On Thursday night, the kids and I were invited to an advanced look at the Maryland Science Center’s new fully interactive exhibit Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World presented by Terminix.

What a night.

Hosted by Harry, a Chinese praying mantis, and his insect friends, Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! takes visitors on a unique multi-sensory journey through the habitats, sights, sounds and social structures of some of  nature’s smallest and most important contributors.

Your kids will adore it.

{My boy’s favorites were the scorpion and tarantula. Shocking, I know.}

My advice? Visit on a weekend when the special programming is in full swing.

On weekends trained entomologists from the Audubon Insectarium, allow you to get up-close-and-personal with the stars of the exhibit… the bugs!

Their specially designed interactive games and competitions had us in stitches. What kid wouldn’t want to know how far they can spit a cricket? Or root for their fav roach in the Roach Race, or  hang out in the Bug Petting Zoo?

Or even try an insect delicacy cooked up by the Bug Chef? Yes. You read right. THE BUG CHEF. If bug cuisine is on your bucket list, then this exhibit will be right up your alley…

{See how much I love my readers?  Yes, I ate a bug for my blog. It was, not surprisingly, rather crunchy. My kids haven’t kissed me in days.}

Important deets:

Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! will be open during regular museum hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Please note special weekend programming.) Entrance to the exhibit is included in museum admission. For ticket and admission information, call Maryland Science Center at 410-685-2370 or visit www.marylandsciencecenter.org for more information.

Families in the region who are looking for an exciting new holiday tradition need look no further than Christmas on the Potomac at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md.

It is an experience like none other.

We’ve attended Christmas on the Potomac twice (2010 and 2011) and both times our family has been left practically speechless. I’m a  parent of tween boys and trust me when I say that it is getting harder each year to find outings that the whole family can enjoy. That being said, I’m not exaggerating when I say that my kids never want to leave the Gaylord National. (Neither do their parents, truth be told)

But this year, our visit was definitely over the top:

Gaylord has teamed up with Dreamworks to offer “Merry Madagascar,” a two-night one-of-a-kind Dreamworks character vacation. Kids (and adults!) get the opportunity to rub elbows with Po, Shrek, Alex, King Julien and other Dreamworks characters during character breakfasts, scavenger hunts, and wake up calls, ice skating and more.

Have I mentioned ICE! yet? ICE! is a separate interactive indoor wonderland created entirely out of clear, white and colored ice. ICE! continues on with the Dreamworks theame featuring 10 scenes from “Merry Madagascar.” Best part? The two-story ice slide that both kids and adults can enjoy, as well as a sparkling nativity scene made entirely of crystal clear ice. The structure took 40 Chinese artisans 30 days to carve the two million pounds of ice needed for the holiday spectacular. “ICE!” is open daily through Jan. 8, including holidays.

Coupled with Gaylord’s  already extravagant Christmas on the Potomac activities, which include indoor snowfall, simulated Northern Lights and a 7,000-pound Tree of Light, there can be no doubt that it is a magical experience. I highly, highly recommend it!

If you would like more information on the Dreamworks Experience at Gaylord National, ICE! or Christmas on the Potomac, please consult Gaylord National’s website or call (301) 965-4000.

FTC Disclosure: I attended the opening weekend of Christmas on the Potomac as a member of the press for Want2Dish.com. I was not asked to share my experience nor was I compensated in any way for this post. All opinions, videos and photos are my own.

Up until a week ago, my children had never had the opportunity to visit New York City.  It has been a dream of mine to one day introduce them to the hustle and bustle of the city that I dearly love.

I was thrilled to get the opportunity!We officially kicked off our summer vacation with a family trip to Manhattan. Not only did we bring the boys, but we also treated my mother and father-in-law and to surprise tour of the Big Apple a la THE RIDE

THE RIDE is part scenic tour, part comedy tour and part off Broadway show all facilitated via tour bus. But these aren’t just any tour buses, THE RIDE’s custom vehicles are outfitted with stadium seating and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. Seats face sideways, not forward so audience members look through floor-to-rooftop windows that sport breathtaking city views and make the streets, crowds, and building façades feel just like a show.  Onboard hosts (Jackie and Scott) guide THE RIDE, commenting on New York history and sites, as well as everyday citizens and performers.

THE RIDE is the most unique experience I’ve had in a long, long time.

My husband and two boys L O V E D the street performers that were woven into the tour. Their stages are quite literally the streets of New York. (The free style rapper was my husband’s personal favorite. He was hilarious, to be sure.) I most enjoyed watching the locals acting completely blasé about random opera singers, tap dancers, ballet performers and the like launching into performance in the middle of the street.  Only in New York…

Even my mother and father-in-law (lifelong residents of New Jersey) found themselves dancing in their seats. And THAT is saying something.

It was a BLAST. (Even for me and I’ve been to New York countless times and seen all of “the sights.”) Want another opinion? How about Josh Grobin? Here’s a video of Josh Grobin talking about THE RIDE on Regis & Kelly. Hilarious!

Couple of fun facts about THE RIDE:

• THE RIDE vehicle itself is over  13 feet high, 45 feet long and 8 feet wide. (Apparently it is as tall as the federal government will allow on the streets of NYC.) It is quite impressive!
• More than 3,000 LED lights, 40 video screens, a surround-sound system and “floor shaking” technology in each vehicle can create the feel and sound of everything from a subway train to the inside of a nightclub. (Funny thing, later we got on the actual subway prompting my son to quip, “This subway feels like THE RIDE.” LOL.)

A full schedule for THE RIDE is available online at www.experiencetheride.com. To purchase tickets, visit the website or call (866) 299-9682 or visit THE RIDE Box Office located at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel at 1535 Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets.

Disclosure: My family and I received complimentary tickets to experience THE RIDE. All opinions are my own.

Too early to start thinking about the holidays?

I think NOT.

If you are a family with children living anywhere near the Washington DC region you are going to want to seriously look into Gaylord National’s holiday offerings.

Beginning November 18^th, Gaylord National will offer a brand new 15,000 square foot ICE! extravaganza featuring DreamWorks’ Merry Madagascar™. The animated holiday TV special is being transformed into a interactive wonderland of colorful ice sculptured entirely out of two million (yes, you read that right) pounds of ice.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. No pun intended.

Gaylord is taking a page from Disney’s books and offering two-night one-of-a-kind Dreamworks character vacations. Families will not only get the ICE! experience but also the opportunity to rub elbows with Po, Shrek, Alex, King Julien and other Dreamworks characters in a variety of unique experiences ranging from character breakfasts, scavenger hunts, and wake up calls to poolside holiday movies, ice skating and more.

Coupled with the hotel’s already extravagant Christmas on the Potomac activities, which include indoor snowfall, simulated Northern Lights and a 7,000 pound Tree of Light, there can be no doubt that it is shaping up to be a regional experience like no other. (Our family stayed there last Christmas and were, quite literally, blown away. I spent the rest of the holiday season convincing friends and family to visit. It was magical.)

Special package pricing families is currently available. For more information on the Christmassy Dreamworks Experience at Gaylord National, ICE! or Christmas on the Potomac, take a look at Gaylord National’s website or call 301-965-4000.

Up until Saturday night I could honestly say that I was not a fan.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t DISLIKE monster trucks, per se. I had simply not been exposed to the whole world that is monster truck madness.

But that evening we were invited to attend Monster Jam’s “Havoc in the Harbor” at the Baltimore Raven’s M&T Bank Stadium as guests of Feld Motorsports.

INTENSE? You could say that.

My boys were over the moon with excitement. We were instantly converted from family-who-didn’t-know-what-they-were-missing to HUGE FANS.

People, there were trucks skidding and sliding, flipping over, twisting around, losing parts and even CATCHING FIRE. What is not to love about that!? I was even biting my nails at one point…. ME! The girly-girl who wore a maxi-dress to the festivities. (I think I was subconsciously trying to declare my femininity in an overly testosterone-laden arena.)

My pal Keyonte and I rocking the girly wear!

We are most definitely converts...

In case you are a newbie like me, you’ll find some of these facts fascinating:

• The custom designed trucks are each about 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide, weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds and sit atop 66-inch-tall tires.
• They can generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. (Crazy!)
• Monster trucks can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.

My little boys (and their dad) were never happier. Need more convincing? Watch below:

What could be cooler than that?

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to my newest online obsession: PINTEREST

Heard of it yet?

I have to admit that at first I didn’t quite “get it.” Now, however, I am a junkie.  (As in, spending all of my free time oohing and aahing over what others curate.)

In case you are unfamiliar with the application, let me explain: Pinterest simply allows you to create virtual pinboards of your favorite images, share them with your followers, and discover amazing new things along the way.

A Dozen Ways That I Use Pinterest (And you can too!)

• Idea gathering:  For future use in event planning, entertaining and the like
• DIY creativity: There are some might creative people on the Internet. I pin their projects to attempt later.
• Inspiration: Quotes, photographs, places and spaces. I love collecting them!
• Home decor ideas
• Fashion & style finds
• Office: Design and organization ideas for the office.
• Incredibly cool and unique products that I don’t want to forget about.
• Humor: Recording hilarity on the web.
• Foodie fun: A collection of recipes and food ideas.
• Styleboards: For later use when helping clients create website and graphic design materials
• Vision boards: A collection of items serving as my online vision board
• Collaboration: To compile and collaborate with others on projects

A tip: Once you get started, the easiest way to pin items is to install their “Pin It” bookmark. From that point, anytime you find an image you like, just “Pin It” and you will be given options to pin any of the pictures on that page to your Pinterest boards. So simple!

I do think that Pinterest is a great way for blogs, Etsy shops and unique products to be discovered. If you are thinking of this as a traffic generator for your own content, some advice -  The best way to get traffic from Pinterest is to post attention grabbing photos to your own website that will get attention from readers and encourage them to “pin you.” In other words… create the content and it will naturally get shared.

Find me on Pinterest: My boards

Have you tried Pinterest? What do you think of it? How do you use it? (If you are on Pinterest… leave me your url and I’ll follow your boards.)

I don’t talk much about my husband on this blog do I? You probably think I am divorced.

Nope. The man just doesn’t make many an appearance here because, well… he is way more private than I am. (I tend to over share in case you hadn’t already noticed.)

We are incredibly different people. And yet we work, you know?

My husband hails from the great state of New Jersey. Now before you wrinkle your nose at the who “Jersey Shore” cliché that just popped into your mind… let me just say that he is cut from a different cloth.

One of the greatest things that I’ve been exposed to during my history with Michael is delish Jersey/Philly food. I never knew a real CHEESE STEAK until the man took me to Geno’s in Philly. (A close second to Jim’s Steak’s on 2nd. I heart them both though.)

Each time we visit my husband’s hometown, he waxes poetic about the local icon that is Weber’s Drive-In.

Weber’s is this kitschy orange and black roadside joint in South Jersey. My husband ADORES it.

Now I’ve visited Weber’s before and honesty, I remember not being that impressed with it. But since it was my husband’s favorite haunt as a boy, I decided to give it one more try before writing it off completely. And besides, the kids are the perfect age for that type of thing.

You know what?  We loved it.

Not gourmet by any means but it is definitely yummy roadside food. And let’s face it, drive-ins are way cool.

Our new family favorites are frosted mugs of their famous root beer and the ever classic cheeseburgers and fries combination. (Although next time I’m getting a Black Cow float!) I’ve heard that their steamed dogs are a real treat as well. And the prices are almost as nostalgic as the actual burger joint.

Making the experience even better? A random dancing Elvis at the entrance.

Prices are cheap, services is fast and the staff is incredibly friendly. (The only thing missing is roller skates.) If you get a chance, it is worth a hop off of the turnpike. Word of warning – it is cash only so make sure you come prepared.

Where to find it: Route 38 and King Road / Pennsauken, NJ.

Oh yeah, tell Elvis I said hi! (Oh and yes, I am indeed uber-proud of the fact that the pre-teen has not brushed his hair and burps in this video. Sigh.)

When you are a kid, winter birthdays can be a drag.  Options are extremely limited.

Those able to accommodate indoor parties (think Chuck E. Cheese or around these parts Adventure Park) are very (VERY) expensive and have limited “birthday party room” time. I mean, give me a break! You spend hundreds of dollars and an establishment and get 45 minutes to an hour in a room where your kids need to quickly stuff their faces with pizza and cake before being wisked out by staff. Not to mention the fact that the children quickly run out of money or tokens and you end up shelling out another hundred dollars for more game time just so they can cash in their tickets for an ERASER or a PENCIL or SILLY BANDZ.

Hate that.

Really, really hate that.

We came up with a better alternative for my son this past weekend. And yes, I’m putting it out there so all can steal it. It is genius.

We threw Young Jedi a pool party at a local hotel. Wait, don’t judge on the price. Hear me out: for a fraction of the cost of the traditional birthday party we rented a two-room suite at the Residence Inn and held a pool party sleep-over.

The beauty of the Residence Inn is that it has a complete kitchen and living room. We were able to bring in our own  pizzas, juice boxes, sodas, snacks, a cake, etc which allowed us to save money because we controlled the cost. As for decorations – a ton of balloons on the floor and streamers throughout the rooms were uber-festive and again not very costly.

The best part of the arrangement was the fact that we were able to have a really long party and not worry about being wisked out of there. Our boys got a good three hours of indoor pool time before the “official” party ended. (It could have been all day by the way. We set the time frame ourselves.) We played games with them and held races. They even got the chance to try out a hot tub. (Which resulted in hilarious comedy.)

Mid-party we went back to the room for cake and presents. Once they were all sugared up we took them back to the pool and tired them out.  Now, the pool didn’t close until 11:00 p.m. that evening so we could have stayed all night long but our boys chose to go play pool in a game room by the uber-swanky lobby. This mom went and filled up her coffee cup (anticipating a long night ahead) and mucked around on Twitter by the fireplace for awhile. Go ahead. Hate me. I realize birthday parties are not supposed to be stress free so I am gloating a bit here.

Some of the boys stayed the night, some left. The remaining children were exhausted and conked out pretty quickly. Come morning we were able to all have breakfast at the complimentary buffet provided by the hotel.

We never wanted to leave. And I think THAT is the takeaway here. We got a two room suite, all the pool time we wanted, an overnight stay and breakfast the next morning. My ten year old never felt so special.

Do you see why this concept works? Truly it is a joyful experience. Your kids will love it, even if you don’t invite any guests along.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out one thing – We stayed at the Residence Inn in Frederick, MD owned by the Plamondon Hospitality Partners. I know some of the executives on staff at Plamondon and mentioned to them that we would be celebrating there that weekend. Waiting for my son in the room was a celebration balloon, birthday cake and card signed by all of the staff members wishing him a happy birthday. And for my husband and I? Ear plugs. (Awesome) Have they made me a customer for life? Why yes, yes they have. (One tiny note – If any Plamondon folks happen to read this blog, the boys would like to suggest that you remodel the hotel to include a “zero gravity” or “velcro” room. Ahem. I’m sure you’ll get right on that.)

East coast families… Looking for a holiday getaway idea? Would your family be interested in one that is part snowland, part holiday hoedown and part water park?

Who wouldn’t?

Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia, will be offering all of this and more when kicking off their holiday season on Friday, Dec. 10 with “Christmas on Highway 101,” featuring Grammy-nominated country artists Highway 101. (I’m a huge fan from back in the Nashville days!) Concert goers can expect the band to perform many of their classics, as well as holiday hits from their “Christmas on Highway 101″ DVD. And coinciding with concert is their Snowland event! With real snow falling in the Grand Lobby every day, Santa appearances and yuletide decorations, Snowland is one of the most anticipated events of the season!

As if that weren’t enough, Great Wolf Lodge has a massive indoor entertainment area (40,000 – 100,000 square feet) filled with amazing things for families to do together: indoor water park (squee!), arcade/game rooms, fitness rooms, themed restaurants, spas, supervised children’s activities and more!

Tickets to “Christmas on Highway 101” begin at $25 per person, or $35 per person including hors d’oeuvres served at 7 p.m. For more information or to reserve tickets for the event, call (757) 345-7148 or (757) 345-7146. If you can’t join Great Wolf on Dec. 10, you can experience Snowland throughout the entire month of December. More information is available at http://www.greatwolf.com/williamsburg/waterpark.

*Disclosure:  In return for sharing event information & details with my readers – I was offered tickets to this show for myself & my family, along with a night stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg.  I hope that many of you are able to attend this show because it is going to be a fantastic way to celebrate the holidays! (Let me know if you go and we can meet up!)

My family and I were invited by Washington Family Magazine to spend a weekend at the Gaylord National Resort in order to experience the hotel’s much celebrated Christmas on the Potomac.  As former Gaylord employees (My husband and I met, fell in love and ultimately both worked at the Gaylord owned Opryland Hotel in Nashville.) we knew well what to expect: top notch service, personable employees and luxurious accommodations and amenities. And happily the hotel did not disappoint. (The walls in our room were leather tile, for goodness sake.) To quote my nine year old, “We’re living the life, Momma!”

Christmas on the Potomac is, in a word, spectacular. From the 18-story atrium illuminated by “Northern Lights” to their Brightest Star fountain show, from Breakfast with the Grinch, Brunch with Santa, to Dr. Suess themed sculpture gardens, dive-in pool movies and fireworks (Not to mention holiday milk & cookies and hot cocoa!) it is a fantastic family holiday treat.

The decor of the resort is a spectacle in and of itself featuring a whopping two million Christmas lights (12.27 miles of light string) and a 7,000 lb, 60-foot tall suspended Tree of Light made entirely of “candy” glass.

And that, my friends, is only the beginning.

If the resort in and of itself doesn’t propel you into holiday bliss, ICE! will. Gaylord National’s ICE!, a separate attraction, is an interactive indoor wonderland created entirely out of clear, white and colored ice. ICE! features 10 scenes from the Dr. Suess tale “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”  The impressive structure took  40 Chinese artisans no less than 40 days to carve the two million pounds of ice needed for the holiday spectacular.

There have been only a handful of times in my life as a parent when I have had the privilege of seeing my children visibly in awe. ICE! was one of them. They were mesmerized. I mean, when was the last time your family got to travel down a two story ice slide? Or gaze upon the wonder that is the largest PEEPS tree ever created?

So, would any of you like to experience your own holiday adventure at Gaylord National?!

THE DETAILS: Washington Family Magazine is giving away two prize packages to experience Gaylord National’s Christmas on the Potomac and ICE!

Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Go to Washington Family’s contest website page and follow their instructions.
• OPTIONAL WARM FUZZY /Do one of the following:
  • “Like” Hip As I Wanna Be” on Facebook.
  • Tweet out: I just entered to win @gaylordnational ‘s Christmas on the Potomac  from @mammamania & @familymagevents http://bit.ly/94kPkY
• Come back here and leave a comment confirming that you have completed those tasks.  Good luck!

FTC Disclosure: My family and I received the weekend package from Washington Family Magazine. Gaylord National provided us with tickets to Breakfast with the Grinch and Brunch with Santa. All opinions expressed are mine. Really, kids. It is a phenominal experience. The prize is being given away by Washington Family Magazine. I am not involved in picking the winner. And to clarify -  optional warm fuzzy FB & Tweets are just that…optional.  They help spread the word about the giveaway.