I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. This post may contain affiliate links.

We love to celebrate every season and each holiday. Indulging in a little fun makes for more fun family memories, but doesn’t have to mean extra work.

I love scavenger hunts because it’s up to the participants to do the heavy lifting for the activity. All you need to do is print these sheets and let the kids loose! Want to add a special treat as a reward for the winner? Read below about my experience with GATSBY Chocolate.

Free Printable St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt

Download your free St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt

It’s so simple and can be a great indoor activity if you find that your St. Patrick’s Day is rainy with limited access to rainbows.

One thing to note is that I’m not a stickler. If someone comes to me with a favorite pair of underwear and claims that it’s a lucky charm, I’m not going to judge.

I recommend having a prize of some sort for completing the scavenger hunt like these St. Patrick’s Day Fidget Toys or candy. Since I’m fairly certain all leprechauns love chocolate, that’s a great option for your Scavenger Hunt completion.

This St. Patrick’s Day is going to be extra magical thanks to fun of a scavenger hunt for the whole family. With a prize like chocolate coins, I’m even more motivated to find each item on the list.

We were treated to a complimentary meal to facilitate this review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Growing up in a family with six kids, you’d think it would be challenging to find somewhere we agreed upon.  But we did, and we had one destination — Mimi’s Cafe.  Each visit is filled with French-inspired meals with the feeling of home.  It became our go-to for family celebrations.  There are so many memories of “dirt cup” desserts from the kid’s menu and so many cups of corn chowder. When I call my sisters to wish them happy birthday, I sing the Mimi’s Cafe birthday song from our youth.  Do we have a birthday here? Yes, we have a birthday here!  Birthday where? Birthday here. Mimimimi…

This is just one evening at our local Mimi’s with just a few of my siblings.  It’s still a family favorite, allowing for continued celebrations.

Mother’s Day 3-Course Menu at Mimi’s Cafe

I was able to celebrate an early Mother’s Day dinner with my mama.  The 3-course menu was a great way to sample some of our favorites, plus try new menu items.  The starter course gave us a choice of house salad, Caesar salad, or cup of soup (tomato basil, corn chowder, or French onion).  I may look just like my dad, but I’ve inherited my mom’s soup preferences.

We both opted for the corn chowder.  Paired with a bread basket, we were both thrilled with our long-time favorite.

The main course choices include:

• Asian Chicken Chopped Salad
• Chicken Cheddar Mac
• Fire-Grilled Shrimp Brochette
• Mushroom & Brie Burger
• Slow-Roasted Turkey
• Quiche Lorraine
• Grilled Atlantic Salmon (additional $2)

My mom selected the homestyle flavors of the Slow-Roasted Turkey dinner featuring hand-carved turkey and gravy, with cornbread dressing, orange-apple cranberry relish, mashed potatoes and broccoli.  It’s a classic Thanksgiving meal, bringing up fond memories of holidays past.  But really it’s a great meal for any celebration.

Being a vegetarian, I opted for the Asian Chicken Chopped Salad.  Our helpful waitress swapped the chicken for a serving of avocado.  The dressing was very light, allowing for the flavors of added avocado, mandarin oranges, and bell peppers to shine through.  A bit of crunch came with fried wontons and sesame seeds on top.

My mom taught me many important lessons in life.  Clean up after a party immediately.  Double your recipe and freeze half.  But the most important lesson: leave room for dessert.

The dessert offerings for the Mother’s Day Menu include a choice of Molten Lava Cake or Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding.  Upon our arrival, I had seen the Molten Lava Cake listed on the chalkboard as one of their new features.  Also new to the menu was the Mimi’s Ribeye Steak.  Father’s Day is just around the corner, and I know my husband will love this one.

Once again, my mom and I were menu twins and both opted for the Molten Lava Cake.  The plate came with a gooey cake, large serving of vanilla ice cream, and gigantic strawberry.  Plenty of dessert to share, but in order to really be able to recommend it I felt it was imperative to eat every bite.  After almost licking the plate, I can attest through my “research” that you must save room for dessert.

In the midst of raising three little girls, running a business, and just life, there aren’t enough opportunities to reconnect with my mom.  It was wonderful to chat over each of the three courses.  The Mother’s Day 3-course Menu starts at $18.99 and is available from 11 AM through closing.  With a menu this yummy, you’re encouraged to make reservations.  Look for your nearest Mimi’s Cafe location.

How will you celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day?

I received a complimentary meal to facilitate this review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There are a handful of meals everyone in my family will eat.  Maybe less than a handful, when I start listing them.  In addition to the normal preferences that accompany a child’s palate, we have a few considerations.  My 10-year-old daughter and I are both vegetarian, bordering on vegan.  My husband and 8-year-old eat meat.  Our preschooler only wants food items presented as snacks.

We make it work by preparing meals that are easily customizable, like tacos or pasta bars.  Trying to find options for our diverse dining preferences can be tough.  So when I was invited to join Stonefire Grill for a tasting party, I was definitely curious.  Would my family be able to find meals that fit our dietary preferences?

I was able to bring along a good friend for the tasting party to sample some of the meat offerings, so I’ll be able to share the fresh options at Stonefire Grill perfect for the whole family (regardless of dietary preferences).

Family-Friendly Vegetarian Options at Stonefire Grill

Pizza & Pasta

Easily made vegetarian, pizza is a great meat-free option.  Try a traditional cheese or roasted veggie pizza.  The pizza dough and pizza sauce are both vegan, so you can easily eliminate any animal products by requesting cheese be left off of your pizza pie.  Pasta is another of our family favorites.  Stonefire Grill offers 4 vegetarian options with marinara, pesto, tomesto, and mac & cheese.  One-third into the menu, and we are already hooked.

Salads & Sandwiches

Substitute animal protein for avocado in any sandwich for a delicious vegetarian option.  Dive into the Roasted Cauliflower Pita or Caprese Sandwich.

Salads do not have to be boring.  With numerous salad dressing options, you can guarantee flavor on your greens.  Try a cilantro vinaigrette or lemon tahini atop a garden salad.  A fun twist available to make these menu items vegetarian is to add quinoa or avocado in place of the meat.  Options other than a boring veggie burger? Yes, please.

One fantastic option I was able to enjoy during our lunch was the Mediterranean Salad Bowl.  The dish came with a nutty farro salad, quinoa, Mediterranean chopped salad, hummus with thick and soft Jerusalem pita bread.

Sides

Complement your meal with Stonefire Grill’s tasty side dishes.  Garlic mashed potatoes, whole roasted cauliflower, and nutty coleslaw are all vegetarian options.

Fish

Pesco vegetarians can enjoy fish options as well.  Try the lemon garlic or sesame glazed salmon.  Our lunch included a Mediterranean Sea Basswith lemon, olive oil, and red chili flakes.  The same farro salad from the Mediterranean bowl was paired with the fish.  I could eat that farro salad by the bucket. So yummy!

Kids’ Menu

Vegetarians kids under 12 can enjoy a variety of main entrees and sides.  Mine will gobble up the cheese pizza, pasta dishes, and cheese quesadilla.

New Snack Menu

A family that snacks together stays together, right? Stonefire Grill’s new snack menu has you covered!  These items are meant to share, so grab your family’s favorites.

Snack Menu Options:

• Traditional hummus–served with cucumber, tomatoes, and pita bread
• Caramelized Onion Dip–served with salt & pepper potato chips or tortilla chips
• Chilaquiles Verdes–a slightly different & fresher version of chilaquiles than I’m used to, these were lightly topped with spicy tomatillo sauce, feta, onion, and cilantro

• Chips and Guacamole
• Mediterranean Chicken Patties–served with lemon tahini and spicy cilantro-serrano sauce; these are also served in the Mediterranean Chicken Bowl pictured below

• Chips and Roasted Tomato Salsa–lightly fried tortilla chips with homemade salsa
• Mesquite BBQ Meatballs – served with our signature or spicy BBQ sauce.

With a few obvious exceptions, the new snack menu offers vegetarians numerous options to dig in before dishing up their full meal.

We finished our meal with Stonefire Grill’s Incredible Carrot Cake.  They really aren’t kidding on this one.  A gigantic serving of layered carrot cake came to our table.  The cream cheese frosting was sweet and just the right amount of tartness.

Happily stuffed with fresh foods and scrumptious dessert, I explored the rest of the Stonefire Grill menu picking out meals perfect for the meat eaters in my family.  With so many unique offerings for everyone, it’s definitely a place we all could enjoy together.  If you’re looking for a meal to share, check out the grill options, perfect for 4 or more.  Tri Tip or the 1/2 chicken and full slab of ribs combo come with a medium salad and freshly baked breadsticks.

Finding locations that are comfortable and present options my family can all enjoy is a gold mine.  You can find your nearest Stonefire Grill location here.

Stonefire Grill offers family-friendly menus for everyone, including your vegetarian family and friends.  Share your favorite Stonefire Grill meals in the comments!

I received complimentary tickets to screen the film in exchange for my honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s been many summers since Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) has stumbled onto screens.  Jack’s back as the drunken, self-serving swashbuckler in Disney’s Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.  His good luck has seemed to run out, as Sparrow is the target of Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) who is determined to clear the waters of piracy.  At the helm of the aptly named Dying Gull Sparrow finds himself on yet another quest, this time in search of the Trident of Poseidon.

As I viewed the film, Sparrow’s antics brought to mind another “pirate” – Tom Sawyer.  Tom is known throughout town for his deceit and cunning ability to get others to complete his chores.  Wouldn’t Captain Sparrow also fool lesser minded pirates into whitewashing the fence?  Or turn ill-gotten items into treasure, as Tom conned his Sunday school classmates in efforts to be awarded a bible?  Just as there is deception in these characters, there’s speckling of goodness.  Aunt Polly still cherishes her deviant nephew, and crews of pirates still pay tribute to Captain Jack.

I find it a charming coincidence that both Jack Sparrow and Tom Sawyer have made their mark, whether it be an X or a skull and bones, on the Disneyland Resort.  Captain Jack even surprised guests recently as Johnny Depp made a costumed appearance in celebration of the ride’s 50th anniversary.

Despite their reputations, Jack Sparrow and Tom Sawyer continue to find themselves with a brand of buccaneers.  Fans of the Pirates franchise will rejoice in knowing many favorites have returned.  Geoffrey Rush puts his peg leg on again to play the role of Captain Hector Barbossa and is joined by many familiar face in Sparrow’s crew.  During the screening audible waves of excitements broke throughout the theater as the beloved Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) returned.

In addition to the returning cast members, Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales also introduces movie-goers to a brash of new characters.  The antagonist, Captain Salazar, is the scariest of the franchise’s villains.  His merciless crew leaves just one man alive on each of the decimated ships as “Dead men tell no tales.”  Thus, his name invokes fear in all who hear it.  Also joining the cast are Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) and  Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario).  Carina, like Elizabeth Swann before her, provides a strong female role.  Astronomer and horologist, determined Carina is on a quest of her own.  As a mother of three girls, I was thrilled to see a female scientist leading the helm.  Scodelario as Carina was charming, without veering off course thanks to romance or mythological ideas.

Having mentioned my children, many ask whether the film is appropriate for children.  Rated PG-13 for adventure, violence, and some suggestive content it would be best suited for teens and adults.  My 9-year-old could most certainly handle the adventure and the nuisances go right over her head, plus she adores the action.  However, her 7-year-old sister would have a harder time with the stabbings aboard the ship.

Overall, I was thrilled to experience the fifth installment of the Pirates franchise.  The film brings back the slapstick and irreverent humor of Jack Sparrow and a barrage of bad guys that make for a fabulous summer blockbuster.  If you were a fan of the previous films, I think you will likewise appreciate the gorgeous Australian backdrop and impressive special effects.   Don’t forget to check out the fun activity pages also.

Follow along in the fun on the official website or your favorite social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales drops anchor in theaters May 26, 2017.

My family and I were given admission to a complimentary screening. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If it’s not already clear, I’ve got a Hidden Mickey for a heart. I take all things Disney pretty seriously. Although I cherish the original, the historic, the what was, I also appreciate Disney’s ever-evolving nature.  In reference to the theme park, Walt himself said,

Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. -Walt Disney

The same is true of the great storytelling of the Disney company. Pete’s Dragon was originally released in 1977 as a light-hearted sing-along that followed a young orphan to Passamaquoddy, Maine. As he struggled to fit into town with his dragon pal, Elliot, viewers laughed at the antics of a drunken lighthouse keeper and despised the cruel school teacher.

But a great storyline lends itself to new tellings. Just as I cherish several versions of A Christmas Carol come holiday time, I too will cherish multiple versions of Pete’s Dragon.  The 2016 release once again shows young orphan Pete in the company of a dragon with the power of invisibility.  The pair have lived within the forests of Mullhaven for over five years together. Once Pete is discovered, however, by the young daughter of a woodcutter, the conflict begins.

The updated tale has a stellar cast with Pete (played by Oakes Fegley), forest ranger Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), and her father (Robert Redford). The strong acting and direction guide audiences through the Pacific Northwest on a quest to find family and magic.

Let’s make some memories! My childhood was full of visions of Passamaquoddy and tons of sing-alongs! Excited to see the the new vision of @disneypetesdragon with the big girls at @regallalive. #PetesDragon

A photo posted by Melanie Walsh (@clementinecounty) on Aug 6, 2016 at 9:54am PDT

For the special screening, I was able to bring my husband and two older daughters (aged 7 and 8). Although there were some scary parts, such as Elliot being hunted, it was not too intense for my children. My 7-year-old is not interested in things that are dark or scary, and she was still thrilled with the film. I can say there were tears, both happy and sad, and not just from the children.

We go to the movies for entertainment.  But on rare occasions you are not only entertained but provided with something more. As we left Pete’s Dragon as a family, something Robert Redford’s character requested of his daughter stood out. As Grace doubted the possible existence of dragons, he asked her to be open to looking for magic.

That is why we see Disney movies. The take-away you didn’t know you needed to hear until right then.  I left inspired to pick up John Muir, listen to The Lumineers, and accept that sometimes something wild calls you home.

And so we spent the day following the screening out in the Fullerton Loop, looking for magic.

Pete’s Dragon in theaters Friday, August 12th, 2016, is full of Disney magic. If you loved the original as much as I do, I ask you be open to looking for something special in the new telling. I’m sure you and your family will find it.