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#Raleigh, Don’t Miss @DisneyonIce #FollowYourHeart this weekend @PNCArena ~Opening Night Review

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​Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets to review the show, however any opinions are my own.

Disney fans rejoice and Follow Your Heart to see Disney On Ice! now performing at the PNC Arena until Sunday, December 11, 2016. We got a chance to attend the opening night and see Dory find her way to the ice for the first time ever!

My daughter, fondly referred to as #OutandAboutAva was so excited to see all her favorite characters reunite and loved the show! Since kids are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Disney character, she was so happy to wear this beautiful Enchanted Ice Princess Dress from JustPretendKids.com in honor of Queen Elsa ! This costume dress is made to impress and simply gorgeous for this family fun event. She said she felt like a pretty princess and wished she could go ice skating too!

Disney on Ice Follow Your Heart is a celebration of true friendship ! New pals Dory and Hank from Finding Dory came out of the sea to dazzle us with their skating skills. 

We got a chance to cheer with the Emotions from Inside Out, The Toy Story gang and see Disney Princesses achieve their dreams ! I was most impressed with Ariel and her aerial performance. I won’t give too much away but her and Rapunzel must moonlight for Cirque du Soleil ! And I didn’t know Princess Tiana from the Princess and the Frog had such amazing skating skills. Check her out!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNxtzbvDAgf/
Of course you can’t have an ice skating show without the stars of Frozen there. Olaf performed “In Summer” complete with dancing flowers, butterflys and bees. He joined Anna and Elsa for a wonderful performance filled with cold snow, warm hugs and true love.

Speaking of true love, everyone’s favorite couple Mickey and Minnie were there as well as friends Donald and Goofy. Produced by Feld Entertainment, this high quality show was filled with fun thrills and amazing acts. My family and I thought the show was amazing and magical. It definitely was a night to remember and a show you must see ! 

Tickets are on sale and can be purchased here. This show is recommended for all ages, so make your family fun plans NOW and get ready to discover the magic of Disney on Ice ! 

See more fun videos here : https://youtu.be/Q4giHJCmb3M

#RudolphTheMusical goes down in history thru 12/24 @DECRaleigh @BroadwaySouth

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​You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen

But do you recall

The most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer..

We all know and love the song that goes along with the animated television story of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” ! Now is your chance to fall in love all over again with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical, now playing at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts as part of Broadway Series South. My lil one wore her antlers gleefully and we were on our way to A.J.Fletcher Opera Theater to see this all time favorite holiday classic brought to life on stage! 

Before the show, we checked the adorable gifts and plush toys that were for sale and also took the opportunity to take photos with the larger than life characters from the special including Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, and, of course, Rudolph!

We all grew up watching this all time favorite cartoon special every single year at Christmas time. Now you can experience it live on stage ! This broadway caliber performance transported the audience all the way to the North Pole to Santa’s workshop . This is where all the drama on stage takes place. Kids of all ages were in the audience this afternoon to experience the wonder that this story truly is.

There was plenty of dancing and singing. All of your favorite characters from the cartoon were there. From the abominable snowman to the Elf who wants to be dentist were well represented ! This musical truly brought the cartoon to life. My 5 yr old laughed with delight every single time Rudolph’s nose lit up crimson red ! The show was 75 min with a 10 min intermission. My favorite scene was on the island of misfit toys. It had a deeper message that there is no such things as misfits, there are just some people that are just different than others.

The play hit a crescendo when it appeared that due to dangerous weather conditions, Santa was gong to have to cancel Christmas..but you know the rest !!

The last scene actually had REAL snow falling on the audience and suffice to say,my little girl LOVED,LOVED, LOVED that special effect.

Grab mom, grab Grandma {Or Nana} and ALL the kids and adults and buy your tickets now to Rudolph The Musical. It is the absolute must do for this holiday season !!

Now thru Dec 24, grab your family, young and old to see the greatest Christmas tale ever told ! Come dressed in your holiday pjs or wear a Santa’s hat to this family fun show filled with singing, dancing and great acting! Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and Rudolph all came to life !

Top 5 #WellieWishers Gifts ~ A Gift Guide for your @American_Girl & her Doll !

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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by American Girl. I received product to review, however all opinions are my own.

When #outandaboutAva turned 5, she received her first ever American Girl doll from her 2 great-Aunts as a birthday present.  When she opened up her gift, to her surprise, she got her very own Kendall Doll from the all-new WellieWishers! What made this doll special was that not only did she see “a doll that looks like me ” but it also represented her being old enough to have a new big girl doll friend. 

The WellieWishers made their American Girl debut end of June 2016 and were created for girls age 5-7. These adorable 5 friends are all about helping kindness & friendship bloom. If you plan on getting your girl this doll or she already has one, you will love this gift guide!  I was excited to put this gift guide together for anyone who has a Wellie Wishers gift list. Whether you’re willing to splurge or on a budget, there is something here for your American Girl and her doll! 

Here are my recommendations..My Holiday Top 5 Wellie Wishers Gift Guide for your American Girl and her doll !

  1. Make -It-Great Play Set : This is perfect for the Kendall Doll because she likes to craft her world with creativity and kindness. My daughter had fun putting her Kendall doll to work fixing repairs around the house.
  2.  Magic Theater Play Tent : This tent is the perfect play space for a child, her friends and their dolls to hideaway for giggles & girltime. It’s designed to look like the WellieWishers playhouse and has sweet little details like a tiled roof, cut out windows with real curtains and Garden Rules to follow!
  3. The Riddle of the Robin : I love to give the gift of knowledge and books are perfect for readers young & old. This paperback book is 96 pages of fun and opens your childs’ eyes to the world of WellieWishers.
  4. Tea for Two Party Set : Make tea time fun for your little one with this play set which is sized for the Wellie Wisher doll. Comes complete with little napkins, tea cups, forks, spoons and more! It makes the perfect stocking stuffer gift. 
  5. Flutter Wings Doll Carrier : Because we are often on the go enjoying family fun with our #outandaboutAva , this backpack for her doll was a must ! If your little one likes to take her doll along for adventures, this is the ultimate gift. Not only does the WellieWishers doll have its own space to fit in but there is a zippered pocket big enough to fit toys, books, clothes, accessories and more ! My daughter said it was comfortable to wear and plans to take her Kendall Doll everywhere!

Now that the holiday season is under way, I hope you find this guide useful for the little girl who loves to use her imagination at play. American Girl is all about connecting girls to a joyful world. Be sure to follow @agwelliewishers on Instagram and get ready to shop online this Cyber Monday at americangirl.com. Don’t forget if you are near the Raleigh area, visit American Girl at Crabtree Valley Mall to shop for these favorites  and discover all the fun! 

Which items do you plan to gift for your American Girl ?

Happy Shopping !

*My blog may contain links to other websites.  Any affiliate links are not to be associated with AmericanGirl.com.  I am not responsible for the privacy policies of other websites. When you click on a link, your information may be collected by those websites so I encourage you to read their privacy policies.

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    #Raleigh ,Celebrate the Holidays @NCSymphony ~A Kids’ Christmas Review & pre-Black Friday Sale

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    Thanksgiving is the beginining of the holiday season, so what better way to kick it off then by joining the North Carolina Symphony ! 

    Today #outandaboutAva and I joined other kids and their familes for A Kid’s Christmas… a one-hour singing and dancing celebration held at the beautiful Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh. Although the show started at 3pm , guests were encouraged to arrive early to meet the Snow Princesses and Santa! We also paid a visit to the popular Instrument Zoo located in the lobby and got a chance to try out orchestral instruments. Check it out..

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BNKlB45DXGw/
    A Kids’ Christmas featured music we all could enjoy from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frozen, The Polar Express and so much more ! It was so cute to see kids dressed in their jammies and/or their favorite Frozen character while singing along. The Triangle Youth Ballet was there to perform as well as the Raleigh Boy Choir, making this a very special event! Bravo to conductor David Glover and the NC Symphony as well for their wonderful performance. 

    If you are looking for something to do this weekend with your family, join your North Carolina Symphony for Thanksgiving Holiday Pops Weekend, where Santa will also be in the libby before the concert.

     Savvy Tip: Now until 11:59pm tonight , save 50% on Holiday Concerts using Promo Code: PBF17 ..stay tuned for more discounts on Black Friday & Cyber Monday ! Purchase tickets here

    In the true giving spirit of the holidays, NC Symphony is also collecting “Soup-to-Go” to help feed 1000 local kids at risk of hunger in the Triangle during any of the performances at Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall. You can also take your donation in person to the North Carolina Symphony State Headquarters. For more information , call 919.733.2750

    Here are some pictures from today’s special event. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving !

    #OutandAboutAva Explores, Rescues, Protects and Reviews #OctonautsLive @DPAC ~Recap by #SobeSavvy .com

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    Calling all Cadets! The Octonauts crew has something exciting for you at their brand new Octonauts Live! show.  #OutandAboutAva and I just saw the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure at DPAC and had loads of family fun watching the Octonauts come to life on stage. This high-tech production featured costume characters and animated projections to a massive screen on stage. The audience was filled with kids and families who enjoyed the opportunity to be apart of the action by joining the Octo-Cadets! 

    DPAC packed the house on November 11 with fans to see this popular children’s show. The tour comes on the heels of new Octonauts episodes premiering throughout the year on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Seasons one, two and three are also available on Netflix, and the first ever Octonauts 4D movie adventure is coming later this year. But just in case you do not know the Octonauts, they are a very dynamic team of heroes who go on a fast-paced, exciting underwater adventure. Their mission: to explore new underwater worlds, rescue amazing sea creatures and protect the ocean. The group is led by Captain Barnacles the bear, and also includes Kwazii the kitten, Peso the penguin, Dr. Shellington the sea otter, Dashi the dog, Tweak the bunny, Professor Inkling the octopus and Tunip the `vegimal’ (part vegetable, part animal). 

    This stage show features sing-a-longs and alot of interactivity with the characters on stage. It was also educational as I learned alot about the ocean. Did you know it had layers like a cake? There’s 3 total: sunlight, twilight and moonlight before hitting the bottom of the ocean floor. Here is more of what you can expect to see at Octonauts Live! https://youtu.be/Bb1Nns8yKMg

    Following the show, we attended the Octopod Explorer Party, which I talked about here in my prior post about Octonauts Live. It truly enhanced our Octonauts experience and I recommend upgrading your ticket for the following perks:

    #OddSquadLive goes on a mission @DPAC @OddSquadPBS @PBSKids #familyfun #Durham #NC

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    On Saturday November 5th, I joined in on some spy fun with my little one to see Odd Squad Live! , an interactive live show based on the popular PBS KIDS program Odd Squad. My 5 year old daughter and her 10 year old cousin were super excited to go on this spy adventure along with many other kids in the Triangle who headed out to the DPAC for some family fun !  

    Under the supervision of their favorite agents, the audience got to put their skills to the test to decode the strange and odd occurrences happening. Through digital audience participation, we turned into junior agents and got to interact with the Odd Squad in real time to work together on the very special mission delivered by Miss O to solve an exciting mystery! How cool!

    In Odd Squad Live! you got the same weirdness that you get from the tv show, which won a Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Writing in a Children’s Series” but with a twist: The kid agents were turned into adults and it was up to the children in the audience to turn them back! For the live show you can expect singing, dancing, laughing and of course oddness while building math, problem-solving and collaboration skills.

    Whether you are a fan of the show or not, you will be entertained during the 90 mins (plus intermission) by the new gadgets, funny villians, and catchy hit songs from the Odd Squad favorite band, Soundcheck !  For more information please go to  OddSquadLive.com , PBS KIDS Website: http://pbskids.org/oddsquad/

    1 head plus 2 bodies…Now that’s ODD! 

    Be sure to check out what is coming next to the Durham Performing Arts Center at www.DPACnc.com. 

    #Raleigh celebrates #Halloween with @NCSymphony The Music of #StarWars Young People’s Concert 

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    This beautiful fall afternoon my family and I went to Meymandi Concert Hall for a very special kids event: The North Carolina Symphony Young People’s Comcert The Music Of Star Wars. The iconic movie soundtrack that has now been around for 2 generations was the centerpiece of an afternoon of kid centric fun just in time for this Halloween weekend in Raleigh, NC !

    The NCS Kids Young People’s Concerts are perfect for families and children ages 4-12 and a great introduction to the world of music. Each performance features fun, interactive activities related to the concert’s theme, beginning in Meymandi Concert Hall’s Swalin Lobby one hour before the concert. Here is a video of what to expect:

    This performance was the first one in the 3 part Young People’s Concert Series for the 2016/17 season and because it was Star Wars themed guests got to take pictures with their favorite costumed Star Wars characters from the all-volunteer 501st Legion!
    Make sure to arrive early for all the pre-concert activities, including face painting and our popular Instrument Zoo!

    So get dressed up as your favorite Star Wars characters and join in the fun ! Get your tickets to 4pm Raleigh show today or tomorrow’s performance in Wilmington here !

    Savvy Tip : See all 3 Young People’s concerts for just $49 when you buy a package ..or 2 concert series for just $30 at ncsymphony.org !

    May the Force be with you !

    #TastyThursday spotlight on @ZoesKitchen new Kids Menu and more ! #LiveMediterranean 

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    Here’s a common dilemma. You’re out and about, hungry and want something for your little one {and yourselves} that does not come in a greasy bag and require waiting in your car talking to a speaker. What to do, where to go ? What if I told you about this place where the food is made fresh in a stylish attractive setting at a even more attractive price ? THAT place is  Zoës Kitchen.

    As soon as you walk into this bright, casual dining restaurant, you get a sense that your tastesbuds are in for a treat! Their motto: Tasty, Fresh and Original recipes is something that is very appealing to my family. And if you are really in a hurry, you can call ahead and take your meal to go!

    *Here is the number for the North Hills location in Raleigh, NC

    Zoës Kitchen recently expanded their kids menu to offer even more wholesome and diverse options and treated SobeSavvy.com to try these with young foodie #OutandAboutAva who happens to love mediterranean food just as much as we do!  Born in Generation Z, she has always been open-minded about trying different foods and very vocal about the things she does not like. What’s cool about their kids meal is that children can customize it! Here’s what they have to choose from:

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    My girl decided on the kid sized Shrimp Kabob. Shrimp is her absolute favorite. Sides include hummus, Greek salad, roasted vegetables, pesto farro or fresh fruit! 

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    img_4976House made Greek Dressing.

    img_5017  My little one and I shared a cup of their delicious lentil soup. It is made from scratch daily and is soooooo good. 

    No meal is complete without dessert right? As a member of the clean plate society, she received an award: Zoës Kitchen house baked chocolate chip cookie. It was big enough for all 3 of us to share!

    A big cookie gets a big smile !

    Here is a slideshow of photos showing more of why Zoës Kitchen is a simple, tasty, and fresh choice for your entire family. Enjoy! 

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BMEfYEkAPpi/
    Savvy Tip: Download their ZK app for Android or Apple so you can order online,access their nutrition calculator and keep track of your Zoës Kitchen rewards here !

    #Raleigh Rejoice! @American_Girl Store Opens Oct 1 @shopCrabTree ~ Soft Opening Preview Recap

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    AMERICAN GIRL opens a temporary store at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, NC on Saturday, October 1 just in time for the holidays. Excited American Girl fans of all ages and their dolls should definitely make plans to attend this grand opening weekend ! 
    Here are the details :

    WHEN Saturday, October 1  10 am – 9 pm Sunday, October 2   12 pm – 7 pm

    WHERE American Girl Store, Crabtree Valley Mall  *closest mall entrance to American Girl is Sears and the parking Blue Deck.

    WHAT During the grand opening celebration, girls will receive a free gift and craft while supplies last, and can enter to win Lea, American Girl’s 2016 Girl of the Year. Mall doors open two hours prior to regular business hours. Entrance Tickets are required and will be distributed one hour before store opening.

    My daughter, fondly referred to on the blog as #OutandAboutAva, and I were excited to be invited to Friday’s soft opening and tour. Here is what we saw during our preview of the store : 

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BLAPdKwDB9J/
    To learn more about American Girl or request a free catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005 or visit http://www.americangirl.com, http://www.facebook.com/americangirl, or www.twitter.com/american_girl.
    Be sure to make your way before the holidays to this family favorite store and see why parents, educators and girls love American Girl ! Expect to see plenty of the popular American Girl dolls , books, accessories and the signature Doll Hair Salon at the new pop up store in Crabtree Valley Mall. 

    To see more pictures of the new store, see here.
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    #FashionFriday, #Twinning with #outandaboutAva in #LulaRoe #MommyandMe #Leggings

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    Leggings are a staple in my wardrobe. Whether I am in a pair during my #GetLovelyFit yoga practice or out and about with my daughter Ava, I enjoy wearing them. That’s why when Kim Breton, a LulaRoe Fashion Consultant , asked me if I would be interested in trying a pair of LulaRoe leggings, I said YES! I heard about the fashion brand and the comfort of their clothing and could not wait to see for myself.

    Not only was I going to be able to get leggings for myself but also for my now 5 yr old daughter as LulaRoe offers “Mommy and Me” fashions! The leggings came in the mail in a pretty pink package and was addressed to my daughter. She really got a kick out of that! There was also a handwritten note inside wishing her a happy birthday. I was impressed by the customer service and thoughtfulness of Kim.

    Purple is one of our favorite colors, so we chose one of the solid mommy and me sets in lilac/heathered purple. There are many beautiful colors to choose from and I am very excited to try other pieces! LulaRoe leggings are such a stylish staple and as the motto says “Simply Comfortable”. The one size leggings (00-10/12) were a great fit. I liked how super soft they felt and the stretchiness of the fabric. I decided to pair it with a denim shirt and gold flats for both her/I…..and Voila …we were twinning! Here are some pictures from our “Casual Cute PhotoShoot”. Enjoy!