A Nutty Night in NYC with #PeanutPower and the National Peanut Board!

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to a sneak preview of the Perfectly Powerful Peanut Pop-Up space, which is open today (Tuesday, March 31) and tomorrow (Wednesday, April 1) at the corner of 47th Street and Lexington Ave. from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm, and then from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

If you're in the area, definitely stop by for some free, delicious (and healthy!) peanut samples and to meet the peanut farmers who are up visiting and happy to talk with you about life on a peanut farm. It is truly a great experience.

I honestly had no idea that the story behind peanut farming was so fascinating, or that the people telling it would be so absolutely charming. If I wasn't so thoroughly incapable of growing even a single Jersey tomato in my suburban garden I would seriously consider moving down south and starting a second career as a peanut farmer.

Even though I spent my childhood in a peanut growing state, Virginia, I realized I had never even seen a peanut plant, and really didn't know anything about how peanuts are grown and harvested. For example, peanuts need to be planted every single year, and they need a very specific and warm growing season, which is why almost all U.S. peanuts are grown in just ten states, with fifteen states in all growing peanuts. 

The peanut farmers were very clear when they explained to me there was no way I could grow a peanut plant like this one in New Jersey.

In addition to seeing a peanut plant for the first time, I learned a little about how peanuts are farmed (they must always be harvested on a sunny day) and how a hurricane or other natural disaster can wipe out a whole season's crop. One farmer was nice enough to show me photos of his farm, and when I admired the neatly planted rows he explained it's done by GPS now, which makes planting more efficient and environmentally friendly. The GPS comes in handy again when it's time to harvest the peanuts, as the GPS makes it easier to "find" the plants and take the peanuts out of the ground.

I also got to meet Carla Hall of The Chew along with other bloggers:

Another huge treat was trying peanut inspired recipes from Chef Joe "JJ" Johnson, like delicious peanut butter gazpacho and an amazing chocolate peanut tart. You can find all the recipes here, as well as learn more about why peanuts are a healthy and nutritious choice.

The Peanut Board was also there to talk about #PeanutEnvy, an important initiative to help feed those in need. Make a donation of $20 or more to Peanut Butter for the Hungry and receive a limited edition Peanut Envy t-shirt.

If you're in NYC today or tomorrow definitely stop by The National Peanut Board's Perfectly Powerful Peanut Pop-Up on the corner of 47th Street and Lexington Ave. to see the exhibits, try free peanut samples, and to meet the peanut farmers and their families, who are honestly the friendliest people you will find in NYC. Once you do, you're going to want to be a peanut farmer, too.

Thank you to the National Peanut Board for including me in this wonderful special event. I received an event gift bag, which included my all-time favorite peanut butter, White Chocolate Wonderful from Peanut Butter & Co. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

METAMORPHOSIS from the Big Apple Circus is a Great Show for Kids of All Ages

Last weekend my family and I saw the all-new show from Big Apple Circus, METAMORPHOSIS, at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park. We all loved it and it truly is a perfect performance for the whole family, with plenty to keep adults entertained as well as older kids and tweens. My three kids, ages 10, 9 and 5, all loved the show , which is especially meaningful coming from my five-year-old son who can be a little picky about what holds his attention when it comes to live performances. The performance runs a little under 2 hours with one 15 minute intermission.

Some of the big hits with my kids were the trapeze act, the animal tricks, including an unbelievable one that had dogs riding on horses, and the Quick Change, which was a series of costume changes performed in a blink of an eye. (I still have no idea how the performers did it!)

We were seated about 10 rows from the stage, and could see everything perfectly. Even if we had been further back there really are no bad seats under the big top as no seat is more than 50 feet from ringside.

I highly recommend the show for a super-fun and memorable outing for the whole family. The Big Apple Circus is in New York City from now through January 11, so make sure you get there before it's too late. You can see the full New York City performance schedule here, and to find out where the circus is traveling to next, click here.

GREAT DEALS
There are some fantastic deals you can take advantage of when booking your tickets to select shows.

This Friday, October 31 the 6:30 performance will be a special Halloween Show with goody bags, photo ops with performance, and free cotton candy for kids in costume. Save up to $25 per ticket by using the promo code SPOOOKY.

There are also special deals for midweek performances on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT 
When you Purchase tickets use the Promo Code BIGAPPLE and save up to $25 per ticket! Please note: this offer has limited availability and is only good on select seats and shows. Other conditions apply. Children under 3 are free when on the lap of a paid adults, one child per lap.

Thank you to the Big Apple Circus for providing tickets for my family to see the show. We all enjoyed it and opinions here are my own. No other compensation was received.

The Big Apple Circus is coming to New York City - Enter to Win a Pair of Tickets to See The New METAMORPHOSIS Show! {Giveaway Closed}

The Big Apple Circus will be returning to its hometown of New York City from October 17 to January 11 for it's annual engagement at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park. This year will feature the all-new show, METAMORPHOSIS.

My kids and I love attending the Big Apple Circus, and it really is a performance that is perfect for all ages. The Big Tent is designed so that no seat is more than 50 feet from ringside, so you never have to worry about getting a bad seat. The show runs about 2 hours, including intermission. Favorite parts of the show in our family are the flying trapeze and the animal acts, especially the amazing horse and dog performances. I can't wait to see what new and exciting surprises are in store with the new METAMORPHOSIS show!

See the show!
Purchase tickets using the Promo Code BIGAPPLE and save up to $25 per ticket! Please note: this offer has limited availability and is only good on select seats and shows. Other conditions apply. Children under 3 are free when on the lap of a paid adults, one child per lap.

Enter to win tickets!
The Big Apple Circus is generously offering one lucky winner a pair of tickets to the 12:30 pm Saturday, October 18 performance of METAMORPHOSIS.

Giveaway is now closed.

Enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blue Man Group is a Great Family Show - and I have Tickets to Giveaway!

This spring, my family and I went to see the Blue Man Group in downtown Manhattan. Our kids are ages 10, 8 and 4 and while I was pretty sure the older two would love it, I wasn't quite sure about the youngest.

My husband is a huge fan, and has seen Blue Man Group perform eight times. I've seen the show twice myself, but not recently, so we were both thrilled to share this show we both enjoy so much with our kids.

All three kids loved it, and it really was captivating, even for our four-year-old son, Ziggy. The show has some written word portions, but Ziggy was able to follow-along just fine even though he doesn't read since there is so much that is expressed through the performance. Also, perhaps worth noting, the "blue men" on stage don't talk at all. Like not at all.

I highly recommend the show for a great family outing, just be sure with younger kids they can sit for the duration of the performance, which is about an hour and forty-five minutes without an intermission, and that they know there will be some bright lights and loud noises during the show.

Here are my daughters after the show, thoroughly delighted to meet the Blue Man they had just seen perform on the stage. It was a very special day, and my kids still talk about how much they loved the show.

Go experience the amazing Blue Man Group yourself! 

Blue Man Group performances are at The Astor Place Theatre, located at 434 Lafayette Street, New York, NY.

GIVEAWAY

I'm giving away FOUR TICKETS to a performance of Blue Man Group. Enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Small Print:
Winner will receive two vouchers, each good for two tickets to a Blue Man Group performance Sunday-Thursday, subject to availability. Further details about the offer are explained on voucher.

I received tickets to the show for my family and myself to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Week in Review: Smurfs, Sports and More!

Summer. We've been enjoying ours, and I've been writing about it, too.

For Barista Kids I wrote about seeing Smurfs 2: A Great Summer Family Film and all about our Lake Placid Family Vacation.

For New Jersey Family magazine I wrote about Fun (and Free) Things to Do with Kids in Essex County. There's so much to do from movies to outdoor concerts.

For Wonders of Westfield, I covered Westfield's High School Sports Teams and Where to Get Ice Cream, Gelato and Frozen Yogurt in Westfield.

This week, I've promised to take the kids to the mall, the movies, to play tennis and to the playground.

In return, the kids have promised not to drive me crazy.

Next week we'll find out who told the truth! Predictions?

Have a great week, everyone!

Fun for Kids in NYC: "Grug" at The New Victory Theater

On a cold Thursday morning a week or so ago, my three-year-old son Ziggy and I decided to break from our daily routine of going to Target in the morning and sitting around the house in the afternoon and go into New York City to see Grug at The New Victory Theatre.

To be honest, at first Ziggy was completely uninterested in the idea of a trip to Manhattan, despite me breaking down the multiple fun parts of the trip. We get to take the train! And the subway! And see a show! With crafts before it starts!

 

Luckily, Ziggy was willing to give it a try and he loved everything about the day from handing the conductor our ticket on the train, to ducking under the turnstile in the subway station.

 

At the show, after ignoring all the grown-ups and kids taking part in the craft beforehand, and making me worry that I could take the boy out of Target, but not Target out of the boy, he was totally into the show once it began. And even now, days after we saw the performance, he still talks about it.

 

And I still talk about how the nosy New Yorker inquired about where his coat was, asking "Aren't you cold?" to which Ziggy replied, "Nope, I have an invisible coat! And an invisible gloves! And an invisible hat!"

 

I may just turn him into a New Yorker yet.

 

__________________________________

 

For a full review of the show, which is totally awesome, visit BaristaKids.com for Grug: A Perfect NYC Show for Little Ones.

 

I'm inspired to take Ziggy on additional cultural outings like this, because even though we both like our lazy suburban lifestyle, there's more to life than trips to Target, and occasionally, Whole Foods. And he should know this.

Grug is part of the programming from The New Victory Theater and is being performed at the New 42nd Street Studios, Studio 3A-B, 229 W 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Performances are Thursday-Sunday, and the show ends its run on Sunday, March 17.

For a full list of show dates and times, click here. Tickets are $20; $14 for members.

 

I received review tickets to the show; neither my opinions or my son's were influenced.

A little taste of Malaysia at Duane Reade

Duane Reade - NYC's largest drug store chain - carries just about every snack, nail polish or greeting card you could ever want. When I was there yesterday there was liquid sand polish, and even though I don't know what that is, I do know I want it. There was half-off Valentine's Day candy (my favorite kind) as well as a huge assortment of Easter treats.

 

 

New to me, there were also some great Asian Meals from Malaysia Kitchen in three varieties: Garlic Sesame, Lemongrass and Shitake Mushroom.

A few of the Duane Reade stores I visited didn't carry the soups, and the one I found them at only had two - I guess the Shitake Mushroom is popular!

My kids have been on a noodle soup kick lately, so I was interested to see what they thought of this brand, which they had never had before.  The soups couldn't be easier to make. All you do is empty the noodles, veggie packet and sauce packet into the enclosed bowl, add water, and heat for a few minutes in the microwave.

My kids liked the garlic sesame a lot, but deemed the lemongrass "too spicy."

I thought they both tasted good, but the garlic sesame would be my pick as well as it has a high-but-still-ok sodium amount of 330 mg, the lemongrass had much more sodium - 880 mg. For both the soups, I put in only about half to three-fourths of the enclosed flavor packet. They still had plenty of flavor, and I was glad to be reducing the sodium.

I was surprised by the high-amount of sodium, as all Malaysia Food noodle soups are all natural, and have no MSG, artificial colors or preservatives. Still, for ease of preparation these would be good to have when you want a quick, warm and tasty meal.

If all this talk of Malaysian food leaves you wanting more - that's perfect! This Thursday and Friday, February 20-21 is the Malaysia Kitchen Winter Market at Bryant Park, with events each day from 11:30am to 7:30pm.

Here's the full line-up (click on the image to see it larger):

You can learn more about the Malaysia Kitchen event here, and about Malaysia Food in general as well as upcoming sampling events at their website: http://www.malaysiakitchennyc.com. Malaysia Kitchen is also on Facebook and Twitter @MalyasiaKitchen.

To connect with Duane Reade, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @DuaneReade.

For more photos from my shop, check out my Google+ Album. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #DRAsianMeals.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®, Duane Reade and Malaysia Kitchen. #DRAsianMeals #CBias.

All opinions are my own.

 

Rookie USA Grand Opening with Carmelo Anthony this Friday, October 12

I'm a huge fan of the Rookie USA store on the Upper West Side, and so I couldn't be happier to be sharing the news that they are having their Grand Opening celebration this Friday, October 12.

In addition to a full day of giveaways, raffles and prizes as well as a live D.J., there will also be the chance to meet Carmelo Anthony from 5-6pm.

Yes, THE Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks. To receive a wristband to meet Carmelo Anthony, just be one of the first 200 people to make a Jordan/Melo purchase on Friday. Please note: you will not be able to join the autograph line without a wristband, and no outside product is allowed.

To learn more about the great athletic apparel and shoes available at Rookie USA, check out photos of the store here and just some of the great brands like Nike and Levis you'll find at Rookie USA here.

To keep up with all the happenings at Rookie USA, follow them on Twitter @RookieUSA and via the hashtag #RookieUSA, and like them on Facebook /RookieUSA.

Rookie USA is located at 808 Columbus Avenue @99th Street.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been
compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Rookie USA #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own.

Hotel Transylvania: You Vant to See This Movie!

My whole family went into the Big City on Saturday for a special advance screening of the newest flick from Columbia Pictures/Sony Animation: Hotel Transylvania.

The movie has an amazing line-up of stars who are the voices behind the monsters, like Adam Sandler (no relation, sadly), Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon, David Spade and Steve Buscemi - and that's just some of the stars. So we were already pretty excited for the film, and we were not disappointed.


A few scenes from Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania is a really fun film with nothing to scare my 3-year-old and not too insipid that my seven and nine-year-old daughters would feel to grown-up for it. Throw in a few clever commentaries for the grown-ups (the beginning of the film has Dracula describing humans to the other monsters as "getting bigger, and yet their clothes are getting smaller:), and you've got a film the whole family really could, and did, enjoy.

My kids also got a big kick out of the celebs who were at the screening - Mariska Hargitay, Ali Wentworth, and their families were sitting in the row behind us - and I loved overhearing Ali's kids asking their mom, "Do we know anyone else here besides Mariska?"

My kids also loved posing with the movie characters, even if they were so frightened!



Bottom right: Bloggers on the scene included GayNYCDad.com, NextKidThing and NYCSingleMom.com.

There was a candy-themed party afterwards at Dylan's Candy Bar and my kids acted, well, like kids in a candy store. And the car ride back to Jersey? Delightful.

My full review of Hotel Transylvania is at BaristaKids.com: Check In and Check Out Hotel Transylvania: Where Monsters Go to Get Away.

Hotel Transylvania opens this Friday, September 28. For more about the film, follow Hotel Transylvania on Twitter ( @HotelT), like Hotel Transylvania on Facebook, or visit the film’s site: HotelTransylvania.com.

This film has been rated PG by the MPAA for Some Rude Humor, Action and Scary Images.

Thanks to BaristaKids.com and Impress Media for having me cover the opening of Hotel Transylvania! My kids say thank you too!

GapKids Holding Shine On Family Events Saturdays in August

This post is sponsored by GapKids. Check out all the fun Shine On activities at your nearest Gap store. For event dates and locations, visit Gap’s Facebook page and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #ShineOn.

Looking for something fun to do with the kids? Saturdays in August, GapKids is hosting Shine On events at stores across the country. At these events kids will be able to unleash their inner artist when they participate in special art projects created by Merrilee Liddiard of Mer Mag.

Shine On projects are inspired by the GapKids and babyGap fall collection, which features a new 1969 denim - Jewel Box Skinnies for girls (an update of the new skinny jean in bright stretchy denim) and Action Stretch Denim for boys (denim made to move and play).

Projects include creating geometric canvas art with paint and tape and make-your-own journals.

To catch some of the Shine On spirit, just watch this video from GapKids & babyGap and then get ready to get your own Shine On with your kids!



Here in New York City, Shine On events are being held the next three Saturdays at three different locations in Manhattan:

Saturday, August 11
Make Geometric Art
10am-1pm
GapKids @ 54th & 5th 680 Fifth Ave
New York, NY 10019

Saturday, August 18
Create Your Own Journal
10am-1pm
GapKids @ 85th & 3rd 1511 Third Ave
New York, NY 10028

Saturday, August 25
Make an Animal Character Badge
10am-1pm
GapKids @ 17th & 5th 122 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10011

And if you're not in the New York City area, there are lots more Shine On activities in other cities including Philadelphia, Dallas and Boston. You can check out the full list of Shine On locations here.


I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.