Hey! Guess what… #EllenMovesTo3pm

For the past few years my girls have gone to their grandma’s house after school and then when I get out of work I pick them up. But here’s the problem…. I get there and they’re totally engrossed in the television. Why? Because Ellen is on and they LOVE her show.

There were days where I’d have to sit down and be quiet until the part that they were watching was done or until a commercial break. Other times they’d ask, ‘why are you here already? Don’t you have some shopping to do or something?’. Nothing like feeling loved….

Honestly, I don’t mind them watching Ellen because she has such a very positive energy to her show … she’s funny, has an engaged audience, and most of all we can’t forget the dancing. More important than all that is that she doesn’t have some crazy lady yelling at her supposed baby daddy with the audience cheering the fight on.

Okay, so now the girls can get their fill of Ellen without interruption from me because Ellen is moving to 3pm! I know that they’ll be counting down the days until her 3pm premier on Local 4.

Ellen_NewTime_Local4

You should watch Ellen… because I said so… and because it’s a great way to stay “in the know” on pop culture, movies, books, music, fashion, celebs, and tech/social media. And we all need to know what’s going on in the world around us!

Here’s a few outtakes from Ellen’s commercial on Local 4… they’re pretty entertaining.

So now my kids will be happy that they can watch all of Ellen  and I’ll once again feel loved. I should be thanking Ellen!

I was selected for this sponsored post by Hay There Social Media. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lego Kids Fest Giveaway!

Who doesn’t love playing with Lego’s? I mean you can sit down with… or without your kids and just create things for hours! Houses, cars, elaborate mansions, and all sorts of things. Seriously, they will occupy all of my of my kids from the oldest to the youngest and even my husband!

So what’s a mom to do on a cold fall day who’s looking for something new to do with her family?

Lego KidFest of course!

Aerial - Lego KidsFest

Lego KidsFest! October 12 – 14 in Novi, Michigan!

The LEGO KidsFest is a giant traveling LEGO expo coming to the Suburban Collection Showplace, a mere 30 minutes from downtown Detroit, October 12 – 14, 2012. This hands-on, educational, all-ages LEGO extravaganza features millions of LEGO bricks not to mention lots of construction zones, dozens of life-sized LEGO models and displays, LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Games, group builds such as Creation Nation, live LEGO Master Builders, and so much more covering three acres of space.

I am looking forward to going and spending a few hours building all sorts of crazy creations! It’ll be a tie who gets the toddler & who gets to explore with the older kids though… maybe we’ll have to trade on and off! If you’re thinking of going you should probably get your tickets early because they tend to sell out pretty fast! There are 5 sessions that are all exactly the same.

Friday, October 12
4 pm – 8:30 pm

Saturday, October 13
Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm
Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm

Sunday, October 14
Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm
Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm

BrickPile

Then you’re in luck because I am giving away two tickets to Lego KidsFest in Novi to the Friday, October 12th from 4-8:30pm show!

And if you’re not sure check out some of these great activities!

LEGO Model Gallery: 40 life-sized models made entirely from LEGO bricks
LEGO Master Builders: live demonstrations and activities from the crew who get paid to play
Creation Nation: build your own creation to add to a custom map of the U.S.
Race Ramps: build your own custom car, then race it down the ramp against friends and family
LEGO Games Arena: roll the dice to play LEGO board games
Construction Zones: creative free build, play and display areas
LEGO DUPLO®: younger visitors can explore imagination through building
LEGO Retail and KidsFest Marketplace: purchase LEGO merchandise and official KidsFest tour goods
Brick Pile: a gigantic pile full of LEGO bricks for creative play and enjoyment
Monochromatic Builds: bricks of a single color to foster group creativity
Brickscapes: fantastic displays that combine lots of LEGO and DUPLO sets

Fun right!

Okay, so how do you win? Use that super simple form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are a few fun Lego facts:

LEGO® is the contraction of two Danish words, “leg godt” which means “play well”.

There are about 62 LEGO® bricks for every one of the world’s 6 billion inhabitants.

19 billion LEGO® elements are produced every year. 2.16 million LEGO® elements are molded every hour, or 36,000 per minute.

Cool, huh?

Hey… guess what? If you want another chance to win enter over at Simply Raising 8 and Shawn Ann’s World!

Tickets to LEGO KidsFest were received for the purpose of this post. All opinions are that of my own.

#MyMichMemory: Detroit Institute of Arts Giveaway + Linky

One of metro Detroit’s finest spots for culture and coolness is the Detroit Institute of the Arts (DIA). {If you’ve never been, it’s a Michigan MUST!} We are so happy to have a great giveaway this week for My Michigan Memory, courtesy of Comerica Bank. This week’s prize up for grabs features a family 4-pack of tickets to the DIA.

All you have to do is link up a Michigan-related blog post in the linky tool below and then enter your info into the Rafflecopter form. You’ll get 10 points just for linking a blog post you’ve written about Michigan. If you’re not a blogger, you can still enter to win, just follow the directions on the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway ends July 27, 2012 at 6 a.m. EST.

DIA

The DIA is one of the premier art museums in the United States, and is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self-Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera’s world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA’s collection is known for its quality, range, and depth. The DIA’s mission is to create opportunities for all visitors to find personal meaning in art.

The latest exhibit to come to the DIA is Picasso and Matisse: The DIA’s Prints and Drawings, on view  through January 6, 2013, and features almost all of the works by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) and Henri Matisse (1869–1954). This exhibition has been organized by Detroit Institute of Arts, is sponsored by Comerica, and is free with museum admission.

Artwork

A sampling of the drawings on display

The story of Picasso’s and Matisse’s stylistic progression and artistic range will be told through more than 100 prints and drawings, including exceptional works such as Matisse’s 1919 drawing The Plumed Hat and Picasso’s 1939 gouache of The Bather by the Sea. Other highlights include Matisse’s famous series Jazz and Picasso’s etchings for the Dream and Lie of Franco, as well as many linoleum cuts by both artists. The DIA’s 13 paintings and two bronze sculptures on permanent display will be on view in the museum’s modern art galleries.

Picasso and Matisse were ground-breaking visionaries who constantly experimented with techniques and materials. They were friends, colleagues, and rivals for half a century.

To learn more, view the official press release here.

“The Detroit Institute of Arts is an important part of our city and its culture and Comerica is proud of its history of supporting Detroit’s premier cultural institution. Our support of the DIA reflects Comerica’s ongoing commitment to Detroit and Michigan. Over the past 20 years, Comerica has provided more than three million dollars to support the DIA in its capital campaigns, annual fundraisers and special exhibitions.”

– Linda D. Forte, senior vice president, business affairs and chief diversity officer, Comerica Bank.

Forte and Beale

Linda D. Forte of Comerica Bank and DIA Director Graham Beal at the entrance of the exhibit 

Hours and Admission

Museum hours are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for ages 6-17, and free for DIA members.




a Rafflecopter giveaway