My son’s current obsession is trains.  He has a train set that he puts together almost everyday and will play with his trains for about an hour at a time.  He loves his “choo choos.”  When I heard that Thomas the Train would be within driving distance of Indianapolis, I knew I had to take the boys.  So, a couple of weekends ago I took TJ and his cousin to Connersville, IN to see Thomas.

We arrived to Connersville with storm clouds overhead and rain in the forecast. Luckily it never did rain on us and we were able to enjoy the train experience.  After a rocky start to the day (a ticket issue that I thought was poorly handled) the boys were really excited to see Thomas.   

While you wait for your turn to ride Thomas there are activities set up for the kids to do.  We saw a magician, a train ride, a play area and other booths that were set up around the area for the kids to participate in.  There was a lot of kids at the event, but they had a lot of activites available so no one was just standing around at the booths.  There was a large line forming to board Thomas when he arrived, so we jumped in line. Due to our hang up at the ticket counter we didn’t really have time to do any of the activities, but the boys didn’t seem to mind.  They only had eyes for Thomas.

A few minutes after we had our tickets in hand Thomas came up the tracks.  The event was running behind schedule so we got a little bit of a late start (only a few minutes) and we boarded Thomas. 

The train ride was about 20 minutes long.  The boys loved watching out the windows and eating their snacks.  They even got a certificate stating that they rode with Thomas The Train!  The conductor that worked on our car was so nice and talked to us about where we were from.  The kids enjoyed him!  My husband and I wished that the scenery was a little more scenic, but the kids didn’t care. The ride was nice and the perfect length of time.  The boys never were bored and they had a lot of fun.

As we left, the boys kept saying goodbye to Thomas and they were so excited they were literally jumping with joy.  After the long day, I was surprised to find the boys laughing and blowing raspberries at each other in the back seat.  This lasted for about 5 minutes before…

… total exhaustion kicked in. The event was exciting for the boys.  I was happy just watching their faces as Thomas rolled in.  I would highly recommend bringing your family to see Thomas we are glad we went.  To find out if Thomas is coming to a city near you be sure to check out the full Thomas The Train Tour Dates.

My family was provided 4 tickets to Thomas The Train for purposes of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

My trip to LA in January was amazing.  From meeting Elton John to walking the red carpet the trip was packed with amazing opportunities.  One of those experiences I wasn’t able to talk about until today!  On the last day we were in LA we were able to visit a movie set and watch a scene as it was being filmed.  The movie?  Well, it was none other than Disney’s The Muppets!  I remember watching the Muppet movies with my family when I was a kid, and now TJ will have a new movie to create his own Muppet memories.  I am so excited for the film to come out this November.

Our experience began by visiting the set of The Muppets.  It was being filmed at the Universal Studios lot in Hollywood.  When we entered the sound stage, we were greeted by a lot of the cast and crew (and a large television that was showing the NFL playoffs) and several of the Muppets themselves.  We were introduced to the newest Muppet, Walter (the world’s biggest Muppet fan) and reacquainted with some of our favorite Muppets.   We were taken to the set where the actors were filming a scene of the movie.  We were able to watch the scene being filmed on a television feet away from the actors.  It was amazing to see these amazing actors holding up their Muppet while standing in a pit and also voicing them at the same time.  They rehearsed a couple of times and then they filmed the scene at least 20 times, probably more.

During our time on set, we were able to meet Kermit and Miss Piggy and get our pictures taken with them.  Steve Whitmire has been the actor behind Kermit since Jim Henson’s death in 1990. Eric Jacobson is the voice behind the pig.  He has been voicing Miss Piggy since 2000.  They were so gracious to take time to have our pictures taken with Kermit and Miss Piggy (they had to litterally sit in the middle of the parking lot to hold up the Muppets).

Here are some pictures from the set and a little bit more about the upcoming movie:

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos, “The Muppets” hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011.

Check out a sneak peak!

A huge thank you goes out to Disney who provided all accommodations and airfare for the weekend. While this was sponsored by Disney, all opinions are 100% mine!

I am still in shock that my little man turned two last weekend!  It seems like just yesterday that we were looking through a book of Baby Names trying to figure out what we were going to name him! Of course I had to pick the perfect theme for my little guy and he loves nothing more (except for his daddy) than Mickey Mouse!  I wanted to do something else, but I just couldn’t when I saw how much he lights up whenever Mickey Mouse comes on.  Parties are supposed to be for the kids, right?  So if I was going to do a character themed party, I was going to do it my way.  No cutesy cartoon character plates and napkins with banners and crate paper streamers, I wanted it to be sophisticated (well as sophisticated as a Mickey Mouse party can be).

As with all the parties that I throw, it begins with the invitations.  I found these adorable Mickey Invites from Announce Your Day Etsy shop and thought that they were perfect.  They set the tone for how this party was going to go!

Next, I knew that I had to have some Mickey Mouse ears for the guests to wear at the party.  I looked at some party supply shops and didn’t care for the cheap looking ears that I found, so I decided to make them myself.  I found a tutorial that my blogging buddy, TheSuburbanMom, posted and I made my own!  Now, I must admit that originally I was going to make them for everyone attending the party, but when the time came I simply ran out of time and decided just to make them for the kids and my husband and I.

I had a hard time getting TJ to wear them, but he finally did!

Next I had to have the perfect birthday shirt for TJ.  Of course I visited my favorite online marketplace, Etsy, and found this adorable shirt that I customized for TJ!  You can find them at Ella Grace’s Closet.

What would a party be without the food and the cake?  I spent way too much time on the cake.  It didn’t turn out exactly the way that I wanted it to, but after a lot of swearing frustration, I finally let it go and decided that it looked good enough!

I bought the characters from The Disney Store.  They all came together in a set and I was very thankful that they were there to cover some of my mistakes!  I also made TJ his own little smash cake.

I used a cookie cutter to cut out the Mickey Mouse head, something that I learned that I will never do again.  It was next to impossible to ice this cake.  Next time I will use fondant!  I was so happy that TJ actually ate this cake.  Last year he didn’t even touch his cake!

Here is the table without the food on it.  We ended up having sandwiches.  I cut out Mickey Mouse shapes in the bread for the little ones.  I also found some Mickey Mouse Macaroni and Cheese online and made it for the kids.  My niece loved it! I found some adorable Mickey hand plates at Target that were perfect for the cake cutting!

TJ’s birthday is always around Easter (this year it was actually on Easter) so there are some adorable Easter baskets available that are perfect for decoration.  I found this Mickey Mouse basket that doubled as TJ’s Easter Basket and put the plastic forks, spoons, knives, and napkins in it!

I created some adorable Mickey cookies to go along with the cake.  These were simple to make.  I just melted some red chocolate, dipped a double stuffed Oreo into it, attached some mini-oreos for ears and then added the “buttons”.  They were yummy and a big hit at the party!

We had to have balloons, and I caved and bought a character balloon, but isn’t it cute?

Here are some pictures from the big day!

The Gift Bags!

Well… I still can’t believe he is two!  I loved creating his party for him.  I am off to start planing for next year.  I am thinking pirates…

I love being a teacher, more specifically a kindergarten teacher.  One of the things I love is that I get to be creative in my classroom.  I love doing crafts (and learning along the way) with my students. If I wasn’t a kindergarten teacher, I would have been a party planner.

My husband told me once that I should look into getting business loans and starting up my own small business doing party planning.  I love doing it!  If I could plan parties everyday for the rest of my life, I would.  I am currently planning my son’s second birthday party.  We have chosen a Mickey Mouse theme because he is so in love with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney Junior.  I always start with a theme and go from there.  Here are the invitations we got for the party from an Etsy shop called Announce Your Day:

You will have to check back in April for more of my TJ’s birthday party!  I have been working hard on the decorations, food and gift bags!

One of my favorite parties that I have planned was a baby shower for my nephew.  He was adopted from Ethiopia and so I thought an international airline theme was appropriate.  With the help of my MIL and SIL, we created a fantastic baby shower in honour of my nephew.

Here are the invitations that I created on my computer:

I cut them to look like an actual airline ticket, and we found recycled map envelopes to put them it. I also included a “luggage tag” with the registry information and directions on it.

Here are a few more pictures from the shower:

The cupcakes had little Ethiopian flag toothpicks in them, and we decorated with small airplanes.

We had airplane suckers for everyone as well as those little wooden airplanes that kids could put together and fly outside.

Instead of a traditional diaper cake, I created an airplane out of a bath towel, blanket, sippy cup, onesies and a stuffed puppy.  It was so cute.

For favors we found these luggage tags in the shape of airplanes that were perfect for the occasion.

Sitting here writing about this makes me so excited for TJ’s party next month.  I wonder if I should look into getting some small business loans after all.  I could do this every day!

Do you like planning parties?  What was one of your favorites?

PREPARE FOR THE FINAL BATTLE!
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT GROUP PRESENTS
HARRY POTTER: THE QUEST

Exciting online adventure allows fans to unlock exclusive never-before-seen content

Burbank, CA, March 8, 2011 – As preparations for the final battle commence, Harry Potter fans can do their part by joining Harry Potter: The Quest, a global online adventure celebrating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ – Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ – Part 2.

Harry Potter fans can register now for Harry Potter: The Quest in advance of the Blu-rayTM, DVD and Digital Distribution release of Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM – Part 1 on April 15th. Harry Potter: The Quest will continue through the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Distribution later this year.

Harry Potter: The Quest allows registered users to play games, watch videos and have all new Harry Potter experiences to earn points as a global community. As the global community reaches a predetermined point level each week, they will earn exciting rewards such as exclusive never-before-seen content from all the Harry PotterTM movies and more. Registration for Harry Potter: The Quest is free.

Registered participants in Harry Potter: The Quest are eligible to receive monthly prizes such as Noble Collection Harry Potter merchandise, tickets to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, Blu-rays, DVDs, Games and more. In addition, there will be two Grand Prize sweepstake opportunities for registrants of Harry Potter: The Quest. The first sweepstake opportunity is a chance to win tickets for two to attend the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM – Part 2 in London this July. The second sweepstake opportunity will be announced later in the year.

For more information about Harry Potter: The Quest visit www.HarryPotterTheQuest.com.

From celebrated director David Yates (Harry PotterTM film series Years 5-7), Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM – Part 1 brings back the highly-acclaimed cast including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as well as Academy Award® Nominee Ralph Fiennes (Clash of the Titans, The English Patient), Academy Award® Nominee Helena Bonham Carter (The Kings’ Speech, Sweeney Todd), Academy Award® Nominee Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), Alan Rickman (Sweeney Todd, Love Actually), and Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Gosford Park). Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM – Part 1 also introduces Golden Globe® Winner Bill Nighy (The Constant Gardener, Love Actually) as Rufus Scrimgeour.

Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM – Part 1 will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, featuring a hi-definition, a standard definition, and a digital copy of the film, for $35.99 and on Single Disc DVD in widescreen format for $28.98 SRP. Also on April 15th, Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM – Part 1 will be available to buy through DIGITAL DOWNLOAD from digital movie retailers and select game consoles.

THE CREDITS

About Warner Home Video
A division of Warner Bros. Entertainment Group with operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, Village Roadshow, HBO Home Video, and New Line Home Entertainment.

About Warner Bros. Digital Distribution
A Division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD) oversees the electronic distribution of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group’s content through Video-On-Demand, Pay-Per-View, Electronic Sell-Through and Subscription Video-On-Demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels. WBDD also distributes content through third party digital retailers and licensees. A worldwide industry leader since its inception, WBDD also manages the Studio’s E-commerce sites that include WBShop.com and WarnerArchive.com. Twitter: @WBDigitalDist

The time has come!  Welcome to February Foodie Finds.  All month long I will be focusing on products for food lovers!  I will showcase some amazing products including KitchenAid, GelPro, Tassimo, and Cuisinart.  I will also be showcasing recipes from fantastic appetizers to desserts.  I will let you in on TJ’s birthday plans as I prepare his Mickey Mouse themed birthday in April (I am a planner and I have to have the menu and of course the cake all ready and tested before the big day).

So, I hope you are ready for some Foodie Fun!

Disney really does make dreams come true… dreams I didn’t know I was even allowed to dream.  I have tried to start this post over and over again for the past few days since I have gotten back home from LA.  I keep having to stop to really think through my amazing weekend and pinch myself to be sure it was real.  It was real, and a huge thanks goes out to Marshall and Dustin and the entire staff at Disney.

The journey began on Friday with a long flight out to LA from Indianapolis.  The temperature when I woke up in Indy was 1 degree, when I got off the plane it was 75 degrees.  Needless to say, I enjoyed the weather the entire weekend.  I was picked up by a driver and we drove to the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood.  I just had enough time to unpack and get ready to leave for the screening of Gnomeo and Juliet. I met the other 19 bloggers in the lobby and we were off to Beverly Hills to watch the movie.  While I can’t go into details (embargo) about the film, I can tell you that I thought it was adorable and it kept me entertained the entire time.  It is going to be a hit with every member of the family.  After the screening our driver took us down Rodeo Drive to see all the amazing shops.  Everywhere you looked was one couture shop after another.

The next morning I woke up early thanks to the three hour time difference and had some room service. The view from my hotel window was breathtaking.  I threw the curtains open to see the Hollywood sign and downtown LA.  It was a very pretty site.

We met early afternoon for a ride to the Four Seasons Hotel for our interviews with the Director, Cast, and Elton John.  I will go into more details about the interviews in a later post, but I will tell you that I was extremely impressed with all of the interviews.  They even took time out of their busy schedules to take a picture with us Mommy Bloggers.

Here we are with the director Kelly Asbury

With Emily Blunt and James McAvoy

The one and only Elton John, I even got a kiss on my cheek!

After the interviews we lunched at the Four Seasons and then headed off to the Disney studios.  I wasn’t sure what to expect with our tour, but I was completely blown away.

We were taken to the Animation Studios where Walt began it all.  There were cells from all of the animated movies lining the walls.  We walked through the secret tunnel and we found our way to the sound stages.  We got to see what a sound stage looked like without anything in it (the one we saw was about the size of a football field).  After that, they brought us to the sound stage that houses the No Ordinary Family set and we were able to walk around and see all of the different sets they use.  They are actually so much smaller than they look on television.  Here is a picture of the kitchen:

After our tour of the sets, we went behind the scenes with the directors and producer of Winnie The Pooh.  A all new adventure will be hitting theatres around Thanksgiving time.  I can’t go into to any details about our visit and what we saw (more secrets) but I can tell you that I was the most excited about this particular movie than any of the others I learned about this past weekend.  I grew up with Winnie the Pooh.  I read the books with my family, we sang the songs.  I watched the cartoons on television.  I am a huge Winnie the Pooh fan.  Every night I sing Return to Pooh Corner (from my favorite artist of all time Kenny Loggins, don’t judge me) to my son before he goes to bed.  I rocked him to sleep dozens of times to that song and every time I sing it I think about my mom and dad.  Some of the Pooh movies haven’t been so great in the past, but this time Disney gets it right!  That is all I can say about it right now but I will throw in this trailer:

I can’t wait to bring my son to this film. I think this might be the first one he sees in the theatre, I actually had a tear in my eye when we left.  After we left the studios we went back to the hotel and headed out to dinner.  At dinner I was excited to meet some of the people that I work with through Click Communications.  They are in charge of Disney home entertainment and a lot of the reviews I do with any Disney DVD’s are with them.  I have one coming shortly,

On Sunday we woke up and met early for a special surprise.  Once again I am not allowed to go into details, but we got to visit the set of a Movie and watch them film a scene.  I will be able to tell you more about this experience in June.  After our special surprise we went back to the hotel and got ready for the red carpet.

The whole premiere was a little surreal.  I was photographed by the paparazzi behind Elton John and David Furnish.

I walked the red/blue carpet.

I was able to sit in the first  few rows of the theatre and it turned out to be a fabulous spot when after the movie the curtins went up and Elton John played Crocodile Rock for the crowd!  It was amazing. We attended the after party where the likes of Gavin Rossdale, Perez Hilton, James McAvoy and Sharon Osborne (among others) hung out and participated in a lot of fun activities with the kids.  I made TJ a gnome hat and won him an inflatable flamingo!

Needless to say at the end of the day I was exhausted, and my voice was nearly gone.  We ate dinner and headed off to the airport to catch my plane back home to reality.  I can not express my gratitude to Disney for allowing me to have this experience.  I met an amazing group of bloggers who I can now account as friends.  I was able to be a pampered mom for a weekend, and that in itself is priceless.

Stay tuned to A Mom’s Impression for more posts about my weekend.  I can’t wait to share the amazing interview that we had with Elton John.  I think you might be a little surprised.

A huge thank you goes out to Disney who provided all accommodations and airfare for the weekend.  While this was sponsored by Disney, all opinions are 100% mine!

I still can’t believe that I was one of the 15 Mommy Bloggers chosen to attend the LA premiere of Gnomeo & Juliet.  I will be leaving the cold behind (it is supposed to be a high of 14 degrees in Indy) and heading to warm California on Friday.  We have an itinerary full of activities to keep my mind off of the fact that I will be away from my little man for 3 nights.  I have debated about what to wear, and hopefully my dress is delivered tomorrow, or I will have to go with plan B.

Do you want a sneak peek?  Here is the Gnomeo & Juliet trailer:

Here is the list of my fellow bloggers that I will get to meet this weekend:

Lee Allport – My Sentiment Exact Lee
Sunny Andersen – Babble.com
Brandy Arivett – Not So Average Mama
Caryn Bailey – Rockin’ Mama
Carey Bryson – About.com
Bonnie Cruice – Classy Mommy
Tricia Fandrey – The Night Owl Mama
Ana Flores – Spanglish Baby
Heather Maddan – LilSugar.com
Sylvia Martinez – Mama Latina Tips
Lissette Perez – New York Chica
Kasandria Reasoner – Southern Bella’s Ways To Save
Crystal Britton Reagan – Simply Being Mommy
Jeana Shandraw – Deals4Dummies
Kimberly Vetrano – She Scribes

I will be tweeting and posting during my once in a lifetime weekend.  Be sure to read and follow my journey in LA as I get the chance to meet the cast of Gnomeo & Juliet including Executive Producer and Music Supervisor Elton John, Emily Blunt (voice of Juliet), James McAvoy (voice of Gnomeo) and Director Kelly Asbury.We will have the chance to interview the cast and crew and I would love for you to tell me what I should ask them!  Anyone out there have any questions for Elton John?

Cancer has affected my family and my husband’s family in our lifetime.  We recently found out that another of our family members has been diagnosed with lung cancer.  We are ready to fight this disease.  Here is one way to help:

Twenty-five cyclists will face the challenge of completing four consecutive 35-minute spin classes and one Pilates class at four separate New York Sports Club fitness centers throughout Soho and Greenwich Village this Saturday October 30.  True to the cycling theme, rickshaw-bicycles will transport the participants between locations.

All monies raised will be donated to the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care, in Harlem, New York. The center has been providing advanced cancer screening and treatment programs for the surrounding community since 2003. The Center performs screening and diagnostic procedures including ambulatory colonoscopies and endoscopies free of charge or at reduced costs to uninsured or underinsured individuals.

The event has taken place successfully for the past five years on Long Island and has generated more than $60,000 in donations. This year’s event will be the first of its kind in Manhattan. Our goal for this NYC event is to raise more than $10,000 in donations. The event has been generously sponsored by New York Sports Club, ZICO, and Ice-Qube.

For more information about the event or to make a donation, please contact Michael Sloyer at michael.sloyer@gmail.com.

I was sent a thank you bag in appreciation of my post.