My mother-in-law and I recently took the girls to see Dot & Ziggy at the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago.  In a nutshell, the production was a huge hit with both the youngsters and their parents/caregivers.

I was nervous at first, because my toddler is buy viagra no prescription busy and I expected at least one or two melt-downs.  However, I was prepared.  Like always, I packed a bag full of snacks and drinks.  I had read that this particular play is geared toward the younger crowd (between 6 mos. and 4 years) but I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant.  So, I put my doubts for a successful outing into the back of my mind and hoped for the best.

I couldn’t have been more entertained by the performances of Don Darryl Rivera (Ziggy the skunk) and Roni Geva (Dot the ladybug).  They magically held the attention of the children in the audience.  (Ages ranged from newborn to at least 5 years old.)  We watched in delight as the two characters, Ziggy and Dot, romped around the room discussing their similarities or lack-thereof, as a friendly spider helped them find ways to share and cooperate.

For me, the truest test was if this interactive play could captivate my 22 month old for buy viagra no prescription length of time.

Not only did they keep her entertained, she practically joined them “on stage”!  I sat on one of the colorful, fabric triangles that separated the stage from the audience and watched as my toddler followed the actors around during their performance.  I was half ready to spring up and grab her (out of habit) and half mesmerized at how they almost buy viagra no prescription incorporated her into the show…without actually incorporating her into the show.  Pretty impressive, I must say!  Most of all, they were mindful of their movements around the audience of smaller humans.

The show runs about 45 minutes and all throughout, the lines of the characters are simple enough for toddlers to understand and the actors convey them in such a way that truly captures the attention of the busiest of children.

Dot & Ziggy is a must-see for parents and kids, preschool-age and younger.  My 5 year old had a blast watching her little sister enjoying herself so much and she even participated in the various performer/audience interactions during the show.  I was thrilled to have experienced this play with my kids (and my mother-in-law!).

If you are around the Chicago area between now and June 26th, I buy viagra no prescription checking out Dot & Ziggy with your toddler/preschooler.

is presented by the and runs May 9 through June 26, 2011 at the , 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.  For the complete schedule of family-friendly weekday and weekend matinee show times, to purchase tickets and for more information, call 773.871.3000 or visit

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If you are a puzzle/word game addict like I am, you’ll definitely need to get your hands on a .

The SCRUBLE Cube is like a cool twist (pun intended) on some classic games.  It has similarities to Scrabble with the look and feel of Rubik’s Cube – with its own new set of rules.  There are a few different ways to play the game, one being creating words across one, two or three sides of the cube to score points.  There are several ways to earn bonus points, which also adds to the challenge.

What I like about this game is its portability.  You can throw the 4x4x4 cube into your purse and feed your brain on the train on your way to work.  Spice up a playgroup, bring SCRUBLE Cube along and challenge the other mom’s to create words other than, “No”, “Settle”, or “Down” (three of my most overused words).  It can be done!

Anyway, great game.  Big fun.  Excellent pastime.  Check it out!

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It’s already the end of July.  This is right about the time during summer when I feel like we’re over the hump and heading quickly toward Fall.  I can sense it in the air.  I’ve been living it up for the majority of the summer and now that I’ve survived seven flights since May (four of those with kids) and 25+ hours in the car traveling to and from neighboring states, I’m ready to relax.  I’m ready to stop living out of suitcases for a while and get some cleaning and organization done in my house (and my head).

There really is so much to talk about; from how I managed to do all of this traveling with kids and stay sane to the awesome products I’ve come to know and love that were so helpful to me on my travels.  I feel like I’ve got some good experience under my belt now after spending some time in the Caribbean, Disney World and in the north woods with a one year old and a four year old.  Even though it was quite hectic at times, I was able to ensure we also had a very enjoyable time on our adventures.

In the coming weeks, I plan on showcasing more of the products that we got some good use out of and revisiting some of the products from companies I’ve already talked about, like , , and to name a few.  I’m also looking forward to sharing my ideas on summer travel with the family.

So, what have you done this summer?  Have you stayed close to home or adventured out into unknown lands?  I’d love to hear some of your do’s and don’ ts for traveling with kids.

Hope you’re all having a fabulous summer so far!

So, as if someone could hear my thoughts, I was introduced to a company that can help ease my worries and potentially stop a parent’s worst nightmare from happening.  I’m thrilled to tell you all about .

It’s almost summer and if you have children, chances are you’re planning on being outside. You probably have vacations booked, outings to amusement parks, camping trips and BBQ’s to attend.  If you long for peace of mind, like I do, then listen up.  SecuraTrac is a company that has an interest in bringing families closer together.  Their product, the SecuraPal, is a GPS tracking device that goes with your child, pet or any loved one (even your luggage), so you can track their location via text messages and a secure website.

Have a listen to my conversation with Chris Holbert, SecuraTrac’s founder, so you can learn first-hand about this innovative product:

We’re going to put the SecuraTrac system to use on a very special upcoming trip.  I can’t wait to give you the play by play!

Right now, SecuraTrac is running a (buy viagra no prescription).  You can purchase the SecuraPal unit for $99 with 12 mos. of service ($24.99/mo).  You can set up unlimited “fences” and contacts (who would receive the SOS and location alerts).  You can’t really beat the price for this kind of peace of mind.  Hopefully you listened to our conversation, so you have an idea of all of the different ways you can put this product to valuable use.

Look forward to more posts about SecuraTrac because at this point, I think it’s the bees knees and I’m out to prove it.

As a child, I recall waking up to the delectable smells of a turkey in the oven, stuffing in the crock pot and my mom’s homemade apple and pumpkin pies.  I still think that Thanksgiving Day at my house, where I grew up in PA was the best.  I miss waking up to those scrumptious smells and coming down the stairs to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on t.v.  The sound of my brothers cheering on their favorite football teams and my nieces and nephews running around the house.  When the evening rolled around, some would be napping and some would be heading out to the kitchen for leftovers.

I have lived away from home for almost 12 years now and have experienced many other Thanksgiving celebrations.  Eric and I have hosted Thanksgiving at our house (I could never do as good a job as my mom preparing this feast).  We also dined out one particular Thanksgiving.  Not in “A Christmas Story” style – there were no “Fa ra ra ra ra’s” or anything like that.

No matter where I spend my Thanksgiving holiday, I will always remember why it’s such a special day.  It’s a day that families come together, near and far.  Doesn’t matter if I can make a mean turkey gravy like my mom can or not.  What matters is that I’m spending it with people that I care about and I am thankful for that.

Our goal, as parents, is to make sure that our kids are cared for and taught to be thankful for the little things.  We want them to grow up with a sense of family and with the importance of spending time together.

I can only hope that one day our kids will wake up on Thanksgiving morning, just like I did, to the same delicious smells coming from the kitchen.  I’m getting hungry right now just thinking about it.