Thursday evening we went to the circus. This was Kaitlynn's first circus. My mom said that I saw the circus when I was younger, but I don't remember it. We had awesome seats - 7 rows from the floor / stage and right in the middle of all the action! I am so thankful for the opportunities and experiences blogging has given me and my family.
We arrived early enough to go down on the floor for the Clown College and pre-show festivities. Kaitlynn got autographs and pictures taken with some of the performers. We saw the elephants up close. It was a really great experience!
We missed a little bit of the beginning of the show because there was a problem with my giveaway winner's tickets being at will call. It got worked out though (and we didn't miss much).
The circus was an excellent experience! It was so neat to see these talented performers and these amazing animals. Zing, Zang, Zoom!
You still have time to see the circus. Show Dates for St. Louis are: Saturday October 17: 1:00pm, 5:00pm Sunday October 18: 1:00pm, 5:00pm
HERE IS A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU! Receive $4 off weekend tickets by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.
****Get $4 off weekend tickets by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP Gold, VIP, and Circus Celebrity seats or combinable with other offers. Service charges and handling fees will apply.
Washington state-bred Brandi Carlile was inspired to pick up the guitar and learned to play after seeing the Indigo Girls in concert at Lilith Fair. Her last album, The Story, debuted on Billboard's Top 200, peaking at #2 on iTunes and was named one of VH1's "You Oughta Know" artists in addition to having many of her songs featured on various episodes of "Grey's Anatomy".
She's toured with Ray Lamontagne, Dave Mathews Band and Sheryl Crow, who raved about her live performances, "She has the most amazing voice I may have ever heard. Soulful. Country. Perfect in every way and propelled by taste."
Paste Magazine calls her the "best voice in indie rock" and her childhood idol, Elton John, duets with her on her new album, Give Up The Ghost, which was released by Columbia Records on October 6th.The recording of this album gave her the opportunity to work with her idol, Elton John. They sang duet on Caroline. “Brandi has an amazing voice,” he says. “She’s a great songwriter and has a tremendous career ahead of her.”
Give Up The Ghost, Brandi's third album, was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, birthplace of legendary recordings by The Doors and Led Zeppelin. The first single, Dreams, was written with her longtime bandmates, twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth. Click here for a sneak peek of her first single Dreams.
Album's tracklisting:
1. Looking Out
2. Dying Day
3. Pride And Joy
4. Dreams
5. That Year
6. Caroline
7. Before It Breaks
8. I Will
9. If There Was No You
10. Touching The Ground
11. Oh Dear
She reminds me a little of Melissa Etheridge. If you like Indie Rock, such as KT Tunstall and the Indigo Girls, you will enjoy listening to Brandi Carlile. My favorite songs from the album are That Year, If There Was No You and Touching The Ground.
ON TOUR NOW
“Give Up The Ghost Traveling Show” kicked off September 10th in Salt Lake City, UT. Brandi donates $1 from every ticket sale to The Looking Out Foundation, a helping hand foundation she created to help the many causes she's passionate about. Go to BrandiCarlile.com to buy your tickets now!
Sep 28 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater
Sep 29 Toronto, Canada The Mod Club
Oct 01 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre
Oct 02 Boston, MA House of Blues
Oct 03 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Oct 06 Philadelphia, PA Keswick Theatre
Oct 07 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Oct 08 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
Oct 10 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
Oct 11 Birmingham, AL Workplay Soundstage
Oct 12 Fayetteville, AR George’s Majestic Lounge
Oct 14 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
Oct 15 Santa Fe, NM The Lensic Performing Arts Center
Oct 16 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
Oct 17 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
Oct 20 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
Oct 22 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Oct 24 Seattle, WA The Paramount
To learn more about Brandi, check out these sites:
Five for Fighting's newest release, Slice, was available in stores on October 12. This album is a snapshot or blog of John Ondrasik's life experiences. It is Five for Fighting's fifth album. You may remember him by the Grammy-nominated song Superman — from the Five for Fighting album America Town (2000).
If you're a fan of them, you will like this album, with a tracklist of the following:
1. Slice: "more than a slice of american pie." This song sounds like it should be in a Chevy commercial. 2. Note to the Unknown Soldier: John sings "I never knew you, but I'm told you were the best that we had," "I never knew you but I know your the best man I know," "It's a better world because you came", and "my kids'll know your name." What a great tribute to our military / service men and women. 3. Tuesday: The events of 9/11 are at the core of this, on which John sings: “The thing about memories/They’re sure and bound to fade/Except for the stolen souls/Left upon her blade”. He explains: “That song isn’t ‘Superman Part 2,’ there’s none of that in there. It’s much more of a plea for us to not forget the lessons we learned that day.” 4. Chances: is the first song released from the album. Check below for a video of John performing this song.
5. This Dance
6. Above the Timberline
7. Transfer
8. Hope
9. Story of Your Life: was written for his wife of 12 years
10. Love Can't Change the Weather
11. Augie Nieto
Check out John Ondrasik's TV Appearances:
CBS Saturday Morning 10/10
The View 10/14
The Today Show 10/16
John will be hitting the road in October with An Acoustic Evening with Five for Fighting. To find out about how to get tickets in a location near you, go to his site.
Crazy Love is a collection of passionate songs that embodies the deep mysteries of love sung by one of the most exciting, young (witty, handsome...we could go on) performers today.
Monday, October 5th was my dad's 66th birthday. This year I really had intentions of starting a tradition in memory of his birthday, but as the date grew closer I just couldn't bring myself to plan anything. It was difficult to be around anyone that day, even my family. As some of you may know, my dad passed away on May 5th, 2008.
I miss my dad everyday. It still feels like a nightmare that he is gone. It is still shocking and hard to believe. Most days I don't know how I will go on without him in my life. Some days I just push forward trying not to think about it. Other days I am extremely angry and upset about his loss and very irritable. Kaitlynn always seems to make things better, though. She will do or say something that reminds me of my dad and in that moment I know he is with us.
I think losing a parent is something that you never get over. It is always with you. There will always be something missing from who you are.
I know that my dad is in Heaven and is no longer in pain, but it is sure hard to deal with the pain / loss in my heart / the emptiness. I will cling to the years of memories I have of him until we meet again.
Happy Birthday Dad / PawPaw Dado! We love you and miss you. We will never forget you.
Sunday the 4th, we met MawMaw, MawMaw Tommie and Uncle Jeff at the Zoo for Ottertoberfest. We also ran into our friends Casey and Addison. They did a craft together. We went into the Insectarium to see the butterflies and then to Caribbean Cove. It was the last day to see the stingrays this year. We got to see the 3 stingray babies. The stingrays were ornery. They were splashing and almost diving at our hands. We ate lunch, went to Historic Hill, Jungle of the Apes and listened to the band. Kaitlynn rode the Carousel, we saw the penguins, bears and went through River's Edge.
Thursday October 1st Kaitlynn, Olivia and I went to MawMaw's to run a few errands. Then after dinner, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Family Night at the ECC. Jim Gill is a children's musician and author who played at the Family Night. The evening was so fun. He got everyone up and dancing.
I am holding a giveaway for a 4-pack of tickets to opening night to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents ZING ZANG ZOOM playing at Scottrade Center this month! Opening night is Thursday October 15th at 7:00pm. The winner will be able to pick up their tickets (with a Picture ID) at the will call window the night of the show.
To enter this giveaway, check out my other blog. If you don't have the link to my other blog, email me at everydaymamadrama@yahoo.com for the link.
Come experience the all-new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents ZING ZANG ZOOM playing Scottrade Center with your family!
A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU! Purchase a 4‐pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday shows, or receive $4 off weekend tickets by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.**
St. Louis Show Dates: Thursday October 15: 7:00pm Friday October 16: 10:30am, 7:00pm Saturday October 17: 1:00pm, 5:00pm Sunday October 18: 1:00pm, 5:00pm
**Get 4 tickets for $44 Monday‐Friday matinee, or $4 off weekend tickets by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP Gold, VIP, and Circus Celebrity seats or combinable with other offers. Service charges and handling fees will apply.
Click on this link to see a video about the show. Click on this link to meet the stars.
I was sent Harry Connick, Jr.'s newest released album Your Songs to review. It is available in stores now. Harry sings the classics by some of the greatest musicians of all time.
Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by): All The Way (Frank Sinatra) Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel) Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley) And I Love Her (The Beatles) (They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters) Besame Mucho The Way You Look Tonight First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack) Your Song (Elton John) Some Enchanted Evening And I Love You So (Don McLean) Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett) Smile (Charlie Chaplin) Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)
Enough said with this great tracklisting, right? His version of these songs are great. I think "the original" versions are almost always better, but Harry Connick, Jr. did a great job with his own flare on these songs with a full jazz big band and string orchestra. My favorite on this album has to be "Just The Way You Are."
You might have seen Harry kicking off the release of Your Songs on Oprah! His TV appearances are listed below. Tune in to hear him talk about Your Songs and perform songs from the album. 9/25 – Oprah “Live Friday” 9/28 – Today Show 9/29 – The View 9/30 – Imus in the Morning 9/30 – Letterman 10/1 – Today Show Week of 10/5 – Rachael Ray
Get a Behind the Scenes look at the 'Making of' the album by clicking here. Check out Harry’s website here. Find him on Facebook by clicking here.
I received the It Works Ultimate Body Applicator / Wrap in the mail. I was super excited to try it. Barbara, the It Works independent distributor said she lost 7 ½ inches around her waist (one dress size) after her first application in March of this year and has kept it off.
I reviewed the packet and information sent by Barbara. I drank the amount of water recommended the day I used the wrap. I measured my 3 areas before I used the wrap. The 3 areas I measured were at my waist, belly button, and lower abdominals. I marked the spots with a permanent marker (Sharpie), so that my measurements would be accurate each time I measured.
As I took the Ultimate Applicator out of the package, there was an immediate smell of menthol, similar to Ben-Gay or Head On products. I was afraid I was going to rip the applicator / wrap as I was pulling it apart, but it was pretty durable.
After I applied the wrap, I felt a tingly and warm sensation. After a few seconds, it became a hot sensation. I eventually felt sweaty, but wasn't. The applicator can be worn anywhere from 45 minutes to over night. I chose to wear it over night.
When I took the wrap off, I immediately measured myself and had lost 5 inches. Day 1 and day 2, when I measured myself I had a 3.5 inch loss (on each day) from the first measurement (which was immediately before I used the wrap). Day 3 measurement, I had a 4 inch loss from the first measurement. 4 inches, not bad for just wrapping my waist!
To see more reviews on this product, click here. To try this product for yourself, click here. I would strongly recommend this product. Each box you purchase comes with 4 wraps. Imagine what my loss in inches would have been if I had all 4 to try!
Friday September 25th Dave, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I went to Parties in the Park. Kaitlynn had a great time riding a pony named Clarabell, sliding, climbing in the inflatables, bouncing and being wild. She also enjoyed several rainbow snowcones - one before dinner and one after dinner!
Wednesday, September 23rd Dave, Kaitlynn, Olivia and I went to the MomsLikeMe.com playdate at Botanical Garden - Childrens Garden. We had a great time. We met up with Trisha, Kylie, Emily and Ella. Kaitlynn had fun sliding, climbing and playing in the fountains. She also loved the penguin balloon SammyJ made for her.
Tuesday the 22nd was the first day of fall. I love fall! It is my favorite season. I love the leaves changing colors and the cooler temperatures. I look forward to drinking coffee and hot tea and eating chili and soups.
Monday the 21st Dave, Kaitlynn and I went to the ECC for the Playground Pizzazz. We ran into Tara and Bailey there. It was such a hot day. The girls were so sweaty. Kaitlynn did well with telling us when she needed to use the potty. We saw her P.A.T. Educator there and I talked with a lady I used to work with.
Afterwards, we picked up MawMaw from work and went shopping. Kangaroo Kids was one of our stops. We also visited the new Walmart in our area. It is huge! I can't wait to go back. We ran into Tara, Jonathon and Bailey there. Kaitlynn and Bailey ran around the grocery isles for awhile.
Sunday the 20th, we were supposed to meet some friends at Grant's Farm, but it was raining that morning, so we canceled. Later on it cleared up, so Dave, Kaitlynn and I decided to go. We had a great time. Kaitlynn enjoyed a snowcone while Dave and I enjoyed the samples of beer. We were so excited to get to sample a new product coming out on October 5th (which is a great day - my dad's birthday). Bud Light is launching a wheat beer and it is awesome! I love sampling new products before they are on the market. I recommend everyone trying this product out. I know we will definitely be buying it on October 5th.
After Grant's Farm, we went to MawMaw's. We hung out there for a bit and then went to Casa Gallardo's for dinner. Yum! What a great Sunday it turned out to be!
Dave, Kaitlynn, Olivia and I went to the Zoo. Dave and I were a little nervous about taking Kaitlynn out, since she was only on day 4 of potty training. Kaitlynn did awesome! She was a little unsure of using the big potty at first, but eventually was fine with it.
After Olivia went home, we picked up MawMaw and headed out to Eckert's Millstadt location for the MomsLikeMe.com Apple Fest and Haunted Hayride playdate.
Dave, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended the Manchester Homecoming a few weekends ago. We visited and talked with the EMS & Fire Department where Kaitlynn got a cute little stuffed animal, a bag of popcorn and helmet. We went to the Kid's Corner, but they were getting ready to close. Kaitlynn got a coloring book, coloring page, some beads and pipe cleaners to make a bracelet and necklace with. We voted on the cutest pet. We ran into our neighbors and Kaitlynn was so excited to hang out with the girls. We had a great time, except for at the end when Kaitlynn was on a slide with Mya and decided she wasn't going to slide down. She grabbed the side and was hanging off of it. Mya's grandma jumped up on the slide to help Kaitlynn down. It was an awful and scary moment.
MawMaw spent a weekend at our house. Sunday, September 13th for Grandparent's Day we took MawMaw to dinner at St. Charles Vintage House and Wine Garden. We tasted wine and ate dinner. Dinner was so yum! After dinner we walked around Main Street. We had a great time! Thanks for being such a great grandma to Kaitlynn!
A few Saturdays ago, Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I met Denise (Aunt Neese) and Brandon at Lowe's for their Build and Grow event. The project for the week was making a drum. Kaitlynn had fun making the drum with Aunt Neese and MawMaw.
Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Parkway ECC's Bubble Picnic. Kaitlynn blew bubbles, made some crafts, played on the playground, listened to music, ate and played with her new friend Elizabeth. Kaitlynn met Elizabeth at the PEC-PTO meeting.
Kaitlynn, MawMaw and I attended Barney's Sprouterrific Playdate at the Galleria Mall. Kaitlynn did great meeting Barney. She wasn't afraid of him at all. She also met Barney's new friend Chica and did a weather report with her. It was so awesome! Kaitlynn went up all by herself to do the weather report. She answered Kelly's questions and talked into the microphone very well. I was so proud of her. What a big girl! Maybe she should be on commercials, like people always tell us.
I am a SAHM to a beautiful daughter and married to my best friend. I love my family more than anything. They are the most important people in my life and I will do anything for them. I hope you enjoy reading some bits and pieces about our life. Leave a comment to let me know you stopped by. Blog stalkers don't be afraid to leave a comment, I know you are there!
