Pretty excited about taking the girls to see the new Dare to Dream Disney on Ice show tomorrow night.  I’ve been noticing the commercials advertising it and the other night, my 6 year old came up to me and asked if we could go see it.  I didn’t see shows like this when I was a kid, so it kind of makes me feel all warm and squishy inside to be able to experience something like this with my girls.  Eric is coming too.  Oh, he’ll love it and he knows it.  I also heard that Meg Ryan’s mom is going to be there.  Pretty stoked to see her, too.

I’ll tell you all about the show after we see it tomorrow night!

Here is a special discount if you want to take your kids to see the show, too:

Get 4 Tickets for $44 on Weekday Shows OR Save $4 on Weekend Shows.

Weekday shows include any performance Monday through Thursday. Weekend shows include any performance Friday through Sunday.

Redeem the offer with code MOM through Ticketmaster.com, Box Office, or call 1-800-745-3000

Fine Print:

Offer not valid on Front Row or VIP seating. No double discounts. Service Charges, Handling and Facility Fees may apply.

www.disneyonice.com

The fine folks at Feld Entertainment are giving me complimentary tickets to enjoy this show, which is absolutely what I plan to do.

As you’re searching for gift ideas for the young adults, I highly recommend picking up a copy of author Melisa Wells‘ newest book, Chicken In The Car And The Car Won’t Go.

This book serves as an excellent Chicagoland resource guide for families with tweens and teens.  If you have teens of your own or know someone who does, this guide is perfect for them.  When they are ready to head out and explore the Windy City and surrounding areas on their own, they should definitely bring a copy of Chicken in the Car along for the ride.  I know a couple of Chicago-bound teens myself who will absolutely receive a copy of this book before they venture out in our beautiful city.

I love having a copy of the book for myself.  It’s nice to have a guide of Fun (with a capital F) destination ideas close by when I want to road-trip it into city limits.  Not only does Melisa give us fantastic options for downtown, she provides suggestions for the outlying suburban areas, too.  She’s got it all covered.

So, here’s the deal.

If you know of anyone moving to the Chicago area, Chicken In The Car And The Car Won’t Go is the guide for them.  I’m talking about for families, teens, college students, etc.  This book will become their bible.  Trust.  It’s a manageable guide with tidbits of helpful information, hand-picked by the author herself.  Consider it your own personal tour guide…without the annoying gum-chewing tour guide or group of people you don’t know and that random person in the back asking if there’s a basement in the Alamo.

It’s way more simple than that.  You have the book.  You’re with your family or friends. You use the book as an informational resource to guide you to some of Chicago’s great family-friendly restaurants, beaches, parks, shows, shops, etc.

Pick up a copy of Chicken In The Car And The Car Won’t Go.  It’s totally worth it for the Fun (with a capital F) that you’ll have!

*Chicken In The Car is also available for the Kindle.

And no, there is not a basement in the Alamo.

Tomorrow, I will take a seat on a panel at the Microsoft Store with Kris, Little Tech Girl; Melisa, Suburban Scrawl; and Meagan, The Happiest Mom.  I’m excited to share my perspective of the online parenting world with some fabulous new moms and moms-to-be.

There is a whole day of Bump Club and Beyond goodness planned at the Microsoft store and there is still time to get in on some of the fun.  Here is a run-down of the day’s events:

Bump Club and Beyond Live from the Microsoft Store in Oakbrook:

Join Bump Club and Beyond & Microsoft for a FREE day of information for moms and moms-to-be

Register HERE.

Schedule of events:

8:45am Start the day with a workout for moms and moms-to-be!

The Dailey Method Naperville will be teaching a special class for moms and moms-to-be, showing modifications for those who are expecting.

Breakfast to Follow.

10am: Nutrition Basics for Mom and Baby with BCB’s Resident Nutrition Expert, Lara Field of FEED (Forming Early Eating Decisions)

11:30am: Is Your House Safe and Organized for Your Baby?  

Childproofing Made Easy with BCB’s Resident Home Safety Expert, Josh Berliant, Owner of Babyproofing Solutions

Organizing Made Easy with BCB’s Resident Organizing Expert, Sarah Nelson, Owner of Less is More

Lunch to Follow

1pm: Moms and Technology: BCB’s Mom Blogger Panel will give you the latest scoop on the best gadgets, sites, resources and Internet safety tips!

Snacks to Follow

2:15-3pm: BCB Kids’ Concert with Mr. Singer and Kerri Appleberry!

Snacks to Follow

The first 100 people to RSVP* will go home with a BCB gift bag FILLED with goodies PLUS a special gift from Microsoft.  Everyone will have the chance to take home some incredible giveaways from BCB, Microsoft, and many of our partners.

You must be present to enter to win any giveaways.  Winners will be announced following our Kids’ Concert.  You need not be present to win.

*Only the person on the RSVP will get a gift bag.  If you have registered for more than one person, there is only one gift bag per reservation.

Please note:  This event is designed to meet the needs of any mom or mom-to-be!  Please sign up for as many or as few of the seminars as you would like to attend.  the Dailey Method is a workout for moms/moms-to-be ONLY, not with kids.  There will not be childcare on-site at the event, so please plan accordingly.

Talbott Hotel (located at 20 E. Delaware Place on Chicago’s Gold Coast) was built in 1927 and is nestled in one of Chicago’s upscale neighborhoods.  The hotel has 149 guest rooms and was recently renovated.  The atmosphere was friendly and the staff at the hotel was very attentive.  We enjoyed every minute of our stay.

The reason we were invited to stay at the Talbott, was so that Hailey and I could enjoy one of their special American Girl Place packages.  We were invited to experience the Imagine package. (Retailed at $224).  This particular package includes:

• Personalized welcome letter
• Milk and two Sprinkles cupcakes at turndown
• Keepsake American Girl® doll-sized travel bed
• Access to the “girl blog @ the talbott”
• Complimentary continental breakfast for two
• Horse-drawn carriage ride from The Talbott Hotel to American Girl Place (one way)
• Personalized Talbott Hotel stationery
• Personalized guest room keycard
• Six personalized photo postcards by the fireplace and carriage
• Personalized room service menu
• One entry into the quarterly drawing for a one night American Girl Place Spirit Package

When we arrived, we were greeted by the friendly staff and met with Tim, the Chef Concierge.  He handed Hailey a personalized welcome letter, addressed to her and Felicity, her American Girl doll.  You should have seen her eyes light up and the huge smile on her face.

Tim handed me our room key and a personalized, keepsake American Girl keycard to Hailey.  We settled in to our room and then went down to the lobby.  I had scheduled our horse-drawn carriage ride with Tim prior to arriving to the hotel and I kept it a secret from Hailey.  I knew it would blow her mind and could not wait to see the look on her face when our “ride” pulled up in front of the Talbott.

(Hailey pointing at the horse-drawn carriage outside of the Talbott)

She was ecstatic when I told her that we were going for a ride.  Tim snapped some photos of Hailey with the horse and then of the both of us on the carriage.  This is part of the package.  The prints would be placed in our room at some point before we checked out the following day.

I love this picture.  It looks like the horse is giggling with Hailey. (We think her name was Callie.)

We enjoyed a lovely, half-hour ride around the immediate area.  It was a gorgeous day, lots of people were out and about and we were having a blast.  The carriage dropped us off at American Girl Place where we spent some time doing fun mother + daughter + doll things.

After our girly excursion, we walked back to the hotel and in our room, (which is around the corner from the store) and found some fun surprises.

In our room were the pictures from the carriage ride, personalized stationery for Hailey and her doll and a travel bed for her American Girl doll. (Click the picture to view larger size.)

To a little 6 year old girl, this was all pretty magical.  I had already heard her say several times how much she really loved this day.

We had the rest of the day to ourselves.  We took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed over to Navy Pier.  It was the last day of the Air and Water Show, so we got to see some pretty cool airplane stunts.  I also held my breath and took Hailey for a ride on the ferris wheel.  It was amazing and she was in awe.  There were moments where I just sat quietly and smiled as she squeezed Felicity and had this look of wonderment on her face.  She was definitely having the time of her life.

After some fun at Navy Pier, we met up with some friends for dinner back at American Girl Place and then once back in our room for the evening, our cupcakes and milk were delivered at turndown!

When we woke up the next morning, we enjoyed our complimentary breakfast at BiCE Ristorante, which is right next door to the Talbott.  Hailey preferred that we dine outdoors, so we did and it was awesome.

You can view the pictures that we took during our stay right HERE.

Of course, I recommend spending time with your kids anyway you can.  Your staycation could be a blanket picnic in your own backyard with a pretend carriage ride or cupcakes before bed in your own room.  But, if you are looking for something special to do away from home, I recommend considering a night away with your little one, with some surprises thrown in along the way.  Definitely check out the packages offered at The Talbott Hotel in Chicago.  We ware very fortunate that we could take this night away with each other.  We needed some mommy + daughter time before the big kid started school.  This was the perfect end to a summer full of fun.

The Talbott Hotel treated us to a night at the hotel and the American Girl Imagine Package, which included everything on the bullet-pointed list above.  Anything else we did on our staycation, we paid for (including our travel and anything we purchased at American Girl Place and Navy Pier).  All opinions about the Talbott Hotel and the American Girl Package are my own.

Comic Con was pretty rad.  Totally nostalgic for me.  The kindergartener was delighted to see me go ga-ga over things like old Star Wars action figures, Gizmo figurines, and anything super hero-related from the ’70s and ’80s.  Pretty sure her favorite part was when she spotted stuffed Angry Birds.

There were many big highlights for me.  Now, I’m really not hip to the comic book artists but I have always had a great appreciation for them and their work.  It was a thrill to walk through aisles and aisles of people’s artistic work.  There was total excitement in the air as comic book fans approached their idols, shook hands and told them how much they admire their work.  That’s what it’s all about.

For me, it was about seeing the people from the big screen that I’ve admired for the past 20+ years.  The people I watched and knew from favorite movies and tv shows growing up.  Like I said, it was nostalgic.

When we arrived, R2D2 was strolling around the lobby.  R2!  Hailey had no idea why I was gushing about this robotic garbage can.  Then, he started to follow her a little bit and even “spoke”.  Finally, I talked her into getting a picture with him.  I should have done what any good parent would have done and handed her the camera and had her take a picture of me with R2.

Anyway, that was cute and fun.  Once inside, our first stop was to see artist/author Phil Yeh and artist Geoff Bevington.  They have a book available about the adventures of Steve the Dog and the Winged Tiger, which takes place in Chicago.  So, automatically, we love it.

They also have a slew of other kid’s books and comics available, so definitely check them out.

Next…pictures with Storm Troopers!  Yeah!

We tried to look tough, even though we had already been captured.  I wish these guys would have come to my backyard and played when I was a kid.  Man, that would have been so cool.

Aisles and aisles of nostalgic toys mixed with toys the kids play with presently.

Got to see the Delorean from Back to the Future.  Wow.  WOW!

If that wasn’t the icing on the cake, none other than Doc Brown himself was there!  Hailey told him that she recognized his voice as Hacker from the PBS cartoon, Cyber Chase.  It was very cool meeting Christopher Lloyd.

We met the legendary Chewbacca, too.  Peter Mayhew was promoting his book, My Favorite Giant.  Watch for a review of that here, very soon.

Now for the most exciting part of the day…the panel of child actors (all grown up) from the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Oh, it was so cool to see these five together after all these years!  They were so friendly and you could tell they were having such a good time.  The audience asked questions and thanked the cast for being such a huge part of our childhoods.  It was great to see that they all appear to be doing really well.  I actually asked the group their first question.  I wanted to know what they thought of the “new” Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie.  Of course, they were all very polite with their responses.  But, hey, we know which one is the best!

Here is a couple of quick video snippets that I took during the panel:

Paris talks about one of the deleted scenes from the movie:

The convention was absolutely packed the day went went. I’m glad that I only had my kindergartener with me. You can take a look at the rest of our Comic Con Chicago 2011 photos.

This is a fun family event for Chicagoland folks. We’ll definitely return next year for more “nostalgic” fun.

I’m attending Chicago’s Comic Con for the first time this weekend.  I’m actually really looking forward to it.  People go for different reasons.  I, for one, am being lured in by the awesome TV celebs that I grew up with in the ’80s such as, Anthony Michael Hall, Lou Ferrigno, Christopher Lloyd, the original cast of kids from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and so on.  Seriously?  All in one place?  I’m so digging this.  Yes, I proudly display the #GEEK hashtag all over my face.

Comic Con is in Chicago from today through Sunday.  Sunday, August 14th is Wizard World Kids Comic Con Family Day

We’re planning on bringing the girls on Family Day to let them experience the world of comics and animation.  My 5-1/2 year old is an artist in the making, so I’m really excited for her to get a first-hand look at the pros and to maybe show off her drawing skills a bit.

Here is a complete list of Exhibitors/Celebrities/Artists and Writers appearing at Chicago’s Comic Con.  I keep glancing through the list and am finding more and more people that I am a fan of (Billy Corgan…Peter Tork!?)  You guys have no idea how big of a Monkees fan I was growing up.

I’m inspired.  This is going to be awesome.

Here is some information in case you’re thinking about going:

Chicago Comic Con Tickets

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (Rosemont)
5555 N. River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018

Chicago Show Hours:
Thursday, August 11, 2011 – 5pm – 9pm
Friday, August 12, 2011 – 12 NOON – 8pm
Saturday, August 13, 2011 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, August 14, 2011 – 10am – 5pm

Chicago Comic Con on Facebook

Wizard World on Twitter

About Wizard World:

Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. Wizard World also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, and is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide.

I remember last year’s Lollapalooza festival like it was yesterday.  I remember when the weekend was over, how I couldn’t wait for this August to get here.  We made a ton of great memories and a bunch of new friends at Lollapalooza 2010.  It was most definitely an unforgettable experience.

I’m so happy that it’s finally here again!  Lolla is this weekend and celebrating its 20th anniversary to boot.  My favorite part of the festival is Kidzapalooza (year 7!), for obvious reasons.  We’re bringing both of the girls tomorrow and I hear the weather is supposed to be fantastic.

Hailey had a blast last year.  It will be fun to have both of the girls with us this year.  This is Teagan’s first Lolla and Hailey’s…third!  Lucky kids.  I love that they get to experience a music festival like this.  There are so many fun things for them to do in the Kidza area.  I’m sure both girls will have their hair punked up a bit, learn some hip hop with the Q Brothers and rock out to the awesome bands on the family stage.

In case you weren’t aware, I do quite a bit of the online social outreach for Kidza.  So, you’ll find me updating the Kidza Twitter account, Facebook page, blog, website, etc. all weekend long.  There are some great acts this year, like, Big Bang Boom, Kate Diaz, Ralph’s World, Northbrook Garage, etc.  I’m so excited to see them all!

So, whatever you’re doing this weekend, I hope it’s an inspiring one!  Hard to believe it’s August and the kiddos start school again soon.  Time flies…

Hailey in the VIP area of The National's set - Lollapalooza 2010

One of the things in my life that I make sure to have time for is getting pampered at the salon.  I tend to get a little stir crazy when my hair reaches shoulder length.  I’ve always loved having a cute, stylish cut.  If I let my hair go for too long, it ends up in a pony tail and when that happens, I find it hard to get out of my jammies all day long.

Jon-David, master stylist at Joseph Michael’s Salon and Spa (1313 N. Ritchie Court in Chicago) took really good care of me the other day.  When you’re in the Chicago area, consider seeing him.  He’s a master at helping his clients achieve healthy, beautiful hair.  Oh, he’s also a writer.  A man of many talents.  His novel, “Mafia Hairdresser” is available now!

I’m currently reading J-D’s novel. Can’t wait to gush about it when I finish!

My fabulous friend took the time to tell us all what magical things he did for my hair:

“The colors I used in Amy’s highlights were very hot cherry/orange light browns from Schwarzkopf, a high-grade creme color. It’s more on the traditional coloring scheme because she has fine hair and you want the cuticle opened and filled, just a bit to give body.

The low light was also from the same line in a black with higher volume of peroxide; one would usually use for black to give a matte sheen to the texture (this is a master stylist technique). Then, all the hair left out, I covered Amy in our new INOA color.  It has no ammonia in it, which mean the cuticle stays intact and no color escapes.  This means shine and lastablity because the door to the hair is fully closed and I could take her base lighter than I could with another color without worrying that it will get orange or weird.

INOA exists because more and more clients are becoming sensitive to ammonia due to environmental and exposure over time to sensitizing, food, air, etc.  INOH rinsed clear in the sink and is better for your skin AND the environment.  After the color was shampooed out, I used my secret favorite, called Nexxus Emergencee.  It’s a polymer which fills in any divots in the hair.  It increased the diameter of each hair shaft, reflects light and gives you strength and body.  It will last for two months and makes trashed hair like new.

After rinsing that out, I used Aquage uplifting foam because Amy likes body and no yucky feeling on the hair.  Aquage has a very clean feeling and is not expensive!

Lastly, I used Amy’s favorite, Beyond Body Thermal Spray.  It protects the hair from the flat iron heat.  I will not let my clients use an iron without this product!  This product gives the hair the memory to stay the way you iron it and it keep the humidity off of your hair and also gives you non-greasy shine.

Mwah and wallah!”

Thank you so much, J-D, for taking such good care of me!  I wish you much success with your novel and your other new books that are coming out soon!

-xoxo-

Twitter: Follow J-D.  Follow Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa.

Not only did we get to see Gustafer Yellowgold’s live show this past weekend in Chicago, we also got to see him once again the other night in the suburbs.  We were pretty stoked about that.

The whole fam went to the show at Schubas.  By the way, if you are around the Chicago area, please try to check out the Family Series matinee shows at Schubas.  It’s a great venue for the kids to experience their first live concert.  There’s plenty of room for the kids to run around and the parents get to relax a bit while their kids burn off some energy.

The second show we saw was at the Hinsdale Public Library in Hinsdale, IL.  It was a great turn out and the kids were really into the show.

Morgan Taylor, the man who brought Gustafer Yellowgold to life, does a great job of incorporating Gustafer and his friends into the live show.  One notably cool thing is that the lyrics to the songs are on the screen, so parents and kids can sing along.  If you can’t make it to a Gustafer show anytime soon, you can experience the world of Gustafer and friends from any of the four DVD/CD sets.

So happy we were able to see and meet the Taylor family in person.  We’re looking forward to the next time they’re in town! Check out where they’re headed on the summer tour HERE.

Here’s a quick, amateurish video I put together of Morgan’s recent performances at Schubas and the Hinsdale Public Library:

Just last month, I took my kids to see Dot & Ziggy.  It was such a cute play geared toward my pint-size toddler!  I’m happy to work with the Chicago Children’s Theatre and offer TWO tickets for giveaway to the Dot & Ziggy NOON performance at the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago on Saturday, June 18th

To enter, just leave a comment on this post.  You can let us know if you’ve ever taken your toddler to an interactive play like this one (if you want to know more about this type of play, just read my review)

A winner will be chosen at random from the comment section on Tuesday, June 14th.  The winner will be notified via email.

*Please note, transportation to and from the play is not included.  This giveaway is for two free tickets to the Dot & Ziggy performance noted above.  The Victory Gardens Theater is located at: 2433 North Lincoln Avenue | Chicago, IL 60614

If you are thinking about purchasing tickets to the 6/18 noon performance, the code SPHERE will get you $2 off admission (Saturday, June 18 at noon only).  To take advantage of the discount admission, call 773.871.3000

Good luck!