Our Road Trip to Dallas!

Our trip to Lego KidsFest has begun. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, time is not only running out, but so are the availability on tickets. Each day is broken up into sessions and so far Saturday Session 2 is SOLD OUT and Saturday Session 1 and Sunday Session 1 are at LIMITED AVAILABILITY. Hope to see some of you tonight when I'll be at the 4-8 session. 

Like the kink I woke with in my neck, this trip had barely begun and had a kink of it's own. 

Let me start by saying I didn't want to get up this morning. The shower helped, but it's the Monster that truly got the heart pumping. I felt the transition to Energizer Bunny status as I typed. 

I'd just gotten on the highway when my spouse throws up his hands and tells me we have to go home. I'm thinking, what was so important that we forgot?? I have the tickets... iPads... Chargers... What did I miss?! 

"My hat. I left my hat. And I hate how my hair looks. I don't want to be seen in public without my hat."

I take a couple deep breaths as I looked at him. Seriously?!? What is with men who wear hats that can't go out of the house without them? It's like they are naked without them! 

We had to stop by HEB to get this boy some drinks as well. He didn't think to remind me when I was leaving work yesterday that he had no drinks for the trip. Of course he grabs himself some donuts while he's in there. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't hungry. My Monster and a sandwich were enough this morning. But would it kill him to at least ask if I wanted one? They smelled so good and fresh... Then later the kids wanted a snack. Of course I'm still not hungry. But the smell of Doritos and sounds of crunching fill the air around me. I turn up the radio, but nothing really good is on. Time for a cd. And not too soon. Pouring rain makes it difficult to see the vehicle in front of me, kids are beginning to ask that dreaded "Why is it taking so long to get there?" and I forgot to get gum. I confess, I chew gum when I'm nervous so I don't grind my teeth. Driving in the rain makes me nervous. I don't like talking or being distracted at all during my drive in the rain. Wipe out in the rain on a motorcycle some time. You'll understand it better. We go from the toll mph of 80 down to 60 pretty fast. Finally it clears and the beautiful blue sky returns! 

About an hour away from our destination, we have to stop. My energy is drained by the soothing vibrations of the engine coming up through my seat. You know how babies pass out almost the instant you set the car seat in the back? I'm feeling like that. Time to scan the radio again. I was hoping for a good Spanish station to catch my ears. I'm as white as they come, but turn on a good Spanish song and I'll not only be wide awake but I might even dance! 

Back on the road after getting chocolate and Neuro drinks for the driver.

There's a huge billboard advertising Sarah's Secret; a romance boutique. ??? Just wow... 

Our first stop? The Dallas mall. With a garden in the middle of the food court and a library downstairs. This place has class! And check out the paint job on this beauty... 

Throughout this drive, and all the craziness, I've had the pleasure of my little girl sitting behind me and singing. I might feel my stress levels riding the elevator with my blood pressure, but a moment of focusing on her sweetness brings that soothing calm back. Savor those little moments!

Brick Fiesta

What an amazing event! We had a blast. Everything from the MOC's on display to the vendors with great things on sale.

I loved it. My kids weren't as thrilled, but only because there wasn't anything for them to play with and build with.

There were custom builders who even created war sets.

This one was a 1942 scene that was amazingly detailed. As was the following; The Hobbit Shire. 

I'm hoping to have a custom Katniss Everdeen in the mockingjay dress made. Modern Brick Warfare had some pieces they customized to more than just 3D. It looked like paint but raised up. Really cool. 

Parking was a bit crazy. The event was held in the conference room of a hotel, but with a restaraunt next door. And parking filled up rather quickly. You weren't allowed to bring outside food and some people were told to leave their strollers parked outside the doors as well. It's understandable considering the space was hard to maneuver in with so many people.  

The bathrooms were located in the hall outside the great room along with a water cooler. 

Everything was run by volunteer AFOL's. They host these events in a circuit that runs yearly. Next year should be hosted in the Houston area. So be sure and follow their page to keep up with where you can see some amazing builds! https://facebook.com/brickfiesta 

We stopped by our favorite vendor who is also a local store owner, San Antonio Plastic Bricks Inc. https://facebook.com/SanAntonioPlasticBricks

More pictures of some of my favorite builds. Air Zombie and the tools were great! 

1950's Drive In

Air Zombie

Castle with an Army

My Little Pony Castle

The huge airport where Air Zombie was. 

Awesome tool shed equipment.

Looks like Grandma, Red Riding Hood and the Woodsman lost the battle against the Wolf! 

This guy taught his son engineering skills using Lego. This device spun a huge top showing kids how speed mixed the red and blue parts to look like purple and pink parts on the side. It was interactive for my kids. 

Happy Independence Day!

First off, let me start by saying... Happy Fourth of July and Independence Day!!! Technically we actually gained our independence on the second on July as signatures were gathered, but on the fourth is when the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted. But I digress. Enjoy today's festivities! And remember what it means to be free. For all those English readers, better luck next time? And no hard feelings. We would be speaking proper English and drinking tea every afternoon had we been the ones to lose.  http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th

Anyhow... I'm awake and preparing for a full day (and then some) at our wonderful *insert sarcasm here*  retail store, at 12:37 AM. This comes after a glorious 4 or so hours of sleep as I ended up tossing and turning from a blinding light that was still shining at 8 PM. I think the Texas sun needs to go down earlier. And/or I need blackout curtains. I had to take my daughter upstairs as I found her sleeping on the couch and my husband on his recliner. 

Back to school season is in full swing for us retail employees. You aren't seeing the products roll out just yet. But next week, check the seasonal section at the back of your local Target and you should see a wide variety of supplies magically on the shelves over night. You can thank the Target fairies for that.

For my part, I'll be back stocking everything that rolls off the trucks until then. We are getting mountains of office and school as well as pallets full of supplies for your holiday party needs. Yesterday I worked a 12 hour shift, 4 AM to 4 PM exactly. Got a workout like no other. Today will probably be similar with the exception of time and a half pay! 

But the best part is what comes after my work day is over. Fun with friends as we celebrate freedom! I'll be buying key ingredients to make some heavenly brownies to bring. And it will be the kick start to a work-free weekend. 

Tomorrow I look forward to taking my family to Brick Fiesta here in San Antonio. (http://www.brickfiesta.com/) If you're a local Lego fan, you do not want to miss it! Between all the MOC's (My Own Creation's) that AFOL's (Adult Fans Of Lego's and some younger) put together for display, the vendors selling Lego products, and just an all around good time - it's worth seeing. My favorite Lego vendor will be there as well. San Antonio Plastic Bricks will be one of the first ones you should see. (http://www.sanantonioplasticbricks.com/)And probably where I'm likely to hang out if I get tired of wandering around (as if!). Check out a sneak peek at something you will see there and remember to have a wonderful weekend! Like SAPB on Facebook and see all the amazing things you could build with just a little help.https://m.facebook.com/SanAntonioPlasticBricks

Stay safe and have fun!!! 

Having a fun filled Saturday

It's already a long day. My sinus problem has become a bother. I was up early. But pressing on is what I'm doing. We took the boys to Lowes to build a Toothless dragon.

It's actually a fun kit to make and would have been cool for a displayable trinket. I wasn't impressed by the fact that my sons kit had a part split and they didn't have extra sets for just such a case.

So we had to keep building and just deal with the fact that he ended up with a defective dragon who can't flap it's wings. It was difficult for them to do without a large amount of parental help. Even I had difficulty attaching certain parts. I prefer taking them to Home Depot builds. Those were always more fun. Plus we had to sit on the cold concrete floor. So wear pants that you don't mind getting dusty in. 

Then it was over to Toys R Us for The Lego Movie Master Builder event. Again I was disappointed. They said there were no instructions and IF everyone at the front stuck to 30 pieces a person, there would be enough for those of us at the back of the line. It was to build a sort of mecha suit with a mini figure head.

Arrive early if you want to be first because when we got there about noon the line was pretty long already. I do like that it encourages kids to have creative minds. 

Then it was back to work clothes shopping! I have decided I can't shop with kids and husband in tow. It just doesn't work. I have also decided I hate being so long legged. It's not being tall. It's have your body be mostly legs that is such a pain. Couldn't find skirts anywhere (pants are nearly impossible). I finally found a pair of pants at American Eagle that fit perfectly in waist and length but it cost me $40.

And they only had one pair. It was that or a $30 short skirt from JCPenney. Target just had to pick red and khaki for their colors didn't they. I did manage to order my free 8x10 photo collage from CVS. Today is the last day, remember to get store pick up! Use code DADCOLLAGE at checkout. 

Forever 21 had $1.80 cami's and $3.80 leggings. Make sure you get the right size before hand though as you can't return, only exchange. 

Well, kids are having a blast at the Lego store. I'm looking forward to medicating and climbing back in bed as soon as we get home. Enjoy your Saturday! 

Learning life's lessons....

What a day. Went grocery shopping. It's always a crazy chore. Especially with 3 kids under foot. The boys want to run around the aisles and my daughter wants to follow them so she tries to climb out of the cart. We found a couple great deals and otherwise did our week and half shopping. $190 wasn't bad. It covers 3 meals for each of our 5 members for the next week and half plus snacks and oddities we found along the way. One deal I wanted to share was the Maruchan Yakisoba meals.

I don't think you should buy these to eat often but when you need a cheap lunch and don't have leftovers on hand, they'll do. They are 64¢ each and I had the $1/2 coupon making them 14¢ each. Then you have the Nabisco coupons for 75¢/2.

Pair these up with the buy one box of Ritz crackers, get a box of Itza crackers deal or the buy 2 packs of Nabisco Oreo cookies and get a free carton of HEB Mootopia milk for some extra savings. 

When we got home, I had to put everything up and make lunch. My oldest son ran up to his room saying he was going to play. This was a little unusual, but I had my hands and mind busy on other things so I let it go. When I called him down to eat, however, it was all too clear why he ran up there so fast. His lips and tongue and around his mouth were colored blue. I asked him what he had eaten. While he tried to answer without telling me everything, I ran through a list of possibilities in my mind. His answer was "candy that I put in my pocket". Immediately I knew what he meant, he had taken candy from HEB and stuck it in his pocket. He stole candy. It was just a lollipop. But I wasn't going to just let him get away with thievery. I wanted him to learn that stealing was a crime. A serious crime. So after talking to him and we ate lunch, we went back to HEB. I made him tell the manager what he did as well as asked the manager to tell my son what he does to those he catches stealing from him. We explained where criminals go and what happens to them. I sincerely hope we got through to him. Then I paid the 54¢ and told the cashier to throw it away. He wasn't going to get it back. When I worked security, I had a mom do the same thing to a son who was slightly older than my own. He was a little scared and a lot embarrassed. I'd be pretty shocked if he ever did it again. 

After our trip to HEB came a stop at the Lego store for the monthly mini build!

It's certainly gained popularity as the line was forming before 4pm and stretched all the way back to the Bath and Body Works store when I arrived shortly after 4. People even brought foldable stools to sit on while they waited. If I had planned a little better, I'd have brought the iPads for the kids and a book for me. At 4:40 I was in the middle and it was snaking all the way towards JCPENNY. 

Mall security had to set up ropes to keep the line orderly and prevent line jumpers. It was to build a speedboat that is actually big enough for a mini figure to fit in. Can't wait to see what next months build will be. 

Lego!

Everyone should know how I enjoy building Lego sets. I reviewed the Pleygo service, which I still think is awesome. But I know that some people would rather buy them to own and display. Or... you could be like me and need that one part to complete a set and not want to buy another full set just to get it. If you are local, and in need of Lego anything (just about), there is a place to go besides the Lego store at the mall. San Antonio Plastic Bricks, Inc. is a local store front. It is a family owned company that has been growing over the past 2+ years and I must say, quite amazing. The owner, Ron, buys and sells in Lego kits (sets), parts, mini figures, manuals... list goes on. If you have some to sell, stop by and see him. He even has custom mini figures that are really well done.
I'm hoping to finish my own project after making a stop by his store...
For those who aren't local, but still interested - fear not! There is hope for you through the wonderful, World Wide Web. He sells via Brick Link, eBay, Amazon.
And keep up with what's going on through the Facebook page.

Alisa, I hope Artie enjoys the video! Thanks for being such a strong supporter of my blog and yes, I'm going to get your kids hooked on Lego!!! 8-)



***I was not endorsed, asked or otherwise coerced into writing this post. Everything I have said is based on my own knowledge and opinion of what I have seen for myself. Your opinion might differ.***

Pleygo via US Family Guide review

I recently spoke about a promotion that US Family Guide was hosting with its bloggers concerning Pleygo. It's a Netflix-like service but for Legos!

We signed up for our account and received our first set, the Friends City Park Cafe.

It's a wonderful Friends set that is incredibly detailed. We sat down as a family to put it together. It came with everything (even the spare parts) and the stickers.

Inside the box, there were instructions on how to play safely, how to use the set, and how to send it back.

We had to upgrade to the SuperFan plan since the regular Fan plan does not include the Duplo Lego sets. They hope to make it more affordable so that even those with the Fan plan can rent some Duplo sets for the younger builders. In the meantime, they were holding a promotion that allowed those with Fan plans to upgrade to SuperFan without adding a charge. Likewise, if you have the SuperFan, you can get a free upgrade to MegaFan but still pay the same price as Super.
My boys had an amazing time building this set!

Granted, their tiny fingers had a little trouble with some of the delicate maneuvers - but I didn't mind helping out.

Once completed, we could all sit back and admire it.

My husband and I have built our own Lego city that we would post updates about on YouTube. And we have decided that this is a set we would like to add to our own collection later on, but would modify to fit our City needs. It gave us the ability to test it out and decide whether or not it was something we liked. Plus, you pay a flat monthly fee and can build several sets whereas, were you to buy them... You'd be paying hundreds of dollars and may not want them afterwards. This way you can play for a time, save money and don't worry about having those dropped pieces underfoot later. Ever step on a loose Lego in the middle of the night? You also don't have to worry about having the extra space for the multiple sets. We currently have our office space overrun with the Lego collection we built up over the past few years. We had to stop since our place now is getting too small. And the Lego itch has taken its toll...

Our boys also have a Rubbermaid bin full of Duplo Legos that we have gotten them in the past couple years. They build their own cities, complete with trains, Disney Cars and all the little details a kid could want.
Pleygo is also having a cool contest. Winner gets a year of MegaFan subscription! That gives you access some to heavy Lego building fun. Also, you can give them your sets to add to their rentals and they will give you credit towards renting from them. So if you have sets laying around collecting dust but want to try out the service... maybe a trade?