This post is a review of Monster Jam which our family attended the Pittsburgh opening night of. Thank you to Feld Entertainment for the tickets in exchange for this post.
Our night at Monster Jam Triple Threat (which is in Pittsburgh until Sunday, February 9) was full of HIGH OCTANE FUN. With six competitions full of surprises, our whole family found something to cheer about.
This year’s tour is titled “Triple Threat” because it includes stunts by the drivers with monster trucks, ATVs, and speedsters. Our favorites are the monster trucks, but the ATVs and speedsters break up the competition (and give our lungs a break from the heavy dust). Compeitions on the monster trucks included a race, 2-wheel stunts, donuts, and freestyle.
What surprised us?
Even though Megalodon lost the nose of his truck during the 2-wheel competition, he won 4 of the 6 competitions and was able to complete all six…then win the entire event. We are pretty sure his backflip (a first in the Pittsburgh arena!) is what won it.
El Toro Loco came from behind in his first round of speedster racing and cut off Pirates Curse for a spot in the semifinals (but went on to lose in the semifinals to Megalodon).
The four tires on a monster truck weigh about 645 pounds combined!
Our row made it on the jumbotron between the 5th and 6th competitions.
Some of the judges zone scores were lower than we expected. Judges Zone is an online voting for the fans to score 1 to 10 how we felt the trucks performed.
A Family Tradition
Monster Jam has become a family tradition for us. We look forward to our night at the indoor dirt track! What is a family tradition that your family looks forward to each year?
If you’re interested in going, there is one show left on Sunday 2/9, 2020. Read our first post to get all the details + tickets!
Megalodon, the winner!
Make a Difference
Support the St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children.® Text MJAT3 to 78533 to donate to Monster Jam’s support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospial and make a difference in the lives of kids with cancer. Love the “This Shirt Saves Lives” shirt that the drivers wear under their gear? Texting and donating is the way to get it!
Missed the Pittsburgh event?
The Tampa event will be airing on NBC-SN on February 11, 2020 and there are more nationwide events including the May 2-3 championship.
Review Disclaimer: We have a partnership with US Family Guide – they provide opportunities such as Challenger Sports International Soccer Camp in exchange for reviews on this blog and our social media. All opinions are 100% our own.
Pittsburgh, it is time to welcome Challenger Sports International Soccer Camp back to our city as a summer day camp option for your ‘lil Burghers! Our son Evan is a three year alumni of the program and will be back at one of the fields this summer…and he highly recommends this for any kid who loves soccer or wants to learn more about the sport.
Challenger Sports International Soccer Camp 2020
This program, which brings coaches from around the world (Evan’s had coaches from the UK, Spain, and Brazil) is a nationwide program for ages 2 to 18. Coaches stay with host families and bring their skills to further the love of soccer in our communities. We’ve been part of their “family” for three years but I still am amazed at what they offer kids through this program:
Challenger Sports, the largest soccer camp company in North America is coming to a community near you, and bringing over 30 years of coaching experience. Our international staff will work with your players to teach a fun, technical and tactical curriculum that’s filled with training sessions from five of the world’s leading soccer nations. Challenger’s International Soccer Camp offers instructional camp programs for all age and ability levels! The TinyTykes program, ages 2-5, provides fundamental soccer activities, games, and stories; designed to enhance technical skills along with physical and social development. The Half-Day Camp, ages 5-16, is the most popular program and will provide 3 hours of skill development, games, challenges and competitions each day. The Full-Day Camp, ages 8-18, is a 6 hour program filled with developmental practices, games, competitions and challenges. Register now for Challenger’s International Soccer camp and get a free international soccer ball, t-shirt, poster, player evaluation and access to TopYa!’s Juggling Club sampler! Register 30 days before camp and qualify for a free International Game Jersey!
Source: Challenger Sports / USFamilyGuide
source: US Family Guide
Register Today | Lots of Freebies!
We took a look at the camps offered in the Pittsburgh area and are excited to see a number of options throughout the whole summer. If Evan could go every day, he would. We live about an hour from each camp and usually have to rely on the Grands to get him to/from camp. Thankfully the camp has an easy (and secure) drop-off/pick-up process that works for our family + it gives them a chance to see their soccer dude play his favorite sport. We try to get the whole family there on the last day for the last “World Cup” game – but our soccer star doesn’t always love our cheers! 😉
Registering early is one of our favorite things to do because there are lots of freebies for those who get it done now:
International Soccer Ball
T-Shirt
Poster
Player Evaluation
Access to TopYa!s Juggling Club Sampler
International Game Jersey – must register 30 days in advance!
Has your child participated in a Challenger Sports summer camp? What did you think? What questions do you have if you haven’t done this camp before? Think about who you can share this opportunity with – or even consider gifting a week of camp to a child in your life.
Personal testimony – when Evan goes to camp, it is so worth the $200 the full day costs. He gets home, eats a bunch of food, packs his own lunch for the next day, then sleeps for hours out cold from the activity! Share this post on Pinterest so a mama or daddy who needs a good rest can check this out!
Our family has attended several events that Feld Entertainment has brought to Pittsburgh. In 2020, one of those events will be Monster Jam Triple Threat. The information below was supplied to us to share with our readers.
This post about Monster Jam Triple Threat contains affiliate links. When you shop our links, there is no additional cost to you. All opinions are 100% our own.
Monster Jam Triple Threat
If you’ve been a fan of ‘lil Burghers over the past few years, you know just how much our middle daughter Ava LOVES attending Monster Jam. Her first event was when she was just a toddler and ever since, when asked what she wants to be when she grows up her answer is…A MONSTER TRUCK.
So it’s not a surprise that we’re planning to attend Monster Jam Triple Threat when they come to Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena from February 7-9, 2020. There will be four shows throughout the weekend and ticket prices start at $15. For Saturday and Sunday shows, there is even a Pit Party where your family can check out the trucks up close! (Pit Party Passes are an extra fee.)
Right now, we’re hoping to attend the opening night performance, but to get there, we’re part of a CONTEST with Social Toaster to share the news about the event and need to work our way there. If you’d like to enter the contest, too, sign up here!
Meeting Zombie after the 2019 Monster Jam in Pittsburgh
What we love about Monster Jam
As I mentioned, Ava loves attending and so do our other three kids. We’ve been going as a family since 2016 and they look forward to:
Cheering on their favorite drivers – old favorites like Zombie and Scooby Doo have a place in the ‘lil Burghers’ hearts!
The dust. It can get really dusty in PPG Paints Arena during these events but the kids love watching the dust fly and feeling “dusty” on the way home.
The thrills of the skills challenge. We especially love when they jump!
As a mom, I have some logistics I always take care of in advance of our attendance. Three of us have asthma so we take our inhalers before and with us (see the dust point above). We also bring protective earphones for the kids because it does get noisy. Theseearphonesare great for kids+ they come with a carrying case and as of 1/15/2020 there is a 15% off coupon for them, too!
We hope we’ll see you at Monster Jam! Here’s some more information in case you’ve never been and remember you can win tickets here or buy them hereright now.
About Monster Jam
Born out of our love affair with bigger, faster and louder, Monster Jam is the most accessible family-friendly sport in the world today. Unlike most sports, we put men and women on the same track, truly inviting anyone who aspires to be a Monster Jam driver to dream as big as the trucks that have made our sport famous.
Unexpected, unscripted and unforgettable, Monster Jam takes center stage in the world’s most iconic venues, sporting meticulously manicured dirt tracks created with the sole purpose of pushing these perfectly engineered, ever-evolving trucks to the limit.
These world-class drivers, some generational rivals, are athletes at the core and experts in four-wheeled, controlled agression. And just when you think we’re done racing, jumping, flipping and doing things with trucks you’ve never seen before, the brand extends in to the home through must-watch content and merchandise that keeps the fun alive year-round.
The larger-than-life sport that always leaves you entertained. This. Is. Monster Jam.
Source: Feld Entertainment
About Feld Entertainment
Feld Entertainment® is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live family entertainment experiences that bring people together and uplift the human spirit. Properties include Monster Jam, Monster Energy Supercross, Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Marvel Universe LIVE!, Sesame Street Live!, DreamWorks Trolls The Experience and Jurassic World Live Tour (coming Fall 2019). Across the brand portfolio, Feld Entertainment has entertained millions of families in more than 75 countries and on six continents. Visit feldentertainment.com for more information.
Our family has attended several events that Feld Entertainmenthas brought to Pittsburgh. In 2020, one of those events will be Disney On Ice presents Road Trip Adventures. The information below was supplied to us to share with our readers.
DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS ROAD TRIP ADVENTURES TAKES PITTSBURGHFAMILIES ON A FUN-FUELED EXCURSION TO ICONIC DISNEY DESTINATIONS
Source: Feld Entertainment
PITTSBURGH, PA (January 4, 2020)— Disney On Ice presents Road Trip Adventures will whisk families away on an immersive getaway chock-full of magical participatory moments. Featuring new and classic tales, this a multi-generational experience visits Pittsburghfrom February 27 – March 1at PPG Paints Arena. Tickets are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com.
The show invites audiences to hit the road with Mickey Mouse and his pals for a high-octane ride in Disney On Ice presents Road Trip Adventures. Exciting twists and turns await as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and guests of all ages embark on an interactive and memory-rich adventure to iconic Disney destinations. See the world from the rooftops of London with Mary Poppins and Jack and his band of dancing lamplighters. Travel to the sun-soaked Motunui and help Moana restore the heart of Te Fiti. Set off on a safari and snap unforgettable photos of wild cheetahs and monkeys when guests traverse through the Pride Lands with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa.
Source: Feld Entertainment
Discover a whole new world and be swept up in Aladdin’s princely parade filled with spectacular stunts, magical moments with Genie, and a brand-new song from Jasmine that will render the audience “Speechless.”
Source: Feld Entertainment
Mosey on over to a larger-than-life comedic carnival and team up with Woody and Bo Peep as they search for their new friend Forky. Fans will hit a high note with Mickey and pals while singing along to beloved Disney tunes as they welcome Merida, Belle, Ariel, Mulan and Tiana to the ice. Families should be prepared for a getaway jam-packed with unexpected hijinks and surprise, up- close character interaction as Disney On Ice presents Road Trip Adventures makes a pitstop right in the Burgh!
Tickets for Disney On Ice presents Road Trip Adventures start at $15. All seats are reserved, and tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or at the arena box office. Stay current on the latest developments through social media:
Feld Entertainment® is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live family entertainment experiences that bring people together and uplift the human spirit. Properties include Monster Jam, Monster Energy Supercross, Disney On Ice, Disney Live!, Marvel Universe LIVE!, Sesame Street Live!, DreamWorks Trolls The Experience and Jurassic World Live Tour (coming Fall 2019). Across the brand portfolio, Feld Entertainment has entertained millions of families in more than 75 countries and on six continents. Visit feldentertainment.com for more information.
While Pittsburgh might not be the rainiest city in the US, we sure do get a lot of rainy days (about 42% of our weather includes a rainy forecast). On these gray, dreary days, your kiddos are probably begging you for electronics and you’re out here searching for something to do. Welcome to it – our list of seven rainy day must do’s for Pittsburgh families!
Why Seven Rainy Day Must Do’s for Pittsburgh Families?
We live in a city with six football championship rings, always reaching for that magical number seven which would give us the title of the team with the most wins, so seven just seems like a good Pittsburgh number to use! If you’re just visiting the city and found this post while searching for things to do, note that we really love our sports around this city – you’ll see it everywhere you go.
We are so lucky to have these unique feature in our city. Our kids continue to ask for a family membership here because every experience with the birds is unique, educational, and passes time. They offer traveling exhibits (over the summer of 2019 we checked out their Living Dinosaurs), featured favorites like the penguins, and great photo opportunities.
National Aviary is open daily from 10 am – 5pm. Our primarily indoor facility is ADA compliant, stroller-friendly, and easy to navigate. We offer on-site parking (on a first-come, first served basis), a café with open seating, and two gift shops. Visit www.aviary.org to learn more or call 412-323-7235.
Source: National Aviary
2 – Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Another family favorite. Learning is so much fun here and you truly can spend a whole day here. Children’s Museum offers art, interactive exhibits, traveling exhibits, sensory-friendly spaces, shows, and so much more.
Evan at one of our first family visits to the Children’s Museum
We recommend ending the day with the Waterplay exhibit on the 3rd floor because it is entirely possible to get soaked even though you’re there to escape the rainy weather.
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is a place that delights and inspires children, where they can take off on fantastic flights of imagination daily, and return to earth to splash in a river, hammer a nail and ink a silkscreen. With 80,000 square feet of space, the Museum welcomes more than 307, 000 visitors annually and provides tons of fun and loads of “real stuff” experiences for play and learning. Found out more: https://pittsburghkids.org/
Source: Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
3 – Snapology
Is your living room floor covered in bricks and blocks, you know, the ones you step on then scream but at the same time love watching your kids build with? You can take that building outside the house for the day and check out Pittsburgh’s Original Makerspace, Snapology in Bethel Park.
At Snapology we believe that children are meant to learn through play. When children are engaged in interactive, hands-on learning activities, their creativity flourishes and they show an increased interest in school. We help your child grow up with a thirst for knowledge. How do we do it? Snapology engages children ages 1-14 using LEGO® bricks, K’Nex and technology. While the kids are having fun with familiar toys, laptops and iPads, we sneak in the learning. Shh, don’t tell them it’s educational!
Source: Snapology
Enjoying theserainy day must do’s for Pittsburgh families? Be sure to tweet or share this post to let others know!
4 – Your Local YMCA
We are partial to our local YMCA because it is right down the street but I’m sure there is a YMCA near you where you can have an indoor play day as a family at the pool or gym. Ours often offers weekend programs for families with help from local community organizations. There is even Friday night Kids’ Club – time for you to drop off your elementary kiddos and take in a quick dinner with the spouse!
5 – Sky Zone
We first found out about the the indoor trampoline park phenomenom in 2013 and while we know there are plenty of indoor trampoline parks to visit in Pittsburgh, Sky Zone was the first to come across our radar. There are two Pittsburgh area locations and both have fun for the entire family – even the ones with no desire to jump all day.
Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park is creator of the world’s first all-trampoline, walled playing court providing the ultimate 3-D play experience for teens, parents and kids to jump, leap and defy gravity on the patented all-trampoline walled playing court. For more information, please visit https://www.skyzone.com/.
Souce: Sky Zone
6 – Zone28
This entertainment complex located just 20 minutes from the city (in Harmarville, off Route 28) has 33 bowling lanes, escape rooms, a game room, and more. We recently went here for a birthday party and had such a blast. The food is good and there really is fun for all ages!
We can’t think of a more colorful place to spend a gray day than Phipps! Exhibits of flowers will turn any rainy day frown into a smile, even if you can see or hear the rain falling on the roof of this huge glasshouse in the middle of the educational center of our city. When you visit Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory with your kiddos, you’re sure to have a blast. There’s fun and learning to be had throughout and programs are offered year-round outside of general admission.
About Phipps: Founded in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA is a globally recognized green leader with a mission to inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse. Learn more at phipps.conservatory.org.
Source: Phipps Conservatory
+ More…
So there have to be more than seven rainy day must do’s for Pittsburgh families, right? Share with us your favorites – and if we’ve never been, we’d love a chance to check them out – any day of the year!
This post contains affiliate links. That means that when you shop through links we suggest, we receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. To be 100% transparent, 2019 was a tough year for our family. I (Mom) blogged about it over on my newish personal space and we’re moving forward with strength in 2020! That tough year even presented itself here on the blog – it was our quietest year (in number of posts, visits, comments, and shares) ever and we’ve been around since 2012 at this site address and 2010 at our old “.org” site. Wowza. But nonetheless, you continued to visit – especially in December – and keep things happening for us here at ‘lil Burghers. THANK YOU!
Taking a Look Back at 2019 Top Posts
While we try to focus on highlighting our favorite
Pittsburgh-area activities, you readers are still coming here for the holiday
ideas, the family memories, and more. This helps us understand what to “stop,
start, and continue” for 2020 but is also really fun to look into. Let’s start
with a run-down of the top five visited posts in 2019:
Elf Pets: A New Tradition – this post first showed up in the blog during that era of time before the
Twins were born! It continues to be a top post year after year, and Lily and
Olaf continue to bring joy to our family’s Christmas traditions. Have you adopted
an Elf Pet along with (or even instead of) your Elf tradition?
A Winter Break: Castaway
Bay– Our family took two trips to Sandusky, Ohio in 2019 and
absolutely fell in love. The first one, which we blogged about here, was a
mid-winter trip to Castaway Bay, an indoor waterpark where it is always
82-degrees. As I’m writing this wrap-up, it’s a rainy day in Pittsburgh and all
I can think about is how great of a weekend it would be there instead.
Whole30
Mistakes – Another slightly older post but it is still helpful as I’m
sure plenty of you will be headed down a path of making healthy changes in 2020.
While I don’t follow the Whole30 Lifestyle, it is really good for resetting
your body and finding out what works and doesn’t work for you. But goodness do
I miss the potatoes I ate on that plan!
Essential Eyebrow Solution – Do yinz like my eyes or something? Blushes, but realizes that another older
post has yet again taken the top of the year! The theme here is helpful
information brings reads, I guess. This is a product I used in 2017 and haven’t
used since I ran out of it, but eyebrow hair isn’t a mystery to me anymore –
have you read my post “Torn Down”?
The Struggle: Finding Therapists – As I said when I started this post – 2019 was a true rough one for us. It involved Greg (Dad) and me finding a therapist to help rebuild our marriage and it was not as easy as we thought it was going to be. Thank you for listening to that part of our story!
2019 Top Products
As you know, this site is an affiliate of Amazon and often
suggests products you might love. Have a look at the products you bought most
of in 2019 (click on the images to check them out and/or purchase).
Purple Paper – we love having some colored paper around
for craft projects and this paper is a great bright one!
Spray Bottle – Ava’s can’t
live without hair product requires that she start her day with damp hair.
This spray bottle is so helpful with that task!
Waterproof Phone Pouch – these were a must for
our trip to Hawaii and allowed us to capture some pretty great photos underwater.
Cereal Dispensers – Isla just loves staying at hotels and having cereal come out of these dispensers would probably be simply dreamy for her. How fun!
Bocce Ball Set – Camping continues to be a family tradition that we love to do and write about. Having games like Bocce Ball make the time even more memorable.
2019 Top Nine on Instagram
To finish out our journey looking back at 2019, check out our Top Nine Photos from Instagram and make sure you’re following us there, too!
Did you have a favorite 2019 moment that you’d love to share? Comment below!
This post contains information provided to us by US Family Guide about the Dinosaur Adventure Pittsburgh showing. In exchange, my family received tickets to the event. All opinions are 100% my own.
Our Experience at Dinosaur Adventure Pittsburgh
We already told you that Dinosaur Adventure is in Pittsburgh for three days – December 27-29 – but now it’s time to share the fun we had!
First, let’s talk about logistics of the event space. I have to say that I love events that happen at the Monroeville Convention Center. Parking is FREE and there are plenty of bathrooms within “kid emergency” distance. These are important things when you’re hauling four kids around of about an hour from Armstrong County!
We took the kids to the show the first evening and spent about two hours having fun exploring the realistic dinosaurs and riding the rides (we had wristbands but did not do the ticketed activity – panning and mining). From the moment we entered through an inflatable dinosaur rib cage until we exited back out of it, the kids were laughing and enjoying. It might have been the only two fight-free hours of Christmas break so far!
Take a look at all the fun the kids had + some of the great photo opportunities. I knew I needed to take some photos during the event but I really just enjoyed keeping my phone down watching the kids dig for fossils, check out facts, and ride the dinosaurs (there were three different dinosaur ride-ons, including motorcycle-like dinos that had me wondering why the 4-year olds were better drivers than the Bigs, T-Rexes that were a story high, and Triceratops that were the size of ponies – so!much!fun!).
Isla was super shy except for when this baby dino came around!
This event reminded us of the dinosaur exhibit at the National Aviary this summer – did you catch either or both of these?
How fun are these eggs?
She was a little nervous about these, but the other three loved them!
Family Photo with a T-Rex
Making Fossils at Dinosaur Adventure
After checking out all of the dinosaurs, your kids are going to want a souvenir. Yes, like any event, there is a souvenir shop but we got to completely avoid it because they had it (strategically?) placed behind the concessions and exhibits in another room of the convention center. We had to have “the talk” about no toys/balloons/etc coming home with us because it was JUST Christmas but the kids didn’t really mind too much when they realized they got to make a fossil to take home for FREE.
But can I tell you that I was a little ready to bend when I saw the super cute helium dinosaurs that kids were “walking” around the hall?!?!?
The fossil making involves a cup + clay + an impression from a dinosaur toy + plaster. The hairnets shown below were not part of the requirement for arting, they were worn under helmets on rides (THANK YOU for that perk!).
Creating fossils to take home – FREE Activity!
PRO TIP: If you head over to the ride area fairly early in your visit, have your kids do the fossil activity. It takes about 5 minutes to put together and then another 30 minutes to dry. There is PLENTY to experience while it dries, but don’t save it ’til the last minute when everyone is hungry.
Ava and her T-Rex face fossil
Ready to check it out?
Dinosaur Adventure is an all-new, one of a kind exhibit featuring realistic, life-sized dinosaurs that come alive with their life-like movement and roars. Learn about the most popular dinosaurs -Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, Diplodocus, Velociraptor, and explore recent finds with exciting discoveries!
As part of Dinosaur Adventure, children of all ages will enjoy a variety of activities: fossil crafting, Jurassic jeeps, themed obstacle courses, riding their favorite dinosaur, and more! The whole family will also be amused by our live entertainment featuring a walking dinosaur show, and a baby dinosaur meet & greet.
Information from US Family Guide
My Readers SAVE – $3 Off any Adult, Child Activity or VIP Ticket Use Code: FLASH3 when you buy tickets here.
Did you make it to Dinosaur Adventure Pittsburgh? What did you think? If you’re not in Pittsburgh or missed this traveling show, check out where they are headed to next!
This post contains information provided to us by US Family Guide about Dinosaur Adventure. In exchange, my family will receive tickets to the event. All opinions are 100% my own.
I am excited to share that Dinosaur Adventure is coming to two locations in Pennsylvania this holiday season:
Allentown, PA – Allentown Fairgrounds – Dec. 21 – 22 Pittsburgh, PA – Monroeville Convention Center – Dec. 27- 29
Dinosaur Adventure is an all-new, one of a kind exhibit featuring realistic, life-sized dinosaurs that come alive with their life-like movement and roars. Learn about the most popular dinosaurs -Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, Diplodocus, Velociraptor, and explore recent finds with exciting discoveries!
As part of Dinosaur Adventure, children of all ages will enjoy a variety of activities: fossil crafting, Jurassic jeeps, themed obstacle courses, riding their favorite dinosaur, and more! The whole family will also be amused by our live entertainment featuring a walking dinosaur show, and a baby dinosaur meet & greet. My Readers SAVE – $3 Off any Adult, Child Activity or VIP Ticket Use Code: FLASH3 https://www.dinosauradventure.com/upcoming-events/
Disclaimer: In exchange for this review of the MasterChef Junior, Live! performance in Pittsburgh, I received tickets to attend the show. All opinions are 100% my own and I would like to thank Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for this media opportunity.
MasterChef Junior, Live! brought the sights, sounds, and SMELLS of the television show of the same name – the only thing we didn’t get was an in-person appearance by the celebrity chef judges and host Gordan Ramsey. The chefs (Malia, Jasmine, Evan, and Matthew) wowed us with their wit and knowledge but left us hungry after smelling all the scents of their fabulous dishes!
Our two oldest kiddos were quite surprised and excited to check out the show as part of Arianna’s 11th birthday weekend. They loved every minute and were on the edge of their seats waiting to see what would be cooked up next.
For me, I enjoyed it but also (because I tend to have a “producer mind” when watching any television show) felt it was a bit “scripted” and less live. It was clear that they were cooking, but the “surprises” and reactions did feel a little rehearsed (like going to a show at a theme park, maybe?). But the kids? They didn’t seem to notice and were wowed and amazed. And trust me, I got plenty of laughs and cooking tips myself!
One other thing I’ll mention is that the venue changed from the Benedum Center to the Byham Theater. We sat in the Mezzanine and I am glad we did – I couldn’t imagine trying to see the dishes being cooked from seats back in the Benedum so I was happy; however, I know that this unavoided change in venues did leave some ticket holders unahppy. Hopefully everyone saw the perks in the end!
As part of our partnership with Cultural Trust, we were also provided with a family four-pack of tickets to giveaway on our Instagram. Our winner, Erin, shared her thoughts of the event:
Master Chef Jr Live was a great experience for my family of four. First, the Byham is beautiful and is such a wonderful atmosphere to see any show. The staff was friendly and helpful when it came time to find our seats. This was our family’s first experience together at the theater. They sold a variety of beverages and snacks, which were needed to satisfy all the cravings the cast created!
The show was made up of a series of challenges that left the audience’s mouths watering. After introductions of the chefs came an appetizer challenge that was short on time, but not lacking in entertainment. All of the kids were impressed with their fellow chefs’ dishes. During the main course “mystery box” challenge, each chef was given a protein and a mystery can to prepare an amazing meal. An audience member was assigned as a sous chef to every kid and they provided lots of entertainment as well. The best looking dish to us was a bison burger and the cameras up close on it made our mouths water! After the main courses were tasted by the kids, a dessert course challenge began. Kids from the audience were paired with a Master Chef Jr to take on a cupcake decorating challenge. My kids liked this best because when they finished decorating, there was a silly outcome. You’ll have to go see the show for yourself to find out!
The Master Chef Junior Live cast was incredible. The kids were well spoken and loved getting the audience involved in the experience. My children enjoyed getting to hear, see, and smell the show. They loved getting to count down as the challenges ended and cheered along for the chefs as they competed. If you get a chance to see these highly talented kids in the Master Chef Junior Live show, I would definitely recommend it!
Thanks again, Cultural Trust, for bringing this performance to Pittsburgh and inviting us. If you missed this showing, unfortunately that was the only one of this series; however, there is always something great to check out with our theater options in Pittsburgh. Find out more here: TrustArts.org | @CulturalTrust on Facebook · Instagram · Twitter
Disclaimer: I am partnering with BetterHelp, the world’s largest e-counseling platform – helping people with finding therapists where they are needed – to share information about their services in this blog post. All opinions are 100% my own. (TW: Suicide / Mental Health)
If you follow me on my more personal blog, you might remember how 2019 is my year of courage. This one is really playing out as I eluded to when I told you that I was having some physical struggles back in June. In that post, I also shared that there was a mental/emotional side to it, too. Boy, at that time I had no clue how much more was coming my way, but I’m happy to say that the tides that were rising are starting to recede and I’m working on getting the help I need.
WAIT, WHAT?
Needing help? That’s not what a strong person does, is it? To be honest, admitting help is needed is exactly what I didn’t want to do. It made me feel so weak and vulnerable, but this summer it became so clear that getting help was what was necessary.
So yes, you heard me right. I’ve been hiding that all is okay and it’s not really okay around here but I am working on that, we are working on that to be fair (it’s not just my battle).
Those of you close to me know that on June 7, 2019, my 17-year-old cousin Emily died by suicide. Emily’s struggle is not something unfamiliar to our family – my side and Greg’s – or to me. She was struggling with mental health, something I did not realize was so hard to get help for. Even though I majored in Psychology as an undergrad, I had no clue that there weren’t enough people in the profession able to fill all of the needs…until I found myself desperately needing it.
Getting Help/Finding a Therapist
Later in June, the need for a therapist for myself and Greg went from a “this is something we should do because we know it is good” to a must do (unrelated to losing Emily, but all still so raw and real).
My world crashed greater than I thought it could (please respect that I’m going to keep details private for now – it is not for secrecy but for healing). With what I feel is really good insurance (and an out of pocket max met thanks to my health issues), we tried for ten weeks to get a counselor and finally last week were able to make it happen.
TEN weeks. Ten weeks is a lifetime when you feel like you’re walking on eggshells, when you feel alone and ugly, when you feel desperate for the pain to just go away. This part of my story is that ten week is far too freaking long for someone to get licensed help and it is no surprise to me that our mental health issues are climbing, suicide is far too familiar, and the divorce rate is so high.
But ten weeks is what it took us to find a therapist and even then actually going to my first appointment took all I had. This shakes me and breaks me and makes me so sad for my young cousin (who I know was trying to get help), her family, our extended family, myself, and our world as a whole. Mental health help should not be so hard to come by!
Is there Better Help Out There?
So that brings me to BetterHelp, the partner for this post. Goodness, I wish that I’d heard about them sooner in my journey to find a therapist. They can help by offering a list of potential matching therapists based on your location, need, and preferences. Even more awesome, they are avaiable for in-person or online visits, taking down one of the huge barriers that I was facing in getting help.
Note: At the time of this post, my therapist is not one suggested by their service; however, because therapy needs to work for you in a way that is convenient and helpful, I will be using them should my needs or comfort with my counselor changes.
#
BetterHealth can help you find a therapist based on your location, need, and preferences. They are avaiable for in-person or online visits, taking down one of the huge barriers that I was facing in getting help. Find out more by visiting their therapist search site, https://www.betterhelp.com/therapists/
Is therapy right for you?
One of the rewarding aspects of working with a therapist is that they are listening to your feelings. Our friends and loved ones often hear us, but they may have a hard time providing objective guidance in the way a therapist can. A therapist wants to support you toward a healthier emotional state. In addition to developing healthier emotions, another benefit of therapy is you have a safe space to discuss problems that you may be hesitant to talk about with people in your everyday life. Source: BetterHealth
Crisis Resources
If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255)
If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.
