No, it isn’t DIA. It’s the gorgeous white tent tops of Cavalia.

Last night I took the family to see Cavalia. To tell it in 140 characters or less: It is a Cirque-type shows featuring horses. Good thing I have more than 140 characters cause I could go on and on about this amazing performance. But to tell you the truth, when I was first offered media tickets which encouraged us to ask all generations I was skeptical. Other Cirque style shows, while amazing, were not something I could see kids being glued to the whole time. But, Cavalia had everyone completely engrossed from the opening scene to the last. The show symbolically shows the relationship between horse and man throughout time. Which seems like kids would be asleep in the first 5 minutes but they do it so well with a balance of slower, graceful acts and upbeat, comedic ones that the kids are constantly looking to see where the next horse is going to flying through the doors. I am sure many of the children missed the historical timeline symbology but that is OK. It was what added layers of depth that all generations could enjoy.

To say it is amazingly beautiful just scratches the surface. I wish I had the words to describe it. Graceful? Spirited? Spiritual? Fun? All work but none separately. So you are just going to have to trust me on this. It is an unforgettable experience. Tickets are not inexpensive. This is a special treat for most but it is completely worth it and I hope that you all have the chance to see whether here in Denver or your hometown.

Here is a sneak peek

Cavalia will be here in Denver through Oct. 17th. It is playing on the Pepsi Center grounds. I really encourage you all to try to get tickets if you can. It is a once in a lifetime experience and very appropriate and entertaining for the kids.

Disclaimer: I was compensated to attend this event. However, that in no way influenced my opinion of the show.

When most people think of Oscar Mayer an image of the wienermobile or hot dogs come to mind. You might even start singing the “Oh I Wish I Was” jingle. To be honest a year ago when I went to Madison to meet the folks at OM I didn’t really get what I could do with this long term. But here I am a year and a half later in love with their brand. To their credit, this is social media with bloggers done well.

The Oscar Mayer brand is big on education and community programs. That is why I keep coming back and supporting them. Sure, I love hot dogs and football and deli slices and parties but the reason I continue to put my name out there for them is that they constantly are running programs that fit well with the type of blogger I want to be. Someone who has something fun to say and gives back at the same time.

This is the time of year that Lunchables runs their back to school promos and this year they have brought back the awesome Lunch Notes Promise that you all helped me with last year. But they also added  a new campaign called Created By You. They’re asking kids to submit their big idea for a movie, song or video game for a chance to work with a pro, like Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers band, to bring it to life. Since we all know my little guy is hysterically creative this is a perfect fit  for him.

As part of the campaign I am hosting an awesome Created By You party for some of my local friends. If you live near me expect an invite soon. If your kiddo is creative, have them submit their ideas online and maybe they will get a cool chance to make it come true.

Here are all the details straight from Lunchables:

Q: What is the CBY contest?

A: We want to help kids realize their creative dreams! We’re asking kids to tell us their big idea for a movie, song or video game for a chance to work with a pro, like Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers band, to bring it to life. The kids at your party can learn more and enter the Created by You contest by visiting Lunchables.com and clicking the “Created By You” icon.

Q: Who can enter?

A: The contest is open to residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 6 to 13 years of age as of August 2, 2010. To enter the Created by You contest, by visit Lunchables.com and click the “Created By You” icon.

Q: What are the prizes?

A: The three Grand Prizes winners (one per entry category) will win a Trip for up to three people to meet with  the professional mentor in their category. The  winners will also see their idea come to live as  either a Movie, Song or Video Game in 2011.  Full rules can be found at Lunchables.com

Q: What is the entry period?

A: Kids can enter beginning at 12:01 am ET on August 2, 2010 through 11:59 pm ET April 31, 2011.

Q: What is the website people can go to enter?

A: To enter the Created by You contest, by visit Lunchables.com and click the “Created By You” icon.

*Yes, this is the disclosure part: I have an ongoing blogger relationship with Oscar Mayer. I am compensated in a variety of ways for my involvement in their campaigns.

This is really important. I know so many people that are hooked on this stuff. Please help spread the word!

As always, I am very thankful to team up with Steve Spangler on this important mission. Please visit his site to learn more about how you can help:
Please Take Action! Understanding the Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide

Since this is above all an educational blog (no, not really) I thought you might find this debunkers quite enlightening (no, not really, but it is funny)

And now for something true (really) that may be educational (or at least fun).

Did you know that the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has little leprechauns hidden in the paintings? It’s true, I swear. The artist hid them around the exhibits and was even fired for it at one point. Here is one we found. Have you ever seen it? Have the kids look really hard next time. Here is a cheat sheet for you grownups.

I am excited that Disney On Ice is coming next week to Denver and sad that it will be the last Disney show for a while here. The next are not scheduled until well into the Fall. Take advantage of the special code below and get there! I can’t tell you how many wonderful memories I have of taking the boys to these shows!

Wednesday, March 10 at 7:30 PM (we are going to this one and I have two extra tickets so if you would like to go with Carter and me leave me a comment.)

Thursday, March 11 at 11:00 AM & 7:30 PM

Friday, March 12 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 13 at 11:30 AM, 3:30 PM & 7:30 PM

Sunday, March 14 at 11:30 AM, 3:30 PM & (SPANISH PERFORMANCE AT 7:30 PM)

• TICKETS STARTING AT $15! (some restrictions may apply)

• OPENING NIGHT TICKETS ARE $13 FOR THE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10^TH PERFORMANCE (excludes Front Row and VIP seating)

Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday performances or receive $4 off weekend tickets by entering the code: MOM4 at: www.Ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-745-3000

(Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required for 4-pack; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.

Offer not valid on Front Row or VIP seating. Cannot be combined with other offers. Service charges and handling fees will apply.)

$15, $20, $25, $42 VIP, & $62 Front Row

*Service charges and handling fees may apply

For the fastest and easiest way to buy tickets, log onto www.ticketmaster.com or www.disneyonice.com or visit the Covelli Centre Box Office or call 1-800-745-3000.

See you there!

Really looking forward to seeing Disney Live! Rockin’ Road Show over the weekend! There are not many discount codes offered for Disney Live! shows so take advantage of this offer and have a great time at the show with your kiddos too!

FEB. 5 & 6
Save $3 per ticket on all performances!
(excludes Front Row and VIP seats)
Use the code: KIDS at www.Ticketmaster.com or call 1‐800‐745‐3000
www.DisneyLive.com

Last Wednesday I got together with the ever fabulous Amber from Mile High Mamas for a fun night of pampering at the Sephora in Boulder. The fabulous group I lead, Mom It Forward here in Colorado showed up in full force to donate products to Safe House in both Denver and Boulder. I think it is funny how you can’t really tell a Mile High Mama from a Mom It Forward gal anymore because everyone rocks social media and charity.

There is no way that I could do a more fabulous write up of the event than Amber did so head over to Mama’s Night Out at Sephora Redefines a “GHD” (Good Hair Day) and read all about it.

I do want to apologize for not being my usual energetic self at the party (dancing on the cash wrap not withstanding). There were a few women there I didn’t know and my usual self would have walked right up and introduced myself but I found myself more of a blubbering idiot that night and not really able to carry on a coherent conversation with anyone. My mind was on my dad.

Here is the whrrl story I shot that night. Hope you enjoy it!

Have a great charity you would like Mom It Forward to consider? Leave me a comment.

This whole process of promise & comment takes 1 min! That 1 min=$5 to the Feeding America Food Bank of the Rockies. Do.It.Now!

You all know that I have worked with the Oscar Mayer team for a while now and I was very happy to participate in their latest campaign which benefits our local food bank, Food Bank of the Rockies. This is a very generous campaign where, for each comment, Lunchables will donate $5 to my local Feeding America location, the Food Bank of the Rockies– up to $1,000 or 200 comments!!!!

Won’t you please help me to help the Food Bank of the Rockies this holiday season?

This is all you need to do:

• Make a promise on www.lunchnotepromise.com

• Leave a comment that lists what number the promise was – “I was promise number 12,003 on www.lunchnotepromise.com“

I just did mine and it took me 20 seconds!!!!

Thank you from myself, Lunchables and Food Bank of the Rockies!

OH, and just as a friendly competition, no other blogger has had their city reach 200 comments yet so lets totally show that BOTH my readers and the Colorado community ROCKS!!!! Toledo, OH is in the lead.

P.S….I know homeschoolers don’t typically pack lunches but you can still promise to leave a little note for your kids somewhere fun!

Fine print: About the Lunch Note Promise Campaign. The Lunchables team is asking parents and caregivers nationwide to promise to drop a note of encouragement into their child’s lunch. For every parent that logs onto www.lunchnotepromise.com to make that promise, the Lunchables team will donate a meal to children and families in need through Feeding America, which serves an estimated nine million children each year. The goal is to turn 100,000 promises into up to 100,000 meals. The first 200 comments will send $1,000 to Food Bank for the Rockies. Additional promises/comments up to 100,000 for the entire campaign will have a meal  donated to Feeding America. They are currently at a little over 50,o00 so lets get promising.

Last week I had the privilege of co-hosting an amazing event here in Denver where we nominated a teacher to win a HUGE box of donated classroom supplies. I will be announcing the winner of that contest here shortly but wanted to share another great contest for a local teacher from A Day Made Better! As a former 4th grade teacher, it is really important to me that people realize just what a problem this is. There are teachers that are having to spend their very small paychecks just to buy Kleenex for their classrooms. It is CRAZY!

Did you know teachers spend an average of $1200 of their own money on classroom supplies each year? That’s $4 billion annually! That’s why OfficeMax joined with Adopt-A-Classroom to create “A Day Made Better“—a national cause event founded to erase teacher-funded classrooms. This year, “A Day Made Better” will take place on October 6 where 1,000 teachers will be surprised in their classrooms each with $1,000 worth of essential supplies from OfficeMax. That’s more than one million dollars donated to help teachers! Principals at needy schools nominated the teachers for demonstrating dedication, innovation, and passion.

To pay-it-forward, OfficeMax and Mom It Forward have teamed up to create awareness about the issue of teacher-funded classrooms and to give you the opportunity to get involved and help a teacher in your community on behalf of the “A Day Made Better.” Here’s how…

Simply nominate a teacher of your choice to win this giveaway by following the entry requirements. Be sure to check out the prize and criteria!

Prize

One exceptional teacher will receive a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR gift card to OfficeMax. This can go a long way when it comes to classroom supplies!

Criteria

This is a giveaway that is meant to be given away. What does that mean? You get to nominate a teacher by sharing why this person is exceptional and deserving of this giveaway. The best part, every story told helps raise awareness in an effort to erase teacher-funded classrooms. The winning teacher will be chosen based on the following criteria, so be sure to tell us why your teacher is most deserving:

• Dedication: does everything in his/her power to deliver the best possible education for his/her students.
• Innovation: thinks outside the box and engages his/her students through creative learning activities & programs.
• Passion: expresses a genuine passion for education and shares this enthusiasm in the classroom.
• Need: demonstrates a need for essential classroom supplies.

Entry Requirements

To enter your teacher, you are required to do two things.

1. Nominate them through a blog post, a comment here or on Whrrl.

Leave me a comment with the teacher you are nominating and why. Please give us much detail about why the teacher deserves to win in your comment!

OR
Write a post on your blog.

• You can include photos, video, etc. but please stay under 400 words or 3 minutes.
• Please include these links: http://adaymadebetter.com or @adaymadebetter.
• Include a link to your post in the comments section.

OR
Create a story on Whrrl.com.

• Go to our custom Whrrl page at http://whrrl.com/search?q=omx, click “Start A Story” and upload photos and text about why your teacher is most deserving.
• Be sure to include the #omx hashtag in the text of your story.
• Post a link to your Whrrl story in the comments section.

You can see the story of the event I held here:

2. Post these messages on Facebook and/or Twitter.

• Teachers spend avg $1200 of own $$ on school supplies annually! Help erase teacher-funded classrooms. http://bit.ly/3VUNvC PLS RT #omx
• Nominate a teacher 2 win $100 in OfficeMax classroom supplies. Enter here: PUT YOUR POST URL HERE PLS RT #omx
• Join the “A Day Made Better” movement to end teacher-funded classrooms at http://bit.ly/UJ3LF #omx

More than 30 sites are participating in this campaign between now and Sunday, October 4. Visit http://momitforward.com for a list of all the giveaways! You may enter a different teacher on every site, but you may only win once!

Thanks so much for helping pay-it-forward to teachers in your community! Please join us on Tuesdays, September 22 and 29 from 9 to 11 pm ET for Girls Night Out (#gno) on Twitter if you’d like to meet the team behind the cause: @officemax, @adaymadebetter and @Adopt_Classroom. Hope to see you there!

Fine Print

Last week I was able to tell you how to get a great deal on tickets to the Ringling Bros. Circus and the news just gets better! Disney on Ice is touring this Fall and Winter with 4 unique shows and I have discount codes for all of them to share!

From what I see on the schedule, The Celebrations! show will be hitting the Denver area December 3rd-13th of 2009. Tickets are expected to be on sale on 9/12. Carter is super excited about this one. He likes the ones that include alot of the original Disney characters.
Disney On Ice presents Celebrations! It’s one colossal party on ice, with all your favorite Disney friends!  Enjoy a winter wonderland with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, a Halloween haunt with the Disney Villains, a Very Merry Unbirthday Party, a Royal Ball with the Disney Princesses and more in a magical medley of holidays, celebrations and festivals from around the globe. Come join the party when this spectacular ice show visits your hometown!

Not in the Denver area? Don’t worry I have all the showtimes listed here for you as well as all the blurbs for the other shows touring. Here is how you take advantage of the awesome discount!

Mom Central is excited to extend the following special family offers; look for the box marked “MC Promotion” when purchasing tickets:

• *Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code “MOM” at select ticketing channels. Offer good on all weekday performances, which includes all weekday evening and Friday matinee performances; minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.
• *Offer #2: All weekend performance tickets will be $4 off the original price
• Offer #3: Get the best Front Row and VIP seats available – We have reserved seats in the Front Row and VIP sections just for you! No discounts available on these seats. Use the code MOM.

*Not valid on Front Row or VIP seats or combinable with other offers including opening night offers. Other fees may apply.

The above offers are good in the following cities:

• St. Louis: September 3-6, 2009
• Chicago: September 8-13, 2009
• Sunrise: September 17-20, 2009
• Dayton/Cincinnati: September 17-27, 2009
• Miami: September 23-27, 2009
• Auburn Hills: September 30 – October 4, 2009
• Charlotte: October 8-11, 2009
• Philadelphia: October 14-18, 2009
• Atlanta: October 14-18, 2009
• Oakland/San Jose: October 14-25, 2009
• Fairfax: October 21-25, 2009
• Sacramento: October 28 – November 1, 2009
• Baltimore: October 28 – November 1, 2009
• Uniondale: November 10-15, 2009
• Houston: November 11-15, 2009
• NYC: November 17-22, 2009
• East Rutherford: November 24-29, 2009
• Denver/Broomfield: December 3-13, 2009 *available for purchase on 9/12/09
• St. Paul: December 9-13, 2009
• Los Angeles: December 17-20, 2009
• Toronto: December 18-27, 2009
• Anaheim: December 22-27, 2009
• Philadelphia: December 23 – January 3, 2010 *available for purchase on 10/12/09
• Boston: December 26-29, 2009 *available for purchase on 9/3/09
• Ontario: December 30 – January 3, 2010
• Cleveland: January 8 -18, 2009 *available for presale on 10/2/09

Other shows coming this fall & winter:

Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy: Rev up for non-stop fun with four of your favorite Disney stories at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy.  Thrill to high-speed stunts as Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew of Disney/Pixar’s CARS race across the ice.  Dive into The Little Mermaid’s enchanting undersea kingdom and experience the ‘Circle of Life’ with The Lion King.  Then enter the mystical world of Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies as they reveal the magic that lies within! From wheels to waves, Pride Lands to pixie dust, your family’s favorite Disney moments come to life at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy with dazzling skating, special effects and beloved characters certain to create a lifetime of memories.

Special Bonus! Come see a Disney princess and a dazzling display of gorgeous gowns at the Disney Princess Pre-Show starting one hour before show time!  Complimentary to all ticket holders.

Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic: Join the celebration as 65 of Disney’s unforgettable characters from 18 beloved stories come to life in Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic! You’ll be captivated by the one and only Mickey Mouse, the irresistible Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio and all the Disney Princesses. Be thrilled by exciting moments from The Lion King; Mulan; and Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Toy Story films; in a skating spectacular filled with magical Disney moments you’ll remember forever as Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic!

Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics: Dreams really do come true! Disney On Ice is proud to bring you a dazzling tale of hope, heart, heroism and hilarity as Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics. This stunning spectacle is an awe-inspiring and fun-filled journey to the magical lands of Disney’s classic fairy tales. Travel to a kingdom under the sea, an enchanted palace in France, an Arabian castle and more! Enter the fantasy worlds of your favorite Disney princesses – Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White – as they bring magic to your city in this royal skating extravaganza.

To learn more about Disney On Ice shows touring the country this year and to find shows in your area, visit the Disney On Ice site.  And don’t forget to use the special discount code when purchasing tickets online!

Haven’t been yet to a Disney On Ice? My son loves them! Read about the last time Disney on Ice came to town.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Feld Entertainment. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate. In addition, I am a Feld Family Family Activator and receive free tickets for my family to both Ringling Bros shows as well as Disney On Ice.