You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great summer. I’m sharing some of my favorite summer bucket list adventures to cross off your list.
Tips For An Awesome Drive-In Movie Experience
One of our family’s favorite summer adventures is an annual trip to the drive-in movie theater. If our schedules allow, we try to squeeze a few more trips in if possible, because we have so much fun! The drive-in is also an affordable way for families to see two first-run movies. The success of an awesome night at the drive-in comes down to a little prep work before you go. I’m sharing tips and what items to pack for the drive-in movie to help you have a great experience.
Why snowshoeing is not my favorite but it’s good for me
This winter has been unseasonably warm so attempting to try snowshoeing has been hit and miss all season. I’ve been able to try snowshoeing a few times this winter when we have gotten snow.
Our family’s first time trying was at local Winterfest event. We tried the types of snowshoes resembled wooden tennis rackets like you see pictures of Eskimos using.
2 powerful visits to the MLK Jr. Memorial in the same day
During our trip to Washington DC, we got to see the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial for the first time.
Whitewater Rafting Downtown in South Bend, Indiana
For under $10 you can have a unique outdoor adventure white water rafting in downtown South Bend, Indiana.
2013 Cincinnati Travel, Sports and Boat Show
Last Saturday we experienced our first travel show in Cincinnati. Basically, we spent the afternoon dreaming up all sorts of vacation destinations and recreation that we want to try in the future.
The show features booths from a large variety of vacation destinations and recreation businesses along with an assortment of recreational transportation.
For kids there is a fun fishing show scheduled several times a day during the weekend of the show.
The kids and adults get information that is helpful to have a sucessful fishing experience.
The kids get an opportunity to look at the fish up close and also see how the fish approach live bait.
They can even touch the bait during the demo.
The instructor, Dan Armitage, gave practical tips that can apply for any age.
He did a great job helping kids understand how to catch fish and why these techniques work.
You defintiely want to check out the vendor booths with vacation destinations and activities. You kids will like it because the vendor booth area also gives kids the opportunity to take an occasional piece of candy, sample some food, view an animal or receive a giveaway item geared toward kids.
Former Bengal Ickey Woods was at a booth at the show signing autographs on memorabilia in exchange for donations for the Jovante Woods Foundation that he started in honor of his teenage son who died of a sudden asthma attack.
The kids were really excited to meet Icky Woods at the show. He was really personable and our kids are really into football so meeting a former star really got them excited.
If your kids still have energy to burn, they can challenge themselves on the climbing wall for a fee.
The show has something for all ages. My dad who is retired, enjoyed the hunting dog seminar and the fishing class. He said that the fishing class was really informative and helpful. He isn’t a hunter but found the dog seminar really enjoyable to watch. He also had a great time getting the opportunity to walk inside the Rv’s and onto the boats.
You can still check out the show on the following dates and times
· Thursday, January 24: 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
· Friday, January 25: 4 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
· Saturday, January 26: 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
· Sunday, January 27: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
*Admission for adults is $11. Adults can save $3 on admission by purchasing tickets at Cincinnati-area Kroger stores.
Children (ages 13 and under) are free when accompanied by a paying adult.
Wednesday, January 23, is “Buck Night,” when admission (children and adults) is $1.
Admission to the Travel, Sports & Boat Show® includes admission to the Cincinnati Golf Show® and Cincinnati Hunting & Fishing Show®.
You can learn more about the schedule of Cincinnati Travel, Sports and Boat show from their website.
Disclosure: I did receive complimentary tickets for giveaway and review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Pulp Art
I recently went to the opening reception for the exhibit “Pulp Art”.
Pulp Art is an incredible display of 11 artists creative expressions using paper.
The building alone is a piece of art .
The center also offers affordable art classes for kids.
Several of the works by kids in the program are showcased in the exhibit.
These students could be doing their own show one day. It was really great to meet some of the younger artists who got to tell us about their piece.
I had to snap a picture of the wall even though it wasn’t a piece. I just like exposed brick..
Don’t miss your chance to check out some incredible art!
Pulp Art is an exhibit currently showing from Jan. 11 – Feb. 15 at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, Ky.
You can learn more about the show from their website.
There is FREE public admission during regular gallery hours: Monday through Friday, 10am to 5pm and Saturday, 12pm to 3pm.
This Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center is located at 1028 Scott Boulevard, Covington, KY 41011.
Disclosure: I did receive complimentary admission to the opening. All opinions are my own. I just really love art!
Guest Post- Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! Review
Today we are joined by guest contributor Natalie Morgan, who is super creative and a fantastic mom.
Let me start by saying that I may or may not love Yo Gabba Gabba more than my kids, we even have the episode with Jack Black on dvd. So when I heard about the live show I was pumped (and my kids were too).
When we arrived at the Aronoff Center there were cardboard cut outs of all the characters for picture taking, so of course we had to take part in that.
Once our tickets were scanned, we entered the main lobby and found lots of fun things for the kids to do. First up was a bean bag toss where the kids would “feed” the characters bean bags.
Each bean bag represented a different fruit or vegetable.
Next, was a music area where they could bang on drums and shake rain makers.
Beside that was a little house where the kids could put the characters in rooms and they had to decide whether to turn a light on or off.
Most of the activities were promoting healthy habits like eating right and saving energy, they had posters at each station giving tips on how to keep talking about these subjects.
After a child did an activity they got to pick out a hand-stamp of one of the characters, I think that was my littlest one’s favorite part. 
I really appreciated that they had something for the kids to do while we waited for the show to start. We have been to shows before where there is nothing for the kids to do except stare at all the fun things they are selling and beg for all of it, so I was thankful for an alternative. Although, if you are in the market for some Yo Gabba Gabba gear, they have an awesome selection of shirts, toys, posters and more. They also had a great kids concession with juice boxes and fun snacks that you could purchase (that also may differ at the venues depending on whether food is allowed).
We headed in to the theater and found that we had some great seats. It was fun to see all the kids (and parents) dressed up. Many were in Yo Gabba Gabba gear but since we didn’t have any we just wore our tutus and lots of other bright colors. My girls had some glowing hair pieces which were fun to have when the lights went off, they also sell a lot if fun glowing wands if you would want to purchase them.
The show began and let me just say it was awesome!
Lots of dancing, music, confetti, bubbles, lights, dancing vegetables, guest appearances and more! It really felt like we were part of the t.v. show.
They did a great job encouraging the kids to get up and move around and sing loud.
The show was divided into to two 30 minute halves with about a 20 minute intermission in between, which I think was perfect. There was a broad range of ages there, my girls are 7, 5 and 3.
They all really enjoyed it though, my 7 year old probably danced the most. It was a little loud for my 5 year old so if you have a little one with sensitive ears you may want to bring some little ear plugs or head phones. But over all I didn’t think the volume was too bad.
Needless to say we had a blast and will definitely be going again next time they are in town. If you are fans of the show on t.v, then you will love the live show. The colors and energy level were awesome. We were pleasantly worn out after wards, but hey that’s what happens when you get your sillies out!
Disclosure: Our guest contributor was given complimentary tickets for review purposes. All opinions are her own.
You can still check out a Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! show. Check their website to find a tour near you.
Natalie is relaunching a blog that highlights photography, crafting, fashion, homeschooling, traveling and life in general. She has a husband who is a full time musician, 3 girls and one on the way. You can check out her adventures at The extraordinarys.
Fort Rapids Indoor Water Park Review
We had a great family experience at Fort Rapids indoor water park in Columbus, Ohio. It’s central Ohio’s largest indoor water park and it did not disappoint. They offer something for the whole family to enjoy.
Fort Rapids uses a western theme throughout the complex. The water park has displays and attractions that highlight the wild west.
If you have younger kids, the “Kiddie Korral” is an area just for them with lower basketball hoops, small water slides, water mushrooms and bouncing swings for babies.
The first water attraction that we tried was the “Cowboy Creek” which is a lazy river. It was very relaxing …..but we were feeling the need for speed.
We moved on to the water slides next. The water slides start indoors and then twist and turn outside of the side of the building before coming back inside. This makes for more room in the facility and a great advertisement as you drive by the hotel.
The facility does have a workout area but you won’t need it if you ride the slides a lot because you get plenty of cardio going up the stairs. The stairs also help keep your body temp warm too. The inside of water park is climate controlled at 84 degrees. If you want to warm up even more, you can check out the 30 person hot tub.
If you are a parent who likes to read by the pool, my suggestion is to take a seat away from the entrance door so that you don’t feel the cold air as people come in.
The “Shoot out Racer” mat racing slides were our 1st bigger attraction. They were sooo fun! They were the balance of just enough twists and turns in the dark before opening up to a fast dip to the bottom. (As you can tell, I clearly won that race!)
We tried the “Ambush Alley and Raging Bull” racing tube slides next. We opted to race with the double tubes first and then try it as singles.
Next, we tried the “Black Out Pass”. It was great! The ride starts out like a normal tube slide in total darkness and then you are thrusted into a swirl that reminds me of being flushed down a toilet. Depending on how many times you circle around the funnel, you can either go into the hole forwards or backwards. Backwards, in my opinion was the most fun. This ride was such a great time with the boys!
The “Activity pool” is an area for swimming and water basketball for older kids and the “Rascal Roundup” is a nearby play water structure with water cannons, dumping buckets and water slides for kids as well.
My younger son loved the lower basketball hoop for littler kids.
If your kids want a break from swimming for a bit, there is a nearby game room that is steps away from the water park for them to enjoy.
Our room, “Oak Creek Canyon” held two queen size beds, a sofa bed, mini fridge, microwave, mini coffee maker, two tv’s, and a small dryer.
The dryer was really convenient to have with using the pool so often.
The hotel does provide small complimentary towels for the pool on a first come, first serve basis but we preferred to bring our big beach towels.
There are several restaurants inside the hotel.
We opted to get pizza poolside. The price was not bad for the convenience of being able to stay in swimming mode. Everyone agreed that the pizza was pretty good too.
Overall, our family had a great stay at Fort Rapids. We enjoyed getting away and spending quality time together as a family. When you are staying at the hotel, you can swim before your check in time and also enjoy the water park after you check out. I recommend bringing a hairdryer if you plan on using the pool after you check out. There are also lockers available for rent.
Check out the Fort Rapids website to begin planning your next family adventure.
There is currently a coupon for Fort Rapids on the US family guide website until 6/30/13.
**I was not compensated for this post. Our family did receive a complimentary visit for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Zipline Tour at Adventureworks
I’ve been zipling several times before but my most recent zipling experience takes the prize. My family and I went on a zipline tour at Adventureworks. Adventureworks is located about 30 minutes outside of Nashville and is tucked away near the Narrows of the Harpeth State Park.