I am the Mama » Fun Stuff Friday

Fun Stuff Friday: Dinner & A Movie

themama — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:03:33 +0000

We are always looking for fun, inexpensive things to do with the kids. One of our favorite activities is Family Dinner & A Movie Night. We choose a movie (tonight is Despicable Me) that is appropriate for the entire family, then develop a dinner menu around it. You may have seen TBS Dinner & A Movie; the concept is similar but we choose not only movies that are family appropriate but also (usually) foods that the kids love. We generally do it on a Friday night and then let the kids “camp out” in the living room on an air mattress. It’s a big hit with the whole family.

Tonight is Despicable Me. The menu? I’m still trying to decide between mini corn dogs (they look like minions) or pancakes. I’ve also been told that they sell cookies in the movie so there may be some freshly baked cookies as well, or a dog food bowl of candy. Those who have seen the movie probably know what I’m talking about! I haven’t seen it yet, so I asked for suggestions from friends on Facebook and there were several ideas to pick from. If there’s a particular movie you’d like to watch but haven’t seen, ask friends for some help in choosing a dinner menu or leave a comment here. I’ll try to update this list from time to time with new movies!

Here are some of the ideas we’ve used in the past:

Mulan: Chinese food. Either order in or make your own at home. There are plenty of frozen options out there, too.
Toy Story: Pizza. Again, you can order, make your own, or buy a frozen one. Super easy and a kid pleaser!
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: Meatballs…Swedish, spaghetti, or whatever works for your family. There are lots of other options for this movie, too! We just went with the obvious.
Babe: Pigs in a blanket. A package of hot dogs or cocktail smokies, some crescent rolls, a couple of healthy sides, it couldn’t be easier!
The Princess and the Frog: If you’ve seen the movie, gumbo is the obvious one here. However, my kids prefer jambalaya. We made a huge batch of it and had some super happy kids.
Lady and the Tramp: Spaghetti. Another kid favorite in my house!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Roast beef. We usually make a pot roast. This one is not a kid favorite. Fortunately, the rule is that the dinner must be eaten to watch the movie. This helps us to throw in some meals that we enjoy and gives them incentive to try it.
Finding Nemo: Fish or seafood. Again, not a kid favorite but it forces them to try something and they get rewarded…not with dessert, but with something that is healthier and fun.

There are lots of options out there! Get creative and have fun…and share your ideas in the comments! (I’m especially looking for ideas for Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Cars, the Shrek movies, and How to Train Your Dragon.)

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Fun Stuff Friday: SwagBucks

themama — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:00:28 +0000

After reading about SwagBucks on the Southern Savers blog, I decided to sign up. Basically, you earn this virtual money (called SwagBucks) via online activity. And you can redeem this virtual money for various prizes. My plan is to use it on Amazon.com gift cards so I can get mp3s and video on demand for free. You only have to earn 45 SwagBucks to get a $5 Amazon card, which will pay for 4-5 songs, a couple of TV episodes (like Glee!), or a movie. I’ve already earned 3 for signing up, several for searching, and I’m trading in an old cell phone for 50. You can earn them by shopping online, too. All kinds of opportunities out there!

If you’re interested, go her e and sign up. (And just in the interest of full disclosure, I do get SwagBucks for referring people, but I think it’s worth doing or I wouldn’t recommend it!)

And if you’re using SwagBucks, fill me in…how has it worked for you? How long did it take you to earn 45 and what have you gotten from them?

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Fun Stuff Friday — I Like To Move It

themama — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:13:56 +0000

My kids LOVE dance parties. We always start them out with this song from Madagascar. It’s a great way to get a little exercise in a fun way, especially when the weather is dismal and prevents outside activities like it has been most of this week. As soon as my oldest gets home from school today I’ll be putting on our dance party mix and we’ll be doing a little move it, move it.

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Fun Stuff Friday — I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas

themama — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:58:43 +0000

I am obsessed with this song. I listen to it 40387 times a day.

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Fun Stuff Friday — Blogs

themama — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:55 +0000

Funny blogs can sometimes turn my day around. If you need a pick me up, check out one of these:

What funny blogs do you like? I can always use a little more humor in my day!

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