7/19/13: Angry Birds Playground Under Construction Game

My son loves anything related to Angry Birds.  It all started with the Angry Birds App and then continued on to plus Angry Birds and any game he could fine.  He has had two birthday parties with an Angry Birds theme and I knew when the new Angry Birds Playground Under Construction game came out from Smart Toys and Games my son would be a fan.

It is based on the concept of Hide and Seek but can be played alone.  Here is Evan taking the book of game combinations out.  Everything is compact in one small case which is great.

 The goal is to cover all the characters on the board except for the ones shown in the challenge in the book.

 You have 4 puzzle pieces to fit next to each other.  It is great as it is intended for all ages with several levels of difficulty.  It has Starter, Junior, Expert and Master levels.  It includes 48 challenges.

 I love that it is a compact game and can be taken on the road.  Evan loves that it has his favorite angry birds and pigs.

 Evan was having a fun time playing and tried several of the puzzles and played for about an hour.  I thought it was great that it kept his attention and I could see him playing it in the car on a long ride.

 Every game is different and he even replayed some that he particularly liked.  It is a really cool game and if your kids like Angry Birds I am sure they will love it!

 Here it is as packaged.  It sells for $15 on Amazon.

Find SmartGames Online:  http://www.smartgames.eu/

Like them on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smart-Games/512272352121441

Follow them on Twitter:  @SmartGames_eu
@SmartToysGames

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

7/19/13: The Old Mill Restaurant

I love to share fun family friendly places and next up is a hidden gem you may not know about.  It is the Old Mill Restaurant in Westminster, MA.

 Not only it is a family friendly restaurant but they provide free bread to feed the ducks.  This was my kid's favorite part of our visit.

 There are tons of ducks to feed and as you can see they came right up on the ledge to get some bread.

 Those ducks were well fed when we left.

 As you can see there are a lot of ducks there.

Here is a lovely picture of the kids with Nana and Papa (my parents).

 My parents took me here when I was a kid and I have fond memories of going here.  Mostly I remember the ducks and the pecan rolls.

 It is really pretty there and the food is really good.  Plus they give you pecan rolls and corn fritters before your meal that are out of this world!

 Love how beautiful it is.

 Love the ducks!

 A beautiful little covered bridge.

 The restaurant has many rooms but we sat in the room right next to where you feed the ducks so the kids could look out and see the ducks.

 I highly recommend checking them out.

http://www.1761oldmill.com/index.html

Disclosure:  No compensation was received for this post.  I just wanted to share a wonderful family friendly restaurant with my readers.

7/18/13: We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz

 We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Who doesn't love the story?  It is such a timeless classic and so much fun to see live on stage.  We were lucky enough to see it at the North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT).  If you think your child won't sit still for a show this is one to take them to.  It is so much fun, plus the entertainment is all around you at this intimate theatre and the special effects are fantastic.  The show is still going on until August 4th so there is still time to get tickets.  Plus Kids 18 and under save 50% on ‘Family Friday' July 19th.

 Credit for all photos to: ©Paul Lyden
Of course we have to start with Dorothy.  Judy Garland is a difficult pair of ruby slippers to fill, but Danielle Bowen was wonderful.  I loved the inflections in her voice that made it really sound like the original.  She did such an amazing job.  We loved hearing her sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".  Toto was adorable also.  He was so well trained and sat even when Dorothy walked away.  He is a rescue dog and I absolutely love that.  There are two dogs they have playing the role of Toto so each gets a little break.  

The first character Dorothy meets on her yellow brick road to see the Wizard is the Scarecrow.  Paul Sabala plays this character and does a fantastic job.  The way he walks like a Scarecrow who wouldn't be used to walking on legs is great.

Then it is off to meet the Tin Man.  Joe Moeller had a wonderful voice plus did some tapping which I enjoyed.

I think my favorite though was the Cowardly Lion.  He had us all laughing and had a wonderful voice.  He did a wonderful job with the part and the kids loved him too.  

Donna English as Glinda the Good Witch was fantastic also.  Seeing her flying through the air was so cool and the kids were very impressed.

Here is a video preview of the show:

My kids loved it and they are 6 and 8.  If your kids enjoyed the movie they will love it.  When the witch comes in my daughter did grab my arm as she flew over head but she was fine with it.  Laura Jordan does an awesome job with the Wicked Witch of the West.  Her screechy voice was perfect when she said "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!"

You can't forget about the Munchkins.  They were played by children and many of them I recognized from previous shows at the North Shore Music Theatre.

     The whole show is so amazing.  I highly recommend it!
You can also play the Wizard of Oz Game and win 4 VIP Tickets for the show on July 27th.

More about the show:
Follow the yellow brick road to the award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) for THE WIZARD OF OZ. "Our production of The Wizard of Oz will be the perfect way to continue this fantastic family summer we are having at North Shore Music Theatre," said NSMT owner and producer Bill Hanney. "Following our acclaimed record-breaking production of The Sound of Music, I am happy to say that we are anticipating many sold out performances for this show as well. I have added many additional performances to accommodate the families who will want to enjoy this show together and make some memories to last a lifetime!" There truly is no place like home as THE WIZARD OF OZ, the greatest family musical of all time, lands on the stage of North Shore Music Theatre. You will be swept away by our celebration of the iconic 1939 MGM film. The entire family will be captivated as they travel down the Yellow Brick Road and beyond with Dorothy, Toto and their friends the Cowardly Lion, Tinman and Scarecrow in this lavish production, featuring magical special effects, dazzling choreography and the classic songs you love, including "Over the Rainbow," "If I Only Had a Brain," "We're Off to See the Wizard," and more. 

 THE WIZARD OF OZ will feature Danielle Bowan as Dorothy. Danielle is a rising junior in the BFA Musical Theatre program at Emerson College in Boston and has appeared in productions such as Spring Awakening and the Emerson Fights Aids Gala. NSMT audience favorite, David Coffee, will play Professor Marvel, The Gatekeeper and The Wizard of Oz. 

For tickets and information call (978) 232-7200, visit the NSMT Website, or visit the box office in person at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, Massachusetts. THE WIZARD OF OZ is sponsored by Beverly Hospital, a member of Lahey Health, and Boston Children's Hospital . Meet the Theatre: post-show audience discussion with the artists on July 23 after the 7:30 pm performance and July 27 after the 2 pm performance.

So don't miss Dorothy and her friends and make sure you go and see 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 The Wizard of Oz.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

7/18/13: Parlee Farms Cherry and Blueberry Picking

We know that it is a challenge to find fun ways to fill the summer school vacation without breaking the bank.  Recently we went cherry and blueberry picking at Parlee Farms in Tyngsborough, MA and had a full day of fun.  

 We were lucky that if you went cherry picking you got a free hayride.  I know my kids love the hayride and I know my husband and Mom love cherries so we headed out to pick.

 It is so beautiful at the farm.

 Here is Evan picking some.

 The kids love exploring to pick fruit.

 Look at how huge these cherries are!

 Lauren discovered she likes cherries so that was exciting.

 Filling up their buckets.

 Then we headed over to pick some blueberries.

 Lauren was proud of what she picked.  They give you the bucket and then you head back to the farm stand and they weigh what you have.

 Looking for the best blueberries.

 Lauren has a lot of good ones.

 Evan got excited every time he picked big blueberries.

 Then we headed over to feed the animals.

 This was a big hit with Evan.  Cranking the wheel to bring food up to the goats at the top.

 They love feeding them.  I made sure to bring lots of quarters and a little plastic bag so they could put the food in it and not have it all fall out of their hands.

 Evan likes to feed the little guys.

 Plus they even have little tractors to drive around.

 For $2 a ride the kids loved it.

What a great day and now we have lots of great cherries and blueberries.  I froze many of the blueberries as we had so many.  The best way to freeze them is to put them on to a cookie sheet after they are washed and put them in the freezer.  Then take them out and put them in to freezer bags.  

So get out there and pick some fruit and have fun!  We will be headed back there for apples and pumpkins in the fall.

Disclosure:  No compensation was received for this post.  I just wanted to share this wonderful farm with you.

7/16/13: Santa's Village Holiday Fun in July

Getting your holiday wish list in early with the big man is always a good thing.  This is why we go to Santa's Village in Jefferson, NH every year.  Well and for all the fun rides and to feed the reindeer.  Seriously though, what is better than Christmas in July?

 The kids sitting in the sled as you enter the park.

 You can even talk to Rudolph on the way in.

A huge Frosty the Snowman.

One thing that the kids love is playing the Elfabet game.  There are Elfs all over the park that have letters that you punch your card with.  When you finish you get a little prize and certificate.

Here are the kids with their certificates.

 Of course the rides are fun.  Here are the kids racing on the red hot racers.  A great place when it is a hot day.

 They also played this game and each won a small stuffed animal.  It was only $1 per play which is a great price.

 The water park.

 The kids cooling off under the water.

 Water slide time.

 One of my favorite activities is feeding the reindeer.  We found out during this visit them have 36 reindeers that are rotated.

 Feeding them apples.

 They are too cute.

 We went to a show at the end of the day.

Santa was part of the show too.

 We got to see the Penguin.  Love him!  All of the trash barrels look like him.

What a great day!

 Disclosure:  No compensation was received for this post.  All opinions are my own.