FIRST-EVER DETAILS ABOUT HARRY POTTER AND THE ESCAPE FROM GRINGOTTS –

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Krissyar

Today Universal Orlando Resort revealed details about Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – the revolutionary attraction found in the heart of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. The Grand Opening date for the spectacularly themed environment will be announced at a later date.

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Imagine being part of the iconic moment from the Harry Potter film series where Harry, Ron and Hermione break into one of the most guarded places in the wizarding world – Gringotts bank – to retrieve a magical object that will help defeat Lord Voldemort. You’ve seen the action on-screen, and now you get to be part of it.

Universal’s creative team worked hand-in-hand with Stuart Craig and his production team from the Harry Potter films to immerse guests in this pivotal scene from the final Harry Potter book and film.

During an action-packed, fully-immersive journey on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, you will:
· Marvel at the 60-foot, fire-breathing Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon atop Gringotts Wizarding Bank
· Tour Gringotts bank and pass through the marble hall where you’ll see goblins hard at work
· Race through a labyrinth of underground Gringotts vaults
· Encounter the villainous Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, as she attempts to send you to your doom
· Come face to face with He Who Must Not Be Named
· Experience even more mind-blowing moments

The multi-dimensional, multi-sensory attraction, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, will revolutionize theme park entertainment. This next generation thrill ride seamlessly integrates a compilation of the most innovative technology ever created, 360-degree themed sets, 4K digital high-definition animation, state-of-the-art 3-D Infitec projection systems and live special effects with beloved characters and breathtaking moments from the Harry Potter books and films.

“Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts will change the way you think about theme park attractions,” said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative. “We’ve created an entirely new type of ride that propels guests into the story like never before, and guests will remember it long after their visit to Diagon Alley.”

CLICK HERE to watch a video with more details about Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley will bring even more of Harry Potter’s adventures to life. The new area will double the size of the sweeping land already found at Universal Orlando, expanding the spectacularly themed environment across both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Inside the land, guests will enjoy themed shops, dining experiences and the groundbreaking thrill ride – Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

For additional information about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com/WizardingWorld.

About the Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter continues to be a global phenomenon. Each of the seven books by author J.K. Rowling has broken sales records, with the series to date having sold over 450 million copies worldwide and translated into 77 languages. The Harry Potter films, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, have grossed more than $7.7 billion to date worldwide at the box office, making Harry Potter the largest-grossing film franchise in history.

About Universal Orlando Resort
Vacation like you mean it at Universal Orlando Resort – where every heart pounding, jaw-dropping, goose-bumping second counts. It is the only place where you can turn spending time with your family into spending time as a family. Together, you can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, become a Minion in the hilarious and heartwarming Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride, and join Optimus Prime in the fight to save mankind on the new mega-attraction, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D. And, coming this summer, you can step into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.

Universal Orlando Resort is home to two incredible theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure; four magnificently themed on-site hotels: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the newest addition, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort; and Universal CityWalk – a nighttime entertainment complex featuring a collection of nightclubs, restaurants and shops. And located just minutes from Universal Orlando Resort is Wet n’ Wild, Orlando’s premier waterpark.

Universal Orlando Resort is part of NBCUniversal, a Comcast company. Follow Universal Orlando Resort on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Warner Bros. Entertainment
Warner Bros. Entertainment is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms. A Time Warner Company, the fully integrated, broad-based studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD, digital distribution, animation, comic books, video games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.

Posted in Travel | 2 Comments

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION CONTINUES THIS WEEKEND WITH A LIVE CONCERT BY GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING BAND THE ROOTS

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Krissyar

This Saturday, GRAMMY Award-winning hip-hop/neo-soul band The Roots, house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and best known for their singles, “The Next Movement,” “The Seed” and “You Got Me,” will shake up Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration with a live concert on the Music Plaza stage. Before the concert, guests can catch colorful beads by the handful during the festive Mardi Gras parade, which features 12 vibrant floats, including three new additions celebrating Jules Verne’s novel, “Around the World in 80 Days.” Guests can also visit Universal Studios Florida’s very own French Quarter Courtyard to enjoy authentic Cajun cuisine and see performances by bands pulled straight from Bourbon Street.

mardigras

Universal Orlando’s “N’awlins”-inspired, family-friendly version of Mardi Gras runs select nights through June 7. The excitement of Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration is included with admission to Universal Studios Florida. For more information, visitwww.universalorlando.com/mardigras.

2014 Mardi Gras Talent Line-Up
Mardi Gras Event Dates Headliners

(performing in the Music Plaza)
May 17 The Roots
May 24 Cher Lloyd
May 31 Huey Lewis and the News
June 7 Robin Thicke

Schedule of Events for Saturday, May 17:

  • 4:00 p.m. – French Quarter Courtyard Opens
  • 8:15 p.m. – Mardi Gras Parade Starts
  • 9:00 p.m. – Live Concert Begins
Posted in Travel | 2 Comments

GNC Wants to Help You Beat Average!

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Krissyar

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of GNC for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

GNC started as General Nutrition Center nearly 80 years ago in Pittsburgh, as a place to go to live well and perform at your best. This still holds true today.

GNC Live Well

 

Average Stops - Blog photo 7be17613-d71c-4bd1-a4c6-d43371c103f2_zps872ace19.png

“Since 1935, we have been committed to being above average in our products, stores and customer service,” said Joseph Fortunato, chairman, president and CEO of GNC Holdings, “Our array of superior products can meet a wide range of individual needs. This campaign is grounded in GNC’s DNA and establishes ‘average’ as a common enemy we all can relate to when it comes to health and wellness. No matter who you are, average is in all of us and GNC is here to encourage everyone to “#BeatAverage” in regards to achieving their overall wellness goals and helping to celebrate their successes.

#TeamGNC

GNC-beat-average

GNC reminds us that there are many forces that keep us from reaching our health and wellness goals. Weather, food temptations, the “everyone gets a medal” self esteem movement and plan laziness…all excuses that we frequently use to under achieve. GNC’s inspiring ad invites us to Beat Average and celebrate our achievements, starting with its full line of products to help us be the best we can be. It’s sure to get you off the couch and get moving, or at least think about it. 

 

Visit Sponsor's Site

Posted in Fitness/Health | 7 Comments

No I WON’T give him another chance ..EVER!

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Krissyar

“Give him another chance”, “He’s doing soo much better”. These are things you hear when maybe you’ve dated someone a long time that has some sort of issue that you left him over. For instance, drinking. Or even being abusive. Yeah – I heard these things from other people when it came to my ex – about allowing him to see my children.

For over 7 years I stayed in a very unhealthy abusive relationship. It was a cycle of good behavior, then falling off the wagon with his abusiveness (towards me) along with binge drinking, not holding a job, and cheating. For years I put up with it thinking one day it would stick; that one day all these years of hell would pay off, because I didn’t want to raise my girls as a single Mom. I thought if others changed, then he could – but what was I risking??!

One day I woke up – I don’t really remember how, or exactly when. I can tell you that my Mom, Dad, even my sister had been praying that one day I would realize that all I was doing was raising my girls to think that this type of behavior was O.K. I woke up and I left; For a few years I lived with my parents as I tried to pay off debt (that he accrued) and save money to get my own place. I allowed him to have one night every other weekend with the girls, though as I watched the transformation of my happy, smiling, clean girls come back dirty, grumpy, and mean, I realized something had to change. They weren’t told NO when they were with him; they ate what they want, did what they want, and stayed up as late as they wanted…after all, he was trying to buy their affection…One weekend when I was out of town, he had the girls and called my sister for a ride (since he never drove nor owned a vehicle the entire time I knew him). He promptly put them in her car – and took off. My sister followed him, and he said he wasn’t keeping them – he was angry at me for dating another man, so this was his way of revenge. For a long time I didn’t allow him to see them, and then I started again because I was a sucker – many Friday nights he would ‘stand them up’ knowing I had plans to go out, and he didn’t want me with anyone else…

I met a man who was my idea of perfect – he moved in with us, and gladly accepted the role of step-Dad. Strict but loving, he started pointing out to me the cycles that I might of escaped but I was allowing my girls to be put through – promises of gifts, visits and trips, he would let them down over and over again. My heart broke as I thought about how selfish he was, and even worse, how I allowed him to do this to them. The last time they visited with him, my daughter told me she couldn’t sleep because Daddy and his friends were up drinking all night. That was the final straw.

I told him if he wanted to see them, he could take me to court. Knowing full well it would take awhile, and I could help my girls heal, and realize that wasn’t how Dad’s were supposed to act. Once he finally took me to court (thanks to a friend of his for filling out all the paperwork – and paying for it). They agreed to 2 hours every other Saturday at specific locations only – and that he wouldn’t be able to take them anywhere. This lasted all of a month, before my girls told me that he took them somewhere. Again, I gave him another chance a few months later, and he would get angry if they were sick, or had a softball or soccer game (all of which he was welcome to come). Week after week we went thru this until I finally said NO MORE EVER AGAIN! I told him he can take me back to court, but I will NOT allow my girls to go thru this. At this point neither one of them wanted anything to do with him, and my oldest would beg me not to make her go. I told him if he wanted a relationship with his daughter’s he could start by calling them – he had my Mom’s number where the girls stayed after school, and he knew they were there until I picked them up after work. There would be an occasional call, and then they got less frequent …. and then stopped altogether.

It’s been over 2 years since my girls have seen their biological Dad (in fact, we ‘saw’ him on a bike ride one day, and he didn’t even recognize his own daughter when she waved!) His ‘friend’ has messaged me plenty of times about giving him another chance – but at what risk? So he’s doing well for awhile, it won’t be long until he slips again and I refuse to allow my girls to be another one of his victims.

 

I’ve heard many people say “It’s better to have a bad Dad, then no Dad at all” – those people obviously never dealt with a dead beat. One that doesn’t keep a job and pay child support, let alone emotional support. My girls have plenty of male role models in their lives – their step Dad, their Grandpa. They know that if at any point they wanted to have a relationship with him, that I wouldn’t stand in their way, they know what I’ve done, and all the chances I’ve given him – and honestly my oldest has told me she doesn’t even know what to call him.

 


my girls

 

So with all that said – next time you hear about Mom’s trying to keep their children from these “fathers” who want to be apart of their kids life, don’t always assume that they Mom is the bad guy. Maybe, just maybe, she is making a hard decision to protect her children.

Posted in Parenting | 2 Comments

The Mom’s Guide to Healthy Road Trip Snacks

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Krissyar

“I participated in a Blogger Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Stonyfield. I received coupons to facilitate my shopping trip and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

This time next month I will be traveling in a mini-van with my husband and four kids ages raging from 5 to 16 for a long road trip from Ohio to Maine – approximately 1,200 plus miles. (I appreciate everyone who just thought to themselves  “poor woman” – sympathy -and prayers -are appreciated). Like most kids, mine love to beg me for snacks and soda’s every time we stop for gas or to use the restroom. If you’ve ever went on a road trip and not packed snacks, I’m sure you felt the pain – mostly in your wallet.

This year I am being pro active and planning ahead. I’ve already made a list of healthy road trip snacks to take with us to keep the kids, my husband, and my wallet happy. Remember, along with healthy snacks you will want to make sure to bring: plastic bags for garbage, wet wipes for sticky fingers, reading or music material to keep the kiddos busy, and noise reduction head phones for you, just in case you can’t take it anymore! =)

healthy-kids-choice-road-trip-snacks

Fruit – Fruit is one of our favorite road trip snacks. To make things a little more easy, I pack grapes, apples, watermelon, strawberries and pineapples already cut up into individual lunch baggies. To prevent someone from ‘getting all the grapes’ or ‘hogging the container of strawberries’ having individually baggies with cut-up fruit ready to hand out keeps the kids happy – and is easy to clean up.

Celery & Peanut Butter – I love buying the individual containers of peanut butter to use and then also cut up the celery and put those into little baggies as well. Another option is to use old peanut butter jars with a few tablespoons of peanut butter left at the bottom and just put the celery into the jar and pass it around. Depending on how many people you have traveling with you, either option works and makes for easy clean-up, though this is where those wet wipes may come in handy (especially for the little ones).

String Cheese – This is one of my favorite snacks to take on the road. These are easy to hand out, and even easier to clean-up. This is definitely a filling snack for me, and I love all the different varieties that you can purchase. I usually have to buy more by the time we reach our destination.

Jerky – Though this is not a snack I would recommend to eat on a daily basis (it’s very high in sodium) jerky can pack a punch with flavor and protein. This is definitely a favorite of my 16 yr old step son.

Turkey Roll- Ups – This is a great protein packed snack. Turkey rolled up on a whole wheat tortilla is a great snack. Some like hummus, greek yogurt, or light mayo to dip it in. You can definitely pack the condiments in throw away containers for after use.

Trail Mix – I like to make my own homemade trail mix – we like to throw all our favorites in: pretzels, dried fruit, fish crackers, cereal, nut (peanuts, almonds), sunflower seeds, whatever the kids like (and yes, sometimes we do throw in some chocolate – after all, it is VACATION!)

Yogurt – yogurt used to be a messy, very difficult snack to take on road trips. The kids would make a mess, flip their spoons full of yogurt every where, and it was impossible for whoever was driving to really enjoy this snack. We’ve always enjoyed Stonyfield Yogurt, so I was thrilled to discovered Stonyfield Organic yogurt Pouches. They offer Baby, Toddler & Kids (and yes, my husband and I enjoy the kids yogurt pouches -shhh!) They come in many great flavors and one of the best parts is they are virtually mess-free! (You can find stores near you that sell them here). Below are some of your choices:
YoBaby Flavors: Blueberry, Mango,Vanilla and Sweet Potato
YoToddler Flavors: Strawberry Beet Berry and Pear Spinach Mango
YoKids: Strawberry & Banana, Strawberry, Blueberry

My son’s favorite is the blueberry – he eats blueberries like they are going out of style, so I figured this would be his favorite. My girls and I love the strawberry, where my husband prefers the strawberry/banana flavor. I have to tell you – my 10 yr old wanted to try the YoToddler flavors and actually enjoyed the Pear Spinach Mango. I was thrilled because this is another way I can get veggies in, without forcing her to eat them at dinner. That’s a win/win for us.

We love Stonyfield Yogurt SO much, I am going to give away coupons for you to try your own Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches! Enter in the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Fitness/Health, Travel | 9 Comments