Ever since this show was announced last year, my girls and I have been excited. We are big Phineas and Ferb fans in our house. There are very few children’s TV shows that adults can also stomach. Phineas and Ferb is one of the few. We love all of the characters, the witty dialogue and catchy songs.

“Mom!  Phineas and Ferb are going on a LIVE tour!!!”  School‘s out for summer and anything is possible as Phineas and Ferb create their biggest invention yet – Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! Phineas, Ferb, and the whole tri-state area gang embark on a bold escape jumping out from behind your TV and onto the stage in a live action adventure – right in Denver!

Audiences will be whisked on a wild ride as Phineas and Ferb build their way to another over the top, extraordinary adventure. And, before anyone can wonder, “Hey, where’s Perry?” the beloved pet platypus shifts to his secret double life as Agent P to foil another one of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s evil plans.  Musical madness abounds in an escapade so awesome that even Candace can’t help but join the hilarious hijinks.  It’s the ultimate end to summer vacation, so seize the day ‘cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna do it all!

Extra shows have been added and tickets are selling out fast so don’t wait.

Show Times:

• Friday, February 3 at 7:00PM
• Saturday, February 4 at 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, & 7:00 PM

Location:
Wells Fargo Theater in Denver

Discount:
Use discount code FFAPF to save $3 on Friday, February 3^rd tickets.
(Valid on Friday performance only; excludes VIP and Stage-side seating. No double discounts.)

Ticket Prices:
$16, $22, $27, $42 VIP, & $67 VIP Stage-side
*Service charges and handling fees may apply

For the fastest and easiest way to buy tickets, log onto www.ticketmaster.com or www.disneylive.com or call 1-800-745-3000.

I have received a family four pack of tickets to the show in exchange for promotion. All thoughts are mine.

My family and I attended opening night for Toy Story 3 on Ice last night at the Pepsi Center. In short – we all loved it.

The Disney on Ice shows continue to get better and more high tech. These aren’t the ice shows of your childhood. Sets and costumes are more elaborate, pyrotechnics and lighting techniques are used and the overall experience is phenomenal.

The show opened with Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy, a Disney on Ice tradition and then jumped full steam ahead into Toy Story introducing us to Andy, preparing to leave for college. Then, the army men took over in a very cool stage production and dance number. Some entered via parachute. It was quickly apparent that this wasn’t an ice show, it was a Broadway musical spectacular that just happened to take place on ice. I’d occasionally forget that they were all ice skating.

After the Army men left, Woody and his gang of toys from Andy’s room took over, each with exciting entrances. One of my favorite things from this show was the costumes. Slinky Dog, Ham, Bullseye and Rex were some of my favorites. I did feel bad for whomever had to be the butt-end of Bullseye and Slinky.

This is exactly why children want to watch shows like this…they get to see their beloved characters from the movies come to life in front of them.

Instead of just re-enacting the movie, this show took an unexpected turn and began with the characters reliving a few of their favorite moments from the first two movies. My favorites were the aliens in the claw game from Pizza Planet and Woody’s Roundup. Instead of just acting those scenes out, they expanded them and went a step beyond. Woody’s Roundup included a dance number and show spectacular that went beyond what was shown in the movie. It was original and refreshing.

We discussed the show all the way home, talking about each character, their costume and ice dancing routines. We also went over all of the unique settings and how things were portrayed.

If you are a Toy Story fan and live in Denver, I highly recommend you go see this show this weekend. It’s worth the trek to the Pepsi Center. I also have a coupon code – save $4 off the ticket price when you use code FFA at: www.TicketHorse.com/DisneyOnIce. (Valid only Fri, Dec. 9 and Sat, Dec. 10 at 11am & 7pm; and Sun, Dec. 11 at 11am; excludes Front Row and VIP seats).

Performance Schedule:

• Thursday, Dec. 8 – 7PM – *Non-VIP Tickets are only $15 for this show! (additional fees apply)
• Friday, Dec. 9 – 11AM & 7PM
• Saturday, Dec. 10 – 11AM, 3PM & 7PM
• Sunday, Dec. 11 – 11AM, 3PM & (7PM SPANISH LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE)

Ticket Prices:

• $72 (Front Row)
• $42 (VIP)
• $26
• $21
• $15
  *Service charges and handling fees may apply

Tickets are on sale through TicketHorse at www.TicketHorse.com/DisneyOnIce, by calling 1.866.461.6556 and at the Pepsi Center Box Office.

I received complimentary tickets from Feld Entertainment for myself and my family to attend opening night in exchange for promotion.

I have fond memories of going to the circus when I was little. It came into town around my birthday and we went most years. It was one of the few times when my dad had got excited like a kid. He took me to the parade when the circus came into town a few times and held me up so I could see the animals. Then during the show, he and I would watch for Gunther Gable Williams and his tiger act. We would both get excited when the big nets and the cat stands came out. It was also one of the few times I was able to get a souvenir trinket.

I found myself stepping back to my childhood when the lights went down and the clowns came out.

Fully Charged plays Denver through October 9th. It’s a family fun show full of fun, acrobatic clowns, heart-skipping high wire acts, elephants, horses, tigers, insane strongmen and more.

My girls loved the show. The clowns aren’t creepy and a few had some of the most memorable moments of the show. They even come out into the audience before and during intermission to sign autographs and meet kids.

Come early and meet the animals at the Animal Open House. It is free to all ticket holders and opens 90 minutes before showtime. It gives you a chance to get up close and personal with the elephants, tigers, horses and zebra. Ringling Bros. also has a few educational kiosks to give you more information. Watching the elephants throw hay on themselves, hearing the tigers growl and roar while playing and watching horses rear before the show gave me a personal connection with the circus’ most beloved performers.

Opening an hour before showtime is the All Access Power Up Pre-show Party on the coliseum floor. Meet some of the performers, get autographs, watch acts not in the show, try on costumes and watch an elephant paint.

The best part? The circus is affordable. Free parking at the Denver Coliseum and kids tickets are only $10 with paid adult admission. Enter the code: FFAKID at www.ticketmaster.com/RinglingDenver to get the kid’s discount.

Ticket Prices:
$80.50 (Circus Celebrity – watch part of the show from the circus floor)
$60.50 (Front Row)
$40.50 (VIP)
$26.50
$20.50
$15.50

Performance Schedule at the Denver Coliseum:
Thursday, September 29 – 7:00 PM
Friday, September 30 – 7:00 PMSaturday, October 1 – 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 2 – 1:00 PM, 5:00 PM
Wednesday, October 5 – 7:00 PM
Thursday, October 6 – 11:00 AM, 7:00 PM
Friday, October 7 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 8 – 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 9 – 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM

During the Animal Open House, we learned about how Ringling Bros. cares for their animals and supports conservation. Out of over 50 elephants, only 16 or so perform. Elephants not excited about the spotlight live out their days at the Elephant Conservation Center in Florida.

Disney on Ice: Let’s Celebrate is the best Disney ice show I’ve seen. It’s modern, it’s fun and unique. Over 70 Disney characters celebrate holidays from Birthday Parties to Halloween to Christmas. Mickey and Minnie travel through each holiday and meet some popular and some obscure characters. A few of my favorite scenes – Mickey as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and skating brooms, Halloween with Jack the Pumpkin King and Disney villains, and Valentines Day with Disney prince and princesses each doing a pair skate. Mulan and Tiana are two of the princesses making an appearance.

Info on the show:

Join all your favorite Disney friends for the ultimate holiday celebration.

Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebration! It’s one colossal party on ice, with all your favorite Disney friends! Enjoy a winter wonderland with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, a Halloween haunt with the Disney Villains, a Very Merry Unbirthday Party, a Royal Ball with the Disney Princesses and more in a magical medley of holidays, celebrations and festivals from around the globe.

A festival of holiday fun with family-friendly ticket prices starting at $15.

Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday performances or receive $4 off weekend tickets. For either offer enter the code FFA4 at: www.TicketHorse.com/DisneyOnIce or call 1-866-461-6556.

Weekday = Thurs 7pm, & Fri 11am performances. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required for 4-pack; additional titickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.

Want a fun coloring sheet for the show? Click here to download Disney Coloring Sheet >

Here’s some fun trivia to get you excited for the show:

1. Which Disney Princess celebrates her birthday during her movie/story?
   Answer: Aurora, Sleeping Beauty
2. What is the name of the candelabra in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast?
   Answer: Lumiere
   
3. From what movie is Prince Phillip?
   Answer: Sleeping Beauty
4. Which Disney Princess lives in a small provincial town with her inventor father?
   Answer: Belle
5. After Princess and the Frog opens: What is Tiana’s dream?
   Answer: To open her own restaurant
6. In what movie does Mickey appear as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice?
   Answer: Fantasia
7. Who does Mickey get to do his work for him in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”?
   Answer: A broomstick
8. How does Mickey bring the broomstick to life?
   Answer: With the sorcerer’s magic hat and a book of spells
9. What movie is Jafar a villain in?
   Answer: Aladdin
10. This Disney Villain has a magical mirror and wants to be the fairest one of all.
    Answer: The Evil Queen in Snow White
11. What Disney Villain holds a grudge after having his hand fed to a crocodile?
    Answer: Captain Hook
    What does the slip of paper in the Mad Hatter’s hat read?
    Answer: It reads “10/6.”
    
    Bonus: What does it mean?
    Answer: 10/6 stands for 10 shillings and 6 pence. Probably referring to the cost of the hat

It’s October in Denver and that means it’s time for the circus. I remember the circus train would always pull into downtown and the big top would go up around my birthday every year. On special years, we went to the circus. I always loved it.

Now I bring my children to share the same excitement and magic the circus brought for me as a child. But this isn’t an old, stale circus. It’s updated, it’s hip and it’s today.

This year, Ringling Bros & Barnum Bailey Circus are celebrating Barnum’s 200th birthday with a spectacular show, FUNundrum. The show is new, fresh and fun but also celebrates and honors Ringling Bros history. They even dedicate a little time in the show to poke fun at their old days.

The show opens with aerial acrobatics and then quickly moves to the High Risers – gymnastics on a balance beam that bends.

The Sky High Ice Gliders are exHEIGHTing as they balance and dance on a tightrope the width of your thumb above the ground.

What’s a circus without the trapeze artists The Flying Caceres. They attempt the quadruple somersault for the first time in a quarter of a century. Only three performers in the Ringling Bros 140-year history have completed four full rotations.

Bionic Brothers, Balancing Body Benders, Mighty Meetal and Asadulin Troupe (they use teeterboards to launch each other into the air) are also don’t miss acts. This circus is non-stop action and entertainment. Our favorite act was the Torres Family. They race seven motorcycles inside the Globe of Steel. The only complaint – their act didn’t last long enough.

My favorite moment was when my almost 9-year-old crawled into my lap and was dancing, sharing, pointing, laughing and loving the experience with me. That’s what it is all about for me now – quality time with my kids.

Of course the circus still has elephants, tigers, horses, ponies, llamas, puppies and clowns. Arrive up to 90 minutes before show time and visit the Animal Open House. See the animals up close and ask questions to the animal staff. Or go to the All-Access Pre-Show where kids can try on clown costumes, meet some of the performers and watch an elephant paint a picture. Both are FREE to ticket holders.

Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday performances with the code FFAWD or receive $4 off weekend tickets with the code FFAWE. The circus is in town through October 10, 2010.

Enter the chosen code at: www.Ticketmaster.com/circuspartners or call 1-800-745-3000

*Feld Entertainment provided 4-tickets for my family to attend a performance of the circus. The comments are mine regardless of compensation.

THREE DAYS ONLY  - Get a family membership to the Butterfly Pavilion for HALF PRICE from Denver Savvy Source >

I am excited to announce that The Savvy Source for Parents is bringing Savvy Savings and Scholarships to the Denver area. What does this mean to you?

Each week, Savvy Savings and Scholarships will bring discounts of up to 90% off Denver-area attractions and destinations. Beginning on September 13th, receive an opportunity to purchase admission and/or memberships to museums and other family-friendly activities around Denver. The first deal – to the Butterfly Pavilion. Watch for more on this special deal, available for a very short time the week of September 13. Savvy Savings is participating in 20 cities across the country. They have already launched in San Francisco and Seattle with great success.

The Savvy Source will donate 5% of each purchase to a preschool of the purchaser’s choice. They will also donate 5% of each purchase to a scholarship fund created to help parents afford preschool for their children.

THE PARTNERSHIP – EARN MONEY
Here’s where you come in. Fundraising Opportunities. Whether you are a blogger, parent, PTA member, or community volunteer, you can sign up to become a partner with Scholarships and Savings. As a partner, you will be given your own referral code. When anyone registers using your referral code, you earn 3% on the purchases they make. If you know people who also love to spread the word, you can invite them to become a partner too. Once you have a partner associated with you, you then earn 2% on any purchases made from signups using their referral code. If these new partners invite more partners, they will earn the same way you earn on all purchases using their code and you earn 1% on offers purchased by their network.

If you are a blogger, you can post a widget on your blog. If blogging isn’t your thing, that’s ok. Share your referral code with friends and family and earn on their purchases. My discount code is

Hurry and sign up soon. The launch of the program is only weeks away. Note – the sign up page asks for a blog name – you can enter a Facebook page or any other website that you may be associated with. You DO NOT need a blog to participate.

Still not convinced – here’s a downloadable brochure for more information >

I was invited to see a special preview of this movie in Denver this week, thanks to my wonderful friend Barb at Elementary Spirits.

I have an 8-year-old daughter and 8-year-old niece. We’ve read the books. I read the books when I was a kid too. So I was excited to see this movie. We are also huge Selena Gomez fans in our house too. John Corbett and Josh Duhamel are easy on the eyes too.

I won’t spoil anything, but the movie was great and heartwarming. My favorite part – no huge special effects, loud music or crazy animated characters. Sure all of that is fun, but it’s nice to watch a quiet movie that’s more about the story and characters than the hugeness of it all.

Although I don’t remember specifics from the books, I do remember some of the parts from the books. They showed up in the film. The one disappointing thing, if you can call it that, was that I thought the girls were younger in the books. In the movie, Beezus is somewhere around 15 and Ramona is 9 1/2. I also thought the books told the story from Beezus’ perspective about her younger, rambuncious sister Ramona. The movie is told from Ramona’s perspective and it has more to do with their entire family dynamics vs just focusing on the sisters’ relationship.

Apart from that, the movie is a sweet, warm story about the difficulties, bumps and love a family goes through while the kids are growing up. My own family has had some pretty big bumps recently and the movie made me stop and think about everything from the kids’ point of view versus my own.

So enjoy a cool, quiet afternoon in the AC and take your kids and go watch “Ramona and Beezus” this summer.

From the producers of Disney On Ice, this fun-packed production is performing at the Wells Fargo Theatre at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on February 5 & 6, 2010

Hit the road with Mickey Mouse and your favorite Disney friends for a hilarious talent search in the all-new Disney Live! Rockin’ Road Show! Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy set out on a zany road trip where audiences join in and help find the coolest acts around. Along the way, hit a high note with Cinderella; get your bounce on with Tigger; and shout out your loudest “yee-haw” at a hoedown with Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story! Grab your family for a fun-filled getaway at this live, show-stopping adventure jam-packed with unexpected twists, turns and hijinks -right in your hometown!

Playing Wells Fargo Theatre at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on February 5 & 6, 2010! Get your tickets today at Ticketmaster.com!

SAVE! $3 per ticket with special code KIDS

Wells Fargo Theater
COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER
Ticket prices $15, $22, $26, $42 VIP, $65 FRONT ROW
PERFORMANCE TIMES Fri, Feb 5 – 6pm
Sat, Feb 6 – 11AM, 2PM, 5PM

MONSTER JAM

The world’s premier monster truck series, Monster Jam® is affordably priced for the whole family with seats starting at $10 for kids and $20 for adults. Playing Pepsi Center February 13 and 14!

The shows will be a battle of the World Champions, including Grave Digger, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Monster Mutt, El Toro Loco, Bounty Hunter, and Iron Outlaw!

Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, monster trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, monster trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Monster trucks can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.

The Built Ford Tough Party in the Pits on Sunday, Feb. 14 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. gives fans the opportunity to get a view of the trucks up close and meet the drivers of the massive monster trucks. Get a free Party in the Pits Pass at Your Local Ford Stores or they can be purchased at the Pepsi Center Box Office on Sunday, Feb. 14 for $5 each. A valid Sunday, Feb. 14 Monster Jam show ticket must accompany each Pit Pass to gain admission to the Party in the Pits

PEPSI CENTER
Ticket prices $20, $25, $30 GOLD CIRCLE, $50 FRONT ROW

PERFORMANCE TIMES
FEB. 13 – 7:30 pm
FEB. 14 – 2:00 pm

PIT PARTY Built Ford Tough Party in the Pits
Sun., Feb. 14 – 11:30 AM-1:00 PM

Get a free Party in the Pits Pass at Your Local Ford Stores or pay $5 at the Box Office day-of (must be accompanied with a Sun. 2pm event ticket to be admitted)

Use code MOM at Ticket Horse to save $4 per ticket!

Disclosure: I am a Feld Family Activator and I received tickets to the event.

My 8-year-old daughter and her 7-year-old cousin have been caroling using their grandpa’s guitars. Adorable and darn cute. They are both in second grade and put on a show for us tonight. They sang the Twelve Days of Christmas. They used a song book off stage to follow the words. They had to pause the show many times to account for page turns.

The guitars were out of tune and maybe not so melodic.

The singing angelic. Sweet. Maybe a little off key, but who cares?

The words? Hysterical. They are as follows:

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
a paw tree jinga bell tree

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me
two turtle doves

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me
three french hands

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
four calling birds

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
five golden rings
Buh-dum-dum-dum

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
six geese a lade-ing.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
seven swans a swinging

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
eight maids a mating

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
nine drummers drumming

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
nine drummers drumming. Wait. What number are we on?

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
eleven ladies dancing

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
twelve lords a leaping

Merry Christmas!