Last night was the opening night of Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in sunny California!  We had an opportunity to attend their media preview night on Wednesday, and I have to say that seeing it again was just as breathtaking and heart stopping as the first time.

To recap, “KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.”  One minute you’re laughing, the next you’re on the edge of your seat as the performers accomplish a seemingly impossible feat.

I had the most amazing seats…two rows from the front!  If you like to be right in the center of the action, these seats are absolutely worth the money.  The solo trapezist literally flies over you.  I was able to see the facial expressions of the two artists who defied gravity when they took on the Wheel of Death.  Here are some pictures (courtesy of Cirque du Soleil):

Seeing KOOZA for the second time allowed me to notice intricate details of the show that I didn’t observe the first time.  One of the many attributes Cirque du Soleil is famous for, is it’s attention to detail in costume and makeup design.  The performers’ makeup is as detailed and dramatic as their performance.  The makeup designer “explored textures inspired by the Middle East and Africa, and adopted a signature that favors the spontaneity of gesture, and accentuates the asymmetry of line, the instinctive and the ritual.”  The costumes are also a work of art.  The costume designer gleaned inspiration “from graphic novels, the paintings of Gustav Klimt, Baron Münchhausen, the Mad Max movies, time-travel movies to India and Eastern Europe.”

One of my favorite aspects of any Cirque du Soleil performance is the music.  Live musical performers give depth to the performance and add to the ambiance and emotional context of the show.  The music “beautifully demonstrates the spirit of the live show with its themes of human connection and fun in a world of duality and was inspired by the sounds of western pop culture, from 1970s funk to full orchestral arrangements.” The composer also draws heavily on traditional Indian music.  My favorite track is “L’Innocent,” a symphonic arrangement with  modern musical inflections.  It combines some of the most beautiful instruments including the trumpet, violin, and cello.

Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA is showing now through March 21, 2010 under the Grand Chapiteau at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.  Tickets can be purchased through their website.  And if you want a memorable and unique experience, consider Tapis Rouge.  This Ultimate Cirque VIP Experience includes the following:

With all the money I spend at a certain coffee shop, I should own a part of it…like a table or a brick…right?  I just love my coffee.  Unfortunately, I like the “froofy” drinks…the mochas and lattes and ice-blended drinks that cost the most.

Last week I had the opportunity to take some latte lessons from National Barista Champ Heather Perry.  This is the second time I’ve seen her work her magic with coffee and I was just as impressed!  She showed us how to make cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas…for CHEAP!  Heather Perry is a two-time US Barista Champion and has appeared on the Food Network, Discovery Channel, and has a Guinness Book World Record for building the world’s largest espresso machine.

If you’re like me, and struggle to get enough sources of daily calcium, then you’ll be thrilled to learn that this is an excellent way to get in both calcium and Vitamin D.  And drinking three glasses of low or nonfat milk daily, is an effective way to maintain a healthy weight.  What better way to reap the benefits of milk with a mocha?  Here are a few recipes, courtesy of got milk?:

Cost: $.90/serving

Breve Blast

Begin by brewing your 2 shots or 2 oz. of espresso using either an espresso machine or a strong brewing methos, such as a moka pot.  Place at the bottom of a 16 oz. cup and add your syrup.  Top with 8 oz. cold milk.  Gulp down for a quick jumpstart.

I cannot believe it’s Christmas Eve!  We are trying to get settled here at home and my parents will be down with our little boy to meet our daughter for the first time.  We had always planned on spending Christmas at our house, but we didn’t think our little girl would be joining us (praise!).  We have a tentative menu set for at least one of the two days and it’s very non-traditional.  We won’t be having ham or turkey or any of the other traditional Christmas foods tonight.  Instead, we’ll have shrimp cocktail, Winter squash and Fuji apple soup, spinach and artichoke dip, sourdough bread and some kind of dessert (still thinking about that!).  

Both of my parents are Puerto Rican, and while there are definitely foods specific to our culture, my husband and I don’t often get a chance to prepare or eat them.  Now you all know how incredibly skilled and savvy I am in the kitchen (ahem, cough), so when I was invited to Sur La Table for a Latin-themed cooking demonstration with Chef Cynthia Perez, I practically jumped up and down with delight.  Fresh & Easy sponsored the event which was an amazing night of delicious food, culinary and entertaining tips, and fellowship with other local bloggers.  The only slight problem was that the entire event was conducted in Spanish.  That should not have been a problem for this Puerto Rican mother, except that I am not fluent in Spanish.  I studied the language for 3 years in high school, but that was not enough to get me through the evening.  Fortunately, my good friend Aracely gave me a “play by play” throughout the evening.  

Each of us were set up at cooking stations and we had all of the ingredients necessary to follow along with Cynthia as she prepared several Latin courses.  Each of the courses were prepared using ingredients found at Fresh & Easy.  We received all of the recipes which included a price breakdown.  Surprisingly, each dish costs $0.35 to $0.85 per person per serving.  Holiday entertaining and meal preparation can be stressful, particularly if you’re hosting a large group.  One of the things I came away with from the evening is that meals don’t have to be elaborate or expensive to be tasty.  

If you’ve never been in a Fresh & Easy, I highly encourage you to venture over to your local store.  When we lived overseas, we shopped at the local Tesco.  The British-owned market made it’s way to the US approximately two years ago as Fresh & Easy and offers food products and prepared meals that are free from artificial flavors, colors, and trans fats at affordable prices.  This holiday season you’ll find a variety of items to help you out with entertaining and meal planning.

Here is my favorite recipe from the night (Homemade Roasted Poblano Guacamole & Grilled Shrimp), along with the other recipes we prepared, courtesy of Fresh & Easy:

Fresh and Easy – Hispanic Holiday Recipes 2010

I can hardly contain my excitement.  There are going to be some really exciting things that will be up and coming, here on Rockin’ Mama.  In case you haven’t noticed, I have begun to do more series-focused events and that is something that is here to stay!  Next week begins a summer-long event that you won’t want to miss. It’s seriously going to be the biggest event ever, here on Rockin’ Mama.

I hope you’ve decided to participate in National Mom’s Nite Out this week.  Mother’s Day is less than a week away and I don’t know one mom who wouldn’t love a night to herself, to spend with other women.  Do check out the site, particularly the “Local Events” section to find out about events in your area.  I am attending the Los Angeles event, hosted by The Go-To Mom.tv and sponsored by The Pump Station.  If you’re in the area, let me know!  I’d love to meet you!

On Friday, I have a HUGE announcement to make.  Mums the word until then!

On Saturday, I am attending one of the most prestigious events ever.  I still can’t believe I received an invite and I have to thank Beth from Role Mommy.  Castle Ivar will be the backdrop for the  Mother’s Day Spa Retreat & Style Lounge and if you’d like to read more about this truly special event, check out Beth’s post here.

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the wonderful time we had at Disneyland.  I wanted to share with you a little more about how magical Disneyland is during the holidays!

One of the things I love about the holidays is the food!  Disney knows how important food is and they’ve risen to the occasion with the Merriest Treats on Earth!  There are many traditions that surround food at Disneyland and it is through food that the stories are kept alive and strong.  Some of the traditional treats you’ll find during the holiday season include gingerbread cookies, holiday biscottis, rice krispy treats, snowman cookies, cranberry and pumpkin mini loafs, almond and chocolate yule logs, holiday brownies, tres leches desserts, and jiggle mortis with whipped cremation.

We were given a lovely demonstration on the “science of gingerbread houses” by a real French pastry chef. One of the mom bloggers in attendance was right upfront getting in with the decorating action.  I went home with some wonderful tips on creating the “perfect” gingerbread house including an icing recipe (Egg white, powdered sugar, lemon juice) that is certain to withstand even the tiniest of tots.

While decorating expert David Caranci was not able to join us for our Mom Blogger evening, the PR team created a video clip of tips on how to turn that holiday fruitcake into a lovely centerpiece.  Enjoy!

Disneyland Decorating Tips from Heather Hust on Vimeo.

One of the things we really enjoyed at Disneyland was decorating cookies at Mrs. Claus’s Kitchen. You can choose between sugar or gingerbread and the kit includes frosting and sprinkles to complete your cookie creation.  I think more frosting ended up on our little one’s face than on the cookie but we all had fun! While you’re over in Frontierland, be sure to check out Big Thunder Ranch which has been magically transformed into Santa’s Reindeer Roundup where you can sing and dance at the Holiday Ho-Ho-Hoedown, make your own cowboy-inspired gift, and take pictures with your favorite Disney characters.  Here is where we took our family picture (more on that in a bit).

One of my favorite things about Disneyland during the holidays is the decor.  From the magical glow of Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle to the festively international it’s a small world “holiday” you’ll be in the spirit from the moment you step foot into the park.  Be sure to take a picture in front of ginormous tree on Main Street decorated with over 60,000 lights (you may even see some snow!).  For a complete listing of the holiday happenings, visit their special holiday website.

By now you know how passionate I am about photography.  The last “gift” that we were given was from Disney’s PhotoPass Service.  You probably remember having your picture taken by one of Disney’s own photographers at any number of places throughout the park.  Now you can edit, share, and create photo gifts with one handy little service (and card!).  Once you’ve taken your first picture with Mickey, you’ll receive Disney’s PhotoPass card.  Re-use the card every time you stop for photos throughout the park.  Once you’re ready to view them, go to DisneyPhotoPass.com within 30 days and enter the number from your card.  Once you’ve registered, you can order prints or create fun products like calendars, ornaments, and photo books.  One of the great things about the service is that you can upload your own photos to create gifts that have that magical Disney touch.  All of us mom bloggers received a lovely print of Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle and the opportunity to create a Disney Photo Calendar.   I can’t wait to show you how our calendar turned out.

I’d like to thank Michele Himmelberg once again for the opportunity to experience Disneyland during this festive holiday season!

Last night all three of us spent a delightful evening with a group of mom bloggers at the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.  I’d like to thank Michele Himmelberg at Disneyland Public Relations for this very special invite.  We were greeted with a warm welcome and escorted into the ballroom which was festively decorated for the holidays.  H’dourves were passed (the shrimp cocktail was so yummy) and Mickey and the gang were dressed for the holiday season.  We attempted to take some pictures but my son was just not having it.  Oh, he enjoyed staring at them from afar…but five feet was too close for comfort.  Poor Mickey…I don’t know anyone who is afraid of Mickey…well…now I do.

After I socialized with fellow mommy bloggers, Amanda and Christine, all of the bloggers were taken to a private area for a special holiday presentation (I’ll fill you in on the up and up in a later post).  At the end were were given a beautiful Disney Christmas ornament and another gift I’m going to tell you about very soon.

Dinner included a pasta buffet and carving station.  We also got to try some of Disney’s delicious holiday treats for dessert.  After more socializing, we all headed over to Disneyland to watch the fireworks and the Fantasmic show (we even had prime viewing areas especially for us).  The entire event was a nice intro to the holiday festivities as only Disneyland can produce.  We’re so excited about our fun-filled day at the Disneyland resort.  Holidays at Disneyland is going on now through January 4, 2009.  You definitely don’t want to miss out!

A Mouse!  Stay tuned for more deets and up-to-the minute updates as I will be live-blogging from the event!

I just love Disneyland.  I’ve been going there since I was two and every time is like the first.  This past Friday was truly a first for all of us.  It was our first visit to Disney’s California Adventure Park (all three of us) for Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party courtesy of Disney and MomSelect.  I was one of the mom bloggers at the event along with my good friend and guest blogger Kristin,  Amanda from Mommy Mandy, Channah from Get A Grip, Mom!, Candace from “Deal”ectible Mommies, and Marissa from Mama Sparkles.  I actually met and spent a little time talking to Amanda (who is as sweet and genuine as she is on her blog) which was fun.  There was a special mom blogger check-in (which made me feel very special!) and we each got a cute little Mickey treat bag with a treat for my son (a lollipop) and a fantastic treat for me (a Disney watch!). 

This private event (which is selling out most nights) allows children to dress up and experience a magnificent Halloween party!  There are several treat stations located throughout the park for children to collect candy and other treats. I was really impressed with their candy alternatives including Fruit Leathers, carrot sticks, apple slices, and raisins.  Other activities included photo opportunities with your child’s favorite characters, special music and live entertainment, crafts, and of course the park’s rides and attractions.  The entire park is decorated for Halloween but it’s definitely not scary.  

I wasn’t sure about how long our little boy would last but he was so excited that he stayed up until 10:30! There are plenty of attractions available for young tots like my son (he loved the carousel!) but I do wish it had started a little earlier.  Understandably, they have to clear out the entire park for the event, hence the 7:30 opening time.  I also found that I wanted more time to spend at the park (guess that means we’re going back!).  I have to say that I was a little nervous about bringing a 15 month old to a theme park but Disney really does a great job of having something for everyone.  The parking is relatively easy (just jump on a tram and you’re right there at the entrance of both parks).  Even young children like my son can ride King Triton’s Carousel, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, and Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train.  I was so impressed with the food.  We bought my son a kid’s meal at the Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill and it was healthy, affordable, and just the right amount of food for my son.  Overall we had a really fabulous night out and I will definitely be brining my boys back to the Disneyland Resort.  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX1vKyGEwcQ&hl=en&fs=1]

Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party is going on now through October 31, 2008 (check the site for exact dates and times).  Tickets are $29 (except on Halloween when the price goes up to $37) and can be purchased online.

Check out my pictures on Flickr!

Today my little boy will visit the Disneyland Resort for the very first time.  Thanks to Maria Bailey and MomSelect, we’re going to Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party.  Tonight at Disney’s California Adventure Park, we’re going to enjoy treat stations, lively music, interactive games, and special activities.  My parents first took me to Disneyland at the tender age of 2 and I can tell you that every time I go it’s magical.  I’ve never been to Disney’s California Adventure Park so it will be a first for all 3 of us. My little boy will be dressed as Bob the Builder and my very good friend and guest blogger Kristin will be joining us.  I’m excited because we get to meet Amanda from Mommy Mandy, Channah from Get A Grip, Mom!, and Candace from “Deal”ectible Mommies.  I’ll be sure to post pics and give you the 411 on all the happenings! For now…enjoy this video snippet from previous events.  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVsaxCX8Buw&hl=en&fs=1]

If you live in the LA area, be sure to head out to the Barnes & Noble at the Americana in Glendale between 9:30 and 11:00 am for a visit with Abby and Elmo in celebration of the release of Abby In Wonderland.  Your children will enjoy performances and activities, special treats, and photo opps with the characters.  Be sure to arrive early to receive an autographed copy of the DVD signed by Abby and Elmo.    

Location:  

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

210 Americana Way

Glendale, CA  91210

Have fun!!!