::Taking your kids to the Theatre:: #ad #ChistmasCarolHOU

          ::Momma Disclosure:: This is a compensated post. All statements are my true and honest opinion.  

I never know what to expect and as my husband says; I am so uptight. Sorry, but I worry. About my kids doing bad things in public places. About what others will say about my kids doing bad things in public places, I worry. So, when we were invited to see the Christmas Carol at the beautiful Alley Theatre, I was nervous. A little more than when I go to the movie theater. The movies I feel we have mastered.

Thankfully. we got the perfect seats, close to the aisle for easy exit access. Then we watched the show and I observed, like always. My kids did not stay still cause well, they are kids, I tend to forget that and expect so much of them. They threw some fits and ate cookies during the intermission. My Husband, the more laid back and cool parent, thank goodness was ever so patient with ME. My kids, especially my son, loved the show. He was a little skeptical at first but once it began he was in awe. Live theater is something I personally love. My Husband and I have seen several live shows and love it. We knew this was something we wanted our kids to experience as well.

The question was when? The suggested age for the show is 6, understandably. There were younger kids there and many stepped out during the show, thankfully we didn't have to. And, my Husband reminded me there were kids with worse behavior than mine which made me a feel a little more at ease. If you have little ones and want to attend a live show here are my 5 tips for doing so.

:: Talk to your kids before about rules and what they are to expect::

I didn't tell the kids too far ahead about our little adventure because then it would be endless, "when are we going" questions. So, the morning of, we got ready and in the car. On our way we had breakfast so we took that time to tell them, where we were going, what they could expect and how they should behave. I really feel that the older they get the more they understand. Which is very comforting for this worrying Momma. We told them about behaving and being "big kids" which they seemed to understand. The day did not go without tantrums and tears, but they really did behave and tried their best.  

:: Eat before you go::

The theater isn't really like the movies, you can't go in the seating area with food. I knew this from our previous times there so we had a good breakfast before we arrived. And, during the intermission my Husband got the kids drinks and cookies which they enjoyed. Eating a meal before you go to the theater is a good idea and having a snack at intermission for the kids I think was a great idea. Also, explaining to them that snacks are not allowed inside are good too. 

:: Go to the bathroom before the show::

My daughter has a potty problem. Everywhere she goes, we have to visit the bathroom. Knowing this, I make sure we use the bathroom before we go anywhere for sure. The theater was no exception. I had to explain that we needed to watch the entire first half of the show before we could again. So, we went to the bathroom before the show, twice, and then during the intermission. For someone who loves to explore and see every inch of a new bathroom, Camila did very well. I think by the second half they were so into the play that they forgot about the bathroom. 

:: Use the Intermission for snacks and stretching::

By the time the first half of the play was over my kids and Husband were ready for a short break. We got up, stretched our legs and my Husband got the kids snacks. Which put me in a slight panic, because I knew you couldn't take the food inside. But, the kids did well at eating and drinking  We went to the bathroom again during this time. It was a good break to refocus and technically start over. I reminded the kids of being good and assured them it would be over soon. More so for Camila she is still having trouble giving something her full attention. But, she did very well. Once inside the theater, we didn't have to get up or leave once. 

:: Let your kids be kids and relax::

As a 30-something Momma, this is something that often gets me.And, it might not be my age, it is just my personality. I become so nervous of what can happen that I tend to lose sight of what fun can be. My kids and Husband are teaching me to let go. I have learned to let go, let my kids be themselves and just relax. It's a great option for having fun! My kids enjoy themselves more and so do I. The theatre was no exception, once I am in relax mode things go a lot better for us. 

Have you and your children been to the theatre? How was your experience? 

::Explore Houston:: Hiking Trails-Bane Park

I started this series a couple of months ago. Since then Houston has flooded and rain had been a non-stop daily happening. These days the heat is quickly rising but thankfully the rain is giving us a break. With that I decided to continue our trail posts.

We love local on days when we just want to be outdoors but don't want to break the bank. So, we pack up a picnic, some chairs and water and we head out to a park or trail. It's so much fun. It's very inexpensive and best of all it's local.

There are so many Houston parks and trails, it's amazing. And, at times overwhelming. I don't know how many parks I have looked up and decided that I want to visit them, create an entire mental plan and end up mentally exhausted. But, if you get organized and out the door these places can be a true treasure. 

If you have SUPER active children like mine who don't mind stepping outside and getting a good walk in, then you will definitely want to follow this series! If you want us to feature your favorite park, email me! I will visit the park {when I can} and write up our Momma review!! {email: mommaofdos@gmail.com} 

The park we visited this time was:

::BANE PARK::

It looks small but trust me the possibilities are endless. It has a short trail, fishing lake and even a splash pad and rock climbing spot! 

{Please note these pics are from back in February or cooler days... hahaha} 

We arrive and quickly find a good spot to start our visit and adventure... At this park the ducks walk right but to you. We try to remember to bring bread to feed them. While my Husband fishes we set out to explore. The kids love it all.

We come back to our spot to eat some snacks and as my Hubby would say... to hydrate. Especially on hot days.

Honestly. No matter where my kids go they always have fun. To me that's all that matters. Plus my nerves are not as bad when we are in public open places where my kids can run, be loud and my nerves are at ease. If you know me, I get nervous, easily. 

Creating memories and having fun it what it's all about. Visit Bane Park and tag @mommaofdos on social media {@mommaofdosTX on Twitter) so we can see your adventure!

Some information about the park:

http://www.hcp4.net/Community/Parks/Bane

Address
9600 W. Little York Road
Houston, Texas 77040
Phone: 281-353-4196

Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday
7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 
8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Luminaries Craft for the Holiday's #childrenscrafts

Are you looking for a fun and easy way to keep your children busy during the Holiday season, one way is by creating these easy Luminaries. Inspired by a quick Google search one afternoon. I am visual person so I like to Google images of crafts or ideas that I can create with my children. My kids are also very hands on especially my Cami. They love cutting shapes or paper in general and using their handy-dandy glue-sticks, skills they are learning in pre-school. I decided to help them create these easy kid-friendly centerpieces.

If you too want to help your children create these fun and very easy luminaries to shine some light on your upcoming Holiday dinners here is what you will need: 

1. Simple White Paper Bags
2. Tissue Paper
3. Stickers for added decorations
4. Scissors-not pictured
5. Glue Sticks-not pictured
6. Candles-not pictured - I used small/medium size candles in glass holders 

{Please remember that the candles can become very hot, they are only for temporary lighting and should be in sight at all times as well as turned off over night.} 

• First; we cut shapes in our paper bags: I opened the bags, folded them in half and cut simple shapes. 

• Then we cut our Tissue Paper shapes; such as snowflakes, Christmas trees and a flower. {I traced the shapes for my kids and helped them cut them out.}

• We then glued them to our bags and placed our candles inside.

It was so easy, my children loved the fun Holiday activity.  Are you doing any fun Holiday crafting? Please share some of your favorites with us! 

::Top 10 Travel Must-Haves for Busy Toddlers:: #texastravelers #travelwithtoddlers

With the Holiday's just around the corner and while many families fly, hundreds of families are soon to take the roads as well. Surely many of you will travel some place to visit family. If this is your first major road trip with toddlers then you might want to have a mini-check list of things that you will need to have to make your trip a not so stressful one.

As my kids have become toddlers there are certain things that keep them busy; the following have really helped when we have gone on recent road-trips. My children are now 3 1/2 & 5, we have been traveling with then both for a few years now.

Please follow us on Instagram it's were we post all of our fun road-trip pictures !

::5 Items you can pack that will make your road trip a successful one::

Books to Read- My children love stories and I make sure they fill their backpacks with the books they love and sometimes they "read" and make-up their own stories or I will read to them.

Coloring Books-What toddler doesn't love to color? I go to the dollar store and buy inexpensive coloring books and crayons and then take them out when the kids are getting restless.

Toys-My son is huge on certain toys. So, I allow them to select their top 3 toys that will really play with on the trip. For my daughter it is usually dolls and nail polish. For my son some kind of action figure or cars and trucks.

Portable DVD Player- We personally do not own a portable DVD player but my Mother-in-Law does and twice now we have borrowed it. Usually this is best for when we are road-tripping late at night. It's easy and the kids love it.

I-Pads/Tablets/Smart Phones-My parents recently gifted us a an I-Pad and an Android tablet, my Husband and I both have smart phones. When the kids become too restless and most options have failed we let them play games or watch their favorites like Peppa Pig or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on YouTube.

::5 simple and fun activities to do in the car while on a road trip::

Now while I can dream that my kids will sit quietly and play in the back seat it hardly ever happens that way. My children, like most, require so much attention and interaction even while a row of seats away. So, we have created certain road-tip games that are fun for both my husband and I as well as for the kids. Sometimes we get a little carried away and take over, that's OK too, haha.

Snacking- Of course who doesn't love to eat! We give our children snack options and allow them to help pack their snacks. This is usually a good way to get my children's attention. They love food and especially snacks for a road-trip; they become very excited to be able to select their snacks and will almost immediately ask for them once we get in the car!

Music Game- My Hubby loves music so he created a music game. We connect our phones with an auxiliary cord to our vehicle radio and then use YouTube to select songs. We go in a circle and take turns the kids love keeping up with whose turn it is. This game is only good until their Daddy takes over and starts playing 10 songs of his choice in a row. For the most part the kids love his music though. Some of our favorites are music from La Bamba, Dirty Dancing and Jersey Boys as well as old Rock and then of course Disney songs. (You can create your own play list or version of the game depending on the kids ages.)

I-Spy- My kids love it but don't really fully understand the rules. Still we play it their way and they love it! It's so great to listen to them give you answers or come up with their descriptions which for the most part are colors right now.

Story Telling- My Husband is huge on story telling and during bed time he has started to just create stories with the kids and allows the kids to create their own stories. It was started because my Hubby didn't want to lay in bed and read long story books. But, the kids love it. I suck at it. It's so fun to listen to the kids tell their stories and use their imaginations. Some are so random it's hilarious. My son has mastered it and Camila she tries! Haha.

Potty/Stretch Break-And finally, we have recently made it our custom to stop at Bucee's but on longer trips we stop at designated rest areas as well. Just to give the kids a break for few minutes from the car and their car seats. It helps them take a breath and relax. We let them know it's only for a few minutes because they can quickly turn it into an extended play time. But,  we have found that even 15-20 minutes helps them and us regain sanity! We do make scheduled stops such as Bucee's and as many needed for bathroom breaks. These have become less as my kids become used to our road-trips which is good for travel time.

Classic Hershey's S'Mores ::Toddler Activity:: #veranohersheys

::Momma Disclosure:: {This is not a compensated post, but I received sample products from Hershey's. They are also providing a Hershey’s S’mores Prize Pack to giveaway to one of my readers. All opinions and content is my true and honest opinion.}

::Additional Momma Disclaimer:: Do not by any means assume that my children have personalities, I have no idea where they get it from. ::insert laugh here::

My children are at the age where they want to help with everything I do {I hear it won't last long} and last month thanks to a visit to the circus they discovered S'mores!  Which is why when I was asked to create this post in honor of Hershey's S'mores I was sure they would be ecstatic! I wasn't wrong!

My kids helped me prepare their new favorite snack; perfect for after school snacking or to help keep two busy toddlers, well busy! We had so much fun preparing and enjoying our delicious snack! The process was so toddler friendly and easy to clean-up it definitely allowed us to enjoy this Summer moment and have a little fun in the process! 

Please note that at the end of this post you too will have TWO opportunities to win your very own Hershey's S'mores Prize pack!

Here is what you will need to create your classic Hershey's S'mores:

• 4-8 graham crackers, broken into halves
• 2-3 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz.), broken into halves
• 4-8 large fluffy marshmallows

Oh yes and Dos {2} adorable helpers, as you can see I had no luck! 

::Directions::
1. Place ½ of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar on a graham cracker half.
2. Carefully toast marshmallow over grill or campfire (supervise the kids if they’re doing this); place over chocolate.
3. Top with second graham cracker half; gently press together.

And, yes while you can do this activity outdoors, it was a little rainy and hot in Houston today, so we decided to use our S'more to Love kit and prepared our tasty treats with the oven at 350 degrees and in only a couple of minutes our S'mores were done!

And, now for a chance to win your own prize pack to create this amazing snack to enjoy with your family and friends!

Your Prize pack will include:

• Pair of Tongs
• Apron
• S’mores Grill Basket
• Marshmallows
• Graham Crackers
• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate

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About The Hershey Company


The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America and a global leader in chocolate and sugar confectionery. Headquartered in Hershey, Pa., The Hershey Company has operations throughout the world and approximately 15,000 employees. With revenues of more than $7.1 billion, Hershey offers confectionery products under more than 80 brand names, including such iconic brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Bliss, Hershey's Special Dark, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers. The company is focused on growing its presence in key international markets such as China, Mexico and Brazil while continuing to build its competitive advantage in the United States and Canada.

For more than 100 years, The Hershey Company has been a leader in making a positive difference in the communities where its employees live, work and do business. Corporate Social Responsibility is an integral part of the company’s global business strategy, which includes goals and priorities focused on fair and ethical business dealings, environmental stewardship, fostering a desirable workplace for employees, and positively impacting society and local communities. Milton Hershey School, established in 1909 by the company's founder and funded by a trust administered by Hershey Trust Company, provides a quality education, housing, and medical care at no cost to children in social and financial need. Students of Milton Hershey School are direct beneficiaries of The Hershey Company's success.