Shadow Quest at Great Wolf Lodge Poconos

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Shadow Quest At
Great Wolf Lodge 
Poconos
Disclosure: Our family was invited to Great Wolf Lodge, Poconos for the kick off of Shadow Quest.
Special thanks to the managers and staff of Great Wolf Lodge, Poconos. They treated us like gold!

 Recently my family was invited to the kick off weekend of Shadow Quest at Great Wolf Lodge, Poconos.

As if Great Wolf Lodge was not already loaded with tons of family fun, things just got even better!
For years our family has been enjoying quality time less than two hours from NYC right in the Poconos, PA.
There are plenty of choices when you stay at GWL from lounging in the lobby by the cozy floor to ceiling grand fireplace to splish-splashing in the water park. When our family visits we love to take part in Magi Quest, a virtual game that takes place throughout the halls of the lodge using a personalized wand.

For all the Magi Quest fans out there, you will be happy to know that the game is still available and untouched. By the way, you can use your already purchased Magi Quest wand to play Shadow Quest.
What a perk! You can have both games loaded onto one wand. I love that! 
Cutting to the chase, we loved the game Shadow Quest! It’s a game that I saw little children playing as well as older children. My seven year old daughter and fourteen year old son both enjoyed the game.
Shadow Quest is based on three main characters: Lumina (leader of the light pixies),
Malaki (the shadowlord and former student of Ivan), and Ivan (the former Runemaster Yeti).
After activating your wand the game begins at the trees where you are introduced to Lumina
who will guide you through your quest. You can return to the trees at any time and with the tap of  your wand find out exactly where you are in the game and what you need to complete your quest.
Your ultimate goal of the game is to save the light.
As you play you will be guided quest by quest collecting runes and going through enchanted lands. 
As a final battle you must defeat Malaki in order to receive the medal of light and win the game. 
Just as a note, if you are planning to play Shadow Quest please remember that it takes time. You can probably complete the game in about five hours. The great part is that your game is saved on your wand, so when you come back to Great Wolf Lodge you can continue your game. Our family activates the wands when we check in so that we have the most play time during our stay. 

During our stay we were privileged to a private tour of Shadow Quest. We completed a quest together and were shown the final battle. It’s Awesome!! Our family was thrilled to find out that there were quite a few ending battles, so you can play one and if you don’t win you can return and get a different battle. That was a relief after spending many many times trying to defeat the Silver Dragon in Magi Quest. So our little pack of wolves gives Shadow Quest a BIG Paws Up! It’s a game that’s challenging and fun! It’s great to play alone or with the family. If you visit Great Wolf Lodge you definitely should give it a try, I don’t think you will regret it. If you are near another GWL, please check to see if Shadow Quest is up and running yet. See you at Great Wolf Lodge! 
Disclosure: Our family was invited to Great Wolf Lodge, Poconos for the kick off of Shadow Quest.
Special thanks to the managers and staff of Great Wolf Lodge, Poconos. They treated us like gold!
We were treated to many amenities during our stay. To book your stay at GWL Poconos for $59 per person per night please contact  http://www.greatwolf.com/poconos/deals/getaway
All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan. Contact me at ELGEORGIA@aol.com 
twitter .@3deades3kids

Olympic Champions And Legends of Figure Skating Join American Idol Winner at IZOD Center December 11th!

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OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS AND LEGENDS OF FIGURE SKATING JOIN AMERICAN IDOL WINNER SCOTTY MCCREERY FOR P&G & WAL-MART “TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN LEGENDS OF THE ICE” PRESENTED BY CITI HILTON HHONORS RESERVE CARD

Spectacular, star-studded lineup currently includes 10 Olympic Champions and 7 Olympic silver medalists including Evan Lysacek, Sarah Hughes, Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, Dick Button and Nancy Kerrigan
Olympic champions and figure skating legends will join American Idol winner Scotty McCreery for a once-in-a-lifetime skating spectacular at the P&G & Wal-Mart “Tribute to American Legends of the Ice” presented by Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card figure skating show.


This event marks the only time in history that audiences will be able to see ten Olympic figure skating champions, seven Olympic figure skating silver medalists and numerous future stars of figure skating all gathered together for a one-night only performance.
The show will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m. at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford.  Tickets go on sale October 6, 2013 and will be available online via TicketMaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.


McCreery, whose first studio album, Clear As Day, went Platinum in just 13 weeks, will perform live during the show which will feature nearly 30 figure skating legends and superstars.


Hosted by Olympic and two-time World champion Kristi Yamaguchi along with three-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss, the star-studded castis scheduled to feature performances and special appearances by:
·       Olympic champion and World champion Evan Lysacek
·       Olympic champion and World bronze medalist Sarah Hughes
·       Olympic champion and World champion Tara Lipinski
·       Olympic champion and two-time World champion Brian Boitano
·       Olympic champion and four-time World champion Scott Hamilton
·       Olympic champion, Olympic silver medalistand five-time World champion, Carol Heiss Jenkins
·       Olympic champion, Olympic silver medalist and two-time World champion,Tenley Albright
·       Olympic champion and four-time World champion Hayes Jenkins
·       Two-time Olympic champion and five-time World champion Dick Button
·       Olympic silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto
·       Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen
·       Olympic silver medalist and Olympic bronze medalist Nancy Kerrigan
·       Olympic silver medalist Paul Wylie
·       Olympic silver medalist and World ChampionRosalynn Sumners
·       Olympic silver medalists Kitty and Peter Carruthers
·       Olympic silver medalist and two-time World champion Linda Frattiane


Since becoming American Idol’s youngest male winner in 2011, as well as the show’s first country male winner, Scotty McCreery quickly emerged as country music’s most successful new artist. His first studio album, Clear As Day, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release.  It also garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year, held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks.


McCreery, winner of “New Artist of the Year” at both the 2011 American Country Awards and the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards, recently released Christmas With Scotty McCreery, which debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Top Seasonal Albums chart and became one of the season’s top holiday albums.
The event will also showcase 2014 Sochi Winter Games hopefuls:
·       Two-time U.S. champion Ashley Wagner
·       U.S. champion Max Aaron
·       U.S. champions Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir
·       U.S.silver medalist Gracie Gold
·       U.S. silver medalist Ross Miner
·       Two-time U.S. bronze medalist Agnes Zawadzki


The show will be broadcast nationally on NBC Saturday, February 1, 2014 (2:30 – 4:30 p.m. EST), just two days before the start of the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Following the initial telecast, the show will be broadcast in multiple international markets, and will be posted in its entirety on IceNetwork.com for viewing six months following the initial telecast on NBC.

Tickets are $150, $75, $60, $40. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the IZOD Center Box Office (Mon-Fri 11 AM-6 PM),www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or any Ticketmaster outlet. Additional fees may apply. Groups of 15+ or more contact IZOD Center Group Sales at 201-460-4370 for special discounts. Visit www.IZODCenter.com for more information.

#Giveaway $25 @BuildABear Gift Card We Loved Our Build A Bear Birthday Party!

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#Giveaway $25 Build A Bear Gift Card
We Loved Having A
Build A Bear Birthday Party!

Every year when Em’s birthday rolls around there is big talk in the house about where to have the party.

This year with her new love for Build A Bear Workshop it seemed like a no brainer. The minute I asked her where she would like to have her birthday there was a huge shout, “Build A Bear”! Our entire family laughed because we all knew that would be the answer. Although she wanted her party at the Build A Bear Workshop in NYC, we opted for the Paramus Park location in NJ.
Since my oldest son is twenty-two, I am not a newcomer to party planning and have hosted many birthdays throughout the years. This was our very first Build A Bear birthday party so no one really knew what to expect. I was just banking on the fact that our family loves the brand and it would all work out.
Along the way I found out many things and tips for you if you are planning a party there.
Build A Bear hosts both birthday parties and just celebrations. So, you don’t have to wait for a birthday to roll around. You can use the celebration as part of a slumber party, team party, girl scouts, friends night out or anything else you can think of that needs celebrating. I love that idea. 
There is only a six person minimum so you don’t have to worry about filling the house with kids. You can choose how many children attend and how much money you would like to spend. Leave the rest to Build A Bear! Parties start at just $10 a child for a bear and up. You choose what you would like to do.
We opted for the $25-$30 range so that the children had a wider variety to choose from and could dress their new friend. You can get a nice package at any price and the children will be thrilled!
The party is very easy to set up. I used the website  buildabear.com which quickly guides you through the party planning stages and comes complete with printable invitations and thank you notes! There is even a FAQ section for all of your questions. If booking online is not your thing you can also call the 1-877-789-2327 or go to a local Build A Bear store. As a tip: Book early for the date and time that you would like. I did not realize just how busy the BABW parties were when I was booking. The party only take minutes to book and  then the rest is in Build A Bear’s hands! It is literally a party you just show up to with you family and just enjoy!
Em’s 7th Birthday celebration was amazing. Build A Bear went over the top with fun for the kids.
One of the questions and worries I had was that the children would want a different bear or different clothes than what was being offered at the party. I did not have to worry at all. The Build A Bear party host let me know that she would only allow the children to choose what was previously arranged. 
Since my daughter was the birthday girl she was able to choose whatever friend she wanted.
No one was surprised that she chose My Little Pony Rainbow Dash!
So, let’s get to the party. Our party was scheduled for 5pm. I did write 4:45 on the invites so that everyone would arrive a little early and we could get the party started on time. We had eleven kids on board and that made for A LOT of smiles and fun. The kids were immediately arranged into a circle on the floor and given some party rules that would make the day more enjoyable. They were given a code word: Popcorn, that would help to make all those excited little people quiet down so they could hear what was going on.
When everyone arrived, the party was lined up and chanted, “Build Our Bears! Build Our Bears!”. 
It was simply adorable! With the party girl leading the line I did have a little tear in my eye when I saw just how happy she was at that moment. It’s what Mommy’s live for!
Next up was choosing the bear. The party host showed all of the friends that were available to choose from.
Our party had about ten choices including Sponge Bob, a Girl Scout cookie bear, The Smurfs,  a Halloween kitty and more. There were plenty to choose from. Honestly, I don’t know how the kids narrowed it down!
After all the choosing was done it was back to the circle. I absolutely LOVED the next part of the party. If you have ever been to BABW you know that each bear has a heart inside with a special wish. At the party, each child was given TWO hearts, one for their bear and one to put into Emily’s bear! So Em’s bear ended up with eleven hearts and birthday wishes! While the bears were stuffed one by one, there was an additional autograph bear that made it around the circle for each child to sign. How special! What a memory to keep forever. The party included stuffing and dressing the bears, naming them, playing games, singing the birthday song more than once and making each and every child at the party feel special.
You can check out more about the party on our video from Em’s Beary Special Birthday!
Disclosure: Special thanks to Build A Bear Workshop and BABW at Paramus Park Mall.
All opinions are that of  Diane Sullivan. Contact me at ELGerogia@aol.com.
 Pictures/video were approved verbally. 
GIVEAWAY:
One lucky reader will win a $25 gift card to Build A Bear just in time for the holidays!
Giveaway ends November 29th, 2013 at 11:59pm and contacted by email. 
18+/USA only please. Enter on rafflecopter. If rafflecopter does not appear please click on the rafflecopter link. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Giveaway: RC Radio Ranger! Perfect For Someone On Your Gift List!

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With the holidays around the corner we are all looking for fun and unique gift ideas and boy do we have one for you! Not only was this amazing item on the Animal Planet “Extreme Fishing Show” but they also featured it on another Animal Planet show “Top Hooker!” What item are we talking about? The one and only – the 34″ Radio Ranger Remote Control Fishing Boat! Rc-Fishing-World-Amazon-Rc-Fishing-Boats
This is an amazing chance for you to make someone on your list smile!
  The-Radio-Ranger-Rc-Fishing-Boat
 Not only is it almost three-feet long, but this is the biggest RC Boat that RCFishingWorld.com offers! Guaranteed fun for kids and adults alike, this would be a fabulous gift under the tree. Meet the Radio Ranger by clicking PLAY BELOW! The Radio Ranger RC Fishing Boat includes:

  • The 34” Radio Ranger RC Fishing Boat
  • The RC Fishing Pole, Fising Line, Bobber, and Hook, Line Release Pads
  • A Boat Stand
  • Transmitter and batteries
  • 7.2 Volt 1800mah Boat Battery and wall charger
  • 1 Extra set of propellers

Plus, it is READY TO GO RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX,! Read more by checking out RCFishingWorld.com or check out Blog with Mom’s full review!

Win it! A RC Fishing World Giveaway

Radio_Ranger-and-The RC-Fishing_Pole - 2 Giveaway Details:

  • This giveaway will run from 11/08- 11/28
  • Is opened to entrants 18 years of age and older and are located in the US
  • All entries must be in the entry form and will be verified
  • To see full disclosures, see the disclosures at the bottom of the entry form

Enter in the entry form -> Entry-Form

**DISCLOSURE** 3decades3kids is acting as an advertisement for the Sponsor and is not responsible for prize. This event is brought to you by Blog with Mom and Adventures of 8 through Advertise with Bloggers! If you are interested in sponsoring an event like this, please contact Advertise with Bloggers.