It's been a long summer, lots going on!

Hello dear readers!

It has been a long summer with lots going on. Kids went to camps, we went on some trips to Legoland and American Dream and got to attend a cousin's wedding. I came back to start a new job, something I haven't done in over 15 years! We also continued planning our daughter's bat mitzvah happening later this year.

While they are all wonderful problems to have, what that meant is that the blog took a backseat to everything else, so in the coming months, I hope to have posts to inspire and enlighten you as well as to give you more information about things that we find interesting!

Pickleball at Fenway for the Pickle4 Ballpark Series

The pickleball craze has officially entered MLB Ballparks with the first of the Pickle4 Ballpark Series events happening this weekend at historic Fenway Park. I had the chance to attend this event, talk with some athletes and watch professional pickleball in Boston.

I arrived in the morning and enjoyed watching some of the amateur competitions throughout the day. There were some exhibitor booths so I had the chance to learn about FlexCar, a local Boston company that is like Netflix for cars, Designer Wellness, a protein company from CA that has a new squeezable smoothie in a pouch packed with protein and and no artificial sweeteners, SportCourt, so you can build a pickleball court in your backyard and Franklin Sports, one of my favorite local companies for years that has been making batting gloves and other family friendly sporting goods, now has a pickleball line and I love using their items!

One of my favorite things to do is to walk around Fenway when there aren't baseball games happening - it's the same Fenway but a totally different experience that I have been lucky to enjoy. 

I have just started on my pickleball journey having played two pickup games in town and really enjoyed it but also have learned that I have a long way to go before I can consider myself good at the game.

I spent some time watching Seth and Amy, a couple from New Hampshire, play in the Bronze competition in the 30-39 age bracket. I enjoyed watching them play and the communication between them. I had the opportunity to talk with them after their match and learn about their pickleball journey and I also learned that the wife was playing as she was well into her third trimester. Way to go, Seth and Amy, not only making history by playing pickleball at Fenway but also being pregnant while playing pickleball at Fenway! So fun and best of luck to you both!

There is a kids clinic happening tomorrow morning that I'll be taking the little guy to and you can still reserve tickets to attend. I hear it will be run by some of the professional athletes. I'll be honest - I wish I could attend it and learn from them as well!

Pickleball is here until Sunday and you can get spectator tickets for only $10. You also get the chance to enjoy Fenway Concessions from Aramark as well while you're here!

NOTE: I was provided with a press pass to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own!

More fun in 2023 at LEGOLAND New York Resort

We had the chance to have more fun this year at LEGOLAND New York Resort in Goshen NY on our way to a wedding.

This year, we took everything we learned from our trip last summer and planned ahead, taking lots of minifigs (for trading), bringing lots of sunscreen, umbrellas and a wagon so we didn't have to carry everything on our backs.

The Water Playground in LEGO City opened after our visit last year and is a perfect destination when it's hot outside. Reservations are required and can only be made starting at 7 am every day for a 20 minute period. The kids really enjoyed their time running around since it was so hot. 

We had my parents with us and my mom has a hard time walking around. We tried out one of the electric scooters and she said she wouldn't have been able to go around the park without it - it certainly was a life saver. There is lots of walking to do so be sure to bring a good pair of sneakers or walking shoes. I definitely felt it just a few hours into the first day!

Right when we got to the park, the kids started trading mini figures. We were pleasantly surprised with some of the trades we made. The most exciting ones we got were Disney minifigs.

We visited during the July 4th holiday weekend so we were treated to a nice display of fireworks every night and they passed out special glasses you could wear that would turn the fireworks into LEGO bricks. They also had special patriotic builds around the park and you could even help build a special piece of artwork by completing a 

This year, we had the opportunity to check out the new water park in LEGO City and the Miniland hub in addition to seeing all of the fun attractions we enjoyed last year.

One thing to remember is that there aren't many places for shade so we brought umbrellas with us for the occasional rain shower in the forecast but also to use to make a little bit of shade and it definitely saved us a few times.

The rides we loved the most were the LEGO factory tour where you are turned into a minifig and the Ninjago ride. We also enjoyed the random LEGO character encounters that we would have as we walked around the park. We really liked interacting with the Joker at LEGO Castle.

NOTE: We were provided with admission in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own. 

A fun time at the Fiesta Shows Carnival in Sharon, Massachusetts

Last weekend we attended the Fiesta Shows Carnival in Sharon, Massachusetts, and it was a fun time that the kids enjoyed with their friends. Every spring, Fiesta Shows stops in Sharon to bring the carnival to families in the area. We are particularly happy to welcome it to town because the gate admission benefits a local youth sports organization, the Sharon Youth Baseball and Softball Association. 

The Fiesta Shows Carnival was well-organized, transforming what is usually a large parking for tennis courts and baseball fields lot into a festive grounds complete with fair foods and fun attractions.

The highlight of our experience was the rides, and Fiesta Shows did not disappoint. From classic favorites like the Ferris wheel and carousel to thrilling rides like Top Gun, Freak Out, Fire Ball and Pharaoh's Fury. we enjoyed using the Megapass Bracelets which allow the ticket holder unlimited rides any one day for a set fee. Otherwise, you would have to buy tickets on a card in order to go on rides.

Our 6 year old really enjoyed the froghopper, Rockin' Tug, Super Slide and Spinning Coaster. The last time I went on the Super Slide, I actually went a little airborne after the second bump so I decided to stay away this year.

Our 12 year old enjoyed the more thrilling rides like Pharaoh's Fury and Zero Gravity. She watched on as her friends enjoyed Top Gun and Freak Out.

The games always provide entertainment. From balloon darts to water gun fun, there were plenty of opportunities to test one's skills and win prizes. As for the food, they had a variety of options available. Classics like cotton candy, popcorn, and fried dough were readily available along with slushies, pizza, sausage and fries.

We look forward to welcoming Fiesta Shows back to our town next year. Luckily for our readers, they still have a few more stops. You can catch Fiesta Shows attractions and games at the following events:

5/25-6/1: Billerica Spring Carnival

6/1-6/4: Attleboro Spring Carnival

6/8-6/11: Lynn Carnival

6/8-6/18: Chelsea Carnival

6/16-6/18: Lawrence Carnival

NOTE: We were provided with MegaPass Bracelets in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and no other compensation was provided,

Withings Health products are so helpful to keep track of my health

Withings is an innovative company offering various health tracking devices. Over the past few months I have had the chance to use a few of their different products to track my health trends and it has come in handy the past few weeks since I just got through a bout with the Flu (and before you ask, yes, I did get my flu shot this year).

In this post we will discuss a few of their various popular tracking devices: Body Comp Scale, the Scanwatch smart watch, Thermo thermometer, Sleep tracking mat, and their Blood Pressure Monitor.

Body Comp Scale

The Withings Body Comp is a smart scale that measures more than just your weight. It provides a complete picture of your cardiovascular health, including your body composition, standing heart rate, vascular age, fat and water mass, and even muscle and bone mass.  In a future update they will also include the Basal Metabolic Rate and Metabolic Age. I also enjoyed seeing a localized weather report and air quality analysis during the scan, which is helpful since I have my scale located in my home office, so it is measuring the air quality in a room I spend a lot of time in.

It is nice that it syncs with the Withings Healthmate app on your smartphone. This app allows you to track your progress over time, set goals, and even share your data with your healthcare provider. This new scale is also compatible with the Withings+ health service which gives you feedback and tips on different things you can tweak to motivate you a different way. The Withings Body Cardio is a great way to stay on top of your heart health and make sure that you are taking steps to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Scanwatch

The Withings Scanwatch is a stylish wearable device that tracks your daily activity, sleep, and heart rate. It has a long battery life, has advanced heart features and will show alerts and texts. The Withings Smartwatch is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about their health without putting on a watch that has too many features or can distract you.

A few of the features we enjoyed are its ability to track your heart rate, ECG and pulse oximetry. The Withings Smartwatch also has a dedicated breathing exercise mode that helps you reduce stress. We are pleased to offer a giveaway of a Scanwatch to one of our loyal readers. You can enter using the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thermo Thermometer

The Withings Thermo is a smart temporal thermometer that takes accurate readings in just two seconds and provides an easy-to-read measurement complete with a color-coded fever indicator. It is a non-invasive, contactless thermometer that uses infrared technology to measure your body temperature. The Withings Thermo is perfect for parents who want to monitor their child's temperature without disturbing their sleep.

The Withings Thermo is also a connected device that syncs with the Withings Health Mate app. This app allows you to track your temperature over time and even share your data with your healthcare provider.

The Thermo was very useful when I was sick with the flu because I was able to track my temperature (and fever) and also knew when it went down and could correlate that information along with when I took medication because I kept track of the medication timing while the Health Mate app kept track of my temperature.

If you have multiple people in your house like we do, you can keep track of everyone's temperatures separately by assigning the temperature you just took to their profile right on the Thermo device. It is super helpful!

BPM Blood Pressure Monitor

The Withings BPM is a wireless blood pressure monitor that allows you to track your blood pressure at home. It is easy to use and provides accurate readings in just seconds. The Withings BPM is perfect for anyone who wants to monitor their blood pressure and make sure that they are staying within healthy ranges.

The Withings BPM is also a connected device that syncs with the Withings Health Mate app. This app allows you to track your blood pressure over time, set reminders to take your readings, and even share your data with your healthcare provider.

Sleep Tracking Mat

The Sleep tracking mat is a device that goes under your mattress and will track your sleep without you having to wear or physically touch anything. The mat has built-in sensors that will track your sleep cycles, snoring, heart rate among other things.

I have been using it for a few months and have enjoyed learning about my total sleep time, difference of time spent in various stages of sleep, when I wake up and how long it takes me to fall asleep.

This has been very useful as I have sleep apnea and while I sleep using a BiPAP machine, which has its own monitoring, the sleep mat provides yet another method of tracking my health while I sleep.

The Withings Body Comp scale

NOTE: I received sample units in order to facilitate this review. They also generously provided a Scanwatch for me to give away to one of my loyal readers. No other compensation was provided. All opinions, as always, are our own.

Bluey's Big Play the live show was so fun! We absolutely loved when it came to the Boch Centre Wang Theatre in Boston!

Photo courtesy of Bluey's Big Play ©blueylive.com

Bluey Big Play, the live show was so fun! We absolutely loved when it came to the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston! We arrived at the theatre a little before the doors opened and enjoyed a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the city. The Boch Center is a great place to watch a show and we always plan some time to make sure we can find parking and grab a bite to eat beforehand.

The show started and all of the kids were so excited when Bluey, Bingo and their parents came on stage and the theme song played.

Much like the TV show, the live show had some touching moments and they even got the kids and caregivers up out of their seats to play a game of "keepy uppy" which our little one absolutely loved as did I! It was a welcome surprise to keep the audience engaged and active that you don't expect to see in a broadway show setting.

The show had some great themes that were quite relatable (much like the episodes of the tv show) and they showed the sisters working together to play with dad using their clever games and fun so he wasn't just laying around. They took the dad's phone and kept hiding it around the house even under a pillow!

If the show comes to your area, we strongly recommend going - it was SO fun and we're still thinking about how much fun we had, a month later.

NOTE: We were provided with tickets to the show in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and no other compensation was provided.

Looking for something fun to do on Saturday? Bluey's Big Play is coming to the Wang Theatre in Boston

Photo courtesy of Bluey's Big Play ©blueylive.com

It’s time to see the much-loved Heeler family from the popular show Bluey in their very first live show in Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show which will have five performances at the Wang Theatre April 7-8.

Fans of all ages will get to see Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli as they’ve never seen them before, as the Heelers embark on their very first live theater show in the U.S. featuring puppetry, live actors, and iconic sets. Based on an original new story written by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show also contains new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. 

The show has family-friendly showtimes on Friday, April 7th (Good Friday so most schools are closed) at 11:00 am & 4:00 pm and Saturday, April 8th at 11:00 am, 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm.

Tickets are available at the Boch Center Box Office, online at www.bochcenter.org or by phone at 866-348-9738. Prices are subject to change. Additional fees and special offers may apply.

For more information on the show, check out www.blueylive.com

NOTE: We received this press release in advance of the Bluey's Big Play show and were provided with a 4-pack of tickets in exchange for this promotion as well as to provide a recap after the show. No other compensation was provided and we will let you know what we think after the show on Saturday!