I can’t believe it, but we’ve arrived at the end of 2014. 2014 was a pretty good year for us, and I’m looking forward to having a wonderful year in 2015 too! We’ve always done pretty low-key New Year’s Eve celebrations, even before we became parents. Now that we have kids, we love to include […]
Archives for 2014
Chicago New Year’s Eve Events for Families
December 28, 2014 By
It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2014. Ringing in the new year is exciting, but it’s hard for kids to make it to midnight. Celebrate with the whole family at one of these family friendly New Year’s Eve (or “Noon” Year’s Eve) events. Pre-New Year’s Eve Pre-New Year’s Eve Party, Little Beans Play Cafe, […]
Disney Planes to the Rescue – DIY Runway Tutorial
December 22, 2014 By
Christmas is nearly here! Are you done shopping? It seems like I always need a few extra gifts in the last few days before Christmas. Luckily, Walmart has Disney Planes toys on Rollback right now! Disney #PlanesToTheRescue! (And thanks for #CollectiveBias for this opportunity!) The prices of these Disney Planes toys have been rolled back […]
5 Spots for Outdoor Ice Skating
December 10, 2014 By
This article was previously published on MommyNearest.com. As the temps begin to dip you might feel like it’s time to hibernate, but sometimes you need to bundle up and head out to to embrace the winter wonderland. Brighten up your winter with rosy cheeks and smiles at these outdoor ice skating rinks in Chicago and […]
Family Movie Night with AMC Theatres and Coca-Cola Freestyle #AMCandCocaColaFreestyle
December 7, 2014 By
It’s been quite a while since we’ve been to a theatre for a family movie night so we decided it was time to take the kids to a movie. We originally planned to go together as a family, but finally decided Campbell, being a toddler, would probably enjoy spending some quality time with Grandma and […]
Holiday Family Fun
December 6, 2014 By
Here’s the final installment – activities 20 through 24, plus some bonuses. You can also see my previous posts in this series, Holiday Lights, Holiday Meals (Dining with Santa), Holiday Performances, and Holiday Festivals. Holiday Fun 20. CTA Holiday Train – Specially decorated and lit 6-car train with Santa and elves delivering candy canes to passengers. When: November 28 through […]
Holiday Festivals
December 5, 2014 By
Chicago has some great holiday festivals! Most of these run for several days or even all month so there’s plenty of time to visit. You can also see my previous posts in this series, Holiday Lights, Holiday Meals (Dining with Santa), and Holiday Performances. Later today I’ll be posting about Holiday Family Fun. Holiday Festivals 14. Celebrate the Season […]
Holiday Performances
December 4, 2014 By
Here’s post #3: Holiday Performances! You can also see my previous posts, Holiday Lights and Holiday Meals (Dining with Santa). Over the next 2 days I’ll also be posting about Festivals and Family Fun. Holiday Performances 11. It’s Christmas Charlie Brown! at the Wilmette Theater When: December 5-14 Where: Wilmette Theater Cost: $18 12. A Christmas Story […]
Holiday Meals (Dining with Santa)
December 2, 2014 By
Here’s the second installment of 24 Christmasy activities. Yesterday I posted about Holiday Lights, and today is Holiday Meals with Santa. Stop by over the next three days for Performances, Festivals, and Family Fun. Holiday Meals with Santa 5. Breakfast with Santa and Sue at the Field Museum – Buffet breakfast and photos with Santa and Sue. Tickets include […]
Hallmark Northpole Inspires New Holiday Traditions
December 1, 2014 By
I love Christmas. Who doesn’t? I love Christmas songs, shopping for gifts, and all the traditions that come with Christmas – trimming the tree, baking cookies, seeing lights, etc. Hallmark and #CollectiveBias stepped in and inspired me to try a brand new tradition this year. Hallmark is offering a huge selection of Northpole Fun holiday items […]
Celebrating Friendship with Netflix Streaming
November 30, 2014 By
Thanksgiving is always a great reminder to be thankful for all the wonderful things we have, and right near the top of my list are all of the wonderful friends we have. Netflix Streaming has some really fun movies and shows that celebrate friendship. I try to be careful about how much tv my children watch, […]
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser Released
November 28, 2014 By
I know a lot of people have been anxiously awaiting the new Star Wars movie! It comes out in December 2015 and here’s the official teaser for it: What do you think?
Giveaway – Tickets to The Nutcracker
November 25, 2014 By
The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition and I’ve got a chance to give you tickets to see it! Presented by: The Ruth Page Civic Ballet Where: Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. St. Louis Avenue, Chicago When: Saturday, December 6 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, December 7 at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Cost: $25 for […]
Chicago Toy & Game Fair 2014 Giveaway #2
November 16, 2014 By
Information and tickets have been provided by The Chicago Toy & Game Fair. It’s another chance to win a family pass to the Chicago Toy & Game Fair! Below is some information about ChiTAG: Come out and play at the 12th annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTAG), arriving in the Windy City on Saturday, November, […]
Motorola Video Baby Monitor Review
November 15, 2014 By
Campbell’s almost two years old, but that doesn’t mean he’s too big for a baby monitor. We got the Motorola MBP36S video baby monitor. I love being able to keep an eye on him and know that he’s safe and sound while he’s sleeping so I can relax. When Cooper and Dexter were babies I […]
Chicago Toy & Game Fair 2014 Giveaway #1
November 12, 2014 By
Information and tickets have been provided by The Chicago Toy & Game Fair. Come out and play at the 12th annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair (ChiTAG), arriving in the Windy City on Saturday, November, 22, 2014 and Sunday, November 23, 2014. As the only fair of its kind in the United States open to the […]
Sprint Gives Chicago Wireless a Boost
November 10, 2014 By
As a blogger and a busy mom, I rely on my cell phone a lot. I check emails, post to social media sites, take photos, use GPS, and keep in contact with family and friends. For several years now, I’ve trusted Sprint to provide reliable wireless service so when I was offered the opportunity to […]
Indoor Trick-or-Treating 2014
October 31, 2014 By
It’s cold and snowy. Kinda puts a damper on Halloween fun, especially if you were planning to trick-or-treat outside with little ones. Fear not! Here are places you can trick-or-treat indoors in Chicago and the suburbs. Events are free unless otherwise indicated. (This is a working list so please let me know if there’s any […]
Marking Mini Milestones with Netflix
October 31, 2014 By
I’ve had some really big milestones in my life – graduating college and law school, getting married, having my kids. Once you’re a parent, the milestones are small, but they mean so much more – first words, first steps, first day of school. Sometimes milestones can be really exciting, but sometimes they can be a little […]
Costume Contest & Trick-or-Treating at Santa’s Village AZoosment Park 2014
October 25, 2014 By
Christmas & Halloween are my two favorite holidays, so it’s fun to combine them by doing some fun Halloween activities at Santa’s summer home. Especially when the weather is beautiful! Santa’s Village AZoosment Park has a costume contest at 2:00 pm and trick-or-treating from 3:00 – 5:00 pm today (October 25, 2014) and tomorrow. Tomorrow […]
VTech InnoTab 3S Plus Review and Giveaway
October 22, 2014 By
We love electronics in our house. The kids are constantly asking to use my phone (that’s a big NO, mostly because I’m selfish and don’t trust them not to break it) or they’re staring over John’s shoulder when he’s using his tablet. A couple weeks ago we got a VTech InnoTab 3S Plus Learning Tablet. […]
Not-So-Scary Halloween Fun for Little Ones – 2014
October 18, 2014 By
This post originally appeared on MommyNearest.com. Spooky costumes and haunted houses aren’t for everyone, especially if you have young children. These events will allow you and your kids to enjoy dressing up and participating in autumn and Halloween activities without the fear. Brick-or-Treat at the Legoland Discovery Center Daily through October 31 Brick-or-Treat is an annual […]
The Chicago Architecture Foundation Opens the Doors of Chicago
October 17, 2014 By
Chicago is famous for its architecture and houses many world-famous structures, and you can often find Chicagoans and tourists alike staring in awe as they walk the city streets. The outside and public areas of these buildings are often amazing, but a lot of the beauty and magic is hidden behind closed doors. This weekend, thanks […]
Aquatic Experience – Chicago 2014 – Giveaway
October 16, 2014 By
Aquatic Experience will be in Chicago at the Schaumburg Convention Center November 7-9, 2014. Here’s a little information provided by Aquatic Experience: Aquatic Experience – Chicago is the first show in our industry’s history to combine everything aquatic under one roof. From saltwater to freshwater with pond and aquatic reptiles, we’ll have it all. Consumers […]
KidStuff Coupon Books Giveaway
October 7, 2014 By
KidStuff is a coupon book created to raise money for daycares and schools, while saving families money. Schools (from preschool through high school, or even day care facilities) sell the KidStuff Coupon Book for $25, and they get to keep half of that. Sounds like a great deal! The books contain over 400 pages of coupons […]
Weekday Fun for Little Ones
October 6, 2014 By
This post was written by me and originally appeared on MommyNearest.com. Days at home with the kids can get a little monotonous and it’s fun to break it up with some outings to entertain the kids and yourself. In my experience, early fall is a kind of “sweet spot” for outings with young kids. Older […]
Cooking Up Fun with Kidstir
October 5, 2014 By
I’m a sucker for fun mail and we got some recently – Kidstir sent us one of their monthly boxes, a hands-on kit to encourage cooking with kids and trying new foods. I opened our box and found two recipes, a binder with dividers to keep our recipes in, a shopping list, a kitchen artist […]
Fit Made Fun with LeapFrog LeapBand and CLIF Kids
October 4, 2014 By
LeapFrog, maker of some of our favorite educational toys, recognizes the importance of keeping kids fit and active. To encourage kids (and remind parents) to stay active, they declared a Fit Made Fun Day this September. We participated in the Fit Made Fun Day with LeapFrog Leapbands and lots of Clif Kids protein bars to […]
Pizza and a Movie with Netflix Streaming
September 30, 2014 By
Fall is in full swing and we’re finally getting used to the new routine. We’ve got two kids on different school schedules and we’re all on different sleep schedules, so what that all adds up to is that the kids really don’t even see each other much in the mornings. When they get home from […]
“Science + You” Exhibit at the Kohl Children’s Museum
September 25, 2014 By
This post was written by me, but originally appeared on MommyNearest.com. Science + You, a traveling exhibit created at the Kohl Children’s Museum in 2011, has been on an international tour through Brazil, Germany, and the United States, but it has now returned to the home. Science + You opened at the Kohl Children’s Museum […]
