#Giveaway Applebee’s New Menu Items Check Them Out For Yourself With Our Giveaway #SeeYouTomorrow

May 30, 2014 by Diane 41 Comments

Applebee’s New Menu Items

Are A Hit With Our Family

And Giveaway

Dare You Not to Be Hungry By the End Of This Post!

Applebee’s has always been a resturant that our family loves to dine at every once in a while. Recently we were invited to check out the new menu items that Applebee’s unveiled this spring. As if the menu wasn’t already stacked with delicious choices there is even more to enjoy at your local Applebee’s. Marking the annual spring shipment of Vidalia onions from their unique southeastern Georgia soil, New Jersey Applebee’s restaurants have debuted the new Grilled Vidalia Onion Sirloin. This is a total win for any steak lover. My son gave this a double thumbs up!

A 7 oz. sirloin is grilled to order and topped with a grilled and caramelized slice of sweet Vidalia, then paired with garlicky spinach and smashed and crisped red-skinned potatoes in a warm, sweet and spicy Hawaiian BBQ sauce to make the Grilled Vidalia Onion Sirloin

My oldest son went with another new dish, the Citrus Lime Sirloin. This is a 7oz sirloin over a mound of crispy red potatoes and veggie blend drizzled over by a citrus lime sauce and sprinkled with pico de gallo. Yum!
Of course I had to have a taste of this. I think I may just order it next time we dine there. As for this time, I ordered the new Thai Shrimp Salad. This oriental salad blend topped with shrimp and wonton strips and fresh cilantro was awesome. Did I mention it was only 370 calories, but more importantly, you would never know by how absolutely amazing it tasted. I had to leave room for dessert, right?

As for hubby, he enjoyed the new Shrimp Scampi Linguine. It combined two of his favorites and really hit a home run in comfort food. It was tough choosing between all of the new menu choices which included an amazing Strawberry and Avocado Salad and new Weight Watchers-endorsed Chicken Freshcado, along with Guest favorites like the Margarita Queso Chicken and Shrimp and legendary Grilled Chicken Wonton Tacos appetizer. Honestly, I guessed I missed that the Grilled Chicken Wonton Tacos appetizer was new, or that would have been right in front of me to enjoy! Next time for sure.

Shrimp Scampi Linguine: Steaming linguine noodles are tossed in a citrus scampi sauce, then layered with grill-seared juicy shrimp and zucchini and finished with a scoop of pomodoro sauce, Applebee’s Parmesan cheese blend and torn basil.

Of course there are always delicious Kids Meals to choose from, so your little ones will never be left out.

I’m not sure how any of the other Kids Meals are at Applebee’s since Em orders the Mac and Cheese every single time! I know for sure that it’s delicious!

When it comes to dessert, Applebee’s is very hard to resist! There new dessert menu item is the Cinnamon pretzels with hot Carmel dip. Oh my goodness. Good, does not even begin to describe it. If you are mall pretzel fan, you have to try these. They are just delicious. As for the other standard desserts, I pray that they never remove them from the menu. They work and everyone in our family has their very own favorite! There are plenty of new, soon to be your favorites, at Applebee’s including new drinks, too! Don’t waste another minute reading this, get to the nearest Applebee’s, you won’t regret it!

GIVEAWAY

Applebee’s doesn’t want you to miss out on all the new menu options so they are offering one lucky

3decades3kids reader a chance to grab their very own dinner for two ($60 maximum).

You can enter on the rafflecopter below. Please wait for it to load if you are on mobile.

Giveaway ends June 10th at 10pm. Winner will be notified by email. Delivery of prize is via Applebee’s.

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this post. Review/giveaway provided by Applebee’s.

Special thanks to Kearny, NJ location for an amazing dinner that top of the line!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The One and Only Popsicle® Brand Invites Families to Celebrate Their Kid-at-Heart #PopsicleRules #Contest

May 29, 2014 by Diane Leave a Comment

The One and Only Popsicle® Brand Invites Families

to Celebrate Their Kid-at-Heart

America’s favorite ice pop will compile a guidebook featuring “Rules for Being a Kid” with help from families across the country

Who doesn’t love to enter a great contest? We all have our own set of rules for Being A Kid!

There is still plenty of time to get in on this! Popsicle®, America’s original ice pop loved by generations, is asking families across the country to help compile a guidebook featuring the “Rules for Being a Kid.” Now through May 31, families nationwide are encouraged to celebrate their kid-at-heart and share their own “rules” for how to have fun like a kid with the Popsicle® brand, along with photos and images that help bring the rule to life.

Families can submit their “rule” ideas on the Popsicle® Facebook page, or on other popular social channels, such as Twitter and Pinterest, using both the #PopsicleRules and #Contest hashtags. By submitting their rule with the hashtags, participants will be entered for the chance to have their “rule” featured on future, limited-edition boxes of Popsicle® pops as well as win a cash prize. And, to help kick-off the summer season, the guidebook will be available for download on June 21 at Facebook.com/Popsicle and will feature the top submitted rules.

“As makers of the Original Popsicle brand ice pops, we’re proud to offer more than 30 unique varieties of pops, to ensure there is a refreshing Popsicle treat for everyone in your family,” said Nick Soukas, brand building director, U.S. Unilever Ice Cream. “The first Popsicle pops were actually invented by a kid in 1905, so the ‘Rules for Being a Kid’ program truly celebrates our heritage while helping families enjoy fun moments together.”

To help spread the word and excitement surrounding the “Rules for Being a Kid” guidebook, the Popsicle® brand has enlisted a number of celebrity parents to share their own “rules” via their social media sites. Follow Popsicle® on Facebook at facebook.com/Popsicle and on Twitter at twitter.com/Popsicle to see celebrity moms and dads share their unique “Rules for Being a Kid” with the Popsicle® community.

Families are encouraged to continue sharing their “rules” with Popsicle® all summer-long using the #popsiclerules hashtag to be part of the fun – and help other families share ideas and be inspired to have fun all year round, even after the contest period closes.

The Original Popsicle® brand is an American classic that has been bringing fun to generations since 1905. With childhood favorites like Orange, Cherry and Grape, Popsicle® pops are available in more than 30 unique varieties, and are in grocery stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $3.99.

For more information about the Popsicle® brand and the “Rules for Being a Kid,” please visit Popsicle.com or Facebook.com/Popsicle. You can also follow Popsicle® on Twitter at Twitter.com/Popsicle for trivia, jokes, product news and a chance to find Popsicle® product coupons.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. The Rules for Being a Kid Contest is sponsored by Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 or older. Begins 5/1/2014 at 12:00 a.m. ET & ends 5/31/2014 at 11:59 p.m. ET. For official rules, visit www.unileversweepsrules.com/rulesforbeingakid

SpringHill Suites Philadelphia/Langhorne, Pa And Winner Announced!

May 29, 2014 by Diane Leave a Comment

SpringHill Suites Philadelphia/Langhorne, Pa
Is A Perfect Choice For This Summer

Looking for an awesome hotel this to stay at this summer? Look no farther than the beautiful

SpringHill Suites by Marriott. This hotel has been our favorite pick since it opened not long ago. One total perk of staying at this SpringHill Suites is that it is located across the street from Sesame Place!

You can walk back and forth by simply walking out the door, down the path, crossing the street and you are there! It’s right next to the Sesame Place parking lot. So, if Sesame Place is in your summer plans you definitely should check this hotel out.

You can see the entrance to Sesame Place from the hotel!

Family Friendly!

This time when we stayed at the SpringHill Suites we tried something new. We drove into Philadelphia for a few hours. It’s not far at all and was very convenient for travel. We spent the day checking out all the sights of Philly and returned back to our hotel for a night of comfort. Yes, comfort and convenience are two words that you can associate with this hotel. The rooms are so spacious. It’s important to our family to be able to have enough room. After a day out, the last thing we want is to come back to the room and be on top of each other. At SpringHill Suites we can all have our own little space to unwind. The suite we chose had two queen sized beds and a living room area with a desk/chair and pull out extended couch. There was also a mini fridge and microwave. Completely family friendly!

The rooms are spacious and welcoming!

Close to Philadelphia! We loved visiting the Liberty Bell.

Our family has stayed at the SpringHill Suites Langhorne, Pa many times and it remains consistently

crispy clean and family friendly. Is there anything more important? Not sure about you, but clean is at the top of my list when it comes to hotels! Of course another huge perk with our family of five is that the breakfast is included. Bonus: There are waffles! You can choose between the big waffles that proudly displays an M for Marriott or four mini waffles, which my son uses to load with a sausage and eggs to make his one of a kind waffle breakfast sandwich! Besides all of the yummy choices of eggs, sausage, muffins, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit and more, there is also a bagged healthy option that you can find inside the fridge next to the juice machine. There is something for everyone at the breakfast.

Family breakfast is included with your stay.

As if all of this is not enough, there is plenty more to be found at the SpringHill Suites. The staff is amazing and always there to help with a smile! During the summer you may even catch a balloon artist during the breakfast hours. There’s an indoor pool, exercise room and even a fire pit for S’mores! Talk about one stop shopping. Once you stay at the SpringHill Suites Langhorne, Pa you will find it tough to go anywhere else!

Our lucky winner from the SpringHill Suites giveaway was Tishawn Montero! Big Congrats! She will get to check out the hotel with her family for one night. Please check out SpringHill Suites Langhorne, Pa. You can find out more about the hotel, check rates, and make reservations right here: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/phlsp-springhill-suites-philadelphia-langhorne/

Disclosure: Diane Sullivan is a Sesame Place Ambassador Blogger. I was not compensated for this post.

Review/Giveaway night provided by SpringHill Suites, Langhorne, Pa. Contact me at ELGEorgia@aol.com or .@3decades3kids everywhere else-Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Facebook.

#Giveaway: Win a Family 4pack of Tix to Monster Jam Path of Destruction at Met Life Stadium June 14th

May 29, 2014 by Diane 2 Comments

Giveaway: Monster Jam Path of Destruction

Roars Back to Met Life Stadium June 14th

With Monster Jam roaring back into MetLife Stadium in less than two months, I wanted to share the very first few trucks and drivers that have been announced to compete at Monster Jam Path of Destruction on Saturday, June 14! WoooHooo! I know that our family is geared up and ready to go! We love Monster Jam and especially enjoy it outside at Met Life Stadium. The Pit Party is amazing and fun for the entire family! Get ready to join the fun and I will keep you posted on any giveaways and new announcements that will come our way!

Announced so far for June 14th:

Grave Digger®, driven by Dennis Anderson
Grave Digger The Legend®, driven by Adam Anderson
Son-uva Digger®, driven by Ryan Anderson
Max-DSM, driven by Tom Meents
Monster Energy, driven by Damon Bradshaw
Mohawk Warrior®, driven by George Balhan
Northern NightmareSM, driven by Cam McQueen
Lucas Oil Crusader®, driven by Linsey Weenk

Additional trucks and drivers competing at MetLife Stadium will continue to be announced this week!!

To get the latest on competitors revealed to the star-studded line-up, be sure to follow Monster Jam on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Fans can also subscribe to the YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/MonsterJamLive.

Giveaway: It’s easy to win a 4pack of tix here! To enter just go to our facebook page. Leave a comment that you liked our page. Leave a separate comment telling us which truck you are most excited to see at Monster Jam!

Everyone has their favorites. You can leave up to 4 family members favorites in separate comments for a total of 5 comments/ 5 entries. Please leave each comment as a separate one for a total of five. Good Luck.
https://www.facebook.com/3decades3kids Winner will be chosen on June 4th at 10pm and winner will be contacted ON the facebook page under their comment or by email. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to the email. If you are NOT on facebook, you can still enter. Just email me your entry at ELGeorgia@aol.com. If you are on FB, please enter there. See you at Monster Jam. Pit Passes not included. Winners tickets will be available at the box office the day of the show, June 14th.

3decades3kids Cake Boss Cake Class at Lackawanna Cake Factory NJ

May 28, 2014 by Diane Leave a Comment

3decades3kids Visits

Cake Boss

Cake Class

Lackawanna Cake Factory

One of my favorite shows on television starts its

5th season tonight.

Cake Boss premieres May 28th at 9pm/8c on TLC. This season will have 16 half hour episodes, including the 100th show!

Being very close to Hoboken, NJ I have visited Carlo’s Bakery many times. Yum is the word if you have never been there. You may have to wait in line, but it is well worth it.

Recently, I had the chance to check out Buddy’s latest addition: Cake Boss Lackawanna Cake Factory.

At Lackawanna Cake Factory you can be the baker or the decorator! There are plenty of class choices and the fun and experience is priceless!

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to bake and cook, so I was eager to challenge myself and see just what it would be like to actually create a Cake Boss cake!

I was excited from the moment I arrived. My 12 year old son joined me. The classes are for ages 10+, so it’s great to go to with a friend of with your child. We loved, learned and laughed!

We had to be buzzed into Lackawanna Cake Factory, since it is also the new baking facility for the Cake Boss.

From the moment we entered the Cake Factory we were overtaken by the delicious scent of something yummy in the making, or should I say baking!

I chose a cake fondant decorating class for us and we could not wait to get started. We were greeted by family as we waited!

Soon our group was escorted through the Cake Boss Cake Factory and into our special baking/decorating room. Our room was Cake Boss Next Great Baker was filmed and our teacher just happened to be the winner of the 2012 season, Marissa Lopez.

If you love Cake Boss, you will NOT want to miss out on this opportunity to bake at the Cake Factory.

It was a dream come true for everyone in the room.

Each person in the class is given their own Carlo’s Bakery apron to keep, and supplies to use during the class. Wow! It was so exciting, we could not wait to get started!

Of course, all this time I have been watching the show Cake Boss at home, I was always thinking,”I can do that! So easy!”.

Well, now the truth was about to come out.

The class began and I immediately loved how we were given the already baked cake, tour of the room and step by step demonstration of how to use the fondant and decorate.

Easy, right? Let me tell you, they make it look SO easy on tv!

It was tough work, but everyone was at ease to know that help was always a touch away. Although, working with fondant has many challenges, everyone in the room was able to create to their heart’s content. Each of the class of 28 had a different cake at the end. I loved how the freedom to create was encouraged, but the sample was right in front of you for quick reference. We were also given the steps on paper to refer to, although the help was always there, so we really did not need them.

If you have ever been jealous of the the golden ticket winners on Willie Wonka, this is your chance to be one of them. You can get yourself right inside the Cake Factory! Since it is run by family, you will definitely see many of the faces you have come to love on Cake Boss right there in person.

I had the pleasure of meeting up and interviewing Mauro Castano. I will post our interview and

about our trip to Carlo’s Bakery in my next post.

I would recommend Cake Boss Lackawanna Cake Factory classes to anyone. No experience needed!

There are plenty of classes to choose from with both baking and decorating and you can get in on the fun!

We left our class with these two beautiful cakes. They not only looked beautiful, they tasted delicious! You can check out the classes by clicking here: classes.carlosbakery.com.