I first discovered the EggMazing Easter Egg Decorator (our review here) at the 2018 Toy Fair New York, then at the 2019 Toy Fair I excitedly found their TreeMendous Christmas Ornament Decorator (see our demo video here). And just a few months ago at the 2020 Toy Fair, I met their latest and dare I say it, greatest creation, the DinoMazing Dinosaur Egg Decorator, which is included in our Brighter Days Ahead Giveaway (enter to win here)!

​This company has really found an incredibly unique niche, and while we are paid to review and promote them, I can say from the bottom of my heart with complete honesty that my family is absolutely in love all 3 of these products!! Keep reading for my full review and demo video of the amazing DinoMazing!

THE DEMO:

THE REVIEW:
The DinoMazing machine works very similarly to the EggMazing and Treemendous in that you pop in 4 AA batteries, put your egg inside the machine, turn it on, and it spins while you color it with the included non-toxic markers. But this one goes above and beyond the previous two because decorating your dinosaur egg is just the beginning!!

Coloring your egg will EGGspose cracks in the egg, which look really cool but are purely aesthetic. The egg actually pops opens like any regular plastic easter egg right at the middle (which means you can put it back together and take it apart endlessly. When you open it, you'll find a sealed plastic baggy filled with (non-sticky mom-friendly) slime, from which you'll have to pull out the tiny dinosaur parts. Assemble them to make your dinosaur. Open up another egg to create a different type of dinosaur. And you know what? You can mix and match your dinosaur parts!!! My kids got really silly creating hybrids like the TyranoSteg (shown below left)! Or you can put the legs in the arm holes and head in the tail hole. Pretty fun!

Do note that some of these dinosaur parts are teeny tiny, so you'll want to be careful playing with these if you have babies or toddlers in the house. But other than that, have a ball! Boys and girls, parents and kids alike will absolutely love DinoMazing! It's definitely on my list of go-to birthday gifts for the 3-8 year old crowd!!

BUY IT!
You can buy the DinoMazing set (comes with 6 markers, 2 eggs, and the egg spinning machine) for $27.99 on Amazon (affiliate link), and you can buy a set of 6 additional eggs for $27.99 on Amazon (affiliate link).

WIN IT!!!
Don't forget you can win a DinoMazing set in my Brighter Days Ahead Giveaway (ending April 15)!!

EggMazing & Treemendous Demo Videos:

Disclaimer: Our stay and activities were provided in exchange for our honest review - all thoughts and opinions are my own and 100% unbiased!

When it comes to family vacation destinations within a 3 hour drive from New York City, your options are plentiful. We've actually reviewed many of them (see our "family friendly day trips and weekend getaways from NYC" list here), but our trip to The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark this past weekend truly blew us away. It was spectacular, non-stop fun and excitement, beautiful, just AMAZING! A must visit for any family in the Tri-State area, honestly!!! Watch our video here and read on for more about what makes The Kartrite so special!

Located in Monticello, NY, The Kartrite is just a 2 hour drive from NYC, making it the perfect weekend destination! The Kartrite hasn't even celebrated its first birthday yet, so everything is beautiful, new, and utilizing the latest technology. Take your room key for example. It's not a key or even a card. It's a wrist band!! The internal chip acts as both your room key and your water park admission! I mean, HELLO! Could they make it any easier!? At the arcade, you add activities and game tokens to your Playopolis card, and any tickets you win go back onto your card - so it's completely cash and paper free! What's more? You can get a card for each member of your family and then pool all the points to one card when checking out and "buying" your kids' prizes.

There are ski slopes and cute towns nearby, but frankly, don't even bother. We spent our entire 3 days at The Kartrite and had zero desire or need to leave the fabulous facilities. At check-in we received a list of the complimentary daily kids' activities (things like STEAM projects, sand art, marshmallow towers, daily movie night in the lobby), and they even have a 3 hour nightly"Kids' Night Out" drop-off program for $55/child. We ended up spending 10am-5:30pm Saturday at the Waterpark, 10am-2pm Sunday at Indoor Adventures area, and the rest of the time either eating or lounging in the room!

THE WATERPARK
It should go without saying, the waterpark is the main attraction. This is why people come to The Kartrite, and for good reason, it's spectacular!! Touted as New York's biggest indoor waterpark, and covered by the world’s largest texlon transparent roof (I didn't realize this and thankfully we didn't burn, but as per their website, apparently you can tan through it, so don't forget your sunscreen!), they really went above and beyond in every way, and entrance is included with your stay at The Kartrite (even on check in and check out days). To top it off, it was the most physically pleasant indoor waterpark we've been to. We've visited many where either the air or the water wasn't quite warm enough, and left you chilled and needing to leave within 2 hours. We've also experienced some where the air was so thick with chlorine that our eyes stung and lungs burned! We didn't experience any of this at The Kartrite! With the exception of the bathrooms being cold and the lunch line being long, everything else was absolutely perfect! 

There's an adorable toddler area with mini slides and splash zones, free life jackets for kids, a basketball pool, a great lazy river (never had to wait long to get a single or double tube to ride on), several kiddie water slides, 5 big kid / adult water slides (with minimum height of 42" or 48"), water adventure areas with a dump bucket, and even a well heated outdoor pool that you can access from inside (it was about 25*F when we went, and we were completely warm in this pool outside, until my kids splashed me and got my face and ears wet, then they started to freeze)!

There's no extra fee for their Flowrider (shown above), where you can do indoor boogie boarding, wake boarding, or surfing. Lines can get long for this because they give each rider ample time to have several tries, but it's totally worth the wait. It was my first time as well as my son's first time. After watching many people wipe out (no tears or injuries though) I was incredibly nervous but it was insanely fun!! The staff were super helpful, taking the time to explain how to do it, and if you are doing well they'll guide you from the front on learning tricks while you're still riding. It was amazing!! My son and I both were able to get up onto our knees and we saw others learning to spin the board around. So cool! You can see us in action on Flowrider in this video!

The most unique item at the waterpark is probably the Nor'easter water slide (see giant blue monstrosity above). I've never seen anything quite like it, but unfortunately we weren't able to ride it. There's a minimum height of 48" (our kids are too short), and you must have 2 or 4 riders (and I felt too shy to ask a stranger to ride with me). We did enjoy watching it though, and our 7 year old will definitely be tall enough if we go back in half a year or so! Can't wait!! 

There is a cafeteria style grill in the waterpark as well as a bar. We ended up ordering a whole pizza, for $20, which was good for our family of 5. You can put it charges on your room which makes it nice, no need to bring your wallet. There are lockers, I believe from about $15 per day, but I really recommend leaving valuables in your room and bringing a waterproof pouch for your phone so you can keep it on you for quick photos and videos. You do need to wear coverup and shoes between your room and the waterpark, but we just put ours in a bag and left them on a chair. I guess there is always a risk of theft, but it didn't feel especially risky to me.

You can also splurge by purchasing a cabana for the day, which we were treated to by The Kartrite! The regular lounge chairs really fill up quickly around the waterpark, so having a private reserved section was really nice, plus it comes stocked with fruit, snacks, beverages in a mini fridge, and your own waiter by the push of a button!! Of course our kids were most impressed with the 32" HD TV in our cabana, and I was thrilled it had an outlet to turbo charge my phone after taking a full day's worth of photos and videos it was running out of juice! We got Cabana #11 which was right in front of the kids' adventure area, we were able to sit back and relax while still having a great view of our kids. Score!!

If you're not staying at the hotel, you can purchase a Splash Pash day pass to the waterpark for $79 - $99 (children under 2 are free). Great option if you live nearby or just want to drive up for the day!

INDOOR ADVENTURES:
I actually had no idea these existed at The Kartrite. I'm used to seeing giant arcades, but this was so much more! This massive play center on the first floor consists of:

• Arcade (pay per game, most took 2-8 credits each; credits cost about $.20 - $.27 each depending on how many you buy at once)
• Mini bowling ($6) - just 3 lanes with bumpers and teeny little balls with no holes - a great intro to bowling for little kids! We did 3 players for our kids' game but it was pointless, they just didn't understand about going twice and then letting next person go. So, if yours are little, just buy one game and let them all take turns as the same player LOL!
• Ropes Course & Zipline ($12) If between 42"-48", child must be accompanied by an adult, who pays as well. My husband took my son and I was really impressed by how well my 7 year old did. I mean, this course is 1-2 stories high, I can't believe he wasn't terrified!! Some parts were rather challenging and the accompanying adult may have their work cut out for them having to assist the child. But overall they had a blast! Kinda regret not going myself!
• Rock Climbing ($7) - this was the first time rock climbing for myself, my 7 year old, and my husband. There are 3 towers, each with very different structure and technique. Very fun, and secure, you repel down which was scary at first but once you realized how slowly and safely you went down, super fun!! Heads up: I only did 2 towers (5 minutes total climbing??), and 2 days later I'm still sore!! My 7 year old did a great job but wasn't able to make it to the top buzzer on any of them, but wasn't bothered by it in the least!
• 3D (XD) Theater Ride ($7) - OK so HUGE heads up here. Don't let your kids choose which movie they see. Don't do it. Be the mean mom. Use your better judgement. Or else you may end up with a couple of traumatized 4 year olds like me (see the video for how bad it was). They had a cute cartoon one that was perfect for kids. But no. My 7 year old insisted on the "Haunted Mine" and then his sisters chimed in that they too wanted to see it. Demanded to see it. So, OK, I caved... They get 3D glasses and jump on board of a 4 person bench that looks like a roller coaster ride. Door closes. If you bought a ticket you can ride with them, but I didn't, and watched from the surveillance screen out front. It all looked good for a while. Their hair was blowing. The ride was rocking and shaking. And then Emi threw off her glasses. And then both girls started hysterically crying and screaming. The staff noticed before I did and jumped into rescue mode, thank goodness!!! After taking them out and talking to them about how it wasn't real, they calmed down and haven't had any nightmares or anything, so I think we're good. Just heed my warning... go with the cute little cartoon for your littles!!!
• Laser Tag ($12) - This was my son's 1st time playing laser tag and suffice it to say, it brings out his competitive side just like his mama's! It was really fun playing together. There was only one other team at the same time, another mom and son. I was surprised how large the arena was! Lots of hiding spaces and targets to shoot, and a staff member was walking around and monitoring the whole time (I kept trying to shoot him accidentally haha)! The vest is heavy though, my 45 pound 7 year old was just barely OK to wear it. So keep that in mind.
• Virtual Reality Game ($8) - This was our first time doing a VR game and it was HILARIOUS!!! So so so so weird, and fun, and a bit scary haha! There are a bunch of games to choose from, so you may want to pre-select before your child enters if you don't want them shooting up aliens or something like that. I did one that did have guns but the "bad guys" were kinda like big apples invading my grocery store while I was trying to check out. They have sanitizing wipes to clean the mask and controllers before and after you use them, which was a great touch!

Basically, you purchase each activity and/or credits, they all go onto your Playopolis card and you scan it for each game or activity. You can buy packages as well, which reduces individual costs. I highly recommend this, so you just go out and have a huge fun day rather them deliberating over individual costs. Just splurge and treat your kids, and yourself!! For example, the "Voyage Pick Four" ($50) package includes 80 arcade credits and you chose 4 of the following: ​Climbing Wall, XD Theater, Bowling, Laser Tag, Virtual Reality, Rope Course. Family members can share a card too, in case you want each kid to do 2 of those activities.

DINING OPTIONS:
There were several restaurants to choose from and we honestly enjoyed every meal (well, "enjoyed" may be debatable since dining with 3 overtired cranky kids is always a struggle), but the food, service, and atmospheres were great! The kids' menus seemed to be the same at each restaurant though, so not as much variety, but if you have non-picky kids they could share items off of the adult menu perhaps. Then again we have pretty picky eaters. We ate at Bixby's Derby the first night, which had an upscale yet cozy vibe with huge tall-backed booths (besides looking really cool, I think they do well to absorb noise)! We ate at Harvey's Wallbanger the second night for dinner and the third day for lunch. It's very casual American bar/grille type atmosphere, with some booths and many high tables (I was nervous but our kids didn't fall out, thankfully). They all have crayons and coloring placemats with fun activities like dots and boxes and tic tac toe to keep everyone occupied without screens - hooray! For both breakfasts we got the buffet at Eat. Eat. Eat which was delicious!! A huge variety of food from pastries to omelet station, waffles, bacon, you name it, and 3 and under eats free there!

ACCOMMODATIONS:
The rooms are definitely in tune with the stylishly modern design of the rest of the hotel. They have 1, 2, and 3 bedroom suites. We got the "Two Bedroom Grand Corner Suite" which has an 8 guest max occupancy and at 966 square feet it's actually bigger than our own home in Brooklyn, which had its first open house while we were staying at The Kartrite!! The kids got the bedroom with 2 queens (the twins cuddled up in one), and us grownups took the master bedroom with a King and attached bathroom. The living room featured a his and her sink bathroom, sofa bed, Keurig, mini fridge, and balcony. I've seen some suites with bunk beds, too! So definitely search for the set up that'll work best for your family! On our first night, the kids took forever to settle down, not going to sleep until after 9pm, and were up from about 4:30am due to excitement. It was a disaster!!! The next night was much better after an exhausting day at the waterpark, and they slept til 6:30am without waking us up!! Hooray for 2 bedrooms and a living room, plenty of space and doors to block out sound!! Rates very greatly by type of room and day / season, but I've seen as low as $127/night for a family of 4 (don't forget, that includes waterpark passes for every day including check in day and check out day)!!

I'm not even sure who will be making it down here to the end of the post. I'm thinking most of you have already clicked over to The Kartrite's website to book your vacation!! But in case you're still here, thank you for sticking it out til the end!! Would love to hear your thoughts on The Kartrite - have you been there before? Planning to go? Have another family-friendly vacation destination we should review!?!? Comment below and we will love you foreverrrrrrr!!!

Moms, I think we can all agree that we love our kids more than life itself. We'd be lost without them. They're everything! But... sometimes... we need a break. Am I right?! A break from the monotony, from the pressure to be doing everything for everyone, from the whining and fighting. Basically, from being a mom. Needing a break doesn't make you a bad mom. I would argue in fact that taking a break actually can make you a better mom!

This break can come in the form of an hour at the gym, a mani pedi at the salon, or a kid-free lunch with some friends. Maybe you already do this regularly, maybe not, but if you're ready to take it to the next level, taking a full day and night away (or a full weekend, or gasp, a whole week!?), you might just find yourself fully recharged and ready to embrace those kids and your many duties at 100% again. Not just that, but getting away and out of your typical setting can give you a real chance to reconnect with yourself, to remember who you are beyond "mom", "wife", "domestic engineer". Remember when you actually had interests and hobbies, before they were taken over by your duties of meal planner, butt wiper, laundry doer, and booboo kisser. It's time to find and nurture those interests again! Let this blog post serve as your inspiration and motivation, a little nudge to treat yourself and plan your own mom getaway!!

I became a mother just over 7 years ago. It took me 5 years to take my first night away. I know... crazy! Our twins had just turned 2 years old, my husband was alwaysssss working, and I was so overwhelmed and stressed out. I had a mini breakdown (mommy tantrum??), got some amazing advice from my twin mom squad on Facebook (love them!!) and decided to heed that advice by booking a night away!! I went solo, to Atlantic City (weird destination, I know, but Tropicana hosted me and it was amazing - read about that trip and watch the video here).

Fast forward 2 more years and I was more than ready to do this again. Except this time, I didn't want to go alone. I wanted a relaxing but FUN momcation!!! So I reached out to the oh-so-amazing Crystal Springs Resort, because we had visited as a family over the summer and luuuuuurved it (see that blog review & video here), but I was itching to go back without kids! They offered to comp my stay again, in exchange for me covering my wonderful momcation! I invited one of my best mom friends, Rhianon of Brooklyn Boy Mom (together we have SEVEN CHILDREN!!! Me 3 and Rhi 4). See how much fun we had in this video and keep reading for more details!!

Why Crystal Springs for your Momcation?

LOCATION: Just a 90 minute drive from NYC, you'll find yourself in the beautiful northwestern New Jersey foothills at Crystal Springs Resort! It's not a bad drive either - I hadn't driven in over 6 years and was terrified but totally did it - easy peasy!! The hotel and grounds are simply beautiful (no wonder they host countless weddings, reunions, and conventions year round!).

ACTIVITIES:

• Indoor pools (the Biosphere is my favorite with its fabulously tropical Instagrammable vibes and water slide)
• Outdoor pools (heated in winter and you can swim out to them from inside)​

• 2 award-winning spas (one is ranked #1 in New Jersey and in the top 30 in the country!)
• Golf - not my thing but you do you!
• Free shuttle to nearby ski / snow tubing slopes at Mountain Creek - this free shuttle also connects Crystal Springs' two main areas of Grand Cascades Lodge and Minerals Hotel, both with great pools, dining, spa, etc! Make sure you visit both!!
• Daily activities (some free, some for a fee) like sip & paint, mixology class, cupcake making, goat or puppy yoga (YES! puppy yoga featuring rescued chihauhau puppies up for adoption see this video for all the cuteness!), cupcake making, wine tasting with their sommelier, marshmallow roasting, evening entertainment and a ton of summer outdoor activities on site or nearby like kayaking, horseback riding, zip lining, etc.

• Wine Cellar and free tour (daily @ 3pm) - with a $10million collection (45,000 bottles of wine) set in a beautiful stone cellar, it's a must see - one of the top wine collections in the world!!

ACCOMODATIONS:
​Both times I've stayed at Crystal Springs Grand Cascades Lodge, we've been provided with a Suite, which I highly recommend. Having a full kitchen and living room is so nice and makes lounging around and being lazy at your home away from home a terrific option! Go out to one of their many restaurants when you want, or order pizza or make your own meals when feeling lazy. We stopped at a grocery store on the way up so that we'd have stuff for breakfast and snacks and what not. Our Suite had 1 king bed room, 1 huge bathroom (with L'Occitane toiletries - niiiiiice!!!), a pull out sofa in the living room, a fire place, a balcony, washer and dryer, and a full kitchen (well, minus a microwave - oops, we had to take our popcorn home!!)

DINING:
They have many options to choose from, whether looking for quick and casual or fine dining for a special occasion. Between the visit with my family and this more recent momcation trip, I've eaten at every one of their restaurants except for their seasonal farm-to-table al fresco Chef's Garden (I'll be back next summer for that one, to be sure!!) and they're all outstanding! You can't go wrong!

Since we couldn't go to their 4-star Restaurant Latour last time (no kids under age 12 allowed), I wanted to make sure to check it out this time (reservations recommended, so plan ahead). Boy oh boy am I glad we did!! Their head Sommelier led the wine tour we took at 3pm, so we were even more excited to head over that evening and request the wine pairing menu ($55) with our 4-course meal ($115) . They also have 7-course, but despite each course being fairly small, we were stuffed by the end of our 2 hour dining experience!!

​I'd never done a wine pairing before, and basically know nothing about wine. I actually hadn't a clue that wine choice can either make or break a food. Making the wrong pairing is comparable to drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth - yuck! The sommelier will choose the perfect wine for each of your courses (guests choose courses independently, the table doesn't have to agree), coming over to the table personally to explain about the wine and pour it for you. It was such an incredibly luxurious treat for me, who is more of a 2 slices of pizza and a hard seltzer once a month kinda gal. Because I'm not used to this kind of gourmet dining, I have to be honest that the menu was a wee bit intimidating, but our waitress was the sweetest thing and helped make us feel at ease while handling all of our many questions! 

I'm sure the menu options change frequently, but for an idea of what to expect, here's what I ordered and the wines they paired for me (everything tasted as amazing as it looked!!!!):

Course 1: Roasted Crones (gnoccheti, fermented garlic, sunchoke) with Grgich Hills (Fume Blanc, Napa Valley California 2016).

Course 2: Venison (creamed turnip, preserved wild berries, juniper) with Cascina Fontan (Barbera d'Abla, Pieomonte Italy 2017). This was my first time having venison, and you never know what you're going to get with "gamey" meat, but it was absolutely delicious! To my unsophisticated palette it was like an extremely soft and delicious piece of steak.

Course 3: Rohan Duck (chestnut, persimmon, black seed vinaigrette) with Stokes' Ghost (Petite Sirah, Monterey County California, 2015). Talk about a piece of art, how about this plate!?

Course 4: Chocolate Ganache (coffee, buckwheat crumble, hazlenut), with l'Abricot wine and a platter of Turkish Delight! Yum. Just, omg, yum.

Oh, and we can't forget the most amazing and visually pleasing bread basket everrrrrr!!!! Hello activated charcoal bread, like, what!? So neat (and soft and yummy!!), with spreads like beet and garlic - ohmahgerrrrrd y'all!!!!!

We ended up doing 3 days and 2 nights at Crystal Springs on this most amazing Momcation. We stayed up "late" (still asleep before midnight), slept soundly without being pulled out of bed in the middle of the night to escort a little one to the bathroom, binged Netflix in bed, ate amazing food without hearing our kids whine about how disgusting it is, lounged poolside, sweat it out in the sauna and jacuzzi, cuddled with rescue puppies while kinda doing yoga but really just wanting to play with puppies, and even did our first TikTok ha!!!

Arrived home to a shockingly neat and tidy and quiet household - so impressed that my husband got laundry done and got the kids to clean up before I came home!! The kids were so cuddly and sweet, didn't throw a single tantrum for a whole hour after I arrived hahahaha!!! Seriously though, I feel so friggin' refreshed and ready to be the best mom I can be!!!! But I also can't wait to go on my next momcation...

So, are you inspired to book your own Momcation yet!?!? You really can't beat Crystal Springs for the destination - no matter what you're looking for, you'll find it there! They have really fun packages too such as "Robes & Rose Girlfriends Getaway", "Mom's Midweek Spa Day" and more! So get on it - gather some friends and get you on a mom getaway!! Be sure to check back in to let me know how it went (better yet, shoot me an email and maybe I can join)!!!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Mabel's Labels and includes some affiliate links (we receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking), but all thoughts and opinions are my own and unbiased.

We're not new fans of Mabel's Labels over here - we've been using and loving their waterproof washable labels on our kids' water bottles for a while now and they're awesome!! Which is why I'm so excited to collaborate with them on a review of some of their other products - we're talking shoe labels that help kids learn left and right shoes, silicone ID bracelets in case your kids get lost, silicone bands for bottles, and emergency labels for lost items, medical alerts, and more!! Watch my unboxing demo video below, keep reading for more info, and don't forget to enter to win some Mabel's Labels goodies in my $280 Value Fab Feb Kids Giveaway here!!

Little Kid School Combo
This variety pack of labels is perfect for the toddler and little kid set, including 122 extra-durable, washable, dishwasher/laundry/microwave-safe labels and 2 tags. That's 40 small rectangle labels, 70 clothing labels, 6 sets of shoe labels, and 2 mini tags for $42.95. ​Perfect for backpacks, clothes, lunch containers, shoes, toys and more. Everything is totally customizable - you choose the first and last name (or as I do, just the last name for items that are shared between your kids), font, and image! My absolute favorite item from this pack is the shoe labels - it splits the image in half and you stick it to the inner sole of your child's shoes, so when they place them down they can quickly understand which is the left and right shoe - BRILLIANT!!! And adorable! If you want to purchase outside of the combo, you can find the Preschool Shoe Labels here (12 sets for $21).

Silicone Bottle Bands
Sold in packs: 2 for $9.99, 3 for $13.50, and 4 for $17 - these personalized silicone bottle bands are dishwasher, microwave, and sterilizer safe and a great way to label items temporarily. A great hack for daycares and parents of several kids who share bottles and drinkware, as my 3 kiddos do! They're designed to fit snugly, and you can see they fit our Contigo bottles great (these are the widest bottles I've come across, and it's not easy to get the bands on and off of these, which is actually good because my kids definitely won't be able to pull them off and play with them). You can customize image and color so kids who can't read yet will be able to easily find their bottle or cup.

Emergency Contact Labels
Including 2 large labels, 2 medium labels, 8 small labels, and 2 metal tags, these brand new emergency contact labels are a great way to label key information such as medical concerns, emergency contacts and medications. Coming in bright colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or black) they are attention grabbing and extremely durable, waterproof, and great for car seats, bikes, medical devices and sports equipment. Get the whole set for just $19.99.

Silicone ID Bracelets
As a mom who is always outnumbered by kids, with or without my husband, I love love LOVE these silicone ID bracelets for when we venture out of our comfort zone into crowded areas such as amusement park, zoo, or while traveling! Customize with name and phone number and never worry about whether or not your child correctly remembers your telephone number again! Get 1 bracelet for $10, 2 for $16, or 3 for $21 and choose from 3 sizes: 2-4 years, 5-8 years, and 9+ years.

Such amazing products, am I right!? Don't forget to enter to win some goodies from Mabel's Labels in my $280 value giveaway here, and you can shop for all of Mabel's Labels products here!

Disclaimer: We were provided free tickets in exchange for this review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased!

I should preface this by stating that I'm not a huge sports fan, and especially not one of ball sports. So when I tell you how much fun I had at Harlem Globetrotters today, it really means something! It wasn't just about sports, it was more like 50% sport and 50% family-friendly exciting performance. So I don't know if I should even call it a game? It was a game involved... there were 2 teams. It was definitely rigged, but I couldn't quite figure out if it was 100% choreographed or not. No matter, it was really fun either way!

The basketball skills were just insane. Beyond the typical players you would expect, they also had a woman player, who they announced was a brand new mom, as well as a player who was under 5' tall! There were lots of fun tricks like spinning balls on fingers and suuuuuuuuuuper long shots. I was expecting all of that, growing up with Harlem Globetrotters on TV and all that. What I hadn't expected was how funny it was!! Lots of joking around and slapstick humor between the players and between the players and referees. At one point they were giving each other huge wedgies and one player ripped the underwear off of the ref, which were prop underwear and big enough to fit a large bear, cue player running around waving them like a giant flag (see below left image).

Perhaps my favorite part was when they started playing the opening song to Lion King, and all the players walked up into the stadium. One found a baby and held him up, Baby Simba style, omg so stinkin' cute!!!!! Sorry for the blurry image (below right) but i was maxed out on my camera zoom!!

My kids are a bit too young (4, 4, and 7), mixed with the fact that they have zero sports experience or interest, so they were into it about 70% of the time and then would drift off, beg for a tablet, or start climbing their seats, but that never lasted too long because there would be something super exciting happen that would pull their attention right back in.

All in all it was a really fun day out with the family! I highly recommend catching Harlem Globetrotters when they come to your neck of the woods! They're currently on their "Pushing the Limits" World Tour and you can save SAVE 25% for ALL Harlem Globetrotters Games with promo code FUNFAM!! You can view their full schedule here - they'll be playing throughout the US, Canada, and even several countries in Europe!!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Xcode Life but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also includes affiliate links - you won't pay more but we'll receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking the links.

For under $100 you can get your DNA analyzed by a number of companies who will break down your ancestry and ethnicity into easy to understand percentages and maps. It's very cool, in fact my husband and I had ours done by 23andMe a couple of years ago (see that video here) and my Japanese born and bred husband had pretty shocking results that he was not 100% Japanese!! You can learn about yourself, connect with distant family members, and for those adopted, even have the chance to find your birth parents or siblings! The science behind it all is fascinating, and frankly way over my head!

Did you know, you can very easily download the raw DNA data from 23andMe, Ancestry, FamilyTreeNDA, Living DNA, MyHeritage DNA and a number of others, and upload it to Xcode Life (who sponsored this post) to gleam even more information about your health, personality traits, fitness, skin, and more!?! That's right! It's super easy, and their reports are provided SAME DAY!! Watch my overview video here, that includes going through my own results live!!

Some of the insights I found the most valuable and interesting for myself were:

• I'm less likely to lose weight from exercise and should experience weight loss better with a high protein and high fiber intake. The reports even broke it down and provided me with a recommended diet plan of 45% carbs, 35% protein, and 20% fats, and exercise plan of cardio 3-4 days a week, strength training 2-3 days a week, and flexibility training 3-7 days a week.​

• I have a high risk for hemochromatosis (iron overload, which can be deadly if unaware that you have it). This is actually something my uncle was diagnosed with a few years ago, so this result was extremely eye opening and has prompted me to make an appointment with my doctor to discuss any necessary diagnostic tests.
• I'm likely to have both the warrior personality trait (better processing of aversive stimuli) and worrier personality trait (advantage in memory and attention tasks; associated with more pain in response to aversive stimuli).
• It also ran through a long list of allergy risks, which are not diagnostic like a blood or skin test, but are still useful and could prompt one's decision to go in for further testing, or perhaps to understand your baby's possible increased risk before introducing first foods. I found it interesting that I have a high risk of peanut allergy, yet I don't have one and neither do my 3 kids, thankfully.

All in all, it's fascinating to read through all of these reports about yourself. It's very possible you will discover something that will improve your health or even save your life. Discovering you have a high risk for something such as diabetes or Alzheimer's, for example, will hopefully prompt you to have a much needed conversation with your doctor, and be on the lookout for early signs of disease onset that you might have otherwise shrugged off!

If interested in learning more or making a purchase, you'll first need to order and submit your basic DNA / Ethnicity / Ancestry Kit through one of the following companies compatible with Xcode Life. Here are a few available on Amazon (all affiliate links):

• 23andMe Genetic DNA Ancestry Kit
• Ancestry DNA Genetic Ethnicity Kit 
• FamilyTree DNA
• Living DNA
• MyHeritage DNA Ancestry & Ethnicity Genetic Test​

​After receiving those reports, you can head on over to shop all of Xcode Life's products here, and get $10 off the Mega Pack with code "USJAPANFAM10" (valid through February 15, 2020), and of course you can find them on Facebook and Instagram!

Disclaimer: The post was sponsored by Trackeroo but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post also includes affiliate links - you won't pay more but we'll receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

I'm gonna just go ahead and start this post with a few well known facts about AirPods:

1. They're amazing.
2. They're expensive.
3. They're way too easy to lose.

If you don't want to lose your AirPods, then you need to get yourself a Trackeroo (read on to learn about them and don't forget you can win 2 in my $420 value jackpot giveaway running through January 13)!

​What the heck is a Trackeroo, you ask?? Well, ha, I will tell you, because they sponsored this post, but y'all know me and I'm no sell out - I only promote what I truly love and guys, I love me some Trackeroo!! Watch my quick demo and review here:

Trackeroo is a little silicone case that fits your AirPods case perfectly. It has a charging spot so you can still charge right in the case. It also has a handy carabiner and "contact if found" tag. But here's where it is truly awesome - it has a slot for a tracking tile!! YES!! Just sync it with your phone and you no longer have to worry about misplacing your AirPods at home, in your car, or out and about.

You can now track your AirPods from your phone, using a locator map and you can make your tracking tile ring if you know it's nearby but can't quite find it. You can also double tap the tracking tile to make your phone ring, even if on silent! We all know the struggle of losing your phone at home and not having anyone else around with a phone to call it for you. Struggle no more - your Trackeroo tracking tile will save the day!

The silicone case fits nice and snug so you don't have to worry about your AirPods case or the tracking tile falling out, and it comes in a number of colors to choose from, including black, pink, blue, green, red, and my personal favorite, glow in the dark!! Prices for the Trackeroo range from $7 - 15, and the tracking device is an extra $20 or so. You can buy the tiles in bulk to save a bit - I plan on taping one to each of our remotes so we never lose one of those again (have you heard the story of how we lost a remote for 6+ months because one of the kids zippered it inside one of our couch cushions and forgot?!?! TRUE STORY!!!).

You can read more about Trackeroo on their website, and buy them on Amazon (affiliate links):

• Trackeroo AirPods Case
• Tracking Tile​​
• AirPods
• Knock-Off AirPods

You can also enter to win 2 of these Trackeroos (with tracking tiles) in my $420 value jackpot giveaway here (ending January 13)!!

Disclaimer: We were provided product from Shinesty and photos from Beyond Moments in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. In addition, this post includes some affiliate links - you won't pay more but we'll receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

No matter the holiday or theme, Shinesty has an outfit to let you get as festive and cheesy as your heart desires! While they focus mainly on men's and women's funky fashion, they also have a great selection of children's and family coordinating options! Did you see us rocking our snowflake outfits last year?? Well, this year we're back for another collab with Shinesty, outfitted in my favorite of their Christmas line - the "Lincoln Log" pattern!

Our outfits arrived just in time for our Holiday mini photoshoot with Beyond Moments Photography, a new mom & dad photography team here in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Look at how stinkin' cute these photos came out!!! If you're local, stay tuned - they'll be offering more mini photo shoot pop ups in the coming weeks!!

So, ok, I guess I'll have to stop gushing over those photos and get on with the review right!? Here's what we're wearing:

On Me:
Lincoln Log Love Lady Christmas Suit Jacket ($69) and Christmas Skirt ($59.99). The material is fabulous, smooth and a bit silky, high waisted with a hidden zipper. The skirt has pockets, which are convenient, and they're slimly tucked away, not adding bulk to your hips. I would suggest considering ordering a size down in the jacket as it's not especially fitted.

On The Boys:
My husband is sporting the full Lincoln Log Love Daddy Christmas Suit ($99) - you can independently select jacket and pant size (waist only though, so they're super long on my short hubby), and can select tie or bow tie. My son however, quickly hijacked the tie, which looks adorbs, right? Kenzo is also sporting the Christmas pants, which feature a comfy easy to fit elastic waist.

On The Twins:
They were low on stock when we ordered (and out of stock on many things now so plan ahead if wanting to get these for another holiday or next Christmas, it'd be smart to order by Halloween), so we couldn't get my twins identical dresses, but that kinda worked out nicely! Mia, below far left, is wearing the Lincoln Log Little Lady Christmas Dress (in XS, age 3-4; $34.99) which was long but otherwise fit pretty well. Emi, below far right, is wearing Toddler Christmas Dress (in size 5T, $29.99), which was shorter (and too big because she needed a 4T but nothing a quick fold under of the sleeves couldn't fix). Great news is that these will still fit them next year, score!!

So, what do you think!? ​​I love love love this pattern, but they have many to choose from, and not just Christmas! They've got Hannukah, New Year's, Thanksgiving, NFL, ski wear, crazy bathing suits and boxers, pajamas, you name it, even OREO apparel (yes, you read that right)!! Head on over to Shinesty to do some Holiday shopping!!

But first, comment below! How do you dress for family photos? Do you have a stash of Ugly Christmas Sweaters? Do you have any family coordinating outfits? I gotta say I'm a total sucker for them!!! Don't miss my post on the fab budget-friendly graphic tees over at Target!!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Vianetic, but all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased. Additionally, this post includes some affiliate links - we'll receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

Of course The Vianetic aka the BEST DIAPER BAG EVER launched after my families' diapering days were over, but that doesn't mean I can't review it for you guys, and of course keep it for my own personal use, because this thing goes way beyond managing diapers!! We're actually giving away one Vianetic diaper bag in my $560 value jackpot Baby Goodies Giveaway, so don't forget to enter to win by November 26!

For the best introduction to this diaper bag, you'll need to watch my Vianetic demo video. As I walk you through each of the 21+ features of this bag, you'll be able to truly appreciate just how amazing it is!! So watch it here and then keep reading for more detailed photos and info:

Unbelievable Storage & Organization:
The biggest thing that sets Vianetic apart from the crowd is its organizational capabilities. It's not your average backpack that opens from the top into a cavernous mess. Oh no. The front panel pulls completely open (via pull tab magnet, no less) to give you a beautifully organized (with velcro  panels or fully inclosed zippered container) view of your contents.

Attached (but removable) to this front panel is your easy to wipe clean diaper changing pad. So you could sit the backpack in your SUV's trunk or a park bench, open it up and change your baby right there without taking anything apart.

It also has a separate compartment on the bottom of the backpack (pictured top right in below image), and another in the back, meant for your laptop (pictured below on bottom right).

Multiple Carrying Options:
While it serves most obviously as a backpack to be carried, well, on your back, it also has a really nifty ability to quickly convert to be carried or stowed in other ways.  The straps are detachable so you can use as a standard 2 strap backpack or a cross body bag. The chest clips on each strap actually move up and down the strap, and have magnetic quick release buttons. These allow you to quickly hang or release it from the back of a stroller or the car's headrest, for example! Don't forget, it also has the luggage passthrough section on the back!

21+ Features:
Some of these have been mentioned above, but let's just go ahead and list some of the very cool and unique features you'll find on or in your Vianetic:

• Thermal Pack - this is a separate bag that comes inside your Vianetic bag. It says it can hold 3 baby bottles or ice pack and several food containers. AND a full sized bottle of wine. Yep! See me prove it in my YouTube Demo!
• Detachable diaper changing pad (can be used without detaching it; easy to clean)
• Sun glass holders on each strap
• Laptop compartment in back (large 20L holds up to 15", smaller 16L  holds up to 13")
• External USB plug
• Wet/Dry compartment
• Rain cover
• Side pockets for water bottle or other items, can be tucked in or out of the way when not in use
• Standing feet - stands nicely on its own
• Hidden passport pocket
• Keyring / Side access
  
• Lots of back & strap padding
  
• tons of extra pockets and compartments in every nook and cranny!

So what do you think!? Pretty amazing diaper bag, am I right!? But it'll serve you beyond that - use it for a travel bag, a work bag, or just your daily bag for getting around town!!

Don't forget, you can win one in my $560 value Baby Goodies Giveaway running through November 26!

Enter to win here!!

If you don't win, don't fret - they'll be having some great Black Friday deals and other deals as well. Right now I'm seeing a code for $40 off the Mini on their website! 

Don't miss our reviews of the must haves for getting around with babies through big kid:

• Wonderfold Wagon
• Evenflo Pivot Xpand Single to Double Stroller

When it comes to family and event photography, the number of options out there can be overwhelming! There are large chains, independent studios, freelancers, hobbyists. There are a lot of things to consider, here's my personal check list:

What to consider when hiring a photographer:

• Prices - These vary greatly depending on expertise, equipment, and deliverables. Prices can seem high but you have to take into consideration the time required by the photographer not just to take the photos but all the work that goes into editing them, not to mention they have to cover any overhead -  studio rent, photo props, equipment, advertising, etc!
• Deliverables - Are digitals included? Can you print yourself or only through them?
• Retouching - To what extent will they retouch your photos? Just lighting/coloring or little things like that flyaway hair and baby's booboo? I remember my son's cake smash session - we walked 45 minutes in the snow to the home studio in Dyker Heights, and I had the WORST crease on my forehead from my winter hat. But the photographer was more than happy to photo shop it out of our family photos, for no extra fee, now that's service!!)
• Location - Will it be in their studio, your home, at your event, or a location of your choosing (park, etc)? Do they have a travel fee?
• Specialty - It's not really advisable to ask someone who typically does magazine editorial photos to do your newborn baby shoot (mistake we made with our 1st baby, since it was a friend doing it for free - they had no newborn experience and did NOT know all very important tricks with shooting newborns and dealing with hormonal stressed out nervous wreck postpartum mommies)
• Experience & Equipment - Generally speaking, the less experience the cheaper they'll be, and the less techy equipment they'll have (not quite as spectacular a camera, maybe no lighting), but most often you get what you pay for. That's not to say you can't find a diamond in the rough, a truly talented hobbyist who will give you a good deal and produce spectacular photos.

We've been thrilled with the handful of local Bay Ridge area photographers we've used over the years. We haven't stuck with 1, as most families do, simply because I usually barter a photoshoot in exchange for doing a review and promotion for them. And it's nice to try out different ones so I can recommend them on a personal level! But it's been a couple of years since our last professional shoot so I was excited when a local mom approached me about promoting her husband's photography partnership with another local photographer!

StarPhoto BayRidge are a team of skilled photographers who specialize in Family and Event Photography. Memories and milestones are truly special and photographs can preserve treasured moments for the years to come. StarPhoto is the combined talents of Beto Ramos and Scott Olsen. Both are long time Bay Ridge residents with many years of photography experience. ​

We met at a coffee shop go over my preferences on style and location. I said we're more silly than lovey dovey; I wanted some action shots but also some nice portrait style ones, and was fine in any location. They chose a nearby park and then I began working on the hardest part of photo session prep: the wardrobe!! I didn't want to be matchy matchy, all in white tees and jeans let's say, but I wanted us to coordinate. OMG that's hard guys!! But I'm happy with my choices.

Scott and Beto were incredibly easy to work with!! They were on time, brought their cameras and lighting. Had helpful suggestions for poses and different locations. Really important here - they were PATIENT!!! With 3 small kids who just wanted to run around and play, it's so hard, but Scott and Beto were remarkably calm and just waited for us to be ready! We never felt rushed or that they were getting impatient. Some shots just simply didn't work timing wise and they knew when to give up and try something else - trying to get 3 kids to hold hands and jump simultaneously while smiling at the camera just didn't work, for example, but we still got a fun shot (see below, my "behind the scenes" shot followed by the final perfectly imperfect shot LOL!

Beto specializes in digital photography and studio lighting, and is an expert at PhotoShop and retouching photos. Our photos came out so brilliant, the colors and lighting are perfect, I'm just in love! You can see Beto's portraits gallery here - they are simply stunning! If you're looking for headshots for LinkedIn or a modeling career, he's your guy! Don't forget to follow Beto on Instagram!

​Scott is an experienced digital shooter who happens to have a passion for old fashioned film photography. Scott shoots, and develops, everything from 35 millimeter to medium and large format as well as wet plate photography which has been around since 1851. “Wet Plate” is a special process that results in an image on a metal plate or glass. It's ready to see in minutes and after drying and varnishing it will last for centuries. Examples of his work with film and wet plate can be found on Instagram, and you can see some black and whites he shot of us on film here:

We had a great shoot with Beto and Scott and I'm in love with the photos they provided us with! But now my dilemma is... which ones do I print??

Which one(s) would you do in a huge frame or canvas?! HELP ME DECIDE, please!!!

I highly recommend StarPhoto Bay Ridge for your next family photo shoot or event, AND, get excited because I have a discount for you!!!

DISCOUNT:
Get 25% off a 1 hour digital photography session with StarPhoto Bay Ridge, which includes at least 10 retouched images in high resolution format which can be downloaded from SmugMug. Regularly $200, you pay just $150. Just book by 10/31/2019 and mention this blog post!!