This week, I had the great pleasure to listen to the amazing new album “Rock Symphonies“ by David Garrett, a Julliard School trained violinist who also studied with Itzhak Perlmann. David Garrett was also awarded 2009 Best Selling New Classical Artist from his first crossover album ”Classic Romance”.
Born in Germany in 1980, David was given his first violin at the age of four. By seven years old, he was performing every week, at 10 was in his first performance with the Hamburg Philharmonics and recorded his first two albums by the age of 13. In 1999 he decided to move to New York to perfect his technique and went on to graduate from the Julliard School in 2004.
Now 29 years old, David has moved away from traditional classical music with his latest album, “Rock Symphonies“, taking rock ‘n’ roll songs and transforming them into classical music. He takes songs like Master of Puppets by Metallica and Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana and morphs them into instrumental masterpieces with new life breathed into them, without jeopardizing the integrity of the original song. His music is so exciting and fresh, it makes you want to listen to it again and again. Not only will Mom and Dad love “Rock Symphonies” but this album will be enjoyed by the entire family. Now, thanks to David Garrett, classical music isn’t just music for the little ones to listen to at bedtime, it is for anyone to listen to anytime.
David Garrett together with his band that includes a guitarist, drummer and keyboardist, will begin the Rock Symphonies World Tour in Germany this October. He will then kick off his United States Rock Symphonies Tour in Oregon in January 2011, making a stop in New York on February 18th, 2011. The Rock Symphonies album can be purchased on Amazon.com or downloaded from iTunes.
Thank you Allison L. for this guest review post. Allison is a Long Island work-at-home-mom of two kids who blogs at Long Island Mom X 2 and tweets at @LongIslandMomX2. A copy of the Rock Symphonies CD was provided to us by Team Mom to facilitate the writing of this review.
Posted in Reviews.
Tagged with David Garrett, Family Music, LIParentSource, Long Island, Rock Symphonies, Team Mom.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 08/22/2010
Seems that as parents, a hot topic of conversation is saving money. Or not spending money. Or spending too much money. The fact is that more families are opting to do things at home instead of going on vacation so that they can spend less money. We’ve put together some great options that will help you save and have plenty of things to do, not only this summer but throughout the coming year!
The Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) surveyed visitors and found that the average visitor comes to the museum 6 times over the course of a year, so they designed a family membership that is designed to pay for itself in three visits, resulting in an incredible bargain. Members receive unlimited free visits for one year, including school vacations and holidays as well as discounted admission to workshops, presentations and special events and other discounts on birthday parties and in the museum store. Members are also entitled to use the “members only” line at the museum box office and receive exclusive invitations to sneak previews of new events and programs. If you’re not sure if you want to buy a membership, visit LICM and pay the general admission. At the end of your visit, you may apply a portion of your general admission ticket price toward the purchase of an annual membership plan on a “one for one” basis. For more information on membership, visit LICM’s website >>>
If you’re out east and can’t see taking the trip to Garden City that often to make LICM’s membership financially worth it, Children’s Museum of the East End (CMEE) in Riverhead has a very similar program. CMEE’s annual family membership includes free admission for the entire immediate family, including 2 adults, four one-time guest passes to the museum, discounts on classes and workshops, invitations to member-only receptions and special events and a subscription to CMEE’s newsletter and special events calendar. Special memberships are also available for grandparents!
Becoming a Member of Atlantis Marine World Aquarium by purchasing an Annual Aqua Pass lets you play an active role in promoting marine education and conservation – and lets you enjoy a host of great benefits! Annual Aqua Pass holders receive valuable benefits, including free unlimited admission for one year, personalized Aqua Pass membership card, member e-newsletter to keep you abreast of all the latest events and developments at the aquarium, member discounts at the Atlantis Cafe, City Treasures Gift Shop and on various programs and adventures, and participate in Members-only events, including lectures and talks by guest speakers, and behind-the-scenes tours at Atlantis Marine World. For more information on membership, visit Atlantis’s website >>>
Long Island attractions aren’t the only memberships that it pays to have. The Wildlife Conservation Society offers a membership that gives free admission for a full year at the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, Central Park, Prospect Park, and Queens Zoos. Memberships are offered for individuals and families at various price points and can be purchased online, by phone or on site. If you go for the day and then decide you want to purchase a membership, you can have the price you paid for the admission tickets applied to the membership level you choose, but you must purchase your membership on the same day that you purchased your tickets. For more information on membership, visit the Bronx Zoo’s website >>>
Where are your favorite family days spent?
Posted in Parent Tips.
Tagged with Atlantis Marine World Aquarium, Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Children's Museum of the East End, CMEE, Family memberships and discounts, LICM, LIParentSource, Long Island, Long Island Children's Museum, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Saving money on family activities.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 07/28/2010
When I received the Pop On Pals Amusement Park Play Set and saw that it was recommended for ages 2 and up, I didn’t think that it would interest my 4 year old at all. Well, you know what they say about assuming! I was totally wrong, and on a day that she had to stay home sick from camp, she spent well over an hour playing with the set on her own (and of course made her ask when we would be visiting our local amusement park!). The Amusement Park Play Set was very entertaining, complete with lights, sounds and music and five different points of interaction.
Made by Spin Master, Pop On Pals will introduce your child to a world of fun pals, pets, vehicles and playsets that can be mixed and matched endlessly. With a slogan as adorable as their toys, there are an infinite number of “Popabilities”. Of course, the toy is educational without letting the child know that they are learning, encouraging imaginative play while developing fine motor skills. As kids play with the pals, they are able to create endless, unique and wacky combinations – for example, a fireman can become a musician, a princess can become a baker and a puppy can become a ballerina! My daughter’s favorite part of the toy was definitely switching the pals around and seeing comic combination she could come up with next.
While Team Mom sent us the Amusement Park Play Set to review, there are a number of Pop On Pals packs and playsets to choose from, including a Pet Pack, Pal Pack, Pop and Go Airplane, Pop and Go School Bus and more. Pop On Pals are available locally at Toys “R” Us, Target, Kmart and Sears, to name a few.
The Pop On Pals website was also a nice surprise. Although of course you are able to find information about the different products offered, there is also a section that kids will enjoy where they can color their favorite pals online. For more information about Pop On Pals, visit www.poponpals.com
Disclosure: Team Mom provided us with the Pop On Pals Amusement Park Play Set free of charge to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed in this post belong to the author.
Posted in Reviews.
Tagged with LIParentSource, Pop On Pals, Team Mom.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 07/27/2010
My kids have a mantra. It’s two little words, usually accompanied by a good amount of whining and at time, fake crying. What’s the mantra? “I’m hungry.” It can be heard at any time of day, any day of the week, and of course most things I suggest to remedy their hunger are unsatisfactory unless they contain sugar, salt or other very-not-good-for-them ingredients in extremely large quantities. Last week, we received a sample of Snikiddy Baked Fries, which both kids devoured almost instantaneously. They were kind enough to let me taste one, albeit a very small one, and I have to say that this snack definitely received a mom’s thumbs up.
Then I read the label and to my surprise, the thumbs stayed up!
Snikiddy is a new brand of great tasting snacks made from ingredients that are simple, wholesome and real – three characteristics that many of today’s snack foods are lacking. Snikiddy’s Baked Fries are healthy, tasty and a great alternative to typical fried snacks like potato chips, and the best part is that the kids don’t think they’re healthy at all. The fries are crunchy and full of flavor and are all-natural, gluten- and wheat-free and have no preservatives, no corn syrup, no trans-fats, no hydrogenated oils and 50% less fat than regular potato chips – a win-win for both kids and parents. They come in four flavors – original, ketchup, parmesan garlic and cheddar cheese – so take your pick.
Pick up your own pack of Snikiddy Baked Fries at local places like Whole Foods, Toys R Us and Babies R Us, or if you’re an online shopper, check out Snikiddy.Alice.com.
As a side note, Snikiddy is running a few promotions over the next several weeks that you can participate in:
- Visit Facebook.com/Snikiddy and click on the Sweepstakes tab to enter the weekly drawing to win a Snikiddy gift basket for you and your family, or the grand prize: a brand new Jamis kids’ bike.
- If you purchase a Snikiddy sharing pack at Snikiddy.Alice.com, you will receive $1 off, plus free shipping.
Disclosure: LIParentSource.com received a free sample of Snikiddy Baked Fries in exchange for our honest opinion on this post.
Posted in Reviews.
Tagged with Healthy Snacks, LIParentSource, Long Island, Snikiddy, Snikkidy Baked Fries.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 07/08/2010
Have you seen us while you’re out and about? Look around and stop us and say hi!
Posted in Parent Tips.
Tagged with LIParentSource, Long Island.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 06/16/2010
With a 7-year-old boy in my house, we pretty much live in a world dominated by video games. Wii, Nintendo DS, Playstation 2 – it doesn’t matter. My son went through a (very long) phase of Super Mario Brothers and is currently immersed in the world of Pokemon, something which I know nothing about. When I was offered the opportunity to receive the Shrek Forever After game for DS to review, I thought it would be a great way that we could hear about something other than Pokemon for a little while.
Our family is definitely a fan of Shrek, we’ve seen all the movies (numerous times) and have read the books. Even my 4 year old was excited to see the new movie when it was recently released. We loved that in addition to the game, we received Shrek Forever After Mad Libs and the movie storybook, both of which were pretty big hits with both of my kids.
The basic premise of Shrek Forever After for DS is that Shrek is tricked into signing a pact with Rumpelstiltskin and suddenly finds himself in an alternative version of Far Far Away where Ogres are hunted, Runplestiltskin is king and Shrek and Fiona have never met. With the help of Fiona and his friends Donkey and Puss in Boots, Shrek needs to undo all of the mayhem caused by his signing of this pact in order to save his friends, bring his world back to normal and reclaim Fiona, his one True Love. As the player, your job is to move Shrek from level to level and collect various mementos that hold significance to Shrek in the Normal World. 12 mementos are hidden throughout the game and once the player finds them all, they can be arranged to unlock different upgrades. Shrek also collects food (to raise his health), crystal balls (collected at each level to 100% complete the game) and Ogre Artist Tokens (hidden throughout the levels and unlock special items where the player can make their own pictures in Ogre Artist Menu). Additionally, there are 4 mini-game tokens with pictures of the main characters (Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots and Gingy) to collect that will each unlock a special mini-game.
This is a great game for kids who enjoy Shrek and are familiar with the various characters. It gives the player a chance to “become” Shrek within his world and help save all of the characters that they have loved throughout the movie series. It’s a relatively simple game that is probably best for ages 5 through 10 – it won’t frustrate younger kids but might bore older kids.
This review was written while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Activision and received the items necessary to facilitate the review. In addition, Mom Central sent us a gift card to thank us for taking the time to participate.
Posted in Reviews.
Tagged with MomCentral, Shrek, Video Games.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 06/15/2010
If you are still looking at different camp options for your kids this summer, you are not alone. Many families postponed their summer planning decisions this year and are only firming up plans now that school is coming to an end.
If you have a child between 5 and 12 years of age, check out Champions Science Adventures Day Camps where science education is taken beyond the classroom to spark your child’s interest in science through exploration and discovery. These science camps are designed to inspire curiosity about how the world works while instilling a love of learning about science through interactive, hands-on experiments and activities and are available throughout the summer at different locations nationwide, with many options right here on Long Island (scroll down in this post to see local options). This year, Champions Science Adventures has added two new exciting programs, Mystery of the Pharaoh’s Treasure and Go Wild!, and is bringing back two very popular programs, Gizmo’s Robot Factory and Space and Rocketry. Each camp is one-week long and offers both half-day (9am – noon) and full-day (9am – 330pm) options. Parents can enroll online at www.scienceadventures.com and have the option to register their children for all four camps, or just one program. Fees and schedules will vary by location.
In each camp, children are divided into groups based on their age allowing instructors to cover projects and experiments at age appropriate levels for all campers. With between 12 and 15 children per group, each child has a wonderful learning experience with many hands on activities throughout the day. Champions Science Adventures camps are equally appropriate for both girls and boys.
Take a peek at what kids experience at Champions Science Adventures Day Camps by watching the webisodes at the links below:
Go Wild Champions Adventure
Super Cool
Air Power
Hocus Pocus
Here on Long Island, Champions Summer Science Adventure Camps are held at the following locations:
Nassau County
- Rockville Centre – Molloy College
- Locust Valley – Portledge School
Suffolk County
- Oakdale – St. John’s University
- Stony Brook – Stony Brook University
- Sayville – St. Ann’s Episcopal Church
- Commack – Hoyt Farm & Preserve
- Farmingdale – Talented Tykes and Teen Services
- Medford – Country Fair Entertainment Park
- Smithtown – First Presbyterian Church-Smithtown
- Bay Shore – Sinai Reform Temple
If your child would love Champions Summer Science Adventure Camps, use the code summerscience10 to save $50 on one week of camp when you register online at www.scienceadventures.com.
Posted in Discounts, Parent Tips, Reviews.
Tagged with LIParentSource, Long Island, Summer Camps.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 06/03/2010
Me with Emily Giffin at Book Revue, 5/14/10
I spent most of my Mother’s Day this year curled up with a brand new book by one of my favorite authors, Emily Giffin. I discovered her a few years ago when she had just started publishing and quickly fell in love with her after reading her first two novels, Something Borrowed and Something Blue. Now in her fifth book, Heart of the Matter, she has proven that she still has many more stories to tell, each different but just as fantastic as the one that came before it.
In Heart of the Matter, Giffin has moved on from telling stories of falling in love and the early stages of relationships to telling a story of staying in love and keeping a marriage together. Of the three main characters, Tessa and Nick Russo are married with two children, separately dealing with their professional lives at different stages. Nick is a renowned plastic surgeon who works long hours while Tessa has just decided to take a break from her career and concentrate on her family. As moms, we can all related to Tessa’s feelings of being in a sort of limbo-esque place, unsure if she belongs with the stay-at-home moms or the working moms while going through her own internal struggle with leaving her career and how it affects her in each of her roles as a woman, mother and a wife. The third main character, Valerie Anderson, is a single mom who works full time as an attorney. Valerie’s son, Charlie, is the result of a failed relationship with a man that she never even told she was pregnant. She’s happy with her current place in life but constantly reminds herself that her success is the result of her own hard work, as opposed to something that was handed to her. Early in the book, the lives of all three characters intersect and change each of them forever. As Tessa and Valerie alternate the narration of this story, each telling it from their own point of view, Giffin’s message is clear: nothing in life is ever cut and dry right or wrong, and there is no “one size fits all” decision for every twist and turn that life takes.
If you’re looking for a book that is thought provoking, entertaining and a relatively fast read, I’d highly recommend Heart of the Matter. And if you haven’t already read them, check out Giffin’s earlier books Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof and Love The One You’re With – you won’t be disappointed.
PS – For those of you who are already Emily Giffin fans, her first book, Something Borrowed, is currently being made into a movie, starring Kate Hudson (Darcy) and Ginnifer Goodwin (Rachel), set to be released during 2011.
Posted in Reviews.
Tagged with Emily Giffin, LIParentSource.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 06/03/2010
As graduations and year end festivities approach, it’s a great time to think about “life lessons”. Here’s a great column written by Regina Brett for The Plain Dealer as she turned 50 years old – her 50 life lessons.
- Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
- When in doubt, just take the next small step.
- Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
- Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
- Pay off your credit cards every month.
- You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
- Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
- It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
- Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
- When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
- Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
- It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
- Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
- If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
- Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
- Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
- You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
- A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
- It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
- When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
- Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
- Overprepare, then go with the flow.
- Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
- The most important sex organ is the brain.
- No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
- Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
- Always choose life.
- Forgive everyone everything.
- What other people think of you is none of your business.
- Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
- However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
- Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
- Believe in miracles.
- God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
- Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
- Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
- Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
- Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
- Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
- If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
- Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
- Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
- All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
- Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
- The best is yet to come.
- No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
- Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
- If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
- Yield.
- Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift
What’s your biggest life lesson so far? Leave it here in the comments–
Posted in Parent Tips.
Tagged with LIParentSource, Long Island.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 06/02/2010
It was apparent from the crowd outside Denny’s Childrenswear in Plainview during their sale the other day that the seasons are changing and our kids need summer clothes. For the boys, it’s pretty simple because most of them are happy in whatever shorts and t-shirt they pull out of their drawer. With the girls, it’s a different story. I am currently seeing with my (only) 4 year old daughter that there are things that she likes and things that she doesn’t. For example, this entire school year, she would only wear leggings – no jeans, no sweatpants. I didn’t realize that such strong clothing preferences start at such a young age – I never had these problems with my now 7 year old son (and still don’t – it must be a boy thing). When MomSelect asked if I’d be interested in reviewing some clothes from a new company called Likewear, one look at their website told me that my daughter would be in heaven.
Likewear partners with companies such as Tootsie Roll, General Mills, Honda and Topps to design clothing using images that will allow their customers to wear what they “like”. Whether it’s a t-shirt with a peace sign made up of cereal boxes, shorts with Tootsie Pops on them or a tank top with ring pops, kids will be wearing high quality, casual boutique clothes that they will want to wear over and over again. Some images available can be seen below (click through to see all images).
In addition to fun clothes, Likewear offers a fun and flexible way for entrepreneurial moms to have a clothing “store” without the risk of carrying any inventory, as a part of their direct sales party plan. As an Independent Sales Representative for Likewear, you can hold parties where you will help with sizing, answer questions and show the guests how to make unique combinations of clothing that kids will like to wear. This is a flexible way to have your own business, if that’s something you are looking to do.
I logged onto Likewear and ordered two things for my daughter and part of the fun was having her look at the different images and pick what she likes! She looked and looked and finally chose the Tootsie Rainbow dress, as pictured to the right, and a pink t-shirt with Peace, Love & Happiness t-shirt, featuring the Likewear logo. The clothing that we chose is great quality, soft and fits pretty true to size, and has already been worn numerous times by mt very picky daughter.
If you’re interested in purchasing Likewear clothing or want more information on their direct sales plan, visit www.Likewear.com.
We’ll be running a giveaway for a $25 giftcard to Likewear here through June 9, and as an added bonus, LIParentSource reads can take 35% off any full-priced items through June 30 by using code LIPS.
Disclosure: Likewear provided us with a $25 gift card to giveaway to a reader as well as a gift card to use to make a purchase for this review.
Posted in Giveaways, Reviews.
Tagged with Giveaway, Likewear, LIParentSource.
By LIParentSource Blogs
– 06/01/2010
