SPICE UP THAT SUPERBOWL MENU WITH CURRY SERVINGS FROM BROOKLYN’S KING OF TANDOOR

Brooklyn residents looking to spice up their menu servings on Superbowl Sunday, need look no more. Problem solved! King of Tandoor Indian restaurant  is the answer to finding  delicious, affordable bang-for-the-buck Indian cuisine in Brooklyn  when you don’t want to take that trek to Manhattan’s Curry Row.

Nestled right in the heart of Brooklyn,  King of Tandoor  is a cozy spot  offering up some of the best Indian food crownheightsmom has sampled . So if you are a curry lover like myself or you are having a hard time  finding that curry-in-a-hurry spot that’s easy to get to,  then  pop over to the Prospect Lefferts Garden section of Brooklyn –just a hop-skip and jump from Prospect Park, along Flatbush  Avenue and not far from  –Crown Heights, Park Slope, Bed-Sty or  Downtown Brooklyn. Not in the mood to come out, no worries, forego the walk,  pull out the cell phone and dial  them up for delivery.

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The family owned 32-seat  restaurant has been in the neighborhood just over eight years says  Naz who greeted me as I entered  to grab takeout on Friday night.

“Most of our revenue comes from  deliveries,” he says as the phone rang-off-the-hook while offering me a cool delicious glass of mango juice as I waited on my  order.

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A busy evening as Naz takes  yet another phone order

Located in what was once a predominately Caribbean-American neighborhood where the lively sound of soca and reggae music echoes through speakers  of small business  ranging  from —barber shops, Jamaican  bakeries, Korean fruit markets, African hair braiding salons, Dominican bodegas and international fashion shops –the neighborhood is  experiencing a boom in new businesses as high-rise buildings go up  every few months and gentrification prices out many of the moms-and-pops businesses that once lined  the avenue.   These changes  though says Naz,  “is bringing an influx of new families and we are welcoming it.”

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The restaurant  is looking to expand  later this year . “Our kitchen isn’t that big but we have two  persons on every station, ” Naz lets me know  about keeping up with filling orders for seated customers, takeout and delivery .  As customers come in and out of the A-graded restaurant Naz engages them  in small talk and a smile.

King of Tandoor manager Naz
Naz, the manager of King of Tandoor

“We know everyone that comes in or we at least get to know them,”  he adds  as another customer enters the restaurant after jumping out of one of the many Dollar Vans swooping down the  avenue -the sounds of reggae music echoing from the  speakers as the door slams shut. “If ever there is an issue that our customers have, they can talk to us, ” adds Naz . “We love the people in the neighborhood . They are are very friendly and we like that.”

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Adorning the walls of the restaurant are  traditional Indian pictures of palaces in Bombay while the tables are outfitted  with red and white tabletop settings. “We are planning on making the restaurant  bigger so we will be renovating soon, ” he says.

As the winter season gears up Naz says  they are excited. “Winter is one of our best and busiest seasons for deliveries especially Fridays and Saturdays.” In fact when the snow blizzard hit New York City a week ago the restaurant closed just on Friday  but by the next day they were open and filling orders around the clock . They experienced one of their busiest  days of 2016 thus far . “We were very busy, ” says Naz,  adding “the phone rang non-stop with orders and a lot of customers came in.”

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Deliveries and takeout orders come out of the busy kitchen

For  local residents dining and getting takeout  King of Tandoor has become their own little piece of India, especially when they get to chow down on favorites like vegetable samosas and thandoori appetizers or curry specialities like  Vindaloo Curry or Do-Piaz Curry with a choice of lamb, chicken, beef or keema  cooked with  onions and tomatoes in a spice flavored sauce. Washing it down one has  the choice of a soft drink  or a delicious mango drink.

For  one customer  who lives in the neighbor the restaurant is definitely  King! Says Kate who lives nearby. “I have lived in this neighborhood for two years now and it is  just amazing. It is the best Indian food I have  found in Brooklyn thus far.” Kate insist  that  “next to Indian food from restaurants in London, King of Tandoor  on Flatbush Ave takes a close second.”

So spice things up  with a few servings from King of Tandoor as you celebrate 50 years of the big game on Superbowl Sunday . We  certainly will!

Crownheightsmom give Brooklyn’s King of Tandoor  restaurant  opened daily  noon -11pm 7 days a week a rating of 5 out of 5  Serving Spoons for delicious food and great customer service.

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Disclousure : No monies were exchanged for this review.—CrownHeightsMom ordered  her food, picked it up  and paid for it. This review is a result of the food being so darn good! Loved it!

WHY ‘THE BOOK OF JOAN’ FROM MELISSA RIVERS MADE ME CRAZY ABOUT HER MOM JOAN ALL OVER AGAIN……By Debra Lewis-Boothman

WHY ‘THE BOOK OF JOAN’ FROM MELISSA RIVERS MADE ME CRAZY ABOUT HER MOM JOAN ALL OVER AGAIN……By Debra Lewis-Boothman

That was quick! Yup, the lazy days of  summer has begun and with it comes the task of choosing  books that will get  you through lots of hot days by the  pool and at the lake.  I’ve already  planned a weekend  trip to the legendary family-owned bookstore  the  Strand. If I am lucky  I might even bump into  Nancy  who runs the store with her dad Fred.  I haven’t seen Nancy since our kids attended nursery school together.

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I  put my  summer reading  list together weeks ago . It’s an eclectic list ranging from  Chick Lit to memoirs, poetry  books to a few   DIY-ers – learning how to Code and even one on  how to build a doghouse .

In  just a few days  the family and I will  head to Pennsylvania  to officially start our summer vacation. I’ve  made the necessary stops at the library to pick up the  kids’ books for their required summer reading,  With reading materials put on reserve for pickup  our  evenings for  reading are squared away and will be filled with adventures, laughs and visits to far off lands thanks in part to our books.

One title I am looking forward to curling up with  is the Melissa Rivers bestselling  memoir,  ‘The Book of Joan.’

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I’ve had this book a few weeks now but  have held off reading saving it for my summer reading. Having only skimmed over the first chapter I am besides myself to just  dig in and read it all in one non-stop go.

Skimming through the bestseller,
Skimming through the bestseller, “The Book Of Joan” by Melissa Rivers.

After  meeting and  and hearing Melissa speak about her mom at  a  luncheon during  her  NYC  press tour I grew to like her even more than before.  I was even lucky enough to  have my copy of her memoir personally signed by her. So this book  is a define keepsake.

Melissa Rivers signature  in The Book of Joan
Melissa Rivers signed this copy of crownheightsmom’s ‘ Book of Joan’.

Since its release, the book has been climbing the bestseller charts and is  currently sitting on the New York Times,  the Los Angeles Times’ and  USA Todays’ Bestsellers books lists.

A quick sneak peek in  Chapter One  already  has me in stitches.  I can already tell  this is going to be  lots of laughs-out-loud. I am  literally rolling on the floor as Melissa retells events from her life with her mum.  Joan truly shines through each pages and  at every mention .

I am pleased that Melissa was able to take readers into the  world  she shared with her mother,  giving readers a  first class, front row seats into their wacky, funny and  loving family life. I can’t wait to read even more. 

When Melissa arrived  at  the MOMS event  held at Juniper Bar  in Midtown Manhattan,  I half expected to see Joan  following directly behind her.Smiling, she greeted everyone with a wide  smile and  an excited “Hello everybody.”   Dressed in a fun floral swing dress  to the knees and copper pumps she quickly took her seat next to  hosts Denise Albert  and Melissa Musen Gerstein the co-creators of The MOMS . The trio  chatted about everything Joan and family life.

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I left the event feeling that Melissa Rivers   is funny as hell. It was  clearly visible  how alike in personalities she and mom Joan really are.

Writing the book gave me permission to laugh.-—Melissa Rivers

Melissa looked happy and  everyone present noticed it. It  was good to see that  8 months after her mother’s passing the single mom was   looking healthy and happy.

“I don’t come from a family where you sit in a puddle and fall apart,” Rivers said off the bat in  dealing with the loss of her mum,  Joan’s death in 2014 she says plainly, ” You get up and you go forward.”

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Denise Albert [L],Melissa Rivers and Melissa Musen Gerstein [R] chat about Joan Rivers.

Readers  will come away knowing  how kind  my mother was and how real she was.”  – Melissa Rivers

Melissa Rivers poses with mom bloggers  in NYC

Melissa Rivers poses with The MOMS, CrownHeightsMom and other mom bloggers at Juniper Bar in NYC

After Joan was buried  Melissa  jumped head first into writing her memoir. Thanks to  her editor whom she she recalled meeting  the day  of the funeral when, as Melissa tells the  story  “this lady walked up to me extended her condolences   and proceeded  to kindly place a business card  into my hands.”  The rest is history – the result a well written and  oh so funny memoir  that will make Joan proud.

CrownHeigthsMom posing with Melissa Rivers
Melissa Rivers and Debra Lewis-Boothman

This  book  gives you a moment to laugh.”–Melissa Rivers

Writing the book say Melissa  brought comfort as well as a flurry of emotions– joy and tears. “I sat for a few hours every day  and a couple of times every week with my writing partner and I remembered funny stories and it allowed me to laugh. It gave me permission where nobody can judge me. It’s a funny book.Writing the book gave me permission to laugh.  Melissa  adds that these feelings and memories  spawned a bigger mission for her—preserving her mother’s legacy.

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On June 8  the GRAMMY Museum debuted its latest exhibit, Joan Rivers: Can We Talk?  to commemorate the comedian’s life . Joan won a posthumous Grammy in February for Best Spoken Word  for her  Diary of a Mad Diva. The current Grammy exhibit  showcases various stage costumes worn by  Joan during her career. It  also features family  photos, her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star award,  her hardcover book collection- including several of her New York Times bestsellers, the 1984 Harvard Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year Award,  her 1990 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host and  one of her  Louis Vuitton travel trunks. The exhibit runs  through September 20th.

Going it alone  without both parents, Melissa says she misses them (her dad  passed away when she was almost  18) but,  she has kept going for her only child,  Cooper 14. “Having kids changes the dynamics of how you get through grief”  says Melissa . “You get up and you move forward,” she says,  adding, “That is how we have lived our whole live. There are days  that are angry days, some  that are painful days  and that’s fine. ” Adds the proud mom,   “My son needs to see that there is light at the end of every tunnel. Yes, there are days that are horrible and it sucks, but we are going through it.  The example has to be that life continues and it does. That is what your parents would want you to show your children.”

Joan and Melissa Rivers
Melissa Rivers and her mom Joan Rivers

 “There was such a realness to our relationship [ it ] that everyone could see a little bit of themselves.”-Melissa Rivers on  the relationship she shared with mum Joan.

On working with her mum for so long.  Melissa says,  ” In creating a career with my mom, it was hard and it was difficult and it was frustrating.   It was coming to peace and terms with a lot of certain  things and understanding that  there  are preconceived notions,” she notes, adding,” For me it was having to work harder than everybody  else to prove that I am  my  own person.”

Coming  from a showbiz family she says of going into the biz.”If you are going where your parents went and your parents were  successful, you are going to have to work harder. You might get the interview but you are not going to get the job because of it.”   If you get the job everybody will say you only got it because of your parents, so you have to work ten times harder just to be considered to be  as good as everybody else and  you know that  and it doesn’t make it fair and it doesn’t make it less frustrating.

“We never let her drive! The worst words to hear at home from my mom was, ‘Melissa get in the car!'”-Melissa Rivers  on mom Joan’s driving.

Melissa admits that growing up as the daughter of Joan Rivers wasn’t easy. “I wrestled  control over  certain things by the time I was 17.”  In facts she  says, “We never let her drive! The worst words to hear at home from my mom was, ‘Melissa get in the car'”. Other things say Melissa  included Joan hiding money around the house.  ” She was also not good with her Blackberry and she could not deal with the iPhone, at all,”adds Melissa.

Writing the book  made it ok to laugh and  ok to say we are all a little crazy.”—Melissa Rivers

Melissa says she hopes  that the  take away from reading “The Book of Joan” will be that, “readers  will come away knowing  how kind  my mother was and how real she was.”  She adds that she  hopes that it gives readers  a moment to stop and laugh. ” About  that  special thing her and mom  Joan shared she says, “What resonated  with us is that people related  to us. Everyone could see a little bit of themselves with us and admitted it was ok to laugh.My mother’s personality was so big and she was so well known and was such a character you are hearing about it in her voice but from my point of view, which is different from her point of view. ”

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I want  people to know that even though our lives were crazy we took  moments to laugh.- Melissa Rivers

Moms are  big fans of Melissa Rivers' new  memoir
Mom bloggers Nichol[L] and Nilsa[R] deciding on who will get this copy.
“I want people to know how kind my mother was and how real she was and that even though our lives were crazy we took  moments to laugh.

“One of the things that always resonated with  my business partnership with my mother and our performing together and her being her and me  being me is that people related to us because of the  mother  daughter relationship.  There was such a realness to  it that everyone could see a little bit of themselves. It made it ok to laugh and say ok, we are all a little crazy,” says the Fashion Police co-host.

If you would like your own copy of Melissa River’s memoir “The Book Of Joan” you can grab it at the  Strand Bookstore  in NYC or at  their website here.

EMOTIONS GONE WILD? NOT REALLY! JOY AND SADNESS GET TO WORK HARMONIOUSLY TO SAVE THE DAY IN PIXAR’S ‘INSIDE OUT’…….by Debra Lewis-Boothman

EMOTIONS GONE WILD? NOT REALLY!  JOY AND SADNESS GET TO WORK HARMONIOUSLY TO SAVE THE DAY IN PIXAR’S ‘INSIDE OUT’…….by Debra Lewis-Boothman
The emotional character  from Pixar's "Inside Out"
Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Bill Hader), Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith)

While sitting inside the Dolby Screening Room at a recent MOMS screening of Disney  Pixar’s animated  movie ‘Inside Out‘ three pairs of eyes looked over at me to see if I was crying. I had taken my 9-year old daughter, Kameko,  my 7-year old son  Kai and  his friend Lexi Anne  also 7,  along to the screening.

Three cute NYC kids attending Pixar's 'Inside Out'
Lexi Anne 7, Kai 7 and Kameko 9 are over-the-moon happy after seeing the MOMS’ screening of “Inside Out”at the Dolby Screening Room on June 12

At a particular point in the movie Kai and Lexi Anne began whispering to each .I then noticed that they were staring intently at me to see if I had tears streaming down.  I quickly said  before they could  say anything, “Hey, guys  are those tears I see in YOUR eyes? ” They  each quickly  replied  “No”, with Kai admitting soon after with, “Oh just a little. That was a sad part.”  I in turn replied, “Yes that was a sad part and I did cry just  a little.”  My daughter Kameko hearing our whispers  chose then to announce matter-of-factly,  with Kai in the background nodding,  “Mommy cries a lot at  movies. She likes to let her  feelings out. She also cried  during  [Rihanna’s movie] Home, and at [ Michael Rapaport’s] Little Boy.

” Shhh, don’t tell anyone, I say to Kameko as Lexi Anne looks on and a mom  sitting in earshot  turns around and  smiles at me.

I learned then that kids are always  paying full  attention  and  especially taking in  our  emotions. Yup,  my kids are definitely  paying attention to mine.Which gets me back to Inside Out.

Screeing Pixar's 'Inside Out" at  NYC's Dolby Screening Room
Kameko, LexiAnne and Kai catching up on kids stuff before watching Inside Out at the Dolby Screening Room on June 12

I truly enjoyed this film  and so did the  kids. They have already asked to see it again  and I have promised a movie night  over the summer break. I  definitely see it becoming one of  our Pixar family faves the same way,  Toy Story and  Wall-E has become.  I also already know that this movie  including   all  its   merchandising products will be on their Xmas lists this year.

About the movie if you haven’t seen it  yet. The movie  centers around  pre-teen Riley, an 11-year-old girl  who is uprooted from  her Midwest home and  life as she knows it -to  now reside in the urban city  landscape of San Francisco  when her dad takes a new job  transplanting the family almost 2,000 miles away.

For Riley this couldn’t come at a worst life stage- the pre-teen years – a ball of emotions . Her  feelings of being taken away  from life-long friends, from ice-hockey games on the lake — to now being the new kid having  to make  new friends  and at a new school .Overwhelming? To her , it’s  the end of the world.

But  this is where it gets interestingYes , Inside Out is about  11-year-old  Riley, but behind the  scenes the real stars that take center stage are her emotions that are wrecking havoc in her brain — enter the five brightly colored characters  that represent  joy, sadness, anger, fear and disgust . Riley’s emotions.

Disgust, Fear, Joy, Sadness and Anger are 'Inside Out' star emotions

These  five conflicting emotions literally take over the pre-teen’s   life as she attempts to try to fit in to her new surroundings but her emotional “headquarters ” where these five characters reside  is  full of non stop activity.  Joy ( voice of  Poehler ) the mother hen, leader and voice of reason  tries to keep Riley happy  and positive  while the other emotions  each vying to be the “top-dog emotion ” to dominate Riley’s inner life, they just seem to complicate matters  sending everything into a tailspin and  lending to a movie that is  laugh-out-loud, funny, exciting, colorful and splashed with traces of  sadness  mixed in.

It will definitely  be a walk down  childhood’s memory lane and filled with nostalgia for most adults .

Seeming to be at  the forefront though is the  message that sadness and joy can  work hand in hand for an  outcome of happiness and  good. In reality,  we do  go through sadness or loss in order to encounter happiness at the end of the rainbow. This message though,  might go over kids’ heads  as they are watching the movie with it brightly colored and cute as ever characters. So the take-away lesson  of,  “it may take sadness before you get happy” may be a bit too much for them to take in –older ones will get it – but  this  is one  of the messages I found  to  be recurring.

Actor Bill Hader talks to The MOMS about  loving 'Bing Bong"
Bill Hader (Fear) popped in for a super fast chat with the MOMS.

Stopping by just before the  start   of the screening for a quick Q&A with  the MOMS’ co-creators, Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein  was actor   Bill Hader. The actor  plays the voice of Fear in the movie.

Bill Hader is that Guy! He is Fear--some
Bill Hader tell PEOPLE Magazine he “kinda stalked” Pixar execs to play the role of FEAR

Speaking to the  kids Hader  says , “When you see Fear come in , thats my voice, ” adding  “Do you know that this ( movie)  is from the same guys that made “Toy Story ” and “Monsters Inc” and “Up?”

On how he snagged  his  role  Hader  recently told PEOPLE he “stalked” Pixar  execs . He did say at the screening, “I was such a fan of  Pixar [their] movies that I went to where they worked and I asked, ‘Can you please put me in one if your movies’.  I wouldn’t leave  and now because of my persistence, I play Fear in the movie.”

The actor also told the kids that he’s done some other well known kid movies. ” I have been in  “Cloudy and  a Chance of Meatballs,” I played Lachlan,” he says.

On his favorite character in  the  movie  and no,  it is not his character! Hader declares,  “My favorite character is a character  by the name of Bing Bong.”   Adds the former SNL star,  “When Bing Bong shows up just brace yourselves. He’s the  best character in the movie!”

Actor Richard Kind plays Bing Bong who cries candy tears.
Actor Bill Hader says he is a huge fan of Bing Bong played by actor Richard Kind.

The movie took a few years to make .  ” It took five years . I’m not kidding,  says Hader of the  making of Inside Out.  Adds Hader, “Back in 2011, I went to Pixar and I started recording with Amy Poehler who plays Joy  and Mindy Palin who play Disgust and  others. So five years  of recording.  That’s how long it takes to make one of these movies.”

To finally see it  Hader says, “It is a beautiful, beautiful film and we are so happy.”  Say  the  father of three,  “The  cast and film-makers all got to see the finished product three months ago. We all went to Skywalker Ranch, that’s George Lucas’ ranch where all the  Star Wars stuff is.  We  got to watch the movie in a  room(screening room)  like this and we were laughing and crying.”

Yes the movie will make you laugh and  cry.

I recommend that  families go together to see Inside Out. I loved that the movie in a special way lets   both children and adults know feelings of   joy, sadness, anger disgust, or even fear do work harmoniously  together inside of us .

The kids gives their ratings. Inside Out  gets  5 out of 5 POPCORN STARS!  imgres. imgresimgresimgresimgres

The kids summed up their feelings in this  pic below:

'LOVE it" -How kids feel about 'Inside Out.'
The kids say this pic represents their feeling about ‘Inside Out.’ They “LOVED” it!

Also read  what they  had to say about  the movie  below:

I loved that sadness and joy worked as a team even though they are opposites— KAMEKO, 9

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Anger always made me laugh…KAI, 7

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I loved that Joy was alway happy and never gave up on Riley and holding on to her happy memories.–KAMEKO, 9

Joy  is always happy. I like when people are happy. LEXI ANNE, 7

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Even though Sadness is always sad, she has courage.–KAI, 7

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It was a very emotional movie and it was about emotions.  It actually made me feel sad at some places.—-KAI, 7

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 My favorite part of the movie was when Riley was a little girl and she had an imaginary friend named Bing Bong.   I liked how Riley made up a song about her imaginary friend.—LEXI  ANNE, 7

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Bing Bong is Riley’s imaginary friend from her early childhood. He’s a mix of an elephant, a cat, cotton candy and can squeal like a dolphin.

The Lyrics to Riley’s  and Bing Bong’s  song….

Who’s your friend who likes to play?

Bing Bong, Bing Bong

His rocket makes you want to yell hooray

Bing Bong, Bing Bong

Who’s the best at every way, and wants to sing this song to say

Bing Bong, Bing BONG!

Check out the trailer below and go see ‘Inside Out’ at your  nearest movie theater in your city ,See Fandango for listings

CINDERELLA PERFORMED LIKE A QUEEN AT THE BOX OFFICE!…..BY DEBRA LEWIS-BOOTHMAN

CINDERELLA PERFORMED LIKE A QUEEN AT THE BOX OFFICE!…..BY DEBRA LEWIS-BOOTHMAN

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I like the Cinderella movie because it was romantic—–Kameko, 8

Jumping on that iron horse aka a NYC subway train  oftentimes can be a hit or miss  most days, thus  the case last Tuesday when the  kids and I headed from Brooklyn  into the city to catch a screening of the  beauty  of all fairy tales, Cinderella.

Getting to the screening took great effort,  for we almost didn’t make it on time to Times Square’s  Regal E-Walk  Theater   due to an MTA power outage on our subway line. In addition there was a  thundering rainstorm happening but hail, nor rain, could hinder crownheightsmom from getting her kids   to the scheduled 5:15pm  MOMS and Oral-B and Crest sponsored  special Disney Studios screening  of Cinderella which was preceded by  the Frozen movie short  Frozen Fever . The sneak peek, a prime teaser to  the  sequel of  the 2012 worldwide hit.

The gang from Frozen return in Frozen Fever
The gang from Frozen returns in Frozen Fever

 

Stuck underground  on an F train  at York Street  I had to make a decision what  to do. Should we stay or should we go . When the conductor finally announced that all  A, C  and F  trains were going to be at  a standstill and backed up  due to a power outage at the World Trade Center stop in Manhattan.that was it for me.

F train
F train

 

Trying not to panic as the time slipped  closer and closer to the movie start  hour  we are still in Brooklyn  trying to get to Manhattan.  The  kids, especially my 8-year-old daughter  starts  to get  worried we will miss the screening entirely. I ask ‘should we just  go  home, forego the trip to  the city. I  automatically get a resounding “NO”  from them both.”

The glass slippers every little girl dreams about  from her prince
The glass slippers every little girl dreams about

Putting on my supermom hat I took their hands and we  join the mass exodus of straphangers exiting the subway station  to the  street in search of the nearest subway line..  Finding the  R train we jump on with what seems like  hundreds of people .

Packed  train we jumped into
Packed train we jumped into

We  would take this R  to Canal Street where we transferred  to  the Q Express to 42nd Street Times Square where  the  theater  is located.

 

Regal E-Walk in Times Square NYC
Regal E-Walk in Times Square NYC

.Reaching the Regal E-walk  theater  after 6:30pm we are overjoyed and happy to hear that we didn’t miss the  screening and  that it was going to start at 7pm. With some free time before the screening  I headed  to security  to give my cellphone in as no mobiles phones, or tablets or ipads  of any sort  were allowed into the screening room. . We also  picked up  our  free popcorn and water  from the concession stand and were   just in time to  see the  presentation of the  new Disney Magic Timer app by  co-sponsors Oral-B and Crest  as seen below in this new ad with actress Kristen Bell.

Pics below  from event courtesy of the MOMS

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Crest and Oral-B’s Frozen Fever Toothpaste and Toothbrushes
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The little princesses and princes getto see how the Disney Timer app works…..they will love to brush!
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Crest & Oral -B Frozen Fever dental products are presently available in stores
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Princess Alert: The MOMS co-creators Melissa [L] and Denise [R].

If new live-action remakes of classic fairy tales  are the future for family movies then I want more of them, especially if they are  anything like the new Cinderella movie.

 

-I liked the movie  because it”s  about a girl who was once happy,  then her life became sad when her mommy and daddy died, then  her life  got better and she was happy again.. My favorite part was when she married the prince because it was a happy  ending —-Kai, 7.

 

A whopping $70.05 mil at the box office is what  was raked in by the new Cinderella movie this weekend says Box Office Mojo. The count comes after  receipts were tallied at   3, 845 movie theater locations nationwide  playing the newly  revamped children’s classic. See the US trailer below.

I am really happy I decided to defeat the odds and go to this wonderful remake on March 10 with my two small children. For those parents reading this believe me,  you are in for a great  treat. This release promises a great update to  the  Disney classic most are familiar with  replacing  the cartoon characters for  live action ones who are not only  beautiful but have great screen presence.

 

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Even the wicked stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her spoiled daughters hold presence on screen.

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My 8 year old daughter and my 7 year old son reviewed the movie. Dressed  up for the occasion Kai  donning a bow tie while Kameko who has outgrown her two Cinderella dresses chose an old Hollywoodesque  style dress for the occasion topped with her  30’s style  netted pillbox hat.

Out of 5 Popcorn Stars……….. Kameko  and Kai  gives  Cinderella  5 STARS  for being romantic and being about love, kindness  and forgiveness.

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Says 8-year old Kameko  .”I thought the Cinderella movie  was very romantic . It was sad to see her parents die though and compared to  the other Cinderella’s  like the cartoon an in the book I have read  they  have never said how her mum and dad died so it was kinda ok to know how that happened in this movie.

 

The happy dance
“We are so happy Mommy. Thanks for taking us to the screening,” as they  break out  in a happy dance.

 

Kameko, 8- I felt that the Prince and Cinderella were a perfect match!

 

The effect of the movie on them.
The effect of the movie on them.

 

Still dancing in the aisles  and singing the catchphrase song  from the movie “Lavender’s Blue” (Dilly, Dilly)  my two little ones and I head out  for home content and happy  after retrieving our cell phones from security. It is now 9:30pm and as we head to the subway we are hoping that the MTA ha,s by this tim,e   gotten the train service in order.

If you too enjoyed Cinderella’s beautiful song  “Lavender’s Blue (Dilly Dilly)”  here it is for you.

By Debra Lewis-Boothman

HOW NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK REKINDLED THE LOVE AT AN INTIMATE NYC CONCERT THAT HAD ALL THE RIGHT STUFF…..by Debra Lewis-Boothman

NKOTB
NKOTB

Valentines Day came twice  for me this year.  Well it felt  like it did. Can you  imagine my surprise when I received an invitation from Cottonelle  to join them alongside the  MOMS   to participate in their  #Go Cottonelle Go Commando  launch concert with  the New Kids On The Block  Feb 15 at New York City’s Gramercy Theater. Yes, you heard correctly NKOTB are back!

NKOTB join forces with Cottonelle
NKOTB join forces with Cottonelle

 

I can go into my garage today and pull out  stored   magazine clippings, posters  and memorabilia  of  my boy band love-fest through the years  including those of NKOTB, NEW EDITION, NSYNC‘  BACKSTREET BOYS,  BOYS II MEN  and 98 Degrees . These boys all shared a special place in my heart during my youth, helping to define,  with their music,  who I am today.

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Boy Bands of the 80s and 90s

 

I can remember conversations  in high school  like ‘ Oh my Gawd Jordan’s hair and ‘Oh my gawd….Joey’s voice.’  So to be invited to meet  the KIDS-Donnie, Jordan, Joey, Jonathan, and Danny- shaking hands, exchanging plesantries,  getting hugs and even a compliment from Joe on my metal  spiked  dress was mind blowing. Actually, just  seeing them as grown-ups was surreal enough to  make me feel like I’d  never grown up and was  literally thrown back into  the vortex of the  late 80s fawning over  hot boy band cuties .

Crownheightsmom gets to hang tough with  NKOTB at Gramercy Theater
Crownheightsmom gets to hang tough with NKOTB at Gramercy Theater

 

The boys didn’t disappoint singing many fan favorites that had the ladies swooning.

NKOTB takes over NYC Gramercy Theater for Cottonelle #GoCommando launch concert
The Boys Are Back In Town: NKOTB takes over NYC ‘s Gramercy Theater for Cottonelle #GoCommando launch concert

 

The boys all still  have the right moves . Yes, they can still  bust a move. They each  exude  charisma and  their  voices still make the  girls swoon.   The  now matured “Kids”  are also  very good at  they self described  “soft talk.” .  Yup, you heard  right the boys took  time to   talk to their fans to explain why some of their favorite  songs didnt make it onto albums and to even listen to a fan share  how their music helped saved a friendship .  Soft talk with the boys   feels so good.

The crowd goes wild for NKOTB.
The crowd goes wild for NKOTB.

It was great seeing so many Blockheads fans in  the  house holding it down  for the boys. Fans whom have  stood behinds the Kids since the 80’s. Coming  out in droves to Gramercy Theater defying the negative  degree  temperatures showed the boys that this was true love, and just for them .

Joey and his voice comes into the crowd. He captivates
Joey and his voice comes into the crowd. He captivates

 

There is nothing like taking a ride down memory lane . NKOTB’s   performed “The Right Stuff,”   “My Favorite Girl,”  “I’ll Be Loving You Forever,” and “Over Girl.” Yes the boys reached into the vault performing crowd favorites.

NKOTB Hangin Tough circa 1988
NKOTB Hangin Tough circa 1988

Though now older mature studs the “boys” still exude  adorable boyish qualities. Hello Joe!

The right stuff indeed!
The right stuff indeed!

 

Cottonelle’s #GoCommando photo booth was crazy fun. My sister Sandra and I could not get in enough selfie poses. Posing in the booth with Melissa Musen Gerstein, Brianne Manz and others was crazy fun.   .

Charlie's Angels have nothing on us moms

Charlie’s Angels have nothing on us moms

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Striking up a GoCommando pose with Sandra
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Sharing a pic with my sister in the Cottonelle photo booth

 

Girls having fun!
Girls just want to have fun!

Overall  the NKOTB knocked it out of the ballpark with their concert. I am going to  continue to #GoCommando with Cottonelle . In fact you can head over to the  website if you would like to take the GoCommando challenge.  Grab  Cottonelle at your local supermarket it has Clean Ripple texture to get you clean, giving you all the confidence you need to Go Commando. Dare a friend to Go Commando and Cottonelle will send you and your friend a personalized commando kit with a free sample.

Keep up with NKOTB on their website and on their new reality show Rock This Boat on the TV Guide Channel Network.