5/24/16: BrickFair Family Affordable Fun

Evan loves building with LEGOs.  He always has.  Now that it is Evan's 11th birthday week we went to the BrickFair Myths and Legends LEGO Expo at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough with a few friends.

One of the highlights for Evan is always building a vehicle and racing it against his friends.  I knew this would be the first thing he would go to.  Even my husband got in to the action and won one of the races.

Making sure to get all the perfect pieces.

There were lots of cool displays of LEGO creations to see.  The kids particularly liked this one with a moving train.  Allow yourself enough time to really take it all in.  We were there about 2 hours.  Plus there are lots of vendors selling LEGOs.  Each boy bought a little LEGO person as a memento.

It is amazing what people can create with LEGOs.  I personally take forever to put something together.  I was amazed over the holidays when Evan got a Space Shuttle and he put it together within a day!  I can just imagine how long it would take to make these creations.

I love the Mickey Mouse!

It is so fun looking at all the details.  The kids kept pointing things out that they saw.

Wow, how amazing is this?

A little geography/history lesson.

So cool!

There were also bounce houses with Wipe Out style balls in side.  The kids had a blast on these.  It was a nice addition to give the kids something to bounce around in and get some energy out.

BrickFair was so much fun and at a price of $15 per person it makes it a family affordable fun activity.

Check out the full schedule online:  http://www.brickfair.com/

Disclosure:  I received tickets for my family and I to attend BrickFair.  No other compensation was received in exchange for review.

5/25/16: Win Tickets to Northeast Comic Con

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS DIANE AND ARIELLE
Did you know Comic Con is coming to the Northeast and will be at the Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington, MA on June 18th and 19th?  As one of my lucky readers I am giving you a chance to win one of 2 sets of 4 tickets to go on either the 18th or 19th.

There will be lots of family fun, celebrity meet and greets, and lots of cool collectibles.  I personally am most excited about meeting Mickey Dolenz who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of "The Monkees"!!!  I loved The Monkees when I was a kid.  I always listened to their song where they said they were coming to my town but they never did.  I watched the show all the time and loved all of them so this is a childhood dream to be able to meet Mickey.

Gamers new and “vintage” will enjoy free-play videogame arcade and tournaments, and little ones will enjoy children’s activities and watching all the intricate costumes.  Since it is Father’s Day, surprise dad with an on-the-spot gift from the 150 vendors of vintage and modern toys, comic books, collectibles, art, jewelry, fashion and popular cultural artifacts.  In between shopping, everyone is welcome to free live music and entertainment in the Fez Room – a great place for parents to relax and showcase your pop culture knowledge.  James Tolkan from the “Back To The Future” trilogy will be there.

Some additional celebrity guests will be there including Chase Masterson from “General Hospital,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” Doctor Who’s audio adventures, and CW’s “The Flash”, Jon Walmsley, best known for his nine seasons on “The Waltons” and as the voice of lovable Christopher Robin on Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh” TV series.  Guests will also be able to meet actress Kathy Garver, fondly remembered for her starring role as teenage niece Catherine “Cissy” Davis to series character Uncle Bill Davis in “Family Affair” on CBS in the 1960s. Barry Bostwick  from “Rocky Horry Picture Show” and “Spin City” will also be there.

In addition to the inimitable pop culture expert Gary Sohmers, the show’s producer, other celebrity guests include Jeff Kline ("Transformers - Robots In Disguise," Darby Pop Publisher), Mike Lopez (Kids Comic Con), Rob Bruce ("AMC's Comic Book Men"), Reb Brown ("Captain America"), Somerville maskmaker Eric Bornstein and special FX artisan Tyler Green (Syfy "Face Off") along with puppeteers Bill Diamond ("Fraggle Rock,” “Little Shop of Horrors”) and Noel MacNeal (“The Muppets,” “Bear in the Big Blue House”). Kids will also enjoy meeting Disney artist Philo Barnhart (“Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast”) and Alex Simmons (“Archie” “Blackjack”) and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” artist Steve LaVign. 

Northeast Comic Con will have lots of attractions for young fans.  With free parking Northeast Comic Con ticket prices are among the lowest in the industry.  Saturday adult advance online tickets are $18 and Sunday adult advance tickets are only $10.  Adult weekend passes are $25 in advance online; children’s weekend passes (ages 7-13) are $12 and children six and under are always free with a paid adult. Visit the website (necomiccon.net) for advance VIP Experience tickets. On June 18th and 19th, the box office opens at 8:30 a.m. and VIPs/Early Bird tickets will be allowed in at 9:30 a.m.  

Enter below to win four tickets!  

I am giving away 2 sets of 4 tickets for you to attend either Saturday or Sunday!

Disclosure:  I was provided with tickets for review purposes in addition to two sets of four tickets for giveaway.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. a Rafflecopter giveaway

5/19/16: TouchTomorrow at WPI FREE STEM Event

Family fun is pretty expensive these days so when I see a free event I jump at the chance.  TouchTomorrow at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is totally free and a great STEM event for kids!  It is happening on June 11th from 10-4 on the WPI Campus.  I went last year and the whole family loved it plus it was nice for my husband and I to go back to our Alma mater.

Here is some more information about this years event:
This is TouchTomorrow's fifth year at WPI.  The family can explore Space and Robots with NASA educators.  There will be NASA exhibits including the famous MARCBot IV Rover and the Mark III Suit.  Try on a wearable NASA Space suit! 

Check out two new Virtual Reality chairs with monitors and Oculus glasses that will take you on a planetary tour!  Watch what happens to Peeps inside a real vacuum chamber.  Get run over by the Roll-Over-Rover like Lauren did last year.  This lightweight rover has 8 wheels and rolls right over kids and makes them giggle the whole time.

Little kids will also have a blast with “Quack” from Peep and the Big Wide World and Curious George. 

Plus there are faculty and students sharing their work with you and your family.  Last year we got to see the lab I spent a lot of time in with a Wind Tunnel.

There will also be lots of speakers including NASA Astronauts.  When we went last year we saw Astronaut Cady Coleman.  She spoke about her experiences and showed some really cool pictures from her missions.  She will be back again this year to speak.  You can see the schedule here. 

There is even an event app this year that you can download from the app store by searching for “WPI TouchTomorrow”.  The event will also feature the NASA Sample Return Robot Centennial Challenge.  The NASA Sample Return Robot Challenge program has three objectives: 1 - Discover innovative new technologies to advance robot navigation and sample collection without human control. 




2 - Demonstrate robotic transportation over varied terrain without the aid of GPS or other Earth-based systems. 


3 - Empower educators and people of all ages, by introducing robotics and how they work, where they work, and real-world applications of how robots will be used the future. 







This event drew more than 10,000 people!  

The whole family had so much fun and it got the kids exited about science and engineering.  Here they are with Gompei the Goat who is our school's mascot!

There was so much to do and see.  I recommend looking at the schedule online and decide what you really want to go to.  There were many food options, ample parking and by using the campus map you were able to figure out where you wanted to go. 

For more information on TouchTomorrow visit them online:
www.touchtomorrow.wpi.edu
@touchtomorrowpi #touchtomorrow
https://www.facebook.com/TouchTomorrowWPI
https://instagram.com/wpi_touchtomorrow/

So much fun for the whole family!

Disclosure:  I was provided compensation for this post.  As always all opinions are my own.

5/18/16: Boston Red Sox Game Kid Nation and Wally's Birthday

I am extremely fortunate to be a part of the Red Sox Parents.  We have always loved the Boston Red Sox and now that my son plays Little League he enjoys going to games even more.  The Red Sox have done so much over the past few years to make Fenway Park more family friendly.  I am amazed at all of the improvements that came from discussions myself and others had with the marketing team.  The Kids Concourse is awesome.  You can see some more pictures of the Kids Concourse here.

Evan is turning 11 in a week so we are starting the celebration for his birthday.  He was very happy to begin the celebration in great seats at Fenway Park.

Tessie (Wally's sister) has been a great addition to the Red Sox family.  We got to meet her at the Red Sox Winter Weekend at Foxwoods.  

She has been added to the bench in the Kids Concourse.  Also make sure to sign up for Kid Nation.  Children 14 and under can register for a free.  The Red Sox Kid Nation program is presented by Hood.  More than 53,000 fans signed up for the Kid Nation program after the free ticket was introduced in 2015!

The Red Sox have made enhancements to Wally’s Clubhouse, located in the Kids Concourse behind right field, including opportunities for kids to experience the tactile elements of baseball.  A rolling mobile exhibit will feature a miniature fiberglass version of Pesky’s Pole that youngsters can sign with a dry erase marker, a piece of the padded field wall that lines the infield and outfield, and various compartments with objects for them to feel, such as a deconstructed baseball and Fenway Park dirt.  Miniature lockers staged to look just like the ones in the Red Sox clubhouse will be installed in Wally’s Clubhouse, and an oversized trunk filled with authentic Red Sox jerseys, cleats, and batting gloves will be available for kids to play dress up.  In addition to the tactile elements, enhanced organized games and activities such as Red Sox bingo, story time, Q and A sessions, and lessons on  scoring the game will take place in the space.  All of Wally's friends came to visit for his birthday party.  This was a great picture opportunity in the Kids Concourse.

There are virtual reality experiences within Fenway Park of the dugout.  There are also virtual reality stations in Wally's Clubhouse.  The videos will also be available to fans online.  There are lots of great picture opportunities in the Kids Concourse.  Here is Evan looking pretty cool as a Red Sox player!

It was very exciting when they got a Home Run.  The whole park erupted.

Did you also know that the Red Sox Foundation does wonderful things?  They sponsor Little League teams across the Commonwealth by providing grants that help supply uniforms and equipment.  The foundation will also continue to fund and operate 32 RBI teams (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) and Rookie Leagues.  The youth programs serve more than 1600 at-risk children in the Boston area.  Plus when you are at a game Tweet the Red Sox Foundation (@RedSoxFund) with your seat location and #OrangeApron and you can win Red Sox prizes!

Take the kids out to the ballgame and enter through Gate K (for Kids) and have a great time!

Happy Birthday Wally!!!!

Disclosure:  As a part of the Red Sox Parents I was provided with tickets to the Red Sox Game for promotional purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

5/17/16: Hard Rock Cafe Burger Tour and Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATULATIONS DANA R.
Last weekend we went in to Boston to catch a Red Sox game and while we were there we got to go to Hard Rock Cafe Boston and check out their awesome new World Burger Tour menu!  I am sharing my experience with you and giving you a chance to win a Hard Rock Cafe Prize Pack!  This limited-time World Burger Tour menu is only available until June 30th so hurry in now!

There is nothing better than a great burger.  I have been to Hard Rock Cafe in the past and it is always what I order there.  The burgers are so good and juicy!  This year more than 160 local burgers were evaluated by Hard Rock’s culinary team with fan favorites selected to headline the World Burger Tour menu. 

Here are some examples:

English Breakfast Burger (London, England) – a Certified Angus Beef® patty topped with sliced ham, a sausage patty, a fried egg, a portobello mushroom, arugula and garlic aioli and served with a side of baked beans

Java Lava Burger (Seattle, United States) – a Certified Angus Beef patty grilled and dressed in a house-made espresso rub and topped with lava sauce, crunchy java onions, bacon, melted Cheddar cheese and garnished with a fried jalapeño

Tandoori Chicken Burger (Mumbai, India) – a dark meat chicken patty seasoned with aromatic spices and fresh herbs, topped with mint mayonnaise and served with a side of cucumber

Jamaican Jerk Burger (Montego Bay, Jamaica) – a Certified Angus Beef patty topped with banana pepper rings, mango jalapeño cream cheese and jerk mayonnaise

ATOMIC! Burger (Las Vegas, United States) – a Certified Angus Beef patty topped with Atomic beer-battered peppers, pepper jack cheese, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, garlic chipotle ketchup and chipotle mayonnaise.  My husband tried this one and really liked it.  Notice the side of Poutine fries.  There are several options for fries.

The burger was so good.  I chose the parmesan fries which had a side of garlic aioli.  Sometimes I don't like the way a burger is cooked when I go out but I have had several burgers at Hard Rock Cafe and have always enjoyed them.

The kids had awesome meals also.  Lauren got a salad with chicken on it with a side of fruit.  Very healthy and delicious.

 Evan got the grilled chicken and french fries and ate the whole thing.

There was cool memorabilia all around the restaurant.  This was our favorite as we are big Patriots fans.

 The kids wanted dessert.  Here is Lauren with the Oreo Cheesecake.  It was really good!

Evan went for the kids hot fudge sundae.

Check out this great burger menu at a location near you.

I am also giving away a Hard Rock Cafe gift pack which includes a branded oven mitt pair, apron, and spatula.  Enter below!

Disclosure:  The information, gift card, gift pack and giveaway have been provided to me by Hard Rock International.  No other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway