Being a parent, the safety of my child is always a top priority. This is specially true when we’re in public, crowded places or events. Keeping track of my daughter is always crucial. With the 2,185 children reported missing each day, no parent would ever want their child added to that statistic at all!

Here’s a fun way to celebrate April Fool’s day with the family!

Hit the road with Mickey Mouse and your favorite Disney Friends for a hilarious talent search in the all-new Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show!

Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy set out on a zany roadtrip whe re audiences join in and help find the coolest acts around.  Along the way, hit a high note with Cinderella; get your bounce on with Tigger; and shout out your loudest “yee-haw” at a hoedown with Woodie, Jessie, and Buzz Lightyear from Disney/Pixar’s A Toy Story! Grab your family for a fun-filled get-away at this live, show-stopping adventure jam-packed with unexpected twists, turns and hi-jinks – right here in Charlotte!

Now part of the fun is that the show is not on a School night and CMS is closed on April 2 which means the rest of the family can go and the kids can stay up late and enjoy the rest of the night! And that’s not an April Fool’s day joke!

Now for an added bonus to you for being a loyal reader: Tickets are highly discounted at the rate of $15 only! USE CODE DEALDL upon checkout which is also valid on all ticket price range (see poster above) and good for both shows: 2pm and 7pm.

Venue: Time Warner Cable Arena

Show times/ date : April 1, 2010 @ 2pm and 7pm

Get your tickets today!

As a Soft Scrub Club Captain, I was privileged to receive this product to test before it came out in the market. Check my Vlog below to hear my experience and see how it can be a great handy product for busy moms like you and me!

Also, keep an eye on the official commercial which launched on Monday on ABC. Thanks for watching the vid and please let me know what you think.

I was privileged to experience Zing Zang Zoom by Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey courtesy of Mom Central who provided the free tickets on the opening day on Wednesday, Jan 27. Watch my vidcast for the rest of my experience and a snippet of the show below. Hope you find my review helpful. Enjoy!

Me and my little princess after the show

Come and experience the ALL-NEW Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents  ZING ZANG ZOOM 139th – Edition playing right here in Charlotte at Time Warner Cable Arena with your family!

HERE’S A SPECIAL OFFER  JUST FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE SPECIAL!

Purchase
 a
 4‐pack
  of 
tickets 
for 
only
 $44 
for
 weekday
 shows, or
 receive
 $4
 off
 weekend
 tickets 
by 
logging 
on to 
www.ticketmaster.com
 and entering 
the
 coupon
 code:
 MOM.

*Charlotte, NC Show Dates:
Wednesday January 27: 7:00pm
Thursday January 28: 7:00pm
Friday January 29: 10:30am, 7:00pm
Saturday January 30: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, January 31: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm

ALL ACCESS PRE-SHOW :

Step onto the arena floor and into The Greatest Show On Earth® at the All Access Pre-show! Come an hour before show time to join Clown College® and learn how to be a circus clown.

10 Reasons You Can’t Miss the All Access Pre-show!

1) An amazing elephant paints right before your eyes.

2) Learn juggling, makeup and fun with the world famous Clown Alley.

3) See a one-of-a-kind special Ringling Bros®motorcycle as built by Orange County Choppers.

4) Meet the performers up close and get autographs.

5) Witness Klose’s Performing Canines jump through obstacles and hoops.

6) Be amazed as Zingmaster Alex teaches magic to audience members.

7) See performers jump rope and do tricks on the low wire.

#8) Watch the contortions and table juggling of the Chinese Qi Qi Har Troupe.

9) Try on actual clothes used in The Greatest Show On Earth.

10) It’s FREE with your ticket, so get in on the fun!

So, Step right up and SEE YOU THERE with your family and friends!

**For more information about the show, visit Zing Zang Zoom online.

Last week I was invited to experience Ocean Isle Inn via the Mom Bloggers 2010 event, geared toward exploring the area and reviewing the service and amenities of the resort and promoting it and the surrounding area in return. I spent 3 days and 3 nights at the resort. Enough time to get a feel for the place and visit the attractions nearby.

It is not the fanciest in the lot but Ocean Isle Inn’s unbeatable Customer Service – as I have personally experience – down to the clean-up and daily upkeep of my room was satisfactory. The staff are all personable and friendly. They also provide a contemporary breakfast inclusive of make-your-own Belgian Waffles that I loved! Everything else is pre-made and ready to heat and eat. Something that the more “spoiled clients” , who are used to hotels offering freshly-cooked breakfast and offering a wider variety, may not totally appreciate.  But better than nothing!

Being it off-peak season, the island was quiet, calm and conducive to family wanting a peaceful beach vacation. No one can swim in the cold ocean but you can walk on the shore, collect sea shells and the Inn offers an indoor pool and spa where you can still get you tootsies wet. Being at the Inn during the winter season can actually be a great idea if you prefer to get away from all the winter blues, the snow and the arctic blast this year or to simply relax or just get away from it all.

There are lots of fun activity for the family and the kids on site and off site. The Inn is a hop away from Myrtle Beach and Wilmington. If you prefer to stay on site you can visit the:

Museum of Coastal Carolina. It’s geared for fun for kids. I personally like the Tidal Touch Tank where you get to play with the fishes and starfishes.

Cinelli’s Italian Restaurant. Authentic home-made Italian goodness. Service is good and my Grilled chick and Veggies was benissimo!

Off site:

Battleship North Carolina Memorial, the ship which Ghost Hunters featured in their show last year and is located in Wilmington.

Ingram Planetarium. Located in Sunset Beach. The dome show pleases even the young at heart with its’ high-tech lasers and state of the art time lapse presentations.

And a whole lot more!

When you’re tired of the bustling and hustling of city life or just to get away from the winter blues, visit Ocean Isle Inn to get away from it all. Uncrowded. Unhurried. Unforgettable. Just what a beach experience should be…

I was invited to come back this summer with my family and I can’t wait for them to experience the beach life that Ocean Isle Inn experience offers… Summer may be a different story. We shall see…

* This blogger received sponsored accomodations as part of the Mom Blogger 2010 Event but it does not influence her views and thoughts. Nothing but unbiased opinion and recommendations *

October of last year

This year, Frigidaire and actress Jennifer Garner is continuing the program with a little twist, or should I say with a SPIN!? Yes, with Play Spin and Win, we’re all instant winners!

Just by taking a spin, we NOT only get the chance to win fun ways to spend more quality time with our kids but ALSO a chance to save the life of a kid – All by just taking a spin everyday! For every spin, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children CHANGE Program as part of their $250,000 commitment dedicated to providing nutritious foods and promoting healthier lifestyle for children living in poverty in the United States.

Best of all, by taking part in this fun game, you get a chance to win a time-saving new Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. How cool is that?

So take a spin today and win great prizes while saving childrens’  lives in the process. Nothing else can be fun being a philanthropist and a player all at the same time than this! Make a CHANGE today. Take A Spin and best of luck to all of us! I sooo wanted to win that washer/dryer!

Should I say *crossing fingers and toes* ?!

*This is part of a promotional campaign this blogger opted to be part of due to it’s charitable nature, via MomSelect. This blogger is not paid nor given free product to endorse this program. *

**A link is also posted in Zen MamaVentures

I’ve always heard great stories about the show for years and when Mom Central gave us the opportunity to spread the word and attend as well, it was like my Fairy Godmother just made my dream come true – for my girl and the kid in me and hubby – we were ecstatic!

And this was evident of us during the show! Even grown-ups were squealing and screaming with delight. The entire audience in that arena was transformed to kids once more. Even my daughter who was feeling unwell was energized and enjoyed the show to the end. There was no dull moment! We were all entranced at all the twirling, the gymnastic moves, the music and the themes of each presentation. I can’t help but sigh with pleasure!

See what I mean with some of the photos from the show below:

Here is some Tips to fully enjoy the show:

a) Pack up some snacks or munchies especially for your little ones. The food inside the Arena is a bit on the expensive side and really not a lot of healthy choices. And lots of water to drink! All the screaming and squealing will dry your throat. Remember the cold temp inside can do that too.

b) A light jacket or layer a sweater. It’s not utterly cold but it can get a little chilly inside the arena, top that with all that ice on the stage.

c) A loose change or generous friends to buy the cute snow cone cups! My daughter snagged her free Tinkerbell cup courtesy of our friends. Otherwise, we wouldn’t buy it. They range from $10, $12 to $15. Tinkerbell being the most expensive and also the bestseller! – Why can’t they price the items family-friendly? Just saying Disney.

d) Quick on the feet to get to the bathrooms! Though they have designated the mens rooms for womens bathroom the lines were still ridiculous. And watch out for line jumpers! Seem like they were quite a few during the show.

In recap: Meeting Mickey & Minnie during the preshow was the best highlight of the show for us. It was even made more special that we were able to share it with our friends. The kids had so much fun with the little swag bags they got from the show and we were beyond happiness just being there!

Disney on Ice is the show you would never want to miss! Enjoy it. Have fun, have fun AND HAVE FUN!

Disclosure: Tickets were provided by mom Central Consulting and Feld Family Entertainment

That’s great for communication between us and you. But, what about all of you communicating with each other? That’s where Google Friend Connect comes in. Not only can you use your Google ID to comment on individual posts, but you can use the Google Friend Connect bar on the top of each page to comment amongst yourselves, even share video!

We’ll be looking at the Google Fiend Connect widgets to see if they make sense for Rivyoohoo and implement them down the road.

What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment (even though we’re not giving anything away on this post).

WE HAVE A WINNER via Random.org : Sandi! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Yes Folks! The much-awaited Disney on Ice produced by Feld Entertainment is coming to Charlotte NC for a 4 day show from October 8 to 11! My daughter is beyond excitement since this will be the first time she’ll ever see the show in person. This is such a wonderful surprise to her that as soon as I told her that she was going to see it this year courtesy of Mom Central and Feld Entertainment -  imagine her delight – she was squealing at the top of her lungs!

Not only that, we were also invited to a special preshow event on opening night – October 8th at 5:30pm to meet the characters from the show! The kiddo will also get coloring sheets and goody bags and a light dinner for everyone.  And best of all, we’ve been afforded a complimentary ticket to see the show following the preshow event at 7:00pm! What a wonderful treat!

The show will be held at Time Warner Cable Arena and you should know that Tickets are now on sale at Ticketmaster. Now here’s a sweet deal for you. If you buy your tickets now, here’s a coupon code that you can use to get discounts with some rules applied in availing the discount.

• The coupon code will be ‘MOM’— four tickets for $44 for weekday shows Monday-Friday and $4 off all tickets for weekend shows.  Any additional tickets beyond the 4-pack for shows during the week are still priced at $11.
• Enter the MOM code in the “MC promotion” box when purchasing tickets.
• Offer not valid on Rinkside or VIP seating.
• Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges, facility & handling fees will apply.
  

And to make the deal sweeter for you, I’m giving away 4 Tickets to the opening night – Oct 8th @ 7pm to one lucky reader! So, try your luck on this giveaway, too!  And if you’re the winner you will pick up your tickets – with a picture ID – at the WILL CALL window the night of the show! Sounds good? Sure it does!

Here’s what you need to do:

a) Leave a comment telling me why you want to see Disney on Ice and who you’re taking.

Additional Entry: {Please leave separate comments for each}

b) Subscribe to Rivyoohoo’s RSS Feed (If you’re already a subscriber, please leave a comment)

c) Follow @Rivyoohoo on Twitter and tweet this: I just entered to win 4 tickets to Disney on Ice @Rivyoohoo giveaway  http://bit.ly/477qb6 #disneyonice – you can tweet daily and leave your comments each time.

Note: If you’re already a follower on twitter, please leave a comment and tweet the message.

d) Blog about the giveaway – Link to this post and submit the URL of the post here.

e) Follow Rivyoohoo on Google Connect.

Easy peasy right? Don’t forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you’re the winner. This contest will run from Sept 19 to Sept 29, 2009 12AM EST. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to the email or another winner will be picked.

Best of luck to all and Thank you to Mom Central and Feld Entertainment for this wonderful privilege! Can’t wait!

- Mrs. Rivyohoo