Master Lock Donates $1 to American Red Cross with YOUR Tweet! (plus #giveaway)

Disclaimer: I received a product to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Master Lock is kicking off an initiative to keep consumers safe through all life stages and season. What's super-dee-duper awesome about it, is that starting today, January 19th, and going through January 31, 2015, anyone who tweets a response to the question, "When in your life has security been most top of mind?" with the hashtag #MasterLockProtects will generate a $1 donation to the American Red Cross, and they will become eligible for sweepstakes prizes.

That's an easy way to help make a difference. 

Won't you send out your Tweet today?

MASTER LOCK LAUNCHES 2015 CAMPAIGN TO HELP YOU STAY SAFE

THROUGH EVERY LIFE STAGE AND SEASON

Campaign kicks off with Twitter sweepstakes to benefit American Red Cross

MILWAUKEE, Wisc., January 19, 2015 – Master Lock, the world’s largest manufacturer of padlocks, today announced its continued focus on helping consumers stay safe with a yearlong campaign dedicated to safety through every life stage. To kick off the campaign, Master Lock will ask consumers via Twitter to share the time in their life when safety and security has been most top of mind. For every Tweet posted with the hashtag #MasterLockProtects a $1 donation will be made to the American Red Cross up to $10,000. The campaign will continue throughout the year with a series of safety tips and advice for every life stage and season.   

“Each new life stage and season brings new adventures, excitement and memories. It also brings new safety and security considerations. From childhood, to marriage, homeownership, retirement and beyond, Master Lock is there to help protect consumers as their security needs evolve with these memorable life events,” said Rebecca Smith, vice president, marketing for Master Lock. “Through this campaign, Master Lock will show its dedication to providing a full range of reliable, easy-to-use products as well as resources consumers need to keep themselves, loved ones and valuables safe throughout the year and their lives.”

Sweepstakes and Donation

When in your life has safety and security been most top of mind? Starting today through January 31, participants who tweet their reply to this question using #MasterLockProtects will generate a $1 donation to the American Red Cross and will be entered for the chance to win one of 20 prize bundles. Each winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card and various Master Lock products to help keep consumers safe through different life stages and seasons. 

Master Lock will donate an initial $10,000 to the American Red Cross and will donate up to an additional $10,000 based on consumer participation in the sweepstakes for a total of $20,000 in donations – just one way the company hopes to keep consumers safe and secure through all life stages and seasons. Master Lock’s donation will support the urgent needs of the American Red Cross mission, whether it is responding to a disaster, collecting lifesaving blood, teaching skills to save a life, or assisting military members and their families during emergencies. This marks the second Twitter sweepstakes that Master Lock has hosted to benefit the American Red Cross. In 2014, Master Lock donated $16,000 to the organization.

Yearlong Education

Throughout the year, Master Lock will continue to provide educational information to consumers on remaining safe and secure through various life stages and seasons. These tips will be available on www.masterlock.com, and will address the following topics:

·         Senior Safety

·         Tax Tips for All Life Stages

·         Safe Moving / New Home Safety

·         Marriage / Newlyweds

·         Back to School

·         First Job / New Job

·         Fall Family / Home Safety

Giveaway

In addition to the the awesome Tweet initiative/campaign, Master Lock also wants to give one lucky Mail4Rosey reader a Model 5900D SafeSpace Portable Personal Safe.

The Model 5900D SafeSpace Portable Personal Safe measures
2-1/5in (57mm) H x 9-2/5in (23.9cm) W x 5-1/10in (13.1cm) D

The SafeSpace holds onto your items, safely, in a portable, very durable container that you lock with a number combination that you create. The carrying handles double as cables that wrap your safe securely around a fixed object. Right away I thought of travel. This would be a great item to hold your cash, jewelry, passport, keys, etc. in a hotel room while you're out and about exploring the sites. It would also be most excellent for camping, dorm rooms, the office, etc. 

I've tossed my keys and iPod in there to give you an idea of the size.
Giveaway is for safe only. Contents not included in the giveaway.
The cable you see wraps around a fixed object and connects back to the other side of the safe.

It has a shock absorbing foam interior and an ear bud/charging cable access port. How awesome that my iPod can be charging while still locked up and safe! It is also water-resistant and comes with a limited lifetime guarantee. 

This is just one of many innovative items Master Lock has come up with to help keep your items safe. 

Check out their website to learn more about this product, as well as all of their other items. You can also follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

One winner gets a Model 5900D SafeSpace Portable Personal Safe to call their own! US/Cananda only.

And don't forget it's so easy to have Master Lock donate $1 to the American Red Cross...all you have to do is Tweet!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Wharton Center Surely Gets a Five-Star Review from Me!

Michigan State University Wharton Center for Performing Arts

Earlier today, we went to the Michigan State University Wharton Center for Performing Arts to see a Broadway show. It is not the first time we've been to the Wharton Center, and each time we visit, I think how nice it is as a facility.

Getting artsy outside of the Wharton. :)

As a Michigan State graduate myself, I am proud of what the institution brings to the community. They provide more programs for the good of others than I could possibly cover in one space, including Seats 4 Kids, a scholarship fund that provides tickets to children otherwise unable to attain them. Cool, right?

As a resident of the state, I love it even more. The center opened in 1982, and is Michigan's largest performing arts venue with four unique stages, all that host many sold-out shows and productions. They are the leading presenting venue among Big 10 institutions (Go State!), having the largest programming schedule of any independent performing arts center (over 100 performances a season!) affiliated with a university in the country.

Everywhere you look you'll see something that indicates
you're in a place that fosters creativity (and that's a great thing!).

The Wharton Center is also recognized internationally for their world premier commissions, "The Center is fortunate to hire artists to create new works in jazz, dance, and classical music that make a world debut at Wharton Center."

I'm not surprised...everywhere you look, both inside and outside of the center you get a feel for their love of the performing arts, and creativity. It is truly and environment where one could easily thrive.

The parking garage is attached to the building...so nice/convenient in the city!
There is also ample seating inside and outside of the venue.

In addition to the venue offering so so sooooo many great performances (seriously, just take a glance at their upcoming events and you'll see what I mean), they have also thoughtfully designed the building. Right from the get-go they offer the convenience of a huge parking garage on the property, with ample seating right next to it. I love the outside seating options, and can't remember seeing that at any other venue.

Looking up to the second floor...where people are also looking down. :)

The inside was just huge, but still well-designed and welcoming. It was hard for me to take pictures in the lobby because the show we went to (The Blue Man Group, which incidentally, was really fun!) was packed...and even arriving early there were people everywhere. Still and the same, while getting pictures (without people in them) was a little tough, it didn't feel uncomfortably crowded in any way.

The venue offered a lot seating and showcased art was along this (very long) wall.
It made visiting before and/or after the show a breeze!

The extra large lobby space allowed for a showcasing of art, and afforded many opportunities for patrons to sit down and visit as well. The couch pictured above was one of many running alongside an entire (very long) wall.

Just a sampling of advertising that was on display.
Do you see Fly Guy?!?!?! Oh yes, I was excited to see that Fly Guy is coming...
that was the very first book my son read on his own, so he's an absolute favorite. :)

There were advertisement posters both inside and outside of the building. These (pictured above) were inside, just as we came through the door. There are a lot of upcoming performances that we would love to see including the Moscow City Ballet's Swan Lake, Harry Connick, Jr., and the 2 Cellos (they play rock music on their Cellos!), but I have to say I was super excited to see Fly Guy is coming too. One of the books from the Fly Guy author was the first my son read on his own, so the whole collection of stories now has a soft spot in our hearts (and on the bookshelf in my son's room).

Swan Lake! I Love Lucy! and some new shows I haven't heard of too...
Oh yes, there is a lot to see, do, and look forward to at The Wharton.

I haven't checked availability, but if there are tickets available, I think we might end up buying I Love Lucy! tickets for my in-laws anniversary gift. That's a show they both love, and it'd be a nice way to treat them. They've been married 50+ years, so we do like to spoil them a bit when their anniversary rolls around. That, and the other shows I've mentioned are just a sampling of shows offered at Wharton Center. Take one quick look, and it's easy to see that they really do have something for everyone, no matter the age!

There was a four-star statue in place on the way out of the venue.
Though I like the statue, I think they should have added one more...
The Wharton definitely gets a 5-star review from me & the fam.

What's not to love about an establishment that offers so much to so many, in a multitude of ways that begs to be explored? Whether you are looking to watch a performance, or put on a show of your own, I encourage you to check out the Michigan State Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing, Michigan. The venue gets 5 out of 5 stars from me and my family, and we honestly can't wait to go back.

You can learn more about Wharton Center by visiting their website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and/or Pinterest.

Oh Yes, We Did Love Our Visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

If you are looking for something to do over the long weekend, please note The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is offering free admission and entertainment on Monday, January 19th, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio
If the architecture looks familiar...it could be because I.M. Pei,
the same designer who did the pyramid at the Louvre, designed the building.

These East German Trabant Cars from U2s 'The Zoo' Tour
hang from the ceiling and are one of the first things you'll see when you walk in.




You'll also be greeted by this 15ft. flying hotdog, a prop used by Rock & Roll band, Phish

On our way back from D.C. over the holiday break, we thought it would be fun to swing in and visit The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Let me just tell you, if you're thinking of visiting, and I hope that you are, plan for a good chunk of your day to be spent there. We visited for several hours, and it was literally just not enough time. If we hadn't have still had such a long drive ahead of us to get home, we'd have definitely stayed even longer.

Alex Van Halen's drum kit

One of the huge perks of the visit was seeing instruments, concert props, and other items that belonged to the performers. Above you can see a drum kit that was used and owned by Alex Van Halen. Every item on display had a card with it, to explain exactly what you were looking at behind the glass.

The section showcasing Jimi Hendrix was pretty extensive.
Among the collection there were drawings he did in his youth, which I thought was a nice touch.

Here you see a Jimi Hendrix handbill from 1968.
A handbill was an advertisement passed out by hand.

All-time Rock & Roll favorites were to be found everywhere, as was anticipated/expected. A fairly extensive section was dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. On display were family photographs (some from when he was a child), hand-drawn pictures, clothing, records, etc.

Janis Joplin's 1965 Porsche 356C Cabriolet was right there for everyone to see!

All around the multi-level building there were larger-than-life photos of famous people and bands.

And everywhere you looked around you there were larger-than-life paintings, photographs, etc. of performers well-known and loved. Entire sections of walls were dedicated to artist portrayal, such as the one you see of The Who above.

No Rock & Roll history would be complete without mention of Dick Clark's 'American Bandstand.'

There were also rooms dedicated to certain things/features, such as one that played Dick Clark's 'American Bandstand' show continuously on a huge movie screen. I didn't realize the show had such a long run! I do remember liking to catch an episode of it though, here and there, when I was a kid.

The Rolling Stones had a pretty large section too, as one would rightly expect. I thought the pinball machine above was really cool, it's been a minutes since I've played on one of those. They also have televisions playing live concert footage and running lyric rolls (in this section specifically for The Rolling Stones, but also in many other sections, for other performers as well).

You can see how the numbers on the item correlated with the information card on the bottom.
These Bubble Bath characters (of the Beatles) were deemed one of the rarest collectibles to own.

This is the information card for the bubble bath above.
I found these cards very helpful, and very interesting!

One of my favorite Rock & Roll bands has always been AC/DC. I saw them on tour in 1996, and it's just a love that's carried over from my youth. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame had hand-written lyrics on display, among other things, and they even had one of Angus Young's school boy uniforms.

The 'blah blah blah' on the page made me laugh.
We've all done this at some point, right?
Just not usually w/lyrics that were going to become very famous. ;)

A good number of people in the Hall of Fame were there for their individual recognition, and for group recognition as well. One of those people was Joe Walsh, and when I got to his hand-written lyrics for "Life's Been Good,' I had to laugh... the blah blah blah at the end was all too familiar. We've all written that somewhere at some point right? His blah-blah doodles just happened to be on something that ended up becoming very famous. ;)

Nirvana photo on the wall

All around the Hall of Fame you could access music by the artists on display with little kiosks that had headphones attached to them. My teen daughter couldn't resist giving a Nirvana song a listen. In fact, I had to finally drag her away. ;)

I was surprised to see this was the Rage Against the Machine touring van.
Of course a lot of these artists didn't start out very wealthy, I knew that...
but seeing just how humble some of their starts were, was well, humbling. :)

The Rage Against the Machine tour van was probably the most startling item to me, though it didn't surprise anyone else in our group. I know that these now-famous groups/people did not all start out wealthy...some very far from it, but seeing the van they used to tour with greats like Pearl Jam really did surprise me. And (don't laugh) it revived in me the sense of the American Dream that some of these artists went through...it was awesome seeing how humbly they began, knowing now that they've achieved the status they'd hoped for when they started out (and then some, for many!).

An Elvis Presley jukebox
A gift to Presley from RCA Records

This was taking from a movie strip (hence the blur) playing the songs live.
There were people seated on the bench seating...still mesmerized by the King of Rock & Roll's sounds.

There was a very big area for Elvis (no surprise there). From his gospel piano singing days, to his Army uniform, to movies, records, awards, singing and more. They had a little bit of everything on display and it was great. What was most appealing to me, I think, was the video strip that was playing Elvis songs (with the lyrics popping up at the top). I wasn't the only one who was impressed; the bench seating in front of the film roll was full of people who were just mesmerized. You couldn't hear a pin drop in that room, everyone wanted to see/hear the music.

The Doors were inducted to the HOF in 1993.

Jim Morrison was larger than life on one of the photo displays. The Doors were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. If I'm correct, Jim Morrison passed away in 1971?

The evolution of how we listen to music was pretty amazing to see.
We've come a long way, in a pretty short time, don't you think?

The evolution of sound was pretty crazycool to see on display. From the radios of my grandparent's day, to the iPod I have on my desk right now, a little sampling of everything was shown.

You can see how the architecture of the building let the light in and allowed you to see
outside at every angle. I found that design to be so appealing.

The Hall of Fame inductees (signature wall).

When you head to the area that houses the Hall of Fame inductees, you'll see a signature wall. For some reason my daughter and I thought that was really cool and we went from beginning to end getting excited over the names we saw. The guys were not wanting to see the signatures for more than a few seconds and were tapping their toes for us to hurry. When they saw that we were in no hurry, they left us and we caught up with them later. ;)

The inductees section runs continuous movies showing the inductee ceremonies, has this great signature wall, and showcases inductee memorabilia.

It was an absolutely fabulous visit, and I am so glad that we stopped.

Admission to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is just $22 for adults (with discounts for children, residents, military, seniors, etc.).  Just to note a couple of things, as I mentioned at the start of this review, if you visit this coming Monday (1/19) admission and entertainment are free in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Also, I saw on their website today that the Hall of Fame inductees for 2015 have been chosen. There will be an induction ceremony on April 18, 2015.

You can learn more about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and all it has to offer, by visiting their website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, G+, and/or Twitter.

Side Note: I saw a review over the summer for the Rock & Roll HOF over at Christy's Cozy Corners. That's what made me want to take the fam.! If you want to see her review it is here.

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet grandbaby girl really isn't a baby anymore. :) Loved, loved, loved seeing her for the holiday. :)

Denim Cool Beats Outfit: Starting the New Year with FabKids.com

Disclosure: I received a sample product to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

The night before last we met good friends for dinner at a restaurant. Having gone out of town for Christmas this year, we missed our annual 'holiday get-together' with them. This particular set of friends lives a pretty good distance from our home, and consequently we only see them a few times a year. They were pretty surprised to see how tall my youngest has gotten, and they were instantly enamored with the Denim Cool Beats outfit we selected for him this month from FabKids.com.

FabKids Boombox Graphic Tee 

The Denim Cool Beats outfit comes with the long-sleeved Boombox Graphic Tee pictured above. I loved the bright blue on this one, and the retro boombox made it cool for him, and for us! Most people from my generation remember popping a cassette tape into a boombox and kickin' out the jams. That's what this picture reminds me of, and that makes me smile. Those were fun times...and music was the world!

The Blue Man Group is coming to the Wharton Center!

Disclosure: I was not compensated to promote this event. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

The Blue Man Group is coming to The Wharton Center!

The Blue Man Group is coming to the Wharton Center in East Lansing, Michigan. I don't know about you, but this is definitely a group I want to see. I've heard nothing but great things about their performance, and somehow we always seem to just miss it.

Whether you've seen it, or would like to see it again... if you're in the East Lansing, MI. area, here is the info.! I imagine tickets sell out quickly, so if you're wanting to go, I'd check them out now. Let me know if you go see it, would ya? I'd love to hear how you liked it!

January 16-18! What a great way to start off the New Year!

You can learn more about this and other upcoming events by visiting the Wharton Center website. You can also follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Our Stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Silver Spring, MD was Pleasant!

Disclosure: I received a discounted or free product to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Holiday Inn Express
7990 Georgia Avenue  Silver Spring,  Maryland  20910