Mommy Upgrade - Inspiration for Busy Moms Who Make, Shop, Eat, and Go - Reviews and How-to's to upgrade your Mom life!

WHAT:

With a goal to keep academic skills sharp during the summer and encourage daily reading among the whole family, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings (for his final year) will join Dallas families to kick off the 2019 Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge. The program encourages daily reading of books, newspapers, magazines, audiobooks and e-books.

Participants can enjoy fantastic prizes and more than 2,500 weekly STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) activities offered throughout the summer at neighborhood locations.

WHEN: 

June 1 – August 10, 2019 with registration open all summer.

WHERE:

Various locations.

Festival of Books and Ideas Kickoff (June 1) and special kickoff parties that will take place at every library location on Saturday, June 1 (or throughout the week). These include carnival games, space-themed parties, a 90s party, fire truck show and tell, animal shows, STEAM activities, musical performers and more. (Check with each local library for specific details.)

COST: FREE!

Registration is now underway at any of the 29 Dallas library locations or online at dallaslibrary.org/msrc.

Participants who sign up by June 1 will be entered in a drawing for

four tickets to see Aladdin at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

To sign up or learn more, go to dallaslibrary.org/msrc or call 214-670-1671.

WHAT:

Vetro is celebrating school summer break with fire and flame! Children and adults of all ages may come and choose from our 5 pre-selected color mixes and watch while the glassblowers create your glass medallion! Wait; don’t forget we said fire and flames … Yes; you get to torch your medallion!

The Process:
• You select which stamp you wish to help create. Vetro has 6 medallion designs you can choose from this summer. Train, #1 DAD, Triceratops, T-Rex, Star, Grape Cluster
• You select colors from our five pre-selected color palettes of glass
• Then you apply your color mix to the hot molten glass.
• Then you get to watch the artist finish creating your Medallion right before your very eyes.
• Then torch your very own Medallion with our Fire Torch!!!

WHEN: 

Saturdays, June 1 – June 29, 2019, between 10:00 am – 1:00 pm 

*Medallion tickets are good for the Saturday that you register for. Each ticket may be redeemed anytime between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. In order to have enough time to create your Medallion you must check in no later than 12:30 p.m. In order to speed up the check-in process, please have your email confirmation available either in print or on your mobile device.

WHERE:

701 S. Main Street Ste. 103, Grapevine Texas, 76051

COST: 

$20.00 per person

Cancellation policy: Should you need to cancel or reschedule, a processing fee of $5 will be deducted from your refund for each Medallion you registered to make. If you fail to notify us before 10:00 a.m. the day BEFORE your reservation, your payment will be non-refundable. We will NOT be able to reschedule nor provide a refund for no-shows.

Children and adults of all ages are welcome!

REGISTER HERE

@VetroGlassBlowers

WHAT

What if an eccentric chocolatier and a daredevil pop star had a whirlwind romance, got married while skydiving, and had a glamorous, glittering love child who grew up to rule a small nation?

Explore Candytopia’s sprawling sanctuary of confectionary bliss, with 14 carefully curated and crafted rooms and environments. Be showered in confetti by candy-coated unicorn pigs, or swim in a pool of 300,000 marshmallows! Discover the sweets of Candytopia with nine samples of candy items throughout the experience including chocolate truffles and bags of gummi bears.

If you ever dreamed of nibbling your way through Candyland or scoring a Golden Ticket, you’ve come to the right place. Treat yourself to Candytopia, and let your tastebuds and your imagination soar!

WHEN

Candytopia opened April 5th and is a limited engagement. Their doors close July 31st, so reserve your tickets today!

WHERE

8021 Walnut Hill Lane (at Central Expressway, in The Hill), Dallas.

RESERVATIONS

@thecandytopia

WHAT:

Over 100 haute couture dresses, 70 years of fashion history, seven revolutionary designers, one exhibition. Discover it all in “Dior: From Paris to the World.”

There will be collections from all of Christian Dior’s creative heads: the eponymous designer, Yves Saint Laurant, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri. It serves as an extension of the 70th-anniversary showcase, “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams,” that premiered in Paris in 2017, and is currently housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Like its predecessor, “Dior: From Paris to the World” examines the maison’s influence on the fashion industry—but goes a step further, juxtaposing a coterie of designs with works from the museum and local private collectors.

WHEN:

Various times: May 19 to September 1

WHERE:

The Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North Harwood, Dallas, Texas 75201

This is a monumental exhibition that relays Dior’s trajectory through the years—and proof that everything’s bigger in Texas.

COST:

$20.00+  | Children 11 and under are free.

PURCHASE TICKETS

MORE INFO:  https://dma.org/dior

@DallasMuseumofArt

WHAT: As part of the Blue Star Museums program, Texas’ three presidential libraries, including the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, offer free admission to active duty U.S. military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve, and their families, starting on Armed Forces Day, May 18, and continuing through Labor Day, Sept. 2, 2019.

Visitors to the George W. Bush Presidential Library can view the new exhibit “Away from the White House: Presidential Retreats” showcasing presidential retreats as a mixture of traveling White House, diplomacy, and attempts at relaxation. Other museum highlights include “A Nation Under Attack” recalling the events of Sept. 11, 2001; an Oval Office replica; and provocative, hands-on Decision Points Theater.

WHEN: May 18 – September 2, 2019

WHERE: 2943 SMU Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75205

@TheBushCenter

WHAT: TFTI, an interactive photo experience made in Texas, welcomes guests to the ultimate pop-up photo experience for a limited time in Arlington, TX from April 25 – June 30, 2019.

Creative rooms — ranging in theme from Cloud Room to Pillow Fight, Mirror Room to Upside Down — and tons of varied photo activations will become the perfect backdrop for guests. Whether looking for a new jaw-dropping selfie, team photos, or a new fun and quirky family portrait, TFTI has something for everyone. The entire space has been designed to be toured in one-hour increments.

WHERE: 3701 S. Cooper St., Suite 107, Arlington, TX (Same shopping complex near the Raising Cane’s and right next to Feng Cha drink shop)

WHEN:  Thursdays through Sunday through June 30th from 10 AM – 8 PM.

COST: Every person entering the TFTI photo experience will need a ticket. Children under four years of age are free. Tickets are non-refundable and pets are not allowed.

Check out photos from the experience on Instagram.

@TFTIexperience

WHAT: Real-Life Mermaids Perform Underwater with Sharks at SEA LIFE Aquarium

For the first time in the aquarium’s history, a magical mermaid show is coming to SEA LIFE Grapevine. Watch as mermaids perform underwater in the aquarium’s 160,000-gallon ocean tank alongside sharks, sea turtles, and even sturgeon to amaze visitors of all ages.

While back on dry land, guests can meet a mermaid when she sits upon her throne inside the aquarium. This personal meet and greet offers a memorable photo opportunity and allows guests to pledge their love for the oceans. From recycling to reducing the use of plastic bags and straws, guests will be encouraged by the mermaids to love the ocean and all of their ocean friends.

WHEN: Thursday, June 20 through Sunday,  July 7, 2019

Mermaid dive shows will take place 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mermaid meet and greets take place in the theater every Thursday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday from 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Sea Life Grapevine Aquarium, 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine, TX 76051

COST:  $22.95 for adults, $18.95 for children ages 3 to 12, and FREE for kids 2 and under.

All mermaid appearances and meet and greets are included with the price of admission. 

PURCHASE TICKETS

Mermaid makeover packages will be available for purchase on select dates and times. Each mermaid makeover experience will include a meet and greet with one of the mermaids, a child mermaid tail, professional face painting, hair accessories and goody bag. See website for details.

Follow on Facebook: @sealifegrapevine

Follow on Twitter @sealifegrpevine

Follow on Instagram: @sealifeusa

WHAT:

Dallas’ only true comic book show returns to the Irving Convention Center.  Families and comic fans can enjoy a great list of comic artists and creators. Come out and meet some of the greats in the comic book industry including:

• JIM SHOOTER – co-founderValiant Comics, editor at Marvel Comics, and one of the foremost living authorities on Marvel Comics.
• MARK BAGLEY – artist on Venom: Lethal Protector, Amazing Spider-Man, more.
• FABIAN NICIEZA- co-creator of Deadpool, writer on New Warriors & Thunderbollts.
• PETER DAVID – writer on Symbiote Spiderman, Incredible Hulk.
• BOB BUDIANSKY – Transformers, Ghost Rider and former Marvel Comics editor.
• VAL MAYERIK – co-creator of Howard The Duck.
• DON MCGregor – writer, Black Panther, Nathaniel Dusk.
• KEVIN MAGUIRE – artist, Justice League, Batman Confidential, X-Men.
• BRETT BREEDING – rare appearance by Superman inker.
• SEAN CHEN – artist on RAI & The Future Force, Wolverine, Elektra.
• DEXTER SOY – artist on Batman & The OUtsiders, Red Hood & The Outlaws, Captain Marvel.
• ALITHA MARTINEZ – Iron Man and Black Panther artist.
• KERRY GAMMILL – Superman artist.
• SAM DE LA ROSA – inker on Venom: Lethal Protector, Black Panther, more.

COSPLAY CONTEST on Saturday June 29th at 2 PM. Kid’s division too! Top prize $100 for adult division.
More to come.

Visit www.comicbooksdallas.com!

WHEN:

10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday, June 29th AND 10:00 am – 5:00 pm,  Sunday June 30th

WHERE:

Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 500 Las Colinas Blvd W, Irving, Texas 75039

COST:

One day admission is just $25 (plus service fee). Kids 12 and under get in FREE!

PURCHASE TICKETS

@ComicBookDallas