Walking With Dinosaurs the Arena Spectacular Live at the Tacoma Dome - Review

After having been able to get up close and personal with  baby T-Rex from the Walking with Dinosaurs Arena Spectacular , I wrote in my last post how excited I was to be able to see the live show.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing just that on the opening night at the Tacoma Dome. In a word ? WOW!   The show was fantastic! 

This show really is visually stunning.  Think award winning cinematography translated to a live performance and you'll have an understanding of the caliber of this performance,    

These fantastically authentic looking massive creatures  roaming about in their "habitat"  transported us to another era.  The accompanying lights, music and sound effects all helped  set the scene so effectively.
     

The paleontologist narrator was quite engaging, narrating just enough but then taking the time to let the animals "just be" and the audience to observe.  He dotted his narration with bits of humor throughout and the show flowed well from beginning to end.

My kids and I really were wowed.  I can't say enough about how delightful this show is. It's unlike any live performance I've seen and is quite an experience.

This really is a can't miss!  So go get your tickets now (and don't forget to use the discount codes from my previous post )

Walking with Dinosaurs is at the Tacoma Dome through 12/21. 

These picture don't even do justice to the magnificence that is Walking With Dinosaurs Live

Disclosure: I was provided complimentary tickets in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. No compensation was received for this post. 

Walking with Dinosaurs: Baby T-Rex Meet & Greet (and show discount code)

How many opportunities does one get to meet a dinosaur up close and personal ? Not many is my guess which is why when offered the opportunity, my family and I jumped at the chance.  You see baby T (T-Rex) and his lively friend Terey Summers, spokesperson for the "Walking with Dinosaurs Arena Spectacular," paid a visit to our local arena to publicize the show!

You may have heard of the show that's been performed in over 206 cities across the globe before 7.3 million people, right ?  If not, please click on the link above and familiarize yourself immediately! I'll wait...

Are you back now ? Fantastic!

Look, there's Baby T  right there. Scary right ? Nah , he was fairly harmless but may have "munched" on my husbands head for a few seconds.

Although incredibly realistic looking, I can assure you that Baby -T is not real. He is one of 24 animatronic "puppets", some weighing tons and reaching up to 36 feet in height, that comprise the "Walking with Dinosaurs" theatrical event.  Narrated by a paleontologist, the show takes the audience through what the dinosaurs went through to fight for their lives up until extinction.

Tethered to the BBC program "Walking with Dinosaurs", Ms. Summers told us that the Creature Technology company was challenged with bringing that television show to life. One year later the arena spectacular was born.

Another view of Baby -T

Meeting Baby T was truly cool. It's certainly not something one gets to do every day.  My 11 year old twins, who may have initially expected to see  something resembling Barney, were in awe after they saw him for the first time.       

I am excited to see the show and learn more about these creatures that roamed the earth billions of years ago. Ms. Summers remarked that the entire show is a one of a kind experience, " brilliantly musically scored"  she said, "This show is both educational and entertaining...appealing to anyone 3-93"

I can't wait to find out!  

If you'd like to check it out for yourself, local Seattle peeps, the show runs from December 17th - 21st at the Tacoma Dome.    Be sure to use code KIDFUN for $5.00 off price level 2 or $3 off Price level 3 (not valid on the Saturday 11 am/3pm and Sun 1 pm shows).

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. My family and I were invited to the meet and greet event in order to facilitate writing of this post. No compensation was received

Movie Review: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

 

Disneyfilms brings to life the story of Alexander's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (based on the book of the same name)

In this version, Alexander's whole family find themselves living through their very own bad day.  They each experience a series of events that will have you thinking I can't believe that all of this is happening.  In the end however, they all learn that "You gotta have the bad days, so you can love the good days"  

The movie is silly in the best ways and will have you laughing throughout!  But mostly, I love that they share these  experiences as a family which ultimately seems to make said experiences "less terrible, horrible, no good , very bad" and more tolerable!

"Alexander"is rated PG and opens tomorrow at a theater near you.  Be sure to check it out.


Disclosure: I was invited to a free screening in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received

Maleficent - Movie Review

Driven to revenge , Maleficent curses the infant daughter of the man who betrayed her ! But as we soon find out #eviliscomplicated .  Maleficent finds that the one person she is out to get may just be the one who can restore peace to the land.

This movie  is quite a grand affair in that it is visually stunning.  From the fairyland to the costuming  the cinematography is simply out of this world.

Angelina Jolie, of  whom I am already a fan, does a smashing job of playing the evil fairy with a bit of an internal struggle.

Maleficent is drama infused with a bit of comedy wrapped up in epic fantasy.

The movie runs 97 minutes and is rated PG (there is some violence that might be frightening for the very young)

Go check it out!  Maleficent opens today at a theater near you!


Disclosure: All opinions are my own.  I attended a free screening in order to facilitate this review.  No compensation was received for this review

Disneynature Bears Movie Review

  I'm going to be honest (nature documentaries not being at the top of my list of favorite film genres)  I wondered how Disneynature BEARS  would be able to hold my interest for a full hour and 26 minutes.  I thought I needed that interactive dialogue between characters to be entertained.

 But I was wrong.  Only minutes in,  I was captivated by the breathtaking Alaskan scenery and the narrated story of mama bear Skye and her adorable cubs Scout and Amber. Their story begins at the end of hibernation season and takes you through their journey to find food for the following winter's hibernation. Along the way, the viewer gets the pleasure of witnessing the relationship between mother and cubs as she teaches them life lessons and is forced to protect them from predators. I never really thought about how relatable a bear's life might be to my own but as I watched the film I found that to be the case. I  even laughed commiseratingly during one scene where Skye got frustrated with her cubs when they wouldn't move fast enough down the mountain. I get it. I've been there.

Disneynature BEARS is an entertaining docufilm that I'd be hard pressed to find anything wrong with (if anything the very young may be scared by a "tussle" between bears but it's a few seconds of posturing and roaring that's over as quickly as it started).   Ultimately, be prepared for complete cuteness and a wholesome film the family can enjoy together.

Disneynature BEARS opens Friday April 18th.

*All opinions are my own. I received complimentary entry to an advance screening to facilitate this review. No other form of compensation was received

Hostess invites fans to give Twinkies a Minion Makeover

Hostess and Universal Studios Celebrate the Despicable Me 2 release on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD with The Twinkie Minion Makeover Sweepstakes! The Limited Edition Minion Makeover Packaging hits shelves as the holiday season gets underway.

Hostess is inviting fans across the country to kick up their creativity and dress up their favorite golden, crème-filled treats and “Minion-ize” their Twinkies for the chance to win great prizes. Now through January 5, 2014, Hostess lovers can make the season a little brighter by visiting https://www.facebook.com/Hostess and https://www.Facebook.com/Hostess/app_170621563134175 to download a collection of Minion accessories, and make their own Twinkie Minion.  Fans can then upload pictures of their creations to enter to win a daily instant prize, which includes a Despicable Me 2 Blu-ray™ and special offers from Hostess, or the grand prize, which includes a Home Theater System, a collection of 30 Blu-rays and a year’s supply of Hostess treats.

Sponsored post brought to you by Hostess and Universal Studios

Reveiw: Teatro Zinzanni's Family Friendly show Tambourine Submarine

My son and I had the pleasure of taking in Teatro Zinanni's latest family show Tambourine Submarine  this past weekend.   Based upon the Seattle kiddie rock band Recess Monkey's hit song of the same name, Tambourine Submarine is a fun little show that tells  the story of what happens when two sailors crash their submarine on a deserted island.

Here's the thing, Teatro Zinzanni is always a fun time. It's cabaret , mixed with cirque du soleil mixed with comedy and song and it's just a plain old good time!   But what I enjoyed about this show is that in addition to featuring some fantastic adult artists such as ballerina Ariana Lallone and Ben Wendel and Rachel Nehmer of Duo Madrona it also features real kids.

 As an aside, the mother of one of the child performers sat right in front of me (I had an inkling from the fact that she was beaming with pride each time her child performed). At the end of the show I asked her how her child got involved in the show. Had he had years of performing experience, I wondered ?  Surprisingly she told me he'd attended one of the Teatro Zinzanni's summer camps and was later asked to perform and funny enough now says performing is his "calling".

Real kids are what made this show more fun and relatable for my 10 year old.    All the kids were fantastically cute, particularly the little hula performers.  The music was fun and lively and there was so much to see as one can always expect with a Teatro Zinzanni show.  And for you parents that may wonder what's in it for me ?  Well besides your child enjoying the heck out of themselves,  Duo Madrona's acrobatic talent will leave you positively stunned!  But wait, I don't want to be a spolier. Go check out the show for yourself. Tambourine Submarine plays on select weekends through December 15th

At $19 for booth seating and $25 for chair seating (close to the action) I dare you not to have fun!
It really is a wonderful show for parents and their kids to experience together.


Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I was provided with complimentary tickets to the show in order to facilitate this review

Good clean family friendly entertainment at Teatro Zinzanni's King's Wish!

My daughter and I had the pleasure of seeing Teatro Zinzanni’s family friendly program King’s Wish in Seattle this past Saturday.   I’ve been to the evening show before quite a few years back and found it to be positively enthralling.  So frankly this show had a lot to live up to.

How many ways are there to say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves? I’ll certainly run out before this review is done. 

King’s Wish didn’t disappoint.   The show played well to its target audience featuring such kid friendly fare as “kindie rocker” Caspar Babypants, and two very talented child performers  (an aerialist and a juggler).   

I have to say I love the ambiance.  The tent with its circus-esque decoration and dim lighting lent itself well to the excitement of the show.  The costumes were vibrant, the performers high energy and the staff was highly interactive.  It was good clean silly fun!   We laughed, we gasped  ( the genie and the aerialist were so positively graceful my daughter and I sat in awe) and we applauded our hearts out.  We were entertained from start to finish.  

Check it out for yourself. Teatro Zinzanni's  Kings Wish  runs through June 30th.  At $19-24 per ticket I assure you its well worth it and will be an afternoon you and your little ones won’t soon forget! 

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. We were provided complimentary tickets to the show to facilitate this review

Progresso Light Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese & Chicken Pot Pie Soup Review

 I'm a big fan of soup.  After all I live in an area where it's cold,rainy and gray a good 70% of the time and well, comfort foods are a must. And ? Comfort foods that won't expand my waistline well those are even better.  Thus I really wanted to like Progresso Light Creamy Potato with Bacon & Cheese Soup and Chicken Pot Pie style because it's soup and hello?  Bacon! Cheese ! and Chicken Pot Pie!  Unfortunately, that wasn't to be. In general the cream base in the Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese lacked in flavor.  I didn't notice any cheese and what flavor I did notice was more "smoke" flavor than it was bacon.
 
On another more positive note their new Light Chicken Pot Pie Style soup scored with the larger vegetable and chicken pieces but again I felt something was lacking in the the cream base. With that said, I'd rate this one a bit higher than the Creamy Potato with Bacon and Cheese.

I'm admittedly disappointed in these soups but not Progresso as they have other great varieties in their light lines (try the Beef Pot Roast).

So my final verdict, I'll pass but... go check them out for yourselves. You may find that your own opinion differs from mine.

 

Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) is just a big oaf-y "bad" guy that's entire job is to wreck things as part of the old school Fix-it Felix video game; or so Felix and the townsfolk of the game think.    In reality, all Ralph really wants is to be liked and respected.  Thinking it will earn him the respect he desires, Ralph sets out to earn a medal in a nearby game, Hero's Duty.  In the process Ralph unleashes a potentially deadly enemy, jumps into yet another game then meets a kindred spirit of sorts and they set forth on a course to fulfill both of their needs.
Wreck-It Ralph is a generally fun story. The relationship between Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), the kindred spirit he meets, is playful and full of sarcasm. The movie has laughs, action and adventure (will they save they day?) and is sure to delight your older child and video game fan.  As a parent and a child of the 80s I enjoyed the references to old school games such as Qbert and Pac-man

 While a bit longer than I would have liked, the movie is entertaining and you'll find yourself rooting for Ralph and Vanellope and cheering them on.

Wreck-It Ralph opens in theaters November 2 and is rated PG for some rude humor and mild animated violence.

Disclosure: I was invited to screen the movie for free. Opinions are my own

Tim Burton delivers the Goods with Frankenweenie (Movie Review)

Frankenweenie, a 3D stop motion animated film, is the story of young Victor and his dog, Sparky. After unexepectedly losing Sparky; Victor, inspired by his science teacher Mr. Ryzkruski, decides to use science to bring his beloved pal back to life. The end result is a crude, home sewn "Frankenstein-esque" creation.

While initially kept in Victor's attic, the "new" Sparky escapes leading to a somewhat comedically action packed, suspense filled unfolding of events.

Frankenweenie is a wonderfully odd, darkly funny film with an underlying sweet message. Ultimately, it's about Victor's love for his dog ; it's fantasy with a side of reality.  A philospher once suggested that if a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative.

That's Frankenweenie.  It's classic Tim Burton, quirky and dark, yet brilliant in his ability to infuse human interest with truth enough so that you suspend disbelief in that moment.

Frankeweenie opens tomorrow in theaters. Be sure to check it out. One word of advice to parents: your very young children may not be the best audience as while animated there are some "gruesome" scenes that may be a bit jarring. However if you have 9ish (the age of my children) and above my guess is they'll be captivated and appreciate it almost as much as I did.

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Disclosure: I was invited to screen the film for free. All opinions are my own.

For my Seattle Peeps: Ice Age Continental Drift Free Pre Screening

Interested in seeing ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT for free and before it comes out? Log on to WWW.GOFOBO.COM/RSVP and enter this RSVP Code: 140B2T3T to download passes. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis so arrive at least an hour before showtime. ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT opens in theaters July 13th!

Summer Fun with Cascade Ice

I am such a fan of Cascade Ice. I mean, what's not to love?

Zero calorie, tasty carbonated beverage. It mixes the best of both worlds: juice and soda and did I mention ZERO CALORIES ?

Having said that, you can imagine how over the moon I was to be asked to try out some new flavors.

The first of which was the new Strawberry Melon flavor. Cascade Ice stayed true to form with this one in that it was the flavorful, sweet but not overly so, refreshing beverage I'd come to expect.

Next,I sampled the Margarita, Cosmopolitan and Coconut (for pina colada) mixers from the new line. Oh did I mention, Cascade Ice now has a line of mixers for those of us that like to indulge in an adult beverage every now and again. Cool, right ?

 I decided first to try them without alcohol and was pleasantly surprised that they could be just regular beverages if one were so inclined. And what I mean is that they were good enough to stand alone. With that said, I couldn't not mix them and frankly these are as good if not better than any other store bought mixer. And here's the thing I can make one or two little tiny cocktails and don't need to make a whole pitcher. Bonus!

 Ease of use was a huge plus in that it was essentially add the alcohol and stir. These things are super portable, yummy and just plain fun. And what's more they've got nifty little cocktail recipies listed right on their site.

 I can imagine taking these babies with me to every party I hit this summer. A resounding thumbs up.

Monte Carlo Movie Review

Recent high school graduate Grace Bennett (Selena Gomez) is Paris bound with her best friend Emma(Katie Cassidy) and stepsister Meg (Leighton Meester). Shortly after arriving, Grace realizes the tour she'd saved for wasn't all she hoped it would be. Frustrated and down the three girls take a break from the tour and accidentally happen upon an heiress (Gomez) who just happens to be Grace's doppelganger. Things quickly turn for the girls as Bennett assumes the heiress' lifestyle and the three head to Monte Carlo. While there they each have the fantasy trip they hoped they would have and manage to find out who they really are in the process.

Monte Carlo starts out slow and misses the mark in really developing some of it's character relationships. Early on we're told Grace and her stepsister don't get along. They're forced in to the trip together and the tension is palpable. Then, it's just gone. There is no real heart to heart or no turning point. They just magically start getting along. It would have been nice to see more explanation about that transition or truthfully that piece could have been left out all together. That said, the scenery is amazing, Gomez is positively adorable and when the heiress discovers her identity has been stolen the hijinks that ensue are amusing.

Monte Carlo is just ok. Parents, if you've got a die hard Selena Gomez fan like I do, I say check out the matinee. It probably won't be your favorite picture of the year but your tween will likely enjoy it.

Betty Crocker "loaded" Instant Mashed Potatoes Review and Giveaway

I love potatoes. Deeply. Baked,fried,mashed I don't think there is much you could do to a potato that I wouldn't like.

Enter Betty Crocker's new "loaded" Instant Mashed Potatoes. Instant? You might question. And I hear you there. But here's the thing: sure sometimes I feel all gourmet and like making my mashed potatoes from scratch but during the week when I'm pressed for dinner prep time after work instant is a godsend.

Each box comes complete with two packages which for many families might make two dinners but for my tribe of eaters made one. I've purchased other varieties of Betty Crocker Instant Mashed Potatoes before and these potatoes, if I'm being honest,weren't my favorite. That's not to say they weren't good. They just weren't as flavorful as I would expect "loaded" potatoes to be. They tasted more like regular mashed potates than "loaded".
What I did love about these is that they're incredibly easy to prepare. Seriously. Add milk,add water,stir a little and you're done. What could be easier than that?

Want to check them out for yourself? Simply leave a comment indicating your favorite way to prepare potatoes and you'll be entered to win a prize pack including 1 box of Betty Crocker Instant "loaded" Mashed potatoes, a mixing bowl, a magnetic hanging pot holder,silicone spoonula and measuring cup.




You may also tweet about and or post about this contest on Facebook for extra entries (1 each). Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.
Contest ends 4/21.

*Disclosure - I was provided with the product, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away from Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.*

Mars Needs Moms!

This past Saturday the kids and I had the opportunity to preview Disney's latest animated film Mars Needs Moms.

The movie, centers around 9 year old Milo (Seth Green) and his quest to save his mom (Joan Cusack) from martians who have kidnapped her in order to use her super mom skills for their own "nannybots". Along the way, Milo meets such colorful characters at Gribble (Dan Fogle) who endears himself with his sense of humor and casual "dude I got this" type attitude and rebel, spraypainting, hippy-esque martian Ki (Elizabeth Harnois), who although she has no nose is postively cute as a button.

Mars Needs Moms is really a pretty cute film replete with plenty of comedy and action that will keep you entertained. In fact, there might be some jokes that are more entertaining for the parents than the kids. The "animation" is phenomenal. The characters are so lifelike it's amazing.
It is important to note that this film is rated PG, and does have some material that could be scary for some very young viewers (aliens shooting, and allusion to death). That said,my family (which at the time was 7 year old twins and my 16 year old stepdaughter) and I got an absolute kick out of it and I feel pretty confident in saying yours will too.

Here check out a short preview for yourselves:


And because I want to share the love I offer to one lucky reader a Mars Needs Moms prize pack (1 Adult tshirt,1 youth tshirt and character tattoos)




















Simply leave a comment with your favorite Disney movie and you'll be entered to win. One winner will be chosen from all entries received by 3/18. The contest is open to US and canadian residents only.

And finally, you should also consider visiting the Mars Needs Moms Facebook page because there you can enter to win a Nissan Quest or a trip for 4 to Disneyland to see a movie premiere simply by liking the page. What could be more fabulous than that, right !?

Good luck!


Disclosure:I was invited to screen the movie for free to facilitate this review. Additionally, I attended a promotional party post screening.