Vicks Winter Warmer Event Recap #BehindEar

Dec 102011
 

I had an opportunity to attend an informative winter warm-up event in Boston!  The event featured somet of the latest gadgets from Vicks to help aid in cold and flu prevention.  I was really excited when the email showed up in my inbox last week because I’ve been using Vicks products since I was a kid and it’s a brand that I trust.

Dr. Meg Meeker was the guest speaker and she was just phenomenal.  She gave us some great tips on how to stay healthy this upcoming cold and flu season.  I learned so much from her and I am excited to share some of her great advice with you.

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Life is good Festival

Sep 272011
 

This past Sunday I attended the Life is good Festival with my family and we had such a good time.  The Life is good Festival is a fundraising event that took place this past weekend (September 24th & 25th) at Prowse Farm in Canton, MA.  The festival was a two-day celebration of music and optimism, featuring three stages of nationally known musical talent, hands-on games, interactive arts activities, and the “Good Kids” zone — home to the top acts in kids entertainment. 100% of Life is good’s profits from the Festival will go towards The Life is good Playmakers, helping kids overcome life-threatening challenges such as violence, illness and extreme poverty.

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Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!

Sep 112011
 

Mom! Phineas and Ferb are going on a LIVE tour!!!” School‘s out for summer and anything is possible as Phineas and Ferb create their biggest invention yet — Disney’s Phineas and Ferb LIVE! On Tour. Phineas, Ferb, and the whole tri-state area gang embark on a bold escape jumping out from behind your TV and onto the stage in a live action adventure right in your hometown! And, before you can wonder, “Hey, Where’s Perry?” the beloved pet platypus shifts to his secret double life as Agent P to foil another one of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s evil plans. Musical madness abounds in an escapade so awesome that even Candace can’t help but join the hilarious hijinks. It’s the ultimate end to summer vacation, so seize the day ‘cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna do it all!

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Marbles: The Brain Store Grand Opening in Massachusetts!!

Aug 282011
 

Last week I was invited to check out a new store in the area called Marbles:  The Brain Store.  Marbles:  The Brain Store has been around since 2008 and they first got their start selling their products out of a kiosk.  The folk at The Brain Store like to give their customers an experience and the ability to actually play with the products a little bit, so they quickly expanded to several stores in the Chicago area.  Now there are stores in New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota and now Massachusetts!

I went to the store located in the Northshore Mall in Peabody, but they also opened up stores in Natick and Braintree.  As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by Lindsay Gaskins, President and CEO of Marbles:  The Brain Store.  I got a chance to speak with her a little bit and she explained how their products can help boost creativity, improve focus and  just plain excersise your brain. 

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Bark About Books Kickoff Featuring Martha Speaks (Tadpole Playground, Boston) – Event Recap

Jul 102011
 

This past week my kids and I were able to attend the kickoff event for the Bark About Books initiative at the Tadpole Playground, located in the Boston Common.   

The Bark About Books initiative is a WGBH/ReadBoston/WGBY partnership to provide readers in Boston and Springfield with access to high quality children’s books, coupled with activities and reading incentives. Over the summer, the Bark About Books! Massachusetts Summer Reading Initiative will distribute more than 5,000 books to children in Boston and Springfield communities. The goal is to promote early literacy, address the decline in reading ability over summer vacation, and engage families in their child’s learning. Visit ReadBoston to learn how to help going forward.

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Have You Checked Out Brookstone Yet?

Apr 132011
 

Have you ever been inside a Brookstone store?  You know, the one with all the cool looking gadgets inside?  Last night I was invited to go check out the Brookstone store at the Natick Mall & it was my first time actually going inside one of their stores.  I have to say it was pretty cool.  As I imagined, there were all kinds of nifty gadgets, but there were a lot more to Brookstone than I realized.  I’ve heard of their famous massage chairs and I sat in one of them for about 20 minutes last night.  It was all it was cracked up to be, trust me.

Did you know they sell a whole line of backyard products?  They do.  There is a whole line of outdoor furniture, Grills & grilling accessories,  Pool floats and even the Zoku Ice Pop Maker, which I saw in action last night.  It makes pops in seven minutes.  How fun would that be if you were spending a day outside with the kiddos?

Have a look at some of the cool stuff inside the store:

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TJ Maxx/Marshalls Spring Fashion Trends Preview Event

Mar 042011
 

Yesterday I was invited by TJX, which is the parent company to Marshalls and TJ Maxx, to preview some of the new spring fashion trends for this upcoming season.  I love to shop, and I especially love shopping for clothes & accessories, so I was thrilled that I got an invite to this event, which was held at the Ames Hotel in Boston.

The thing I love about both Marshalls and TJ Maxx is that their prices are unbeatable.  The thing about both stores is that they offer the lastest fashions by well known designers at much lower prices than department stores.  I think one of the misconceptions that some people have about these particular stores is that because the clothes are discounted, they must be damaged.  With TJ Maxx and Marshalls that just simply isn’t the case.  They have a team of buyers that are ready and waiting to scoop up the great deals and get them onto the racks at great prices.

I have to say, I have a thing for bags.  And shoes.  But especially bags.  The bag pictured below was the first thing I saw when I entered the room and I just love it.  And it’s only $39.99.  My birthday isn’t until July, but if anyone sees this in their local store and wants to buy it for me, I will happily take it and put it to very good use.

For me, the one thing I noticed above all else yesterday were the accessories.  Whether it was scarves, hats, bags or jewelery……accessorizing is key!

And be still my heart.  Look at these colorful bags.  I wish I could have one of each. I noticed all sorts of vibrant colors all over the room and I love it.  There’s nothing like bright colors to make you stand out in a crowd.

They actually had a bunch of price comparisons set up throughout the room.  The top from Marshalls was only $19.99 while the exact same thing was triple that at Nordstrom.  The price tags were all still on them so we could see for ourselves that the items truly were exactly the same.

And there’s stuff for the guys, too:

Animal prints are going to be big this season, too.  Roar.

There were so many gorgeous things to look at and I totally wished I could have taken one of everything home.

Before we left, Laura from Being Loopy and I tried on some shades:

There were a whole bunch of fashionistas in attendance at the event, but there were also several Boston bloggers & it’s always nice to see familiar faces. I am so inspired to go shopping this weekend and pick up some of the new duds.  I saw so many things I liked at this event.  The prices really were incredibly low and like I said, I saw so many gorgeous clothing items and accessories, I think I I could easily spend hours in my local store.  And I might.

**I received a swag bag that included a gift card, Michael Kors sunglasses and a Ralph Lauren wallet for attending this event.  All opinions expressed are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way.  No form of monetary compensation was exchanged**

Toy Story 3 on Ice Show Recap

Feb 242011
 

Many of you know that last Friday, my family and I were invited to see opening night of Toy Story 3 on Ice at the TD Garden in Boston (and if you didn’t know…now you do)!   Being that I have two very big Toy Story fans in the house, I was super excited that I got the chance to take them to the show.

When we arrived at the TD Garden, we were checked in and sent up to one of their private dining rooms for dinner.  The menu was very family friendly and consisted of things like hot dogs, chicken tenders & fries.  There were also plenty of juice boxes for the kids & delicious cookies and fruit salad for dessert.  The dinner was a buffet and my six year old had seconds & thirds!  The menu selection was absolutely perfect since there were so many little ones in attendance!

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SeaWorld Meet and Greet & Luncheon

Feb 092011
 

Yesterday I was invited, along with several other Boston area bloggers, to go to a really fun event, which was hosted by SeaWorld and Mom Central!  It was held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA, which is an absolutely gorgeous facility.  I was excited to attend this event because on the invitation it said that the folks from SeaWorld were going to be  talking about protecting our environment as well as bringing along some exotic animals, so I kept my six year old home from school because I thought he’d really enjoy it. So, off I went yesterday morning with my two little guys.

As well as providing a fabulous lunch and amazing swag bags, the SeaWorld representitives brought along four very cool critters along to show us.  The first guy they brought out was this Spoonbill Bird:

 

Pretty cool, huh?  But wait, it gets better.  Next they introduced us to this Alligator.  Yes, I said alligator:

 

Don’t worry…the SeaWorld rep held onto him the whole time.  Phew.  Oh, and here’s a fun fact for ya: do you know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?  I do, I do!  A crocodile has a pointed snout and the alligator has a rounded one.  So now you know, and knowing is half the battle!

Lastly, we were introduced to two adorable penguins (which were my personal favorite):

 

There was a point during their talk when they let the penguins walk around a little bit, but sadly we weren’t allowed to touch them.  Apparently it’s some sort of law in Boston, but anyone who goes to SeaWorld Orlando, gets to pet these guys.

I had a great time chatting with some wonderful area bloggers over lunch but most importantly, my boys had a BLAST!  I am so glad that I decided to bring my six year old along with me to this, because he talked about it the entire ride home & for most of the day yesterday.   I haven’t been to SeaWorld Orlando in many years, but now I can’t wait to go back  again!  Hopefully real soon!

**Luncheon and gift bags were provided at no cost to me.  All opinions expressed are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way**

SeaWorld Meet and Greet & Luncheon

Feb 092011
 

Yesterday I was invited, along with several other Boston area bloggers, to go to a really fun event, which was hosted by SeaWorld and Mom Central!  It was held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA, which is an absolutely gorgeous facility.  I was excited to attend this event because on the invitation it said that the folks from SeaWorld were going to be  talking about protecting our environment as well as bringing along some exotic animals, so I kept my six year old home from school because I thought he’d really enjoy it. So, off I went yesterday morning with my two little guys.

As well as providing a fabulous lunch and amazing swag bags, the SeaWorld representitives brought along four very cool critters along to show us.  The first guy they brought out was this Spoonbill Bird:

 

Pretty cool, huh?  But wait, it gets better.  Next they introduced us to this Alligator.  Yes, I said alligator:

 

Don’t worry…the SeaWorld rep held onto him the whole time.  Phew.  Oh, and here’s a fun fact for ya: do you know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?  I do, I do!  A crocodile has a pointed snout and the alligator has a rounded one.  So now you know, and knowing is half the battle!

Lastly, we were introduced to two adorable penguins (which were my personal favorite):

 

There was a point during their talk when they let the penguins walk around a little bit, but sadly we weren’t allowed to touch them.  Apparently it’s some sort of law in Boston, but anyone who goes to SeaWorld Orlando, gets to pet these guys.

I had a great time chatting with some wonderful area bloggers over lunch but most importantly, my boys had a BLAST!  I am so glad that I decided to bring my six year old along with me to this, because he talked about it the entire ride home & for most of the day yesterday.   I haven’t been to SeaWorld Orlando in many years, but now I can’t wait to go back  again!  Hopefully real soon!

**Luncheon and gift bags were provided at no cost to me.  All opinions expressed are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way**

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring THE ROCKETTES in Boston Review!

Dec 182010
 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning I was lucky enough to have a chance to see The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring THE ROCKETTES at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater in Boston and I have just two words to describe it.  Absolutley incredible!

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Friends & Fondue – A Boston Parent Bloggers Event at The Melting Pot

Dec 022010
 

Last night I was lucky enough to be able to have a girls night out with some fabulous Boston Parent Bloggers.  You probably remember me telling you a few weeks ago about how I attended the launch party for this amazing new group.  BPB was started by Christy Matte and Jodi Grundig this past summer and it’s rapidly grown to include over 100 Massachusetts/New England based parent bloggers.  Pretty cool stuff, huh?

Last night there were about 20 of us, who got together for some amazing fondue at The Melting Pot in Bedford, MA.  Never heard of The Melting Pot?  Well, have a look at some of the delicious treats they provided for us:

And this was just a small sampling of all the delicious varieties of cheese foundue that we devoured.   There was cheddar, Traditional Swiss, Fiesta Cheese (which was a Mexican style fondue that was mixed was jalapenos and salsa & also happened to be my favorite of the night), Spinach Artichoke and so many more.  Us ladies spent about an hour dipping bread, veggies and apples into all the cheesy deliciousness.  In all, I would estimate that there were about 15 different pots of fondue set up throughout the room and believe me…..we feasted! Then it was time for the chocolate fondue to come out!  Yippee!

Have a look at this:

I think that just about every person in the room felt as if we’d died and gone to heaven when the chocolate came out.  There was Cookies ‘n Cream (my favorite of the night), Bananas Foster, Flaming Turtle, S’mores and several others.  And the fondue was served with chocolate covered marshmallows, rice krispie treats, strawberries, pound cake & cheesecake.  My god was it good. Just ask Being Loopy:

It was a fantastic night and I was so excited to meet a few of the people that I didn’t get a chance to talk to at the launch party and talk more with some of the people I only talked to for a quick minute that night.

And I have to give a HUGE shout out to Kristen Fischer (hope I spelled that correctly), from The Melting Pot who organized this whole event for us.  I know for a fact that everyone there had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed every ounce of all that amazing fondue.   Plus, the cozy atmosphere made it very easy for us to chat & mingle with each other.  There is another event in February at another Massachusetts Melting Pot location and I absolutely cannot wait to attend.

Before we all headed out for the night, we snapped off a shot of all of us (including Kristen and co-founder Christy):

**The food was provided complimentary by the Melting Pot.  All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way**

Friends & Fondue – A Boston Parent Bloggers Event at The Melting Pot

Dec 022010
 

Last night I was lucky enough to be able to have a girls night out with some fabulous Boston Parent Bloggers.  You probably remember me telling you a few weeks ago about how I attended the launch party for this amazing new group.  BPB was started by Christy Matte and Jodi Grundig this past summer and it’s rapidly grown to include over 100 Massachusetts/New England based parent bloggers.  Pretty cool stuff, huh?

Last night there were about 20 of us, who got together for some amazing fondue at The Melting Pot in Bedford, MA.  Never heard of The Melting Pot?  Well, have a look at some of the delicious treats they provided for us:

And this was just a small sampling of all the delicious varieties of cheese foundue that we devoured.   There was cheddar, Traditional Swiss, Fiesta Cheese (which was a Mexican style fondue that was mixed was jalapenos and salsa & also happened to be my favorite of the night), Spinach Artichoke and so many more.  Us ladies spent about an hour dipping bread, veggies and apples into all the cheesy deliciousness.  In all, I would estimate that there were about 15 different pots of fondue set up throughout the room and believe me…..we feasted! Then it was time for the chocolate fondue to come out!  Yippee!

Have a look at this:

I think that just about every person in the room felt as if we’d died and gone to heaven when the chocolate came out.  There was Cookies ‘n Cream (my favorite of the night), Bananas Foster, Flaming Turtle, S’mores and several others.  And the fondue was served with chocolate covered marshmallows, rice krispie treats, strawberries, pound cake & cheesecake.  My god was it good. Just ask Being Loopy:

It was a fantastic night and I was so excited to meet a few of the people that I didn’t get a chance to talk to at the launch party and talk more with some of the people I only talked to for a quick minute that night.

And I have to give a HUGE shout out to Kristen Fischer (hope I spelled that correctly), from The Melting Pot who organized this whole event for us.  I know for a fact that everyone there had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed every ounce of all that amazing fondue.   Plus, the cozy atmosphere made it very easy for us to chat & mingle with each other.  There is another event in February at another Massachusetts Melting Pot location and I absolutely cannot wait to attend.

Before we all headed out for the night, we snapped off a shot of all of us (including Kristen and co-founder Christy):

**The food was provided complimentary by the Melting Pot.  All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way**

Boston Parent Bloggers Launch Party

Nov 192010
 

Because I talked about it pretty much all day yesterday, a lot of people already knew that I was attending the Boston Parent Bloggers launch party last night.   Before I even get into talking about the party, I have to say that the two co-founders of Boston Parent Bloggers, Jodi Grundig and Christy Matte, did an AMAZING job organizing this event.  From the super fun location (Barefoot Books Flagship Store in Concord, MA)  to all the fantastic sponsors they lined up, which included a really nice spread of food from Peapod, tons of amazing giveaways (one of which I won…yahoo!!) and GREAT swag bags at the end of the night.  Huge kudos to Jodi and Christy for all their hard work.

I saw some familiar faces and met some new ones.  It was so nice to be able to actually meet some of my twitter/bloggy buddies and put their faces with their names.  I wish I had time to meet and talk with everyone, but with at least 60 or so people in attendance, it was just impossible to get to everyone.

Overall, it was a great experience and I am looking VERY forward to hanging out with the great people that are part of the Boston Parent Bloggers “club”.

MyBlogSpark Dinner With A Twist!

Jul 252010
 

Some of you may remember that I mentioned last week that I’d been invited to a dinner in Boston hosted by MyBlogSpark. I was pretty excited about it, because Chris and I don’t get out alone very ofter, let alone into the city.

The dinner was held at a cute, trendy restaurant in the South End called Myers & Chang (it took us a little longer to find it than I expected due to a little Garmin (GPS) mishap! Once we were inside the restaurant and seated, we looked over the specially prepared menu (see below).


Chris went with the Hot & Sour Soup and I got the Mama Chang’s Pork Potstickers. Both were delicious. Then for the next course, we shared each other’s Thai Ginger Chicken Salad and Chilled Dan Dan Noodles.


Then it was time for the main course and we chose the Beef & Broccoli and the Sweet & Sour Chicken, which were served family style (in one big bowl and we served ourselves onto our own plates). Below is a picture of the Beef & Broccoli, which came out first. We were too busy eating by the time the Sweet & Sour Chicken were served to take pictures of that. Both dishes were out of this world!


Then, it was dessert time, which is my favorite part of any meal. Chris got the Chocolate and Cocoa Nib Terrine with Vietnamese coffee sauce and I went with the Coconut Cream Pie. We ended up sharing each other’s because they were both fantastic!

At the end of the meal, the folks from MyBlogSpark handed out fortune cookies to everyone and each one had the same “fortune”:
“Surprise! The entree you sampled this evening was a frozen dinner from Wanchai Ferry”

There was a wave of shock that ran through the entire restaurant. The Wanchai Ferry food was as good as, if not better, than restaurant quality food. It was absolutely delicious and not one person in that restaurant suspected that we were eating frozen dinners.

On our way out we all got a few coupons for free Wanchai Ferry products to have at home, and as soon as I walked in the door when I got home that night was add Wanchai Ferry to my shopping list. I was completely impressed by how good the food was, and as a Chinese/Asian food junkie, I’ve had my fair share of lousy frozen Asian meals. Wanchai Ferry was absolutely delicious and I will be serving it in my home from now on!

HUGE thanks to the folks at MyBlogSpark for the night out and the nice surprise. All the food that night was delicious and the folks at Myers & Chang were very gracious hosts. We needed it and had a blast!

**Dinner, product coupons and a $50 gift card to cover parking/gas/babysitting expenses were provided by MyBlogSpark. No other form of compensation was exchanged. All opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way**