Acrobats – Mom on the go in Holy Toledo

Circus XTREME, Entertaining & Educational!?!

October 30, 2015October 30, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

We attended the 145th edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Circus XTREME!! And it was AWESOME!!

We made certain we arrived early to experience all the fun pre-show activities!! We had the pleasure of stepping foot on the main floor, meeting some of the amazing performers, tried on some sweet costumes, got to volley a beach ball with an elephant, learned some circus skills, and more! Pics below is of our 4^th grader giving the tightrope a try. The performers were so sweet with the children; they helped guide them and made them feel like superstars!

And then it was time for the moment we had all been waiting for, the greatest show on Earth began!!! We so enjoyed watching Alex and Irina on their adventures for the most XTREME!

I took such delight in watching the children’s expressions and hearing their comments during all the magnificent performances. I am finding that as our family gets on in the years it becomes more difficult to find family activities that captivate the attention of all 3 children. Either activates are to mature for our youngest or too “babyish” for the older two but circus XTREME totally nailed it & drew the entire family in! At one point I even took delight in seeing our 4^th grader beaming with joy as she took pics of the performances on her iPod. Of course as soon as she made eye contact with me and saw I was smiling her expression faded but I got my glimpse of her joy and that was enough for me!

Meanwhile our preschooler literally fell out of her seat ½ a dozen times! She was dancing to the music, clapping her hands, screaming with enthusiasm, etc. At one point she even leaned over and shouted, “MOM! He doesn’t have a safety belt on!!” in astonishment! LOL! And she was legitimately speechless, (which is XTREMELY rare for her), when she saw mermaids floating in the sky.

Our 2^nd grader was in awe over the BMX freestyle riders & trampoline acrobats.

I personally thought the bungee skydivers aerial acro-ballet was the perfect combination of elegant & edgy, the black lights really solidified the cool factor! I have so much admiration for the performers. I had the pleasure of taking an aerial fabric class locally with a group of moms and I was absolutely astonished at the amount of strength, endurances, etc. that goes into those performances, they make it look so fluid and effortless.

We had the best time! Our second grader even came over to me afterwards, gave me a big hug and said thank you for bringing him to the show….swoon!!!

What ensued once we got home was a magnificent conversation. The children were absolutely amazed & astonished by all the quality of the performances and performers. We discussed all the hard work, practice, integrity, endurance, perseverance, and trust that go into those performances. Math might have also come up in the conversation, a lot of the performances involve math, I do believe going to the circus might have just encouraged my kiddos to go over their math facts every night & for that I thank you Circus XTREME! And I also thank Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus XTREME for such a magnificent family friendly entertaining evening…and for making me cool in my 4^th graders eyes, even if it was only for a couple hours, I will take it!! Don’t miss out on your opportunity for a fun filled family experience….XTREME is only here for a limited amount of time, get your tickets today!!

SHOW DATES & TIMES:

Friday, Oct. 30 7:00 PM

Saturday, Oct. 31 11:00 AM & 3:00 PM

Sunday, Nov. 1 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, & 7:00 PM

TICKET INFO:

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Circus XTREME at Huntington Center Thursday October 29^th– November 4^th 2015. Tickets start at just $15! CLICK HERE to order or order over the phone by calling 1-800-745-3000

Ringling Bros. Circus XTREME is coming to TOLEDO!! Win TICKETS!

September 29, 2015October 20, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Last year’s Ringling Brothers & Barnum Baily Show was literally Legendary! It was absolutely exhilarating watching all the talented performers; they amazed us, took our breath away, & left us longing for more! This year Ringling Bros. is back and they are taking things to XTREME! Tickets are currently on sale for Circus XTREME at Huntington Center for October 29^th-Nov.1^st 2015.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Circus XTREME! It’s time for your family to be amazed by all the X-TRAORDINARY things you know and love about America’s favorite live family entertainment experience. Be astonished by UN-XPECTED circus spectacles you’ve never seen before and that can’t be seen anywhere else but at The Greatest Show on Earth! Get ready for an X-HILARATING adventure with X-TRAORDINARY circus artists and magnificent X-OTIC animals! It’s time to awaken the spirit of Children of all ages and stir the imagination of your family! It’s time to have XTREME fun with your family! Get your tickets today!

ALL ACCESS PRE-SHOW!

The All Access Pre-Show is your chance to feel what it’s like to be part of The Greatest Show On Earth ®! You and your family are specially invited to an amazing circus experience and FREE ADMISSION comes with your ticket! Step Right Up and be part of the All Access Pre-Show where Children Of All Ages are invited down to the show floor to try on costumes, learn circus skills, meet the performers and get their picture taken with the clowns!

Then, enter for a chance to win an original pachyderm painting, which is painted right in front of you by one of the world famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey ® elephants! All this and more when you arrive an hour early, and remember, FREE ADMISSION with your ticket!

SHOW DATES & TIMES:

Thursday, Oct. 29 7:00 PM

Friday, Oct. 30 7:00 PM

Saturday, Oct. 31 11:00 AM & 3:00 PM

Sunday, Nov. 1 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, & 7:00 PM

TICKET INFO:

OPENING NIGHT DISCOUNT OFFER:

Opening Night tickets are just $12-No code needed! Kid’s tickets start at just $12! (Additional fees apply. Excludes Rinkside, Front Row, and VIP seats) – No code needed CLICK HERE to purchase now!

CONTEST!

Mom on the go in Holy Toledo is giving away a family 4 pack of tickets redeemable for any of the circus dates/times.

To be entered complete the following steps:

ONE- must complete 3 of the following, you can decide which 3:

Share this post on Facebook. (simply click on button at the bottom of page)
Share this post on Twitter #CircusXtreme (button at bottom of page)
Show Ringling Bro Facebook page some love
Follow Ringling Bro. on Twitter
Share this post on Pinterest (button at bottom of page)

TWO- Comment below expressing what your favorite Circus act/favorite performers are in the Circus.

Winner will be randomly selected October 20^th @ 11:59pm. Winners name will be announced the 21^st on this blog post thread and on Mom on the go in Holy Toledo’s Facebook page.

I left my Heart in Holland

August 14, 2015August 14, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Have you ever had a remarkable evening that is just so magnificent that you find yourself ranking all future evening against it? The ambiance, company, temperaments, entertainment, talent, etc. all perfectly combined into a symphony of euphoric splendor…now that is pure Downtown Holland, Michigan.

Our journey to splendor-ville began on a textbook summer evening. We originally planned on just staying for dinner, grabbing a cappuccino, then heading out afterward. However, as we left Curragh Irish Pub and made our way to JPs Coffee and Espresso Bar (FYI-they have THE best cappuccinos!) we stumbled upon a sign stating that there would be Street Performers downtown on Thursday evening, as luck would have it was a Thursday evening! And that is when our evening took a dramatic & insanely awesome turn!

Downtown Holland vibe is eclectic, a nice marinade of hip, artistic, high-end, family friendly, sophisticated relaxation. And we were about to spend an entire evening soaking up that vibe.

The evening was filled with an intertwinement of amazingly talented street performers with short interludes for shopping…a girls dream come true!

Our first stop, a Bluegrass Jam Session at the Holland area Arts Council! (What was so cool about this is they welcomed peeps to bring their own instruments and join in! And the fact that it was entirely FREE) We so enjoyed sitting and listening to the music, the kiddos really admired the various instruments in the session and how they all came together for an impromptu song.

Next stop, Circus Acts….Bangarang Circus

This group was AH-mazing!! They really captivated the audience and drew a huge crowd. They were so talented, there performance was perfectly choreographed with the music, absolutely fascinating…and the hoops & fabric acts were slightly scary, which only added to the excitement! We could have stayed there all night mesmerized by their talent. I literally had to bribe the kids away from these performers, WITH CANDY! (Yes, they were that good!)

The kiddos each received $5 to spend on sugary delights at the Holland Peanut Store!

Not going to lie, the kiddos had some tough decisions to make considering the fact that the store literally carried every type of candy you could imagine! And it smelled like heaven! It was too tempting; even I succumbed to the sweet heavenly delight, darn you Holland Peanut Store and all your enchanting treats!! LOL!

Since I was so good for the kids in the candy store it only seemed fair that I get my turn shopping, right!? Haha!

Next stop Moynihan Gallery & Candle-ology! I should warn you, I am a soy candle freak!

I adore soy candles (because they burn clean)…and often times the more unusual scents, thus I was like a kid in the Holland Peanut Candy Store as I walked down the Candle-ology isle sniffing practically all 100+ scents. This is THE COOLEST part, you can blend your very own candle! What!?! ( Know someone having a baby, getting married, maybe your on a romantic getaway? Why not savor the scent of the event/weekend and make a custom candle to burn for weeks to come and commemorate the event/weekend? Such an original gift idea! You can even name/label your candle!) So, after sniffing all the scents if you don’t see one you like or if you want to mix scents you can make your own! And it doesn’t take long. It is such a cool experience & highly recommended! And don’t worry about the kiddos being occupied, the shop has SO many neat gifts and cool things to look at, they will be occupied.

And, just one more quick stop for mom, at Fustini’s I can’t pass up the opportunity to sample oils and vinegars!

Their Ginger & honey balsamic is my all-time favorite, it tastes amazing on Asian salads, Ahi tuna, chicken, veggies, in a shot glass, you name it! Lol! I am obsessed!

And on with the show!

We were stopped in our tracks when we walked down the street and heard the beautiful, delicate, voices of these lovely young ladies singing Disney Princesses’ songs….yet another performer set I had to literally pull my 4 year old away from.

As we walked down 8^th street I could hear the laughter coming from the crowds watching a clown, children screaming with excitement to receive an animal balloon, people gasping in amazement as a juggler juggled knives, the soft fluttering of the wind instruments, deep hum of the cello, it was a choirs, a symphony of enchantment. It was a magical evening!

Huge thank you to ALL the performers for sharing their talents with all of us and to Downtown Holland for making us feel so welcomed and for offering such magnificent events! Planning your visit to Holland? Make certain you check out their calendar of events …who knows what kind of fun is waiting for you! Holland will steal your heart, you have been warned!! 😉

Pig Down a Slide! LOL!

October 31, 2014momonthegoinholytoledo

It has been such a stressful morning!! I am sure most moms can relate since today is the day the kiddos energy and excitement levels skyrocket with the anticipation of trick-or-treating this evening! But first the pre-trick-or-treating festivities, school parties and parades. And of course mom is the one who is responsible for making certain costumes and candy/treats are ready. Now, I wish I could say everything went smoothly this morning but since I have 8 additional hands helping me move things that were supposed to be in specific locations it did not! One child couldn’t find their pants, another left their shoes outside, and the youngest lost her costume all together!! You know what got me through my little mini mommy melt down this morning? I would love to say some inspirational quote or scripture reading but I have to be honest, it was the image of a pig going down a slide that kept me from escalating into the official ‘crazy mom’ mode. Nuts, right!? But for some reason reliving that image over and over in my head has kept a smile on my face all morning…even when my son brought in a laundry basket with dog poop on it (long story…not going to get into it now! Rrrrr!). You might ask where on earth I would see a pig going down a slide. And the answer is, at The Greatest Show on Earth, Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey show! They are in town this weekend with their latest show Legends, which we attended last night, and it was Legen….wait for it….dary!!

We started off our evening with a pre-show where the kiddos could try on some of the costumes, sit on one of the bikes, watch an elephant paint (one of the many highlights of the evening!!), etc. then we made our way to our seats to watch the show.

I have to honest; before the show even started I kind of had it in mind that we would leave at the intermission. The kids had school in the morning and so what if we missed some silly act with clowns…there is always another circus, right!? Wrong!

I don’t even feel comfortable calling it ‘the circus’, it was seriously a caliber way above a typical circus, and it was more like a show. There was a narrative, themes, such smooth transitions from one performance to another….the excitement and anticipation kept us on the edge of our seats. At one moment the Tiger got a little ornery and you could hear a gasp from the audience. Another time one the acrobat performers went for a world record…you could hear a pin drop followed by cheers from the audience when he accomplished his goal!! The entire show was so amazing, for a moment I thought I was back at Disney World. It seriously reminded me of a quality performance from the Greatest Place on Earth, Disney World, which I suppose makes sense since Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey is known as the Greatest Show on Earth! So the question that begs to be asked, who leaves the Greatest Show on Earth at intermission? Not this family!

I am fairly certain my husband and I were equally as excited as the kiddos for the second portion of the show! Haha! I loved being able to get caught up in the narrative, in the experience, in the imagination (at one point one horse came out with wings and another looking like a unicorn…it was so lifelike it took me a second to grasp the reality of the situation), and I didn’t want it to end. As adults we have so many responsibilities and obligations.

It is important that from time-to-time we turn off our phones and screens, just sit back and watch the show, don’t worry about tomorrow, concentrate on the elephants that are literally in the room! Haha! And the best part, you can take it with you….souvenirs and memories to cherish for always. So the next time your are stuck in construction traffic you will be smiling because you will be recalling that awesome evening you had with the family at the circus and the pig going down the slide. LOL!

Disclosure: I was given tickets to the show Legends, and kiddos received elephant souvenir and other goodies. No other compensation was received, and all opinions expressed are my own.