Summer Boredom Busters Week 2: 7/8-7/12

Last week's Summer Boredom Busters post was a hit! I'm hoping you found some new ideas and inspiration on fun things to do with your kids. I'm going to do my best to have a new list each week so we can go into each week armed with some new ideas. 

Here are 5 more ideas for making most of your (and your children's) week!

Week of 7/8-7/12

$1 Family Movies

It's been hot as a boy band in Philly, and it doesn't look like it will be letting up soon. Nothing beats the heat like sitting in a nice cool movie theatre enjoying some cinematic entertainment, amright? I know for me, I often pass on taking my kids to the movies because it's costly. And since they are so young, I can't guarantee they'll sit still through an entire movie, which would make a $10 ticket a total waste. Well, then let me tell you about the Regal Movie Express. HELLO!  $1 movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays! (And part of the proceeds go to the Will Rogers Institute). All the movies are family-friendly, with most of the films being specifically geared toward younger kids. Check out the schedule for your local theatre - there are a few theaters in most states! Our local Regal in Downingtown should be on Week 5 of the schedule, so this week Coraline and ParaNorman are on the schedule. That might be a bit too "scary" for our girls, so we might opt for next week's The Lorax or Big Miracle.

Reading Nook/Fort

Courtesy alannageorge.com from her post
http://www.alannageorge.com/2012/07/11/summer-day-camp-hula-hoop-hideout/ 

I came across this super cute idea on Pinterest, and had to try it out! My kids love forts, and this canopy-via-hula-hoop idea seemed perfect (and, if I might add, somewhat princess-y, which is always a plus for Chica and Bug). We attempted it last week, and it did not come out nearly as pretty - but the girls LOVED it. And really, that's all that mattered, right? You can get cheap shower curtains at Kmart or Walmart (or you may just have one lying around), and hula hoops are literally $2 or $3. We had to cut our hoop, then duct-tape it into a smaller hoop so the shower curtain could cover more area. We have exposed beams in our screened porch, so we set it up there with twine we had lying around. You could string it up with ribbon or any kind of string you might have.  Check out Alanna George's post for more instruction.

Pick Your Own Fruit

Fresh fruit. Does it get any better than fresh fruit?!  Well, actually yes, it does. Fresh fruit you pick yourself. We are lucky to live near several local orchards who have the option of PYO (pick-your-own) produce during the various growing seasons. I take my girls to the same orchard my mom took me to as a kid: Highland Orchard. As a kid, we would pick peaches in the Summer, apples in the Fall. Now, I take my kids to every opportunity that Highland Orchard offers! Last month we picked strawberries with friends. During the Summer we'll pick blueberries and peaches. In the autumn we'll go back for apples and pumpkins. I am hoping to make it over this week, as blueberries and black raspberries just came ripe for picking.  This is a quick schedule of their harvests. Check out what PYO orchards are local to you on PickYourOwn.org.

Make Fruit Crisp

Now that you've picked your own fruit, it's high time you make some delicious homemade Fruit Crisp!  If you can't get to orchard to pick your own, try to hit up your local farmer's market and support your local farms!  I love fruit crisp. Borderline obsessed. And it's a little less intensive than making a homemade pie (although I am a pretty fantastic pie maker), which allows your kids to help you make the top crumble part. Get those kids involved in kitchen endeavors, people! During the Summer, I opt for making peach crisp or blueberry crisp (or, in the wise words of Joey Tribiani: Put your hands together. A peach-blueberry crisp would be divine). I have a very simple fruit crisp recipe that can be adapted for any kind of fruit or season: Steph's Fruit Crisp Recipe. Apologies, as the post is from years ago when I was a new blogger, so it's not terribly pretty. Also also, warning: it is a very butter-laden recipe. You can cut back on the butter, but I will say it does make it truly delectable. It's a treat, right? 

Visit a Science Museum

School may be out for the Summer, but that doesn't mean the learning can't continue on. And luckily, there are kid-friendly science museums all around the country that make science pretty darn cool. Also? They are air-conditioned, which is a bonus option for uber hot days. Three of my favorite local science museums to take kids to are the Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philly, as well as the Delaware Museum of Natural History.  Each of these museums has fantastic kid-centric attractions (including dinosaurs), and you can really make a day out of visiting each one. Pack a lunch and have a picnic or adventure to a new cafe for a day of fun!



Where will your adventures take you to this week? What crafts, recipes or activities will you be trying? I want to hear all about it, so leave a comment and inspire us all with new Boredom Buster ideas (heck, I may even feature your idea in an upcoming post!)

~~~~~

CityPASS Review and Giveaway

We haven't gotten to travel a lot as a family. 

Partly, I admit, we're kind of wimps about trekking with the kids. I don't know why: schedules, potential tantrums and generally too many variables. I have tons of friends (ie: most of them) who bravely take their kids everywhere. And I am jealous.  There are so many places, near and far, I dream of taking my kids. I want to have adventures and make memories. But I've found it difficult to get around naps and the travel.

Another glitch we've hit (until recently) is lack of funds. Travel can be expensive - even the shortest most local of trips. You want to go on a Disney Vacation? Get ready to shell out thousands. You want to visit your nearest city for a day of museums and other fun attractions (including meals)?  It all adds up.

So how can a family make the most of travel without breaking the bank?

CityPASS

CityPASS is a ticket booklet of 5-6 popular attractions in a particular city (there are 11 destinations available around North America). CityPASS booklets contain prepaid admission to the must-see attractions of these Big Cities and travelers can enjoy significant savings of up to 48 percent.  Plus, skipping most main-entrance ticket lines.  That is huge when you are planning a trip!  Upon first use of the booklets, you have 9 days to visit the attractions before it expires. The creators of CityPASS wanted people to "experience a destination: without a lot of fuss and at significant savings."  


I LOVE THAT.


As a family of 4 in the Philadelphia area, CityPASS gives us access to family-friendly attractions such as The Franklin Institute, Please Touch Museum, Adventure Aquarium and the Philadelphia Zoo. For our family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) to visit each of these attractions, it would cost roughly $280. If we bought 2 adult and 2 child Philadelphia CityPASS's, it would only cost $196. Plus there are several other attractions that you can visit on the CityPASS that I didn't account for, such as Phila Trolley & Big Bus Company (which would have cost another $75).

That's a lot of savings when you are planning a big trip!

The great thing about CityPASS is that it allows you to travel (and save) near and far. If you live near one of the 11 Big Cities covered by CityPASS, you can easily do a Staycation and visit the attractions over the course of a week. CityPASS booklets are valid for 9 days after initial use, which gives you more than a week of fun day trips (or use the savings to stay overnight!). If you are travelling far and visiting one of the CityPASS Big Cities, you can explore a new place without breaking the bank.

When we finally adventure on our first Big Family Trip, I will absolutely look into utilizing a CityPASS booklet. I can't think of a better way to explore a new city! Until then, purchasing a CityPASS will be a fantastic way to make the most of school breaks (Spring and Winter) or doing a local Staycation during the Summer.

If you or your family has Spring Break this week, jump on the chance to have some fun adventures by purchasing a CityPASS for your local city. What a fun way to spend your time off!

In honor of Spring Break, the great people of CityPASS will be giving one of my lucky (and fantabulous) readers 2 adult CityPASS ticket booklets! Here is more info:

Winners will receive two adult CityPASS ticket booklets to their destination of choice: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hollywood, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle or Toronto. Each CityPASS contains actual admission tickets to a destination's top five or six attractions. At many sights, CityPASS provides VIP access, allowing travelers to bypass an attraction's main-entrance ticket line. CityPASS ticket booklets are valid for nine consecutive days, beginning with the first day of use. Booklets may be activated (first used) anytime between today's date and Feb. 28, 2015.

HOLLA!

Giveaway will run until Friday, March 29 at noon. I will contact the winner thereafter, and the winner will have 24 hours to respond and accept! Just enter with the Rafflecopter widget below!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Connect with CityPASS on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I was provided 2 adult CityPASS booklets in order to facilitate this review and giveaway.

Heads and Tails Beauty Boutique {Review}

I recently had a chance to head to center city Philadelphia with a few of my fab bloggy friends to check out Heads and Tails Beauty Boutique.

And it was nothing short of awesome.

Up in the great land that is called New York City (which I've never, ever been to. Have I mentioned this?), there are these cool things called blow out bars. It's a magical place where you can get a blow dry with fantastic products. Great for girls on the go or for a nice spruce up before a night out.

Owners Dana and Jenne decided if NYC could do it, why not Philly? So they brought Philadelphia it's first (and currently, only) blow-dry bar complete with a waxing salon. Bringing beauty back to the basics, women can glam up on their lunch break, before a date or for a special occassion. 

And let me tell you, the crew at Heads and Tails knows what they are doing.

They gave us a chance to try out one of their services. Yay!  But what to choose?! I waffled back and forth between whether I wanted to try a blow-out or a waxing.

Somewhere mid-waffle, I looked in the mirror.

This is what I saw:

Hello, world. Meet my eyebrows. Eyebrows, meet the world.

I'm sure you look at this photo and think, "Yeah? And?"

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. Here is a clarified close-up:

There is no hyperbole involved here.

Can you guess which service I chose?


When I arrived, having been gently guided into the city by Randi from SAHM's Crazy Life and Alissa from Fun Find for Families (have I mentioned I don't drive in the city much and we're pretty much lucky we made it into Rittenhouse Square alive?), a quick walk through the park brought us to the corner where Head's and Tails calls home.

Inside? 

SO CHIC.

My bloggy girls Melissa from All Things Chic 
and Paola from Modestly Chic getting their hairs did.
And did WELL, people.

A nice and yummy spread - how sweet are they?

Randi and Alissa's time to go glam.

Not long after arriving (and stuffing my face with pita chips, dip and chardonnay), I was called back by Jenne. Who I will now call my Eyebrow Guru. Because girlfriend knows eyebrows.  You see, I've been letting my eyebrows grow back in for a few weeks now. 

Why, you ask? 

Well, I've spent far too many waxing sessions at random local nail salons. With each visit, a little more of my eyebrow went missing. And as an avid eyebrow waxer for many years, I've been through the gamut of bad waxing experiences: too thin, too short, oddly shaped, no change (in that, I felt them waxing but couldn't figure out why my eyebrows did not look one bit different). But nothing compares to my favorite: 2 Brothers From Different Mothers eyebrows.

What is that?

That is when you look in the mirror after getting an eyebrow waxing, and find one eyebrow looking thin and surprised, while the other looks fat and angry.

Not sure what I mean?  Here is a renactment of one such experience (which I endured in high school before a very important date, might I add):

So I immediately tried to explain the situation to Jenne, the eyebrow goddess with perfectly sculpted eyebrows, before she could judge me too harshly. But Jenne listened and assured me she has helped many go through the growing-in process. She gave me some pointers, and did a waxing that helped shape my brows but did not take away the hairs that I've worked so hard to grow back in.  I'm now able to maintain at home with tweezers, and will try to make it back into the city in a few weeks so Jenne can keep track of the progress.


At the end of the night, the H&T's crew did a few fun giveaways, and I was lucky enough to win Petit Phyto children's hair care products (shampoo and detangler). It was pretty providencial, as we've been struggling with Chica's VERY sensitive skin. She reacts to a lot of soaps, shampoos and conditioners. I was excited to try this solution, which is geared specifically toward kids with sensitive skin.  I am happy to report Chica has responded really well to these products, and we want to continue using them!

If you've never experienced a Blow-out Bar, I highly recommend it. Treat yourself to a night out or a GNO. For busy moms, we need to take care of ourselves. And Heads and Tails Beauty Boutique is the perfect treat!

For more info, check out Heads and Tails on the web at: Heads and Tails Beauty Boutique website  and Twitter.


PS - I'll be sure to keep you updated on the Eyebrow Situation. I know it's keeping you up at night.