Funny Friday - Noses

Me -

When I was little and I was learning my body parts, one day my Mom and Dad said "Where's Melia's nose?" I pointed to my nose. "Where's Mommy's nose?" I pointed to my Mom's nose. "Where's Daddy's nose?" I pointed to Daddy's nose. Then, they asked me "Where's Jack's nose?"

"In Florida." I replied since my brother was in Florida visiting his mother.

Mom -

When Melia was about 2, she went through a phase where she was very fascinated by noses and the fact that everybody had them. She would say "Nose!" and point to my nose.

So I  would say. "Mommy has a nose." She would nod her head happily.

Then, she would say "Daddy." and point to his nose.

So I would say "Daddy has a nose." She would nod her head happily.

Then, she would say "People."

So I would say "People have noses." She would nod her head happily.

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company Celebrate Isadora

 


 We were not financially compensated for this post. We were provided with free tickets to Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company Celebrate Isadora. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our experience attending the show.

Me- Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company Celebrate Isadora, wow! It was really fun at Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company's Celebrate Isadora dance show. I really enjoyed myself. The dancers were really good. They looked really pretty and graceful. My favorite of the dances reminded me of a Hawaiian dance. They all looked really happy and were having fun. In the other dances, they kind of looked sad or really serious. Some of the dances got a little longer than others, but I still enjoyed all of them. I especially enjoyed the more upbeat dances. The dancers were barefoot the entire time. They changed costumes a lot though. The costumes were mostly nice, and they were a lot of different colors. Before the show, there was a preshow. It was all these little girls dancing. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. There were these two girls who looked to be about two or three. One was a little blonde girl with two ponytails, one was a little brown haired girl with one ponytail. They were the cutest things ever. I wanted to take them home with me. After the show, we went to an after party. They had a lot of good food. I really had fun at the dance show.

Mom - The only kind of dance shows I saw previously were the ballets my grandmother used to take me to when I was young. Although I had heard of Isadora Duncan, I did not know that much about her or her style of dance. Therefore, it was nice that when we saw this show, they not only danced so that we got the opportunity to see what her style of dance was like they also had narration that explained a lot about Isadora and her life. All I knew about her previously was that she was a dancer and allegedly she was killed when a long scarf she was wearing got caught under the wheels of a car and strangled her. The dancers in this show were very beautiful and graceful. I loved all their beautiful colorful costumes. I especially liked the more happy upbeat dance numbers. The little girls who performed during the warm up were adorable. We didn't quite understand why there was one little boy among the girls. It reminded me of Billy Elliot, however. After the show, there was a reception. I couldn't believe how much food there was there, and it was all very delicious. We had the opportunity to meet Lori Belilove. I didn't have much time to talk to her, but she was a lovely gracious person. We will be featuring an interview with her in a future post. All in all, it was a good night, and we had a lot of fun.

And that's our view. What is your favorite style of dance?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go-Wednesday - Lori Bellilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company

We were not financially compensated for this post. We received free tickets to Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company Celebrate Isadora @ 137! The opinions here are our own based on our experience attending the show.

What: Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company

When: Check the Web-Site

Who: Tweens and above

Our view: If you are a fan of dance and if you are a fan of modern dance, especially if you are a fan of Isadora Duncan, you should definitely try to catch a performance of Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company. They are the resident performing troop of the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation. There are also the best known troop performing the work of Isadora Duncan today. Even if you are not a dance fan or you a fan of different type of dance, you may enjoy seeing one of their performances.  This very talented troop of all female dancers really puts their heart into their performance. Even if you have seen them perform, it doesn't mean that you have been there and done that and you shouldn't go again because they perform over 80 dances so obviously not every dance can be performed in every show. We would not recommend one of their shows for very young children or others who are completely bored by dance. However, even if you have never seen a dance program and even if you are not even sure you like dance, you should definitely try to attend a performance if you have the opportunity, you just may find that you like it as we did.  For more information about Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Company or to find out when and where they will be performing go to http://www.isadoraduncan.org/home.

And that's our view. Tune in for tomorrow's Talking Topics post where we will be talking more about Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company.

Tips for Tuesday - Movies: Parental Guidance and Rush

 

Me- Today I am recommending Parental Guidance. It was a really good movie. It was funny. It was about grandparents who want to get close with their only daughter's kids. The daughter has to have them babysit for her kids while she and her husband go away. However, she is not happy about it. The plot was good. The acting was good. All the actors were really funny. If your looking for a good family film, than this is the movie for you.

Mom - Today I am recommending Rush. It is a movie about the rivalry between Formula 1 Race Car drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. I love that this movie has enough plot interspersed with the car racing scenes to keep it from being one long action sequence. I also like that each of the men is portrayed in realistic manor with both flaws and likeable characteristics. There is no hero and there is no villain in this story. There are just two very real men, and the actors who play these two men do an excellent job of it. That is why I would recommend this movie.

And that's our view. Tune in to tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monthly Mash-up for May, 2014: My Hamster and How Times Flies

Me- My topic for this month is my sparkly unicorn baby AKA my pet hamster, Sparkles.  She is really cute. She is two inches long. She is white with a little bit of gray down her back so when I put her in her hamster ball she looks like a tiny pig. She hated me  at first. She wouldn't let me hold her. Now, she likes me. She lets me hold her. One bad thing about having her, however, is that our kittens are not allowed to sleep in my room or even come in my rooom anymore. At night, I take my hamster's wheel out of her cage so she can't make a lot of noise and keep me up. It isn't like I thought it would be to have a hamster. I thought that she would want me to hold her more and that if I put food in my hand she would immediately walk into it. However, it isn't like that all. Even when she is in her cage, she spends a lot of time hiding in her tube. Also, I am not looking forward to cleaning her cage which I haven't done yet. Over all, though it was worth to get my hamster, and I would do it all over again because I really love her.

Mom - My topic for this month is how quickly time flies. I saw a little girl of about two or three and her mother in the supermarket the other day, and it made me miss having kids that little. I mean, of course, I love my kids at any age but there is just something so sweet and innocent about kids that young. They haven't gotten all that attitude yet that older kids have. I miss having little kids home with me all day or at least half the day. I was never one of those mothers who couldn't wait for my kids to go to school. I enjoyed when they were in preschool and kindergarten and still spent at least part of the day with me. When my youngest daughter was going into first grade, I was so sad that she wasn't going to be home with me anymore. Of course, as soon as kids start full-time school they start to develop that annoying attitude that school age kids have which seems to get worse with age. I have a theory that it is that way on purpose so you don't miss them as much when they are at school. I mean I don't want my kids the way they are now home with me all day every day. They would drive me crazy. I don't mind having them around for breaks during the school year and in the summer, but if we were all together all the time we would drive each other crazy.  I miss the sweet little kids they used to be. I miss having those kids home with me all day. Of course, I want my kids to grow and mature and eventually become responsible adults. However, there is another part of me that just would have liked them to stay my sweet little babies forever.

And that's our view. What's on your mind?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Funny Friday - Where Do Babies Come From?

Me -

My Mom said "There's the hospital where we had Aurella."

So Aurella said "There's where we got me."

Mom-

 When Melia was little she wanted a baby sister and when we asked her where we should go to get one she said "Babies R Us."


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

iLuminate

We were not financially compensated for this post. We were give free tickets to iLuminate for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our impressions upon seeing the show.

Me - iLuminate, wow! iLuminate was very colorful. It was very loud. It was full of music. I didn't think there was actually going to be a story to it, but there was. The story was bit confusing though. It was a little hard to follow because it was all told in dance and music. There were no spoken words. There were cool special effects in the show. Lights went on and off on the performers costumes. They made it look like heads and bodies were separated and joined. They made it look like they can fly. The whole show was dark except for the lights on the costumes and on the set. It was amazing how well they move around in the dark without bumping into things or falling off the stage. I definitely would have fallen off the stage and banged into a billion people. The cast was really nice and took pictures with everybody after the show. They looked so different without their masks than I thought they would. iLuminate was definitely a very unique show.

Mom - iLuminate is a very unique show. I definitely have never seen anything like it. Visually, it is stunning full of bright lights and beautiful colors. It also has the best special effects of just about any show I have ever seen. There have been other shows where people appear to fly, but here they make it all seem so effortless, and you don't even see any wires. Also, I have never seen an other shows where people actually appear to sprout wings and fly or shows where top and bottom halves of bodies appear to dance separately and then combine with each other. Those were just a few of the cool special effects. The dancing is great and all of the dancers in the show are wonderfully talented. They are all super nice too smiling and posing for pictures with fans after the show even though I am sure they are hot and tired and can't wait to take a shower and relax.  This show is a great choice for somebody who wants to see something completely different because it is certainly that.  I'm glad I had the chance to experience it.

And that's our view. What is the most unique show you have ever seen?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - iLuminate

We were not financially compensated for this post. We were give free tickets to iLuminate for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are our own based on our impressions upon viewing the show.

What: iLuminate

Where: New World Stages
           340 West 50th Street
           New York, New York

Who: Ages 6 and up

Our view: If you want to see a show that is full of bright lights, beautiful colors, and cool special effects, iLuminate is a great choice. If you want to see a quiet little show, this is not the show for you. The show is full of action and music, but there are very few spoken words. The show is not all about sound, movement and colors though, there is actually is a story to the show. However, it is a little bit hard to follow what is going on because of the lack of dialogue. We would highly recommend reading the plot synopsis in the playbill before the start of the show to familiarize yourself with the story before the show starts because that will make it a bit easier to follow. In any case, the show is beautiful and exciting. Where else can you see people appear to fly and a pair of legs dancing all by themselves (and not in a scary way) among other things live on stage? This is a particularly good show for people who don't ordinarily like stage shows but prefer superheros and action movies as it is filled with action, and it is like seeing superheros come to life. We would not recommend it for very young children or the elderly, however as some  of the loud noise and bright lights and actions, may be bothersome and/or frightening to them. For more information or to order tickets go to http://iluminate.com/

And that's our view. Tune in to tomorrow's Talking Topics post for more about iLuminate.

Tips for Tuesday - Apps. and Web-Sites: Highway Rider and Rewards for Good

Me - Today I am recommending Highway Rider. It is a fun game. You are a motorcycle driver. The object is to get as close to the other drivers as possible without hitting them. You move by tilting your electronic device that you are playing the game on. This is a really good fun game.

Mom - Today I am recommending Rewards for Good. Rewards for Good is a new rewards program started by  AARP.  You earn points by taking quizzes and using tools and doing other things on the AARP web-site. You don't even have to be an AARP member to belong. However, you earn 50% more points if you are a member. Points can be traded in to enter sweepstakes or auctions, for deals on merchandise or for gift cards. On deals in which you use points plus cash, they guarantee that their prices are the lowest prices. In fact, if you can find a lower price on-line then what you pay with them, they will refund the difference and give you your points back. For more information or to sign up go to Rewards for Good: Home/.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Target - Our Home Away From Home

Please note that while we were not financially compensated for this post dogvacay was the inspiration for this post. Dogvacay is a dog's home away from home. They offer services such as dog daycare and dog walking for more information go to http://dogvacay.com/.

Me- Target, wow! Target is a very fun place to go. They have a lot of stuff I like to buy. I love the DVD section. I love the CD section. I love the electronic section. I also love the clothes. I like to get a lot of my clothes there. They also have a lot of good food although the packages are not always big enough. I like to browse all my favorite sections in Target because I usually don't have enough money to buy a lot. My parents get me a lot of my stuff from Target. The people who work there are nice and usually helpful. It makes me happy to shop in Target. It makes me happy to browse in Target. When I see the Target sign, I think 'Hey look, it's my second home.'

Mom- Target is our second home. We spent more time there then we do any place else except for our house. We buy clothes there. We buy food for ourselves there. We buy food and supplies for our pets there. We buy house supplies there. We buy entertainment items like toys for the kids, books, DVDs, and CDs. We buy everything there. I love to browse in Target. I especially could spend hours just looking at the clothes, DVDs, CDs, and books. When I walk into Target, it feels like I am coming home. I can't wait to see what they have that is new. I can't wait to see what I am going to want to get there. I like to walk slowly up and down the aisles of my favorite sections and see what is new and what I like. Target is like a dream factory. I go there and  think about all the things I would get if I money were no object. I just love Target, my home away from home.

And that's our view. Where is your home away from home?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Sunday Special - Historic Philadelphia Opens for 29th Season on May 22

        

PHILADELPHIA, May 1, 2014 – Summer is just around the corner, bringing Historic Philadelphia, Inc.’s 20^th Anniversary Season to life with fun activities for the whole family from Memorial Day Weekend and through Labor Day, and beyond.  It’s all part of the immersive living history programs that Historic Philadelphia, Inc. (HPI) produces each year. New highlights for 2014 include the Colonial for a Day costume rental program for kids and a Colonial drinking tour with Benjamin Franklin.  Returning favorites include a daily flag-raising with Betsy Ross, the award-winning Once Upon A Nation Storytelling Benches where guests hear our nation’s history right where it happened, continuing one-of-a-kind walking tours, and showings of the Liberty 360 3D Show.

 Highlights of the season will include the following:

May 

·        Thursday, May 15: An Evening in Franklin Square presented by Parx Casino – A magic night of fun, dancing, and fundraising in Philadelphia’s prettiest setting (tickets required).
·        Thursday, May 22: Tippler’s Tour begins for the season – Past and present meet on Historic Philadelphia, Inc.’s weekly authentic Colonial pub crawl, featuring four different seasonal offerings.  Visitors join a Colonial host to hear stories and drinking traditions with fun and lighthearted songs and toasts of the era.  With drinks and snacks at each of three modern day watering holes and one historic tavern, the “tippler” guide shares some of Benjamin Franklin’s most fun phrases for someone who is drunk, including “nimptopsical” and “tipsicum grave.”  Hear tales about how taverns were used as recruiting stations (getting people inebriated sometimes helped convince them) and how news of the day was discussed in the taverns.  
·        Friday, May 23: Independence After Hours Tour begins for the season – an evening walking tour visiting some of the landmarks of Philadelphia’s Historic District and immersing the visitor with Colonial characters who bring history to life right in the place where it happened, with dinner at City Tavern and a visit inside Independence Hall at night. 
·        Saturday, May 24: Opening Day of Once Upon A Nation Storytelling Benches – ten one-of-a-kind award-winning Once Upon A Nation Storytelling Benches are scattered all over Philadelphia’s Historic District, telling riveting stories of our nation’s history in the places where they actually happened.

June

·       June 8-14: Betsy Ross House Flag Day Festival – Flag Festival 2014 kicks-off at the start of National Flag Week on June 8 and continues through Stars & Stripes Saturday on June 14.  Festivities begin with Betsy raising the flag over the House, continues with a daylong scavenger hunt for kids, and concludes with a flag retirement ceremony.  Other highlights of the week include visits from Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, crafts for kids, a flag retirement ceremony, and the chance for young visitors to drill with the Continental Army.  The celebration culminates on Flag Day, Saturday, June 14 with a day full of family-friendly entertainment and activity in the House’s courtyard. The seventh annual Stars & Stripes

Saturday is the highlight of the new Stripes & Stars Festival, a celebration of both Flag Day and the birthday of the U.S. Army, which features events on Independence Mall, at the National Constitution Center, and the Betsy Ross House.

July

·        July 4^th Weekend (July 3-5): Historic Philadelphia is the place to be to celebrate the Declaration of Independence and all aspects of our country’s birth.
·        Thursday, July 31: Franklin Square’s 8^th Birthday Party – wish the Square happy birthday with cake and Ben Franklin himself.

September

• Monday, September 1, Labor Day: Last chance to see the Once Upon A Nation Storytelling Benches in Historic Philadelphia, along with an assortment of free programs that end for the season such as the Military Muster and Declaration Readings.

October

• Fall in Franklin Square – fall is always a special time in Franklin Square, with corn stalk and pumpkin decorations and the popular Pumpkin Patch and Trick or Treat Trail events. Also Spooky Mini Golf is more seasonal family fun in Franklin Square, Fridays and Saturdays from October 3 – 31.

November – December

·        Thursday, November 13 – Wednesday, December 31: Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle – a nightly, holiday light show, and other events which include Visits with Santa and conclude with the very popular Kids’ New Year’s Eve Countdown (December 31) with a Square Drop and a view of the 6 pm fireworks over the Delaware River.

 

We  will be featuring more about Historic Philadelphia in future posts.

Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Saturday Special - iPlay America

New Jersey's Biggest Indoor Amusement Park!

What: iPlay America

Where: 110 Schank Road
             Freehold, NJ




Get Inside the Fun!

It's ALWAYS FREE to enter! Create great memories at iPlay America with a spectacular array of more than 200 video and skills games, Cosmic Battle: The Extreme Laser Experience - our two-level laser tag arena, 4-D Movie Theater, indoor boardwalk, concerts, and other events. Guests select from Go Karts on the iPA Speedway, Bumper Cars, the Kite Flyer, Skyscraper, Boardwalk Mini Bowling, and a variety of other rides and attractions for younger children. IPlay America won New Jersey Monthly's 2014 Best of New Jersey Kids Destination, Central, a 2013 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence and the Asbury Park Press Best of Monmouth County honors for Best Indoor Theme Park and Best Candy Store. iPlay America also features Game Time Bar and Grill, Sonny's Boardwalk Grill, Mixx Frozen Yogurt, Boardwalk Bites, and Broadway Sweets (link: http://www.iplayamerica.com/food-and-drink), complete with tons of current and retro candy. Every Friday at 8 p.m., iPlay America offers iPlay After Dark (link: http://www.iplayamerica.com/special-event/iplay-after-dark): - Central Jersey's best party for teens - where they turn the music way up and the light show on for a one-of-a-kind experience. Special pricing for Insiders Club (link: http://www.iplayamerica.com/insiders-club) members offers a four-hour iRide Plus Pass, Cosmic Battle: The Extreme Laser Experience - our two-level laser tag arena, and a $10 Game Card for only $17.95! From birthday parties to a spontaneous night out, iPlay America is the place to go in Central Jersey. Take a 3-D tour! (linkhttp://www.omnisightinc.com/virtual-tours/iplay/new-jersey-indoor-amusement-park-events-virtual-tour/)


We will have more about iPlay America including our Where-To-Go Wednesday review in future posts.

Tune in tomorrow for a Sunday Special.

Funny Friday - I Thought ...

Me -

My Mom was telling me a story about something my sister said, and I was going to tell something else my sister had said but then I realized that it was really something I had read in Family Circus.

Mom -

We went to the movies. As we were watching the movie, Aurella said "I thought this was supposed to happen in Up."

So Melia and I said "This is Up."

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for a Saturday Special.

The Ride

We were not financially compensated for this post. We were given free tickets to experience The Ride. The opinions expressed here are own based on this experience.

Me - The Ride, wow! The Ride was fun. It was funny. The people who worked on it were really good and nice. Their names were Jackie and Scott. They were funny. We saw a ballerina dancing in the park outside the bus. We saw other things. We went on a tour of New York City. We celebrated New Years even though it was really May. We counted down and said "Happy New Years!" We took The Ride quiz. The Ride quiz was trivia questions. My Dad answered the most trivia questions. The person who answered the most questions was supposed to get a prize. Instead, I got a prize. It was The Ride sunglasses. I was supposed to share it with my sister, but I am not going to. We heard a person singing outside the bus, but some people on the bus were singing too. We all karaoked to New York, New York. I didn't really have a favorite part of the ride. I liked the whole thing.

Mom - For us, The Ride started off a very busy day in New York City, and it was by far the highlight of our day. We had no idea what to expect and certainly did not expect to have as much fun as we did. Scott and Jackie were our hosts. They both had tons of personality and kept us entertained singing, and cracking jokes, and asking trivia questions among other things. It was entertaining on the bus. We got to learn The Ride wave. We learned interesting trivia about many of New York's famous landmarks. We listened to music and singing. We answered trivia questions.  We sang  along to New York New York. We got to pretend it was New Years Eve and countdown and shout Happy New Year's. We even got to feel a simulated  subway ride. It was entertaining outside the bus as well. We saw dancing. We heard singing. We saw many of New York's famous landmarks.We got to see the people outside on the streets hilarious reactions to a bus full of people waving at them. I have been to New York many times. Riding around in stop and go New York City traffic usually gives me a bad headache, and I can't wait to get out of the car or bus or whatever I am riding in. The whole time I was on The Ride, however, I didn't get headache at all. I never thought about wanting to get off either. In fact, when it was over, it seemed like it had all passed by way to quickly.

And that's our view. What is the most fun ride your ever had?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - The Ride

We were not financially compensated for this post. We were given free tickets to experience The Ride. The opinions expressed here are our own based on this experience.

What: The Ride

Where: Box Office Located in Madame Tussauds
             234 West 42nd Street
             Between 7th and 8th
             New York, New York

Who: All ages

Our view: If you are looking for a fun ride, if you are looking for a tour of New York City, if you are looking for singing, dancing, and having an all around entertaining good time, The Ride is all of that and more. There are many buses tours you can take around New York City. Most if not all of them will take you to many of the major attractions of New York City. All of them will tell you many interesting facts about New York City. However, none of the other is quite like this. Not only will you get to see  and learn about many of the major attractions of New York City from the comfort of an air conditioned bus. You will be thoroughly entertained as well. There is singing. There is music. There is dancing. There are trivia questions. The fun and entertainment comes from both inside and outside the bus. About the only downsides are your ride will go by way too quickly and the bus seats do not have seat belts although most public buses which we have been on do not have seatbelts either. For more information or to reserve tickets go to http://www.experiencetheride.com/.

And that's our view. See tomorrow's Talking Topics for more about The Ride.

Tips for Tuesday - Misc.: Bubble Talk and 100 Toddler Favorites

Me- Today I am recommending the game Bubble Talk. It is fun. It's similar to Apples to Apples. Instead of words you use pictures. Everyone gets seven caption cards. You put the picture cards in a pile and pick one off the top. Each person takes a turn being the judge. All the other people pick a caption card that they think best suits the pictures. The judge chooses which one is funniest and makes the most sense with the picture. That person wins the round. You should play this game.

Today I am recommending  100 Toddler Favorites a 3 CD set. If  you have young children, who are still into nursery rhymes, this collection is a great choice. It includes just about every children's nursery rhyme you could think of or want and even some that you may have once known but have probably long since  forgotten. It is fun for kids and nostalgic for adults. It is especially nice that the set includes so many songs. That gives it a lot of variety and is a lot nicer than listening to the same few songs over and over again.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

One Good Friend Deserves Another by Lisa Verge Higgins

Me- One Good Friend Deserves Another, wow!  This is a book about four women who have been friends since college and their romances. They all have romantic problems. Dhara is agreeing to an arranged marriage because she is upset with her old boyfriend. Kelly is having a secret romance. Wendy is not sure she wants to go through with her engagement. Marta spends too much time concentrating on her job and not enough on her romantic life.  I liked all the characters. However, at times it was hard to keep track of all the additional characters because there were so many. Sometimes, I liked the way the main characters behaved; sometimes I didn't. Out of all their boyfriends, my favorite was Sudesh, Dhara's financee. The other ones were kind of annoying at times.  At the end only one couple was still together. I thought that more couples would end up together. I would have liked to know more about what happened to the other girls romantically in the future.  My favorite thing about the book was what good friends the girls were to each other. Some day, I hope to have friends as good as that.

Mom- One Good Friend Deserves Another was a good book. It was the story of four best friends from college and their romances. Of course, romance did not go smoothly for any of them. Dhara lets her family push her into an arranged marriage even though she is not really completely over her last love. Kelly is secretly dating one of her friend's brothers, a guy who is totally out of her class. Marta tries to arrange her social life as strictly as her business life and fails miserably. Wendy is too busy living her life the way she is expected to instead of living it the way she wants to. All the girls grew and changed and learned things about themselves as the book went along. The one thing that remained true throughout the book was their deep friendship. It is very lucky to have a group of friends as loyal as these girls are to each other.  That was my favorite part of the book. I also liked that the end of the book was unpredictable. I usually assume that in a chick lit romance like this everyone is going to end up happy and in relationship. However, in this book while all of the characters end up fairly happy only one of them is actually still in relationship. I would have liked to find out what happened to the other characters after the book ended. The book was good, and I enjoyed it. However, in general I like a little more closure than the end of this book provided. It was fun to read, and over all, I would recommend it though.

And that's our view. Do you have a long time group of friends like the women in this book, and if so how long have you been friends?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Saturday Special - Restaurant.com Dinner and a Movie Promotion

Restaurant.com, the trusted and valued source connecting restaurants and diners nationwide, wants to help kick-start your summer with a blockbuster event! Whether you're celebrating mom or just looking for a night out, enjoy this Specials by Restaurant.com Dinner and A Movie deal. With this exclusive offer from Specials by Restaurant.com, you'll get two movie tickets to use at one of your favorite movie theaters along with a $50 Restaurant.com eGift Card, all for just $28!
Don't miss out on this show stopping event as this offer is only available for a limited time! Specials by Restaurant.com deals make great gift ideas for everyone.

Locate your theater here and you'll be on your way: http://emoviecash.com/locator/
Deal Link: http://rst.cm/w8rOo

Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Funny Friday - What about the stork?

Me -

When my sister was little, she said that she wasn't born she fell out of a tree.

Mom -


 Mommy and Daddy were talking about where Melia and Aurella got delivered so Aurella said "People get put in mailboxes?"

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Jenkinson's Aquarium

Me - Jenkinson's Aquarium, wow! I liked Jenkinson's Aquarium. I especially liked the penguins and the seals. There wasn't anything I didn't like. I liked going on a guided tour at the Aquarium. It was interesting. I liked the way they use beads to tell the different penguins apart. My favorite animal was Lucy the blind seal. We got to touch a bunch of different animals including a hermit crab and a sea urchin. It was fun. They all felt really different. We had to wash our hands before we touched the animals but we couldn't use soap. I didn't know that there were that many kinds of different sharks. This aquarium even has monkeys. I only saw one, but it was really cute. It also has birds. The birds were pretty. This was the second time I had been to Jenkinson's Aquarium, but last time we didn't get to see the penguins. I liked it better this time seeing the penguins. I am glad I got to see them. I am also glad they still have Lucy the seal. It was fun.

Mom- We recently visited Jenkinson's Aquarium in Pt. Pleasant, New Jersey for the second time. This time we were with Aurella's Brownie Troop so we took the tour. Last time, we went around on our own. I liked going around on our own. However, I liked going on the tour too. The guide was very informative, and I learned a lot of things. For instance, I did not know that Starfish are no longer called Starfish because they are not fish. Now they are referred to as Sea Stars. I was really glad we got the opportunity to see the penguins this time. Last time, they were doing work on the penguins enclosure, and we didn't get to see them. Jenkinson's Aquarium is know for their penguins. The penguins were really cute.They are warm weather penguins. They are African penguins. Some how I don't think of penguins as being warm weather birds. However, I learned that there are many different kinds of penguins, and some of them are warm weather penguins. In fact, I think most of them are.   It was also interesting to learn about how the colorful beads on the side of each penguin's wings were like name tags. The placement and color of the beads indicates whether the bird is a male or a female and who its mother and father are. I also especially enjoyed seeing the seals again especially the blind seal Lucy. One nice thing about being on the tour this time is that we got to know a lot of the names of the animals. I don't remember any of them now though except for Lucy, the seal and the Marmoset monkey named Stinky. Anyway, the worst part about being on the tour was that it seemed to go by so quick.  It felt like we had hardly gotten there when it was time to leave.

And that's our view. What is your favorite part of visiting an aquarium?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Tour and Programs at Jenkinson's Aquarium

What: Jenkinson's Aquarium

Where: 300 Ocean Avenue
           Pt. Pleasant, NJ

Who: Ages 5 and up

Our view: While it is fun to visit an aquarium and wander around by yourself, it is fun to take a guided tour as well. On the guided tour at Jenkinson's you will learn a lot of interesting information about the sea creatures found there. A lot of school, camp, and/or scout groups take the tour at the Aquarium especially during the week. However tours are available for families to participate in as well. They require registration in advance and an additional payment beyond the standard $11.00 for adults and $6.50 for children and seniors which is the cost of general admittance to the aquarium. Additional costs vary but are generally not more than $10.00 extra. In addition to guided tours, there are various special events at the aquarium. Prices for these programs also vary. Age requirements for the different programs vary as well. All ages are welcome to view a feeding of the seals, penguins, and/or the sharks. Feedings are held three times a day. There is no cost to view a feeding. For more information about the various tours and programs available and/or for feeding schedules for the seal, penguins, and sharks go to http://www.jenkinsons.com/aquarium.

And that's our view. For more about Jenkinson's go to our original Where-To-Go Wednesday post regarding Jenkinson's Aquarium at http://saysmesaysmom.blogspot.com/2012/07/where-to-go-wednesday-jenkinsons.html  and/or see tomorrow's Talking Topic post.

 

Tips for Tuesday - Books: Blogging4Romance and I Want It Now

 Me - Today I am recommending Blogging4Romance by Barbara Black Fox. It is a good book. It is about these girls who start a blog so they can find romance. It turns out a lot different than they thought but in a good way. This is a really quick fun book to read.

Mom - Today I am recommending  I Want It Now! a Memoir of Life on the Set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory  by Julie Dawn Cole. If you are a fan of Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, the original 1970s film made from the Roald Dahl book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory you will enjoy this book. Julie played Veruca Salt in the movie, and this book is her memoir of making the movie.  It is a really fun read with lots of nostalgia and inside information regarding the making of the film.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.