events

meeting mo willems

Melissa

We are huge fans of Mo Willems in our house.  We love Elephant and Piggie, Leonardo, the Terrible Monster, Knuffle Bunny, the Pigeon books, all of it. I’m pretty sure we have an entire bookshelf worth of just his books! Grace is such a big fan that she was willing to miss her class Halloween party on Friday to head up to NYC with me to meet Mo at Magnolia Bakery and learn about his new iPad/iPhone/iPhone app “Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App.” (Her entire class was super jealous, by the way. Mo Willems is very popular in our school!!)

We walked into Magnolia Bakery on Friday afternoon and were greeted by lunch — and cupcakes! And were immediately paralyzed with indecision. I mean, what cupcake do you pick when you’re presented with this? Besides “Yes, please!”

We went with the special ‘pigeon blue’ cupcake, which was super yummy! (Are there cupcakes that are not yummy? Cause I’ve never met one.)

Grace tried out the new app, which is one of the coolest apps I’ve seen for kids.  It has a ‘learn to draw the pigeon’ tutorial, which Grace loved, but the main part of the app allows kids to write their own story with Mo.
Kids give their ideas to make the story unique and then the story they wrote is read back to them. Its fabulous – so funny (with all the expected humor of Mo) and every time, its original. Grace even recorded her own voice as part of the story and the pictures she drew were included, too! So cool.
What impressed me about the app is that there are endless possibilities. The stories can be rewritten and rewritten and be different each time. So many apps we’ve bought entertain the kids for an hour or so, then they’re done. They’ve seen it and they’re not interested anymore. But the Pigeon App has the ability to keep them entertained for so much longer. Kids aren’t just watching something, but they are reading, engaging and being part of the story. Now at $7, its certainly pricier than most apps I buy, but I felt it was worth the price. Especially if you have an iPad – it was so much cooler on the iPad than on my iPhone! That price point is still less than a movie, so I’d rather buy something like this for my kids!

Then, Mo Willems arrived. Grace was bouncing in her seat, she was so excited! He spoke for awhile about why he decided to do an app and his upcoming works (New Pigeon book! April 2012!!). When creating the app, he said he wanted to create something that didn’t run on its own; but wanted something that required interaction.
Grace screwed up all her courage during question time (Grace does not like speaking in public) and asked Mo what his favorite book was. He said that choosing his favorite book would be like choosing his favorite child. But probably his most favorite is whatever book he finished most recently, as he always is wishing he had done something different after a book is published.

When asked if there will be another app, Mo said: “you don’t do something because you can; you do it so that it’s awesome.” And the Pigeon App is definitely awesome. And we’re certainly hoping for more Mo Willems’ apps soon!

Mo and Grace pretending to be Leonardo the Terrible Monster!

And be sure to check out Grace’s side of the story on her blog!

disclosure: we attended this event as guests of Disney Digital Books and were provided with transportation and a gift bag. As always, all opinions are my own. plus, we love Mo Willems and would have bought this app anyway.

Disney Summer Social

Melissa 7 Comments

Balloons, face painting, dancing, Mickey Mouse ears, Disney crafts and games… talk about a great way to spend the afternoon!

The kids had a fantastic time, but ended with a spike in Disney Fever – now they’re begging to go back to Disney!

Can’t say I blame them! My only problem is deciding where I want to go most…

To Disneyland to see the new CARS Land at California Adventure… (Colin would vote for this one!)

Or to Disney World to see the newly renovated Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom… (Grace would totally vote for this!!)

Or… did you know Disney Cruise Lines is adding cruises leaving from New York City in 2012?? WOOT! Who’s going with us???

disclosure: we attended the disney summer social event and received some treats and goodies for the kids. i was not compensated for this post. bottom three images via disney.

a day on the farm with horizon

Melissa 2 Comments

Last Thursday, we went to visit a family farm as a guest of Horizon. I was thrilled: we are very committed to organic dairy in our family and we’ve been eating more whole foods and buying from farmers markets and such , so I was so excited to give the kids a chance to see how food (or milk, in this case) gets from the farm to our table.

We drove about an hour north of where we live outside Philly to the farm of Barry and Barb Byler in New Tripoli, PA. There we were joined by Jo-Lynne, Trina, Stephanie and Brandi and we all learned about what makes his farm organic, how organic dairy farms differ from conventional farms, how he cares for his 100+ cows using natural, holistic methods to maintain health and how he balances farm and family.

My girls were thrilled to see the animals. Barry, who studied genetics at university, has a variety of breeds of cows – they were so interesting. Not the typical black and white cows you often see. With the rolling green hills, the barns, the flowers… all under a blue sky… it was simply gorgeous.
The kids listening to Mr. Byler explain how he rotates the cows throughout his various pastures.

Colin amused himself by drinking his weight in Horizon Milk Boxes.
I liked hearing about how Barry balanced his farm and his family. This was truly a family farm: his son was driving tractors and his daughter was helping out as well.  He was talking about how when his kids were little he started getting up at 3:30am so that he would be done with the evening milking in time to spend time with his kids before bed. It was interesting about the day-to-day working of a family farm.

My kids loved the calves. There was a tiny premature calf who was so tiny. The kids thought it was so cool that he ate with a bottle.
Ellie was thrilled because Mr. Byler told them that the calf was still scared of people, but he let Ellie pet him. It made her day.
All the kids loved the trip – seeing all those animals up close is so exciting for our city kids!

After seeing this farm up close, I am more committed than ever to the importance of giving my family organic dairy. I truly believe it is one of the best things you can do for the health of your kids (read why here). I was impressed by Horizon’s commitment to converting acreage to organic (whether owned by Horizon or not), how they lowered the sugar in their chocolate milk so it can be in school lunch programs, their emphesis on pasture grazing cows and high standards of animal care, and their continued commitment to supporting family farms. This is a company that is a prime example of how it is possible to help the environment, produce healthier food, support farmers… and be profitable at the same time. Did you know they even have a HOPE program to help farmers transition to organic? We need more companies like Horizon!

Thank you so much, Horizon and the Byler family, for hosting us. We had a wonderful time!

disclosure: i was provided with a gift card to cover gas and tolls, as well as lunch on the farm for me and my family. as always, all opinions are my own.

 

Chari-Tea Party for OCRF

Melissa 7 Comments

Last week, I had the pleasure of joining some fabulous fellow moms, celeb mom Kelly Ripa and Electrolux at The Plaza Hotel in New York for an adorable Chari-Tea in support of the Ovarian Cancer Reasearch Fund.

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Kelly Ripa and Electrolux joined dozens of mothers and daughters for a Chari-Tea Party recently to help fight ovarian cancer.

109893251_DK_2812_B8B5DE17A4BC7C4C68311CE7505BED43-2 The Chari-Tea Party, sponsored by Electrolux, kicked off a special effort in support of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) initiative to help find a cure. Everyone can visit www.Kelly-Confidential.com and choose an outfit for Kelly’s Chari-Tea Party and Electrolux will then donate $1 to OCRF, as part of their $750,000 commitment to the cause. (You can also enter for a chance to win the ultimate party accessory – a Perfect Steam™ washer and dryer!! Electrolux has committed $750,000 to support OCRF’s mission to fund research to find a method of early detection and ultimately a cure for ovarian cancer. “What better way to support OCRF – an organization that helps women – than by doing something terrific with your daughter,” said Kelly as she introduced the event with Electrolux CEO Kevin Scott.

Kelly chari-tea Seriously, I was drooling over the Electrolux laundry line: I’ve been hinting to my husband that we are getting to the end of our dryer’s life. Our dryer, a hand-me-down, now takes three dry cycles to get clothes dry. Super energy-efficient, no? Doing laundry takes me approximately 2 days (I get distracted easily). Not to mention how traumatic this is for my son when its blankey wash day! But my husband is of the If-It-Ain’t-Broke-We’re-Not-Replacing-It-Yet Philosophy of Appliances. So I must wait. And dream. (Yes, I dream about appliances. Shut up.)

And with three kids – and a muddy spring ahead fulled with of piles of smelly soccer clothes – the amazing capacity of the Electrolux laundry appliances has my attention. They have the only front load washer and dryer that get 50 outfits clean. AT ONCE. Between that and Electrolux having that the shortest wash-to-dry time (just 36 minutes to wash AND dry your clothes) and the Perfect Steam setting that would mean no more ironing, I’d have so much time on my hands!

Sigh. Someday. Now I have to tackle the ironing mountain in the corner of my bedroom. (Seriously. My husband is out of work shirts so I can’t put it off any longer. I’m turning on Pride and Prejudice while I iron. The 6 hour one. Maybe Mr. Darcy can help me forget how much I hate to iron.)

For more information on OCRF or Electrolux, please visit www.kelly-confidential.com.

disclosure: My participation in the ‘Chari-Tea Party’ Campaign was sponsored by Electrolux who provided me with transportation arrangements to and from New York City to participate. Photos provided by Electrolux. As always, all opinions are my own.

 

tea party for a cause

Melissa

I'm not around today.

I'm heading up to New York City. To have tea. At the Plaza Hotel. With Kelly Ripa.

Excuse me while I act nonchalant, like this is no big deal, but really I'm freaking out inside because I ADORE her!

I'm heading up to participate in Kelly's Chari-Tea, Tea Party for a Cause supporting the  Ovarian Cancer Research Fund whose mission is to fund research to find a method of early detection and ultimately a cure for Ovarian Cancer. 

You can join Kelly's virtual tea party for a cause! And when you do, Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund1. Plus, you'll be entered for a chance to win an Electrolux Perfect Steam™ washer and dryer2 that get more than 50 outfits tea party ready in just one load3.

Pictures to follow! Promise! In the meantime, please follow my Twitter stream for updates!

 

disclosure: My participation in the ‘Chari-Tea Party’ Campaign was sponsored by Electrolux
who provided me with transportation arrangements to and from New York City to
participate.

1 Electrolux will donate $1 to OCRF for each time you choose an outfit for Kelly's virtual tea party between 3/10/11 and 5/17/11 with a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $30,000. 2 No Purchase or Donation Necessary. Sweepstakes ends 5/17/2011. Click here for full rules. 3 Based upon DOE test procedure for measuring capacity (10CFR 430, Subpart B, App. J1) and a load composition of 50 outfits or more with a weight of up to 24 lbs.

IKEA 2011 Catalog Preview

Melissa

Today I spent the morning in one of my happy places:

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IKEA.

Today I got to get a special sneak peek and the new 2011 IKEA catalog and see all the new yumminess Ikea has to offer – many at even lower prices. There are gorgeous new sofas, entertainment centers, bedroom set… oh, the yumminess just goes on!

Ikea is one of the companies I truly love – they have a commitment to their customers, the community and the environment that you just don’t see very often. I was especially impressed with the Sunnan Lamp project: since June 2009, UNICEF receives one Sunnan solar-powered lamp for every Sunnan sold in IKEA stores worldwide, which enables children in homes without electricity to do their homework even after dusk. What an amazing project!

I also love that while IKEA’s stuff is super affordable,it is still high quality. Our first apartment was about 2 miles from an IKEA, so almost all of our furniture is from there. And – more than ten years later – we still have it all! And it is even surviving our three kids. (Well, the white slipcovers… notsomuch, but the rest is fine 😉

My first rule of furniture is that it has to be usable. While that gorgeous sofa in the showroom is absolutely fabulous and drool-worthy, its not practical. I have no desire to have a home where my kids can not play in certain rooms, or where I’m constantly worried about things getting dirty. I want a home that can be lived in and enjoyed and loved…
Yes, I want a couch that’s stylish and comfortable, but I also want one that my kids can take apart and make a fort out of the cushions and we can all snuggle up on with a big bowl of popcorn.
Yes, I want a kitchen table that is beautiful and big enough to sharing meals with friends, but I also need one that can be used for finger painting, coloring, frosting super messy cupcakes (with sprinkles) and can withstand a two-year-old banging his fork on it.

Personally, I was thrilled to see not only the new items but the loads of lower prices!  Coincidently, the sofa I want is like $100 cheaper! Yipee! And this Extorp loveseat and chaise lounge would be just perfect for our family room… But what I fell in love with is this:

Kitchen

Mama just found her dream kitchen.

A special thanks to the adorable Jennifer, from IKEA who organized this special review event! It was fabulous!

best buy + me = husband who is happy to babysit

Melissa 3 Comments

Last week, I met some of my favorite local bloggers at the new Seasons 52 restaurant in King of Prussia hosted by Best Buy.

I've been wanting to try Seasons 52 since it opened, but haven't had the chance. The restaurant was gorgeous and the staff was wonderful. I was blown away by the food: The entire menu changes weekly, based on what is fresh and in season. They don't use butter (only olive oil) and there isn't a deep fryer in the restaurant. Talk about refreshing!   They even
promise that nothing on their menus is more than 475 calories.

My FAVORITE was dessert. I can never decide what dessert to get (because I love dessert) so I think they invented their Mini Indulgences just for me! There's a variety of desserts served in
very small portions so you can enjoy a few things without going overboard. Here's the picture from the website:

mini_indulgences

YUM, right? I think I have a new favorite restaurant. I can't wait to go back for girls night out or a date night!

The event was sponsored by Best Buy,
and they shared with us a little bit about their company and their work
in the community.  I have to say, I was very impressed. Yes, Best Buy is a for-profit company, but they go above and beyond the average in their commitment to give back and to take care of their employees.  For example, when Hurricane Katrina hit and wiped
out several Best Buy
stores, Best Buy paid every single one of their employees until the stores reopened and they
were able to go back to work. I find that pretty amazing.

They specifically wanted us to know about their desire to support
young teens. They currently have two philanthropy projects — a program about giving a
voice to teens called @15, and a tech training program for teens girls called Geek Squad Summer Academy.  I loved hearing from a female store manager about her passion for mentoring women in her store!

Personally, I love seeing a company that clearly cares about making a difference in the world, takes care of its employees and – in turn – has employees who are passionate about what they do. That's a better advertisement than the one in the newspaper! I'm much more inclined to give a company I trust my business. I love how knowledgeable the employees are – I'm computer shopping, so I was in heaven asking all sorts of questions about what I should get!

I once again brought my camera and was so busy chatting to my PSMM gals and the fabulous Best Buy folks, so I'm stealing a picture from Jo-Lynne's camera phone. Here's  me and Jennie and Sarah indulging in some Mini Indulgences.

bestbuy4

Special thanks to the fabulous ladies at Just Centsible Consulting, Best Buy, and Seasons 52 for a lovely evening!

Disclosure: Everyone in attendance received a complementary goody bag and a gift certificate to spend at Best Buy.


Hebrew National’s Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic Kickoff Event in NYC

Melissa

Early Saturday morning, a group of Philly mom bloggers gathered to hop a bus to NYC for Hebrew National’s Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic
Kickoff event.  After an adventurous trip* involving a lost driver, carsickness and a broken down bus (but we broke down at a Wawa, so it wasn't too terrible!) we made it to Randall's Island in NYC just two hours later than planned.

*This might have been my fault, since I just boasted about my unadventurous trip to the last blogging event I went to. Sorry, guys!

But we arrived and after enthusiastic greetings from Emily and our NYC-based co-hosts, we hurried over to snag one of the hundreds of hot dogs that were cooked and served in this enormous airstream bus. And after that crazy trip, some good food is just what the doctor ordered. (And here's photographic proof that even Jo-Lynne enjoys her Hebrew National hot dogs!)

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DSCN1626 As the name suggests, this event was so much more than just a gathering to eat hot dogs! The event supported the Food Bank for New York City and the Magic School Lunch Box program. Did you know that only $36 will provide lunch all summer long for a child who would otherwise go without? What a fantastic cause.  Here are two fellow Philly moms, Sherry and Valerie, helping their daughters decorate lunch bags
for the Magic School Lunch Program.

And, of course, we had a fabulous time hanging out with our bloggity friends. With these girls, even a broken down bus can be fun! 

Here are some Philly bloggers: Me, Kelly, Cecily, Whitney, and Jo-Lynne.

A huge thanks to Emily and Cooper of The Motherhood
for organizing this fantastic event and – of course – to the good folks at Hebrew National for feeding goodness knows how many people on Saturday. (Seriously -we're pretty sure that word of the picnic was put out on the NYPD police radio, based on the number of police officers that were in line.)

There are several more picnics coming up,  check out the Hebrew National Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnics circle at The Motherhood for locations near you!