Westfield Annapolis Mall Gets TANKED!

Kaden hops in the back of the car as I am stopped in the car rider line.

"Hey K! We have to go to the mall."

He lets out a huge sigh and disappointment comes over his face.

"Aww man! Why?"

I'm in the front of the car with a devilish smirk on my face, watching his reaction from the rear view mirror. I want to drag this out as long as I can, but I don't want to upset my hormonal tween during the process.

"Weeelllllah...we are actually going to the mall to see a taping of that show Tanked that we watch."

I glance again in my rear view mirror.

Before I can even finish explaining just how this all came about, his face quickly lights up and he lets out a loud, "YESSSSSSS!!!" If there was enough room in the backseat to do a happy dance, I'm sure he would have. Mom with the win!!

For those of you who have no clue what Tanked is, let me clue you in a bit. Don't worry. I was once where you were before I sat down with my family and stumbled upon this entertaining, hilarious and exciting show on Animal Planet.

Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM)

As co-owners of Las Vegas-based Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM), one of the country's most successful builders of aquariums and two of Sin City's most imaginative businessmen, Wayde and Brett are tasked with building some of the most enormous and awe-inspiring tanks and aquariums for top celebrities, luxury hotels and casinos, Fortune 500 businesses, private homes and millionaire homeowners across the country that are filled with the most exotic, unusual, colorful and dangerous fish in the world. ATM takes on more than 200 projects every year with tanks ranging from 50 to 50,000 gallons in size.

Tune in Fridays at 9 PM E/P on Animal Planet.

We arrived at Westfield Annapolis in Annapolis, MD. Select employees from the mall and members from the media were invited to the event. The kick-off began at Four Seasons Grille with light refreshments and a chance to mingle.

Brett Raymer and Wayde King were on location to take pictures with the fans. Kaden and I caught up with Brett, who is very funny and laid back. He was all for taking pictures with everyone.

Once the reception ended, guests were taken over to the filming area. Most guests were directed to a location where they could be a part of the show. Media was more behind the scenes. It took me awhile to figure out that we should have moved to the other side to be a part of the show. We were a bit upset about this, but it was still awesome being a part of the event. Besides, we had to make a quick run to basketball practice and did not want to disturb the filming process. Surprisingly, Liam stayed asleep for the entire event.

Part of the reason this particular location was ideal to get "Tanked" has largely to do with Westfield Annapolis being "one of few select malls in the country to accommodate families shopping with children, offering KidCare, Indoor Westfield Family PlaySpace, and the newest addition, the Family Lounge".

“We are so excited to work with Wayde and Brett of Animal Planet’s hit show, “Tanked,” and make Westfield Annapolis really come to life with the installation of these two tanks,” says Christi Wallace, District Marketing Director for Westfield Annapolis. “Westfield strives to create the ultimate family oriented shopping experience, and we know children and families are going to be amazed by this feature.”

This was a wonderful experience. I am glad I had the opportunity to take Kaden. He is a fan of the show. I am also thrilled that "Tanked" deemed our area worthy of their creative genius.

If you want to see this episode of "Tanked", the show will be nationally televised on Friday, June 7 at 9:00 p.m. on Animal Planet (Time/day subject to change. Please check local listings).

Don't forget to stop by Westfield Annapolis to see the new fish tank. It's a beauty.

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Westfield Annapolis are owned by the Westfield Group (ASX: WDC), an Australian-based company with interests in 119 shopping centers in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. In the U.S., the Group has a portfolio of 47 shopping centers that are home to more than 9,000 specialty stores and comprise approximately 63 million square feet of leasable space in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

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Disclosure Information
I was invited to attend this event thanks to Westfield Annapolis. My guest and I were provided food and the opportunity to witness the taping of Tanked. The opinions and views are my own. 

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Customize Your Clothing with eShakti

Have you ever wanted to change just one thing about something you were wearing?

Perhaps you want it a bit shorter.
Maybe it could use some pockets.
You'd prefer a different neckline.

Well, eShakti.com is your solution for customizable clothing.

With the launch of their Spring/Summer 2013 collections, I knew that it would be the perfect choice to look for a dress. Wedding season is underway and I needed a dress for the month of May.

After browsing the site and selecting several potential dresses to wear, I decided to go with the Paisley jacquard printblock frock.

Color: Oil yellow/black

Reverse blocks and vivid paisleys pattern our ultrafeminine jacquard dress accented with a slender, waist-defining self trim.

• Slips on over head; partial side zip closure.
• V-neck, keyhole back with rouleau-button closure.
• Sleeveless.
• Reverse printblocked side panels and back.
• Box-pleated skirt.
• Side-seam pockets.
• Below knee length.
• Lined in cotton voile.
• Cotton, woven jacquard, light sheen, no stretch, midweight.
• Machine wash.

Having recently giving birth less than two months ago, I was a bit skeptical of anything that was too revealing. My bust size has increased a bit now that I am nursing, so I opted to go a dress size up to help house my girls. Did you know that eShakti.com offers size 0-36W? There is something for every shape and size.

I also had to option to type in my measurements for a completely customized dress.

I submitted my order and waited for my dress to arrive.Most dressed ship in 7 business days because they have to be made to order if you include any customization such as remove/include embroidery, pockets or other embellishments.

Once my dress arrived, I tried it on and immediately fell in love.

I wasn't so much a fan of the length. I felt it overpowered me and made my short, (too) skinny legs look even shorter. So, I took it upon myself to tack the dress in the front with safety pins to give the dress a bit of an edge.

I also added a patent leather belt to the waist to compliment my strappy heels. I also wore a black blazer on top of the dress when I was outdoors, where the wedding took place.

The dress size was perfect at the top. It fit my bust perfectly and I did not feel like the v-neckline revealed too much.

I would have liked the bottom to be a size smaller. It gave me a little extra cushion in the hip area. Next time I will go with  custom measurements. 

Overall, I was satisfied with my dress. This particular dress I chose was provided by eShakti for a review. If I was purchasing it on my own, I would have chosen a less expensive dress. This dress retails for $94.95, but is currently on sale until May 19, 2013. Not that it's not worth it, but I feel like I could have purchase a cotton, printed dress for less. I still love it dearly.

The next time you are looking for the perfect piece of clothing with a perfect, customized fit, choose eShakti.com.



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I was provided a dress, free of charge, to facilitate my review thanks to eShakti. The opinions and views are my own.  

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Birth Announcements Get Minted

It's hard to believe that soon, my little guy will have been here for two months. With his early arrival, I am still playing catch up to the long list of items that were pushed to the back burner upon Liam's 37 weeks delivery. One of those items being birth announcements.

By now, most of my family knows that I have given birth. Obivously. I'm an over-sharer, so I am sure they have seen pictures of Liam plastered on one of the social networks I frequent. And if you are reading this post, you've probably read a few others detailing the birth of him. Either way, Liam's birth has been announced.

However, I wanted to formally introduce him to the world. I thought it would be perfect, and much easier, to send out a birth announcement that would also doubled as a thank you card for those who gave gifts at my baby shower. I'm going for the whole two birds, one stone thing. You feel me?!

I've been known to personalize my gifts over the years. To me, they add value and show the recipient that you took the time to create something special just for them. It also increases your chances of not having your item tossed in the trash. Maybe.

I have been on the Minted site browsing all of their wonderful birth announcements. There are several to choose from. Being a bit indecisive myself, I thought I would ask you, the Mommy 2K reader, to help me decide on which one to choose. Here are a few of my favorites below (all pictures courtesy of the Minted.com website):

Nine Square Birth Announcement

Tiny Miracle Birth Announcement

Meet Jacob Birth Announcement

What I like most about the Minted birth announcements is the option to personalize. Most of the cards can be redesigned to change the orientation, shape, style, paper type and color. So, if you are one for adding your own special touch, this is a great way to still have a bit of control.

I'll admit, I have spent way too much time on the site. It's so fun creating cards and visualizing the look on the recipient's face when they open it. Makes all the not-so-hard work creating the card all worth it.

I like the simplicity of the Meet Jacob birth announcement. I chose to make it a folded card so that I could write a message inside as well. There is also an option to include more pictures. Believe me, I have tons of those available.

Here is a sample of the card I made. This is not what I ordered. I'll have to play around with my options more. The price per card isn't so bad, but when you multiply each one by the amount of shower guests you had, it adds up quickly. Make sure they're worth it. Hehe!!

I just wanted to give you an idea.

So, which one is your favorite?

Stay connected with minted.
www.minted.com
www.facebook.com/minted
www.pinterest.com/minted
www.twitter.com/minted


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Disclosure Information
Compensation was in the form of product and a credit to the Minted.com site. There was no monetary compensation involved. All opinions and views are my own. 

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Blooming Bath for Baby plus Giveaway

The moment your baby arrives, the doctor places him/her on your chest before you even notice all the "goo" they are covered in. Seeing that precious face makes you forget that your baby looks like this:

I love my baby and all, but I wasn't expecting him to be covered in all my love for so long. It did not bother me so much, but I was used to seeing them being whisked away and washed immediately like in the movies. Daddy Ian kept asking, "When are you all going to give him a bath?" They finally gave Liam one and he came back like a shiny, new baby.

Thank goodness you can control how much you wash your baby at home. Although babies do not need a bath everyday, it's hard to resist that sweet smell of a freshly cleaned bambino. Whenever I get the time, I love to wash little Liam off. This is why I was elated when I discovered the clever product called, Blooming Bath.

About Blooming Bath:

• Naturally antimicrobial foam interior and fabrics – no chemicals
• Simple set up in any sink, no mess clean up
• Hanging tag for air drying or place in dryer to dry
• You no longer have to lean, bend, sit or squat to bathe your child. It is the perfect solution for squirmy babies and sink baths.
• Blooming Bath was imagined by 4 dads
• Available in yellow, blue or pink colors
• Extra soft, plush silky fabric
• A complete hit a baby showers! Will be the talk of your next baby event
• Parent test, parent approved winner and recognition seal

It is honestly the easiest product to use.

The Blooming Bath is literally a huge flower. It comes out of the package like this:

I simply placed it in the sink upon opening the package (it should be washed in the machine first).

Fill it with an inch of water. Make sure the temperature is correct.

And of course you need a baby.

My little guy is not the happiest during bath time. He wasn't that old when he took this bath. However, Blooming Bath can be used on newborns to age six months. I guess it just depends on each baby's temperament.

Halfway through the process, Liam began to calm down. I was able to get him cleaned up in on time. I just kept dipping the washcloth in the bath and quickly wiped the baby off. It was so simple. I used a few trusted products to help move things right along as well.

By the end of the bath, Liam was just fine.

I absolutely love this product. It was right on time too. At Liam's one week check-up, his pediatrician told me that all he needed was a simple sink bath. To do this, line the sink and fill it with water. That is basically what the Blooming Bath is, just way more cute.

The Blooming Bath saved me a ton of time. The set-up and clean-up were both easy. This is an absolute plus for parents with little to no time. I also love that you can toss the Blooming Bath in the washing machine to clean it. To top it all off, the Blooming Bath can be used as a play mat when your child outgrows it. Now that is getting your money's worth for sure.

If you want to purchase your own Blooming Bath, visit a US buybuyBaby stores. You can also check the Dealer locator.

Now it's time for your little one to have their very own Blooming Bath.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Disclosure Information
Blooming Bath provided me with product to facilitate my review. There was no monetary compensation for writing this post. The opinions and views are my own. 

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