By Contributing Mama Jordana Bales

This week, I had the opportunity to check out Christmas in August at Rockefeller Center. My girls enjoyed the tour and posing with the Rockettes…

What? That’s not a Rockette?! I thought she was a little too quiet. Okay, here are the real Rockettes…

At lunch, I was all set to bribe the girls to eat with the reward of decorating cupcakes (courtesy of the yummy Magnolia bakery) but the chicken fingers and mini-burgers were so yummy that bribes were unnecessary.  My daughter Lila’s only complaint was no ketchup. That girl eats ketchup with a spoon.

After lunch, the show began outside in front of Rockefeller Center. Introduced by Santa Claus, the amazingly beautiful and talented Rockettes performed. At the end of their set, they called  all the children with Santa hats up to the front to be part of the “Million Kicks Across America.”

Ava just happened to have her Santa hat with her (either that or it was in the goodie bag) and joined. After Ava bounded over the police barrier and grabbed the Rockette nearest her, I realized that children had their own designated area and were not actually supposed to be part of the kick line.

But it made for an amazing photo.

Too bad that we’re Jewish or else that would be our Christmas Card.  Kelcey is definitely considering using it for her Christmas card.

We were invited to Nickelodeon Storytime Live at Radio City Music Hall this week. Almost immediately, we had a Kelsey Grammer sighting on 48th street which the girls strangely were not that jazzed about. It was hard to even explain the significance of Kelsey Grammer and his success as Frasier Crane to a 5 and 3 year-old because Summer kept whining, “I don’t want to see the show.” In all fairness to Dora and all her Nickelodeon friends, Summer says this before every single show and she always loves it.

This time was no different. The girls were enthralled with The Wonder Pets, The Backyardigans and Ni Hao, Kai-lan. And of course, Dora the Explorer is always a rock star. If your kids are Nickelodeon lovers, this is a great show for them. And if you’re more of a Kelsey Grammer fan, you can watch reruns of “Cheers” and “Frasier” when you get home.

Storytime Live is playing at Radio City Music Hall through April 4th.  For discount tickets (30% off) in NYC, click here and use the code DORASM.  Then Dora and her pals take their show on the road to other cities. Click here for tickets all over the country.

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.

Thanks to Beth Feldman at Role Mommy, I recently had the chance to check out the new TNT show, “Trust Me,” starting Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”) and Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”). I love both of these guys so I already has a warm, fuzzy feeling as I popped in the DVD.

McCormack and Cavanagh play best friends and creative partners at a Chicago ad firm. Eric McCormack isn’t gay this time around but he’s still playing the straight laced character, while Tom Cavanagh is his slightly irresponsible, super talented and very funny sidekick.

All the action takes place at the agency as they desperately try to come up with the perfect ad slogan. It’s a fast-paced, witty drama that is definitely worth checking out. Think “Mad Men” on speed.  And with so many shots of Starbucks coffees, you’ll be craving a latte before the final credits roll.

“Trust Me” premieres Monday, January 26, 10 pm (ET/PT) on TNT.

You’re never going to find a bunch of recipes on this website. I’m just not that girl. But my kids still need to eat.

So I was intrigued to try out a new children’s food delivery service, Susie’s Supper Club. The meals are prepared with organic and natural ingredients (good!), with mild flavors to make them kid friendly.

Before I even had a chance to try out some of the dishes on my girls, my husband was already digging in. Let’s just say he’s now a big fan of  Susie and her yummy meals.

And the girls are pleased too. 4 year-old Dylan loved the Asian fish cakes, the spinach squares and the polenta fries! And 2 year-old Summer, who pretty much only hearts carbs, really liked the chicken milanese.

My biggest concern was the take-out containers that the food is delivered in. These containers are reusable but you can not recycle them in New York City. And how many containers do we all need in our little apartments?!

But the company is happy to pick up the containers from their customers and deliver them monthly to a recycling area outside the city. A company with a social conscious. That might be what I like about Susie’s Supper Club most of all.

Currently only delivering in Manhattan. Expanding to Brooklyn soon.

Over the weekend, I had the chance to check out “Dear Edwina,” an Off-Broadway musical comedy for kids and adults playing in the Union Square area.

13 year-old Edwina Spoonapple (you know this musical will be good with a name like that) and her very entertaining friends put on a show in their backyard to audition for for the Kalamazoo Advice-a-Palooza Festival.

Edwina gives advice on all kinds of problems like rotten siblings, making new friends and how to set a table. The music is really creative and fun. Songs like “Hola, Lola” and “Put It in the Piggy” are especially fabulous. Two days later and I’m still humming “Hola, Lola” to myself. Well, that’s better than the Jonas Brothers.

The show is just over an hour (the perfect length for a kids’ show) and intended for children 5 and up but my 2 year-old sat through the whole thing and barely took her eyes off the stage.  Tickets are regularly $39. To purchase tickets for $25 each, click here. Running until April 19th. Click here for more information about “Dear Edwina.”