6/15/16: New Kids on the Block Rock This Boat Season 2

Recently I was able to interview the New Kids on the Block in Boston and last week I was lucky enough to travel to New York City to attend a live QA with them that was live streamed and it was an amazing experience.  Here is the fully live streamed Q&A.  These guys are awesome and it was so fun listening to them talk about their experiences.

We got to learn a lot of cool things from them.  I found out that Mark Wahlberg was originally in the group.  All the guys in the group were friends back in 1984 from their Boston neighborhood when they formed the group.  Danny Wood joined the group when he found out Jordan was going to be in the band.  Not only did I get to be there for the Q&A but I also got to take a picture with Donnie Wahlberg!  So cool.

We also got to screen episode 2 of their Season 2 of "Rock This Boat".  The show is hysterical and shows the New Kids on the Block on a cruise with all of their fans.  As Joey says "It was Spring Break in the best way possible"..."we want to give our fans the best time of their life".  You really need to watch the show, it is so entertaining.  If you are a fan or even if you are not you will appreciate the experience that these celebrities deal with.  The cruise really is "Mayham".  I also learned that Jordan calls it Mayham not Mayhem.

Every year they try and make the cruise better and better for their fans.  They truly care about their fans which I love.  The show really portrays their experience on the cruise.

The episode we watched made us all laugh out loud when they had to perform a concert on the cruise and were forgetting the words to songs.  Before the concert they had spent 6 hours taking pictures with a line of fans which must be so exhausting!  They talk about how their body aches from hugging everyone and taking pictures with them.

Donnie talked about how they still love performing and have a great time.  They really enjoy being together on the cruise.  He also talked about the love his Mom showed for him.  Donnie's son loves to play the drums and they love doing that together.  He talks about caring for what your kids do.

 These guys are truly a class act.  The whole group is so wonderful.

We had such a good time.

This picture makes me laugh.  It is like Where's Waldo?  Find all of the band members in this picture if you can.

Here is a little preview!  Get ready to "Rock This Boat"!

Tune in weekly and watch "Rock This Boat" on Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT on PopTV!

Join the conversation online:

Twitter:  @RockThisBoat #RockThisBoat #NKOTB

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

Disclosure:  I was invited to New York City to be at the live stream with the New Kids on the Block members and was provided with a travel stipend.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

6/1/16: I Met The New Kids On the Block Rock This Boat Premieres

There are times in life when you get to do things that even you don't believe you are doing.  Recently I had that experience when I got to interview the New Kids on the Block Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, and Danny Wood then go on a Boston Cruise with them!!!  Yes you read that right!  My 14 year old self was screaming inside.  Did you know they have Season 2 of "Rock This Boat" is premiering on June 1st at 8:30 pm EST/7:30 CT on Pop TV?  The show goes on an extremely popular NKOTB fan cruise.

I got to sit down with them and interview them with only a couple other Boston Bloggers.   The guys were really down to earth and I was impressed that Jordan even asked me by blog name when we sat down to talk.  They explained to us that this season will allow viewers to see their point of view during as they prepare for the cruise with their fans and then on the cruise.  You get to see a "day in the life" of a New Kid on the Block preparing for the cruise and on the cruise.  The show gives you the perspective from each of the band members including going through an airport taking selfies with fans and then their experience throughout the cruise.  Joey explained his experience with one fan who had guilt for leaving her kids to go on the cruise and how he could identify with that having his own family now.  I love that this a band that I totally grew up with.  They are the same age as me now and have families but still get to reunite and have a lot of fun on this yearly cruise with their fans.

We talked about what they would do if they were not in the band, Joey explained he would have stayed in theater.  Danny explained that he had a four year scholarship to Boston University but also said he didn't feel like he missed out by joining the band.  It was really amusing hearing them talk about Jonathan Knight and how he is a farmer complete with his own bees.

To further immerse viewers in the NKOTB experience, Pop has teamed up with Littlstar, a premier global network dedicated to virtual reality (VR) and 360 degree video, to launch immersive content on web, mobile, headset and Apple TV platforms.  The dedicated VR and 360 degree experiences will include live performances with the band, selfies with Donnie, surf lessons with Joey and Jonathan, and more.  They explained to us that everyone wants a selfie with them and they are happy to accommodate.  I must say Danny is a pro with selfies, he grabbed my phone right away to take this photo.

Of course who wouldn't want a selfie with these handsome guys?

They really do focus on the fans and they talked about the theme nights they have on the cruise and how creative fans can be.  One specific theme they talked about was a Cowboy night and they laughed at how they were split at first if they wanted to do it but then they agreed and it turned out awesome.  

They also talked about the impact they had on the music industry and Joey joked that they had the most sung O's on an album - Hangin' Tough.  They are excited that they were a part of pop history.  They were influenced by New Edition and Jackson Five.  Joey explained how he felt Jordan's voice influenced N' Sync and Justin Timberlake.

They had a very comical commentary about Justin Bieber and how he is a star and how much pressure he is under.  Joey explained how he went through the pressure himself but had four other guys to lean on.  Danny spoke of how his mother would not have tolerated some of the things that Justin B. does.  Joey even stated that he is a talented kid and that you don't have the most talented writers and producers working with you unless you are really talented.  In addition to the social media coverage that stars get these days.  They do enjoy social media themselves and use it to share their experiences with their fans.

  The NKOTB have sold more than 80 million albums worldwide!  The band's annual party cruise has sold out eight years in a row which is a true tribute to the band and how beloved they are.  While on the boat the band members were enjoying the entertainment by the "Sing It On" members and meeting media.

After we completed the interview we headed over to the Boston Harbor for a Cruise with the band.

This was the lovely boat we got to go on.

Here is Sing It On performing on the boat.

Here they are with "The Right Stuff".  They were very relieved when the band members clapped and liked their rendition of the song.

We had lovely views of Boston on the boat.

The guys had a blast on the cruise and so did we!  I couldn't believe how close I was to them the whole night!

Here I am with my Boston Blogger friends on the boat.

Get ready to get up close and personal with these guys!

Here is a little preview!  Get ready to "Rock This Boat"!

Tune in weekly and watch "Rock This Boat" on Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT on PopTV!

Join the conversation online:

Twitter:  @RockThisBoat #RockThisBoat #NKOTB

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

Disclosure:  I was invited to interview the New Kids on the Block members and take a private cruise with them for promotional purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

6/13/14: Martha Speaks All-New Episodes

I love so many of the educational animated shows on PBS KIDS however I do have a soft spot for dogs and love Martha Speaks.  I was lucky enough to receive some three all-new episodes of Martha Speaks that will be airing beginning on June 16th.  It will be Martha Speaketh Weeketh and Martha will not only speak English but will also speak in Polish and Elizabethan English.  We got to see a few of the new episodes and loved them.

  

The advanced vocabulary used in Martha Speaks is amazing.  I loved the words used in the episodes which are fantastic to expand your child's vocabulary.  In "Thou Callest Me a Dog" you hear words like Monologue, Soliloquy, and terms from Shakespeare.  Martha learns all of this as she swallows Hamlet.  Now I wish I could go back to college and maybe if I swallowed some Shakespeare I would have got all A's in my Shakespeare classes.  My 1st grader really enjoyed it.  There was also "Martha's Paper Chase" as Martha searches for a headline story for the paper.  Martha finds a great story but is it worth sharing if she betrays Big Minnie.

Plus there is a brand new game online called Martha's Steaks.  Children learn vocabulary as Martha jumps to catch treats of steak, bacon, and drumsticks.  

I also received a cool Martha Speaks kit including the Martha Speaketh Weeketh DVD, Perfectly Martha book, Play Ball! book, Martha Speaks Canine Comics book, Martha Speaks flipbook, Martha Speaks stickers, Pencils, Shoe laces, Letter A-Z Music Videos DVD from ABCMouse.com and a guest pass to Chuck E. Cheese’s.  Both ABCMouse.com and Chuck E. Cheese's are sponsors.

I just have to share my dog's picture.  I wish Fred could talk, even if just for one day!

Here is a preview of the upcoming shows.

Make sure to tune in to PBS KIDS and WGBH to see these great episodes of Martha Speaks!

Find them online: 

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

Twitter:  @pbsmarthaspeaks

Disclosure:  I received a promotional kit for Martha Speaks in exchange for review.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

11/1/13: Dog With a Blog New Episode on The Disney Channel

There are so many kids shows these days that have more mature content that I worry about the kids watching.  One show that I like and the kids love is "Dog With A Blog" on the Disney Channel.  We love dogs in our house and the fact that he has a blog is perfect.  My kids crack up that he is typing on the computer at the end and say that is what you do Mommy.

 He is an adorable dog and the cast is really good on the show.  Make sure to check out his blog online here.

We especially like Avery, she plays an extremely smart young girl and I love her spirit.

 There was one episode that got me hooked.  At the end Stan was blogging and he was doing a product review.  He pushed on the toy and it squeaked and he said "I didn't see that coming".  It was so adorable.  Plus there is no content at all that I worry about.

 Love him typing.

Here is more information about the latest episode which was on tonight and was so cute:

 "Tyler Gets a Grill-friend" (8:30 PM – 9:00 PM ET/PT)  Avery has been snippy with her younger sister Chloe and her Mom Ellen lately, but no one knows why. Bennett who is her Dad and also a child psychologist steps in to have them share their feelings.  Avery then figures out that she is jealous of her Mom's relationship with her younger sister.  When she talks to her Mom it ends up being a really touching moment.  She realized even as a teenager she really needs her Mom.  

Meanwhile, Tyler her brother has a new coworker Emily.  The only issue is she is the boss's niece.

Here is our little doggy, Fred the Shetland Sheepdog.  He even dressed up for Halloween.

Disclosure:  I was provided content from the Entertainment New Media Network for this post.  No compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

10/16/13: The Good Wife Show Hitting the Fan

The October 27th episode of "The Good Wife" is going to be explosive.  The tension has been mounting as Alicia plots to leave Lockhart Gardner to start a new firm. In anticipation of the episode, CBS wants to know...which team are you on? 

Team Lockhart/Gardner 

OR Team Florick/Agos?

Here is a Sneak Peek Video.
ABOUT THE SHOW HITTING THE FAN: 

THE GOOD WIFE stars Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, a wife and mother who reinvents her life following her husband’s sex and political corruption scandal. Four years into her tenure at the law firm of Lockhart/Gardner, Alicia accepts a prestigious partner offer from her bosses, Diane Lockhart, Will Gardner and David Lee. However, a mutual attraction with Will leaves Alicia conflicted after she agrees to renew her vows with her husband, Peter, who has won the gubernatorial election with the help of campaign manager Eli Gold. After much thought, Alicia agrees to leave Lockhart/Gardner to start a new firm with her colleague, Cary Agos, who is unable to convince investigator Kalinda Sharma to join them.  Here is a sneak peek. 

 Now, Alicia must find a way to balance her evolving career, her new position as First Lady of Illinois and her roles as a wife and mother to her teenage children, Zach and Grace. Emboldened by the prospect of taking control of her future, Alicia bravely ventures into unknown territory. 

ON AIR: Sundays (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) 

Want to Tweet your thoughts: The Lockhart/Gardner Vs Florrick/Agos war begins. Whose side are you on? #TheGoodWife 10/27 9pm http://bit.ly/15WCfK0  

Check them out on Line:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegoodwife

Twitter: @thegoodwife_cbs

Disclosure:  This post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network. All opinions are my own.

10/15/13: 2 Broke Girls New Time on CBS and Cronuts

I love watching funny, witty TV Shows and since it's first season my husband and I have been watching 2 Broke Girls which changed to a new time this season.  It is on Monday nights from 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT on CBS and I suggest you check it out.  I personally love Max who makes me laugh out loud in every episode.  The antics of the two of these girls is hysterical.  It can be "steaming the carpets" as they try to learn how to use a Cappuccino maker, or deciding if they should take in a cat that says "hello" which gets me laughing every time. We all have had moments like these ladies where every penny counts as we dream of our successful future. 

For me it was in college.  I remember working for one of the Professors as work study making the minimum wage.  The job was all kinds of odd things like typing up homework assignments for him, typing track schedules, all the way to organizing his file cabinets and desk.  I did it with the excitement that small but meager paycheck would bring at the end of two weeks.  I would immediately go to the mall and see if I could buy an outfit.  Usually I could only afford a top or pants, not both.  But it was fun and I earned a bit of cash and learn how to manage my own money.  I would dream of my future as an Astronaut (I was going to school for Aerospace Engineering) and how rich I would be.

Here is more about the show:

2 BROKE GIRLS is a comedy about the unlikely friendship that develops between two very different young women who meet waitressing at a diner in trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and form a bond over their dream of one day owning their own successful cupcake business. Only one thing stands in their way – they’re broke. Sarcastic, street-smart Max Black met the sophisticated, school-smart Caroline Channing when the uptown trust fund princess was having a run of bad luck due to her father’s Wall Street scandal, which caused her to lose all her money and forced her to give waitressing a shot. At first, Max sees Caroline as an entitled rich girl, but she’s surprised to find that Caroline has as much substance as she does style. When Caroline discovers Max’s knack for baking amazing cupcakes, she visualizes a lucrative future for them and they begin to save money to reach their start-up money goal of $250,000. As the girls’ cupcake tally expands week-to-week, they become closer to their goal and to each other. At the diner they are surrounded by their offbeat, colorful “work family”: Oleg, an overly flirtatious cook; Earl, a hip 75-year-old cashier; Han, the eager-to-please owner of the diner; and Sophie, the girls’ outrageous upstairs neighbor. As Max and Caroline climb toward their goal, we see that their “smarts” plus their “hearts” might just be the recipe for success.

Here is a sneak peek of an episode that airs Monday, October 21st called “And The Cronuts” – When Max and Caroline start losing business to the new cronut craze (half-croissant, half-donut), they come up with their own trend – cake fries.  Feel free to tweet:  #Cakefries anyone? Max & Caroline come up with a new trend to kill cronuts #2BrokeGirls 10/21 8:30 #CBS @OfficialKat http://bit.ly/1cPnLTM

The show stars:  Kat Dennings (Max Black) Beth Behrs (Caroline Channing) Matthew Moy (Han Lee) Jonathan Kite (Oleg) Garrett Morris (Earl) Jennifer Coolidge (Sophie) 

Produced by:  Warner Bros. Television and MPK Productions 

Creator/Executive Producer:  Michael Patrick King 

Executive Consultant: Whitney Cummings

Give them some love online:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/2BrokeGirls 

Twitter: @2BrokeGirls_CBS 

CBS Twitter: @CBSTweet 

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/2brokegirlscbs

Disclosure:  This post was sponsored by Role Mommy Writer's Network however all opinions are my own.

9/5/13: Disney Princess Weekend on Disney Channel

We love Disney Princesses in our house.  In fact we love anything Disney.  My daughter absolutely loves Princess movies, toys, accessories, clothes, and costumes.  I wanted to share with you that this weekend is "I am a PRINCESS Weekend" on Disney Channel.  It starts Friday at 8 pm Central! Three of our favorite Princess movies will be debuting Tangled, Princess and the Frog, and Cinderella. 

Check out this video on Princess Weekend with some of your favorite Disney Channel stars.

I Am A Princess Weekend on Disney Video

From our first trip Lauren has always said Cinderella is her favorite so she will be excited to watch that one this weekend.  I also wanted to let you know about Disney Princess and Me.  These dolls are beautifully sculpted 18” dolls are dressed in meticulously-crafted ball gowns inspired by their iconic gowns from the beloved films.

Every little girl needs a Princess as a BFF.

These dolls have silky hair that feels real made of Kanekalon; the highest quality of silky hair.  Eyes that sparkle – Macor eyes features multiple layers of color to give them depth and realistic shine (i.e Cinderella’s eyes are made up of 4 different shades of blue).

 They all have a “trust mark” that can be found on every item in the line that ensures quality and authenticity.  Each doll has 6 points of articulation that allows for more flexibility and posability.  Wach princess’ face is uniquely sculpted and meticulously finished to create a soft, porcelain effect.  Each princess has her own signature tiara with a high-gloss metallic finish and adorned with rhinestones in their signature colors

Whether you're stargazing, playing with your favorite pet or going on fun adventures, Rapunzel is always ready to come along for some fun. Because that's what best friends do! Rapunzel has long silky hair, bright sparkling eyes and the official Disney Princess and Me trust mark on her foot. She is dressed in a beautiful gown in her iconic color, is fully posable and is wearing her signature tiara and a pair of dainty satin shoes.

I think Merida is so beautiful.

 My daughter has one of the other Merida dolls from Tollytots JAKKS Pacific and loves her so I know she will love the Princess and Me doll when it arrives.

The entire Princess and Me line can be found at Target and Target.com. 

So are you a Princess?

Disclosure:  I will be receiving a Princess and Me Doll for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.