Prima Princessa's TutuZone

Sleeping Beauty at the New York Theater Ballet this weekend

The New York Theater Ballet's Once Upon a Ballet Series is presenting "The Sleeping Beauty" March 10 at 1pm and March 11 at 11am & 1pm. This is a great ballet to take a child to as it runs one hour. These performances will please parent and child alike. I have been to several with my own daughter when she was younger and we both loved them.

 

 

Skiing In Vermont with Kids at Jackson Gore

 

Jackson Gore Inn in Vermont is a wonderful ski resort for families!  It's about a 4 hour drive from New York City. They have awesome outdoor heated pools, hot tubs & full spa.  Make sure to request that your room to be very near the pool as you'll be going there alot after skiing with your kids.  

They also have an outdoor snow roller-coaster which is a blast, tubing, and an iceskating rink all literally a one minute walk from the hotel. They have a mini-corner store which is a life-saver if you forget to pack something. It has 3 restaurants (with Starbucks), and a cozy dark wood lobby with fireplace and a bar to hang out in.  Also, in the town of Ludlow (which is a 2 minute drive) there are tons of other restaurants if you want to get out for something different. 

The skiing is fabulous at the Okemo and Jackson Gore. They are on same mountain, just different sides.. Okemo Mountain Resort is also a great, well priced place to stay with kids.

Check out this NY Times article for more info.

 

Family Winter Getaway - Bretton Woods New Hampshire

The Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire is a great resort for a family getaway not just during the winter, but any time of year. We took our kids in mid December before the prices went up for the Christmas Season. We had an amazing time, felt like it was a great deal and would like to visit again either in the winter or in the summer.

This resort is a beautiful, giant historic resort looking out over Mount Washington. The Omni recently restored this hotel and did an amazing job. We loved hanging out in the lobby with our kids. The the lobby is very elegant with lots of sitting areas and big fireplace. You can order drinks and relax in any sort of attire from casual to dressy.

Right off the lobby is a lovely rotunda with another fireplace and more sitting areas. Families were lounging around playing board games or plugged into their computers. In this section you can order several fun desserts as well as little pizzas and things like that. This resort will appeal to both kids and adults. Only thing I did not like is the Omni uses this freshener all throughout the resort, and at times we all found it overpowering.

The resort is just a few minutes shuttle ride (shuttle at hotel or take your car) from the Bretton Woods Ski Resort which has an amazing assortment of trails. The ski instructors were wonderful. The ones we had were all retirees who had come to New Hampshire for the outdoors lifestyle. Skiing is really the reason to go in the winter, but depending on when you are there you can go dog sledding at the resort or go the Muddy Paws Kennel directly. The resort also has horse and carriage rides. When there is snow the horses pull a sled. There is also a 3 hour canopy tour which looked amazing, but our daughter was too young for it. I don't think I would have wanted to do that in the winter, but people do do it. We plan to go back at some point one summer and try it out. The resort also has an iceskating rink, but I personally would skip it. It it is not real ice, but some sort of rubber matt and very small. 

There are several place to eat in the resort and the food voeral was excellent. Our favorite was the casual steak restaurant Stickelys and then the main dining room for breakfast.

For after skiing there is a spa, outdoor heated pool and indoor heated pool an hot tub. I would not miss the outdoor pool as the views are fabulous. Just make sure to pack robes and flip flips for your kids for when they hop out into the cold air.

 

 

 

First Position - new ballet documentary

First Position is a new ballet documentary being screened at the 2012 New York International Children's Film Festival which runs this March. This film is for children 8 and up. It follows 6 students competing for a spot in the Youth America Grand Prix, a prestigious ballet competition which awards scholarships to top ballet schools to younger students and for older students often results in contracts as dancers at top ballet companies.

This film airs Saturday, March 10 at 6:30 pm and Sunday, March 18 at 11:00 am. The director will be there to answer questions March 10th.

NYC Ballet Pre-Performance Workshops for Kids

Start of spring for your child with a pre-performance movement workshop at the New York City Ballet! Your child will get to dance while meeting artist from the NYC Ballet! Visit this Children's Workshop link for more details and dates.

Family Dog Sledding Adventure in New Hampshire

This winter my family went dog sledding in New Hampshire with Muddy Paws Kennels. It was an unforgettable experience. The dogs at Muddy Paws Dog Kennel are all rescue dog sled racing dogs. Cast aside either because they were not fast enough or their crew disbanded, these  dogs find a new home at Muddy Paws. Muddy Paws houses around 150 dogs. Some get adopted, but many stay in the kennel where they get to pull the dog sleds.

You can catch a Muddy Paws sled at Bretton Woods Resort, but I recommend going to the kennel itself. You will be able to visit with the dogs. It is quite and experience to get to walk amongst 150 dogs. They are very friendly bunch. Make sure to wear rain boots as the kennel is very messy and muddy. Dress warm for your ride.

When there is snow the dogs pull a sled. When there is not enough snow the dogs pull rolling carts. They don't pull in the summer as it is too hot for them with their thick coats.  You need to make a reservation so make sure to check out the Muddy Paws website.

The dogs get very excited when they see their handlers getting the sled ready as they love to pull and start jumping and barking. Depending on the size of the sled 4-10 dogs will be harnessed up. Once the sled or cart takes off, the dogs left behind in the kennel start howling in unison. It is quite a thrill. My kids loved meeting the dogs just as much as they enjoyed the wonderful ride throught the woods.

Overall this was an amazing family adventure. I would highly recommend this family dog sledding adventure. It is pricey, but Muddy Paws is a non-profit operation that is rescuing dogs, so it does feel good to support them in their mission.

How To Make A Tutu from CraftyGuides

Prima Princessa's TutuZone is thrilled to host this amazing guest post from Mariana of  CraftyGuides on "How to Make A Tutu"

 

 Making a basic tutu is a fun and easy project! Even a child can help! This project is a great rainy day activity and/or a great little girl's party activity! What's even better is that making a non-sew tutu is cheap.

 When I first started making tutus, there weren't many tutu instructions out there to help me out. I learned by looking at tutus on the internet and figuring it out, with MANY mistakes along the way. Now I would like to pass my knowledge onto you. Avoid the mistakes I made when I started. Follow the steps below for a fast introduction to making non-sew tutus.

 Material Needed:

 Tulle From The Bolt (fabric stores sell tulle by the yard from a bolt, which are mostly 54" wide) or 6" by 25 yard rolls of tulle.

 If using tulle from the bolt, you will need to get at least 5-6 yards of tulle for a baby/toddler size. Ages four and up will need at least 8-10 yards of tulle.

 If using tulle from the roll, purchase 6" by 25-yard rolls/spools of tulle. You will need 2-3 rolls for a baby/toddler size and 3-4 rolls for ages four and up. I personally love using tulle ribbon from a roll/spool. It's mostly used for wedding decorations and gift-wrap. It's better to work with and quicker to cut.

 Rotary Cutter or Fabric Scissors

 A self healing cutting mat

 1/2" "-3/4" Width Roll of Non Roll Elastic (Amount needed, all depends on waist measurement) or elastic headband for waist

 Needle and Thread

 Optional: Paper Towel Roll and Paper Towel Roll Holder 

and A lip edge ruler

 BASIC INSTRUCTIONS ON CREATING A NON-SEW TUTU:

 Waistband Construction:

• Measure child's waist and cut elastic 2" inches smaller than initial measurement. 
• Stitch both ends of elastic together by hand or with a sewing machine.
• Make sure it's secure by pulling on the elastic.

 For a 100% non-sew tutu, use a simple stretchy headband for the waistband. If you want a more exact fit, it's best to use elastic and sew the ends together using a needle and thread. No sewing is involved in the skirt portion of the tutu. Most stretchy headbands come in one size so this option may not work for all waist sizes.

 Cutting Tulle:

 If using tulle from a bolt, cut it down into six inch strips. A fast and simple way to cut it, is to roll the tulle into a tube... It should look like a tube of gift-wrap paper.

One end of the tulle will have a folded edge (it should come folded from the fabric store). Starting on that edge, measure three inches and make your first cut with a sharp pair of fabric scissors. Then measure six inches over and cut again. Repeat every 5-6" until you have cut the whole length. You might have to adjust the strip width to make the strip widths as even as possible.

 If using 6" by 25-yard rolls of tulle, you won't need need to cut six inch strips, since the roll already comes in a six inch width. You will still have to cut each strip to your chosen length.

 Let's say you would like the tutu to be 14" inches long. Double that length to 28" and add 1" to compensate for the knot you will be tying at a later step. and Cut each strip to 29" long. The length is up to you.

• Once you have the length you want to cut the strips to, unroll up to 3 rolls of tulle on top of each other (this is to save some time).
• Make sure the ends meet at the 1" mark on your mat.
• Place the quilters lip edge on top of the cutting mat where you are going to be making your cut. The lip edge ruler works like a t-square against the edge of the mat for slip free cutting and measuring
• Roll the rotary cutter across the tulle layers. Continue cutting strips. A baby/toddler tutu will need between 40-60 strips of tulle.

Some strips might not come out entirely even, but it's okay if that happens. Most mistakes can be hidden once all the strips are tied on.

 Making the Skirt:

 Tying Tulle to Elastic Using Double Knot Technique:

• Then bring your elastic over the paper towel roll.
• Take one of your precut strips and then bring it behind the elastic. Make sure both the ends of your strip are even with each other.
• Utilizing the end that's on top, bring it behind and back up thru the loop so as to form your first knot. As you tighten the knot, confirm both ends of the strip are even. Make a second knot utilizing the same strip you made your first knot with. Again make sure the ends are even.

Tying Tulle to Elastic Using Slipknot Technique:

• An alternate way to tie your strips on is utilizing the slipknot method. Fold your strip in half and bring it behind the elastic waistband to create a "U" shape loop. Make sure the ends are even. Bring the ends thru the loop that you have made and pull down to tighten. Try not to pull it too tight.
• Continue tying strips until you achieve the desired fullness; between 40-60 strips for a baby/toddler tutu.
• A good rule is to fit in at least 3 knots per inch of your waistband measurement (minus the 2").

 After completing steps above, you will have a completed non-sew tutu!!

Visit Mariana's TutuGuides.com for great tutumaking e-books!

Description: Learn the Secret Techniques of Well Known Boutiques and Start To Make Your Very Own Tutus! Make Tutus for Friends, Family... or Start Your Own Business Selling Your Handmade Creations!

Title: Learn How To Make A Tutu

Mariana Patrick loves teaching others how to make tutus. She has written two top selling ebooks on how to make non-sew tutus and how to sew a tutu. Visit her website for more info at www.CraftyGuides.com. You can also visit her blog for other free craft tutorials at www.craftyguides.blogspot.com

 

 

 

654 Entries for Prima Princessa DVD Giveaway!

Beautiful Bella Faith- Prima Princessa Nutcracker DVD - Review & GIVEAWAY -

Contest Ends Feb.3rd 2012

 About Prima Princessa

"The producers of the “Prima Princessa” DVD series, Stephanie Troeller and Mary Kate Mellow, are both mothers of dance loving daughters, who were the original source of inspiration for the series. Each DVD in the series has the cartoon fairy ballerina Prima Princessa escort a group of pre-schoolers on a magical journey to see a live performance of a classic storybook ballet, delightfully narrated so children may fully understand the plot. Between acts, they return home and in fun colorful montages of toys, animals, and kids, they learn ballet steps from students at the School of American Ballet, the official academy of the New York City Ballet."

 (Read more about Prima Princessa HERE)

 For my review, I was sent The Nutcracker DVD. This DVD features England's world famous Birmingham Royal Ballet performing excerpts from The Nutcracker, plus students from the School of American Ballet.

Bonus Features:

• Arm Positions and Port de Bras
• Holiday Party
• Holiday Freeze Dancing
• Holiday Crafts

Approximate Running Time: 60 minutes

 This DVD is very educational and entertaining for young girls. My daughter, while only 21 months, has started to show interest in dance. She will probably enjoy this DVD a lot more when she's about three years old. Though I did catch her twirling in circles, imitating the dancers on her TV. It is so fun to watch, even as an adult. Ballet is so beautiful, and I hope I can enroll my daughter in ballet classes when I feel like she's ready. Also, the price tag of $6.99 can't be beat! An affordable classic!

Prima Princessa's website is great for young girls! Your little princess can enjoy playing fun games for preschoolers and coloring pages. Also, you can view the ballet dictionary and teach them words that will aide them in becoming a true ballerina!

Be sure to visit their blog at Tutuzone.com for fun crafts for girls and ballet family fun!

One LUCKY Beautifully BellaFaith reader is going to win a copy of Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker! This giveaway will end February 3rd, 2012. Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another will be chosen. You do NOT have to be a blogger to win or enter. Good luck!! (:

CONTEST IS OVER 654 entries collected

Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker DVD (ARV:$6.99)

            ENTER TO WIN WHO ENTERED?

AND THE WINNER IS...

results powered by Random.org

Entry #628Briskin' F.

 

Fancy Feather Hair Accessories Craft

Feather hair accessories are all the rage!  Feather hair accessories craft is fun and easy to do, not to mention lots cheaper than buying them. Great craft for girls. It is exciting for kids to suddenly be able to make something they have seen in the stores. 

Collect Materials: First you need to collect your materials. Shopping for the materials with your daughter is half the fun. Go to the fabric or craft store for feathers. At the hardware store you can purchase very thin and flexible brass wire for not a lot of money or bead stores often have colored wire. At the drug store pick up some cute clips. At the bead store or craft store get a handful of fun beads for the hair ornaments. Make sure to get beads whose holes are not too big or too small. You will be putting the beads onto silk or leather cording so you want to make sure the holes are just bit bigger than the cording. This cording can be found at bead or craft stores as well.

Material below:

Steps to Make Feather Hair Accessories:

1. Cut a piece of cord about 12''. Using the brass wire attach the cord to the feather. You will do so by wrapping the wire around top part of feather and about a 1 inch of cord. Keep wrapping and wrapping so brass is nice and thick and looks intentional and apart of design. When done cut with scissors and push end flat onto clump.

2. Next play with you beads. About 4-6 is a good number. Try and have ones with the tightest hole towards top and bottom. Tie a know on top of last bead.

3. Next you will attach hair clip. I leave about 3 inches of plain cord, but you can leave as much longer or shorter depending on how your daughter likes to wear her hair feather. Loop cord through hair clip at closed end and wrap about 1/4 inch of the overlapping cord to secure. Again wrap and wrap with brass so looks like an intentional part of design. When done trim excess. Now enjoy!

So cute!!!!

Giving is Living Jen's RAQ

Over 180 entries for the "Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker" DVD on Giving is Living - Jen's RAQ.  Thanks for doing the contest and selecting us for your holiday guide. We love checking out your bloga for all its practical tips and more for families! 

From the review: "My 6 year old daughter loved to dance around like a pro and felt so glamorous!  "

 

 

Fast & Festive (and affordable) Holiday Table Center Piece

Every year I like to fill crystal bowls with the standard colorful glass Christmas tree balls. They make great centerpieces and take about 1 minute to put together. Kids and adults love this sparkly decoration. You can get these Christmas balls all over the place, and they are not at all expensive.

I let my daughter very carefully place the ornaments in the bowl. She loves to help me decorate.

Enjoy this easy holiday centerpiece!

Easy Christmas Tree Ornament Projects for Kids

Tutuzone's Family Fun Zone - Christmas Tree Ornament Making with Kids

Popsicle Stick Snowman - Christmas Tree Ornament - Use a hammer and nail to make the hole at the top of the stick. Let children decorate the popscilce stick to make their snowman with a felt scarf of their color choice and an orange carot nose and painted hat and face. Finish off with a little ribbon to tie it to the tree.

Card-stock Photo Snowman -  Christmas Tree Ornament - This makes a great present for mom, dad or the grandparents. Cut three circles out of white card stock. Cut a photo to fit the smallest circle and glue that on. Glue rest of pieces together. Decorate with winter flourishes. The little snowman broom can be found at craft stores, but you can also cut one out of paper for your child to decorate and use on their ornament.  These snowman ornaments are great crafts ideas for kids & great crafts for girls

 

Pipe-Cleaner Beaded Ball - Christmas Tree Ornament 

This is really easy to do. Join 2 pipe-cleaners together into an x. Place beads on all four sizes in equal amounts. Fix pipe cleaner together at the top. Leave enough extra to make a little hoop to hang the ornament to a tree branch. These beaded ball ornaments are great crafts ideas for kids & great crafts for girls. Make sure to take your child shopping with you for special beads to make the ornaments with.

 

Baba's Farm Life Spotlight and Prima Princessa Sleeping Beauty Review

Glad to hear that Baba and her grandchildren have been enjoying 'Prima Princessa Sleeping Beauty'. Baba writes from her December, 2011 review: "It’s not quite like being there in person, but it’s the next best thing."

Baba's Farm Life is a great place to visit for awesome product reviews as well as excellent giveaways. I just entered to win the Gratitude Power Workbook. Looks like a great read to start of 2012 on the right foot!

Made in the USA bean bag reindeer doll with gold tutu for holidays

I could not resist this "Made in the USA" beanbag reindeer holiday doll from Woof & Poof! I was shopping local at a great store in my town called The Banyan Tree when I spotted her. I love her fancy gold tutu and matching gold scarf. As she is a bean bag she is easy to rest on the side of a table or mantle. I keep thinking about her snowman friend back at the store, but since I already spent $50 on her, that one will have to wait until next Christmas.

Friday Fashion Tip - Holiday Coats for Little Girls make great Christmas gifts

Coats make great gifts for little girls. I think they are fun gift for the grandparents to give. 

I personally love this black cape from Wooden Soldier and it happens to be made in the USA which I think is great. Too bad they no longer have my daugther's size.  This would make a very special Christmas gift for a little girl.

 

This classic red coat for girls is amazing! I love this traditonal little girls coat again from Wooden Solider. Great Christmas gfit for a little girl from grandma.

 

What little girls would not love to wear this super fun faux fur coat from Wooden Soldier.

 

Toggle Coat from Mini Boden is adorable. Wonderful Christmas gift for a little girl. Pair with a bright contrasting mulitcolore scarf.

Fun color coats for kids from Garnet Hill Kids. Special Christmas gift for a little girl.

Friday Fashion Tip - Traditional Christmas Dresses for Little Girls

Wooden Soldier is a great place to find traditional Christmas Dresses for little girls. These are my top 5 picks from Wooden Soldier for dressy tradtional Christmas Dresses. I love these classic Christmas Dresses for little girls. 

Gorgeous plaid traditional Christmas Dress for little girls with long sleeves.

 

Charming cap sleeve plaid traditional Christmas Dress for litte girls.

Cheerful red traditional Christmas Dress for little girls.

I love the collar on this traditional Christmas Dress for little girls.

 

Fabulous green this traditional Christmas Dress for little girls.

Dog dances to Prima Princessa Sleeping Beauty

 

Christmas is coming up soon so head over to Evan & Lauren's Blog to win a Prima Princessa DVD.

Check out her review of "Prima Princessa Sleeping Beauty". Not only did her daughter and son dance along to the show, but even her dog got into the action. She writes, "At one point Fred our Shetland Sheepdog got in to it as there were dogs playing chase to illustrate chasse."

Check out their fun and helpful Holiday Gift Guide 2011 too and make sure to check out some of their other great giveaways.

 

Win a Prima Princessa DVD on Titus2Homemaker Blog

 

Titus2Homemaker blog is a great place to go for wonderful homeschooling resources as well as great ideas for upcycling crafts. While enjoying these resources enter to win a Prima Princessa DVD.

From the November 2011 review of Prima Princessa Presents The Nutcracker: "Most little girls love ballet – but how many of them know the stories of the famous ballets?  The Prima Princessa videos introduce these stories to young viewers in a non-overwhelming manner.

Monday's Top 3 Holiday Gift Finds: Moms needs coffee stocking stuffers!

Moms need their coffee! Great gifts for coffee loving moms. Stick in her stocking and she is sure to be pleased.

Handmade Vintage Coffee Cozy $10.00 and proceeds go to help fund this artists adopting of a child from Ethiopia. This is a fun original stocking stuffer Christmas gift for mom. (Etsy)

Elegant Personalized Coffee Mug Pick a special date and highlight it for mom! This site has all sorts of great designs to make another great stocking stuffer holiday gift for mom. (Etsy)

These spoons with little saying are really clever and make great stocking stuffer gifts for mom. I could see kids really enjoying reading the little sayings as well. (Etsy)

 

Dress Up Costumes for Christmas for little girls

If you are looking for a great Christmas or Hanukkah gift for a little girl that will inspire the imagination, dress up is the way to go. When my daughter was in preschool up until first grade she and her friends spent hours playing dress up, and the princess costumes were their favorites. I was contacted by PrincessCostumes.com and asked to check out their website. They have some adorable dress up costumes for little girls. These are my top 3 princess dress up costume picks, all in different colors if you are looking to put together a dress up costume gift set.

Stardust Princess Costume:

Juliet Costume:

 

Fairytale Princess Costume: