Kennywood Adventures + Discount

We've hit a big milestone in our family.....that's right, our kids are out growing Kiddieland! 😅 I love that my kids are getting older and bigger and ready for new adventures. So this year, Kennywood was a different experience as we didn't even enter the kids area. It's a little bit tricky, because they're not all tall enough or ready for some of the big rides, but we found a balance with the "medium-sized" ones. :) 

As my kids get older and into faster rides, I'm also getting older and into much slower rides. 😰 This was my one and only time on this one. 😂

 Um, no thank you. But this ride does provide the best photos!!

 My kids loved, loved this ride!!

This is a classic!

The brand new Thomas the Train exhibit wasn't open for us, but I'm hearing it's going to be great! (Opening at the end of July.) We've got a discount on tickets for anyone that is looking for a family fun day this summer. Go here to purchase!

My family received tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions remain my own as I don't promote venues that my family doesn't love!

Countdown to Summer Fun!

If you have school-age kids, no doubt you have been counting down the days till summer break! In our household, we're down to single digits which is both exciting and terrifying. :) It will be awesome to have a break from the early morning routine of school, but at the same time...so many hours to fill! 😌 My kids love school and so I am probably more excited than they are at the break from school routine for a few months. But with four kids ages 5-9, I also know it's important to keep routine to our summer as well.  Summer is a great time to schedule less, hang out more and enjoy fun activities together. I am excited to use pghsummer18.org as a resource for our family this summer. We chose not to do many summer camps and will be traveling a bit throughout the summer, so this website is going to be the perfect resource for me to find daily activities on our free days.

We say a big thank you to Mayor William Peduto, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, the United Way’ of Allegheny County's Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) and all the various child-serving organizations who are teaming up for Summer18 Dream! Explore! Do! The youth-centered campaign will provide thousands of local children, grades K-12, with fun, educational learning activities. 

I love that summer is a time to experience new activities, check out new (or new to us) venues, and most of all, have all the art projects done outside my home! (#amiright? 😅)

What is on your summer bucket list? Ours includes:

• Activities from the PghSummer18 Calendar
• The roving art cart
• Free movies in the park 
• Free indoor movies 
• Hiking at Fall Run Park 
• Free Super Summer Sports Camp
• Swimming at Raccoon Creek Beach
• Checking out new (to us) parks
• + much more! 

{Don't forget that kids under 15 can swim for free at Pittsburgh city pools when you register for a Recreation Center Membership pass.}

So here is to many happy summer memories! I hope you and your family have a great summer and find fun, unique and creative ways to enjoy our great city! Don't forget to stay updated with the PghSummer18 calendar for great ways to engage with your kids.

This post sponsored by the Summer 18 campaign. All opinions remain my own as I do not endorse venues that my family does not love!

#PGHSummer18

EQT Children's Theater Festival Ticket Giveaway

Happy May! We are so excited it's May because we *think* it has to warm up eventually. 😃 Besides the prospect of sunshine, my second favorite reason for excitement in May is the EQT Children's Theater Festival. We have loved going to this Festival each year as a family. There are always unique shows that come from around the world and we love seeing our kids enjoy these interesting options. This year there are 6 sensational performances with a Sensory-Friendly performance of The Rainbow Fish as well. 

• Who and What: The Cultural Trust presents the 32nd annual EQT Children's Theater Festival which continues to bring the best international theater for children of all ages to Pittsburgh.
• When: May 17-20, 2018 | Thursday, 10am-2pm, Friday- Sunday 10am-5pm
• Where: Downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District

Here is a list of some of the great shows in this year's line up. Tickets are only $9 and kids 2 and under are free (a lap pass is still required). 

Featured Event!

Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience

Terrance Simien

In Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, audiences will take a multicultural tour of the world and will feel the spirit and joy of Creole country.

Featured Event!

Panda's Home

Compagnia TPO

In this imaginary and interactive journey, audience members will explore China’s stories, tradition, and culture, following the footprints left by a panda. They’ll encounter bamboo forests, fireworks, kites, and more.

Featured Event!

The Rainbow Fish

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia

The Rainbow Fish will enchant even the youngest child with his silver scales and heart of gold in this award-winning book about the beautiful fish who learned to share his most prized possession.

Featured Event!

Poggle

Barrowland Ballet

This warm-hearted performance uses live music, clapping rhythms, and comedy to engage the youngest audience members in an imaginative and adventurous exploration with Poggle, a friendly woodland creature.

Featured Event!

The Young King

Slingsby

The language of Oscar Wilde joins internationally-acclaimed theatre company Slingsby as we journey to faraway lands in this interactive experience.

Featured Event!

Zebras

Born In A Taxi

From Born in a Taxi in Australia comes a dazzle of rare chatty zebras sure to delight and amuse children and families of all ages!

Featured Event!

Sunjata Kamalenya

Experiential Theater Company

Sunjata Kamalenya is a completely interactive show about a magical world filled with sorcery and enchantment, celebrating the hero of West African legend, Sunjata Keita.

Besides the shows, there will be a ton of FREE activities for kids to enjoy! Imagination Playground, Free Mini Music Lessons, Play Boxes, Sticker Hut, Improv Workshops, Musical Entertainment, Eyeball Art, Hands-On History, Photo Booth Fun, Frog Stop Scavenger Hunt + so much more! 

Be sure the check the Children's Theater Festival website for all the info regarding Parking, Transportation, Food Options, Festival Guides, Restrooms, FAQ's + more. 

GIVEAWAY

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We are excited to giveaway a family 4-pack of tickets to one show to one lucky family! 

(The vouchers are not redeemable for The Rainbow Fish or The Young King.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post sponsored by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. All opinions remain my own and I don't endorse venues that my family doesn't love!

Vacation Giveaway with Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest

My family had the chance to stay at Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest two years ago and my kids have been talking ever since about the fun memories we created! So it was with GREAT excitement that I told them we had been invited back to stay at their fantastic campground. They were so excited and talked about it nonstop....I actually began to fear that it wasn't going to live up to their expectations! 😆

But after our weekend away, I shouldn't have worried at all, they had just as great a time as they had anticipated! Even though it ended up being so COLD (winter, winter, go AWAY!), we loved having a cozy cabin for our home base. I'm a huge proponent of glamping, because I love the experience of being at a campground, but I also love having a bed, bathroom, and indoor kitchen. 😊 So cabins are a win-win for our family! I also love that it's only an hour away from Pittsburgh which means that you feel like you're far away, but don't have to spend much travel time. 👍

Kozy Rest is such an ideal vacation spot for families! They have a ton of free activities that are included in your stay such as bikes, mini golf, jump pillow, playground, pool (in season), fire truck rides + more. Each day also has a changing schedule of activities that might include a scavenger hunt, painting, crafts, dancing with the Bears, movie nights + much more!

Each weekend holds a different theme and activities will be based on that theme. Your kids will not be bored! We had a superheroes and fairy tale weekend. 👸 Go here to check out themes throughout the summer. 

Hands down my kid's favorite activity? The bikes! These are borrowed at 1/2 hour increments and can accommodate up to 4 people. The campground is safe and secure with minimal traffic, so the bikes take over the roads on Saturdays! And hey, if you want to get in a workout during the weekend, these are perfect! :) 

Last, but not least, the cabins are great! Rooms have bunk beds for those with multiple kids, they have a kitchen, bathroom and sitting/eating space. You are responsible for clean up at the end, so always be sure you left it in the same great shape it was at the beginning! You provide your own food, bedding, towels and toiletries. Thankfully, there is also a great camp store that has anything you may have forgotten (it was coffee for me!) and has some yummy treats as well.  

Also perfect for games when those rains come!

GIVEAWAY

I'm so thrilled that they are extending a vacation giveaway to one of my followers as well!

We are offering a 2-night stay (up to 6 people) for a Sunday-Thursday, April 15 - October 31, 2018. Subject to availability and excluding holidays. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cabins are filling fast for the summer, so if you're interested in a stay over the next few months, book it as soon as possible! 

Thank you, Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest for the opportunity for a great weekend with my family and allowing us to share this great resource with others in our region! This post sponsored by Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse venues that my family does not love! 

#yogibearatkozyrest
#kozyrest

Cleaning with less chemicals (+ a giveaway!)

Cleaning. I don't think I ever realized how much of my life would be spent cleaning with 4 kids, haha! Anyone with kids knows it's kind of like vacuuming in the midst of a tornado, but yet, you gotta keep up with it or it gets out of control quickly. 😰
I'm always looking for ways to cut out toxins and chemicals for our family, so I was intrigued when my friend, Jennifer, began sharing more about Norwex. I love how their cloths clean with water only! They are really amazing! Jennifer gave me the EnviroCloth and Window Cloth to try.

Window/Mirror cleaning is one of my daughter's favorite chores around the house. (And it's something that fairly young kids can do). Look at those dirty mirrors! 😲

Usually I just spritz the window for her instead of handing her a bottle of cleaner. With the Window Cloth, she loves getting a spray bottle of water and getting to do it herself. My mirrors have never been cleaner! The Window Cloth works so well! So as a newbie, I later realized these cloths can actually be used without any spray at all. So extra bonus on an easy job for kids to do!

The Norwex microfiber is unique because it is equivalent to 1/200th the size of a human hair (vs traditional microfiber you can purchase in the store which is often 1/6th the size of a human hair).  Because of how fine the Norwex fiber is it removes 99% of bacteria from a surface (that’s why you can replace all of your chemical cleaners...think about the money savings when switching to Norwex) and is SUPER absorbent (think about never having to purchase paper towels again!).  When you use traditional chemical cleaners you are leaving a residue behind that attracts dust, dirt, and grime and you have to clean frequently.  When you use Norwex microfiber and just water, you leave nothing behind and will not have to clean as often because it stays cleaner longer!  Not only are you saving time & money when using Norwex but you are protecting your health because you are not exposing yourself to toxic chemicals (over the past 50 years 80,000 new chemicals have been created and only 200 have been tested for toxicity...so all chemicals are considered safe until proven otherwise) AND you are protecting the environment because Norwex offers items that are reusable vs disposable!

Another feature of Norwex (which is a patented technology) is the Baclock (used to be called Antibac) technology….microsilver that is physically embedded in most of the cloths.  Silver is not new and is used in the healthcare environment!  When the Norwex microfiber cloth is wet the silver is activated which then self sanitizes the cloths by inhibiting the growth of bacteria!  This means that you don’t have to launder the cloth as frequently...HUGE savings!!!

Here are some ways to use the EnviroCloth (wet with just water) and Window Cloth (dry to polish) together....

• Windows (house and vehicle)
• Mirrors
• Stainless Steel appliances
• Fixtures in the sink & bathroom
• Flat, glass-top stove

Whenever you are inclined to reach for any chemical cleaners, go for the EnviroCloth instead.  You can clean ANYTHING…

• Microwave explosions
• Refrigerator cleanout
• Surfaces in the kitchen
• Bathroom (yes, including toilets)
• Spills on furniture, carpet, rugs

I admit, I'm a major paper towel user. And we have a lot of spills and messes in our house!
Enter my new solution: Counter Cloths. These ultra-absorbent, reusable cloths feature a unique new weave to quickly pick up spills and messes in the kitchen, bathroom—really anywhere! Constructed from Norwex Microfiber made from 50% recycled materials in the same size as a half-sheet of paper towel, each set contains almost a whole recycled plastic bottle (500 ml), so you’re helping to clean up the world every time you quickly clean up! They dry fast and you can use them multiple times before laundering. Best of all, they look great in their stylish Counter Cloth Box, where they’re always ready when you need one.

I have begun to love reaching for the Norwex cloths instead of my typical cleaners and they are so easy for my kids to use as well. 

The EnviroCloth and Window Cloth.  These two cloths come in a package called the Basic Package (item # 1505) for $34.99.  These 2 cloths will replace most of your traditional chemical cleaners.  The EnviroCloth is used wet with JUST water to clean EVERYTHING!  The Window Cloth is used dry to create a shiny, streak-free surface!

Want to try the EnviroCloth and Window Cloth?  Here's an awesome opportunity to start your Norwex journey!  These could be yours, just ENTER BELOW!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SHOP
So who is ready to try these right away??? Most of us can do more in removing more chemicals from our homes (I know I can!).

1) visit the website: www.jenniferkang.norwex.biz
2) shop (check "I'm not here for a party")

3) at checkout you will be prompted to search for your host, please use KELLY HUGHES to continue to support the Pgh Momtourage.

Norwex is a global company, started in Norway in 1994, and is spread through the direct sale industry.  You can purchase products from a Norwex Consultant OR earn your wishlist for FREE when you host your own party.  My hosts earn, on average, $360 in free products, with some earning $500+!

This post sponsored by Jennifer Kang. It is very rare for me to spotlight a direct sales company, but I think these products are very valuable in helping our environment and being more chemical free in our homes. And I'm all about supporting a Pittsburgh mama and her beautiful family! All opinions remain my own.

Ticket Giveaway for Fun Slides Carpet Skatepark

My firstborn turned 9 recently. Cue all the tears when you realize you're at the halfway mark of your child turning 18! 😭 But I can't be sad in the joy of watching him grow, mature, pursue passions and watch how his life will be able to impact others. I love both my two boys and two girls and it is certainly interesting in watching their relationships with their friends. My oldest son is pretty drama free with his friends and I love watching a group of 9yo dudes give hugs to each other when they haven't seen each other in, say....48 hours. 😊

I love this group of guys, but let me tell ya, they're full of life! So when it came to picking a birthday party venue, we knew it had to be somewhere active with lots of space and ways to burn energy. We looked at the options in our area and ultimately, my son decided that Fun Slides Carpet Skatepark was the best choice. It turned out to be the perfect option (and contrary to how hard it is to get eleven boys to smile at once!!), they all had a great time!

So what exactly is carpet skating? It's strapping small plastic (flat) "skates" onto your shoes and heading down the ramps! 

A safer yet thrilling alternative to skate boarding, inline and ice skating, carpet skating is fun for all ages (4 and up).  Unlike other sports that take lots of practice, carpet skating takes only minutes until you are confidently sliding around. Once you get the hang of it, you can become an advanced skater with just a couple of days of practice. We have small ramps for beginners and areas to get extreme. All first time skaters are assigned a skate instructor until they are comfortable to skate on their own. 

They have a variety of ramp options and the boys enjoyed the carpet skating. I love that it is big and open with so much room to move around. But a boy's day isn't complete without nailing each other with dodgeballs, is it? The boys had a blast in the dodgeball court! There is also a carpet hockey rink coming soon. I imagine that will be some fun competition as well!

By far their favorite activity of the day was the Ninja course (in the theme of American Ninja Warrior). Each of their runs were timed, so of course, it was quite the competition of who could get the best time! But I loved how they cheered and encouraged each other through their runs as well. They went through this course so many times, I'm pretty sure they all slept great that night. 

This was a feat harder than American Ninja Warrior - going through the course with carpet skates on! That is not easy to do!

The WALL!

The boys enjoyed a briefer stint in the Bounce N' Slide area. It's also perfect for little ones! 

Fun Slides has great party rooms for each group as well. A staff member will be assigned to your party and they take care of you well! We had a great host and she made sure everyone knew what they were supposed to do and where to go. You can also order pizza from Fun Slides and then bring in your own birthday treat. They provide all the paperware needed! 

If you've ever stressed over Pinterest-y party favors, what could be better than souvenir cups and a coupon for a return visit! Stress free? I'm in! Go here to see all of their great party options. 

They have recently added some earlier open times (10AM) on certain days of the week. Be sure to check out their hours if day time works better for you. The park is geared for ages 3 and up. 3yo's can do body slides that you can sit or lay on and slide down the ramps. Kids ages 4 and older can use the skates.

GIVEAWAY
j

jAnd we want to pass on the fun of Fun Slides Carpet Skatepark to you! Fun Slides is generously giving away two tickets each to THREE families to go try out their indoor skatepark. Click link below to enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Fun Slides Carpet Skatepark for providing our birthday party! We only promote venues we love and this is super fun for kids in the Pittsburgh region!