Tag Archives: Boston

#BarbieIsMoving – a traveling world of PINK

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YES, it’s true, Lola is a travelista who has an affinity for the color pink. Well, this summer, one of my favorite icons and fellow lover of all that’s PINK, Barbie, has been on tour – traveling throughout North America. I was invited to experience VIP access when the tour came through Boston and, let me tell you, it was a treat. I think it’s no real surprise that Lola has a big imagination and it was fun to go down memory lane with the #1 doll property in the USA.

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The #BarbieIsMoving tour was super well-organized and the staff was so friendly & patient. Every person/family registered at the beginning of the experience and received gift bags to place all the Barbie giveaways into, including a brand spanking new awesome Barbie doll. I LOVE my new Barbie tote bag…it’s PINK!

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There were three main attractions. A fashion design area for little couture creators. A dress up & strut on the catwalk for little divas. And a Barbie branded Mega Bloks area for little architects and builders.

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I started my Barbie experience with the fashion show & runway photo op. They offer lots of tutus for girls of all sizes (and ages) and what else BUT feather boas!! I, of course, travel with my own feather boa but, as you can see, Barbie and I have the same FUN taste!! The staff helps you get dolled up and then you get to practice walking the runway before they snap your official photo and either email or text it to you. SO FUN!

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Next, I decided to try out my talent as a fashion designer and make my Lil Lola a new dress. This was especially fun for me. When I was a young girl they had this thing called ‘fashion plates’ where you could switch around the parts of the outfits and trace the outlines onto paper and then color the outfits in. Well, this experience was the same idea but on a real doll dress & you were able to color them in with fabric safe markers. I opted to go with a simple design that I could decorate with a Union Jack since Lil Lola and I were headed to the UK the next day. It was great to sit amongst kids (both boys and girls) making outfits. I got some good design tips for some of those lads & lasses.

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Finally, I headed over the Mega Bloks area to checkout that experience. Every person is given a starter floor & wall to build a room to add to the BIG Mega Bloks dreamhouse. There was a large building area with more bloks to add to your starter room. I knew I was in building heaven when the staff pointed out that some of the bloks are even glittery. YES…next to PINK, glitter is my next favorite color. 😉 Once you add your room to the dreamhouse, you get your own little box of Barbie Mega Bloks to take home.

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Now, I know you know that I think Barbie is a great doll. BUT, did you know how savvy of a business her brand is?! Created in 1959, Barbie has had over 130 inspirational careers. She is a global doll and has represented more than 40 nationalities. A Barbie doll is sold every three seconds somewhere in the world. 90% of girls aged 3-10 own at least one Barbie doll. She’s had more than 1 billion fashions produced. Barbie has more than 7 million Facebook likes which makes her the largest Facebook fan page of any doll! AND she is the #1 worldwide property in the traditional toy industry. I’m sorry, but she is NOT a dumb blonde doll at all. Quite the contrary!!

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If you’d like to experience the FREE and completely PINK-TASTIC #BarbieIsMoving tour the remaining dates are:

  • Friday, August 2nd in Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Friday, August 9th in Tacoma, Washington
  • Friday, August 16th in Santa Rosa, California
  • Friday, August 23rd in Glendale, Arizona
  • Friday, August 30th in Mission Viejo, California

AND if that’s not enough Barbie for you, she has a life-size DreamHouse Experience in Florida. Plus, you can hit the high seas on The Barbie Premium Experience with Royal Caribbean International.

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Lil Lola enters Barbie’s World in real life

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you may not know, you may not even care that Barbie, Lil Lola’s sister from another mister, is on a cross-country road trip of the United States in search of a new home and about to blow through Beantown.

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you probably do know that LOLA (me) enjoys taking Lil Lola to places around the world. she is not a doll that can sit still for long. in fact, you might recall that Lil Lola actually traded in her dream house and downsized to a vacay cabana property last year so she could be more mobile. clearly, her pal Barbie caught on to the idea and decided she didn’t have to reside in Malibu for the rest of her life – smart gals!!

well, it was recently brought to my attention that the Barbie Road Trip is stopping through Boston and you know that Lil Lola and i couldn’t resist the opportunity to check this event out. what we expect to do at the  “Barbie® Is Moving” experience is:

  • Walk the runway in a glam fashion show and get tips from professional stylists before a fab photo opportunity
  • Build our own Mega Bloks® Barbie™ room to take home
  • Create our very own Barbie® fashions

yes, we’re aware that we will most likely be the OLDEST people there actually doing these activities. GUESS WHAT…we don’t care! after all, Lil Lola and i know you only live once and we might not have this chance again.

i mean, c’mon, Barbie is really a chick after our own hearts. let us count the ways…

favorite color – HOT PINK!

car choice – PINK convertible

love of fashion & believes she can BE ANYTHING she sets her mind to – we agree

one of her fave sayings – “keep calm and think pink” TRES BON

heck, the doll even uses the phrase ‘Barbie Approved’ – say whaaaa?!? hello ‘LOLA APPROVED‘!!

Lola Barbie & her real life Ken!!

Lola Barbie & her real life Ken!!

So, after i tweeted @Barbie yesterday, Lil Lola & i were invited to be VIP Bloggers for the Boston event being held tomorrow at Boston Harborfest, 1 City Hall Square, Boston. can you believe?! VIP!! we knew it was our destiny!

if you want to get on the Barbie is Moving Tour fun – join us tomorrow or at these other Massachusetts locations on Saturday & Sunday.

July 6 – Toys “R” Us, 1190 S. Washington Street, North Attleboro, MA

July 7 – Toys “R” Us, 105 Campanelli Industrial Drive, Brockton, MA

you can follow Barbie on her tour with the hashtag #BarbieIsMoving. she’s a very social gal so you may be interested in her Facebook page (7.8 million fans) and Instagram feed (70K followers) too!

stay tuned to see what Lil Lola & i have to say about the Barbie is Moving Tour.

until then…PINK DREAMS!

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XO – Lola & Lil Lola

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kickin’ off summertime with seaside mini-escapes!

summertime – my favorite time of year

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WHY? well, in the Northern Hemisphere it is when things warm up and the sun shines the most. i’m a sunshine girl all the way and am happiest when by a pool or the ocean. so, nothing pleases me more than to return to some of my favorite summertime spots to kick off the season. it’s time for me to get footloose and fancy free because we’re knocking on summer’s door.

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this week i’m excited to be heading back up to Kennebunkport, Maine. i’ve been invited to come check out the stunning Nonantum Resort. with a history in Kennebunkport since 1883, Nonantum Resort is close to the shops, galleries and restaurants of Dock Square as well as some of the most pristine beaches on the East Coast. i’m super excited AND it just so happens they are having a little fete the evening i’m there. Nonantum Resort is opening their new waterfront restaurant. did someone say waterfront? um, yes please! 95 Ocean has been highlighted on The TV Diner and received the show’s “Platinum Plate Award.” some specials highlight Maine’s local farm produce as well as fresh herbs from The Nonantum’s garden and local seafood. sign. me. up!

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THEN, over the weekend, my dear friend Mrs. O Around the World is coming to visit and we plan to have a fun overnight in Boston, sampling the best that Beantown can offer in 24 hours. it’s been 7 years since Ana visited Boston so i’m excited to show her some new things around town. Boston is definitely one fantastic city that gets better all the time!

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AND after a quick ‘Best of Boston’ tour, Ana and i are off for a lovely drive down to Newport, Rhode Island. i was in both Newport and Kennebunkport over the wintertime. both have amazing things to offer in the off-season but truly the BEST season is the summertime. Mrs. O has never been to Newport so i’m thrilled to show her the ‘City by the Sea’ and all of its splendor. some of what is on deck for us there? i don’t want to make you jealous but a grand tour of the mansions from the sky! that’s right, a VIP helicopter tour because how else would you see the mansions of Newport if you are Lola and Mrs. O?! oh, AND a sailing cruise aboard an America’s Cup yacht with 12 Meter Charters. Ana and i are excited to have a special visit in Newport discovering its roots as the ‘Queen of Summer Resorts’ and the ‘Sailing Capital of the World’.

you can follow our tweets for both cities by searching the hash tag #TwoPlayBoston and #TwoPlayNewport.

 

 

 

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travel: reflections and a note of gratitude

FRIENDSHIP – one of the many reasons travel is so precious to me!

i have a lot of reasons for loving to travel but i think my #1 would be making new friends. i recognize i’m fortunate to have done my fair share travel lately – especially when i reflect on my friendships. AND this summer has been a different kind of travel experience that i feel equally thankful for – having my love of travel come to my own part of the world.

when i “helped” Alex of Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – i knew it was the right thing to do. what i didn’t consider is how much it would mean to me. by having her visit, it was like i traveled without leaving home. she told me about her travels and home country of Slovakia and it was as if my world had widened yet again. it was bittersweet when she left to go back to Europe. i was saying goodbye to a new friend – like i would to one i met while on the road.

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soon after Alex departed, i had an invitation to pop down to Newport, Rhode Island, to meet up with another travel blogger, Priscilla of Weekend In Paris. i was really busy catching up that week and could have easily convinced myself not to go but BOY was it ever what the doctor ordered! i’m so glad i went. not only did i have a lovely time and was treated like royalty by Priscilla but, also once again, i made some new friends that i really respect & enjoyed their company tremendously. i know we will connect over and over again. as i left the Newport city limits i wasn’t as sad as usual because Newport isn’t too far for me to return for an afternoon and catch up more with Priscilla and Co.

Newport Tweetup – Priscilla of Weekend in Paris is the beautiful brunette next to lola

plus, i was returning home to prepare for a visit i’d been looking forward to all summer long. Leah of Leah Travels was coming to visit me! we had some fun Boston plans cooked up, of course, but we also needed to plot our BIG upcoming trip of a lifetime. our one month-long tour of Europe from November to December. Leah and i had loads of fun on Friday checking out a few of the famous Boston sites and then heading to the Red Sox game. even though the Sox lost, there’s nothing quite like a game at Fenway Park. the rest of our time together was really devoted to getting “work” done. thank goodness we enjoy what we do and making our plans – really our “work” was all FUN. any time spent with Leah is always a pleasure for me. it’s like having a taste of Texas & being with an old soul of a friend. now it’s Monday and Leah has gone back to Texas and i now find myself sad again. my summer visits are over for now.

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maybe i will see Priscilla again before the summer ends and i know i will be seeing Leah & Alex at TBEX in Spain in September. BUT that seems so far away. i’m glad i have my biggest adventure yet to distract me – my late August trip where i will meet a team of Australians in Cambodia for our Habitat for Humanity build. can you imagine how sad i will be when i have to say goodbye to them?

meeting new people is a very important part of my life and i’m always grateful for the new friendships. you learn so much by making new friends and inviting them into your life. while i love to learn about new places and see new things with my own eyes, it is TRULY the people from all over that i bond with and what makes it the hardest to say goodbye.

thank you for all the visits – you are some incredible ladies & you made my summer!

happy travels to you all! XO – lola

PS – if  you are heading to or near Boston – let me know fellow travelers. i’d love to meet you too!

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