Reviews

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.

Review and Fave Features of the HTC One (M8) Harman/Kardon Edition Smartphone

May 29, 2014 by Sandra 2 Comments

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Sprint. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating. #SprintMom

I mentioned in a previous post that I’m a 2014 Sprint Ambassador. This means that over the course of a year, I’ll have the amazing opportunity to try out various Sprint devices and service options and then share my experience with you here on The Sensible Mom.

Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the beautifully crafted all-metal HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon Edition smartphone.

This phone is awesome.

What really sets it apart from other smartphones is the high-caliber design inside and out that provides you with a music experience unlike any other. No joke. The sound quality coming from this phone is superb. The HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon Edition smartphone even includes headphones that are not only comfortable, but they also help to create a marvelous listening experience.

3 Favorite Features

Besides the listening experience, here are the other features that I love about this smartphone:

1. I love the 5-inch Full HD screen. My regular smartphone is the Moto X, which has a smaller screen than the HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon Edition, but I instantly fell in love with how my site and other websites displayed on the larger screen.

2. With Sprint Sound Sessions, I love having access to Spotify’s catalogue of more than 20 million songs! My favorite music to listen to is Christian music, and I was pleased to see that after getting the Spotify app set up on my phone, I could immediately start listening to the music I enjoy most.

My husband and kids will confirm that I’m the type of girl that likes music playing all day long. I’ll turn it on in the morning and then let it encourage us until late in the evening. Dancing and singing throughout the day with my baby girl isn’t optional. 😉

3. I love the camera. It actually takes better pictures than my current smartphone.

Here’s one of the pictures I took during one of our playtimes outside:

And here’s a picture I snapped at the NRA Show in Chicago:

Harman Kardon Onyx Studio

Along with the smartphone, I was able to try out the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio. And just — wow. This little speaker is unbelievable.

Let’s just say that we watched the movie FROZEN during a recent family night, and the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio has been blasting out Elisabeth’s new favorite songs, “Let It Go” and “In Summer.”

We don’t own the FROZEN soundtrack, but because of the bluetooth technology in the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio, we can listen to anything we want to from YouTube and make it sound awesome with this speaker.

Oh, and we also used the speaker when we celebrated Nathan’s 14th birthday last weekend. It definitely took our little family party up a notch!

And Finally…Who’s Keeping the Smartphone

Sprint’s website talks about the type of person who will love the HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon Edition smartphone. They say this phone will be adored by “creative changemakers.” I guess that’s me. But I also hope that it’s my husband, because he’s going to keep it.

I’m calling it an “Early Father’s Day” gift. 😉

5 More Potty Training Tips and an Update from the Trenches

May 16, 2014 by Sandra Leave a Comment

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Pull-Ups® Training Pants and Latina Bloggers Connect.

Potty training my baby girl is going to take longer than I thought.

I mentioned in my last potty training tips post that I pretty much have all the time in the world when it comes to teaching her to use the potty, and she can take all the time she needs.

You know, because she’s baby number five, and we aren’t planning on having anymore children. I’ll never get to experience the joys of teaching a little one to use the bathroom again, so I’m totally fine with drawing this thing out. 😉

However, at the moment, Elisabeth is clearly demonstrating all the signs that she’s ready to use the big kid potty. She doesn’t want to wear diapers, and she doesn’t like the feeling of “going” in her diaper anymore. She loves her Pull-Ups Training Pants and talks about “going” in the potty.

But then she avoids it like crazy.

That’s okay, though.

Just like with nursing her longer than I did my other kids, I’m in no rush when it comes to potty training her. I actually have a feeling that one day she’s simply going to get the hang of it, and that’ll be it. Elisabeth will be potty trained.

In the meantime…

Here are 5 more potty training tips and things you can do to help your toddler achieve potty training success. 🙂

Tip #1: Set up a reward system to encourage your child to use the potty. I probably don’t have to tell you this, but rewards are incredibly motivating for little ones. Use stickers or a special treat to persuade your child to go to the bathroom on their own.

Tip #2: Even if a child is able to fairly quickly learn how to use the potty during the day, it may take a while for them to be fully trained at night. With boys, it could take a LONG while (just my experience), so it’s a great idea to continue to put Pull-Ups Training Pants on them before bedtime. Otherwise, you may be doing extra laundry in the morning.

Tip #3: Try to help your child overcome their potty fears with books. Stories are powerful. Find one or two books at your local library and see if they can help your toddler overcome any fears they might have.

Tip #4: Parents have been using Pull-Ups Training Pants to help with potty training little ones for a very long time. Visit the Pull-Ups website for encouragement, tools, and resources.

Tip #5: Speak to other moms and find out what worked for them. There are so many different ways to potty train. If your current method isn’t working, it’s always a great idea to talk to another mom. You’ll probably laugh as you swap stories, and it’s possible that what worked for her son or daughter may work for your little one, too.

Do you have any potty training tips to share? I’d love to hear them!

5 Tips for Potty Training Success (and How I’m Potty Training Baby Number 5)

May 9, 2014 by Sandra 4 Comments

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Pull-Ups® Training Pants and Latina Bloggers Connect.

Potty training a toddler is no walk in the park.

I believe this is why we moms get to celebrate a holiday known as “Mother’s Day.”

Am I right? 😉

Seriously, though, I should know. I have five kids. And we’re currently working on potty training baby number five, my beautiful and feisty 2-year-old daughter, Elisabeth.

But you know, I think that with the right tips, tools, and mindset, potty training your toddler CAN be a great bonding experience.

It can even be fun to “Say Adios to Diapers!” together.

We’re Using Pull-Ups Training Pants

Because our kids are all different, we have tried varying methods and techniques when it came to potty training each of them. For Elisabeth, we purchased a new potty seat for the commode in addition to Pull-Ups Training Pants.

So far, Elisabeth wants little to do with her new seat, but she adores her Pull-Ups!

She’s decided that she’s done with diapers, but she still needs a little motivation for actually making it to the bathroom to use the potty.

DID YOU KNOW? Pull-Ups Training Pants are proven to deliver more potty training success than diapers. And Pull-Ups have stretchy sides that allow your child to learn the skill of pulling down and up.

5 Tips for Potty Training Success

Even though Elisabeth says she wants to use the potty, and then always says, “Laaaater” whenever I talk to her about actually going, I’m not concerned. I’ve been down this road before with my other kids, and I know that she WILL get the hang of this potty thing.

Since this isn’t a new experience for me, and I’ve learned some things along the way, I thought I’d share my top 5 potty training tips with you.

Here We Go!

Tip #1: Be willing to follow your child’s lead. If your son or daughter seems ready to begin potty training, go for it! Grab the Pull-Ups and get started!

Tip #2: Be careful to involve your child. Take them to the store and pick out a new potty seat or search for one together online. Talk to them about the fun characters and designs that are on the front and back of Pull-Ups Training Pants. Elisabeth loves picking out which design she’s going to wear next.

Tip #3: Be patient…boys generally take longer to potty train than girls. From personal experience and from what’s been shared with me by other moms, I think it’s true that boys take longer to potty train than girls. Your son may also not be ready to start potty training as early as your daughter was.

Tip #4: Be motivating and celebrate your child’s success! Do a happy dance or have a mini-party when there’s potty training success. 🙂

Tip #5: Be prepared to give lots and lots of grace. Just as with anything else, when little ones are learning a new skill, we need to be ready to show grace when mistakes are made. There will be accidents, but how we react to those accidents is what matters most.

Our Final Potty Training Journey has Only Begun

We still have a long way to go before Elisabeth is completely potty trained. But you know what? I’m not in a rush. Maybe it’s because we’ve been down this road before or maybe it’s because she’s our last baby.

However long it takes is fine with me.

Do you have any potty training tips to share? I’d love to hear them! 🙂