Shelly – Page 21

by Shelly on November 15, 2018 Leave a Comment

CIDE Performance of The Nutcracker

We got the chance to check out a sneak peek of the CIDE performance of The Nutcracker and it was adorable! It has only enhanced Sophia’s love of dance and lessons are now at the top of her Christmas wish list. We were able to ask questions to the performers and learn more about how long it’s taken them to learn the choreography. All of the performers had to try out to be in this performance and have been working tirelessly for the big show (older kids work 6 hours on Saturdays to get the moves down perfect!)

**Tickets on sale now for Central Indiana Dance Ensemble’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s, The Nutcracker.**

Central Indiana Dance Ensemble (CIDE), the pre-professional dance company under the direction of Aritistic Director Suzann DeLa, presents holiday tradition, The Nutcracker, December 14-16, 2018, at the Zionsville Performing Arts Center.

For three days every December, CIDE brings the holidays to life with five performances of Tchaikovsky’s magical Christmas ballet. Guests of the show are transported to the Land of Sweets where a cast of characters that includes the Arabian Coffee, Rose, Mother Ginger and her Ginger Snaps and, of course, Sugar Plum Fairy, delight young Clara and her Nutcracker Prince with spirited dances and iconic, classical ballet variations.

Tickets to the Performance

Enjoy the enchanted music of Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score and the beautiful voices of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. Young and old alike will delight in this holiday tradition.

In addition to The Nutcracker performance, holiday enchantment abounds at the Sugar Plum Fairy Dessert Party prior to each matinee. Scout groups, preschool and elementary age children enjoy treats from the Land of Sweets, have their picture taken with Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy, complete a craft and participate in an interactive Nutcracker story time. Tickets for the Dessert Party are $12 and are available in tandem with a show ticket.

The Nutcracker performance schedule includes a Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm show and a Saturday and Sunday 2:00 pm matinee. Tickets are $25/adults and $18 for students 18 and younger. Guests can purchase tickets online at www.cidedance.org or by calling 317-844-7453.

by Shelly on November 12, 2018 Leave a Comment

Easy Girl Hairstyles 3 Ways

I am working with Eva NYC on this beauty series but all thoughts and photography are my own.

Girl Hairstyles 3 Ways- As a mom, having a little girl means you get to dress her up, play with her hair and paint her nails, right? Our daughter is a very independent little woman who likes to do things her way, including her hair. For five years she has had her hair cut right above her shoulders but in the past few months has wanted to grow out her blunt bangs. She typically chooses to wear her hair down straight with a bow to pin back her bangs but I’ve convinced her that I can do some pretty quick and painless hairstyles. Quick being the key term.

3 Easy Girl Hairstyles

For my daughter’s hair, because it is thick but fine, I like to have her hair clean when I style it. We typically wash her hair every other day. I’ll wash it, spray a little Eva NYC Mane Magic 10-in-1 Primer before brushing and blow-drying.

Waterfall Half Up

The first hairstyle is her favorite because she loves having some of her hair down and having her hair be asymmetrical. She’s always asking for me to do something to one side but not the other.

Pull back half of one side and clip it while you do a fake braid (waterfall braid) on the other side. Pull together with an elastic.

Braided Pigtails

This style is my favorite on her. It stays together best throughout the day despite lots of twirling and floor work during dancing. Part hair down the middle in two sections as you would for pigtails. Do a dutch french braid down to the nape of her neck and do a loop with the pigtail. The EVA NYC 10-1 Primer is so helpful with this one because it helps with the tangles.

When I first started this hairstyle my daughter would get frustrated with me pulling her hair while trying to braid, even once I’d already brushed it. Now it’s much easier to work with. Infused with Argan Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil to give her hair its daily dose of vitamins and nutrients, this multitasking formula does it all: detangles, reduces frizz, strengthens, softens, cuts drying time, adds shine, nourishes, smooths, and protects against thermal and UV damage. The reason I feel it’s safe to use on my daughter’s hair as well as my own is that it’s free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, sodium chloride, and artificial colors. EVA NYC never tests on animals either.

3 Topsy

The 3 Topsy is the easiest and stays super secure throughout the day as well. This one is nice because it takes virtually no skill! Take a small section of hair from the front and tie it in an elastic. Topsy-tail the small ponytail and continue in a row twice more.

Our other favorite way to finish off her hairstyle is to spray a little EVA NYC Kween Glitter Spray. It is the perfect amount of tiny glitter to really make her feel special and get lots of compliments when we go out. It doesn’t make her hair feel stiff and it washes out super easy. She likes to wear it best with crimpy hair after sleeping in braids overnight or in a ballerina bun. Feel free to shoot me any questions on how to do these hairstyles or the products I use on our daughter’s hair.

Hairstyle Videos

I’ve done the 3 Topsy and Braided Pigtails in a video for further instruction:

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by Shelly on November 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

Shop Local This Holiday Season- Indianapolis

Shop local this holiday season- Indianapolis: It’s holiday shopping time already and this year I’m shopping local. Indianapolis has an abundance of great quality products that make great gifts for everyone on your list. I had a chance to meet several amazing local vendors at a blogging event last night where we shopped and were pampered to our hearts content. Trendy clothes, jewelry, hair, makeup, massage and treats made for a pretty perfect night out for this mama.

Pampering Gifts

One of my favorite gifts to receive is the gift of being pampered. To be able to have time alone taking care of my body. I had the chance to meet two amazing stylists from the Indy area.

HAIR

Dakota from the Dragonfly Salon in Fishers specializes in color and extensions and Cher from Cher Behind the Chair specializes in natural curls. Both of them do amazing work as shown by their social media accounts and they were the sweetest most knowledgeable girls.

MAKEUP

Dania who promotes Senegence make up was a delight. I was not aware of the Senegence brand before speaking with her but I’m amazed at how long lasting their lip products are. She’d told me it would last 8-12 hours and it’s now been 20 and it’s still holding strong to my lips!

MASSAGE

Erica who owns Muscle Mama Massage Mobile Wellness travels to you! What an amazing gift! I have a very tight neck and back and she was able to help loosen me up just in the short time we had together. To get on a regular schedule with her coming to my home would be bliss.

Practical Gifts

The hosts of the holiday blogging event were Susan Baroncini-Moe and Kelly and Wendy of KW Style. Susan is author of Business In Blue Jeans and has a second book The BounceBack Artist coming out just before Christmas. Kelly and Wendy of KW Style sell Agnes & Dora and Stella & Dot. I got the cutest pullover sweater and a pair of jeggings that are incredibly comfortable. That’s saying a lot for a mama who just had a baby!

Unplug Soy Candles was there making the whole place smell amazing and you can get 15% off of your purchase through Tuesday November 13th with code DIYMAMA. Better yet, give the gift of a candle with a date to go pour your own in Fortville!

Nothing beats popcorn and chocolate and Indy has some of the BEST you can find. I had Just Pop In in all of the guest bags at my wedding and everyone raved about them. Recently, when out on a pamper day for myself, I stumbled upon DeBrands Chocolate and have now taken everyone there any chance I get. Their chocolate is the best I’ve ever had and they always have a free sample when you stop in their store!

So why not shop local this year? With all of the high quality products and services that you can find right here in Indy, there’s nothing your friends and family could want more.

(photo credit: Unsplash)

Here’s how you can find out more about these lovely companies:

– KW Style (@shopKWStyle, shopKWStyle.com)
– Erica Johnson/Muscle Mama Massage Mobile Wellness (Facebook.com/musclemama526)
– Dakota and Dragonfly Salon (@dragonflysalonfishers, @dakotadoinghair, Facebook.com/dragonflysalonfishers)
– Cher/Cher Behind the Chair (@cherbehindthechair, cherbehindthechair.com)
– Dania Whittey/Senegence (@lastingbeautybydania)
– Unplug Soy Candles (@unplugsoycandles, unplugsoycandles.com
– Just Pop In! (@justpopin, justpopinpopcorn.com)
– DeBrand Fine Chocolates (@debrandfinechoc, debrand.com)
– Susan Baroncini-Moe/Business in Blue Jeans/BounceBack Artist (@suebmoe, @bouncebackartist, bouncebackartist.com)

by Shelly on November 8, 2018 Leave a Comment

Macaron Bar Downtown Indianapolis

Macaron Bar Downtown Indianapolis- There’s a new sweet shop on Mass Ave nestled right in between The Flying Cupcake and Sub Zero. Mass Ave is now your one stop shop for ice cream, cupcakes, chocolates and now macarons! This place is darling with a shop to buy macarons up front and a kitchen in back where you can see them make macarons.

Macaron Bar

Macaron Bar opened originally in Cincinnati in 2014 but has since expanded to Louisville Pennsylvania and Indy. The Indy location I visited had pastry chef Nathan (co-owner) demonstrating how to make macarons. Nathan has a B.S. from Xavier University and is a Cincinnati native. He has a passion for baking and is well versed in the pastry arts. He has studied pastry with a focus on macarons at The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica, California, and studied privately at several of the finest macaron shops in New York and Los Angeles. The ‘pièce de résistance’ of his training was a macarons master class at Ecole Lenôtre in Paris, France.

Offerings

At the blogger event I attended we were able to learn the delicacies of macaron making and why they’re so highly coveted. The Macaron Bar gives classes throughout the year for adults as well as children 8-12. They’ve also got champagne pairing classes and macaron decorating classes. If you can’t get enough macarons you can sign up for a subscription or order an entire tower for your next upcoming wedding or baby shower. They have standard basic flavors such as chocolate, vanilla and pistacio but they also rotate out seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice, hazelnut praline, eggnog and gingerbread.

If you’d like to learn how to make these decadent treats, book here.

For a tasty treat, the Macaron Bar Indy is located at 425 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, open:

Monday – Thursday: 12 pm – 9 pm
Friday: 11 am – 10 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 10 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 8 pm

Be sure to check them out on Instagram for local updates and seasonal flavor additions: Macaron Bar on Instagram and like them on Facebook!

Thanks so much for stopping by! And thank you to the Macaron Bar for having me!

Check out other hot spots around Indy:

Indy is the new Chicago for Holiday Shopping

Kids and Art Galleries| It’s Fun!

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by Shelly on November 8, 2018 1 Comment

Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet Coloring Pages

Is your family looking forward to Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet – in theaters November 21st? Download and print FREE Disney Ralph Breaks the Internet Coloring Pages today!

Disney’s Ralph Breaks the Internet

Are your kids begging to see Ralph Breaks the Internet every time they see the trailer or a poster like mine? We were stoked to get the invite to the premier but I didn’t have super high hopes for the movie. I typically like the originals way better than the sequals so although Disney always kills it with their animated films, I was still wary it would be as good as Wreck it Ralph. I am excited to say that I was wrong and it is amazing! It’s definitely as good as the first movie with tons of humor for both kids and adults as well as some seriously good messaging on friendship and the internet.

Before you check out the movie go ahead and download and print out these adorable Ralph Breaks the Internet Coloring Pages for us– plus there are a couple of bonus activities! Simply scroll to the bottom to print the coloring pages today!

About the film:

In RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, video-game bad guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and best friend Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) leave the comforts of Litwak’s arcade in an attempt to save her game, Sugar Rush. Their quest takes them to the vast, uncharted world of the internet where they rely on the citizens of the internet—the Netizens—to help navigate their way. Lending a virtual hand are Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site “BuzzzTube,” and Shank (voice of Gal Gadot), a tough-as-nails driver from a gritty online auto-racing game called Slaughter Race, a place Vanellope wholeheartedly embraces—so much so that Ralph worries he may lose the only friend he’s ever had. Directed by Rich Moore (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph”) and Phil Johnston (co-writer “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Zootopia,” writer, “Cedar Rapids”), and produced by Clark Spencer (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Bolt,” “Lilo & Stitch”), “Ralph Breaks the Internet” hits theaters on Nov. 21, 2018.

Like WRECK-IT RALPH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WreckItRalph/
Follow WRECK-IT RALPH on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wreckitralph
Follow WRECK-IT RALPH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wreckitralph/
Visit the official RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET website here: http://movies.disney.com/ralph-breaks-the-internet-wreck-it-ralph-2

RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET arrives in theaters everywhere on November 21st!