An Update

I know I've been missing as of late.  I haven't really been writing at all in the past month, and the few things I have worked on have stayed unfinished.  I've been exhausted for numerous reasons and have been really busy on top of all that.

But really, I just haven't been able to get my butt in gear.  I have a stack of boxes and products that needed (and some still need) pictures taken that I have just been getting around to.

It's not just the blog that's effected, either.  You can see it in my life, too.  Even just the basic fact that I have barely been wearing makeup for the past several weeks and have let my skincare routine slip should tell you something.

I think some of it is the change in schedule that happened with the end of the kiddo's school year.  Why, you ask?  I was able to do a lot of blog catch-up there, particularly knocking out pictures once I found a nice spot with decent lighting.  I was also able to use that time to catch up on non-blog related tasks, which freed up my other time.

Hopefully, I'll be able to focus more in the coming weeks.  I will be trying to post some past-due items, and I'm thinking about combining some months together for other posts (like May and June empties).

One other thing...

My collection has gotten HUGE!  Because of this, I am trying my best to limit my purchases to sample boxes and subscription services while I try to use things up.  It seems to be working a bit, but I do have a wandering eye.  J

Sorry :(

I'm sorry I've been absent for the past several weeks.  We've had some serious personal situations going on at home which have demanded all of my attention.

Right now, I'm behind on my blog posts, but I do have several lined up and a few more planned for the near future.

Here's to hoping things stay calm around here!

Jen

Rent

View Date: 11/7/09

This was a live production of the student version of this show, performed by a very talented group of teenagers at PCA in Middletown, Delaware. The actors were high school students from across northern Delaware, many of whom were attending high schools for the performing arts. This version was true to the original stage show as far as could be determined, minus one main song.

The talent of the performers was amazing! The kids ranged in age from 14 to 18, and in some cases it was very hard to believe. These kids could really belt out the songs, and their performances were well beyond their years.

PCA itself has been a great find. My daughter and I attended a family night for Halloween where we got to take part in various performing arts sessions. They also have performances throughout the year, such as this show. They will be having many more this year, and I highly recommend trying to attend at least one if you are in the general area. The theater is very small, basically only two rows of chairs with some additional ones brought in if there is room and need. So, if attending a show, get there early and buy the tickets ahead of time if possible.

10 words or less: Go see a show and support the performing arts.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Date: 8/8/09

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a large museum bordering on Fairmount Park in downtown Philadelphia. In all of the years I have lived in the Philadelphia area, this was one museum I had never made it to.

We enjoyed viewing many of the rooms, including modern art, impressionism, and contemporary art. The American art contained a huge glassware selection as well as wonderful pieces of furniture. We got to see a Warhol, a Pollock, and various works by Monet and Renoir. We had some of the most fun with the impressionist pieces, viewing them from both up close and far away. The other area we are still talking about is the section that looked like 3-year-old crayon drawings.

The Art Museum consists of more than just the main building, although this is the only one we got to. There is a Rodin garden, as well as various recastings of Rodin pieces in the main building. At some point I will need to get back to see the areas we missed.

This museum probably isn't the best for kids. My daughter was getting bored and scaring guards by dancing in the exhibit rooms. We also freaked them out quite a bit getting so close to the impressionist works. While I love exposing kids to culture of all forms, this might be best if left until they are older, say around 10.

10 words or less: Up close, lines and dots. Far away, pretty picture.

The Phadelphia Zoo

Visit Date: 7/12/09

The Philadelphia Zoo is the nation's oldest. It tends to be well-known for its great ape exhibits.

I remember loving the Philly Zoo when I was a kid, except we always went with camp on the hottest days of the summer. Since then, my family and I have been to many zoos around the country, and even one internationally. I now find that the Philly Zoo suffers from some of the same problems as other older zoos: the exhibits are still predominated by the older cage style.

Newer zoos were designed to showcase the animals in more natural habitats, sometimes including several species in the same area. Also, zoos such as the Cleveland Metropark Zoo, ensure the animals can be seen at all times throughout the year. The Philly Zoo, as experienced by several members of my family, is severely lacking in this area. Additionally, the zoo recently shipped their elephants to other locations due to lack of funds for improving their exhibit. Unfortunately, this is not being seen as a temporary change. And as my daughter states since she was very young, it's not a zoo without elephants.

That's not to say that everything about this zoo is bad. Several exhibits have been revamped to showcase the animals in more natural environments. The great ape house, which had to be rebuilt due to a fire, is centrally located and a relaxing place to spend some time in the middle of your visit. Likewise for the big cat exhibit, but there are fewer places to sit.

Unfortunately, of all the zoos I have visited, the Philadelphia Zoo isn't near the top of my list. Amazingly enough, the top zoo on my list is Cleveland's, followed closely by the National Zoo in Washington DC. If Philly continues to modernize and naturalize the exhibits, as well as becomes more winter-friendly, my opinion of it may increase.

10 words or less: Disappointing compared to many others.

The Please Touch Museum

For The Please Touch Museum, which we visited on Saturday, I will be sharing my reviewing duties with my almost 7 year old daughter. We went on 6/13/09.

Rae: The first thing I'm going to tell you is Shop Rite I liked the little carts.
Once you get in the museum you can get some tickets to go on the merry-go-round.
There is a center that has McDonald's, where I got a cheeseburger and mom had the tomato. I didn't know that there could be monkey bars in a museum. At the gift shop, I got jacks and silly putty. We got to see the hand and torch of the Statue of Liberty made out of junk.

10 words or less:it was a realy fun place to play at.

Jen: This is an enjoyable children's museum in Philadelphia. The parking is relatively cheap for the city if you purchase a ticket. There is also ample free parking along the road in front of the museum. Everything in the museum, save the fire escapes, can be played with. This is probably one of the few places where children's tickets should be more expensive than adult tickets, but everyone over 1 pays the same price. We went two hours before closing, and it was exactly the right amount of time. Their new location was nice and roomy, and quite beautiful inside and out. Rae really seemed to enjoy herself, and that is what it was all about.

10 words or less: With kids, go at least once.