Every holiday season, it's always a challenge to purchase just the right gifts for your friends and family. This year, my older son is a teenager and my nephews are teenagers so I wanted to make sure to get them presents that they would really enjoy. But what do you get the young person or loved one who already has everything? Since everyone in my family and my circle of friends loves movies, I knew that purchasing a subscription plan from Showcase Cinemas would be the perfect gift for all of them! Showcase recently launched a special subscription program titled Showcase Subscribe to make moviegoing a easier and more affordable for its customers. You can purchase tickets from either the 2D or Premier plan, which includes 3D, XPLUS and IMAX formats. The best part is that their individual plan starts at just $16.96! It's so easy to reserve their tickets via the app without having to worry about blackout dates. My loved ones can also use their Showcase Starpass membership number to … [Read more...]
Enjoy Your Favorite Movies With Showcase Subscribe! #ShowcaseCinemas @ShowcaseUS #Ad
Modeling Good Sportsmanship For Young Athletes @hotelsforteams #Hotels4Teams #Ad
The definition of good sportsmanship is when athletes exhibit respect for their opponents, conduct themselves graciously when they are winning or losing the game, and being fair during sports games. Unfortunately, sometimes parents get a little too competitive during athletic events and they don't always model good sportsmanship from the bleachers. As a Basketball Mom, I have experienced frustration when my son's team has been down by a lot of points, made technical errors during an important game, or even lost a tough game by only one or two points. It's not easy to watch the disappointment on my son's face when his team loses or when they get a bad call from the referees since I know how hard both he and his teammates work all year long. However, since we are the parents and the responsible adults, our children look up to us to be their role models when it comes to handling their emotions around losing with honor or conducting themselves responsibly as young athletes. … [Read more...]
Traveling To NYC For A Sports Tournament @hotelsforteams #Hotels4Teams #Ad
Many of the sports parents that I am friends with around the country reach out to me when they find out that their child's team is scheduled to travel to my native New York City for a tournament. After all, most of them have never visited the Big Apple and coming here for the first time can be a little intimidating. One of their major concerns is usually how they are going to be able to afford a trip to a major city on their team budget. My experience has been that not only do they all end up having a great time while they are here, but that they also are able to take advantage of visiting some of our attractions as well during their stay. When it comes to planning their stay and needing some downtime activities, I always recommend that they use the City Guide that Hotels4Teams offers parents and coaches. They've compiled some great places for teams to relax and bond before or after the game. The best part about NYC is that it is that it is full of fun things for … [Read more...]
Using Your Time Effectively During Off-Season @hotelsforteams #Hotels4Teams #Ad
Those of you who are sports parents know how important it is to plan for how to use your time effectively during off-season as well as maximize on that time when it comes to the young athlete in your life. Since my son plays on his school's basketball team during the Fall, his coaches always stress the value of making sure to get as much practice in as possible when the team's regular season is over. This is not very hard because, if it was up to my son, he would eat, breathe, and sleep anything that is related to basketball. One of the things that we try to also do during the off-season, aside from practicing, is making sure that we plan to save as much money as possible for the expenses associated with my son being on his school's team as well as the traveling team that he is on the rest of the year. Since we finally get a break from the chaos of busy season, we can focus on creating a reasonable budget for the rest of the year. Travel is one of our major expenses when it … [Read more...]
I’m A Hotels4Teams Sports Mom! @hotelsforteams #Hotels4Teams #Ad
Since my older son was in third grade, I have been a proud Basketball Mom. He has always loved basketball and, if it was up to him, he would spend every minute of his life on the court. Seeing him grow as an athlete has been a tremendous source of pride for me because of the values that have been instilled in him when it comes to being a team player and pushing himself to the limits. When we started this journey years ago, I never imagined that I would begin to love basketball and even become one of the loudest moms in the bleachers cheering for my son. Basketball has become a huge part of our lives since my son plays for his school's team and is also on a traveling team during the off-season. So, basically, it's all basketball, all the time around these parts. Our family's love of basketball and our son's dedication to the sport is why I was so excited when Hotels4Teams asked me to become a part of their Ambassador Program. Since my son is on a traveling basketball … [Read more...]
You Are Invited To Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day 2018 at Showcase Cinemas! #ShowcaseCinemas @ShowcaseUS #Ad
I've been keeping a wonderful secret for a couple of weeks! It is time to let the cat out of the bag and tell you all that I have been asked to be a 2018 Showcase Cinemas brand ambassador! This means that I will be sharing news about upcoming screenings and promotions, hosting movie ticket giveaways, and keeping you guys in the loop about anything related to Showcase Cinemas. In my first post as a newly appointed ambassador, I wanted to let you know that for the second year in a row Showcase Cinemas will be participating in Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day on April 10th. For the past 40 years, Ben & Jerry's has opened their legendary Scoop Shops to dish out free ice cream to fans and Showcase Cinemas is excited to be a part of the fun again when they try to beat the 22,000 cones they gave out at their theaters last year! This year, Showcase Cinemas is adding to the celebration by offering customers the chance to enter-to-win a special family movie night prize pack! … [Read more...]
Enjoy The Fall With Snoopy! @Snoopy #Giveaway #Ad
Fall has finally arrived and everyone I know is busy focusing on back-to-school and working hard. Snoopy would like to remind parents and kids that it's important to take a break from the grueling homework and serious textbooks every so often with these two new and entertaining Peanuts-themed books! The first, called “Hugs for Snoopy,” is a Simon Spotlight novelty board book for kids about hugs with a touchable, lovable plush Snoopy face on the cover! It's perfect for teaching kids how important it is to show love to those who truly matter in their lives. It doesn't matter if you’re happy, sad, lost, or found, nothing warms the heart like a hug—just take it from Snoopy! In this adorable board book, Snoopy earns a hug from Linus, snuggles away the sniffles for Woodstock, and gets caught in a cuddle with Charlie Brown. Now Peanuts fans, young and old, can feel the love, too! In the second book, entitled “Peanuts for Inspiration and Relaxation,” from Posh, adult … [Read more...]
Practice The Art Of Persuasion With Netflix! #StreamTeam @Netflix #Ad
I love to discover a new favorite show or movie on Netflix but I hate to watch it alone. My sons love to binge watch their favorite cartoons and shows too so I am always trying to recruit them as my watch partners. They always try to give me a hard time initially, however, they are powerless to resist my persuasive techniques for too much time. There are many ways that you can convince your friends and loved ones to join you when you are enjoying Netflix and I am just the person to show you how this is done! Chef's Table? You don’t have to know how to whip up a 5-star meal to watch someone else do it. Follow the recipe below to get the rest of the family onboard for a truly Michelin worthy experience. Need to convince someone to travel to a galaxy far, far away with you? Hyperdrive below for a map that will take your kids, spouse or parents from a Padawan to a Jedi Master. Repeat after me: Cartoons are not just for kids. If that’s not working for you, let … [Read more...]
Sneak Some Me Time Into Your Day! #MomSneak #StreamTeam @Netflix #Ad
Let's be completely honest, being a mom is not easy although it is very rewarding. One of the more difficult aspects of motherhood is hardly ever getting any time to yourself. Believe it or not, 97% of mothers feel that they had a lot more time to themselves before becoming mothers. Me time is a luxury for most. The reality is that most of us spend the majority of our time juggling busy schedules, holding down the fort at home, and just looking forward to even one moment of peace that we can enjoy by ourselves. Now don't get me wrong, this does not mean that we do not love our children, it simply means that we sometimes need a break. So how do we sneak some me time into our day you ask? In my home, I can often be found smuggling a tablet into the bathroom to watch some of my favorite shows on Netflix. Since you can stream your favorite movies and television programs on Netflix on just about any device, you can execute a mom sneak just about anywhere. I highly … [Read more...]
Experience Interactive Storytelling On Netflix! #StreamTeam @Netflix #Ad
As many of you know, I have been a Literacy Specialist in New York City public schools for over seventeen years. Throughout my tenure, I have had a first-hand look at how reading affects children positively in every aspect of their life. As a result, I am always on the lookout for opportunities for kids to improve their comprehension through creativity. Netflix has recently announced their first interactive "branching" narrative episodes Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale and Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile, where Netflix members have control over how the story develops and ultimately unfolds. Non-linear stories like these allow children to tap into their imagination and to really think about the story elements and events taking place involving the characters. My son and I recently had the opportunity to be among the first Netflix Stream Teamers to experience this interactive storytelling together. As an educator, it was so rewarding to see him so engaged … [Read more...]