With Love, Philadelphia XOXO….31 Days With Summer Love…

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With Love,
Philadelphia XOXO
31 Days With 
Summer Love
Check Out This FANtastic
Facebook Giveaway
Living in the tri-state area, we are always looking for somewhere fun to go. Our family, since hubby and I are teachers, are also always in search of something that has a bit of a learning experience to go along with it. New York City is a cultural haven for our family. But, there is something so charming about Philadelphia that we also frequent it as much as we possibly can.
The streets are quaint and the culture just emanates from them.
When I heard about 31 Days With Summer Love, I was thrilled to share it with everyone.
Beginning today (July 16th), both residents and visitors are able to enjoy the many fun and only-in-Philly experiences available in the region. This is just one of the components of With Love, Philadelphia XOXO. This sweepstakes features 60 prizes, which include restaurant giftcards, attraction tickets, tour passes, hotel stays and a pair of grand-prize Fuji bikes-which in all total up to almost $10,000.
From July 16th- August 15th, fans of facebook.com/visitphilly will have a chance to win one of 31 Philly inspired prize packages-several which will include an overnight hotel stay. Family friendly prizes include:

  • Two free days at Sesame Place
  • Mini-golf at Franklin Square, a meal at SquareBurger and a stay at the Hyatt Regency Penn’s Landing
  • CityPass and a meal at Morgan’s Pier
  • Visit the Betsy Ross House, enjoy a performance by 11th Hour Theater and dinner at Jones
  • Academy of Natural Sciences tickets and a stay at the Embassy Suites


You can check www.facebook.com/visitphilly daily to see what prize is up for grabs that day.
 Participants are permitted one contest entry per day. 
Prizes do not need to be redeemed on the day the winner is announced.
 All who enter to win a prize package throughout the month will also be eligible to nab the grand prize on August 15: a pair of bikes from Philly-based Fuji and a couple of With Love-branded helmets. Anyone who enter the contest once per day will be entered to win the top prize 31 times.

                                        Start entering today and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Disclosure: All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan. 

3decades3kids is a Sesame Place Ambassador Blogger.

3decades3kids Checks Out Pole Position Raceway in Jersey City, NJ -Minutes From NYC

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3decades3kids Checks Out
Pole Position Raceway
Jersey City, NJ
Minutes from NYC
polepositionraceway.com
Recently my family was invited to check out Pole Position Raceway in Jersey City, NJ. Pole Position Raceway is an electric kart racing center with full track located just minutes from NYC.
From the moment we noticed the first race flag on the road we were excited to follow the flags to lead us right into the raceway! It was easy to find although it is off road. 
My family was shocked to see this giant facility right in Jersey City! What a find!
Children 48 inches and taller and adults can have a blast Kart Racing at Pole Position Raceway.
We were lucky enough to meet up with the owner, Karen, who took us on a guided tour of the facility.  We were shown the Party area, Lounge area, and VIP area(including a private room). Pole Position Raceway can accommodate any type of event or function from birthday parties to bachelor parties to corporate events. We were also shown the shop where full time mechanics were on hand to make sure the karts were purring.

State of the arts Check in Center
Prepping Area
Hubby and Adam in 15 lap race.
VIP Lounge

 My husband and son could not wait to get the fun started and it was not long before they were being prepped for their big race. I just want to mention that my son has never been inside of any type of karting center, so he was very eager to learn everything and get into the kart!

After checking in on the ipad and choosing a name, hubby and son were shown a prepping dvd about how to operate the kart and all the steps needed to have a successful and safe race. Prepping is definitely needed, especially since the karts go up to 45 mph. After the dvd they were given a head sock and fitted personally for their racing helmets. They really looked official!

Actual Racer Gear

 I also had my five year old daughter along. I am glad to report that even though she was too young to drive, she had plenty to do.Each rider is fitted to a helmet and to a kart according to their size and age. It wasn’t long before they were inside their electric karts and zipping around the track. They were in a fifteen lap race which really gave them a chance to get the feel for the kart and the track. Although my son did have a minor crash, he was met by an instructor on the track and shown exactly what to do so he could continue his ride. One feature I just loved was how ALL karts could be slowed down or stopped at a moments notice by one of the track attendants. This was a big comfort to me as a mom watching from the side. 

There were a bunch of arcade games to choose from, including Skee Ball, Air Hockey, and a 4 car racing game that you are able to steer. She especially loved this one because it made her feel like she was in on the action!  

Em having some fun on the arcade games.

Another thing I loved about Pole Position Raceway was that the track is in view no matter where you are in the building. Seats surround much of the track for viewing and cheering pleasure!
You can also enjoy food, snack, drinks and souvenirs right at your fingertips!
If you are looking for something fun to do with your family or friends or by yourself, this is definitely the place for you.
I was already asked WHEN we were going back! That’s a true sign that Pole Position Raceway got the big thumbs up!

You can check out more about Pole Position Raceway by clicking here and find out more about Pole Position Raceway CAMP by clicking here.
On Select Mondays you can check out the Super G race track where both tracks are combined to make the longest raceway in the USA! Don’t miss it!
Check out pricing for ArriveAndDrive by clicking here!
Connect to my last post about Pole Position Raceway by clicking here.

Disclosure: Racing Passes/arcade tokens/tee shirt provided by Pole Position Raceway for purpose of review. All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan.

Email: ELGeorgia@aol.com 
Diane Sullivan








Medieval Times Celebrates The Year Of The Dragon At Turtle Back Zoo

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Medieval Times 
Celebrates 
The Year Of The Dragon at
Turtle Back Zoo
West Orange, NJ
Spending the day with The King of Medieval Times is not  a very common thing for our family to do, but yesterday we had to the chance to mingle among the royalty right at Turtle Back Zoo.
Medieval Times(Lyndhurst,NJ) spent the day at Turtle Back Zoo(West Orange, NJ) as one of their fantastic summer zoo events.
The day was grand as our family got to chat with knights, the princess, and the King himself. They were all on hand to celebrate Turtle Back Zoo’s newest attraction, the Komodo dragon. Since it is the year of the dragon it was a great combo. My family and I  along with crowds of spectators had the chance to see demonstrations of exactly how the knights at Medieval Times use their swords and shields.

http://medievaltimes.com/lyndhurst.aspx

The clank of sword to sword and sword to shield really sent the crowd into wildly chanting for the knight of their realm! After each of the demos the lucky crowd gathered to see if they were one of the two lucky 4pack ticket giveaways to Medieval Times! With each demonstration another 8 tickets were given away. I’m happy to say that no one left empty handed. Both adults and children were given crowns to wear to support their knight which included a discount ticket. There was also a Medieval Times cap giveaway!
The King, Princess, and knights were  on hand to meet and greet and take photos with anyone that approached. A unique opportunity that is a little tougher to get accomplished at the Medieval Times castle itself.
Of course our trip would not have been complete without visit the one and only Komodo Dragon housed in New Jersey! I expected to see a ferocious beast, but I must say he was quite adorable.
Of course, that was from the “other side” of the glass!
If you have a chance to get over to Turtle Back Zoo, don’t miss it! It’s  a wonderful day out with the family with plenty to do.
Medieval Times is located in Lyndhurst, NJ. It’s another don’t miss on our list of fun!
Disclosure: Family pass for review was provided by Turtle Back Zoo. All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan.

Email: ELGeorgia@aol.com 
Diane Sullivan

Ice Age Continental Drift In Theaters Now

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Ice Age
Continental Drift
Now In Theaters
Screening With The Stars
NYC
Ever since the very first Ice Age movie hit the Big Screen our family has been hooked.
Scrat’s nutty ways always leaves our family in stitches! So, when we were invited to a special NYC Screening of the Ice Age Continental Drift by The Moms, it was pretty exciting. Not only did we get to see the movie early, but we also had an added treat of meeting quite a few of the Red Carpet Stars that showed up.

Our small group was escorted to a private VIP room and treated to an open candy bar with all the kids favorites including popcorn and drinks! Of course all the children left with Ice Age tee shirts in hand!
It was great to hang out and chat with Aziz Ansari (Squint), John Leguizamo (Sid), Queen Latifah (Ellie), Keke Palmer (Peaches), and Ray Romano (Manny). One actor was nicer than the next as they posed for pictures, held interviews, and chatted about the movie. Not to mention how wonderful they all were with the children. It was surely a night to remember!



As if they didn’t already have us all at the pre-party, afterwards we were taken to the main theater which was packed and the actors held a brief talk back session with the audience, taking questions from some very eager fans. One asked Ray Romano who his favorite Ice Age character was, to which Ray answered, Manny! The entire theater broke out in laughter! Hilarious!
Of course, that was a great lead in to dim the lights and start the movie we had been awaiting.
Although Manny may be Ray Romano’s favorite, mine is Scrat! He did not let anyone down with his grand entrance as usual and his precious acorn. The audience of Ice Age fans roared at this movie from beginning to end. There were sure plenty of laughs and light-hearted moments. What I loved most about the latest Ice Age adventure was that it touched on so many issues and emotions ranging from children growing up and parents letting go, children to teens making the right decision on their own instead of just trying to fit in, and true friendship. These are things, along with peer pressure and being popular that kids deal with on a daily basis and it was nice to see it portrayed in sure a wonderful way with characters we all love and trust.


The sound, art, music, animation and visual effects department of FOX   really went all out with this movie. We were surrounded by children in awe of the 3D effects and I loved them, too! Definitely worth the 3D ticket for this one.
Ice Age Continental Drift is a wonderful family movie! In this one Scrat’s acorn obsession leads him to actually crack the continents and the fun begins. Well, the fun really does not begin for some as Manny, Ellie and Peaches are split as a family(very heartbreaking), but it does lead to lots of laughs as the movie progresses. Along the way Manny, Diego and Sid meet up with some wild pirates who form ships out of icebergs and love to battle.
But, nothing will stop Manny from getting back to his family just as he has promised. 
We also get some major comic relief from Granny. 
If you have a chance to see Ice Age Continental Drift this summer, don’t miss it! It is great for kids of all ages and fun for adults, too!

Disclosure: Screening passes provided by The Moms. All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan.




SPY The Exhibit Now At Discovery Times Square NYC

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SPY The Exhibit
Now At
Discovery Times Square
226 West 44th Street
NYC
Anyone that knows our family knows how much we love the exhibits at Discovery Times Square, NYC. Every time a new one opens it goes right to the top of our “To Do” list.
Recently we had the pleasure of attending SPY The Exhibit. The event was hosted by Beth Feldman of RoleMommy.com and Discovery Times Square. Our happy group of blogger families were treated like gold with a private luncheon party followed by a guided tour of SPY The Exhibit. We were lucky enough to have the creator of the exhibit on hand to answer any questions along the way.
SPY The Exhibit was an exhilarating experience from beginning to end!
Personally, I have been interested in espionage for years thought I know quite a lot about it. My opinion changed quickly as our group was shown in depth ways of spying. 
This interactive exhibit has you looking at the world in a whole new way. I was shocked to see a pigeon and dragonfly that were both remote spy cameras. I’ll be checking those insects flying by a little closer next time!
My children’s favorite part of the exhibit of course was the Laser Field. They had the pleasure of going through it more than once and they could not stop talking about. As try as they may, they could not make it through, but did improve with practice. It’s no easy task crossing a laser field set up to catch a spy!
Along with all of the artifacts, a unique collection that spanned from World War II and other eras, I was just amazed at the many different ways spies operate.
One of my favorite interactive sections was the voice changer and disguise maker. My family tried them both and it was very interesting to see the changes. 
Honestly, you need to see SPY The Exhibit for yourself. It’s an incredible exhibit and filled with a world of learning. If you are in the NYC area don’t miss out.
 You can check out tickets prices and purchase tickets here.
For more information about SPY The Exhibit
Disclosure: Exhibit passes provided by Rolemommy.com and Discovery Times Square. 
All opinions are those of Diane Sullivan.