Hello Dear Readers! Today it’s all about Mom so let’s get right to it, shall we?
My email inbox recently alerted me to the newest edition of the Disney Insider and a piece about Disney moms:
Over the years, Disney has given us remarkable characters of all kinds. Although many of the fairy-tale films have, true to their origins, step-mothers or no mothers at all, among Disney's most memorable characters are a number of mothers. From nasty, manipulative "godmother" Gothel in "Tangled" to the pampered but determined Duchess in "The Aristocats," Disney's moms deserve their due – and this Mother's Day is the perfect time to honor them.
Most of my favorite Disney films are mom-less so It’d be hard for me to name a favorite Disney mom but Helen Parr, aka Elastigirl/Mrs. Incredible, is a pretty cool mom:
She can handle three kids, furnish a nifty mid-century-modern house and keep Bob in clean shirts – but she can also pilot a fighter jet and vault across rooftops fighting evil. Retired (sort of) super-heroine Helen Parr can handle all kinds of challenges without getting stretched thin, although sometimes it takes a timely reminder from Edna Mode to "Remember who you are!"
Do you have a favorite Disney mom? To read the full Insider article, visit this link.
What are you planning for the mom in your life this Sunday? I don’t think you have to spend a ton of money to express your appreciation — a nice meal, maybe a visit to a museum, a hand-made card … there are quite a few options to explore. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, besides being a terrific place to take mom, is offering a Mother’s Day Brunch:
This Mother’s Day, show your mom she deserves the best! Join us at the Aquarium of the Pacific for an amazing day celebrating moms. Delight in our decadent brunch and explore the wonders of the Pacific Ocean.
The brunch includes, among other things, Salad, a Greek Frittata, ricotta scramble, Salmon Kulebiaka, herb-roasted beef, cinnamon rolls and fresh scones. Aquarium of the Pacific’s Mother’s Day Brunch takes place on Sunday, May 13th from 10:00 AM 1:00 PM and costs $42 for Adults, $32 for Children 3-11, prices include Aquarium admission. It's located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach, CA. Parking is $8.00 in the Aquarium structure or at The Pike with validation. For more information or to make reservations, visit this link.
If the Aquarium isn’t your cup of tea, how about something more … Disney-ish? Both the Blue Ribbon Garden Restaurant at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Catal at Downtown Disney Anaheim are offering Mother’s Day menus:
Mother's will be feted by Patina Catering in the Blue Ribbon Garden at the gleaming Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles. Brioche French Toast, Quiche Lorraine, Spring Corn Chowder and Chicken pot pie, will be complimented by a granola parfait station, a plethora of salads, breakfast pastries and desserts. Mom receives a complimentary glass of Champagne.
The cost is $55 for Adults and $18 for Children 12 and under (+tax and tip) and takes place at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, 141 S Grand Ave in Los Angeles, CA on May 13, 2011 with 10:00 AM and 12:30 PM seatings.
Catal at Downtown Disney Anaheim is offering a 3-course menu that includes such selections as Roasted leg of lamb French dip sandwich, Buttermilk fried chicken breast with sweet potato waffle and mini frisee lardon salad, and Cherry clafoutis, pistachio ice cream, cherry yogurt sauce, caramel tuile – all for $45.00 for Adults and $12.95 for children under 10 (tax and gratuity not included; menu subject to change).
Catal’s Mother’s Day’s brunch takes place on Sunday, May 13th with seatings at 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM. You can call 714 774-4442 for reservations or visit the Patina Group website to make reservations for either location, here's the link.
On Saturday, something a little farther away that most moms would probably love — head down to the San Diego Botanic Garden and you’ll find … chocolate:
Spend the Saturday before Mother’s Day at San Diego Botanic Garden’s famous Chocolate Festival. Enjoy dozens of delectable chocolate tastings, demonstrations, a chocolate fountain, and more. This family-friendly event also features lots of children’s activities and a variety of Mother’s Day gifts.
What mom doesn’t love chocolate and you get to see a botanical garden too! The Chocolate Festival takes place on Saturday, May 12th from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. The San Diego Botanic Garden is located 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego in Encinitas, California. It covers approximately 35 acres at 230 Quail Gardens Drive, which runs parallel to Interstate 5 between Encinitas Blvd and Leucadia Blvd.
If you’re coming from the South — take I-5 North, exit Encinitas Boulevard and turn right (heading east) (0.5 miles), turn left on Quail Gardens Drive (0.3 miles) the entrance to the Gardens will be on your left. If you’re coming from the North — take I-5 South exit Leucadia Boulevard and turn left (heading east) (0.5 miles) turn right on Quail Gardens Drive (1 mile) the entrance to the Gardens will be on your right. For more information, visit this link.
Maybe the mom in your life would rather do something a little more adventurous — tell her she’s so extra special that you’re dragging out Mother’s Day an week longer and surprise her with an outing to the Natural History Museum’s annual Bug Fair:
Exposition Park will be overrun with bugs, bug experts, and bug fanatics at the Natural History Museum’s 26th Annual Bug Fair! Nearly 70 exhibitors will fill the Museum’s halls at what is North America’s biggest bug festival. Government agencies, educational institutions and entomological societies will be on hand to answer your questions. Vendors will also set up shop with live specimens, bug-related products such as honey and silk, and even some bug-inspired art.
It is the Year of the Fly at Bug Fair. Visitors can cradle a bug in their palms and learn about the homes and habits of a wide variety of roaming insects from Entomology Curator, Dr. Brian Brown. There will be bug cooking demonstrations with Bug Chef David George Gordon, Daniella Martin, and David Gracer. All three will whip up some bug delicacies for the adventurous snacker. Keep your eyes peeled for our roaming insects and stilted butterfly performers as well as musical performances by John Acorn!
It all takes place on May 19th and 20th from 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM. If you’re a museum member you get early access at 9:00 AM. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is located at 900 Exposition Blvd. In Los Angeles, CA. For more information, visit this link.
So many moms spend hours and hours making magical memories for their kiddies through an organization that has been around a long, long time. I’m talking about the Girl Scouts. Did you know it’s the Girl Scouts 100th anniversary?
Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low assembled 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, on March 12, 1912, for a local Girl Scout meeting. She believed that all girls should be given the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. With the goal of bringing girls out of isolated home environments and into community service and the open air, Girl Scouts hiked, played basketball, went on camping trips, learned how to tell time by the stars, and studied first aid. Within a few years, Low's dream for a girl-centered organization was realized. Today, Girl Scouts of the USA has a membership of over 3.2 million girls and adults, a significant growth from its modest beginnings a century ago.
In time for Mother's Day, in honor of all the mothers and daughters who share the bond of Girl Scouting and as part of a series of initiatives celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts, The Presidents Gallery by Madame Tussauds hosted leaders from the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital and dozens of D.C.-area Girl Scout Daisies (grades K-1) and troops to unveil a wax figure of the pioneering woman who founded the Girl Scouts 100 years ago, Juliette Gordon Low.
The launch is part of a series of initiatives celebrating the Girl Scouts' anniversary, culminating with the colossal Girl Scouts Rock the Mall: 100th Anniversary Sing-Along event on June 9th. For the event, which is built on the Girl Scouts' traditional use of song, more than 200,000 girls and adults are expected to converge at the National Mall to enjoy performances and participate in what might be the world's largest sing-along.
For more information about the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary Sing-Along, visit this link. Madame Tussauds is offering a special Rock the Mall package for Girl Scouts who book early (through mid-May), which includes a special admission rate, a 100th Anniversary Patch, attraction scavenger hunt materials and wax hand — a take-home souvenir casted on-site from a guest's own hand. In addition, to celebrate Mother's Day, the Presidents Gallery is offering a special deal where all moms go free with any full price admission on May 12th and 13th. For more information about Madame Tussauds, visit this link.
Maybe you just want to gift Mom with some good old Disney artwork. You’re in luck, Disney Legend, Charles Boyer, is appearing at Disneyland this weekend to sign his newest pieces:
Inspired by quintessential Americana illustrations these two pieces of art will take you back to a simpler time in our history. Charles and Bruce Boyer have once again been commissioned to include our beloved Disney characters into some of these familiar scenes.
"After the Prom with Mickey and Minnie," show a happy couple who have danced the evening away and now have stopped to get a soda to cap off the night. Goofy as the Soda Jerk is regaled with the prom details as he admires Minnie's corsage. While "Gone Fishing with Mickey and Pluto," depicts a boy and his dog enjoying the simple pleasure of sitting together in the warm Summer sun on the banks of a stream and catching a fish which well may serve as dinner.
Boyer and his artist son, Bruce will be on hand for a special appearance and signing, May 12th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at The Disney Gallery in Disneyland to celebrate their newest releases. For more information, visit this link.
One last Mother’s Day suggestion and I’ll leave you to planning for your mom … If the mom in your life has an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, maybe she’d like a new game based on Dreamworks film, How To Train Your Dragon, to play:
Available now on the App Store, TapDragonDrop takes players to the Viking island of Berk, where a great storm has struck the village and sheep are now scattered throughout the land. The goal of the game is to save the day by using their wit and new Dragon friends to solve puzzles throughout the dangerously funny, sheep-unfriendly world of Berk. Tap, drag and drop your Dragon's powerful abilities to rescue the flock, and use catapults, drawbridges and much more to your advantage as you explore the breath-taking Dragon world.
Features in the DreamWorks Dragons: TapDragonDrop game include:
• Play as Toothless and Hiccup
• Explore more than 40 challenging levels from the boundless Dragon world
• Rescue sheep by using a wide variety of items, from catapults and
drawbridges to haystacks, boulders, and more
• Collect scattered Viking treasure to unlock secret hero levels
The DreamWorks Dragons: TapDragonDrop App is available for $1.99 from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, or at itunes.com/appstore.
Okay … I need to get busy and figure out which of those things my mom would like, so that’ll do it for this week, thanks for stopping by. In the mean time, if you want to know what I’m up to, you need to follow Pressing Matters on Twitter. You never know what you’ll find there — food, museums, shopping, Disneyland, Bugs & Dragons! Follow along as I search for the all the latest Pressing Matters & tweet about what I find:
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