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Why I’m Looking Forward To Our Next Carnival Cruise

September 4, 2010 by

So it has been about a week since we have come home from our week aboard the Fun Ship Carnival Dream. This was the entire families’ first cruise and I loved it so much that is all I have been talking about. So much that Melinda told me she is sick of hearing it and not because she didn’t have a great time but because I am excessive and that is ALL I have talked about.

Here is a list of the things that make me want to go on another cruise:

  • 24/7 Food – The Carnival Dream had burgers until 1:30am, deli sandwiches until 11pm, pizza 24/7, room service 24/7, ice cream 24/7 and the daily 6pm dining in the Crimson Dining Room was to die for(the food was soooo good)
  • Non-stop entertainment – Shows in the Comedy Club, Encore Theater, Casino (which I was a few dollars at), and not to mention the piano bar and dance club. The picture below is the Fun Force (Break Dancers), they were awesome.

  • Serenity Lounge – Adults only lounge. We did get to use this once for about an hour while Sabreena stayed with Shaun and Shae but the next cruise will be just Melinda and I and this will be utilized a lot more.
  • Pools – They were salt water which I thought was pretty cool.
  • Port – What better way to get to see four different places in 7 days. We went to Cozumel, Belize, Isla Roatan and Costa Maya.
  • Relaxation – We got to do some of this but again with three kids this was hard to do. Next time we will be sure to relax to the fullest.

This past cruise we flew to Florida and left out of Port Canaveral which was very nice but next time we are going to leave from the Port of Baltimore which is about an hour drive for us. Leaving closer to home will cut down the travel time by about 80% plus we can bring more cloths without having to pay bag fees, LOL.

Even though the kids will not be cruising with us next time the highlight of this cruise for Shaun was probably Camp Carnival. Shaun enjoyed camp so much he missed dinner with us one night and went to dinner with his camp friends which I was shocked about because he loved dessert so much at the 6pm dinning. For Sabreena was probably Club O2 where she made a few friends and got to hang out a little bit and for Shae was Water Works where she spent a ton of time on the slide.

For some reason I was always scared to cruise thinking the boat would sink or get hit by a rouge wave but I must admit it was the best vacation we have ever been on. Everyone including the staff was SUPER friendly and we were never bored because there was always something to do.

I can’t wait until our next cruise on the Fun Ship Carnival Pride out of Baltimore!

Thank you to Carnival for providing the complimentary 7-day cruise as part of their Mom-bassador Program. All opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! and were not influenced in anyway by anyone.




Right In Our Own Backyard

September 3, 2010 by
Maybe not literally but this is a park just minutes from our house that we have driven past hundreds of times but for some strange reason never visited.  It was HUGE!  The playground itself was broken down into 3 or 4 sections; which spots for toddlers and special needs kids too!  I like the special UV protection “sails” that are over the picnic tables so you don’t have to roast while the kids play. 

This is NOT a sponsored post but the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Your experiences and reactions may differ from ours.




Wallace & Gromit Water Rocket

August 6, 2010 by

Most kids and adults love water and rockets and if not they should, LOL. This is just my opinion but I am sure they do. Why not add both of these elements together to make an awesome water rocket? Well, Wild Creations did exactly that and made the Wallace & Gromit Water Rocket.

Upon opening the box I received for analysis I knew that this wasn’t your ordinary water rocket. This water rocket comes with a foot pump which to me means business. Also, this water rocket is recommended for kids ages 7 and up. Please make sure your children are at least 7 and if not make sure an adult is the one operating the rocket while the kids watch. This rocket is under extreme pressure and could easily blast off and hurt a young child. Ok, enough of the safely stuff lets get into the fun stuff.

The Wallace & Gromit Water Rocket comes with a base, rocket and a TNT style handle for launching. All you have to do is fill with water add pressure and stand back while you launch this rocket into the sky. The cool thing is this rocket is like an science experiment. You can play with the water level, pressure and different angles to launch the rocket giving kids and teens unlimited options and hours of fun. Shaun, Shae and I played/experimented with this rocket for about and hour and it never launched the same height or direction once. At times the rocket launches 20 feet into the air and other times it flew over a 100 feet into the air. The fun and possibilities are endless with the Wallace & Gromit Water Rocket and for only $39.99 it provides endless entertainment.

This is a sponsored post but the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Your experiences and reactions may differ from ours.



The Fun Ships are also the Family Ships

July 30, 2010 by

I’ve always known we were special, I mean there aren’t many mom and dad blogger teams out there with such kooky kids. It’s only fitting that we were chosen for this freakin awesome opportunity

Carnival Dream to the Caribbean 
****insert happy dance here****

Alright so maybe that wasn’t the criteria they needed but I do think it has something to do with having 3 kids that span the ages toddler to teen. Carnival is known as The Fun Ship but they are also making an impact as a family friendly cruise line with activities for kids ages 2 – teen, the onboard WaterWorks waterslide and a more relaxed dining schedule.

Our job as your newest Carnival Mom(and Dad)-bassadors is to let you know our experiences while we sail the Caribbean Sea to ports like Belize and Cozumel. We’ll update often with the activities the kids are enjoying, the beaches and towns we visit and the fun we have.

While this is a cruise review it’s so much more. This will be the FIRST cruise for all of us. Now is the time for all of you to chime in with you advice and tips and tricks for making this dream vacation the best it can be.

This is a sponsored post but the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Your experiences and reactions may differ from ours.




Happy 4th Of July

July 4, 2010 by
You can see from Melinda’s previous post that we are in our new place in Delaware. The other good news is I think we are FINALLY done unpacking. We worked until 9pm last night so everything would be done before today since we are having some friends and family over for a BBQ.

I still have a few things to do like rearrange the garage so that everything is in its place allowing me to have a little space to work but overall we are 99% done. This has been a month or so in the making with packing daily while in MD. We also painted the whole house in MD so as you can imagine we are excited to finally be done. I thought this day would never come but it did and it feels awesome.

Today I am going to relax and have a great day with our friends and family and tonight plan on taking the kids to the University of Delaware to see fireworks.

Have a great 4th of July!




Despicable Me Screening Recap plus Prize Pack Giveaway-CLOSED

June 29, 2010 by

From the producers of Ice Age and Dr. Suess’ Horton Hears a Who comes this summer’s 3-D, CGI feature Despicable Me; the story of the world’s greatest super villian meeting his biggest challenger ever, KIDS.  This film shows the human as well as the humorous side behind the evil powers in humanity.  With a cast filled with comedic powerhouses such as Steve Carrell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand and Will Arnett, Despicable Me is destined for our DVD library. (this is Shae’s favorite part)

“In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden deep beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by an army of tireless, little yellow minions, we discover Gru (Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!).
Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad.
One of the world’s greatest super-villains has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.”

I’m not sure what I was expecting when we arrived at the Owings Mills AMC Theater on Saturday morning.  I had watched the trailers and read the synopsis but still was curious what the movie was about and what the Minions had to do with the story.  I’m guessing that is the whole point, keep the audience guessing.
The theater was PACKED, literally not an empty seat to be found. We settled in with our 3D glasses (which took me about 20 minutes to get used to) and prepared for an entertaining flick.  That is was!  The script was written with kids in mind using words like poop and butt; but of course like any good kids movie there were little things that kept the humor alive with the adults.  The story ends with a simple but touching moment that of course brought a tear to my eye.

To celebrate the release (in theaters July 9th) Universal Studios is offering a fun giveaway for LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too readers!

Two (2) Winners will receive:

  • Youth Shirt
  • Youth Hat
  • Moo-Can (it moos!)
  • Pencil with Minion Topper
  • Balloon
  • Minion Ink Stamp

To enter simply visit Despicable Me official website and come back and tell me something cool, new or interesting about the movie, games, downloads and more.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above and please be sure your email in your comment, attached to you blogger dashboard or easily seen on your website/blog. I will not search through About Me/Contact Me links.

  • Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed
  • Leave a relevant comment on a non-giveaway Family Story or Article; let me know where to find your comment.
  • Enter any other current Giveaway for an extra entry for each one entered
  • Follow Mom and Dad on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway up to 3 times per day, please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: Win a fun @UniversalPic ‘s #DespicableMe prize pack @lkwhtmomfound @and_dad_too   
  • Like LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! and the Minions and Despicable Me on Facebook AND post about this giveaway on your wall. (include link to giveaway)
  • Blog about this giveaway, including links to this post and the sponsor as well as a complete description the the contest and prize
  • Follow LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via Google Friend Connect (bottom of page)

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Tuesday,  July 13, 2010. The winners will be emailed and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to US residents only. For complete rules please read our contest rules page.

This is a sponsored post but the opinions and descriptions presented belong solely to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Your experiences and reactions may differ from ours.




Special Thanks and Baltimore Child Hunger Ends Here Block Party

May 1, 2010 by

I want to personally thank everyone that has supported not just me but all the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign bloggers and all of our readers and the rallies they have organized. Here is a glimpse of the great efforts put forth just from our readers and friends.

Donna C. is having a food drive at work
Paula K is having a food drive with her playgroup
Carol is having a bake sale ht her granddaughters gym class
Amy is having a bake sale at dance class
Dee is having a bake sale
Rachel works with the Boy Scouts on a food drive
AKinsey is having a lemonade stand
Jen H collects food for local food bank

Let’s all applaud the steps they are making to #fightchildhunger in their own neighborhoods.

Here is what I’m doing in my own neighborhood.

We’re hosting a Block Party! We’ve secured a Bounce House courtesy of Perry Hall Moon Bounce in Perry Hall, MD. Iced Gems Baking is coming with her fantabulous truck to sell cupcakes! Sponsors such as Nerf, Port Discovery, National Aquarium in Baltimore, Six Flags America and more have donated raffles prizes and games and other fun stuff to entertain and help raise funds. Look out for the face painters and balloon artist! Snacks and drinks will also be available for sale.

We welcome anyone and everyone in the Baltimore, MD region to attend! Please don’t forget that while this event is meant to be tons of fun it’s also a fundraiser. Don’t forget a bag of non-perishable food or a financial donation to benefit Feeding America.
Saturday, May 15, 2010 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
OakHurst Park (end of Sylvanoak Way)
Nottingham, MD 21236
Everyone is invited!!!

If you need any more information or would like to help organize, donate food, funds, equipment, supplies or services do not hesitate to contact me. We can always use more support.




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