We attended opening night of Ringley Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Funundrum at the Staples Center. This was my daughter’s first visit the circus. All aspects of the show fascinated her. She applauded and cheered along with the captivated audience. I haven’t been to the Ringley Brother’s Circus since I was a little kid. My favorite memories are of the trapeze artists and animals. Funundrum was a totally different experience. The production was amazing! Exciting visual effects as well as amazing costuming and perfectly timed routines and set changes. The Ringmaster had a booming voice and infused an exciting flavor through singing and announcing!

I don’t particularly care for the animal segments. I prefer acts where the talent is what people can do with their bodies! I was totally impressed by the Body Benders. Can you imagine three women stuffed into a glass chest? But my favorite and my husband’s was the Globe of Steel portion. Talk about The Greatest Show on Earth!! I was on the edge of my seat when seven motorcyclists entered the globe. The motorcycle group is from the same family and they had audience members on the edge of their seats shrieking!! I also liked how they used black lights in the beginning of their segment. No detail was over looked!


My husband appreciated the live band! The lead trumpet player directed it. The soundtrack they created was appropriate especially when creating sense of suspense.  There were some incredibly impressive musicians highlighted throughout the show.  The bass player was a total madman on his instrument!  And we also got a big kick out of the clown in a car routine with each clown representing an outrageous superhero. “Iron Man” with an ironing board built in and the Flash drinking a giant can of Red Bull. Teagan LOVED every minute of it.

The tour is no longer in LA but you can still catch them at the Honda Center in Anaheim. After that the tour moves on to No. California, Colorado, Missouri and Indiana. Find out about tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Globe of Steel

Finale

* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. That’s IT Mommy received tickets to the Circus to facilitate this review.
 This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

Last week was pretty awesome. A great opportunity to enjoy all my loves – eating, writing and spending time with my family – came together when our blog was invited by Henry Rinehart to try out his family-friendly bistro on Manhattan’s Upper West side. (Check out our Q&A section soon for an interview with Henry – the proprietor of HENRY’S on how he balances running a restaurants, family and his personal commitment to improving school food.)

Me, my husband, our 4 year-old and 22 month-old had a great time eating together and meeting the staff at HENRY’S. My children eat well at home, but it’s always a gamble as to how well they will eat and behave when we are in a restaurant. Thankfully everyone was happy and relaxed which I think is due both to good nap times and the easy going and attentive staff at the bistro. They happily greeted our entire family putting everyone at ease. The kids had a three-course meal featuring an edamame starter, macaroni and cheese entrée and vanilla ice cream finale. The edamame starter is pure genius. In addition to being nutritious, it is a great distraction. It also seems to exemplify what Henry’s approach – fresh, local food offerings that you enjoy eating and make you feel good afterwards. As our little ones popped out the beans and sucked on the salty pods we were given a five-minute grace time to decide on our drink and menu selections.

The main course of macaroni and cheese was hungrily devoured by my 22 month old. We couldn’t cool the food fast enough for him to put into his little mouth. Never before have I seen him so happy with his food in a restaurant. Inexplicably my four-year old wouldn’t eat more than a spoonful before declaring she was done and announcing she wished she had ordered guacamole. Apparently the waitress’ attentiveness made an impression because my daughter then tried to special order guacamole. Thankfully this wasn’t necessary since my entrée arrived and she happily shared my risotto until her dessert course arrived.

My husband and I truly appreciated the American wine selection beginning with a delicious Riesling from Michigan and the remainder of the picks from California. Based on the staff’s recommendations we also enjoyed the shredded kale salad with endive, grapes, hazelnut, parmesan and maple vinaigrette starter, special oven roasted chicken with asparagus risotto, pappardelle pasta with bolognese and chocolate bread pudding with banana, caramel and hazelnut ice cream. The evening was a success in my eyes. My husband and I got to order the type of food we are accustomed to dining upon when we get the rare date night, and the atmosphere and selection was casual enough to bring the rest of the family. It was a very nice change of pace from our usual family pizzeria nights and inspires me to plan more dinners out. If you are in the area be sure to check out HENRY’S at 2745 Broadway at West 105th Street (www.henrysnyc.com)

- That’s IT Mommy friend, Jill & Family

Here are seven great tips for eating out with your kids from Henry Rinehart, the owner of HENRY’s modern American bistro on Manhattan’s Upper Westside. To ensure a terrific experience for children and adults alike, Henry recommends these seven strategies for dining-out success:

Almost Important as Learning the ABC’s
By exposing your child to a healthy, happy dining out experience, you are teaching a fundamental life skill. The family dining out experience can be a great place to model important adult behaviors: the three P’s: Predict, Prepare, Prevent. Predict what the social situation will be, Prepare your little ones for how to behave and what is expected of them and you will have done well to Prevent some the difficult situations parents find themselves in when dining out with young children. Also,: bring (silent) toys, books, coloring, and other things for the children to do while grown-ups chat. When you boil it down, it really comes down to rest, food and doodies anyhow.

Put It in Perspective for Your Kids (and Yourself!)

Talk to your family about why you want to dine at a restaurant with them. Share that goal as something that is important and explain why that is. Of course a night off from cooking and convenience are great reasons, but going through a drive–thru can accomplish that -– gathering around a table at your neighborhood restaurant to share the day’s events can be priceless!

Plan Ahead
Ask your children to make an effort to participate in the whole dining out experience. Get them involved and invested early. Before you go, have fun and role play different scenarios so children not only learn what to do at a restaurant, but what NOT to do as well. This is a great time to establish expectations and boundaries.

Solving the Picky Eater Problem

Look at restaurant menus before you arrive so you can develop a strategy to order for your picky three-year-old. If you love the menu and do not see something for your beautiful daughter, call and ask to speak to the Chef or Owner. Ask for help ordering from the menu. Develop a relationship before you even get there. HENRY’s solves this problem by offering a special family menu for children under 12 – and the promise of a great dessert often does the trick.

Try, Try Again
Rome was not built in a day. Neither are family habits. If your first or second outing does not go well, do not give up –- and be prepared to abort before the meal is done if your child’s behavior is not on par with the boundaries and expectations set before stepping into the restaurant.

All Restaurants are Not Created Equal When it Comes to Pint-Size Diners

Do not frequent restaurants that do not provide good service. Go out of your way to find those places where service is professional, helpful and earnest. Service should be focused on supporting you in your efforts as a dining parent and should not be judgmental or anything other than helpful. HENRY’s prides itself on training staff to deal with diners with young ones.

Relax and enjoy
Once you have done all this hard work, revel in the joy that is dining and make healthful eating experiences one of the foundations of your family life. If you have done the work of thinking ahead to some of the situations that your child may need guidance navigating, then the whole family will be able to enjoy dining out together. Working together with your children to teach them what is acceptable and expected of them while dining out will continue to pay dividends for years to come, setting the stage for healthful eating habits while defining and enriching the family dynamic.

* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. Henry’s provided the food and drink items to facilitate this review. This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
 The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

American Girl is calling on girls across the country to help their Shine On Now Campaign. American Girl’s Shine On Now campaign taps the positive power of girls!

From now until July 31, 2010, girls can go to shineonnow.com and help make a difference in other kids lives! Girls can contribute up to 100 free stars each day to help American Girl reach its goal of collecting one million stars by July 31, 2010! If the target is reached, American Girl will donate it’s maximum gift of $1 million in clothes, books, dolls, and money to the following four organizations:  Kids in Distressed Situations, National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, National Wildlife Federation, and Save the Children.

All the moms at That’s IT Mommy along with their daughters have signed in and donated! It’s super easy. So let’s help American Girl get to one million stars!

American Girl launched a brand new virtual campus, Innerstar University ™ – a place for girls to learn to be their best in a safe and fun environment online. Girls can engage in enriching activities to help boost self esteem and strength! They can also create their own doll from  different choices of eye color, skin tone, hair color and more! You can even further personalize the dolls by adding braces, glasses and outfits that match your daughter’s interests and look! Girls can see their dolls come to life at Innerstar University. Click here for more information: http://www.americangirl.com/innerstaru/. Coming soon! Innerstar University books. In this new series, girls can decide how the story ends!

American Girl has new My American Girl dolls and we were fortunate enough to review one! All of the American Girl dolls are 18” tall, have a soft body, moveable head and vinyl limbs. The dolls are dressed in a Real Me Tee, Capri pants and flat shoes. Each doll is accessorized with a charm-keeper necklace. The doll we received has brown hair, light skin, blue eyes and freckles. She’s very cute and my daughter Teagan loves her. Teagan has named the doll Kiera and loves brushing her shiny hair. The doll reminds me of Teagan. They both have shorter necks and square shaped faces.

This is a high-end doll ($95) that can be cherished for years by young girls or even avid doll collectors. They have a classic look and are not baby dolls. Girls can find dolls that look like them or find a historical character that maybe suits their personality. There are endless outfits and accessories. One of my favorite features? There is a doll hospital! Does the doll need a new eye or a replacement limb? Fill out the Doll Hospital Admittance form and follow the detailed instructions to admit her! They’ll return the doll in two to three weeks in a hospital gown, ID bracelet, and more!

The dolls are well made and American Girl’s line of historical characters is a wonderful way to learn about historical eras. The Kit Kittredge character represents a girl that grew up in the great depression. Learn more about each character in their book series. Young girls learn about friendships, courage, and tolerance. Those are important lessons for any girl at any age. I’m still learning about courage and compassion every day!

We stopped by the American Girl store at the Grove in LA. The store was packed with girls shopping for outfits, and hanging out at the Doll Hair Salon. You can also make reservations at the American Girl Café for Brunch, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner.  Also, check out their all-inclusive birthday party packages online.

Teagan donating her stars on shineonnow.com

* We did not receive monetary compensation for this post/review. That’s IT Mommy received the My American Girl doll to facilitate this review.
 This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

Considering Las Vegas for a family getaway? Las Vegas may be known as Sin City, but the odds are in this glitzy town you’ll hit the family-fun jackpot.

My family visited the Adventuredome at Circus Circus earlier this year. The Junior rides are perfect for the little ones. My daughter and her cousin enjoyed Miner Mike (tot size roller coaster) which is suitable for kids between 33 and 58 inches tall. The kids also enjoyed the B.C. Bus and Drifters (ferris wheel). You must be at least 42 inches to ride these two rides solo unless your accompanied by a paying adult. There’s a little bit for everyone at the Adventuredome and what a great place to have a birthday party! 

Circus Circus Las Vegas

Circus Circus is currently offering THE ultimate Vegas escape packages!

Summer Camp Room and Board Package at Circus Circus

Offering one of the best summer values on The Strip, Circus Circus invites guests to enjoy low rates and All You Can Eat All Day passes at the Circus Buffet for only $20 per day per guest.

Cost: Rates start at $22.95 per night plus tax

Reservations: www.circuscircus.com

Family Fun Getaway at Circus Circus

Save over $260 in attractions. Book a two night stay and get discounts on attractions including: Adventuredome, the Roller Coaster at New York-New York, Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, the Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage, Lance Burton tickets at Monte Carlo, Tournament of Kings at Excalibur, Titanic Exhibition and Bodies Exhibit at Luxor, and The Lion King at Mandalay Bay!

Cost: Rates start at $38.95 per night plus tax

Availability: Now through September 5, 2010

Reservations: www.circuscircus.com

Excalibur Hotel

Excalibur is another family friendly hotel option on the Vegas strip. Check out the Camp Excalibur Package:

Enjoy summer fun at The Castle and receive:

• 2-for-1 tickets to Tournament of Kings

• 2-for-1 admission to The Adventuredome at Circus Circus

• 2-for-1 Magic Motion Ride admission

• Ten (10) Free Play Passes at Fantasy Faire

• 20% off Admission to Bodies…The Exhibition and Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at Luxor

• Buy 1 Get 1 50% off admission at The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay

Cost: Rates start at $56 per night plus tax

Availability: Now through September 30, 2010

Reservations: www.excalibur.com or (877) 750-5464

Promotional Code: XFPK10

Would you like to explore outside of Las Vegas? Make sure to visit the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead and is located 35 miles outside of Las Vegas in Boulder City. Click here for more info. Or maybe take a hike and explore the beauty of Red Rock Canyon. Wildlife, vegetation and cultural resources can round out your fun filled Las Vegas trip! More here.

Make sure to bring sunblock and prepare for hot Vegas days. Unless of course you’re staying at the Circus Circus or Excalibur. The AC is wonderful!

Teagan on Miner Mike's roller coaster at the Adventuredome

* We did not receive any compensation or product for this post.
 This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

I came across Zoey’s Attic T-shirts when I was pregnant with my second.  I wanted a cute shirt for my daughter that would say how proud she was to be a big sister.  So much of what I came across was, well, without any style or looked straight out of 1986.  In Zoey’s Attic I found a winner—these shirts are adorable.  Actually, I couldn’t make up my mind so I ended up buying two shirts for Kieran!  I wanted to share my positive experience with our readers, and hopefully save you some time trolling the internet for the same items.

One of their lines is called The Pecking Order.  The colors can be customized based on gender and it’s further personalized with your child’s name, as in “Big Sister Kieran”.  This is probably the best photo-op shirt.  There are many options for T-shirt style but I picked the long sleeve raglan (pictured above).

I found Zoey’s Attic very easy to work with and they even further customized my order for the second tee.  I loved the design of the “I love my baby brother” tee, but didn’t want it on a plain white t-shirt (as was pictured on the website at the time of my order).  As you can see, the final design was on a pink ringer tee, with brown trim.  It just took a few emails back and forth to confirm some color changes made off the original design, and voila! Kieran’s tee was ready to go.

When I received the shirts, I was initially concerned that the colors would run or fade.  I just followed the instructions that came with the shirts and after several washes, none of these has occurred.  The quality of the printing is excellent and has held up after several months of wearing and washing.

Zoey’s Attic was started by Erin Delanty and inspired by the birth of their first child, Bridget, in 2006.  The inspiration continued with the birth of Bridget’s baby brother in 2008.  They do more than just sibling shirts.  Check out their website for birthday shirts, announcements, holiday cards and more!

That’s IT Mommy friend, Heather

Zoey’s Attic is generously offering a giveaway to go along with this review.  Thank you, Erin!

GIVEAWAY: One (1) winner will win a set of sibling shirts, or a $30 gift card to their store.

REQUIRED ENTRY – Visit http://www.zoeysattic.com and tell us which Zoey’s Attic product is your favorite. Come back here and leave a comment in the reply box below this post.

(Remember if this MAIN ENTRY is not followed then no other entries will count)

Bonus Entries - Leave each extra entry in a separate comment.

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Tweet about this giveaway (Copy – WIN a $30 gift card or sibling shirt set! via @thatsitmommy @zoeysattic http://thatsitmommy.com/?p=5081 #giveaway)

This giveaway will run through midnight on August 9, 2010 (PST) with winner being announced sometime on or before August 11, 2010 (PST). Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact us before another winner is chosen. This giveaway is open internationally (18+).

* We did not receive monetary compensation or products for this review. The items mentioned in the review were previously purchased by Heather.
 This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
 The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

Congratulations!

Mandala – Avatar: The Last Airbender-Complete Book 1 Collectors Edition -  Random # 62

Cari S. – PlasmaCar -  Random # 254

Tiffany C. – Colgate Oral Care pack-  Random # 271

Winners – Please check your email! You have 48 hours to verify your win.

Thanks to everyone who participated! Special thanks to the wonderful companies who made these giveaways possible!

Kids of all ages benefit from being read to. Knowing this, I have read to Adeline since she was very small. As she gets older she is beginning to listen to the story and ask questions about the characters. Although sometimes she just can’t sit still long enough to finish a book. One book that Adeline will always sit still for is her new Frecklebox personalized book, called Adeline and the Unicorn. It has quickly and understandably become her favorite book.

Frecklebox is an Internet company started by two fathers who owned a printing and distribution business together. Once they had children they were inspired to create Frecklebox which offers truly unique, personalized gifts for children at affordable prices. They have personalized books, posters, growth charts, journal books, coloring books, stickers, place mats, puzzles and more. They all feature great designs that kids will love whether it is baseball or fairies. The website makes it very easy for you to make your selection and personalize it. You can then preview your selection with your child’s name.

Frecklebox let us pick out a book to review. We looked over all the titles there were storybooks about becoming an older sibling, about adoption, going to the zoo and many others. Adeline chose “the unicorn book”. Which Mark, one of the owners of Frecklebox, told me was a special book that he wrote for his daughter when she was little because of her love of unicorns. Awww. After choosing the book we dedicated it to “Sweet Adeline”. The book was ready for instant preview. It is very cool that you can preview the entire book before purchasing.

Adeline was so excited when her “own” book arrived. She loves showing to everyone and telling them that it says Adeline. We received a hardcover book which retails for $34.95. Soft covers are also available for $19.95. It is nice sturdy book with great illustrations that are fun for Adeline to look at. Her name is on most pages and she loves seeing it. These books make unique gifts for children and it is something that they can treasure forever. I will definitely be purchasing some more items from Frecklebox as gifts.

You can check out all that Frecklebox has to offer by visiting their website: http://www.frecklebox.com/

- That’s IT Mommy friends, Erika and Adeline

GIVEAWAY: Frecklebox is generously offering one (1) That’s IT Mommy reader their own personalized hardcover storybook!! Ends 8/6

REQUIRED ENTRY – Visit http://www.frecklebox.com/ and tell us what your favorite product is (leave a comment in the reply box below this post).

(Remember if this MAIN ENTRY is not followed then no other entries will count)

• Bonus Entries – Leave each extra entry in a separate comment.
• Follow Frecklebox on twitter (1 extra)
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This giveaway will run through midnight on August 6, 2010 (PST) with winner being announced sometime on or before August 8, 2010 (PST). Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact us before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (18+).

* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. That’s IT Mommy received a Frecklebox personalized book to facilitate this review.
 This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
 The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky—available NOW from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate.

Features a full-length DVD.

DVD SRP: $14.98.

Feature running time: 50 minutes

DVD SYNOPSIS

Thomas and his friends deliver cargo-loads of fun in this collection of uplifting episodes! Ride along as Thomas helps to deliver mail, mend engines, and prepare for the Spring Party on the Island of Sodor. Watch as Thomas learns that it pays to listen to advice, there’s more to a train than its undercoat, and that sometimes it takes a team of friends to reach your true destination.

Teaching timeless life lessons such as discovery, friendship and cooperation, the Thomas & Friends animated series invites children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story.

This DVD includes 4 never-before-seen episodes on the island of Sodor in full CG Animation and is hosted by Driver Perkins:

Creaky Cranky

• Thomas challenges Cranky the Crane to see who can lift the heaviest loads.
• Thomas took the loads of all the other trains and took them to Cranky at the docks rather than deliver them to the right place.  Thomas also thinks of the ultimate challenge for Cranky.
• Both Cranky and Thomas were  scolded by Sir Topham Hatt for the big mess they had created.  Thomas works hard to make amends.

·Tickled Pink

• In this episode, James was being repainted, but  before they could put on his red topcoat, he was sent to pick up Sir Topham Hatt’s granddaughter for a birthday party.
• James was teased by all the other engines, but eventually came to terms with his new color and made it to pick up all the kids and all is well.

Steamy Sodor

• Thomas was put in charge of the Sodor Steamworks to do a very important job.  He doesn’t listen carefully and the engines that come in don’t get the proper work done.
• A big mess results, but Thomas learns his lesson and is able to fix everything by listening to the engines.

Early Bird

• Thomas fulfills his dream of delivering the mail when Percy pops a piston.
• He was so excited, that he tooted his horn all around the island.  But the problem was, he woke up everyone on the island in the wee hours of the morning.  All of the trains and other equipment on the island started to fall asleep on the job, making silly mistakes on the job.
• Thomas visited Percy at the Steamworks to learn the right way to deliver the mail.  The next morning, Thomas did everything right and learned a very important lesson.

Also includes the bonus “Sound Song” Karaoke Music Video.

Our thoughts: Kieran loved the Tickled Pink episode best (typical girl!).  She couldn’t stop asking me “Why is James pink?”, even though the DVD was off.  I am a fan of the Early Bird episode and am going to try to use the lessons learned to get her to a later wake up time in the morning–wish me luck!

Music, Music Everywhere—available NOW from HIT Entertainment/Lionsgate.

Features a full-length DVD AND Bonus Music CD.

DVD SRP: $14.98.

Feature running time: 55 minutes

Includes the following episodes:

Barney – “Play Piano With Me”

• Fans of these preschool favorites will also join the alphabet parade and attend a park concert with Barney,
• Features a bigger-than-life piano that the kids play with their feet.

Bob the Builder – “Roley’s Important Job”

• Bob the Builder in stop motion claymation.
• Enjoy music on the construction site with Bob and his Can-Do Crew
• They fix up an Italian Deli and create a song for the opening.

Thomas & Friends – “Tuneful Toots”

• “Peep Peep!” along with Thomas
• Rusty takes the brass band on an unplanned trip and runs out of fuel.
• The band and Rusty come up with a plan for everyone to find them, involving lots of music!
• Rusty learns to be proud of his unique horn.

·Kipper – “Arnold’s Drum”

• Drum up the fun with Kipper and his pals
• Arnold plays the drum during Kipper’s picnic
• Kipper and his pals want it quiet and comes up with plans to keep Arnold busy.
• Eventually, everyone joins in making some music.

· Angelina Ballerina – “Angelina’s Musical Day”

• Bonus Episode from Angelina Ballerina’s CGI Animated Series.
• Accessed through the bonus features (note: does not come up on Auto Play)
• Miss Mimi loses her voice.
• Angelina and friends act out the story of Peter and the Wolf set to music.

PLUS Bonus CD features five fun songs:  “P-I-A-N-O,” “Good Manners,” “Roll Call,” “Narrow Gauge” and “The Next Steps Theme Song.”

Our thoughts: No surprise here, Kieran is a big Angelina fan and I knew she’d like this one best.  She further honed her British accent while twirling and leaping along with Angelina. We also had fun with Barney since we are familiar with most of the songs.  We enjoyed singing along with all the characters.  She started singing along right away to the first song, “Have you ever seen a lassie?”  Our 4 month old squealed with delight during our singing and dancing.

- That’s IT Mommy friends, Heather and Kieran

GIVEAWAY: One (1) copy of Thomas & Friends™: Creaky Cranky DVD and One (1) copy of Music, Music Everywhere (Winner will get BOTH DVD’s)

MAIN ENTRY –  Answer these 2 questions: Who is your favorite character from Thomas & Friends?  Who is your favorite character featured in Music, Music Everywhere  (leave your comments in the comment box below this post).

(Remember if this MAIN ENTRY is not followed then no other entries will count)

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This giveaway will run through midnight on August 4, 2010 (PST) with winner being announced sometime on or before August 6, 2010 (PST). Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact us before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (18+).

* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. That’s IT Mommy received a copy of the DVDs mentioned in this post to facilitate this review.
 This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

Last month marked a special occasion in our family—Kieran turned 3!  We decided to combine her two loves, princesses and Central Park.  All of her friends were invited to wear their favorite princess dress to the party.  In order to not exclude the boys, they were provided with pirate regalia (hats and eyepatches). To be fair, the boys did have their own pirate invite, too!

We opted to give the party favors out at the beginning of the party.  First reason, the little princesses were to receive tiaras and wands, so we thought it fitting that they have them for the entire party.  Second reason, since this was an outdoor party for a bunch of tots, I didn’t think the bags would remain intact and that everyone would, in fact, receive their bag if I left them on the lawn for 2 hours.  I also wanted the little pirates to have their hats and eye patches.  And, if the kids were hungry before the pizza arrived, there was some Pirate’s booty stashed in all the gift bags and boxes to be enjoyed!

I felt lucky that with a bunch of mainly 2-4 year olds I didn’t feel the need to plan for any games.  All of the kids were happy to run around on the grass, although a couple of the kids did bring their own bubbles (always a hit!).

Since we are moving soon, we decided to have as much NYC in her party as we could.  Besides having the party in Central Park, we had pizza delivered there, too.  Here’s a note, they wouldn’t deliver into the park, but we had them meet my husband at 72^nd and 5^th for the exchange.  Just in case you are in NYC and wish to do the same, we ordered from Don Filipo’s on Lexington Ave.–it was delivered right on time, hot and delicious!

Once lunch was out of the way, it was time to sing the birthday girl (I mean, princess) her customary song.  I laid out all the cupcakes on the grass, and the kids quickly descended around them!  Thankfully, the cupcakes remained 100% intact until after the song (and pictures) were through.  We decided on cupcakes from Two Little Red Hens on 1^st Avenue.  My husband and I have made a pretty good circuit of the local bakeries and agree that these are the tastiest.  According to the reactions of our guests, I’d have to say we were right!

The day was magical.  We were even able to get almost all the kids together in one shot for a group photo (by almost, I guess I mean about half!).  Kieran still talks about it—even over a month later.  It was a great experience for all!

If you are throwing a Princess & Pirates party, here is a helpful list of items to get you well on your way!

Princess Invites & Thank You’s, Cupcake Toppers and Gift Bags

Pirate Invites & Thank You’s (Meri Meri also has Pirate-themed cupcake toppers and gift bags)

Pirate Cupcake Toppers

Tiara and Wand Party Favor

Pirate Gift Box and Favors

Princess Carriage photo-op

Pirate photo-op

Pirate’s Booty

Meri Meri is one of the featured vendors in this story.  They are a UK-based company that has been making beautiful handmade-style stationary for over 25 years.  Their products include greeting cards, invitations, partyware, gifts, photo albums and journals.

GIVEAWAY: Meri Meri is kindly offering one (1) That’s IT Mommy reader an Invitation/Thank You kit to help get your party started right! THANK YOU, Meri Meri.

MAIN REQUIRED ENTRY – Go to Meri Meri and choose from one of the currently available sets listed here:

• 45-0020 Pirate Box Set
• 45-0026 Bridal Shower Box Kit
• 45-0040 Mermaids Invite Set 8/Box
• 45-0043 Ready Set Go Invite Kit 8/Box
• 45-0045 Twinkle Toes Invite Set 8/Box
• 45-0119 Animal Parade Invite & Thank You
• 45-0135 Fairy Wishes Invite & Thank You
• 45-0139 3D Robot Invite/Thank You
• 45-0155 Teddy Bear Fun Invite/Thank You
• 45-0029 Princess Cupcake Set (Invite/Thank you not available during this giveaway period)

(Remember if this MAIN ENTRY is not followed then no other entries will count)

Optional Bonus Entries - Leave each extra entry in a separate comment.

• Visit Meri Meri and tell us another item that they sell (not offered in the giveaway)
• Follow Meri Meri on Twitter (2 extra – 2 comments #1, #2)
• Subscribe to our RSS Feed or email (or tell us that you already do) (3 extra – 3 separate comments #1, #2, #3)
• Follow us on Twitter (leave us your twitter ID) (1 extra)
• Blog about this giveaway (leave the link) (2 extra – 2 comments #1, #2)
• Follow us on Networked Blogs (1 extra)
• Enter another one of our current giveaways (3 extra – 3 separate comments #1, #2, #3)
• Leave a comment on one of our non-giveaway reviews (2 extra – 2 extra comments #1, #2)
• Tweet about this giveaway (Copy – WIN a handmade invitation/thank you set via @thatsitmommy @merimericards http://thatsitmommy.com/?p=5088 #giveaway) come back daily and leave us the link to the tweet (1 extra)

This giveaway will run through midnight on August 3, 2010 (PST) with winner being announced sometime on or before August 5, 2010 (PST). Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact us before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to residents in the lower 48 states only (18+).

* We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. The items mentioned in the review were previously purchased by Heather.
 This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service.
 The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.

Congratulations!

Kathy K – Synthecore DVD -  Random # 13

Tabathia B – Country Time -  Random # 166

Laurel K – Sand Gone -  Random # 25

Audra – Boon – Random #21

Winners – Please check your email! You have 48 hours to verify your win.

Thanks to everyone who participated!