Wordless Wednesday - #10

Summertime Sweet Treats at Powell's Sweet Shoppe in Willow Glen!

Click HERE for my past Wordless Wednesday blog posts.

Enjoy!
Gail
the MicroBlogginMom

Summer Fun!

As a mom of a 6 year old daughter & 3 year old son, I know how tough it can be sometimes to keep the kids entertained, while still maintaining my sanity. Especially during what "seems like" a super long summer break.

So below is a list of things I've researched, found, heard of, etc. that we plan on exploring during the next couple of months, until school starts.

Enjoy!
Gail
the MicroBlogginMom



Local Happenings:

• Music in the Park at Downtown San Jose - Thursday Nights
  
• Music in the Plaza at Evergreen Village Square - Friday Nights
  
• Farmer's Market at Evergreen Village Square - Wednesdays & Sundays 9am-1pm
  
• Movies Under the Stars at Evergreen Village Square - June 25, July 23, & August 20
  
• San Jose Japantown Obon Festival - July 10, Noon-10pm & July 11 Noon-8pm

Local Parks & Places:

• Happy Hollow Park & Zoo
  
• San Jose City Swim Centers
  
• San Jose Public Library - Evergreen Branch
  
• Fowler Creek Park - at Altia & Cortona
  
• Evergreen Park - at Yerba Buena Road & San Felipe Road
  
• Lincoln Glen Park - at Radio Ave & Curtner Ave
  
• Aborn Park - at Renfield Way & Pentland Way (New opening this summer)
• San Jose City Dog Parks
  

Staycations:

• Del Valle Campground
  
• Santa Cruz Beach & Boardwalk
  
• Raging Waters
• Gilroy Gardens
  

Cheerleading:

• Cambrian Valley Longhorns Youth Football & Cheer
  
• Peninsula Pop Warner Youth Football & Cheerleading League
  
• Pop Warner Little Scholars
  
• JAMZ Cheer Camp
  

Rest & Relaxation:

• BluCocoon Medspa
  
• Bikram Yoga at Balance Yoga Center
  
• Burke Williams Day Spa - at Santana Row
• Lavande Nail Spa - Santana Row
  

My Daughter... the Young Author!

This year, My 6 year old kindergartner was given the opportunity to write (and draw) her very own creative story for the school's Young Author Book Fair.

We took a picture of each page of her book & created this SmileBox slideshow of her story.

Enjoy!
Gail
the MicroBlogginMom

2010 is the year for bikes!

This year my family decided that for each of our birthdays we would get a bicycle.

For me it's all about the comfort & a smooth leisure ride. So, I chose the comfy Trek Calyspo cruiser bike 2010, in pearl/pink/brown. The bike is decked out with 7 speeds, hand breaks, chainguard, fenders, a bike basket, a bell, & more. Besides enjoying my new bike, I'm having fun accessorizing! Hubby is getting me the very fashionable Yakkay bike helmet during his next business trip. I am consulting with Tara at Betty Basket Liners to purchase a very chic custom hand made bike basket liner that converts to a handbag - it's a substantial bike basket liner and designer purse in one!

My 5 year old daughter just learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. So, she chose the Trek Mystic 20 bike 2010, in hot pink. The bike is decked out with coaster & hand breaks, streamers, a bike basket, a bell, & more.

My 3 year old son who's been riding a tricycle just learned how to pedal a bike with training wheels. So he has inherited a friend's Specialized Hotrock 16 boys bike, in blue. His birthday is not until the very end of the year, so his motivation to "pick out" his own brand new bike will be to learn how to ride without training wheels.

My husband hasn't had his own bike since he was a child, so he was super excited to research & pick out his brand new bike. He wanted a bike he could enjoy while riding with our young kids but also enjoy while riding with his friends, some who are avid mountain bikers. So, he chose the Diamondback Response Sport mountain bike 2009, in blue. The bike is decked out with a sturdy but light aluminum frame, SRAM x-4 8 speed trigger shifters, disc brakes, & more.

We are all super excited that spring is finally here. Check out the slideshow below of all the fun we are already starting to have.

Enjoy!
Gail
the MicroBlogginMom

Disneyland Resort: Holiday Parent Blogger Event

Ahhh... the magic of Disney!

About 2 weeks ago, I received an email invitation from Disneyland Resort Public Relations detailing the Disney Holiday trip I won from Xiaolin Mama, which included:

• Roundtrip flights between SJC & LAX for me & my family, provided via United Airlines
• Shuttle Transportation between the Disneyland Resort and LAX Airport, provided via the Disneyland Resort Express operated by Gray Line
  
• 2 nights accommodations at the Disney Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• 3-day park hopper tickets for me & my family

Exclusively for the Holiday Parent Blogger Event:

• Special reserved viewing of the new show, “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee”
• Priority boarding for “It’s a Small World” holiday
• Private Holiday VIP Reception on Saturday, November 21. Which includes buffet dinner, Disney characters, tons of activities, etc.
• Special reserved viewing of the Disneyland Resort “Believe in Holiday Magic” fireworks show.
  

It’s no secret that I absolutely LOVE Disneyland. And I love it even more when my family & I get the VIP treatment to experience the Disney magic in style! Our experience last week was absolutely magical. The Disneyland resort, including Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney District, & the Disney hotels, were all decked out for the Holidays!

So much to say & even more to see during our jam-packed 3-day holiday at the Disneyland Resort for the Holiday Parent Blogger Event sponsored by Disneyland Resort Public Relations.

See our magical story on whrrl.

More stories at Disneyland & California Adventure

Powered by Whrrl

My husband & I are still in awe and can’t stop talking about the magical time our family had at Disneyland as well as the very swanky Private Holiday VIP Reception. That evening Parent Bloggers (like Xiaolin Mama) & their guests (like me) got to hang out with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Princess Tiana, & Mrs. Clause while being treated to a delicious buffet dinner, & activities like cookie decorating, face painting, Studio Disney 365 makeovers, and more.

To cap off the evening, we enjoyed reserved viewing of the Disneyland Resort “Believe in Holiday Magic” fireworks show. This is a “must see” magical experience & Disney does not disappoint with this fireworks spectacular above Sleeping Beauty’s Castle & surprising the crowd with a spray of “snow” that covered Main Street as the fireworks show ended.

Simply put, we had a magical time!

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!



FULL DISCLOSURE: I won this trip from a contest hosted by Xiaolin Mama & sponsored by Disneyland Resort Public Relations. I was not paid to do this review… I just absolutely LOVE Disneyland! Thank you Disneyland Resort cast & crew for hosting this VIP Parent Blogger event that made our Disney Holiday trip possible.

Christmas wishes really do come true

This past summer we vacationed in Southern California and of course, the trip would not have been complete without a visit to the Disneyland Resort. Being that my kids are little and we are a family of Disney fanatics, I definitely hope to see many more visits to Disneyland in our future. However, one thing I kept thinking about after this last summer trip was how cool it would be to visit Disneyland during a different part of the year, besides summer. So I was thinking, with a little saving of $$$, maybe next year instead of a summer trip we could visit Mickey during the Halloween or Holiday season since that’s a Disney experience we have yet to encounter. And honestly with the kids only getting older, vacations during the school season will only get trickier.

So in October, while I was checking out Twitter & Facebook updates, I stumbled upon and entered a contest from Northern California Bay Area local blogger Xiaolin Mama. On her review blog Xiaolin Mama Reviews she blogged about her Disney Halloween Experience & hosted a Disneyland Trip Giveaway. Was I surprised when I received an email from fellow blogger & twitter friend @xiaolinmama herself just days before Halloween, informing me that I won “the trip to DISNEYLAND!” I guess you could say that, Christmas wishes really do come true, since this year my family is getting the best gift ever… A Disneyland Holiday Celebration!

Kids just found out that Mommy won a trip to Disneyland!

Stay tuned, as I will most definitely be blogging about our magical Disneyland Holiday!

*** UPDATED: Here's a direct link to our magical Disneyland Holiday!

SF 49ers Jr. Gold Rush cheerleading fun!

We had a whrrl of a time this weekend as my daughter participated in the 2009 San Francisco 49er Junior Gold Rush Program.

Enjoy



See the story on whrrl.

Powered by Whrrl

See the morning rehearsal on YouTube.

Makes me smile!

My kids love to sing & dance! And I have to admit, after a long day at work, they are quite entertaining & definitely know how to put a smile on my face. =)

Just the other day my 2 year old son was bopping his head while saying "gotta get get" and "boom boom" and... "Let the beat rock!" which he heard while watching the music video for Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas. He's way too quick for me & is currently a little camera shy... but one of these days I'll capture him on video. =)

Now my 5 year old daughter on the other hand currently loves singing along with Taylor Swift. Her favorite right now is "You Belong With Me" so even though she'll probably hate me when she's a teenager, I just had to share this YouTube video because I think it's just way too cute.

Enjoy!

My little princess started Kindergarten today!

Proud Mamma w/ my princess

Kindergarten... here I come!

Enjoy!

Worldless Wednesday - #9

2008 Princess Ballerina | 2009 Tap Diva

Dance Recital mode in full force!

Click HERE for my past Wordless Wednesday blog posts.

To view more Wordless Wednesday participant posts click HERE & HERE.

Enjoy!

To Blog... To Twitter... To Whrrl!

Lately I have been having lots of fun using a new application called whrrl.

You see, I like to blog, but as a busy working mom I often don't have the time. I also really love to twitter, but sometimes I have way more to say (and show through pictures) than the 140 characters allow. So when I found whrrl, I instantly became hooked. I think it is a great "in-between" for a microblogginmom like me. =)

I'm still playing around with whrrl and learning to use it's many cool features, such as embedding whrrl stories into my blog. Check it out... We celebrated my nephew(and godson) Niko's 1st Birthday at Lake Cunningham Park in San Jose, California last month. You can see the story on whrrl by clicking on the image below. I love how I can also share any of my stories with friends on facebook & twitter.

With school out, hubby's sabbatical in sight, & vacations planned... this MicroBlogginMom is going to whrrl her way through the summer, capturing our family vacation moments. Thanks to the whrrl blog widget, the top section of my blog will showcase the most recent whrrl stories for your viewing pleasure. So, if you don't want to miss the sights we are going to see & reviews I'm going to share, be sure you subscribe to my blog in your favorite reader or via email (see top right corner) and follow me on twitter @MicroBlogginMom. We're in for a fun & exciting time!

Do you whrrl? Leave a comment, I would love to know what you think of whrrl & would love to view some of your whrrl stories too!

Worldless Wednesday - #8

Reminiscing how DD became a Big Sister 2.5 years ago.
These are the moments that make me LOVE being a mom.

Click HERE for my past Wordless Wednesday blog posts.

To view more Wordless Wednesday participant posts click HERE & HERE.

Enjoy!

Worldless Wednesday - #7

2 year old enjoyed Daddy's Ragu Dinner Creation while Mommy got to enjoy last week's National Mom's Nite Out!

Click HERE for my past Wordless Wednesday blog posts.

To view more Wordless Wednesday participant posts click HERE & HERE. Enjoy!

Hip... Hip... Hip Hop... Baby!

Another great blog giveaway from MicroBlogginMom.




Last month, I discovered "It’s Hip Hop, Baby!" created by Candi Carter [fellow mother of two]. These DVDs & CDs teach children to experience the joys of learning their ABC's, numbers, body parts, and more through very "hip" music & dance. Celebrities such as Justin Chambers [from the hit ABC show, Grey's Anatomy], Actress Holly Robinson Peete, Access Hollywood's Shaun Robinson, & more are raving about "It's Hip Hop, Baby!"

Winner of the iParenting Media Award, three new titles of "It's Hip Hop, Baby!" are being released this Tuesday, March 17th. You can check them out and order on Amazon.com.

My kids LOVE to dance. No exaggeration there. My 4.5YO daughter mostly grooves to Hannah Montana, High School Musical, & more. My 2YO son on the other hand loves to groove to anything with a "hip" beat. So when I got my hands on "It’s Hip Hop, Baby!"... I immediately popped it into my DVD player and watched the entertainment begin.

It was hilarious to see how quickly & easily my son focused his attention to the TV. He especially loved watching [and following] kids like him dance & grove to "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes." What shocked me even more, was when it actually captured my daughter's attention as well. How cool is that... a musical DVD that can capture the attention of a toddler as well as a preschooler.

"It's Hip Hop, Baby!" is truly Education and Fun all wrapped up into one!


Giveaway! Giveaway! Giveaway!

So, to celebrate the availability of "It’s Hip Hop, Baby!" and to share the love... I am giving away a DVD & CD combo of "It's Hip Hop, Baby!" Here are 5 easy ways to win. Receive one entry for each [any] of the following:

1. Post a comment letting me know "your" favorite childhood song.

2. Post a comment including a link to a video of your little one(s) dancing or singing.

3. Copy/Paste & tweet this on Twitter: “Do your kids want to Hip, Hip, Hip Hop, Baby!? @MicroBlogginMom has a hip giveaway your kids will love. http://tinyurl.com/48krph”. Then come back here and post a comment letting me know that you tweeted. Be sure to provide your Twitter ID.

4. Visit the "It’s Hip Hop, Baby!" website and read the celebrity reviews. Then come back here and post a comment letting me know which celebrity review “speaks” to you most.

5. Blog about this giveaway on your own personal blog. Then come back here and post a comment with a link to your blog post.

For your entry to be valid, be sure to come back here and post a comment, letting me know what you did. You can enter as many times as you want since you get one entry for each comment. Be sure to include your email address so that I can contact you if you win. Giveaway is open, only to residents within the continental U.S.

Giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. A winner will be drawn at random from all qualified entries [posted comments]. Winner will be notified after April 1st via email. For winner to receive their prize they must reply within 3 days of being notified & provide a valid mailing address within the continental U.S.

Best of Luck!



***** UPDATE *****

Wednesday 04/01/2009
This giveaway is now closed.

The winner of the DVD & CD combo of "It's Hip Hop, Baby!"will be contacted via email. Congratulations!!!

Remember, "It's Hip Hop, Baby!" is available for purchase on amazon.com.

Wordless Wednesday - #4

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

Wordless Wednesday - #3

Snowboarding Princess

15 Days of Marketing with Jessica Knows - Day 3

Day 3 - Take a Risk, Reap the Rewards
Day 3 - Assignment: Confessional... sort of?

Ok, I know I’m late turning in my homework, again. Heck, I’m only human! Day 3’s assignment was a little tougher for me than I thought, since I’m not quite into the vlogging thing. But I know my love for technology will get me there somehow.

Okay, so to get through this phase of my assignment, I am going to share something I don’t usually share with those who I have never met in person. For a real peek into my life, I invite you to take a peek at my personal family scrapbook journal at LyFamily.org. I started this online scrapbook & journal before I had my first child in 2004 and before I really understood what blogging was all about. Now, although I have gone back to work & also started other projects, I still continue to maintain this site in hopes that my kids will eventually make it their own and enjoy it for years to come.

I'll end this post now with my 4yo daughter singing Disney's Camp Rock in the background... "This is real, this is me, this is where I want to be..... "