And the Denver LEGO® KidsFest winner is....

Wait. Did you know...

• approximately 7 LEGO® sets are sold each second?
• LEGO® is the contraction of two Danish words, leg godt, which means "play well"?
• there are about 62 LEGO® bricks for every one of the world's 6 billion inhabitants?

Well now you know. Impress the LEGO® lovers in you life with these bits of interlocking trivia.

So who won 2 free tickets  to LEGO® KidsFest in Denver, taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week?

Stephanie A, come on down! Or at least check your email.

Tickets to KidsFest are selling quickly. Saturday is expected to sell out, both the morning and the afternoon sessions. So click here for event information and to purchase your tickets in advance. Here are the details.

Dates & Sessions:

Friday, April 27
   4 pm - 8:30 pm
Saturday, April 28
   Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm
   Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunday, April 29
   Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm
   Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm
(Note: Each session offers the same exhibits and activities)

Colorado Convention Center
700 14th Street
Denver, CO 8020, www.denverconvention.com

Tickets from $18 - $20, kids 2 and under are free.

Hope to see you and your LEGO® architect/builder there!

Giveaway: Tix to LEGO® KidsFest on April 27 in Denver

Sure, there are perils with LEGO® bricks, especially for grownups and especially in the dark of night (ouch!).

But what kid doesn't love to create, design,  and build with them? What kid hasn't gotten lost for hours on end putting pieces together and taking them apart? And what parent wouldn't be a rock star for bringing said kid to LEGO® KidsFest?

This event is coming to Denver April 27-29, and USFamilyGuide.com and AllThumbsReviews, have 2 tickets to give away to the opening evening, April 27 (4:00 - 8:30 pm) at the Colorado Convention Center.

Simply click to enter. This link is unique to this blog, and your chances of winning are pretty good. Wouldn't you like to bring your son or daughter and save up to $40? We'll notify the winner on April 24.

Comments are closed here, but we hope you enter there.

-- submitted by Lori

Why women love Amy Michelle bags (with discount code)

Subtitle: Why I am carrying a diaper bag even though my youngest is in 3rd grade.

If you want a purse for a busy gal-on-the-go, you buy a purse designed by a busy gal-on-the-go.

I got to know Michelle Herbert in a yoga class. She explained that she and her friend Amy met each other in graduate school. Over dinner one night sans kiddos, Amy was horrified at the disarray of Michelle's bag when she opened it to get something. Michelle explains: 

Think papers, diapers, bottle explosions, food, letters, work documents… all thrown into a black hole. I told Amy that there were only two types of baby bags. Even in the saturated markets of baby products and women handbags I could not find a bag that was organized and functional AS WELL AS sophisticated and elegant. If I wanted organization and function, I had to sacrifice style and elegance; if I went for elegance and sophistication I sacrificed organization and function. Clearly, I was not willing to give up my fashion sense, but the lack of organization was not looking pretty.

Quite simply, we started Amy Michelle to design and manufacture a baby bag to reflect a woman’s style, while accommodating the travel and organizational needs of both baby and mom. Motherhood requires many important sacrifices, but we did not believe choosing a baby bag should be among them.  

That night at dinner we started designing functional and stylish baby bags on a restaurant napkin.

 Their functional yet stylish designs resonate with women everywhere -- including me. Amy Michelle bags have been featured by Franklin-Covey, at Bed Bath & Beyond and Babies R Us. In addition, Amy and Michelle were named emerging entrepreneurs by Sam Walton and honored by American Express for women in business.

Disclosure: Michelle let me select any bag from her collection for purposes of sharing my honest opinion with you. The collection has options for work, travel, and baby. I no longer have babies so I asked Michelle what was the smallest bag that I could fit typical mom stuff in, plus an iPad (which I intend to get one of these days). She steered me toward the New Orleans, which comes in two color swatch options.

You can tell that moms designed these bags because the interior of the bag is a light color so that you can see your stuff against it. On the outside of the bag are three handy pockets for cell phones, keys and, yes, and iPad. On the inside are three pockets in addition to the main chamber, plus two more areas specifically for water bottles, sippy cups, or whatever liquid gets you through the day. One thing that's quite noticeable is that the material used is very lightweight. My shoulders (and my yoga practice) are grateful.

You can also tell that moms designed the website because of the videos that accompany each bag. Let me show you the video for mine (90 seconds):
This bag is reasonably priced at $60.

Michelle and Amy are generous businesswomen. A portion of the profit from each bag goes to help children through the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver.

AND! Amy Michelle is offering AllThumbsReviews readers a 15% discount plus free shipping in the continental US. Enter "poppy" when asked for a coupon code at checkout.

Form and function do indeed go together in Amy Michelle bags. Take a look and I bet you'll agree.

Submitted by Lori and cross-posted on MileHighMamas.com.

Wrap Your Valentine in a Warm Embrace at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

Looking for a Valentine's experience to share with that special someone? Here is a guest post from the folks at the Ritz-Carlton in Bachelor Gulch (Beaver Creek, Colorado). I have not had the pleasure to personally review the experiences listed below, but I can certainly vouch for the Ritz-Carlton Spa in Denver (and I have).

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Whether Cupid is striking for the first time or you are in need of igniting an old-fashioned romance -- The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is the address to make a declaration to your loved one this Valentine’s Day.

From 7’s perfect ‘last minute’ yet romantic house-made après offerings slope-side, including gourmet gift baskets with selections by Dylan’s Candy Bar, themed treats and splits of bubbly from $65 -- to indulgent overnight spa packages or a sumptuous gourmet dinner -- there is no unrivaled setting to set the tone from February 10th through the 14th.

Colorado’s only outpost of Master Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Spago will feature a prix-fixe five-course menu at $95 per person – highlights include savory delicacies such as Spicy Ahi Tartare, Black Truffle Agnolotti, Surf & Turf with Kobe NY Strip and New Zealand Langoustine Tail, a decadent ‘passion’ torte and more. The award-winning venue will also offer its popular seasonal menu.

The Forbes Four Star Bachelor Gulch Spa has enhanced its popular Romance Package by adding a dreamy Rose Petal Drop and Chocolate Covered Strawberries to the 90-minute Close-to-You Massage/Signature Copper Tub Soak and Sparkling Wine or Mimosas for two – at the year-round price of $560. In addition, the Spa has also created the below inspired items to the Valentine’s Day menu:

• Couples Massages - All Couples Massages received during these dates will receive a special amenity valued at $40.(Prices vary based on duration of massage).
• Mini Romance Package – The 110 minute packages includes a 25-Min Couples Massage for Two and Couples Copper Soak - $225 
• The Art of Couples Massage - 90-Minutes - $270

For those who wish to ‘take home’ the essence of The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch to their object of affection, the Spa Boutique has thoughtfully assembled the Valentine's Day Romance Bath Basket for $75. The amorous collection includes Tara "Loving" Massage Oil, "Loving" Bath Oil, two Loofas, a Candle, and Organic Pomegranate & Fig Rose Petal Bath Bubbles. For guests enjoying a rendezvous in-house, the creative expression may be even more special by adding Chocolate Covered Strawberries, a Half-Bottle of Sparkling Wine & a Personal Bath Butler Service for an additional $50.

Finally – nothing says ‘I love you’ like baubles! The Signature Shop will offer 15 percent savings off an array of eye-catching accessories at the Mauri Pioppi Fine Jewelry Trunk Show, February 11 through 13, from 10 am to 7 pm. The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch ensures everyone the perfect way to impress and express their love.

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Happy happy Valentine's Day to you and yours from me and mine.

 -- Submitted by Lori