Our trip to Disneyland (AND a giveaway for a free night at Country Inn & Suites hotels!)

Country Inn & Suites is celebrating because they've opened a new hotel right within walking distance to Disneyland! Check out our visit to Disneyland and read all the way through to learn how you can enter to win a free nights stay at any Country Inn & Suites location!

I'm sure that most of us growing up, Disneyland was the ultimate dream vacation for any child. My biggest excitement was seeing my favorite Disney movie characters in real life, in their environments and getting to truly interact with them. The second most important thing I looked forward to were all the different amusement rides. It was a great mix of thrill or adventure.

My family of origin took us to Disneyland once during my childhood and the rest of our family vacations were mostly road trips around the Western US, sprinkled with a few visits to our family in Poland. My husband's family, on the other hand, visited Disneyland almost annually as their budget for family trips. So when I married into his family, the love of Disney was set in quite early.

It's a perfect day! #MickeyMouselovesPierogies

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Nov 7, 2016 at 11:07am PST

My husband and I took two trips to Disneyland before having children. What a different experience it is go to to Disneyland and experiencing it as an adult! We got to zoom through the park, not a care in the world how long the wait lines were, stay up late for the fireworks show and didn't worry about character signatures and rode the coolest rides.

Then, my sister-in-love moved to the San Diego area this year and the whole family collectively gasped - we can go to Disneyland when we visit her! This past November the four of us flew down to visit her family and play at the park for 3 days, which we spread out over a week. Now getting to experience the magic of Disneyland through our daughter's eyes (aged 4 and 2) was something my husband and I will never forget. This time the priorities were very different; find our favorite characters to get signatures, ride only a few of the age appropriate rides and just simply look to soak it all in. There is so much to see in the details at Disneyland if you aren't distracted by rides! Pirated of the Caribbean is one of my favorite things to see at Disneyland because they have done such a great job at temporarily making you forget where and when you are. It's easy to get swept up in that creaky boat in the Louisiana bayou, duck your head in the midst of a drunken pirate canon ball brawl and yo-ho-ho with Jack Sparrow.

Some of our favorite memories were watching Penny and Ruby meet Elena of Avalor. It's a relatively new show and that day happened to be Princess Elena's first debut in meeting her friends at Disneyland. We also got to see an extended preview of the upcoming movie Moana (in the old Bug's Life theatre, so there were ocean sprays, smells and wind gusts!) and we had a caricature done of the girls at Fisherman's Warf. One night my husband and I left the kids with their grandparents and we went back for some night time roller coaster rides on the Matterhorn and Big Thunder.

As I mentioned before, Country Inn & Suites just opened up a brand new hotel that is within walking distance to Disneyland! With 174 gorgeous rooms that have family friendly open floor plans, spa-inspired bathrooms (for mama to relax after a day of chasing kiddos, duh), a 24/7 gym, free breakfast and an outdoor pool with views of the Disneyland fireworks, it's an easy sell for me! By saving a little bit of extra cash on transportation, parking and one meal of the day being covered, you now can shamelessly indulge in those delicious Dole Whips outside of the Tiki Room! Not going to lie, I had at least 3 a day while we were there because I was 8 weeks pregnant with #3 and that was about all I could stomach at the time!

And when I talk about saving a little bit of cash, how does one night free at any Country Inn & Suites location sound to you? That would put a little extra change in your pocket for your next vacay, right? So here's the deal - follow the rules at the bottom and you'll have your chance to be one of my readers to win this awesome prize!

To enter the giveaway:
1. Watch this short video on the all new Country Inn & Suites in Anaheim location and leave a comment below telling me one interesting thing that she said. Include your email address so that I can contact you if you win!
2. For a second entry (first option must be completed!), visit the Country Inn & Suites website and tell me in a separate comment which location you would stay at if you won.

2/1/17: The winner is comment #47, which is Sheila P! Check your email!

Giveaway rules: This giveaway is sponsored by Country Inn & Suites, not by The Pierogie Mama. The contest is open until 1/31/17 and the winner will be contacted via email only. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email in order to claim their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. No purchase is necessary to win, but if you do want to enter you have to play by the rules described above. The comments must be relevant to the question, otherwise they won't count. If you don't provide an email address, I don't have a way to contact you. Good luck and I can't wait to see who wins!

Guest Post: Step Away From The Computer

Thanks for checking out one of the last few guest posts! Be sure to check out my new January sponsor and learn more about how Gerber is pledging to be GMO free. 

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In an age where technology is king and has progressed to a point where you don’t ever have to leave your house in order to live, it is more important than ever to make sure we are getting out of our homes and our comfort zones… actually interact with our families and communities!  We “communicate” with friends and family via Facebook and other social media. Send a picture via text and a pizza magically appears at your front door. Movies and television shows are streamed directly to your devices. And you can even have groceries delivered by companies like Peapod and anything else your heart desires by Amazon! With the holiday season is upon us, and what better time than now to reconnect?

So you may be asking “What can I do?” or better yet “How exactly am I supposed to find the time?!?”

Well to answer the second question first… you MAKE the time! Especially if you have little ones. Our children grow up so quickly, and we need to make sure that we are experiencing life with them – and not just in the social media sense!

So pull out your calendar, open up that planner app on your phone, or grab a piece of paper and a magnet to stick to your fridge… and pencil in some time!

Now, as to what can you do? The options are only limited by your imagination:

Volunteer –                     Not only are you giving back to your community, but you are teaching your children compassion and a sense of civic duty.

Schedule a Play Date –   This gets you out of the house and can be either indoors or out. If it’s cold, bundle your little one up and had to the park or an ice skating rink. Or find a fun zone or children’s museum and expand their mind as well as release some energy.

Join a Mom’s Group –      Here is a chance for you to get some “me” time and also meet some new ladies who are in the same chapter of life as you. Grab a coffee, create a book club, or just have a glass of wine and relax.

Plan a Date Night –         As life moves forward, we can sometimes get caught up and forget that “mom” isn’t our only title. Wife is another very important – and I would argue the most important – hat that we wear. After all, when your children are grown and no longer in the house, you don’t want to look across the table and realize that you no longer know the person sitting across from you.

Unplug! –                        Ok, so maybe you can’t get out of the house, but at the very least turn off your phone, TV, computer, tablet, or anything else that could be a distraction! Open a book, pull out the crayons, or turn on the radio and have an old fashion dance party. Just tune out the constant pull for your attention and dedicate some time to what matters most – your family!

Now it’s your turn. What types of activities do you like to do with your family? Share in the comments below and maybe you can spark an idea for someone else.

NonProfit DBA by day, wife/mom/baker all the other hours - Stacie is a Washington State native, DC transplant, and lover of all things creative. Owner and head decorator of Enticing Icing Cupcakes, this mommy baker enjoys sharing her secrets to a sweet life. Check out more of her work at www.enticingicingcupcakes.com.

Guest Post: Have Baby: Will Run With Dogs

Running is my sane place. I started running back in 2007 when my college roommates asked if I wanted to run the Honolulu Marathon with them that year. I laughed and said “sure.” I had never really run before but thought it would be something fun the three of us could do together. I walked the last six miles of that (my first) race but when I crossed the finish line, I was someone new: a runner.

While I have gone through seasons of running less, running has become a passion of mine. It is great exercise and the best way for me to clear my head. I got a dog (Apollo) and he became a great running partner. I added a second dog (Kona) and we became quite the trio; I was occasionally recognized in public and asked if I was the girl running with the yellow lab and German shepherd. Yep, that was me.

And then I added a baby. I must be nuts, right? Most days, I think so. But my husband is gone a lot for work and the dogs need the exercise, I need the exercise, and if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. So I’ve learned to make it work. Running with dogs is fairly straightforward; I personally recommend the following:

-a reflective leash

- a good harness (I just discovered Kurgo and LOVE them!)

-poop bags (seriously, I can’t stand people who leave their dogs’ waste lying around)

-water if you plan on being gone longer than an hour (I follow the general rule that if I stop for a drink, the dogs get a drink too, especially on warm weather days)

Add a baby into the mix and it gets a little more complicated. I recommend:

- a jogging stroller (if you plan on trail running, make sure the wheels are at least 6” in diameter)

- a weather shield for the stroller (leaves no excuses for cold/wind/rain/snow…I know, you hate me now)

- a stroller tether

-toys to occupy baby

When running with dogs and/or baby, don’t expect to run for time. Dogs like to sniff and pee on everything; sometimes baby needs a mama break. Running while pushing a stroller is a GREAT workout, so you may even find yourself improving your solo-run time (does this even exist anymore? Ha!). Most importantly, have fun. Lace up your shoes and get yourself out the door. It may be stressful getting everyone ready (it has taken me upwards of an hour to get us all ready and out the door) but once you start, you won’t regret it.

A little about Megan: I'm currently a stay at home mama to a little man named Declan. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology at Hawaii Pacific University, where I focused on marine mammalogy. After graduating and moving back to Washington, I worked for a marine mammal research organization, doing photo identification work and stranding response. I currently live in central North Carolina but hope to make it back to the coast so I can work in my field again. You may remember me from my previous guest post on The Pierogie Mama on how to make your zoo visit count!

Little Gym of Everett

At what age did you begin to take your child to structured activities?

In my teen years when my mom  remarried, our new blended family put a lot of focus on being a part of an organized team. I gravitated mainly towards music and theatre with 4 years of swim team, my step-brother gravitated heavily towards sports as this was a large part of his upbringing. "When will your children be a part of a team?" was a big question from my family of origin. Not "if," but "when."

As Penny grew older I watched to see where her interests take her. For a while she was very creatively driven; especially loving to paint with textures and clearly working on her dexterity even without too much promoting from me. Around the age of 3, I noticed a shift and she started to experiment with moving her body in different ways. She loved swimming lessons and began to emulate her older cousin's gymnastic tumbling and cheer moves. I began to research local area options for dance or gymnastics for little kids.

When I talked with Charlene, one of the two owners of The Little Gym of Everett, I knew this was what we were looking for! The Little Gym offers so much more than a physical outlet for children; their focus is multi-dimensional.

Full disclosure: I have zero interest in Penny being the next Nadia Comaneci. What I do want is for Penny to be adaptable, curious, driven and physically active. And if she loves gymnastics, I would love to help her nurture that talent. So getting her started at The Little Gym was an experiment to see where she would take it.

The Little Gym runs a full year curriculum, so you have the option of signing your child up for the school term or on a monthly basis. We went weekly, sometimes more if there were drop in classes available. The Funny Bugs class (which was her age group) is an independent class - the parents watch through the window and a teacher very effectively wrangles a group of 3-6 year olds. On our first day, I watched with amusement, trepidation and later full on pride when I saw how Penny quickly learned how to reign in her pre-schooler crazies and begin to truly focus her energy to complete a set.

Each class session starts the same way - we are welcomed at the door by one of the two teachers (Brittany or Charlene), Penny places her sweats and shoes in a cubby and is ushered into the gym to sit with her fellow classmates with Teacher Char. Teacher Char begins the class with a warm up song and a few laps around the mat to help focus the kids. Charlene explained that every activity within The Little Gym has a purpose beyond what we see. Running in a circle is more than an energy burn; it helps the kids start to use their peripheries and patch where their classmates are running. The music changes to have the kids run slow, fast, loudly, quietly, up, down, etc.

Each 4 week period has a new curriculum theme that has accompanying skills that the children will learn. The themes have included "Which Muscle to Hustle," where they being to pin point which muscle group to work on, "Blast Off" focusing on imagination in space and applying different movements in an outer space theme. As the weeks progressed, Teacher Char would show a routine with 3-4 movements in a set just once to the class and spot them as they moved through. It was impressive to see how on task the children would be for the 45 minute class.

After the third or fourth session I had a moment of huge pride that welled up within me. I had watched Penny go through these motions, learn how to properly hold herself on the bar or beam. On one set, I saw her quickly and with strength pull herself up onto a bar, lock her elbows and hold herself suspended for several seasons. No wavering. Her muscles engaged, she had a huge smile on her face and she realized what she had accomplished. I caught myself clapping and saying "good job," and realized that she couldn't hear me through the window, but the other parents sitting with me smiled knowingly as they too had seen their children meet a goal recently. Sometimes you just can't hold back that kind of happy.

At the end of each class, Teacher Char and Teacher Brittany swap spots and while Brittany winds the kids down with a game or bubble popping, Charlene comes out to debrief the parents on what the kids had worked on. We cheer on the kids as they come out of the gym and they all line up for their reward of stamps from one of the teachers. It didn't take long for even Ruby, who would sit with me during Penny's class, to run over excitedly and sit patiently with the other kids for her ration of stamps.

So if you ask me, The Little Gym is #1 for where to sign up your kids for a physical activity. I'm sure some of the students there are destined for greatness in sports, but that's the not primary goal here. The goal is to help give children an all around experience that includes learning about gymnastics and helping them learn how to use their bodies in a purposeful way, while learning social skills on how to properly interact with other children - not necessarily with their parents hovering over them to make sure everyone says "please" and "excuse me" (something that I can surely be guilty of).

The Little Gym has over 300 locations world wide and is great for kids from age 4 months through 12 years old. There are a variety of classes; such as gymnastics, baby & me, KinderMusik, dance, karate, sports skills and more. In addition to regularly scheduled classes, The Little Gym of Everett offers "Parental Survival Nights," where your child gets an evening playing at The Little Gym while mom & dad get a break! There are drop in class sessions, summer camps and so many other fun monthly activities. It's really more than what you would expect!

Connect with The Little Gym of Everett

Online // Facebook // Email List// Instagram

Disclosure: Thank you, Little Gym of Everett for giving us the opportunity to try out your classes for Penny! No other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

Preparing your home for BTS with Walmart

Many thanks to Kimberly Clark for sponsoring today's story! 

Check out all of the great Back to School deals you can find at Walmart!

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August is half way done and the back to school buzz is already in over drive. Many of Penny's friends are starting their first year of preschool and while we opted to wait a year, the excitement is in full force. It's what all the moms are talking about!

Even though we won't be headed to class in September, we are preparing our home for that fresh season of BTS. We will still be seeing our friends at home or at play dates, so why not take advantage of the great home, office and craft deals at Walmart?!

So a couple things that we made sure to pick up:

Kleenex: Any teacher will tell you that back to school time means the yucks are going to be passed around quickly and mercilessly. I like to keep a few extra boxes (with a friendly sanitizer bottle right next to it) tucked in the bathroom, on a end table and in the bedrooms just in case when company comes.

After school snacks: anything ranging from the nostalgic fresh apples with peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies, ants on a log, string cheese to the very versatile tortilla roll ups with your choice of hummus, PBJ, just J or salami and cheese.

Prep-ahead meals: I know, but you're so busy with Back To School shopping, so how can you possibly think to actually prep ahead your meals? For starters, it's awesome that Walmart is one-stop-shop for ALL the BTS necessities, so you'll be saving loads of time right there. Later, when you're planning ahead on meals for the week, double the recipe and immediately prep one portion to go into the freezer. There, see? You've already saved even more time.

Toilet paper: Yup, it's a necessity. So just stock up on Scott Extra Soft Double Bath Tissue and take advantage of double Box Tops for Education. That's what I got!

Crafts: I tried to think ahead for all the crafts and coloring that we'd be doing this year so I picked up a ton of Crayola products, Dry Erase, Frozen note books and water coloring trays.

Bonus: Walmart has tons of products that include Box Tops for Education coupons (some are even double points!), which helps give back to our local schools. It makes sense to start supporting them early, since Penny will be in school next year.

That's how I prepped for Back To School like a boss...even though we won't actually be going back to school!

What are your must-have Back To School essentials?

Our family trip to Long Beach (7 months later) Part 1

While I'm away on my next adventure, I realized that it was probably high time that I shared about my last big one with our little family. I'm talking about our trip to Long Beach, CA from back in October. Uhm...yea. Bad blogger. Normally I'd be super pumped about writing down our travels the second that we got home, but there's something about 2 kids that makes the words pause at the end of my fingertips and sometimes they just never make it to the blog. Sorry! But nonetheless, here we are. Enjoy!

My husband's current position in his company takes him around the country a little more often than we were accustomed to a few years ago. Most places that he travels to are boring or he has a work project to support and will be working 16 hour days, so it doesn't normally make sense for the girls and I to tag along. But on the rare occasion, he snags a work trip that has a light work load and is actually in a destination where we could turn it into a little family vacation. And that's what happened with Long Beach, CA back in October.

I'm a pretty independent gal and I love to travel. To turn my blog into a family travel blog would be a dream come true. But for now, I am blessed to be able to piggyback on a few of my husband's business trips. The girls and I have a blast. They travel very well and I like to justify these little trips as our warm up for our trip to Germany in the winter, to visit my parents.

During these work trips we expect that my husband will be occupied during working hours (and sometimes longer), so I make sure to find ways to fill our time and make our travels worth it. While he was networking about natural gas solutions for the semi trucking industry, the girls and I cavorted around the Long Beach area for 4 days. Our hotel was in San Pedro, not too far from Long Beach. For one of our days we puttered around the water front there.

There is a little walking trail that takes you along the water front that parallels Harbor Blvd. It takes you past the USS Iowa, and we ended at the Gateway Plaza Fanfare Fountain. Every so often, classical music begins to play and the fountains are choreographed along. It was really pretty!

After his work commitment that evening, we took the drive out to Disneyland and walked along Downtown Disney. My husband comes from a Disneyland lovin' family - he's been dozens of times throughout his childhood and together we have gone twice. Our girls aren't at the age yet where we could justify the expense of the park tickets, let alone the sheer stimulation overload! So we went the free route and walking along the street of Downtown Disney was enough free fun for all of us. My father in law keeps asking me when we think that we'll take the girls into the actual park, and our best guess is that when Penny is 8 years old and Ruby is 6 they will have a total blast. Hopefully we will have someday-Baby #3 (and maybe even someday-Baby #4) along with us, but at the moment we can only plan for at what age these two girls will have fun. :) We had dinner at Tortilla Joe's, where Penny got her first balloon animal and I learned a few secrets on how to make the perfect guacamole.

The locals had a good laugh at us too. It was October and the temperatures were in the high 60's, low 70's. That is called tank top, flip flop and shorts weather in Washington. My kids are out in the backyard in the swimming suits and playing in our sprinkler while I lounge on a blanket in that weather. Californians don't seem to think that's appropriate in October, so we got laughed at when we hauled our family down to the hotel's pool. It had already been shut down for the winter! But luckily the hot tub was turn down to low and we went in that instead. Whatevs, works for us!

Oh, and that ring sling that I'm sure you've noticed? The one that lets me wear Ruby and still play in the water? None other than the fabulous Beach Front Baby ring sling, of course!  Click on over to that link to read more about it! No babywearing parent should be caught without one this summer.

My absolute favorite part of this trip was our visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. As it turns out, I have started to make a habit of visiting the local zoo or aquarium whenever we travel somewhere. It's a fun outing for everyone because they tend to be very toddler friendly. There's countless lessons to learn about the animals, our environment and thinking about the big picture. Not to mention, it's a great way to expend some of that toddler energy that builds up when cooped up in a hotel room! Penny was able to run around and I didn't have to constantly reign her in. But that, my friends, is a story for another blog post! Head over to read about our adventures at The Aquarium of the Pacific.

Visiting the Seattle Aquarium and how I almost lost my mind (I mean, my camera)

Lately I feel like I've been truly losing my mind. And everything that I touch. Doesn't normally mommy brain disappear after 2-3 months? I feel like mine gets progressively worse over time. In the last few months I've been continually losing my car keys, glasses, Boba and have broken a cell phone (but been on and off without one for almost 3 months). A couple weeks ago I lost one of my most treasured possessions - my camera. I'm a photoholic, ask anyone who knows me, and to lose the memory card alone was just devastating. Because I know computers crash without notice, I've been in the habit of using the memory card on my dslr as a mobile external hard drive and have gotten lazy about uploading them onto the computer. I mean, what are the odds that I'll lose the camera, right? It's certainly not small like a cell phone. Well, friends, it happened, but this story has a good ending, so read on!

A few weeks ago we visited the Seattle Aquarium. I hadn't been there since high school and Penny loved our visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium shortly before Ruby was born (and we also visited the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach back in October, still working on the post for that one!) so we took a family trip and were tourists in our own backyard for a day. 

It's a relatively small aquarium, and on the day that we visited it was very blustery outside so we opted to run through a lot of the outdoor exhibits on our way to the next indoor area.

The main room has a lot of viewing tanks that draw childrens' attention. Penny's favorite was the touch a tank, where she got to touch starfish, urchins and other coastal tidepool creatures.

My favorite exhibit, which is a curiosity to all, was seeing the Giant Pacific Octopus. Most of the aquariums that I've visited have an octopus, but they always seem to be hiding. On this visit, the octopus was out in the open and there even was a volunteer standing next to her with tons of information. 

I loved walking around and showing the girls all the gorgeous colors that you can find throughout the different ecosystems that make up the Pacific Ocean.

You can kind of begin to see my love affair with my camera, right? Don't get my wrong, my cell phone camera does a great job for 90% of life. But these scenes require a little more firepower and I'm thankful to have my camera handy for them.

The last part of our visit was at their felt board area where Penny got to make her own ecosystems using the felt creatures. Somewhere between taking these pictures, playing with the felt, changing diapers and going to the car, the camera was set down and not given a second thought until we came home and I went to upload pictures for this blog post. 

We scoured the truck to see if somehow it was tossed in there without us thinking. It wasn't there. I contacted the aquarium, only to get the voicemail machine for several days. I even put out a lost ad on craigslist! I prayed and prayed that someone had found it, saw that the memory card was full of pictures of our family and turned it in at the front desk. It was a long shot, unfortunately there are people out there who would just call it "finders keepers" and take off with it. I think a week passed by and I finally reached out the the aquarium one last time via facebook.

This time I got a message back and they had my camera! Joy of joys! We picked it up and now I have these pictures to hold on to forever.

It was a close call. I've had this camera for over 5 years, it was a college graduation present from my parents and it's traveled the world with me - on our honeymoon to the Dominican Republic, our babymoon to Europe and everywhere in between. I was beside myself that in all the places that I've taken it, that it could have been lost so close to home.

What it comes down to is that even though we get bogged down in life because of that jerk who cut us off or that unapologetic glare from another shopper while you deal with your toddler's melt down at the grocery store, there is still so much good in this world. There are still people out there who when presented with an opportunity to get a nice camera for free they choose to do the right thing and help it find it's owner again. For all the less-than-helpful experiences I've had from strangers since becoming a mother, I've been met with ten times as many helpful ones.

Have you visited the Seattle Aquarium?

or

Tell me about a time when a stranger was kind to you!

See what zoos The Pierogie Mama has written about

Babywearing Through Mount Rainier

Caution: This post contains a ton of babywearing!

This past weekend we decided to take a family trip up to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park as a last hurrah for my parents taking off for Europe for the next 2 years. I had been wanting to see the gorgeous wildflower fields that are infamous in August and it was the perfect family bonding time that we needed.

We drove up early on a Sunday morning and made it to Paradise, which is the starting point for summiting Mount Rainier and offers the most glorious views of the volcano (that you can drive to). Even though it's at 5,400 ft elevation, it was a HOT afternoon. You never know about the weather when you're that high up, it can change so quickly, but we were blessed with a gorgeous blue sky, albeit hot temperatures and the beautiful variation of wildflowers.

Pretty much everyone took a turn wearing the babes :)

We hiked around Paradise and then headed out for an impromptu hike that took us from Narada Falls down to Long Mire. It was a 4 mile all descent hike - which was easy but let me tell ya, my knees and toes were hurting for the next 2 days!

None of this would have been possible without babywearing! There was no way a stroller would have worked for 5 month old Ruby and a 4 mile hike for 2 year old Penny would have been too long. So naps and nursing happened on the go and we all were happy hikers :)

Seattle area: Got a princess? Take her to the Enchanting Fall Ball!

I've mentioned a few times around the blog that we are in full princess mode with Penny. It hasn't been that much of a surprise; my husband's family are die-hard Disney lovers and there has been plenty of princess swag passed down and around. We love it, it's cute, and I'm working really hard to teach my daughters what the true meaning of a princess is. She's anything but a dainty waif who waits around for her prince to do the job - Disney has been doing much better as portraying stronger female characters than they have in the past.

Not too long ago we met a few of the characters of Enchanting Princess Events.  Not only was that experience what led to the full on princess-obsession that currently rules my house; meeting these ladies has started my thinking-wheels on how to successfully introduce women as capable and strong role models.

After our quick meet-and-greet with Beauty and Cinderella, I contacted Lianna (who plays Beauty) and we got to talking about how she started her company and how we can work together. I quickly learned that Lianna has the same goals in mind when it comes to using her power as a princess in molding young minds and making a difference.

You see- dressing up and taking photos with children isn't all what it's about for Enchanting Princess Events. These ladies take it a step further and give back to the community. In addition to being available for private events, the characters of ePe host various non-profit events and you'll find them throughout the greater Seattle area for various appearances; namely visits to the Children's Hospital! Lianna says "when we visit the hospital, our characters get to visit the Playroom as well as the various floors with patients and we autograph photos to leave with everyone. The kid’s expressions are so priceless when visiting! Our last visit, The Ice Queen and Ice Princess attended and most of the patients had Frozen playing in their rooms! We aren’t Russell Wilson, but we are able to make some of the patient’s day!" 

Their largest fundraising event is their annual Enchanting Fall Ball, which is held in October. With the growing popularity over the last 3 years, ePe has been able to expand the beneficiaries of this event to The Children’s Museum of Skagit County and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County!

This year the Enchanting Fall Ball is being held at the Marysville Opera House. At the Fall Ball there will be mingling, photos, activities, desserts and of course, DANCING! A couple surprises include an Arendelle area including Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post! The entire family will love it! In addition to the 2 ball sessions, there are limited slots available for the VIP (Very Important Princess) ticket. There are only 9 tickets available for each VIP Tea event and you get to have your own private tea party with the 9 characters for an hour before attending the Fall Ball!

The heart for charity and bringing children to higher levels is really what sets Enchanting Princess Events apart from any other "book a character" business. You can also easily see from the photos that the characters and their costumes look like the real thing. Lianna takes great pride in her business that everything about these princesses are real. They do not wear wigs (well, Rapunzel had to break that rule, but she really does have long blonde hair!) and their dresses are custom made for the actress. I daresay that their dresses are truer to the movies than what the actresses at Disneyland & Disneyworld's actresses wear!

It's the deliberate act of acting real and being real that is important to the characters of ePe, as well as showing little girls that a princess is not just pretty. This is why Lianna also launched Enchanting Apparel, to display some of the characteristics of each princess that is beyond simply beauty. These adorable shirts carry words that identify strengths that young women should all strive to achieve. The goal with this line is to encourage young girls that being a princess is not all about being pretty, but more importantly embracing the inner beauty and amazing characteristics they possess. There will be an exclusive Enchanting Apparel shirt available for pre-purchase for the Fall Ball!

So have I convinced you that this is THE event of the season to take your littles to? Yes, even your sons will enjoy the magic coming alive from their favorite Disney classics! Lianna has made an unprecidented, exclusive offer to Pierogie Mama readers for tickets at a discounted rate to the Enchanting Fall Ball on October 18, 2014.

This special discounted rate will be valid only from July 20, 2014 - August 1, 2014. On August 2 their tickets will be at full price. So get this date on the calendar, get your family dressed up in their best and

be our guest!

Tickets can be purchased here. 

You'll see my little Pierogie family at the first session of the fall ball.  If you happen to notice us, please stop me and say hi! I love meeting my readers :)

Keep in touch with Enchanting Princess Events

Online  The Enchanting Fall Ball Event Page on Facebook   Facebook    Twitter    Pinterest  Instagram   

Comment below and tell me which princess is your & your child's favorite!

Disclosure: Thank you, Enchanting Princess Events, for sharing about this great cause and event with my local readers, and for sponsoring my family to attend the ball. No other compensation was provided, all opinions are my own. 

Family BBQ with Klondike Kandy Bars

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Weave Made Media® and Klondike, but all my opinions are my own. #weavemade #KandyBar  http://my-disclosur.es/RgFrEH

This past 4th of July was a busy one for us! We celebrated 5 years of marriage, visited my in-laws to watch the local parade, had some family fun with a BBQ afterwards, then Adam and I took off to celebrate anniversary!

Besides all the great family fun to be had, my favorite part of any family get together is always the food. We had the good ol' all-American cheeseburgers with an assortment of sides and I was (and usually am) the bringer of desserts. I had already baked a peach cobbler, but I also wanted to share the all new Klondike Kandy Bars!

So after lunch we sent the kids outside to the sprinkler and the grown ups tore into (well, I should say that my brother in law tore into) the ice cream and we sat back, enjoying our sinfully delicious KANDY Bars and laughed at the kids run around.

Out of the three flavors, the Caramel & Peanuts disappeared the fastest - the runner up was Cookies & Cream. All three flavors have a chocolatey coating and a ribbon of gooey goodness inside along with the ice cream. They were the perfect compliment to our low key dinner and a total crowd pleaser!

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Disclosure: Thanks Klondike for sponsoring today's post and treating my family with some yummies!

Strawberry Picking #WordlessWednesday

Pssst.... Here's my Strawberry Pierogie Recipe, just for you :)