Treat YOURSELF To This Special By Restaurant.com

Note: I received a Restaurant.com gift card for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. The opinions, however, are mine, mine, all mine!

 

One of the challenges of the holiday season is not just entertaining the kids for one day, but throughout the whole Winter Vacation. I feel like a cruise director with my daughter asking, "What are we going to do today?" HOW DO I KNOW???

Well now I do know, thanks to Restaurant.com which is offering:

 Dinner & a Movie:

2 Movie Tickets + $100 Restaurant.com Card ONLY $30

 

Are they Santa?! I can see current movies, with the kids or without, with Special by Restaurant.com’s Dinner & a Movie deal! Now through December 20 for $30, you’ll receive two tickets PLUS a $100 Restaurant.com eGift card to redeem for a star-rated restaurant (as in real food, not Mc-food).

Spend family time discovering the perfect table and flick. Use your movie tickets to see any winter blockbuster hit here. And don't forget teachers and coaches! This would be a much-appreciated gift by them, too (they were tired of Dunkin' Donuts gift cards anyway).

 Hurry – this offer ends Sunday, December 20 at 11:59 pm CT or when it’s sold out.

Restaurant.com and Specials by Restaurant.com make great gifts for everyone on your wish list. Connect with Restaurant.com on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest and never miss their next great deal!

Restaurant.com seems to know exactly what appeals to families these days: food and entertainment at family-friendly prices. Now excuse me: I've got some last-minute gifts to order!

And, again: I received a Restaurant.com gift card for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. The opinions, however, are mine.

10 Thanksgiving Movies For Kids Of All Ages

The Macy's Parade is over, the last football player has been knocked to the ground, dinner has been cooked and eaten, and your time with the relatives is, um, wearing thin.  

Thanksgiving movies can be enjoyed by everyone!

 

What do you do next??!  Why not watch a movie?  

Here are my top 10 picks for relatively kid-friendly Thanksgiving movies. And remember: before you spend money renting them, try borrowing them from your local library for FREE!

1. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – Nobody does the holidays better than the Peanuts gang! In case you haven't see this Emmy-award winning classic, Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends over to Charlie Brown's for Thanksgiving. Can poor Chuck rise challenge? This film is full of warmth – I mean, how can you resist a dinner with popcorn on the menu? The DVD also includes "The Mayflower Voyagers" special, a Peanuts rendition of the Mayflower Voyage and the first Thanksgiving. 
   
   
   
   

   

   Find the REAL meaning of Thanksgiving in this movie.

   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Mouse On The Mayflower – A charming story told by William, it's about a little mouse whose big idea saves the pilgrims during a perilous storm as they travel to the New World. This cartoon originally aired on television in 1968 and also traces the story of the struggles of those first settlers as they learn to plant crops during Spring and celebrate in Autumn with the first Thanksgiving. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. It's A Wonderful Life – Before you start complaining that this is a classic Christmas movie, which it is, I would argue that the message of being grateful for the life you have as well as for family and friends is perfectly suited for Thanksgiving viewing as well. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Alvin And The Chipmunks: Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration – This Thanksgiving-themed DVD contains four Alvin episodes including "A Chipmunk Celebration," "Food for Thought," "Cookie Chomper III," and "Dave's Getting Married.” This rodent knows the meaning of Turkey Day!
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Avalon – A PG rated film which was released 1990, it traces fictional Sam Krichinsky's family as they pursue the American dream. Much of the story takes place as the family gathers for Thanksgiving dinners and some of the themes explored include the effects of affluence, introduction of television, and attitudes towards the elderly. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Holiday Inn – Ok, so it's pretty thin on plot, but this 1942 musical which features Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby has amazing songs by Irving Berlin and is perfect for watching with older family members (who probably know the songs by heart). A toe-tapping good time!
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Grumpy Old Men – Another PG rated film, this wonderful comedy focuses on a lifelong feud between two neighbors which only gets worse when a new female neighbor moves across the street. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon proved that you don't have to be young to be hysterically funny.
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Home For The Holidays – Rated PG-13, the story of poor Claudia Larson who, after suffering some really bad luck, has to face spending the holiday with her family will resonate with those of us who have, shall we say, less than Norman Rockwell-type tribes. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Garfield's Thanksgiving – Garfield's owner, Jon, needs to take the reluctant feline to the vet on the day before Thanksgiving. Will the good doctor force Garfield to follow a (gasp!) diet before his favorite day of gluttony? Like most of us facing dietary challenges, it could make for one cranky Turkey Day!
   
   
   
   
10. Miracle On 34^th Street – Remember the good old days when Christmas season began AFTER Thanksgiving? While this movie isn't a Thanksgiving movie per se, it is a seasonal favorite that includes a touch of the holiday as it features it tells the story of the trial of the Santa who appears in Macy's parade. If you haven't seen it yet, now is the time. 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    THANK YOU FOR READING!!!
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

What To Do If You Don't Celebrate Halloween

You can still celebrate Fall even if you don't celebrate Halloween!

 

While my kids and I have always been into Halloween, my husband is NOT.  He hates it, seeing it as a wanton occasion when children are given permission to beg and inflict decay on their teeth; he always makes sure he works late that day.  Like him, I've met families over the years who don't like Halloween.  Maybe it's for religious reasons or personal ones, but they just don't participate in the holiday and don't want their children to, either.

So what can you do on Halloween if you don't celebrate it? Here are some suggestions:

1. Do something to celebrate Fall. Go apple or pumpkin picking, enjoy a hay ride, let the kids collect leaves, find a corn maze or attend a Fall festival. 
   
   
2. Host a Fall party or throw a sleepover for other families who don't celebrate.
   
   
3. Have an destination and/or fun activities planned.  Go bowling, to the movies, to the mall, have a treasure hunt in your backyard or turn your porch light off and hang an “out of candy” sign on your door to make that night a “family” night with plenty of games. What a blast!
   
   
4. If your kids are old enough, you might want to venture to a special restaurant (anything that doesn't serve Happy Meals) where there's less of a chance meeting trick-or-treaters.

Remember, as well, that you can always throw a costume party so your kids get the benefit of dressing up – just don't throw the costume party in October so you disassociate it with Halloween.

Halloween is an optional holiday. You don't HAVE to celebrate it. Try some of the activities above to make the day special for your kids. You'll be making memories they'll cherish for a lifetime.

Halloween is not a mandatory holiday!

Do you have any suggestions for alternatives to Halloween? Share! Share! Share!