I just got back from a whirl wind trip to New York City.  Whirl wind meaning, I arrived to the Hilton Fashion District Monday night at midnight and was on a shuttle back to LGA at 3:30am on Wednesday morning.  Wait till you hear what I did in between!

Tuesday was jam packed of adventure with a splash of awesomesauce!

I work for a company called Collective Bias and run a community of over 1600 bloggers.  Mars chose 5 bloggers (Lori Pace, Monica Benavidez, Kristy Still, Rebecca Parsons and Deb Thompson) from our community to attend the opening of the Museum of Chocolate Art in New York City.  The 5 bloggers that participated in the M&M’s candy corn campaign   did an outstanding job during the campaign.  We provided them with an all expense paid trip to the city to attend the launch party for The Museum of Chocolate in NYC.

We woke up Tuesday morning and met the bloggers for breakfast at the hotel restaurant, RAW.  I had a little surprise for the bloggers when they got to the table… Sony sent me 5 Sony Alpha NEX cameras to give to the bloggers to use on their New York adventure!  They were beyond ecstatic over the cameras!

After breakfast our next surprise for the bloggers was a sight seeing trip around the city… the Sex in the City tour!  We boarded the bus and toured the spots  around the city where Carrie and her friends filmed the HBO favorite.  We ate cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery and shopped in the West Village on Bleeker Street.  It was fun being able to tour the city’s hot spots.

After the tour we headed over to the M&M’s store in Times Square. It’s a massive store with everything M&M’s.  We saw all the new gear featuring Ms. Brown, which is the newest M&M character that was featured in the M&M’s Superbowl commercial.  Here is the commercial:

After everyone had purchased their souvenirs we grabbed a bite to eat and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for the main event.

The launch party was held at The Museum of Chocolate in New York City.  We were surprised when Vanessa Williams showed up at the party because we had no idea what to expect.  All the party details had been hush, hush so you can imagine our excitement when Vanessa walked in!

The museum, which is located at 468 Broadway, will be free and open to the general public daily from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. through Sunday, February 12, 2012.  The museum features nearly 20 commissioned art pieces created with real milk chocolate that tell Ms. Brown’s life story.  Can’t  make it to New York City? Here’s a virtual tour of the museum:

I got the opportunity to chat a little with Vanessa Williams after we had our photo taken together and she is one of the nicest celebrities I have ever met.  We talked about family, what I do and I explained what the bloggers do and why they are such an important part of any media launch.  What an awesome experience!

Fans can interact with Ms. Brown on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mms, as well as Twitter atwww.twitter.com/mmsbrown.

Oak Park based MJR Digital Cinemas announced today that they, in conjunction with the acclaimed Star Wars:  Episode 1 the Phantom Menace movie in 3-D will host the Great Lakes Garrison, the Michigan chapter of the 501^st Legion in the theatre lobby at their newest venue, the Westland Grand Digital Cinema 16 located at 6800 N. Wayne Rd. Westland, MI 48185.

The various Star Wars characters will be in their lobby on Saturday, Feb. 11^th from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in full garb.  BRING YOUR CAMERA! You can have your picture taken with your favorite character.  This is Free of Charge to all patrons, but donations will be accepted with all proceeds going to the Make a Wish Foundation.

The Legion consists of volunteers most of which hold full time jobs outside of the Legion activities.

WATERFORD DIGITAL CINEMA · 16 7501 Highland Rd. Waterford, MI 48327   BRIGHTON TOWNE SQUARE DIGITAL CINEMA · 20 8200 Murphy Dr.                                                   Brighton, MI 48116                                                                                                                                       CHESTERFIELD CROSSING DIGITAL CINEMA · 16 50675 Gratiot Ave. Chesterfield, MI 48051

WESTLAND GRAND DIGITAL CINEMA ● 16

6800 N. Wayne Rd.

Westland, MI 48185

MARKETPLACE STERLING HEIGHTS DIGITAL

CINEMA · 20

35400 Van Dyke

Sterling Heights, MI 48312

Partridge Creek DIGITAL Cinema ▪14

17400 Hall Rd.

Clinton Twp., 48038

SOUTHGATE DIGITAL CINEMA · 20

15651 Trenton Rd.

Southgate, MI 48195

WATERFORD DIGITAL CINEMA · 16

7501 Highland Rd.

Waterford, MI 48327

BRIGHTON TOWNE SQUARE DIGITAL CINEMA · 20

8200 Murphy Dr.                                                  

Brighton, MI 48116                                                      

CHESTERFIELD CROSSING DIGITAL CINEMA · 16

50675 Gratiot Ave.

Chesterfield, MI 48051

Todd Oldham is launching a new line of art supplies and art kits called Kid Made Modern that are sure to inspire kids of all ages!  Everything from crazy crayons, neon-printed ducktape, jewelry kits, art papers and more.   The line launches May 20 at Target stores.

Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove is performing at The Palace of Auburn Hills, March 14-18. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14 to Saturday, March 17; 11 a.m. Friday, March 16; 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday March 17; and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, March 18.

Get tangled up in Disney’s 50^th animated feature with Rapunzel and Flynn and enter the worlds of your other favorite Disney princesses –Tiana, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and of course, the one who started it all, Snow White.  Ahoy, Mateys!  Set sail with Peter Pan, the always sassy Tinker Bell and the cantankerous Captain Hook and his pirate pals on an adventure beyond Never Land!  Trek the wilds of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘Circle of Life.’  Tick-Tock!  Tick-Tock!  Don’t be late to a very important date with Alice and the Mad Hatter as they march with the Queen of Hearts’ Army of Cards.  Relive magical moments in this ultimate Disney animation celebration coming to Auburn Hills! Don’t miss Port Huron’s Justin Williams and Deford, Mich. native Katelyn Walter, both ensemble skaters in the show.

Ticket Prices: $65, $50 VIP, $26, $21 and $15. Tickets for Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove are available at the Palace of Auburn Hills Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, The Palace Locker Room Stores and www.ticketmaster.com. To order tickets by phone, call            1-800-745-3000      . Group calls             248-377-8638      

Have your kids ever asked to use your ipad to watch videos and then asked you, “Mommy, does Dora do drugs?” or some other shocking question?

Did you shockingly respond, “You are never allowed to watch videos on the iPad again.”

Instead of having to worry about the videos your child is watching while your kids are innocently trying to be entertained, you can now download an app developed by a father that contains videos that are safe and fun.

The app is called Kids Videos and is available exclusively for iPad in iTunes or here and Kindle Fire here  or in the Amazon Appstore. To find out more go to http://www.mefeedia.com/kids.  Kids can watch safe videos and like or dislike them like you can do with music on Pandora.

I personally felt that  was it my duty to share this app with Detroit Mommies readers after learning about it today.  I know for me, I don’t want to worry about the videos my children are watching when I know they really enjoy playing games and watching videos on my iPad.

Beginning, today,  Jan. 4, 2012, the Wint Nature Center will be open for walk-in visitation Wednesday – Sunday, from 1 – 5 p.m. The nature center will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Advance reservations programs including group programs, field trips, birthday parties, etc. are available Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday noon – 5 p.m.

The new hours are part of the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission’s efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs while continuing to provide high quality service to residents and guests.

photo credit: http://www.vitalnutrients.net

Who doesn’t want to stretch their buck a little further?  The economy isn’t in any shape for consumers to not care how much they are spending on gifts this holiday season.  We are aware of prices, cost, coupons, discounts…every penny counts and every penny matters.

What if…you could spend and get back ?  What if you didn’t even have to think about it…that is just happened when you were buying your regular purchases?  Well, it can and does when you are using an American Express.

I was given the opportunity to see just how 40,000 American Express Membership Rewards points could turn into holiday gifts for my family.

This past year has been a hard year for my family.  Without going into details, giving as much as I can to them means a lot to them and to me.  With 40,000 points I was able to get (3) $50 gift cards to Victoria’s Secret for my mom and 2 sisters, (2) $25 gift cards to Olive Garden for my dad and a $100 American Express gift card so my mom can purchase and wrap gifts to go under their tree.

‘Tis the season to give back!

Who doesn’t like to show their school pride?  It’s even better if you can do it with style.  Take a look at this great line of sterling silver beads that are made in Michigan.  The Collegiate Bead Company offers beads with the licensed logos of nearly 150U.S. universities, colleges and sororities, including just about everyMichiganUniversity.  Collegiate Bead Company, based inRoyal Oak, makes hand finished sterling silver School Beads that fit Pandora, Chamilia and other popular charm bracelet styles.

This product makes people say “why didn’t I think of that?”  It’s a great idea – a modern way to show your school spirit.  The beads are high-quality hand finished and would make an excellent gift.

Not only is it a great product, but there is also an interesting story behind the company.  The owner, Dave Showalter, discovered the market niche while recovering from brain surgery.  An e-mail from a customer of his family owned jewelry store that wished him well also inquired about sorority beads fitting Pandora or Chamilia charm bracelets. He scoured the Internet and found no such product. From there, Collegiate Bead Co. was born.

The Collegiate Bead Co. has partnered with anotherMichiganbased company, Terryberry out ofGrand Rapidsto keep the manufacturing of these beads entirely in theU.S.Today, Collegiate Bead Co. sells more than 100,000 college beads, sorority bracelets, charms and other college jewelry annually through various outlets. The high quality, hand-finished beads are made in theUnited States.
You can view the entire line at www.schoolbeads.com. The company is on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/SchoolBeads and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SchoolBeads.

Win It!

A School Bead of your choice valued at $49-$59

Entry Requirements

Go to the School Bead Facebook page and post a comment on their wall stating which bead you would like to own.  Then come back here and leave a comment below that you completed the task.

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter.  Open to legal residents of USA, must be least 18 years of age to enter. Winner will be selected randomly through http://random.org. Detroit Mommies writers and contributors are ineligible to participate. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Detroit Mommies is not responsible products shipped from outside vendors or sponsors.  The contest will close on Thursday, December 15, 2011 @ 11:59:59 p.m. EST and winners selected on Friday, December 16, 2011. Winners must respond to Detroit Mommies within 24 hours or an alternate winner will be selected.

Disclosure:  I was given a school bead to facilitate this review, all opinions are my own and honest.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3

Timestamp: 2011-12-18 13:35:02 UTC

When I make my annual wish list for Christmas gifts I tend to go for items I would not normally buy myself.  I go for luxury over practical items.  I make the most of “wish” when choosing what I want.

For example, I might request a top of the line Kenmore dryer  that I don’t really “need”, but would love to have to replace the dryer I have now.  It’s a wish, a want, even a desire, but since my current washer and dryer are “fine” it would be a luxury for me to get one.  Kenmore knows homeowners want convenience along with style, ergonomic design and ease of use.  They have stainless steel refrigerators that provide ice and filtered water through-the-door, ranges with sensors that control the cleaning process, dishwashers with anti-bacterial cycles, microwave ovens that cook with waves of radio frequency and washing machines that fluff clothes at the end of the cycle.  They are the creme de la creme of appliance brands.

Kenmore is a brand  available exclusively through Sears’ 870 full-line department stores, retail outlets and a variety of online offerings accessible at the company’s Web site at www.sears.com.

What other brands does Sears carry that are exclusive?

Sears has a long list of brands that are exclusive to Sears.  Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard, LANDS’END, JACLYN SMITH, JOE BOXER, apostrophe, COVINGTON, COUNTRY LIVING, BONGO, BEVERLY DRIVE, Canyon River, Everlast and Sofia by Sofia Vergara to name a few.

Win It!

A Sears gift card valued at $100!

Entry Requirements

Go to Sears.com and choose an item from the brands listed above that you’d like to have for Christmas?

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter.  Open to legal residents of USA, must be least 18 years of age to enter. Winner will be selected randomly through http://random.org. Detroit Mommies writers and contributors are ineligible to participate. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Detroit Mommies is not responsible products shipped from outside vendors or sponsors.  The contest will close on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 @ 11:59:59 p.m. EST and winners selected on Wednesday, December 14, 2011. Winners must respond to Detroit Mommies within 24 hours or an alternate winner will be selected.

SEARS DEALS:

Sears continues to offer great deals for customers looking for gifts of all shapes and sizes – this Fri and Sat only, Dec 9-10, Sears stores nationwide and online will offer additional savings, including:

• Save 60% on sweaters, coats, and fleece for the whole family
• Save 50% on flannel sheets, down comforters, heated blankets and throws
• Save up to 50% off ALL Craftsman Mechanics Tool sets — get a 200 piece tool set with molded carry case for just $99.99 (Reg. $199.99)
• Save on ALL treadmills, including as 40% off the Nordic Track C 900 treadmill for $899.99 (Reg. $1499.99)
• Save $350 on Zenith 50″ class plasma HDTV for $549.99 (Reg. $899.99) — Available now, Dec. 4-10, 2011

And the popular People’s Pick sales are still going on weekly through Dec. 24. This week’s People’s Pick showed that the RCA 42″ 1080p FULL HD LCD TV received the most votes across the country, making the product available for $479.99 (Reg. $529.99) this Friday and Saturday only. The Oster Electric Wine Bottle Opener also received an overwhelming number of votes from the Northeast (dropping the price to $19.99 from $24.99), while home decor and apparel items were more popular in the southern and midwestern regions. Additional information on the popular People’s Picks items in your area is available upon request and to view all the products customers voted on this past week visit, Sears.com/pick.

Disclosure:  I was given a Sears gift card to check out the Sears exclusive brands and was compensated for my time.  All opinions are my own.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

15

Timestamp: 2011-12-14 16:08:50 UTC

The holidays can be challenging.  Especially, financially.  Children start to get older and gifts start to get more expensive.  Being a parent can be challenging because we strive to give our children the best of everything even if that means pinching pennies elsewhere to do so.

One really cool way to stretch the dollar further is to use a credit card that give you something back.

American Express launched their Membership Rewards 20 years ago as a first of it’s kind program.  They offer more than a million rewards from over 500 brands.

It’s easy to use points and they never expire!  You can earn points on just about anything!  From groceries to gas to paying your taxes and back to school shopping.  You start earning points right away and can redeem them any time.  You can earn points to redeem for a gift card from Victoria’s Secret or Old Navy with as little as 1000 points or save up and pay for a trip!

American Express is a HUGE supporter of Small Business Saturday!  Were you out shopping the sales on Saturday?  If so, tell me which small businesses you supported  for a chance to win a $250 gift card of your choice!

Win It!

A gift card of your choice valued at $250!

Entry Requirements

Were you out shopping the sales on the Saturday after Thanksgiving?  If so, tell me which small businesses you supported  for a chance to win a $250 gift card of your choice!

The Fine Print

No purchase necessary to enter.  Open to legal residents of USA, must be least 18 years of age to enter. Winner will be selected randomly through http://random.org. Detroit Mommies writers and contributors are ineligible to participate. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Detroit Mommies is not responsible products shipped from outside vendors or sponsors.  The contest will close on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 @ 11:59:59 p.m. EST and winners selected on Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Winners must respond to Detroit Mommies within 24 hours or an alternate winner will be selected.

Winner:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

20

Timestamp: 2011-12-07 16:14:23 UTC

Disclosure:  I was given American Express Membership Rewards points to get some gift cards for my family and was compensated for my time.  All opinions are my own.