Adventure Aquarium Visit & Ticket Giveaway

April 11, 2012 By 6 Comments

Yesterday, we had the most fantastic time at the Philadelphia’s Adventure Aquarium on the Camden Waterfront. Our visit was LONG overdue as I hadn’t taken Kenzie since she was 18 months old and little Kyle has NEVER visited an Aquarium before. The kids were crazy about the experience and loved their visit so much. They can’t stop talking about it!

I was so impressed with our visit too and I highly recommend this for local Philadelphia area families. The view from the waterfront is beautiful too as you can see from this photo we snapped in front of the aquarium.

And now we’re also thrilled to be giving away a family 4 pack of tickets to one lucky family so they can also experience the Adventure Aquarium and new KidZone too! Enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post by April 30th, 2012. US Residents only. (Note this tickets are for the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ)

The day was full of adventure and lots of hands on learning experiences – think touching sharks, stingrays, starfish, and sea cucumbers and even a chance to feed fish to stingrays at the Stingray Beach Club.

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Their favorites parts of the visit were touching & feeding the stingrays! And yes they fed them real fish from their very own hands!

 

And and of course the Shark Tunnel was a hit!

The sharks literally are swimming above and around you. Very cool and the parents will be very impressed with it too!

We also had the chance to go outside and see a Penguin feeding and watch the seals play. Awesome. The day literally was a non stop adventure and full of rich learning experiences for everyone.

The kids loved all the wacky photo opps too!

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Surfing as they pretend to see a shark!

Posing with Gil the Mascot for the Aquarium.

Hanging out in the Shark’s Mouth!

The new KidZone at the Adventure Aquarium is now fully open too and is geared for kids 6 and under. This is a perfect fit for my kids as they are in that age range and they would have stayed in this area for hours if I had let them. So much for them to run around and touch!

The KidZone (www.kidzone2012.com) is a dedicated play space designed for kids 6 & under that allows children to connect with nature by getting hands on with it so they can just PLAY.

Here’s just a few fun pics of the kids experiencing it all!

A fish’s view of the water!

Pretending to swim through seaweed!

The happy kids with their beloved stuffed souvenirs at the end of the day. Everyone slept great last night with their cozy cuddly new friends from the sea while dreaming of sharks & stingrays!

Disclosure: Thanks to the Adventure Aquarium for provide us free passes for our visit yesterday to facilitate this review and our giveaway.

 

Filed Under: Kenzie, Kids, kyle Tagged With:

Easter with the Cousins!

April 9, 2012 By

The kids just keep on growing up but it’s so wonderful to see them all having even more fun together. The day was action packed full of egg hunts, soccer games, play performances and eating lots of sweets!

We captured this perfect shot of Kenzie and Kyle with their cousins Lindsay, Taylor, Jordyn, Olivia, Emily, and Kate all perched on a rock after the egg hunt.

And Kyle has finally learned to smile!

Here’s the kids racing around the yard seeking out their eggs. Such a great time! And outdoor egg hunts are a real challenge too – even for the parents when we try to help!

One more fun shot from the rock photo shoot

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Easter Bunny Photos through the years…….

April 5, 2012 By

My babies are growing up. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be doing a “Bunny” photo opp. At least the movie HOP has reignited belief in the Easter Bunny since this costume at the Mall is definitely a game changer for every kid over the age of 4. Luckily, my kids think the Mall EB is just a disciple and helper rabbit to the real E.B.

Check out these photos through the ages.

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Above is a pick from this week. Below are photos from 2010 and from way back in the day 2008 when Kyle was only about 4 months old.

 

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Filed Under: Kenzie, Kids, kyle Tagged With: ,

Day 1: Sailing on the Disney Fantasy

March 26, 2012 By

And we’re off to sea after a fabulous Sail Away party and afternoon exploring the Disney Fantasy.

Wow! This ship is incredible. Art Deco inspired it makes you feel like your boarding a ship from the 1920′s.

The Disney Fantasy is the way to travel – the most fancy giant floating resort ever. With lots of hidden Disney Magic if you want to look for it too!

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Filed Under: Disney, Kids, Travel Tagged With: ,

Hop: Family Movie Night is a hopping good time!

March 24, 2012 By

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My kids LOVE the movie Hop. Hop released on DVD in stores yesterday, March 23rd, 2012 – just in time for Easter. It’s on sale for about $19.99 for the combo pack that comes with both a regular DVD, Blu-Ray and a digital copy too! We love the digital copy – we’ll be loading this on our iPad tonight so the kids can watch it this week when we’re flying to Florida.

We took the kids to see it in theaters last spring before Easter and both Kenzie and Kyle could not have been more excited to watch the movie again. My son Kyle was sick yesterday with double ear infections so an afternoon style “family movie night” was just the thing to cheer him up. After having a really tough night and morning, he was beyond thrilled for this treat.

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We cuddled on the coach and ate popcorn for the movie.

They loved it again and found it super cute. Hop is a fantastic movie for the entire family too as it is full of jokes, music, and all around fun for the entire family.

E.B. is utterly adorable – I just want to hug him myself and wish we had a pet bunny of our own that pooped jelly beans!

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Both Kenzie and Kyle have been playing Easter Bunny ALL DAY long today now. Non stop Easter Bunny role play happening at our house. Great way to gear up for Easter! Hiding eggs, carrying baskets, and distributing easter hay all over the place.

Here’s Kyle enthralled in the movie and his popcorn.

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Official Synopsis:

From the makers of Despicable Me comes an all-new comedy about candy, chicks
and rock n roll! He was destined to be the Easter Bunny, but all he wanted
to do was rock! When teenage E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) leaves for
Hollywood in pursuit of his dream to become a rockstar drummer, he meets
Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals.
Together the two encounter a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures
and in the end help each other recognize the importance of family.

Here’s some sweet  LIMITED TIME SPECIAL OFFERS for HOP:

- Best Buy – Get a free 7″ Bunny Minion Plush when you buy HOP on Blu-ray
Combo Pack

- Target – Receive free wearable bunny ears & printable Easter party kit when
you Buy HOP on Blu-ray Combo Pack

- Find all details here: http://www.iwantcandy.com/retailers

Disclosure: Thanks to Universal Pictures for providing us with this fun family movie night kit. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Filed Under: Kids, Movies, Videos Tagged With:

Finally! My Disney Princess Half Marathon Race Photos

March 21, 2012 By

Words can’t even begin to describe the thrill and inspiration of running the Disney Princess Half Marathon. These photos capture a bit of the magic. The race started with Fireworks, we ran down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom and through the Castle, and finished at Epcot. With all kinds of music, marching bands, and beloved Disney Characters cheering us on – and taking photos with us too!

Here’s my official results from Run Disney – all my splits too for the 5K, 10K, 15K on my way to the final finish in 1:47.44. 

Here’s my splits below. Overall place Women’s Division – 277 th out of 15,802

I was thrilled with my time – averaged 8:13 per mile and I stopped for lots of character photos for the 1st half of the race to keep me relaxed and easy. The last 3 miles were tough – as my longest training run was a 10 miler – so there was no stopping as I feared I’d never start again if I stopped moving lol :)

5K Split: 24:45
10K Split: 49:51
15K Split:  1:15:21

 

We ran around Epcot as we neared the final 1/2 mile of the race.

Crossing the finish line – 1:47: 44 was my actual final time. Here are all the splits.

The finish line was glorious. Characters were dressed up cheering us on at the Finish chute – Goofy was decked out in his finery and confetti was everywhere.

 

Filed Under: Disney, Kids Tagged With: ,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

March 18, 2012 By

I’m Irish so we love to get excited about St. Patty’s Day. Luckily, we had a visit from the Leprechaun last night thanks to all the Preschool Teachers across America embracing the idea of the Leprechaun visiting classrooms, he is now popping by at home too!

The kids were amazed, delighted, and wowed by the leprechaun magic.

Yes, the Leprechaun snuck into the kids rooms and left them a gold coin, green Hershey Kiss, and even some green sugar crumbs but what really thrilled the kids was the bit of green the Leprechaun left in the toilet. All day long the kids were searching in the yard for bits of green and Leprechaun footprints.

Here’s Kyle wearing the green with his preschool friends. They’re  the 3 Musketeers turned 3 Leprechauns.

 

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Ollivander’s Wand Shop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

March 16, 2012 By

Literally stuffed with wands from floor to ceiling, this place is Ollivander’s. When you step into Ollivander’s Wand Shop at Universal Orlando, you will feel as if you’ve been transported to the wand shop of lore in Diagon Alley.
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The shop is itsy bitsy and filled to the brim with a zillion wand boxes. There is a line for entry into the section of the store where there is a wand selection magical demonstration. Yes, there is a line, but it moves pretty quickly, as about 25 guests step into the shop for each 5 minute “show” where 1 lucky guest gets selected to “choose their wand” or I should really say, “see which wand chooses them?”

Kenzie was amazed at the show and definitely thought every spell and bit of magic was 100% genuine.

She just kept repeating, “I LOVE this so much! I LOVE it. I LOVE it.”

Buying a Wand at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

After the demonstration, everyone is shuffled through a small door into the main wand shop – which is equally small but full of all kinds of wands for the kids or parents to touch, feel, and then purchase if they so desire.

Even though these wands are not toys, and are made of ceramic, we knew we were going to let the kids buy a wand. They are obsessed with Potter and have been dreaming of owning a wand for months. Luckily, their purchase did not disappoint. Honestly the kids even have been sleeping with the wands and/or wands in boxes at night!

Both my kids spent a good 15 minutes touching and feeling almost every wand in the shop. Ultimately, Kenzie chose Ginny Weasley’s wand and Kyle went with Harry Potter’s wand. The wands are not cheap – but I swear they are well worth the $32.95 we spent on each one. They are beautiful but even more importantly, my kids have probably played with their wands for no less than 100 hours since we bought them 3 weeks ago. Kenzie and Kyle play “Harry Potter” at home where Kenzie speaks in a British accent and both kids cast spells about the house or yard or pretend to battle bad wizards while escaping on broomsticks for hours on end. They love it and it leaves me lots of time to get stuff done on my own when I’m not joining in on a potions class with them.
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Here’s Kyle after selecting his wand. Isn’t he cute?

Disclosure: Thanks to Universal Orlando for providing my family and I complimentary park passes and a VIP guided tour through their theme parks. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Kids, Travel Tagged With: , ,

That Thing is My Sister

March 11, 2012 By

I love this photo. Perfectly describes my duo below.

Snapped it at the gift shop outside “The Cat In The Hat” ride at Universal Orlando. Kenzie was beyond happy to pose in this adorable and ridiculous wig and of course both kids are VERY into Dr. Seuss at the moment – especially our incessant bookworm Kenzie who won’t stop reading Dr. Seuss or any other book for that matter.

 

Filed Under: Kenzie, Kids Tagged With:

For the Love of Dr. Seuss: Seuss Landing at Universal Orlando

March 7, 2012 By

This place is a kid’s dream according to my 6 year old. And after just finishing a week celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday at school she says she only wishes Universal could expand Seuss Landing to include even more rides celebrating all of Dr. Seuss’s books since she loved it so much.

Dr. Seuss did write over 60 books – what an imagination! Here’s the full list of Dr. Seuss’s books.

It’s no secret that kids love amusement park rides. So  mixing rides with the wacky world of  Dr. Seuss was a recipe that created unlimited joy for Kenzie & Kyle during their time playing in Seuss Landing at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure.

This area of Universal Islands of Adventure is IDEAL for little kids as the rides are fun, bright, colorful, and of course simple enough that no one will be scared or afraid of anything. 6 year old Kenzie loved it and kept asking to ride every single ride over and over again. Which we did plenty of times thanks to the help of our VIP guide Eliza!

We also welcomed the fact that it was far less crowded in this area compared to the heavy crowds milling about in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Seuss Landing is complete with 4 kiddie amusement rides:

There were 4 rides in Seuss Landing – a Carosel, a train, a Cat in the Hat ride and a One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish ride – which also offered a chance for a cool down with some splish splashing fountains that my kids adored.

We all rode the carousel!

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish attraction was beyond a hit. Almost like a Dumbo ride at Disney but far better as riders have the chance to get wet too!

And this ride was the perfect way to cool off in the afternoon with the splashing action. (Note: The splashing could have been limited or practically be avoided if you listened to the instructions from the fish but of course our kids were thrilled to try to get wet instead!)

Here we are getting a bit sprinkled on while riding the fish. Kyle could have gone on this 100 times in a row!

Lots of great photo opportunities with everything themed to Dr. Seuss books!

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Very very exciting!

The kids also loved when we hopped over to the Universal Studios side of the theme park. This side of things seemed super empty. I think this is because The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is so popular that tons of people are just buying tickets to the Islands of Adventure. This is great news for visitors as it means less crowds which we loved. Barely any lines at all for our  character meet and greets which there are many opportunties to do at Universal Studios – Shrex, Barney, and so many more!

We met the Lorax here – another Dr. Seuss favorite in our house.

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Getting up close to the Lorax to give him some love!

We also met Curious George!

The kids favorite attraction in the Universal Studio side of the park was the E.T. ride – we rode it two times in a row they loved it so much. My parents and Mike and I also really enjoyed this ride too.

And we really liked just taking in the scenery of Universal studios and all the various city back drops from San Francisco to New York City. A perfect place to take a walk and soak it all in while the kids had down time relaxing in the buggy after all their Seuss rides and character greetings.

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And a huge gigantic Thank You to Eliza our VIP tour guide who was beyond knowledgable, thoughtful and fun. She was absolutely perfect and made our day run so smoothly while also giving us all kinds of inside information on the parks operations and attractions.

We love her and hope someday to come back and visit with her as our guide. She rocks!

Disclosure: Thanks to Universal Orlando for providing my family and I complimentary park passes and a VIP guided tour through their theme parks. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Filed Under: Kids, Travel Tagged With: ,
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