Friday, June 2, 2017

NUBARKO Fidget Spinner Toy Review

I got the coolest NUBARKO Fidget Spinner to review: 

Why is it the coolest you might ask? It's quiet, and the center is gold. It also comes in a tin case, and felt bag.

The hard case to protect the fidget spinner:


The felt bag that also helps protect the fidget spinner: 


The Fidget Spinner:


About:
  • It has a pattern on it, which mimics a swirl and ripple wave effect when you spin it. I have to admit that it is relaxing to watch. 
  • It has a 623 ceramic stainless steel hybrid bearing. It could be replaced if needed. On their site the way they worded it, I thought they had a replaceable bearing. That is not the case. The bearing is quiet and smooth.
  • There is 2 to 3 minutes spinning time. That's not unusual for any fidget spinner to spin that long. 
  • Materials: TC4 Titanium and Brass with precise CNC process. Durable, Non-Toxic and corrosion resistant. Hand-polished with skilled craftsmanship, smooth surface finishing and comfort hand feeling. 
  • Compact and light weight. You could easily fit this in your pocket to carry it. It would also fit in the smallest backpack pocket. Dimension: Length - 1.78"(45mm), Width - 1.78"(45mm), Height - 0.43"(11mm), Weight: 1.5oz (42g)
  • This is for both adult and kids. I'm not giving it to my kids though. It's too expensive, and knowing them they'll loose it.
  • Great for Relieving: Anxiety, ADHD, Autism, Stress, Quitting Bad Habits, Staying awake on long car drives 




You can get this Fidget Spinner Here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XH1B12V

For $36.99 on Prime. The price would be my main complain. It's pricy for a toy that a kid might loose. I'm giving this to my oldest nephew that's more responsible, and in high school, or I'll keep it at work. I'd like to have a box of these type of things for students when I'm talking with them one on one. I really don't like to see them nervous to talk to me.

Do you have any fidget toys?

Disclaimer: I was received the items mentioned in this post from NUBARKO. They certainly inspired me to write this post. I only review things that I think my family or readers will enjoy, or find useful. 

Peter Pan @RoseTheaterCo Review

It was really great to visit The Rose Theater again! It's been awhile, since we've gone there.


Right now they are showing Peter Pan. I thought that would be a perfect musical to take 2 boys to. Off we went to Neverland.

Kind of hard to get a good photo with all the reflections and Mica kept making goofy faces, but I did my best.


We got there early, so lucky us got some snacks. Mica stood over by The Rose Theater Timeline to read it, and Isaak traveled upstairs.


When we walked into the theater we saw that there was a live orchestra in front, and below the stage. There wasn't a whole lot of people playing, but it's always exciting when there's any live music.

The Rose Theater in its self is just a really beautiful building. It's named after a Nebraska icon, Rose Blumkin who opened Nebraska Furniture Mart. The theater is ornate. I love looking at the set designs that they come up with. I kind of wish the set would have been open to see, but they had the curtains closed.

Peter Pan is such a classic. Everyone at The Rose Theater did a great job bringing the story to life!


We were transported on a magical flight to Neverland were Peter Pan took flight. The classic story of the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan shares the story of a boy who escapes growing up by spending his life in the magical realms of Neverland. I've always loved that Peter wants to stay young and full of imagination. I'm always telling my students to go back to that point in their lives, so they will let themselves grown.

In Neverland Peter: 

  • Battles Pirates
  • Flies With Fairies
  • Befriends the Natives
  • Takes Care of Others
On a random flight to London, he encounters the Darling children: Wendy, John and Michael. They follow Peter on the adventure of a lifetime. Together with the Lost Boys, they do battles with the sinister Captain Hook and his pirate crew.


All of us who have read Peter Pan know that this story tackles what it means to be an adult and what makes childhood special. - Artistic director Matthew Gutschick

Show Dates:

The show is at The Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska from June 2-18, 2017. Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. The June 10 show will be interpreted for people who are deaf or hard of hearing; this show will also include audio description services for audience members who are blind.

 The Rose's production of Peter Pan is being led by guest director Amy Lane, whose work was last seen in The Rose's world premiere of Buffalo Bill's Cowboy Band.

Amy set out to bring a very traditional story to the stage, deeply inspired by Victorian-era fairy tale books. "This is truly the fairy tale version of Peter Pan," she says. "I almost imagine the design as a sort of pop-up book that the audience is invited into." I actually have a Peter Pan pop-up book, so this interested me.

The children fly away to Neverland, the scene unfolds into an almost Technicolor world, with scenic designs by Tim McMath.


Cast and Crew:

Peter Pan was played by 14-year-old Danny Deneberg, who was last seen on The Rose stage in the lead role of Ralphie in A Christmas Story.

Ablan Roblin will portray the villianous (but highly humorous) Captain Hook.

Unique lighting techniques will be used by lighting designer Craig S. Moxon to bring the fairy Tinkerbell to life. "Traditionally Tinkerbell is done with a simple follow spot that darts across the stage, but I wanted to give her a bit more life," says Moxon. I kind of saw her to be a yellow spot lite, but they made her green.

Considered a musical masterwork, Peter Pan features orchestrations from the Broadway show, including the favorites - "Never Never Land," "I Won't Grow Up" and "I'm Flying." Jerry Brabec serves as musical director, leading a live 10-piece orchestra that includes instruments ranging from trumpets to oboes to a harp.

Choreographer Sue Gillespie Booton gives energy and movement to the musical numbers, especially with the "Pounce" dancers -- Neverland natives who greet the new arrivals to the island. I have to saw that the "Pounce" dancers were our favorite part of the whole musical!

Contact The Rose Box Office: 

  • 402.345.4849 for more information
  • Tickets for Peter Pan are $27 Main Floor and $22 Balcony
  • Discount ticket vouchers are available at all area Hy-Vee stores
  • Members of The Rose receive discounted tickets to the production
  • This musical is sponsored by Children's Hospital & Medical Center, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Mutual of Omaha, the Whitmore Charitable Trust, the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment
  • Special opening night activities are sponsored by Kiewit Companies

Ages This Show:

Is best for ages 4 and up. I do have to say that Isaak was the most engaged. He just turned 9.

Time Frame:

It ends up being 2-1/2 hours long with intermission. During intermission they serve cookies and drinks. They are unlike other venues, and do not have high priced food and drink.

Remember to stay young at heart! 

I received tickets from The Rose Theater to see Peter Pan. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Random Tid Bits

This week I'm going to try and capture some of the funny things I've heard, thought, or said in my life.
  1. Once when I was in middle school my older sister that was in high school had a serious talk with the parents. Apparently she was 3 wayed.

    You know 3 different people on phone lines, and she didn't know about it. She was completely embarrassed that a guy she liked heard her conversation. She was complaining to a friend about it on the phone.

    My Mom heard 3 wayed, and thought she was talking about something sexual. My sister quickly found out what a 3 some was. That's not what she did.

  2. One person from our carpool when I was younger was talking about how a guy combed his hair all the time. For a joke they bought him a bunch of combs to put in his locker. My Mom heard her say, "Condoms" instead of "Combs". That became a bigger issue then it needed to be.

  3. I referred to someone I know as an "Asshat" - slang for someone that has their head up their butt. When I said it, I surprised myself because "Asshat" sort of sounds like "Asset", which mean pretty much the opposite! Do you think they sound alike?

  4. Source

  5. So the person above - the Asshat is someone I see almost daily - Monday through Friday. He's not my husband, or my kids. I swear he's been grumpy since school got out! I think he has IMS - (Irritable Male Syndrome). If you don't think it's a thing read here, here and here

  6. Source
    My husband even believes in IMS. His mood swings line up with mine. Ha!

  7. If someone says, "Cheez-It's" really fast and slur the word it sounds like, "Jesus". If I go to church, and sing a song about Jesus I can replace "Jesus" with Cheez-It's" and no one would really know. Except for me of course.

    The next photo is from a long time ago when I got a Cheez-It box of merch to review.

What's something odd that you've misheard, said, or thought?

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

UncommonGoods Review

I generally find myself hooked into artsy stores. One store I just can't get enough of is UncommonGoods! They just have so many unique gifts. I've bought and have had presents bought for me since around 2000. For you long time readers, you know I seek out different types of music. I do the same with stores, art, clothing, and more.


About UncommonGoods:

UncommonGoods was founded in 1999 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. It is a privately-owned retailer that endeavors to feature unique jewelry, designer décor, tabletop items, and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment without harm to animals or people.

  • They run all their operations out of the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal. I'd love to see their headquarters. It totally sounds like a unique business! 
  • The lowest-paid seasonal worker starts at 50% above the minimum wage. That is so important considering the rough economy we have right now. 
  • They make it their mission to support and provide a platform for artists and designers. I teach design, make art, and my husband and dad are artists. I can't stress how much we need art more in our culture.  
  • Half of what they sell is made by hand. There are unique items all throughout their site. Most of the jewelry products, home décor and table top items they carry are created in the USA, and about one-third of their entire collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials.

Since graduation is coming up I thought I could get some inspiring presents for some great people - myself included!

Mica just finished elementary school. Now I know it's not a graduation per say. To me it's more of an accomplishment than graduating preschool was. Mica spent 6 years at his elementary school. It is a time in his life where one chapter ends and another one begins. In his case most of his friends will be going to a different middle school. Sigh!


Every teacher should have Inspiring things!

I got his teacher this Inspirational Pencil Set! Teacher's need more support than they get!


We all need a set of Inspirational Pencils! They each say something a little different: Hustle Hard, Be Awesome Today, Good Vibes Only, Do Your Best, and I Can and I will.


Since my own students graduate I got a few gifts for me. I'm a teacher too! College instructor's rarely get anything.

I thought the book, F in Exams would be wonderful to read when I'm recovering from my sinus surgery coming up. It's a book full of wrong answers, or different answers than what the teacher expected.


Apparently someone else thought this book would be great to read as well! Mica was laughing his geeky self off when he was reading it!


Here are some inside pages:




I also got the Alice in Wonderland Literary Scarf. 

This scarf has 4 options: 1. Alice in Wonderland (the one I got) 2. Jane Eyre 3. Wuthering Heights (sold out for now) 4. Pride and Prejudice (I almost got that one)

They have other neat-o scarves on their site. Be sure to check them out!

I have a birthday June 21st, so this will be a Happy Birthday to Me gift.


I got my sister a necklace called Protection Necklace. 

She didn't graduate from anything, but my nephew Emerson did! He graduated from preschool! Since he has a genetic disorder it is a very big deal to graduate from preschool. His life expectancy isn't what most people's would be. I thought this necklace could help my sister through rough times ahead. He's in and out of the hospital a lot, so my sister needs all the support she can get.

It came in the best box:


Possibly my only thing to add would be a finger print on the back of the angel to match the rest of the artist's branding. I know the cost would go up. Then it would match the box, and the card. If the necklace got flipped around on accident, the finger print would show. Or if the person wearing it could flip it on purpose for whatever mood they are in. A different necklace every other day.


It's so sweet though! I love the design of it! The length of the chain is perfect!

Take 1:

Can you tell that Emerson is a punk with taking pictures. I'd say it's because his hearing aid wasn't on, but he's like that even when it is. We had quite a few photos like this actually.


Take 2:

Finally he looked up! :) He's lost some teeth, so he has a toothless grin.



The necklace was on back order, but I still got it fairly fast. Everything shipped quickly!

With every purchase you make to UncommonGoods, they’re proud to donate $1 to the non-profit of your choice. They started the Better to Give program 12 years ago, they’ve donated over $1 million to charities around the world!

Have you ever shopped at UncommonGoods? What is your favorite thing mentioned in this post? 

Disclaimer: I was received the items mentioned in this post from UncommonGoods. They certainly inspired me to write this post. I only review things that I think my family or readers will enjoy, or find useful. 

WW: Bunny {Linky}

It's amazing what can happen in a 20 minute time frame!

What are they looking at?


A scared little bunny!


Our friends have a son that's 4. We were pretty busy all weekend long. He was tired of walking. Mica offered to give him back rides. He gave him multiple rides. You know when you offer once, the offer still stands later on. ;)


Isaak decided that it would be a great idea to climb a tree that was right by a sculpture. When we said, "Get down!" he quickly got down. Then this happened:


Thankfully he only complained about it when it happened, and a few hour duration. It must look worse than it feels.

I'm off a day with Memorial Day in there. I completely thought today was Tuesday. Remember to enter my low entry giveaway, while you're here.





Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Kansas City Here I Come

More like Kansas City here I came, but that's not how the song goes.

We went to Kansas City this weekend. It was great to get away! 

We won't be able to go anywhere else until about the time school starts. Travis got accepted into an El Museo Latino for an artist residency. It lasts all of June and July. It will be tight with him needing to be there, and me not being able to do a whole lot with surgery on June 23. It's a great opportunity for him for sure! They are super nice, and even said the boys could be with him when he's there during the day - some days.

We really had an inexpensive trip to Kansas City.

Why did we go? Our class and the class above us wanted to have a reunion at the Kansas City Art Institute. It was fun! I do wish that the class below me was part of it too. I had a lot of friends in the class below me because I stayed in the dorms longer when I became a resident's assistant, while in college.

Mica took all the people shots:



This building is called Vanderslice. It's kind of the heart of the campus. It's where we went to sign up for classes. Most of the admission people are in Vanderslice.





The dorms is where Travis and I met. We were friends for about 5 years before we became a couple. Lots of memories here! In those days we didn't have elevators, we had 1 pay phone for a whole floor of people to share. Long distance phone cards were huge then. We had 1 bathroom for a whole floor of people as well. There was no internet in the dorms. In fact the internet was only on one computer on the campus. All that's changed!


Just a building I liked that the school owns. I don't even know what's in it. I heart the doorway!


 So...it started raining on our tour. We also got kicked out by the security guards. By the way the security guards look like kids now a days. Back when we went to school the security guards were big, older, and scarier. Minus the one that fell asleep all the time. I really felt secure around him. Ha! The people giving us the tour were fellow classmates that work there. They only told the guards we were going into the Illustration building. Nope! We went into the old Illustration building, the new Illustration building, the Painting building, the figure drawing room in the basement of Vanderslice, and the upstairs of Vanderslice. The guards weren't too happy with us. Ha!

Back in the day Travis was a wild drinking boy that would jump a junk scooter over a bonfire in the middle of the campus. Me on the other hand? I was a light weight, good girl (usually) that stayed up for hours working on artwork for class.

We saw some of our friends, but missed a lot too.

We all went out to eat/get drinks. We had the kids, but ate anyhow. We sort of stuck to ourselves until everyone had a drink in them. Then Isaak went over to see fellow classmate draw. He was fascinated. Isaak started drawing too. They mutually laughed at their drawings. Then Mica started dancing. A fellow classmate started dancing with him. He thought that was hilarious. It ended up being a great time after all.

Where we stayed - Our niece Kailey lives there. She actually offered to watch the kids, while we went out. Then it turned out that she went home to Omaha when we went to visit Kansas City. We were a little bummed that we couldn't spend more time with her, and have her watch our kids. ;) But we saw her on Monday. She offered to drop off a key on Friday night to us, to stay at her place. I made her cookies and left them at her apartment in return for letting us stay there. :) The boys enjoyed staying up late to watch BFG on their netflix, which we don't have at home. I was a bit worried someone would call us in for not being Kailey, but no one did. Sigh of Relief!

Entertainment - I also got an email a few days before leaving to blog about LEGOLAND in Kansas City, and getting 4 tickets in return. Score for my family!

Ultimate Indoor LEGO Playground Review

We had a chance to explore LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City! It's the ultimate indoor playground for kids ages 3-10 who are the biggest fans of LEGO! Mica loved it too, and he's almost 12!


It was super busy with it being Memorial Day weekend. Plus there were storms, so many people didn't want to be outside. I had tickets at the Will Call booth. Our friends did not. We stood in line for 15 minutes or so before we realized that they wouldn't be able to get in until 4:15, and it was 1:30. Thankfully we did get a chance to talk that whole time. They went their separate way - to the Legoland store, and Crown Center. We stayed at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center. If you do plan on visiting, try not to go when it's a busy travel weekend. 


We had time to kill before we met up with our friends. We hung out in the Crown Center, which is where they have the Lego stand above. LEGOLAND Discovery Center is next to the Crown Center.

The entrance to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center is grand:


The boys were uber excited. We had that stop a surprise. When asked, "What is one place you'd love to go to in Kansas City?" Mica said, "LEGOLAND Discovery Center."



LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City is one of Kansas City's best attractions for kids! 
  • Reach out and touch the stars in our 4D cinema
  • Build the fastest car in Build & Test
  • Save the princess at Kingdom Quest Laser Ride
  • Have the ultimate LEGO birthday party.  
We couldn't take photos on the Kingdom Quest Laser Ride, but we stood in line for awhile. Here's some of the things in line:


The boys got mad that Dad won the Kingdom Quest Laser Ride. I swore those things are rigged. I shoot at everything, but always end up with less points than everyone. Ha!

We really enjoyed the 4D movie:



They made a note that the glasses may be damp because they were just cleaned. There was wind, strobe lighting, rain, snow, things coming out at you, and more. They do show you where the exit door is if you need to leave.

Of course we didn't have a birthday party there, but they have them! I'm not sure on the price.


Plan your family visit and jump into the biggest box of LEGO bricks!

My favorite part is the display room:

Lights dim, and turn bright. If some photos look different that's why.

The Wizard of Oz - I imagine it's big there because it's near Kansas where Dorothy is from.




Sports in Kansas City:




Other things in Kansas City:



They even have a mini LEGOLAND:


Hot air balloons are hung here and there:


Mica and Isaak got into racing their built cars on tracks, and building towers on boards that you could shake to see if the tower fell.

This sort of tells me something about their ages: They opted out of the ride that goes in circles. They just didn't want to wait in line. Maybe it was too young for them. They also could care less about the climbing Lego gym. That seemed geared towards a younger crowd. But remember their audience is for ages 3-10. Isaak's 9 and Mica's almost 12.

We all had a great time! Our friends were still at the Crown Center. We met back up with them. They bought a few Lego toys for their boys. 

NEW FOR 2017!

Dream It! Draw It! Build It! Then put your creation on display in the LEGO Ideas Studio! 

The LEGO Ideas Studio is all about creativity and building brand new, unique builds, and is found only here at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City! With LEGOLAND Discovery Center's Master Model Builder as your guide, you can become a brick engineer, architect or artist in this brand new attraction! Come up with innovative ideas for builds as you gather inspiration from dozens of amazing LEGO creations around you. Then, draw your original ideas by plotting out your build on special brick-paper made specifically for designing LEGO blueprints. Once complete, display your totally-original, awesome builds for all to see on one of the Cool Creations display shelves!

Save at LEGOLAND

My Readers Save $3 off LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City! - Use this promotional offer to receive $3 off full-priced Adult or Child admission at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City! Code: 1053 http://kansascitykidsguide.com/coupon.php?regionid=31&bid=11545&dealid=1611 @usfg

Disclaimer: I was offered 4 tickets to go to LEGOLAND in Kansas City for writing this post. 

Disclaimer

The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

I am not compensated to provide opinions on a variety of topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. If I claim to show knowledge of certain topic or product I will only endorse products or services that I feel, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement.

If you have any questions about this blog, or want to get in contact with me please email me at: anapeladay@gmail.com