1/31/15

Disney Live: Mickey's Magic Show (Giveaway)


Abracadabra! It’s Disney Live! presents Mickey’s Magic Show Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt! Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and a host of Disney friends come together with a world-class illusionist to perform magic from legendary Disney films right before your eyes. See the Fairy Godmother transform Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful ball gown in a split second; the spectacular levitation of Aladdin’s Princess Jasmine; and the enchanted dancing brooms of Fantasia. Join Donald Duck and Goofy, Alice and the Mad Hatter, and many more for a one-of-a-kind stage show you’ll never forget. Disney Live! presents Mickey’s Magic ShowPresented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt is a whole new way to experience Disney magic with your family!


This show will be presented ONE DAY ONLY at the Patriot Center (love it because it's in Fairfax!) Sunday February 22nd at 1pm and 4pm.  Giveaway tickets are for the 4pm show only. 

Tickets are $55 VIP, $35, and $25.  Purchase from www.ticketmaster.comthe Patriot Center Box Office or Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. 

To win- visit our Facebook page and find the image you see above this post.  Click "like", leave a comment with which character from this post is your child's favorite, and share the post. 
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I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers,  Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-show events.  Feld Entertainment is neither a sponsor nor endorser of this promotion. 
As always- by entering you agree to our Giveaway Rules. 

1/25/15

Review: Monster Jam

Monster Jam was at the Verizon Center this week- and if you've got a kiddo that's obsessed with trucks or big equipment, this is probably just the show for them!

Pack the ear plugs or head phones (it gets LOUD) and be sure to watch for photo ops before/after the event when the cars line up along the edge, or head to one of the green screen photo booths for a keepsake.

The boys absolutely enjoyed this event once they got over the noise (again, it's loud!).  They had fun cheering for their favorite cars and they definitely enjoyed a little mayhem and destruction.


Watch for Monster Jam to return- and if your kiddo is a real fan, be sure to watch for tickets to the "pit party" on Saturday night.

1/23/15

Workshop for Siblings of Special Needs

Brothers and sisters, ages 8-13, can attend a workshop about the challenges and joys of having a sibling who has a disability.  Sibshops, a Prince William County Schools and the Arc of Greater PW-sponsored event, will be held from 10am-2pm at te Arc of Greater PW 13505 Hillendale Drive, Woodbridge.  Sibshops is a celebraiton of the many contributions made by brothers and sissters of children with special needs.  Preregistration is required and the cost is $5 per child/$10 max per family.  For more information or to register, contact 703-791-8845 or maherba@pwcs.edu.

Guest Post: Snow Days Can be ‘Grow’ Days

Snow Days Can be ‘Grow’ Days
By Eugenia Cole and Robin Banford-Geisler
Winter Break is officially over, but the winter season will likely provide a few more mini-breaks before spring arrives.  Last year, Prince William County Public Schools lost 13 days to snow--almost 3 weeks of instruction time. Although snow days can provide a welcomed break from the normal routine for parents, students, and teachers, they can also provide boundless opportunities for intentional conversation and learning at home.  
A good example of the impact even trivial communication moments have on little listeners is a conversation Mrs. Cole recently had with a kindergarten student. The young lady informed Mrs. Cole that she would soon be attending “Reading Workshop” (an after-school reading enrichment program) on Mondays, instead of her normal Thursday time.  Mrs. Cole hadn’t heard anything from the parents regarding the change, but, based on her experience with the student and her family, Mrs. Cole knew this information was something that the girl’s parents had communicated with her and the young student remembered. 
While that example of a young student’s attention to and retention of information shared in conversation may seem minute, it goes to show how responsible and responsive our younger learners can be when provided the opportunity. Often times, questions asked to kindergartners regarding real-life matters are met with shrugs and “I don’t know.” This response is not because our children are too simple or young to be aware, but simply because parents don’t often communicate with them regarding what they consider to be irrelevant topics for children. 
The difference between students who are included in higher-level discussion at home and those who are not becomes evident in classroom discussion and learning time, where a distinction emerges between which students are having things explained to them and which ones are simply having things done for them.  The simple act of regular and intentional dialogue with a kindergartner can permit high-level return in the classroom. While, understandably, parent work schedules contribute to a lack of time for intentional communication, snow days can provide a convenient opportunity to have purposeful family interaction time.
While even kindergartners are as tempted to attach themselves to their electronics as we prove to be, days off from school, prompted by winter weather, can be full of personal interaction & conversational learning for our students. These mini-breaks are a wonderful opportunity to intentionally focus on strengthening your young child’s communication skills by including them in every-day discussion. Use the together-time to help your learner build towards a successful second half of the year and beyond!  
As teachers of a younger audience, we package our learning objectives into fun and interactive lessons in order to engage kindergartners. While electronics and technology may rule our day, there is still opportunity to be creative in how you engage your kindergartner on snow days.  The right kind of game can help him/her strengthen foundational skills, such as following directions, pre-reading (making a guess about topic based on pictures, clues, etc) and working together. Below is an explanation of three great offline, or non-electronic, activities that can help your kindergartner build a solid learning foundation for 2015.
  • Indoor Games:
Brain Games are an example of activities that can help exercise and develop memory. Additionally, parentfurther.com has a list of information processing activities that are worth considering, including the 30 Second Spotlight game, in which participants pick a family related topic, take turns, and talk about the topic for 30 seconds of uninterrupted time.  This game is a great one for your student because it aims to help your kindergartner strengthen his/her listening and responding skills.
If you are already using games as a learning tool, be encouraged that your efforts are foundational. Continue to establish such routine interactions with your kindergartner during snow days and add additional games to work on new skills. 

  • Learning With Snow
Snow is fun to play with, but can also be fun to learn with.  Sledding, snow-ball fights, and snow man/fort building are all fun activities during snow days.  Author Jean Warren shares on preschoolexpress.com that snow, as a learning material, presents the opportunity for children to work on Thinking skills, Coordination Skills, Art Skills, Math Skills, Music Skills, Language Skills, Science Skills and Concept Skills. With a little intentionality, you can turn those and other activities into unique learning opportunities.
One example of a specific, fun snow activity that Jean Warren recommends is “Rolling and Throwing,” as explained below. 
ROLLING AND THROWING
Children naturally love to roll snow into large balls and throw smaller snowballs.  Encourage rolling and throwing.  Both of these activities help your child develop their coordination skills.  Instead of throwing balls at people, help your child set up a row of plastic bottles to knock over or a tire to throw through.
You can learn more about this activity at http://www.preschoolexpress.com/learning-station09/learning-with-snow-december.shtml.  Although this article is geared towards preschoolers, these activities can be beneficial for your kindergartner as well!

  • Experimenting
The third important opportunity we highly encourage you to take advantage of is providing times for experimenting. One of those things very obvious in the classroom is the difference between students who are not allowed to experiment, for parental fear of inaccuracy, and those who are challenged to develop independence and find a way to do things on their own.  
A practical example of how student experimenting provides advancements in independent thinking comes from a summer camp situation. During those days filled with heat, we like to offer the students a treat of ice cream in little cups that usually have wooden spoons attached for convenient scooping.  However, one time, the wooden spoons were not included with the ice cream cups.  We had kindergartners begin to cry because they could not figure out how to eat the ice cream without the little spoons.  This presented an opportunity for the kindergartners to problem solve and use reasoning skills to figure out how to eat the ice cream without the relied-upon spoon.  We began to experiment with the students to figure out (non-messy) ways to eat the ice cream, like taking the time to lick the ice cream, squeezing the cup to get the ice cream out, or folding up the lid to make it into a spoon in order to scoop the ice cream out. While exercises in experimenting open doors to less than perfect results, they establish skills in solving problems, encouraging creativity, and rewarding diligence. 
Take time during the snow days to experiment and create opportunities for your young student to practice problem solving and reasoning skills. Intentionally create scenarios in which normal tools are not available to accomplish a task and guide your child toward figuring out how to overcome the challenge faced.  
All of the above-mentioned opportunities, and others like them, can not only create new, important life-skills for your young student, but they can also serve the double benefit of building their self-esteem and sense of security.  Engaging your kindergartner in any of these simple, offline activities will allow your student to more fully and effectively engage in the classroom, more prepared to learn and grow during the second half of the school year.  

If you have any questions related to Kindergarten please send an email to Bcitizen@christchapel.org 

CCA’s next Open House is January 24th from 1pm-3pm.

Authors:
Robin Banford-Geisler 
BS/Early Childhood & Elementary Education; Masters/ Reading Literacy, George Mason University
Kindergarten Teacher
Elementary School
Eugenia Cole 
BS/ Christian Elementary Education, Virginia Baptist College
Kindergarten Teacher
Elementary School
Christ Chapel Academy is dedicated to unleashing the leadership potential within each student. Academically rigorous programs, a vibrant Christ-centered community, and a unique multicultural learning environment make CCA a great option for parents who want a smaller school but don’t want to sacrifice big opportunities for their student(s).  
Christ Chapel Academy was voted as the “Best Private School” in Prince William County in 2014, by Prince William Today readers. 

Learn more about Christ Chapel Academy at christchapelacademy.org

1/22/15

Disney Worlds of Fantasy!


Experience a magical Disney fantasy live on ice! Rev up for non-stop fun with four of your favorite Disney stories at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt. Thrill to high-speed stunts as Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney•Pixar’s Cars race across the ice like you’ve never seen before! Dive into The Little Mermaid’s enchanting undersea kingdom and enter the mystical world of Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies as they reveal the magic that lies within! The toys are back in town with heroic action when Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the Toy Story gang escape from the rambunctious tots of Sunnyside Daycare and race for home, in their most daring adventure ever! From wheels to waves, playtime to pixie dust, your family’s favorite Disney moments come to life at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy.



Disney on Ice Presents Worlds of Fantasy will be playing the Verizon Center in February:
Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, Feb. 12 at 10:30 am & 7:30 pm
Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10:30 am, 2:30 pm & 6:30 pm
Sunday, Feb. 15 at 12:30 pm & 4:30 pm
Monday, Feb. 16 at 12:30 pm



Tickets start as low as $20 per person. You can purchase Disney One Ice tickets at all Ticketmaster outlets via charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000; via Ticketmaster online and at the Verizon Center box office.

To find out more about Disney On Ice visit their website, or visit them on Facebook and YouTube.
Want your tickets for free? I'm giving away a family 4-pack of tickets to the Wednesday opening night performance, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. show at the Verizon Center.  Enter using the Rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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By entering, you agree to be bound by PwcMoms.com's giveaway rulesFeld Entertainment is neither a sponsor nor endorser of this promotion. PwcMoms is not responsible for DC traffic, parking garages, or your child wanting all 48 Mater themed promotional items.  We will, however, be happy to take credit for the amazed look on their face when they see all their favorite characters live on the ice.  We're happy to take the fall for that :) 

1/21/15

Giveaway: Menopause The Musical



MANASSAS, VA. – GFour Productions, winners of 54 Drama Desk and 44 Tony Awards are proudly bringing the international hit show Menopause The Musical® to Manassas, Va., and will play the Hylton Performing Arts Center (10960 George Mason Circle) for two shows only. Tickets are on sale now for performances on Wednesday, February 4 at 8 p.m. and Thursday, February 5 at 8 p.m. and are available at the Hylton Performing Arts Center box office, hyltoncenter.org, or by calling 703-993-7759Groups of 8 or more can save $10 when mentioning the code GROUP, available through the box office only. 
Menopause The Musical® is a groundbreaking celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived “The Change.” Now celebrating 13 years of female empowerment through hilarious musical comedy, Menopause The Musical® has evolved as a "grassroots" movement of women who deal with life adjustments after 40 by embracing each other and the road ahead.
Set in a department store, four women meet by chance while shopping for a black lace bra at a lingerie sale. After noticing unmistakable similarities among one another, the all-female cast jokes about their woeful hot flashes, mood swings, wrinkles, weight gain and much more. These women form a sisterhood and unique bond with the entire audience as they rejoice in celebrating that menopause is no longer “The Silent Passage.” 
Inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, Menopause The Musical® is a celebration of women who find themselves at any stage of “The Change.” The laughter-filled 90-minute production gets audience members out of their seats and singing along to parodies from classic pop songs of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.  
Menopause The Musical®now in its thirteenth year of production, is recognized as the longest-running scripted production in Las Vegas and continues to entertain nightly at Luxor Hotel and Casino. The hilarious musical has entertained audiences across the country in more than 450 U.S. cities, nearly 300 international cities and a total of 15 countries. For more information, visit www.MenopauseTheMusical.com.
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About GFour ProductionsGFOUR PRODUCTIONS (Producer) GFour Productions recent successes include winning the 2013 Tony Award® for their 50th anniversary production of Edward Albee's WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF; Co-financing the 5 time Tony Award®, 5 time Drama Desk Award®, and 7 time Olivier Award® Winner for Best Musical, MATILDA THE MUSICAL; Co-Producing the critically acclaimed revival of THE GLASS MENAGERIE starring Cherry Jones and Zachary Quinto, which The New York Times called "Glorious and Gorgeous!"; launching their 40 week tour of the Tony Award® winning musical, THE GERSHWIN'S PORGY AND BESS, and recently opening their breathtaking production of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL starring 5 time Tony Award® winner, Audra McDonald, as the unforgettable Billie Holiday. Their critically acclaimed follow up to MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL®, MOTHERHOOD THE MUSICAL, has recently entertained audiences in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Philadelphia and is currently playing a 65-city Australian tour. GFour recently premièred the Spanish-language version of their international hit, MENOPAUSIA EL MUSICAL, in Hollywood, CA. They began producing in 1981 with NINE, winning the Tony Award® that year for Best Musical. Among their favorite Broadway productions are MY ONE AND ONLY starring Tommy Tune, ZORBA THE GREEK starring Anthony Quinn, THE RINK starring Liza Minnelli, BABY, GRAND HOTEL, GRIND, BIG, TRUE WEST, the original and the revival of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES which won them Tony Awards for Best Musical in 1983 and Best Revival in 2004. Their combined shows have been nominated for 115 Tony Awards®, winning 44 and 110 Drama Desk Awards®, winning 56. For more information, please visit GFourProductions.com.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW$44 | $49.50 | $59.50  
Groups of 8 or more: Save $10 when you mention code GROUP – available through box office only!
Hylton Performing Arts Center Box Office | hyltoncenter.org703-993-7759


Or, Win Your Tickets HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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As always, by entering you agree to our givewaway rules.  PwcMoms is not responsible for hot flashes, night sweats, or estrogen replacement therapy.  But we will eat chocolate and have a glass of wine with you if it gets bad.

1/19/15

Review: Peace of Pottery


 I love this kid.  He's awesome.  He's funny and smart and he does hilarious voices and impersonations.  He's the first person to comfort someone who feels left out or scared, and he's just an all around great person.  He's also the middle kid, so that makes getting alone time all the more special to him.  We had some time on Saturday to hang out, just the two of us.  I decided that we'd grab lunch and visit Peace of Pottery- which is located at 9838 Libera Ave in Manassas just across from the car wash.
 If you've never been to a paint your own pottery establishment, this one works pretty much the same way all of them do.  When you come in there are a large variety of plain white pottery pieces for you to choose from.  Little statues of animals, plates, bowls, tea pots, big small, inbetween.  Each piece has a different price, so be sure to set a budget before you go in.  Peace of Pottery also charges a $6 studio fee on top of the price of the pottery (some studios include this fee in the price of the piece, others charge it separately- either way you're paying it).
 There are plenty of tables, you can sit and enjoy a quiet afternoon or you can host a party (scout troop, large family, etc). Logan and I each picked a mug.  Mine had polka dots and Logan opted for a mug with a "mouth" for cookies. The first step is to wash your piece of pottery and then you pick out glaze colors.  To get an even, non-streaky finish, the owner recommended three coats of glaze, which takes a little bit of time, but getting on base colors is pretty mindless work and we had a lot of fun chatting while we worked.
I didn't get a picture of my finished mug, but I thought that Logan's minion mug turned out really cute.  He's planning to make some banana cookies to eat with his tea when we get it back on Saturday (firing turnaround is about a week).

Peace of Pottery is a lovely, inviting space.  It's not a cheap afternoon- we spent $45.92 for two mugs, so it was perfect for a one-on-one day, but isn't something I'd just do on the spur of the moment with all three kids (which would have put me closer to $100 assuming they'd all picked mugs and not something bigger).  Pottery parties, on the other hand, start at $19 per person, so if you have a large group of kids you'd like to take, that could be a great way to keep your costs a little lower.

We definitely had a fun time and enjoyed the laid back, peaceful atmosphere.  I'd definitely recommend Peace of Pottery for a fun afternoon or a great venue for a party if you've got a kid with a little artistic flair!
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Disclaimer: We just went to Peace of Pottery.  Nobody invited us or asked for a review.  All opinions are our own.

1/18/15

Guest Post: BumbleABC

Thanks to Katrina for sharing about BumbleABC with us! If you'd like to guest post, just shoot me an email! 



BumbleABC is a wonderful little place inside of Engineering for Kids located in Lake Ridge, Virginia. Bumble ABC offers workshops, classes, and programs for infants – 6 year olds. They also offer field trips and birthday parties.

BumbleABC was founded and created by two local moms,  Lisa Dillard and Dori Roberts. How cool is that?!

We went and checked out their Open Play for the first time the other day. Im not sure what I was expecting going in, I mean I knew it would be good, but this place is so awesome. My kids are still talking about it days later!

When you first walk into the building there is a waiting area and a customer service desk! Off to the side is a little spot for coffee, tea, and water.

So once you get your kiddos name tags and get all squared away with the awesome people at the desk, you can go into the play area.

OHHHHhhhhh the play area! There are HUGE foam blocks for building, a Lego wall, an area with magnaforms, potato heads, etc., a wind tunnel, a car track, a room for infants (a ROOM for INFANTS yall!), and oh so much more.

The kids had so much fun. They painted, they ran, they jumped, they used their little noggins, and got all that built up energy out!

The things that stuck out to me the most were how KIND and ACCEPTING the employees were of all the children, and the layout. I love that I can see my children pretty much wherever they went.

Quote from the 2 year old “I loved crawling through the tunnel!”

You can check out there upcoming Open Plays ( and other programs) HERE. (Link for that is http://bumbleabc.com/registration/)

Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
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Katrina is a Stay At Home Mom to three, one girl and two boys, and wife to her high school sweetheart. She is passionate about her faith, family, natural living, the outdoors, and all things creative. If you liked this post you can find more at Sunflowers On The Hill, where she blogs about life as a SAHM, her faith, and as well as everything in between. You can also follow her on Facebook and Pinterest.


1/15/15

Susie Nelson Seminar

ATTENTION HOME PARTY, SOCIAL SELLING, AND NETWORK MARKETING CONSULTANTS!  Susie Nelson, an industry expert who specializes in helping consultants expand their businesses (and their incomes) rapidly, is doing a live seminar in the Woodbridge area Sunday evening, Jan. 18th, from 6-to-9pm EST.

Whether you’re brand new in the business, have 3-to-4 years experience (or more), or you’re a seasoned leader - you will come away from this seminar with a new perspective and an action plan to make 2015 your year for outrageous business growth.



Here’s just some of what you’ll learn:

  • Where consultants get stuck in their business - and exactly how to get “un-stuck.”
  • How to sponsor awesome, productive team members.
  • How to earn your first (or next!) promotion in the next 8 weeks.
  • The exact plan to take your business to six figures in 2015 - even if you simply have 10-to-15 hours to dedicate to your business each week.
  • And much more!

Susie built one of the top organizations in her former company, and became its 2nd National Sales Manager (a level only 6 consultants ever achieved).  She also built and maintained a six figure residual income for 11 years straight.  

Susie believes this business is all about developing leaders - and she promoted the most managers of anyone in her company (16 to be exact).  

This is a rare opportunity to meet Susie in-person and experience her training and business wisdom.  

Tickets are just $47 - and space is EXTREMELY limited (and it is filling fast!).  All attendees will receive copies of Susie’s two most recent books:  1)  8 Weeks to  Your Promotion:  How to Rapidly Qualify and Get Paid at Title Every Single Month; and 2)  From Drowning in Debt to Financial Freedom:  How to Bail Yourself Out of a Financial Mess by Building a Home Party or Network Marketing Business.”

TO REGISTER:  Go to:  http://susienelsonlive.com