You’re Invited: TNT Mystery Movie Night

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Yakini

Calling all mystery lovers!!!

TNT presents TNT Mystery Movie Night! During the month of November TNT will feature four weeks of original movies based on best-selling novels by your favorite authors, including:

INNOCENT by Scott Turow
DECK THE HALLS by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark
SILENT WITNESS by Richard North Patterson
RICOCHET by Sandra Brown
HIDE by Lisa Gardner
GOOD MORNING, KILLER by April Smith

To kick off this exciting mystery marathon I’d like to personally invite you to the TNT Mystery Movie Night panel event with all 6 authors that will be moderated by Tina Jordan, Book Editor from Entertainment Weekly and will include a sneak peak at the first movie, INNOCENT. Also in attendance will be Marcia Gay Harden who stars in INNOCENT. This special event is free and will take place in Manhattan on November 17th from 6:30pm – 9:00pm.

You must RSVP to attend: MysteryMovieNight@alliedim.com

TNT Mystery Movie Night will begin with Scott Turow’s Innocent, a legal thriller starring Bill Pullman and Marcia Gay Harden on Tuesday, November 29 at 9/8c and will continue with the steamy southern mystery Ricochet starring John Corbett and Julie Benz on Wednesday, November 30 at 9/8c.

For more information about TNT Mystery Movie Night, go to TNT.tv/mysterymovienight

The Etheridge Family Parties With Yo Gabba Gabba! Live

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Yakini

DJ Lance and the Yo Gabba Gabba! crew were recently back in NYC for more dance party fun! We were so excited to receive tickets to attend the show as it is a favorite in our household! It wasn’t our first time seeing Yo Gabba Gabba, however. You may recall that last year we attended a fun dance party in the city and Chase had a chance to meet DJ Lance then. Even though he loves to look at pictures from that event, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t remember it anymore. So I was so glad to have the opportunity to check out the show once again, as the boys really do enjoy it. You should hear how excited they both get when I play our “Music is Awesome” cd driving home from work.

The event took place Saturday afternoon at The Beacon Theater in the city. For the occasion we all donned hats from our Yo Gabba Gabba! Halloween costumes that we wore last year.

Bryce enjoyed the show thoroughly (he’s a HUGE Yo Gabba Gabba! fan), but he was just as invested in the snacks. That boy was tearing that popcorn up.

(You try telling him that 1-year-olds aren’t supposed to eat popcorn. *smh*)

Chase was partying HARD in the aisles – so much so that he was flagged and invited to beat-box with the legendary Biz Markie and then take part in the dance party on stage!

Chase waiting his turn to beat-box on the mic with Biz. #classicphoto

He was incredible! But then, he practices at home. Afterward, he danced on stage with a few other kids who had been hand-picked from the audience. He’s in the back, so a little hard to see him in this photo.

(P.S. I’m super jealous that we didn’t get treated to a performance of “Just A Friend” like some of my blogger friends who attended a later show! )

In an unexpected but wonderful turn of events, Lauren Hill came out as the Dancey-Dance guest. The crowd went wild. She was super cute, tiny, and honestly didnt look a day over 25!

The show ended on a dramatic, snowy note!!! The boys were so happy and still so full of excitement. They had no idea that the real treat was still in store. We gathered our belongings then headed back stage and surprised them with a special Meet-and-Greet with DJ Lance and friends!

The boys had fun hugging and high-fiving Plex, Muno, Tootie, and Foofa, and took pictures with each of them. However, in the interest of preventing this post from being too picture-heavy, I’m only posting my favorite one. *smh* Yeah. It’s the one where Bryce was getting tired/cranky at the end and started wildin’ out during picture-taking. In this particular photo, I’m pleading with him to please just take one picture with Mommy’s favorite character, Foofa, while Derek tries in vain to get him to cooperate. lol

If your kids (or YOU!!!) love Yo Gabba Gabba! then you must, must, must go see this show LIVE!!! It’s an incredible experience, for both kids and adults, and one they won’t forget for a very long time.

For information about when Yo Gabba Gabba! is in your city visit the official website. You can also check out the Yo Gabba Gabba! crew on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

You’re Invited! Pampers Live Chat With Me & Bravo’s “Pregnant In Heels” Star Rosie Pope

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Yakini

Members of the Pampers Baby Board in Ohio With “Pregnant in Heels” Star Rosie Pope

Hey ya’all!

As always, I’m on the go-go-go and just peeking my head in briefly with a few updates.

Firstly, thanks for the votes on my 4th of July Fashions blog post. I definitely was feeling the love! So cool that the post even got picked up by “The Look” on The Pulse Network. I am beyond excited that folks are beginning to take notice of my newest lil’ baby. *smile* Style Me Prissy is only 4 months old and of my three blogs it gets the most traffic and also appears on the first page of some of the most common pop culture Google search items. Very proud of that. All my years of blogging and half-hearted attempts to figure out this SEO thing and I’m finally getting it right (lol). Yaaay! Anyhoo, if you missed my segment on “The Look” you can view it here!

Some of ya’all enjoyed that Independence Day post so much you asked me to expand upon the Style Profile section of Style Me Prissy. Hmmmm, well great minds think alike because I actually had some fun things planned for the Style Profile section. One of the first projects will be the start-up of a little feature section. I’ll be showcasing one fashionista every other week (or every week? still figuring that out) whose personal style I really admire. If you’re interested in participating just send an email on over to info {at} prissymommy {dot} com and I’ll send you the deets! I’ve already got my first feature lined up and eager to hear what ya’all think of her. I think this will be a fun section because you never know who you might see!

And lastly, I’d love it if you’d join me tomorrow, Tuesday, July 12 at 5:00pm ET, as Bravo’s “Pregnant in Heels” star Rosie Pope joins me in the studio for the second Live Chat on the Pampers Facebook page! I’ll be moderating the chat and Rosie will be answering your questions LIVE. If you can’t make the show but still want to ask a question just leave it on the Pampers FB page in advance!

Okay, those are my updates for now – once I slow down for a bit and catch my breath, I’ll be back later with an actual blog post. The boys are good though – Chase so articulate, a handful, and just as cute as he wants to be… Bryce 1 years old in 3 1/2 weeks, practically walking, and growing up way too quickly although I keep begging him to STOP already!

Muchas Smoochas!

It’s Almost Here – Mom’s Nite Out 2011

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Yakini

Hey ya’all!!!

I am so excited for the 3rd Annual Mom’s Nite Out! You’ve probably noticed I’ve been buzzing about it all over Twitter, Facebook, and Prissy Reviews! It’s taking place this Thursday, May 5, 2011 and there will be celebrations nationwide. This year I’m co-hosting the event with Roosevelt Field Mall and we’ve got a TON of exciting activities, generous discounts, and fun surprises in store for ya’all. We’re celebrating motherhood and all the amazing things we do as moms, and I really want all of you (my NYC and NJ moms) to be there!

I hate keeping secrets from you gals, but I’m not able to reveal it all… so here’s a little sneak peak of some of the goodies you can expect to find at the mall next Thursday:

~ free makeovers and beauty demonstrations from Aveda, Bare Escentuals, Loccitane, & The Body Shop

~ generous food sampling from Auntie Anne’s (Yum! Can you say Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels?), Jamba Juice, La Bottega, & Legal Sea Foods

~ live music and dance performances

~ spectacular store savings from some of my fav retailers like:

Charles David & Ann Taylor ~ 20% off regularly priced items at each store

Accessorize ~ $10 off your purchase of $40 or more

Gap ~ Up to 50% off your entire purchase

Juicy Couture ~ FREE Juicy Couture tote with any purchase

Lane Bryant ~ 40% off store wide

What’s cool about these great savings is that the event takes place BEFORE Mother’s Day this weekend. *hint, hint* See where I’m going? Perfect time to find a special gift for your wife or mom, right!!??

If you come by to check out the event (and I hope that you do!), you must stop by my table to say hello and, if you like, let’s take a photo together. Oh, did I mention that I’ll be giving away over $1000 in prizes sponsored by Pampers, Fisher-Price, Hasbro, Mega Brands, Disney, and more!!?

Local Event Sponsors:
North Shore LIJ
StriVectin
Huntington Learning Center

Media Partners:
PrissyMommy.com
NYMomsWorld.com
Hempstead.MacaroniKid.com
Long Island’s 98.3 KJOY

I will also be accepting donations throughout the evening for Graham’s Foundation, an organization that supports families of micro-preemie babies.

About Mom’s Nite Out
National Mom’s Nite Out is the first nationally organized celebration just for moms. The country-wide festivities are intended to bring together today’s moms, both physically and virtually. Details of all the exciting events can be found at www.MomsNiteOut.com.
About Roosevelt Field Mall
Roosevelt Field offers Bloomingdales, JCPenney, Macys, Nordstrom and more than 245 specialty stores, including Aeropostale, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, The Disney Store, Gap, The Limited, Victorias Secret and many more. The mall is located at the intersection of Old Country Road and Meadowbrook Parkway. ”Like” Roosevelt Field Mall on Facebook for updates and special promotions!

Chase in the Drummer’s Circle

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Yakini

In our little corner of Harlem, West African-style drummers have formed a circle and played for decades in the park every Saturday. Others provide accompaniment on trumpets, flutes, spoons, cowbells, gourd rattles and tambourines. This Drummer’s Circle is a ritual that began in 1969.

Whenever we take Chase to the park and he hears the drums from a distance, he asks to walk over. Ever since he’s been a baby, when he feels a rhythm he moves. He has a connection to music that is deep and inherent. So naturally, at the Drummer’s Circle, he begins to dance and sway, which elicits approving nods and claps from the elders.

This past weekend he was invited to join the musicians in the Drummer’s Circle. My heart swelled with pride as he played his first congo drums. What an honor!

Chase @ 2 Years, 4 Months

What Derek and I were most impressed with was the fearless way he walked into that circle. And when they invited him in, it wasn’t to just dance and be a “cute little toddler.” They recognized something in him. We strongly believe that. It was a connection that like souls have. And according to Derek, just before Chase walked into the Drummer’s Circle to accept their invitation, he looked back at him… not with shyness, uncertainty, or even to ask permission. But rather, with a look that said, “Well I don’t know what ya’all are about to do, but I’m going to join them in this circle.”

When he played, it was with confidence and joyful abandon. It was like he had come “home.”

While the community we live in may indeed be “regentrified” in ways, we are happy this wonderful tradition lives on. And I am so glad our boy is experiencing first-hand such a rich and important part of his cultural history.

An Evening of PLAYMOBIL With My Boys

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Yakini

Wild Battle in Dragon’s Land

The first PLAYMOBIL museum exhibit in the US is being showcased at The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) and we were invited to attend opening night. So my guys and I headed into the city to enjoy an evening of fun, food, and festivities with other NYC families and bloggy friends.

We love the PLAYMOBIL brand! I first introduced these little toys to Chase after Time to Play Holiday Showcase and he’s been a fan ever since. The cornerstone of all PLAYMOBIL activities is the two and three quarter inch figure which can bend, sit, stand, turn its head and move its arms. The hands, which can grasp, rotate and carry accessories, are what make pretend play so realistic.

As mom to a real “boy’s boy” I really like that the figures are made of high quality plastic and almost indestructible – they’re perfect for rough little toddler hands. I learned tonight that the 1.2.3 figures are designed for infants. Sweet! Now Bryce can have some PLAYMOBIL fun too!

At the opening, children were encouraged to explore the PLAYMOBIL exhibit with the help of a scavenger hunt that prompted them to use the exhibit to answer questions for each section. Chase’s attention span was a little too short to complete a scavenger hunt – but he had a fun time “meeting” all the life-sized PLAYMOBIL characters.

It’s funny, as much as I fought becoming a New Yorker tooth and nail, the truth is I’ve grown to love the city for the abundance of activities it offers. And most of these events I’ve discovered through my social media endeavors – go figure! Through blogging, Chase had a chance to meet DJ Lance Rock and the YGG crew, the Wayans Brothers, and he celebrated Strawberry Shortcake’s 30th birthday with me. At 6 months Bryce has already kicked it with some celebs, and also learned to make sushi with mommy. I am so excited to see what other adventures the city has in store for us in 2011.

The PLAYMOBIL exhibit will run at CMOM from February 4, 2011 through June 5, 2011. On select dates throughout the exhibit’s run, families will have the opportunity to participate in workshops that will offer the chance to experience PLAYMOBIL hands on.

Halloween Fun at the American Museum of Natural History

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Yakini

Happy Halloween everyone!

So I think everyone on the planet knows by now how obsessed I am with Halloween. :-) It's, like, my second favorite holiday of all times (Christmas is #1). I've always had tons of fun selecting my Halloween costume, and it's only gotten more exciting with the expansion of our family. I love that Derek is so indulgent, being that he isn't big into the whole costume thing at all. We've been dressing up for Halloween since we met in 2006.

After much consideration, this year I decided that we'd go as characters from one of Chase's favorite television shows: Yo Gabba Gabba! After he had the opportunity to meet DJ Lance some months ago, his love of the show quadrupled.

So, without further ado, I present you "The Etheridge Family as the Yo Gabba Gabba! Crew!!!"

Starring…..

Chase as DJ Lance Rock

Bryce as Muno

Your's Truly as Foofa

And Derek as Brobee

(Okay, I know I could have done better with that one – but my original plan for his costume fell through and I had to improvise).

We received tickets to the 15th Annual Halloween Celebration at the American Museum of Natural History, where children and their families were invited for tricking and treating, arts-and-crafts, fun with roaming cartoon characters, and live performances by David Grover and the Big Bear Band, Louie & Subanda, the Big Nazo puppet troupe, stilt-walkers, and master pumpkin carver Hugh McMahon.

Some of the characters we spotted included Curious George, Word Girl, Cat in the Hat, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Toot and Puddle, Danny’s Dinosaur, and Maisy!

I loved that on every floor there were various arts and crafts stations set up for families to enjoy. We had a great time making Halloween cards and scary spiders!

As you can see by these pics, Chase clearly had an awesome time – by the end of the afternoon, so many people had stopped him to exclaim, "Hey DJ Lance Rock!" or to sing the "Yo Gabba Gabba!" theme song that he pretty much felt like a celeb. We were too tickled with that!

I sure hope you enjoyed your Halloween activities as much as we did!!!! Right now I am so exhausted from today's events that I'm going straight to bed – tomorrow is my first day back to work.

To learn about more fun and affordable, family-friendly events like this one visit the American Museum of Natural History on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. You can find November children's programs at the AMNH HERE.

To see more pictures from our Halloween celebration visit The Prissy Mommy Life on Facebook.

Chase's DJ Lance Rock costume sponsored by Costume Super Center. Special thanks to Nancy of Nancy's Needles and Pens for the beautiful Foofa and Muno costume designs!

Wordless Wednesday

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Yakini

Mom Blogger Night at The Big Apple Circus
Chase @ 21 Months & 3 Week

My “American Baby” Makeover

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Yakini

I spent the day at Jack Studios in Manhattan enjoying a day of pampering and primping at my new mommy makeover with American Baby. It was a fun and amazing experience! Jack Studios is a gorgeous, airy loft – bright with natural light – that overlooks the Hudson River. I felt so very "New York" being there!

When I arrived and met the other two makeover recipients I was surprised to discover I was the only pregnant one. The other two ladies were realtor turned SAHM of a 2-year-old and 4-month old, and [project manager] mom of a 6-month old. Both ladies were super sweet and, during our down time, we enjoyed sharing new mom stories. Susie (the mom of two) was especially helpful, as we talked a lot about how her toddler son had adjusted to having a new baby sister.

I checked beforehand with the Beauty Director about taking pictures within the shoot for my blog post, and was told that personal cameras weren't allowed in the studio. I was fine with that, as I sometimes find that I get so consumed with taking pictures and "capturing" the moment… that I sometimes miss the moment! You know what I mean, bloggers? It was actually nice to enjoy the day without the (self-imposed) pressure of getting great shots.

So we took "Before" shots with plain white tees and nude makeup. Then we each took turns getting our hair and makeup done and meeting with wardrobe. What I appreciated most was that the makeover team actually did full consultations with us, in which they were really interested in our opinion and what we were looking for. After the makeovers we got to keep all our makeup and received a new set of all hair products used, which was awesome!

The experience was loads of fun and the makeover team made me feel and look like a million buck! You can check out the mommy makeover piece in the September issue of American Baby.

31 Weeks & 1 Day Pregnant

http://www.ymw.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0098943a788330115718ebfb6970b-pi

Our Day at Sesame Place

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Yakini

This afternoon we visited Sesame Place Theme Park with our friends, Lester, Bebe, and their son LT. The topic of going came up when we barbecued at their place last weekend and, although I was unsure initially, Derek and I agreed it would probably be fun for Chase. My ambivalence stemmed only from the fact that Chase has never really watched Sesame Street. He knows only the characters Elmo and Cookie Monster because my mom bought him those stuffed animals.

Oddly enough, Sesame Street was a huge part of my life as a little girl. However, we do try to limit Chase's TV time and I chose to introduce only Nick Jr. (Noggin) to him because I felt it was geared more toward his age-range plus music-heavy, and he fell in love with those characters and shows. Now Noggin is a staple in our household, and Sesame Street fell a little to the wayside.

But I realized that he could have fun regardless, because amusement parks are always a great time for little kids – no matter the theme!

The timing wasn't so hot, because we all met up at noon – which is when Chase's nap usually begins (12-3). However, we left a couple hours before that time, hoping he'd sleep in the car and be well-rested. Of course, Chase had other plans. He dozed off initially, but woke up after 40 minutes when we slowed down in traffic.

He remained awake for the duration of the ride, curiously sight-seeing out the window. Though I tried to lull him back to sleep, he was too giggly and excited, wondering what his "special surprise" was. By the time we arrived at the park he was cranky and over-tired.

Despite his disposition, he was able to have a really good time on the rides and attractions. His favorite ride was the merry-go-round – he rode that one twice!

Chase also liked getting into the swimming pool with Daddy – it hit 89 degrees today, so I know that water felt good!!! Unfortunately, I didn't come dressed appropriately for water-play. A shame!

Hey Big Guy!

This was just after Chase and Derek went through the giant SPLASH!!!! Chase was a real trooper – he barely flinched, and then they did it a second time!

LT, Chase, and the dads!

The fellas relaxing after the pool.

I was really glad we went. Chase had a nice time, and as always it was fun hanging out with the Taylors. This trip also reminded me of how special Sesame Street was to me as a child. I'm inspired to now expose Chase to more Sesame Street, as it really is a classic that every child should have in their life. He can continue to enjoy his Noggin favs, i.e., Yo Gabba Gabba, Jack's Big Music Show, and The Fresh Beat Band… but there's also room for a little bit of Big Bird, Elmo, Kermit, and friends!

Derek and I are always eager to inspire and nurture a love for learning in our son – and what better way to make learning fun than through classic, educational programming like Sesame Street?