HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I will be taking a little break to spend some time with my husband and two sons. I’ll be back to writing on Monday, January 5th. Meanwhile…

HAPPY CHANUKAH!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

HAPPY KWANZAA!

AND

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holiday House Party WITH Dan Zanes and Friends Review

(Crossposted from www.mominthecity.com)

The New Victory Theater is presenting Grammy® Award winner, former Del Fuego band member and beloved Brooklynite Dan Zanes for an all new celebration of the season during Holiday House Party WITH Dan Zanes and Friends at The New Victory from December 19, 2008 through January 4, 2009. Below is Mom in the City reviewer Alexandra’s thoughts…

On Friday my daughter and I had the privilege to go see the HOLIDAY HOUSE PARTY WITH DAN ZANES AND FRIENDS a New York performance. The setting of the stage was an inviting living room with different Christmas decorations from a Christmas trees to a Hanukah chamber stick. This reminded us all that these are times to remember traditions and celebrate with family and friends.

As the different special guests arrived to the stage they just kept adding their own cultural touch to this wonderful musical journey, which was a celebration of diversity. There were musical artists joining Dan with Palestinian Arabic-jazz, tap dancing, Mexican Mariachis and more. One by one, they all delighted the audience with fascinating music that was filled with flavor and rhythm from their countries and culture.

The audience varied in age (predominately children). But the music and dancing kept everyone young and old dancing and singing. My daughter Liana is only three and she danced to every single song. To the point that at the end of the performance the band and special guest marched down the aisle of the theater. Liana just stood behind the last guest and marched with them down to the lobby.

That was one of the things that I feel the children mainly enjoyed - the warm and friendly atmosphere that was initiated by Dan and his crew with their first song and preserved during the whole presentation with different invitations to join in on the fun and celebration.

As a viewer, you are able to sense an excellent spirit of friendship and unity from the members of Dan’s band with the different performers that were brought on stage. I feel that children recognize this and feel motivated and invited to join the fun.

This is a fun and enchanting musical experience that I would recommend to everyone. Especially if you have children, this is a perfect age to introduce and expose them to the diversity that music can offer.

Dan Zanes & Liana

Picture for Holiday Cards

Last year after taking the photo for our holiday cards, I made a mental note that I should stick with a professional photographer in the future. I guess that I’m a glutton for punishment though, because for some reason, I thought that it would be easier to take the boys’ picture for our holiday card this year. “They’re older/better able to take direction,” I (erroneously) reasoned.

So, on Saturday evening my husband and I “tackled” the holiday picture. We dressed the boys in their new, cute Coco Bonbons outfits and we were all set. Or so, we thought. I think that the boys must have drunk some “silly juice” right before the shoot. Michael kept making faces. Sean kept running away. Then, they started laughing and wrestling each other. My husband was trying to act like he was a photographer – using the camera to try to get a good shot. (He didn’t get one.) Meanwhile, I went the Flip route. Even though the resolution of Flip “photos from video” isn’t as great as shots from a regular camera, I reasoned that I would at least get one good frame in the midst of the madness. I did! It took many different shots to get one though.

We took:
-horizontal shots / vertical shots
-shots in front of / to the left of / to the right of the Christmas tree
-shots of the kids leaning against the sofa with their backs to the tree

Here are a couple of the outtakes:

(Suffice it to say, we won’t be trading in our “day jobs” in order to become children’s photographers!)

At the end of the day, we were able to get one (that’s all that we needed!) picture that we liked enough to use.

(I even like the “vintage” feel of the picture due to it being from the Flip camcorder.)

Happy Holidays!

Family/Kid Friendly Videogames

While you are on holiday break, try out some of these great family/kid friendly videogames from Electronic Arts …

-Boogie Superstar (Wii): This is a hit with groups of up to four players (especially “tween” girls). They will have so much fun singing and dancing along to almost 40 international music hits. They will enjoy customizing their characters, singing into the (included) microphone and practicing the on-screen dance moves. (Players can also create their own choreography.) Future “superstars” will also enjoy competing against other players in their quest to become the next “Boogie SuperStar”! (Parents with the urge to perform will also enjoy this game - I did!)

-Hasbro Family Game Night (Wii/PS2): Game night is a big deal at our home. The thing that I don’t like the most (keeping track of all of the pieces!) is done away with on the video version. Mr. Potato Head plays the host while players choose between six popular family games: CONNECT FOUR, BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, BOGGLE, SORRY! And the all-new SORRY! Sliders. You can play the games onscreen using the traditional game mode. There are also other ways/”modes” to play. Other fun things to do with this videogame are to “unlock” various accessories in order to decorate various rooms.

-Nerf N-Strike (Wii): Now, this is a great game especially for “tween” boys. Up to four players can battle to blast through a “top-secret NERF facility”. They can play alone or together. Of special note: this game comes with the first-ever SWITCH SHOT EX-3 NERF blaster that plugs into the Wii remote. (When not playing, kids can take it outside to use like a traditional NERF blaster - it comes with darts.)

And

-Travel Games For Dummies (DS): When it’s time to settle down a bit (or while traveling), this is a great on-the-go game. Three popular games (Solitaire, Sudoko and Crossword Puzzles) are featured in this videogame.

High School Musical 3 & Hannah Montana Trading Card Sets Giveaway

We're giving away two trading card sets (High School Musical 3 & Hannah Montana) in a special one week giveaway!

"Rock on! High School Musical 3 and Hannah Montana are all the craze, and now even parents on a budget this holiday season can afford to bring the fun home! Topps is proud to introduce two new

lines of cards, High School Musical 3 and Hannah Montana.

The cards feature fabulous photos and fun facts from the movie, so kids can relive their favorite High School Musical 3 moments. In addition to the cards, the High School Musical 3 packs also include:

-Sticker Cards to deck out your notebook or school locker

-Foil Stickers featuring the High School Musical Characters at Graduation

-Glitter Foil Cards-Sparkling stickers featuring awesome pics of the High School Musical 3: Senior Year cast on prom night

Price per Collectible Box: $48.00 (includes all 24 sets of cards)

Price per Pack: $1.99

Ages: 6 to 12

Girls will also be able to get into the groove with the all-new line of Hannah Montana Pop Star Quiz Cards. Cards include cool questions and awesome pics from the hit TV show. Each pack of cards also includes sassy cell phone stickers.

Special for the holidays, Hannah Montana Pop Star Quiz Cards can be purchased in a collectible holiday tin.

Price per Collectible Tin: $9.99

Price per Pack: $1.99

Ages: 6 to 12"

To enter, leave your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Trading Cards” in the Subject line by noon on December 21st. Winners must send me their contact information by noon on Monday, December 22nd.

Free (NYC) Holiday Family Events

There are so many events going on during this holiday season. Below are seven great free events taking place throughout the city over the next week. Enjoy!

1. The entire family will enjoy the Washington Market Park “Christmas Party” on December 13th from 2 - 3:30pm. There will be Christmas caroling by Stuyvesant A Cappella, a sing along with Richard Younger, crafts, refreshments and a visit from Santa Claus at this free event. (The main entrance to the park is on Greenwich Street at Duane.)

2. Families will enjoy “Snow Comes in Many Colors” by the Youth Theatre. This original Christmas play features drama, music and dance. This free event takes place on December 14th at 2pm at Riverside Theatre (91 Claremont Avenue at 120th Street). For more information, call (212)870-6784.

3. On December 16th at 12:30pm, take the entire family to see the “New York African Chorus Ensemble” at WFC Winter Garden (Battery Park City). They will teach about the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa through music and poetry readings from James Stovall of works by poet Langston Hughes at this free event. For more information, call (212)945-0505.

4. Enjoy “Winter Holiday Crafts for Tots” at the Chess & Checkers House (mid-Central Park at 64th Street) on December 17th from noon to 3pm. Kids (ages 3 and up) can celebrate with seasonally-themed arts and crafts at the Conservancy’s new monthly series, Crafts for Tots. For more information about this free event, call (212)794-4064.

5. You can take the kids to see the “Kaleidoscope Light Show” any time between December 1st and January 1st at Grand Central (42nd Street between Lexington and Vanderbilt Avenues) on the Main Concourse. The free light shows run every half hour from 11am to 9pm daily.

6. While you’re at Grand Central, you can visit the “NY Transit Museum’s 7th annual Holiday Train Show” at the NY Transit Museum Annex. It is being held from November 24th to January 19th. The show includes a train layout with stops at subway stations, bus stations, gas stations and Santa’s workshop. This year’s new features include Lionel’s brand new models of Metro North’s M7 train and New York City Subway’s R27. The hours for this free show are Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day. For more information, call (212)878-0106.

7. Catch the final season of “The Station at Citigroup Center” at the Citigroup Center Atrium (53 St. and Lexington Ave.). The station will be open from November 28th to January 2nd. The hours for this free exhibit are 10am through 6pm Monday to Saturday including New Year’s Day and noon to 5pm on Sunday. It is closed on Christmas Day. The display features a Victorian station building with clock tower with clocks on all four sides topped off by a locomotive weathervane. Victorian-themed decorative fences (topped with seven lighted Christmas Trees and ending in a forty foot long Victorian cutout train) surround the station building.

Easy, Nutritious and Economical Family Meals

Here are some meal ideas courtesy of Stop & Shop Consumer Advisor Andrea Astrachan. A link to Andrea’s monthly column online can be found here.)

Quick and Easy Chicken Caesar
Wraps
Tortillas
Creamy Caesar dressing
Romaine Lettuce
Chicken Breast

Charbroiled Veggie Burgers served with Edamame or Green Beans
Wheat Hamburger Rolls
Frozen Char Grilled Burger
Frozen Edamame or Frozen Green Beans

Italian Stuffed Shells with Sauce served with a Salad
Frozen stuffed shells
Pasta Sauce
Spring Salad Mix with Low-Fat Italian Dressing

Traditional Chili Served over Brown Rice and Topped with Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Canned diced tomatoes
Canned kidney beans
Brown Rice
Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
and Chili Seasoning

Veggie Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Bag of Potatoes
Canned Diced Tomatoes or Medium Salsa
Shredded Low-Fat cheddar Cheese
Canned Black Beans

Soft Tacos Served with Rice and Corn
Tortillas
Salsa
Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
Low fat Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Frozen Corn
Rice

Chipotle Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Breast
Tortillas
Chipotle Salsa
Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Fresh Green and Red Peppers and
Seasoning

Chicken Broccoli Penne
Chicken Broth
Chicken
Whole Wheat Penne
Frozen Broccoli Florets

Bugaboo Friends Giveaway

Recently, someone from Bugaboo contacted me. They wanted to let me know about Bugaboo Friends, a new community where parents share their experiences (photos, videos, daily rounds, etc.). Here’s the thing, as my regular readers know, I’m so NOT a stroller person, even less a Bugaboo stroller person. However, I responded “Many of my NYC area readers are Upper East Siders (where the Bugaboo is the “standard” stroller), so tell me more…”

Overall, I like the site. My favorite part is the gallery. I like looking at pictures of “on the go” parents and their kids from around the world. I also like the Bugaboo Challenges where an activity challenge (with prize rewards) is set out each month. For example, this month’s challenge is to photograph your city - and capture what makes your city - your city. It’ll be interesting to see how creative everyday people get with the various challenges.

The only thing that I don’t get is that (in theory) the site is dedicated to parents, but when you click on “become a friend”, it says that you don’t have to be a parent or own a Bugaboo stroller to join. Personally, I don’t see the appeal of being on a social site if I don’t have the common bonding thread (in this case, the Bugaboo) in common with the rest of the community. That’s just me, though. In sum, if you have a Bugaboo or aspire to the Bugaboo “lifestyle”, this is a great site for you. To join, visit http://www.bugaboo.com/ and click the ‘friends’ button at the top of the page.

So, do you have (or aspire to have) a Bugaboo? If so, I have a dark khaki Bugaboo Micro Fleece Blanket that I’m giving away to one of you. It’s soft, water repellent and warm, so it will help to keep your little one warm. To win it, simply leave me a comment or send me an email (contests@mominthecity.com) telling me one thing that you like about the new Bugaboo Friends site by December 31st. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing.

WINTUK from Cirque du Soleil

I (Kimberly) had a chance to see the show this past weekend. It was amazing! This is Cirque du Soleil’s first family show and they did a wonderful job. The dogs, cranes, snow giants and skateboarding acrobats were just a few of the standout performances that kept the entire audience’s attention (the show is about 2 hours). There was also a surprise at the end of the show that brought squeals of delight from adults and kids alike. After we left, Michael said, “That was AWESOME”. There was so much to see that it’s hard to describe the show in words, but you can catch a little snippet of it here at this video link.

Here are a couple of pictures (from the audience) at the show:

It's Snowing!

It's Snowing!

Macy’s Believe Campaign

This holiday season, Macy’s wants everyone to believe in and embrace the holiday spirit of love and charity. For more information, you can visit their Macy’s Believe site.

Since writing letters to Santa Claus is a tradition that many children all over the world enjoy, Macy’s is collecting these letters in a special Santa letterbox at each of their stores. Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for each letter that they receive. (Make-A-Wish makes wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.) In addition, Macy’s “Believe Meter” will measure belief, based on our collective spirit – including the amount of letters received and other current events that “reflect the season’s generosity”.

Because I like this cause, I’m going to let Michael write his first letter to Santa. (The letter will probably be addressed to “Santa Daddy” though. We don’t really push the whole Santa story around here. Our policy is neither to confirm or deny.) If it will help make another kid’s dream come true, why not write a letter? We do try to promote love and charity at our home and in our community.

National Influenza Vaccination Week

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the week of December 8-14, 2008, as National Influenza Vaccination Week. It’s so important to take precautions against the flu! Here are some tips from Clorox and the national PTA to help prevent the flu at home and in the classroom:

• Get Vaccinated: Effectiveness varies from 70 percent to 90 percent. It is recommended for children 6 months through 18 years of age.

• Wash your hands frequently: Germs are the culprit in causing flu. Take time and thoroughly washing hands.

• Help Stock Up: More than 56 percent of teachers buy their own cleaning supplies. You can help by donating cleaning supplies, such as Clorox disinfecting wipes, to help your teacher stock the classroom and keep it clean.

• Take Five: Experts believe that up to 80 percent of infectious illnesses are spread by touch and students can touch up to 300 surfaces in just 30 minutes. Take 5 minutes to wipe down commonly touched surfaces in the classroom such as desks, pencil sharpeners and keyboards to help reduce the spread of germs

• Teach Healthy Habits: Remind kids to share wisely. It’s great to share items like books, toys and pencils, but not items like combs, brushes, hats, toothbrushes, tissues, whistles, cups and forks.

• Do the Elbow Cough: Cough into your elbow, not hands (where you’re more likely to spread germs through touch).

• ABCs of Sneezing: Keep tissues handy and teach kids how to blow their noses early – instead of doing the icky sleeve swipe. The key is tossing tissues in the trash right away to keep germs at bay.

• Sleep is Key – for parents and children, earlier bed times mean better performance the next day.

On a personal note, I was so happy when my kids finally received their flu shots last week! It took so long, because Michael has been bringing home all of these little colds and viruses from preschool and “sharing” them with Sean. You’re not supposed to get the flu shot while you have a cold, so the timing was tricky. Fortunately, since both kids were fine last Monday, I called their doctor and asked if I could bring them in on Tuesday for their flu shot. So (hopefully!) they’re safe for the season. I think that they received their shots just in time. Michael and I went to see a show with a friend and her daughter on Saturday. On Sunday, we received a call from my friend’s husband…my friend has the flu! Yikes – Michael should be ok, but I still haven’t made the time to get my flu shot this season. Hopefully, the flu will pass me by….I really can’t afford to get sick this week. Oh well, I’ll see what happens.

Kick Like a Girl

We’re giving away a Kick Like a Girl DVD a new film coming out on HBO in the Spring of 2009.

“The film, presented by CITI is called Kick Like a Girl and is a documentary about The Mighty Cheetahs, an undefeated third grade girls soccer team in Salt Lake City , Utah and what happens when they competes in the boys division. The documentary reveals the reality of boy-girl issues and what "Kick Like a Girl" really means on and off the playing field. The 25 minute documentary follows the team as they talk about entering the boys league and then into the actual competitive season.

The film is narrated by 8-year-old Lizzie, a self-described soccer girl who doesn't let juvenile diabetes, elbow blocks or grass stains interfere with her desire to compete.

It's a remarkable film that reminds us all of the lessons learned in competitive athletics and how sports has been one of the most effective instruments of social change in our lifetime.”

Enter to win the DVD by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Kick” in the Subject line by December 31st