It's a Wonderful Life @RoseTheaterCo Review

It was really great to visit The Rose Theater again! It's been awhile, since we've gone there. Too long! Their shows are geared towards kids, and my boys are 13 and 16. BUT their latest show is wonderful for my boy's ages. 

We all enjoyed the show It's a Wonderful Life. It's their first show that they had at The Rose Theater in 1995. 

Overall Thoughts:

Travis said he felt like he could relate to the dad in the play. He seriously can be a Scrooge during this time of year. All holiday things fall in my lap. Santa Claus in our house is not a guy. It's a girl all the way. LOL

Isaak just liked being there. He misses going places, and doing things. It kept his attention all the way through. 

Mica liked that it wasn't a musical. They typically do have mostly musicals at The Rose Theater. A play is great to go to as well. he now gets all the hidden humor that only adults catch. 

I liked that it was less draggy than the movie. The movie just kind of goes on and on. The play didn't seem to do that. It was entertaining throughout. I did feel a bit sad because I thought about how kids missed so much with live performances that places like The Rose Theater offers. 

Safety First:

I have to be honest, we really don't go very many places, since covid became a thing. I'm vaccinate and boosted, I still wear a mask, and I still feel like other people do not care; they either get it or don't. I have to really want to go somewhere to venture out to do things. At this show masks were required. Overall people were respectful of that. The actors didn't wear masks while they were performing. They had less people in the venue to help stop the spread as well. It was also available for online streaming. 

About:

Meet George Bailey, whose guardian angel has to descend on Christmas Eve to save him from despair and to remind him that his has been, after all, a wonderful life. George always wanted to get out of the town he lived in, but one thing lead to another and he was stuck. It's about George realizing that his town and life were not as bad as he thought. Featuring live music from the era and a virtuosic cast playing multiple roles, this production is the perfect homage to the power of community. 

The Set

The set was really pretty with things from the town and decked out with Christmas stuff. I liked seeing old things like the phone, and radio. 

Show Dates:

The show is at The Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska from December 5-20, 2021. There are online shows.

It's 75 minutes.   

It is for all ages. 

Cast and Crew:

Actor 1 (Clarence) – Wayne Hudson II 

Actor 2 (Joseph) – Stella Clark-Kaczmarek 

Actor 3 (George Bailey) – Marcel Daly 

Actor 4 (Peter/Mary) – Delaney Jackson 

Actor 5 (Billy/Harry) – Zhomontee Watson 

Actor 6 (Potter/Burt/Others) – Matthew Olsen 

Actor 7 (Pete/Sam/Others) – Natalie Hanson 

Actor 8 (Violet/Erin/others) – Carina Dumarce 

Actor 9 (Janie/others) – Maddie Smith 

Actor 10 (Zuzu/others) – Anina Frey 

Actor 11 (Understudy 3 & 6) – Kevin Ehrhart 

Actor 12 (Understudy 4, 5, 7, 8) – Caulene Hudson-Pace 

Actor 13 (Understudy 1, 2, 9, 10) – Grace Garrigan 

Artistic/Production Credits Director – Sarah Brown 

Assistant Director – LaDareon ‘LD’ Copeland 

Music Director – Jerry Brabec 

Choreographer – Sue Gillespie Booton 

Stage Manager – Lisa Krabbenhoft 

Scenic Designer – Lindsey Purvis Lighting Designer – Matt Benes 

Sound Designer/Engineer – Christy Hernandez 

Costume Designer – Sherri Geerdes 

Hair & Makeup Designer – Zach Kloppenborg 

Director of Production – Erin M. Solemsaas 

Technical Director – Hunter Andrews Props Mistress – Devon Denn-Young 

Scenic Charge Artist – Savannah Savick Master Carpenter – Jackson Curtright Stitchers – Sherri Geerdes, Zach Kloppenborg, Audio Helkuik

Contact The Rose Box Office: 

• 402.345.4849 for more information

• Tickets for play are $20 Main Floor 

• Members of The Rose receive discounted tickets to the production

Disclaimer: I received tickets from The Rose Theater to see It's a Wonderful Life. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

OBYMEUS Men’s Tennis Shoes Review

Isaak typically gets shafted with all things new. He get hand me downs from Mica. I try and get him a few things here and there that match his personality. He doesn't get into all of Mica's space and science obsessions. 

I got a pair of lightweight tennis shoes to review just for Isaaak.  

Brand:

OBYMEUS - It's not a brand I'm familiar with. 

Where to get them:

You can pick them up on Amazon for $44.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QR3LP6C?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details.

Colors:

They come in five different styles/color options. When I looked they didn't have as many. The only selection when I ordered were black and grey. The black ones were out in his size. 

• Cool Blue - They look super cool. Kind of a midnight blue.
• Blue - This confuses me because the shoe is actually grey with a green design on it. Possibly they have the wrong picture in there. 
• Active Grey - The same picture is in this shoe selection as the blue one. I'm thinking this is the right photo. It's grey with a green design on the side. 
• Brave Black - It's black with a sleek black design on the side. 
• Grey - The one we got to review.

Had they had all these options when we ordered, and all were in Isaak's size I would have gone with Cool blue or Brave Black. The design on the sides of those options remind me of the design lines he opted to put in his hair last year. 

Perks:

• They are lightweight and breathable. 
  
  
• The shoelaces aren't too long, or too short. 
  
  
• I like the neutral colors. To me neutrals aren't as fun as bright colors, but they go with more things. 

Cons:

• They don't have a ton of traction. They are advertised as being a gym shoe. I think just casual day to day walking shoe is more like it. 
  
  
• The tongue of the shoe is all part of the shoe. I don't know how I feel about that. I have never seen that before. It made it hard for that extra lace hole to go in. 
  
  
• I feel like the rubber tip (*see photo above) should go higher. The shoe could get scuffed easier because it's shallow. 
  
  
• Cost wise it's $44.99-$49.99. In one way sure they aren't as expensive as most shoes. In another way they aren't a brand I've ever heard before. The design isn't a shoe that would last. 
  
  
• I wish the color/design selection would have been there when we got this pair. Although this is the pair I agreed to review. 

All in all I'm glad Isaak has another shoe selection. He likes having new things. 

Do you like shoes that are colorful, or neutral? 

Disclaimer: I got this pair of shoes for a discounted price in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

@frednfriends Swing Time #birdfeeder #giveaway #holidaygiftguide

How do you introduce yourself? Lately I feel like saying, "Hello I'm Alissa, and I'm addicted to little gadgets."

When we were on vacation this summer I took photos of anything I thought was cool. As I was looking back at our photos I was reminded of the Swing Time Ceramic Bird Feeder that Fred makes.
 
Isn't it cute?

I didn't realize, until I was looking at the vacation photos that Fred is also the company that makes the Food Face Dinner Plates I've had fun with all these years. I think the boys got them when they were about 2 and 4. Now they are 11 and 14! One Christmas I got our kids, my 4 nephews, and 1 niece all Food Face Dinner Plates. It was a Fred Christmas, for sure. 

I recently got 1 more Food Face Dinner Plate because my nephew Edison doesn't have one. He was born after the Fred Christmas. I'm holding off giving it to him until his birthday in May. He drops everything! Maybe by May he can be a little more trustworthy of a ceramic plate. 

My boys still enjoy their plates. Mica said the other , "I'm hungry!" I usually answer back saying, "Well get yourself something to eat." He is 14. This time I said, "I'll get you something, just so I can decorate the plate." Fred had carrot hair, oatmeal pie earrings, and a peanut beard. Older kids can have fun with their food too!

I was super excited to open Swing Time Ceramic Bird Feeder. It felt like Christmas, for me. 

The tire treads look so perfect! It's so hard to believe it's ceramic, but it is.

I love that it came already together. 

All I had to do was go to the pet store to get some bird seed. I had to make the trip to get our Gecko crickets anyhow.

Our Dwarf Magnolia is now paired up with a Swing Time Ceramic Bird Feeder. The tree will look prettier in the spring when it blooms.

I have fond memories of being pushed on a tire swing, when I was a kid. What kid didn't like swings like that? It was back in a time where it was ok to be outside alone. Being outside = freedom in my mind. 

Make your Christmas a Fred Christmas! One of my readers (you) will win a Swing Time Ceramic Bird Feeder. 

Contest will end on December 2, 19. You need to be 18 or older to enter to win. No P.O. Boxes please. Open in the US. $12 retail value.

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. Fred did send me the Swing Time Ceramic Bird Feeder to review, for free. They did not tell me what to write. 

AncordWorks Portable Bluetooth #speaker #sp #review

AncordWorks has a great bluetooth outdoor speaker!

What we tried the sound out on:

Yesterday we as a family went to Mica's school to play Goalball. Have you ever heard of it? I hadn't. It's a game were we got taught how to play from visually impaired people. We had to wear blinders, the lines in the gym stuck up (the were wires taped down), and the balls had bells inside them. Mica tossed a lot of of balls out of bounds (not a penalty though), and Isaak got so turned around he tossed the ball towards his own net. It was for Mica's Healthcare Academy. I recorded a some of the play, and played the video on the AncordWorks speaker.

Here's the original video:

Now here's the video playing on AncordWorks Portable Bluetooth Speaker:

The speaker has protected buttons:

This is where cords get plugged in. It's covered by a hard plastic, and clips into place.

The power, play, and so on are hard silicone buttons:

Clip It:

If you are on the move, you can clip the speaker to your pants, coat, overalls, or anything else really. The clip is really durable.

Water, Water, Everywhere:

Sometimes the best time to relax is when you take a shower, a bath, are in a pool, in a lazy river, or on a beach. The speaker comes with a little tiny raft. You can blow it up, and strap the speaker into place. The straps are a bit loose, so if we use it like this, we'll be sure to tighten them up. The speaker won't get damaged if a little water splashes up on it.

AncordWorks Portable Bluetooth Speaker is great holiday gift! Do you have a portable speaker? You can get it on Amazon Prime for $34.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CHCNMXN

Disclaimer: I got this product free or for a discount in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own.

Random Tid Bits

1. A company made a comment on instagram that I'd be a great person to review some of their products. I responded. They sent me a code, and said that I would have to pay for shipping. Not unheard of. I went to pick out my 3 things, only to find out that some of their stuff was out of stock, they had horrible reviews, and their shipping was $15!
   
   I messaged them saying those things, and that I wasn't interested.


2. Even though Isaak struggled at the beginning of the school year with homework, he has the best personality when he's not stressed out. He's a goof, he's so willing to try new things (even if he's the odd one out), he's creative, he's personable, and more.
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
3. Has anyone else noticed this fashion trend? Lots of chains! I don’t want to feel locked up in my clothes!
   
   
   


4. I get to hang out with a friend tonight I've had since preschool. Isaak and her son Joey are the same age, and are so similar. They both played basketball, they both played violin, they both are emotional, they both have been made fun of about their hair. Joey has a light streak in the front - kind of like a birthmark. I wish they lived here!
   
   We're going to Panera, then to the trampoline park in the picture below. It was that, or Spielbound - Board Game Cafe. All other things I get rolled eyes from the boys. Travis wants us out of the house because he has a 10 page paper due at the end of the month.


5. I took Isaak and a "friend" to a trampoline park a few weeks ago. I'm really hoping they can be friends. He's in most of his classes. The Problem: The kid is friends with the punk that's been making fun of Isaak's hair. I told Isaak, "That punk kid may not have made fun of your friend. Maybe he hangs with him because his other friends hang with him." The kid he hung out with lives only 6 minutes from our house. I snooped to check out the Mom's FB page. She has 6 of the same friends I do. *Fingers Crossed it works!
   
   
   

@Ripleys Believe It or Not! 100 Best Bions #bookreview

I love the the oddities that exist in this world! Ripley's Believe It or Not! just came out with 100 Best Bions. It's filled with believe it or not stories. They are incredibly hard to believe, and undeniable true!

The book is $16.34 on Amazon Prime.

Believe it or not they got the book to me so fast. It's like I agreed to review it, and poof it was on my doorstep.

The word Best is printed with a silver foil print.

Chapters:

1. Classics
2. People
3. Animals
4. World
5. Exhibits

Just like the title, there are 100 stories to read about! 


I picked out some of my favorite pages to share with you. 

Matchstick Man

Patrick Acton of Gladbrook, Iowa is the artist of these amazing creations. I'm drawn to them because I have used toothpicks in my art. I find them fun!

Skull Cups

A "Kapala" is a bowl used by Tibetan Buddhists and Indian Hindus in rituals. I'm not big into rituals, but I do love Buddhism philosophy. Skulls are interesting to me , just like masks are.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

I think I'd pass on going to a festival that has self mutilation. What about you? This festival happens annually in Thailand.

Bound Feet

I remember hearing about bound feet when I was a kid. Boy did it look painful! For centuries, upper-class Chinese women would undergo the painful ritual. I've never seen what their actual feet look like.

Tough Tortoise

I heard if a tortoise lost it's shell it would in fact die. What if a hippopotamus tusk is sticking through the shell? This tortoise lived for 15 years like this!

Sketchy Artist

I think I'm jealous! I could never draw with an Etch-A-Scketch well at all! Could you? George Vlosich can create detailed drawings with one. Each image takes 80 hours to draw using one unbroken line.

Serious Stache

I just saw an article on facebook that goes on and on about how beards and mustaches have more germs than a dog's fur does. Hummm... Possibly it's because some people do not wash their stache! For the record Travis washes his with soap and water.

Could you imagine having an 8 feet, 8 inches wide stache!? That seems a bit crazy. I think I'd have mine braided all the time.

Strange Mail

This grabbed by attention because we write lists, and sketch on junk mail all the time. In 1929 alone, Robert Ripley received a million letters, breaking all known records for mail received by one person. Something's telling me he didn't read it all.

Headless Chicken

It's true Isaak really has a hard time eating chicken with the bones showing. I wonder what he'd feel about this headless chicken? This bird was meant to die, but he lived. Farmer Lloyd Olsen fed it through an eyedropper.

Double Vision

I like creepy faces, so why not like this double eyed guy named Liu Ch'ung? He was born with double pupils. Not his fault.

Mule-Faced Woman

Grace McDaniels was born in 1888 in Iowa, with a birthmark that would define her career.

Do you have any birthmarks? I have a small hole at the top of my ear, I was born with a skin tag on my leg that was removed when I was a baby, and I had the deviated septum. Mica had a cherry red birthmark between his eyebrows (it was fairly light), he had a cyst under his tongue, so the line down his tongue will forever not be straight, and Isaak has a brown birthmark on his spine.

Stretched Necks

Despite appearances, their necks are not actually stretched. It's their shoulders that have been pushed down.

Gurning Man

I remember this man from my Ripley's Believe It or Not! book from when I was a kid. I thought...Wow I wish I could do that!

Severed Skulls

This is so odd! In the University of Lisbon in Portugal, you can see the severed head of a genuine serial killer. Doesn't it give you the creeps? 

I like that they made a book that's paperback. It doesn't take up as much room as the hardback books. 

Do you enjoy oddities? 

Disclaimer: I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review. The Ripley's Believe It or Not! team did not tell me what to say in this review.