of fresh fruit for my toddler. I was blown away by that little gesture. Then when it was pouring rain, we asked if the front desk had umbrellas we could borrow to walk to a nearby restaurant and they offered to drive us over in the shuttle. The second night we stayed, my husband went to check on the kids in the dark and walked into the coffee table, slicing his leg open. The staff at the front desk was so helpful and concerned for him, providing first aid supplies and even offering to drive him to the ER if he needed.  The staff made this hotel stand out from other Embassy Suites we've stayed at.

The only complaint I have is just a general hotel one: thin walls. We could hear the man in the room next to us having a phone conversation like he was in the room with us (which means everyone could probably hear my son's crying at 1am loud and clear as well). And the open atrium - while gorgeous - was rather loud on the Saturday night we were there while our kids were going to sleep.

All in all, I highly recommend this hotel and would definitely stay here again! The two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1. comfy beds and 2. a great shower. And this hotel had both! (Seriously, very comfy beds and a terrific shower!) See how comfy:

(Baby not sleeping is no indication of how comfy beds are.
He isn't a fan of sleep in general.)

Disclosure: i was not compensated financially for this review. photo is from hilton.com, since as soon as we enter a hotel room with our three kids, it no longer is picture-worthy.

rainbow brite is back and she's adorable!

Okay, how fun is it that all of our favorite childhood characters are now being experienced by our kids all over again? Cabbage Patch Kids, Transformers... They're all back! And now we have a new favorite to add to the list - Rainbow Brite!

When I opened the package, my two daughters both high-pitched-girlie-squealed in delight. They have no idea who Rainbow Brite is, of course, but she looks like something right up their alley. They eagerly ran upstairs to the computer and popped it in.

They loved it. Its so bright and girly and fun! (And she has horses!! My girls are nuts about horses... especially pink ones :-) The games are great, they  loved the puzzles and the little video and I love the positive messages Rainbow Brite reinforcing to my girls. My girls are huge fans of coloring pages, so they've been constantly begging to print more!

You can go to Rainbow Brite.com and meet her new friends and watch 4 new Rainbow Brite animated mini episodes.  You can visit Rainbow Brite, her two loyal friends Moonglow and Tickled Pink, and their horse friends:  Starlite, Shimmer, and Sunriser on their adventures in Rainbow Land.  Raindow Brite's fans will love the  new Rainbow Brite fashion doll collection, which is now available at Target stores and soon available at Toys R’ Us. 

Disclosure: I was provided with the Rainbow Brite CD pack free of charge from Mom Select. I was not compensated financially for this review.

dyson d25 (aka my new baby)

A few months ago our vacuum died suddenly.

Well, actually it wasn't suddenly... seeing as it was probably 20 years old, used to belong to my mother-in-law and had issues with basic vacuum cleaner functions like "turning on" and "sucking things up."

Anyway, after doing some careful research and considering several different brands, I decided it was time to go after my dream vacuum... a Dyson.  (And if you don't think its strange to have a "dream vacuum" then you have come to the right place.)

First I bought the Dyson DC14... and I hated it. I KNOW, right?! It was supposed to be super amazing!  An - in all fairness -  it was really nice. It had so much suction that my carpet looked like it had been shampooed. But was really heavy and hard to maneuver.  So I went online and decided to try the Dyson DC25 Ball instead. Kohls let me return the first one (Love Kohls!) and I picked up the D25.

I LOVE IT!! LOVE IT LOVE IT!!! It has ruined me for other vacuums. Its light, so easy to maneuver (even under the kitchen table), works great on all our floors (carpet, hardwood and tile), and is VERY easy to use on the 4 flights of stairs we have. I know that Dyson vacuums are pricey, but this vacuum blows every other one I tried out of the water. And I love that there are no bags or filters or anything else to buy... EVER! Once you decide you want one, just keep a close eye on the sales and you'll be fine. In my opinion, it was totally worth the price.

And let me just share the conversation I had with my husband while we were putting the D25 together:
"Well, I was going to get you a Christmas present, but now you have your Dyson."
"WHAT? A vacuum cleaner does NOT count as a Christmas present!"
"A vacuum cleaner doesn't. But this isn't a vacuum cleaner. Its a Dyson."
What can I say? He's right!!

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this review....  I just love my new vacuum. The above post does have affiliate links, since I'm sure this will convince you to run out and buy one for yourself!!