My Red Carpet Interview at El Capitan Theatre for Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful #DisneyOzEvent

February 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Disney

Last week, I had the honor and pleasure of attending the red carpet premiere of Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful. This was such an amazing and star-studded event and I still feel like someone needs to pinch me because it was a dream come true! I was interviewed by my fellow bloggers about the experience and wanted to share it with you all!

Photo Credit: Just Jared

What were your first thoughts/impressions when you saw the yellow brick road & Oz Balloon?

I was so excited! I expected some type of fun spin on the red carpet and secretly hoped for a yellow brick road. The hot air balloon was over the top and an incredible final touch that really represented just how big of an event this actually was! I was reading that James Franco actually arrived IN the balloon!

What was your most memorable experience while on the carpet – did anything really stand out? 

There were SO many things to take in when we were walking on the carpet! There were people yelling at the stars and trying to get their attention, cameras flashing everywhere, and security trying to rush everyone through the line. It was a little overwhelming! Seeing the stars on the carpet right in front of me was so amazing. Everywhere you looked, you would see famous faces getting interviewed, posing for photos, and reuniting with their cast members from the film! The day after the premiere, many of us were finding pictures of ourselves behind the stars on all different websites – E Online, Huffington Post, Just Jared, Pop Sugar, and more! I found me and my baby bump in a few great pictures right behind Michelle Williams!

How did you decide on what to wear for the event?

Well, since I was 32 weeks pregnant at the time of the event, my options were pretty limited! As I was online shopping for the perfect dress, I was finding that many formal maternity dresses were slouchy and not very flattering. It took me a long time to find a gorgeous dress that I thought was “the one”. The model wearing it had the perfect bump – but it was a lot smaller than mine. When the dress arrived and I tried it on for the first time, I was disappointed because it didn’t fit very well. I guess my bump was just too big. With only a short time before the event I didn’t have time to select another and have it shipped, so I had to settle. The night before I left for LA, I was going through my closet for clothes for the rest of the event and ran in to a dress that I bought for a wedding at the beginning of my pregnancy that I never ended up wearing. It still had the tags on and everything. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. I couldn’t have been more pleased because it turned out to be exactly the dress I wanted! Funny how that worked out!

What was your impression of El Capitan Theatre? 

I have always wanted to see the inside of the theater, and was so impressed with it from the moment we walked in the doors! I loved our seats in the balcony – it was the perfect view! I think my favorite part though was the giant organ that was playing when we arrived. When it was time for the movie to start, it descended into the floor! It was really incredible.

What was it like being one of the first people to see this movie, right alongside with the stars themselves?

 Oz The Great and Powerful is gearing up to be one of the hottest movies of the year. It was an absolute honor to be able to be one of the first people to see and experience the film and to get to do so right with the stars themselves. I feel like I have this big, important, and incredible secret because I already know the movie while there are so many people just waiting for it to be released next month! I especially loved during the opening and closing credits when the stars names flashed on the screen, there were uproars of applause to show the support and excitement for the stars!

 What about the after-party? 

The after-party was AMAZING. It was at The Lure Nightclub and was just as star-studded as the premiere itself. There were some really neat promo booths set up, lots of yummy food, a giant gum ball machine filled with cupcakes, music, and so much more. The nightclub was huge and everywhere you turned you were nearly bumping up to someone famous. At one point in the night, I was standing back to back with Ashton Kutcher, standing next to Mila Kunis, standing right in front of Rachel Wiesz, and gazing across the room at Zach Braff & Donald Faison, and so many more. It was hard to not act like a fan and to keep myself together!! You know I wanted to run up to each of them and beg for autographs and photos, but I didn’t want to spoil their night or fun, so I kept my cool and just took it all in and snapped lots of mental pictures!

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL will play at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, CA from March 8th – April 30th in Disney Digital 3D and Real D 3D!

  • For the First 3 weeks only (March 8 – 31) See “Disney Mysteries of Magic” live on stage!  Be dazzled by the artistry of illusion in a magical showcase.  See our expert wizard perform mystical magical illusions before your very eyes!
  • Plus, see an exclusive display of costumes from the movie from March 8 – April 30.

Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful opens in theaters everywhere on March 8th, 2013!
“Like” Oz the Great and Powerful on Facebook and “Follow” on Twitter using the buttons below!

Watch the trailer!

* I attended this blogger event as a guest of Disney with all expenses paid. No compensation was received. All opinions (and excitement) are my own!

 

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With:

Bump Day: What’s Happening at 29 Weeks Pregnant?

January 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Wow – it’s been quite a while since I have posted a baby bump update here! With Christmas and all of the other holidays, as well as just plain ol’ pregnancy exhaustion and very rambunctious children… well I just haven’t had much time or energy to post any updates and for that I apologize. Things are going well – I am now 29 weeks along… I can’t believe in less than 3 months I will be meeting my baby girl!!

Baby is constantly kicking and doing what feel like backflips in my tummy. She’s full of spunk already! I didn’t think it was possible for this baby to be more active than my boys were, but she has definitely been competition! I love it though, even though it does keep me up some nights. (some nights it even wakes me up from sleep!) I wish there was a way to record this feeling – so when baby is here and growing up and I am thinking back on these fond memories and missing them so dearly, I can remember exactly what it feels like to have her growing and kicking in my tummy.

Pregnancy symptoms I have been feeling lately… well, my belly is getting pretty big, so I am feeling kinda off balance lately. I have also had a great deal of sciatic nerve pain. Heartburn has started to rear its ugly head my way, but not nearly as bad as I remember it being towards the very end of my previous pregnancies – I would have heartburn without even eating anything – so I expect the worst is yet to come. I find myself waking up most nights unable to get back to sleep. But when I am sleeping, I have crazy vivid dreams! My hormones have been going CRAZY too. It’s so different than when I was pregnant with my boys. I am way more emotional and moody – extra hugs to my hubby and kids for putting up with me!!

Cravings?? I have still had this insatiable craving for apples. ALL THE TIME. It’s really funny! No strange cravings though really. With my boys, I was always wanting hot and spicy but with baby girl my heartburn gets pretty bad when I eat anything even remotely sour or spicy! I am wondering if that means that she’ll have more hair than her brothers did?? One of my not-so-good-for-me cravings? Nutty Bars. Oh my goodness – this week I have not been able to get enough of those peanut buttery treats. LOL!

How did you feel in the final trimester of your pregnancy? Comment below – I’d love to know!!

Filed Under: Pregnancy

Noon Years Eve Celebration with Radio Disney!

December 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you have little ones at home, involving them in the New Year’s Eve celebrations is pretty tricky. We like to adhere to our bedtime schedule/routine but on special occasions we do let the kids stay up later. That being said, even if I let my little guys stay up till midnight for the countdown, they’d never last! Before they passed out from exhaustion, both of them (and myself) would be extra crabby and no one would have a good time! I was pretty excited to hear about “Noon Year’s Eve” from Radio Disney! It’s a fun celebrations just for kids!

Hosted by Radio Disney’s local stations, the “Noon Year’s Eve” events feature the best songs of the year from Radio Disney’s “Top 50 of 2012,” interactive entertainment and prizes. Many of the events will also feature resolution writing, balloon drops, juice toasts and a special countdown.

Milwaukee has two different locations and times for Noon Year’s Eve celebrations:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Mayfair – Center Court with AM 1640

Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Family Friendly New Year’s Eve at Winterfest with AM 1640

Other locations:

Chicago, Illinois – 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
MB Financial Park with AM 1300

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Noon Year’s Eve Party at Blue Cross RiverRink with AM 640

San Francisco, California – 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose with AM 1310

Boston, Massachusetts – 1:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Boston Family Fireworks Celebration with AM 1260

Atlanta, Georgia – 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
The City of Smyrna Community Center with AM 590

Houston, Texas – 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Mall of the Mainland with AM 1590

Detroit, Michigan – 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Toledo Zoo with AM 910

Seattle, Washington – 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Zoo Year’s Eve at Woodland Park Zoo with AM 1250

Phoenix, Arizona – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tempe New Year’s Eve Block Party with AM 1580

Phoenix, Arizona – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Phoenix Zoo with AM 1580

Tampa, Florida – 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo with AM 1380

Minneapolis, Minnesota – 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory with AM 1440

Miami, Florida 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
New Year’s Eve at Bayfront Park with AM 990

Cleveland, Ohio – 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo with AM 1260

St. Louis, Missouri – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Saint Louis Science Center with AM 1260

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium with AM 1250

Salt Lake City, Utah – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The Manor at Shops at Riverwoods with AM 910

Salt Lake City, Utah – 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Eve at The Gateway – Family Festival area with AM 910

Albany, New York – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Colonie Center with AM 1460

Filed Under: Uncategorized

How to Donate to Sandy Hook Families

December 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

My heart is broken for the families who were ripped apart because of the horrific and unthinkable tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I sit by and feel so helpless. We hug our children tighter, those of us that still can… but what can we do to help those that have been directly affected by all of this? What can we do to help alleviate some of the pain and burden? Not much. Truth is, there is so little that we can do to take away any of that pain. But we must still try to show them that there are still good people in this world. We need to come together and lift up these families with prayers, financial help, and encouragement. Below you will find a few legitimate ways to donate funds to the families affected, every single dollar and prayer helps.

Please remember the victims and not the murderer.

  • Daniel Barden, 7
  • Olivia Engel, 6
  • Josephine Gay, 7
  • Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 6
  • Dylan Hockley, 6
  • Madeleine F. Hsu, 6
  • Catherine V. Hubbard, 6
  • Chase Kowalski, 7
  • Jesse Lewis, 6
  • James Mattioli, 6
  • Grace McDonnell, 7
  • Emilie Parker, 6
  • Jack Pinto, 6
  • Noah Pozner, 6
  • Caroline Previdi, 6
  • Jessica Rekos, 6
  • Avielle Richman, 6
  • Benjamin Wheeler, 6
  • Allison N. Wyatt, 6

ADULTS

  • Mary Sherlach, 56
  • Victoria Soto, 27
  • Anne Marie Murphy, 52
  • Lauren Rousseau, 30
  • Dawn Hochsprung, 47
  • Rachel Davino, 29
Filed Under: News!

Bump Day: What’s Happening at 20 Weeks Pregnant… Again!

November 24, 2012 By 1 Comment

That’s right – I’m 20 weeks pregnant this week… again! I went in on Friday for my ultrasound and got to see the little peanut – and they said that according to baby’s measurements they were going to change my due date to April 7th, possibly the 10th. I never did get the exact new date from him before I left. I was still swooning from seeing my baby for the first time. The scan went great – baby is very photogenic and was playing with his/her hands a lot. We got to see a really clear shot of the face in regular and 3D which was so neat!!

We’re having a gender reveal party on December 1st, and will be able to tell everyone if it is a boy or a girl – I can’t wait!! I have had lots of people guessing based on my symptoms, how I am carrying, what I am craving, etc. so it will be neat to compare and see who’s right!! I’ll be sure to let you all know too, so don’t be shy and leave your guesses in the comments!!

This week, I am actually feeling pretty good. I haven’t been sick as much as usual, which is nice. I have been able to give in to some of my cravings a lot more. It was so nice to be able to enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner without feeling queasy – up until this week, dinner time has been difficult! I even baked a pie… and had seconds!

Speaking of pie… this week I am craving: a big fat, juicy, burger. With pickles… and lots of butter. mmmmmm. I have still not been able to get passed my nightly cravings for apples, so that’s been my bedtime snack each night. Otherwise, not a lot specific really… spicy stuff and savory more than sweet. Which is funny because I have the worst sweet tooth normally!

How accurate have YOUR due dates been? Comment below, I’d love to know!

Filed Under: My Ramblings, Pregnancy

Recipe: French Apple Pie with Apricots

November 23, 2012 By 1 Comment

This has GOT to be my favorite dessert recipe of all time. I make it every year for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas – but rarely do I end up making it any other time of the year. The combination of the tart apples, sweet and tangy apricots, and warm custard make this pie such a special treat! It’s a fairly easy pie to make and everyone should try it at least once! (Trust me, if you try it once, you will definitely be coming back for more!)

I made this pie yesterday for Thanksgiving and it actually went faster than the traditional Pumpkin Pie! I like to lattice my top crust, but you can get as creative as you like with it, as long as you leave plenty of vents for the custard and preserves to bubble a bit during baking! Check out the easy recipe below!

Recipe: French Apple & Apricot Pie
Print
Recipe type: Dessert
Author: Lakeshore Moms
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
Serves: 8
Tart, rich, and decadent – this Apple Pie is sure to become a part of your holiday traditions!
Ingredients
  • 2 9″ Pie Crusts (prepared or your own recipe)
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 egg yolks (divided)
  • 3 tablespoons butter (divided)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 pounds tart cooking apples (I like Honeycrisp or Ambrosia apples)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Dash of ground cinnamon
  • Dash of ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves
Instructions
  1. Prepare pie pastry. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  3. To make custard filling, combine 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour in a saucepan and mix well. Turn heat to medium and stir in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat 3 of the egg yolks. Then, beat in a few tablespoons of the hot mixture in to the egg yolks to temper. Then pour egg yolks into saucepan, stirring continuously. Cook about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the vanilla. Turn off heat and turn in to a bowl to cool.
  5. Core, pare, and slice the apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice. In a skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the spices. Add apples and saute until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
  6. Heat 1/2 cup of apricot preserves in a saucepan on medium heat until warmed, about 2 minutes. This will thin the mixture and make it easier to spread.
  7. Roll out half of the pie crust and place in pie pan. Spread custard filling evenly over the bottom, then top with apples, and then the warmed apricot preserves.
  8. Roll out the 2nd half of the pie crust and cut into 12 strips, approx. 1/2″ wide. Slightly moisten rim of pie shell with cold water. Arrange six strips across the pie and press to rim of shell. Then arrange the remaining strips in the opposite direction to form a lattice. Tuck and trim edges and then crimp edges.
  9. Mix remaining egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Brush on lattice strips, but NOT the edge of the pie crust.
  10. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
  11. Serve warm and enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Recipes

Bump Day: What’s happening at 20 weeks pregnant?

November 16, 2012 By 2 Comments

Happy Bump Day! I’m officially halfway there at 20 weeks pregnant! On one hand, I feel like the last 20 weeks has taken FOR-EV-ER … being sick so much doesn’t help the time fly by! On the other hand, I can’t believe I am already half way through my pregnancy! I have so much to do to prepare – especially if baby is a girl since I haven’t had a baby girl in 14 years! Either way, there’s LOTS to be done in the next 20 or so weeks before baby arrives and I don’t even know where to start preparing!

So how am I feeling at 20 weeks pregnant? Besides excited – I am still feeling sick most days. The pregnancy insomnia has started to kick in and I have found myself waking up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep. My skin hasn’t looked this good in a while though! I think I have a bit of that “glow” that you always hear about.  This week, I am craving apples, chili, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and eggs over-easy with some buttered toast to dip in the yolk. Mmmmmmmm.  Since I haven’t been able to find any pasteurized eggs for sale in my area, I have had to suffer and skip out on the eggs though. I think that makes the craving worse… LOL

Tomorrow, we have our ultrasound and I am so excited and anxious to see baby Smith #4 for the very first time!! We are hoping to find out the gender tomorrow, but are prepared that he or she might not show “the goods” and we might have to leave it as a surprise. IF we do find out, we are planning a gender reveal party (I mentioned this on my 16 week update already) and I can not wait to get together with my close friends and family to celebrate this wonderful new life and addition to my family! I already have a fabulous Berry Moscato Tiramasu from Eli’s Cheesecake for the party and my sister is taking care of the rest! I haven’t decided exactly how we’ll reveal the gender to everyone at the party yet… but have found some cute ideas on Pinterest! I’m always open to suggestions – help me get creative with this one!

Do you have any fun Gender Reveal Party ideas? I would LOVE to hear them! Comment below and let me know!

Filed Under: My Ramblings, Pregnancy

Bump Day: What’s happening at 19 weeks pregnant?

November 12, 2012 By 35 Comments

19 weeks pregnant this week and a little late on my update! Actually feeling pretty good this week as far as nausea is concerned. Thank God for that break! I am hoping that it continues to be the trend for at least a little while! I am a week away from my ultrasound and can hardly stand the wait any more. I know I say it a lot, but the thought of being able to see him or her for the first time… it just makes my heart smile!

This week, I have started to see an increase in my heart rate whenever I eat anything with lots of sugar or carbs. The other night, I had some potatoes with dinner and I thought my heart was going to explode! It’s a very yucky and uncomfortable feeling… and it’s such a shame that it happens with all of my favorite things to eat! Another “symptom” to add to the list? Vivid dreams. I have had quite a few since the beginning of the pregnancy, but in the last few days they have gotten much stronger and much more vivid. Some of them are just down right ridiculous too! I try to recall them right away when I wake up, because I want to share one with you all… but honestly they are so crazy that when I try to remember them and write them down, they just get more crazy. I give up! Pregnancy hormones do some pretty wild things!

What am I craving this week? Gosh I hate to admit it but I have been craving Swiss Cake Rolls…. and spicy nachos… and chowder! Not all together though, I don’t have THOSE kind of strange cravings – yet. I have been keeping a couple of pouches of Go Go Squeez Applesauce on my bedside table too. I almost always wake up in the middle of the night feeling so hungry that it hurts. As much as I hate waking up hungry, especially in the middle of the night, it sure is nice to actually feel hungry. The first few months of pregnancy I was so sick all of the time that I never felt hungry at all and had to force myself to eat. Speaking of which… I am going to have to go grab myself a snack now before I head to bed – but first I have to figure out what I am hungry for!

What are the strangest pregnancy cravings YOU have had? Comment below, I’d love to know!

 

Filed Under: My Ramblings, Pregnancy

5 Reasons you MUST see Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph with your kids! #WreckItRalph

November 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This week, I brought my 14 year old daughter and my 4 year old son with to the theater to see Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph and we all loved it. We laughed a LOT and I even cried a little. I will honestly be surprised if this doesn’t become a “classic” … It’s on my favorites list right up there with Toy Story and Monsters, INC. and I can’t wait to see it again with the family! Below are 5 reasons why I think you MUST see this movie with your kids!

1. Nostalgia. Growing up in the “old school” video game genre – I can totally relate to this movie! I really loved the cameo appearances from some of my favorite characters from when I was younger!  It was great to “introduce” my kids to them too!

2. Lots of Laughter. This movie is hilarious! There is plenty of humor that both the adults and kids alike can get a good belly laugh out of! At several moments in the movie, the entire theater broke out in laughter!

3. It’s Inspiring. Disney never fails to deliver in this category. They always leave us with the most inspiring stories. In Wreck-It Ralph, I found myself inspired by the relationships that were formed not only between Wreck-It Ralph and his “community”, but between Wreck-It Ralph and his new friend Vanellope and between Fix-It Felix and his new found love!

4. It’s Clever. Don’t you just love it when you watch a movie and all you can think of is “MAN – how did they think that up?” There are some great minds behind this movie. The script is so cleverly written so that kids and adults alike fall in love with it!

5. Eye Candy. The visuals in this movie are beautiful and best seen in 3D at the theater! Like all Disney 3D movies, there were no “cheap 3D tricks”, because they weren’t needed! The 3D visuals helped to make you feel like you were right inside of the movie!

Make sure to “like” Wreck-It Ralph on Facebook and “follow” on Twitter using the buttons below!

See my complete review here -> Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph Movie Review – MUST See for the Entire Family!

Have you seen Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph yet? What did you think? Comment below, I’d love to know!

Filed Under: Entertainment

Bump Day: What’s happening at 18 weeks pregnant?

November 1, 2012 By 4 Comments

This week, I am 18 weeks pregnant! Starting to get more and more excited for my ultrasound that is scheduled for the middle of November. I know I’ve said it before, but I really can’t wait to see the little peanut for the first time!

Still feeling nausious quite often and having a hard time eating for the most part. Whenever I do have a craving for anything, I try to hurry and eat something because I know that it won’t be long before I am feeling queazy again. To add to my pregnancy woes, this week I have started to have headaches every day. I hate to take anything for them so I suffer through them for now. Sometimes I’ll take a bit of coffee and the caffeine helps, but I never drink more than 1/4 of a cup a day because otherwise my heart will beat right out of my chest!

My 2 cats have been starting to act strangely around me. Very clingy and always trying to lay on my stomach. I  have read that pets react to the hormone changes and I am assuming that is what is going on. It is kind of nice in a way, and I am loving the attention from them… because I know that in a few months when the baby is here, they will be hiding from me for a few months. The problem though, is that I am constantly tripping over them as they both are constantly following me around the house and under my feet. They even paw at the door to try and get in when I go to the bathroom! Not to mention, they both wake me up several times each night trying to nuzzle in and cuddle with me while I am sleeping. My husband thinks it is hilarious. He says that if it’s not the kids, it’s the cats… squeeze in some time with him and I never get a moment alone! I guess I shouldn’t mind – it is nice to be loved.

 

What about you? Have you noticed a difference in your pets’ behavior during your pregnancy? Comment below – I’d love to know!

Filed Under: My Ramblings, Pregnancy
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