If we weren't already booked this month, I could be convinced to head back to Greek Peak to take advantage of this deal!!
Start spring off right with Cascades Indoor Waterpark and Hope Lake Lodge!
Make plans to stay and play during the month of April and receive 25% off your room reservations and passes for Cascades Indoor Waterpark at Hope Lake Lodge.
Use promo code Spring2010 to receive this special discount. This offer is based on availability so make plans today!
Not valid with any other discount or offer. Room reservation must be made for a night in April, 2010. Offer expires 4/30/10.
Bella Sara recently sent me, I mean my horse-crazy daughters two sets of Bella Sara's new Sunflowers collectible cards and collectible Minis from the new Signature Series 3 set.
What they say:
Featuring
20 new velvety figurine horses, the Miniatures set includes a secret
code in each pack to expand online play through Bella Sara Adventures.
The beautifully illustrated Horse Keepsake Cases are complete with four
collectible card packs, one secret code that unlocks Sunflowers adventures and Horseshoes at BellaSara.com, and one exclusive collectible promo card.
The new Sunflowers collectible cards series from Bella Sara invites
fans to join Emma and friends in a captivating search for Herd
Sunflower. Using secret codes found in the set of 55 collectible cards,
featuring horses, characters and stories, girls will be able to unlock
the exciting Sunflowers adventures and experience the new features of the mesmerizing online world, including the ability to customize their own avatar on BellaSara.com.
BellaSara.com offers a private user experience, creating a fun and carefree place for children to play online where parental controls allow parents to decide their child's appropriate level of access.
What I say:
My horse-crazy girls thought these were super cool. They love teeny-tiny toys and just thought these little horses were the neatest thing. (My 5-year-old even brought hers to show and tell this week because it was "U" week and her horse was a unicorn.) They thought the online game was fun too. My 5-year-old had trouble with it, but she isn't reading yet. The 7-year-old was able to navigate the site with only a few questions about where to enter codes and such. She loved being able to create a home and caring for her own foal.
Beyond my kids enjoying the mini-horses (what little horse-crazy girl wouldn't?) may I say kudos to Bella Sara for coming up with a online world that is safe for kids. Interactions with others online is not possible at BellaSara.com, so your child will have a completely private user experience. I LOVE that parental controls allow you to control what level of interaction you feel is appropriate for your individual child - you can even turn your child's account off if you wish. With all the cyber-worries out there, I really appreciate this as a parent.
Bella Sara products are available at Target, Toys R Us, Walmart and at BellaSara.com. At BellaSara.com, there are fabulous horse-themed Easter baskets, filled with stuff for under $15! So cute!
disclosure: i was provided with bella sara sunflowers collectible cards and collectible minis to review. i was not compensated financially for this post.
This week in Phily Sesame Street Live: “Elmo’s Green Thumb”at the Susquehanna Bank Center. We are so excited to go! Colin LOVES Elmo (who he calls "La-la" after the infamous song that I won't mention so that it won't get stuck in your head) and he is going to totally flip when he gets to see him in real life!
The show is playing in Philly: Thursday, March 4 at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Friday, March 5 at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 6 at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 7 at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
You can get a 4-pack of tickets for only $48 OR get $33 off through Livenation.com using code ERNIE (excluding Sunny Seats and Gold
Circle Seats). Discount is available by phone, online or at the box
office only. There is a 10
ticket per order limit and its not valid on Opening Night or with any other
discount.
My almost-2 year old had a BLAST!! Look! Its ELMO!
disclaimer: i received complimentary tickets for my family and me to attend elmo's green thumb.
Last summer, I had this huge canvas tote that I used for bringing the kids to swim lessons twice a week. Within about a month, when I was loading up all of our towels and goggles I noticed something very gross: mold. There was MOLD inside the tote bag. EWWW!
I just love with this bag: this will be my go-to beach bag this summer. I love the interior pocket - which most tote bags don't have - perfect for stashing my keys and phone at the pool or park. Its roomy without being bulky, has really strong straps, a water-resistant lining, is feather light and comes in tons of cute patterns. And the best part? Almost all of their designs are LESS THAN $35!! I highly recommend them!
I can't tell you how many times I've walked past the Ronald McDonald house in West Philly, near Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. We've had several friends who have had children go through major surgeries or have had babies in the NICU for months and its always been a comfort to me to know there is a resource like Ronald McDonald Houses available for people who don't live nearby this top children's hospital.
My kids have seen the house and we've told the about it and they LOVE to drop change into the Ronald McDonald House Charities jars whenever we go to McDonalds to "help the kids who are sick in the hosbidal." These houses provide an amazing service to families, serving as a home away from home, so that they may be together as they suffer the agony of sick or injured children.
Here in Philadelphia, Ronald McDonald House Charities will be holding a fundraising phone bank event LIVE during commercial breaks on CBS 3 from 3pm-8pm on March 9th. Be sure to tune in and give your support to this amazing organization!
We drove
up in a light snow and saw the lodge, warm and welcoming like a
postcard! We walked into a gigantic three story lobby, saw a roaring fire in the stone fireplace surrounded by comfy couches and picked up a cup of the complimentary hot coffee that is waiting to be enjoyed all day. Let me tell you, after a drive in the snow with three kids, it was heaven on earth!
We went up to our room and gave a collective "Wow!" It was gorgeous: rustic without being tacky (hard to pull off!), more than enough room for our family of 5, and had all the comforts of home. I was very impressed with how well-stocked the room was. We've stayed at a ton of hotels, condos and timeshares over the years and generally the "kitchens" are ridiculous. Usually they have one small pot and a frying pan and they never have enough dishes. This kitchen had everything from steak knives to a can opener to cookie sheets to wine glasses to food storage containers. I've never seen one like this. There was everything we would have needed to cook a big meal for our family! There was even a dishwasher. We ate breakfast in our room both mornings, relaxing in our pajamas.
There are several room layouts that fit anywhere from 4 to 10 people. We had layout B and it was perfect for us - plenty of room for us and all our stuff. The rooms have tons of storage in the huge closets, so we weren't constantly tripping over all our boots and suitcases and stuff. You probably know that my two non-negotiables of a hotel are 1) comfy
beds and 2) a great shower. The beds here were very comfortable - even the Murphy bed I shared with Colin was nice! The shower was terrific - actually the whole bathroom was gorgeous, now that I think about it!
Cascades Indoor Waterpark (located right in the lodge) was super fun. The kids had such a blast. We could hardly tear them away to eat and sleep - it was all they wanted to do. It was torture when they woke up at seven and had to wait three whole hours for it to open. ("It is open yet?" "What about now?" "Is it open now?") It was very fun - even for mom and dad. We spent most of our time there over the weekend, going there twice on Saturday and again on Sunday before we left. The waterpark has a great variety of attractions, so its perfect for families with little kids and big kids/grownups. My husband also went tubing with the girls on Saturday afternoon, which was a huge hit! The girls had never been before and they really enjoyed it. Meanwhile, I got pampered at the gorgeousWaterfall Spa. I was so impressed with how affordable, yet luxurious it was. My Apres Ski Massage was fabulous! I highly recommend scheduling some "me time" while you're there!
There are two restaurants in Hope Lake Lodge: Acorn Grill and Edgewater Cafe. We hit the Edgewater Cafe for lunch on Saturday while we were at the waterpark. The burgers were very good and the kids devoured a pizza. That night we went to the Acorn Grill, which was excellent. My husband and I both had very yummy meals, going with the entrees our server recommended highest, while the kids happily devoured their chicken fingers. (We skipped dessert at the restaurant and got ice cream at the Edgewater Cafe instead! Yum!)
Greek Peak Resort is a terrific family destination. We had such a terrific time - my kids were in tears when we left, saying they wanted to stay for a whole week next time! I'd love to come back with my extended family -- this would be such a great place for a little family reunion! The small touches made a huge difference: hot coffee and muffins in the lobby, a hotel store that actually had reasonable prices, shuttles to the ski area every 10 minutes... Plus, every employee we interacted with was eager to help, very friendly and constantly asking if there was anything they could do to make our stay better.
Disclaimer: greek peak mountain resort provided our family with lodging and other benefits, such as tubing tickets, for the weekend, so my family and I could experience the resort. i was not compensated financially for this post.
