Decorate Easter Eggs In Style At the Monarch Rooftop & Indoor Lounge

   

     Easter is right around the corner, and the bunny will be hiding eggs in all his usual haunts and parents and children will be decorating them this weekend in kitchens across the country.  However, us lucky New Yorkers are in for a very special treat this year!  The beautiful Monarch Rooftop & Indoor Lounge, is hosting a Easter Egg Decorating event and we are all invited!  That is right folks we can decorate among the Skyscrapers instead of staring at our kitchen cabinets, at this family fun event that is also supporting a good cause! This Saturday, March 26th from 1pm to 4pm.  Patrons can enjoy several springtime cocktails, games, and raffle prizes, with proceeds from the cocktails donated to Friends of Karen, an organization that provides financial, emotional, and advocacy support for children with a life-threatening illness and their families, in order to keep them strong, functioning, and able to cope. 

   Although we have never been (something I am thinking of remedying very soon) this place looks completely gorgeous, with the added bonus of being very kid friendly and working with a good cause, I see no reason to change things up a little bit this year and visit Monarch this weekend!

Monarch Rooftop & Indoor Lounge is located at 71 West 35th Street, perched 18 floors above Midtown Manhattan.  Here is a link to their website: http://addisongroupnyc.com/venues/monarch/.  The event is free to enter this weekend, but we do recommend you RSVP if you plan to attend. You can do so by emailing reservations@addisongroupnyc.com

Amazing Easter Dessert By Chef Luca Manfe- Winner of Masterchef 4!

With Easter just about to hop around the corner, it's time to start planning your dinner menus, including the most important part – dessert!

Since this holiday falls right at the beginning of spring, try making something bright and colorful like Bauli's Panettone Berry Trifle. Not only will it look perfect on the table for the occasion, but it will taste even better!

To make this already-simple recipe even easier, Celebrity Chef Luca Manfè, winner of Masterchef Season 4 (see bio below) takes you step-by-step in this How-To video!



Full recipe below!

Skylanders Fit For Your Easter Basket!

   Easter is going to be here before you know it, and you will not want to celebrate without these two limited edition spring Skylanders! Your kids will be sooo Egg-cited (yea, I did it) When they see these two awesome figures in their basket.  Honestly, I love the Skyander line all year long, (as we know) but the spring editions always make me smile. These ones are no egg-ception! OK OK I am done!
    Get yours before they are gone at your local Toys 'R Us


                                                   Spring Ahead Dive Bomber
                                                              Price: $14.99

      With a brand new fleet of powerful vehicles at their disposal, the Skylanders are ready to battle evil wherever it hides.  In an attempt to sneak into the aquatic nest of a menacing Hydra, the Skylanders have disguised the Dive Bomber as a decorative egg.  Hopefully Hydras like to protect their eggs… and not eat them!

                                                             Eggcited Thrillipede
                                                                Price: $12.99

      Thrillipede is all suited up and ready to defend his title as the reigning Dragon Egg Toss Champion.  After last year’s controversy, when Kaos wrongly accused him of coating several Dragon Eggs with sticky tape, Thrillipede is eager to show everyone that his egg tossing supremacy was no fluke.  And to prove his point, he’s agreed to enter the competition with one hand tied behind his back!

Portal Masters! These Easter Skylander Releases Are A Must Have!

 Oh man- WE NEED THESE- and by we I mean the whole Skylander community! I am pre-ordering my Eggsellent on Amazon- and will be going to Toys-R-Us for the others! I am stoked!

     Eggsellent Weeruptor: Weeruptor was chosen as this year’s official mascot for the Annual Dragon Egg Hunt!  Being new to this time honored tradition, he disguised himself as a candy-coated egg and proceeded to capture Spyro, Cynder, and Drobot within a Traptanium basket… sort of missing the point of the occasion.  But what he lacks in point-getting, he more than makes up for in “Eggsellence!”

     Power Punch Jet – Vac: Jet-Vac was the greatest, most daring flying ace in all of Windham.  He was given his magical wings when he was young, as was the tradition for all Air Barons.  But when his homeland was raided, he chose to sacrifice his wings to a young mother so she could fly her children to safety.  This act of nobility caught the attention of Master Eon, who sought out the young Air Baron and presented him with a gift – a powerful vacuum device that would allow him to soar through the skies once again. Jet-Vac accepted the gift with gratitude, and now daringly fights evil alongside the other Skylanders.





Bunny Earth Trap:The Bunny Earth Trap is one of the most unique Traps of the bunch and features a cute bunny-themed design.

   Make sure to complete your Skylander themed basket with the Crayola Color Alive set as well! (our review will be coming soon! 

Easter Must Haves!

We have an amazing line up of unique Easter basket fillers that will not rot your children's teeth, but will still have them all geared up for the holiday!



     First up, why not change the traditional basket with a fun wagon or wheelbarrow from American Plastic Toys! These items are made in America and are sooooo low cost you are not going to believe it! Just $5! That's right five bucks! These are great for ages 1 1/2 and up and they are a great size--the Wheelbarrow is 21 ¼” x 9 3/8” x 10 ½” and the Wagon is 16 ¼” x 9 ½” x 7 ½”. Think of all the ways you can fill these babies up!  These items are available at Walmart online, Kmart, as well as other big retailers.


       Next up from Hog Wild is the new and super magical Unicorn Popper!  These bad boys shoot soft foam balls from its majestic mouth up to 20 feet! And don't worry, they won't break anything- like a glass carefully placed on a fence by a fully grown woman who decided that this was her toy not her son's...ANYWAY!  All the kids have to do is squeeze the belly of the Unicorn to set the balls "poppin" through the air!  Six balls come with the item and are geared for ages 4 and up.  I would stick to the four and up because it can be hard for little hands to squeeze them, however they have plush poppers available as well that are easier for the little ones to squeeze!  Woo-hoo!  Might I make another suggestion?  Get a couple for yourselves; they are really fun and you WILL steal your child's and have to buy more anyway!  The Unicorn Popper is $9.99 and the Plush Poppers are somewhere in that neighborhood as well.  You can buy them at Bed Bath and Beyond or Matty's Toy Stop (if you are in Merrick, Long Island), Smart Toys in Green Acres Mall In Valley Stream, and Unique Hobbies in Bellmore, as well as Online!  Happy Shopping!

You Need Moji Mi

    For some reason I am absolutely in love with these. I got to see a couple at the New York Toy Fair, and I fell in love. They are just a happy fun toy that make you smile. Who wouldn't want that in their life!  Also they fit perfectly in Easter Baskets; just saying!

     "Moji Mi™ are “living emoticons” in the form of cute little characters that love to jibber jabber and will have you asking the question, “What does Moji say?!” Perfect for kids ages 6 and up, Mojis have their own silly language and love to chat with you – and each other - all day long. Just tickle their hair to get the conversation going or cross the hairs of two Mojis and they will talk to each other. Just like you, Mojis express feelings through unique sounds, all of which they communicate in their own fun way.  Sounds include happy, frazzled, grumpy, silly, startled, bored, and more. When Moji Mi is bored they’ll fall asleep and even snore but give them a little jiggle and they’ll wake up and start chatting again. Moji Mi comes in four unique, colorful characters so kids can choose their personal favorite or collect them all for non-stop fun. Additional key features include:  Moji Mi characters are easy to activate and start talking right out of the box  Each character has over 20 sounds and moods  Touch the Moji Mi hair feelers to activate their sound and interact with each other  Available in four different character designs  Batteries included"

Little Kids Inc Peep Line Of Bubbles!

     Little Kids Inc have the most amazing Peep inspired bubbles that will be a HUGE hit with your kids this Easter!


PEEPS® Bubble Chicks – 3pk Ages 3+ | MSRP $3.99
Perfect for Easter baskets and Spring playtime - PEEPS® Just Born Bubble Bottles are tons of bubble fun! Each package includes 3 PEEPS Just Born bottles - each shaped like a PEEPS® chick. Available in three solid packs: blue, yellow, and lavender. Twist off the top to reveal a bubble wand and solution inside!










Bubble Wand – 2.3oz
Ages 3+ | MSRP $1.49
Blow tons of bubbles this Spring with PEEPS® Bubble Wands! Each wand comes in fresh Spring colors, with PEEPS® graphics.Available in four styles: pink, green, yellow, and blue.








PEEPS® Bubble Liquid and Wand Ages 3+ | MSRP $1.00
Pop into Spring with PEEPS® Bubble Liquid and Wand! Blow tons of bubbles! Each bottle contains 4 fl oz of bubble solution and a colorful wand. Available in two different styles.

Special Skylander Partnerships, and Limited Edition Toys!

   Skylander's are truly taking over the world!   First they conquered our TV screens, and now they are taking over our breakfast cereal? Yes that's right,  Portal-Masters can "now start their mornings by playing an interactive version of the popular Skylanders Skystones mini-game via specially-marked Big G cereal boxes.  Beginning February 14th, General Mills will bring the fan-favorite Skylanders Skystones game to select Big G cereal boxes, marking Activision’s first entry into the cereal category. Available at participating retailers across North America, fans will find Skylanders Skystones packs inside boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Reese’s Puffs, Trix, Lucky Charms and more while supplies last. There are four sets of Skylanders Skystones to collect, and each set contains 10 cards, two of which are ultra-powerful “boss” villain cards that will unlock exclusive content in the free Skylanders Collection Vault™ app. Skylanders Skystones is a popular head-to-head mini-game found in Skylanders Trap Team and other previous Skylanders games." It is really funny because my husband and I were just talking about how kids don't know to look at the bottom of the box for a prize anymore!  I am so excited to relive that experience with my son, and with a brand he so loves!  I  will be buying a box tomorrow!