Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Circus XTREME

March 25, 2015 by 2 Comments

We just saw the new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show, Circus XTREME.  My son loves the circus, and this year did not disappoint. With amazing circus acts, incredible performers who are able to twist and turn their bodies in ways that most of us can’t even imagine, and acts that make you wonder if your eyes are deceiving you- Ringling Brothers truly is the “greatest show on earth”.

The circus you have loved since your own childhood is back and ready for you to make memories with your children.  Every child should see the circus, and this is a show not to be missed. If you get there early, there is a pre-show available for one hour before the circus begins, where your family can interact with performers.  Try juggling, take photos with performers, and meet the clowns you will shortly see performing.

pic8The All Access Pre-show is free with your ticket purchase. You and your family can meet the international cast of performers and get up close to the menagerie of animals. Try on custom costumes, learn circus skills — like juggling and walking the low wire — from the famous Ringling Bros.® Clown Alley and even have the opportunity to win a one-of-a-kind masterpiece created by one of our very own Ringling Bros. painting pachyderms.
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Gillette Venus Swirl Razor and Venus Olay Violet Swirl Shave Gel

March 23, 2015 by 9 Comments

Disclosure- This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Gillette Venus. All opinions are my own.

Gillette is constantly putting out new and innovative shaving products, and today we are going to spotlight the newest razor and shaving gel for women.  Check out the Gillette Venus Swirl Razor and Gillette Venus Olay Swirl Shave Gel.  Quite the mouth full but worth taking note of, you’ll see.

cannon 3 23 15 004The Swirl razor has a characteristic you don’t see on many other razors, a swivel ball.  This ball resembles the swivel ball vacuum cleaners, which use the ball to allow further control and precision.  The razor is quite similar.  It also moves on up and down to further follow the natural contours of your body no matter what portion that is, from legs to underarms and everywhere in between.
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Awesome Kidz Bop 28 CD

March 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Disclosure: The Kidz Bop 28 CD mentioned below was provided for me in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.
Kids Bop 28

I’m sure that you all remember by now how much my girls love to listen to their Kids Bop cds. They were so excited to be able to try out the brand new cd. There are some great new songs on this cd that the girls really enjoy jamming out to.

About Kidz Bop:

Kidz Bop records kid-friendly versions of today’s biggest pop music hits. They release two major numbered albums each year. They also release a themed album in the spring.

Who sings on the Kidz Bop albums?

The Kidz Bop kids sing on the kidz bop albums. For four consecutive years (2010-2013), Billboard magazine has named the Kidz Bop Kids the “#1 Kids Artists” in the U.S. !

Who are the Kidz Bop Kids and how does Kidz Bop cast the group?

Meet the new Kidz Bop kids – Ashlynn, Bredia, Grant, Jayna, and Matt! Kidz Bop recently held a nationwide casting call to find a new group of talented young performers to sing on the Kidz Bop albums, star in TV commercials & music videos and travel North America as part of the Kidz Bop Kids live tour. Thousands of kids across the country try out and only 5 are picked.
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Fantasy Playthings for Children

March 18, 2015 by 3 Comments

Kids need to spend time in their own imaginations, creating worlds and scenarios of their own design.   Children who engage in imaginative play are shown to have better vocabularies, better cognitive flexibility, more creativity, and increased creative performance both on and off the job into their adult years.  They are also more flexible, able to consider other’s opinions, and adapt better in many situations.  Fantasy play is also just a lot of fun- here are a few of our current favorites.

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Safari LTD makes  a wide variety of figurines that are perfect for imaginative play.  No matter whether your child likes to pretend they are on a farm, in a faraway land, under the sea, or with mythical creatures (or maybe a mash up of the above), they can find fun new friends they will enjoy playing with for years.  Sturdy, with realistic painting and anatomies (of course, even the dragons!) these toys can take a tumble and look no worse for the wear.  They are fun to collect, but don’t need to stay on a shelf to be enjoyed.  You can find creatures in all shapes and sizes at https://www.safariltd.com/

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HABA puppets are great for children of any age (HABA recommends age 1 and up, but as they are soft with no loose parts or buttons, younger would be OK in my opinion as well).  They are soft-bodied with sewn-on faces and easy to manipulate parts.  These simple and cute puppets are basic use- one finger holds up the head, one moves one arm/hand, another moves the other.  They have many smiling, friendly faced choices that will give your kids many happy hours of theater-show creations.  There are also themes you can get in a set (one by one) such as Red Riding Hood, royal family, and more.  Finger puppets are also available. I have machine washed and hung-to-dry mine, which as any parent knows, is a bonus with messy kids who love to play.  Most puppets are about $15, see http://www.habausa.com for choices.
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Transformers Robots in Disguise New TV Show

March 10, 2015 by 8 Comments

There is a new kids TV show coming out called Transformers Robots in Disguise, a new take on a classic show.  The premiere is Saturday, March 14 at 6pm. Following the premiere, new episodes will be seen every Saturday starting on March 21st at 6:30am on Cartoon Network.

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With every fun show comes a great toy line- and since Transformers is already so established (my husband and brothers played with them- and my husband still does- back in the 80’s, and my son loves them now) with great toys that transform as well as blockbuster movies and television shows spanning decades, you know this will be a hit.  We watched the first two episodes of “Transformers Robots in Disguise”, and my son loved them and is excited for the new show.  I won’t divulge too much information, but the show had a Japanese animation feel (think Pokemon-ish) to the art, and BumbleBee takes the lead from what we saw. This was just fine by my son, who likes the Bee the best. You will see some of your favorites as well as be introduced to many new characters, both human and “bot”.  The first two episodes also leave some large questions unanswered, so we ourselves will be tuning in to see what’s going on.
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Natural Dog Bed from Savvy Rest

March 4, 2015 by 149 Comments

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own and honest.  For more, see “I Disclose”.

Our dog Cooper is a bit of a bum.  He likes to lounge around all day, all over the place.  He’s not, however, a huge fan of lying of the floor- not his favorite.  He likes to be wherever we are, of course.  I don’t like him on the couch or in the bed, so what’s the next best thing?  A doggie bed of his own, of course.

pic6We recently got him the Natural Dog Bed from Savvy Rest.  It’s really a nice bed- I’m sort of jealous of it, LOL.  Super soft and smushy, it comes it various sizes and two bedding fill options.

About the Natural Dog Bed

The Savvy Doggy™ supports your pooch in pure comfort. Organic cotton twill surrounds a sturdy core of pressure-relieving, snooze-inducing natural latex. Choose formed or shredded fill.
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Big Apple Circus – Get Your Tickets Now!

March 4, 2015 by 3 Comments

pic8We recently saw the Big Apple Circus, in Bridgewater, NJ for a limited time.  My son loves the circus, and this one is big enough to have amazing acts, while being small enough that no seat is a bad seat (none are more then 50 feet from the ring) and you have a real “family feel” to the whole experience.

His favorites were the animal acts.  He loved the horses and camels, joined by miniature ponies and alpacas.  We took a quick Vine video if you want to check it out-

They did this cool thing with draped fabric to give it a “merry-go-round” feel as the animals pranced in a circle, which was very cool.  If only we got more then 15 seconds of video, ha.  He loved this act.  He missed the dogs from last year, but that’s what keeps the circus fresh- new acts, right?

My husband loved the contortionists, 2 adult women were able to fit themselves into a small box- it was amazing!  There were so many wild things that these people were able to do, it really was astounding. There was a family that is 9th generation circus performers who did several acts that were really something- each one different, and one act that they performed together.  This is one show that is something that I would recommend to any family.  The ticket prices are really reasonable, as are souvenir toys and the food and beverages- you won’t be gouged like you will at some places.

More About the Circus

Big Apple Circus presents the New Jersey premiere of METAMORPHOSIS in its annual Bridgewater engagement at TD Bank Ballpark from Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, March 15, 2015.
Appearing before your very eyes: The thrilling flyers of the trapeze, swooping and swirling through circus skies! The razzle-dazzle of the rolla-bolla, an act that teeters right on the edge of equilibrium! The dynamo of the diabolo, the whirling double–tops of the Big Top! An aerial space-age acrobatic adventure — an ascent to amazement! The risky rhythms of the Risley team, twisting and turning, topsy-turvy! The cadenzas of camels and horses, and the exuberance of playful pooches, out to dazzle with delight! The cunning conjurors of the quick-change act, defying belief and inspiring awe! The incredible flexible limbs of the contortionist in an act that will literally bend your imagination! And Francesco the Clown, captivating the crowd with his musical merriment and gentle humor. Under the direction of maestro Rob Slowik, the renowned Big Apple Circus Band provides as always the live and glorious tunes of the sawdust spectacular. And finally, our irrepressible, magnificent Ringmaster, the illustrious and incomparable John Kennedy Kane will summon the spirits of the circus universe to immerse you in the wonder, the joy and the astounding magic of METAMORPHOSIS!
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NEW Honey Bunches of Oats Breakfast Biscuits

March 3, 2015 by 14 Comments

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own and honest.

We all know what morning are like on school days. Insane, rushing, forgetting something, and which one can’t find their shoe?  No matter how far ahead you plan, how early you wake up- it’s always something.

My son moves so slow I swear he’s going backwards.  It’s unbelievable- how hard is getting dressed and brushing your teeth?  He kills me. I’m not a lollygagger, and I hate being late.  He takes after my husband with the slow-slug behavior, and it’s not my favorite trait in them.  If you are anything like me, you are always looking for anything that will make your mornings any easier.

03 02 2015 cannon 062My son often eats his breakfast in the car on the way to school.  Yes, I know- I’m horrible.  But he’s SO SLOW, we would never make school in time. From bananas to waffle sticks to mini-muffins, anything fast and easy I try to keep on hand. We just tried the new on-the-go breakfast option to make mornings easier from Honey Bunches of Oats- new breakfast biscuits.
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