Prima Princessa's TutuZone

 Grab a tutu! Learn ballet steps and watch a real ballet with Prima Princessa! 

 

Exquisite Sources for Handmade Fairy Wings

Below are my top 3 on-line sources for gorgeous handmade fairy wings! These fairy wings are all made by women entrepreneurs following their passion for fairy wings. My daughter and I like to visit these sights to see all the gorgeous fairy wings.

Super Special Handmade Fairy Wings Sources

I really love looking at all these great sources for handmade fairy wings. 

These handmade fairy wings made by a mompreneur are gorgeous and from the heart. Check out her online store FairyWingsBoutique full of charming fairy wings for kids and for adults too.

This site feature fabulous handcrafted fairy wings for adults and fairy wings for children. Super sophisticated fairy wings are plentiful here. My daughter just loves to visit this site On Gossamer Wings and look at all the fairy wings.

Tiara's Boutique is geared towards fairy wings for little girls. This handmade fairy wings site is fun because it also features matching tutus to go with the fairy wings. 

Put on those fairy wings for "Prima Princessa Sleeping Beauty"- an hour long DVD full of ballerina fairies in a real ballet. Kids watch ballet and get to learn real ballet steps as well. They get to dance along with other little girls dressed up in ballerina fairy costumes with fairy wings on. These girls learn simple ballet steps watching ballet students demonstrate the steps. Everything is done in fun montages to keep young kids interested and up and dancing.

Egg-Shaped Lip Balm

My daughter went bananas over my sitter's egg-shapped lip balm. The next time she came to baby-sit she brough my daughter her very own. I want one to now too! You can get them at Target as well as other stores. They are by EOS and are 95% organic and 100% natural. Free of lots of suspect ingredients as well.

A.D.H.D. or just tired?

There is lots of controversy sourounding the large increase in ADHD cases in recent years. A new study says that sleep deprivation in children can resemble ADHD. Evidently, when kids are over-tired they get wired as opposed to us adults who get sluggish. I myself have definiltey seen this happen with young kids. Read more in this NY Times article "In Blur of A.D.H.D, Sleep Troubles May Be a Culprit" by Katie Murphy.

Additionally, if your child does receive a diagnosis of ADHD, just be very careful as some of the medications can cause irreversible tics. One good way yo make sure your children are getting enough sleep is try to keep them on a regular bedtime schedule, and make sure that they are getting plenty of physical activity. Avoid TV before bed time as well as it can be over-stimulating.

My daughter loves to go down to our basement and dance after dinner. It is a good way for her to burn off steam before bed. I am usually pretty beat at this point so I generally sit on the coach where she has me play judge rating her different dance routines.

NYC Ballet Ballerina talks about her role in Firebird

 

This is a wonderful short clip featuring, New York City Ballet ballerina Teresa Reichlen discussing her leading role as a magical bird in "Firebird" as well as dancing the part. She speaks in a very clear and easy to understand manner which kids are sure to relate to. The dancing is of course gorgeous. This ballet features sets designed by the famous artist Chagall which can be seen in this clip too.

You can see this ballet performed in NYC May 2, 4, 5, 9 and 13. 

Another Great Tap Dance Scene - Singing in the Rain

You will love seeing this all time classic tap dance scene from Singing in the Rain with Gene Kelly. Amazing! My daughter and I love to watch classic musicals. She loves all the dancing and singing.

 

Fun Dance Scene from The Artist

This tap dancing scene from The Artist is really fun! Share it with your dance loving daughters!

 

Fast & Healthy Breakfast for Moms on the Go

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but often moms are too busy getting everyone ready that they don't get a chance to even eat themselves. I just recently discovered Kind Bars. When I don't have time to eat a real breakfast I have one of these either by itself or with a piece of fruit. I like to keep one in my purse for mid-day pick me ups as well. Unlike other breakfast bars these ones are not overly sweet and not stuffed with a whole bunch of mystery ingredients. These are primarily fruit and nuts. I am partial to the almond ones.

 

5 Top Mother's Day Gifts

Top 5 Mother's Day Gifts! Mother's Day is coming up soon. Some helpful shoppping tips for Mother's Day Gifts.

1. Flowers: One can never go wrong with a beautiful arrangement or bouquet of flowers as  Mother's Day Gift. Another idea is to purchase an elegant bud vase, tie it with a ribbon and then place in it one interesting flower. Or you can get really fancy and get a trio of complimentary budvases and do the same. Check out Etsy for some really lovely handmade as well as vintage budvases. This time of year garden shops often have great baskets or planters full of flowering plants. These last longer than an arrangement and can often be planted outside as well. 

 

 

2. Homemade Cards: I love getting homemade cards from my kids as a Mother's Day gift. A trip to the craft store for some fun interesting stickers, glitter glue or what-nots add to the fun of making an extra special card for mom or grandma. This sticker book from Amazon has gorgeous roses for sticking on Mom's card.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Pedicure-Manicure Gift Certificate: There is nothing quite like pampering. I can't think of a mom that won't love this Mother's Day gift especially with sandal weather drawing near. Throw in some fun shades of toe-nail polish and foot cream or a funky pair of flip flops to personalize the gift.I personally prefer this to massages. I know of several moms who have gotten massage gift certificates and unfortunately, with such packed days never get a chance to use before they expire. 

 

4. Jewelry: Jewelry is always fun for a Mother's Day Gift. If you are not sure of your wife's taste ask her. Tell her that you want to surprise her by picking out one item from 2 or 3 she suggests as possibilities. For grandma jewerly is a great Mother's Day gift as well, especially sets like a necklace and earrings or bracelet and earrings. Etsy has lots of great one of a kind pieces like this yellow and blue pendant.

 

 

5. Breakfast In Bed: My husband and kids get a real kick out of bringing me an elaborate breakfast in bed each morning for Mother's Day. This is the ultimate Mother's Day gift! The kids enjoy the entire experience starting with hitting the grocery store with Dad to buy fruit for my fruit salad and fixings for my omlette to cooking up the breakfast to serving it to me in bed. If you have have ever tried to go out for breakfast or lunch for Mother's Day it can be a mad-house. I prefer my breakfast in bed and then dinner out or take out in. 

Quick Spring Break Getaway - Indoor Waterpark

My kids are on spring break and as a special treat last week I took them both to Great Wolf Lodge in Pennsylvania for one night. Great Wolf Lodge is a hotel with a fabulous indoor water park. We live just an hour and half from Great Wolf Lodge so for us it is an easy one night trip. The day of arrival you can enter the water park at 1:00 pm. We wore our swimsuits in the car and went straight into the park. Although there are snacks in the park, I brought a small cooler with healthy snacks, sandwiches and beverages. The park was full of families with kids. My son especially loved all the big slides and my daughter loved the wave pool.

After about 5 hours we headed back to our room to shower and change for dinner. They have a nice all you can eat buffet. I love this because there is no waiting at all for the food, and they did have much healthier options here than available in the actual park. If you want there is also Magic Quest in the halls of the hotel as well as a big arcade.

The next day we grabbed some doughnuts and headed straight back into the park when it opened at 9:00 am.  By 1:00 Mom was ready to head home. After a quick shower in the changing rooms we grabbed a snack at the Starbucks in the lobby and headed back home.

How To Draw A Ballerina

I really love this on-line "How to Draw a Ballerina" tutorial at Drawing.now.com! You click to the next step as you are ready and can click back and forth. It is definitely advanced for little kids, but it is still cool for them to see how pen and paper can make something come to life step by step. They will enjoy clicking on the steps as watching the ballerina come to life.

An easy way for a young child to draw a ballerina is to draw a simple stick figure and then draw a triangle shape for the skirt. We used to do tons of these when my kids were younger. Ovals make nice shoes, a circle for the bun and an upside down triangle for the top of the leotard.

5 Adorable Easter Dresses for Little Girls

These 5 adorable dresses are from Children's Place  and can be ordered online. They are perfect little girl Easter dresses!

   

 

Super Creative Game to Play Online Draw A Stick Man

My sister-in-law sent me a link to DrawAStickMan.com. This simple, yet super sophisticated game is sure to please adults and children alike. It is free and you play it on-line. It only takes a few minutes and is well worth it. Quite inspiring as well as refreshing.

Pre-Ballet and Creative Dance Summer Classes with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

If you live in Aspen or Santa Fe or plan to be there this summer check out the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's Pre-Ballet and Creative Ballet classes this summer June 11-August 18th. You can even register online.

ASFB is currently on tour this March and April in CO, NM, MO and UT. Check out their schedule here.

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time

Girl Scout cookies are in, and I can't seem to walk through my kitchen without grabbing a Thin Mint or Samoa. This year is the 100 Year Anniversary of the Girl Scouts which will make those cookies taste even sweeter. If no Girl Scouts make it by your door, look for them around town selling at booth sales. My troop will be doing a booth sale in front of  CVS in a few weeks. Thanks CVS for the spot!

Girl Scout Camps are also a wonderful escape for kids this summer. What I love about Girl Scout Camps is they often have fabulous outdoor facilities, and they not only focus on fun but working together, leadership skills and serving the community. There are Girl Scout camps all over the country. Check out the Girl Scout web site for more info.

Cookies stashed in my basement for upcoming booth sale!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day 2012

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! We like to celebrate by going to a small town parade near by as well as by eating corned beef and cabbage while listening to Irish music or watching Riverdance. Check out the SaintPatricksDayParade.com for Saint Patrick's Day parade info near you.

My tip for cooking the traditional St. Patricks Day meal of corned beef, cabbage and boiled potatoes is to boil each dish in its own pot. I personally find cooking the veggies along with the meat to be too heavy of a taste. Never had any luck cooking soda bread so I usually pick that up at a local bakery.

I still remember when I saw Riverdance many years ago. The Riverdance and Lord of the Dance DVDs are great for kids as they are filled with amazing, energetic dancing. If you are interested in seeing Lord of the Dance live check out their tour schedule on their website.

If your child is inspired check out this comprehensive List of Irish Step Dancing Schools in parts of Canada and the USA.

  

 

Enchanted Ballet Workshop at Texas Ballet Theater for baby ballerinas!

The Enchanted Ballet Workshop at the Texas Ballet Theater is for budding ballerinas ages 3-6. June 18-22. This fun program features crafts, ballet and more!

The Texas Ballet Theater is also offering open classes for kids at the begining of the summer as well as other dance workshops for older children. Dance camps are a great way to enjoy the summer.

Manhattan Children's Theater Make "The Lonely Phone Booth" Book Into Play

The charming new children's book The Lonely Phone Booth, has just been turned into a play and will be showing this March-April at the Manhattan Children's Theater.

Many kids my have never seen phone booth, but there is actual one left in NYC and this adorable book is about this lonely phone booth. My daughter really got a kick out of this book, and we plan to visit the phone booth sometime soon.

If you can't make the play, I highly recommend the book as not only is the story lovely, but the illustrations are fab!

While at the Manhattan Children's Theater check out their acting classes for kids, school programs, and workshops. This is a great spot of a birthday party as well.

 

Summer Camp with Broadway Stars

Kids are sure to enjoy these peforming arts day camps in NYC where they get to meet and work with real Broadway stars.  For those of you that live out of town, why not consider signing your child up at camp and while he/she is at camp you can explore the city.

Looking to inspire your child? Each week a different Broadway star visits and perfroms at Applause , a day summer camp  in New York City. This camp is for ages 5-9).

A Class Act NY Kids get to work with professional Broadway stars, attend a Broadway performance and put on their own show at this cool camp.

Camp Broadway. Another great NYC performing arts camp for kids ages 6-17. Older children get to work directly with Broadway stars.

For more information on great performing arts camps check out Time Out New York Kids 2012 Camp Guide.

 

Shopping for Little Girl Dresses in New York City Boutiques

My daughter is not quiet a tween so  I really wanted to get her a little girl dress that was age appropriate and well made out of nice fabric for several upcoming family functions. I asked a friend in NYC to give some shopping tips for little girl dresses and then I found some others researching on-line. All these stores are great for little girl dresses for upcoming Easter, Passover or Mother's Day events!

Little Girl Dresses - NYC Boutiques - Little Girl Easter Dresses, Little Girl Passover Dresses, Little Girl First Communion Dresses, Little Girl Bar Mitzvah Dresses or Little Girl Bat Mitzvah Dresses, Little Girls Dresses for Weddings and other special family occasions

 

Magic Windows

1186 Madison at 87th

212-289-0028

Open daily

I love this store. They have gorgeous clothes for infants up to tweens and lots of darling little girl dresses. The tween dresses are very sweet and lovely fabrics. There was a great selection of dressier little girl dresses as well as a room of First Communion dresses. They have a big selection of cardigans as well which can often be hard to find. The prices are not outrageous. Tired after shopping, head over to local 3 Brother Diner for burgers, ect or walk the other direction for Dean & Delucca. Nice thing about the diner was it was not crowded and fast service.  There is another branch in Charlotte, NC and the selection does have a subtle Southern feel to it.

 

Crewcuts

1190 Madison at 87th;

Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm; Sat, 10am-6pm; Sun, noon-5pm

This is just a minute walk from Magic Windows so you can do both easily in one shot. You can check out their selections on-line. Loads fo cute stuff and lovely girls party dresses and other types of dresses for  little girls as well. 

 

Greenstones

1410 2^nd Ave at 73^rd 212-794-0530

454 Columbus Ave at 81^st  up to age 14 (near Natural History Museum) (212) 580-4322

This fun store full of hip more casual styles is right behind the Museum of Natural History so if you are going in to see the museum, mine as well make time for a bit of shopping.  Great place to shop for littel girl clothing. My daughter loved this store. It was a bit pricey, but they had a great sale rack. Very wearable items. Lots of more casual little girl dresses. 

 

Spring Flowers

NYC: 538 Madison Ave. at 55th; 1050 3rd ave; 907 Madison Ave at 72^nd 

Palm Springs

Store hours: Mon-Sat 10am to 6pm.

I recently visited this store with a friend of mine who was in visiting from out of town. They have adorable, very well made, super sweet dresses for little girls in traditional styles. They also have a nice selection of dressy ballet flats and sandals. Pricey.

 

Bonpoint

810 Madison & 1269 Madison

I did not get to check this out yet. I heard the cuts are good if your child is on the skinny side. I have heard it has pretty little girl clothing and little girl dresses.

 

Lesters

1534 2nd Avenue @ 80th St.

New York, NY 10075

(212) 734-9292

Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 10am-7pm

Thu 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-6pm

On-line this store looked as if it was more geared towards teens so we did not make it here. In a few years we'll check it out. I heard this is great place for bat mitzvah dresses and prom dresses. Fun spot for to look for dresses for teens and dresses for little girls.

 

Saks

611 5th Avenue
New York, NY  10022
212-753-4000

Monday through Saturday, 10 to 8
Sunday, 11 to 7

They had some cute little girl dresses by Milly and Zoe. The selection of girl clothing and little girl dresses trended toward the pricier.  They has a pretty nice selection og girls party dresses that were nicely made. I found a gorgeous little girl dress for my daughter here.It has a nice size hem so we can get a few years out of this little girl dress.

 

 

 Bergdorf Goodman

745 5th Ave.; NY, NY 800-558-1855

This department store has a really nice children's department with an especially good selection of Florence Eisman dresses for little girls and babies.

 

 

The Magic Piano - Film for kids

Short-listed for an Oscar, The Magic Piano is being screened on March 17 at 7:30 pm at the 2012 New York International Children's Film Festival which is running this March. This amazing film features the music of classical musician Chopin in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth.

This screening will also feature live piano accompianment. Recommended for ages 7 to adult.