Sunday, November 22, 2015

Giveaway: Kennywood Holiday Lights + The Polar Express 4-D Experience

We are so excited that it's almost time for Holiday Lights at Kennywood to open for the season! Last year was our first experience at the Holiday Lights, what a cool experience! I had never been to an amusement park in the winter and it was decked out in full holiday spirit! We loved the festive atmosphere with so many Christmas lights and the Christmas music playing throughout the park was enough to  put everyone in a jolly mood.


Holiday Lights is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from November 27 – December 27, 2015 (excluding Christmas Day). Hours are 5 – 9pm.

 

There are over 1 million sparkling lights as well as fun, festive opportunities to decorate cookies, ride the Gingerbread Express, visit Santa, and hear choirs singing throughout the park. You'll find hot chocolate and apple cider added to refreshment stands to help you warm up!



New this year:
Kennywood’s 4-D Theater will show screenings of The Polar Express: A 4-D Experience, based on the Caldecott Medal Children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. This giveaway includes VIP front-of-the-line tickets!


Rides in the main park are open on a limited basis, the carousel is open. Kiddieland has up to 8 rides open which kept my kids plenty busy. This is hands down all 4 of my kid's favorite ride! :)


Your kids might also enjoy a special opportunity to have dinner with Santa! Dinner reservations can be made for Dec. 5, 12, 19 or 20. Dinner is an all-you-can-eat buffet from 3:30-4:30 pm with a visit from Santa from 4-4:45 pm. After that you're welcome to enjoy the evening at the Festival of Lights.
 $27.99 / adults. $23.99 / ages 3-12. Kids 2 and under are free. Space is limited and reservations are required here

You might run into a few fun characters on your visit!


Admission at the Gate: $17.99 (+ $1 amusement tax). Save $2.00 at Giant Eagle or Purchase online for $14.99  ($1.25 processing fee & $1 amusement tax). You can also purchase a season pass for Holiday Lights for $22.50. Kids 2 and under are FREE! Parking is also free in the Kennywood lot. 


Don't miss the Lagoon where the reflections are gorgeous! The fantastic light show at the Lagoon runs every 30 minutes and is choreographed to some of our favorite Christmas songs. 
Show times: 5:30 pm, 6:00 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:00pm, 8:30 pm. Shows last 10 minutes 


GIVEAWAY:
I have the chance to share with you a chance to enjoy the Kennywood Holiday Lights with your family! One lucky winner will win 4 tickets for the day of your choice as well as 4 front-of-the-line VIP passes for The Polar Express, a 4-D Experience.


Thanks, Kennywood, for being a great Pittsburgh holiday tradition!


Don't forget to check out their Black Friday Season Pass sale which is already live on their website!



This post sponsored by Kennywood. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse venues I don't love!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Giveaway: Kid's Birthday Party at Uno Pizzeria

Do you ever have a hard time deciding what to do for your child's birthday? Judging by the number of times I get this question posed on the Pgh Momtourage facebook page, I don't think I'm the only one searching for fun ideas. We have typically done birthday parties at our home, but last year we did it at another venue and that was awesome! To have all the fun of the party, but leave the mess behind and come home to a clean house? Yes, please!


Uno Pizzeria & Grill at the Waterfront has a great kid's birthday party option and they are also generously going to give away a completely FREE birthday party!


Uno combines the fun of the party with some fun learning skills because the kids get to make their own pizza!



They also provide a craft for the party and you can talk to them about their favor options. You will also get to choose whether you will have a face painter or character as part of the event! This special addition is brought to you by Pgh Party Creations and you can view the character options here. Some options include Princesses, Minion, Paw Patrol, Doc McStuffins + more. 


They will end the party with a fun build-your-own Sundae dessert! You are welcome to bring in cake & balloons if you wish as well. 


Did you know every Tuesday is Kid's Eat Free at Uno? For each adult entree that is purchased, you will receive a free kids meal! Every Tuesday, 11am - 11pm. 


Uno Pizzeria is also a collection site for my Foster Love Project charity and will be hosting a Dining 2 Donate evening on December 8th. Come join us for pizza with Santa and lots of fun! For every foster love project bag that is dropped off, you will receive a $10 gift card for Uno as well. Go here for more details. 


GVEAWAY: 
Uno Pizzeria is giving away one FREE birthday party.
Includes:
Dinner for 10 kids (adults are welcome to purchase separately from the menu)
Face Painter or Character visit
Craft
Party must be redeemed by the end of 2016.
Must like the Uno facebook page as a requirement to be entered and then finish entering at the link below. Good Luck!


This post sponsored by Uno Pizzeria & Grill. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse companies I don't love!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Check out Minted holiday cards!

Did I blink and it was time to be thinking about Christmas cards again? Wow, that really snuck up on me! Last year was the first time I chose my cards from Minted and I loved them so much! The quality was amazing and they turned out perfect. I will definitely be starting my search for the perfect card this week!  Minted is a design marketplace that uses a community of independent artists and designers who are located in 48 states and 43 countries. Because of this, they have a beautiful, creative and diverse product selection.

1. Choose a unique design from an independent artist.
2. Customize and make the design yours.
3. They'll make it with luxe materials and a passion for quality.

Here are some of my favorite designs for this year.....






Enjoy 15% off free recipient addressing on holiday cards. Code: CHEER15, exp 11/24.


Love these adorable holiday ornament cards!





Postcards are also a great option, a little lower in cost for cards and postage as well!


And I love, love, love the free recipient addressing!!


Minted also contains beautiful choices of Art, gorgeous fabrics,  and a cool selection of children's art!

Cheers to stress-free card sending! :)




This post sponsored by Minted.com. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse companies I don't love!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

A mom's new best friend: Little Helper

We love living in Pittsburgh, but the one thing that we don't have living here is family. With young children, it is often hard to ask people when you are need in a helping hand. Everyone I know is crazy busy and I always feed bad imposing on someone else! There are caregiver sites and I know they have some amazing sitters to offer, but truly, those are just out of our budget. Although there has been a wave of apps for moms that have recently flooded the market,  Little Helper, definitely caught my eye with its unique features. When Little Helper Founder (Paul Burke) began to have kids, he noticed the unique role that many moms hold.  They are running the household, planning the family schedule, and managing the kids’ schedules. He knew his wife was in need of a system to help her successfully create the network of support as she juggled all of these details and so Little Helper was created. Read more about the passion Paul has in empowering the chief household operator here!




What is Little Helper?

Little Helper is a service to help the Chief Household Officer (mom!) and her family better coordinate with their most trusted support resources. We help families build what we call “essential networks”. These networks are made up of the small set of people you’d trust to help in your home with your most precious assets—your children. Our goal is to make it easy for these micro-community members to efficiently get and give support from trusted resources by streamlining the request process.

First, set up an account and then add the emails for those people that are your go-to contacts when you have a need. Rather than sending a personal message to someone, you can send out your request to your network and it gives your helpers the option to respond if they are available.
Example....."I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, would anyone be willing to watch my kids from 9-11am?" or "Mommy and Daddy are in need of a date night, anyone up for a swap?"

A few events that Little Helper can make easier:
o Date nights
o Sudden emergencies
o Special events
o Scheduled childcare
o Household events

This program can also be used for non-kid related requests such as dog-walking, house-sitting, barter offers + much more!

At this point, Little Helper is completely separate from any social media sites. They want to ensure that people keep the feeling of trust and safety and that their requests are kept private. There is also the Give & Get aspect. If you build your network, share your relationships and offer to help others, you increase the likelihood of getting help when you need it!

Step 1: Build Your Essential Network

Step 2: Ask for Help

Step 3: Find Ways to Help Others

Little Helper is currently in its testing phase, so right now it is completely free! Go create an account, start adding your helpers, and breathe a little easier at the ease of asking for help.

I'm truly excited about using this tool with my friends around me!  Not only to get a hand when I need it, but so I can help out my sweet friends when they have a need as well. So often we don't even know that someone is in need of some help. I hope this system will give moms the freedom to ask when they need it, knowing that we can reciprocate to those around us as well!

Learn more about Little Helper:
Blog: http://littlehelper.co/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlehelperco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlehelperco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/littlehelperco


#alittlehelp

This post sponsored by Little Helper and The Motherhood. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse companies I don't love!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Holiday Family Fun at Fifth Avenue Place

The holiday season is upon us and our favorite family tradition is to head Downtown Pittsburgh to make special family memories! I love that Fifth Avenue Place offers so many opportunities for family fun. Once the cold is here, those of us with young children have extra appreciation for a place with indoor bathrooms. :)


They will kick off their events on Light Up Night and you don't want to miss their FREEZE display of ice sculptures!


Friday, November 20 / Light Up Night

The Shops and Food Court will be open until 9 p.m. with select eateries open later

5 – 9 p.m. Fifth Avenue FREEZE Liberty Avenue & Stanwix Street

Visit Pittsburgh’s very own Winter Wonderland at the Fifth Avenue FREEZE! Discover a shimmering display featuring the “Best of the Best” ice sculptures displayed over the past five years! Get up close and snap photos with our Ice Santa and Mrs. Claus, Snowflake, Angel, Holiday Puppy and more. And enjoy live ice carving shows by award winning master ice carver Rich Bubin of Ice Creations.

5 – 9 p.m. Family Fun & Festivities Fifth Avenue Place
* Catch up with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and create your own winter night light to illuminate your way throughout downtown.
* Snap photos with everyone’s favorite reindeer and show your holiday spirit with a commemorative Airbrush Tattoo.
* Enjoy holiday classics and more like you’ve never heard them before as played by Pittsburgh’s very own majestic bagpiper, Nick Hudson.
* Get in the holiday spirit with live musical performances by the:
Roger Barbour Jazz Quartet 4:30p – 6:30p
Max Leake Trio 7:00p – 9:00p

7 – 7:15 p.m. Unity Tree Lighting Corner of Penn Avenue & Stanwix Avenue
Join one of Pittsburgh’s best known neighbors, Mr. McFeely, thousands of Pittsburghers, a magnificent marching band and a splash of fireworks to kick off the official lighting of the historic Unity Tree ~ presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.


Saturdays November 21 – December 19
(& Friday November 27

Every Saturday FREE Fifth Avenue Place Holly Trolley
11 a.m. – 5 p.m Discover all the sights and sounds of the holiday season in downtown Pittsburgh aboard the FREE Fifth Avenue Place Holly Trolley. Hosted by Santa’s little helpers, trolleys circle downtown each weekend picking up at stops approximately every 15 minutes Visit www.downtownpittsburgh.com in early November for a listing of all trolley stop locations.


Saturdays, November 28 – December 19
Creation Stations - FREE Family Fun with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

Saturday, November 28
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Red Rectangles
Yes, there really “is” a Santa Claus and you’ll find him at Fifth Avenue Place. Stop by after the parade, meet Santa in person straight from the North Pole and receive a special Surprise! One of Santa’s favorite helpers, The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, will be on hand with holiday workshops where children can craft their very own gift wrap and city scapes. And display the colors of the season with creative face painting.

Saturday, December 5
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Triangle Traditions
Reflect upon the warmth of the holidays with The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh by creating triangle leaves for a treasured “Thank You” Tree. Capture the seasonal spirit with a keepsake caricature and be amazed as magician Chris Handa brings holiday magic to life!

Saturday, December 12
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Celebrate Circles
Join cheerful elves from the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and design personalized holiday wreaths. Showcase your talent and create your very own snowmen snow globe. Catch up with everyone’s favorite elf for creative balloon art and test your skills at North Pole corn toss.

Saturday, December 19
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Seasonal Squares
Visit for story time and enjoy holiday classics as read by Mrs. Claus. Design one-of-a-kind ornaments and create ice paintings with The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. And show off your holiday spirit with a fun face painting.

Friday, November 27 – Wednesday, December 23

Monday – Friday Holiday Lunchtime Concerts
12p-2pm Daily Live musical performances from some of Pittsburgh’s favorite artists bring the sounds of the season to life during the always entertaining Lunchtime Concert Series.

Friday-November 27: Featured performer The Roger Barbour Jazz Quartet



Fifth Avenue Place
120 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-456-7800
Twitter: @FifthAvePlace

This post sponsored by Fifth Avenue Place. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse venues I don't love!

Monday, November 9, 2015

#HannaJams Retail Event

I was recently introduced to the Hanna Andersson brand and have fallen in love! Their clothing line is gorgeous and their pj's are just the cutest in the world! The quality is outstanding and has already held up beautifully through washings + play. My kiddos LOVE their Hanna Andersson pj's. 

Do you have the special Christmas tradition on new pj's on Christmas Eve? If so, you definitely want to check out all the adorable options they offer. 
Pittsburgh has recently been blessed with it's very own store at Ross Park Mall. This Saturday, November 14 from 10 AM – 12 PM all customers can receive 40% off ALL Sleepwear for baby, girl and boy at their local Hanna retail store. Includes poly and licensed (Disney, Star Wars…) sleepwear. Enjoy a  special holiday treat while you shop as well!

Although the adult items are only available online, if you can convince your hubby to join in the fun, they have some awesome family coordinating sets!

 My pick is currently on back order, but I can't wait to snuggle into these comfies!

Social Media Giveaway: 
Starting now until Jan 3,2016, Hanna Andersson is giving away a $100 gift card every week (one winner per week) to customers that share their #Hannajams moments by posting on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or upload here: http://www.hannaandersson.com/hannajams.aspx with #hannajams.



This post sponsored by Hanna Andersson. All opinions remain my own, I don't endorse products I don't love. :) 

Friday, November 6, 2015

Ticket Giveaway: Caps for Sale

 I was so nostaligic when I heard that Caps for Sale: The Musical was coming to Pittsburgh! My mind immediately flew to the memory of my grandpa reading this book to me over and over again when I was little. I don't know what happened to that book, but I can't wait to re-introduce my kids to this classic tale! Turning it into a musical is even more fun as the music continues to capture kid's attention throughout the show.


The Adventure Theater MTC musical, CAPS FOR SALE, is based on the children’s book by Esphyr Slobodkina.  The cast of six (6) Washington, DC based professional actors will amaze you while playing eleven (11) roles, including a band of monkeys and a new character based on the author of the book and her cat, Scaramouche. The musical score, by Carnegie Mellon Graduate, Bill Yanesh, will have you singing and dancing. Michael J. Bobbitt (Playwright – Three Little Birds), co-writes the musical with Ann Marie Mulhearn Sayer, lifelong friend of Esphyr Slobodkina. Director, Patrick Pearson, of the world famous Ford’s Theatre, leads a team of award winning DC area designers, to bring you the story of the Peddler and his funny Monkey friends to life. Celebrate the 75th Anniversary with the world premiere new musical.
Recommended for ages 3 to 10, this musical is a wonderful educational experience that is sure to enchant the entire family. The peddler has a huge stack of caps, balanced carefully on top of his head. Brown caps, blue caps, gray caps, and red caps. But no one wants to buy a cap. So he goes for a walk in the country, and takes a nap under a shady tree. When he wakes up, the caps are gone — all except his own checked one. Where could his caps have disappeared to? And how will he ever get them back? Journey along with the peddler in his quest to find the mysteriously missing caps as the 60 minute presentation celebrates the 75th Anniversary of this favorite book.




There will be 9 performances all around the Pittsburgh area! Tickets start at $10.50, kids 2 & under are free.
                                                                                                       
City: Byham Theater, Sunday, November 15 at 2 p.m. and Monday, November 16 at 10:15 a.m. (group sales only)
East: Penn Hills High School, Wednesday, November 18 at 7 p.m.
North: North Allegheny Intermediate, Thursday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
West: Cornell High School, Friday, November 20 at 7 p.m.
South: Mt. Lebanon High School, Saturday, November 21 at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Butler: Seneca Valley Senior High School, Sunday, November, 22 at 2 p.m.



GIVEAWAY:

I have 2 tickets to give away to TWO winners! You will receive a voucher which can be redeemed for tickets by calling 412-456-6666, or purchased in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh. Giveaway is only open for 3 days, click below to enter! 



I love The Citizens Bank Children’s Theater Series which bring  kids shows to Pittsburgh that showcase imagination, creativity and fun from around the world!  Future shows for the 2015-2016 season include Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School, Room on the Broom, Big Bad Wolf, and Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny.  
Presented by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Go here for more details.



Monday, November 2, 2015

In the Spirit of Giving: Chick-fil-A

As the month of November rolls around, we are often freshly reminded about the importance of giving. Although I fully believe that giving back should be on our minds year round, this annual month of reminders is not a bad thing! As I have worked with some of the business side of Chick-fil-A this past year, one thing that has continually stuck out to me is how generous they are as a business. Whether it's from the corporate level or the local stores, a spirit of generosity seems to encompass the entire company. We experienced this personally as my family attended a lot of Chick-fil-A events this past month and they fed our family of 6 multiple times. This means a lot to a mom! And I simply wish every restaurant had a play area because they are magical resources for parents. :)


An amazing cake as we said "Happy 10th Birthday!" to the South Hills location!


 But nowhere has it been more apparent for me than with their generosity towards my charity, the Foster Love Project. Maybe you participated in it for the first time last year or maybe this year is your first time hearing about it. The Foster Love Project was created after seeing multiple foster children arrive at my door with either nothing or a few items thrown in a trash bag.


The FLP is an initiative to provide Placement Bags for kids that come into care and provide a bag, pajamas, stuffed animal, blanket, soap, toothbrush and other goodies to show love and compassion to kids on some of their hardest days.


We were so thrilled for over 1,300 bags to be donated last year!



Because foster children usually come with very short notice, we also asked for donations of gift cards for both restaurants and Target/Walmart that could be given to foster families during those times of crazy transition. Again, Chick-fil-A was beyond generous in donating over $1,000 worth of gift cards! It was such a pleasure to be able to send the gift of meals to foster families throughout the year. 


I am thrilled that several local Chick-fil-A locations have offered to be drop off locations for the Foster Love Project this year! So if you live or work near the Washington, South Hills or Waterfront locations, they will be ready as a donation site from November 16 - December 18. Go here for complete details. 

Thank you, Chick-fil-A, for continually making efforts to give generously and continuing to inspire all of us to find ways to give back in our communities.  

#CFAPITTMoms

This post was sponsored by Chick-fil-A. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse companies I don't love. :)