Les Miserables at the National Theatre

LES MISÉRABLES
BRINGING HER HOME
THE MUSICAL LEGEND RETURNS

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
DECEMBER 13 – 30, 2012 ONLY!
THE NATIONAL THEATRE

Last year, over 84,000 people experienced a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES. Now, due to overwhelming demand, LES MISÉRABLES returns home to Washington for a special holiday engagement for three weeks only.

Cameron Mackintosh presents LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.  This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes.

Visit lesmis.com/watch for a video sneak peek.

SAVE 25% TO LES MIS

Use code LMECRD1101*

Visit http://www.broadwayoffers.com or call 800-872-8997 

*All performances 12/13-12/23 EXCLUDING Thursday, Saturday and Sunday matinees & Saturday evenings.  25% off all price levels EXCLUDING Prime Orchestra (PS10) and the first three rows of the front mezzanine (PS20).  Subject to availability.  Restrictions may apply and cannot be combined with any other offer.

Paradise Springs Winery

I am not really a wine person.  It is atypical for me to have an "adult beverage" and if I do have wine, it has to be white, sweet, and with lots of ice.

Yes, ice. Because I'm classy, people.  I even know that the new term is "Cardbordeaux" and not "Wine in a bag in a box".

And only one glass, because after that, I get giggly.

However, I do love the idea of wine.  I'm always impressed by people who know lots about wine, that know the vintages and can identify whether a particular variety was aged in oak or steel, those who can tell the difference between the 1949 and 1950 blend of a particular beverage. I especially like the idea of vineyards.  Sitting around with friends enjoying a snack and a glass of wine by the fire with live indie music in the background sounds pretty amazing right?

That's because it is!!

We headed out this past Sunday with another couple for a double date to Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, VA, which was absolutely lovely.  If you're following Apple Maps, which we were, don't let them fool you into turning on the last left- just keep going straight, you can't miss it. Google users, you'll be just fine.

The vineyard itself is on a plot of land that's been handed down in a family since the time of Lord Fairfax and George Washington, which is really neat!  There's an historic cabin on site, as well as the main tasting room, which is also gorgeous.  Tastings at Paradise Springs include samples from their entire line for $10.  You can add a souvenir etched glass for $2 more.  Private tastings for groups are $15 per person, and happen in a dedicated location with your own "wine educator".  They also host special events, which you can check out on their website.

Our group opted to take part in the "Paradise Springs Experience" which is $25 and includes a tour of the cabin, production areas, barrel room, and a tasting.  Our wine educator/guide was Richard, who was absolutely delightful.  He was very knowledgable not only about wine, but art and history as well, and we very much enjoyed our tour with him.

Children are allowed to join you at the winery, per the website, but let's be nice to ourselves and everyone else and snag a sitter, shall we? Nobody wants to ignore their vino and conversation so that they can run after the munchkins.  Children are not permitted on the "Paradise Springs Experience" tour, though.

On our tour, Richard talked us through all of the Paradise Springs wines.  I learned that a more yellow color on a white wine indicates oak barrels were used (score! I'm educated now!), and was able to clearly tell the difference between a 2010 and a 2011!

Are you amazed by my new levels of awesome? I know, I am, too.

After our tour, we enjoyed some snacks that we brought with us.  Food is available on-site, as well, but patrons are welcome to bring their own, if they prefer.  Only Paradise Springs Wines are allowed, of course, and they also have non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase.

I think the only thing that we did wrong on this visit was underestimate the time we would spend.  I told Grandma that we'd be back for the kids around 4:00.  We left at 1:30, and we rolled back up to her house at 6.  Our tour took about an hour and a half, and we all had a great time just sitting and chatting in the beautiful and relaxed environment.  There was a fire going on the outdoor patio, as well as indoor seating, and we just really had a fantastic time.  They even had the football game on, which meant that my friend and I could gossip uninhibited by eye rolls from our respective husbands.

It was a lovely, relaxing afternoon!

Paradise Springs Winery
*Great for an adults-only afternoon/evening
*Open daily
*Tastings for only $10!
*Leave yourself lots of time!
*Bring food or buy it there
*Bring your ID
* Plan to buy a bottle of your favorite wine to take home!

Downside:
*If you're holding your empty glass AND a camera phone, don't turn the camera phone or you'll get red wine on your shirt and your friends will make fun of you mercilessly.  Or, maybe that's just my friends.

Plan Ahead:
*Someone's gotta drive home, so be sure that you plan accordingly by bringing a designated driver.  If you need to, call a cab.  Clifton Roads are windy and have lots of deer, so don't risk it.
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Disclaimer: Don't be an idiot and drink and drive.  That's just not cool.  Also, I was not compensated in any way for this review, in fact, they didn't even know I was there.  We had a great time, though, and think you would, too. If you think you have a problem with alcohol, please get help. I've never written about anything alcohol-related before, I don't think, so if I'm over-disclaimering, I apologize.

Giveaway: Touch of Gold Occoquan

Have you ever had one of those jobs where you work to support your habit?  I didn't used to wear jewelry (except for my wedding set) unless there was some special occasion until I started working at Touch of Gold, and then I realized that my life had been empty and meaningless until I found sparkly things!! Sparkly things that I would be paying off in labor until I turned 50!!

That Carrie Manderfield is a smart lady....getting us in the door and hooked on all the gorgeous things in the shop ;)

Just kidding, my life wasn't completely empty and meaningless.

Carrie's boutique store is recently remodeled inside (this year) to have a very boutique feel- and it's adorable.  In addition to all the fine jewelry you'd expect to find in an Occoquan jeweler, she also carries a wide assortment of what I would call "gift-priced" items.  These include everything from Kameleon, which is a great starter piece for a younger girl or a great girlfriend gift depending on the center jewel pop that you pick, to sterling silver pieces, to Troll Beads.

Hello, Trollbeads.

So, initially Trollbeads are an investment.  You buy a bracelet (or necklace, or ring, but I like my bracelet), clasp, and starter bead(s) to get you going.  After that, though, you tell everyone you know that you looooooove your Trollbeads bracelet, and they can pick you up a bead or two for special occasions.  Troll is really like a modern and colorful take on a charm bracelet.  If you like collectable lines like Pandora, but would love a little more color, Troll might be just what you're looking for. 

Ah, so pretty :) My bracelet is pastels and diamond beads, which have crystals inside.  The beauty of these is that they can be however you want.  Mathced or just a random assortment, they're beautiful. 

This season, Trollbeads has a "Luck and Joy" bracelet they're selling for $99.  It's a great price to start off your collection!

You get to select your color bead, and they're all super cute.  I would pick pink.  That's just me.  I typically pick pink, though.

Would you loooove one of these either for yourself or to give as a present? Touch of Gold is giving one away to a lucky PwcMoms.com reader to celebrate their upcoming Christmas Trunk Show starting THIS Saturday and running December 1st, 2nd, and 4th.  They'll have some specials going on the Trollbeads specials going on, and you can enter to win this fantastic bracelet!! Just tell them you're a PwcMoms reader, and they'll get you signed up to win!  (You can go in starting today!)

Send your husbands, too.  There's no shame in reading my site if you're a guy ;)

 Contest ends on December 3rd so that we can pick a winner and you can still have time to shop the trunk show if you don't win!!
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PwcMoms.com just really likes Touch of Gold.  All opinions are our own.  Good luck!!

December 2012 Fairfax Symphony Kids' Passport Program

The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra invites students and families to attend its next concert on Saturday, December 8th, at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts in Fairfax, VA, at 8:00 p.m. This performance features pianist, James Dick, and works by Rossini and Tchaikovsky. All students will be invited to join the Student Passport Club!

Fairfax Symphony Concert Information:

· Date: Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.

· Location: George Mason University’s Center for the Arts, Fairfax

· Cost: Student Tickets only $5; Adult Tickets begin at $25

· Tickets: Available beginning at 6:00 p.m. on December 8^th at the “Student Ticket Window.” Students must be present when purchasing their tickets the night of the concert.

· Parking: Free in Lot K; event parking fee in garage

Fairfax Symphony’s Students Passport Club (for students ages 6-18):

· Personal passportto be stamped at each event

· Special program notesand activity sheets for each concert

· Free gifts

· Invitation to a special reception with an opportunity to meet FSO musicians and play many different instruments

· JOIN IN ADVANCEOR AT THE CONCERT ITSELF!

Mischief in Music Corner:

If you attended the last FSO concert in November, bring back your program with the Scavenger Hunt questions completed for an extra stamp! Those who missed this performance are welcome to participate too. Simply bring your answers to the following questions about the composer featured on this performance:

1. How old was Rossini when his first opera premiered?

2. What instrument did Rossini play with his father’s musical group?

3. At what age did Tchaikovsky begin playing the piano?

ICE! at the Gaylord National

My family was very fortunate to be invited to the Gaylord National Hotel and Conference Center to check out ICE! this year.  ICE! has become something of a holiday mainstay here in the DC Area, and while it's technically in Maryland's National Harbor, it's only a 35 or so minute drive up 95, making it totally trip-worthy from Prince William County. 

Hubby wasn't available to come with us, because our even time was 1pm.  To those of you out there who are aware what that means this time of year, I feel your pain.  To those of you who aren't clear what I'm talking about, I'd like to refer you here: 1 PM IS NOT OKAY That was okay, though, because PwcGrammy is always game for shenanigans with the grandkids. 

Before you head into ICE you get to watch a short film about the production process, which includes flying in a team of artisans from China who produce a giant outdoor ice show each year because it's so blasted cold where they live that the entire river turns into ice and they can make sculptures that last all winter.  For real. Obviously here we don't have that problem, so they've put the ice sculptures inside two giant tents (think the white domes they put over your tennis courts if you live in Montclair) that they cool to a balmy 8 or 9 degrees. To prepare you for this, everyone gets a standard issue blue parka to go OVER your coat.  Bring a hat, gloves, and a scarf, though, because it's COLD.  Taking my gloves off to take pictures with my iphone made my fingers sad.  PS- you'll want lots of pictures because those parkas are bringing sexy back. Check out me and my mom huggling for warmth.  You know you wish you looked that good ;-)

I've been told by numerous readers that the best time during peak season to visit ICE is on a weekday.  We were there on a Sunday, but since it was still November we didn't experience any real crowds. Even without the crowds, I'd recommend that if it's possible for your family you take one adult per child, or at least 2 adults, because when we got into the slide room, we were losing track of kids left and right as they went down the various slides at different speeds.  Some of you may be calmer than me about that, but everyone was so blue! It was like trying to find a specific Smurf in a crowd, and that made me rather nervous.  However, the kids had a blast and quickly figured out that to maximize your speed on the slides, you need to get your feet up and make sure your blue coat is under you.  There are a total of 6 slides, and the ice stairs are covered with carpet, so you won't trip. 



 

The ice sculptures themselves are absolutely amazing.  Thinking that these were all just giant blocks of frozen water when they arrived is mind-boggling.  My kids loved all of the funny scenes from "Shrek the Halls" and recognized many of the characters, which made them happy.  I could not believe the craftsmenship that went into making everything.  I believe that our entire walk through the displays, including sliding, took about 30 minutes.  The setup is flat and the walkways are wide, though, so if you are bringing someone who will require a wheelchair, accessibility should not be an issue.

The final display at the end of ICE! is a gorgeous nativity scene done in all clear ice.  When you're facing the scene, there's a giant clear angel behind you.  The display lights up every few minutes and tells the Christmas story.  Imbedded lights color the characters as they're mentioned and make the nativity be a rainbow of colors.  It's pretty awesome. Pricing information is available here and starts at $15.99 for kids 4-11 and $22.99 for adults (weekday) going up to $22.99/$29.99 on the weekends.  Military discounts are available on weekdays and some weekends, and start $13.99/$18.99.  Children 0-3 are free. 

So, after you finish walking around ICE! There's a lot of other stuff that you can do. For $35, you can meet the Dreamworks characters (Shrek, Po, Puss in Boots, Alex the Lion) and participate in a scavenger hunt that's themed for the movie "The Guardians", which my 6 year old liked for awhile, my 9 (9!) year old loved, and my 4 year old thought was torturous because she couldn't read and can't write small enough to fit in the blanks provided.  She did like meeting the characters, though.  This is a walk-through and you spend about 30 seconds with each character shooting a few pictures, which are available for purchase at the end of the walk. At the end of the scavenger hunt, your kids get a movie poster and a certificate, assuming they filled out all of the blanks correctly. We also tried making cookies at Gingy's House (my daughter is not actually unimpressed with the cookie, she's upset that I told her not to eat her cookie until I took a picture.  My blog needs totally cramp her style).  After you finish decorating your cookies (you can select a gingerbread train or a sugar cookie stackable tree) 

When you're done decorating your cookies, you can visit Gingy and get a few pictures.  Kits for this start at $29.95.  Gingy was really cute, and the kids had fun, but the kits are just flat cookies, so if you're looking to keep prices down...

I thought this sign was hilarious....so, here's a picture of it.

Also available (but we didn't try them) are a ShrekFeast where you eat with the characters, brunch with Santa, pictures with Santa, Potomac Express rides (a mini train in the hotel atrium- rides are $2 and I know Supernovamommy.com's son loves the train).  You can also package all of these things together with a hotel stay, and I have to say, I'd never been to the Gaylord before and it is absolutely breathtaking.  It's the kind of hotel that you see in movies about hotels.  Everything is spot on and gorgeous. 

At the end of our visit, we were able to check out the nightly treelighting show, which is amazing.  The lights and fountain dance, the music is great, and at the end it "snows" down into the atrium.  The kids thought this was really neat, although I think they were expecting an actual blizzard.  They liked the flurry anyway. I would literally go just to see the treelighting again.  It was amazing.  These happen at 6:30pm and 9:00pm every night from November 17th-January 6th. If your kids are old enough, you could make a complete day of this by taking part in whatever Dreamworks Experiences you'd like, and then staying for Family Fun and Fireworks in the National Harbor Plaza.  They start live music at 5, you could come in and warm up with the Christmas Tree Lighting at 6:30, and still be outside in time for fireworks at 7! Brilliant!

All said and done, this was an amazing experience.  It can definitely add up quickly, but it's an amazing thing for the kids.  Have you been? Leave a comment letting us know your experience!

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PwcMoms was provided with tickets to ICE! The Character Meet and Greet/Scavenger Hunt, and Gingy's Gingerbread Decorating.  All opinions are my own.

Christmas/Advent (Or whatever) Countdown

Quite possibly the easiest craft you'll ever do! You could easily alter this project to be a countdown to Hannukah (use blue and white peppermint patties!) or Easter (pink, yellow, and green wrapped candy), or even a child's birthday. If you prefer not to use candy, a small toy or trinket would fit, too! You could also easily dress this craft up (Look at THESE!!), but we planned this craft for our CC friends to come over and do, so I wanted it to be easy enough for the kids to do fairly independently.

Here's what you'll need:

Ribbon (curling or fabric, either is fine), number printouts, quotation printouts (optional, but included at the end of this post.  You could also just use the numbers), scissors, a one-hole punch, plastic wrap, mixed Christmas wrapped Hershey Kisses. I like using my ironing board for this craft so that I can lay the plastic wrap out, but a long kitchen table would be fine, too! If you have a stampin up circle cutter that can fit around your numbers, all the better!!

This process could not be any easier! Spread out your plastic wrap. I've found that for 3-4 kids (so 3-4 kisses in each bundle) I need about 5.5 feet of plastic wrap. If you need extra, it's easy to add by tying it into a bundle and it sticking to the other piece, so no worries if you're short. For 2 kids I think 4.5 feet is enough. At the top of your wrap, use several colors of ribbon to tie a bow, using one piece to tie a loop so you can hang your countdown up!

Next, bundle in one piece of candy per child per night, tying securely under each bundle with ribbon. For an Advent countdown, you obviously need to have enough "bundles" to get from 1-25!

Next, cut out your numbers. I got mine from HERE and I think they're so cute! (Plus it's a free download!) You could mount these on Christmas paper, or you can put them on top of folded scripture cards, or you can just use them alone. Hole punch each card once so that you can thread it onto the ribbon between each section. The number goes under the candy it goes with so that when you untie it to take the number off, you get the candy above it, and then next number and its candy stay securely tied!

I love how it looks for two kids because you can put the kisses in a diamond shape and they fit so nicely!! For more kids it's a little harder to bundle nicely, but it works out!!

Fun! Some other versions that work, too, include printing numbered cards with quotes on them, or glueing your numbers onto folded scripture verses (we did these at a church I worked at):

After this post, you can get versions of my devotional scripture readings to go along with the countdown, or a more "meditational" version I designed with some quotes, carol verses, and a little less scripture. I printed these using a 4.5 inch margin on the left so that they could be folded over into cards with the number on the front. Again, you could also just use the numbers. I'm including these because it'll save those of you that want them tons of time trying to pick what you want to use.  If you don't think you're interested, then just don't keep reading :)

Happy Crafting!

Giveaway: Cosatto OTM Highchair from Baby Blossom

It's November, a time to be thankful.  Personally, I am so thankful for the people and businesses who support this website.  Believe it or not, it takes a lot of time to do updates, blog posts, and giveaways, and it costs money to host content.  I am also thakful for the cool stuff that my family gets to do, but having a business say they support families in our area by actually sponsoring the content here on Prince William County Moms means so much to me, and it should mean a lot to you, too.  When Baby Blossom supports PwcMoms.com, they're effectively saying they're willing to spend money so you can continue to have the content and calendar that you come here to utilize.  I encourage you to support them, in return.

This month, Baby Blossom is offering a great giveaway item, just in time for some of those big holiday meals!! Whether you're dining at home, at a restaurant, or traveling to Grammy's house (and you know that grammy doesn't have a high chair anymore!) this High Chair will have you covered.

Cosatto On The Move High Chair

Retail Value: $149

Cosatto's On the Move highchair is ideal for babies and families who are always on the go. Equally stylish and functional, it features a one-hand, single action fold/unfold, extra-lightweight but sturdy frame, footrest, wipe clean tray and removable polyester seat pad. Five-point harness is adjustable to provide sitting comfort for your growing baby and the seat's funky colors and cute vegetable graphics tell anyone and everyone that it's your little one's time to eat. Convenient travel bag included. Suitable for children 6 months and older up to 35 lbs.

 

What a great prize for those of you that travel during the holidays (or anytime, really!).  I would have loved to have a high-chair that folded up that easily just for when we went down the street to neighbors that didn't have babies anymore!

 

Enter using the Rafflecopter below.  Contest ends next week on November 28, 2012.

a Rafflecopter giveaway