Harlem Globetrotters Giveaway!

I can hear the theme of the Harlem Globetrotters in my head right now, Sweet Georgia Brown! As a kid I remember going to a couple of the shows and I remember that the Washington Generals always lost. I also remember Curly Neal sliding around dribbling on his knees and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. The classic staple of the show was when they came out with a bucket of water and they pretended to throw the water on the audience. Somehow, they always switched the bucket of water for a bucket of confetti. Good times.

2010 marks the 84th season for the Globetrotters as they do their "Magical Memories” World Tour to over 215 cities across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. In February, they come to southern California! I can't wait to share this experience with my toddler!

Discount Tickets!!! Use the code HGMOM to get a $7 discount for each ticket purchased*. Ticket prices do vary slightly at the various arenas, but they typically average $25 each, thus allowing a family of four to save $28 in total. Go to http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com/ locate a game in your area and purchase tickets using the promotional code: HGMOM to redeem the coupon.

*Please Note:
-Not valid on VIP or courtside seats
-Available online only
-Valid until the day before the show

GIVEAWAY!!!

The giveaway will include a Harlem Globetrotter mini-basketball, authentic Globetrotter wristbands, an autographed Harlem Globetrotter team photo and a 2010 game program. Giveaway ends February 12th, 2010.

How to enter?

Mandatory (1 entry) - Follow my blog and add a comment on why you like the Globetrotters

Extra entries

Add my button - 5 entries (add one comment for each entry and leave me the link to your site)

Blog about the giveaway and link to my site - 5 entries (post one comment for each entry)

Tweet about the giveaway - 1 entry

Disclaimer: In compliance with the FTC, The Harlem Globetrotters provided me with free product, information and tickets through Coyne Public Relations. All opinions are my own.

Gold Class Cinema Review

If you're looking to treat yourself to the latest new release out in the theaters and you have a little extra money to burn, then Gold Class Cinemas is the place to go. Currently, they only have 4 locations in the United States with 2 in Illinois, one in Washington, and one in Pasadena, CA. Now, why would you want to spend $22 per ticket compared to $11.50? Let me tell you why.

Sure, it's a little more expensive and I will only go on special occassions, but the experience is one not to forget. The waiting area has a full bar with nice seating to relax before and after the movie. Each theater occupies about 50 people and is well equiped with very comfortable recliners. Similar to an airline flight in first class, they offer you a nice pillow and blanket to make your stay more comfortable. The left arm rest opens so you can put your personal belongings (jacket,purse) and each pair of chairs has a call button for your waiter.The menu consists of appetizers, wine, beer, main courses, or dessert. And don't forget your traditional gourmet popcorn as well. I went with my wife and inlaws and we ordered a nice bottle of pinot noir, some popcorn, and a cookie tray. I must say that the popcorn was top notch and the cookies were out of this world! There weren't that many, but they had some chocolate cookies, shortbread cookies, and something else that was very delicious! It wasn't the wine talking either.

The experience was a memorable one and a fun adventure. It's worth checking out if you have one nearby. Oh ya, we saw a movie while we were there too. We saw Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. The movie was not great and it dragged on a little, but it was entertaining.

Robert Downey Jr.'s performance was average and his accent slipped a little from time to time, but more and more I am impressed with his acting. Over the last couple years he has done Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, The Soloist, and more. I used to hate him, but now I'm a fan.

In the old words of Siskel and Ebert, for those of you that are old enough to remember them. We gave the entire movie experience Two Thumbs Up!

Burke Williams Spa Review

For the last six months I've been a pretty high stress individual. Fortunately enough for me, my wife recognized that before Christmas and she got me a 50 minute spa treatment at Burke Williams. Although I loved the idea of getting a relaxing massage, I was very hesitant because I had only had one other massage before in my life and that was a couples massage on our honeymoon in Tahiti.

I arrived 30 minutes early and walked around the place. I had just enough time to check out the steam room and then get ready for my massage. So far so good, right? I went to the waiting room and was finally received for my massage. I signed up for a 50 minute pure relaxation massage and it was fantastic! Next time I need to find out what those warm bags of rocks were that they put under my neck. Very relaxing and I was able to put my mind at ease and not have a care in the world.

The one thing that kind of annoyed me was that about 10 minutes into the massage the lady said that I indeed had a lot of stress points and that I could benefit from a deep tissue massage for an extra $20. Now, I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or if it was standard practice to try to upsell each customer into a better massage. I declined and then quickly forgot about it.

After the massage, I used the steam room and the dry sauna. I think I was there for almost 3 hours. The experience was awesome and I was so relaxed after it! I thanked my wife and I told her that she should get one too. Then I told her that I wanted to go on a quarterly basis and she laughed. I'm sure I'll go back soon...

Blog Giveaways Addict

I have a problem. Not a problem I am going to change, but one I can at least acknowledge.
I am addicted to blogger giveaways.
I began checking out other blogs when I knew I wanted to start blogging. I wanted to learn from them, but also support the mom/dad blogger community. Little did I know I would discover the world of giveaways. Books, pens, coffee, yogurt - I enter them all! And the addiction is spreading throughout my family.
This morning, my wife logged onto my computer to check out movie times and saw I had minimized 8 blogs. She began clicking on the links and about an hour after she went in the room to check movie times, I went to check on her. She, too, had fallen into the trap of giveaways. In that one hour, she manages to enter 10 giveaways! Not once within the hour did she check out the movie times.
Although I regret spending so much time entering (a task I usually do late at night after our two year old is asleep), I have won a lot of cool stuff and amazing experiences (Disney on Ice tickets, Ringling Bros. tickets, Zicam, etc.....) for my family. I am grateful for those opportunities and am grateful to the companies and the bloggers who open themselves up to share that experience with us. Gotta run now, more giveaways await!

How did your life change after baby?

This time of year often makes me stop and reflect on family, our current status/situation and our happiness/love/treatment of each other. My wife and I live a great life - we have a small, but comfortable house. We are healthy and blessed to have an amazing two year old son who attends a wonderful, safe and convenient preschool. But, like most families today, we both work to pay our bills. We live in a Los Angeles suburb and pay a lot more for a tiny house - nearly double what other people pay throughout the country for a house nearly twice or even three times the size of ours. My wife watches HG TV and often shows me clips of amazing houses in Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and many other states - and it's gotten us thinking. Should we move? Should one of us work, live in a nice house, meet nice neighbors and not be slaves to our mortgage? Live a life where one of us stays home with our little one - even if it means no professional sports teams? But then we look at the economy and wonder if we have no right to complain since we both actually have jobs. In fact, we actually wonder if this economy is the new reality the Sunday pundits say it is? Is it safer and smarter for both of us to remain employed even though we are stressed out beyond belief? I wish I had some answers, but I don't. In fact, I'm hoping some of you do. I'm curious to hear what other parents have done. Did you have a similar conversation with your spouse? Did you actually move for a better quality of life? If yes, how has it worked out?

Sealy Posturepedic Bed Giveaway on Mommy Mandy

I casually enter contests here and there, but when I saw this, I had to enter! Go to Mommy Mandy's site and enter to win a Sealy Bed! If I am lucky enough to win, then I'm getting a small bed and putting it in my bedroom! Yes, I'm talking Ricky Ricardo and Flintstone beds in our master bedroom. One for my wife, she can have the big one. Then I get my own bed with my own covers! I'm telling you, that's the wave of the future. I get very little sleep as it is with a toddler in the house and my own bed would allow me to sleep like a baby!

Like Father, Like Son

I have the next couple weeks off for vacation! Yay for me, but we're not going anywhere. My son woke up this morning and I told him that our nanny would be here later and then grandma would be here, but for now, we have a couple hours to play. I wanted to be productive today, so I started to make a To Do list of items that I wanted to accomplish today. I told my son that I was making a list of things that I wanted to do today and gave him a pen and some paper. I asked him to write down what he wanted to do today (he can't write, but I wanted him to participate). He pointed to my list of things to do and said, "I want to do what you're doing today papa." As much as he drives me crazy sometimes, I love my son...