Giveaway: Cirque du Soleil Amaluna

Part of my favorite part of living in the suburbs is the peace and quiet we have nearly at all times. This morning, a bird chirping woke me up. A bird. What has happened to me? I used to sleep through helicopters whizzing overhead, honks of cars on the nearby roads and the beeps of trucks backing up our high-rise driveway. Now? It's birds. Oh, and the school bus engine idling up the street at 6:42AM, every weekday morning. That's only if I am snoozing much past my alarm and not already walking out the door with this new commute :)

A part of me will always live in the city, though, and I just can't stay away for too long :) I still work in town, and most weekends, I am in town for something, whether it's hanging with friends, or checking out the big game (don't get me started on our Jackets this year, though. Sigh).

This past weekend, it was Cirque du Soleil that drew me into town, to the blue and yellow tents at Atlantic Station. We put on our matinee outfits, grabbed a quick pint next door at Meehan's, and strolled in for the Sunday afternoon show of Amaluna.

Side note: Isn't it amazing how quickly the Cirque du Soleil show seems to set up when they come to town? Those tents go up seemingly overnight, even though in reality, it takes eight days to set up, and three to take down, all via a team of 85 people. Either way, it always makes me think of that opening scene in Dumbo with the men singing as they raise the big top :)

     ATLANTA, GA- OCTOBER 2: The cast of Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna performs during a dress rehearsal for the show. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing)

Copyright:2014 Pouya Creative/Allied Integrated Marketing

Amaluna was a fantastic experience. First of all, the vibe under the tent is awesome. The crowd sits really close to the stage, all 2,600 of us, and the seats go probably three-quarters of the way around the stage. That means that there is not a bad seat in the house! If you want to see the action really up-close, you can grab seats up front. Or, you can sit a bit further back to get some amazing full-picture views of everything going on. On top of that, there are circular parts of the stage that revolve so that everyone can see everything from every angle.

One of my absolute favorite parts was the band. I noticed a big part of the show was made up of female performers. I found out later that my hunch was right -- the cast is 70% female! The band was all-female, and they brought out the electric cello for a number of the great ballads. I am a cellist myself, so of course I loved it! I always thought it'd be cool to play the electric cello. This woman rocked it. Seeing a show that's a self-titled tribute to the voice and power of women was empowering in and of itself.

     ATLANTA, GA- OCTOBER 2: The cast of Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna performs during a dress rehearsal for the show. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing)

Copyright:2014 Pouya Creative/Allied Integrated Marketing

From the costumes to the acts, the show was wonderful. Just wait 'til you see what this performer does with the pile of sticks at her feet!

     ATLANTA, GA- OCTOBER 2: The cast of Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna performs during a dress rehearsal for the show. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing)

Copyright:2014 Pouya Creative/Allied Integrated Marketing

Have you been to a Cirque du Soleil show before? What was your favorite memory? How about going to see Amaluna while they are in town? If you are game ... I have tickets to give away right here, y'all! So, get your raffle entry on because I am going to pick a winner later this week! First, read on to learn a bit more ...

About Cirque du Soleil 

Celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2014, Cirque du Soleil brings a new show to Atlanta. Amaluna invites the audience to a mysterious island governed by goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Amaluna's Tony Award-winning Show Director, Diane Paulus, drew from a series of classical influences when creating the concept of the show -- including tales from Greek and Norse mythology, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Shakespeare's The Tempest. Now playing under the famed blue-and-yellow Big Top at Atlantic Station until November 30, 2014, great seats start as low as $35.  

Ticket Giveaway Details

I have four (4) tickets to give away to lucky readers for the Wednesday, November 5th show of Amaluna, at 7:30PM. Ready to win?! Be sure to enter your info in the below form! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not so lucky on the giveaway? 

Buy discounted tickets here, thanks to Amaluna. Take advantage of this offer and buy four tickets for the price of three. Bring the whole family, or all the gals - and enjoy the show! 

Disclosure: I received two free tickets to the Amaluna show in exchange for this post. However, all opinions are my own! Thanks to Amaluna and Cirque du Soleil for the great afternoon! 

Meal Surprises & a Giveaway

In typical spring fashion, I have been trying to balance an insane social schedule with an attempt to maintain/improve my physical health. Early morning sleep-in sessions have gradually been replaced with some personal training and boot camp sessions, and any evenings I skip the usual glass of wine help the cause, too. I have a beach trip coming up at the end of the month (Congrats, Meg! Can't wait to celebrate with you!) so I have been hitting the pavement once or twice a week for a run, too, to make sure my body looks bikini-ready.

On top of all of that is the never-ending struggle to eat healthy, well-rounded meals. I have skipped out on official food tracking of late, but have been trying to keep the health mentality in mind when selecting foods and meals to make during each week.

While I am a coupon-clipper amateur, I do pride myself in finding great ways to stretch my weekly food budget, which varies from $30 up to $80 depending on how many meals we are eating at home that week. So you can imagine my glee when eMeals reached out to me to test drive their meal-planning system!

Here's a little about the system:

eMeals relies on a team of experienced meal planners, writers and editors to create
new dinner menus every week that are designed around grocery store sales, seasonal
specials and diet preferences. For as low as $5.00 per month, subscribers download a
recipe plan for the week with a matching aisle-by-aisle grocery list. The easy-to-follow
recipes usually contain fewer than seven ingredients to allow for prep times of less than
30 minutes. It also helps families stay within a predictable budget by being prepared
with a detailed list to use at the grocery store.

The eMeals program has over 30 meal plan options to choose from and provides a
consistent and reliable approach to food budgeting by factoring the weekly cost of
ingredients into each menu plan.

I got to select my meal plan of choice, which gives you options for different large grocery stores as well as nutrition level and family size. Plus it shoots out the weekly coupon and BOGO specials along with an expected budget total.

Publix Meals for Two meal plan, here we come!

I headed out this weekend to go shopping for my first list of items. This is what a plan looks like. This is a sample - the full plan is customized per week and is completely filled out just for me:

We have busy weeks with a few evenings of night school for the S.O. and usually a few nights out for yours truly. So I usually shoot to cook at least four meals at home per week. That gives us enough food for lunches and some to enjoy on leftover nights, and if we are in a bind, I usually have something in the freezer, too. This week, we are low on everything (including freezer meals) and plan to eat at home more than last week, so it's restock time!

I used my seven-day printable list from eMeals to pick out my favorite five meals for this week to pick up at the store. I just crossed of the items/meals I didn't need. The meals look really tasty, and include well-rounded sides like salads and veggies. It has some great variety (I hate getting into cooking ruts). The shopping list was supposed to cost around $60 pre-tax if I stuck to it exactly. I skipped about $10 items' worth, but then got an additional $35 of re-stock staples like cereal, salad dressing, paper towels and a Publix sub (ok, not a staple, but it was lunchtime!). I am pretty impressed with the amount of food I brought home for $90 including all that extra stuff. All of the prices were dead-on, and it was really easy to follow the list and pick out exactly what I needed. I can't wait to have these five meals this week!

Are you interested in eMeals for yourself? Well, you are in luck! eMeals is graciously giving away a three-month subscription to one of my readers! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to quickly and easily enter.



Can't wait to win? You can also sign up here for your own subscription, and use the code BLISSDOM when you register to get 15% off your plan! :)

And don't forget that you can also check out the eMeals blog for recipes, tips on how to simplify your life, organize your days and plan family fun.

Are you ready to win and save money on your weekly shopping trips?! Best of luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: eMeals partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote their meal subscription services. I received a meal plan test account from eMeals in exchange for this promotion. This post contains affiliate links. The winner of the giveaway in this program will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

Shoe Extravaganza & Giveaway

I am excited to share this special sale and giveaway today with you, my readers, because this gal knows a good deal when she sees one :)

Are you a fan of Ross Dress for Less? Here in Buckhead, our Ross Dress for Less store is in a great shopping strip that also has a few home goods and crafting retailers, so for a young homeowner like myself, it's a shopping haven for someone on a budget. I love swinging in every few weeks to see what new bargains are available. From couch pillows to kitchen items, Ross always has designer and brand name fashions for men, women, kids and home - all at 20-60% off compared to department stores! Yes, please!

Thanks to the lovely people at Ross, I headed over to our local store for a mini Tuesday-pick-me-up shopping trip. I had worked out beforehand, so I figured, why not reward myself? Plus, the shopping spree seemed like a better alternative than "rewarding" myself with even more Easter basket goodies ;)

Right now through April 30, Ross Dress for Less stores in the Atlanta area are holding their annual Shoe Event, where you’ll be able to find every style of shoe you and your family will need for the spring and beyond. Being a gal who can't resist a sale on shoes, I was sure to explore all that Ross had to offer. I am here to attest: they had some fantastic name brand deals.

I can't share which brands are which, but if you know me, you know these heels were right. up. my. alley. I couldn't decide if I liked the white or beige version better. Both would be cute for work or play, dressed up with summer dresses or down with skinny jeans.

I love the zip-up on the back of these name brand black patent sandals. I actually have a pair or two that look very similar to these at home. They are great for that girls night on the town, but also can be dressed down for work with a conservative outfit on top.

Boat shoes, anyone? I loved these name brand snakeskin ones. How fun! These would be great with black capris or shorts and a tan top.

All of these shoes run for $75+ at retail price, but at Ross, they were no more than $30! Other namebrands I saw ran for $130 retail and were on sale at Ross for only $50. All in all, depending on your shoe size and the store you head to, I can tell you that you are certain to find a great buy at your local Ross. 

Are you ready to go shoe shopping? Ross has been generous enough to offer one of my lucky readers a $25 gift card all your own! Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget, and I will select a winner at random. Best of luck!

Winner: Alvin Ailey Tickets!

Thank you so so much to all of you who entered to win the Alvin Ailey tickets! What a great turnout.

I am super excited to share with you the results of the giveaway ... I tallied up all the entries (people had a max of three each with both Twitter and Pinterest) and here are the results!

Congrats to our lucky winner, Mgentile89!! 

 
Mgentile, you have until this Monday at 9AM to email me with your full name so that we can put the pair of tickets at Will Call under your name for next Thursday's performance.

Note: If our winner doesn't send me a note, or if for some reason she is unable to attend the event (Thursday, February 16 at 7:30 PM), I will reselect from the other entries for a new winner. 

For the rest of you, thanks for playing! You can purchase tickets of your own for the show over at the Fabulous Fox ticket office on Ticketmaster. And don't forget to stay tuned here at Buckhead Betty, because I am going to have another fun giveaway coming up later this month :)

Happy Weekend!

FREE Movie Screening Tonight, Hosted by Me!

Update 10:20AM: WOW I am so impressed with you all and in total shock, because all the tickets are gone already since my initial social media announcements yesterday! Thanks so much for your support, and see those of you who grabbed up tickets tonight! 
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I am back again today with another fun thing just for you, my fabulous readers!

I am SO excited to announce that 20th Century Fox has contacted me (me!) to host a movie screening tonight at Phipps! How fun!

It's free, and it's local, and hey, there are a few hot guys in it. Doesn't that make you want to come?! Plus, of course, you would get to hang out with me, so I feel like that is a win-win :) Given that the movie is all about explosions and the CIA, this actually could be a pretty good date night movie, too, so all you men readers out there are welcome to join, too, ha!

Tweet about it, share it on Facebook, email it around. The passes are first-come, first-served, and each person can download up to two admit-one passes. The info to get your passes is below, and I hope to see you there! 

 This Means War

20th Century Fox invites you to an advance screening of the upcoming film THIS MEANS WAR – starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy.

The world’s deadliest CIA operatives are inseparable partners and best friends until they fall for the same woman. Having once helped bring down entire enemy nations, they are now employing their incomparable skills and an endless array of high-tech gadgetry against their greatest nemesis ever – each other.

 Free passes to the screening are available via gofobo.com. Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues, friends and family! 

THIS MEANS WAR SCREENING INFO

Tuesday, February 7 at 7:30PM 

AMC Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30326 

Each user may download up to 2 admit-one passes. 

Link to download passes: http://www.gofobo.com/rsvp 

Code: KIXATLLCQG 

Giveaway: Tickets to the Fox!

I am so excited to kick off this week -- I have such fun things to share with you! First up is an awesome GIVEAWAY, just for you!

Have you ever heard of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater?

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Rennie Harris Home. Photo by Paul Kolnik

 
This dance group is a historic troupe hailing straight from the hip streets of New York City. Y'all know I may be a Betty, but my blood runs deep with Northern Jersey blood, so I was immediately intrigued, especially since I do love a good musical performance. Here's a brief history:

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 23 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents -- as well as millions more through television broadcasts.

When I heard this historic group was coming here to town to perform at our own historic Fox Theater, I was really excited to be able to check them out!

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Kirven James Boyd. Photo by Andrew Eccles

I had the unique opportunity to interview one of the Company members to find out a little more about what makes up this awesome group. Hope Boykin is a three-time recipient of the American Dance Festival’s Young Tuition Scholarship, and she was a student and intern at The Ailey School. Hope joined the Company in 2000, and it looks like she has had the career of a lifetime over there.

Let's learn a little more ... and thanks to Hope for answering my questions!

What did you learn as a student at the Ailey school that you have put into practice since as a member of the Company? 

Well, from the point of view of a dancer, I have learned the great importance of embracing as much technique as I can. As a student in the school, I was exposed to so many different styles and techniques of dance; which allowed for a greater understanding and appreciation for what I would have to embrace as a member of the hardest working repertory company I know. But, if I were to share the most important lesson, I would have to say, having a relationship with the students in the school, and to set a good and true example is the most important lesson. I was treated with truth, love, and respect, and I try to give this back to the students. I was encouraged and motivated and some of the company members would often say, “…keep ‘Hope’ alive…” which made all the difference to me while I studied at the Ailey School. 

What was your favorite performance as both a dancer and an audience member, Ailey or beyond? What made those performances stand out in your memory? 

As an audience member, I recall, seeing a performance while I was a student in the school that I will never forget. Matthew Rushing was already a good friend of mine, and had gotten me a seat for that evening’s performance. Memoria, one of my favorite works of Mr. Ailey’s, was on the program, and I remember, the performance had already begun, as noticed Matthew running out to join me, warm-up clothes on and big hood over his head so he wouldn’t be recognized. I couldn’t imagine what he was doing in the audience. It turned out that one of the dancers performing in Memoria had a sudden injury, and Masazumi Chaya, Associate Artistic Director, would be stepping in at the last minute. I never thought I would have the chance to see him perform, and I was great. I’ll never forget it.

As a company member, I remember my first performance. There were so many dancers in the wings showing their support; the love was immeasurable. 

What would you say to a audience member that might be a newcomer to the dance world (cough like me cough)? 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's
Hope Boykin.
Photo by Andrew Eccles.

This is an easy question. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is the best company to come to see if you have never seen dance before. My colleagues are the most proficient, artist/athletes that you will ever see on a stage. I am even amazed when I have the opportunity to watch from the audience, or even on the side of the stage in the wings, at the magic that is made. 

What can they expect at the performance, and what might help them follow along or enjoy the show even more? 

The biggest expectation the audience should have is to be changed in someway. There is nothing that I would want to explain, except to say to be prepared to see the company with fresh eyes, if you are a veteran Ailey-Goer, and for the soon to be veteran Ailey-Goer, expect to be moved.

Have you visited Atlanta before? 

Yes, Atlanta is one of our home stops on tour. There are only few cities that are mandatory stops for me and Atlanta is at the top of my list. 

Do you have downtime while you are on tour to sample the local cuisine and attractions? If so, what will be on your to-do list for Atlanta? 

I have several friends in the Atlanta area so I have most of my free minutes already scheduled with catching up, seeing how their kids have grown, and of course a short visit to Lenox Mall (LOL). 

Hooray, thanks Hope! Hearing her answers made me that much more excited to go and see the show.

Ok, now that you are up close and personal with the group that is the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, let's move on to the premiere event -- a set of tickets to the Company's opening night show at the Fox Theater!!

Details: A pair of tickets to the opening night of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

Where: The Fabulous Fox Theater

When: Thursday, February 16 at 7:30 PM

How to Enter: You get one entry per response!

1. Leave a comment telling me who you would bring to the show if you won!

2. Follow me on Pinterest and leave a comment telling me you did so

3. Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment telling me you did so

The giveaway will end Friday, February 10 at 10AM.

Good luck everyone! I can't wait to see one of you fabulous readers at the show! 


Disclosure: I was given a pair of complimentary tickets to the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Everybody's Working for the Weekend!

A little wrap-up from the week -- it's been a crazy busy one here, and I am sure you will agree with me, oh thank goodness, it's Friday!

1) Did you enter my giveaway to join me at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens on July 15th for Cocktails in the Gardens and a book signing by author Emily Giffin?

2) What are your plans for the holiday weekend? I am gearing up for my 5th time running the world's largest 10K, the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th. If you are in town on the 4th in the future, I highly recommend participating in this -- it's a blast of a race, they make a whole morning of it!



My goal: don't collapse from an asthma attack. Oh, and to throw back a glorious Bloody Mary or two at the end :P

3) I am making this for Sunday's BBQ. It was a hit last year, and it's so cute to look at too!



4) I need some alone-time this weekend. And alone-time at work and in the car doesn't count. I need honest-to-goodness alone time by the pool, with a newspaper on the couch, or even just in bed. No offense, friends and loved ones, I promise I only need an hour. Or three :)

5) I tried two new products this week. These are really good and filling (4 WW points each).



And so are these (only 1 WW point each!).



Happy Fourth, Everyone! Back with more after the holiday weekend!

Books, Gardens, and a Giveaway!

Whoever you are, we all like to give back to the communities around us in some way. Here in Atlanta, some of you might be members at the High Museum. Or perhaps you are a contributing patron of the ASO, or a volunteer at Piedmont Park. Maybe you give your time and/or money to something in your suburban neighborhood, like an area school or church.

I talk about the Atlanta Botanical Gardens all the time, I know. But they just continue to impress me! They offer fantastic events around the holidays, feature some of the coolest new exhibits, and all summer long, they treat us to drinks and appetizers from the hottest restaurants in town. I am not only supporting their gorgeous gardens, but it's fun for us, too.

Well, today I got the e-newsletter about the July line-up of events, and I am just so excited. Yes, they are featuring fabulous restaurants like Pricci, TAP and Murphy's. Yes, they will have a full line-up of cocktails infused with things grown right in their Edible Gardens.

Most intriguing of all, though? They are going to have Emily Giffin there for a book signing on July 15th! You may know Emily from her much-read books Something Borrowed and Something Blue, but she is back on the circuit these days with her new book Heart of the Matter. Even cooler, she is an Atlanta girl herself, so you know she rocks. 

So here's the deal -- forget the admission price. I want to take one of YOU, my lovely readers, to this fantastic event with me! How do you enter to join me? Just leave a comment on this post about one of your favorite authors -- it can be anyone. Double entries if you also leave me the name of your favorite book. I will randomly pick the winner on Tuesday, July 6 at 5pm ET, so be sure to enter before then.

If you aren't a winner, I hope to see you there at the event!

Disclaimer: I in no way work for the ABG -- I am just one of their (many) vocal members :)

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Update 7/7/10: The contest is now closed! I am going to contact the winner, chosen by Random.org :)