When I was little Clifford the Big Red Dog use to always amaze me how did the little girl has such a special big red dog.
How did Emily Elizabeth feed such a large dog?
How did she give him baths?
I wondered if my mom would let me have a big dog?
I had a dog Rusty he was kind of red mutt dog.. or Happy my basset hound he had big ears. Both dogs let me dress them, still they were no Clifford. As an adult still in search of my own Big Red the Dog I got Red Doberman 3 over the last 16 years Hersey, Mona and the current puppy Lyodd who is at a year bigger than my other I owned 2 at a year.. I finally have my own Big Red Dog.
It is hard to believe that my kids watch Clifford he big Red Dog and the show resonated with them as did with me.
Clifford the Big Red Dog is 50 this year and he is still big and red. Clifford has made the move from the small screen to the Stage!
Stage Show Coming to Philadelphia area THIS WEEKEND. Clifford the Big Red Dog is coming to the Keswick Theatre on Sunday, October 14TH for 2 BIG shows at 1 and 4PM to celebrate his 50TH Birthday in a special live theatrical show featuring new songs, dancing and laughter the whole family will love.
The Keswick Theatre is really close to me it is such a fun location to take the kids. It is a quality venue that has great shows but does not let your children feel over whelmed. The show promises to be a ton of fun.
Glenside is the Town where Keswick Theatre is located it is a cute little town. There is a pretzel place on the corner and a coffee shop on the same block. There is a greek place that is super yummy.
It is this weekend so there is still time to get tickets. Tickets start at $18.95.
Parking is free in the lot or street parking might be metered.
Ringing Rocks Park in Pa we went today. I did not tell the kids were we were going. Ringing Rocks Park is located in Upper bucks County in Upper Black Eddy. I can recommend it as a fun afternoon with the kids, that is free. The ringing Rocks are a sight to see a field full of giant boulder. Only 1/3 of the rocks make a bell like tone but it is fun figuring out which ones do. The rocks are 10feet thick. There is also a slate shelf type water fall in the park.
No one is sure why the rocks ring some say it is because of iron in the rocks. They think that the boulder were left during the glaciers and ice age. There is some more nature fact about natural phenomenon
Here are my recommendations of what to bring when you go:
Great shoes: Keens or sneakers avoid wearing strappy sandals or crocs
Kids should be over 6/7 years old the terrain of the rocks is rough so being a good walker is important.
Bring Hammers so everyone can hit the rocks
Wear jeans
Protecting eyewear or glasses- you are hitting rocks with hammers- things fly
If you have a walking stick bring it it will help you steady as you walking
Leave the bags in the car.. too much to carry them while walking into the rocks
There is a picnic area near the park area so you can eat before or after your hike
Bring a first aid kit (just in case)
There is no bathroom except for a porta potty
Park Guards are not always on location.
Ringing Rocks Park park is about an hour north of Philadelphia, 20 minutes from Allentown and 15 from Quakertown Pa.
Here is my video:
Ringing Rocks Park
Ringing Rocks Rd
Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972
My kids really loved it and thought it was a really cool place to go.
Last night we went to see How to train your Dragon live show. The show was held and Philadelphia Wells fargo center. check out the kids thoughts below. I really enjoyed the show. The show creators definitely used there imagination when creating the show. The How To Train Your Dragon Stage show will be touring the US.
The Dragons pulled you in particular Toothless.. he was so cute and all the kids wanted to pet him. The effects we also amazing I don’t want to give too much away.
I will let you know that souvenirs do run from $15-$50 Souvenir cups are $15, Program menus are $20, The Light up viking Helmets are $20 or 25 and the figurines were $25.
My kids ages were 7-11 but younger kids 3up were there, some got upset when the thought toothless was hurt. Older teen though it was cool when I talked to another bloggers kids.
We really love the show and effects were amazing alot to look at. I got “Thanks You’s” through out the show and the way home from the kids. The word amazing and cool were used a ton by the 11 years olds. Looks at the smiles..
If you want to head to the show you can still get tickets on sale 25% off for Philadelphia.
There are 3 women in my life that I can always count on to send card, this is a post to highlight my Hallmark card loving secondary family and friends. (Note: my mother and mother in law always send a card.) These 3 women who love buying cards and graciously send them. Preserving the beauty of snail mail, and creating smiles on the faces of people who receive them.
My oldest friends Dr. Dawn- she always send me a card that brightens my day for my birthday every year, I am always impressed because she has 2 little boys and an busy practice but she always remembers.. and always is understanding that I forget. Dawn has been my friend since birth, she grew up accross the street from me. She was always with my sister and I. I think of her as a family.
My Aunt Alice – she sends cards several times a year. She remembers my kids and my husband. We always look forward to getting the most beautiful cards from her. I love Alice because she is supportive and connected to all us and keeps tabs. When I had my babies Alice loved the fact I breastfed my kids, she made me feel very accepted when not everyone was accepting of my choice and thought I should hide. She took pictures and celebrated my nursing. She is also a reader of my blog.. so Shout out to Aunt Alice!!!
Carol- She is actually my mother-in laws bff and she send a card for every occasion even our anniversary. Carol became a good friend when I first had my son she had a grandchild around the same time and we use to talk and compare notes. The thought of Carols smile makes me happy, she is always such a pleasure to be around. When I visit my inlaws I hope I can see Carol because she feels like family.
These 3 women are the card lovers in my life.
Guess what ? I love getting card .. who doesn’t. So when Hallmark asked me to attend their Hallmark Tour event in Philadelphia, I jumped at the chance to meet with Hallmarks Designers and writers. We got to meet to the designers and spend time learning how the card design process evolves.
First: They had us run through an exercise of taking a picture and and coming up with the card. Then the choose one as the best.. They choose mine. Here is the card:
Picture courtesy of Hallmark
“Bundle Up Baby, Sometimes Life leaves you hanging.” -was my card
Then they told us about the background of the designers.. most of them come from various back grounds. They are all not writers or arts. Hallmark hires to the fit or feeling of a card creator. The one designer we meet had a background in music, she write the cards, but then the people at Hallmark realized she could sing/theatrical and added her to the voice overs the cards. Nurturing Talents – I was impress that Hallmark looks beyond training for is right for the company. Many of the employees are with the company for many many years.
Also many of the products are Made in the USA!!!
Check out the video Hallmark made from the mom’s who were in attendance.
Like any hallmark commercial. Did it make you cry?
I want to share some of Hallmarks has some great new items for this fall and back to school.
Text bands– you children can put in a message in and them bumb fist with a friend and share the message. My kids are having a blast they come in all different colors and you can switch bands.. they even have Star Wars.
I also love the New lunch notes for kids- which make it easy to bring a smile to a kids day while at school.
My favorite is Nugget Interactive Story Book and Story Buddy. Nugget reads the with you and que’s off of some of the phrases you say. So cool for a starting reader like my daughter who is in 2nd grade or for a parent to share with a child.
Hallmark has provided me with a Discount code so you can honor your children and family for 30% off at Hallmark.com Use code : BLOG30
Hallmark Giveaway:
Also Halmark has provide me with a Giveaway of Nugget from my readers. Answer on comment on Blog then confirm comment in Rafflecopter
Who is the Hallmark card giver in your life?
Please Leave a comment below on the blog then let Rafflecopter know you did so. *** You must leave a comment on the blog and then check that you did in rafflecopter to be eligible for the prize. Open to US residents only. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: The lovely people at hall mark provided me product for review, this post is how I love there product and the emotion is really true, I am sap and cry all at Hallmark commercials.
Recently I received a BeautyBox5 to review. What is a Beauty Box five from beautybox5.com? It is a beauty grab bag that is sent to your house once a month. The box contain all different beauty products for you learn about and enjoy. Every month a different products ship so every month is a surprise. Allowing you to try new products for different companies. You can purchase the box once or sign up for a subscription. The beauty box 5 offer a 1 time, Quarterly every 3 months or 1 year. Get 4-5 beauty samples delivered to your door every month – Subscriptions under $12. Get the box!
Quality Box The people at BeautyBox5 really fill the box with the smaller more boutique type cosmetic and beauty brands. So the box exposes you to a brands that put heart and quality into there products. The size of the products most of the products are large enough or Full size so you can use more than once.
Gift Of Beauty I love the idea of giving the Beauty Box 5 as a gift. With the flexible purchase options it would be a Great gift for any Women girl Beauty lover, Teenager, and college student. Something to look forward to every month. The BeautyBox5 packaging is perfect for a gift.
The products I got in the August BeautyBox5 were great.
August Beauty Box 5 Contained the following:
Pur-lisse Cleanser and make up remover -Full Size I have been using this product every night and it works great is is not harsh and removes my mascara and leaves me feeling clean
Rosebud Salve- Full size my daughter has been using on her bumps and bites really helps to revealed the swelling and repair the damage- great smell
Bodyography Primer -Full Size smooth and works wonderful as a primer
All Natural Face Vegan Eye shadow Peach ice- Full size is great to use as a high lighter on the upper eyelid. I also used a bit on my upper cheek under eye them applied the primer to giver a under skin radiant glow.
Miracle Hair mask- sample size (you got 2 samples)We so need this after the summer of harsh chemicals with the pool water and salt water I perked mine and my daughters hair back to a healthy shiny state. So we are ready for fall.
Cost of BeautyBox5:
1 month: $12
3 Months: (quarterly) $30 save $6
12 Months:(1 Year) $100 save $44
The price is so reasonable it is a great treat for you or for that special Beauty Lover in your Life.
The packaging is great it comes in a Pretty blue box that is Recyclable with brown packing paper, in a fabric bag that ties with a ribbon. All boxes ship mid month.
My BeautyBox5 Review : I can recommend the BeautyBoxfive as a great product I think the value and the size of the samples are worth it for what you receive in the box. It is great chance to try product you would not normally buy but end up loving. This is also a great gift I know that I will be purchasing the box for some people in my life.
To learn more click on the box below and start getting your box delivered this month:
This post does contain affiliate links to help cover the cost associated with running this Blog. The opinions stated in this post are my honest opinions.
So I was sent Revlon Photo Ready Primer and Color Stay EyeShadow to review. The colors were a new choice for me. I actually have never worn a blue green since I was younger. It was a lot of fun. I loved how young and fresh the eyeshadow made me feel. So how easy was it to apply. Very simple the Revlon Colorstay case has the instruction on the back. So I simply followed the diagram and put the make up on. It lasted all day.
Now if you have not discovered primer it is a must add to your make up bag. You now when you see a women and her make up looks perfect and flawless, it is the primer that give you amazing skin. Revlon Photo Ready Primer allow your skin to be what you always dreamed it could be. The Revlon primer goes on silky smooth and clear. I love the way it looks and lasts all day my makeup is as good and fresh all day as it was when applied in the morning.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a Land End back to school event. During the event I learned about how makes there products safe and of high quality for our children. One area of focus was the Lands End Back Pack, they offer several different types depending on the age and weight of books kids carry. Lands end also test the backpack so they have our child’s health in mind with the amount of weight out children’s carry weight in the books.
I am no stranger to the Lands End Back pack, My son has had his Lands End pack pack since kindergarten. The backpack is still being used this year as he enters 6th grade- 7 years and it still is in great shape. The thing is if it wasn’t Lands End unconditional guarantee they would replace it. My son told me tonight he want to carry it to he finishes high school.
We also learned about Lands End jeans are tested to make make sure they last up to 50 washes with out the knees wearing out. I have a boy so his knees are always a big concern. I want to make sure that my kids jeans last through out the entire school year.Check the abrasion test they do to make sure the jeans are up to the beating of your typical child.
The night was topped of with a celebrity chef Sam Talbot educated us on healthy lunch option for kids. Sam was nice enough to show us how to make the following healthy lunch options for kids:
Turkey wrap with avocado and apricot:
2 six inch organic whole wheat tortillas
4 slices freshly roasted turkey breast
1/2 cup of shredded Romain lettuce
1/2 avocado sliced length wise 1/4 thick
2 tbls of mustard
2 tbls of apricot preserve
drizzle of olive oil
Directions: place tortillas town spread mustard and apricot preserve. Lay the turkey down, then avacado. Finish with a drizzle of oilve oil then roll it up. slice ten store over night in refrigerator. Yummy
Then the clothes the Lands end clothes for the kiddos this season are classic lands end but fun and funky. Have a look.
Disclosure: I attended a party sponsored by Lands End for this post, the opinions stated in this review are my own.
Recently I was asked to review Rivet and Sway‘s online prescription service. So what did I thin? I loved it it was so easy and simple to use. The eyewear glasses I ended up purchasing was not the glasses I though I was going to go for initially.
The reason is I think for the major change in my glasses style after 11+ years of wear square small glasses? Was when I have time to make a glasses purchase in my home, I choose what is best. Rather then going with what the eye wear person says looks the best in the store, or what you might think is the best, based on lighting or past choices. I choose what was the best what showed off my eyes.
There where other bloggers doing this same review and I noticed they put the glasses up to a vote, on facebook and got others opinion which I think was great, because you do not normally have many opinion when you choose. I was lucky that week I my pair, I happen to have 2 really close friends come visit and they gave me there opinion. It was so much better than asking some person in a store, that I have no idea on there taste level is. I am thrilled with my choice
Here is my video of the process of purchasing on Rivet and Sway.
Recently I was sent to review a Girl Teddy Bear from Zylie the Bear. Zylie the bear is a styles 18″ bear which is a great gift for all those Teddy Girls (teddy bear Boys) in your life that are not into doll but love stuffed animals. Zylie the Bear is a high quality dress up bear reviling that of a top stuff animals made in Europe. Zylie the bear is a amazing. She comes full dressed in high quality clothes. She is complete with her own story book and accessories.
Once my daughter opened the box I knew we found a jem in Zylie the bear. My daughter is not a doll girl she always wants stuffed animals so the Zylie the Bear is ultimate stuffed Teddy Bear Doll companion for her.
Zylie the Bear’s story is about her adventures all over the world. She is a metropolitan bear, living in New York City with her aunt. The creators of Zylie were sure to make a real story behind the bear. So your child can relate and base there play with a starting story then your child can add to the adventure with Zylie. Zyile also had a friend Shen a Panda bear she meets on her travels to china. Both bears come with there own chapter book.
The books are great they help to open your child’s mind to enjoy the hours of fun imaginative play that Zylie and Shen with explore with your child. There are many tea parties occurring in our house since Zylie adventure has led her to our home. The Zylie bear web site offers color pages and many other activities, be sure to check it out.
My daughter Video review of Zylie and Shen:
The bears features are lovely, the quality is that of a Steif mixed American girl. Here are some of the features:
Both bears:
Legs jointed parts as high quality tufted fur
Their own Story Book (2 different book one for each teddy)
Pas port
Packaged in there own keepsake box so the bear can be store properly- overtime these teddys are a heirloom teddy
Zylies the Girls Bear
Zylie’s jacket is lined with a lovely satin
Jacket us a love wool fabric, that the collar has an underlining of a cotton for a truly finished quality
The printed pattern of Zylie’s shirt was great modern feel.
Zylie’s skinny jeans are made beautifully with button details at the bottom
Her purse was made of 2 different fabrics
Her notebook/diary was actually stitch together
She also has a passport and map- which my daughter loved she kept open and closing it use them as props in her play.
Shen’s the Boy Bear
Leather like jacket so well made with the closure details
Shen’s shirt is modern touching on the current color-blocked trend complete with buttons
His khaki were right off the runway
I was most impressed with the detail on Shen’s backpack – complete with zipper, 2 different fabric and bungee cord.
Shen Drum sticks were perfectly to scale and feel of real drum sticks
Details, Details, Details of the Zylie and Shen are amazing. I spent 20 years in high quality apparel design and manufacturing in my former life, so I understand making garments. I was very excited to see the quality of these Teddy Bears. No detail was left off by designer Katie Fong in either Shens or Zylies outfit. You can also add to these your Girl Bears (or boy) for both Zylie and Shen additional other outfits to have a more complete wardrobe. Like Zylie has a My Fair Linen outfit that I can’t wait to get my daughter. It will be fun to build her collection for birthdays and holidays.
Tip: Also because Zylie and Shen are 18″ teddy dolls they fit in to all your American Girl and other 18″ doll clothes so they are interchangeable if you already have a collection of of American Girl, the clothes will get additional use.
Age: The company recommends 3+ I think that 6 and up is appropriate because of the changing of the clothes, to help promote independent play.
Price:
Zylie is $50 for the start kit it also is currently on sale on Amazon for under $35.69 Zylie the bear.
I would high recommend Zylie the Bear and Shen as the a great holiday birthday gift, I would buy early to make sure you dont miss out on this amazing friend for your child.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that help to support the cost associated with the publishing of this blog. I was given these bears, the opinion in this post are all my own.
This past week I attended BlogHer 12 in NYC. I was invited to workout with the Radio City Rockettes the event was hosted Pfizer the makers of Caltrate® and Centrum. The invited said I had to get up at 6:00 for a 7:30 workout. So Hillary and I got up after a long night of BlogHer parties. I have to say I did not sleep much because I was so excited to dance with the long legged Rockettes. I am so not a morning person. n I was dragging so early as we made out way of to Radio City Hall
Hillary made sure I was on time, boy did we learn about our weak points this weekend.. I need coffee and food regularly. We arrived and were check in. Then Pfizer people separated us into 2 groups. The Radio City Rockettes have 2 practice rooms. Hillary and I were in the smaller room. After getting settled we were given Caltrate shirts “Feel Young!” We got pictures taken in front of the step and repeat (aka that is the back drop – Yea I did not know it had a name either)
Here I am with Tara, Jessica, Myself (sporting braids) , Kelly and Colleen- all lovely Philly Ladies.
We started to dance, The Rockettes taught us the famous Wooden Solider. Trick: move hips never bend knees- great butt workout. Check the video out:
We also learned how they fan kick, In order to feel stable the Rockettes “feel the fabric” which is light touch the person back standing next to you. So you are stabilize and gives you awareness of your space.
After the dancing we learned more about the Rockettes.
The heights of a rocket ranges from 5’10” to 5’6′ they give the illusion of them being the same height by putting the tallest Rockettes in the middle, the shortest on the end.
Every Radio City Rockettes has to try out every year
Most Rockettes do not make it for there 1st audition.
There are 2 sets of Rockettes .They do 7 shows a day during the holiday season some work morning and matinee, they other set the nights.
I think for every Blogger that was there it was a dream come true to dance with a Rockettes. Good to know I had one qualification of a Rockette.. I am tall enough to be one.. and that is where any similarities between myself and a Rockette end. After 9 years of dance I have determined, I am better behind a camera or sewing machine.. I’d best be leaving the dancing to the professionals.
Check out my Rockettes Flicker page for more great shots.
Thank you to Pfizer the makers of Caltrate® and Centrum for sponsoring the event. Feeling Young is so important as you get older. Be sure to make sure you stay active, eat right and care for your body by taking a great multivitamin and calcium sublimate as you get older.
When I was little Clifford the Big Red Dog use to always amaze me how did the little girl has such a special big red dog.
