Kids eat Free deals for this summer.

Kids Eat Free is the kind of sign outside a restaurant I love to see.  Last summer, I fell and became unable to stand for a long time in the kitchen.  It left me wanting to look for alternatives to making dinner for the family.  One of the many alternatives was to find places that offered special deals on family dining.  Most restaurants were buy an adult meal and get a kids meal free.  Some had a restriction on the menu and others were super flexible.  Always call ahead to make sure the offer is still valid before ordering.  Take a look at these offers to find your family dining savings.  

Sunday Kids Eat free:

Daphines Greek Cafe - Their Chicken Kabob with Pita Bread (triangle tortilla is the best) is yum.

Tuesday Kids Eat free:

Ruby's Diner on Tuesday after 4pm until closing.

Wednesday Kids Eat free:

El Torito Restaurant offers buy an adult entree get a kids meal free.

 Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post. Please call ahead to the restaurant to ensure offer is still valid.

Summer movies for just $1.00 on the big screen.

Summer fun is just around the corner.  Every summer, we pick a few movies that we love to see again on the big screen.  The Regal Entertainment Group has been showing free at a reduced price of only $1.00 to get movie fans out to the theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.  Most theatres during the summer fill up with young families fighting summer boredom.

source: warner bros. pictures

The summer movie program begins in June.  You will have to check with your local theatre to find out the specific dates because not every theatre participates and dates can vary.  The majority of the Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside County areas begin this fun event June 21st, 2016. 

source: Regal Entertainment Group 

"Admission to the Summer Movie Express is only $1. Tickets available for purchase at the box office and all movies start at 10:00 am. Each week both movies play on both days. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Will Rogers Institute." Source: Regal Theatres 

• Week 1
  The Lego Movie
  Max
• Week 2
  Goosebumps
  The Iron Giant: Signature Edition
• Week 3
  Pan
  The Smurfs 2
• Week 4
  Despicable Me 2
  Home
• Week 5
  Minions
  The Peanuts Movie
• Week 6
  Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip
  Curious George
• Week 7
  The Book of Life
  Hotel Transylvania 2
• Week 8
  Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
  Shaun The Sheep
• Week 9
  The Croods
  Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

World's Largest Catfish lives in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

Did you know that Wahpeton, North Dakota is home to the World's largest Catfish?  Yes! It is true. Only a hundred feet from Minnesota the,"Wahpper" is a 40 foot long and 12 feet tall roadside attraction. We met the fish last summer during a road trip.  The Catfish is only a few feet away from the Red River. You find picnic tables to sit and relax. 

The locals say that the fishing is great here at the Red River. Bring your fishing gear and try catching dinner. During the month of July this area is very beautiful. We visited mid-July last year and the weather was amazing. 

Some of the best moments in life are the ones you did not plan on. Near the edge of the river, our kids found fresh water clams. They saw it and wanted to explore the area more. "How did a clam travel from the ocean to the river?" asked our kids. Our answer was let's Google it! As they thought about the clam mystery in the river, they played on the river's edge with rocks, mud and branches. Kids get very creative around water and mud! We could see creativity in full swing as the young scientists were out touching every rock, bug and branch they could get their hands on. Watching them play and use their imagination made our hearts smile. We all had a great time just being out in nature. 

Travel is the best opportunity to explore, research, connect with the family and your creative side. This summer, we recommend that you consider a road trip to your favorite river. You will be surprised to see how much it can be with the family. 

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Red River flows Northward 550 miles starting in Breckenridge, MN to Lake Winnipeg in Canada and is the border between Minnesota and North Dakota.  In the early years this river was an important trade route for the Hudson's Bay Company and largely contributed to the settlement of the British North America.

Directions: On the border of Minnesota and North Dakota you will find the Red River and the World's Largest Catfish in Wahpeton, ND. 

Wahpeton's Main Attractions:

Fishing

Bois de Sioux Golf Course

Prairie Rose Carousel

Fort Abercrombie State Museum

Richland County Historical Museum

Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge

Chahinkapa Zoo

Dakota Magic Casino

Bagg Bonanza Farm Historic Site

Ringling Bros. Circus Monument

Red Door Art Gallery

Superhero's come in all sizes.

It was superhero day at school the other day. The kids were excited to wear capes and their favorite suprehero t-shirt. On this day, teachers, administrators and kids get to channel their superhero powers. The entire school gets involved in finding their inner strengths. 

This school season has been a year of learning about our inner strength. From bullying, non-solicited parent Q & A, witnessing punching and learning explicit words. We have learned some valuable lessons this school year. Things seem different then from when we went to school. Kids and parents are more likely to let their home life spill into the classroom. Sometimes, these emotional spills can be very harmful to an entire class and or the entire school.  We have seen kids hitting other kids because their parents hit each other at home. Additionally, a child told a group of kids in the classroom that his mom is throwing the "F" bomb at his dad because they are in the middle of a divorce. Another lesson we have learned this school year is, parents can and will force friendships if they see it fit for their selfish needs. We experienced another family interviewing our child over a period of weeks, without introducing themselves, to see if he was fit to be friends with their child. These are just a few of the many things we have experienced in the public school system.  It seems that maybe some of us have lost sight of boundaries and social kindness.

Now we pray when leaving for school and we tell each other, "Be strong like a bull."  It is our way of saying no matter what happens today find the happy moment. Have fun inspite of the negative talk and hardships that are occuring at school.

Today, we would like to ask all of our readers to find that Super Hero in you. Are you using not such kind words toward your spouse in front of your children?  We want you to think of it in the kids view, "Why is Dad/Mom yelling at MY Mom/Dad?"  Parenting is not sitting at the coffee shop talking with your friend ignoring the kids play while your child is bullying or hitting your friends child. Be a Super Hero to your kids and your friends kids, be in the moment with their play and take corrective action when and if something occurs. 

Instead of looking at your emails or your social media accounts, put your phone in your pocket and have a family conversation at the dinner table or run and jump with the kids at the park.  Be the Super Hero to your kids, raising well adjusted, responsible and socially active adults means that you have to interact and show them what great looks like!  Be a Super Hero to the children who will lead our country to greatness!

Super Heros Come in All Sizes!  

You can find parenting quotes at:
http://artfulparent.com/2013/01/best-art-and-creativity-quotes-for-children-and-adults.html

University of California Riverside Botanical Gardens is waiting for you.

Riverside has so many interesting places to visit. One of those places is the University of California Riverside Botanical Garden. It is a 40 acre hilly botanical garden filled with local plant life. You must be able to walk up and down the rolling hills to get the full experience. 

Passion Flower

The garden holds beautiful and peaceful trails that travel up and down the 40 acre botanical garden. On the top of the trail, you will find a place that you can sit for a while and bird watch.

The best time to visit is in the early morning and during the spring time. The weather is cool and the garden is in full bloom. 

It is a great place for kids to explore nature and for adults to reconnect with Mother-Earth. It is such a peaceful place that we recommend to bring a small picnic lunch along with a blanket to stay a while. 

Their Rose garden is filled with busy bees harvesting honey. It is full of fragrance as you walk through. Be careful the many lizard residents love to sun bathe near-by. 

We jumped when we met this botanical resident. He was not like the other lizards we had met on our visit. This garden was special because it made you forget about time. If you love peace and quiet as well as beautiful plant life, then this is a must see. 

UCR Botanic Gardens: "The Gardens is a living plant museum with more than 3,500 plant species from around the world. Visitors and researchers may see and study on-site. It was established primarily for teaching purposes. In a beautiful setting, the Gardens serves to provide a wide assortment of plant materials for courses at UCR and other local schools. Courses supported include anthropology, art, biology, botany, ecology, entomology, landscape plants, morphology, ornamental horticulture, plant pathology, photography and taxonomy.

The Gardens also provides plant materials for various research projects and serves to test and exhibit plant species introduced from all parts of the world. The variable terrain and Riverside's subtropical climate create numerous "micro-climates" which allow for the notable diversity of plantings.  This wealth of vegetation creates a hospitable sanctuary for wildlife, where nearly 200 bird species have been officially observed."

Open daily: 8am - 5pm Except major holidays:Thanksgiving, 4th of July and Christmas

Location: 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92507

Visit their website for updated information: http://gardens.ucr.edu/information.html

Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch located near Barstow.

Near Barstow, California on Route 66 you will find a glass forest. It is one of the most interesting things to see and experience while traveling the 15 freeway. Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch in the City of  Oro Grande is the work of Folk Artist, Elmer Long. He created this forest with bottles he and his father had collected throughout the years. Recycling can be beautiful and artistic is the theme of this 1 acre open air art display. If you stand still you can hear the wind make music as it flows through the bottle trees.  Standing there you will feel the beauty of recycling. The address is 24266 National Trails Highway, Oro Grande, CA 92368. 

You should know: The weather during spring is best for visiting because the desert weather is kinder to you and your car. There is no fee to visit and take pictures. You are welcome to leave a donation for the artist and up keep of the ranch. 

Something we did not anticipate: The destination is in a long stretch of road with only residential houses and farm businesses nearby. We had traveled from Calico Ghost Town to the Bottle Tree Ranch without food or a pit stop. There is not a public restroom on site. You should consider making a pit stop before you arrive at this destination. 

As you travel towards Victorville from Oro Grande you will find vintage shops. We stopped at Salvaged and Tattered and found a few vintage items. There is other shops that were in town. You may find their website on this link 
http://orograndeshops.com/ 

We had a great family field trip visiting the Ranch and nearby shops. We hope that you visit them soon. It might get you inspired to travel more. 

Disclaimer: Not a sponsored post all opinions and thoughts are all our own.