Review/Giveaway: Delivery by Peapod

Guys, guys, guys.  I have been on a road trip in a car with my family for nearly two weeks. Wanna see?

Whoot whoot! More details on that to come, but for now, suffice it to say, I have been gone a LONG time and obviously my fridge would not have been okay if I'd left everything in it for two weeks, so we cleared it out before we left.

There is my empty fridge.  What's left? Some Starbucks Iced Coffee, Hummingbird food (the bright red stuff is not, in fact, Hawaiian Punch), and random beers people have left at our house after parties.  Yes, those have jack o lanterns on them, no, that was not the last time we had people over, I think they just keep getting burried behind the new stuff. I think there are a few limes, and an orange. #GoodEats

But, as we all know, getting home at 11pm and then having to go to the store is not fun.  So, instead, I used the Peapod app on my phone to order groceries from our campsite in Arkansass to ensure that Sunday morning (we got back Saturday night) I'd have groceries before church.  Amazing.

If you've never used Peapod before, they're pretty much fantabulous.  You select your order and delivery time and they will bring your groceries to your house and bring them in to your counter.  You can change your order until the day before (in case you forgot something or realize you're running low on an item you hadn't ordered).  You can also do pick up if you'd rather.

It's really easy to shop on Peapod.  You can type in a keyword list, shop by aisle, or shop the specials, whatever makes you happy.  If you're a couponer, you can use your coupons, too- the savings will be deducted from your next order. They double coupons up to 99 cents.

Now, because I am The Tired, we are going to have YouTube Videos!! Strap in and don't get motion sickness, it's 7am on a Sunday and I drove like 8 hours yesterday.

One nice thing that is new to me (I've used Peapod before) is their Peapod Local Farm Box.  For $29 you get a selection of local fruits and veggies.  I got onions (3), a small cantalope, an eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, and 3 ears of corn in this box.  Let's take a look!

Hooray for local produce.  Now, I actually lined up all of my stuff for you guys.  I think I'm channeling some kind of leftover couponing mojo- so here is my "Haul" of groceries that I didn't have to go get, and didn't have to carry from my car to the kitchen:

Nom nom nom nom.  There are a ton of fresh fruits and veggies, with the exception of the green pepper (which is totally passable, but not the one I would have picked) are awesome quality and ready for me to eat.

Yay :)

Also, we have some cheese, ground turkey, chicken, almond milk, chobani yogurt, ezekiel bread, multigrain english muffins, turkey bacon, and hummus.

I buy a bunch of my stuff organic, but I didn't think the prices were bad! All of this was $150.81.  I paid a $7.95 delivery fee, but when you sign up for your first delivery, you get free delivery and pick up for 60 days.  That's two months of lazy/busy, which I am all about.

Want to hear me talk about my groceries until my phone runs out of storage because I took too many vacation photos? Wish granted:

And did it all fit in my fridge? It did!

Happy fridge! With yummy healthy food for the next week.  If you haven't tried Peapod yet, I'd really encourage you to give it a go.  I usually spend an hour or so in the grocery store, with my kids, and I would say that $8 is way below my billable rate for an hour, so it's worth the swap!! I especially like Peapod for times like today where I'd been traveling, before holidays (because who wants to deal with that!!) and when you've got company coming and you're already trying to do a million things.

Then again, I also like it when I just don't have time to go to the store. Which, really, is all the time.

I haven't tried the pickup, but I assume that's cool, too.

And, if you're not happy, you can call customer service and they'll make it right.  True story, I did a Peapod order in Massachusetts when I was pregnant with my first son who was 2 weeks past his due date.  It was Thanksgiving Eve and we had alllll of my husbands family and alllll of my family who had come for Turkey Day because they were expecting to see a baby.

For those of you who have gone past your due date, you understand the mental state I was in.

I had ordered groceries because I was so waddle-y that the idea of shopping for 13 people was overwhelming.  (Did I mention I was also in college full time?).  My order arrived and I was happily unpacking when I noticed I had 4 heads of broccoli instead of 4 packs of celery.

Obviously, being a giant ball of whale-sized hormones, I started crying.  I couldn't make Thanksgiving without celery!! I was going to fail my grandmother and my in-laws, and I was going to have to put on real pants and go to the store!! So I called Peapod and within 15 minutes someone knocked on my apartment door and gave me 4 packs of celery.  And he did not even bat an eye at the fact that I was wearing pajama shorts in late November in Massachusetts, because that's the kind of quality people that Peapod employs :)

Now I had everything I needed to make dinner! Which was good, because my family ended up having to make it for me because I went into labor at 5am on Thanksgiving Day.  #Winning

We really like Peapod, and I am willing to bet you will, too :)

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Peapod provided me with a gift card in order to review their services.  All opinions are my own.  Yes, I called them crying when I was pregnant, and yes, they really did bring me celery.  Celery is important, you guys.  You don't even know.  #Celery

Review: Peter Pan 360 @Tysons Corner

Note: My sweet, sweet friend Heidi agreed to go check out Peter Pan 360 for me while I was on vacation.  (There has to be some kind of an upside to being my friend! Free tickets are it!) She and her daughter checked out the experience at Tysons Corner, and shared their thoughts below!

Honored to be asked to attend and review Peter Pan 360 for PWCMoms, I actually had no idea what it was. Somehow I had missed all the facebook and tv commercials. So I zipped to the website to figure out what “360” meant:

“Escape to Neverland in a whole new way with this spectacular, innovative live stage production of PETER PAN that combines intimate theater-in-the-round and overhead surround CGI projection; with actors in dazzling flying sequences forty feet in the air and whimsical puppets that bring J.M. Barrie’s classic tale to fantastical life, creating a truly unique environmental theatrical experience!”

The videos and descriptions were enthralling. I was excited and full of anticipation about a special evening out with my daughter. (I thought my 11-year-old might be a little old to fully enjoy and appreciate this experience.)

When I told my 8-year-old daughter we were going to see the play “Peter Pan” she started reminiscing about the various other Peter Pan experiences we have had: seeing the musical at a university theater, watching three different movies, as well as seeing “Jake and the Neverland Pirates” live at Disney World when she was four. I explained this would be different from all of those experiences, but I didn’t give her any details. (I just hoped I was right!!)

Good news….I was right! It was fabulous. Take your favorite aspects of various theater experiences (part Imax, part circus, part theater, part puppetry) put them together under a modern big top, and you will enjoy the story of Peter Pan with lots of laughter and gasps of amazement. We didn’t stop smiling the entire time.

The temporary theater is under a tent near Tysons Mall in McLean. You have to park at the mall’s free garage (there are plenty of signs to direct you) and walk a long city block to the theater. (Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. I was over-dressed.) There are plenty of photo ops before you enter the theater and around the lobby, including a backdrop for a “photo booth” to capture a fun instagram photo (#nevergrowup). Sit in your seats early for the pre-show entertainment…very talented musicians singing pirate song classics.

The theater-in-the-round was a lot smaller than I expected, but that is part of what makes this a more unique experience. I had the impression there are no bad seats: we sat about half-way up and it was perfect. You get to actually see the actors’ facial expressions! The stage is raised and much of the action is in the air, so even if an adult is sitting in front of your child, her view will not be blocked. The overhead projection appears to be perfectly viewable from any seat as well.

I loved hearing the belly laughs from my daughter, especially when Tinkerbell threw fabulous temper tantrums face down on the stage. I enjoyed watching my daughter gasp when the actors flew through London. And I was impressed with the gymnastic and acrobatic choreography that added to an already fabulous, classic story.

My 8-year-old’s review: “My favorite part was everything! It was also really funny because Michael, the little boy, hit Captain Hook in the head with the Teddy Bear. I liked the scenery and how they flew. I felt like I was in there with them. Tinkerbell was really funny. She was my favorite character because she had tantrums when Peter Pan said they had to go save Wendy.”

It was a great production and I highly recommend it to your family!

Just the facts:

Recommended for ages 5 and up, although younger children will enjoy it, too. Older children may not fully enjoy the whimsy of this experience.

Pros: Even if you have seen Peter Pan “umpteen” times, this will be a unique experience, small theater, engaging actors, visually entertaining, photo op with a couple of actors after the show

Cons: Hard to understand the British accents, loud noises and lights may be uncomfortable for children with sensory sensitivities

(Note: The crocodile “Tick -Tock” got very close to the audience, growled loudly, and made a few little ones cry. Capt. Hook slices Tiger Lily’s neck to kill her, not graphic, though. But (yay!) she was one of the first out for applause.)

The show is in DC for four weeks with an all new cast (from the previous run). It lasts approx. 87 minutes with a 20 minute intermission. Tickets start at $30.  There is a concession stand and merchandise shop at typical theater prices ($20 t-shirt, $15 foam sward, $5 soft pretzel, $7 popcorn.)

http://www.peterpan360.com/

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Disclaimer: PwcMoms was provided with free tickets to this event, but all opinions are our own.  You can tell because Heidi is entirely too nice to lie.  She'd tell you. 

Cheers Art Studio Summer Camp

 This past week, my youngest (7) was able to go to art camp at Cheers Art Studio.  Their camps are 1/2 day mornings (9am-12pm).  You pack your child a snack, but everything else is provided in terms of art supplies.  Ages 6-12 will enjoy these camps, with everyone able to have fun at their own artistic level.  Camp is $125/week and there are still 3 weeks available for your creative fun (well, your child's creative fun, and your 3 hours of "me time").

This is the class with their final projects :) 

Savannah's week was "Drawing People and Animals" which included:
Monday- Trace ourselves full figure/ Full Skeleton (pencil and crayons)/ Shapes and Shading
Tuesday- Skull/ Shading techniques to create texture (pencil and charcoal)
Wednesday- Portraits- finishing half the page (charcoal)/ How to Draw Animals from shapes (pencil)
Thursday- Self-portraits/ How to Draw Animals (charcoal)
Friday- Animals- paint your pet or endangered animal (paint)

And finally, since you guys enjoyed our video Newsies Review, here's what Savannah thought of art camp at Cheers:

I don't know why I keep shooting these sitting in my bed.  I have so many pretty places in my house...next time I will try to be a little more creative :) 

Disclosure: Thanks to Cheers for having Savannah out for a week of camp!! We were gifted a week of camp in order to do our review, but all opinions are honest and our own.  Have you ever tried to script a 7 year old? Can't be done, even if I wanted to. 

Giveaway: Lil Chic

Leslie from Lil Chic came out to our Miller and Smith open house, and it was so nice to meet her!! I actually got a little misty when she showed me some of the collection because it reminded me of my middle guy's nursery (it was twinkle twinkle little star themed).  I informed my husband that we need to have another baby so I can have matching car seat, stroller, and diaper bag covers.  He informed me that was not gonna happen.

I mean COME ON HOW CUTE IS THIS????

So, word to my sister in law, when you and my brother have kids, this is what you're getting from me, because it's adorable.  I'll let you pick the pattern, but that's about it ;) 

Leslie took the time to answer a few questions about her company for me- it's always better to discuss business over wine! Yay! 

PwcMom: Tell me what inspired your company?

LC: My co-owner is from Spain and a mother of two.  After her first child was born, she went to Spain and brought back footmuffs and stroller bags. She then found that, whenever she was out, she received a lot of positive attention from other parents of young children. 

It then became obvious to us, and those around us, that the quality of these products really stood out compared to other baby brands. And, because you could only find these products in stores abroad, we were inspired to bring them over here to the US!

PwcMom: What's your favorite product you carry?

LC: My personal favorite is the Stroller Footmuff from Lil Chic’s Bryn Collection.  I love the collection’s delicate floral pattern and removable lace accent.

PwcMom: What do your customers say about your products?

LC: The most consistent comments we receive are about the attractiveness and versatility of our products.  Our customers like the style as well as the option of buying coordinating items from each of our collections. Customers also like buying a canopy or footmuff and having peace of mind that what they have purchased will fit on their respective model of stroller or car seat. 

PwcMom: What do you like about owning your own business?

LC: I love the products and am excited for the opportunity to be the first to offer them in the US.  I also have enjoyed the challenge of starting a new business! 

You can find Lil Chic on Facebook and they're also on Twitter  and Instagram at lilchicbaby.  And if you've got a baby on the way or a shower coming up (and you want to WIN the baby shower) you should definitely check them out!! 

For the giveaway, Lil Chic is offering one lucky reader a Sydney Collection Travel Bag in grey- gender neutral and awesome! (PS- that's a $100 diaper bag!!) I especially love that the fabric is laminated (I'm sure that's not the correct term, but that's what I'm going with!) so that you can wipe off any baby-related mess. You know what I'm talking about. 

Enter Using Rafflecopter!! 

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Giveaway provided by Lil Chic Baby, by entering you agree to be bound by any and all giveaway rules. 

Miller and Smith's Victory Lakes in Bristow

Our family bought our house just over a year ago, so I remember the process well.  You step into a house and take a deep breath- whoo- not this one, a smoker lived here, let's try again.

Alright, you step into the house and take a deep breath- Yankee Candle- we're good.  You look to the left and look to the right, and you try to imagine your kids running down the stairs in the morning.  You try to envision how many of your friends can gather around in the kitchen while you're entertaining.  You look in the backyard and decide if it's the perfect mix of room and "I don't really like to mow the lawn."  In short, you try to see yourself inside the house- to decide if this could be your home.

That was what was so neat about our June reader meetup.  Miller and Smith didn't just let us guess what it'd be like to live in Victory Lakes (in Bristow, VA) they actually let us test drive one of their model homes.

Photo Courtesy of Stacy Shaw, www.BristowBeat.com

So, armed with curiosity and about a dozen readers, we checked it out! Miller and Smith welcomed us into their beautiful model home, in the Meridian Collection, and even let us peek into the home next door, as well. I happen to love model homes, they always give me such great ideas for my own- but this time I actually got to "own" the model for a night!

Photo Courtesy of Stacy Shaw, www.BristowBeat.com

And of course, like in every home, people gathered in the gorgeous kitchen....and we stayed there for a long time, chatting and having a fantastic time.  The homes we "test drove" in Victory Lakes are townhomes, but they don't feel like it.  Open and spacious and inviting with all the great upgrades available that you'd want in a single family- quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and of course lots of light. 

I could see myself here.

Then we got curious, and decided to explore (photos courtesy Miller and Smith):

I can't say I've ever hung out with quite so many people in a Master Bedroom before- but we had fun :) It was especially nice to have Elizabeth Falcon there- she's a Realtor, but she's also a Victory Lakes resident, and she was able to share with us about the amazing community (who weren't all invited to my soiree, sadly).  

My favorite things I learned from here were:

1) There actually ARE lakes, it's not just the name- and you can fish in them!

2) There's an activities coordinator for the community who puts together all kinds of fun events from BBQs to movie nights to Zumba classes, so you actually get to do fun things with your neighbors which...

3) Gives Victory Lakes that great community feel that we all want, without actually having to put the work in yourself- they've designed it right in to their gorgeous homes!

Eric was our Miller and Smith homes expert, and he shared that for those of you looking for a new home in Bristow, they're in their final sections and they're doing a FREE DREAM KITCHEN upgrade when you purchase in Victory Lakes! That means the kitchen I hosted my meetup in could be your actual kitchen! 

Victory Lakes Townhomes are gorgeous, spacious, and I know this PwcMom would be proud to live in one, if I was looking! If you're in the market for a new home in PWC, or you're just looking to upgrade your lifestyle, be sure to check out Victory Lake in Bristow, VA. 

Photo Courtesy of Stacy Shaw, www.BristowBeat.com

For more information visit Miller & Smith's website at www.millerandsmith.com and look for the Meridian collection, or call Hansen at 571-379-4349.

Guest Post: Top Tips to Meet Disney Characters

Top Tips to Meet Disney Characters

by Patricia Mickus ·

I have had a few people ask “What’s the best way to see and gather autographs from #Disney characters? After reviewing a recent list of characters I determined I have met 55 over the years. Character meet and greets are located throughout all the Disney parks. But standing in these lines can cut into your touring time. So here are a few tips on how to see get the most out of your character meet and greets:

1. Book Character Meals. During these meals Disney characters and princesses will walk around and greet each table. Guests may take pictures and ask for autographs all while enjoying a relaxing meal. My favorite meal is Goofy’s Kitchen at Disneyland. Here you not only see the Fab 5 but the princesses too.

2. Take a Disney Cruise. Each day on the ship Disney characters take time to greet guests. The lines are so much shorter than in the parks.

3. Attend a special party. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are great events to see Snow White will all 7 dwarves or the Princes with each Princess. May hard to find characters only come out to play on party nights.

4. Arrive at Rope Drop. Now with Fastpass+ you can schedule that ride on Space Mountain and use the early morning hours for meet and greets. Many characters are located outside the Railway station on Main Street USA in the morning. Disney has added a few meet and greets to the Fastpass+ selections.

Patricia Mickus is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner with Magical Memories Travel.  Patricia lives in Bristow, Virginia with her husband and two sons.  She believes you can have a Disney vacation of a lifetime and maximize your vacation dollar. All of her concierge planning services are FREE to her clients.   Contact Patricia at patricia@magicalmemoriestravel.com or visit her Facebook page or blog - www.MagicalMickeyTips.com for more Disney planning tips.

Classic Portraits

My momma is a college student (so proud of her!) and is almost done with her degree, so she's amping up her job search, and my dad is on the market, too, so they both needed to update their resumes.

With social media being such a key part of the job search these days, places like LinkedIn want you to have a headshot, and neither of them had a current one.  I was really excited to be able to be somewhat helpful by setting up a gift session with Deanne from Classic portraits.  She did my head shots after I was sick (when I was informed that my headshot no longer looked like me....speaking of which, these no longer look like me- but I did enjoy rocking the short hair!)

And I think she did an amazing job on my parents, too!

Here's my gorgeous mama who will finish her degree in Business Management:

And here's my dad, an IT manager, who we refer to as "Coach Papa" around here:

Deanne is really wonderful to work with.  She's kind and has a great eye for detail, doing things like coming over to fix a stray hair or tilting your head just-so.  When she did my head shots, she stood on a ladder so I wouldn't have more than one chin....not that that's a problem I have....

You can find more info about headshots, maternity, engagements, senior pictures, family portraits, or any other type of pictures with Deanne on her website  (note- it plays music, so if you're at work don't crank the speakers!) or visit her on her Facebook page! 

I love working with Deanne and have never had anyone give me anything but the highest praise when I've recommended they work with her!! If you attend the Real Housewives of Northern Virginia events, you've seen her there, too- she works every one of them! 

Thanks for another great session, Classic Portraits!

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Disclosure: I paid for my parents pictures, and it was worth every penny :) I just really love Deanne.