Finally, follow the show on Facebook and Twitter for a chance to win more prizes from American Dream Builders and Lowe’s!
- Get an extended look at American Dream Builders, the new makeover competition show hosted by Nate Berkus on NBC at 8/7c on Sundays. 
      - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj_cMuM_qTY 
• Dreaming Big 
      - American Dream Builders is bigger and better than any show out there. See what the show’s designers can accomplish in just one week! 
      - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Z0c0MijJo
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Comment with your personal “Dream Home Makeover” idea, for an extra entry.

On Wednesday we were invited on a wonderful backstage tour of the Detroit Shrine Circus for opening night. I brought along my 2 daughters and my friend, photographer at Lasting Touch Photography, and her daughter. When we arrived I could not believe how big the tents are, but how close to the action the seats are. If you are looking for the best seats in the house pick either section 1 or 7.

Photo by Lasting Touch Photography

First we met the ringmaster, Richard Curtis. He married into the circus life 17 years ago. He told us about how they hand lace up the tent canvas and that it usually takes a couple days to set up everything. They have about 30-50 workers in their crew. Then he showed us where they bring in all the props from backstage. Next he showed us the barns for the tigers & elephants. My youngest was excited to hear the tigers making noise. He told us about how in their travels throughout the US & Canada that they like to take breaks at different ranches along the way to let the animals roam around & take it easy for a few days. Then we snapped a quick photo with him before he had to head back to work.

Piolita & Christian

As we learned many of the performers do multiple acts & have more than one job in the show. We met Piolita the clown & his 13 year old son, Christian, a 6th generation clown, doing face painting before the show. In the show not only did they clown around between acts but they also rode unicycles & played musical instruments. Christian said his favorite parts of the circus are bike riding, face painting, & interacting with all the children. Christian is home schooled and his favorite subject is writing.

Petting zoo

There is plenty to do before the show starts, so get there early. There is a Moon bounce with slide. There are elephant & camel rides. Our girls loved to feed & pet the animals at the petting zoo area. And of course grab some yummy fair food & Faygo pop. 

Photo by Lasting Touch Photography

We had the opportunity to check out clown alley & interview a clown named, Fuzz-e. He is a volunteer who uses his vacation days to be a clown at the circus. He was so friendly & outgoing because as he said, he never met a stranger in his life. Any Shriner can be a clown. There are four classifications of Shrine clowns. "Whiteface," which is a classic European clown; "Auguste," which has variations of pink, red, or tan rather than white and wears a well-fitted costume or one that is baggy; "Character," which is typified by Red Skelton, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplain; and "Tramp," which includes the hobo clown.

Photo by Lasting Touch Photography

We had a great time watching all of the acts, which included a tiger jumping through a hoop of fire, the girls twirling around on scarves, the guys jumping on & off of horses, the elephants, the tight rope walkers, & more. They played popular songs during the acts like "Timber", "Happy", & "Let it go". My daughters enjoyed singing along.

Photo by Lasting Touch Photography

Make sure you stay until the very end of the show when all the performers come back out & walk around the ring. I think they deserve a standing ovation for such a magical show.

click on photos to enlarge

To find out more about the circus read our previous stories:
http://momamongchaos.blogspot.com/2014/03/detroit-shrine-circus.html
http://momamongchaos.blogspot.com/2014/03/more-shrine-circus-discount-and-ticket.html
Tickets for this weekend start at $12. For show times and ticket information, visit: https://www.detroitshrinecircustickets.com/Attractions.ashx

Saturday night my youngest came down with the stomach flu.  We were up all night holding her hair and cleaning carpet because she missed the garbage can next to her bed.  Keira is sensitive to dairy, so at first I just thought she had too much dairy that day.

The next night my husband ended up with it.  He was acting like he was dying.  He was moaning and groaning, so I had the bright idea of going to have a slumber party with Faith.  I had been asleep about an hour when hers started.  So now, we had three down with it.

I had to put my Super Mommy cape on and clean up after three incredibly sick people, while fighting exhaustion.  I was up for the challenge because this is when I shine.  I love to take care of people.

By Tuesday, they all were still not feeling well.  I decide since hubby was home that I would go hang at Target.  I need to go pick up Frozen anyways.  So, I gallantly trotted through Target while sipping Starbucks as slow as possible.  Ignoring the fatigue and back pain.  I wasn't ready to go back.
Do you like how I inserted the Jaws music?  Yes, I was heading back to the infested shark tank.

I was seriously losing it, but had to laugh about it.  You can choose to laugh or you can choose to cry.  Matt was cracking me up.  You would think he hit the lottery with the stomach flu.  Between bathroom trips, I could hear the scale dinging.  Really?  You feel like death and getting on the scale is so important?

You see we are going to our time share in Florida in less than two weeks.  So, we were in a time crunch to shed our last few pounds.

So, his enthusiasm was cracking me right up.

The youngest had already been sick a few days and still couldn't keep anything down.  I ended up rushing her to urgent care.  They gave her these magical little pills to get rid of nausea and vomiting.  They told me they gave me way to0 many.   I was feeling kind of odd and just started praying that I didn't get it while sitting at urgent care.

Later that night, I came down with it.  I took one of my daughters pills and didn't end up hurling but had other issues.  I had secretly made fun of my oldest daughter and Matt for acting like they were dying.  My daughter kept on yelling, "Dial 911, I am dying".

Ugh, I had to eat my words.  I seriously felt like I was going to die.  The body aches were intense.  For 24 hours I was out of it.

I survived.  I felt Gloria Gaynor playing in my head.  I had come out victorious.  Yep, 5 pounds gone and I could see all of my hard earned muscle.
My youngest didn't have it quite so easy.  She has been ill for a whole week.  Finally, she is starting to feel better and get back to her feisty self.

It's time for a Crystal disclosure.  Yes, some of the weight came right back because you know I had to eat and drink to survive.  But my muscles are still peeking through.  Florida, here comes Mommy's muscles.  I crack myself up.

• Rick Wallenda, “The World Famous Wallendas”: The grandson of Karl Wallenda will return with  the great daredevil tradition on the high wire. One of the famous circus families of all time, the Wallendas have thrilled Detroiters with aerial mastery for years. Rick Wallenda has performed worldwide throughout his 40-year career, and on more than one occasion participated in recreating his family’s classic seven-person pyramid. As the family patriarch, he leads this troupe to each destination as his grandfather once led the original group.

• Juergen and Judit Nerger: Expert trainers of tigers and bears for more than 30 years, Juergen and Judit Nerger have worked under some of the most famous wild animal trainers in Europe, including Oscar Sperluch, Ursula Boettcher, and Francesco Capril. The Nergers have worked with the German State Circus in Eastern Germany and Russia, and with the Circus Probst in Germany, Austria, Poland and France. They won first prize in the 1996 Massy Festival in France. In 2000 and 2001 the Nergers were featured in the Russian State Circus in Holland, Belgium and Germany.
• Erika Zerbini: A ninth generation circus performer, Erika Zerbini has thrilled Detroit audiences in the past with her elegant exhibition of equestrian artistry. At 27 years old, Ms. Zerbini is one of the youngest and most talented liberty horse and elephant trainers in the world. Her parents, Tarzan Zerbini, world famous lion and tiger trainer, and Lisi Bauer, aerialist on trapeze and sway poles, have nurtured their daughter’s love of animals and natural grace. 

• The Dragomir Troupe: Established in 1996 by the State Circus of Bucharest, by Nicu Dragomir, third-generation Romanian circus performer, the Dragomir Troupe performs the teeterboard and Perch Pole. The high-flying teeterboard group of eight acrobats feature two gymnasts who are catapulted to heights of more than 20 feet. The troupe received first place at the Holland Circus Festival in 2004, second place at the Circus Festival in Massy, France and second at Spain’s Mondial Circus Festival. The troupe also performs a perch pole act.

• Robert and Gabriella Zerbini: Robert Zerbini, cousin of the Detroit Shrine Circus producer Tarzan Zerbini, came to the United States in 1967 as a bareback horse rider. He was trained in Europe in nearly all of the circus disciplines and together with  wife Gabriella Alexis brings a sword balancing, juggling, and trapeze act to Detroit. Gabriella received the gold medal at the International Circus Competition in Mexico City. The sword balancing and juggling, in pirate attire, are new to this Zerbini act. 

The "mini-me" clowns in the photo are Piolita's children.

• Piolita the clown: The Argentinian Videla family presents a classic European-style clown, Piolita, in an audience-engaging, hilarious display of clowning. The show includes Piolita’s “mini-me” sons and a family unicycle act featuring wife Guillermina. Piolita and Guillermina also work behind the scenes as circus choreographers.
• Richard Curtis: In the spotlight and behind the scenes, Richard Curtis is the glue that keeps the Zerbini circus together. A decorated veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served in the Persian Gulf War, Curtis has developed into one of the most sought-after ringmasters in North America. His varied professional musical and theatrical experiences range from a rhythm and blues band to musical theater and illusionist. Curtis travels with wife Kimberly, who is developing a dog act, and three children, training to ride motorcycles in a globe routine. 
• Moslem Shriners Clown Unit: Led this year by Ron Buckner (a.k.a. Sunshine), the famous Detroit Shrine Circus clowns will offer the traditional balloon dash to open the circus and an original skit during the show. The Detroit unit was the first Shrine clown group to have an act in the center ring of a circus and remain among the leading clown units in the nation. These clowns not only give their time throughout this circus, but also perform at the Shrine Circus in Flint and Toledo, as well as visit schools and other events.

The circus is a family affair. Several members of the troupe bring their children, who are homeschooled, on the road. Richard Curtis, the ringmaster, takes a particular interest in homeschooling his young ones. 
Take your family to the Detroit Shrine Circus.
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I am very picky when it comes to skin care.  I grew up with terrible skin.  I spent most of my teen years and early 20s battling acne.  It wasn't until I visited a dermatologist that I discovered I had been treating it wrong.  I ended up having cystic acne and Rosacea.  I finally found a way to keep my skin reasonably clear with the help of a dermatologist.  I use products with a high percentage of glycol acid, salicylic acid, and throw in some chemical peels for good measure.

I'm always wary about trying new products due to the fact that I now have clear skin and I don't want to disrupt it. I love #BzzAgent though, so I agreed to try it.

The first thing I noticed about the product was that it was soothing.  My face didn't burn, but felt soothed when I used this product.

So, what is BHA you ask?  According to Paula's Choice, BHA is salicylic acid.  Salicylic acid is a great at exfoliating and reducing inflammation.  Also, it is great on any type of skin.

Here is the link to watch the video on Paula's Choice Skin Perfection 2% BHA Liquid.

If you don't have a beauty regiment, I recommend checking this out.  Paula's Choice products have great reviews based on Beautypedia.  Also, the products are affordable and include all skin types.  

Would I buy Paula's Choice?  If I didn't have something that already worked for me I would consider giving it a try.  I have heard wonderful comments from people I know that use it.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Majestical necklaces

Majestical is a high fashion online only jewelry store specializing in handmade jewelry and statement pieces. We add new pieces all the time. All of our pieces are really stunning, so you can rest assured when you order, what arrives will be gorgeous!
When you sign up your email address at www.majestical.com you get $15 off your first order of $55 or more. Get free shipping on orders over $49.99. There are several sale priced items under $11 each. These would make great gifts. Or treat yourself to a little bling. You deserve it. 
All Majestical orders come with a free signature, soft, satin gift pouch. It will be an exciting piece of dazzle that comes quickly in the mail. We know you will be excited when it arrives! This will also give you the perfect and safest place to store your new jewelry. This makes giving Majestical Jewelry as a gift easy too. It is already presented beautifully and you can ship it straight to the recipient!
Mom Among Chaos has an earring giveaway exclusively for our readers.
Enter to win in the form below. USA only. Ends 3/27/14.

TORTOISE SHELL HOOP EARRINGS - $9 value

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Welcome to the NutriBullet Giveaway!

Hosted by: Savory Savings & Gloriously Green Gal

Co-hosted by:  Ramblings of Mama and Dividing by Zero

Sponsored by: NutriBullet

Finding ways to maximize healthy nutrients can be hard!  While juicing is one of the most common ways for people trying to increase nutrient exposure, there is a better way!  Just think, when you use a juicer, pretty much any part of the produce that contains fiber gets left behind – so why can’t you use that?  The NutriBullet system does just that!  This amazing system breaks down your ingredients and ensures you can get your vitamins and nutrients!  Krista over at Savory Savings had the chance to review the NutriBullet system and share her thoughts and a delicious Green NutriBlast recipe – be sure to check it out!
How would you like to win the a NutriBullet system for yourself and start making delicious and healthy NutriBlasts?  If so, enter with the Giveaway Tools below!   This giveaway is open to US residents, ages 18 and older.  It will run from March 13, 2014 through March 27, 2014 at 11 PM CST.  If you have won a NutriBullet, Magic Bullet, Baby Bullet or Party Bullet giveaway on any blog in the last six months, you are not eligible to win.  All entries will be verified.  Winner will be emailed (consider adding gloriouslygreengal@gmail.com to your safe list) and will have 48 hours to respond or prize is forfeited and a new winner will be selected.
Good Luck!
Krista from Gloriously Green Gal and Savory Savings received products from this sponsor to facilitate her review, no other compensation was received. All participating blogs are not responsible for prize fulfillment.  This giveaway is in no way associated with social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Mom Among Chaos fans enter to win today!

Run or Dye, the world's most colorful 5K, is coming to Hazel Park Harness Raceway on Saturday, May 10th 2014! Bring all your friends and run a color-blasted 5K, where you get showered in safe, eco-friendly, plant-based cornstarch dye every kilometer. Then enjoy our world-famous Dye Festival afterward, where you can Tie-Dye the Sky (not to mention all your friends!) in this ultimate celebration of life, friendship, fitness, and fun. Create a team and save $5, then use the code: DETROITRUN to save another $10.
Run or dye is for absolutely everyone! Whether you're a recovering couch potato or an avid marathon runner, you'll love the atmosphere and experience at Run or Dye. You're welcome to walk, run, dance, or skip your way to the finish line. And Run or Dye is family-friendly -- kids 6 and under run FREE! 
Join our Facebook Run or Dye event.
See photos and read all about the fun time I had at last year's event here: http://momamongchaos.blogspot.com/2013/09/run-or-dye-discount-code-detroit-5k.html
Enter the giveaway in the form below for one voucher for two free admissions to the Run Or Dye event, 5/10/14 at the Hazel Park Harness Raceway.
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Find more info. about RunOrDye at these links. #RunOrDyeDetroit 
https://www.facebook.com/RunOrDye 
https://twitter.com/RunorDye 
http://pinterest.com/runordye/ 
https://plus.google.com/111656639231999978072 
http://www.youtube.com/runordye 
http://instagram.com/runordye
http://runordye.tumblr.com/

On the eve of graduating law school, Veronica Mars has put Neptune and her amateur sleuthing days behind her. While interviewing at high-end New York law firms, Veronica Mars gets a call from her ex-boyfriend Logan who has been accused of murder. Veronica heads back to Neptune just to help Logan find an attorney, but when things don't seem right with how Logan's case is perceived and handled, Veronica finds herself being pulled back into a life she thought she had left behind. ABOUT HOW THE FILM GOT MADE: Following a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign that ended on April 12, 2013, Veronica Mars was shot over 23 days during June-July 2013. It will be released in selected theaters nationwide on March 14th, 2014.
Why you will LOVE The Veronica Mars Blog App: • Veronica Mars: Purity Test Marshmallow Super-fan Trivia - Think you know all there is to know about Neptune, California? Test your Veronica Mars knowledge with all 3 levels of super-fan trivia and find out if you are the ultimate Marshmallow!

• Take the 3 levels of “Purity Test Marshmallow Super-Fan Trivia” and post your results in the comments. 
• What is your personal must-watch episode from the series? 
• #VeronicaMarsMovie Get Social With It! Tweet using the #VeronicaMarsMovie hashtag 
• Share on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram 
• Pin Rob Thomas’ 10 MUST-WATCH Episodes PDF to your Pinterest. 

See it In Theaters MARCH 14 Pre-order on DIGITAL HD http://theveronicamarsmovie.com @veronicamars
Enter the Mom Among Chaos Dvd giveaway in the form below.
Ends 3/24/14. Giveaway open to the U.S.A.
**All prize packs will ship after the DVD release date (ETA May 2014).
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Each household is only eligible to win One (1) Veronica Mars DVD via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.
The prize will be sent via FedEx or USPS. No P.O. Boxes please.
Disclosure policy. Warner Bros. supplied these materials for the giveaway.

click on photo to enlarge

One Mom Among Chaos follower will win (2) tickets for the opening night session on Friday, April 25,  2014 (4-8:30pm).  Go LIKE and Follow LEGOKidsFest on Facebook, tag #LEGOKidsFest, follow on Twitter, and/or follow on Pinterest for all the latest ticketing updates as this event has been selling out. You must be 18 to enter, 1 entry per day allowed, random drawing by USFG on Wednesday March 26!
Enter to win here: http://www.usfamilyguide.com/LEGO_KidsFest/?blogid=1807

My question this morning is why do adults have trouble simply following the rules?  Do they think because they are adults the rules don't simply apply to them?  What are we teaching our children when we don't obey rules?  We are teaching them that rules don't apply to them, and it's just fine to break them?  Isn't that teaching kids to be disrespectful?

I am a serious Type A personality.  Here is the definition of Type A  from Wikipedia.

Type A

The theory describes a Type A individual as ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status conscious, can be sensitive, truthful, impatient, always try to help others, take on more than they can handle, want other people to get to the point, proactive, and obsessed with time management. People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving "workaholics" who multi-task, push themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and ambivalence.^[4]

No matter what type personality you have, rules are placed for a reason.  I may not agree with the reason, but I follow them.  Especially in the school parking lot.  One of the worsts places you will find people that drive you bonkers.  

The People You Will Find In A School Parking Lot

1.  The parent that is busy chatting on their phone and not being cautious about their surroundings.  I was getting in my van one day when a Mom was busy chatting on her phone and decided to back up with me standing there.  She hit me in the chest with her mirror.  I was mad!  She never even rolled down her window to check on me! 

2.  The parent that feels the need to blast music as loud as possible.  I understand that you like the song but everyone else might not enjoy the same music!   Most of the time it's inappropriate language.

3.  The I'm too lazy to park my car in the designated parking area people.  They think they have a license to park wherever they like.  They back everything up in the morning, simply because they don't believe in following the rules.

4. Now, I'm almost embarrassed by what my eyes have seen.  I must share because it's quite humorous.  You will find the Dad in the muscle shirt that puts on a show.  I haven't seen him yet this year, but he drops down on the sidewalk and starts doing push ups.  Next time I shall tape it for you because he obviously needs some attention.

5.  We don't want to forget about the parent that blocks all the other parents in.  You will also find this parent not giving a care that no one else can get out.  They are too busy having social hour with the other parents. 

Feel free to add to my list.  I'm sure your school parking area has some "colorful characters" just like mine does.

PS. If you find me in the school parking lot with a coat that reads "Turd Patrol", kindly return me to my husband.  You will know that I've let my Type A personality take over.

Welcome to the Furby BOOM! Giveaway!

Sponsored by:  Hasbro

Hosted by: Savory Savings

Co-hosted by: Gloriously Green Gal, Dividing by Zero,
One Punky Mama and The Nurse Mommy

One of the fun things about having kids is seeing toys that you used to play with, make a comeback!  Often times, the new versions are now fitted with technology that we could not even dream of when we were tots, but the nostalgic feel is still there nonetheless.  That is exactly how Krista over at Savory Savings felt when she got a chance to review the newest interactive toy from Hasbro, the new and improved Furby Boom!  The fun, lovable (albeit LOUD!) cross between a robot and hamster/owl is back and better than ever!  Not only do they have better vocabularies, expressive eyes and wiggly ears, but they also have Smart technology and can interact with your smartphone or tablet!
If you would like to win a Furby Boom, enter with the Giveaway Tools below!   This giveaway is open to US residents, ages 18 and older.  It will run from March 4, 2014 through March 18, 2014 at 11 PM CST.  If you have won Furby Boom giveaway on any blog in the last six months, you are not eligible to win.  All entries will be verified.  Winner will be emailed (consider adding gloriouslygreengal@gmail.com to your safe list) and will have 48 hours to respond or prize is forfeited and a new winner will be selected.
Good luck!
 
Krista from Gloriously Green Gal received products from this sponsor to facilitate her review, no other compensation was received. All participating blogs are not responsible for prize fulfillment.  This giveaway is in no way associated with social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Enter to win! Your kids will love it! Mom Among Chaos blogger Stephanie's daughters each have a blue wave one that they got at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair. They enjoy playing and talking with them. The 2 Furbies even talk to each other.

Is there such a thing as too many shoes? I suppose that’s the question really – some people have got shoe closets bursting with them but no matter how many shoes a person has actually got they apparently don’t wear most of them. Now hold on a minute, I’m not lady bashing here, there are some men who are as passionate about shoes as women are, even though not so many of them will probably admit it.
So why do you need so many different types of shoes.
Flip-flops are great for warm summer afternoons and days on the beach.
Flat sandals are fabulous for when flip-flops won’t do (driving for instance) and walking around in the summer.
Sandals with heels are just that little bit classier and can be worn with many different types of outfit.
Flat ballet type shoes are comfortable and can be as classy or as casual as you want them to be (or as classy/casual as the fabric they are made from).
Heels are one of the biggest culprits lurking unworn in many a closet – the problem with many high heeled shoes is that they look divine on the shelf but rather a lot of people can’t actually walk in them.
Boots – long boots, short boots, cowboy boots, snow boots, wellington boots – boots are fab.
Sneakers – tennis shoes, training shoes, call them what you will . . . they are in fact essential for any type of exercise (except bowling, you need bowling shoes for that) . . . they are also essential to wear with weekend casual wear, denims, etc. I'm sure you moms will agree that they are essential.
So what’s the problem then? That’s at least 7 different styles of shoes which have all earned their places in our shoe closets. So why is it that some people have more than 20 pairs of shoes, some have more than 50 pairs of shoes, and some people literally have hundreds and hundreds of pairs of shoes? Here’s another fact for you while I’m on the subject – almost all woman (okay, I am bashing a bit here) have got at least one pair which they have never worn.
Why do people go to the trouble and expense of buying dozens and dozens of pairs of shoes to leave them in the closet? Some are worn once and eternally plunged back into the darkness, some are never worn at all. Here’s why . . .
• The usual problem is that they may look good but they’re just too darned uncomfortable. The heels are too high or the toes are too squashy . . . you may intend to wear your nice new shoes on a night out but give up on them before you even get out of the door.
• Some shoes may look terrific but don’t actually match anything in the wardrobe. Okay, so those electric blue heels might have looked amazing in the store but they won’t necessarily go well with the earth colors which dominate your wardrobe.
 • Some shoes are just too special to be worn – you can’t actually wear something which cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, you might damage them.
• Some shoes just don’t have quite the same “zing” when you get them home and although you can’t bring yourself to return them you know deep down that you’ll never wear them either.
Let’s get back to the bowling for a minute – there’s a great range of shoes and other gifts online at http://shop.bowlersparadise.com if you wanted to add some to your growing collection – and they’re very comfortable.

*Sponsored post. Please read our full disclosure policy here.