Stage Door Dance Studio Meetup

My daughter, who I thought hated anything traditionally "girlie" (see also: failed experiment at ballet) loved the reader meet up at Stage Door Dance Studio so much that she and her little BFF signed up for class!

With bedazzled leotards!! (I am so excited!)

SO EXCITED YOU GUYS!!

So excited.

Anyhow, our reader meet up was fantastic.  The kids got to try several different types of dance, and I think everyone had a really fun time.  Kelly, the director and Dance Teacher of the Year according to 2015 Best of Prince William, was so fun and excited to get everyone dancing, tumbling, and having a great morning!

Stage Door offers classes for ages 2.5 and up in various classes including:

Tap

Ballet

Jazz

Hip Hop

Lyrical

Tumbling

Pointe

As well as specialty classes in leaps and turns

The studio is large, well maintained, and inviting, and they even offer birthday parties! Also, they apparently win a lot, too...

Right now, when you register by December 1st, you can get your Dance Shoes on them! Classes are offered on both weekdays and weekends, and there's a little bit of something for every age and every level of dancer.

Thanks again to Stage Door Dance Studio for hosting our November Reader Meetup!

Review: Homespun Holidays: Fall and Winter

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine sent me a copy of their "Homespun Holidays: Fall and Winter" ebook to check out for you guys as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew! I was really excited to share this particular ebook with you because I know that you guys are always looking for fun ideas for the holidays with your kiddos.

Set up with reader contributions, this book reads a little like a Pinterest board, but without all the clicking.  Fall includes funny poems, book recommendations for you to read with your children, craft ideas for scarecrows, front porch decorations, etc, and a bunch of tasty recipes.  Winter includes an idea for a "Night Before" party, car bingo, paper angels and snowflakes, ideas for recycling all those Christmas cards, and additional tasty recipes.

What I like about the ebook format, as opposed to Pinterest, is that you don't get sucked into a death spiral of pinning.  The ideas are already selected for you, so you can't just pin one more thing (instead of spending time actually making something!).  I also enjoyed the sweet stories from readers who included their holiday traditions.  I know that we have several readers who are military and can't always be with their own families during the holidays, so being able to develop your own special traditions, whether it's a family leaf-raking or a special tree decoration, could be vital to keeping the holidays special when you can't be with the special people you love.

By the time I had a moment to read this, we'd actually had our Thanksgiving/Fall decorations up for some time, so I bypassed the decorating section altogether, although there are some cute ideas. However, we were able to pick up the two books recommended to read with your children and especially enjoyed the illustrations in the book by Vera Kay.  It is so overwhelming to try to pick holiday books- there are just a plethora and I want to know what's going to be quality, so I really appreciated these!

Next, I moved on to a recipe.  My brother-in-law is a Hare Krishna Monk (yes, this is related) and recently came to visit us and brought a GIANT bag of pecans from Texas, where he'd been just a few weeks before. My kids have actually had a blast shelling pecans over the last week, so we decided that we'd try out the recipe for pecan pie with our hard-won goods!

Nobody complained.

In the Winter section, I was a little bummed there wasn't a printable car bingo card.  We have a few car trips coming up to various hockey tournaments and it would have been nice to just print the page out without having to make my own boards, but I still like the idea. We went to the recipe section again for something quick to try, and ended up going with the hot cocoa jars because we had all the ingredients on hand.  My older son is excited to try the paper snowflakes, but he's waiting for a friend to come over.  I like that some of the crafts have very detailed instructions so that children who are older (like my almost-12-year-old) can feel confident following them on their own.

(All my hot cocoa pictures turned out SUPER dark because my iPhone was having a bad day.  This one is from google free images, but you get the idea! We put bows on ours and plan to give them as part of our teacher gifts this year.)

If you're looking for a fun compilation of holiday crafts that's ready-to-go without a lot of searching, give this a try!  It's a nice grouping of simple, easy-to-follow ideas that you can do easily with your children.  If you're looking for high-end crafts, this isn't it, but it is simple, fun ideas your family will enjoy.

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Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this ebook to perform my review.  All opinions are my own.

Review: ICE 2015

We were able to check out ICE at the Gaylord National again this year- and we always love marveling at what the talented artisans are able to sculpt from ice blocks! This year's theme is Santa Claus is Comin to Town, and if you're a fan of old-school claymation Christmas, you'll love it in ice, too!

This year we started out with the Kris Kringle Holiday Feast, which was adorable, mainly because of the desserts!! Check these suckers out!

So cute! The dinner is a buffet and is priced at $29.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids ages 3-11.  There are select dinner nights, and weekend breakfast options, too.  Our kids got the chance to meet Kris Kringle and his penguin friend during the dinner, as well as enjoying both adult (crab legs, carving station, pumpkin ravioli, salad) and kid (uncrustables, chicken tenders, mac and cheese) fare.

After dinner, we opted to hang out in the Atrium level and wait for the Christmas Tree light show, which happens at 6, 7, 8, and 9pm.  The show ends with falling "snow" and is always fun to watch. I recommend lining up a little early so your little ones get a good view, but you can also watch from one level up, you just won't have snow fall on you.  I was a big fan of last year's Christmas in Sarajevo themed tree, but the new one is nice, too. The beginning is a little slow, but it picks up for the finale!!  The tree light show is free to anyone who cares to watch.

Next we headed over to ICE.  Everyone is provided with a parka to wear over their own coat.  While there were definitely some strong-willed teenagers who wore shorts, it's 9 (Nine) very frosty degrees in the ICE display, so I recommend pants, closed-toed shoes, and gloves.  If you have very little people, make sure you are being realistic about how much time they'll be able to spend inside the display area.

And now, onto the junky iPhone photos:

The slide area is, of course, everyone's favorite.  There are 5 slides that you can go down and it's really fun to skid your parka-ed booty down the ice! At the end of the show there is an exhibit explaining how the artisans craft the ice sculptures, and the very last room is a clear-ice nativity, which I think is breathtaking every year.  The detail is amazing, and I personally like hearing the Christmas story and seeing the lights illuminate the clear sculptures.

ICE is definitely an investment, but discount codes and AAA/BJs/Costco coupons are available, according to my readers. It's my recommendation that if you can, you go on a Friday night and make a full evening of it.  National Harbor also offers holiday movie sing-a-longs, free holiday music performances and of course, shopping.  Make a full day of enjoying ICE, the tree lighting in the Gaylord, dinner, holiday music, and the movie, if you can. If you can afford a few add ons, there are also photo options, gingerbread decorating, pictures with Santa, and more.
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The Gaylord National Hotel provided us with tickets to check out their Christmas on the Potomac Offerings.  All opinions are my own.

Cinderella at the National Theatre

I was so fortunate to be able to attend a media preview of Cinderella at the National Theatre in DC on Wednesday.  The show was absolutely amazing.  My friend and I were in awe of the magical quick changes, the beautiful singing, and the incredibly real chemistry between Cinderella and Prince Topher (we think they may be an actual thing).

I don't want to give away too much about the twists that they put on this classic tale because I really want you to go see it.  If you've never taken your children to see a live show and you've been considering it, this is the show you've been waiting for.  The storyline is marvelous, the cast is incredible (the evil step sisters are hilarious!) and you'll have a magical time enjoying the performance together!

Tickets for the show start at $48 and you can order them online.  You can also enter the ticket lottery for select seats at $25 (see details on this process here).  Whether you enter the ticket lottery or not, you'll want to plan to arrive 30-40 minutes before showtime as there is some additional security screening going on right now, and bags are not allowed inside the theater.  The show runs about 2 hours and 10 minutes and there is one intermission where drinks and snacks are available for purchase.  If your child can sit that long, I would say they will love the show!

This is a two-week only limited engagement, so clear a night on your calendar and take your children out to enjoy a magical night with Cinderella at the National Theatre. I think you'll love everything about it!

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Disclosure: I was provided with 2 tickets to review Cinderella at the National Theatre.  All opinions are my own.

Mini Camps for Winter 2015 at Engineering for Kids

Come join Engineering For Kids for fun and educational Classes, Clubs and Mini Camps!

Register before December 15th and save $10 Use code: WINTER15 at checkout

Our winter mini camps will be held from 8:30am-5:30pm on the following dates at our Lake Ridge Center. *Lunch is NOT provided. Children are encouraged to bring a bag lunch and snacks.  (Please NO peanut products) Winter Mini Camp Schedule: Ages: 5-14  Cost: $60 per mini camp December 21st: MinecraftEDU - Traveling into the Future December 22nd- Robotics 101 December 23rd- Frosty Framework December 28th: MinecraftEDU - Traveling into the Future December 29th: Electronic Game Design: Bug Invasion Games December 30th: Electrical Engineering - Electrified December Club Schedule: Junior Engineering Clubs (Ages 4-6) $60 monthly per club Jr. Discovery Engineering- December 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th (5pm-5:45pm) Jr. Tinkerlab- December 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th (9:30am-10:15am) Apprentice/Master Engineering Clubs (ages 7-14) $75 monthly per club Robotics Club: Robo Battles- December 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th (6pm-7:30pm) Coding Club:Hardware Engineering-Makey Makey- December 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th  (6pm-7:30pm) Girls Only Coding Club: Robotics 101- December 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th (9am-10:30am)  Mini Camp Descriptions: MinecraftEDU- Traveling into the Future Join us in an apocalyptic future, one where the earth has been ravaged by a series of natural disasters. Each day, students rely on the engineering design process to solve a series of challenges such as building a city on a series of islands, escaping from a bunker on Mt. Everest and even building a rocket to land on the moon! Through the application of engineering principles, students solve numerous challenges as they make their virtual world of Minecraft a safe place for humanity once again. Robotics101-   During Robotics 101 program, students will learn the basics of designing, programming, and controlling a fully functional robot. Using LEGO® MINDSTORMS®, mathematical concepts, and engineering principles students will brainstorm, plan, test, and modify sequences of instructions to accomplish a given task. Students will also learn the sequence of communication between the robot, and the programmer by collecting and analyzing data using the robot's sensors. Frosty Framework-  Students will construct a gingerbread house in order to gain an understanding of structural properties in architecture, as well as the properties of different materials used in building construction. Electronic Game Design: Bug Invasion Games  Eek! The bugs are after our birthday cake!! In Electronic Game Design: Bug Invasion, we will create our own version of an invader defense game that is set in a home where we have to defend our birthday cake from an infestation of ravenous bugs! We will use the Engineering Design Process to create a storyboard to outline the rules of play and characters for our game. Then, we will use Clickteam Fusion 2.5® to bring our storyboard to life with programming. At the end of the class, everyone takes home a working Windows-compatible game (Clickteam Fusion 2.5® does not support Mac or Android operating systems). Electrical Engineering- Electrified During the Electrical Engineering classes, students use the Engineering Design Process to design, create, test, and refine basic electronics and circuits. Students experiment with Snap Circuits® to discover the capabilities of major electronic components. In addition, students build their own flashlights and explore the world of magnetic energy by building their own Magnetic Levitation vehicle.

HGTV Santa HQ at Tysons Corner Center

Here's the reality of visiting Santa at the mall. Are you ready? It's not really mind-blowing, but it's the most important thing to know:

You're going to wait in line. 

Yup.  That's right.  And, if your kids are anything like, most kids, they could easily move from the "nice list" to the "naughty list" in the time it takes to go from the entry elf to the big guy in red. 

The nicest part of Santa HQ, for me, is that they understand this reality.  Instead of winding your way through endless miles of rope partitions, you get to wind your way through various rooms with different entertainment features.  

This is my 7 year old, and her response is the one you want to worry about.  We've always been very honest about our views on Santa, which you can feel however you want about, but she likes him anyway. 

So, here's Santa HQ:

When you first enter, you get to check to make sure that you're not wasting your time.  I mean, who'd want to get all the way to Santa only to find out they were actually on the naughty list? 

Here's the Naughty or Nice O'Meter.  Children step up, enter their name, and then stand on the footprints to get a reading on how naughty or nice they are.  Spoiler alert, I'm pretty sure everyone is nice ;) Here's Savannah's reading:

I have to say, I think that's pretty accurate.  She's a good kid :) 

Next, you pass through a brief outdoor section lined with Christmas trees.  This is a good time to take pictures of your children pretending to be reindeer.  

Excellent.  Next, we're onto the HGTV living room, where you can create and email yourself an Elf video, sit on the sofa and relax, and enjoy the overall holiday ambiance. 

You can watch our Elfie video here. 

Next you enter a control room, which has some really cool interactive features that a crew member will help you see using special tablets.  My kids were a little too old to want to play  much with the control panel, but they did enjoy the fact that they thought it was making "TARDIS sounds" and were joking about Santa being an incarnation of the Doctor.  

#MyKidsAreALittleNerdy

Finally, you get to Santa.  I can't show you a picture from that because cell phones are verboten, but the santa is quite good.  Our pictures were par for the course for a mall kiosk picture, and because we were there on a day with a school full of radio winners I just got the first image, not to pick.  We actually have some cute images on our online file and I might order one of them :) 

You can visit Santa's Headquarters in the Fashion Court at Tysons Corner Center near Nordstrom.  Santa HQ will be available November 14-December 24, 2015. For operating hours and more details, please click here. 

Mon Ami Santa Pictures 2015

Want to have something a little different this year? Not interested in standing in line at the mall? Parlez-Vous Photography is offering "Mon Ami, Santa" sessions on November 22nd and 25th in Springfield, VA.  For more information, or to register, visit parlezvous.org/santa

Mon Ami, Santa {my friend, Santa} is a *15-minute interactive visit with your old friend St. Nick. Children are greeted by name, and spend their time with Santa talking about things that make them excited - things that make them genuinely laugh! Santa will guide children into jolly situations, without them ever knowing it. With a little help from you, we will make this time with Santa personalized and special for your family. (Parents are even welcome to send a gift early for Santa to deliver specially for your child).

Santa will be visiting from the North Pole for two special days!
Sunday November 22 (10am-1pm)
Saturday Nov 28 (10am-1pm)
at The Historic Sydenstricker School House
8511 Hooes Road
Springfield, VA 22153

$150 for a 15-minute personalized visit with Santa. Includes:
one-on-one interactions with Santa photographed by Parlez-Vous Photography
Print package including 1-8x10, 1-5x7, 1-4x6, 4 wallets (all of one image)
Online gallery for image review and additional purchases
Complimentary Christmas card design with purchase of cards.