So, who are “The Listies?” The pair consists of Richard Higgins and Matthew Kelly, two Aussies who make silly lists, sing songs and have playful banter. In addition to songs, the show features sketches, offbeat jokes and fun audience participation. What’s not to love here?

The duo, who also host a podcast called ‘The Listies Make You LOL,” showcase nonsensical and quirky humor that appeals to younger children (the show is for ages four and up) but their quick wit appeals to parents, and is part of their charm. Their chemistry onstage is undeniable and their charisma keeps the energy high throughout the performance. 

Located in the Theater District and priced at a fraction of the cost a Broadway show, this show offers excellent value, a memorable family outing full of laughter and a welcome break from the heat. This is definitely a “YES!”.

Where: AMT Theater
354 West 45th ST. (btwn 8 and 9 ave)

When: Through July 19 (Wed-Sun)

Price: $21.75 for adults; $16.50 for kids age 12 and under.

To purchase tickets click here.

Photos by Jess Shurte

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty-five years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 19, 17 and 13.

You May Like These Posts:

• Don’t Miss: The Listies – Make Some Noise
• Ethan Bloom Film Review & Talkback
• Don’t Miss: Sunset Circus by Parallel Exit
• Air Fryer Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings (Gluten Free)
• Opening UGMA Accounts: A Smart Strategy When You Have 2 Kids in College and Expenses Are Doubling

The post Don’t Miss: The Listies – Make Some Noise appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

While on a much-needed family vacation visiting my mom in West Palm Beach, my husband and I had planned a date night at the beautiful Delray Beach Movie Theater, where there was going to be a very special screening of the independent film “Ethan Bloom.” As a full-time working Mom of three daughters, two of whom are teenagers, I was really looking forward to this night out. 

Filmed in Miami, Florida is a very powerful and heartfelt coming of age story, directed by Herschel Faber and written by Maylen Dominguez. It is about 13 year old Ethan Bloom, played by star on the rise Hank Greenspan, who should be focused on preparing for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah, but instead, much to the chagrin of his widowed Jewish Dad, played by outstanding Joshua Malina strongly believes that his spiritual and religious path is with the Catholic Church where he secretly finds comfort, support and consolation. He gets guidance and advice from the caring, patient and kind Father Diaz, played expertly by Carlos Ponce.

Through the guidance and wisdom of the unconventional Rabbi Dani, played splendidly by Rachelle Lefevre, the love of his somewhat complex, yet quite funny and lively family and his very first romance with a somewhat rambunctious Camille, played by Caroline Valencia, Ethan must confront his deception and grief only to discover that faith and religion and finding one’s true purpose or inspiration isn’t about choosing one religion over another or choosing sides, but honoring all the beautifully flawed pieces of who we are and what makes us unique and special to our friends, our family and ultimately ourselves. 

Neil Friedman of Menemsha Films said, “The film ‘Ethan Bloom’ is a one-of-a-kind coming of age story featuring two wonderful young actors. The adult cast are equally compelling, making this film a unique look at faith, love and family we’ve yet to see on screen until now.” 

Director Faber stated that “’Ethan Bloom’ is about every kid who’s ever felt caught between different worlds, whether that means faith, culture, or family expectations and writer Maylen Dominguez and I set out to tell a story that could make people laugh, cry, and see themselves. Faber also said that he is thrilled that Mememsha Films understands this story’s heart and its breakout potential to reach audiences everywhere.”

One of my favorite characters was Ethan’s Grandmother Elaine, who was quite colorful, outspoken, and humorous, played by Mindy Sterling. The very sweet and caring Yaya character played by Adriana Pascual reminded me of my Grandmother Allegra.  What I especially liked about this film as well as the beautifully crafted story and endearing characters was the fact that interwoven throughout the story were subtle elements of the Sephardic as well as Ashkenazi cultures which are both two of the largest ancestral divisions of the Jewish people. I really enjoyed hearing Spanish being spoken whether it was the Sephardic Ladino or Castilian Spanish. I felt at home watching this film like we were actually a part of Ethan’s personal journey and quest for self-acceptance. I myself am a part of an eclectic family consisting of both Catholic and Jewish faiths. I am both a Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jew and my cousins are Irish Catholic and Sephardic Jews. Growing up I got to celebrate both Channukah at home and Christmas with my cousins on Long Island. Like Ethan Bloom, I developed a respect and fascination for the Saints and a fondness for Mother Mary. Although I never questioned my Jewish faith or wanted to convert, I definitely identified with what he was going through. To this day, I still ask St. Anthony to help me find things and I always kid around that despite me being Jewish, he usually always helps me! : ) I can totally relate to Ethan Bloom and his quest for self acceptance. 

This film was so endearing and I highly recommend it. It reminded both my husband and I of the famous sleeper hit movie “Dirty Dancing” which also had such relatable and endearing characters. You felt like you were at the Sheldrake at times just like you were in the kitchen with Ethan and his dad Gary Bloomfield. It recently won the Directors Choice Award for Best Feature-Comedy at the Sedona International Film Festival. 

The wonderfully talented cast includes Joshua Malina (“The West Wing,” “Scandal”), Rachelle Lefevre (“The Twilight Saga”), Carlos Ponce, who is also a singer and songwriter, and Mindy Sterling (the “Austin Powers” trilogy). The film is led by rising stars Caroline Valencia, best known as young Selena Gomez in the hit Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building,” and Hank Greenspan, who appeared in the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood” for eight seasons.

“Ethan Bloom” is available on streaming platforms and in certain theatres. Check out the trailer here:

Now Playing​​​

Delray Beach, FL- Movies of Delray*

Starts June 19th

Tampa, FL – Tampa Theatre

Starts June 26th

Sedona, AZ- Mary D Fisher Theater

Screens June 29th

New York, NY – JCC Manhattan

*Q&A with Writer Maylen Dominguez and Star Caroline Valencia In-Person!

More Theaters Coming Soon!

All photos courtesy of Mememsha Films

The post Ethan Bloom Film Review & Talkback appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Godzilla x Kong: New Empire comes three years after Kong and Godzilla’s first interaction in the Monsterverse (Godzilla versus Kong). The film continues the story of the Monsterverse, expanding its universe’s scope and lore to new depths (literally). The film contains a lot more comedic moments than some of the previous Monsterverse films but it compensates with a lot of cool action. Many of the fights are enhanced by the set pieces as every location is affected by the clashes, and every impact is felt. This is a Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire No Spoiler Review. So, read on!

In short, I think the film did what it set up to do very well, have the Titans engage in massively epic fights while having a nicely executed story woven between the action. While the human plot is alright the fights are what everyone came for. I personally love the addition of wrestling moves into the fights making the clashes more realistic as every movement seems grounded in some way. The impacts of every attack can be felt in the locations as I mentioned earlier paired with the dynamic fighting proves that the monsterverse still has it when it comes to kaiju fights. In short, the film is very fun and enjoyable and continues the story of a solid cinematic universe.

Godzilla x Kong: New Empire comes three years after Kong and Godzilla’s first interaction in the Monsterverse (Godzilla versus Kong). The film continues the story of the Monsterverse, expanding its universe’s scope and lore to new depths (literally). The film contains a lot more comedic moments than some of the previous Monsterverse films but it compensates with a lot of cool action. Many of the fights are enhanced by the set pieces as every location is affected by the clashes, and every impact is felt.

In short, I think the film did what it set up to do very well, have the Titans engage in massively epic fights while having a nicely executed story woven between the action. While the human plot is alright the fights are what everyone came for. I personally love the addition of wrestling moves into the fights making the clashes more realistic as every movement seems grounded in some way. The impacts of every attack can be felt in the locations as I mentioned earlier paired with the dynamic fighting proves that the monsterverse still has it when it comes to kaiju fights. In short, the film is very fun and enjoyable and continues the story of a solid cinematic universe. 4.5/5 stars 

The movie stars Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall and more. Directed by Adam Wingard.

Official Trailer:

See it only in theaters now:

https://www.godzillaxkongmovie.com/

Photos and video courtesy of Warner Brothers.

The post Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire No Spoiler Review appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Synopsis:

Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry Allen uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?

Ezra Miller’s take on both Barry Allen’s is astounding, the way the subtle differences play out makes it really feel like two people. “The Flash” plays around very well with the ideas already existing in the DCU while adding new interesting twists.

Every Character introduced is fun to watch and fits very well into the narrative without feeling like just fan service.The action is superb and really fun to watch with every little detail being satisfying. DC’s timeline and multiverse direction is an interesting take which I cannot wait to see more of…

The Flash is in theaters as of June 16, 2023.

We were not compensated for this post. Thank you, Warner Bros., for inviting us to an advanced screening.

The post The Flash Movie Bursts into Theaters appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

My older’s son’s thoughts:

I felt that the original Spider-Verse movie was great but “Spider-Man:Across The Spider-Verse” is gloriously better. Every scene is animated, polished, and colored beautifully, the sound design is perfect and the story direction works so well. It’s not messy or too convoluted, all the characters are fleshed out and it handles some dark themes but in a way anyone can understand. The humor lands most of the time and it feels like a natural continuation to the last movie. Spider-Verse handles the idea of the multiverse pretty well, maybe even better than how it works in the MCU. I think “Across The Spider-Verse” is a must watch.

My husband’s thoughts:

I felt that the Dolby Cinema enhanced this screening of the movie as it really made the sights and sounds just pop out to me. In fact, I think I wants to see every movie this way. Dolby Cinema really had the feel of Pop Art and I loved the immersiveness of Dolby Atmos sound and the stunning visuals and colors of Dolby Vision.

Movie Synopsis:
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

See Spider-Man:Across The Spider-Verse starting today, only in theaters and make sure you find a screening a Dolby Cinema.

We were invited to a screening of the movie in Dolby Cinema. We were not compensated.

The post Experience Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Dolby Cinema appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Live music fans rejoice! From May 10-15 you can pick up $25 Tickets to more than 3,800 shows across North America this year. Concert Week is a great deal and you can’t beat $25 tickets to see some of your favorite artists like 5 Seconds of Summer, Beck & Phoenix, Bebe Rexha, Fall Out Boy, Janet Jackson, Maroon 5, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, P!nk, and many more. If you’ve seen the prices of concerts lately, this is an amazing deal. Set your smart phone alarms to purchase tickets at Ticketmaster! Don’t wait to get $25 All-In Tickets During Concert Week!

Live Nation today announced the return of Concert Week, offering fans an unbeatable deal: $25 all-in tickets to more than 3,800 shows across North America this year. The annual week-long program kicks off ahead of a robust 2023 summer concert season, getting fans ready to fill their summer months and the rest of their calendar for the year with epic shows and live music from their favorite artists.

The limited-time ticket offer includes over 300 of today’s biggest acts across a wide variety of genres, including: Hip-Hop, Country, Latin, R&B, Metal, Pop, Rock, K-POP, Electronic, Comedy and more.

How Concert Week Works: 

From May 10-16, fans can visit LiveNation.com/ConcertWeek to see the full list of participating events. Once they’ve selected a show, they should look for the ticket type labeled “Concert Week Promotion,” add the ticket(s) to their cart and proceed to checkout.

Performer List List

How to Find Participating Shows

Fans can filter their search on LiveNation.com/ConcertWeek by participating events, venues, or artists. While on the website, fans can also set the location to the closest city and the site will refresh to only include participating shows nearby.

How to Buy Tickets

The general sale for Concert Week will begin Wednesday, May 10th at 10 AM ET through Thursday, May 16th at 11:59 PM, or while supplies last at LiveNation.com/ConcertWeek.

Personally, if I’m able, I plan to try to see Bryan Adams, Boy George & Culture Club with Howard Jones and Berlin, Foreigner, Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe. Bret Michaels and more – I’m a total 80’s kid. And with the pandemmy almost over, I just wanna rock.

The Fine Print:

• Concert Week all-in tickets include all fees upfront in the $25 cost.
• Any taxes will be added at checkout as applicable to each city, state and venue.
• Concert Week all-in tickets are available for select Live Nation events, while inventory lasts.

Go to LiveNation.com/ConcertWeek for more information. Don’t wait to get $25 All-In Tickets During Concert Week!

The post Get $25 Tickets During Concert Week appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Wobbly World, located on the second floor of the museum, is a result of a collaboration with toy designer Cas Holman, who created Rigmajig – the award-winning pop-up playground at the High Line in Manhattan. Here at the Liberty Science Center, she has created a magical, whimsical world where teeny-tiny babies can explore movement in interesting, fun ways.

The brightly-colored exhibit is a playscape with a variety of items that babies and toddlers can touch, climb, roll on, build and more! At the center, there is a giant body mobile, which is a carousel of sorts, where kids can balance and spin on. There are also oversized balance blocks, as well as a scales and stacking station, where kids can sort, stack and balance a variety of blocks.

Here are some of my favorites from the exhibit:

The gorgeous mobiles are not just for playing – they are also on display on the walls!

Click here to learn more about the exhibit and the Liberty Science Center. All visitors ages 12 and up are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

This is a sponsored post. All opinion is my own.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 14, 12 and 9.

The post Don’t Miss Wobbly World at Liberty Science Center appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

The Install and Set Up

Let’s Explore: Oceans Immersive Mega Pack was very easy to set up and use. Included is a Holographic Explorer Cube, a hard cover book, and VR/AR Goggles – which you use your smartphone with (plus a case).

The first thing you do is to download the Let’s Explore App in the App Store or Google Play Store.

Then install it and it will give you a code to put into the app to access the VR and AR experiences. Then you take the soft cube that is included and start! You can choose to use it in PHONE mode to see both the augmented reality and the 360 degree video. Just point your phone at the cube and everything literally comes to life. Now, if you want to be fully immersed, use the GOGGLES Mode to view both the VR and AR features within the app.

Because I have an iPhone 12 Max Pro, my phone wouldn’t fit in the googles. But my daughter has a smaller iPhone (the 7) and it fit beautifully. You will have to take off any pop-sockets or handles, it won’t fit otherwise.

My son was just amazed and loved finding out the many facts about sea. It was terrific with helping him to learn even more about a subject he is passionate about. He had a blast using the VR and AR.

My daughter even enjoyed Let’s Explore: Oceans.

The Let’s Explore: Oceans Includes:

• VR/AR Goggles powered by your smartphone
  Compatible with nearly all new and most relatively-new Apple (iOS) and Android smartphones. If you’re unsure click here to check our compatibility list.
• Handy Carry Case to explore on the go
• 36 page Hardcover Book full of ocean facts and amazing photos
• Holographic Explorer Cube
• Explorer Activation Code to access content via the Let’s Explore Free Downloadable App.
• 6 Incredible Virtual Reality Adventures
• 4 Thrilling Virtual Reality Mini-Movies
• 4 Amazing Augmented Reality Experiences
• Family-Friendly Educational Experiences for ocean explorers, ages 7+
  

Buy: https://amzn.to/3eD6F0L or use discount code: VRoceans2021 to order on their website: https://us.letsexplore.com/products/let-s-explore-mega-pack?variant=39376105275587

The post Let’s Explore: Oceans Immersive Mega Pack – Perfect Gift for Ocean Loving Kids + Discount Code appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

We were not compensated for this post

For the show to “work” parents are required to do some basic preparations. A few weeks before the show, parents receive a list of items that are usually found around the house (i.e. a mug, envelopes). The day before the show parents receive instructions on what to do with the items (i.e. place an envelope in your kids’ sock drawer). The set up is very easy and takes about 15 minutes)

I did the set up right before the show and then brought my boys to watch. All I had to do was click on the Zoom link and sit back and let the wizards run the show. There were several other families who took part in it.

In the show, the two wizards were competing for who is the best wizard based on tricks that they were performing. My eight-year-old had a blast running around the house, finding a balloon hanging outside our front door and treats hidden under his bed. Although he’s old enough to realize I’m the one who put the stuff there, the element of surprise and the unknown was very appealing to him. The 45-minute show is recommended for ages 5-11, but I think kids age three and up with the help of a parent would also enjoy it so I would recommend it for kids ages 3-10.

It was so much fun watching my son’s face as he excitedly ran around the house looking for things and I hope he never loses his belief in magic!

Performances times are 1 PM; 2:30 PM; 4 PM; 5:30 PM; 7 PM and playing through November 28, 2020. Each show is performed for up to 8 young people.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by visiting WizardsofOakwood.com

I was not compensated for this post. I received a complimentary admission.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids, ages 13, 11 and 8.

The post Show Review: The Wizards of Oakwood Drive – An Interactive Virtual Show appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx. This post contains affiliate links.

Hello Mamas! Do you get any self-care these days? It seems like I barely get any self-care (okay, since I became a parent) – so I have been trying to make time for it daily, even if I spend 5 whole minutes a day on myself. I was so excited to get the Self-Care for Fall 2020 Box from BabbleBoxx because it was all for ME! Such a nice thing to get in the mail!

Inside was

• Robyn Williams Novel called “Fool’s Paradise’
• Nail and Foot Repair from Kerasal
• Born Basic Hand Sanitizer in 3 different sizes
• Grande Cosmetics Lip Plumping Gloss
• E-salon Hair Color

“Fool’s Paradise” by Robyn Williams

I admit it, I love to read once my house is quiet and everyone’s asleep. I quickly got into this novel – which has everything (suspense, romance, intrigue, tragedy, humor, plus some supernatural elements woven in. The lead character is Dr. Aaryn Jamison, one of the US’s most prominent African American physicians. Aaryn is a little different and heals through theraputic massage (her massages are not just massages). She would really feel her patient’s physical pain as they relived what got them to her. She meets womanizing Jayson Denali, who’s a famous Academy award-winning actor when his mother goes into the hospital and immediately they clash. Jayson had a hard upbringing, strict mother who had a longtime affair and a sister who was addicted to heroin. Will Aaryn and Jason be able to deal with everything that goes on? I think A Fool’s Paradise is a high caliber page turner that grabbed me from the first word — and this would make a great movie!

With A Fool’s Paradise, Robyn Williams has crafted a riveting, seductive novel that deftly explores relationships from a refreshing perspective. There is a genuine passion evident in her writing that is unmistakable, and that simply should not be missed.

Purchase the e-book for $4.49: https://amzn.to/35otHEq
#RenaissanceResurgence
#RenaissanceMoment

Nail and Foot Repair from Kerasal

My feet are always so dry and my nails really need some TLC. My heels are dry and cracked and my nails are weak (and I have one toenail that just grew back because I injured it). Kerasal sent me two products – their Intensive Foot Repair and their Multi-Purpose Nail Repair.

Kerasal Intensive Foot Repair: This is an exfoliating moisturizer that is clinically proven to hydrate/moisturize dry feet while exfoliating away dead skin. There are visible results in one day. Being that I haven’t gotten a pedicure in months, I’m loving this to keep my feet silky smooth when I do my at home pedicures. It really works and I’m excited to have smoother feet.

Kerasal Multi-Purpose Nail Repair: I’ve had some issues with damaged nails and this was a huge help. This is a solution to improve the appearance of nails damaged by a variety of conditions. Kerasal’s patented formula helps improve nail appearance by reducing discoloration, smoothing the surface, normalizing thickness and hydrating the nail. Its effective, clear formula penetrates the nail to restore a healthy appearance. Whether it is Nail Fungus, Nail Psoriasis, Aging Nails, or Gel Manicure Damaged Nails – Kerasal Multi-Purpose Nail Repair will help make a visual difference.

Features:

1. Improves the appearance of fingernails or toenails damaged by any of the following four issues: Psoriasis, gel manicures, aging, or fungus (onychomycosis)
2.  #1 Dr. Recommended Brand
3.  Reduces Discoloration, Normalizes Thickness, Smooths & Hydrates
4.  Penetrates the nail to restore healthy appearance

Tip: Visible improvements can be seen after one week of application. Continue use for up to 3 to 6 months for full effect.

Shop on Amazon or Target.

Born Basic Hand Sanitizer

I’m sure you’re thinking — what does hand sanitizer have to do with self-care? Well, hand sanitizer means I can actually protect myself when I go somewhere (even if it’s a walk around the block) and then again when I come home from harmful germs. My health and the health of others around me is pretty important to me and using hand sanitizer is a way for me to keep any germs away from them and from myself. In my BabbleBoxx, there was a huge bottle of Born Basic Hand Sanitizer, plus a family sized bottle of hand sanitizer and a small hand sanitizer that is currently in my purse.

Features:

• Born Basic Hand sanitizer is 62% instead of 70% alcohol or 65% alcohol – which is more moisturizing with less alcohol content but still effectively kills germs per FDA guidelines.
• According to the CDC – With more than 60% alcohol content, it is an effective germ-killing agent.
• No strong alcohol smell
• Soothing formula keeps hands soft
• Affordable Price point
• Vitamin E and aloe to help soothe hands
• Easily dispensable – cap is easy to pour
• Fun cap colors on select products
• Airtight cap with popable feature
• This advanced and improved formula is better than ever and can be found in 3 ounce, 8 ounce, 16.9 ounce, and 33 ounce form.
• US company, family owned

You can find it exclusively at Target stores. Visit their website at www.bornbasicproducts.com.

Lip Plumping Gloss from Grande Cosmetics

Looking for a lip plumper that’s combined with a clear lip gloss?? Grande LIPS Hydrating Lip Plumper is a high gloss, volumizing lip plumper infused with a nourishing cocktail of VolulipTM and hyaluronic acid for instant and long-term hydrating benefits. It takes a few minutes to work and really hydrates dry areas on your lips. Who couldn’t use more lip volume? They recommend you use this 2x daily for 30 days to see an increase in lip volume. Put this on under your regular lip gloss or lipstick! Plus it’s cruelty-free!

Special Offer: Use Promo Code: SELFCARE10
Offer to get 10% off entire purchase on grandecosmetics.com
Terms: One time use per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers. Valid through 9/30/2020.

eSalon

Having a custom hair color made from eSalon was the last thing in my box. eSalon believes that all people deserve the best hair color and they can create their custom color for you. You get a personal colorist with your free account and that colorist factors in your color goals, looks at your recent photos (selfies work), the profile you fill out, plus your color history to create your own custom shade. I love that it’s not a one color fits all. It’s made-to-order and making custom color means less waste (which means its sustainable and better for the environment).

As I’ve gotten older, my hair has gotten darker. I don’t have a lot of grey, but the few strands I have have been multiplying quickly. I had blonde highlights with a brown base color, but I haven’t kept up with it in the last 6 months (except for using a little bit of purple shampoo) I probably will highlight it in the future (but I am thinking a caramel color for those). However, after ordering eSalon easily and getting it very fast, I might just keep using eSalon.

I ordered it online and I picked a dark brown-gold color. I actually got an email from the stylist working for me telling me that I needed to have a color fill color added to my order so the blonde ends would be covered. She explained exactly what I needed and made sure it was included in my order.

The kit arrived very quickly.

This is what I was working with.

So this is what I was working with – clearly I needed to do something.

I read through all the instructions and got to work. Check out my video for the full process.

The first thing I did was to section my hair and then apply the eSalon Stain Guard along my hairline.

Then I applied the color fill in the dark brown-gold color my stylist sent me to cover my brassy blond ends.

That stayed in for around 5 minutes and then I hopped into the shower real quick and rinsed that out.

Then I applied the all over dark brown-gold color formatted for me all over my hair, left that on for 15 minutes.

I took that remaining color and added some water to the bottle, shook it and then went back in the shower, and added that to blend my hair color. I let that sit for around 2-3 minutes and then I washed my hair with the Alterna Caviar Shampoo and Conditioner that was in my box. It smelled amazing and after my shower, so did my hair. No nasty chemical smells (however, still keep it clear of your eyes).

My hair looked wonderful and was so soft. This was a Demi-Permanent  color so it will last for 24 washes. Then I need to decide if I want to keep in the same color family or if I want to change things up.

Intrigued? Start here to get more information and to get your own made-to-order color: https://www.esalon.com/custom-hair-color

#FallForSelfCareBBxx

The post Busy Mamas — Fall Into Self-Care with Babbleboxx! appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Whenever my kids see a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, they get so excited. Well, Jeff Kinney is back with book #14, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball, and we have the scoop! Greg Heffley is our hero and his life gets complicated when his parents use an inheritance to spruce up their house. Having been through renovations ourselves and knowing how crazy ours was, we had a great time reading this book. What zany antics will Greg get up to? Read on for a review from my kids!

As with the past Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, it’s written in diary style and my kids always love how Greg talks to them and shares his life through his entries and pictures. My almost 12-year-old daughter as well as my 9-year-old son are both very into the Wimpy Kid series and I think your child is going to like it also!

In the beginning, Greg’s family is preparing for a yard sale and Greg comes up with a great (but crazy) way to promote it, until his mother shuts that idea right down.

Then Greg’s aunt passes away and leaves the family some money. His mom decides to use it for home improvements. Greg’s a little annoyed that his mother won’t consider his 2nd floor ice skating rink idea, I mean, it made sense to my kids. My son loved that idea and he was giggling at it.

Greg’s mother didn’t like his couch/built-in toilet idea either. She decided to fix up the kitchen instead. When I asked my son if he had any home improvement ideas like Greg’s, he said he would make a slide from the top of his bunk bed to the kitchen table so he could eat breakfast immediately when he woke up. While I agreed that this was a good idea, I just didn’t think it would work for our family.

Greg mentions how his father has taught him about home repairs and the grout in the tiles. His imagination runs away from him and he imagines “The Grout” as a big monster. My son loved this part and started asking me about the grout in our house.
Add in some wasps and a wayward squirrel and my son was in stiches at Greg’s and his dad’s antics. Home repairs probably shouldn’t be done by this family! Things got even more nutty when the construction crew showed up.

Our Funny Home Renovations Story

It reminded me of when we did our kitchen renovations 12 years ago and how much chaos there was in our apartment. I was very pregnant with my daughter and my older son was two year old. Frankly I frankly never want to go through a kitchen renovation again. It was so disruptive to our life! I had to serve meals in our living room and sometimes in our bedroom! I only had a microwave to heat things up with – we ate a lot of takeout or things in cans. Luckily we only had one kid at the time to follow the crew around. We used two guys named Paul and Paul. Paul 1 was really funny and loved talking to my son who had just turned 2. My son was so into construction and couldn’t stop asking questions. He wanted to know when the bulldozers were coming. Paul #1 had to explain that they were going to use hammers and sledgehammers. My son wanted to help. Paul #2 wasn’t very friendly and basically ignored all of us. Especially my little boy who kept trying to ask him questions.

Paul #1 came running in one morning and announced that he had measured wrong and our stove was not going to fit. He frantically had to re-order the cabinets for the island so our stove would fit. It was almost a catastrophe! And when they ripped up our floors for the new tile they found so many cockroaches under the floorboards. YUCK! I am so glad I didn’t see that -unfortunately that’s what happens in New York City!

We didn’t want to touch anything ourselves – but let Paul and Paul and their crew handle everything from start to finish. My father is a carpenter and seemed to drop by a lot to check their work.

When they finished the kitchen, I was ten days from giving birth to my daughter! I was so happy they finished because I would have been miserable with a work crew and my new baby in the house. We immediately added a baby gate so I could keep my son out!

While I won’t spoil the rest of the story, Diary of a Wimpy Kid #14: Wrecking Ball kept my kids’ interest and they can’t wait to see what happens in the next Diary of a Wimpy Kid story.

Buy this book!

Find it on Amazon now.

Other Wimpy Kid Posts

https://www.themamamaven.com/new-book-release-diary-of-an-awesome-friendly-kid-rowley-jeffersons-journal/

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My requirements are pretty simple for a musical. I want to have a great time. Mean Girls, currently playing on Broadway, definitely delivered that plus more, with a great message for kid and adults. The cast worked very hard (yes, we absolutely saw you!) and the staging was so innovative with sets that changed on the LED screens around it. You can sit with us!
If you’re not familiar, Mean Girls is an award-winning hit new Broadway musical comedy produced by THE Lorne Michaels, Stuart Thompson, Sonia Friedman, and Paramount Pictures. Mean Girls features a book by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey, based on her screenplay for the film, music by three-time Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond, and lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin. Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs.n

Synopsis Girls on Broadway Review: A Fun Musical With An Important Message

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savannah, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Chicago. How will she make friends and influencer people? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George (she’s a big deal), egged on by new friends Janis and Damian.

But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.

The cast is led by Erika Henningsen as Cady Heron, Reneé Rapp as Regina George, Krystina Alabado as Gretchen Wieners, Kate Rockwell as Karen Smith, Barrett Wilbert Weed as Janis Sarkisian, Grey Henson as Damian Hubbard, Jennifer Simard as Mrs. Heron / Ms. Norbury / Mrs.George, Kyle Selig as Aaron Samuels, Cheech Manohar as Kevin Gnapoor, Rick Younger as Mr. Duvall. The cast also includes Aaron Alcaraz, Darius Barnes, Maria Briggs, Collins Conley, Kevin Cosculluela, Cailen Fu, Davon Hadsell, Morgan Harrison, Curtis Holland, Olivia Kaufmann, Myles McHale, Brittany Nicholas, Becca Petersen, Brendon Stimson, Christine Shepard, Jake Swain, Riza Takahashi, Daryl Tofa, Bria Jené Williams, Gianna Yanelli, and Iain Young. We saw Barrett Wilber Weed’s understudy Olivia Kaufmann perform as Janis Sarkisian and she was just terrific.

The Message:

However, Mean Girls was more than just a great time — there was a message in the show. We need to be better to each other. Being unkind is not okay. The show really showcases this message and it’s one that is sorely needed in these times. Middle school, high school, and beyond. Bullying is never okay. Trying to bully a bully isn’t okay either because it makes you no better than the bully. Kids will love the show because the music and the action will draw them in, hopefully they’ll get the message too. And if they can really take the message to heart, then maybe it will spark change in all the schools, workplaces, and government.

Mean Girls is playing at the August Wilson Theatre and based on the hit film of the same name.

See Mean Girls!

August Wilson Theatre
245 West 52nd Street
New York, NY

How to Get Tickets

Get Broadway Tickets here

And if you have a bladder issue like me:

Gulliver’s Gate: A Magical Land of Miniatures in Times Square

Alean Girls on Broadway Review: A Fun Musical With An Important Message | The Mama Maven Blog

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/mean-girls-on-broadway-review-a-fun-show-with-an-important-message/feed/ 2 https://www.themamamaven.com/visiting-the-set-of-clifford-the-big-red-dog-live-action-movie/ Thu, 29 Aug 2019 10:20:49 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=67211 My daughter and I were recently was able to spend a couple of hours on the set of the new Clifford the Big Red Dog live action movie and I can't wait to see this movie! If you are not aware, the film will be a live-action family comedy, with New York locations prominently featured throughout the film. The cast includes Darby Camp (Big Little Lies), Jack Whitehall, John Cleese, Izaac Wang, Rosie Perez, Kenan Thompson, David Alan Grier, Tony Hale and Horatio Sanz.

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]]> Who loves Clifford the Big Red Dog? Then this post is for you! Recently my daughter and I were recently was able to spend a couple of hours on the set of the new Clifford the Big Red Dog live action movie and I can’t wait to see this movie! If you are not aware, the film will be a live-action family comedy, with New York locations prominently featured throughout the film. Who hoo! I love my NYC! The cast includes Darby Camp (Big Little Lies), Jack Whitehall, John Cleese, Izaac Wang, Rosie Perez, Kenan Thompson, David Alan Grier, Tony Hale and Horatio Sanz. Visiting the Set of Clifford The Big Red Dog Live Action Movie

I remember reading the Clifford books when I was little and always loved watching Clifford on PBS Kids with my own kids (as well as reading the books with them). 

Here are some pictures that I was given permission to take. 
This is Emily Elizabeth and her mother’s apartment. It’s supposed to be a funky Harlem brownstone and I was just amazed by all the details taken for the sets. Every single detail, art, family photos, condiments(!), is on purpose. 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the city backdrop, which stood behind the Brownstone Set. It was a huge painting of trees and buildings and just looked so real! 

 

Here’s Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp’s) school uniform. 

 

 

Here’s the plot of the movie via The Hollywood Reporter:

“The movie will see Emily (Big Little Lies‘ Darby Camp), who is struggling to fit in at home and at school, discover a small red puppy who is destined to become her best friend. When Clifford magically undergoes one heck of a growth spurt and attracts the attention of a genetics company, Emily and her Uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) have to fight the forces of greed as they go on the run across New York City. The script for Clifford was penned by the writing team Jay Scherick and David Ronn, along with Annie Mumolo and Stan Chervin.

 

Note: If you use any of my photos in your post, you must credit me and link back to my blog. Thanks! 

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/celebrating-the-release-of-avengers-endgame-at-spyscape-in-nyc/ https://www.themamamaven.com/celebrating-the-release-of-avengers-endgame-at-spyscape-in-nyc/#respond Tue, 13 Aug 2019 22:52:31 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=67052 My kids are huge fans of the Avengers series. Black Widow, in particular, is a favorite character due to her incredible skills and abilities. I recently took my ten-year-old son to Spyscape, an espionage museum located in Times Square, to test out his skills and see if he can learn to be a spy just...

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]]> My kids are huge fans of the Avengers series. Black Widow, in particular, is a favorite character due to her incredible skills and abilities. I recently took my ten-year-old son to Spyscape, an espionage museum located in Times Square, to test out his skills and see if he can learn to be a spy just like Black Widow, just in time for the DVD/Blu-ray release! Celebrating the Release of Avengers: Endgame at Spyscape in NYC

Spyscape is an interactive museum that allows the visitors to take part in determining what type of spy they are meant to be, based on a series of super fun and challenging tests. My son had a blast taking all the different tests.

We started by going up a huge elevator, where we were briefed about our tasks as spies:

We used our wrist band to begin taking tests. Each band is personalized.

In the encryption room we deciphered codes:

We learned some deception skills:

We tested our observational skills at the Surveillance challenge:

We took a bunch of tests to test our personality, IQ and risk-taking abilities:

We also enjoyed seeing artifacts in the exhibit:

At the end we got our results for the profile. This profile system was developed by a former head of training at British Intelligence and assigns one of ten spy roles based on the tests. Our results: intelligence operative! 

Spyscape was a blast!

I was not compensated for this post. I received complimentary tickets to Spyscape. This post does contain affiliate links.

---

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for eighteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 12, 10 and 6) and loves finding great products for her family.

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/celebrating-the-release-of-avengers-endgame-at-spyscape-in-nyc/feed/ 0 https://www.themamamaven.com/no-spoiler-review-spider-man-far-from-home/ https://www.themamamaven.com/no-spoiler-review-spider-man-far-from-home/#respond Tue, 02 Jul 2019 17:21:44 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=66527 I’m not going to do is spoil Spider-Man: Far From Home for you. Instead, I’m going to urge you to see it for yourself. The newest SPIDER-MAN movie is exciting, funny, touching and enthralling — basically what you would expect from any movie in the Marvel Universe, but Tom Holland can really handle being sensitive...

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]]> I’m not going to do is spoil Spider-Man: Far From Home for you. Instead, I’m going to urge you to see it for yourself. The newest SPIDER-MAN movie is exciting, funny, touching and enthralling — basically what you would expect from any movie in the Marvel Universe, but Tom Holland can really handle being sensitive and strong. Should you see it? Read on to find out why. No Spoiler Review: SPIDER-MAN: Far From Home

In this installment, the 2nd MCU Spider-Man, Peter Parker returns from “The Blip” – which is where everyone disappeared to at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. You may remember it as being called “The Snap”. When he comes back, he’s the same age, 16 (even though it’s 5 years later). Which means he still has to go to high school, much to his disappointment. They do talk about it – there are people who came back visibly 5 years older and THEY still have to finish high school. Peter is crazy about MJ (Zendaya) although he’s too shy to tell her that.

When he gets the opportunity to go abroad on a school trip he jumps at the thought of getting away and not being SPIDER-MAN. He sets off with his classmates and hopes he’ll get some MJ time. Nick Fury wants to try to connect with Peter, but Peter really wants a break. He just doesn’t want to be SPIDER-MAN right now, but will things go as planned?

Well, if you know Marvel movies, maybe not. Will he have to save the world again? He is still upset about the loss of Tony Stark and as a Marvel Fan, it felt totally right for Peter to have all these feelings. 

A new character, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, is introduced. Will he and SPIDER-MAN be able to stop a huge threat from wreaking havoc all over Europe? Will Nick Fury ever crack a smile? 
As usual, there are sight gags, and a romance between his best friend and another girl on the trip, plus there is more Peter and MJ time. 

While I’m not going to give you spoilers, there are three huge reveals in the film – stay to the very, very end to see the 3rd reveal. Your mouth will drop open — OMG! 

Good for younger kids?

There is a lot of action in this movie, younger kids should be able to handle it – but you know if your kids will be scared or not. I would say that ages 7 and above should be fine to see it. I’m always pretty conscious of that when I screen a movie. SPIDER-Man does get beaten up but it’s a little more implied than shown. 

The movie is directed by: Jon Watts, written by: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommer. It’s based on the MARVEL Comic Book by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and produced by: Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal. It stars Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Marisa Tomei and Jake Gyllenhaal.

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/no-spoiler-review-spider-man-far-from-home/feed/ 0 https://www.themamamaven.com/review-men-in-black-international/ https://www.themamamaven.com/review-men-in-black-international/#respond Sun, 16 Jun 2019 03:58:38 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=66448 Review by Mr. Mama Maven Anyone who thought Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson had great on-screen chemistry in Thor Ragnarock is in for a treat in their new film, Men in Black (MiB) International. The film does a nice job of placing them as an extension to the original Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones...

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]]> Review by Mr. Mama Maven
Anyone who thought Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson had great on-screen chemistry in Thor Ragnarock is in for a treat in their new film, Men in Black (MiB) International. The film does a nice job of placing them as an extension to the original Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones trilogy without being heavy handed. Even though I must say that I would not have minded a brief Will Smith cameo. Maybe that will come in the next one. Review: Men in Black (MIB) International

Photo courtesy of Sony

As the title implies, our heroes are not just operating out of the single New York office where all the action took place in the original movies. It’s a truly global mission which takes the characters to a number of countries, across three continents, and to some breathtaking scenery.

The special effects were done very well. It was not overwhelming and the aliens definitely had the look and feel of the original MiB visitors.

Photo courtesy of Sony

Plus, they managed to bring in some old favorites at the right moments to tie things back to the original, and add some cute and some scary new ones.

Photo courtesy of Sony

The action scenes were solid. They might have leaned on the arsenal of guns jokes a little too long but what can you do? It was still a lot of fun.

Check out this funny car dealership prank. 

Men in Black International is in theatres now. The Men in Black have expanded to cover the globe, but so have the scum of the universe. And to keep us safe, decorated Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) and determined rookie M (Tessa Thompson) are partnered – an unlikely pairing that just might work. As they face a new alien threat that can take the form of anyone, including MIB agents, they must join forces on a globetrotting adventure to save the agency and ultimately the world.

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/review-men-in-black-international/feed/ 0 https://www.themamamaven.com/the-misadventures-of-max-crumbly-3-masters-of-mischief-giveaway/ https://www.themamamaven.com/the-misadventures-of-max-crumbly-3-masters-of-mischief-giveaway/#comments Sat, 15 Jun 2019 13:13:38 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=66395 This post contains affiliate links. My daughter is a reader and in this blog post, we’re going to talk about The Misadventures of Max Crumbly: Masters of Mischief and what she thought of it. The author, Rachel Renée Russell also writes Dork Diaries, which my daughter loves.  This book is set in the world of...

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]]> This post contains affiliate links.

My daughter is a reader and in this blog post, we’re going to talk about The Misadventures of Max Crumbly: Masters of Mischief and what she thought of it. The author, Rachel Renée Russell also writes Dork Diaries, which my daughter loves. 

This book is set in the world of the mega-hit series Dork Diaries. The Misadventures of Max Crumbly stars Max Crumbly, friend to Nikki Maxwell of Dork Diaries, who goes to a different school and manages to get into a whole lot of trouble. And I’m talking about a lot of trouble. The series is written in diary format with illustrations and doodles of Max’s mishaps.

Max starts at a new middle school and faces the school bully who stuffs Max into his locker. Max wants nothing more than to be like his comic superhero idols and though his ability to smell pizza from a block away isn’t exactly a superpower, he’s still going to try to be the hero his school needs!

Just like the Dork Diaries, The Misadventures of Max Crumbly series is about embracing who you are and having a ton of fun along the way!

My Daughter’s review:
This is the third book in the series about Max Crumbly. The book is written in the form of a journal. Max wants to be a superhero, so he and his sidekick, Erin, they go into the school and stop some bad guys who were trying to steal expensive computers. Then they fell into a dumpster and were trapped. Can you imagine?? They had to find a way out and then the robbers also stole Max’s dad’s vintage comic books – so they had they had to find them also. In the middle of the night, they had to escape from the robbers and get back to their houses. Can the two friends avoid being caught and getting in trouble while keeping their school safe from bullies and criminals? You’ll love reading about the rest of Max and Erin’s misadventures – so I think you should get a copy!

Masters of Mischief (The Misadventures of Max Crumbly #3)  by Rachel Renée Russell

Rachel Renée Russell is an attorney who prefers writing tween books to legal briefs. (Mainly because books are a lot more fun and pajamas and bunny slippers aren’t allowed in court.) She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the block buster book series Dork Diaries and the exciting new series The Misadventures of Max Crumbly. There are more than 25 million copies of her books in print worldwide, and they have been translated into thirty-four languages. She enjoys working with her two daughters, Erin and Nikki, who help write and illustrate her books. Rachel lives in Chantilly, Virginia.

Buy: The Misadventures of Max Crumbly on Amazon.

Published by Simon & Schuster
Recommended for ages 9 – 13

Buy other books from Rachel Renee Russell.

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/the-misadventures-of-max-crumbly-3-masters-of-mischief-giveaway/feed/ 9 https://www.themamamaven.com/captain-marvel-arrives-at-best-buy-get-an-exclusive-steelbook/ https://www.themamamaven.com/captain-marvel-arrives-at-best-buy-get-an-exclusive-steelbook/#respond Thu, 13 Jun 2019 17:22:05 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=66344 Where are my Captain Marvel fans??? Captain Marvel is available at Best Buy! She is one of my favorite Marvel characters and you can get a your HD DVD and Blu-Ray (plus digital code) in a collectible Captain Marvel Steelbook at BestBuy. This is the ONLY place you’ll be able to find it! With Brie...

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]]> Where are my Captain Marvel fans??? Captain Marvel is available at Best Buy! She is one of my favorite Marvel characters and you can get a your HD DVD and Blu-Ray (plus digital code) in a collectible Captain Marvel Steelbook at BestBuy. This is the ONLY place you’ll be able to find it! With Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Goose the Cat, you can’t go wrong. Captain Marvel Arrives at Best Buy, Exclusive Steelbook!

About the movie:

This Marvel movie follows Carol Danvers (played by Brie Larson), an Air Force pilot who experiences a freak accident that somehow gives her with alien superpowers, making her Captain Marvel. With time running out, Captain Marvel joins forces with Nick Fury (Samuel.L Jackson), and together they work to save the planet from a looming war between alien races. It’s got action and a sense of humor. This is the perfect night in for the family to enjoy this movie from the MCU. 

Check out our full no spoiler Captain Marvel review here: https://www.themamamaven.com/no-spoiler-review-captain-marvel/

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, you’ll enjoy owning a copy of this sci-fi action pic. Don’t forget to pick you your collectible SteelBook which includes custom box art! So, who’s inviting me over to watch it? Captain Marvel Arrives at Best Buy, Exclusive Steelbook!

Buy at Best Buy.

• Facebook: CaptainMarvelOfficial

• Twitter: @CaptainMarvel

#CaptainMarvel @BestBuy   

 

There was a little bit of everything in this movie. It was a bit of a buddy movie with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel kicking butt and Samuel L. Jackson’s digitized younger Nick Fury bringing a lot of humor and human perspective to the movie. It was a real treat seeing Nick Fury before he had seen it all. He was also great with one of the other big stars of the movie, Goose the Cat.

I can’t say anything else about Goose but he was a great scene stealer and hands down my daughter’s favorite character. Ben Mendelson gave excellent depth and personality to a shape shifting skrull, which is not an easy thing to do. The one character that I felt was under-utilized was Annette Benning. It would be a spoiler to go into her role but she was captivating every time she was on the screen. I would have loved to have seen her interact with Captain Marvel in a way Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym did with Paul Rudd’s Antman.

 

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/captain-marvel-arrives-at-best-buy-get-an-exclusive-steelbook/feed/ 0 https://www.themamamaven.com/pretty-woman-the-musical-on-broadway-bring-your-mom-or-girlfriends-for-a-great-time-discount-code/ https://www.themamamaven.com/pretty-woman-the-musical-on-broadway-bring-your-mom-or-girlfriends-for-a-great-time-discount-code/#respond Sun, 05 May 2019 17:47:48 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=65899 This post is made possible by support from Pretty Woman: The Musical. All opinions are my own. Recently, I was invited to see a showing of Pretty Woman the Musical on Broadway with my mother for an early Mother’s Day Gift. My mother loves plays and musicals probably even more than I do, so we...

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]]> This post is made possible by support from Pretty Woman: The Musical. All opinions are my own.

Recently, I was invited to see a showing of Pretty Woman the Musical on Broadway with my mother for an early Mother’s Day Gift. My mother loves plays and musicals probably even more than I do, so we were pretty excited. If you saw the movie, you will find that this musical version is very faithful to it. In fact, the late Garry Marshall, who directed the 1990 movie directed by J.F. Lawton, also wrote the book for the musical along with JF. Lawton. As we watched the musical I smiled because it really had the feel and a lot of lines from the movie. However, the staging and the musical numbers really illuminated everything and brought out the story even more. The music is written by Bryan Adam (my 15 year old self was dying) and Jim Vallance, who is a longtime collaborator of his.

My mom and I heartily enjoyed ourselves and totally fell in love with Samantha Barks and Andy Karl as Vivian and Edward. As my mother just came back from Florida and I hadn’t seen her since we were in Israel together in February, I totally treasured seeing this show with her. 

I have to put it in here — this is definitely a show for grownups over 18 (as in don’t bring your kids). Not that there is anything wrong with that. It was a strong, romantic show with terrific music and we really had a wonderful time. 

The songs that Edward sings especially highlighted his inner self as he was falling for Vivian, which really added to the story.
You may find yourself smiling and laughing a lot (which is a good thing!).

However, Orfeh as Kit De Luca and Eric Anderson as Mr. Thompson the Hotel Manager, really stole the show. Orfeh (pronounced “Or- fay”) is actually married to Andy Karl in real life (they met 18 years ago in Saturday Night Fever and also starred in Legally Blonde as Paulette and the UPS Guy). Plus Orfeh’s voice is spectacular. Keep an eye on her, I can’t wait until I see her starring as first lead in something. 

We got to do a talkback after the show with Andy Karl (Edward), Orfeh (Kit), Robby Clator (David) and more of the cast and it was fascinating! Check out my video!

Would I recommend Pretty Woman the Musical? Absolutely. It’s perfect to take your mom, your girlfriends, or even for date night! 

EXCLUSIVE COUPON CODE: Use MOM1 at Ticketmaster. 

Get Social With Pretty Woman

–       Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrettyWoman

–       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrettyWoman

–       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettywoman/

–       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/PrettyWomanTheMusical

Pretty Woman the Musical
Nederlander Theater
208 West 41st Street
Show Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

 

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/pretty-woman-the-musical-on-broadway-bring-your-mom-or-girlfriends-for-a-great-time-discount-code/feed/ 0 https://www.themamamaven.com/family-link-from-google-helps-teach-kids-good-digital-habits/ https://www.themamamaven.com/family-link-from-google-helps-teach-kids-good-digital-habits/#comments Thu, 02 May 2019 16:42:56 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=65859 This is a sponsored post. I am being compensated by the Google for my participation in this campaign. I am a part of the Mom It Forward Influencer Network. Family Link App from Google Helps Teach Kids Good Digital Habits My darling daughter turned 11 this winter and her android tablet is one of her favorite things. Frankly...

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]]> This is a sponsored post. I am being compensated by the Google for my participation in this campaign. I am a part of the Mom It Forward Influencer Network. Family Link App from Google Helps Teach Kids Good Digital Habits

My darling daughter turned 11 this winter and her android tablet is one of her favorite things. Frankly I wish she would be a little less interested in it, but she’s a good kid and I want her to have some time on it to play her favorite apps and read ebooks. I just don’t want her to be on it ALL the time. Plus I want to know what apps she is using. Where do I find a balance? That’s where Family Link from Google comes in to help me make her online world safer. The purpose of Family Link from Google is to set digital ground rules to help guide children and teens as they learn, play, and explore online. We can’t assume that kids automatically know this and if you remember last October I worked with Google on their Be Internet Awesome Campaign. My kids loved the online games they played (and didn’t realize that it was teaching them how to be safer online and what to look out for). Family Link from Google Helps Teach Kids Good Digital Habits

How do you get started? First I downloaded Google Family Link for Parents (which you can find right in the IOS app store). Family Link from Google Helps Teach Kids Good Digital Habits

Then I downloaded Google Family Link App for Children and Teens from the Google Play store on my daughter’s Samsung Tablet.

I followed the directions and installed it on both devices. This did take me a little while before I was able to get it set up. 

Once I had it set up, on my device, I set the time I wanted my daughter to be able to use her tablet. 

Then I set up the bedtime settings (which I just mentioned above). While I am pretty sure my daughter wouldn’t be on her tablet at night, this means her device locks if she tries to go on past 9PM at night (recently we had a big problem with my 13 year old sneaking onto his device at night). If your child has a device that makes phone calls (my daughter’s tablet does not), your child can still call you, even if their device is locked. Family Link from Google Helps Teach Kids Good Digital Habits

Cool tip: If your child misplaces their device, you can use Family Link for Parents on your device to make a sound and find it. 

If your child goes into the Family Link on their devices, they can see how long they’ve been on their device for that day, yesterday, the past 7 days, and 30 days. 

Features on Family Link from Google:

Manage the Content Kids See:

-Parents can remotely approve or decline apps their kids want to download from the Google Play Store. –You can also hide apps on the device so kids may be more productive and do schoolwork or read ebooks instead of playing their favorite puppy game. 
-No surprises on in-app purchases from apps- Family Link lets you approve purchases your kids want to make in their favorite apps.
– Activity reports – Family Link shows you app activity reports so you can keep an eye on what they are using on their device
– Inappropriate content – you can block specific sites, only allow a curated set of sites, and apply filters that attempt to block mature content in your Family Link settings.

I like being able to see what my child is doing on her tablet and how long she is doing it for.

Manage Tablet Time:

-Family Link allows parents to set a daily limit for every day of the week, so once they use up that time their device gets locked. 

– Bedtime! Family Link lets you set a device bedtime for your child and you can customize by day (so you can let them play on their devices later on the weekends).
-Device locking! This is something I actually haven’t tried yet –  Family Link lets you remotely lock your kid’s device anytime, and if you have a Google Home, you can even make Google do it — just say “Hey Google, lock Allegra’s device.”

Locate Your Child:
– While we don’t let our child take her tablet outside of our home, Family Link will let you see where your child is, as long as they have their device on and with them. 

But remember this — none of the tools in Family Link are meant to replace a conversation about digital habits. You need to discuss with your kids about why there needs to be limits how long they are online and what apps they can access. Family Link from Google Helps Teach Kids Good Digital Habits

For more info: g.co/FamilyLink

#FamilyLink #Sponsored

Read our Be Internet Awesome Intro post https://www.themamamaven.com/teaching-kids-to-make-good-decisions-online-and-be-internet-awesome/ 

 

 

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/family-link-from-google-helps-teach-kids-good-digital-habits/feed/ 15 https://www.themamamaven.com/new-book-release-diary-of-an-awesome-friendly-kid-rowley-jeffersons-journal/ https://www.themamamaven.com/new-book-release-diary-of-an-awesome-friendly-kid-rowley-jeffersons-journal/#comments Wed, 24 Apr 2019 21:40:47 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=65814 This post is in partnership with Abrams Books. As always, all opinions are my own.   If you’re a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney (and we are!) then you’re going to love his latest book, Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal. The story is told...

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]]> This post is in partnership with Abrams Books. As always, all opinions are my own.

 

If you’re a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney (and we are!) then you’re going to love his latest book, Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal. The story is told by Rowley Jefferson, who you may remember from the Wimpy Kid World. Rowley’s best friend Greg Heffley has been talking about his middle-school years in the thirteen Diary of a Wimpy Kid journals . . .. But now it’s Rowley’s turn. He gets a chance to share his own voice. But his best friend Greg doesn’t react so well (he hates the idea of Rowley writing a journal), so Greg suggests that Rowley make a biography about him. Rowley agrees to become Greg’s official biographer. He’s totally convinced that one day Greg will be rich and famous, and everyone will want to know his life’s story. However, Rowley really isn’t a good choice for the job of biographer and his “bio” of Greg is a total mess. Diary of An Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal

 My 11 year old daughter took the wheel on this review. She’s a pretty awesome friendly kid herself and just loved Diary of An Awesome Friendly Kid. In the “Biography” it said talks about how Rowley and Greg had sleepovers and how scary stuff happens – Greg’s older brother Rodrick pulls a prank and them. The Biography also talks about how Rowley and Greg met. It also tells about how Greg doesn’t always tell the truth and that he’s a bad study partner. Sometimes Greg will do very silly stuff with Rowley (like pranks). Her favorite part was when Greg pranked that he was a robber and fooled Rowley. She said if she could, she would be friends with both of them, but she might like Greg better because she likes pranks herself.

My daughter just got into a good middle school next year and I know that this awesome friendly kid, while nervous to be the new kid in school, will be fine. In fact, she’ll probably look for the kids sitting alone at lunch and make them feel comfortable.

My younger son, Skylar, also read the book and thought that it was never nice to make fun of somebody. Greg made a drawing of Rowley that was not very nice. Then Rowley changed it into “Stinky Greg”. His favorite was the dream when this guy was attacked by a bear (and it turned out to be REAL). Skylar thought the book was funny and would recommend it. He’s an awesome friendly kid also.

The book was just released and is recommended for ages 8-12.
And guess what! There’s a new book in the Wimpy Kid Series coming out!
Look for Diary of a Wimpy Kid #14, out later this year!

BUY Diary of An Awesome Kid on Amazon.

This post contains an affiliate link.

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/new-book-release-diary-of-an-awesome-friendly-kid-rowley-jeffersons-journal/feed/ 2 https://www.themamamaven.com/spoiler-free-movie-review-nancy-drew-and-the-hidden-staircase/ https://www.themamamaven.com/spoiler-free-movie-review-nancy-drew-and-the-hidden-staircase/#comments Thu, 14 Mar 2019 11:38:07 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=65301 Warner Bros. invited me to an advance screening of Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase. I was not compensated for this review.  Growing up, I was a huge Nancy Drew fan. My father’s aunt Dorothy had given me many of the books written in the 60’s and 70’s and I devoured every one. So, I...

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]]>

Warner Bros. invited me to an advance screening of Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase. I was not compensated for this review. 
Growing up, I was a huge Nancy Drew fan. My father’s aunt Dorothy had given me many of the books written in the 60’s and 70’s and I devoured every one. So, I was so excited to see this new version of Nancy Drew on the big screen — Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase. The star of Nancy Drew, Sophia Lillis, plays Nancy very smart, savvy, and sassy – basically she has the traits that the original version by Carolyn Keene did. Did we like the movie? Read on. Spoiler Free Movie Review: Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase #wbpartner #nancydrew #nancydrewmysteries #movies #entertainment #movie

Summary:

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, an all-new film coming to theaters on March 15 from Warner Bros., Ellen DeGeneres’ A Very Good Production and Red 56.

After the death of his wife, Carson Drew decides to leave Chicago behind and make a fresh start with his daughter in River Heights. But for 16-year-old Nancy Drew, life in a small town is mighty dull. She longs for excitement, adventure, and the chance to make a difference. Nancy gets that opportunity when she is asked to help solve the ghostly activity at the Twin Elms mansion. Can she help explain the creaking footsteps, exploding lightbulbs and the ominous creature? Is it the handiwork of high-school bully Derek Barnes? Or is it possible that the ghost of original owner Malcolm Colfax is back for revenge? Recruiting her best friends George and Bess, along with local “mean girl” Helen, Nancy Drew is on the case!

Thoughts: 

Nancy’ s spunky, clever, and outspoken and for the current time period, she’s also on social media and pretty tech savvy. At first it was a little mind boggling to see Nancy video chatting with her friends, but we quickly got used to it. The movie was interesting from beginning to end of the movie and my daughter loved how Nancy treasured her friendships and relationships. She clearly adored her father and he adored her. I did not see the twist coming at the end of the movie and luckily Nancy kept a cool head and was able to solve the mystery. We heartily recommend Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase.

NANCY DREW AND THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE WILL BE IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY 

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/spoiler-free-movie-review-nancy-drew-and-the-hidden-staircase/feed/ 14 https://www.themamamaven.com/no-spoiler-review-captain-marvel/ https://www.themamamaven.com/no-spoiler-review-captain-marvel/#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2019 23:23:05 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=65250 By Eric Horn, Mr. Mama Maven My daughter and I were invited to a preview of Captain Marvel this week. She is a huge marvel fan and a bit of a super hero in her own right. She has seen all of the MCU movies and has read a lot of comic books on top...

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]]> By Eric Horn, Mr. Mama Maven
My daughter and I were invited to a preview of Captain Marvel this week. She is a huge marvel fan and a bit of a super hero in her own right. She has seen all of the MCU movies and has read a lot of comic books on top of that. So she was completely prepared to see Captain Marvel. There was a lot of set up required at the beginning of the movie to get the audience acclimated to the war between the Kree and the Skrulls, and about forty years of comic book history, but she knew all about them before she even stepped into the theater. No Spoiler Review: Captain Marvel | The Mama Maven Blog

There was a little bit of everything in this movie. It was a bit of a buddy movie with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel kicking butt and Samuel L. Jackson’s digitized younger Nick Fury bringing a lot of humor and human perspective to the movie. It was a real treat seeing Nick Fury before he had seen it all. He was also great with one of the other big stars of the movie, Goose the Cat.

I can’t say anything else about Goose but he was a great scene stealer and hands down my daughter’s favorite character. Ben Mendelson gave excellent depth and personality to a shape shifting skrull, which is not an easy thing to do. The one character that I felt was under-utilized was Annette Benning. It would be a spoiler to go into her role but she was captivating every time she was on the screen. I would have loved to have seen her interact with Captain Marvel in a way Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym did with Paul Rudd’s Antman.

 

v

Like CAPTAIN MARVEL on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaptainMarvelOfficial/

Follow CAPTAIN MARVEL on Twitter: https://twitter.com/captainmarvel

Follow CAPTAIN MARVEL on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captainmarvelofficial/

Visit the official CAPTAIN MARVEL site here: https://www.marvel.com/movies/captain-marvel

CAPTAIN MARVEL is in theatres now. 

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/no-spoiler-review-captain-marvel/feed/ 2 https://www.themamamaven.com/interview-patrick-stewart-and-cast-from-the-kid-who-would-be-king/ https://www.themamamaven.com/interview-patrick-stewart-and-cast-from-the-kid-who-would-be-king/#comments Fri, 25 Jan 2019 01:56:15 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=64416 Remember the King Arthur Legend of Exalibur? When the boy pulls the sword out of the stone? In the new movie, The Kid Who Would Be King, which will be released this week. this is a new take on the story and we absolutely loved it. Taking place in England, young Alex (age 12) and...

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]]> Remember the King Arthur Legend of Exalibur? When the boy pulls the sword out of the stone? In the new movie, The Kid Who Would Be King, which will be released this week. this is a new take on the story and we absolutely loved it. Taking place in England, young Alex (age 12) and his best friend Bedders are being bullied. While he’s running away from bullies Lance and Kay, he finds Exalibur, the Sword in the Stone. He meets Merlin and learns how to turn his friends and enemies into one army to take on the evil Morgana. Will he succeed? The Kid Who Would Be King Patrick Stewart and Cast Interview | The Mama Maven Blo

 

We got to screen the movie recently and I was very impressed by the young cast, as well as Patrick Stewart. We got to speak to the cast – in this part of the video, you can hear me ask a question. 

Check out the rest of the video here: 

And later in the day my daughter got to do knight training.

Patrick Stewart and the cast discussed bullying and I was pretty surprised to hear Sir Stewart say that he was a bully growing up and the reason behind it. He said he grew up in a home that wasn’t safe (unfortunately I know a lot about that) and my heart just went out to him. Writer/Director Joe Cornish revealed that he thought of the idea for this movie when he was 12 years old — which gives creative kids a great reason to start documenting their own ideas. We were all charmed by young actors Louis Ashbourne Serkis (yes, dad Andy was in the room during our press conference, but didn’t speak to us, this was his son’s time) and Rhianna Dorris. 

Should you see this movie? Absolutely. While there were some scary parts, I was on the edge of my seat and the premise hooked me. What I also liked is that the bullies turned allies didn’t have that trust until later in the movie. A lot of times bullies/enemies just become friendly/work out their differences immediately. That didn’t happen – -the relationship evolved in The Kid Who Would Be King, but it was done in a more realistic timeline and really seemed authentic. Louis Ashbourne Serkis shined in this movie and I look forward to seeing him in other movies. 

Patrick Stewart and another actor, Angus Imrie, both play Merlin. It’s definitely a touch of comic relief and the character totally works. I really liked that the film wasn’t predictable, but the message of people working together against a common enemy/cause and to do what’s right and live by a chivalric code (while not a new idea) was one that we all should remember. 

The Kid Who Would Be King is in theatres on Friday, January 25.

 

Written and Directed by: Joe Cornish
Produced by: Nira Park, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Cast: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor, Rhianna Dorris, Angus Imrie, with Rebecca Ferguson and Patrick Stewart

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.TheKidWhoWouldBeKing.com 
FACEBOOK: www.Facebook.com/KidWhoWouldBeKing  
TWITTER: www.Twitter.com/KidWouldBeKing  
INSTAGRAM: www.Instagram.com/KidWhoWouldBeKing  
HASHTAG: #KidWhoWouldBeKing

 

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/interview-patrick-stewart-and-cast-from-the-kid-who-would-be-king/feed/ 2 https://www.themamamaven.com/mythbusters-jr-premieres-on-science-channel-kids-steam-awesome/ Wed, 02 Jan 2019 23:09:10 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=64047 Mythbusters was one of the first shows I watched with my now in-laws. I’m so excited now you can watch the new version of the show, MythBusters Jr, now with 6 talented kids as part of the cast. Adam Savage, one of the original Mythbusters, returns to TV as the host and Executive Producer. This 10 episode...

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]]> Mythbusters was one of the first shows I watched with my now in-laws. I’m so excited now you can watch the new version of the show, MythBusters Jr, now with 6 talented kids as part of the cast. Adam Savage, one of the original Mythbusters, returns to TV as the host and Executive Producer. This 10 episode series features a cast of 6 kids, all with brilliant scientific minds. MythBusters Jr. is a 10-episode series that will give six of the nation’s most talented kids a chance to show off their smarts and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) skills. They will tackle myths similar to those seen in MythBusters, ranging from driving, explosions, chemistry, physics, popular culture and more. These kids get a chance to test out hypotheses and I’ll tell you this — it’s pretty cool. But what I liked the best, it wasn’t a competition. These kids aren’t competing against each other. They are working together. Mythbusters Jr. Premieres on Science Channel: Kids + STEAM = Awesome

The junior MythBusters are:

Valerie Castillo: This 15-year-old from Lancaster, CA, is a skilled builder and robotics wiz, who is also experienced in CAD drawing and 3D printing. In 2017 Valerie was the team leader of her school’s robotics team that won the state championship, qualifying them to go to the World’s VEX Robotics competition. Valerie and her partner recently won 1^st place in their school’s science fair, which later won 2nd place district wide.Cannan Huey-You: A 12-year-old with a background in coding, robotics and motion physics, Cannan will be entering his second year of college in the fall at Texas Christian University where he’s a double major in Physics & Astronomy and Engineering. His dream is to be an astronaut and perhaps be one of the first humans to walk on Mars.

Jesse Lawless: This Slidell, Louisiana 15-year-old has been around cars in his dad’s custom hot rod shop since he was a baby. After building a mini chopper by himself at the age of 12, he entered a car show and won 1st place. From fixing up jacked up 4x4s to building scooters, to modifying radio controlled cars, Jesse knows his way around a vehicle. He is also skilled at drawing, crafting and building models.

Rachel Pizzolato: The 14-year-old from Metairie, Louisiana is a builder who has been involved with remodeling houses with her father since a young age. Rachell was a 2016 and 2017 Broadcom MASTERS Top 30 Finalist. In 2017 she was awarded the Duke TIP challenge certificate and presented her current project to the 2017 American Geophysical Union at Bright Stars, a forum that hosted over 20,000 earth and space scientists from around the world.

Allie Weber: The South Dakota 13-year-old is a multiple award-winning, patent pending inventor, builder, and maker. An advocate for STEAM, in 2017 Allie was recognized as one of the 21 under 21 girls who are changing the world by Teen Vogue magazine and was also recognized by 3M as one of the top 10 young scientists in the country. In 2016 Allie won the Global Spark Lab Invent-It-Challenge with a frostbite warning system.

Elijah Horland: The 12-year-old from Brooklyn is a self-taught maker, programmer & circuit wiz. At 9 years-old, he started building PCs and “Franken-Mac” computers; at 10 years old, he took his first microcontroller and was blinking LEDs in one night, soldering his first circuit boards by the end of the same week. By 11 he was featured in “Make” for his early-model “min-tin” sized video game system, now a staple of maker culture. Elijah is a family friend and we are SO excited to see him on Mythbusters Jr! 

Meet 13-year-old #MythBustersJr co-host @NotABombBunkE from Brooklyn, a self-taught maker, programmer and circuit wiz who started building PCs and “Franken-Mac” computers when he was 9 years old. pic.twitter.com/9x5vXy64Mj

— MythBusters (@MythBusters) December 31, 2018

Here’s Elijah with Adam Savage (courtesy of Elijah’s Twitter)

Here’s the trailer.

Also featured in MythBusters Jr. are builders Tamara Robertson, whose talents have been seen in MythBusters: The Search and SciJinks, and Jon Marcu, who has worked on a number of television and film productions.

The series will air on the Science Channel starting tonight. You can also stream it on the SciGo App. Let me know what you think!!! Mythbusters Jr. Premieres on Science Channel Kids + STEAM = Awesome | The Mama Maven Blog

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/magnus-kingdom-of-chess-app-a-chess-learning-game-for-kids/ https://www.themamamaven.com/magnus-kingdom-of-chess-app-a-chess-learning-game-for-kids/#comments Sat, 01 Dec 2018 17:36:05 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=63837 This post is made possible by support from the Play Magnus campaign. All opinions are my own. One regret I have in life is that I never learned how to play chess. However, my daughter has played it a few times at school. She wants to get better at it, so we’re trying to help...

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]]> This post is made possible by support from the Play Magnus campaign. All opinions are my own.
One regret I have in life is that I never learned how to play chess. However, my daughter has played it a few times at school. She wants to get better at it, so we’re trying to help her by using Magnus’ Kingdom of Chess App for kids (available via IOS or Android). Magnus’ Kingdom of Chess App: A Chess Learning Game for Kids

Magnus Kingdom of Chess provides kids (ages 5 years and up) with a fun way to learn the basics of chess.

Magnus Carlsen, the World Chess Champion and his team of Grand Masters and chess experts at Play Magnus have teamed up with the learning experts at DragonBox to make a game for children that makes chess easy and fun to learn. Their overall mission is “using chess as a fun tool to make the world a smarter place”.

The app is bright and colorful and lets kids experience an exciting adventure, as they learn about the different chess pieces and how to play chess.



Chess teaches kids:

– Critical thinking
– Concentration
– Strategy (ie. How to stay two steps ahead)
– How to solve problems

These are all important methods to teach our children to succeed in school and in life. Things I want my daughter to learn.


My daughter immediately got into the game. She went home sick from school and I was excited for her to play Magnus’ Kingdom of Chess. We are pretty picky about screen time for her, but I felt that Magnus Kingdom of Chess was a good app for her. I felt it was a great way for her to learn more about chess, plus increase critical thinking, concentration, and more. Basically, it’s a parenting win!

Play Magnus also offers Magnus Trainer, which is a completely new way to learn and train chess through engaging mini-games and interactive lessons. It’s a great way for beginners to learn chess, and for more experienced players to train and improve their chess skills.

The Magnus Trainer app is free to download, and is squarely focused on training chess skills together with the chess World Champion. This app is for players of all ages, but it’s recommended for ages 12 and up. Magnus’ Kingdom of Chess App: A Chess Learning Game for Kids

Follow Play Magnus on Social:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlayMagnus
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/playmagnus/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playmagnus/?hl=en

Download Magnus’ Kingdom of Chess here: https://magnuskingdom.app.link

#MagnusKingdom

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/magnus-kingdom-of-chess-app-a-chess-learning-game-for-kids/feed/ 12 https://www.themamamaven.com/the-questioneers-rosie-revere-the-raucous-riveters/ https://www.themamamaven.com/the-questioneers-rosie-revere-the-raucous-riveters/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2018 06:43:54 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=63803 Abrams Books sent me a copy to check out and is partnering with me for this post. I am raising a daughter who I am trying to teach to think for herself. She loves math and science and I encourage her to pursue her passions. I’m excited to let you know about The Questioneers, a new...

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]]> Abrams Books sent me a copy to check out and is partnering with me for this post.

I am raising a daughter who I am trying to teach to think for herself. She loves math and science and I encourage her to pursue her passions. I’m excited to let you know about The Questioneers, a new book series featuring Rosie Revere, Ada Twist, and Iggy Peck. The Questioneers series is a celebration of STEM, perseverance, and passion. Piqued your interest? Read on for more info.The Questioneers: Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters

Like the series’ characters, Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, and Ada Twist –  every budding architect, engineer, scientist, mathematician, and leader, will become inspired to solve everyday mysteries and come to think more critically about their world. Most importantly, they will learn that despite inevitable difficulty in achieving success, they should always continue to “Read. Question. Think.”—and never give up on their dreams.

Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters

Story:

Rosie Revere is no stranger to flops and fails, kerfuffles and catastrophes. After all, engineering is all about perseverance! But this time, Rosie has a really important project to tackle—one that feels much bigger than herself. Rosie’s beloved Aunt Rose and her friends, the Raucous Riveters—a group of fun-loving gals who built airplanes during World War II—need Rosie’s help. One of the Riveters needs a special contraption to paint in Blue River Creek’s annual mural competition. And Rosie’s just the engineer for the job!

But things don’t exactly go here way and Rosie gets discouraged. But thanks to some help from her classmates Iggy Peck and Ada Twist, Rosie creates the Paintapolooza, and, along with the Riveters, she rediscovers the meaning of home.

My Daughter’s Take:

My daughter, who is almost 11, liked the message in the book about not giving up even when things don’t go well. She liked Rose’s spirit and personality. We can’t wait to get her the other books in the series.

Buy the book https://amzn.to/2XhZHV8

Other Books in the series:

Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants: The Questioneers Book #2
https://amzn.to/2zUBw7a

Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion (The Questioneers Book 3)
https://amzn.to/3bSgvHz

And you can preorder the next one coming out in the series –

Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote (The Questioneers) – comes out October 6, 2020 – https://amzn.to/3bSowfC

Other Books in the series:
Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants: The Questioneers Book #2
https://amzn.to/2zUBw7a

About the Author:

Andrea Beaty is the author of Iggy Peck, Architect; Rosie Revere, Engineer; and Ada Twist, Scientist; among other children’s titles. She is an advocate for STEM and her books have been read around the globe and in space on board the International Space Station. She lives just outside Chicago. Visit her online at andreabeaty.com and on Twitter.

Visit the Official Site to learn more.

Giveaway open to US addresses only.

Prizing and samples provided by Abrams Books. The Questioneers: Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters

#TheQuestioneers

@abramskids

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/the-questioneers-rosie-revere-the-raucous-riveters/feed/ 92 https://www.themamamaven.com/8-reasons-why-kids-need-music-education-our-guitar-center-experience/ https://www.themamamaven.com/8-reasons-why-kids-need-music-education-our-guitar-center-experience/#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2018 13:34:08 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=63752 I’ve always believed that music education is important and it’s important for me as a parent to support it. My two older children currently play instruments and I believe that it helps them to easily succeed in their academic work. My kids, especially my oldest, have always been interested in music. I’ve seen them react to...

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]]> I’ve always believed that music education is important and it’s important for me as a parent to support it. My two older children currently play instruments and I believe that it helps them to easily succeed in their academic work. My kids, especially my oldest, have always been interested in music. I’ve seen them react to music and it brings out the best in them. Recently we had the chance to visit Guitar Center, one of the largest independent music educators in the U.S, so my oldest child could try out a guitar lesson and further advance his music education. He usually plays the Saxophone, but he’d always wanted to try out the guitar. 8 Reasons Why Kids Need Music Education & Our Guitar Center Experience

Music education is an important cornerstone to academic, social and cultural success. According to my friend Jennifer Toback of Staten Island, here are 8 of the top benefits of Music Education:

1. Brain Power – learning and playing music helps to work both the left side and the right side of the brain. It also helps kids to learn other subjects (there are studies that say students who study music score better on tests.
2. Teamwork – Music teaches kids how to work in a group. It also helps kids develop interpersonal relationships.
3. Self -Esteem – Learning and playing music boosts self-esteem (kids can learn how to play an instrument and feel very accomplished).
4. Lifelong Skill — Music will always bring the child who plays it pleasure and happiness.
5. Listening Skills – In today’s day and age with all the technology around, kids who learn and play music learn to listen better.
6. Stress Relief – Music is a great way to help kids to be less stressed.
7. Creativity – Music lets kids have an outlet for being creative.
8. Therapeutic – Music can be very therapeutic for kids with special needs.

Guitar Center offers guitar lessons, piano lessons, singing lessons, as well as many other types of instrument lessons. Since my son has been taking Saxophone lessons for the last three years, I wanted him to try a guitar lesson to see if it’s something for him also to learn. We met with Steve, who teaches guitar lessons in the Carle Place Guitar Center (which is in the town I grew up on). He’s a seasoned teacher who really knows his stuff and I was impressed with him. He had my son pick out a guitar to play on. Of course, my son chose an expensive Fender guitar!

They went back into the Studio area and Steve taught my son the basics. The last time I picked up an instrument to play was in the early 80’s so I watched in awe as my son was given instruction and learned how to place his find. My son has a much more musical ear that I have, so he picked it up quicker than I would have.

We were very impressed with Steve and how he worked with my son and we may be back in the new year to take lessons. 8 Reasons Why Kids Need Music Education & Our Guitar Center Experience

Guitar Center’s Five Key Differentiators:

• • Their Curriculum – Guitar Center has created a custom curriculum focusing on teaching theory through contemporary music. All curriculum programs are approved by the National Association for Music Education, the world’s largest arts education organization. They can also help tailor curriculum to goals and interests with a database on thousands of songs to learn.
  • The Convenience – With over 200 locations nationally, brand-new facilities Guitar Center Lessons is a one-stop shop. From lessons to retail to instrument repairs to supplemental learning materials, Guitar Center can cover any aspiring student’s needs. Their program gives students the ability to continue learning on the go with online resources and the ability to schedule at any location.
  • Pro Instructors with a Passion for Music – All Guitar Center Lessons instructors are passionate, playing musicians who want to help a student reach their musical goals. Based on needs and wants they’ll pair the student with the instructor that is right for them. With weekly office hours to help supplement education, their instructors are here to make sure students have everything they need to become the musician they want to be.
  • Contemporary Instrumentation – Students can take any instrument, anywhere. They can make sure students have the musical foundation to achieve any level or expertise on any instrument. They know learning music can be so much more enjoyable when people playing what they love.
  • Their Achievement Program – They help students monitor their progress with there 6 tiered program and instructors are here to make sure students have everything they need to become the musician they want to be.

Special Promotion:
Give the Gift of Lessons! This holiday season, buy 3 Lessons and receive the 4^th Lesson FREE!

• New students only. Not to be used in conjunction with any other coupons, promotions or lessons offers. No cash value. Buy 3 lessons at current Guitar Center market pricing and receive the 4^th lesson complimentary. Offer valid at Guitar Center Lessons locations only. Valid November 23-December 26. Registration ($30) must be paid at time of purchase. 8 Reasons Why Kids Need Music Education & Our Guitar Center Experience

Find a Guitar Center near them: https://stores.guitarcenter.com/

Connect with Guitar Center on social:

• On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guitarcenter/
• On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuitarCenter/

#GuitarCenter

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]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/8-reasons-why-kids-need-music-education-our-guitar-center-experience/feed/ 3 https://www.themamamaven.com/when-you-need-a-good-sound-system-in-your-home-bose-soundbars-have-you-covered/ https://www.themamamaven.com/when-you-need-a-good-sound-system-in-your-home-bose-soundbars-have-you-covered/#respond Wed, 17 Oct 2018 18:29:10 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=63313 This is a sponsored post, thanks for supporting The Mama Maven Blog!  When I think about sound — Bose is the first company that comes to mind. But it gets even better. You can get that superior Bose sound with unlimited entertainment possibilities. The new Bose family of smart speakers and soundbars has built-in voice...

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This is a sponsored post, thanks for supporting The Mama Maven Blog! 

When I think about sound — Bose is the first company that comes to mind. But it gets even better. You can get that superior Bose sound with unlimited entertainment possibilities. The new Bose family of smart speakers and soundbars has built-in voice control from Amazon Alexa that puts millions of songs that you can just ask for. And with Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® compatibility, you can wirelessly stream whatever you want, however, you want. And in the future, software updates will give you even more features. When You Need a Good Sound System in Your Home – Bose Soundbars Have You Covered

But you can have control way beyond just speaking. You can enjoy one-touch access to your tunes by using the Bose Music App.

Want more music in the different rooms in your home?

The new Bose family of smart speakers and soundbars works together.

The Bose Soundbar 700, designed to be the world’s best soundbar, delivers an unmatched combination of sophisticated design and exceptional sound.

For a thinner soundbar, the stylish Bose Soundbar 500 has a thin profile that fits discreetly under your TV, while its powerful acoustics fill the room with sound. The Bose Home Speaker 500 delivers the widest sound of any smart speaker.

Learn more and buy here at Best Buy: http://bby.me/8d24u

#ad @Bose @BestBuy #bosesmartspeakersatbestbuy

When I think about sound — Bose is the first thing that comes to mind. But it gets even better. You can get that superior Bose sound with unlimited entertainment possibilities. The new Bose family of smart speakers and soundbars has built-in voice control from Amazon Alexa that puts millions of songs that you can just ask for. And with Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® compatibility, you can wirelessly stream whatever you want, however, you want. And in the future, software updates will give you even more features.

The post When You Need a Good Sound System – Bose Smart Speakers and Soundbars Have You Covered appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

]]> https://www.themamamaven.com/when-you-need-a-good-sound-system-in-your-home-bose-soundbars-have-you-covered/feed/ 0 https://www.themamamaven.com/should-we-cut-the-cord-considering-google-chromecast/ https://www.themamamaven.com/should-we-cut-the-cord-considering-google-chromecast/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2018 21:39:36 +0000 https://www.themamamaven.com/?p=63282 This is a sponsored post, as always all opinions are my own.  We are a techy family and it might be time to cancel our cable and cut the cord. I’m thinking about getting Google Chromecast. It will let us watch movies, TV shows, live TV — as well as watch our favorite YouTube Channels....

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]]> This is a sponsored post, as always all opinions are my own. 

We are a techy family and it might be time to cancel our cable and cut the cord. I’m thinking about getting Google Chromecast. It will let us watch movies, TV shows, live TV — as well as watch our favorite YouTube Channels. It will even let us see our photos streaming on our TV — all from our family’s devices. How cool is that?? Should We Cut the Cord? Considering Google Chromecast | The Mama Maven Blog

I’ll be able to simply plug Chromecast into the HDMI port on my TV to power and stream our favorite entertainment right from our smartphones. I’ll be able to stream shows, listen to my workout playlist and still use my phone.

While I don’t have Google Home, it’s compatible and I can start streaming with just my voice as Chromecast and Google Home work seamlessly together. So I can say something like, “OK Google, play Jessica Jones from Netflix on my living room TV.”

Chromecast lets me upgrade my TV for less — and it’s so affordable I can get one for every TV in our home.

It also offers high-speed wireless connectivity. Built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi connects to the Internet through your wireless home network (but wireless router is required and sold separately).
It’s compatible with my existing smart TV. It easily connects to high-definition televisions with HDMI connectivity.

The Fine Print:

Just remember that subscriptions are required to view some content. Google Home, Chromecast, and compatible content required to cast to a TV using Google Home. Web-based services and content require high-speed Internet service. Some services may require a subscription.

Chromecast is designed to make the most of the apps and entertainment already on your phone. Shows, movies, live TV, YouTube, photos and more. It’s all just a tap away from all of your family’s devices.

Get your Chromecast at Best Buy: http://bby.me/8mht4

#ad  @BestBuy @madebygoogle

The Fine Print:

Just remember that subscriptions are required to view some content. Google Home, Chromecast, and compatible content required to cast to a TV using Google Home. Web-based services and content require high-speed Internet service. Some services may require a subscription.

The post Should We Cut the Cord? Considering Google Chromecast appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

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