A Year With Frog and Toad Giveaway

Remember that roommate that was just the exact opposite of you and you wondered why you ever got along but you did? Somehow, opposites did attract and now, he's your best friend. If you read Frog and Toad as a child, you know what that relationship is like.

Now, you can see them in action as The Arden Theater Company is proud to present their upcoming show called A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD. The story follows the unlikely friendship between cheerful Frog and the rather grumpy Toad through four fun-filled seasons. Their friendship blossoms and grows as they learn many life lessons along the way. Filled with musical numbers that will make you laugh and cry, A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD is a show to delight every age.

Barrymore Award-winners Jeff Coon and Ben Dibble return to their roles for the third time as the amphibious best friends. Actor Ben Dibble says, “I am thrilled to return to the swamp with my dear friend, Jeffrey. The last time we did this show our kids were all ages 3 and under. Now my kids know the stories from years of bedtime reading and listening to the songs. I think my years as a father will inform my Toad in new and wonderful ways.”

Want to go? Enter this giveaway below and you will be entered for a family four pack of tickets for one of the following preview shows in Philadelphia before it opens up to the public. If you win the giveaway, you will be notified by email and must choose the date you want to attend by November 13th. Some 10 am shows are available during the week for families who need them.


Wednesday, November 23, 2016 10:00 AM

Friday, November 25, 2016 12:00 PM

Saturday, November 26, 2016 12:00 PM

Saturday, November 26, 2016 7:00 PM

Sunday, November 27, 2016 12:00 PM

Sunday, November 27, 2016 4:00 PM

Saturday, December 3, 2016 12:00 PM

Sunday, December 4, 2016 12:00 PM

Sunday, December 4, 2016 4:00 PM


Must be 18 years or older to enter giveaway. Winner must provide an email address and mailing address to claim their prize. Once notified, winner will have 24 hours to claim prize before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is valid only in the United States. Sorry Canada.

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Disclaimer : I am partnering with The Arden Theater Company this season as a lover of the arts and theater. I was compensated for promotion of this show. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Last Minute Halloween Costume Recipes

Not that your kids haven't bugged you enough this month about what they are going to be for Halloween this year, things fall by the wayside when it comes to planning for costumes. My five year old daughter would change her mind daily and by the time Halloween rolled around, I was left scrambling for something that resembled a costume, making sure she wasn't going around in a bed sheet with some eye holes cut out.

The best costumes are the ones you make out of what you have. My kids used to dress up in costumes so often that we now have an entire large plastic bin full of enough props to make things up. Of all the costumes that I have had as a kid, the best ones were those that we made up out of thin air.  And, with some help with Amazon from time to time to supplement those things that complete a look, there are ways to create something meaningful out of nothing.

The trick is to go for the abstract. Think of characters that are popular in our culture right now. Trump is easy enough with a crazy wig and their Sunday best though you may want to look for Clinton signs before you trick or treat or you may end up with a rock. Any of your kids could be a cast member from show like Stranger Things, Care Bears, current movies like Minions, or movies from your childhood like Goonies.

With help from a fast internet speed, like Verizon's 100 mbps, opening multiple browser windows and conducting searches is going to be a snap. Get into the spirit by streaming your favorite show for inspiration or listen to some music. Whatever you do to get motivated, Verizon's Quantum Gateway router is going to handle it all while you Google search, visit your favorite online store, and make that two day shipping happen.

Stuck for a costume idea for your kids? Going to an adult party with no idea what to do? Here are some last minute ideas for you that are fast and simple.

KIDS COSTUMES

Care Bears : Hoodie, sweatpants, face paint

Searches : Kids colored hoodie, sweatpants, care bears face painting, felt

Ideas : cut out belly badge out of felt and safety pin it to the front of the hoodie

Elliot and E.T. 

Searches: crate, red hoodie, E.T. Plush

Ideas: Attach a strap to the crate so that it can be fitted around your child's neck to make carrying easier

Back to the Future - Marty McFly

Searches : Puffy red vest, Jean jacket, foam headphones, aviator sunglasses kids

Ideas: Have a friend dress up like Doc Brown to go together

ADULT COSTUMES 

Eleven - Stranger Things 

Searches: Stranger Things Eleven dress, blue members only jacket, blonde wig, fake blood

Ideas: Add a little fake blood from your nostril to add to the effect. Carry around waffles

Pablo Escobar - Narcos 

Searches : Nautical sweater, fake mustaches, fake money

Bob Ross 

Searches : brown afro wig, fake goatee/beard, painter's palette

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post with Verizon FiOS in Philadelphia. All opinions expressed are my own. #FiOSPhilly

Get In the Halloween Spirit With Netflix

Monsters under the bed. Sounds at night. The wind howling outside. The unknown can be very scary for our children. We tell them that there is nothing to fear. That monsters aren't real and that they are safe. Yet, we are all fascinated by this notion that they are and embrace the possibility once a year on Halloween where we become anything our hearts desire.

I loved Halloween as a kid and still do as an adult. I'm that guy that decorates his front lawn, loads up on candy, and heads out with the kids in full costume with them going door to door. I suppose this fascination started as a kid. My older brothers are eight and ten years older than me so when they wanted to see a movie, I was often along for the ride. 

The first time I really remember being scared was at a drive in movie with my family. I saw part of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in that drive in.  I don't think that I saw the entire movie as my parents must have removed me from the station wagon at some point because I remember playing on the drive in playground the rest of the time and eating popcorn. But to this day, that organ music just stayed with me. 

It's hard as a parent to find movies that walk that line between scary but appropriate. We don't want our kids unable to sleep at night because their closet door is open a crack and they think something is coming to get them. Try these family friendly titles to get in the Halloween spirit instead, with the right amount of scary and a few titles that are just good old fashioned fun. 

For Kids 3-5

Spooky Buddies

Curious George : A Halloween Boo Fest

Casper's Scare School

For Kids 6-9

Pac's Scary Halloween

Dreamworks Spooky Stories

Scooby Doo 1 & 2

For Kids Ages 10-13

R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour

Monster Squad

Goosebumps

Find these and other great titles on Netflix and follow this family guide to Stream & Scream for more