• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Sensible Mom

Food, DIY, Chicago Mom Blogger

  • Home
  • About
    • David’s Story
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • DIY
    • liquid hand soap
    • deodorant
    • face wash
    • baby wipes
    • air freshener
    • peppermint sea salt foot scrub
    • brown sugar face scrub
    • brown sugar body scrub
    • hair conditioner
    • peppermint sugar body scrub
    • honey sugar facial scrub
  • Homeschool
    • Printables
    • Family Fun
  • Recipes
    • Juicer Recipes
    • Dessert
  • Beauty
    • Essential Oils
    • Breastfeeding
    • Weight Loss
  • Reviews
    • Giveaways
    • Parties
    • Technology
    • Videos
  • Travel
    • Disney World
    • Chicagoland

activities for families

VLOG: The Disney Character Warehouse Outlet Store, Disney Springs Food and Fun PLUS a Disney Haul!

November 29, 2018 by Sandra 1 Comment


Hi, guys! Today, I’m sharing vlog #2 in our Family of 7 Florida Vacation vlog series! In this second vlog, we go shopping at the Disney Character Warehouse Outlet Store in Orlando, Florida. We then head to Disney Springs (aka Downtown Disney) to have lunch, a little more fun, and do some shopping!

We ended up eating at Blaze Pizza but we also tried a cheeseburger from D-Luxe Burger. It was so good! After we went back to our room, I shared our haul for the day and it includes an adorable blue Mickey Mouse plush that is SO cute! We wrapped up the day with swimming and an easy dinner in our room. I hope you enjoy the video, and thanks for watching! πŸ™‚

Please feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel as I publish videos there before they make it on the blog. Oh, and I share a lot about food, family, and more in my Instagram Stories, so you may want to follow me there as well.

Have you been to a Disney Outlet store or Disney Springs? What’s your favorite Disney purchase?


Filed Under: Blessed Seven Vlogs, Disney World, Family Fun, My Life, Reviews, Travel, Videos Tagged With: activities for families, disney, mealtime, vacations, video, YouTube Vlogs

Family of 7 Florida Vacation Vlog Series: Traveling to Florida and Room Tour of the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa

November 15, 2018 by Sandra 2 Comments


Thanks to Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa for working with me on this video. They provided us with two complimentary nights and our family paid for three additional nights.

Hi, guys! Today, I’m sharing the first vlog in our Family of 7 Florida Vacation vlog series! We had an amazing time in Florida and I hope you enjoy the videos!

In this first vlog, we travel from our hotel in Georgia to the resort that we stay at in Florida. We ended up staying at the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa in Florida and, in the video, I share a tour of our 3 bedroom room there.

There’s much more to come so stay tuned and thanks for watching! πŸ™‚

Psst…You can see our previous stay at the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa here. Also, please feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel as I publish videos there before they make it on the blog. Oh, and I share a lot about food, family, and more in my Instagram Instastories, so you may want to follow me there as well.

Have you vacationed in Florida? What was your favorite part?


Filed Under: Reviews, Travel, Videos Tagged With: activities for families, vacations, video, YouTube Vlogs

Holiday Fun at Santa HQ

December 18, 2017 by Sandra Leave a Comment


This is a sponsored collaboration with the folks that work with Santa HQ.

I hope you’re enjoying this holiday season. We’ve been loving all the Christmas lights and holiday decor that seem to be more prevalent this year than in the past. People are really getting into the holiday spirit here in Chicagoland! I like it! πŸ˜€

As a family, we’ve been finding ways to enjoy the holidays together and one way we recently took in some holiday fun was when we visited our localΒ Santa HQ.

If #SantaHQ visits a city near you, I definitely recommend checking it out! It’s interactive and fun for kids! πŸŽ…πŸ‘πŸ˜ƒπŸŽ„ #lovehgtv #ad #santa #Christmas @FashionChicago pic.twitter.com/B9Zv2GcPyC

β€” Sandra Calixto (@thesensiblemom) November 10, 2017

In case you’re not familiar with Santa HQ, here’s a quick video that shows you what it’s all about. And best of all, it’s FREE! πŸ™‚

Our kids had fun exploring the different interactive areas of Santa HQ and weΒ made great memories in the process.

Here’s our picture of the kids with Santa. I do wish Santa would’ve put on a better smile. Maybe he was just tired. Oh, well! πŸ™‚

We had a great time at Santa HQ tonight! Thankful for these memories πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸ’ #SantaHQ #ad @fashionchicago

A post shared by Sandra Calixto (@thesensiblemom) on Nov 9, 2017 at 6:41pm PST

All in all, it was a great night, and we even found some fantastic deals on Star Wars toys for my Star Wars fans and a new Elena of Avalor doll for Elisabeth at the Disney Outlet Store because our Santa HQ happened to be located at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont, Illinois.

What kind of fun does your family enjoy around the holidays?

See if Santa HQ is visiting a shopping center near you by checking out the Santa HQ website.


Filed Under: Christmas, Family Fun, Reviews Tagged With: activities for families, Chicago

Holiday Gift Ideas PLUS My Top 3 Chicago Toy and Game Fair Picks

November 30, 2017 by Sandra 3 Comments


This blog post includes Amazon referral links.

We’ve been visitingΒ the Chicago Toy and Game Fair for a few years, and every new year is better than the year before.

This year was by far our best experience yet because in addition to getting to try out fun new toys, we also had the opportunity to enjoy a buffet Star Wars themed lunch! πŸ™‚

In the past, we were always provided a nice breakfast of pastries which you can see in a previous year’s vlog here. I’m glad they switched things up and provided lunch this year. It made the day better and the ChiTAG fair more memorable.

Lunch was fun and tasty at #ChiTAG2017 today! πŸ˜„ And, yes, those are nachos next to the hot dog! Lol @chitagweek #allthecheese #hotdog #lunch #nachos

A post shared by Sandra Calixto (@thesensiblemom) on Nov 18, 2017 at 10:31am PST

Top 3 ChiTAG Toy Picks

There’s always a lot to take in at the ChiTAG Fair, but we manage to visit all of the booths we want to check out, and this year, I decided that I’m going to share my top 3 ChiTAG toy picks with you and, hopefully, in the process, give you a few gift ideas for the kids in your life.

But first, here’s a peek at our lunch table. And, yes, we got to bring all of the toys on the table home with us. Talk about happy kids! πŸ™‚

Now for the picks!

First up is Playfoam.

I chose Playfoam because my kids loved playing with it both at the fair and at home, and it never dries out! So kids are free to create with it over and over again.

Creating with Play Foam at #ChiTAG2017 πŸ˜ƒ @chitagweek

A post shared by Sandra Calixto (@thesensiblemom) on Nov 18, 2017 at 7:10am PST

My next top pick is Light Stax Illuminated Blocks.

I chose Light Stax because they’re so cool and Elisabeth couldn’t get in enough time with these blocks. We had to tell her it was time to move on or she would have stayed and played even longer. Kids can use their imaginations with Light Stax blocks for hours and they’re one of those toys you know your kids won’t get bored playing with again and again.

So many ways to use your imagination at #ChiTAG2017 πŸ˜€ @chitagweek #toys #fun

A post shared by Sandra Calixto (@thesensiblemom) on Nov 18, 2017 at 8:40am PST

My final top pick is the Soggy Doggy Board Game.


Kids were able play a life size version of this game at the fair, and it looked like a lot of fun! No wonder it was a 2017 Toy of the Year Award Finalist.

That’s one huge #SoggyDoggy at #ChiTAG2017 πŸ˜„ @spinmaster @chitagweek #toys #games #fun

A post shared by Sandra Calixto (@thesensiblemom) on Nov 18, 2017 at 8:12am PST


So those are my top 3 ChiTAG toy picks and a few holiday gift ideas. I hope they’re helpful. πŸ™‚

Do you have any kids gift ideas to share? I’d love to hear them!


Filed Under: Family Fun, Reviews Tagged With: activities for families, blogging events, Chicago

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 11
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to The Sensible Mom!

My name is Sandra and I’m the author of this blog. I’m also a Christian, wife, home schooling mom of five, pro blogger, vlogger, and YouTube video creator. It's nice to have you here. Read More…

Follow Me

Subscribe for Free Blog Updates & Get My Ebook for Free

Search The Sensible Mom

Subscribe to The Sensible Mom

Subscribe to Fun Playtime Reviews

Subscribe to Family Fun Minecrafters

Privacy Policy

Footer


Visit Sandra Calixto's profile on Pinterest.
Follow @thesensiblemom

Categories

Disclosure

Privacy Policy

We've had lots of great tomato harvests this year We've had lots of great tomato harvests this year but our cucumber harvest was pretty weak. How did your garden grow?

#garden #gardening #tomatoes #growing #summer #growingseason #vegetables #fruit #harvest #harvest2022 #gardeninglife #cucumber #gardeninspiration #summertime #summer2022 #backyardgarden
I love using pesto as a dressing for salad. It's d I love using pesto as a dressing for salad. It's delicious and the @barilla Creamy Genovese is my favorite. A little goes a long way and it makes dishes more delightful to eat. 😁 #yum #salad #ad #BarillaUS #BarillaPesto #creamygenovese #momsmeet @momsmeet #delish #delicious #tasty #pesto #ensalada #lunch #mealtime #mmm #veggies #vegetarian #saladideas #easy #meal #dinner #light #eat #eatplants
Transform and filter your tap water with the @vita Transform and filter your tap water with the @vitapodworld machine πŸ’¦  This is what I'm talking about #ontheblog today 😁
.
.
.
.
#ad @momsmeet #water #DrinkVitapod #VitapodWorld #FilledwithGood #drink #filter #transform #tapwater #agua #tasty #refreshing #clean #fresh #inthekitchen #homemaking #kidfriendly #drinks #pod #flavor #waterfilter
What's your favorite way to eat cherries? I love t What's your favorite way to eat cherries? I love them sliced up or topping fresh pancakes or waffles. Yum! πŸ’πŸ’πŸ’
.
.
.
.
@chelanfresh #ad @momsmeet #cherries # cherryseason #chelanfresh #momsmeet #chelanfreshcherries #snack #fruit #tasty #delicioso #healthy #delicious #cherry #summer2021 #sweet #fresh #fruits
We're transitioning to eating a more plant-based d We're transitioning to eating a more plant-based diet this year and we love it 😁 I'm slowly losing weight and my whole family is experiencing so many benefits to eating plant-based. I'm sharing about @wayfare_foods plant-based puddings on my blog today. They come in 3 delicious flavors: vanilla, butterscotch and chocolate. I'll post the blog post link in the comments.
.
.
.
.
.
#ad #momsmeet #wewantwayfare #wayfareWOW #pudding #plantbased #delicious #vegan #dairyfree #vegetarian #chocolate #vanilla #butterscotch #snack #snacktime #kidfriendly #backtoschool #momlife #delicious #sweet #tasty #treat #yum #delicioso #snacks @momsmeet
We went strawberry picking today.😎 The weather We went strawberry picking today.😎 The weather was perfect and the berries were plentiful but I was surprised to see SO MANY PEOPLE picking berries on a Wednesday afternoon. Apparently, we all decided today was a great day to pick. Anyway, we had a fun time and came home with lots of berries and strawberry donuts for later.😁
.
.
.
.
#memories #familyfun #strawberries #upick #family #familytime #berries #strawberry #summer #summerfun #momlife #fruit #sweet #tasty #yum #berry #remember #illinois #upickstrawberries
Making dairy-free vegan chocolate chip cookies for Making dairy-free vegan chocolate chip cookies for my family today 😁 We started going to a new doctor and found out that my oldest son is actually allergic to dairy. I don't know why none of his other doctors ever thought to check for the most common types of allergies in him especially since he has struggled with eczema and that's a common symptom when you're allergic to dairy products. Anyway, I'm glad to know for sure now. #delicious #plantbased #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree #cookies #chocolatechip #chocolate #sweets #family #dessert #treat #delish #delicioso #mmm #yum #sweet #baking #allergies #momlife
Enjoying the Benihana Vegetable Hibachi Rice meal Enjoying the Benihana Vegetable Hibachi Rice meal for a late lunch today 😁 I found it in the freezer section at Target and it's great for a super quick and easy meal. I have two more in the freezer that I think I'll bulk up even more with some riced cauliflower next time I eat oneπŸ‘#yum #complimentary #mealtime #BenihanaFrozen #BenihanaAtHome #BenihanaFrozenFood @influenster @influenster.eats #lunch #frozenmeals #vegetables #rice #meal #quick #easy #quickandeasymeals #quickandeasyfood #freezermeals #veggies #mealideas
My kids are best friends #familytime #wisconsindel My kids are best friends #familytime #wisconsindells #wisconsin #vacation #funtimes #remember #memories #familyfun #family #zoo #jellybelly #jellybeans #momlife #vacationmode #vacay #simpleliving #spring #bestfriends #bestie
Beautiful day at the zoo #familyfun #familytime #o Beautiful day at the zoo #familyfun #familytime #outdoors #family #zoo #simpleliving #spring #funtimes #remember #memories #wisconsin #wisconsindells #outside #fun #momlife #vacation #vacationmode #makingmemories #animals
I'm sharing how we manage our family's screen time I'm sharing how we manage our family's screen time and keep our kids safe online with the Circle Home Plus device and App on the blog today! 😁  Seriously,  there are SO MANY great features about the Circle and it gives you so much power as a parent to keep your kids safe. Check it out! #ad @meetyourcircle @momsmeet #momsmeet #safe #safetyfirst #meetcircle #snoozeonscreentime #digitalparenting #bedtime #screentime #family #power #control #online #internet #router #homelife #giftideas
I'm really enjoying these chewable tablet pre + pr I'm really enjoying these chewable tablet pre + probiotics 😁 I've been taking them consistently and they've been so gentle on my system. They're the @kyo_dophilus Pro+ Synbiotic chewables that you can take anytime with or without a meal. I wrote about my experience in a recent blog post that I'll link in the comments below. Do you take pre or probiotics?
.
.
.
.
.
.
#ad #momsmeet @momsmeet #prebiotics #probiotics #microbiome #gut #bacteria #health #berrysmoothie #tablets #chewable #momlife #blogger #plantbased #benefit #easy #healthylifestyle #healthyliving #guthealth #immunesupport
We bought two sets of these $37 Knoxhult wall cabi We bought two sets of these $37 Knoxhult wall cabinets to use in our boys' bedroom and they're working out great. They're actually white with gray doors and while they didn't come with any hardware, we were able to add a couple of nice knobs we purchased from a hardware store. Now, the boys have extra space to store their stuff and they've been hanging in their rooms for months now so I thought I'd share in case it might help someone.πŸ‘ #home #organization #ikea #cabinets #boysroom #momlife #solutions #homedecor #homeinspo #homeinterior #room #ikeahome #family
πŸŽ„ Christmas Tree 2020 πŸŽ„ My two youngest kids πŸŽ„ Christmas Tree 2020 πŸŽ„ My two youngest kids had a fun time decorating our tree this year. I hope you're having a lovely holiday season. #christmas2020 #memories #Christmas #Christmastree #tree #Christmasdecor #family #tistheseason #Christmastime #lights #MerryChristmas #funtimes #remember #ornaments
Veggie omelet 😁 #delicious #yum #breakfast #egg Veggie omelet 😁 #delicious #yum #breakfast #eggs #tasty #delicioso #mealtime #mealideas #garden #inthekitchen #eat #eating #mmm
Kitchen is clean 😎 #cleankitchenatnight #cleani Kitchen is clean 😎 #cleankitchenatnight #cleaning #clean #kitchen #momlife #marriedlife #happy #funtimes #happyday #weekend #weekends #simple #simpleliving #cleaningmotivation #inspiration
Today's garden haul #garden #gardening #summer2020 Today's garden haul #garden #gardening #summer2020 #summer #tomatoes #tomato #cucumber #jalapeno #greenpepper #bellpeppers #healthyfood #healthy #vegetables #veggies #raw #delicious #tasty #gardenhaul #haul #momlife
Hubby made super fresh green salsa with jalapeños Hubby made super fresh green salsa with jalapeños from our garden 😁 We had to buy tomatillos to make the salsa from the store. Next year, Lord willing, we'll grow our own. I hope you're enjoying your summer. I'm not ready for fall - lol. Are you? #salsa #mexicanfood #garden #gardening #yum #delicioso #delicious #summer #fall #summertime #summer2020 #food #mexican #jalapeno  #salsaverde #greensalsa #fresh #freshfood
Happy 4th of July! πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ We're Happy 4th of July! πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ We're celebrating with @country_donuts 😁 #independenceday #4thofjuly #july4th #freedom #free #usa #independence
Spicy bacon-wrapped sausages in the air fryer 😁 Spicy bacon-wrapped sausages in the air fryer 😁 We stocked up on mild and hot Buona Beef sausages at the grocery store and decided to try making the spicy ones wrapped in baconπŸ‘ So good! For the process, hubby cooked the sausages a bit in the air fryer first and then wrapped them in the bacon. These were from over the weekend. Hubby made more last night.πŸ˜„ I hope you guys are doing well! If you want to see the specific sausages we used, they're in the most recent grocery haul on my YouTube channel. #dinner #sausages #bacon #baconsausage #lunch #meals #mealideas #airfryer #buonabeef #momlife #airfryerrecipes #easy #whatsfordinner #delicious #yum #tasty #spicy #food #savory #delicioso #baconwrapped
I made tempeh for the first time ever yesterday. I I made tempeh for the first time ever yesterday. It was @lightlifefoods Organic Original Tempeh, which happens to be a great source of plant protein. Have you tried tempeh? What's your favorite way to eat it? I'd love to know! 😁 #momsmeet #ad @momsmeet #tempeh #vegan #vegetarian #savory #nongmo #organic #protein #plantbased #food #soy #meatless #nomeat #meatlessmeals
I'm using these products to try to look younger πŸ˜‚ I think they're making a difference. They one thing I'm not crazy about is the light fragrance in the moisturizer but I love the Revitalift Ampoules πŸ˜πŸ‘ They're very moisturizing πŸ‘© #Revitalift #DermIntensives #complimentary @lorealparis @Influenster #antiaging #loreal #beauty #beautytips #aging #moisturizer #cream #youngerskin #momlife #lotion #lorealparis #lookyourbest
Thank you @calsangels for the fantastic care packa Thank you @calsangels for the fantastic care package full of toys and activities for my three youngest kids! 😁 They had no idea a package was coming and loved getting new toys and games to play with. I truly appreciate it! πŸ’› For those not familiar with Cal's Angel's, they're a fantastic organization that grants wishes for kids who are sick and fighting for their lives. They granted a wish for our son, David, when he was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. #thankyou #calscares #aplasticanemia #survivor #bmt #bonemarrowtransplant #live #blessed #blessings #saa #toys #family #surprise #love #wow #calsangels #severeaplasticanemia #wishes
Love my little Magic Bullet for making a quick smo Love my little Magic Bullet for making a quick smoothie πŸ˜„ We bought ours maybe a year ago from Bestbuy and I like that I don't have to pull out a big blender for smoothies.πŸ‘ Quick and easy! #simpleliving #simplelife #momlife #smoothie #smoothies #drinks #mangosmoothie #mango #magicbullet #tasty #easy #quick #snack #mmm #worksforme #momsofinstagram #drink #bestbuy #magicbulletsmoothie
Just peeked πŸ‘€ at the pork roast for dinner and Just peeked πŸ‘€ at the pork roast for dinner and it's looking goodπŸ‘I'm cooking it low and slow and going to shred it and make barbecue pulled pork sandwiches 😁 What's for dinner at your house? #inthekitchen #momlife #weekend #mealideas #dinner #dinnertime #mealtime #meal #pork #porkroast #weekendfun #marriedlife #whatsfordinner #dinnerideas #mmm #yum #delicious #delish #sogood #food #foodstagram #meat #delicioso #flavor #sabroso #tasty #tastyfood
We went to IKEA and picked up a new dresser for me We went to IKEA and picked up a new dresser for me. I ❀ it. We have a super small bedroom because we gave the master bedroom to our 3 boys, and the dresser fit perfectly in the spot next to our bed. It's tall, yes, but not too tall.πŸ‘ My old dresser became hubby's because he gave his dresser to my oldest daughter. Lol - It's musical dressers around here.πŸ˜‚ #yay #momlife #ikea #new #dresser #white #furniture #bedroom #ikeahome #dressers #bedroomideas
I haven't shared a #cleankitchenatnight picture in I haven't shared a #cleankitchenatnight picture in ages so here's my kitchen tonight. Dinner is done, the kitchen is clean and I'm about to make myself an iced coffee.πŸ‘ #momlife #cleaning #kitchen #marriedlife #momof5 #simpleliving #simplelife #clean #inthekitchen #inspiration #mom #motherhood #tired #cleankitchen #motivation #blessed #thankful #done
Mexican Meatball (Albondigas) Soup is one of my ve Mexican Meatball (Albondigas) Soup is one of my very favorite soups and takes me back to my childhood 😊 Is there a soup that brings back childhood memories for you? #remember #memories #soup #meatballs #meatballsoup #albondigas #albondigassoup #momlife #mexican #inthekitchen #food #foodstagram #eat #eats #dinner #delicious #delicioso #delish #tasty #tastyfood #flavor #yum #mmm #mexicanfood #comida #comidamexicana #childhood
Mango smoothie made with frozen mango chunks from Mango smoothie made with frozen mango chunks from @costco and sparkling water 😁 I made it in my little Magic BulletπŸ‘ #easy #momlife #mango #yum #smoothie #smoothies #delicious #healthy #simpleliving #simplelife #snack #snacktime #drinks #mangosmoothie #inthekitchen #magicbullet #healthysmoothies #costco #funtimes #mmm #drink
I can only have these Costco praline pecans in the I can only have these Costco praline pecans in the house once or twice a year because it's so hard to be self-controlled when they're around. They're so sweet and delicious that I can't eat just one or a couple. 😱 Lol - Hubby knows this so he bought me some for Valentine's Day and the container is already halfway empty.😳 Oh well! I'm enjoying them! 😁 Do you have a favorite food you can't keep in the house much? #pecans #delicious #snacks #sweets #sogood #yum #selfcontrol #valentines #valentinesday #love #praline #nuts #momlife #snack #delish #delicioso #eatsandtreats #treat #eats #costco #kirkland #good #foodstagram #pecan
Homemade m&m cookies 😁 My daughter, Breanna, ma Homemade m&m cookies 😁 My daughter, Breanna, made these for homeschool this week. I found the m&ms on clearance after Christmas hence the red and green πŸ˜‰ #cookies #homemade #homeschool #homeschooling #baking #inthekitchen #sweet #treats #delicious #delish #delicioso #yum #eatsandtreats #momlife #homeschoollife #home #simpleliving #simplelife #sweets #christmas
I did my taxes this week and I'm so happy to have I did my taxes this week and I'm so happy to have that task done! I was pretty happy to see that we finally didn't owe the State this year and instead we're getting back $1. Lol πŸ˜‚ I'll take it! I love doing my taxes using @turbotax It's super easy and not intimidating because the TurboTax program is so intuitive and walks you through everythingπŸ‘ Seriously, I've used TurboTax MANY times and it keeps getting better. Do you use TurboTax? πŸ€“ Thanks to @influenster for a #complimentary code they sent me to try out #TurboTaxLiveExperts #contest #taxes #momlife #selfemployed #tax #taxtime #turbotax #money #todolist #refund #taxseason #simpleliving #simplelife #breakfast #done #coffee #taxrefund
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress