Unicorn Palooza

Marina and I had plans for today, but unfortunately the event was cancelled. So we had an open morning and afternoon. Today was Unicorn Palooza at a local outlet mall. So we decided to check that out since we also had some shopping to do.

We had a big breakfast and then headed out. It turned out that Unicorn Palooza was very popular so there were large crowds around all the activities. Marina and I walked around to see what they had. We walked by the Mermaid Lagoon and saw one of our friends was there. We waved to her but he line was really long.

We decided to let the lines die down while we went shopping. After we finished our shopping, we stopped at the food court and got smoothies before going to check out the Unicorn activities. We stood in line for the petting zoo first. It moved quickly and Marina really liked getting close with some animals. She liked the donkey and emu in the pen, but her favorite was the rabbit they had there.

Next we went back to the mermaid lagoon. The line was much shorter and it moved quickly. We spent a few minutes chatting with our friend when it was our turn. It was such a hot day we felt bad for her!

Marina was ready to go home, but we still hadn’t seen Tinkerbell. Her spot was at the end of the unicorn stalls. The line for that was huge, so we asked if we could just see her. The actress recognized us right away. We were able to sneak in for a few photos before we left.

Flea Market Finds

 This weekend a theatre we like decided to have a flea market – selling their costumes and props to help them raise money. When I told Marina she immediately wanted to go.

When we arrived at the flea market we ran into several actors from the shows we’ve seen. Marina was happy to look around. She was immediately drawn to the jewelry where she picked out a belt made of chains and keys from Jotenheim. We also got a pretty lace parasol and a few pieces of jewelry, including the necklace of Isis from A Hymn to the Goddess.

Of course, we had to look through the costumes. We found a few pieces that we found interesting. Marina liked the mermaid leggings from The Basque Things in Life. They looked like they could fit her, so we decided to get those. As I was sorting through, I found a black corset lined with a fur collar. The people there verified it was Freya’s corset from Jotenheim. I showed it to Marina and we both knew we had to buy it.

We spent more money than we intended, but we knew it was for a good cause. Before we left Marina put on the corset and tried out the parasol. She was quite happy with what we bought.

Tea Tour

This afternoon we decided to do something we have wanted to do for a long time. We went to the Celestial Seasonings tea factory. We drink their tea all the time – Marina’s favorite is Sleepytime Vanilla. We checked in for a tour and had about half an hour to wait. So we sampled some of the teas they had there. We both liked the Emperor’s Choice blend, which is only available at the factory.

We still had more time before our tour, so we checked out the store until it was time to line up. For the tour, we had to wear hair nets. Marina and I had a tough time getting them on. The factory was not operating while we were there, but we still got to see all the equipment.

The whole factory smelled so good. Marina’s favorite part was the peppermint room. After the tour we went back to the store where we picked out several boxes of tea to take with us including Emperor’s Choice and Sleepytime Mint, which we had never seen before. .

German Festival

Earlier in the summer, Marina and I went to the Greek Festival. At that time, I learned about the German Festival. Marina was interested in attending since we actually have German heritage. So we checked it out today.

We arrived around lunchtime, so we checked out the food first. We each got a bratwurst, which were very good. Marina followed that up with a watermelon slush and we shared an apple strudel.

After we ate, we looked over the booths. Marina really loved the jewelry. One booth in particular had gorgeous pieces and we talked with the creator for a while. There was a German band playing, so we sat down and listened. They played the German Duck Dance, but I couldn’t convince her to take part in that.

After a few hours, we were ready to go home.

Greek Girl

Every summer, Marina and I look forward to the Greek Festival. I took the day off today so we could go – the first day is usually the least crowded. Marina chose an Egyptian costume. Without the collar it looked Greek.

Today was a hot day, so Marina took her black fan and blue parasol. She looked so pretty! One man we ran into said he thought she looked like Helen of Troy. She wasn’t sure what to make of that. When we explained that Helen was called the most beautiful woman in the world, she liked it!

We started off shopping the various vendors set up outside. Marina especially liked looking at the jewelry. We decided to have lunch next. Marina was disappointed that they didn’t have calamari this year – she had been looking forward to that! Instead, we both had gyros. She did enjoy it.

We watch a group of children perform some simple Greek dances for a while, then we went into the church to look at their beautiful icons. By then, Marina was ready to go home. So we bought ice cream to enjoy on the way out.

Treasure Hunt

For her birthday and Christmas, Marina got gift cards for a clothing stores. she had never been to before, so we decided to go shipping. The store was huge and it took her a while to figure out what she liked. As we went through the store she picked out shirts and dresses to try on.

She was very excited to go on a shopping spree. In the end she got three shirts, a dress, a hooded sweatshirt five pairs of socks, a choker and a pair of cat ears. She used up all of her gift cards and was pretty excited about it.
We went to the food court for lunch,

Next, we went to the Disney Store. It’s been a while since we’ve been there and yet still some employees remembered us.  While we were there, they had a special Pirates of the Caribbean treasure hunt in the store. Of course, Marina wanted to participate. Each child had a map and they went through the store to find clues. Marina was happy to be “first mate” on the last trip. She even got to carry Jack Sparrow’s compass.

After the treasure hunt, she got a snack she likes. As we left the mall, it was raining pretty hard. We got really wet on our way to the car, but it didn’t dampen our spirits!

Sing and Shop Saturday

Marina and I didn’t have any set plans today. She wanted to use some of the gift cards she got for Christmas. She decided she wanted to treat me to lunch and a movie.

We started off by having lunch. Marina was very excited to use her gift card to pay for it. After we ate, we went to the movie theater to see the movie Sing! Marina has wanted to see it for a while, so she was pleased to finally go. She not only bought our tickets, she got the popcorn as well. We both enjoyed the movie, Marina particularly liked all the music in the show.

After the movie, we went shopping so Marina could use a gift card. She wanted a game for her laptop. They didn’t carry a card for that game, but the sales person suggested she use her card to get credit at an online store.

The game took four hours to download. She was pretty disappointed by that. She will
have to wait until tomorrow.

American Girl Block Party

American Girl has introduced a new historical character – Melody. To celebrate, they had a block party today. She decided to take McKenna and to wear the matching outfit. We arranged to meet a friend of hers there.

When we arrived at the store, it didn’t take long for her friend to find us. The girls started by looking around the store together. They were particularly interested in Melody’s new accessories. They also put together a craft of flower pots. As part of the block party, they handed out mini cherry pies and ginger ale. Marina was reluctant to try to try the pie, but when she did, she discovered she liked it. She drank several cups of ginger ale as well.

We decided to have lunch with at a nearby Mexican restaurant. We sat on the upstairs patio. They girls put their dolls in chairs next to them while they ate. After lunch, we went to the Disney Store to look around. After the shopping was over, we headed home.

Greek Goddess

For the past few years, Marina and I have enjoyed attending the Greek Festival. Since the opening day tends to be less crowded, I decided to take part of the day off today so we could go. Marina decided to wear her Megara costume from Hercules this year.

We arrived around lunch time, so the first thing we did was eat. Marina surprised me by choosing calamari to eat. I let her try my lamb sandwich which she also liked.

After we ate, we did a little shopping – her favorite part! We saw beautiful jewelry and home accessories. Marina also tried out some of the rides.

Before we headed out, we took a look inside the gorgeous cathedral. The chapel has added some iconography since last year which we were both impressed with. When we entered the cathedral a tour was going on so we listened in for a while. By then we were ready to go home.

Meet Lea Clark

With a new year always comes a new American Girl of the Year. For 2016 it is Lea Clark. Yesterday I showed Marina the website with her story and products. She was pretty excited to see it all. This morning we went to see it all in person. Marina brought her Christmas gift card and her Kailey doll with her.

The store was busy but not crazy. We got a change to see the new doll and catch up with the staff members we know. Marina decided to buy Lea’s cat. We also had Kailey’s hair styled. After we checked out, Marina worked on a craft they had set up.

Next we headed into the Disney Store and looked around for a while. Marina had fun playing at the magic mirror and looking at the
Good Dinosaur toys. After our shopping was done, we went home and got to work on our dinner plans.

Big Fat Greek Festival

We had such a fun time at the Greek Festival last year that Marina and I decided we had to go back this year. Marina thought about wearing either her Disney Meg or Esmeralda costume, but ultimately, she decided on a tank top and skirt. I tied a coin scarf around her waist and she jingled everywhere she went. She loved that!

We arrived shortly after the festival started. The weather was very hot but not many people were there. Marina started off by shopping. The vendors had beautiful jewelry and clothing on display. Marina enjoyed looking at all of it.

For lunch, we decided to share a gyro. Marina seemed a bit unsure of it, but after she tried it she found she really liked it. We also tried a cheese and pita snack. She didn’t like the lemon juice used for seasoning on that though. As we ate we listened to Greek music and watched children’s dance groups perform.

Of course, Marina tried out all the rides and games. We were feeling very hot, so we went inside the cathedral. I had told Marina that the Greek Orthodox Church was famous for their icons. But we were both amazed by inside of the cathedral. When we listened to the priest discuss the church Marina was a bit bored. Once he stopped speaking, we took a look around and I could see she was impressed.

We did a little more shopping after the tour. Naturally, she found many things she loved. We did pick up a golden crown of laurel leaves. She said, “I feel like a Greek goddess!” She did look like one. But even goddesses get hot and tired, so we went home.

Birthday Blessing

Our church has a tradition of saying a public birthday blessing for every member. Last week Marina wasn't there, so she got her blessing today. She was quite excited about it. She wore her birthday dress and since she had a matching American Girl dress, she brought Grace along as well.

Today was Palm Sunday. Marina enjoyed helping to hand out palm leaves to everyone. Then she joined he procession with our friend Miss Judy.

Near the end of the service, Marina beamed as she received her birthday blessing. She didn't have to be prompted at all to go to the alter for her blessing.

After church, we went out to lunch with Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy. When our server asked if we were there for an occasion, Miss Judy let him know we were celebrating Marina's birthday. She was quite pleased.

Marina ordered for herself and even had a salad to start with. We were all impressed with how much she ate. She was the only one who wanted dessert. She ordered chocolate cake and ice cream. When it arrived, our servers had added two birthday candles to it. They lit them and we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She graciously shared her cake with all of us.

After we finished lunch, Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy took Marina shopping for a birthday present. Marina clearly enjoyed that. Once she picked out her gift, she and I went out shopping for a bit. We bought some of our favorite lotions and a Cinderella movie inspired dress for Marina. She'd had a good day!

Birthday Grace

Marina's birthday is in a few days and she is pretty excited. However, today she had an appointment that she was a bit nervous about. So I told her after it was over we could go birthday present shopping. That cheered her up.

So, after her appointment was over, we headed to the American Girl store where Marina chose to get Grace, the doll of the year. They had a special craft available today, but Marina chose to wait until after we checked out to create the craft.

After she picked Grace up off the shelf, we spent some time looking around the store. We ended up picking up matching pink berets for them as well. A few new items caught her eye as she wandered around.

After we bought Grace Marina put on her beret and we went to a doll friendly restaurant for dinner. We were both pretty hungry by this time. While we waited, Marina put Grace's beret on her.

When our food arrived we both enjoyed it very much. We shared our meals and had a great talk. We topped it all off with an indulgent chocolate dessert. By then we were full and tired so we headed home.

Cinderella On Screen

Marina has been looking forward to the live action movie Cinderella for some time. It didn't hurt that the movie featured a new short Frozen Fever starring Anna and Elsa.

Marina's friend Ainsley slept over at our house last night and they were both  excited to see the movie. They spent quite a while getting ready to go. Ainsley brought some of her favorite dresses over and they chose from them. Then they added a colorful stoles and tiaras to complete their royal look.

We arrived at our favorite restaurant theater early and ordered lunch. Then we settled in to watch the previews. Our food arrived before the movie started, so we were happy about that.

First came Frozen Fever. The girls clearly enjoyed it. Both are such fans of the original movie it wasn't a surprise.

Next came Cinderella. The film was beautifully made. Both girls admired Cinderella's ball gown and wedding dress. They immediately talked about a display at the Disney Store. So we decided to go and browse the store.

When we arrived they both immediately checked out all the Cinderella items. Ainsley fell in love with the glass slippers. Marina meanwhile was drawn to new Frozen plush dolls designed from the costumes in Frozen Fever.

Once we finished our shopping, we stopped for a snack. It had been a lovely Disney day.

Super Sunday Shopping

Today was Super Bowl Sunday, but Marina had no interest in that. She was interested in going to the American Girl store to spend a gift card she got for Christmas. We haven't been to the store in a long time and were interested in checking out Grace, the 2015 Girl of the Year. Marina has been studying the latest catalog and was excited to see the new doll in person.

Marina decided to bring McKenna with her today. They dressed alike in the Saige sweaters. She got lots of compliments on the sweaters even though she noticed the sleeves on the girl and doll versions weren't the same.

When we arrived at the store, Marina made a beeline for the section with Grace and her accessories. She happily posed with a large cut out of Grace and tried on a beret that matched the one on the doll. She really enjoyed playing with Grace's bakery which was on display. She checked out all the baked goods in the set and found the mixer really spins. She loved that!

With her gift card, Marina thought about getting the cheerleader gear, but ultimately decided on Grace's travel set. Then she thought about all the places her dolls could travel with the suitcase.

After we left the American Girl store, we checked out what was new at the Disney Store and Lego store. Naturally, Marina found plenty to love at those stores as well.

Frozen Ice Princesses

 Marina and I make it a habit to go to Disney on Ice whenever it comes to town. This time, Marina wanted to invite Ainsley to join us. So I bought an extra ticket. Ainsley was excited to come with us.

Ainsley's mom brought her to our house a few hours early. The girls disappeared upstairs and transformed into Anna and Elsa from Frozen. Both girls knew that Anna and Elsa were not characters in the show were we about to see, but they didn't let that effect them.

Once they were dressed, we sat down to a tea party. We had four kinds of sandwiches and three kinds of cake as well as tea. I even set out my blue china for the occasion. After lunch, the girls put the finishing touches on their costumes. I put a little sparkle makeup on them and they took turns spraying glitter in each other's hair. They also dressed two of Marina's American Girl dolls  for the day. Saige wore the Frozen inspired costume and Kailey dressed as Anna.

On the way to the show we stopped at a store which was having a "Princess Party." The girls made their own princess ornaments and played with some of the toys which were out for display. They especially loved posing with a large Olaf plush toy. As we drove to the show, Ainsley played Frozen songs on her phone and girls happily sang along.

It took a bit longer to get to there than I had planned and we didn't get to our seats until right before the show started. The girls had so much fun pointing out when their favorite characters appeared on the ice. At intermission I got popcorn and drinks for us all and we settled in for the rest of the show.

On the way home the girls played on Ainsley's phone. They seemed tired, we'd had a full princess day!

Be Forever

American Girl announced they would be rebranding their line of historical dolls as Be Forever dolls. Yesterday was the official launch. I received an invitation to attend. I decided to go but Marina couldn’t join me because she was in school. She wasn’t happy, so I agreed to bring her this afternoon after school.

I brought Kaya with me so Marina would have her at the store. I knew Marina would be impressed by what she saw. Right away, she noticed that Julie now has several new outfits, including the one she comes in. She also checked out Samantha, who was brought out of retirement.

Her favorite part was easily the new girls clothing they introduced. Each Be Forever doll now has a girls dress that coordinates with the clothing we comes in. Marina loved the clothes that coordinated with Julie and Kaya.

After looking around the store, Marina went on a scavenger hunt they had set up throughout the store. Some of the signs were hard to find, but we finally managed to check them all off.

Marina was clearly impressed with all the new items she saw. I think her Christmas list just got longer!

It's All Greek

When I was a child, my parents used to take me to the Greek Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church. I haven't been there in many years. So when I suggested it to Marina, she was interested in checking it out. She still has a bit of a cough and the weather looked threatening, but she still insisted she wanted to go.

We arrived a few hours after it opened and we were very lucky to find a good parking place right away. As we entered, we saw several rides for kids. Marina was immediately excited. I suggested we look around the festival first. She grumbled until I said, "Look at all the shopping." She saw a jewelry shop and was definitely interested in looking around. So we looked through a few stores before checking out the rest of the festival. We found a few more rides, by now, Marina couldn't wait anymore, so she took her turn on some of them. She especially liked the spinning ride, she rode it several times.

We decided to stop for a snack. I got baklava, but couldn't get Marina to even try it. Marina got ice cream instead. She was disappointed that they didn't have chocolate, but they made it up to her by giving her vanilla with chocolate syrup and sprinkles.

We took our food to the main stage and ate while we watched two children's groups perform traditional dances from Greece and Crete. The MC was Miss Colorado - Marina really liked her crown. After the dancing, Marina took a few more rides and then we headed home. I wanted to go on a tour of the cathedral, but Marina was too tired and the weather had taken a bad turn. But we'd had a fun afternoon. Opa!

Meeting Isabelle

Marina has been anxious to see the new American Girl Doll of the Year. On New Year's Eve, we got the new catalog featuring Isabelle, a ballet dancer. That's when Marina got really excited.

Last year we went to the American Girl store on New Year's Day to check out Saige. There was a line out the door and we had to wait outside for a while before we could even get into the store. This year New Year's Day was cold and snowy, so we decided to wait a bit so it wouldn't be as crazy.

Marina decided to bring Kailey along. It was a beautiful day and they wore matching dresses. When we arrived at the store this afternoon, it was pretty busy in the store, but not packed. We enjoyed looking over Isabelle's collection - she has some very pretty clothes for girls to match their dolls. Marina was also happy to pose with the cut out they had as well.

As always, Marina loved looking around the store. She always finds plenty of things she likes.

After we left the American Girl store, we went into the mall to check out the Disney Store. I was surprised to see that all Frozen Elsa costumes are completely sold out. I was so grateful we bought Marina's costume when we did!

We ate lunch in the food court and looked in the Lego store before heading home. I'm sure we'll be back many times this year!