Children's Theater Festival + Ticket Giveaway

It's almost May (yay!) which also means one our of very FAVORITE festivals of the year is almost here! The EQT Children's Theater Festival is one of the most unique family events around and you don't want to miss it! We've seen some really cool and interesting shows since our family started attending 5 years ago. 

EQT Children’s Theater Festival 

May 16-19 

Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District

There are featured performances for kids and teens of all ages in Cultural District theaters and tickets start at only $12. In addition to featured performances, the Festival grounds are filled with FREE activities, performances, and experiences for families.

The awesome shows coming this year:

• FLY: A poetic journey into a circus universe with strange characters, big emotions and captivating puppet imagery.
• Emily Brown & The Thing: Emily Brown and Stanley set off on incredible adventures to the Dark and Scary Wood, the Whirling Wastes and beyond, to find the Thing’s cuddly, his bedtime milk and his medicine.
• Murikamification: The magical, surrealistic stories of Haruki Murakami come to life with the intensely physical and absurd performance throughout Pittsburgh’s own Cultural District.
• Sky & Stone:  A stone falls from the sky and sparks curiosity, exploration, and play for babies and toddlers.
• Air Play: Flying umbrellas, larger-than-life balloons, giant kites floating over the audience, and the biggest snow glove you’ve ever seen will make you gasp in wonder and laugh until it hurts.
• Sons of Mystro: Use their violins to interpret reggae classics, American pop songs and their own creations accompanied by beats, and sometimes a DJ & guitarist.
• Circle, Circle, Circle: Immerse yourself in a larger-than-life cube of colors. A 3D rainbow of circles create a 15-foot high maze that’s as fun to gaze at as it is to adventure inside.

Go here to get tickets, starting at just $12!

There are friendly, helpful Festival Guides stationed throughout the Cultural District to help families find their Festival destinations, get show and activity recommendations, and more! Be sure to visit this link to help plan your visit with parking, restrooms, food options & event information. 

GIVEAWAY

.

We're going to make it extra fun for two families by giving away {two} family 4-packs of tickets to the show of your choice! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for sponsoring this great family festival and this post. All opinions remain my own. I don't endorse venues that my family doesn't love!

Peg + Cat ticket giveaway

Calling all Peg + Cat fans! You can catch a live show that incorporates comedy, music + more coming to downtown Pittsburgh! 

New to Peg + Cat? Well, here's the scoop......

Peg + Cat is a preschool series on PBS that incorporates foundational math skills in a creative and exciting way. The characters count, sort and group their way to solutions to everyday problems. They incorporate musical rhythms and rhyming with a fun animation style as well! And with a girl leader, it also helps to break down the gender stereotype that girls are not awesome at math. 👌

Saturday, February, 2, 2019, 11:00AM

BYHAM THEATER

Based on the Emmy-winning PBS Kids show Peg + Cat, this totally awesome musical features wild comedy, countless favorite songs from the show, and Peg’s super coolest pal Ramone! When Peg’s Mom asks Peg and Cat to mail some really important letters, they come face to face with a really big dog. Really Big Problem! To solve it, they’ll need math—bar graphs, size comparison, position words, fair sharing, and a whole lot of counting. They’ll also need to count on each other, and the audience too, for their problem to be solved.

The show was originally scheduled for two time slots and had to be moved to one because of a scheduling conflict. So grab your tickets here before the show sells out!

GIVEAWAY:

.

We have 4 tickets to giveaway to this fun show! Click link below for your chance to enter and win. Don't forget to comment + share from our facebook link as well! Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

This post sponsored in partnership with Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. 

Win tickets for Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!

When my kids first started reading chapter books, Junie B. Jones is one of the first series to which they gravitated. She's always seems to be in some sort of mix up that delights as she stumbles her way to a solution. We are pretty excited about the chance to see a Junie B. Jones show live and in person!

Enter: Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!
Junie B. Jones, First-Grader, is super-excited about the upcoming Holiday Sing-Along and Secret Santa gift exchange at her school. Too bad tattletale May keeps ruining all of Junie B.'s fun. So, when Junie B. draws May's name for Secret Santa, she comes up with the perfect plan to teach her nemesis a lesson! But will the Christmas spirit of peace and goodwill interfere before she can give you-know-who what she deserves? A hilarious and endearing tale based on the best-selling book series by Barbara Park.

Fri, Nov 23 - Sat, Nov 24, 2018

Byham Theater

101 6th Street 

Pittsburgh PA 15222

Run Time: 60 minutes

Child Policy

This event is designated for younger audiences. If a child has reached their first birthday they must have a ticket and be seated next to an accompanying adult. Children younger than 12 months will be admitted without a ticket and must sit on an adult's lap.

GIVEAWAY:
We have a family 4-pack of tickets to giveaway. Click below to enter to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

• 
  
  
• This post sponsored in partnership with Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. I may have received tickets or compensation in exchange for promotion. I don't promote venues that my family doesn't love! 
  Photos courtesy of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

EQT Children's Theater Festival Ticket Giveaway

Happy May! We are so excited it's May because we *think* it has to warm up eventually. 😃 Besides the prospect of sunshine, my second favorite reason for excitement in May is the EQT Children's Theater Festival. We have loved going to this Festival each year as a family. There are always unique shows that come from around the world and we love seeing our kids enjoy these interesting options. This year there are 6 sensational performances with a Sensory-Friendly performance of The Rainbow Fish as well. 

• Who and What: The Cultural Trust presents the 32nd annual EQT Children's Theater Festival which continues to bring the best international theater for children of all ages to Pittsburgh.
• When: May 17-20, 2018 | Thursday, 10am-2pm, Friday- Sunday 10am-5pm
• Where: Downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District

Here is a list of some of the great shows in this year's line up. Tickets are only $9 and kids 2 and under are free (a lap pass is still required). 

Featured Event!

Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience

Terrance Simien

In Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, audiences will take a multicultural tour of the world and will feel the spirit and joy of Creole country.

Featured Event!

Panda's Home

Compagnia TPO

In this imaginary and interactive journey, audience members will explore China’s stories, tradition, and culture, following the footprints left by a panda. They’ll encounter bamboo forests, fireworks, kites, and more.

Featured Event!

The Rainbow Fish

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia

The Rainbow Fish will enchant even the youngest child with his silver scales and heart of gold in this award-winning book about the beautiful fish who learned to share his most prized possession.

Featured Event!

Poggle

Barrowland Ballet

This warm-hearted performance uses live music, clapping rhythms, and comedy to engage the youngest audience members in an imaginative and adventurous exploration with Poggle, a friendly woodland creature.

Featured Event!

The Young King

Slingsby

The language of Oscar Wilde joins internationally-acclaimed theatre company Slingsby as we journey to faraway lands in this interactive experience.

Featured Event!

Zebras

Born In A Taxi

From Born in a Taxi in Australia comes a dazzle of rare chatty zebras sure to delight and amuse children and families of all ages!

Featured Event!

Sunjata Kamalenya

Experiential Theater Company

Sunjata Kamalenya is a completely interactive show about a magical world filled with sorcery and enchantment, celebrating the hero of West African legend, Sunjata Keita.

Besides the shows, there will be a ton of FREE activities for kids to enjoy! Imagination Playground, Free Mini Music Lessons, Play Boxes, Sticker Hut, Improv Workshops, Musical Entertainment, Eyeball Art, Hands-On History, Photo Booth Fun, Frog Stop Scavenger Hunt + so much more! 

Be sure the check the Children's Theater Festival website for all the info regarding Parking, Transportation, Food Options, Festival Guides, Restrooms, FAQ's + more. 

GIVEAWAY

.

We are excited to giveaway a family 4-pack of tickets to one show to one lucky family! 

(The vouchers are not redeemable for The Rainbow Fish or The Young King.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post sponsored by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. All opinions remain my own and I don't endorse venues that my family doesn't love!

Vacation Giveaway with Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest

My family had the chance to stay at Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest two years ago and my kids have been talking ever since about the fun memories we created! So it was with GREAT excitement that I told them we had been invited back to stay at their fantastic campground. They were so excited and talked about it nonstop....I actually began to fear that it wasn't going to live up to their expectations! 😆

But after our weekend away, I shouldn't have worried at all, they had just as great a time as they had anticipated! Even though it ended up being so COLD (winter, winter, go AWAY!), we loved having a cozy cabin for our home base. I'm a huge proponent of glamping, because I love the experience of being at a campground, but I also love having a bed, bathroom, and indoor kitchen. 😊 So cabins are a win-win for our family! I also love that it's only an hour away from Pittsburgh which means that you feel like you're far away, but don't have to spend much travel time. 👍

Kozy Rest is such an ideal vacation spot for families! They have a ton of free activities that are included in your stay such as bikes, mini golf, jump pillow, playground, pool (in season), fire truck rides + more. Each day also has a changing schedule of activities that might include a scavenger hunt, painting, crafts, dancing with the Bears, movie nights + much more!

Each weekend holds a different theme and activities will be based on that theme. Your kids will not be bored! We had a superheroes and fairy tale weekend. 👸 Go here to check out themes throughout the summer. 

Hands down my kid's favorite activity? The bikes! These are borrowed at 1/2 hour increments and can accommodate up to 4 people. The campground is safe and secure with minimal traffic, so the bikes take over the roads on Saturdays! And hey, if you want to get in a workout during the weekend, these are perfect! :) 

Last, but not least, the cabins are great! Rooms have bunk beds for those with multiple kids, they have a kitchen, bathroom and sitting/eating space. You are responsible for clean up at the end, so always be sure you left it in the same great shape it was at the beginning! You provide your own food, bedding, towels and toiletries. Thankfully, there is also a great camp store that has anything you may have forgotten (it was coffee for me!) and has some yummy treats as well.  

Also perfect for games when those rains come!

GIVEAWAY

I'm so thrilled that they are extending a vacation giveaway to one of my followers as well!

We are offering a 2-night stay (up to 6 people) for a Sunday-Thursday, April 15 - October 31, 2018. Subject to availability and excluding holidays. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cabins are filling fast for the summer, so if you're interested in a stay over the next few months, book it as soon as possible! 

Thank you, Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest for the opportunity for a great weekend with my family and allowing us to share this great resource with others in our region! This post sponsored by Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse venues that my family does not love! 

#yogibearatkozyrest
#kozyrest

Cleaning with less chemicals (+ a giveaway!)

Cleaning. I don't think I ever realized how much of my life would be spent cleaning with 4 kids, haha! Anyone with kids knows it's kind of like vacuuming in the midst of a tornado, but yet, you gotta keep up with it or it gets out of control quickly. 😰
I'm always looking for ways to cut out toxins and chemicals for our family, so I was intrigued when my friend, Jennifer, began sharing more about Norwex. I love how their cloths clean with water only! They are really amazing! Jennifer gave me the EnviroCloth and Window Cloth to try.

Window/Mirror cleaning is one of my daughter's favorite chores around the house. (And it's something that fairly young kids can do). Look at those dirty mirrors! 😲

Usually I just spritz the window for her instead of handing her a bottle of cleaner. With the Window Cloth, she loves getting a spray bottle of water and getting to do it herself. My mirrors have never been cleaner! The Window Cloth works so well! So as a newbie, I later realized these cloths can actually be used without any spray at all. So extra bonus on an easy job for kids to do!

The Norwex microfiber is unique because it is equivalent to 1/200th the size of a human hair (vs traditional microfiber you can purchase in the store which is often 1/6th the size of a human hair).  Because of how fine the Norwex fiber is it removes 99% of bacteria from a surface (that’s why you can replace all of your chemical cleaners...think about the money savings when switching to Norwex) and is SUPER absorbent (think about never having to purchase paper towels again!).  When you use traditional chemical cleaners you are leaving a residue behind that attracts dust, dirt, and grime and you have to clean frequently.  When you use Norwex microfiber and just water, you leave nothing behind and will not have to clean as often because it stays cleaner longer!  Not only are you saving time & money when using Norwex but you are protecting your health because you are not exposing yourself to toxic chemicals (over the past 50 years 80,000 new chemicals have been created and only 200 have been tested for toxicity...so all chemicals are considered safe until proven otherwise) AND you are protecting the environment because Norwex offers items that are reusable vs disposable!

Another feature of Norwex (which is a patented technology) is the Baclock (used to be called Antibac) technology….microsilver that is physically embedded in most of the cloths.  Silver is not new and is used in the healthcare environment!  When the Norwex microfiber cloth is wet the silver is activated which then self sanitizes the cloths by inhibiting the growth of bacteria!  This means that you don’t have to launder the cloth as frequently...HUGE savings!!!

Here are some ways to use the EnviroCloth (wet with just water) and Window Cloth (dry to polish) together....

• Windows (house and vehicle)
• Mirrors
• Stainless Steel appliances
• Fixtures in the sink & bathroom
• Flat, glass-top stove

Whenever you are inclined to reach for any chemical cleaners, go for the EnviroCloth instead.  You can clean ANYTHING…

• Microwave explosions
• Refrigerator cleanout
• Surfaces in the kitchen
• Bathroom (yes, including toilets)
• Spills on furniture, carpet, rugs

I admit, I'm a major paper towel user. And we have a lot of spills and messes in our house!
Enter my new solution: Counter Cloths. These ultra-absorbent, reusable cloths feature a unique new weave to quickly pick up spills and messes in the kitchen, bathroom—really anywhere! Constructed from Norwex Microfiber made from 50% recycled materials in the same size as a half-sheet of paper towel, each set contains almost a whole recycled plastic bottle (500 ml), so you’re helping to clean up the world every time you quickly clean up! They dry fast and you can use them multiple times before laundering. Best of all, they look great in their stylish Counter Cloth Box, where they’re always ready when you need one.

I have begun to love reaching for the Norwex cloths instead of my typical cleaners and they are so easy for my kids to use as well. 

The EnviroCloth and Window Cloth.  These two cloths come in a package called the Basic Package (item # 1505) for $34.99.  These 2 cloths will replace most of your traditional chemical cleaners.  The EnviroCloth is used wet with JUST water to clean EVERYTHING!  The Window Cloth is used dry to create a shiny, streak-free surface!

Want to try the EnviroCloth and Window Cloth?  Here's an awesome opportunity to start your Norwex journey!  These could be yours, just ENTER BELOW!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SHOP
So who is ready to try these right away??? Most of us can do more in removing more chemicals from our homes (I know I can!).

1) visit the website: www.jenniferkang.norwex.biz
2) shop (check "I'm not here for a party")

3) at checkout you will be prompted to search for your host, please use KELLY HUGHES to continue to support the Pgh Momtourage.

Norwex is a global company, started in Norway in 1994, and is spread through the direct sale industry.  You can purchase products from a Norwex Consultant OR earn your wishlist for FREE when you host your own party.  My hosts earn, on average, $360 in free products, with some earning $500+!

This post sponsored by Jennifer Kang. It is very rare for me to spotlight a direct sales company, but I think these products are very valuable in helping our environment and being more chemical free in our homes. And I'm all about supporting a Pittsburgh mama and her beautiful family! All opinions remain my own.