Cabin rental in Gatlinburg, TN…HELP!

It’s not often our family of 8 has the chance to get away as a family and relax, so when we do we always try to do it big!  Every year in March we pack up all of the kids and make our way to Gatlinburg, TN and this year will be no exception! 

Last year during our trip to Gatlinburg we stayed in a great condo that we all loved, it was affordable, cute, and spacious enough to sleep 9 people comfortably, but it was on the top of a mountain (no exaggeration) and I hated driving up and down that long, steep, winding road in the dark.  This year we are expanding our options and looking for a cabin to stay in.  Naturally I have scoured all of the cabin rental sites and found some amazing places, BUT I also know that one of the best ways to find great places to visit, stay, and eat when you travel is word of mouth so that is why I need your help (yes I need your help again).

Have you traveled to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or the surrounding area and found a great cabin?  Do you know of a great cabin rental service that I should check out?  Well then let me know!  We are looking for a place NOW so get those comments coming! 

My Baby is 11 Today!

It’s incredibly hard to believe but 11 years ago today I became a mommy for the first time.  When I look at that sentence I become not only sentimental, but also so proud; proud of my daughter for being such an amazing, beautiful smart, strong, and caring young lady. 

Taylor you amaze me every single day in one way or another and though the road we’ve traveled together has been bumpy and even though I know there will be many more bumps along the way I am so honored and blessed to be traveling it beside you!  I don’t think I could have ever imagined 11 years ago having a better daughter than you are…you have made me so proud to be your mommy!  I love you to the moon and back!

Tommee Tippee Sippy Cup Review {Love this!}

With two toddlers in the house we go through quite a few sippy cups (or cuppy’s as my kids call them). It seems like no matter what brand I buy I am constantly having problems with them leaking. It’s blaringly obvious that most brand’s promises of “No Leaks”, “Leak-Proof”, and “Spill-Proof” are little more than clever (or not so much) marketing strategies aimed at parent’s tired of fighting the leaky sippy cup battle. I too have fallen pray to the “No More Leaks” promise more times than I care to admit and when I’m paying nearly $10 for two cups I fully expect that they work as promised, but sadly most do not.

Little Mama with her Tommee Tippee Sippy Cup

I was recently given the opportunity to test out a line of infant and toddler feeding products that are new to the US; and given my past experiences with cups for my toddlers I was more than happy to give this brand a try. Tommee Tippee is the number one brand of infant and toddler feeding products in the UK and in January of this year Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature and Explora started selling their number one brand of products in Babies “R” Us stores in the US and online at Babiesrus.com. Next month (March 2010) Tommee Tippee will introduce their line in Toys “R” Us stores nationwide.

Before I get to my review I want to give you the lowdown on the Tommee Tippee Explora Truly Spill-proof cups I reviewed. The Tommee Tippee Explora line of Truly Spill-Proof cups include; Trainer Cup (stage 1), Sippy Cup (Stage 2), Straw Cup (Stage 3), Water Bottle (stage 4) and the Drinking Cup (stage 5).

Features of the Tommee Tippee Explora Line

BPA and Phthalate free

Patented advance-flo valve for guaranteed easy drinking

Super sensitive active sensor valve that is truly spill-proof and leak-free while still allowing liquid to flow on demand

I received both the Tommee Tippee Explora sippy and the drinking cups for my children to try out. I am going to be completely honest and admit that I had no expectations for these products as my past experience has proven time and again that “spill-proof” is just a myth…after one hour of my children using these cups my mind was forever changed! I really do find the Tommee Tippee sippy cups to be superior to their competition…not only have I had no leaks or spills from them, my kids seem to prefer using the cups…they ask for them 9 times out of 10 when they ask for their cups! I think the cups themselves seem to be better constructed than most I’ve bought (and through four children I’ve bought quite a few) my kids have thrown them on the floor, knocked them off of their high chairs, and tested them in every single way imaginable and I’m happy to report that the cups passed with flying colors….yes it is most definitely like crash test central around here!

Little Man with his Tommee Tippee Drinking Cup

Overall I would say that the Tommee Tippee cups I tested were much more convenient,durable, and affordable than the sippy cups we’ve used in the past. I would definitely recommend this brand to any parents with toddlers who are tired of the “spill-proof” imposters!

I received these items for review from The Mom Bloggers club as part of a blog tour. The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way by the advertiser.

Yo Gabba Gabba Season 3 Coming Soon…and another winner!

As I mentioned in my post on Wednesday I have some exiting Yo Gabba Gabba news to share with everyone!  You may remember me mentioning something about Yo Gabba Gabba’s 3rd season coming soon from my interview with Christian Jacobs…if not I have all of the information you need for your kiddos to get their Yo Gabba Gabba fix with the 3rd season!  I also have a YGG prize pack to giveaway to one of the entrants from the Live giveaway so check the bottom of this post to see who the lucky runner-up winner is!

On Monday March 8th Nickelodeon will premiere the 3rd season of the hugley popular kids show Yo Gabba Gabba…what does that mean?  Well lots of new episodes and more special celebrity guests that’s what!  Season 3 features wickedly awesome celebrity guests including; Sarah Silverman (love her), Mos Def, Weezer (love them too), and many more!  The season 3 premiere week includes celebrity guests Weird Al Yankovic, Devo, Anthony Bourdain, and recurring guests Biz Markie, Mark Mothersbaugh, Jack McBrayer, and Paul Scheer.  Season 3 is jammed packed with stars including future guests Fred Armisen, Erykah Badu, Rob Dyrdek, Flaming Lips, The Killers, Solange Knowles, Angela Kinsey and Charlyne Yi, Among Others. 

The party continues with the Gabba gang – DJ Lance Rock, Brobee, Muno, Toodee, Foofa and Plex – as Nickelodeon premieres the third season of the award-winning preschool music series Yo Gabba Gabba! on Monday, March 8, at 10:30 a.m. (ET/PT).  The new season commences with a week of brand-new episodes featuring Sarah Silverman, Weird Al Yankovic, Black Kids, Jack McBrayer, Paul Scheer, Weezer, Anthony Bourdain, Of Montreal, Mos Def, Devo, The Aquabats, Mark Mothersbaugh, Biz Markie and a special remix by Travis Barker, Monday, March 8 – Friday, March 12, at 10:30 a.m. (ET/PT).  Yo Gabba Gabba!, created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, is produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN. 

Future guest stars for season three include: Fred Armisen, Erykah Badu, Band of Horses, Blitzen Trapper, Chairlift, Rob Dyrdek, The Faint, Flaming Lips, The Killers, Solange Knowles, Mix Master Mike, Angela Kinsey, The Sounds, Taking Back Sunday, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Charlyne Yi and John Francis Daley, Samm Levine and Martin Starr from "Freaks and Greeks."  In addition, Biz Markie is back with his regular “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment teaching preschoolers how to beat-box, singer/illustrator/composer Mark Mothersbaugh returns in his recurring “Mark’s Magic Pictures” drawing segment and Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer visit with their recurring “Knock Knock” joke segment.

The schedule for the season three premiere week of Yo Gabba Gabba! is as follows (all times are 10:30 a.m.  ET/PT on Nickelodeon):

• Monday, March 8 – “Circus” – Weird Al Yankovic plays the circus ringmaster; Sarah Silverman teaches the “Time to Mime” dancey dance and Black Kids sing the original Yo Gabba Gabba! song, “We Love Clowns.”  The episode also features Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer telling a “Knock Knock” joke and Mark Mothersbaugh in his “Marks’ Magic Pictures” segment.
• Tuesday, March 9 – “Bugs” – Weezer performs an original Yo Gabba Gabba! song, “My Friends Are All Insects” and Mark Mothersbaugh is featured in his “Mark’s Magic Pictures” segment.  The episode also features a special remix segment arranged by Travis Barker. 
• Wednesday, March 10 – “Doctor” – Anthony Bourdain plays the doctor when Toodee gets sick. Of Montreal performs an original Yo Gabba Gabba! song “Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast!” and Biz Markie is featured in the “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment.
• Thursday, March 11 – “Superhero”– Mos Def plays a superhero; Devo performs their song “Watch Us Work It;” Biz Markie is featured in the “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment and The Aquabats perform a “Numbers” segment.   
• Friday, March 12 – Encore of “Circus”

Yo Gabba Gabba! premiered in the U.S. on Nickelodeon in August, 2007 and currently ranks as one of the most popular series on television with broad appeal among preschoolers, parents, teens and adults.  The award-winning series is created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz and is produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN.  Jon Berrett and Michael Polis are executive producers.  Yo Gabba Gabba!, was voted as one of the best new shows on television by TIME magazine, won a BAFTA Award in 2008, was awarded the “Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Television” Award by the Television Critics Association and is a two-time EmmyÒ nominee. Yo Gabba Gabba! infuses retro-style and beat-driven music to teach simple life lessons through music.  The series stars DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson) and a cast of colorful characters, including: Brobee, the little green one, Foofa, the pink flower bubble, Muno, the red Cyclops, Toodee, the blue cat-dragon and Plex, the yellow robot.  Yo Gabba Gabba! airs regularly at 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (ET) on Nick Jr., the 24-hour commercial-free, educational preschool network from Nickelodeon. 

Wildbrain Entertainment is an award-winning entertainment company and one of the world’s foremost producers of animation.  The studio develops and produces television, motion pictures, short-form programming, commercial content and licensed merchandise. Wildbrain has produced an exceptional slate of programming, including the critically acclaimed television series Yo Gabba Gabba! (Nick Jr.) and live touring show Yo Gabba Gabba!: There’s A Party in My City; The Ricky Gervais Show (HBO) and the hit Disney series, Higglytown Heroes.  Wildbrain and its creative team have won top industry awards.  In film, the studio won an Annie for its computer graphics short film, Hubert’s Brain.  Wildbrain has received Clios, Addys, BDA Awards and Annies for their commercial work, reinvigorating classic brands for leading companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Honda, Kraft and Nike and has gained national attention for their animation work on behalf of Esurance, Ubisoft and Virgin America. Some upcoming television and short-form projects include Bubble Guppies, an animated series for Nick Jr., The Hard Times of RJ Berger, an animated series for MTV and Team Smithereen, the short-form stunt puppet show from Dan Clark.  Wildbrain’s sister company, Kidrobot, creates limited edition toys, clothing, artwork and books, with stores in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. Wildbrain is based in Los Angeles, CA.

The Magic Store was founded in 2005 and is headed by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz.  Jacobs and Schultz are the 30-something dads, musicians and creators of the hit series Yo Gabba Gabba!, which was initially produced independently in two half-hour episodes.  After creating an online viral frenzy with the trailer, the show ultimately found a home on Nickelodeon.  The Magic Store’s mission is to produce ground-breaking, fresh, wholesome and fun entertainment properties that parents can enjoy along with their kids. 

Don’t forget to check out the tour schedule for the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show to see when the party is coming to your city!

Now for the second chance winner!  The second chance winner was chosen from the entrants in the YGG Live show giveaway.  Lucky winner is!

February 15, 2010 11:32 AM

Amanda G

Google friend connect Amanda G
saddleoneup at att dot net

Congrats!  You win  1 Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome  CD and 1 of the brand new Yo Gabba Gabba! “Birthday” DVDs!

You have 48 hours to contact me and claim your prize!  Again thanks to all who entered!

Yo Gabba Gabba Live winner and a Second Chance Giveaway!

I am very excited to announce the winner of the Yo Gabba Gabba Live giveaway!  I want to thank everyone who entered and tell you that even if you didn’t win this prize…I have a second chance drawing (details will be posted later today)  that I will be drawing a winner (from those who entered this giveaway) later on this week!

Now on to the winner of 2 tickets to the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show in Cincinnati, OH March 20th! 

Winning number:

That makes our winner:

February 14, 2010 8:58 AM

taysmommy

http://twitter.com/taysmommy/status/9104336823
DAILY TWEET! :)
ry13_2000@yahoo.com

Congrats!  You have 48 hours to contact me with your information!  Don’t forget to check back later today for more information about a second chance drawing for YGG prizes…the details of that giveaway will be posted soon!

Live Giveaway NOW!

Well the Tickle Her Pink event has long since ended and I have heard from all of the winner’s except one. One of the Durex winner’s didn’t contact me back so that means that some other lucky individual will be winning the Durex prize pack…you can see what that includes here.

This is how I’m going to do it…since there were 10 prize packs to give away that’s the magic number 10. Whomever leaves comment 10 on this post will win the remaining prize pack.

Your first comment needs to be why you want to win this and the remaining comments are anything goes.

Good Luck and come on lucky number 10!

Wordless Wednesday…Sledding with Daddy!

We got so much snow here this week…enough snow that if I ever hear “It’s gonna be a big one” again I may seriously just move!  Anyway there was some fun with all the snow…Little Man had his first ever sledding experience and he had a blast! 

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

I’m a General Hospital Brand Ambassador!

I have some very exciting news for all of you soap fans, and more specifically all of the General Hospital fans out there! I’ve been chosen as one of the General Hospital Brand Ambassadors and I am so excited to share that news with all of you! So what does that mean for all of you? Hopefully lots of inside information about your favorite GH stars and the show itself as well as some other amazing goodies!

I’ve been a GH fan since probably 6th grade, I seriously remember pretending to be sick just so I could stay home and watch all of GH. I’ve never really watched other soaps, GH has always been it for me, and I couldn’t be more excited to have been chosen as one of the brand ambassador’s for this amazing show!

So I told you I had some goodies for all of you GH fans out there so why not start right now and tell you about an exciting General Hospital sweepstakes that Mom Central is running on their site! One lucky winner will be randomly selected (from the Mo Central website) to receive a trip for 2 to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital and have a walk-on role…how awesomely exciting is that?!!? The sweepstakes in open until February 28, 2010 so make sure to head over to Mom Central and check it out before it’s too late! You can enter the sweepstakes here!

Be sure to check back for more General Hospital news!

“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.”

Help Prevent Cervical Cancer…Debra Macki for The Yellow Umbrella

One of the best parts of having a blog (for me anyway) is having the ability to spread the word about causes that are important to me.

After my middle daughter was born I had my six week post-partum check-up, not thinking anything about it because in my mind it was just another routine pap smear, I put it out of my mind and forgot about it completely. Until a couple of weeks later when I received a post card (really a post card) in the mail from my OB telling me that my pap results were abnormal…I remember freaking completely out and not knowing what to do. Several anxious weeks and a few more tests later all of the tests had come back normal and I breathed a very grateful sigh of relief. Unfortunately many women who experience situations similar to the one I had, don't get to breathe that sigh of relief—many women don’t even know how important Pap tests are and that getting them regularly can actually help save their lives.

A few weeks ago I was approached to do a review for a new eye shadow palette by sought after make-up artist Debra Macki, I was all in (I mean what woman doesn’t love make-up?). When I found out that Debra had designed the eye shadow palette in conjunction with The Yellow Umbrella (founded by musician and cervical cancer survivor Christine Baze) in recognition of cervical cancer awareness month I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Cervical cancer has been something that I’ve made myself aware of solely because of my experience and the experiences of those closest to me; my mother and my sister both have had cervical cancer scares within the last few years making me super aware of the importance of regular pap tests.

Christine Baze was 31 years old—playing music and living her life when she was diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer. Christine fought cancer and won and now she’s making it her mission to spread one very simple, very important message…cervical cancer is preventable! Christine created The Yellow Umbrella Organization to help educate and empower women—to encourage them to talk to each other—to what what we can to fight the fight and help prevent cervical cancer.

AboutTheYellow Umbrella Organization

Elmira, NY native Christine Baze is an accomplished musician and cervical cancer survivor living in Salem , MA . At 40, she is the Executive Director of The Yellow Umbrella Organization, and uses her story, voice, and music to help raise awareness of HPV, cervical cancer and opportunities to prevent this deadly disease. She has taken her Yellow Umbrella Tour to 100 stops across the USA and Canada, and is now reaching even deeper into communities with her Paint it Yellow program - finding creative ways to reach out, educate and empower women to take control of their own health. Of note, Christine was named one of MS magazine's “50 Women of the Year" in 2003, she was given a Presidential Leadership award in 2005, and in 2007 was named one of the "Women Who Shape the World" in Shape Magazine. In addition, she has shared the stage and opened for a number of national musicians including, Sheryl Crow, Ben Folds, Kaki King and The Fray.

About Debra Macki

Following in the footsteps of other legendary makeup luminaries is one of the industry's most sought after makeup artists: Debra Macki. There is no question this thirty-something year old celebrity makeup artist, cosmetic creator, and educator is one to watch.

Debra created her own line of makeup that reflects her style and vision of beauty. Debra Macki Cosmetics can be found at select makeup boutiques nationwide. She is also Style Editor for Jamn945.com and Kiss108.com.

"Debra Macki is makeup for the "it" girl. Products like Cheeky and Cyberdust were inspired by the faces I've painted at fashion shows and photo shoots," says Debra. "These products reflect individuality and fun. If you don't have fun putting makeup on then you shouldn't be wearing it!"

Clients include: Rihanna, Nina Sky, Cherish, Cyndi Lauper, Maria Menounos, Kathie Lee Gifford, Dr. Oz, Vice President Al Gore, Miss USA & Miss Teen USA title holders, Karina Pasian, Christine Baze, Bad Boy Recording Artists, Susie Castillo, JADA, Roshumba, and the Ramiro & Pebbles Morning Show (JAM'N 94.5 Boston).

Debra Macki has been seen in Vogue, Seventeen Magazine, Redbook, Boston Magazine, The London Times, Woman's World, O Magazine (Oprah), Good Housekeeping, Popstar Magazine, Quick and Simple Magazine, Girl's Life, Bop, Playgirl, Modern Bride, Teen, Seventeen, Makeup Artist Magazine, The Knot, the San Diego Union Tribune and on The Early Show on CBS.

As I mentioned earlier I received the Debra Macki for Yellow Umbrella eye shadow palette to review and I’ve rocked it exclusively since I received it. The eye shadow palette contains three fabulous shades inspired by Monaco; Nude Shimmer, Purple Sparkle, Blue Sparkle—the three colors are meant to represent the three steps you can take to prevent cervical cancer: HPV vaccine, Pap test, and HPV test and Pap. The best part about this eye shadow palette is that 80 percent of the cost of the palette ($36) goes back to the Yellow Umbrella Organization.

I strongly encourage all of you to check out both The Yellow Umbrella Organization and Debra Macki websites!

My Interview with Yo Gabba Gabba co-creator Christian Jacobs!

As a blogger I’ve had the opportunity to do many things that have been completely awesome—none more than my very first celebrity interview last week with Yo Gabba Gabba co-creator Christian Jacobs. As you all know my kids love YGG and having the opportunity to chat with one of the brains behind the phenomenon was an experience I’ll never forget! I must say that Christian was a very down to earth, fun person to talk to, which wasn’t actually a surprise—I mean how could one of the creators of YGG not be cool!?!

As y’all also know I asked some of you (via the blog, Facebook, Twitter, and my MomDot girls) for some questions and you guys delivered in a BIG way and I thank you all for that…I didn’t get to ask too many questions, but I did include a few from you guys! Alright on to the interview—I got to ask Christian some questions about both the YGG show and the Live show so I hope y’all enjoy!

He’s a former child actor, popular musician,producer and one half of the creative force behind the hugely popular children’s show Yo Gabba Gabba, but he’s also a dad and one heck of a cool guy…is there anything Christian Jacobs can’t do?

Me: I’ve read that you grew up doing TV and film…how would you feel if one of your children wanted to go into acting?

Christian Jacobs: It was a different time when I grew up and when my parents grew up—I was a kid in the 80s and late 70s and things were different. My 10 year old daughter was interested in acting and a few years ago I took her on some auditions and I knew what to expect with that stuff and it’s a lot of work. I don’t want to offend my parents if they ever read this, but when we were kids we kinda didn’t have a choice, so if they really wanted to do it I would be super supportive and I would help them do it, but I would never force them to do it. But we took her on a couple of auditions a few years ago and she was like, “I’m over it” and I couldn’t have been more happy at that moment, because it is a lot of work for parents and for the kids. The kids have had a lot of exposure being involved with Yo Gabba Gabba; I ask them to do stuff and they reluctantly agree cause they know they might get 20 bucks so, I wouldn’t discourage it (acting) as much as I wouldn’t encourage it.

The greatest thing I learned from being a kid actor, the one thing I would want to teach my kids if they really wanted to do it…is rejection. Being rejected so many times as a kid—really wanting to get a part and not getting it—actually formed a stronger sense of self for me. Probably the most important thing we can teach our kids is that you are gonna fail, you just gotta get back up and go again!

Me: When you and Scott were independently creating the pilot for Yo Gabba Gabba did you ever imagine it would become as popular as it has?

CJ: Scott and I had no idea that YGG would become what it is becoming, and yet at the same time we always believed that it could be big. We’ve always believed, whether it’s Yo Gabba Gabba, the Aquabats or other things that we’ve been doing, of course, we always believed that it could happen…we just never believed that it would (laughing). We shot the pilot and we all could feel a tingling feeling that something is happening and this is gonna be good and now that it’s happening it’s surreal. We’re just “tickled over the moon”, you know instead of “Tickled Pink” or “Over the Moon” I put them together and say “tickled over the moon”—I like putting clichés together, it’s one of my favorite things.

Me: Which of the Yo Gabba Gabba characters was the hardest to bring to life?

CJ: All of the characters have little bits of personality traits of my kids and Scott's kids probably any kid;they have personality traits that you see in every child. It could really be a toss-up, but maybe Toodee? Toodee was tricky because she had to have some traits that may be a little abrasive at times and yet you still wanna make her likeable, but someone has to have the impatient, cranky traits. Toodee had to be a little bit impatient and abrasive on the negative side of things, but on the positive side she is really fun and all about jumping around and having fun so I think it was a tricky balance between the characteristics in all of us that can be positive and negative at the same time.

Equally Lance (DJ Lance Rock) as well. Initially the show wasn’t built around Lance, it was built around a host and we didn’t know who that host was going to be, we were trying to figure that out for a while. Scott (Schultz) had a hunch and he’d always thought that Lance would be the perfect guy (for the role of host). Lance is really a DJ that worked in a record store, he’s not an actor who came to LA to be on a kid show, he’s a real guy who DJs in clubs in LA. So in bringing Lance’s character to life it was really a, I don’t wanna say crap shoot on a kids blog (I assured him that crap shoot was fine as I’m known for throwing in colorful words every once in a while) it was kind of a crap shoot, we didn’t know if Lance was gonna be able to step it up. You come out to the live show and see him in full effect and it’s like “Wow this is beyond our expectations”…Lance really stepped it up and stepped in to be that DJ Lance Rock. It wasn’t hard to create (his character) but it was just magic!

Me: If you could have any celebrity do a dancey-dance who would it be and what dancey-dance would they do? (This was a reader question sent to me by MaDamnPITA…so thanks a million he seemed to like this question).

CJ: Scott and I we love everybody, but I would love to have Bill Murray on the show, I’m a big Bill Murray fan. This would never happen, but you know what would be awesome would be to have Pee Wee--Pee Wee Herman on the show and have him do the Tequila Dance. (I agree) That would be amazing, but I know a lot of parents would feel uncomfortable about that, maybe I would too but that’s maybe why I like it.

Me: Whose idea was it for Jack Black to wear DJ Lance’s costume and will he be making another appearance on the show? (This question was asked by Kim @ What’s That Smell…thanks Kim)

CJ: That was Jack Black’s idea, no you know I’ll give equal credit to Scott for that too because Scott actually had a dream a couple of nights before Jack Black came in, we were all really anxious about it, and he had a dream that Jack Black was in the Lance costume so we wrote something in at the last second. When Jack Black came in to film the episode he wanted to try on Lance’s costume right off the bat he was like, “I wanna try on Lance’s costume.” You know the costume he’s wearing on the show is actually Lance’s costume, like the same one he wears, we had made Jack Black a special costume but it was kinda baggy and he was like, “No, no I wanna wear Lance’s costume.” He put it on and he was like, “See it fits perfect.” He’s just such a good guy and such a good dad, it was rad having him on the show.

Me: How does performing as the Aquabats for preschool children during the Yo Gabba Gabba live show compare to performing for your older fans?

CJ: It’s a lot less sweaty, there’s a lot less kids jumping onto the stage and off of the stage. It’s funny—it feels right, because the AquaBats are such a parody of itself. When we come out and were playing for little kids who think we’re like super heroes it’s super fun, because we’re just middle-aged men playing guitars. It’s really fun for us because it’s pure we can see the joy in the kids eyes they’re like “Ah wow cool the Aquabats.” The kids that are older and come to our shows are kinda in on the joke so it’s fun to really become a kids again whenever we play but it’s extra special to do it for the real kids…they’re the real deal!

(Christian also told me to be on the lookout for more appearances from the Aquabats on YGG…I know some of the Aquabats fans out there will be very excited about that.)

Me: What’s next for Yo Gabba Gabba?

CJ: Season 3 just finished filming, we have lots of new episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba coming out soon. There maybe could be a Yo Gabba Gabba movie that we’re working on this year. Yo Gabba Gabba is just gonna keep going!

I want to thank Christian for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk with me. I had a blast and I can’t wait to see The Aquabats, DJ Lance, Biz Markie and all of the YGG characters at the Yo Gabab Gabba Live show in Cincinnati next month!

Make sure you check out the official site of the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show to see when Brobee, Foofa, Plex, Muno, Toodee, and DJ Lance will be partying in your city!

Snow, Snow Go Away

It’s been such a long weekend. Last week the kids were out for snow and/or other reasons almost all week, no school tomorrow and now we’re supposed to get 6-9 more inches between tonight and tomorrow morning—oh joy! I’ve also got a bit of school work to catch up on and I' guess I’ve kinda unofficially decided to stop posting on the weekends…they are just too busy for me…maybe one day I’ll be able to successfully juggle all of the balls I need to, though that doesn’t look likely from where I stand or well sit. Looks like I’ll be needing one of these in the very near future!

I do want you all to know that I will be back tomorrow with my Christian Jacobs interview…and you thought I forgot…not a chance! Make sure you be on the look out for the interview!

Hope you all stay warm and if you have some sunshine…send it my way!

Magpie Designz Winner!

Another one of my Tickle Her Pink giveaways has ended and that means another winner! 

And the lucky winner is:

February 4, 2010 1:47 PM

Mary

I like the Blessings Locket!
Merrie L.
lockwoodmerrie@yahoo.com

Congrats!  You have 48 hours to contact me and claim your prize!

Smoking Cessation Alternatives…Vaporizers

I have a secret that not many of my blog readers know—I’m a smoker.  I know it’s a horrible habit and one that I detest and would love to quit, unfortunately quitting has been a struggle for me.  I’ve tried many different methods to stop smoking; gum, patches, quitting cold turkey, but none of them has seemed to do the job.  In my quest to quit I’ve researched several alternative methods of smoking cessation and the one that seems most interesting to me is using vaporizers as a tool to help people with the difficult task of quitting.

One method of smoking cessation that I’ve read about recently is using a vaporizer to filter out the most harmful component of cigarettes—tar.  While I have not personally tried this method of smoking cessation it does have its proponents who swear by it’s effectiveness is aiding smokers to quit.  VapeNow is the leading shop for Herbal, Digital, and Portable vaporizers and offers many different options to fit a variety of needs.  They offer everything from  handheld models like the iolite vaporizer to more substantial models like the Zephyr vaporizer.  VapeNow has made it their mission to bring their customers an effortless and safe alternative to traditional smoking cessation methods.

While I’m positive my battle with smoking will not be easily won, I am definitely committed to quitting, and this method is one that I will absolutely consider in my battle. 

This is a sponsored post…you can read my full disclosure here.

I Need Your Help—Help Me Interview a Celebrity!

Those of you who have read my blog for a while know all about my kids obsession with the Nickelodeon show Yo Gabba Gabba (YGG), for those of you who do not let me just say that they are mildly (that’s a complete and utter lie—they are like zombies when that show is on) obsessed with everything YGG! Well imagine my surprise when I was given the opportunity to interview one of the show’s co-creator’s Christian Jacobs! Needless to say I was quite excited, but then I freaked out…and realized that I need YOUR HELP!

The interview is tomorrow at 1:15 EST and I want to know what you guys would ask Christian if you could! So please leave a comment on this post with a question for Christian and if I use your question I will give you a shout out!

So put your thinking caps on and let me know what questions you would ask the co-creator of Yo Gabba Gabba if you could!

Another Day Another Winner!

I’m a little behind today…we have had two days of snow and I have 4 crazy kids running around my house, which means mommy is running behind! 

Today’s winner in the Tickle Her Pink Valentine’s Gift Guide giveaway event is going to win a Travel Tin (in Chocolate dipped strawberries) from Scandle!

Winning number:

Our lucky winner is:

February 8, 2010 4:31 PM

Hotsnotty2

I love the Scandle Lovers Spa Set, thanks!
Hotsnotty2@hotmail.com

Congrats!  You have 48 hours to contact me and claim your prize!

Beyond Bedding

Dear Readers of Allison's great Misadventures in Baby Raising,

We are here to give you a little peek into some of the really cool and trends in bedding! We're honored to be able to share some of our most interesting bedding concepts with your family but also wanted to start off by mentioning just how much we enjoy Allison's blog as we navigates through motherhood while trying to keep all her hats (mom, wife, sister, friend, daughter) on! Her post on 5 things about Disciplining Kids post was one of our favorites because it makes parents realize that not everything goes as smoothly in child rearing as any of our parenting books would like us to believe.

"So what's the big deal about bedding?" you may be asking. We'll, to start off, your bedding, whether it's a sleeping bag or a bed in a bag set, affects how good a nights rest you will get. The breathability of the fabric, the softness of the thread count, and the quality of the stitching are all so important that we’ve assembled a selection of children’s bedding sets that have been ensured to meet the highest standards of safety, comfort, and affordability.

So if you’re an avid reader of Allison’s posts maybe we could offer some suggestions based on her cute kids! Let’s say you have a son about Taylor’s age, then you’re probably excited about looking at a bedding set that incorporates sports like our great selection of childrens sports bedding. Or if you have a girl Savanna’s age then you may be more interested in childrens ballerina bedding. And both our girls and boys sets come with accessories that match perfectly from the comforter to the pillow shams. And let’s not forget the littlest ones! If you’ve got little ones the age of Gaige and Kinley then you’re probably in the market for a quality baby bedding crib set and we have some of the most adorable designs and prints you can find anywhere! From adorable cowgirl crib sets to the adventurous jungle themed baby bedding sets, we have everything you need to take your nursery to the next level.

Thanks again for taking the time to check out what we have to offer and if you’re looking to set up a baby bedding gift registry then we’ve also got you covered!

Nickelodeon celebrates the Year of the Tiger!

I’ve mentioned numerous times and in many posts that my youngest children love Nick Jr., truth be told all four of my children are Nickelodeon fans. One of my youngest daughter’s favorite shows is Ni Hao Kai-lan…she would watch the show all day every day if I let her…Kai-lan is just her absolute favorite. If you have a little Kai-lan fan than you’re going to want to read this post.

The week of February 22-26 Nickelodeon is celebrating the “Year of the Tiger” with a full week of special episodes of Ni Hao Kai-lan including a premiere the premiere of “Tolee's Turn” on Friday February 26th. Below is a brief run-down of the shows included in Nick’s “Year of the Tiger” celebration week!

Monday, Feb. 22 – “Happy Chinese New Year”

It’s Chinese New Year, and Kai-lan and her friends are thrilled because this year, they are old enough to carry the huge dragon costume. It’s going to take a whole team of friends to carry it for the celebration, but when Rintoo is assigned to march in the middle of the dragon, he walks away! Rintoo doesn’t think the middle is important enough, but the group can’t carry the dragon without him. Kai-lan, with the help of the viewers, must find a way to show Rintoo that every job on a team is important. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word red (Hong Se) in Chinese.

Tuesday, Feb. 23 – “Rintoo's Big Flip”

Kai-lan and her friends go to see the Chinese rabbit acrobats and are amazed by their tricks. When a rabbit acrobat invites Kai-lan and her friends to be in his show that night, everybody’s excited to practice flips except Rintoo, who doesn’t think he needs to practice. But when his flip turns out to be harder than he thought, Rintoo quits the show. Kai-lan needs the viewers’ help to convince Rintoo to practice so he can be in the show. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word circle (Yuan xing) in Chinese.

Wednesday, Feb 24 – “Rintoo Makes a Splash”

YeYe is taking Kai-lan and her friends to a super special, magical water park. Everyone’s having a blast until Rintoo starts splashing, cannon-balling and playing rough. When no one wants to play with Rintoo anymore, it’s up to Kai-lan and the viewers’ to help him play more gently so everybody can enjoy the water. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word water (Shui) in Chinese.

Thursday, Feb. 25 – “Roller Rintoo”

Kai-lan and her friends are off to a roller rink to go skating, but Rintoo is scared of roller skating. Everyone is surprised that Rintoo would be scared of anything, and they all band together to help him. With some inspiration from the Hula Ducks, Kai-lan and the viewers’ help Rintoo get over his fear of skating, so everyone can go to the roller rink. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word fast (Kuai) in Chinese.

Friday, Feb. 25 – “Tolee's Turn” -- PREMIERE

Kai-lan and her friends are sailing in a beautiful dinosaur boat and playing hide and seek with some dolphins. But when Rintoo won’t give Tolee a turn steering the boat, things come to a standstill. Kai-lan needs the viewers’ help to show Rintoo that when you take turns, everyone gets to play, and everyone has a good time. The episode introduces preschoolers to the word dolphin “Haitun” in Chinese.

I know my children will be watching Ni Hao Kai-lan for the new episodes…I hope yours will too!

My new Header!

As all of you know I redesigned my blog a few weeks ago…it was a huge undertaking as I am not a designer, but I did it and I was so proud of myself!  As much as I loved the design I knew my header was lacking so I went in search of a designer and found Jessica of designs by IDesign and Riding With Jessica and let me just say that I couldn’t have found a better person for the job!

Not only did Jessica do a superior job on my header and button she was so easy to work with and so accommodating!  If I ever get the itch for an other redesign she will be my first choice…and if you’re in the market for something new for your blog I definitely suggest you check out Jessica at designs by IDesign! 

Oh and because I couldn’t resist here are my header and button just in case you missed them (not likely lol) before!

And I would LOVE it if all of you who have my old button code will copy and add the new code!

<center><a href="http://misadventuresinbabyraising.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/aproffitt79/button.png" /></a></center>

Quote the Walls Winner!

 

Another Tickle Her Pink giveaway has ended and another winner has been drawn…yay!  Tonight’s winner is for the $50 Quote the Walls gift certificate!

Winning number

And our lucky winner is…

January 29, 2010 6:59 PM

saphyress

following you on google

Congrats!  You have 48 hours to contact me and claim your prize!  Thanks to all who entered!

More Giveaway Winners!

Again I apologize for the winner’s post being delayed…my comments still are not numbered so I wanted to try and wait, but in the end I decided to go ahead and pull the winners. 

eSkahti Winners

 

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

33	52	

Timestamp: 2010-02-05 15:15:39 UTC

#33

January 28, 2010 8:13 PM

karenmed409

Grabbed Button early extra #4

karenmed409 at comcast dot net

#52

January 30, 2010 5:54 AM

LuvnLife00

tweeted http://twitter.com/luvnlifeOO/status/8411765905

Lots of Winners!

I know I’m a little late on choosing the winners for the Williams Sonoma giveaway—I apologize—I’ve had an issue with numbering my comments (when I switched templates I lost them and cannot get them back) and have had someone working on them for me for 2 days now and still no luck.  I was trying to wait until they were fixed to choose the winners, but I’ve kept y’all waiting long enough…and please bear with me as I had to manually count these entries!

And since I gave y’all extra entries the chances of the same person winning more than once are very good so I’m going to do the numbers one at a time.

Winners

 

January 24, 2010 8:59 AM

Summer

I tweeted #5
http://twitter.com/Earth_Creature/status/8155183342

 

February 2, 2010 5:57 PM

dreamcleavers

dreamcleavers@yahoo.com
follow you on twitter
dreamcleavers

 

January 25, 2010 7:34 PM

CMC

E-mail subscriber2
spitfyr323 at hotmail dot com

 

 

January 20, 2010 7:25 AM

karenmed409

have your new button 1
http://gummasplace.blogspot.com/

 

 

January 23, 2010 12:48 AM

SharonC

Making cookies and watching movies

 

January 22, 2010 10:50 PM

cstironkat

#4 I tweeted http://twitter.com/cstironkat

 

January 19, 2010 7:22 AM

Mami2jcn

Tweet:
http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/7948698476
mami2jcn at gmail dot com

January 22, 2010 5:12 PM

coliebear

My kids really like it when we make "snow cookies." All it is melted white chocolate chips and coconut flakes that we mix together and let harden. They think this is the funnest cold weather thing to "cook."
lenz.nicole(at)gmail(dot)com

February 2, 2010 2:46 PM

carolpie

We like to make cookies and also water color and go out to play in the snow and come in and have hot chocolate!
spencer1953 at gmail dot com-carol

January 22, 2010 4:44 PM

MOMFOREVERANDEVER

cuddled by the fire- playing games and creating things in the kitchen with whatever food is there

Congrats to all the winners!  You all have 48 hours to contact me and claim your prize!