NYC fun for New Yorkers too at Ripleys!

I was born and raised in Queens NY, and moved to Manhattan about four years ago when I became a mother of two. I was always fascinated by Time Square, maybe because it was rare for me to visit but I loved all the lights, variety of people and just so much entertainment around you. I am one of the rare New Yorkers who enjoys walking in the busy streets of NYC.

Every year during school breaks I try and find things we can do together, that they have not done yet. Something new to experience, and create memories! I think many of us New Yorkers take NYC for granted, and we don’t realize just how much it has to offer, especially family friendly spots! Or we pass these places for years and just keep pushing it to the side as somewhere we will eventually visit, and never do. So when we were invited to go check out The Ripley’s Believe it Or Not Time Square location I was so excited to finally take on this encounter. 

I must say I wasn’t expecting as much as I saw, and learned. I thought it would be a small and simple collection of art/ pieces. But it was SO much more than that. I mean cmon a Captain America made out of  scrape metal, and a King Kong made out of rubber tires! And they are huge! Many unusual yet interesting things you wouldnt see at a basic museum in NYC. 

One of my favorite parts of Ripley’s was the Marilyn Monroe section which was all about her life, and her career. I love anything that brings me back, and this took me into the 50s where she was such an inspiring female icon of the time. She was beautiful and she flaunted it, but she was also very smart at a time when it necessarily wasn’t the ideology of women around that period. 

I am also quite a sucker for abstract art. There was an entire wall with art created with just a ton of different stamps. It was amazing to stand back and see how each and every detail of the art work stood out, you could barely tell from afar that it’s just a collection of stamps put together. I loved its uniqueness! Then there was another portrait art of Barack Obama made out of different colored gumballs. Yup, GUMBALLS. I can only imagine just how long that huge mural took to make. But it was such a fantastic sight. 

The boys both loved the Laser Race game that they had.  Where you have to duck and crawl over and under a bunch of laser beams in a room to get the best score - trying your best not to touch a beam. They had a great time feeling like little spy guys! Let’s just say you don’t bring along your clumsy little brother to a spy mission, you won’t make it too far. None the less they loved the experience of being able to make believe they were really spies with a race to win! 

They really loved all the optical illusion stuff. When Dad went into one where it seemed as if he bottom half was missing they couldn’t wrap their minds around it. They truly wondered if Dad was going to come out the same again. It was the funniest thing ever how worried they were, and all the fun questions they had for us after it. The idea of magic is such a fun thing at their age. They also really liked putting their heads into stuff, it was super interactive.... lots of props and cool holes to get into that make really fun and interesting photos for memory! They were amazed that the hole they put their head into with bugs around them ... were actual real crawly bugs. Of course we didn’t tell them that until after the photos were taken. Their faces were in fact priceless! 

The hands on experience of walking around Ripley’s was a very special time for us that I believe the boys will continue to talk about. They are already saying they want to go back and do it all again. Randomly they will remember a part of our visit to Ripley’s and tell someone about it. Ripley’s Believe it or not is a perfect family outing or even a great date night idea where you can be silly, and get some good laughs in! I highly recommend making it a night out in the city so nice they named it twice. They are always adding new attractions to their space too. Their newest addition is called Smash Dash, where you can compete against the clock or a friend and you have to try and press all the buttons that light up around you as fast as you can, and the more buttons you press the more points you make, a race against time. Which is available with your admission into Ripley’s! 

Thank you Ripley’s for having us!! We will most definitely be back soon. 

—-  We were hosted for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are of our own, and honest. —-

Easter Play Date with Goliath Games PLUS Giveaway !!

Easter is right around the corner. In this home we celebrate Easter for its true meaning, and I remind the boys it isn’t really all about bunnies, and eggs, and chocolates. I think it is important for me to stay true to what I believe in by teaching them its importance to me, and why. But as a child I knew the real meaning behind Easter and had all the fun around the rest of it too!

Easter is a holiday that really reminds me of my grandmother. It was a tradition for us to dress up in our best dresses, and big hats and then after church I would go watch the parade in NYC with her and my cousin. My grandma would also make us these beautiful Easter baskets and take us to go take a photo with the Easter Bunny. It was a very special Sunday with so much to do! Sometimes she even took us to the park to do some egg hunting. 

I believe that holidays are for one main reason - to build memories with the ones you love. I carry all these memories with me, and cherish them, and tell my boys about them all the time. Now it is time for me to create lasting memories for them that they can share with their own kids in the future. 

I decided to create a a fun early Easter game night to get some quality time in before a long week of school. Thanks to Goliath for sending us Lucky Ducks and Jumping Jack as really fun Eastery ( yup, that’s a word!) Games. When I tell you we played both games for over two hours - I’m not exaggerating! They were THAT into it. They really didn’t want to stop playing because it was so much fun. I also really loved how it was still teaching them something while having fun at the same time. It taught them memory, colors, shapes, strategy, counting, etc! That’s a hug plus for me because if they are playing a game I want it to atleast keep their brains rolling, and these games are teaching them about 4 things at once. 

For Jumping Jack you must spin the spinner to see how many carrots you get to pick from Jack's bunny hill. One of the carrots will make him jump, but it's a different carrot every time. If he jumps when it’s your turn, you'll win if you catch him. If no one catches Jack, then the player with the most carrots wins. This game teaches hand-eye coordination, taking turns and quick reactions. The boys loved trying to catch Jack, and there were many funny moments where we thought he was going to jump but didn’t and we giggled a whole lot! 

With Lucky Ducks  you turn on the circular pond, and the ducks start swimming - the bottom side of each duck has a colored shape. Players take turns picking up a duck and looking at the color and shape; if it matches their colored shape, they get to keep the duck. If it doesn't match, they put it back. The first player with 3 ducks that match their shape wins. It’s a great memory game and easy for younger kids with smalle hands, as the ducks are the objects instead of playing cards. Also more challenging with the rotating pond which makes it more exciting! The boys absolutely loved the anticipation of seeing which duck you would pick up and if it was your color shape. 

I highly recommend these two games and we will definitely be playing them over again. The boys can’t wait to have some friends over this weekend to play them too! I know they will make for a great play date game and keep them entertained for hours in. These are just two out of many amazing games Goliath has in store for your little ones. They have such an amazing variety for all ages that you should check out. Down below is the link to check out all of their games. 

- Now here is the super awesome thing about Goliath. They want to give two of my lovely mom followers a chance to win one of the two board games I just mentioned. All you have to do is ONE of the three things : 

- Share the link to this post & @mommygorjess so I can see you have shared it. 

-  Comment down below your Easter tradition 

- OR : Go to my Instagram page @mommygorjess and comment on my last photo! 

Winner will be announced on Good Friday, March 30th! Good Luck everyone, and Thank you Goliath Games! 

Pirates at Play with Paw Patrol LIVE: The Great Pírate Adventure!

I don’t know about your kids, but my boys are completely amazed by the loving yet brave little pups called Paw Patrol. We have been watching it since the very beginning, and though their favorite changes every year there is no denying that they can’t get enough of them all. They say Ryder has the coolest job in the world- which I completely agree. Currently their favorite pup is Marshall the clumsy Dalmatian who shoots water from his pup pack! When I told them Paw Patrol was coming back to MSG for a special pirate adventure they were really looking forward to seeing their favorite pups in action again.

To get them into the spirit of things I got out our Paw Patrol Memory Game and told them the first to find a match would win the treasure! Of course I got two treats because I was going to let them both win at the end but they found so much fun in it. With so many cards it took quite a while for them to find a match but when they did they were so happy to find out their treasure was indeed a Paw Patrol Wonder Egg with a chocolate egg filled with candies shaped as the pups themselves, PLUS a little pup toy that they now want to collect them all.  They were so happy to have solved the memory game mystery and devour their treasures! Now the real fun begins when we head out this weekend to see our friendly pups solve their own mystery! 

In PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure,” Mayor Goodway is getting everything shipshape for a big Pirate Day celebration in Adventure Bay. When Cap’n Turbot falls into a dark and mysterious cavern, it’s PAW Patrol to the rescue! Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky and Zuma save Cap'n Turbot and discover a secret pirate treasure map that leads them on an epic adventure. Over land and on the high seas, the pups set out to find the treasure for Mayor Goodway so the celebration can go on. Things get ruff when Mayor Humdinger wants to find the treasure first for Foggy Bottom. The pups need all paws on deck for this pirate adventure, including help from the newest pup who’s all ears…Tracker! Using their heroic rescue skills, problem solving and teamwork, the pups set sail to save the day. No job is too big, no pirate pup is too small!

PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” follows the first live show PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue,” which is currently touring through 2018. PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” includes two acts and an intermission, and incorporates an innovative costume approach to help bring the pups to life on stage as well as their vehicles and packs during the adventure. The performance is interactive, engaging audiences to learn pirate catchphrases, dance the pirate boogie and help the pups follow the treasure map and solve picture puzzles during their mission!

What: ​PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” Coming to New York!

When:​Thursday​March 22​11:00 a.m.

​Friday​March 23​11:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

​Saturday ​March 24​10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.

​Sunday​March 25​10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.

​

Where:​The Theater at Madison Square Garden

​​    2 Penn Plaza 

​​    New York, NY 10001

Tickets: $30, $50, and $65. A limited number of $85Gold Circle and $175 V.I.P. (Very Important Pup) Packages* are also available. Additional fees and special offers may apply. *V.I.P. Package features premium show seating, a commemorative lanyard and an after-show Meet & Greet with PAW Patrol Live! walk-around characters. Ticket prices inclusive of a $6 facility fee.

Tickets are available at the Madison Square Garden BoxOffice, www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 866-855-0008.

For more information, visit www.pawpatrollive.com, where fans can sign up to receive PAW Patrol Live! Tail Mail with tour updates and other exclusive ticket presaleinformation. Become a fan of PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” atwww.facebook.com/pawpatrollive/ and see more visuals from the tour by typing #pawpatrollive on social media. *Citi is the official credit card of the PAW Patrol Live! tours. Citi cardholders can visit www.CitiPrivatePass.com for more information on pre-sale tickets.

Homework Time Made Easy with Singing Machine Now available on AMAZON.

When this momma says it’s time for homework, I am sure the people on the 20th floor can hear their cries for help. It is seriously a stressful time for all of us. My oldest is in 1st grade but he’s learning things I remember learning in like 3rd grade. Crazy how much things change in just a couple years, but I also understand why. My youngest is just learning the basics of writing his letters and the right way to use a pencil, so he’s got it the easiest right now. Still, managing two homework packets while trying to get dinner ready, laundry folded, and lunches for the next day packed is quite a handful.

My oldest does a lot of math work. For the most part his packet involves him to do two pages of math homework every night. They have something called No Hesitation Math where he has to answer 24 basic addition/subtraction problems in one minute! This has been difficult for him, but he needs to learn to do it as fast as possible to help him learn them by heart. Sometimes he over thinks a problem which loses him some time for the rest, or he wants me to check all the answers right away. 

When our friends from The Singing Machine sent us over their Wise Ol’ Owl Blackboard Calculator I knew this would be the perfect thing to help us out during homework time. It has really been a time saver for the both of us! As soon as he is done with his work he uses the calculator to easily check all of his work, and make the corrections he needs to make. Like this I don’t need to stop everything I am doing to check it. Not only does it give him reassurance that he is doing it right, but responsibility for his own work! He also loves that it speaks the numbers as you push them. The numbers are nice and clear and easy to see, so they don’t need any assistance when it comes to using it.  It has a great feature as well if you want it in Spanish or French instead. He loves putting it in Spanish mode to hear all the numbers differently, and it’s teaching him how to say the bigger numbers. Unfortunately this Latina Mom has only taught her kids to count to 15 in Spanish, don’t judge me - I promise I’m getting to it. Lol. 

The Singing Machine Wise Ol’ Owl Blackboard Calculator has been a daily use for us, and now I can get dinner done with fewer pauses. Not any at all, because I still have children! Lol, but definitely not as many pauses as before. It’s the perfect homework companion for all elementary school aged children. You can now get your very own on Amazon. The links are all down below if you are interested! 

Amazon website: http://amzn.to/2GtxRfM

Amazon IG: http://bit.ly/29ui83o

Amazon Twitter: http://bit.ly/2FTVeRG

Amazon Facebook: http://bit.ly/2bQGO3m

The product was sent to us for review purposes, but all opinions are honest. 

I am a HufflePuff and that’s okay! PUFFS Play Review.

You read this correctly. I am a Hufflepuff! All this time I was in much denial that I was indeed a Gryffindor, because of course that’s what every Potter fan would want. But much to my surprise I noticed that maybe being a Hufflepuff is better. Shocking, I know. But let’s be serious Gryffindors seem a bit too perfect, and perfect can be pretty boring at times, no?

I came to this conclusion while watching the currently running off broadway stage play “ Puffs: or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years At A Certain School of Magic and Magic” at The New World Stages! We were invited to check it out and this Harry Potter Momma was overly excited.

 I have been trying to get Jace into the whole hype of the magic behind Hogwarts, and as we watched the first movie together I knew this would be a special moment. We still have to get through all the other ones, but now that he is reading at 2nd grade level he has been stealing my Potter books to fully embrace the wizardly world. So this adventure has just begun, and I am happy to have him on board on the Hogwarts Express! 

First I want to start off by saying that New World Stages is a beautifully run space, very well managed, friendly, and spotless. We had a surprise waiting for us before the show began, and got to enter the theatre to step onto the stage and take photos with wizard capes and wands. I honestly do not know if I was more excited about this or Jace. It was surely a dream come true for me. As we finished our photos we stepped back out to wait for the show to begin.  As we waited we sat on a comfy couch right outside the doors, and got some  drinks and snacks to enjoy during it. 

We got into our seats, and the magic began. It follows a group of very different Hufflepuffs from the same seven years during Harry Potter’s time at Hogwarts. It is basically telling their side of the story and all that they did and learned in those seven years together. I loved how it went year by year, and if you are a Potter fan you kind of know what is coming year by year. They are all kids who have no idea what they are doing, and well, kind of stay like that year after year... but still want to feel just as special, just as wizardly. It’s a very moving story that has you laughing minute after minute. Hearing Jace laugh hysterically every minute was my favorite thing to see. He literally looked like he was about to fall off his chair a couple times from all the chuckling going on. It was a perfect balance of mixed emotions. It was happy, sad, scary, funny and exciting all at once. Every character was different, yet you could see a characteristic of yourself in each one. Whether it was the Hufflepuff who believed she should be a Slytherin, or Wayne the average boy who never believed much of himself. You get to fully understand the true meaning of the play is to be happy with who you are, and you belong where you belong, even if it isn’t exactly where you expected to be. 

It’s truly a must watch, and one I would go watch again. Great for school aged children and Hogwarts loving adults! Go and get your laugh on now at New World Stages, because you do not want to miss this. Jace is still talking about how his favorite part was when the Hufflepuffs were in “gym class”. It was a very hilarious skit where they played a game and couldn’t get it together. It was literally a flashback for me as I completely and utterly hated gym class back in high school too. See, I told you i was a Hufflepuff ! 

NY Baby Show Time!! Plus FREE tickets!

The 2018 New York Baby Show, on May 19& 20 at Pier 94 will once again be the largest show for new and expectant parents in the country. Now in its 8th year, no other event provides a better experience for thousands of expectant and new families from New York and neighboring counties, seeking a family-friendly jamboree of top brands, great speakers and seminars, big giveaways, and lots of learning, support, bonding, and fun as you make your way into parenthood. We are giving away tickets for you and your family to experience the show. See below for details… etc. Normal ticket price is $30 per family (for 2 adults and up to 4 children), and $20 per individual. 

Click on this link to receive your free tickets :

https://newyorkbabyshow.eventbrite.com/?discount=JessicaSFree

If they are all gone, no need to worry you can still get a ticket at a 50% discount through this link : 

https://newyorkbabyshow.eventbrite.com/?discount=JessicaS50

  

Hope to see some familiar faces there :) 

Squad Goals with Marvels Universe Live!

Like every other child in the world my boys love superheroes! They can’t necessarily choose a favorite because they love many of them for different reasons. They dress up as superheroes around the house and create new ones, and from time to time fight over who will be Spider-Man. It’s a pretty big deal in our home. I mean who doesn’t want to have super powers. I would love to fly from web to web in milliseconds to get to school pick up on time without losing my breath within two blocks! I know most mommas would agree with me on this one.

When we found out Marvels was going on tour and coming to Brooklyn, we knew it was a must for us to attend. When I tell you it was by far the best action packed kids show we have ever been to, I’m not exaggerating! We were all completely mesmerized by all that was going on at once. We loved how all of the superheroes had their very own special part in the show, and all brung something different to the show. 

Marvels Universe Live Age of Heroes produced by Feld Entertainment, with over 25 characters and one epic quest! They must work together to defeat Loki to protect the universe from evil. There are also many other villains such as Nebula, Green Goblin, Rhino, etc. It’s a perfect family show! The boys were even more excited when Black Panther made his grand appearance. 

The Feld Entertainment company are such amazing people and put much thought into making this spectacular show for families to be able to bond and enjoy together. They casted it so perfectly, and made everything so eye catching - from the costumes to the make up, and the way they made sure their was never a  dull moment. It is a show we all could have most definitely watched all over again, and again. 

The fun is all done at Barclay Center, but they will be at The Prudential Center from March 15 to March 18 and then all over the US for another year. Go check out the schedule and make sure you get tickets to the best family night ever! 

Thank you for teaching me to be FEARLESS. #WomensDay

Today like everyday I am proud to be a women. But today I decided to more than usual gather my thoughts on why I am proud. I am surrounded by amazing women day in and day out. From family members, to my blogger friends, and even the awesome women who work for all the companies I have been able to partner with. Its one of the biggest reasons I love blogging, I am always meeting these beautiful souls, mothers, daughters, and they are all strong and positive females that love the company of other strong and positive females. I honestly didn't know that blogging would lead me to this close knit community of fearless mothers who are always encouraging and uplifting all women around them. 

But in this post I will be talking about the two women who made the biggest impact in my life, my mother Marta, and my Grandmother Rina. They have taught me so much about life, but most importantly they have taught me to be fearless. My grandma came into the United States from Colombia as a single mother of four children, one of them being my mother. My mother was her only daughter, and her youngest. Lets just say she was trying and trying until she got herself the girl she always wanted. My grandmother put fear of failure to the side and decided to take a huge leap into a world she knew nothing about, so that her children could live better as Colombia was going through many challenges with their government, and FARC. She knew it was best to leave the life she had known forever, to give her children the chance to have better opportunities in the US. She knew she was going to face tough obstacles, and she was going to have to do it alone, but she did it anyway. 

My grandmother was such a hardworking person. She worked long hours, and though she was very tired at the end of the day she made she all of her children were fed, and everything in the home was running smoothly. She worked for the same company for many many years, and put her all into the job she was given. Not once did she make excuses for herself, or lose sight of the reason why she made the choices she made. I take so much pride in saying that she is my grandmother, and she is one of the most strongest and most beautiful woman I know, and love so much. My grandmother taught me that you have to put your mind to things, and just get them done. She made me understand the true meaning of consistency. She taught me that if you do something over and over and train your mind to stick to good habits, good thoughts all the time, then you can keep your life feeling more in order, and happier. She always tells me how we must find the light at the end of every tunnel, even if it is a scary or long tunnel, there will always be light at the end of it. We just have to get to the end of it to find it. I honestly believe she is the reason why I have had so much self growth lately, why I can see such a negative situation and automatically flip it and find the good in it so that I don't worry much about its negative aspects. I am very spiritually aligned because of all of her beautiful stories, and talks we have had. She is also most definitely the reason I have super crazy cleaning OCD. Do not leave a bed unmade around me, because I will make it even if bedtime is right around the corner.

My mother is the epitome of selfless. She is the most selfless person I have ever met. She will bend over backwards to make the people around her happy, and comfortable. She finds happiness in seeing others around her happy. Many times she has put her own happiness to the side just to see everyone else happy. I really acknowledge her for that, for her unconditional way of showing love. She forgives easily, and that kind of vulnerability is beyond fearless to me. Everyone sees vulnerability as a weakness, when in reality I consider to it be the complete opposite. Being vulnerable is saying I know you can hurt me but I am going to do it anyway, because my heart wont allow anything other than selflessness.  She is the reason why I am exactly the same! I have a very open heart, and I care too much, I love too hard, I forgive too easily, and I understand every side of a story. It may harm me to be a person this vulnerable at times, but I realize that it comes with so many life lessons, and it makes me feel good at the end of it all. I believe that God notices this and the blessings come in abundance for people who just love like Jesus. That is exactly what my mom does! She kept going even when times were hard, and she wanted to give up. She kept her free spirit , and her positive outlook even when she felt like she was all alone, in a world that was bringing her down. She was given many thunderstorms but still waited for the rainbow to shine bright after them. When she was told about her epilepsy, and that they found an aneurysm in her brain, she didn't let it stop her from living her life. I honestly have no idea how she did it, over and over again. The world would kick her down, and she still put a smile on her face and kept her head up! Being around a strong woman like this, it was inevitable that I wouldn't take it all in and use it in my own life, in my own obstacles. She is the reason I can face the hard stuff, and use it to push me to do better and be better. 

So, thank you Mom and Grandma for making me that strong and fearless woman I am today. You guys are the reason that I can do everything I do, and never give up. Because I have you guys to keep me going, and to remind me that everything is possible if you just believe in yourself. I will forever be grateful that you both never stopped helping me grow into the women I have become. Without your guidance and love I couldn't have done it. I love you both, so much! Always. 

Happy International Women's Day! XOXO

Weekend Fun with Goliath

This weekend was a pretty chilly one. Spring is right around the corner but the winter wants to stay in NYC. So when it’s still too cold for the park we have to find other means of entertainment, which isn’t hard when you have Goliath games! 

We got a really awesome package from Goliath that literally saved our weekend! If you know my boys you know getting them outside when it isn’t 70 degrees outside is a mission. So for the most part we stayed in and still had a super fun time just creating and playing. 

March is National Craft Month and I love getting crafty. I’m 100% sure that’s where they get their artsy side! The boys love painting coloring collaging and learning new things to create with a billion different colors. We got this amazing painting easel set called Paint Sation! It comes with no spill paint pods that easily attach to the easel on the side to make it a simple and mess free project. No spills no drips and paint is washable. They even have a cool on the go one that’s a bit smaller but I believe this one is pretty good for on the go too! I know we will be taking it with us to the piers one day to have a fun outdoor day of art. 

We also played Greedy Granny which will have your kids laughing the whole time. Granny has fallen asleep with her snacks on her tray.  Collect all four snacks without waking her up and you are the winner. It was so much fun not knowing if she would pop up from her sleep. The boys loved it so much! We played it over and over again. In this day and age that everything has to do with technology it makes me happy that companies like Goliath Games is keeping it simple and showing the fun of hands on games, that are family friendly but also teach them something within the game. 

There are so many more games and craft sets  that we will share along the way from Goliath, but these two were the big hits for this weekend! You can pick these products up at your local ToysRUs or online! 

What are you going to be making during National Craft Month?! 

Meeting WWE Superstar Emma at The Wrestling Universe Store

If you have been following for quite some time now you know we are on a mission to meet as many WWE superstars as possible! Last year we shared our meet and greet with Daniel Bryan and Big Show at Play Fair! We also got to sit in on a really cool Q&A with them. It was really the highlight of Play Fair for us. Toys are great but anything WWE related is even more awesome to them!

So when we found out that Emma would be at our all time favorite store in Queens, The Wrestling Universe - we knew the cold commute over would be so worth it! 

It was set up so well where we didn’t have to be waiting outside in the cold. It also wasn’t super rushed where we felt like we were in and out. She took her time to acknowledge us, and the boys. She spoke to them and complimented them on their hair, and even asked them some questions. The staff working the event nicely took a couple shots for us on our phone, and then some photos with their camera which we got to see on their Facebook page the very next day. We we’re worried because we completely forgot to bring something for her to sign, but luckily they had it all figured out with very well printed big and sturdy photos of her to get autographed! It was most definitely a night to remember, and the looks on their faces when they saw her sitting there greeting them to come over was just priceless. They couldn’t stop saying how pretty she looked after. Let’s just say Emma now has a very special place in their heart from here on. She was our first WWE women’s division superstar to meet, but hopefully not the last. 

If you are a big wrestling fan and you have never been to The Wrestling Universe store in Queens NY, then you are missing out on something epic! Aside from the arenas where they watch the shows, The Wrestling Universe is the boys favorite place to be. It’s rooms and rooms filled with any WWE superstar you can think of, and great deals! You can check out our youtube video this past summer when we visited! (The Chulo Brothers) A huge plus is the staff is so friendly, helpful and just down right amazing. We make it a family outing atleast every other month to go down and visit, and the boys always leave very happy. They have many different meet and greets every month as well so be sure to check them out on social media to see what they may have coming up soon! 

So thank you to Tenille Dashwood AKA Emma, and The Wrestling Universe for making my boys dreams come true! It was a fantastic night we will always remember. 

I encourage my boys to play with “girl” toys!

My boys are Toy hoarders, and I guess it doesn’t help that Momma knows some pretty awesome companies who send out great toys to them all the time. With that being said I never keep a toy unless I know for sure that they will play with it. You would think I automatically take Barbie dolls and doll houses, more on the girly side kind of toys and put them to the side. But instead I actually encourage my boys to play with them. I tell them it doesn’t matter if it is being marketed as a girl toy, and it doesn’t matter if it’s pink and purple. The great thing about kids their age is they don’t put much thought into it unless they are told otherwise!

One day while watching the Disney channel we came across Vampirina, and automatically they loved it. She was this super cool bat that turned into a vampire, and my boys are obsessed with vampires and bats! We literally sat there and made sure to set every Vampirina to record on our DVR because they didn’t want to miss out on any of them! They couldn’t wait until the toys would start rolling in, and I knew from there on that this show was going to be such a hit for all genders and ages. When Just Play sent us over the Vampirina scare B&B Playset they were ecstatic! They loved all that those three floors had to offer, from dancing Vampirina to glow up Vampirina! She can even hang upside down. It came with so many accessories to add into the play like chairs, table, and a couch. They absolutely love it, and can’t wait to collect all the other figures from the show to join in on the B&B fun. 

Another toy we got was from the WWE, and it was their WWE superstar entrance 2 in 1 Playset that comes with a Nikki Bella action figure. My boys love everything WWE, even the women’s division. I rave about the WWE women’s division so much that they basically had no other choice but to love it as much as I do! Strong women showing they can do the same, or better than your regular big tough men wrestlers. They love the backstage and how it came with a couch, vanity, and closet. They come up with the most epic women matches ever, and set them up so strategically! They even set them up backstage getting ready for their entrance. They have such a huge women’s division figure collection, and I am sure it will just keep on growing with all the up and coming ones! I love that they know how strong women are, and that gender means nothing even when it comes to wrestling. 

I wanted to share this story with you guys because there has been one too many times when I have gone to a toy store and I see a three year old asking mom and dad for a “girl” toy and they are told no just because it is pink or it’s a doll. It breaks my heart because our kids just want to play, they don’t see gender or color in things and it should be our job to keep it that way. So when my son asks me for a pink stroller for his stuffed animal that he calls his baby I say yes without any hesitation, and to heck with whoever doesn’t like it! 

Some of these toys were sent to us, but all opinions are of our own. Always keeping it real with you. 

You can find both of these toys on www.ToysRUs.com !