Showing posts with label U.S. Family guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. Family guide. Show all posts

Friday, April 29, 2022

Scarborough Viking Weekend Was a HUGE Success!

We had a great time at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival last weekend. I could spend each weekend there, in full costume, just seeing all the different sights and eating. One day really doesn't cut it! 

*Disclaimer: My family was hosted in exchange for writing reviews and sharing about our experience at the festival. All opinions are strictly our own. We were not otherwise paid or endorsed.*

I spent a lot of time and effort in creating our costumes for the event. We loved seeing everything from shows to the vendors. I will say the kids were a bit worn out and the eldest was being a grouch the whole time... But he is 13, so I blame those teen rebellion genes on that. 

My oldest daughter loved the ride, Barrel Bedlam. He promised to give her the insane version at her request. I was thinking she might not be able to walk straight after that ride, but she has amazing talent for keeping her balance! 

I love the old-style village look. Each road you walk is set up to really immerse you into the feel on medieval times! 

I love seeing other cosplayers! This guy really went all out with his. I had wanted to get my photo with him, but happened to be in line for food when he passed by. I'm so glad my husband snapped this photo instead. Some people invest a lot into the costumes they were. They also embrace their characters. It really makes the experience all the more fun.
Some artisans do more than just sell their handmade goods. They also show you the process in which they make them. This glassblower, for instance, showed how he crafted the beautiful bulbs and goblets in his shop with a demonstration.
We happened to catch the parade as well. They have a great array of actors that participate, showing many eras of costumes as you can see. 

We tried several types of foods. Sadly, by the time we got to the crepes that I love so much, the wait time was at least 30 minutes. But we did try the Lemon Chill. Quite the tart treat. I loved the smoothies they serve. My husband had his favorite - turkey leg. Dressed like a Viking and chowing down on one of those, you really do feel like you have been transported back to their age. We got the kids root beer floats too. It was a hot and dusty day, so it made a great treat! As did the ice cream we had... 

As for shopping, I finally have my own cup! With the attaching strap to wear it on my costumes and the lid. I didn't get to use it there as the dust blowing through the area filled the cup. But I'm looking forward to using it at home as often as I can! The dragon design I chose is one she rarely makes, so it was even more special. 

 

My husband also grabbed some Beard Buzz and Dragon Jelly from a vendor with a great variety of homemade beeswax products. The Dragon Jelly is to help with his incredibly cracked hands from work. The Beard Buzz was to help his beard be smoother and less irritated. Everything this guy makes is as simple as he can get it to ensure you aren't getting unnecessary oils and chemicals. I've been using the dragon jelly on my legs after shaving and I love how it feels. You can check out their products HERE. He is Nature Craft online.

Bathroom lines for women had some so desperate that they ran into the mens room... My husband was startled by one such woman. If you even THINK you need to use the restroom, and you are of the female variety, then you better go get in line immediately! Don't wait until you are dancing in the line and hoping you won't wet yourself.
Next weekend is one I'd love to try next year - Live the Fantasy! Fae folk come to life during that weekend. They have a Fairy Initiation Ceremony as well as the Spring Celebration. They will also have the Deaf Day this weekend! 

What are you thoughts? Have any of you gone yet? Or are planning to? I'd love to hear from you!

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Scarborough Renaissance Festival is HERE!

Opening weekend for their 41st season begins on Saturday, April 9th! They have added a great deal to their offerings since last year. My family and I are so excited to go! I wanted to share some of the information they sent to bloggers to show you what else you can look forward to. I hope to see you guys there! 

First, you need to remember that each day is full of interactive fun for the whole family. This isn't a show you can sit and watch. This is full immersion! It really does take you back to the 16th century. Each Saturday and Sunday from April 9th to May 30th is an adventure.

You can watch full combat armored jousting, see a Birds of Prey exhibition, visit mermaids in Mermaid Lagoon, join in the Knighting ceremony - all thanks to over 75 members that perform! There are over 20 stage productions to choose from. Many, if not all, of them are interactive with their audience. I also love being able to find one-of-a-kind treasures as gifts for others. Their artisans are top of the line!

If that isn't enough fun for you, there are also rides that you can partake of. Just remember to bring cash for those! You also might bring cash to tip the showmen. This is their livelihood after all. There are games of skill you can plan to play. See how well you'd stack up in the Renaissance days. 

This first weekend kicks off with the Travel Back in Time and & Kids Free Weekend. Kids will be free all weekend with up to 3 children (5-12) admitted per paid adult. Children 4 and under are ALWAYS free. Seniors get half priced tickets at the gate this weekend as well. There will be an all-new Scarborough Quest that you can participate in to discover the characters and challenges as you venture through the festival. Check it out at the Village Armoury between 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. For this opening weekend, you have these performers to look forward to:

The Accidental Acrobats

Zilch the Tory Steller

Emrys Fleet – the Big Rat Show.

Guest Artisans are Bird Marie’s Pottery, Bad Badger Horns, The Quirky Cork, and Spirit Song Ocarinas.


If you are looking to wet your whistle, the themes for the daily Beer and Wine Tasting events for April 9th & 10th will be wines of Spain and beers of Texas. Visitors can purchase their tasting event advanced discount tickets at SRFestival.com

“All of us at Scarborough Renaissance Festival® are tremendously excited to begin our 5th decade of providing one of the most unique entertainment experiences in North Texas!”, says Helaine Thompson, Director of Marketing & Communications. “In addition to the exceptional entertainment, one-of-a-kind crafts, artisan demonstrations and other attractions; we have made significant improvements to the Festival site that we can’t wait for everyone to see. So come join us at the 41st Annual Scarborough Renaissance Festival®!” 

Helaine Thompson is an amazing woman. I was able to meet and interview her last year. You can check that out here. I am hoping I will get to do more interviews while we go this time.
Incredible new shows for the Festival’s 41
st season will feature a sword swallower, comedians, a Renaissance style gameshow, a verbal joust, a hammered dulcimer musician, and the Big Rat Show! Scarborough’s performing company (Scarborough Academy of Performing Arts) is back to pre-pandemic levels with over 75 members and has been hard at work creating merry new characters and refining long-time favorites, (including the 2022 reigning monarch, Margaret Queen of Scotland and the Isles), who will bring the re-created 16th Century Village of Scarborough to life! 

Scarborough’s new 2022 artisans/shoppes showcase artistry such as cast concrete art, sculpted horns, Macrame jewelry, hand crafted chocolates, Henna body art, sculpted wearable puppets, bone sculptures & jewelry, leather accessories, handmade ocarinas, tapestry handbags, pottery, stick horses, woodworking, hand-dyed silk clothing, and clay sculptures. 

New food offerings are the Wonton Lotus Bowl (I can't wait to try this one!), Fryed JalapeƱo Slices (Yep, gotta try these too), Philly Cheese Steak, Polish Sausage Sandwiches (there goes the diet again), Ribbon Fries, Quesadillas, Fruit Hand Pies, Royal Brownie Sundae (I'm going to gain weight there for sure), Loaded Totchos, and Chili Cheese Tater Tots. The Original Lemon Chill will also be returning. (Can you tell I am a total foodie??)

New beers and wines will be available, and a new mead is being introduced. Texas Mead Works Mead is a semi-sweet mead with a balanced floral bouquet and light sweet honey finish that visitors are sure to enjoy. Plus, for the first time ever, most of the food, drink, and pub locations will be accepting credit/debit cards!

Games and rides are still cash only, so we strongly encourage visitors to bring cash for their visit. There are 8 ATM locations throughout the Festival to serve guests.

Each weekend has a different theme that include:
Artisan’s Showcase, which is the one we went to last year (4/16 & 17)
The All-New Viking & Ale Weekend, the one we plan to go to this year (4/23 & 24)
Live the Fantasy & Spring Celebration (4/30 – 5/1)
Celebrating Chivalry Weekend (5/7 & 8)
Legends of the Seas (5/14 & 15)
Celtic Weekend (5/21 & 22)
Last Huzzah (5/28, 29 & 30)
Each weekend also has a variety of special events and activities including costume contests, special entertainment, the return of the Royal Ale Festival (21+) on April 23rd & 24th, and the All-New Chocolate Sensations Tasting Event (21+) on May 7th and 8th
Scarborough Renaissance Festival® offers “Food Fit for a King” that is a step above the traditional “fair food”. Visitors can feast on the famous giant smoked turkey legs (over 20 tons are consumed each season, and is my husbands favorite), Scottish Eggs, the largest food-on-a-stick selection in Texas or try some of the daily special creations at the Pasta Palace and Scarborough Bakery. The full-service restaurant & bar, the Rose & Crown Inn, will be offering signature items like Shepherd’s Pie, Bangers & Mash, meat pies, and Muffulettas along with daily specials as well. 

Visitors 21 and over can partake in Texas Mead Works Mead, a wide selection of craft, domestic and imported beer; wine, and other adult beverages at one of the 12 pubs and taverns. For those with more discerning palates there are daily wine and beer tasting events with each weekend having a different theme. Tastings require a separate ticket that can be purchased in advance for a discount at www.SRFestival.com or at the Festival (on festival days). Seating is limited and the tasting events regularly sell out, so it is recommended that you purchase your tickets in advance. Participants must be 21+ to attend.
2022 Daily Wine & Beer Tasting Themes

April 9 & 10
Wines of Spain and Beers of Texas
April 16 & 17
Wines of Italy and Beers of Belgium
April 23 & 24
Wines of the New World and Blind Date (Beer)
April 30 & May 1
Wines of Germany and Beers of Germany
May 7 & 8
From Grape to Glass (wine) and Barley, Hops, & Yeast Oh My! (beer)
May 14 & 15
Wines Down Under and Beers of the New World
May 21 & 22
Wines of France and Beers of the Celtic Isles
May 28, 29 & 30
Flynn’s Favorites (wine) and Seamus Suggests (beer)

Things to Note

  • New for the 2022 season: Most food, drink, and pub locations will now be accepting credit cards

  • Entertainer tips, games and rides are still cash only so visitors are strongly encouraged to bring cash for their visit. There are 8 ATM locations to serve guests including two new locations.

  • Costumes are welcome at Scarborough Renaissance Festival® but are absolutely not required.

  • Daily special events include full combat jousting (three times a day), Birds of Prey Exhibitions, Children’s Knighting Ceremonies, and the Grande Parade.

  • Scarborough Renaissance Festival® is family friendly with many activities for kids such as the Children’s Knighting Ceremonies, the Mermaid Lagoon, the EwePets Petting Zoo, Keet’s Landing (bird aviary), the Unicorn Experience, Renaissance Rides, games of skill and much more! Kids’ favorite shows include Accidental Acrobats, Cirque du Sewer, The Don Juan & Miguel Show, Emrys Fleet’s Big Rat Show, The Nature of Mercy, Shakespeare Approves, Harmless Danger Juggling Show, Syndicate School of Sword & Skill, and many others.

  • There are some shows that are geared toward a more mature audience (16+). They include Arthur Greenleaf Holmes the Wildly Inappropriate Poet, Bettina Bawdeville, Menage a Moi, and the King’s Pub – Pub Sing.

Scarborough Renaissance Festival’s 2022 Season offers many exciting new additions to the Festival along with long time favorites for everyone to enjoy!

New Entertainment

  • Bettina Bawdeville (PG-16) – RisquĆ© original pub songs, mixing the bawdy with hints of vaudeville. Not for the delicate sensibilities. (May 7 – May 30 Only)

  • Cy the Sword Swallower – A man of skill, of danger, and some would say… a complete lunatic! Witness him swallow a whole armory of swords of different shapes and sizes!

  • Emrys Fleet, the Big Rat Show – A hilarious comedy show featuring Pesky the Wonderous one-eyed rate and Wilbur the Dancing weasel! (April 9 – May 1 Only)

  • Menage a Moi (PG-16) – Top-shelf comedy stylings that are humorously indecent and always discreet.

  • Name that Sonnet – A Renaissance style gameshow that that most certainly leads to a lot of fun, laughter, and perhaps a little education.

  • Robin Hood Charity Show – Join this “secret meeting” to create ideas for causing mischief in the Village

  • The Verbal Joust – A humorous improvisational language lesson on the value of creative insults!

  • Vince Conaway – Hammered Dulcimer – Bringing history to life by weaving storytelling with an enchanting array of Celtic, Renaissance, and Baroque music! (May 7 – May 22 Only)
 
New Artisans
 
  • Aisling Designs – Cast Concrete Art

  • Bird Marie’s Pottery – Functional Pottery

  • Cultivate Outdoors – Bonsai, Succulents, 2-D Art

  • Dancing Glass Studio – Macrame Beaded Jewelry (April 23 – May 1 only)

  • Delicious Doom Chocolates – Hand Crafted Chocolates (May 7 – 8 only)

  • Henna Envy – Henna Body Art

  • Hornucopia – Sculpted Horns

  • Hullabaloo Henna – Henna Body Art

  • Imaginarium Galleries – Sculpted Wearable Puppets

  • Madame Macabres House of Curiosities – Bone Sculptures, Jewelry

  • Meraki Moon – Macrame Beaded Jewelry with large Semi-Precious Stones (May 14 – 15 only)

  • Native Texas Craftsman – Stick Horses & Woodworking

  • Silk Road – Handy Dyed Silk Clothing

  • Spirit Song Ocarinas – Handmade Ocarinas (April 9 – 17 only)

  • Untamed Tapestries – Tapestry Handbags

  • White Wizards – Clay Sculptures (May 21 – 30 only)
 
Scarborough Renaissance Festival® 2022 is open Saturdays, Sundays, and Memorial Day Monday, April 9 – May 30, 2022, from 10 AM to 7 PM rain or shine. Located in Waxahachie, Texas, Scarborough Renaissance Festival® is just 30 minutes south of the downtowns of Dallas and Fort Worth on FM 66 off of I-35E and an hour north of Waco.

Admission is $37 for adults and $17 for children, ages 5-12. Children ages 4 and under are always admitted free. Discount tickets are available at www.SRFestival.com or at North Texas Tom Thumb & Albertsons stores. There are also discounts at the gate for Seniors 65+ and active Military. 

For more information visit www.SRFestival.com or follow us on Facebook & Twitter (SRFestival) or on Instagram (theSRFestival).

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Boosting Learning Power with BitWise Academy!

As a parent, I want my kids to excel in STEM subjects. I want them to do well in school so that they will do well in life. But where do you start in giving them an extra boost? Over the summer months, my son was able to try out BitWise Academy. It was a great start to learning coding.


*Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to test out their website service in exchange for my honest review. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions are my own.*

BitWise Academy was created with the dream of providing an easy-to-use platform for teaching real life coding and art skills that can be used in technological understanding and growth. They teach kids the basic programs that will start them down the road of success. 


As with any program, there are pros and cons.


The interface is simple to follow. You can keep track of the courses and the progress of each one.
If you have any questions at all, you can ask their AI assistant , Beem.
I love that it has a sense of humor with its responses at times. They also have a community that your kid can get support from. They can add friends and check forums for answers that will help them with their lessons. If that isn't what they need, there is an actual support option. Technical and otherwise. I like the various groups there are as well. A chance to chat and make friends while learning. 
There is also the Scratch lesson. Talk about an amazing beginning to coding for kids. 


For parents, there is a great way to track your child's progress. You get the full break down to see where they are excelling and where they need more practice. It is color coded. 
You can see what has been completed and what subject they spend more time on. 
My son is greatly interested in learning how to create games. However, I found that he would become bored after getting halfway through a lesson. Or if there were technical difficulties. 

Which leads us to the flip side...

At first, I couldn't get the class sessions to play. They would sometimes freeze up. Or would replay a lesson he had done already because it didn't recognize he had finished it. This caused him to lose enthusiasm for the program. 

Options for everyone's needs!

There are three types of subscriptions you can get. Which are currently on sale!
I think this works out greatly. Depending on how dedicated your child is, and how quickly they will work through the lessons, you have options for how long you want to sign them up for. 

What do you think? Is this something you would want your kids to use? What is your favorite aspect of this program? Leave me a comment below! 

Friday, September 11, 2015

Olde Westport Spice and Trading Co review

Being a part of the US Family Guide Mom bloggers gives me the chance to try all kinds of things to write reviews on. My most recent and favorite one is the Olde Westport Spice and Trading Co spices that were sent to me.
They have mixes that make various dishes easier. Takes the guess work out of what spices to use together. 
The first one I used was the Championship Chili Spice Blend. Its gluten free and had a great chili recipe on the back. It had a mild flavor when you compare it to normal Texas chili spice. 
Definitely has a strong chili pepper flavor though. I loved how bold it was. It's a great family meal that won my children's approval. I did prefer mine with hot sauce though. 

Olde Bill's Favorite Chili

You will need: 

2 lbs of lean ground beef (or turkey) 
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can of water
1 package of Chili seasoning
16 can of beans, drained and rinsed (red, black or pinto work best)

In a saucepan, brown the ground beef, drain well. Stir in tomato sauce, water and seasoning pack. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring often. Lower heat, cover, simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans. Simmer an additional 10 minutes or until heated through. Add salt to taste. 

I also added bell pepper, onions, chopped tomatoes and green onions. 

Three Rivers Chili Verde had an excellent recipe that complimented a plate of rice to the fullest. It was amazing. Creamy, tangy and new. The kids weren't a fan, but I'd love to make this again for guests. It's quick and easy too. You can serve it with rice, pasta or even a baked potato. 
Easy Creamy Green Chili Chicken Soup

What you need:

1 (26 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (11 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (13 oz) cans cooked chicken breast meat, drained
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups 2% milk)
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chili peppers (1 cup)
1 package Olde Westport Chili Verde Mix

Add all ingredients into a heavy saucepan, stir until smooth. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, lower heat, cover, simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 


I modified this recipe just a bit by adding diced tomatoes. 

They also sent me the Garlic Shake and the Mesquite seasoning. I made some pan fried pork chops.
They were delicious! Each kind was flavorful. The garlic shake was the perfect blend for a casserole I made too. 
I mixed it with the chicken first. 
Definitely worth checking out if you're a foodie looking for a perfect mix.