HOP into HoneyBaked Ham This Saturday and Meet the Characters from the Easter Film! Plus Enter to Win a $25 Gift Certificate

What: Fans of HoneyBaked Ham and the 2011 animated and live action film “Hop” are invited to stop by the HoneyBaked Ham location in Alpharetta to meet characters from the movie. E.B., Carlos, Phil and the Pink Berets will be available to take photos with guests while some will win door prizes including Hop DVDs, HoneyBaked Hams, or E.B.’s favorite dessert—delicious Carrot Cake. This event is free and open to the public. No purchase is necessary.

Where:
HoneyBaked Ham
7601 North Point Parkway, Suite A (South of North Point Mall)
Alpharetta, GA  30022

When:
Saturday, March 31 from noon to 4 p.m.

More:
Now available on DVD and Blu-ray, the “Hop” packaging includes a promotional coupon valid for $5 off a bone-in ham at participating HoneyBaked Ham stores nationwide. HoneyBaked is also partnering with Universal to give away $7,250 in prizes, including a $7,000 gift card to purchase a dream home entertainment system and a $250 HoneyBaked gift certificate.

HOW TO ENTER
During the Sweepstakes Period, visit the Sweepstakes tab on the HoneyBaked Facebook Page or visit the Sweepstakes page on the HoneyBaked Ham website, complete the online entry form and submit as directed.

At HoneyBaked Ham Easter is the “unofficial ham holiday,” where anyone can get family meal ideas. Did you know that after the winter holidays, Easter Sunday is among the biggest holiday meal days nationwide, and that in 2012 HoneyBaked will sell more than 70,000 hams (among them hundreds in Stone Mountain)? This equates to about 1.2 million pounds of ham. On a local level, this time of year is among the busiest in the holiday retail industry, and HoneyBaked employees in Stone Mountain pull out all the stops to help your make the holiday easy, fun and memorable.

If you wish to win A $25 HoneyBaked Ham gift certificate please leave us a comment on the section below. 

Good Luck!!

ABOUT HONEYBAKED:

HoneyBaked (www.honeybakedonline.com) is renowned for its slow-smoked, spiral-sliced HoneyBaked Hams and Turkey Breasts with signature sweet crunchy glaze, as well as a host of other entrees, side items and desserts. Since its founding in 1957, sharing and enjoying HoneyBaked premium foods has become a tradition for families nationwide who can now shop for them at more than 400 HoneyBaked locations and an online store. Whether its customers are marking holidays and special occasions or serving everyday meals, HoneyBaked helps families create life’s delicious moments.

Making Memories at The Atlanta Fair

With spring comes song birds, fresh flowers, sprouting trees, and fairs. 

 

OMG! Is the flying chairs. Let's go!!! Spin, spin, spin fasterrr!!!

Feeling a little dizzy I think I need a more calmer ride this time. Hmm?  Maybe I could take pictures from the top. That would be so cool.

Modern Warfare Game $59.99, putting into practice your sniper skills in real life and showing your parents you actually develop a skill by playing video game, PRICELESS.

Oh no, don't let the kids see the fish. Ahh!! Never mind. It's  too late...
5 minutes later: [daughter] "I knew I was going to win a fish.  I had a dream about it last night!!"

Cotton candy, candy apples, snow cones and popcorn, oh my! 

So many options so little time.

You have to pay me to get into this one. I get dizzy real fast ;D

It was a fun night but it's time to head home... and stop at Walmart to buy a new fish bowl sigh...

www.atlantafair.com/

How to Find Peter's Shadow at Atlantic Station

Photo © Center for Puppetry Arts

'Peter Pan' soars onto the stage in this new adaptation for everyone who is young at heart. Thrill with Peter, Wendy and Tinkerbell as they swim with mermaids, romp with Tigerlily, and cross swords with the nefarious Captain Hook! With original music, songs, and a Neverland full of adventure. Director Michael Haverty’s adaptation utilizes blacklight puppetry, projected animations and filmed shadow puppetry to create a magical effect on stage. This vibrant, colorful world invites audiences on an imaginative voyage across London, to Neverland and back . 

To keep the high-flying tale grounded, Center for Puppetry Arts brings an air of authenticity to its version of Peter Pan: Princess Tigerlily, the daughter of the chief of the Neverland tribe, speaks Cherokee. The Center for Puppetry Arts was pleased to work with the Cherokee Nation Education Services and the Translation Department of Education Services to translate Tigerlily’s dialogue into this beautiful language for the show. 

Peter Pan is presented in Mainstage Theater April 5 through May 27. Show times are as follows:

·         Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

·         Saturday: 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

·         Sunday*: 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

*The Center is closed Sunday, April 8 for the Easter holiday.

Single show tickets include museum admission as well as the Create-A-Puppet Workshop, where kids can make their own Cranky Crocodile Hand Puppet.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR $9.25 (MEMBERS) AND $16.50 (NONMEMBERS) AND CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE AT WWW.PUPPET.ORG OR BY CALLING THE TICKET SALES OFFICE AT 404-873-3391.

Find Peter's Shadow at Atlantic Station! 
 

Peter Pan has lost his shadow and it is loose in Atlantic Station! Join the Center for Puppetry Arts and Atlantic Station in this exciting chance to win FREE tickets to Peter Pan! 

 

How to Enter: 
 

1. Find Peter’s shadow somewhere in Atlantic Station, March 22 through April 5.
2. Take a picture of his shadow and email it to PR@PUPPET.ORG
3. You will be entered in a drawing to win 4 FREE tickets to Peter Pan, which opens April 5. 
   
   

Limit one entry per email address.  Drawings will be held twice a week, for a total of 4 winners.  Contest tickets valid April 5 – 22 only. 

Insider Tip:  Peter pan's shadow will go up mostly at nights, around 6-10:30pm.

Bluebird Travels: Callaway Gardens TreeTop Adventure

This past weekend I was invited to a tweetup at Callaway Gardens with fellow bloggers Malika Harricharan of Atlanta Restaurant blog, Oge Ekeh of Single in Atlanta and Lauren Thomas from Digital Aftershock.   

Callaway Gardens is an award-winning, 13,000-acre gardens, resort and preserve nestled in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, in Pine Mountain, Georgia. In addition to three types of accommodations, 9 restaurants and plenty of shopping, guests at this family-friendly getaway enjoy lots to see and do.

One of my kids favorite thing to do at Callaway Gardens is to watch the "Birds of Prey Show". This show seems to be always a crowd's favorite. There are approximately one dozen birds in the program with three to five birds presented at each show so no two shows are ever alike. While these birds cannot survive in the wild, the Birds of Prey show at Callaway Gardens allow nature’s feathered ambassadors to provide priceless contributions by teaching visitors the importance of preserving our environment. During the show, many of these birds fly freely overhead as they exhibit their natural abilities and behaviors.  Callaway Gardens is one of the few places where visitors can regularly experience these creatures at such a close range.

Rachel Crumbley, Callaway Gardens public relations manager greeted us at the Discovery Center.

She then gave us some tips on how to manage our safety equipment before heading to the TreeTop Adventure.

If you are planning to go to the TreeTop Adventure please keep in mind there are 5 zip lines ranging in length from 44’ to 210‘ long and there are 19 aerial challenges.

The highest point is 30’ from ground and the whole TreeTop Adventure is 1491 feet long just a little over a quarter of a mile. It takes 60 to 90 minutes to complete to complete the whole course.

Children can participate (both of my kids completed the entire course) BUT they need to be at least 54 inches tall and weigh no more than 260 pounds.

The Maximum waist size for the harnesses is 48”, while the maximum thigh size is 26”.  Additional restrictions may be found at Square One Activity Center.

The first zip line is always the hardest. Almost everyone hesitates before jumping. The good thing is there's always a group of people on the ground cheering for you ;D

After completing the TreeTop Adventure we ate burgers at the Discovery cafe. Food was good but service was a bit slow so be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes for your food.

At that point I was completely worn-out but my endless energized children wanted to continue exploring, so they used their complementary bike riding passes and head out to the bike trail.

While the kids explored their surroundings I decided to take it slow. I sat on this chair for almost an hour to just...breathe. Sometimes we all need a little quiet time and that's the beauty of Callaway Gardens. This place is not only an oasis but is a place to nurture your soul.

For more information about Callaway Gardens please visit www.callawaygardens.com

Brunch with the Easter Bunny & Alice in Wonderland at LOBBY Bar & Bistro - 4 Family Ticket Giveaway

 Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting! Join Alice and the Easter bunny down the rabbit hole into a food wonderland. 

On Easter Sunday bring your whole family to a family-oriented event at LOBBY Bar & Bistro to meet the Easter Bunny and Alice in Wonderland for a one-of-a-kind Easter brunch. 

The weekend brunch menu will be available along with added chef specials in honor of Easter.

Brunch will be served from 10:30 A.M. to 3 P.M. Activities includes: egg hunt, egg painting, face painting and posing for a picture with the Easter bunny and Alice!

 
For kids 5 – 12 years old, brunch items are ½ off. Activities and brunch are complimentary for children under 5 years old, attending with a paying adult. 

 For more information and to make your reservation today, call 404.961.7370.

Lobby Bar & Bistro is located on the ground floor TWELVE Hotel & Residences at Atlantic Station. 

 

 Lobby Bar & Bistro  [ 361 17th Street Atlanta, GA 30363 ]

 

http://www.lobbyattwelve.com/

If you wish to win a family 4-pack to brunch at Lobby Bar & Bistro on April 8th and meet Alice and the Easter bunny all you have to do is to leave us a comment below. Is just that easy. Don't miss this chance to really impress your family. Good Luck!!

When Pigs Fly

Happy Friday y'all!! I wanted to share this picture with you just to prove you that if you keep your eyes open you can always find amazing stuff at Goodwill. Two of these items I bought at my local Goodwill, and two of them I bought at a nearby antique shop. Can you guess which ones are from the goodwill and which ones are from the antique shop? All four items were DIRT cheap. Sometimes being broke is a good thing. You don't fill your house with useless things and you develop a deeper appreciation for the things you do have. Thrifty living doesn't have to be an unpleasant thing. I actually think is pretty awesome. It's cool to be be frugal. Very cool  ;)

Simple Salads: Grilled Peach and Avocado Salad with Goat Cheese with Fig Vinegar and Burnt Sugar Reduction

 "I really like adding grilled fruit  to my salads. I love how they caramelize nicely and melt in your mouth. Adding fruits to your salad not only makes it picture perfect but elevates the dish to a whole new level."

Liza Cardona

The ingredients for this salad are:

• 1 head of Romaine lettuce (or your choice of greens mix)
• 3 medium sized ripe peaches
• 2 small avocados
• Goat’s cheese, crumbled
• Optional: Red onions, cherry tomatoes, toasted pecans (or hazelnuts) and bacon

For the Glaze you will need:

•   1/3 cup of Alessi White Balsamic Fig Infused Vinegar
•   2 Tablespoons of Blue Mountain Country Burnt Sugar

Preparation

1.  For better grilling cut the peaches in half  and remove the pits. Place them on a well-oiled cast iron grill over medium-high heat and cook for a few minutes on each side to lightly char.
2.  Pour Fig vinegar and the 2 tablespoons or burnt sugar into a small saucepan and  bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vinegar has reduced to 1/4 cup. Set aside, and cool to room temperature.
3.  Rinse and dry lettuce and cut it into bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl along with peach slices and avocados, and crumbled goat cheese and drizzle with the fig and burnt sugar reduction.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

First look: New LEGO Store at Discover Mills Celebrates it's Reopening by Hosting LEGO® Creation Nation Event

 

  

The LEGO® group, one of the world’s best-known toy manufacturers, is thrilled to announce the grand reopening of the LEGO store at Discover Mills, Atlanta’s largest outlet, value retail and entertainment destination. 

To celebrate the grand reopening of the newly redesigned LEGO store, children, adults and families are invited to help participate in building a large-scale map of the United States using LEGO® bricks. 

This three day building event entitled “LEGO Creation Nation” encourages participants to use their creativity to construct a small scale model that represents their favorite city or place in the United States to be added to a large map made entirely of bricks, creating a unique and one of a kind LEGO model of the nation.

 

 

The LEGO store will now be located near The Disney Store and Gymboree Outlets and raises the bar in innovative displays, in-store family events and shopper-friendly play areas. 

“The newly redesigned LEGO store is the perfect complement to Discover Mills’ already celebrated shopping and entertainment experience,” said Karl Woodard, general manager of Discover Mills. 

”We are confident that local residents and visitors to the greater Atlanta area will revel in the fun experiences that the LEGO store brings to Discover Mills.” The new LEGO store will feature an assortment of products covering nearly every square inch of space amidst three key design components. 

The “Pick-A-Brick-Wall,” by far the most popular store feature, offers the option to hand pick and purchase specific LEGO bricks and elements in a variety of colors and shapes in bulk. The “Living Room” is an interactive play area prominently positioned in the center of the store and finally a “Brand Ribbon” runs the circumference of the store, featuring LEGO model displays, company history and fun facts to entertain guests.

In addition, other in-store features and experiences include Master Builder Bar, Monthly Mini Model Build Classes, LEGO Club Meetings, V.I.P. Program and Shop & Ship. “Our newly redesigned store at Discover Mills will enhance our consumers’ overall LEGO brand experience through product variety, store design and regular hands-on family events,” says Skip Kodak, vice president, LEGO Group. 

“Children and families will be able to experience first-hands and hands-on creativity and imagination that goes into LEGO building and be inspired by the over 4 million LEGO bricks that are in the store at any given time.” 

  

The Details: DISCOVER MILLS TO HOST “LEGO® CREATION NATION” THIS WEEKEND

Large scale building event to create one of a kind model of the United States

WHAT: 

Throughout the weekend there will be building competitions, free LEGO giveaways, raffles and the opportunity to create a large-scale model with hundreds of other builders. Everyone who participates will also receive a free LEGO Certificate of Achievement, while supplies last.

WHEN:            Friday, March 30 – 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 31 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 1 – 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

WHERE:          Discover Mills (Food Court)

5900 Sugarloaf Parkway

Lawrenceville, GA 30043

COST:             Free and open to shoppers of all ages

FOR MORE INFO: Call (678) 847-5000, visit www.discovermills.com or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DiscoverMills.