Game Truck Party Review

Look at my precious little baby.....11 years ago on Thanksgiving Day (which happened to be November 27th) I got this little guy....

And this year on November 27th (also Thanksgiving- he's had 3 Turkey Birthdays so far) he turned 11.  ELEVEN.  I do not understand how that happened.  I mean, I do- so if one of you says "well, every year the world turns" or something, I'm going to give you a Facebook eye roll and we're not friends anymore....but 11...wow.  We have less years left with him than he is old.  It's crazy.

(If you'd like super cute baptism pictures of your kid, my friend Lisa Julia did these and is amazing)

Anyway.  I digress.

So.  Birthday parties change every year for your child.  At first it's just everyone cooing while they look confused and smash frosting everywhere, then it's whatever character obsession they have, maybe one year you turn your townhouse into Hogwarts, whatever. But one year, and this year was it for us, they're getting too "cool" for you to decorate things.

Oh.  Okay.  Let me just go un-Pinterest a few things and have a cry....

And when that happens (or before) you should call Game Truck. Riley (that would be the 11 year old) wanted to do something fun with his friends, but didn't want me to decorate or theme anything.  I was permitted a few balloons in green and blue, but just a few and only by the cake, which was to be an ice cream cake with no weird anything on it.

Sigh.

Anyhow, the Game Truck was amazing, and despite not being allowed to decorate anything, it's my new favorite type of party and here's why:

This is me, hosting 16 boys for a birthday party.  I'm eating some chips and watching "Pretty Woman" with my mom.  It was chilly that night, so we had the fire going.  

I literally sat on my bum and watched a movie y'all.  It was amazing.  And quiet.  Have you ever had one or more boys over to your house and had the feeling it was quiet and peaceful? 

Nope, you haven't.  And if you HAVE had the feeling it was quiet, there was probably something bad happening, but not in this case! In this case they were just in my driveway playing Minecraft and Madden and Mario.

 Here is the Game Truck.  It fit nicely in my driveway, and the people who drive these suckers are totally amazing- I can't back my minivan in without bumping either our basketball hoop or the light- but he whipped this puppy in like it was nothing.

 Inside the truck, there are flat screens attached to every gaming system I've ever heard of.  There was Xbox and Wii and....and some other one, but y'all when it comes to video games I really just don't care, so suffice it to say all the kids were thrilled. (PS3...it was PS3)

 There's a wall with all the available games on it.  When the Game Truck arrived, I went out and pulled down anything I didn't want offered- which in our case was based on rating.  We kept it to E10 and under based on our guest list and the fact that I'm mean. Nobody seemed to mind.

Across from the TVs there are nice cushy sofas.  It doesn't feel like you're in a truck at all, in fact, my son said it was "the best man-cave ever" and insists that when we finish our basement, this is what it should look like.  

All told, this was the easiest party we've ever thrown.  The kids came 30 minutes before the Game Truck was scheduled to arrive and had Jersey Mikes, which I picked up.  Then the truck arrived and they played video games for two hours.  Then we had cake.  Then they went home. My house did not get dirty, I watched a movie, really you guys, it was brilliant.  And, beyond birthday parties, I think this would be an AMAZING way to do New Years Eve, or any other party where you want the adults and the kids to have fun.  You should note, though, that we did lose two dads who went out to play Madden, but we didn't mind because then we got to pick the movie. 

Game Truck Party will do any type of event you want, from birthdays to bachelor parties, and they did a great job for us! I'd definitely recommend them, and every single kid who left our party was hinting to their parents they wanted the same experience for their next birthday.  

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Disclosure: Game Truck asked for me to do a review of their services, but all opinions are my own. 

Cree LED Bulb Swap

Are you one of those people?

You know the ones I'm talking about.  Are you those people who leaves every single light on in the house? Or, alternatively, are you one of those people who are constantly running around after everyone in your house trying to get them to shut the lights off? Or, are you one of those people who have to pay the electric bill and it's really getting to you, especially right now with all the exterior lighting you've got going on for Christmas?  If you haven't switched to LED bulbs, which are 85% more energy efficient, you can check them out this weekend, snag a free bulb, and stay a little calmer the next time your house looks like this one, even when everyone is sitting in one room together watching TV. 

The Cree Great American Bulb Swap is coming to Washington DC.  Here are the details:

"Haven't switched to LED bulbs? Now's the perfect time as days are shorter and getting darker earlier. Washingtonians can participate in the Cree Great American Bulb Swap this weekend.  Just bring in any CFL or incandescent bulb and trade it up for a New Cree® LED Bulb for free.  The New Cree LED Bulb is up to 85 percent more energy efficient compared to energy-hogging incandescent bulbs- and it pays for itself in a year or less! 

Forget the frustration and inconvenience of constantly changing burnt out bulbs- Cree LED Bulbs last up to 22 years (that's potentially 5 presidents from now!).  Just imagine all the money you'll save on energy bills and fewer replacement bulbs.  Cree LED Bulbs are also mercury-free and provide superior light quality, unlike those squiggly compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs." 

Join Cree at Eastern Market 225 7th Street SE Washington DC 20003 from 11am-2pm Friday (December 5th) or 9am-5pm Saturday and Sunday (December 6th and 7th) and you'll have a chance to trade in an old bulb for a new one, calculate your energy savings, participate in games with great prizes, and picture opportunity with "Bulby" the costumed character mascot. 

PS- Don't forget to turn off the lights before you leave. 

Disclosure: PwcMoms was compensated for this post. All opinions are our own, all information was provided by the post sponsor. 

Meet Lisa Dillard and Bumble ABC

Lisa Dillard is a local mom and founder of Bumble ABC. 

“Bumble ABC was born out of the idea that it would be great if there were something else in the Woodbridge area for little ones.  I found myself driving further and further out to find things to do with my two year old son.  The idea was originally born out of that,” said Dillard.

 

Bumble ABC enjoys a partnership with Engineering for Kids, utilizing their space during EFK’s down time.  They use existing classrooms and add more “little kid” options including playmats, tunnels, and tents, and swap the regular Legos out for Duplos.

With the learning center that Engineering for Kids just opened, there was some open calendar space during the day, so we’re using the down time in their space until we can open our own space.

 

“Each week open play has a theme,” explained Dillard. “We change the dress up clothes, craft, and toys to engage the children.  It’s not necessarily structured, but directed play.”

Bumble ABC holds open plays on Monday and Wednesday from 10am-12pm.  Open play is $10 per child, infants are $5 or free with a paid sibling. Bumble ABC also offers discounts to mommy groups and private groups, with a maximum of 20 kids.  They also offer mobile classes for preschools as well as birthday parties.  Classes are currently available in Science, Music & Movement, Sports and Art (ages 3-6).  They plan to offer Baby & Me Classes and Music & Movement classes (ages 0-3) soon.

 

For more information about Bumble ABC, visit them on Facebook or their Website. 
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Disclosure: Bumble ABC is an advertiser with PwcMoms, but all opinions are our own. 

Messiah Sing A Long at the Kennedy Center

(This is a recap of the 2013 Messiah Sing Along.  For information on this year's event, please refer to the Kennedy Center website)

Each year, the Kennedy Center in DC hosts a free Messiah sing a long on December 23rd.  I'd never been before, and my friend had mentioned going early on in the month.  Little did I realize the draw that Handel has on people!  According to employees at the Kennedy Center, folks start lining up when the center opens at 10am to get their free tickets for an 8pm show! People play board games, picnic, and hang out all day.  We were a little later, arriving at 4pm.  We parked in the Kennedy Center parking garage, which was around $20, and got in line, which at this point, wrapped 4 times around the Hall of Nations and was wrapped around the outside of the building.

 People brought camping chairs, if they were smart, or just hung out and "chilled" (Ha! It's funny because it was cold outside!) They started handing out tickets around 6pm, and it took us about 40 minutes to get inside and get our tickets.  The staff is really great about keeping the line moving quickly.  Each person in line is able to get 2 tickets, so if you come in a very large group you might not all be in the same row.  After we got our tickets, we headed upstairs to a cafeteria and had dinner.  The options were varied, soups, sandwiches, a salad bar, or hot entrees.  I spent about $15 on my dinner, not horrible for DC :)

Finally, it was time for the 8pm start.  There's a choir, orchestra, four soloists, and the audience, which is part of the choir.  You can bring your own score, or they were selling them inside the Hall of Nations while people got their tickets.  Luckily for me, my friend not only came with serious pipes, but her own copy!  The entire audience, despite some of them having been at the Kennedy Center for over 10 hours at this point, are all in very high spirits and the atmosphere is truly festive.  When it's your "turn" to sing, the director will turn to face the audience and direct you.  It was a lot of fun.  We left after the Hallelujah Chorus, but the whole experience is probably about 2 hours long from start to finish, with some time for introductions, 50 minutes for the first section, a 15 minute intermission, and 50 minutes for the second section.  This was a lot of fun, and I'd definitely do it again!  We saw lots of kids in the audience, but I think if it were me and there were enough adults to make it work, I'd have the adults wait in line and one adult bring the kids a little closer to show time (remember, each person in line can get 2 tickets, so you only need 1/2 of your group in line for tickets at any point in time).

Nordstrom Personal Stylist Experience

A couple of weeks ago I was freaking out about needing new clothes.  I have another job that's one of those great paradoxes where it's a very small job, but when there are events for it, there's a good deal of meeting important people or just general face time with the public, and I have just never been one of those people who can look amazing just by waking up in the morning.

In addition to that, I've been a professional mommy for some time now.  When I worked, I worked in Children's Ministry and my required wardrobe was church clothes and/or jeans so I could get down on the floor and play legos.

One does not play legos on the floor in a white jacket.  One does, however, go to meetings in one. Another Hayat pick (blouse, too)

Suddenly, I had a conference to go to and a few info sessions to help run, and I didn't have anything I deemed suitable to wear.  After having a little Facebook panic, a friend suggested I schedule a shopping trip with a Nordstrom's stylist. It's free, it's easy, and there's not a minimum purchase, although they are paid off commission, so they certainly don't mind if you want to buy it all.

I picked an appointment with Hayat Ali out of Dulles Town Center, who was a lot of fun.  Prior to the appointment I indicated my size, what I do, type of things I was looking for, and she had an entire dressing room ready to go.  What I liked, we kept, what I didn't was whisked away.  When I needed new sizes or an accessory she made it magically appear.  You can book an appointment for a full style overhaul, a special occasion (think Mother of the Bride), a custom appointment, or a quick style session.  Note that if you're a hard fit (think button up shirts, my nemesis) Nordstrom will tailor your clothing free of charge.

(That's Hayat behind me- super nice and easy to work with!)

The good news is, this was totally awesome.  The bad news was that at the end, I picked out $4,000 of things that I wanted.  I didn't get them all, but I did pick up 2 jackets, 2 blouses, and a pair of amazing dark wash jeans to pair with items I already had.  I spent more money on myself than I have ever spent, but I felt amazing in everything and picked items that worked well with lots of things, although if anyone wants to get me a present, I have some suggestions.

Hayat was great about identifying what I like and what worked well on me.  She knew colors and cuts to maximize my good parts and minimize my flaws.  I was really happy with everything, and it helped me to feel really confident this weekend.  It's weird to be the oldest young person in a room- still "young" but with older kids, and with a really strange resume.  I could have total self-confidence on my own, but I don't, so this was a great boost for me.

This is me in one of my outfits- I've just finished around 18 hours of training and an exam- but everyone kept telling me how fantastic this blue blazer was- great job Hayat! (The lady on the left was President Reagan's personal assistant after he left office, incidentally an awesome woman!)

The other great part is that once you've worked with a stylist, they know what you like and if something fantastic comes in that they know you like, or if that jacket you wanted but was out of your budget goes on sale, they'll let you know. I would totally recommend doing this for a big event, or if you're heading back to work, or if you just like to shop and would like some help identifying new trends for your wardrobe!

So.  That's my overview of working with a Nordstrom stylist.  It was awesome.  If you go, you should pick Hayat.  You should also go with a budget in mind, and be okay with the fact that you can't get everything you want, and will have to make hard choices.  They're really really good at making you look your best, so you'll want it all.  I felt really happy with myself when I was done, and that was worth both the time and the money I spent.

PS- since I've now shown you my blazers, be sure to look surprised if you show up somewhere and I'm wearing one of them, mmkay? Thanks.
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Nordstroms didn't solicit this review or pay me.  In fact, I paid them.  All opinions are my own.  I am not responsible if you look so foxy your husband takes you out or if you look so professional you get a promotion- but you could definitely thank your stylist.

Holiday Gift Guide 2014

Individual Giveaways:

Brenda Amaya Photography- Mini Session

Brenda offers lifestyle photography for maternity, babies, newborns, and families.  Need the perfect shot for your Christmas Card or New Years Email? Let Brenda help you create a great memory of your family as art! 

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Perfectly Posh with Katherine Breyfogle- Spa Basket

Katherine is offering a Spa Pampering Basket (not pictured) valued at $67 including:
1 Drop Dead Gorgeous Mask
1 Santa's Little Healer
1 Mint for Each Other Chunk Soap
1 Sweet Season Peppermint Soap

Posh products make great gifts or stocking stuffers for everyone on your list (she's even got guy-friendly stuff!) 

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Janis with MICHE will be giving away a holiday giveaway valued at $85! 

MICHE began in 2007 with a clear vision- to give a woman the opportunity to enjoy the latest fashion styles beautifully and affordably anytime she wants, in 3 seconds or less, with just one handbag.  Our innovative magnetic handbags with interchangeable exterior shells created a strong foundation for our company as we continue expanding our fashion brand.  Today, MICHE is a social selling company offering a wide fvariety of high-quality fashion specialty bags, wallets, and even jewelry- and it's only the beginning! MICHE is fashion at the speed of life, with options for style as unique as you are! 

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The Animated Child- Gift Card to Use on Classes or PNO

The Animated Child offers language instruction, Minecraft, game design, open exploration, preschool, birthday parties, and more.  Classes or parents nights make excellent gifts for both kids and parents who need a break!! 

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The 2014 Gift Basket of Awesome includes:

1. 2 copies (one for you and one to give away!) of "I Baked My Bowtie"

2. A bottle of kid-friendly vitamins from Victoria Guarante Truestar- health related items are a fantastic stocking stuffer! Keep your kiddos or yourself healthy! 

3. A t-shirt and gift certificate from Toddlin Time of Manassas- classes are a fantastic present, especially if you're running out of room in your house.  We used to ask grandparents for classes instead of junk, and it's still my favorite present for my children to get! 

4. Free open play at BumbleABC- This is another great opportunity to get classes instead of clutter! Or, have auntie or uncle pay for a few open play times since this winter is supposed to be extra snowy, you'll need some play space out of the house! 

5. Free open exploration at Engineering for Kids- EFK also offers classes, birthday parties, open exploration, and Kids Nights- pre-paying for a date night could be a great family present! The kids can go do robotics while mommy and daddy go out to dinner (or take a nap!) 

6. A uniform and two weeks of evening Tae Kwon Do lessons at Majest Montclair (must redeem by Jan 30) Martial Arts is a gift that provides self-confidence, physical fitness, and self-esteem! 

7. Family pack of tickets to Madame Tussaud's - nothing like a little holiday fun! Take your family or pass these on to out of town guests to enjoy! 

8. Set of passes to the Building Museum- taking your family (or guests) out of your house and to do something fun is a great idea! It's also a great gift idea to ask family for so you can visit anywhere on your list! 

9. Perfectly Posh spa items

10. Ashleybug Organics Lip Gloss Set

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By entering any of these giveaways you agree to be bound by our giveaway rules, which you can read here.  Winners are responsible for pickup prior to Christmas, or can accept delivery via mail, however, PwcMoms does not guarantee or even imply delivery by December 24th in the case of postal delivery.

Christmas/Holiday Fun Guide 2014

I know, I know, I like to let Thanksgiving get it's time in the sun, but then you guys would miss many of these tree lightings, etc. so I'm just gonna post it now.

ALL OF THESE EVENTS ARE ALSO ON OUR CALENDAR.  IF YOU WANT DETAILS OR DIRECTIONS, JUST GO TO THE DAY AND CLICK THE EVENT. 

If you'd like to add your event, please email me.  It's free. It's easy.  Whoohoo.

Ice Skating/Ice Events
Outdoor Ice Skating at Harris Pavilion is $8 for adults and $7 for kids under 10.  Skates are available for $4.  Best bet? Go on a Wednesday in January and skate for free from 6-8pm.  Note that on warm days I find this ice to be really soft (this is only a problem if you're a serious skater).

Indoor Ice Skating at Prince William Ice Center is $8 for everyone and $2 for skate rental.  Days and times vary.

Prince William Ice also offers a popular Snow and Story, which you can visit on open days or schedule for your playgroup.

And one day camps

Haymarket Iceplex offers ice skating for $7 adults, $6 for kids 12 and under, and $3 for skate rental.  Times vary.

Tree Lightings
December 5th in Manassas, begins at 5:30pm at the train depot, lighting at 6:30 at the Museum.  Free.

November 28th at Stonebridge 6-8:30pm, includes performances, carriage rides, and more!

Family Fun Days/Larger Events
Virginia Gateway's Festive Family Fun will be December 6th from 4:30-7:30pm and will host Santa, Mrs. Claus, face painters, balloon twisters, and more!

Parades
December 6th in Manassas begins at 10 am.

December 6th at Manassas Mall from 1-4pm (you can spend all day in Manassas!)

Crafting
December 6th at the Candy Factory in Manassas, you can make your own gingerbread house.  Preregistration is required. $27/adult and child couple, $10 each additional child, $10 supply fee.

Christmas History
Join Liberia Plantation for Christmas Past on December 6th from 4-7pm.  $15/adults $7.50/kids U12

It's 1943 and time for holidays on the home front at Rippon Lodge! Join them December 7 from 5-8pm for $5pp.

Learn about past Christmas Traditions and meet Santa at Rippon Lodge on December 7th from 12-3pm.

Take a candlelight tour and see what Christmas was like for those who were enslaved. Ben Lomond Historic Site, December 13th 5-7pm.

December 20th from 10am-4pm, join Leesylvania State Park for a Civil War Christmas.  $2pp or $6/family

Carriage Rides
Sundays in December until Christmas, hop a free carriage ride in Downtown Manassas.  1pm-4pm from the train depot.

Train Shows
December 10-14th join the Center for the Arts for a Train Show.  Admission is a canned food item for SERVE.

Santa
Tickets for the Santa Train will go on sale (and sell out completely in about an hour) on November 24th.  Visit their website for details.

December 6th at Williams Ordinary in Dumfries from 10am-4pm, Pictures with Santa: $5.00 for 4x6 or $10.00 for 8x10, also can make pomanders.

Learn about past Christmas Traditions and meet Santa at Rippon Lodge on December 7th from 12-3pm.

Children with special needs and their families can visit Santa at Manassas Mall on Sunday December 7th from 8-10am.













Performances (@Hylton Center unless otherwise noted)

Northern Virginia Youth Ballet will present their Nutcracker, featuring Russian ballet stars direct from Moscow, on November 29th at 2pm or 8pm.

Gainesville Ballet will present their Nutcracker on November 28th at 2pm or 8pm.

A Chanticleer Christmas will be November 30th at 4pm.

Catch a Big Band Christmas Extravaganza December 4th at 7:30.

Christmas in New York December 5th at 7:30.

Clara's Christmas will be presented December 7th at 3:30pm or 7:30pm

American Festival Pops December 12th at 8pm.

Manassas Chorale December 13th at 5pm.

December 14th at 8pm, Clint Black Christmas.

December 19th-23rd, Manassas Ballet will present their Nutcracker.

Family Friendly Religious Services