Day Out with Dad

PLANES: Kids Printables and Airplane Activities

August 4, 2013 by Rachel 2 Comments

Have you and your kids reserved tickets to see Disney’s latest movie, Planes?

Coming from the super successful Cars franchise, this movie is destined to be a new favorite among Disney fans. And in anticipation of the movie’s August 9th release, Disney has created activities that the whole family can enjoy!

Create your own Racing Plane and compete in the Racer Game. Choose a paper plane template from six different Plane characters (complete with individual folding directions – which can always be a bit tricky!), then head outside for a family competition.

For those that love to color, choose one of the Coloring Pages that highlight four of the main characters from the movie.

Check out Disney’s schedule of international Air Show Times. If you have never been to an air show before, you must go! It is exhilarating to have the fast jets whiz over your head. Plus, most air shows display retired military aircraft and allow you to walk through them. If you are not near one of the shows listed, do not fret! It is by no means an exhaustive list. Spend a few minutes doing a little internet research for air shows in or near your area.

When your family goes to the Air Show, don’t forget Disney’s Planes Air Show Checklist! Search the runways for planes that are used in the military, planes that have one or more propellers, or planes that are made by the pilot himself. You even have a space to draw your favorite plane of the day and track all the different plane maneuvers you witness in the skies overhead.

Do you have fond memories of attending air shows as a child – or as an adult? Please share!

Summer Treats for Kids at Mariano’s

June 17, 2013 by Sandra 8 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Mariano’s. #MyMarianos #cbias

While I try to keep it healthy with my children most of the time, the fact that it’s summertime is a great excuse to enjoy a little extra sweetness when it comes to food.

And I can’t think of a better way to indulge our sweet tooth than with a cup of Vero gelato from my local Mariano’s Lakeshore East store in Chicago. We made a trip there recently for a fun family day out.

I’d planned to visit Mariano’s to enjoy some gelato on the patio (which has a breathtaking view), and then head to the Lincon Park Zoo to finish our day with a little exercise. 😉

It as a FULL but happy day.

Our Chicago adventure started with having to choose from a huge selection of gelato flavors at Mariano’s. One of my personal favorites was the cappuccino gelato, but that’s because I can’t live without coffee. The kids loved the cookies & cream gelato and the strawberry gelato. They all looked amazing, though.

When I say there’s a huge selection, I really mean there’s a wide range of gelato flavors. Just look at all the creamy, wavy goodness.

It’s a good thing that we have a big family. I was able to choose six different flavors of gelato, and since we share and all, I was able to taste almost all of them.

And a bonus is that the next time we treat the kids to gelato at Mariano’s, I’m going to save a little money, because I found out that when I use my Mariano’s rewards card, when you buy 10 cups of gelato, the 11th cup is free. 🙂

Vero Gelato on the Patio at Mariano’s
While I was in charge of the gelato, my husband was in charge of finding us seats out on the patio at Mariano’s. He found a great spot for the us, too.

I mentioned earlier that the view is awesome out on the patio, and it truly is. We saw blue skies, green grass, and Chicago skyscrapers…true beauty.

Here are a few more pictures that I captured from the patio at Mariano’s. For me, these pictures made Mariano’s even more amazing. Seriously. I was able to see these views at a grocery store. Just. Wow.

I *heart* Mariano’s in a whole new way after this trip. This was my first time to this specific Chicago location, and I’ll be back!

Overall, the Vero gelato was delicious, and to make this trip truly unforgettable for the kids, we had them pick out a few items from the bakery AND the candy aisle.

We went all out. 😉

They enjoyed their bakery treats at the zoo, where we stopped after our visit to Mariano’s.

The sweet treats from Mariano’s made this summer day extra special.

What’s a favorite summer treat for your kids? What’s your favorite gelato flavor?

Did you know? You can find great recipes and ideas from the Mariano’s Community. And you can follow Mariano’s on Facebook and Twitter for their latest updates. You can also find out more about my shopping trip to Mariano’s here in my Google+ story.

Day Out with Dad

September 23, 2010 by Sandra 4 Comments

This year we decided to start a new tradition with our kids. Once a month, each one of them gets to go out alone with Daddy. Well, all the older kids get to go out alone with Dad. David, our youngest, is 18months old, so, we’ll wait until he is at least two years old to start this tradition with him.

Essentially what happens is, Ruben and I decide what the kids will do on their “Day Out with Dad,” and it’s a surprise for the kids until that day. Sometimes we do let them know ahead of time so they can “dress for the occassion” if necessary, but otherwise, we try to keep it a surprise. We keep things LOW budget for their Day Out with Dad, too. They’ve done things like:

:: Go out to lunch or dinner when there’s a Buy One Get One free deal going on or we have a coupon
:: Go to the Brunswick Zone (this is a bowling alley and arcade game place and we get discounted vouchers for this place through a local radio station)
:: Go to the library
:: Go to a local museum (where kids 3 and under are free (Isaac) and hunt for coupons online for Ruben)
:: Go to get their picture taken at JC Penney ALONE (they love this!)
:: Do something inexpensive through our local park district (Daddy Daughter Princess Pancake Breakfast)

Last Saturday was the Princess Pancake Breakfast. Ruben took Breanna, and they had a wonderful time!

Ruben and Bre

The Princess

Do you have any special traditions you do with your children?

P.S. The name “Day Out with Dad” came from a project that I created for a class over the summer. I had to make up a fake event and create tickets, invitations, and a poster for it. I made up a Father-Son golf outing called the “10th Annual Day Out with Dad” at the Yogi Bear Golf Course. After that project, the name kind of stuck with the kids, and they ended up calling their time with Ruben their “Day Out with Dad.” It works. 🙂

Day Out with Dad

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