Near NYC? Head to a 3D Mario Wonderland Saturday in Times Square
Nov 11, 2011 Around NYC
Tomorrow after Tae Kwon Do my son and I will be heading to Times Square for some real life Mario fun. We’re both huge fans of the Mario games (OK, I’m still stuck on Super Mario Bros., but I’m old), so we’re really excited that tomorrow (Saturday) Military Island (Broadway and Seventh between 43rd and 44th streets) will be turned into a big 3D Mario world, with warp pipes to run through, trampoline coin jumps, and more!
Visitors may also get the chance to play the new Super Mario 3D Land for Nintendo 3Ds, and the game will be on sale (a day early) at the Times Square Toys R Us.
There will also be costumed characters and performances, Tanooki ears and tails (while supplies last), and free slices of mushroom pizza for the first 1,000 fans who tweet with the #SuperMario3D hashtag. Tweeting with the hashtag might also get your tweet up on the JumboTron!
This event is open to the public, so I hope to see some of you there! The festivities start at 10am and are scheduled to continue until 4pm.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
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Tags: Super Mario 3D, Times Square, video games
Something to burn your eyes on a Monday morning
Jun 13, 2011 Around NYC
I’ve seen the Naked Cowboy dozens of times since moving to NYC. While not exactly something I wanted to see, he never caused me to go “Ewwww!” And a small part of me grudgingly admires his business sense.
The Naked Cowgirl, however, made me wish I had some eye bleach handy. Not having any, I took a picture instead. For proof.
And I didn’t give her the $2 she supposedly demands for pictures. I have to assume that she means $2 for taking a picture with her, because if you’re going to stand in Times Square with no clothes on people are going to take pictures and you’re an idiot if you think you can demand payment.
Know where she keeps the money tourists give her? She doesn’t have any pockets. Trust me, I know, because we had to go to the ATM behind her, so we got a good look. Jake, especially, who practically had his nose pressed up against the glass. Oh, did I not mention that the kids were with me?
No, she has no pockets. She puts the money under her saggy boobs. Her pamphlets are stuck in the back of her thong, keeping her ass crack warm.
Thanks for keeping Times Square classy!
The funniest part is, the Naked Cowboy sued the Naked Cowgirl. Only in New York, kids! Only in New York.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 0. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Times Square
What can you gain this year by losing?
Jan 11, 2011 Paid/Sponsored Post
The following post was commissioned by Special K.
I just spent three days in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show, and two more days traveling to and from. I had absolutely no intention of losing weight while traveling – there are just too many temptations on trips like this one, from fast food to free food. But I did want to make sure that I didn’t gain anything, unlike last year. So, I packed a couple of boxes of Special K Meal Replacement Bars, the chocolate peanut butter ones that I love so much. They were so incredibly handy, whether on the plane, or in my hotel room, or on the show floor. These were not free samples – I’ve been buying these since before I had any blogging connection to Special K. Now that I’m back home, I can say for 100% sure that I didn’t gain any weight on what should have been a disastrous trip food-wise. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t an angel: I ate decadently at several points along the way. I ordered room service twice for breakfast (but both of those days had a Special K bar for lunch), ate a pretty large amount of potato chips while recording podcasts, and one night had a huge, end-of-the-world-last-meal. But all of that was balanced out by what I ate – or didn’t eat – the rest of the time.
I really feel like if I can have a decent amount of control over myself in Las Vegas of all places, then it should be that much easier at home. After all, I’ve got momentum now – a big scale told me I would, and showed my inspirational word for all of Times Square to see:
I had the opportunity last week to attend a great event in Times Square, hosted by Special K. (Through my relationship with The Motherhood I received a stipend for attending the event, and for posting about it.) I, and many others, stepped onto a scale, a process fraught with so much emotion and angst for a lot of people.
Emily McKhann of The Motherhood steps onto the big scale
Sometimes it seems like losing weight is a constant battle with the scale, and the scale becomes the enemy. But this was different: instead of giving a number, this Special K scale gave me a single word: momentum. It was so perfect. I have such a hard time sticking with things, but once I get momentum it gets easier and easier to go on and keep it up. It really was the most inspirational word that the scale could’ve given me.
I also wrote what I wanted to gain on the back of a Special K cereal box:
See, I don’t hate my body. I just hate having to get it dressed. I’ve often thought that if I could have a full-time tailor and stylist to get me dressed, in clothes that flatter me and fit perfectly, then I wouldn’t care so much what I looked like under the clothes (of course, that wouldn’t help with bathing suits). So, that’s my real goal: to be able to go clothes shopping without it being a completely frustrating experience.
There was a crowd waiting outside of ABC’s Times Square Studios to step onto the scale:
I spoke with some of the women who were waiting in line to get on the scale about why they were there on that bitterly cold day, and here’s what one of them, Amanda, had to say:
I spoke with Special K’s Brand Manager, Vivienne Edwards, who gave some insight as to the origins of the idea behind helping people gain by losing, and the focus that Special K hopes to put on the emotional gains of losing weight. She was delightful to talk to.
You can find out what you have to gain by taking the Special K Challenge, where you replace two of your meals and snacks each day with Special K products. The Special K site has plenty of tools to help you, including recipes and tips. I’m not doing anything quite as formal as the Challenge, but I have stocked up on my favorite Special K bars, shakes and cereal. I’ve got a lot going on in the next few months, including three trips that will likely include bathing suits, and a half marathon. I’m counting on Special K to help me through all of that.
Want to read more? Some of my fellow attendees have also posted about their experiences on the big scale:
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 5. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, and Momtourage, and podcasts with The Blogging Angels.
Tags: Gain Tour, Special K, Times Square
Randomosity – Halloween, Cows, Kinect, & Disney!
Nov 9, 2010 Randomosity
Halloween
Halloween in our neighborhood is HUGE. Every candy stop is super crowded…
Bands play…
Scary movie scenes are recreated in open garages…
People go all out with decorations…
And it gets so crowded that the police shut down a couple of streets, including the one where these crazy people put on a huge production every half hour:
This year the kids wanted to go super-simple with their costumes, which made things very easy on me. In fact, even though I bought fangs and fake blood for my little vampiress, she refused to wear them. It was all about the cape. And after hunting down rubber neck bolts, latex, latex remover, a black wig, and green, white and black make-up, Frankenstein’s Monster decided that he just wanted a mask, and after tearing my hair out at three different stores one suddenly materialized, discarded at the register. Truly a Halloween miracle.
By the way, “Tricky Dick” did not go trick-or-treating, The Ass did. But he threw that on so that he could be in the picture. :-)
Dairy Farming
Last week I spent a couple of days in California with some fantastic people from the California Milk Advisory Board. We toured a couple of dairy farms and ate more cheese in 48 hours than in the past few months combined. I even got to do some impromptu milking!
Many thanks to my fellow Blogging Angel Heidi for the pic!
Kinect
The new Microsoft Kinect is finally here! My family has been testing one out for about ten days now, and it is…magic. It hooks up to an XBox, and there are no controllers. You simply move, and it captures your moves with great accuracy. So far I’ve tried the Sports games (beach volleyball is awesome!), Your Shape (the Gym Games are so much fun you forget you’re exercising), and Dance Central (I can’t play that one until everyone goes to bed – I suck so bad, but it’s so much fun!). I think this is going to be THE hottest item for Christmas. Get one early so that you’re not racing around on December 24th trying to get the last one.
Speaking of Kinect…
When the Wii came out, it was big news that a lot of TVs were getting broken by Wii controllers flying out of players’ hands. With no controllers, I didn’t think it was possible to wreck a TV with the Kinect. And yet someone has. Making it even funnier is who it is: a writer for Consumerist!
Times Square Disney Store
This afternoon the kids and I went on a tour of the brand new, two-story Disney Store in Times Square, and it was quite impressive! No matter which Disney princess your little one is into, there’s a section for her. And Jake couldn’t stay away from the Cars and Marvel areas. All three of us spent quite a bit of time in the Toy Story aisles. :-)
We followed the tour with a big blogger dinner down the street at Carmine’s, and then the kids rolled my cheese-stick-and-pasta filled body down the subway steps. It was a fantastic night.
Garfunkel and Oates
I came across these pee-in-your-pants funny singers a couple weeks ago and keep going back to their site to watch their videos (apparently I’m the last one to discover them, based on their YouTube views). My two favorites? Pregnant Women are Smug, and Why isn’t there more Fucking on this Island? Do not play these at work or near your kids. Even if the language isn’t an issue, the hysterical laughter might be.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 1. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information. Amy also blogs at Filming In Brooklyn, Behind the Screen, Momtourage, and podcasts with The Blogging Angels.
Tags: California Milk Advisory Board, Cheese, cows, Disney Store, Garfunkel and Oates, Halloween, Kinect, Microsoft, Times Square
This Week’s Time Sucker: Times Square Cam
Jan 27, 2010 Time Sucker
It’s Wednesday, you’re dragging, you’re not paying any attention to work. You need a distraction, and I’m here to help.
There are few things more cliched than visiting Times Square. Plus it’s cold. It’s much more fun to go to the HD Times Square cam and watch other people walk around in the cold.
Or, if you’re one of those people who wants to see what the fuss is all about while you’re in NY, tell you’re friends you’re going, go to the top of the TKTS steps, and wave to them! Yes, even though I just insulted you for being a big old cliched tourist, you know you’re going to do it anyway. Don’t forget to have them take a screenshot!
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Times Square
Cheap Disney Broadway tickets!
Apr 3, 2009 Around NYC
I just got an email in my inbox with what I think is a pretty incredible offer: Buy one full-price ticket to The Lion King, Mary Poppins, or The Little Mermaid, get a second ticket for $15. The performances are from April 21st to May 31st. There are, of course, restrictions – some seats in some shows aren’t eligible, and some performances aren’t eligible at all. And the second ticket won’t be exactly $15 – there are other fees involved that raise the price a bit. But still!
I’ve taken my daughter to exactly one Broadway show, The Little Mermaid. We had “won” the tickets in a silent auction, and got a backstage tour along with it, so I can’t really complain about the (ridiculous) price. But that’s the only Broadway show I’ve done with either of my kids. Good seats can cost over $100, and I’m just not sure my kids will get a $100 experience out of it. But $15? Yeah, I think that would be worth it!
The sale starts this Sunday at noon Eastern, and I’m guessing that this will be a popular promotion. So if you live in or near NYC or will be here on vacation, and you want these tickets, don’t dilly dally! The sale will go on for 15 days, until April 19th, but I wouldn’t wait that long!
And no, it’s not a coincidence that the tickets cost $15 and the sale lasts 15 days: this is all in celebration of Disney’s fifteenth anniversary of being on Broadway. This is one of those things that is celebrated by some and hated by others. There are strange people out there who miss the sticky-floored theaters and the hookers and the drug dealers that used to rule the Times Square area before the “Disneyfication” of those blocks, and I think those people are a few bagels short of a dozen.
So, if you’re interested, go to Disney on Broadway for the full details.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom
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Tags: Mary Poppins, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Times Square
