Family Fun

Disney PLANES: Printables, Activities, Family Time, and More!

July 10, 2014 by Sandra 4 Comments

I’m working with Disney to share fun ways families can get excited about the new PLANES Fire & Rescue movie
that will be in theaters starting July 18, 2014. #FireAndRescue

We love Disney movies.

Who doesn’t?

I know that we’re obviously not alone, because when we placed a library hold on the movie Frozen, (if I remember correctly) there were well over 100 people ahead of us. Crazy.

Ruben had taken four of our kids to see that particularly awesome movie while it was in theaters and which happened to be when David and I couldn’t leave the hospital during his transplant last December.

They liked the movie so much that they wanted us ALL to be able to sit down and watch it together as a family. We finally did and, of course, I loved it.

Disney has Another Movie Coming Out in Theaters

In the not-too-distant-future, on July 18th, 2014, Disney is releasing yet another film that is sure to delight your kids! The upcoming new movie is PLANES Fire & Rescue, and because of the new release, we decided to get excited about PLANES ahead of time with a Planes-themed family time event that took place right in our living room. 🙂

To make this time extra-special, I put on my thinking cap, searched Pinterest, and finally settled on these four airplane-themed snacks:

1. “Baggage” filled with freshly popped popcorn
2. Cotton candy “clouds”
3. Classic “airplane” peanuts
4. PLANES fruit snacks – a rare treat for my kids

Let’s just say that the snacks were a big hit. We ate them while we watched the first PLANES movie that’s currently out on DVD.

Just a side note: My oldest son, who is 14-years-old, wasn’t incredibly excited that we’d be watching a movie he thought was for little kids. However, in the end, he sat through the entire movie and liked it!

We had a great time together taking in the movie and eating the airplane-themed snacks. I need to remember to plan these little extra-special things more often.

More Ways to Get Excited about the New Movie

Below you can take a peek at the Planes Fire & Rescue Trailer

Thunder – Planes: Fire & Rescue Trailer on Disney Video

And if you visit the Disney Planes website, you’ll find a ton of good stuff there. You can also find printables, games, and crafts on a separate Disney Planes Fire & Rescue website.

The activities on both of the sites mentioned above are totally free to download.

Here’s a peek at what’s there:

If you click on any of the three Planes images above, you’ll be able to download and print those particular activities and coloring pages.

Also, you can stay up-to-date on the Disney Planes movies and more by visiting the Facebook page or by following Disney Pictures on Twitter.

Are you planning on seeing the new Planes movie? What’s your favorite Disney film (or character)?

Entertainment for the Whole Family: Raging Waves Waterpark

July 10, 2014 by Sandra 4 Comments

My family and I enjoyed an amazing, fun, free Family Day at Raging Waves Waterpark in exchange for sharing this review. #WelcomeToSummer

We make a big deal about “Family Days” around our home.

They are must-do.

Can’t miss.

We’ve got to schedule a Family Day and make it happen at least once a week.

And if it looks like we aren’t going to be able to enjoy family time on our regular “Family Day” of the week, Sunday, then we plan ahead and schedule it for a different day. It’s that important.

Plus, we love this time together, because we realize that our days together are precious. And they’re not guaranteed. In fact, that truth became far too real for me this past year, and I guess that’s part of the reason why I strive to make family time a high priority — every single week.

Raging Waves Waterpark

Most of the time, we spend family days at home. But recently, we were able to experience an unforgettable time together at Raging Waves Waterpark, which happens to be located in the Chicagoland city of Yorkville, Illinois.

Seven Hours Later…We Barely Scratched the Surface

It was our very first time at Raging Waves, and we can see why it’s Illinois’ Largest Waterpark. Raging Waves is enormous, and it has something for everyone!

The Fun at Raging Waves Includes:

17 Waterslides

The Lazy River

1 Wave Pool

2 Huge Kiddie Areas

Good Food

Sandy Beach Areas

A Family-Friendly Show

So Much More!

We split most of our time between the two kiddie areas and the wave pool. David and Isaac loved the slides in the kiddie area, and everyone had a blast in the wave pool! We hung out at the shallow end of the wave pool. And that turned to be a good idea, because those waves are powerful and have the ability to knock little ones over. 😉

When Fire and Water Make Great Entertainment

Besides everything you can do in the water at Raging Waves, there’s also a new show you can sit down and take in with your family. It’s called “Sinbad and the Search for the Golden Pineapple.” And if you wait to see the last show of the day, you can watch one of the performers be lit on fire before jumping into a giant pool of water.

It’s pretty spectacular.

Cleanliness, Friendliness, and Safety

While we were at the park, we had the opportunity to learn more about the people who work there and how they go all out and do their best to make sure that Raging Waves is a clean, friendly, and safe place to be.

As a mom (and germaphobe because I have to be), this made me incredibly happy to hear.

Our family day at Raging Waves was awesome. I’m thankful for all the memories made and know that my kids will remember all the fun for a long time to come. 🙂

Have you visited a waterpark this Summer?

Family Fun at the Medieval Times Chicago Castle

June 14, 2014 by Sandra 4 Comments

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament took our weekly family day to another level.

We normally spend family day at home doing things like playing games, watching movies, enjoying special food, and planning for David’s Make-A-Wish Disney trip coming up later this year.

We think planning any Disney trip is exciting when we do it together. 🙂

But earlier this month, we decided to visit the Medieval Times Chicago Castle, which actually does resemble a real castle, for family day. I’d only been to Medieval Times on one other occasion with a group of local bloggers, so it was my second visit and Ruben and the kids’ first visit.

What to Expect

The whole Medieval Times experience is unforgettable. From the moment you walk into the castle, it feels like you’re stepping into another time in history. The walls and ceilings are beautifully decorated, and they definitely set the tone for what’s to come.

When you check in, you’re told which color knight you’ll be cheering for, and you’re then seated in a section matching your knight’s color(s).

We sat in the yellow and red section and cheered for the yellow and red knight. Sadly, he didn’t win in the end. 🙁

But he fought nobly and tried.

Food at Medieval Times

You’ve probably already heard. There are no utensils allowed during your Medieval Times meal which is made up of baby dragon (chicken), a spare rib, garlic bread, tomato bisque soup, roasted potato, and a pastry of the castle.

Well, I’m here to tell you that’s absolutely correct.

There are no forks allowed and you’ll get quite messy during your meal. You’ll without a doubt make use of the napkin, wet wipe, and warm wipe (that’s brought to you later on) as you eat of all the deliciousness that’s set before you.

Unless, of course…

You order the vegetarian meal. In that case, you’ll get a fork and appear quite clean and well-mannered while the others in your party eat with their hands. 🙂

DID YOU KNOW? It’s helpful to understand the definition of “Chivalry” before attending Medieval Times. According to Dictionary.com, Chivalry is the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, including courage, courtesy, generosity, honor, justice, dexterity in arms, and a readiness to help the weak. I think I like the idea of chivalry and what it stands for. Don’t you?

A Family-Friendly Place to Visit

Overall, everyone in my family had a fantastic time at Medieval Times. Elisabeth, my 2-year-old daughter, was a little startled at the beginning of the show, but once she realized it was all fun and entertainment, she enjoyed it.

I’d have to say her favorite parts were the roasted chicken (baby dragon) and being able to see horses gracefully run back and forth right in front of us. We happened to get seats in the front row of our section, and I think that made the experience even better.

We’re all looking forward to the next time we can visit this fun and exciting place. Isaac, my 7-year-old son, keeps asking if he can go again for his birthday next year.

I’m hoping we can make that happen. 😉

Have you ever been to Medieval Times? What was your favorite part?

P.S. You can use the coupon code: 3426CASTLE to get discounted rates at the Chicago (Schaumburg) Castle. This particular code is valid through September 30, 2014.

A Simple Way to Help Kids in Your Community (and a Twitter Party!)

April 23, 2014 by Sandra 4 Comments

This is a sponsored collaboration with Champions for Kids and The Motherhood.

We enjoyed a little family outing today.

We can get out as a family now that David has the okay from his doctor to be able to go into public places — so long as he isn’t in a crowd of people or around anyone who is sick. He was pretty happy to be out and about today. 🙂

We made a trip to Walmart to pick up some groceries and purchase items to donate to the latest Champions for Kids program called SIMPLE Giving.

SIMPLE Giving is a Champions for Kids program that makes it simple for you to help kids in your community. For this latest program, you can purchase healthy breakfast foods at your local Walmart and then drop them in the bin at the front of the store. These items will then be given to school children in that local community.

Ideas for What to Donate

We ended up buying cereal and granola mix to donate. There was a display in one area of the store that had suggested items to donate, but you could also choose items from other aisles in the store.

I think cereal, oatmeal, granola, and granola bars are all non-perishable food items that are great to give, and they make a healthy breakfast for the children who’ll receive them.

Donation Time

Once we were finished shopping, we headed for the checkout lane, and then to the donation bins where the kids excitedly dropped off the breakfast items!

I love that we went out and made the SIMPLE Giving donation as a family. In doing so, we created a lasting memory and made a difference for someone else.

How great is that? 😉

DID YOU KNOW? You can participate in the SIMPLE Giving program by simply purchasing and donating breakfast food items at your local participating Walmart from April 21st through May 5th. If your Walmart store is participating, simply purchase breakfast foods and place them in the purple donation bins at the front of the store after checkout. To see a list of participating stores, click here.

All of the donations go to children in the school district where the Walmart store is located.

A #SIMPLEGiving Twitter Party!

I love Twitter parties, so I’m excited to share that there’s going to be a #SIMPLEGiving Twitter party on April 24, 2014 at 1:00PM Eastern!

Here’s more relevant information for the party:

When: Thursday, April 24, at 1p ET / 12p CT / 10a PT

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #SIMPLEGiving hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP right HERE: http://twtvite.com/simplegiving

Hashtag: #SIMPLEGiving

Prizes: Five prizes will be given to randomly selected participants who answer the trivia questions correctly. Each prize includes a $50 Walmart gift card!

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @theMotherhood25, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Sponsor: @Champions4Kids

So, what are some ways you give back to your community? I’d love to hear how you do this as a family or how you get your kids involved. 🙂