2019 promises plenty of family fun in Pittsburgh! Our monthly events alert post will be a place you can find family-friendly fun throughout the month. If you have an event you’d like to add, please use the mail button to the right.
Family-Friendly Theater
Disclaimer: I received compensation in the form of tickets to this event; however, all opinions are my own. This post, ELF The Musical, is brought to you by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Evan and I got to experience a season special event at Heinz Hall last evening for the opening performance of the Broadway musical ELF . We were familiar with the movie, but beyond
We wish you a Christmas full of love and blessings! May your hearts and bellies be full while you make memories with your loved ones this year.
Act FAST! My favorite sports/smartwatch, the FitBit Versa, is only $89.99 on Amazon today. You can get the FitBit Versa watch in black or peach and YES it is available with Prime’s free shipping (though note that the scheduled delivery date is between January 15 – February 7.) Shipping time aside, this is a GREAT price, normally they are $200.
I received the guest post below from BJ, ‘
head radon professional at Home Radon Pros. He asked if he could share some information regarding the dangers of radon gas and the harmful effects it has on families in the Pittsburgh area. Although this post is contains sponsored content, I was interested in sharing this important message with you. All opinions are that of the author.
This post is a collaboration with Kennywood Amusement Park for their Holiday Lights 2018. In exchange for sharing these deals with you, we’ll be taking the kids to their Holiday Lights. Thank you, Kennywood, for this opportunity!
It is the most wonderful time to check out Christmas lights, right? What makes it even better is when those lights are at one of the best family-friendly places in Pittsburgh! There are still three weekends to enjoy Kennywood’s Holiday Lights event!
Disclaimer: I was provided services/products from Hen in a Hurry as a partnership through US Family Guide. All opinions are 100% my own.
Yinz guys. I have been holding out on you. Two days before I ran my 10-Miler, the most amazing smelling box was delivered to my front door. It was a complete game changer for my dinner game – Hen in a Hurry. This meal subscription service was my first ever experience and it has opened my eyes to the possibilities when it comes to putting good, clean food on the dinner table in a hurry. I am so sorry I haven’t been around to share this with you sooner!!!
This box of amazingness arrived with dry ice surrounding four frozen meals and matching sides (that I got to pick out). I drooled over all of them and neglected to read the fine print – I could have kept some of them frozen until we were ready to enjoy! Into the fridge went all the packages to thaw to have for our dinners.
Why did this matter? The meals should be consumed between 3-5 days once thawed. That meant we actually had to cook two meals a night and then have leftovers. They were still good, but to get the true experience I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to enjoy!
Truth, I love to cook and experiment and make delicious, healthy foods for my family. But truth? I hate spending all evening in the kitchen making dinner. With Hen in a Hurry, I just had to put the thawed meals into a glass casserole dish and cook for 45 minutes. During that time, I was able to spend time with the kids (catching up on Caliou is a big deal around here, you know) and check on that ever-growing pile of school papers. Joking aside, this was truly a blessing for this mom of four.
But even better? I did not spend time cooking 5 different meals. Nope. I cooked one. And we all enjoyed the meals together. No one asked for a PB&J sandwich. No one cried. The only issue was that everyone wanted seconds and the Hen in a Hurry meals were made for a family of four. (So when I said we had to cook two meals at once, it actually turned into a blessing.)
Our meal choices were spot on to things we liked. I’m noting which ones were gluten-free (gf) because they are the ones we’d repeat. I’ve been bad and have been eating gluten, meaning my tongue has been itchy for weeks and my stomach is a mess. Here’s what a tried and what we thought:
Fresh Garlic and Turkey Meatloaf with Loaded Cauliflower Mash (gf): This was our least favorite entree of the four but it was still amazing. Day two re-heated and with a tiny bit of ketchup (is that just a ‘Burgh thing?) and it was the perfect meatloaf. The Loaded Cauliflower Mash was the most filling side of the four we selected and tricked everyone into thinking they were eating mashed potatoes. Score.
Cheddar and Chicken Enchiladas and Fire Roasted Vegetables (
It is always fun to find something new in a place that is familiar. Greg and I got to take in a date and do just that at the Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center while we were vacationing in his hometown of Myrtle Beach. Since Myrtle is a popular travel destination for Burghers, we teamed up with the museum and US Family Guide to tell you more about the experience. (We were provided tickets to this venue in exchange for our honest thoughts. All opinions are 100% our own.)
When you walk into the Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center, there is no doubt in your mind that you are about to have an amazing time. If the gigantic King Kong doesn’t scream that, I don’t know what fun is! You can get your photo taken inside King Kong’s arms, we didn’t end up buying our photo and now I have remorse!
There are three experiences to choose from (but your best deal is to enjoy all three). We started with the Wax Museum because it was right there on the entry level. (Note, all floors are handicapped accessible, but the downstairs experiences are not exactly accessible, more on that later.)
Between two floors you will find many popular stars from movies, music, and pop culture. I encourage you to take photos with the figures and enjoy the prop stations that make selfies and photo shoots super fun. Greg and I had a blast and had the luck to go in the middle of a weekday so had much of the experience to ourselves. (It took us so long to get through that one of the employees joked that they thought they’d lost us!) Take your time, read the stories about the icons, and most of all, have fun!
Once you have gone through all of the figures, take your add on tickets and have some fun downstairs!
I have no pictures of this experience (they ask you to turn off your phone) but some funny memories. You see, I am a jumpy person and walking through this zombie outbreak experience definitely was a good level of thrills that made me jump. I mostly laughed, nothing was scary but it was fairly realistic and fun. Would I have done this as an experience by itself, no, but it was definitely worth the laughs.
Parent Tip: Do this one on your own or with your teens. My kids would have been frightened!
Mirror mazes are super tough! Greg and I were on a mission to save a princess trapped in the mirror maze and if it had been our own kid I think we might have failed. Eek. This was a good level of fun and trickery – we got lost more than once. I wish it was timed so we could have seen how we stacked up against others (because I’m competitive).
Parent Tip: The teens might not enjoy this but your toddlers might be too little and bump into the mirrors. Do this with your elementary/middle school kiddos!
Located at 21st Avenue North and Highway 17 Bypass, Myrtle Beach’s Hollywood Wax Museum is a can’t miss building – there’s a giant ape climbing on it. My Readers receive $2 OFF ALL ACCESS PASS at the Myrtle Beach Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center when purchased here.
Source: US Family Guide
Disclaimer: I was provided with information about Myrtle Beach’s Hollywood Wax Museum through US Family Guide in order to write this post. All opinions are 100% my own.
If you love to travel with family, I’m willing to bet that Myrtle Beach is on your list. My husband grew up there, we met there, Arianna was born there…so while it holds a special place in our hearts, we truly love vacationing there too.
One of the things that have changed since we left (and last visited) is the introduction of the Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center. US Family Guide sent me some information on this complex and I’m thinking a visit is in order while we’re there:
The Hollywood Wax Museum Entertainment Center is the best value in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. When was the last time you walked the red carpet with an A-List star or stepped into the spotlight with Hollywood royalty? At the Hollywood Wax Museum, you’ll get the chance to pose with your favorites while learning about their pets, pet peeves and accomplishments. Bring your adoring fans (friends & family) for fun photo ops! Are You the Chosen One? Find your way through the hidden corridors and save Princess Hannah in Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors. You’ll need to make your way through 288 potential turns among hundreds of mirrored walls and archways while enjoying other surprises along the way. It’s a modern-day fairy tale, where you’ll get lost and come out smiling! And finally, in Outbreak, you must stop a worldwide viral attack. Chemacorp might mean well with Alpha Strain, but the gene-altering substance turns humans into zombies. Shriek your way through the ransacked lab and rotting basement where zombie infection is rampant and aerosol attacks are unpredictable. Contain your fear? No way!
The following post is a collaboration between ‘lil Burghers and Idlewild’s HALLOWBOO. In exchange for sharing this information with you, my family received four tickets to visit Idlewild during the event. All opinions are 100% my own.
It has been a lovely start to fall in Pittsburgh, hasn’t it? With temperatures more like summer, I’m holding on to a hope that winter won’t be awful – will you go there with me? Yesterday was a perfect reminder of summer and we took advantage with a trip to Ligonier for Idlewild’s HALLOWBOO. The kids got a chance to do some “treating” and take on some of their favorite rides before the park closes.
Can I admit that in ten years of being a parent (and several invites from my cousins), I have never taken the kids to Idlewild for HALLOWBOO? Two truths here – tickets for a family of six don’t always make our budget and we aren’t big Halloween celebrators due to our faith. But the kids do like the friendly fall atmosphere of “treating” and dressing up as long as it isn’t scary. That’s where Idlewild Park comes in – adults can’t wear masks, “trick or treat” is through Story Book Forest, and the rides are separate from the treating area. We decided it was worth checking out and making our opinion!
Well, the verdict is in and Idlewild’s HALLOWBOO is a must for Pittsburghers, especially the ‘lil Burghers. The day was full of low key fun, lines were non-existent, and the treating was super memorable.
So what makes it a Pittsburgh must? Here’s what we experienced with the descriptions from Idlewild sprinkled in.
Trick or Treat through Story Book Forest
I’ve got fond childhood memories of enjoying Story Book Forest and watching my kids experience it has been a real joy. Adding the “treating” aspect to it is icing on the cake!
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Hi! I’m Becky, the mom behind ‘lil Burghers. We love sharing things to do in Pittsburgh with kids as well as toy and book reviews. Read more about us!
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