The New York Birthday Show {Hope to See You There!}

Disclaimer: The Mamas Network has been provided me with press pass tickets to attend The New York Birthday Show with my family. All opinions are my own. 

The New York Birthday Show comes to the New York Hall of Science in Queens on October 20, 2013 with the biggest birthday party ever to provide families with tons of birthday experiences under one roof. Open to parents and children of all ages, attendees will have a blast at the ultimate birthday party and receive unprecedented insider access to some of the best entertainment, hands on activities, dessert samples, and DIY products currently available in area.

I have never been to The Birthday Party Show before and I'm so excited to be going next week! The Boy will be 8 years old in January and it's been years since we've thrown him a real birthday party. Every year it's the same thing - should we or shouldn't we? But this year, I really want to do something special. I'm hoping The New York Birthday Show will give me some ideas. 

It's also going to be held at The New York Hall of Science - one of the many places we go. 

(The New York Hall of Science presents 450 exhibits, demonstrations and design spaces that explain science, technology, engineering and math. A visit to NYSCI is a hands-on, energetic educational experience where you can indulge your curiosity and nurture your creativity.) The Boy is familiar with the Hall of Science so it should be a fun family day for us. Other things we'll get to see and enjoy will be: 

• Showcases of the Best Party Venues
• Performances from NYC’s Best Entertainers for Kids
• Cupcake and Cake Decorating Stations
• Sampling of sweet treats
• Cool Decorations and Supplies

Wait...there's MORE!  

• Amazing giveaways from the show’s over 65 exhibitors including fabulous prizes like a $500 spa birthday party from Glitzy Chicks Spa Parties, 2 hour face painting package worth $150 from ShellBell Face Painting, a 1 hour clowning package worth $300 from Bubbles the Clown and more!
• All Day Access to the New York Hall of Science and the Science Playground. If you've never taken your kid to the Hall of Science, this is the perfect time to go. 

All kids who come in costume receive a FREE trick or treat bag to collect goodies from our exhibitors.

When: Sunday October 20th, 2013 10 am – 4 pm
Where: New York Hall of Science - 47-01 111th Street, Corona, NY 11368
Cost: Free with NYSCI Admission - www.nysci.org/visit-main/tickets/

Advanced Ticket Savings: Buy your NYSCI admission tickets in advance before October 19, 2013 at http://www.nysci.org/event/new-york-birthday-show-2013 to save up to 20% off. Cost: $15 Adult (18+) $13 Child (2-17), Student (w/ID), Senior (62+)/ Under 2 Free

***

Disclaimer: The Mamas Network has provided me with press pass tickets to attend The New York Birthday Show with my family. All opinions are my own. 

September Events at #SesamePlace

I am a Sesame Place Blog Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post but was provided with a 2013 Season Pass for myself and complimentary admission for my family. All opinions are my own.

Related Post: Navigating Sesame Place When You Have a Kid with Autism 

WATER RIDES REMAIN OPEN UNTIL September 22! 

Labor Day Sunday, September 1, 2013 

(8:25 PM - 8:35 PM)

 “C… is for Celebrate!”

Don’t miss our ALL NEW fireworks show, set to Sesame Street music!  Rock out with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster and Count von Count, as their music fills the air and the sky is covered with colorful bursts of brilliance. 

Fireworks will begin immediately following the 8:00pm evening performance of the "Neighborhood Street Party" Parade.

***

September 7 - 8 
Super Why LIVE: You’ve Got the Power!
Super Why is coming to Sesame Place for the first time ever! 

Show Times: 
Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m. in Monster Rock Theater

Reservations are required and limited to five reservations per family for one of the six shows.

***

September 14 - 15

YO GABBA GABBA

Some special Gabba friends are heading to Sesame Place to jump, shake and shimmy with their friends! Join Yo Gabba Gabba's DJ Lance Rock and his friends Muno, Plex and Toodee as they get the sillies out at Sesame Place this fall!

Show Times:
Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m. in Monster Rock Theater

***

September 21 - 22

Caillou's Musical Playdate

Growing up is not so tough, especially with a friend like Caillou! The irresistible four-year-old is always up for an adventure and has the most unique way of looking at the world. This interactive live show is packed with dancing and sing-along songs that are guaranteed fun for all!

Show Times:
Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:00 p.m. in Abby's Paradise Theater

***

September 28 - 29 

Celebrate Zoe’s Birthday with a Monster Mash Dance Party at Sesame Place! Join Zoe and your favorite Sesame Street Monsters for singing, dancing and an all-you-can-eat buffet!

Saturday and Sunday, September 28-29, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Dine With Me!

Adult (ages 10 & Up)- $26.99 + tax
Child (ages 2 - 9) - $16.99 + tax
Infants under 2 are free but require a reservation. Park admission ticket is required.

***

September 28

Season Pass Member EXCLUSIVE!

The park is open just for 2013 & 2014 Season Pass Members from 6:00p.m.-8:00p.m. on Saturday September 28^th for an exclusive event to kick off The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular!

Be sure to pick up your wristband upon entrance to the park to remain after hours for the party.

3rd Annual Season Pass Member Halloween Costume Contest
Come dressed in costume and enter to win our Halloween Costume Contest. Prizes will be awarded to the top three Family costumes.

Season Pass Members will also enjoy:

• Extended Trick or Treat hours during the event  
• Exclusive show times for the three character Halloween shows
• Photo opportunities with your favorite Sesame Street friends in their costumes
• Hayrides with Sesame Street story time (until 4pm)
• Dry attractions open, including all Halloween mazes  
• Come early to enjoy the Halloween themed Neighborhood Street Party Parade
• and more!

For more information regarding reservations and prices visit the Sesame Place Events Page: Sesameplace.com/Events

Related post: Ways To Save Money at Sesame Place 

I am a Sesame Place Blog Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post but was provided with a 2013 Season Pass for myself and complimentary admission for my family. All opinions are my own.

Build Your Own Disney Infinity Toy Box

Disclaimer: I was invited to the Disney Infinity Launch event and provided with a complimentary Disney Infinity Toy Box. All opinions are my own.

***

Yesterday we attended one my favorite Blogger events ever!

The Disney Infinity Hack-a-thon at the Nintendo Store in New York City  

For those who know us in real life you know that The Husband is a hard core gamer and that he's been really working with The Boy to play video games. Recently, The Boy has been into it. And it's something we like to do together. Well, they play. I usually just watch. 

Top: The Boy with Little Lady & Little Man of GUB
Bottom: Me, The Boy & Jeff Bunker and Me & Ruby of GUB

Disney Infinity will be in stores today, we had the opportunity to play yesterday. And you know who taught us the ins and outs of the game? Jeff Bunker - the artistic director for the game. It was so cool. 

And then we got to meet up with one my favorite blogger amigas:  Ruby of Growing Up Blaxican. 

This was our first Blogger Event as a family and I was nervous about how The Boy would do. But I was really proud of him. He talked and made eye contact. He didn't try to wander away or have a melt down.  


The Boy had a BLAST playing with the Disney Infinity game. He was really interested in playing with different characters and switching out disks. He was curious and asked questions. He was focused on playing. He played for 30 minutes. 30 MINUTES! And whenever The Husband tried to help, The Boy would brush him off and say, "I can do it all by myself."

I think video games are so important for kids with autism. I've written about the impact games have made with The Boy. Disney Infinity really allows a child to use their imagination. They hold the power to play the game they want to play. To build their own world with their favorite Disney Characters.     

What's great about Disney Infinity is that there is no such thing as losing. So it's the perfect game for me. No pressure, you know. But it's also great for kids like The Boy because they can just play freely. And the free play allows kids to really learn how to handle the control pad. It could be a stepping stone to other games.  

You don't have to be a hard core gamer to play Disney Infinity - its truly a game the whole family can play and enjoy. And I am really looking forward to creating many new adventures.    

About Disney Infinity Disney Infinity is an all-new video game initiative starring the beloved characters from Walt Disney and Pixar Studios’ most popular franchises. Players can place real-world toy versions of their favorite Disney characters onto a device called the Infinity Base and transport them into the virtual game worlds of Monsters University, the Incredibles, Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lone Ranger, as well as into a giant Toy Box.

The Disney Infinity Starter Pack includes:

(retails for about $75.00)

• 1 Disney Infinity Video Game
• 3 Disney Infinity Figures (Captain Jack Sparrow, Mr. Incredible and Sulley)
• 1 Disney Infinity Base
• 1 Power Disc (may vary by pack)
• 1 Starter Pack Play Set piece
• 1 Web Code Card  

Additional Figures and Power Discs Sold Separately 

Circular Discs

• Bolt’s Super Strength – Character that you’re playing with does 10% more damage

• Fix It Felix’s Repair Power – Character you’re playing with has 20% more health

Hexagonal Discs

• Mickey’s Car – Drive Mickey’s Jalopy in the Toy Box 

• Sugar Rush Sky Skydome – Adds a “Sugar Rush” theme from “Wreck-it-Ralph” to the Toy Box sky

• Alice’s Wonderland Texture Set – Adds an “Alice in Wonderland” (animated film) theme to Toy Box terrain objects

• Nome’s Seascape Skydome – Adds a “Finding Nemo” theme to the Toy Box sky 

Rare Hexagonal Discs

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant – Adds the Dumbo ride from the Parks in the Toy Box

You can play Disney Infinity on all of your favorite game consoles, PC and iPad. 

Disclaimer: I was invited to the Disney Infinity Launch event and provided with a complimentary Disney Infinity Toy Box. All opinions are my own.

Feria de Salud #PorTuFamilia (The Campaign to STOP Diabetes)

Did you know? 

• An estimated 1.3 million adult New Yorkers (almost 1 in 8) now have diabetes.
• Almost 28% of Latinos and Hispanics in the New York City market, and 31% of African American New Yorkers, have diabetes. 
• In New York City during 2007, 22 African Americans and 23 Latinos of every 100,000 died from diabetes.

I worry about diabetes. The Husband's parents are both diabetic and so is my grandfather. There is also a family history of obesity, heart disease, cholesterol and high blood pressure.   

The Husband is over 40 years old and has been on medication for high cholesterol on and off for the last five years. Being the parents of a special needs child, our personal health is of the utmost importance. We want need to live for as long as we can and be as healthy as possible.

We need to EDUCATE ourselves and modify our lifestyle and eating habits.

We need to teach The Boy how to eat and take care of himself so that he isn't at risk for diabetes.

George Torres aka the @UrbanJibaro of Sofrito for Your Soul has started the social media campaign #PorTuFamilia to raise awareness about Diabetes in the Latino Community. And this Saturday in The Bronx there will be an amazing family friendly event.        

***

Saturday, August 17, 2013
11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
St Mary's Park 146-148 Street St. Ann's Avenue, Bronx, NY

Feria de Salud is an outdoor community event, that reaches thousands of Latino/Hispanics with the important message that they may be at risk for diabetes. Feria captures the festive elements of a street fair, but maintains the important aspects of choosing and managing a healthier lifestyle for the entire Latino family. Join us for free health screenings, live music and dance, cooking demonstrations, children activites, healthy information and more!

For more information on diabetes please visit - www.diabetes.org

What's Going On at #SesamePlace in July

I am a Sesame Place Blog Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post but was provided with a 2013 Season Pass for myself and complimentary admission for my family. 

Summer is in full swing and there's lots of family fun going on at Sesame Place! Check it out - you are not going to want to miss any of these special events...

Related Post: Navigating Sesame Place When You Have a Kid with Autism  

CHOO-CHOO SOUL IS COMING!

CHOO-CHOO SOUL With Genevieve!” is coming to Sesame Place on July 15 & 16! Follow the musical adventures of Disney Jr.’s hip-hop singer, train station manager Genevieve Goings and her dancing, beatboxing engineer DC as they entertain kids while performing soulful and current renditions of the ABCs and 1-2-3s.  

BERT's BIRTHDAY BASH! 

Celebrate pigeons, paper clips, oatmeal and argyle socks with Bert! Join Bert in “Doin’ The Pigeon” as we sing, dance and enjoy a Sesame Street style birthday celebration. Delight in an open air buffet meal and themed desserts as we celebrate Bert’s Birthday! 

Friday, July 26, 2013 at 5:00PM Big Bird’s Riverside Pavilion

Adult (ages 10 & Up)- $26.99 + tax
Child (ages 2 - 9) - $16.99 + tax
Infants under 2 are free but require a reservation. Park admission ticket is required.

OUR “BUY 2 NIGHTS GET 1 NIGHT FREE” GETAWAY PACKAGE IS BACK!

Book this getaway package with any two nights at one of our partner hotels and you get an extra night FREE. This package also includes a Sesame Fun Card which gives you unlimited admission through October 27 so you can come back in the fall to enjoy our Halloween Spooktacular! Package is available through 7/31/13.

TWO WAYS TO GET EXTRA RIDE TIME THIS SUMMER

Buy a season pass or book a breakfast!
Big Bird & Super Grover Season Pass Members are invited to enjoy extra ride time this summer.  Guests who book an 8:45 AM character breakfast are also extended this privilege. From 9:30am to 10:00am on any operating day through July and August, they can slide down Sky Splash and Slimey's Chutes, splash around in Teeny Tiny Tidal Wave, plus enjoy coaster rides on Vapor Trail!

GROVER’S EATS ON THE STREET

Our newest culinary hot spot, Grover’sEats on the Street, recently arrived in the Sesame Neighborhood. Our new food truck is a fun food fiesta of tacos, wraps, quesadillas and nachos in adult- and kid-sized meals. Adult meals are all served with tortilla chips, while kids’ meals come with tortilla chips, apple slices and juice or milk.

ELMO’S BOX LUNCH

Our new Elmo's Box Lunch program offers a quick-dining and convenient option for families who want more time to play in the park! Elmo’s Box Lunch program has a variety of adult and child boxed lunches, which can be ordered on-line, in advance, and picked up in Elmo's Eatery on the day of your visit.

WAVES OF HONOR

We are proud to salute the men and women of our armed forces and their families. Throughout 2013, military personnel and as many as three direct dependents are entitled to a free one-time admission at Sesame Place. For details, Hero Salute.

I am a Sesame Place Blog Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post but was provided with a 2013 Season Pass for myself and complimentary admission for my family. 

#LatinasThinkBig - I'll Be Live Tweeting Tonight!

I have been looking forward to the Latinas Think Big Event for months. Months! And I'm honored to have been asked to be one of the Twitter ambassadors. The event is sold out and I'm so happy I got my ticket early. But even if you don't have a ticket you can participate via twitter and the event will be streamed live through Google. Everything you need to know about this awesome event is below -      

WHEN: Thursday, May 16th, 2013

TIME: From 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
OFFICIAL HASHTAG: #LATINASTHINKBIG

EVENT HOST: @ELLAInstitute

LIVE STREAM HOST: @Google 
LATINAS THINK BIG™ Live Stream page: http://bit.ly/15qkAyU

SPONSORS: @NBCLatino @NewYorkLife @MaryKay @Latism

MEDIA PARTNERS: @HuffingtonPost @Hispanicize @CosmoForLatinas @ImpactoNY @LatinVision

TWITTER AMBASSADORS:

Alexandra Morbitzer - @AlliChasesBliss

Catarina Rivera - @CatarinaRivera  

Chantilly Patiño - @BiculturalMom

Francesca Escota Zavala - @WAOFrancesca

Jenn Sanchez - @JennSanchezMPA

Lisa Quinones-Fontanez - @LaliQuin <---- ME!!!!!

Lisa Velazquez - @LisaTalksLove

Patti Cordova - @PattieCordova

Raquel Negron - @RachlWhite

Tanisha Love Ramirez - @TanishaLove

Vicglamar Torres - @vicglamar

Vicky Barrios - @DocSabia

Subscribe to the Twitter Ambassador list here - https://twitter.com/EllaInstitute/ltb-twitter-ambassadors 

About the LATINAS THINK BIG™ event tour: http://www.ellainstitute.com/tour

LATINAS THINK BIG™ Live Stream page: http://bit.ly/15qkAyU

About ELLA Institute and related resources: http://www.ellainstitute.com/welcome

March Showers - A Sensory Workshop for Kids with Autism

Click HERE to register 

A Sensory Drama workshop for participants with Low-Functioning Autism

Cost: $40 per family*  

Saturday, March 23, 9AM - 10AM

Parents and their children with low-functioning autism are welcome to participate in sensory activities and drama movement games. Participants will follow 2 characters as they discover what magic can happen during the "wet" month of March. Lasting 60 minutes long, a theatre director and Creative Arts therapist will lead the group in safe activities that promote socialization and help family members have a pleasurable and fun time working together and with their imaginations. Registration is limited. Please send an email to info@plai-theatre.org with any questions.

607 Manhattan Ave
Brooklyn , NY
11222

*Mention that you heard about this event via AutismWonderland - you will get a discount :)  

Click HERE to register