Right now some of the top rated Las Vegas shows to see are:

Ka Cirque Du Soleil- I have heard feedback from people who have attended Cirque shows in the past and are frustrated that they couldn’t follow a plot line. This will not be the case at Ka. The plot follows Imperial Twins who are separated by an attack on their Far Eastern palace and overcome adversity to be reunited. The theater itself is breathtaking and don’t be surprised to see bungee jumping warriors from the ceiling. The show runs Tuesday through Saturday at the MGM Grand in the Ka Theater.

The Lion King- Adapted from the Disney animated picture, this is a visually stunning and beautiful play that takes place in the African jungle and follows a young lion’s journey to become King. You won’t want to miss this Tony-Award winning Broadway sensation. Tickets start at  $66 and shows run everyday except Friday at the Mandalay Bay Theater. Must be 6 years of age or older.

Viva Elvis Cirque Du Soleil- This Cirque show is unique in that it pays tribute to the life and music of Elvis through acrobatics, video production, and live music. This is the only Cirque show where the band is predominately onstage the whole production.  There are 24 subwoofers buried in the theater floor which gives it a more concert like feel. Even if you aren’t a diehard Elvis fan you will be impressed and entranced throughout the whole show. Viva ELVIS runs at the Aria Resort and Casino.

Jabbawockeez- You may remember this dance crew as the winner of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew back in 2008 but they have come a long way since then. They are more than just white masks and white gloves and you will love it how they tell a story through hip-hop dance moves. Prices range from $62.70 with daily shows at the Monte Carlo Theater.

Have you visited Las Vegas recently? What was your favorite show?

Cirque du Soleil's Mystere

Las Vegas is turning out to be quite the popular destination for those looking for a quick and fun getaway this President’s Day holiday weekend.

There are great casinos and Las Vegas hotels to stay at and also delicious buffets in Las Vegas to dine at. Those who come will also be happy with the caliber of entertainment with deals on tickets to boot!

President’s Day weekend brings the best of the comedic entertainment industry to Las Vegas, showcasing two world class acts, Jay Leno and Tom Arnold.

Most famous for his work as host of the Emmy Award-winning The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Leno’s comedy style touches topics that audiences of which all ages can relate. He will be performing at the Terry Fator Theatre at The Mirage Las Vegas, Feb. 18 – 19 at 10 p.m.

Actor and comedian, Tom Arnold, is most notable for his role in True Lies and host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period. Arnold has comedic roots in a variety of different entertainment industries and will perform at the New Orleans Las Vegas showroom Feb. 19 – 20 at 8 p.m.

Beyond visiting acts, resident shows on the Las Vegas Strip include Cirque du Soleil’s productions LOVE at Mirage Las Vegas and KÀ  at MGM Grand Las Vegas these happen to be a favorite among the locals. The world famous hip-hop dance crew, Jabbawockeez, and Venetian Las Vegas’s Phantom of the Opera – The Las Vegas Spectacular also offer guests great specials for the holiday weekend.

With a variety of shows providing special offers for the holiday, Las Vegas visitors are able to find the perfect evening of entertainment to enhance their weekend getaway.

So we went shopping for a new carry-on for me… or really for the baby. We each had a goal in mind of what we wanted that luggage to look like. I of course being a sophisticated woman wanted a bag that was attractive and could hold a lot of stuff. Reid, however wanted a great deal on a Samsonite bag (he really likes Samsonite). So after quite a bit of shopping we found a gorgeous red Samsonite roller bag at Ross. And I love it.

The bag has only been with the DTM crew for a month and has seen Las Vegas, Arizona (twice) and been to Hawaii. Hawaii was a 6 day trip and we still managed to just pack two carry-ons, a diaper bag, and a camera bag (really good thing the condo had a washer and dryer). It’s just something we have committed to. Since we don’t like to check bags, and we make a lot of connecting flights this means we have to lug around all our stuff through airports- the less the better. It’s really taught me how to cram things in my suitcase better, pack really lightly, and bring ONLY the essentials.

So now as I sit here packing for our trip to North Dakota this weekend, I have two piles. One pile is the stuff that will be stuffed into an already overflowing red Samsonite suitcase and the other is the stuff I wanted to stuff in there but is a unrealistic hope. Wish me luck

Anyways, back to the cold, it was so cold that our rental car doors were frozen shut. Now, I am not sure what the rental car company was thinking when they washed the cars and didn’t dry them thoroughly but I digress.

We were very worried about her first flight. So, I did my research, talked to my friends, and asked for advice from my pediatrician. I had heard of people using Benedryl to help with flights, but probably not worth it on a 2 month old since it is only to make them sleep not to help with ear pain. The best sound advice I got was to nurse or give a bottle during take off and landing because the swallowing would help pop her ears, but timing is always an issue with feedings so a pacifier would suffice.

Both flights went off without a hitch. BabyTravels slept through both flights, sucked on her pacifier, and didn’t even make a peep. They were both very early flights and the first one had enough room where we could put her car seat in between us, and after takeoff I put her snug in there and was able to get some sleep myself. I’m not naïve enough to think all flights will go this well but it was a relief that there is promise in our future! Here’s to many more travels!

Posts to look forward to this week:

10 Best Road Trips in the United States
Road Trip Must Haves and Giveaway!
Road Trip Nightmares: Avoiding Disaster

Thinking back on some of my past road trips- the best were when my friends and I just packed in our car and set off without a distinct plan. One of my particular favorites was a trip we made in the summer of 2004 driving from Rexburg, ID to Las Vegas, NV- just a bunch of college students looking for a good time. What have some of your most memorable favorite road trips been?

I’m grateful for this opportunity to blog about poverty along with my fellow bloggers out there in the blogosphere on Blog Action Day.

Poverty is an important topic of discussion as it affects every single person, even if they don’t realize it. Poverty affects people of all ages, races, all around the world. It also can not be easily defined. Although the government believes it can. According to the US Census Bureau 37.3 million people were living below poverty level in 2007.  The government takes into account the number of family members living in the household and gives them a monetary value based on their threshold of need. Then the amount of income for that household is divided by the amount of threshold for need. If the income is greater than the threshold of need then that family is not considered to be in poverty by official definition.

But unfortunately the world does not always work like that. Can living paycheck to paycheck be considered poverty? I mean sure you aren’t going under- but still… your not making anything to better your situation. It’s all quite controversial really, but this isn’t the point of my post. My point is that it’s not only the homeless and hungry who are suffering. Because there are speculations out there that the gap between the upper class and lower class is widening and the middle class is disappearing, this tells me that there are many many more than just 37.3 million people out there who are suffering from poverty.

It’s a scary and sad thought. Many of us have friends and families who, especially with this economic downturn, are worried how they are going to feed their families dinner next week, how they are going to buy diapers for their babies, afford daycare so the parent can get a job (possibly second). Millions of children don’t have healthcare, and so parent’s suffer those burdens. I wish there was an easy fix-all solution to these problems but unfortunately there really isn’t- unless we are willing to adopt communism (which thank goodness we aren’t). Every program, solution, non-profit, and volunteer make a difference.

One of my friends at work, Candace is a great example of being just one person but making a difference. Every month she volunteers at the soup kitchen, she participates in a food co-op and I have seen her give away her lunch to homeless people before. She just has a giving attitude and that has translated into blessing the lives of others. I think if the world was full of Candace’s it would be a great place to live.