The Wizard of Oz has always been one of my favorite movies. I can remember as a child finding out the day it would be on TV and marking the date on the calender for a gigantic countdown. My daughter has carried  my love for The Wizard of Oz into her own childhood. Okay, I may have had a little bit of an influence on that. When we both heard that Legends of Oz the movie would be coming out it was wonderful to see that same excitement stirred up as she counted down until movie day.

Recently, Madame Alexander Doll Company released their very own set of Legends of Oz Cloth Dolls. Emily had no idea they were on the way, so when the box arrived I could not wait to share them with her. She burst into a tizzy of excitement as she realized exactly what was in that box of surprises. 

Before we even had the chance to actually look at the tags they were all in her all for a huge hug!

Needless to say they would be  any Legends of Oz fan’s dream come true.

Madame Alexander Doll Company created six different 12 inch cloth dolls based on the animated  movie, Legends of Oz: The Return of Dorothy. They are recommended for ages 3+ and are super soft and cuddly and great for play or to collect. My daughter immediately put them to the test acting out all of the scenes from the movie. 

Dorothy has pigtail braids made of soft yarn and cowboy boots! You’ve never seen Dorothy like this before. China Princess doll has dramatic green eyes and her hair styled just like in the movie! The details on her gown are just incredible: little golden specks and tiny red ribbons. Madame Alexander surely gave each one of the dolls intricate details that make them unique in the soft doll circle. As you may have guessed, Glinda was Emily’s favorite. She has a softness in her heart for princesses. Glinda comes dressed in a pink satin gown embellished with lace and puffy sleeves. There are even flowers printed on the gown. Her hair is in a flip and she is adorned with a satin crown! Honestly, she was my favorite, too!

Scarecrow is just a wonderful as you would expect. He is detailed in so many ways with straw yarn hair, red gloves, blue hat and even his official hat. The Tin Man is someone that has always captured my own heart even though he had a problem finding his! Rest assured his heart is right on his chest as the rest of him is made of a soft silver metallic knit complete with a funnel hat and bow time! He is definitely a keeper and will steal your own heart. Of course, I had to save that ever lovable Cowardly Lion for last. He is the biggest of the group and softer than you could ever imagine. His fluffy golden mane holds onto his crown of gold and he definitely deserves to be King of the forest! He even boosts a red bow on his tail.

If you have a Legends of Oz or Wizard of Oz fan in your house, checking out this collection is a must. They are perfect to role play with, cuddle with or just display! They are ageless in my opinion. Little ones will enjoy them just as older children and adults. They are going to make so many children and adults happy!

You can find out more about Madame Alexander Doll Company Legends of Oz Collection right here.

If there is one thing you must already know about my daughter, it’s that she adores Build A Bear Workshop!

If there was a way for her to make every single bear, cat, dog, butterfly, etc at Build A Bear she would definitely do it! On our recent trip to Disneyland with Disney Social Media Moms Maxine Clark happened to be one of the speakers at our conference. I’m not sure if I mentioned this but Emily ended up in the hospital when during the DisneySMMoms Celebration. After an all night run to the local emergency room, Em ended up with an ear infection in both ears. She also ended up in a wheelchair for three days because of the dizziness the medications and infection. Since she was stationed with my hubby at the Disneyland Hotel where the conference was held she was constantly on my mind during the conference. 

When I called Em later to ask if she had a great time meeting Anna and Elsa her was response was not how great that was, but how amazing it was to meet Maxine Clark! It seems Maxine took a few moments to meet Anna and Elsa and also took a minute to chat with Emily. Little did Maxine Clark know, but she was actually chatting with one of her biggest fans! Em could not stop talking about how she met Maxine. As if that was not kind enough just to take the time to out of her busy schedule, she gave Emily her email address and told her to email when she felt better and she would send her a surprise. Seriously? I told Emily it was just something that people say. But of course since she is so versed on the computer she kept nagging at me to email. Finally weeks later, I let her send the email to Maxine and believe or not, she remembered her!

Flash forward a little package arrived, hand written, from Maxine Clark! What a precious, precious woman!

She not only taught Emily about believing in someone, she taught her mama a lesson, too!!

What a wonderful and thoughtful woman to stand behind her beliefs and help my daughter to see the good in people. 

Recently our family was invited to check out the new Adventure Trek Quest of the Guradians game at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Water Park in Queensbury, New York. Before I go any further, this lodge and game are a must if you are looking for a weekend away with great family fun and bonding time. Six Flags Great Escape Lodge is about three hours from the NYC area and nestled into the picturesque  Adirondak Mountains. It is also located directly across from Six Flags Great Escape Theme Park. As if that is not enough, the lodge has something new to offer guests that are ready to take on an adventure within the walls of their resort. Adventure Trek is a game of  mental challenge that requires the players to begin by grabbing a wand personalized with their name and gamename. My daughter went with GlitterGirl of course and I chose 3decades3kids, not surprised, are you?

Adventure Trek is closely related to MagiQuest but unique to Six Flags in quite a few areas. The game is customized to have Six Flags emblems which makes it a one of a kind game. The good news is you can use your wand again when you revisit the lodge, or use it anywhere MagiQuest is available for play. Now let’s get started on the game. It’s really for kids but I saw quite a few parents pitching in and also playing it themselves. If your children are younger they will definitely need your guidance. Believe me when I tell you that you will want to share the experience with them anyway, you will definitely make some memories playing this one. The game starts off in the Adventure Trek Shoppe. After naming your wand you have the choice of adding a specialty topper. Each topper holds a different power. If you have more than one wand, I would definitely suggest going with different toppers. You can switch the topper powers without switching the wands. 

That’s pretty much it. Once you have your wand you are on your way. After exiting the shoppe there will be some big starter poles where you can choose your adventure, your mission.  During your mission you will be helping to save Six Flags Great Escape Lodge from the evil humdrums and the sludge monster who are threatening to take away all of the fun. You will join up with Hurricane Hannah, Billy Brains and Double Dare Dexter to help save the resort! Some trouble that needs to be fixed include missing objects and plumbing issues. After choosing your adventure you will set out seeking clues and interacting with LCD screens set up in certain sections and halls of three floors of the lodge.  You will come across animals that talk and move when you wave your wand, light up crystals and even treasure chests that open with you command of a wand. I seriously wish they had this when I was a child. I loved it as an adult! You can collect awards and badges along the way to show how far you are progressing in the game. There is even a live board displayed in the lodge to show all of your accomplishments! It’s quite a thrill to see your name in lights on the board!

Adventure Trek: Quest of the Guardians is tops in our book. As if Six Flags Great Escape and Indoor Water Park is not wonderful enough, it just got even better. I would recommend staying here for two nights, but one night will do if that is what works. There is plenty to do, especially with the new Adventure Trek: Quest of the Guardians! Wands up! Adventure On! Have a wonderful time playing this new interactive game at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge! See you there.