Go See Gazillions of Bubbles

These kids got to be inside a huge bubble made by Ana Yang.

I took two of my kids down to the city to see Gazillions of Bubbles. It was about a 15 minute walk from Grand Central Station to New World Stages. We had seats in the third row from the stage so we saw everything up close and personal. Our bubble hostess for this show was Ana Yang. The stuff she can do with bubbles is amazing. We saw her make square bubbles, bubbles inside other bubbles, bubbles filled with smoke, big ones, little ones and, of course, gazillions of bubbles. She put four kids from our audience into a giant bubble. The littlest one was too cute, she kept popping the bubble as soon as it came around them. Ana handled it  with grace and just did it 3 or 4 times. She actually holds a Guiness world record for putting 26 people into a bubble. She made it “snow” bubbles which was lots of fun. She and an audience participant made “snow balls” out of the bubbles. When it “snowed” the bubbles, we all got to play with them as it filled the auditorium. She later took us on an “underwater” experience that had lasers and tons of bubbles coming into the audience. We all had a great time and it is truly a great family fun thing to do. I recommend it to anyone of any age.

This was very cool. Ana made it "snow" bubbles.

If you want to go:
New World Stages
340 West 50th Street
New York, NY 10019

To order tickets:
Online: Telecharge.com
Phone: (212) 239-6200
Or 1-800-432-7250 (outside metro NY)

Or visit website http://www.gazillionbubbleshow.com/tickets.html

To learn more about this show visit http://www.gazillionbubbleshow.com/index.html

Crafting with my kids

This month we have an article on crafting with your kids. That is something near and dear to my heart. When my two older kids were little we did tons of crafts. I had an entire 3 drawer dresser full of crafting items: paper, glitter, glue, pipe cleaners, pom poms, you name it, we had it. The kids had free rein and came up with lots of great things. My son especially had a talent for dioramas. He had never even seen one the first time he made one. He took some of his miniature dinosaur toys and made a whole scene inside a shoe box. For a kid who was only about 4, it was very detailed and well made. He painted, made trees, positioned the dinosaurs, you get the idea. We had lots of good times over the dining room table and I have done the same thing with my youngest. All you need are the basics. Some paper, crayons and glue are a great way to start. I recommend it to all moms who are looking to spend some time with their kids ands stimulate their creativity too.

Bendominoes!

What a neat idea! We received BenDomino from Blue Orange Games for the holidays this year. It is played like a regular dominoes game but the pieces are bent into a kind of kidney shape. They also have colors on them instead of the traditional black and white. The game actually is more challenging to play this way because you can’t turn the end pieces on a double like in a regular game. My 10 year old son beat his father the first three games they played. This is now a popular game in my house and I very much recommmend this game. You can visit their website at www.blueorangegames.com.

iPoint Pencil Sharpener by Wescott

The day I brought this home it was a hit. All your child has to do is put the pencil in and hold on. It automatically stops when the pencil is sharp. The blade is enclosed in a neat little housing made of sturdy plastic. It is easy to empty and safe for kids when it is open. The motor will not engage when the housing is removed.

The model I brought home is the 14204 Battery sharpener. It is one of the smaller sharpeners and it runs on 4 AA batteries. I carry mine all over the house depending on where we are working. It even won the 2006 Good Design Award by the The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.

I recommend this to everyone. It is a sharp little product.

Cleaning made EASY

I just picked up a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser just to see if it lives up to its claims to clean great. It does. I started in the kitchen and tackled my fingerprinted, dirty fridge. It took that stuff off no problem. I figured that was pretty easy, so on to the stove. Burned on, baked on, stuck on… it all comes off. It did require a little elbow grease this time but it did the job. On to the bathroom. Scary stuff in my house. I have awful glass shower doors that ALWAYS seem to be cloudy with soap scum. The Magic Eraser made short work of that. The soap scum has not come back as quickly as it usually does. I scrubbed out my tub and the sink areas in no time at all. I totally recommend this product. For the price, it really does do the job it claims to do.

Almond Breeze® from Blue Diamond

We received a new type of milk in the office yesterday. Being a person who does not deal well with dairy, I decided to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised. I opened the Vanilla flavored and it was quite good. It has a distinct flavor of almond with some nice creamy, vanilla taste added in. Best of all, there is no aftertaste like soy milk. My son and I actually drank a cup (unheard of for me to do) and I had no ill effects that I would normally experience with dairy. This product is also gluten-free for those folks with a gluten allergy. We also gave the chocolate flavor a whirl and it was just as tasty. They have an original flavor also. You can buy this online at the Blue Diamond website for $28.95 for a case of 12. That really is just about what you would pay for a quart of milk these days. All in all, I say 2 thumbs up to the Blue Diamond folks for their yummy Almond Breeze® milk.

My Bag and Me by Karen Farmer

After getting My Bag and Me in the office, I decided to take it for a test drive. I took it home and gave the book to my son. We read the book and then went shopping. No time like the present, you know. It is a great way to teach kids about saving the planet from ourselves. We had a good time picking out our groceries and then packing them into the bag at checkout. The bag is sturdy enough to hold some pretty heavy stuff so you don’t have to worry about breakage. So, I say to make every day Earth Day and get yourself a reusable bag or 2 of your own and help reduce waste for all of us.

Aunt Trudy’s fillo pockets

We got some yummy products in the office last week. They are Aunt Trudy’s fillo pocket sandwiches from The Fillo Factory. Flaky, a little crunchy, the ingredients inside fresh, these are worth the price. I tried the Spinach & Feta and the Broccoli & Cheddar. My daughter gave the Cheese & Tomato Pizza a try and reported it to be very flavorful and fresh. I definitely recommend this product to anyone looking to eat healthier. They are fast and delicious, my kind of food. Check out their website, www.fillofactory.com, which lists ingredients and nutritional information for all of the products. There are 11 other terrific sounding combinations. I will buy these the next time I am out. You can buy them locally at Wegman’s, Shoprite and Stop & Shop, prices range from  $2.64 each or buy 12 or more at $2.00 each.

Sensible Sippers by RW Knudsen Family

Sensible Sippers by R. W. Knudsen Family is a great little juice box for the kids. It is certified organic in accordance with the USDA’s National Organic Program and contains no added sugar, artificial flavors or preservatives. They are 50% juice and 50% water and come in unbreakable 4.23 oz. juice boxes. Available flavors Fruit Punch, Banana, Apple & Mixed Berry. We had some of everything and my kids drank them as fast as I could get them into the house. Oddly enough, several of my co-workers did not care for the taste. Must be a kid thing even without all that sugar. They even have a printable coupon available on the website http://www.knudsenjuices.com/. I say go ahead and try them. Less sugar is always good and my kids loved them.

 

You can buy it locally at these stores.

1. Nature’s Pantry
   142 Rte 17K
   Newburgh, NY 12550
   (845) 567-3355
2. The Rose Garden
   19 W. Main Street
   Middletown, NY 10940
   (845) 342-4007
3. Born Of Earth
   1 South Broadway End
   Nyack, NY 10960
   (845) 353-3311
4. Earth Goods Natural Foods
   71 Main Street
   New Paltz, NY 12561
   (845) 255-5858
5. Mrs. Green’s Natural Market
   Lake Plaza
   Mahopac, NY 10541
   (845) 628-0533
6. The Branch Health Food Center
   Grand Union Plaza / Rte 44
   Pleasant Valley, NY 12569
   (845) 635-2986
7. High Falls Food Co-Op
   1098 State Rt 213
   High Falls, NY 12440
   (845) 687-7262