Happy Memorial Day #thankyou #remember

Happy 4th of July!

A Christmas Carol @AuroraTheatre #Gwinnett #ad #hosted

I was invited to attend an afternoon showing of the performance in exchange for my review.

"Captivating patrons young and old, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will bring the true meaning of Christmas to Aurora Theatre, November 24-December 23! The entire family can prepare for another year of seasonal sensations with the return of this Christmas classic, now in its 11th year. Follow cold-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge (Anthony Rodriguez) as he undergoes recognition, realization and remission while journeying through the past, present and future of Christmas. Audiences will revel in the spirited truth that unfolds within this timeless tale, commonly recognized as the greatest Christmas story to date!

Featuring the work of multiple Suzi Award-winning set designers Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay and costumes by designer Alan Yeong, A Christmas Carol stars the acting of Anthony Rodriguez as the classic characters of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley and the remarkable ghosts."

Sometimes it's hard to imagine a story like this being told by a single actor.  Mr. Rodriguez returns for his 11th year to do just that.   With some audience involvement and a powerful way of telling stories, he pulls it off wonderfully.  He manages to quickly pull everyone in to a tale most of us have heard before.  He then adds his own quirky way of making sure the audience stays involved.  My daughter attended with me and was duly impressed by his work.  

We have yet to see a performance at the Aurora Theatre we haven't enjoyed.  This one lived up to our expectations easily.  For more information about the performance, you can check out the Aurora Theatre's web site.  

They also currently have Christmas trees up, created by various groups/companies in the community, around the lobby for you to drop off your unwrapped gift or packaged food.  If you can bring a donation, please do.

Some cool news we learned while there is that the Theatre will be expanding it's campus.  By summer 2020, it will take up the rest of the block it's sitting on.  The city of Lawrenceville approved construction of a new Performing Arts Center that will be a gathering place for the community. This expansion is another innovative partnership between the City of Lawrenceville, Aurora Theatre and the educational community, and will boast a 500-seat theater, classrooms and lab space for new work development  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Five Ways to Savor the Season @WorldofCocaCola #ad #wintickets

ATLANTA, Nov. 15, 2017 – Starting Friday, Nov. 17, holiday cheer will bubble over at World of Coca-Cola, where decked out displays and signature seasonal beverages will create a festive experience for local residents and out-of-town guests in Atlanta. From one-of-a-kind VIP tours to photo moments with the ever-popular Coca-Cola Polar Bear, World of Coca-Cola’s holiday celebration is one fans will not want to miss.

“Around the world, across cultures and decades, Coca-Cola has played a role in creating special holiday memories,” said General Manager of Retail and Attractions for World of Coca-Cola Russell Jacobs. “At World of Coca-Cola, we’re telling those stories – and creating new ones as guests visit us and experience fun and memorable moments together throughout the holidays.”

When you visit the attraction this season, be sure to check out these holiday highlights:

1. Get the VIP Treatment: Make this season extra-special for up to ten family and friends with a VIP Guided Tour of World of Coca-Cola! For $32 per person, a dedicated guide will provide an exclusive experience, spicing up the attraction with little-known facts about Coca-Cola culture and history. Head over to http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/purchase-tickets/vip-guided-tours/ to schedule your tour today.

2. Santa Secrets Revealed: Did you know that Santa wasn’t always a jolly elf in a red suit? Learn about the evolution of St. Nick’s look through the “History of the Coca-Cola Santa” adjacent to the 4-D Theater. This gallery features images of the famous Santa Claus that Coca-Cola originally commissioned Haddon Sundblom to illustrate in the 1930s.
3. Taste the Season: Fill your cup of cheer with Coca-Cola North Pole Magic, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Arctic Chill and Chocolate-Covered Cherry Coke – available in Taste It! for a limited time. These seasonal beverages are sure to get your taste buds in the holiday spirit!

4. Seasonal Snaps: For the perfect holiday Instagram post, snap a selfie with the always-friendly Coca-Cola Polar Bear, grab a group shot inside Santa’s sleigh or strike a pose with the giant, holiday ornaments decorating Pemberton Place. Let the world know you’re a fan by using #WorldofCocaCola, and you might even see your photo on the attraction’s social media channels.

5. Cheer Throughout the Year: Surprise your loved ones with the gift that keeps on giving: an Annual Pass! For $34, you can give the gift of unlimited fun and exclusive experiences at World of Coca-Cola plus $4 off General Admission tickets for up to four guests each time they visit. Coca-Cola Store is your go-to source for those special gifts that will make them smile this season. Check out Coca-Cola’s newest apparel collection featuring a one-of-a-kind, light-up sweatshirt – in very limited quantities – along with classic favorites like
   Coca-Cola bottle banks, holiday ornaments and stocking stuffers galore. For a limited time, take home a 2017 Coca-Cola Polar Bear Happy Holidays T-shirt for $5.95 with your purchase of $35 or more.

That’s not all – visit and see why people all over the world love to celebrate the season at World of Coca-Cola!

About World of Coca-Cola

An integral part of downtown Atlanta’s fabric for more than 25 years, World of Coca‑Cola has welcomed guests from six continents, more than 100 countries, all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Join over 25 million people who have visited the Atlanta attraction and experience the history of the world's most famous beverage brand at the dynamic, multimedia home of the 131-year-old secret formula for Coca‑Cola. Get closer than ever before to the vault containing the secret recipe, view more than 1,200 historic artifacts and get a behind-the-scenes look at the bottling process. Take a trip around the world in a thrilling 4-D movie experience, take a photo with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear and tempt your taste buds with more than 100 beverages from around the globe.

World of Coca‑Cola is located in Pemberton Place, adjacent to the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta, and is accessible via the Peachtree Center or CNN/World Congress Center MARTA stations. Consumers with questions may call 1-800-676-COKE or visit our website at www.WorldofCocaCola.com to purchase tickets. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/WorldofCocaCola, on Instagram at instagram.com/WorldofCocaCola and on Facebook at facebook.com/WorldofCocaCola.

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Happy July 4th!

Universal Studios and the holidays

So, as cool as going to Universal was, the holidays are the absolute worst time to go. Normally when we visit my parents if we go to a park, it's EPCOT. We decided to be different, though, and try Universal. We used points to get tickets, so our passes were not park hopper, but that was ok. We looked at upgrading, but it was $50/person which was more than I was interested in spending. My main goal was to see the World of Harry Potter. I can't ride the big roller coasters any longer, and don't enjoy the 3D/4D type rides, so those were irrelevant to me. My kids would have liked to have ridden a couple of the coasters, but a 2 hour wait was not something we wanted to do. Instead, we wandered, did a little shopping, and wove our way through mondo crowds. There's no fast pass like at Disney (free), you have to pay $50/person for a day's fast pass. No thanks.

We'll go back again some time, but not any time soon. We'll do our best to go off-season to avoid the worst of the crowds. It's not a lot of fun when you can't get INTO or OUT OF a shop.

Ah well. It was still interesting to see and for the price we paid, I'm good. Check my instagram for photos. They'll be posted there.

Hello Kitty #UniversalStudios #WW

Merry Christmas! My #1 pick for the holiday #BingCrosby #DavidBowie

Wednesday's Holiday Music Choice #Snoopy #RedBaron

Holiday music top 3 countdown #BoneyM

This year for the week before Christmas I'm going to share my top three choices for Christmas music.  If you've been with the blog for long, they're probably predictable.  Either way, enjoy!

Yes, it's Columbus Day

However, I'm going to stir the controversy pot and say I support changing it to Indigenous People's Day.

July 4th!

Merry Christmas!

Snoopy's Christmas vs. The Red Baron - The Royal Guardsmen

Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord - Boney M #Lovethissong

Have a great Labor Day holiday!

Happy 4th of July!

I realize the 4th isn't until tomorrow, but it seems everyone is getting an early start on the celebrations this year.  So, I thought I'd go ahead and get my wishes in for you to have a good one before you disappeared for the weekend.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Preparing for the holidays - attempting to clean house

So it's my turn to host Thanksgiving at my house.  I don't have a big house (it's deceptive to look at) so it's always a challenge to prepare for any large group.  The big thing is to simply get things clean.  With all of the sorting and eliminating I did over the summer, I don't have a lot of the clutter I used to.  Of course, to get things clean I have to get family motivated to help. 

I'm sure as a mom that others have felt the same way.  My family doesn't seem to notice when I do clean, they only notice when something isn't clean that they need/want.  Given that my kids are teens, they don't always notice that something isn't clean (or that it is) unless it's VERY obvious.  I can only assume that that's a teen characteristic that's developed since I was one. I don't remember being that bad (though my parents may disagree).

So, unless I stand over my family and force them to clean, cleaning doesn't happen.  Hubs will even have good intentions to get something of his clean.  Rarely does it actually happen, though.  (I'm not allowed to clean his part of the office, I'll get rid of something he wanted to keep or hide it from him in the process.)  If I want it clean, I have to do it.  Normally, I don't mind so much. Sometimes, though, I'm more than ready to just throw up my hands and not even try.

Will my house be clean for family? Yes.  By sheer force of will.  Let the beatings begin!