I was recently invited to the opening night of Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows up at Madison Square Garden. And by “opening night,” I mean, 11 am. This is for the toddler set after all. I was quite relieved to find out that Elmo hadn’t turned into a 46 year-old adult overnight. He’s still the same Elmo, just trying to figure out what to be when he grows up.

The show is super cute and my daughters (age 5 & 3) were completely enthralled and entertained. These Sesame Street characters are rock stars. Yes, as cool as Taylor Swift who is pretty cool in my house. We even had the chance to meet Elmo and Cookie Monster before the show. And we all got a picture with them….

Ok I realize it’s hard to see Dylan and Summer in the photo (mostly because they are hovering in the back of the room). It can be scary to meet these rock stars in person.

The show runs until Feb 15th at Madison Square Garden. I have a 50% off discount code for certain shows. Just email me at kelcey@mamabirddiaries.com and I’ll send it to you.

To me, Christmas IS the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I spent many years of my childhood going to this show and it’s still just as festive and magical.

It’s a mesmerizing experience from The Rockettes to Santa to the 3D adventure that kicks off the show. But The Rockettes are the real stars and I could watch their wooden soldier routine a gazillion times and never get sick of it.

Did you know on the weekends there are FIVE shows a day and two teams of Rockettes just to cover all those shows?! Wow, that’s a lot of kicking.

My family was invited to see the show this weekend and my girls (5 and 3) were quite transfixed and never got sleepy despite it being way past their bedtime.  I just love this holiday tradition and I know you will too. For discounted tickets in New York, click here.

I was recently invited to see the Wintuk show of Cirque Du Soleil at Madison Square Garden. It’s a creative, mystical journey that centers around a boy’s quest to find snow.  But I often lost track of the plot line as the stage was taken over by amazingly creative costumes, mesmerizing acrobatics and incredible hoola hooping. My girls (5 and 3) were quite taken by the show and their favorite part was by far the grand finale.

Stop reading right now if you don’t want to hear about the ending. This is a spoiler alert. Just scan down for your discount code.

At the very end of the show, about a gazillion pieces of paper reign down over the audience, giving the illusion of a magical snowstorm. All the children in the audience were bursting with glee. All the adults were so grateful they didn’t have to clean it up. And all the environmentalists in the audience were hoping that the paper gets recycled. I have no idea if it does. But it was quite a breathtaking effect.

My only beef with the whole production is that cotton candy cost $12. Not because it gives you special powers to walk a tightrope but because it comes with a Wintuk jokers hat. Which was very cute but still….

A discount code (for kids 12 and under) can be found by clicking here. Enjoy!

I get contacted by a lot of PR companies and I rarely try out a product because I really hate stuff. Even cool stuff. I have abandoned many a swag bag in a hotel room. I wish I could say it’s out of principle but really, I don’t want it cluttering my house. But once in a while, a product intrigues me (usually because its good for me and the earth) and I try it. Here’s some of my recent faves.

1. Water in a Carton: I discovered water in a box (instead of a bottle) at my yoga studio.  It’s called Glacia icebox and the water comes in a biodegradable box that’s easy to recycle.  So much better for the planet than all that plastic!

2. “Before You Were Here, Mi Amor“: This is a sweet children’s story about a family preparing for a new baby. There are Spanish words sprinkled throughout the book. I believe it’s vital to teach children more than one language as early as possible and this book is a great place to start.

3. UV Skinz Rash Guard Shirts: I know summer is ending but you can get amazing deals right now on rash guard shirts. UV Skinz has super cute ones, in great colors and patterns. The owner of this company started UV Skinz after losing her 32-year-old husband to skin cancer, leaving her to raise their three young boys. She has turned a horrible tragedy into a mission to protect others from the sun.

4. Musselmans’ Apple Sauce: Musselman’s recently sent me some of their newest apple sauce (that comes in far more flavors than just apple).  They make apple, peach and strawberry (for kids, with no high fructose corn syrup) and raspberry acai, blueberry pomegranate and key lime (for adults, no sugar added). My kids didn’t really care for them but I loved them all. They are a yummy, low cal, healthy snack.

5. Something Good About Laundry: I absolutely adore Ecos Laundry Detergent (in Lemongrass). It’s good for the earth, totally affordable and smells freakin’ divine. What more do you want? Uh… no, it doesn’t fold your laundry.

6. Pretty, Eco-Friendly Paper: Paperspring makes gorgeous cards that are also eco-friendly. So the next time you are ordering holiday cards, birth announcements or invitations, make sure to make them green.

7. Go Paint!: If you have an artist in the family but prefer your white rugs stay white, this is a super cool product. With Go Paint, the colors only show up on Go Paint paper. It’s great for travel. Just don’t forget to let your kids get super messy with finger paint from time to time.

8. Cute Lounging Around Wear: Contributing mama Karen Palmer Bland sells adorable tees, hoodies, yoga pants and more.  For you and your kids. Check it out here.

9. Most Awesome Condiment: I’m totally crazy for Trader Joe’s Wasabi Mayonnaise. My dad introduced me to this product. It’s so good that you should stop reading and go buy it now. Seriously.

10. Bagnesia: We all have trouble remembering our reusable totes when we hit the grocery store. My sister-in-law Pam told me about this site, Bagnesia, that sells very clever products to help you remember those bags.

I truly enjoy all the princess madness… the gowns, the glitter, the tiaras. I love watching my girls dress up and I’ll be totally honest, I once tried to squeeze myself into one of their gowns. Turns out, I am not a toddler size 5.

But I just loathe those needy princesses. You know the ladies. Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel and a few others who must be saved by a prince to live happily ever after.

This is why I avoid reading my kids the princess stories and they don’t watch the movies. I want better role models for my girls. A bit more “Free To Be You And Me” for their glittery imaginations.

And finally, Princess Bubble showed up. It’s about time. This gal is no damsel in distress. She travels the world, helps others and finds “happily ever after” before her prince ever shows up. It’s not anti-Prince Charming. It’s just that Princess Bubble  knows how to put on her “thinking crown” and take advantage of life’s amazing opportunities.

The book is geared for all ages and I definitely found myself laughing at a couple lines. I can’t wait to read more of her next adventures.

Available on Amazon. To buy click here.