Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog

Friday, November 9, 2012

11/9/12: My First Baby Disney Princess Birthday Set Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATULATIONS SHERRI FOR WINNING!

Next up in my Holiday Gift Guide is one for the little girls. It is a wonderful doll from Tollytots JAKKS Pacific, the My First Baby Princess Birthday Set.

Plus one of my lucky readers will win one! A perfect gift for your little Princess.

I love that the set comes with a cupcake, party invite, gift, Gus, and birthday bib. I think this would be the perfect gift for any little girl for the holidays or for her first birthday.

There is Ariel, Belle and Cinderella. Of course you can see that we got Cinderella. She is Lauren's favorite so that is perfect. Lauren was having so much fun playing with her and celebrating her birthday.

Lauren giggling as she feeds her the cupcake. She also sang Happy Birthday to her.

Then Lauren decided she should teach her how to do hand stands.

Now the doll is trying it. Love it!

Here is Lauren getting together the gift. She said that her doll was getting a stuffed animal bear for her birthday.

Lauren had to write out the invitation which I thought was really cute. She was very excited to invite her other dolls to the party.

Here she is as packaged. As you can see it is beautiful. The dress is also gorgeous.

You can check out the full Princess line from Tollytots JAKKS Pacific or on their website here. You can also find Tollytots on Twitter @Tollytots or on Facebook.

Here is how to enter to win a My First Baby Princess Birthday Set (Note winner cannot select specific doll but will be sent one from the collection):

1 entry for each item:

Mandatory Entry:

- Comment on the following question (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you. Also if you have problems, just Preview the comment and it should work. Make sure you see comment posted.
Which Disney Princess is your child's favorite?

Optional Additional Entries:

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Like Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook and comment here that you did. Already Like us, just comment here that you already do.
- Like Tollytots on Facebook.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side). Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.
- Follow TollyTots on Twitter: @Tollytots
- Follow me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/galiberti/

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily):

#Win a My First Baby Princess Birthday Set from @galiberti and @Tollytots http://bit.ly/VYxmur #Giveaway

Contest closes Tuesday, November 20th, 2012.

Disclosure: I received this Doll for review purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/9/12: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Next up in my Holiday Gift Guide is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Power Sound FX Figures from Playmates Toys. I loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when I was a kid and was glad to see the series come back and toys to go along with it.

I love that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back from the sewers and going to be in stores this holiday season. Playmates Toys has action figures, playsets, vehicles, and role play gear, inspired by Nickelodeon’s all-new CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We received Donatello and Raphael. Evan had a great time having them battle.

Even though they have their own sound effects he added some of his own.

Watch out Fred a Turtle is flying through the air.

Here they are as packaged. They are able to deliver battle phrases with awesome sound effects, the Power Sound FX Figures come to life like never before! Each of the figures stands 5.5 inches tall and features proprietary wire coil activation in the arms and legs that triggers heroic battle phrases. Kids simply pull back and hold the activation limb to hear reverberated phrases such as “I’m invincible!” and “Hiiiiiiii-yaa!” Each figure comes with different battle phrases and sound effects, as well as their core Ninja weapons. The Power Sound FX Figures collection includes Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo and Shredder. They sell for $12.99 each.

What a fun holiday toy that both kids and adults will enjoy as it brings us back to our youth and watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Here is a short video of Evan playing with them:

Visit www.playmatestoys.com or www.facebook.com/playmatestoys for additional information.

Follow them on Twitter: @PlaymatesToys

Disclosure: I received these toys for review purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

11/8/12: Guest Post on Thanksgiving Menu Suggestions

With Thanksgiving coming up I wanted to share a guest post with you on:

5 Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make This Year's Thanksgiving Menu One to Remember by Jennifer Williams

More than all the other holidays Thanksgiving is about the food, which means you may feel pressure to get every recipe on your Thanksgiving menu just right. With all the great Thanksgiving recipes available today, you have plenty of resources to help you craft the perfect meal, from start to finish.

From the appetizers all the way down to the finishing Thanksgiving dessert recipes, choose memorable dishes that will really wow your guests, all without requiring too much time and energy on your part. This Thanksgiving menu can stand on its own, or you can work just one or two of the recipes into the menu you had in mind.

Creamy Vidalia Onion Dip
Start off your Thanksgiving meal the right way with a gooey and decadent Vidalia onion dip. The sweet onions and rich cheese seem to melt together as you bake them. The dip is super simple to prepare and can be served on any type of crackers, bread, or chips.

What You Need:
1 large Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, coarsely chopped
1 pkg. (7 oz.) shredded Italian three cheese blend
1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Make It:
HEAT oven to 325ºF.
MIX first 3 ingredients.
SPREAD onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate; sprinkle with Parmesan.
BAKE 45 min. or until golden brown.

Cranberry-Glazed Ham
Whether you want to try something different from turkey this year or want to add another meat to your Thanksgiving menu, a glazed ham is a delicious choice. This incredibly simple recipe lets you combine a rich, juicy ham with tart cranberry sauce to make a perfect main dish that will have guests coming back for seconds.

What You Need:
1 skinless bone-in ham (shank or butt-end portion) (7 lb.)
1 can (14 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 tbsp. zest and 3 Tbsp. juice from 1 orange

Make It:
HEAT oven to 325ºF.
PLACE ham in shallow pan. Score ham; cover with foil. Bake 1-1/2 hours. Meanwhile, microwave remaining ingredients in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 to 45 sec. or until cranberry sauce is melted. Reserve 1-3/4 cups cranberry mixture.
REMOVE foil from ham. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour or until ham is heated through (140ºF), brushing with remaining cranberry mixture every 20 min.
TRANSFER ham to cutting board; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 15 min. Slice ham; serve with reserved cranberry mixture.

Sweet Butternut Squash Bake
You have endless options to choose from with Thanksgiving side dish recipes, but a good rule of thumb is to include at least one starchy vegetable and at least one heartier vegetable. For your starchy vegetable, consider ditching the sweet potato casserole for a smooth and rich butternut squash bake.

What You Need:
3 butternut squash (7 lb.)
1 cup water
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Make It:
HEAT oven to 375ºF.
CUT squash in half; remove seeds. Place squash halves, cut-sides down, in 15x10x1-inch pan. Add water. Bake 40 min. or until tender.
SCOOP squash flesh into medium bowl; mash well. Add cream cheese, sugar and pepper; mix well. Spoon into 3-qt. casserole.
HEAT broiler. Top squash mixture with marshmallows; broil, 6 inches from heat, 1 to 2 min. or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Sweet and Tart Carrots
While the oven is packed full of meat, you can still use the stove top to toss together a simple side dish. The balsamic reduction drizzled over these carrots makes them both sweet and tart, and definitely decadent. Plus, this side dish is really simple, requiring only 10 minutes of active prep time.

What You Need:
10 carrots (1-1/4 lb.), peeled, quartered lengthwise
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Make It:
COOK carrots in boiling water in large saucepan on medium heat 4 to 6 min. or until crisp-tender. Meanwhile, cook dressing, sugar and butter in small saucepan on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
DRAIN carrots; return to saucepan. Add sauce; stir. Cook 2 to 3 min. or until carrots are heated through and evenly coated with sauce.
SPRINKLE with parsley.

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
If you think your guests will let you get away with it, toss out your usual pumpkin pie recipe in favor of this rich and flavorful pumpkin cheesecake. You'll especially love the sharp and sweet gingersnap crumb crust. Plus, you can bake it the day before or in the morning and forget about it until it's time for dessert.

What You Need:
1-1/2 cups finely crushed ginger snaps
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs

Make It:
HEAT oven to 325°F.
MIX crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch spring form pan.
BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add pumpkin, spice and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour into crust.
BAKE 1 hour 20 min. to 1 hour 30 min. or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.

Jennifer's Bio:
While not working part-time as a bank teller, Jennifer Williams fills her time kayaking, writing, cooking and spending time with her 3 beautiful daughters. She looks forward to the weekends when all of her hobbies can finally come together.
Disclosure: This post was written by Jennifer Williams.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

11/6/12: Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List and Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATULATIONS TO WWillows6 FOR WINNING!

Next up in my Holiday Gift Guide is Melissa & Doug's Terrific Twenty. I was lucky enough to see some of these toys at the Melissa & Doug Booth at Toy Fair. I have always loved the quality of their toys. We have several of their toys, coloring pads and crafts in our house.

Plus one of my lucky readers will win a Trunki from the list of Terrific Twenty toys!

Have you seen a Trunki before? It is a suitcase and kids can ride on it! Here is a picture of what a Trunki is.

Here is one in Blue.

Here is some of the other items from the list. The Bella Butterfly Tea Set was displayed at Toy Fair.

How adorable is this for a tea party?

I also saw the Whittle World School Bus Set. So beautifully made, and a toy that will last.

Here is Suspend, a cool game for children 8 and up.

In addition on Melissa & Doug's website you also have the opportunity to win. They are having a "

20 Days of Terrific Twenty" Giveaway on their Facebook page! Every day (starting today) they will be giving away one item from our Terrific Twenty list to at least one of their lucky Facebook fans! Go check that out for extra chances to win.

Here is how to enter to win a Trunki which is one of Melissa & Doug's Terrific Twenty Toys:

1 entry for each item:

Mandatory Entry:

- Comment on the following question (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you. Also if you have problems, just Preview the comment and it should work. Make sure you see comment posted.
Which item from the Terrific Twenty is your favorite and who would you give it to?

Optional Additional Entries:

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Like Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook and comment here that you did. Already Like us, just comment here that you already do.
- Like Melissa & Doug on Facebook.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side). Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.
- Follow Melissa & Doug on Twitter: @MelissaAndDoug
- Follow me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/galiberti/
- Follow Melissa & Doug on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/melissaanddoug/

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily):

Win a Trunki from Melissa & Doug's Terrific Twenty Toys from @galiberti and @MelissaAndDoug http://bitly.com/UicuCB #Giveaway

Contest closes Friday, November 16th, 2012.

Disclosure: I received one of the Terrific Twenty for promotional purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/6/12: All Aboard The Polar Express Cape Cod

I love the holidays and all the fun events that surround them. One book and movie I especially love is The Polar Express. We have been able to take many versions of this locally and now I am looking forward to taking the Cape Cod Central Railway version.

More about the event:

All Aboard! The Polar Express comes to life this holiday season as the Cape Cod Central Railway rolls out of the station bound for the "North Pole!" Come early and climb aboard with your family to cozy-up and enjoy our festively-decorated vintage train cars. Dancing chefs deliver hot chocolate and a cookie to each guest to savor while music from the Polar Express movie plays en route to the North Pole. Make sure to have your tickets handy, because your conductor will be by shortly to punch each child's ticket. Before arriving at the North Pole, the iconic book, The Polar Express is read as your Chef turns the pages to share the beautiful illustrations in the original book. With the station far away, The Polar Express magically arrives at the outskirts of Santa's North Pole village, where Santa Claus himself and his elves joyously welcome the train!

As you stay comfortably settled and warm in your seat, Santa and his helper elf board the train! During the return trip, Santa will greet each child with his signature holiday spirit and the first gift of Christmas: a bell cut from his sleigh. It is said that only children and those who still believe can actually hear the bell ring. Join in the singing as your Chef or Conductor lead Christmas caroling on the 30-minute return trip. For those wanting the magic to last or to do a little Christmas shopping, visit our gift shop in the station for special Polar Express gifts and merchandise. Oh, one last thing, children are encouraged to wear their PJ's; adults who still believe have been known to wear them, too!

So, are you coming? All Aboard!

Here is a video to get you in the mood:

All Aboard the Polar Express is coming to the Cape Cod Central Railway, visit http://www.capetrain.com/ or call 888-797-7245 to climb aboard.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capecodrailroad

Disclosure: I received four tickets to the Polar Express. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Monday, November 5, 2012

11/5/12: Nutcracker at The Hanover Theatre Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATULATIONS HEATHER ON WINNING THE TICKETS!
I personally love the Nutcracker. I danced to songs from this show when I did ballet as a kid. Now the Nutcracker is coming to The Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA and one of my lucky readers is going to win a Family 4 pack to the show on Friday, November 23rd at 7:00 pm.

The show is performed by the Youth Ballet of Worcester Company.

The winner will receive a family 4-pack of tickets.

You can buy tickets here.

SHOW TIMES:

September 2012
11/23 (7:00 pm)
11/24 (2:00, 7:00 pm)
11/25 (2:00 pm)

More about the show:

Jump start the holiday season with Worcester's family tradition of THE NUTCRACKER presented by the Youth Ballet of Worcester Company November 23-25, 2012. This magical production is the collaborative artistic effort of the Youth Ballet of Worcester Company joining with the live music of the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra. Full price tickets are $24, $30, $36, depending on seating location. Please call the box office at 877.571.SHOW (7469) for more information.
Here is a sneak peek:

Here is how to enter to win tickets to the Friday, November 23rd show at 7:00 pm:

1 entry for each item:

Mandatory Entry:

Optional Additional Entries:

- Visit the The Hanover Theatre Website and then comment here on other shows that you would like to go to.

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Like Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook and comment here that you did. Already Like us, just comment here that you already do.
- Like the Ballet Art's Worcester on Facebook Page.
- Like The Hanover Theatre on Facebook.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side). Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.
- Follow the Ballet Art's Worcester on Twitter @BalletWorcester
- Follow the Ballet Art's Worcester on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/balletarts/ballet-arts-worcester/

- Follow The Hanover Theatre on Twitter @HanoverTheatre and leave a comment here that you are a follower.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily):

Win 4 tickets to the Nutracker with @BalletWorcester at The @HanoverTheatre Nov. 23rd 7:00pm from @galiberti. http://bitly.com/PyNV1B #Giveaway

Contest closes Friday, November 16th, 2012.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and their tickets will be held at Will Call.

Disclosure: I received a family four pack of tickets for the show to promote it. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

11/4/12: Guys and Dolls Rolls a 7

We were lucky enough to attend Guys and Dolls at the North Shore Music Theatre today with the whole family. It was a wonderful mix of singing, acting and dancing. Set in New York following floating Craps games and relationships between guys and dolls. In fact all of us are still singing "Luck Be A Lady Tonight".

All photos credited to Paul Lyden

I have said it before, I love to expose my children to theatre. I hope some day they will have the same appreciation that my husband and I have for live theatre. It was comical that my 5 year old Lauren brought her doll with her. I didn't realize that she thought that the show was about dolls. We had to explain to her that it was just the term for ladies. She enjoyed the show despite the lack of dolls in it. My 7 year old Evan also liked it.

I really enjoyed the New York accents on the cast. Especially Nathan Detroit played by Johnathan Hammond. I also enjoyed the performances of Kelly McCormick who played Sarah Brown and Kevin Vortmann who played Sky Masterson (both pictured here). They had some beautiful songs together like "I'll Know". They had really great voices. Sky was the sinning gangster that turns out good in the end.

I also enjoyed "Sit Down, You're Rockin The Boat" by Wayne W. Pretlow who played Nicely-Nicely (pictured on the left here). He really stood out to me and was fabulous.

Miss Adelaide played by Mylinda Hull was awesome. She danced (including Tap which Lauren enjoyed), sang and was really funny. After being engaged for 14 years to Nathan Detroit she is getting sick of not getting a commitment to get married. I loved her story to her Mom that she has been married for 12 years and now has 5 kids. The whole cast were really good dancers.

She really was phenomenal!

Sarah and Miss Adelaide meet up and decide that they are going to marry their men and change them. Usually this does not work however both of their men turn out good in the end and all ends well. It was a high energy, fun show.

The North Shore Music Theatre is a beautiful venue. It is a casual environment and I love that. Plus the action is all around you as it is a Theatre in the round.

The show is going on till November 11th so you can still buy tickets. You can also play a game here and be entered to win a 9 to 5 VIP ticket Package including 4 tickets and dinner.

More about the Show:

With its unforgettable songs and a cast of gamblers, gals and gangsters, GUYS AND DOLLS is musical entertainment you can bet on!

"We are excited to be ending the subscription season with the classic musical Guys and Dolls," said owner and producer Bill Hanney. " This show is considered to be the perfect musical, and our Artistic Director Arianna Knapp, director Mark Martino, and I have put together the perfect cast of performers to bring this colorful show to life. I know our audiences will be thrilled with this production."

Set in the hustle and bustle of prohibition era New York City, GUYS AND DOLLS soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces us to a cast of vivid characters including; Sarah Brown, the upright but uptight "mission doll," out to reform the evildoers of Time Square; Sky Masterson, the slick, high-rolling gambler who woos her on a bet and ends up falling in love; Adelaide, the chronically ill nightclub performer whose condition is brought on by the fact she's been engaged to the same man for 14 years; and Nathan Detroit, her devoted fiancé, desperate as always to find a spot for his infamous floating crap game.
GUYS AND DOLLS, based on "The Idyll of Sarah Brown" and characters by Damon Runyon, features a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, and an iconic score by Frank Loesser that includes such songs as "Luck Be A Lady," "Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat," "If I Were A Bell," and "A Bushel and a Peck."
The cast of GUYS AND DOLLS will be led by Jonathan Hammond (Nathan Detroit), Mylinda Hull (Miss Adelaide), Kelly McCormick (Sarah Brown), and Kevin Vortmann (Sky Masterson). The cast also includes Wayne W. Pretlow (Nicely Nicely), Ben Roseberry (Benny Southstreet), Jamie Ross (Arvide), and Jessica Sheridan (General Cartwright).

So roll the dice and go and see this show. You will love it!

You can also check out the North Shore Music Theatre:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthShoreMusicTheatre

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NSMusicTheatre

Disclosure: I received 4 tickets to attend this performance of Guys and Dolls. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

11/3/12: Boo from GUND Super Soft and Cuddly

We love dogs in our house so we were excited when we received Boo from GUND. He is so soft and cuddly. Boo is a super cute dog that GUND fashioned their stuffed toy after. Plus he even has his own Facebook Page with 5.6 million followers!

Boo is a super cute Pomeranian dog. You can actually learn more about him here. Here is our Shetland Sheepdog Fred hanging out with Boo.

I was introduced to Boo at Toy Fair in New York in February and thought he was super cute and that my kids would love him. I was right. Since he is so soft the kids like to sleep with him.

Evan loves sleeping with this little guy.

Look at how cute he is!

Learn more at: www.GUND.com.

Twitter: @GottaGettaGUND

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GottaGettaGUND

Disclosure: I received a Boo for review purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/3/12: VTech Switch and Go Dinos

My son loves vehicles and loves dinosaurs. I wanted to let you know about an innovative set of toys that VTech has come out with which combines both. The VTech Switch and Go Dinos are so much for to play with. VTech always has had such fun toys to play with and these are awesome! My video in this post will also show how easy they are to transform.

We received three different Switch and Go Dinos to try out. I will start with Evan's favorite which is Attila the Ankylosaurus. He can transform from a hefty construction vehicle to an Ankylosaurus and back again. As you will see in my videos Evan quickly figured out how to do this.