Don't Forget - Disney on Ice is Coming to Town! Disney on Ice presents Dare to Dream!

Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream playing Dec. 7-11, 2011!!

Get tangled up in the newest thrilling show to hit the ice, Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream. Experience Disney’s hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled; as Rapunzel, her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths!

Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss. And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true. All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime!

Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit when Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream comes to your hometown!Discount: 4 for $60. Has to be bought in groups of 4. Code is “FLYNN” and is only valid on non-vip tickets and these select shows. Thursday night (7pm), Saturday morning (10:30am) and Sunday night (5:30pm). Valid on the internet only.

We see the Disney On Ice show every year - always a real treat for the entire family!

See you all there!

Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream playing Dec. 7-11, 2011

Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream playing Dec. 7-11, 2011!!

Get tangled up in the newest thrilling show to hit the ice, Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream. Experience Disney’s hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled; as Rapunzel, her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths!

Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss. And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true. All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime!

Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit when Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream comes to your hometown!Discount: 4 for $60. Has to be bought in groups of 4. Code is “FLYNN” and is only valid on non-vip tickets and these select shows. Thursday night (7pm), Saturday morning (10:30am) and Sunday night (5:30pm). Valid on the internet only.

We see the Disney On Ice show every year - always a real treat for the entire family!

See you all there!

LunchBots - an Eco-friendly lunch storage solution!

LunchBots - Eco friendly food storage solution!!!

My son's school is always teaching about healthy lunch ideas for our children - but what about eco-friendly and smart choices for containers? Last year, I switched from those terrible disposable juice boxes to a reusable Rubbermaid drink container - my son and his teachers love it! But what about the lunch container itself?

I am so tired of plastic baggies and plastic boxes that eventually crack! Even worse - squished sandwiches and crushed crackers!

As a BzzAgent, I was just introduced to the steel LunchBot! What a terrific idea! Eco-friendly as they are reusable and great for transporting and storing lunches! These natural stainless steel food storage containers product. , making them eco- offer up a smart alternative for moms freaked out by plastic these days!

I so hope that BzzAgent allows me to try a LunchBot so that I can share my personal experience with you all!

How to make Perry the Platypus Cakes for a Disney Phineas and Ferb Party!

How to make Perry the Platypus Cakes for a Disney Phineas and Ferb Party!

On August 5th, we were fortunate enough to be selected to host a Phineas and Ferb Across the 2d Dimension movie party by Child's Play Party!

For the party, I came across a way to make some cute Perry the Platypus cakes. These are adorable! I received several wonderful comments and even more recipe requests!

For all those interested...here is the way the I made the Perry cakes. I will include how to make a large Perry cake and the modified Twinkie Perry cakes that I made.

Cake recipe...
http://dabbled.org/2010/06/perry-the-platypus-cake-tutorial-the-prep-work.html

This is part 2 of the cake recipe...
http://dabbled.org/2010/06/perry-the-platypus-cake-part-2-assembly.html

Adapted for Twinkies...
http://dabbled.org/2010/07/perry-the-platypus-mini-cakes-made-from-twinkies.html

Fondant recipe is here...Youtube step by step video...part 1...make sure you add 3 tablespoons of water and 2 of vanilla for great taste!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yj4KGtBaDg

Second part of fondant video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHbpquC3IEA&feature=related

These were very easy to make...I do not consider myself good at this type of thing, so I was pleased with the end result...for coloring...divide the white fondant after you've made it...put in mixer with teal dye (I used gel) and then do the orange...let rest on counter for about 1/2 - 2 hours....instead of making my own creme cheese icing...I cheated and used store bought! So...

1. make fondant
2. color fondant
3. let fondant rest
4. lightly cream cheese icing the twinkies
5. roll out teal fondant and cover twinkie
6. make arms, legs, feet, beak and tail and attach
7. add eyes...I use store bought from AC Moore
* Don't forget the hair...I used Tootsie rolls for this!

P.S. I did mine on parchment paper so the Twinkie bottom wouldn't stick to the plates...hope this helps... let me know if you need anything else!

Also...if you are adding water and vanilla for fondant (which you really should for a better taste)...you will need a little more than 2 lbs of sifted flour...it will be wetter so you will need an extra couple of cups to get the right, non-sticky consistency!

My son thought that I should have made fondant hats off to the side so that Perry could double as Agent P!

Hope this helps! Again, let me know if you need anything else! Enjoy!

Phineas and Ferb Across the 2nd Dimension!

Last night we were fortunate enough to be selected to host a Child's Play Party for the new Phineas and Ferb Across the 2nd Dimension movie! My son and his friends love this Disney show and have all been eagerly awaiting this television movie event!

I received some great party goodies for the children from Child's Play and took the theme from there. I created some adorable Perry cakes for our guests and they were a HUGE hit! We served chips, Slushie Dogs (aka mini-corn dogs), blue rasperberry juice and had popcorn to munch on during the movie.

As a parent. I really appreciate a show that the entire family can enjoy - good, clean fun! Even the adults loved the movie. The movie plot is:

When Phineas, Ferb and Perry follow Dr. Doofenshmirtz through his "Otherdimensionator", they find themselves in an alternate universe where a second, truly evil Dr. Doof rules over his Tristate area with an army of iron-fisted robots. To save his friends from certain doom, Perry makes the ultimate sacrifice by revealing his secret identity as Agent P. Phineas and Ferb escape, meet their second dimension selves, and begin their own mission to rescue Perry,

As they undercover his plot to travel back to their dimension and take over their Tri-state area,the gang, as well as their alter-egos, must band together to stop him!

So begins an epic battle as our heroes try to save their home from the clutches of Alt. Dr,Doof...and his sidekick Platyborg! Will evil Dr. Doof succeed and achieve dual world domination? Will Candace finally bust her brothers? Find out in this action-packed, epic adventure - so huge that it crosses over time and space!!!

If you are a Phineas and Ferb fan there a loads of fun things on the Disney website...and be sure to like them on Facebook too!

Let your kids try something new! Kanki Sushi Bar!

Let your kids try something new this summer! We have always been very fortunate in that Owen loves to try new things and even more...new food! We decided to take him to the Kanki Sushi Bar at the Crabtree Valley Mall on Glenwood Ave.

His father and I both love Sushi and decided that it was time for Owen to try it out. First

step...mastering the tools. Showing Owen how to use Chopsticks for Sushi was fun! He really enjoyed sitting up on the high stools and watching the Chefs make his food. We have eaten at the Hibachi part of this restaurant before...where you sit and watch the Chef cook your meal and that is also a great dining experience for children! Watching the Chef make and roll our Sushi was wonderful!

Owen had a California roll - no real raw fish...but there are so many flavors to choose from! The Sushi rolls start at about $5, so this can be a great, inexpensive lunch. It was a great way to introduce Owen to Sushi!

Go to: www.kanki.com/sushi.cfm for their Sushi menu.

Gypsy Divers in Raleigh

For several months now, Owen has been taking swimming lessons at Gypsy divers here in Raleigh. With summer here, I cannot stress enough the importance of pool safety and that swimming is not just a sport - but a life skill.

We love Gypsy Divers! The classes are small, indoor pool, excellent staff and teachers, and very, very affordable!

There are always fun events, summer camp, and even offer birthday party accommodations! For those of you with older children or who have always wanted to learn to dive, they also have a wonderful dive program!

Here is the link: www.gypsyivers.com

Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics!

Looking for something fun for the kids this summer? Lowe's hosts Build and Grow Clinics twice a month - free! Each child gets to have a great hands on build and create something fun to take home and keep!

Make sure you register for each clinic as they are very popular - especially during the summer months! Register here: http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/ . Clinics are on Saturday mornings starting at 10 am at your local Lowes store.

You also receive a work apron, embroidered patch, and signed certificate upon completing the craft!

Have fun and enjoy!

Childs Play Party! Gogo Crazy Bones - Fun for all ages!

On Easter Sunday, we were fortunate enough to host a Child's Play Party featuring Gogo Crazy Bones! We had just recently heard of this toy and were excited to share it will all of our family and friends!

First we had an Easter Egg hunt and let the kids find their Gogo's - this was really fun! We then went on to play Gogo games...the kids had a blast and even the grown ups got into the action. The children really enjoyed trading the Crazy Bones and using the stickers and albums too!

It really was a great day! Originally, we were to have the party the week before, but as many of you know many areas and neighborhoods and areas of NC were hit with several Tornadoes....our continued thoughts and prayers go out to all as we count our blessings.

Most of the kids had not heard of Crazy Bones, but by the end of the party, were totally hooked! As a Mom, I appreciate the quality and value of this toy - along with the learning and fun games!

Thanks to all who attended....it was great fun!

Don't forget to get your tickets for Mickey's Magic Show AND Monster Jam!

Hey everyone!

Looking for something to do with the kids on Friday? Schools out...let's have some fun!

Don't forget to purchase your tickets for Mickey's Magic Show and Monster Jam!

For Mickey's Magic Show, the discount is $3 off $34, $24 and $14 price levels. The code is "TWC" and is good for both shows on Friday! Tickets can be purchased at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or http://www.dpacnc.com/ and is valid for phone, internet or box office bookings.

For Monster Jam, the discount is a flat rate of $5 kids in the gold circle area (normally $30!). The code is "KIDCLIP" and is good for all 3 shows! Ticket info can be found at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or http://www.rbccenter.com/ and the code can be used on the phone or internet.

Hope to see you all there!

Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics

The Build and Grow Clinics for children at Lowe's are Fun and Free!

We have been doing this for several months now! Owen loves to build and take home his newly finished project! It truly is a great way to spend a little time on Saturday morning!

Hosted by Lowe's, kids can build a fun take-home project. The event is usually twice a month on Saturday mornings. You must pre-register here...

http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/.

"From project basics to giving your child the opportunity to say "I built it", our Build and Grow kids clinics are a great way to help build confidence! Bring the kids to any Lowe's store and build a FREE wooden project. Each participant also receives a free apron, a project themed patch, and a certification of merit upon completion of their project!"

Monster Jam April 1-2 2011

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam starring the biggest performers on four wheels: Monster Jam Monster Trucks! The twelve-feet tall, ten-thousand pound machines will bring you to your feet, racing and ripping up a custom-designed track full of obstacles to soar over or smash through! Monster Jam provides a massive night's entertainment tailored perfectly for your family's budget, and these colorful, larger-than-life beasts are sure to capture the hearts of both young and old.

Trucks are subject to change but here is a list as of 2/28/2011:

Grave Digger

Spiderman

AAP Grinder - 1st time ever

Monster Mutt

War Wizard

High Maintenance

The discount is a flat rate of $5 for kids (12 and under) in the gold circle area. This price is normally $30. The code is "KIDCLIP" and is good for all 3 shows. Discount is valid on the phones and internet.

For more ticket information, a show schedule, or how to purchase tickets can be found here:

http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or http://www.rbccenter.com/.

Fun for everyone! Hope to see you all there!

Disney Live! presents Mickey’s Magic Show

Abracadabra! It's Disney Live! presents Mickey's Magic Show! Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and a host of Disney characters come together with a world-class illusionist to perform magic from legendary Disney films right before your eyes. See the fairy Godmother transform Cinderella's rags into a beautiful ball gown in a split second; the spectacular levitation of Aladdin's Princess Jasmine; and the enchanted dancing brooms of Fantasia. Join Donald Duck and Goofy, Alice and the Mad Hatter, and many more for a one-of-a-kind stage show you'll never forget. Mickey's Magic Show is a whole new way to experience Disney magic with your family!

A link to more information, a show schedule, or how to purchase tickets can be found at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or http://www.dpacnc.com/.

The discount is for $3 off $34, $24 and $14 price levels. The code is "TWC" and is good for both shows on Friday. Discount is build and can be used on the internet, phones, and at the box office.

As always...this will be great fun for the whole family! Hope to see you all there!

Don't forget to get your Ringling Bros. Tickets!

Don't forget to get your Ringling Bros. tickets!!!!! February 9-13th!

Tickets can be purchased either through ticketmaster.com or rbccenter.com....use the code

MBLOG11 to purchase tickets for only $12 - good for Thursday night and both shows on Sunday!

Have fun and see you all there!

Another milestone...

Another milestone has been reached by our not-so-little boy. Owen lost his two front teeth and needless to say, the Tooth Fairy came!

Ringling Bros. presents Funundrum playing Feb. 9-13, 2011

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® is roaring into town with Barnum’s FUNundrum!SM, a new jumbo-sized, un-miss-able event celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of legendary P.T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman on Earth! Leap aboard and go on an unbelievable excursion that brings together performers and characters from exotic countries all over the world. From the moment that you arrive, the momentum explodes as The Greatest Show On Earth® comes to life in a way that can only be inspired by the greatest showman who ever lived.

Thrill-seekers may pay for the entire seat, but will only need its edge as a rip-roaring motorcycle troupe braves fear and physics in the 16-foot Spherical Miracle. Height-seeking high-wire artists perform 40 feet in the air, all while at a 45 degree angle. Body Benders use their bodies in the ultimate test to see how far the human body can be pushed in a mind-blowing world of distortion and contortion.

Just as the Ringling Bros.® train keeps traveling from city to city, Barnum’s FUNundrum! keeps the energy going As each extraordinary act blends thrills and contemporary spectacle to over deliver a heart-racing experience that, until now, was beyond imagination! At Barnum’s FUNundrum!, the funtastic and funbelieveable experience answers the FUNundrum! “What wonders create The Greatest Show On Earth?”

A link to more information, a show schedule, and how to purchase tickets can be found here http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/115097/1362863 or www.rbccenter.com
The discount is a flat $12 price for tickets in the $23 and $15 price levels. The code is “MBLOG11” and is good for Thursday night and both shows on Sunday!

Have Fun!!!!