A Week Full of Some Great Disney Fun in New York

Ahhh, Disney. Even though it has been over 3 months since I was at Walt Disney World, I am still living off the sweet memories I experienced while there. Every time I see another friend posting pictures from a Walt Disney World vacation, I go back to my own trip and smile. Everybody should have such sweet memories from a vacation. I seriously felt like a kid again. I actually was a kid (too many years ago to mention) when I first exprienced the magic of Walt Disney World.  Last week, I experienced more Disney memories. This time, the memories were created right here in New York.

Last Thursday night, I can’t tell you who had more fun at Mickey’s Music Festival, DisneyLiveNYNJ at Madison Square Garden. The songs, sights, and scenery were fantastic. Some of my favorite characters from Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Toy Story had my entire family (husband included) dancing in our seats. The show was narrated by Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck. I love how classic Disney so nicely blends with the newer Disney characters. This show is running in the tri-state area until March 31! Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster Retail Locations, the arena Box Offices or by calling 1-800-745-3000. To discover more about Disney Live! go to http://www.disneylive.com, or visit them on Facebook and YouTube. @DisneyLive is the Official Twitter Feed of Disney Live!

Speaking of new Disney characters, Wreck-It-Ralph has also made our lives that much sweeter this week. Since my kids have been on vacation and I work from home, keeping them busy while I’m busy is challenging. When two new books from the film arrived this week, my son just about flipped  He absolutely loved Wreck-It Ralph. He even had the opportunity to meet his two favorite characters, Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz, while we were at Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios last December.  Now he has something from the movie that he can’t put down!

ONE SWEET RACE ($15.99 – available wherever books and eBooks are sold)
Explore the charming video-game world of Sugar Rush, from Disney Animation Studio’s latest film, Wreck-It-Ralph. This jacketed picture book features an original story about the film’s spunky heroine, Vanellope von Schweetz, as well as illustrations by one of the artists who worked on the film.

* WRECK-IT RALPH READ ALONG STORYBOOK AND CD ($6.99 – available wherever books are sold, eBook available at Barnes & Noble and iTunes)  Jump into the action of the latest Walt Disney Animation Studios film Wreck-It Ralph with this exciting storybook and CD set! Video-game bad guy Wreck-It Ralph wants to be as beloved as his game’s good guy, Fix-It Felix. But when Ralph tries to prove he’s a hero by winning a video game medal, his actions spell disaster for the entire arcade! Featuring sound effects and the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch, this thrilling read-along brings the action of Wreck-It Ralph to life!

These new books have brought the film back into our home. I just love seeing how my son follows along with the storybook. His big sister has already read One Sweet Race to him a dozen times. He also really loves the illustrations which were created by one of the artists who worked on Wreck-It-Ralph. I also enjoy explaining to my kids about the creative animation team behind these memorable Disney characters. Who knows? Maybe one day they will grow-up to be illustrators!

Disclaimer: This was not a paid post. I was provided the tickets to review Disney Live! as well as the books to review. The opinion expressed here on my blog are my own.

Back-To-School Should Not Mean Back-To-Bullying

While shopping for new folders and new shoes are on the top of our back-to-school shopping lists, the social challenges that our kids may encounter this year are not included. Some of the least coveted parts of any school environment are the “mean girls” or “mean boys” in the classroom. Yes, this can happen even in the nicest of schools. I have seen it.

I’ll never forget when my daughter came home from school and told me about the “mean girls” in her class. Really?? I thought to myself, but that family is so lovely! I realized that even in a religious school, bullying does happen. I was not prepared and my heart sank every day when she would come home crying. I didn’t know where or who to turn to. I just cried along with her. Things changed when I learned about the Captain McFinn and Friends book series at the New York Book Expo this past June.

Thanks to Captain McFinn and Friends Book, a colorful series is here for us all. It is the perfect tool for  parents to share with young children grades K-3.  Teaching children how to recognize bullying and protect themselves against it at an early age, will  have a positive impact on them for life. I can’t tell you how important this is to me.

As kids step into their new shoes and school supplies this month, Captain McFinn will introduce S.H.A.R.K. Patrol, an anti-bullying educational program for teachers to educate K-3 students how to recognize bullying, and protect themselves and others against it.  S.H.A.R.K. (Students Help Achieve Respect and Kindness) Patrol was developed by accredited educators to prevent bullying by reinforcing positive behavior.  The program offers educators tools for themselves, students and parents, such as storybooks, complete lesson plans, puppets, sing-a-long CD, posters, stickers and more.  Items will be sold as a complete kit or separately; perfect for any district or classroom budget.

That’s not all! October is now officially Anti-Bullying Month  Children, parents, teachers, school administrators, and camp staff will all enjoy and benefit from this collection of books and activities which includes 3 hard and soft cover books, an activity book, sing-a-long music CD composed by award-winning songwriter Terry Sampson, and educational materials for teachers, parents and the classroom.  eBooks for NOOK, iBook, Kindle and mobile and tablet applications for Android and Apple’s iOS platforms will also be available for back-to-school.

‘Be a Buddy, Not a Bully’ is the underlying theme of this book series.  According to the National Association of Elementary School Principals, bullying has become a national epidemic with an estimated 18 million children in the U.S. being bullied each year; negative feelings from being bullied account for 3 million student absences each month. Educators agree it is critical to educate kids about anti-bullying when they are young to discourage this negative trend.

Captain McFinn and Friends was created by Phyllis Cafaro, with inspiration from her grandchildren.   In 2006, she began her journey to teach important life lessons to children through fictional stories and music.  Her goal is to initiate positive changes in children everywhere.

“My ultimate goal with Captain McFinn and Friends is to make the world a better place in which to live, one child (and fish) at a time,” says Phyllis Cafaro, author and founder of the Captain McFinn and Friends series. “Bullying in schools is a major issue nationwide, occurring on a daily basis. No parent, grandparent, or educator wants children to feel unsafe at school, because schools should be a place for learning, fun, and friendship.”

My kids fell in love with this series as soon as I brought them home. The colors and layout of this engaging 3 book series also includes an activity book with stickers, sing-a-long audio CD, mobile apps, eBooks and a wide variety of educational materials perfect for every educator’s budget. Here is what is included:

New to hit shelves – Captain McFinn and Friends Rock!: The day Captain McFinn and his Undersea Friends start a band, they learn about more than just making great music. When Bella feels left out, it takes some extra Finn Power to get everybody ready for the big contest. Will hard work and friendship win the prize, or will Tox and the Barracuda Brothers ruin the fun?

The Legend of Captain McFinn and Friends: In this story we are introduced to the friendly black tip shark, Captain McFinn, who was once one of the biggest bullies on Sandy Dusty Reef.  He meets the Undersea Friends who teach him, through kindness, that being a friend is always better than being a bully.  Captain McFinn transforms from bully to leader and protector of the Sandy Dusty Reef.

Captain McFinn and Friends Meet Coral Rose: Captain McFinn and Friends go on an adventure of discovery when they stumble upon a new paradise where they meet their newest friend, Princess Coral Rose – The Princess Between the Tides.

Captain McFinn and Friends “Finn-tastic” Activity and Sticker Book: This fun-filled activity book, which ties into the series, includes connect-the-dots, coloring pages, stickers, mazes, matching pictures, word searches and more!

Captain McFinn and Friends Mobile App and eBook will be available as a free download this fall for all iOS and Android platforms, Barnes and Noble NOOK and Amazon Kindle devices.

Captain McFinn and Friends ‘Come Along With The Friend-Ship Band’: This sing-a-long music CD is packed with 14 upbeat and catchy songs that young children, teachers and friends can dance and sing-a-long with and find out what all the fish are tapping their fins to! The songs were produced and written by award winning songwriter, Terry Sampson, whose other work includes Angelina Ballerina and Winnie The Pooh.

The entire Captain McFinn and Friends series is available online at www.captainmcfinn.com, and also at the major online retailers www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.  The retail prices for the hard cover books are $17.99 and the soft cover books are priced at $9.99.  The music CD retail price is $9.99 and the activity book costs $5.99.

Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from Captain McFinn and Friends product sales will benefit the Captain McFinn Foundation, which supports a variety of children’s charities. Now, this is a brand I am in love with!

I am so happy that bullying is not something ignored or put to the side these days. I feel so much better now that I can reach for a book that will help not only my children combat bullying, but that there is also the S.H.A.R.K. Patrol is available for teachers to educate K-3 students how to recognize bullying, and protect themselves and others against it. The fact is that bullying can happen anywhere, even in religious schools. I know, I’ve seen it!

Check out Captain McFinn and Friends online at http://www.captainmcfinn.com. They are also on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/CaptainMcFinn. subscribe to their feed and get the latest news on anti-bullying. School days should be the best days for our children! It just takes one bully to take that away!

Disclaimer: I received the Captain McFinn and Friends book and CD to review. The opinions in this post are my own. I also received compensation for my representation of Captain McFinn and Friends at the Niche Mommy Conference in August 2012.

 

What Spanx Can’t Fix But Your Fork Can

Yes, I admit it. I have “belly fat“. Thanks to body slimming products like Spanx, I can keep it “under cover”. I know that this is my fault, as I have not found the time lately to excercise.  Add on to that my cravings for chocolate after 8:00pm, it is no wonder I have “belly fat”. I think that it is time I really made changes and after listening to The Joan Hamburg Show yesterday afternoon, it is not that hard to do. Listne to Joan Hamburg interview Dr. Mark Hyman about “The Blood Sugar Solution” . I have included a link here.

Catching Up With Primetime Parenting

@primetimeparent loves ShaToBu - The Workout You Wear

I have not posted here since Shavuot and I can’t believe that we are already in summer mode.  Please join my facebook fan page for more about what I have been up to lately.  For those of you short on time, here is a short listof  what I’ve been up to lately:

A Shmooz With Jill Zarin, Lisa Wexler, and Gloria Kamen, “Secrets of a Jewish Mother”

 

A Shmooz With Jill Zarin, Lisa Wexler, and Gloria Kamen, “Secrets of a Jewish Mother”.

 

When I heard the title of this book I thought about two things. My own Jewish mother,my sister, and matzo ball soup. That is why I am so excited to interview Jill and Lisa (sisters) and Gloria (their Jewish mother) on Blog Talk Radio. Their book, “Secrets of a Jewish Mother” is flying off the shelves, as moms of all backgrounds can relate to the wisdom of a Jewish mother. What is a Jewish mother, or family get together, without a bowl of fluffy matzo ball soup? Join me and Beth Rosen as we find out what Jill, Lisa, and Gloria serve-up for their regular family get togethers, especially during the High Holidays in the fall and at Passover in the springtime. Book Description: The Jewish Mother knows what she wants. And what you should want too. In Secrets of a Jewish Mother, you’ll learn how to make her methods your very own, and as result you’ll give and get of love and happiness in great amounts. In what could be thought of as the Jewish Mother’s Guide to Life, Jill Zarin, the breakout star of Bravo’s hit series, The Real Housewives of New York, teams up with her sister, Lisa Wexler, award-winning host of daily radio program The Lisa Wexler Show, and her mother, the estimable Gloria Kamen who made a splash on Jill’s series last year. Secrets of a Jewish Mother shows readers that being clear about what you want is the best policy, and standing up for yourself and your family is always the right way to go. Using real life examples, stories from Jill, Lisa and Gloria, this mother/daughter trio reveals their secrets to life, love, and happiness.

And, remember, a lot of love and a little matzoh ball soup never hurt anyone. Happy Early Mother’s Day!

All Oxi-Active Invites Moms and Dads To “Get Messy”

Sometimes, life can be very unpredictable. This most often happens when I have a grand plan in place, like inviting new friends over for a Shabbos meal. My plan is to have stains removed from my special white tablecloth, my daughter’s white Shabbos tights, and the slipcover for our couch. I’m afraid that the state of our couch would scare any family out of our house, it is that bad. Thank G-d, my kids love jumping around the house, but when they do so with grape juice in hand, there is always something left behind….grape juice stains. Even if my slipcover is stain free as Shabbos approaches, in just a hop, skip, and a jump, the canvas can change. Can a mother really go into Shabbos without feeling angry because her “stain free” slipcover, tablecloth, and daughter’s tights were no longer? The answer is yes.

Not just because life is short and the kids will be grown-up one day and I will long for such excitement, but because I heard it straight from Dr. Michele Borba, parenting expert and author of “The Big Book of Parenting” last week. All Oxi-Active was brave enough to invite mom and dad bloggers to a birthday-themed media event in New York City. We were encouraged to relax and let our kids be kids and “get messy”. They even provided the shirts for our kids to “get messy” in, which wasn’t a problem for my “spill prone” 2-year old. We had been at an event for JAHM earlier in the day and his button-down shirt was already decorated with a myriad of stains. I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent spritzing stains out of clothing since having children. How I longed for a product that would eliminate those extra hours of standing in the basement (our laundry room) just to make sure my children would arrive at school stain free. Oy!

I had the opportunity to try out all Oxi-Active and it is really something. As the grape juice was spilled and chocolate-chocolate chip shmushed into my slipcover this past Shabbos, I just sat back and let it “slide”. As Dr, Michel Borba added, “By teaching kids that it’s okay to get messy sometimes and even encouraging it occasionally, we as parents show them that nobody is perfect, that accidents happen and most importantly, we teach them to be themselves,” I love that, and so do the kids!

Visit http://www.all-laundry.com for more information about all Oxi-Active and download a coupon today. Have some fun and share your favorite messy moments at http://www.facebook.com.

 This was not a paid post. I was invited to the all Oxi-Active event and received sample to try out on my very own loads of laundry. The opinions expressed in this blog post are mine, and I’m now a happier housewife because of it!

How Social Media Made My Passover Preperations Easier This Year

Passover Made Easier

Who knew? Social Media really helped me “kick-tush” this year in my Passover preparations. From Twitter Parties with @koshereye and shmooz sessions on Blog Talk Radio with Jamie Geller author and mom, Koshereye, and Elizabeth Kurtz from gourmetpassovercooking.com, I can go into Passover this year without being a sleep deprived and a muscle aching mommy.

 If you want to know what I learned from my kosher foodie friends in the blogosphere this year, listen in and see the “chi-lights”, you’ll want to tune in before every major Jewish holiday!

Happy Passover and may all of your recipes come out right! I just hope that matzo is easier to clean out of my keyboard than chometz!

Passover Shmooz On Blog Talk Radio

A Passover Prep Shmooz With Koshereye.com

Join me today, I have a great show all about Passover. I will be discussing what food items to purchase so your kitchen will be well stocked. We will also be sharing some of our favorite Passover recipes as well as some from Pam Reiss Passover – Kosher Collection cook book author. During the second half of our show, we will be speaking to Michael Altman, founder of Tumbador Chocolate,you can find the online at http://www.tumbadorchocolate.com, located in Brooklyn NY). Tumbador Chocolate is  hand-made, kosher (dairy & parve), kosher for Passover items). Michael will also share with us how Tumbador Chocolate was started,and what they have kosher for Passover. If you would like to call-in to the show and ask us a question, you can call (347) 327-9892 or you can send us a tweet on twitter to @koshereye and/or @primetimeparent.

Esti’s Big Day Out To The Rachel Ray Show

Today I went to The Rachel Ray Show with some friends and it was an all-star show, seriously.First, I would like to give a shout out to the amazing babysitter that watched my friend’s three year old and almost two year old children as well as my three year old and almost two year old children. She really saved the day and is a true gem. So, you’re probably wondering how two busy moms got tickets to the Rachel Ray Show?

About one year ago, I had requested tickets for The Rachel Ray Show. I had completely forgotten about this until I received an email from the show on February 8. I immediately called my friend (she is superwoman  and has five children) and asked her to go with me. And go we did!

With our tickets in hand, we waited patiently in line for about 45 minutes. It wasn’t so cold, or maybe it was because I was so excited to be out with friends. We waited in another line for security, another line for the elevator, and then we were seated in a waiting room outside the studio. There was coffee, water bottles, and Sarah Lee Bran Muffins (kosher certified, I could eat them). This was also our last opportunity to use some very nice facilities until the end of the taping. If somebody had to go while we were in teh studio, a member of the stage crew would escort them to the nearest bathroom while another stage crew member would sit in their seat (I’ve never seen an empty seat in a studio audience, have you?).  

Even though my morning had started at 5:30 am, I wasn’t tired at all and Rachel Ray’s warm-up guy, RCSmith, kept us laughing the entire time. We waited our turn to enter the studio and take our seats. These weren’t just any seats.  In fact, all of the seats were built on top of a platform that moved to where the segment was to be filmed.

This was an extra long taping and we were sitting on our tushies for a couple of hours, but it was so worth it. Rachel had well known celebrities on and her first guest was, Precious” Star Gabourey Sidibe, what a delight she was. She’s up for an Oscar for best actress for her first acting role in the film Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire. She is totally down to earth, as is Rachel Ray.  After Ms. Sidbe left the studio to appaer  on other morning shows in New York, we saw the first live performance in America of a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice. She is also a model and is heading to Italy to model clothing this coming week . I can’t think of her name right now, but will update when I get it.  Speaking of models and clothing, if you are wondering what Joan Rivers thought about the Oscars, she will be discussing that the day after the Oscars (at least she is wating this year to insult people) She was also on the show this morning and she is super slim and funny as ever! You will be able to catch her interview with Rachel Ray, sometime next week. You will laugh your arse off, big time! We sure did!

There was also s segment on physical (or lack of) relationships between two very exhausted parents of twin babies. Rachel and Dr. Logan Levkoff had the exhausted couple in the audience and had a live pep talk. Being a parent is the most rewarding  job, but it can take up all your energy and leave nothing for doing anything else. Dr Levkoff suggested that going out on a date, even to a movie and holding  hands is romantic.  Giving birth is an amazing miracle, but the body needs time to heal. It is not necessary to push physicality, even six weeks  past delivery.  Couples should be honest about their feelings in this arena.In these economic times it is most challenging to find anything extra to spend on babysitting. So, remember those friends or single nephews that offered to help? Call them and ask them.  Speaking of babysitters, my friend and I were a little bit anxious about how things with our kids were going. We hoped for the best and enjoyed the last segment; Rachel doing her shtick in the kitchen!

Rachel Ray can slice and dice garlic and onions to perfection and fast. She made a whole grain spaghetti dish with a meat sauce. The sauce was unusual because it was madewith soup broth and sun dried tomatoes . Once it had cooked for a few minutes, it was mixed well in a blender until smooth. She added this unique sauce to ground beef and gave it a good stir. She drained the whole grain pasta, tossed it around a bit, and then chopped up fresh basil and put it on top. Ymu-O-rama.

As we were on our way to the subway,we passed by a bakery called Crumbs. It just so happens that this chain has a kosher certificate and has this statement on their website, “All of Crumbs products are dairy and certified Kosher under the supervision of Orthodox Kashrut Services in New York and U.S. Kosher

 Supervision in California. Our products are Kosher for year-round use, excluding Passover”. Some people may not be familiar with this kosher certification (there are more than I’d like to admit and it does get confusing at times). When in doubt, contact your Rabbi and have him check it out for you. My friends hip and young Aunt bought us some to take home to our kids and they loved them!

 These beautiful cupcakes are pricey (about $3 to $5 per cupcake), but they are huge and overflowing with sprinkles and icing. This is definitely a “sometimes food”.

We really enjoyed our experience in the audience of The Rachel Ray Show. Have you been to The Rachel Ray Show? If not, sign up for tickets online http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show-info/be-on-the-show/.