Over The Top Mommy

Year: 2017

January Events at Pretend City Children’s Museum

2017 is here and Pretend City Children’s Museum is celebrating!  Kick off the New Year with some fun activities during the month of January.  january-art-resolution-monthCelebrate Art Resolution Month this month! Each week in their newly renovated art studio, a new form of art will be highlighted. Children can come experience new materials and new types of art in the PROCESS-based studio! pretend-city-art-studio

Here are some other fun events you’ll find at Pretend City in January:

  • Cuddle Up Day | January 6cuddle-up-day
  • Bubble Bath Day | January 8bubble-bath-day
  • Letter Writing Week | January 8 – January 14
  • Baby Steps through Pretend City | January 9
  • National Hat Day | January 15
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 16
  • National Popcorn Day | January 19national-popcorn-day
  • National Hugging Day | January 21
  • National Opposite Day | January 25
  • Lunar New Year Celebration – Year of the Rooster | January 28
  • National Puzzle Day | January 29
  • Family Autism Event | January 30pretend-city-family

For more information about the events at Pretend City Children’s Museum, go here

This is not a sponsored post. Images and logo are property of Pretend City. All opinions are 10% my own. 

Mountain High to Host World’s Largest Lesson Day on January 6, 2017

January’s arrival marks the start of Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month at Mountain High. The resort is participating in the World’s Largest Ski and Snowboard Lesson Day set for 10:00 a.m. PST on Friday, January 6, 2017.worlds-largestFor the second-straight year, multiple winter resorts across the U.S. and Canada, including Mountain High, will attempt to set industry and Guinness World Records for teaching people how to ski and snowboard. Southern California is home to millions of potential skiers and snowboarders and, with January being Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, this is a really cool way for many people to learn how to shred on the mountain

“We had an incredible turnout for last year’s first attempt at shattering skiing and snowboarding lesson participation records and can’t wait to break it this time,” said John McColly, Mountain High chief marketing officer.

The current record for world’s largest ski lesson (both single and multiple venue) is 594 and 500 for world’s largest snowboard lesson (both single and multiple venue). World’s Largest Lesson Day is an ideal opportunity for skiers and boarders of all ages to learn how much fun they can have and be part of a world record. Classes at Mountain High truly prepare skiers and snowboarders to succeed on the slopes. Lesson participants will learn how to properly use equipment, be introduced to basic skiing and snowboarding skills including safety, learn about types of terrain, demonstrate and be evaluated on what they learned during the 90-minute class. All attendees will receive an official certificate of completion upon finishing the lesson.

To register for the World’s Largest Ski and Snowboard Lesson Day at Mountain High, visit here or  call 888-754-7878.  Event registration ends Thursday, January 5, 2017.

Meet Gabriela McBride: American Girl’s 2017 Girl of the Year

American Girl is excited to celebrate the New Year with the debut of its 2017 Girl of the Year – Gabriela McBride!american-girl-doll-of-the-year-gabriela-doll

Gabriela is a true talent who uses her passion for the arts, specifically spoken word poetry, to overcome personal obstacles and create positive change for her community. I love that these dolls have a “story” and that there’s a book to accompany them. Teresa Harris is the author of “Gabriela”.

gabriela-author-teresa-harris

Here’s a brief synopsis of the book:
Gabriela has grown up surrounded by the arts—dance, painting, music, and theater. But poetry is becoming her art form of choice, for good reason: she struggles with stuttering and poetry helps her words flow more freely. Although Gabriela is a bit quiet, when she does speak, she is sharp, honest, and funny. But can she learn to harness the power of her words and her creativity to help save her beloved community arts center from being torn down?gabriela-doll-and-book

Now available for purchase is the beautiful 18-inch Gabriela doll, as well as several performance-inspired outfits, accessories, and toys. American Girl announced that unlike past Girl of the Year characters, Gabriela will be available throughout 2017 and beyond. This is wonderful news for doll collectors.gabriela-and-accessories

gabriela-performance-setgabriela-with-catTo connect students with Gabriela’s inspiring message, and to bring awareness to spoken word poetry, American Girl is partnering with Scholastic to create and distribute Express Yourself, a program for classrooms that empowers students to use the arts as a tool for self-expression. The program will be available in March 2017 and will be comprised of classroom resources that give teachers the tools to encourage students to find their creative voices. It’ll be just in time for National Poetry Month in April.

For more information about Gabriela McBride and her story, go here.

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own. Images are property of American Girl.