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Dance the week away

Shortly after we moved back to Utah County (or as I call it, back to society), one of my old high school friends hosted an ice cream social. It was exciting to get together with these friends I hardly ever see anymore, and meet their spouses and kids.
While at the ice cream social, a Wii was pulled out, and the game Just Dance was turned on. My kids love to dance. Most nights they perform little dance shows for us, and get all dressed up. They will spend their weekends “practicing” for the dance shows to show “our audience”.

I’m sure you see where this is going right? So Just Dance is put into the Wii. I’ve heard of it, but never actually seen it, or played it. I found it to be a lot of fun, and of course my kids too. I think Princess V and Princess C took over 2 of the wii-motes for the rest of the night.

As soon as we got home, I started looking into Just Dance. We’ve really been getting into the Wii lately, and playing family games, but I wanted something a little more active for them, that didn’t take a lot of strategy.

Initial Concerns:

Music? With Mark holding a BA in Music Education we are pretty picky about they genres of music we let the kids listen to. That’s not to say we don’t let them enjoy kid music, but we want it to be quality.
Lyrics? Lyrics were a big concern. I want them clean, and I want them about something good.
Dance Moves? Especially with how often I see videos of little girls dancing suggestively, this was important to me. My little girls do not need to know how to shimmy, and shake their booty.

With these concerns in mind, we decided to hold off on getting Just Dance for the kids. But then I heard about Just Dance Kids 2014 coming out, and I knew we should at least check it out. If it didn’t meet our standards in music, lyrics and dancing, we could just pass it on.

I am really happy to tell you all, that as a picky parent, I approve of Just Dance Kids 2014, and so do my kids.

Watch this video of the kids jamming out to some of our favorite songs on the play list to get a good feel for the different types of songs, and dance moves you can expect from Just Dance Kids 2014

How did Just Dance Kids 2014 do?

Music: I was sold when I found the opening and closing theme to Fraggle Rock on the play list. A little disappointed when I found out Magic Carpet Ride is not from Aladdin, but still good music.

Lyrics: Completely clean. The songs are all uplifting, or just plain fun, with selections like “I Like to Move It” and “Walking On Sunshine”, I am pleased.

Dance Moves: A few of the songs in the “All Ages” play list contained moves just a little out of my comfort zone, but nothing suggestive or aggressive.

Keep up with all the latest happenings for Just Dance on the Ubisoft Blog

Or purchase a copy of Just Dance Kids 2014
for your own system (Wii, XBox 360, and Wii-U) on Amazon.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

November 30, 2013
Easy Meals for Busy Nights with #KraftRecipeMakers

Ever have those nights where you’re running around, picking kids up from school, dropping them off for sports, music, and other extra activities. Then you’ve got a movie date with your spouse, and still need to get quick family meals on the table. I recently came across Kraft Recipe Makers thanks to another blogger, and had to pick up a couple. These are the BEST easy meals I’ve ever come across, that I still feel good about serving up.

It was about a month ago I came across a recipe using the Kraft Recipe Makers. I had never heard of this before and wasn’t even sure what I was looking for when I went to the store the first time. When I found them though, I got pretty excited about the variety of flavors. That first time I picked up a couple different varieties and used the Sweet and Sour Chicken that night to create a kid favorite!

The other night Mark sent me a message about a fun family activity going on that night at the library. It looked fun, but left little time to put dinner together. I was so glad I had the Chicken Bruschetta Pasta on hand. This meal kit was absolutely delicious, and fit right into the time frame I had.

I loved the easy to follow directions and photo’s on the back of the package. Have you ever actually measured your pasta before? Normally I dump the whole bag into some water, but decided to follow measurements this time.

My family are big pasta eaters, so I was worried it wouldn’t be quite enough, but it was plenty. Once I had the pasta going, I moved onto the chicken.

Next time I make this (because we will be making it again!), I’ll make sure to cut the chicken into a bit smaller pieces. Simmering the chicken in the Basil Garlic sauce, made our house smell divine!

Once the chicken and pasta are cooked, you combine them add the finishing sauce and some Parmesan cheese. Voila, dinner served! I didn’t time it exactly but I’d say it was close to a total 30 minutes from start to finish. Quick easy meal served!

The only thing I wish I’d done different was seen this tip while still at the store. We were out of croutons, but I have a feeling they would have been the perfect addition to this pasta! Since I missed grabbing some croutons I tossed some garlic toast in the oven to add to the canned green beans on the side. A perfectly balanced meal in my book.

Not only was this an easy meal to prepare, but the kids loved it too – especially Prince L. Just check out the smiles he gave as the pasta was shoved in his mouth.

We had just enough leftover for my lunch today (my lunch, not the kids..). I should have expected it, but Prince L’s sandwich was tossed on the floor and I found him on my lap stealing pasta. He knows where the good stuff is.

The debate is on now – Asian Fish Tacos next, or Verde Chicken Enchiladas? We don’t have many crazy busy nights yet, but I know they’re going to start creeping up on us. I’ll be keeping a couple Kraft Recipe Makers in the pantry for an easy meal maker.

Keep up to date with new Kraft products by visiting their Facebook page.

October 15, 2013
CornBelly’s at Thanksgiving Point

Fall is here! This is my absolute favorite time of year. We seem to spend more time outdoors in the cool fall weather than we do any other time of year here.

I am especially excited to visit Cornbelly’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest at Thanksgiving Point this year.

That’s right, this year the maze design is a tribute to the biggest Utah Football rivalry – BYU vs UofU. It’s all in good fun people. I personally won’t choose a side…until the play USU, and then I’m an Aggie all the way.

Well, slightly, while Mark is hanging with some friends from church watching the BYU vs USU game (and rooting for the Aggies), I’m heading over to Cornbelly’s with the kids to check out the 12 acre maze, kids maze, take some hay rides, and look at many many pumpkins. We might even jump in a big pit of corn. For you older folks and teens seeking a thrill, there is also a Haunted House…which I’ll personally be skipping out on since I’d rather not give the kids nightmares.

Sounds like fun right?! For those local to Thanksgiving Point, or planning a visit to Utah sometime this fall, you can get $2 off your admission here. The fun opens this Friday October 4th and runs through November 2nd.

If you don’t like near Cornbelly’s, or are planning a Utah visit soon, check out this list of other Fall Festivals around the country!

*I have been offered tickets to come check out Cornbelly’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest. All opinions are my own.

October 1, 2013