I’ve been working over Mother’s Day weekend with The
National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign to promote their milk with
breakfast initiative, and the launch of the new Katie Couric Breakfast Project ad campaign. They’ve sponsored this giveaway and given me an inside look at the
making of the ads with Katie Couric and her daughters.
Mother’s Day morning can feel a lot like Christmas morning:
filled with anticipation, whispers, and when little kids are involved, proud li’l
helpers. After an hour and a half of laying in bed listening to the Kiddo and
my husband in the kitchen, I was antsy and attempted to creep downstairs to
start the day when the Kiddo ran up to block my descent yelling, “We’re almost done! Go back to
bed! We’re bringing you breakfast in bed!” So back I went, to complete another
Sodoku puzzle or two.
When they did come up bringing breakfast on a tray, it was
beautiful and de-lish! :-D Here’s what my first ever Mother’s Day breakfast in bed looked like:
GIVEAWAY: You can win your own items to toast yourself or someone you love with breakfast in bed, thanks to the Milk Mustache campaign. The breakfast in bed giveaway set includes everything you see here:
That's 1 breakfast in bed tray, 1 decorative plate, 1 cereal bowl, 1 milk jar, 1 mug, 1 spoon, and a fun fresian aerolatte moooo milk frother - a pretty set to make anyone feel special!
ENTER TO WIN: Just leave a comment below by Monday, May 20, 2013 at Noon EST. I'll pick the winner using random.org, and contact the winner that afternoon to get his/her shipping address. The breakfast in bed gift basket will be shipped directly to the winner from the Milk Mustache campaign.
Without a doubt, there’s more energy and action in and
around Times Square than any other part of New York City, so when we had the
opportunity to stay at the Hilton Times Square in the heart of Midtown
Manhattan, we immediately planned a fun family weekend in NYC.
We’ve stayed at the Hilton Times Square before, so we already knew it was a great location, within walking distance of a lot of great
things to do, places to shop, and restaurants to eat. It was a particularly
perfect place to stay around the holidays, as we’ve developed an annual
family tradition to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, and the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade - both of which are short 5-10 minute walks from the
hotel. Even the famed windows on 5th Avenue aren’t
much of a hike if you’re up for a brisk walk in December.
But outside of holiday activities, we recently saw the Lion King
on Broadway and checked out the Harry Potter Exhibit at Discovery Times Square. The Discovery Times Square museum is one of our favorite places as there’s always great exhibits to see, like
the Spy Exhibit also currently showing (which we also highly
recommend).
The rooms at the Hilton Times Square are clean
and accommodating, and competitively priced for a hotel in the heart of New
York City. Depending on which direction your room faces, there's generally some great views. The last time we stayed here, we had a prime view for people-watching down on 42nd Street. This time, we were on the 42nd floor on the Executive Level.
Which gave us some amazing views....
The view from our room - The Empire State Building, Hudson River and Freedom Tower
While still relatively new
having only been built in 2000, starting in January 2013 the Hilton Times Square began a “guestroom
only revitalization project” which should make the hotel even more appealing.
We loved the amenities in the bathroom....
And what's a hotel stay without chocolate on the nightstand...
The hotel lobby and all public areas are open and up to date, and include a bar area on the second floor along with a restaurant area that offers sit down meals as well as a breakfast buffet.
The second floor lobby area and Front Desk
The restaurant and bar area off the main lobby of the Hilton Times Square
The result of our efforts from the Hilton Times Square breakfast buffet
Posted in the main lobby was a woman representing Hilton who was offering guests the opportunity to receive a significantly discounted future stay if we booked right then while staying at the hotel. Knowing how much we enjoy getaways and staycations in the city, and given what prices could run you in New York we took advantage of it, and will plan to spend another holiday in a hotel later on this year.
Thank you to the Hilton Honors card from American Express for allowing us to stay in NYC at the Hilton Times Square to #hotelfortheholidays and establish some memorable family holiday traditions.
The world of Harry Potter continues to live on, and whether
you’re a diehard fan looking to relive the adventure or you’re an average
muggle searching for some enchanting fun, you can satisfy your need for
both at the Harry Potter:
The Exhibition at Discovery Times Square here in New York.
After travelling internationally for most of 2012, the Harry Potter exhibit is
back at Discovery Time Square in NYC. While we missed it the first go around when it was here in 2011, we
were glad to have another opportunity to check it out -- particularly since the
kiddo is older and could better appreciate the exhibit having since visited the
Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando.
There was a lot we loved about the exhibit, and here are some of our favorite kid-friendly
highlights and suggestions from our recent visit:
The Sorting Hat After a brief
video montage, the experience begins as you're escorted into a room with the Sorting Hat (as seen in the first Harry Potter film), during our visit three kids were picked to be
"sorted" into their appropriate house at Hogwarts. If you have kids with you, make sure they’re
standing in front of the group so they can be more easily noticed. The Sorting
Hat even talks, and it’s a fabulous way to set the mood and experience for
the rest of the exhibit.
Herbology Here is one of a couple of interactive sections of the exhibit which features a
growing garden of Mandrake which you can lift up out of their potted home and
hear them scream. This is amusing to watch as an adult, but clearly younger
kids are even more entertained.
Quiddich As you work your way through Hagrid’s Hut, you’ll come to a whole section dedicated
to the Game of Quidditch, including the actual clothes, equipment and instructions
on how to play the game. Here you can have your own fun by throwing a Quaffle through
three different hoops to score a goal. The Kiddo had fun (successfully) throwing the Quaffle through each of the hoops.
Dark Forces By far the
scariest section of the exhibit, there’s a full range of the evilest of
creatures from movie, set looming in the dark room on both the ground and above. If you have kids on the younger side, it’s easy to bypass this section if you fear that your child will wake up in a
cold sweat thinking a Dementor is chasing after them. The Kiddo's in first grade and weathered it unphased.
The Great Hall While this is the last section of the exhibit, there's still quite a bit to see, including many more of the costumes and knickknacks from the movie including all of the candy
made famous from that that first train ride that Harry and Ron took to Hogwarts. Dobie is hiding in
the back and you’ll see him if you look carefully as you’re seamlessly dropped
off into an artfully constructed gift shop, a mini version of the retail store
at Universal Studios.
Here you can buy everything from wands to Gryffindor
merchandise to photos of yourself set against a number of backgrounds (your
pic is snapped against a green screen before you even enter the exhibit). You’ll
be so consumed with the magical world of Hogwarts that I dare you to resist
leaving without having bought at least one Chocolate Frog. ;-)
The breadth of clothes, wands, spell books and knick knacks from the seven
movies is impressive, and if you have the time, you can spend a good part of
your day reading all of the descriptions of the items on display.
Tickets are $27 for adults, and $19.50 for kids 4-12 years
old. If you’re a true Potter-phile, there’s an audio tour for an additional $7 that
goes into even further in depth behind the history and significance of each
item. If you’re an American Express holder, you can get the audio tour for free.
Harry Potter: The Exhibition will be at Discovery Times Square through April 7,
2013.
While basking in the after glow of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, we walked up Fifth Ave to check out the holiday lights and decorations. Even though it was starting to rain, it was a beautiful night and end to our holiday dinner, annual Rockettes show and stay in NYC. The icing on the cake - literally - was walking into Momofuku Milk Bar for some late night sweet treats. :-)
We stopped into the Milk Bar at the Chambers Hotel on 56th and picked up some treats to enjoy back at the Hilton Times Square.
We tasted the candy bar pie . . .
We tried the cinnamon bun pie . . .
. . .and loved the birthday cake truffles!
I'm taking the Kiddo to a cookie-making experience with Christina Tosi from Momofuku later this week, and we can't wait! You can now order from the Milk Bar online at http://www.shopmilkbar.com/shipping/
Thanks to American Express and the Hilton Honors card for inviting us to #hotelfortheholidays and start new family traditions exploring NYC over the holidays.
This year we were fortunate to be invited to a private viewing party along the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route in NYC. We had primo seats for the parade balloons and a fabulous view on 6th Ave, across the street from Radio City Music Hall.
Our jaws dropped when we arrived at the location at the Time Life Building - it was truly perfect for parade viewing. Here's the pre-parade view looking up 6th Ave toward Central Park . . .
And the view looking down 6th Ave before the parade began . . .
Amazing, right??
We had brunch and the Kiddo and his friend colored, decorated cookies, and drank hot chocolate while waiting for the parade to get to us, which took about 25 minutes.
The beginning of the parade!
First balloons in sight . . .
Our view watching marching bands pass by . . .
Charlie Brown balloon and kung Fu Panda Po in the background
The Peanuts float . . .
Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon!
Jimmy Fallon with The Roots . . .
Spider-Man balloon making its way down 6th Ave . . .
Pikachu . . .
Papa Smurf . . .
Near the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade . . .
The Elf on the Shelf passing by the Hilton New York . . .
Santa's coming! Santa . . .
The end of the parade . . .
Look at those crowds!
Thank you to Time, Inc. for hosting us, and to the Hilton Honors card from American Express for allowing us to stay in NYC at the Hilton Times Square to #hotelfortheholidays and establish some memorable family holiday traditions.
ANNIE the Musical premiered on Broadway in NYC recently, and I was invited to preview the show a couple of weeks ago. I was stoked to attend ANNIE on Broadway as I'd only seen the movie before and wanted to see how they compared - and I was excited to introduce the Kiddo to the songs and story that led to his Aunt Annie being named Aunt Annie.
ANNIE the musical delivered pure enjoyment. The characters I remembered from my childhood embodied the lyrics and era. I remain in awe of the ability of the kid and teen actors to nail their performances and lines both on their own and as the ensemble of orphans. They rocked their comedic timing, physical humor and vocals.
And Sandy! The rescue dogs performed so well, and created aisle-to-aisle smiles throughout the audience when they appeared on stage.
The post-war Depression era setting provided a lot of teaching opportunities throughout the musical. People living in cardboard shanties? Why? Who's Herbert Hoover? Why does Daddy Warbucks live in a mansion? Why do these kids not live at home with their parents?
Of course, the highlight for me was the music. It made me smile while driving home across the GW bridge as my son was singing "It's a Hard Knock Life" from the backseat. He had never heard the song before, and picked up the catchy chorus enough to sing it on the way home unassisted. It was incredibly sweet, and speaks volumes to just how delightful the musical was - even for those not familiar with the characters and story.
There were songs in the musical that I was hearing for the first time: "Thank you Herbert Hoover," and another sung solo by Daddy Warbucks. I was slightly bummed to not hear "We Got Annie" - one of my favorite songs from the movie.
We got Annie
So, back to the Kiddo's Aunt Annie. Annie was the first movie I saw in the movie theater as a kid, and I received the soundtrack soon thereafter. My other sister, Holly, and I played that record over and over on our Fisher-Price record player in the toy room. I'm sure even my dad could recite a few lines from the songs himself he overheard us singing and performing along to the ANNIE movie soundtrack enough, eventhough it was 25 years ago.
So when my parents told Holly and I we were going to get a sister, they let us help pick her name. The list was short, and we ALL agreed on Annie. I can't remember how many times after she was born that we teasingly (and admittedly - straight out earnestly. Hey! We were kids!) danced around singing "We Got Annie!"
I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to see Annie the musical on Broadway, and am grateful that I had the chance to take the Kiddo to experience it too, thanks to MamaDrama. I recommend every family visiting NYC for some family holiday fun see Annie on Broadway this season. #AnnieonBroadway #AnnieonBway #MamaDrama
And yes, there are souvenirs and gift ideas to remember the experience at home. . .
As Generation
X and Millennial families leave their hometowns to settle down
in distant cities, more and more families find themselves traveling over the
holidays. When all of the siblings head home, there may not be enough “room at
the inn” for everyone to comfortably stay under your parents’ roof, (hello air
mattress, pull-out bed, sleeping bag!) so you head to a hotel. Or, sometimes
the road trip home to visit family may seem too long for a weekend trip, or too
expensive to fly home for every holiday, but you still want to make memories
and establish traditions for your own new family and plan a hotel stay closer
to home.
That’s exactly what we did over Thanksgiving. Courtesy of Hilton HHonors Card from American Express, we’re able to stay three nights at the
Hilton Times Square over Thanksgiving and create our own holiday memories in
NYC.
The Hilton Honors program is working with American Express
for the holiday season to make it easier to find a hotel by using HHonors
points - with no blackout dates! - which could land you a hotel room and save
you money in the process (perhaps to spend on gifts or to donate to charities).
If you don’t already have a Hilton HHonors Card, through the
end of November new Cardmembers can get up to 65,000 bonus HHonors points when
they sign up for the card
which is phenomenal considering that you can get a free night for 25,000
points, or even less with points + cash, so you could get 2-4 nights just for
getting the card!
If you’re like us and travel a lot, there’s something called
the Hilton HHonors Surpass Card that may be more attractive for you. It costs $75 per year (as opposed to the
HHonors Card which is free), but you earn 12 points for every dollar spent at
Hilton Hotels, and 6 points at select supermarkets, drugstores and gas
stations. So you can accumulate points
faster, and that doesn’t even include a 60,000 point bonus if you’re a new
Surpass Cardmember
Either way you look at it, if you're going to be travelling this holiday season, then the Hilton HHonors Amex card may be something to look into before you hit the road.
Thanks to American Express for letting us know about the program and for offering us the opportunity to #hotelfortheholidays at the Hilton Times Square over Thanksgiving.
We've been trying out the Samsung ES8000 SMART TV's Social TV capabilities the last couple of weeks - literally from Barack to Bieber. Like most families, we multi-task when we watch
TV, with a remote in one hand and a phone/tablet/laptop in the other. The last several weeks have given us several life-altering "live" events that have kept
us - along with millions of viewers - tuned into our televisions and our Twitter
accounts like never before.
With the Samsung SMART TV, we simultaneously followed our friends' social media updates while watching Hurricane Sandy coverage, the American Music Awards, and
the single most tweeted event in history, the 2012 Presidential Election.
Here's Stevie Wonder singing at the AMA's, you note Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family) has tweeted on the right.
2012 Election night coverage.
Like hundreds of apps that you can download to the Samsung
TV, the Social TV app has made it convenient to connect to Twitter, Facebook
and Google Talk. Since we DVR (time-shift) almost everything we watch using our Tivo
Premiere, live events are really the best way to connect with our friends - and
to get all their tweets and Facebook posts overlaid onto the TV is pretty cool.
How it Works The remote that comes with the TV helps choose three different overlay
options and you can choose how the TV content is displayed relative to the
social media on the screen. The older model of our 55” TV came with a QWERTY keyboard
which made it easier to respond, but not as practical.
The Social TV app automatically updates the total number of
posts by placing a number next to each corresponding feed, or by an alert that
will appear in the bottom right of the screen. You switch the screen view to hide the updates, and a number will pop up at the bottom right every so often showing you how many status updates have been updated so you can click and switch to show them if you'd like. If you consider that the night of the election
there were 31 million tweets, and at one point 327,452 tweets per minute
when the election was called, that’s a lot of reading and scrolling on your TV.
I have a feeling we'll be watching some holiday classics this way - perhaps starting with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special tonight. :-)
A huge thank you to Samsung for providing the television for us to
try out, and for sponsoring my blog these two months as part of their
#FamiliesInMotion initiative.
Disney sprinkled a little pixie dust today, announcing their "Limited Time Magic" promotion for 2013. Next year, Walt Disney World and Disneyland will offer 52 specially-themed weeks of magical experiences from coast to coast. I can't wait to find out what the theme will be when we're in Orlando for the Disney Princess Half Marathon!
Disney's weekly "limited time magic" opportunities and experiences will include themes like Pirate Week, with special pirate meet-and-greets, collectibles, entertainment and more from Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Pirates in the Caribbean and more.
Or celebrating True Love week during Valentine's Day with prince and princess character pairings around the parks, romantic pink lighting for the park castles, prix fixe candlelit dinners and special Disney Valentine collectibles and entertainment.
There's even a Patriotic Week being planned during the Fourth of July with limited edition themed mouse ear souvenirs, fireworks, and red,white and blue lighting for the castles among other opportunities and surprises.
Or how about those pesky villains? Jafar, Maleficent, Captain Hook and others will get their own special Villains week around September 13, 2013 with activities and photo opps galore. Disney Parks will stay open a 13th hour (until 1 a.m.), and they're planning a Villain Dance Party and night of Disney mischief too.
Mickey, Minnie and Cinderella were on hand to help unveil the 2013 campaign with
ice sculptures in Times Square NYC, including a 45,000 pound fairytale castle. The ice sculptures were meant to symbolize the fleeting timeliness of the themed weeks. They'll be here one week, then gone when a new theme takes over the next.
There was even an ice sculpture carriage for Cinderella . . .
Etnies is launching a line of kids' shoes based on Disney's Phineas and Ferb characters and TV series. New for the holiday season, the Disney Phineas and Ferb footwear line has a pair of shoes specially designed for each character: Phineas Flynn, Ferb Fletcher, Perry the Platypus, Candace, Isabella and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
The six pairs of shoes are available now at Etnies, Zappos and Famous Footwear and are priced at $65 or less. They come in toddler and kids' sizes. You can stay up to date on the Etnies Facebook page.
I knew as soon as I saw them that the Kiddo would want a pair. ;-)
