Bye George
06/24/2008 by Eric in Blogs | No Comments
I don't know why it surprised me to learn that comedian George Carlin passed away Sunday at the age of 71, but it did. I mean, he's been doing his thing since before I was born and even though his material was often indecent and crude, it was also satirical and thought-provoking. I thought he was great.
Now I didn't hear Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" bit until 20+ years after it got him arrested, but it still (even today) poses the question of what speech is acceptable for mass-consumption and what isn't. In my eyes (however) that isn't his most memorable performance.
As silly as it sounds, one of my favorite movies is Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure which starred George Carlin as the mystical guitar-playing guru Rufus. He also appeared in Dogma and even as the voice of Fillmore in the animated Pixar film Cars, a movie that our daughter Hailey can't get enough of.
So whether you loved him or loathed him, George Carlin is gone. And at least at our house, he will be missed.
Great Wolf Lodge: Our night away from home
06/23/2008 by Amy in Family Fun, Lodging | 2 Comments
We recently took a jaunt up north to the Wisconsin Dells (JUST before the flooding!) to visit the Great Wolf Lodge that is located just off of I-90/94.
We did the the touristy thing when we arrived and took a drive around the area, as this was our first time visiting the Dells. Our main reason for visiting was to spend a night at the Great Wolf Lodge resort and check out the amenities.
After we finished our cruise up and down the main strip and stopping to enjoy some appetizers and a micro-brew at the Moose Jaw Pizza & Brewing Co., we made our way over to the Great Wolf Lodge.
The Grand Lobby of the Great Wolf Lodge resort is very attractive with its rustic, log cabin-like features and colorful, interactive Great Clock Tower. We stayed in the Royal Bear Suite (Rates anywhere between $319-$369/night). This rate includes waterpark passes and admission, as well as your other basic room amenities. The suite had an extra private bedroom area with a king size bed, as well as a queen size bed in the main area. There was also a little kitchenette and a "living" area with a sofa, which Hailey curled right up on to watch some toons. There is plenty of room in this suite, that's for sure.
After settling in, we jumped into our bathing suits and made our way down to the indoor waterparks. Right away when we entered, we were able to pick out a small life jacket for Hailey. They seemed to have plenty available for the tots and the bigger kids.
I was pretty pleased with the layout of the waterparks. It was very manageable and Hailey was really enjoying herself - that was the most important part. We found out quickly that she's a little fish...a fearless little fish. There were several areas for the little ones and that's mainly what we focused on this time around. Eric and I did manage to take turns on the adult water slides. It was so cool. I screamed on my way down the slide and felt like a big dork afterwards. : )
After prying our child away from all of the glorious water, we cleaned up and headed to The Loose Moose Bar and Grill in the Grand Lobby. Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the northwoods-themed ambiance because Hailey decided she was not interested in dining out. So, we ordered our dinner "to go" and retired to our suite. The food was good (we ordered a pizza) and it was nice and relaxing to just finish dinner in our room.
I drifted off to sleep shortly after but was awoken by Hailey and Eric around 8 p.m. to join them for "The Rhythm of Nature" show at the Great Clock Tower. It was fun to watch Hailey become mesmerized when the animals "came to life". After the show, Wiley the wolf made an appearance and we all gathered around for story-time. She even gave the big furball a hug before heading back up to our room.
The day was full and we were welcoming sleep, so we tucked ourselves in for the night. Some say the beds at Great Wolf are too firm but my uber-picky husband said that he "thought they were nice". That's like being nominated for an Oscar, believe me. I was pretty happy too because I chose to relocate to my very own bed in the middle of the night. : )
We had breakfast at Camp Critter Buffet and it didn't take long to fill up on oodles of buffet food. I'm not a buffet kind of person but the food wasn't half bad. I mean, it was no breakfast buffet at the Bellagio but I can think of worse. Hey, it's quick, the food is fresh and readily available and when I have a fit-throwing toddler on my hands, I can't complain!
After breakfast, we strolled over to Wiley's Woods, which is part of the resort but also open to the public. We did not end up going into the (video game) play area because we didn't have socks and didn't really want to purchase any, although that would have been quite easy with a vending machine full of socks available at the entrance. Instead, we opted to go over to the Northern Lights Game Parlor. Anything with lights and noise will attract a toddler, so she was happy as a clam. We purchased some tokens and let her have at it.
Another great entertainment option for the pint-size ones is the Little Tikes Great Wolf Lodge Cabin and the Cub Club activity room. I love those little extra somethings for the kiddos! We were too busy doing other fun things and didn't get a chance to hang at the Cub Club, however, Hailey was able to chill in the cabin for a few.
So, we really had a nice little get-away at the Great Wolf Lodge! I would definitely recommend planning a stay there with your family. When you're planning your trip, remember to check out their website for great deals. For instance, right now they have a deal on their premium suites or stay for two nights with the third night free. Obviously, these deals are only available for a limited time - so you must check out GreatWolf.com for current deals.
HP + Cash = You're going to BlogHer
06/23/2008 by Amy in Contests | 31 Comments
*Update: Congratulations to Robyn, our winner of the $250 BlogHer Sponsorship from HP! Thanks to all who entered and look forward to hopefully meeting you at BlogHer.
HP and ParentSphere are thrilled to give YOU the opportunity to attend the BlogHer Conference in San Francisco - less than a month away!
Enter for your chance to win $250 CASH toward your BlogHer registration, hotel or flight costs, partying, WHATEVER!
If you haven't already registered for the conference, the good people at BlogHer are letting you know that time is running out. The conference is on the verge of selling out.
To enter to win this giveaway, leave a comment on this post, just a sentence will do, telling us why you want to go to BlogHer and if you're already registered, what your plans are while you're in the Bay area.
The only catch for this giveaway is that you'll need to show us proof that you're going to the conference (registration receipt). HP is generous enough to give this cash to support a blogger going to the BlogHer '08 Conference, so, we want to return the favor and make sure the money is going to someone who will be in attendance.
That being said, the last day to enter this giveaway is Friday, June 27th. The winner will be chosen RANDOMLY (not based on comment) and notified via email. We'll post about the winner after we've confirmed that he/she is registered for the conference in San Francisco in July. A check in the amount of $250 will be mailed to the winner shortly after confirmation.
Good luck!
For more information on the conference, click HERE.
To register or learn more about registering, click HERE.
View the conference agenda HERE.
Learn more about HP HERE.
GO3: For those of us who aren't seafood fans
06/22/2008 by Amy in Health & Fitness | No Comments
I never have, nor will I ever rub my stomach, close my eyes, salivate and fantasize about a seafood dinner. Just the thought makes me shudder. To prove it, I spent my honeymoon in Hawaii, surrounded by oodles of the freshest seafood around, and I turned my nose up at all of it.Now, I'm well aware that consuming fatty fish twice per week is recommended by the American Heart Association. For me though, it needs to taste good and satisfy me. So, of course the best alternative for a picky eater like me is a fish oil supplement.
GO3 has been on the market since February 2008. Soccer-extraordinaire, David Beckham, has partnered with GO3's associated company of Findus, Ltd. in an effort to help motivate kids and families to live a more healthy and active lifestyle.I can't dish out all of the scientific information about this product but you can visit this section of the GO3 website to learn more. One thing I do understand is how beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids are for you and your all-around good health - there's no question about that.
So, yes, this is only a supplement and eating fish is recommended but for me, taking a supplement is better than nothing. We (the adults) have been taking two GO3 supplements daily. GO3 is also available for kids ages four and up in chewable junior strawberry capsules (we think they're kind of gross) and Vitamin Kicks chewable multivitamin gummy balls (haven't tried these). All of these supplements are available for purchase on the GO3 website.
Casio's newest timepiece: The Waveceptor WV430
06/11/2008 by Amy in Accessories, Dads | 390 Comments
*Edit: Congratulations to Theresa who said "I can tell time and know that a quarter to 5 is 15 minutes to 5 and not 25 to 5. I can read a watch face with hands." She's the winner of our Casio Waveceptor giveaway. Thanks to all who have entered and make sure to bookmark ParentSphere.net for more giveaway opportunities.I like to see a man wearing a nice watch. Ok, let me rephrase that. I like to see my husband wearing a nice watch. The brand new Casio Waveceptor WVA430J is pretty sleek-looking and sophisticated, in my opinion. I've even went so far as to include it in my ""Cool Dude's Gift Guide".
- The Waveceptor WV430J-1AJF also features a perpetual calendar, eliminating the need to adjust your watch for calendar month to month inconsistencies and Leap Year.
- Additional features include 3 daily alarms, LED light with afterglow, stopwatch, and 100M water resistance among others.
- Suggested retail: $99.95
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post and tell us if you know how to tell time.
Good luck, readers!
