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Review: Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center

How many of you are seeing Taylor Swift in concert? Based on the Facebook posts I’m seeing, that would be MANY of you! For Swifties fans, consider a trip to the Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center, sadly not the same location as the concerts, or they’d be swamped before the show. They have a temporary Taylor Swift exhibit through the summer, though there’s more to see here than just Taylor. Here’s our review: Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center.

The Grammy Museum Experience opened in Newark in October 2017. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Continue reading “Review: Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center”

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Medieval Times for Mother’s Day – Win 2 Tickets

If you’re like us, you still haven’t figured out what to do for Mother’s Day. It’s this Sunday, by the way. Medieval Times wants you to come to their castle between now and Mother’s Day and is offering some incentives to do so. And you can win 2 free tickets to go (after Mother’s Day), compliments of the castle – see info below.

They’re letting Mom in for free, for all shows through Sunday, May 13, 2018 when accompanied by one full-paid adult admission. But wait! There’s more! Upgrade one ticket in your party ($20) and all the guests in your group can add a special Mother’s Day package that includes:

1.       “Mom’s the Queen” sash (see our Medieval Times review of the show with the queen in charge)

2.       Souvenir glass of champagne or mimosa (cider or non-alcoholic drink for minors)

3.       Framed photo of mom (maybe she’ll let someone else in the photo with her?)

The fine print:  Mention code: MOM18 at the time of purchase. Not valid on prior purchases or gift certificates. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Advance reservations and payment required.

Giveaway

***Update – contest is closed. Congrats to winner Rebecca!***

And for the giveaway. Share a memory as a mom or of your mom in the comments below. We’ll choose one winner on Saturday, May 12 at noon EST. The winner receives 2 tickets to a Medieval Times show of your choosing. Bring your favorite child, bring a date or bring the whole family and pay for the rest of them. It’s up to you! We’ll contact you by email if you won. The giveaway is sponsored by Medieval Times.

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Medieval Times: Kids Go Free This Summer in NJ

This summer through August 31, kids can go free to Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, NJ. Read our review of Medieval Times with kids.

When using the code KFB17 at purchase, you’ll get one free child admission with each full-priced adult admission. (Small print: not valid with other discounts, offers or group rates. Restrictions may apply).

To get tickets, make reservations by calling (888) 935-6878 or visit medievaltimes.com, and use code KFB17.

This post is sponsored by Medieval Times.

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Review: Medieval Times with Kids

If you’ve been to the Renaissance Faire, you’ll love Medieval Times. I thought it was going to be a little bit hokey, but we had so much fun. My son can’t wait to go back.

Waiting to meet the king at Medieval Times. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

What is Medieval Times?
Medieval Times is a dinner show with tournament. It’s not just jousting, though there is jousting. It’s a show with horses, a falcon and a princess too. It takes place in a castle. Continue reading “Review: Medieval Times with Kids”

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Touring the Manischewitz Factory Part 2

This is part two in our post about the Manischewitz factory tour. Part one is a tour of the Manischewitz matzah production.

Manischewitz factory matzah line
The beginning of the matzah journey at the Manischewitz factory. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

**UPDATE – it appears this Manischewitz Newark factory is closing. We’ll update the post if we get additional tour information.**

The Manischewitz factory has four main production lines: Continue reading “Touring the Manischewitz Factory Part 2”

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Touring the Manischewitz Factory – Part 1

If you grew up in the New Jersey area, you may have taken an Manischewitz factory tour through religious school, in Jersey City. That factory closed, and the new global headquarters and manufacturing plant is now in Newark. It opened in the fall 2016, and you can book group tours there. I love factory tours, and even more so when it’s the actual factory, and not a fake one (I’m talking to you, Hershey’s).

**UPDATE – it appears this Manischewitz Newark factory is closing. We’ll update the post if we get additional tour information.**

The Manischewitz lobby has memorabilia and oversized posters of their labels. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

In this tour, you walk through a lot of the 186,000 square feet of the factory. What you’ll see being produced depends on the day, as they make more than 400 products. Continue reading “Touring the Manischewitz Factory – Part 1”

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Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossoms

We haven’t been to Branch Brook Park since 2011, to see the cherry blossoms. Each year we plan to go and then something gets in the way. We missed the festival (though to be fair, it’s super crowded) but went last weekend – a week after the festival – to catch the just-past peak trees. They were still gorgeous. This park has the largest collection of cherry trees in the country.

IMG_5597

Continue reading “Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossoms”

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Liberty Science Center’s New Infinity Climber, Rubik’s Cube and Guitar Exhibit

While I did a more comprehensive review of taking the kids to the Liberty Science Center for a previous post,  I was there recently and wanted to fill you in on some of the changes and new exhibits. The most exciting is the new Infinity Climber, which finished installation a few weeks ago. This “multi-story play space” is suspended 35 feet above the ground. It has 64 petal platforms (they look like lily pads), to climb on, taking you higher and lower. It’s surrounded by a net, which is stiff enough to keep you in, but not so stiff that it hurts.

a infinity climber

The Infinity Climber is the world’s first suspended climbing space of its kind, and can fit 50 adults and children in there at one time. You have to be 42 inches or higher to go in. It’s great for groups to go in together.  Continue reading “Liberty Science Center’s New Infinity Climber, Rubik’s Cube and Guitar Exhibit”

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The Great Falls in Paterson

Have you been to the Great Falls in Paterson? If not, it’s worth going. We took a trip over there this summer and it was gorgeous!

Paterson Falls

This place has a lot of history, going back to Alexander Hamilton’s time, when he envisioned Paterson as the country’s first planned industrial city. He wanted to use hydropower from the Passaic River’s Great Falls. Hamilton and the Society for Establishing Useful Manufacturers (a real mouthful), started this in Paterson in 1792. Since then, Paterson’s industry became known for fabrics (silk spinning, cotton, textile machinery, jute, weaving, dyeing, etc.). When I posted a picture of the Falls on my personal Facebook page some time back, one of my friends said her first job was working in textiles in Paterson, and she’s not even old! You can read more of the history of the Great Falls here. Continue reading “The Great Falls in Paterson”

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Review: Pole Position Raceway Birthday Party

***Pole Position is now RPM Raceway**

We won a Jersey City Pole Position birthday party at a silent auction (we were the high bidder!), and told our son that was his party the next year. It was the best birthday party ever. Fortunately only one of the kids had gone before, so it was a new experience for almost everyone.

Overview of the Pole Position Raceway in Jersey City. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
Overview of the Pole Position Raceway in Jersey City. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The carts are electric. While the room is loud, it’s apparently quieter than if they use gas (and it smells better too).

They have party rooms overlooking the raceway on two sides of the building at Pole Position Raceway. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
They have party rooms overlooking the raceway on two sides of the building at Pole Position Raceway. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Unfortunately we arrived late to our own party. Continue reading “Review: Pole Position Raceway Birthday Party”