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Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove Review

Disney On Ice | Family Fun in Omaha

This weekend, we had the wonderful opportunity to attend Disney on Ice presents Treasure Trove in Council Bluffs! The minute we walked in the door, our kids eyes lit up when they saw the posters and souvenirs of all the Disney favorites all around them.Disney On Ice 2 | Family Fun in Omaha

The show began with The Incredibles getting everyone excited and jumping in their seats.  Then Peter Pan and Tinkerbell amazed us as they flew through air, and joined the rest of the Lost Boys skating and fighting Captain Hook.

Many Disney favorites followed including the Lion King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, plus more, and several appearances by Minnie, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy!

Disney on Ice 3 | Family Fun in Omaha

The kids loved dancing to the music, the performers were extremely talented, and the costumes and sets were amazing!  We had so much fun going to Disney On Ice together!

Disclosure:  Disney and Feld Entertainment are not the sponsors, endorsers or administrators of this promotion.  I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Giveaway: 6 Tickets to Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove in Council Bluffs!

DisneyonIcepresentsTreasureTrove

Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove is coming to Council Bluffs!  I am very excited to give away tickets to one lucky The Spirit of Saving reader as part of our fun giveaways all month!

Where: Mid-America Center, Council BluffsDisney-on-Ice-Treasure-Trove-logo

When: March 21, 2013 – March 24, 2013

Show Times:

  • Thursday, March 21, 2013, 7:00PM
  • Friday, March 22, 2013, 7:00PM
  • Saturday, March 23, 2013, 11:00AM
  • Saturday, March 23, 2013, 3:00PM
  • Saturday, March 23, 2013, 7:00PM
  • Sunday, March 24, 2013, 1:30PM

Ticket Prices: $60 (Rinkside), $35 (VIP), $22, $15

Discount Offer:  Purchase your tickets here and save $6 on Tickets when you use promo code: 6NALA!

**Discount valid on all non-VIP tickets with the code 6NALA. Excludes Rinkside and VIP seats. No double discounts. Offer subject to ticket availability. Not valid on the Thursday, March 21 7pm, Saturday, March 23 3pm and Sunday, March 24 1:30pm performances. Not valid day of show. Tickets subject to handling, facility and convenience charges.

Giveaway – Win Six Tickets to Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove!

The Giveaway has ended.  Congratulations to Christine E.!  Thank you to everyone who entered!

Celebrate our 1-year Blog Birthday with fun giveaways all month!  One lucky The Spirit of Saving reader will win up to six passes to Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove!  The giveaway is for the Saturday, March 23, 2013, 11:00AM performance only.

TO ENTER:

  • Simply fill out your name and email address in the form below.
  • (Be sure to use the form for entry.  Comments left on the post will not be counted towards entry.)

BONUS ENTRIES:

Receive one bonus entry for completing each of the following, up to three bonus entries:

  1. Like The Spirit of Saving on Facebook.  Already do?  That counts, too!
  2. Sign up to receive free once daily email updates from The Spirit of Saving.  Already do?  That counts, too!
  3. Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter (Chick Share at the bottom of this post)

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING AND GOOD LUCK!

GIVEAWAY ENDS: Tuesday, February 19, 2013, at 10pm, CST.  

OTHER: Entrants must be 19 or older and located in the US only.  The winner will be selected using random.org and notified via email.  Email addresses are only used in order to contact the winner.  Winner must respond within 48 hours to claim their prize, or another winner will be chosen.  Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Up to four entries per person, including the three Bonus Entries.

Disclosure:  Disney and Feld Entertainment are not the sponsors, endorsers or administrators of this promotion.  I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

7 Family-Friendly Activities to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Omaha

ValentinesDayBlogHop

I am very excited to be partnering with several local bloggers who are all sharing wonderful ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is about showing love to the people we care about in our lives, and spending time together with them.  Create wonderful memories and celebrate Valentine’s Day with these family-friendly activities in Omaha:

Make Valentines with Cards4Kids@Heart!

Join in this very easy and fun project with your kids and give back this Valentine’s Day!  Participate in the Valentine’s Day Community Outreach with Community 360° and help make Valentines to be distributed to all area nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Omaha.

Enjoy Free Kids Valentine’s Events in Omaha

Make a Valentine’s craft, attend a special storytime, enjoy a Valentine’s Day Pirate Show, decorate a cookie, create a special Valentine, and more with many upcoming Free Kids Valentine’s Events in Omaha!

Go Ice Skating

Valentines Skate at Motto McLean Ice Arena is open for all ages on February 16, 2:30-4:30pm.  Your $5.00 fee includes admission, rental skates, cocoa and cookies.  Each Sunday in February, enjoy a Family Skate Night for $10 for a family of four!

Join in Free Family Events Friday, February 15th

Choose from two Free Family Events on Friday, February 15th:

See a Movie

Enjoy $2 Movies at Marcus Theatres (Saturday mornings at 10am and Sunday mornings at 11am, Twin Creek Cinema in Bellevue and Village Pointe Cinema) and Free Family Flicks at Aksarben Cinema (Saturday and Sunday mornings at 11am with ticket)!

Write Family Love Letters

Write each child a love letter expressing your gratitude and appreciation for them.  Younger children can draw a picture or dictate a letter for each family member.  Older siblings can create fun cards.  Save each year’s letters and give to each child when they are older – what a wonderful gift!

Create a Valentine Gratitude Tree

Help make Valentine’s Day more meaningful with this wonderful idea from Nurture Store.  Create many hearts of all shapes and sizes, and then invite everyone to write or draw what they love and are thankful for on the back of each heart!

Find many more ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day by visiting these wonderful local blogs:

Finding Joy – Valentine’s Brunch Donut Display

This Homemade Life – Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Hearts

OmahaHa – Do this. Not that. Valentine’s Day Omaha style

Chicks Dig Deals – Rice Krispie Treat Hershey Kisses for Valentine’s Day

Liv, Laugh, Love – 52 Love Letters

Mom Saves Money – Frugal Gifts for Valentine’s Day

The Spirit of Saving – 7 Family-Friendly Activities to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Omaha

How do you plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your family?

Be sure to enter the giveaway to win tickets to Nature Connects LEGO® Exhibit at Lauritzen Gardens, part of our February celebration with giveaways all month!

Nature Connects LEGO® Exhibit at Lauritzen Gardens Review + Giveaway!

NatureConnects4

Lauritzen Gardens comes alive once again with beautiful colors, intricate creations, and natural surroundings in the amazing Nature Connects exhibit.  This time it is with nearly half a million LEGO® pieces used to create 27 elaborate sculptures.  As we strolled through the indoor exhibit, it felt as if we were in an outdoor art studio.NatureConnects3

I remember playing with LEGO® bricks when I was little, building forts, houses, and towers, only to knock them down and start all over again.  To see these creations with such detail, delicate angles, and unique use of LEGO® pieces (check out the frog’s eyes – very cool!) left us often questioning, how did he do that?  Look closer, and you can see each LEGO® brick carefully selected and positioned.

My favorite sculpture was the Goldfinches, the one with the fewest amount of pieces.  Each bird was positioned differently in the birdfeeder preparing to get their food, which was, of course, made of LEGO® bricks, too.  The Lawn Mower was a close second because of the detail and true appearance.  Apparently, at one of the previous locations of this exhibit, the Lawn Mower was placed up on a hill.  Many people passed by it assuming it was real, and not part of the exhibit!

Create Your Own LEGO® Sculptures

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After being inspired by all of the amazing sculptures, we all had the opportunity in two locations to build our own creations using a variety of LEGO® pieces of all shapes and sizes.  My son was so proud of his airplane that swooshed through the air!  Families worked together to spell out their names, build the highest tower, and create new masterpieces.  It was so much fun!

Nature Connects is open 9am to 5pm daily through May 19th.  Admission is $6 for adults through March ($7 beginning in April), $3 for children 6-12.  Enjoy these additional events at Lauritzen Gardens during Nature Connects:

  • Build-a-breakfast with LEGO® bricks and EGGO® waffles, Saturdays and Sundays from February 2 through May 19, 10am-2pm.
  • Orchid Show – Saturday, March 2, and Sunday, March 3, 10am-4pm.  Pick up a $1 off admission coupon at Lauritzen Gardens.
  • Lego® Brick Sculpture Invitational – March 17.  Bring your own LEGO® brick sculpture to exhibit at the garden for a chance to win great prizes.  All participants will receive a complimentary pass to Lauritzen Gardens to use on the day of the exhibit (two passes for exhibitors 17 and under). Register by March 14.  This sounds like so much fun!
  • Celebrate with a LEGO® Brick Birthday Party at the Gardens.

Giveaway – Win Four Passes to Nature Connects!

The Giveaway has ended.  Congratulations to Kelly O.!  Thank you to everyone who entered.  Stay tuned for more chances to win through May!    

Celebrate our 1-year Blog Birthday with fun giveaways all month!  One lucky The Spirit of Saving reader will win four passes for admission to the Nature Connects exhibit at Lauritzen Gardens!   [Stay tuned, we will have more giveaways for passes to Nature Connects through May!]

TO ENTER:

  • Simply fill out your name and email address in the form below.
  • (Be sure to use the form for entry.  Comments left on the post will not be counted towards entry.)

BONUS ENTRIES:

Receive one bonus entry for completing each of the following, up to three bonus entries:

  1. Like The Spirit of Saving on Facebook.  Already do?  That counts, too!
  2. Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter (Chick Share at the bottom of this post)
  3. Complete this 2-minute survey – How can The Spirit of Saving be more helpful to you?

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING AND GOOD LUCK!

GIVEAWAY ENDS: Sunday, February 10, 2013, at 10pm, CST.  

OTHER: Entrants must be 18 or older and located in the US only.  The winners will be selected using random.org and notified via email.  Email addresses are only used in order to contact the winner.  Winners will have 48 hours in which to provide me with their mailing address so that the prize can be forwarded to them.  If the winners do not respond within 48 hours, alternate winners will be selected.  Duplicate entries will be deleted.  Up to four entries per person, including the three Bonus Entries.

Disclosure:  Many thanks to Lauritzen Gardens who provided the tickets for my family and for the giveaway.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  See disclosure and privacy policy here.  This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

10 Fun & Free Cabin Fever Relievers in Omaha

10funandfree-Omaha

I am very excited to be guest posting at ParentSavvy, a wonderful resource of parenting and health information for local parents!

Got cabin fever?  Staying active and finding fun activities to do with your family can be a bit more challenging in the winter.  Fortunately, Omaha is a wonderful place to live and visit and is full of family-friendly activities and events, including many that are free!

Head on over to check out 10 Fun and Free Cabin Fever Relievers in Omaha!

How do you stay active with your kids in the winter?  

Kids Skate Free!

rollerskates

Looking for a fun activity for your kids?  Register with Kids Skate Free and receive free skating passes each week!  In Omaha, the passes are valid at SkateDaze on Saturdays from 11am-1pm, and on Sundays from 1pm-5pm.  Find other participating centers across the U.S. here!

UPDATE: Kids now skate free every day! See website for details!

Important Terms for SkateDaze: Passes valid for children 12 years old and younger. Skate rentals extra. Cannot be combined with any other offers. One Pass per day per session. May not be used towards Birthday parties or special group events. Not transferable.

Looking for more fun activities?  See Free Family Activities in Omaha and Free Kids Programs in Omaha!

CC image courtesy of flattop341

5 Excellent Reasons to Visit the Omaha Zoo in the Winter

Omahazoolioncubs

We love to visit the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in the Winter.  Although wonderful to visit at all times of the year, visiting during the Winter offers a different experience than other times of the year.

5 Excellent Reasons to Visit the Omaha Zoo in the Winter:

Amazing Indoor Exhibits

Most of the Omaha Zoo’s major attractions are housed indoors, and are fairly close to one another.  Enjoy the balmy Desert Dome, Lied Jungle, and Butterfly Pavilion.  Stroll through the impressive Kingdoms of the Night.  Watch the gorillas play in Gorilla Valley.  Walk through the newly renovated Aquarium.  For a moment, you might just forget it is winter outside.

Less crowds

The Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium brought in record crowds last year, which will only continue to increase as more and more people come to visit the best zoo in the country!  In the Winter, there are many times we are the only visitors in an entire building.  The little ones can get up close to the windows and see all of the animals easily.  Additionally, with fewer crowds, it seems that the animals are actually more active.

IMAX Theater

With a zoo membership, the IMAX Theater is free!  Choose from 3 shows daily.

Peacefulness

With less crowds, there is less noise, less activity around you.  There is a wonderful sense of peacefulness, the sense you get when being out in nature.  The last time we visited, we walked through the entire Kingdoms of the Night exhibit by ourselves, not another person in sight.  We could clearly hear all of the wonderful sounds of the animals while walking through the swamp – it almost felt like we were really there.

Baby Animals

Five African lions cubs (pictured above), two males and three females, were born on December 29, 2012.  With smaller crowds, we were able to stay and watch the 2-week-old cubs up close, and observe one being fed from a bottle.  This is reason enough to visit this Winter!

Looking for more Winter fun?  Enjoy 80+ Things to Do in Omaha this Winter (Many Free!)!  New to the Zoo?  Be sure to read Helpful Tips for Visiting!

What do you love about visiting the Omaha Zoo in the Winter?  Please share in the comments below!

$2 Movies at Marcus Theatres this Winter!

KidsDreamMovies

Kids Dream Winter Film Series is back at Marcus Theatres!  Enjoy your favorite movies for only $2 from February 2nd – March 17th, on Saturday mornings at 10am and Sunday mornings at 11am!  Find your nearest participating Marcus Theatre location here.

In the Omaha area, this includes Twin Creek Cinema in Bellevue and Village Pointe Cinema in Omaha:

  • February 2-3: Madagascar 3
  • February 9-10: Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
  • February 16-17: Ice Age: Continental Drift
  • February 23-24: ParaNorman
  • March 2-3: Hotel Transylvania
  • March 9-10: Rise of the Guardians
  • March 16-17: TBA

Enjoy Free Family Flicks at Aksarben Cinema this Winter, too!

See more Upcoming Free and Inexpensive Family Events here and in the Event Calendar!  Plus, enjoy 80+ Things to Do in Omaha this Winter (Many Free!)!

MLK Day of Service: Volunteering Together as a Family

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“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?'”  ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Many families consistently volunteer all year long and give back to their communities.  Next Monday, January 21, 2013, is the MLK Day of Service, bringing awareness to the awesome spirit of volunteerism and hoping to encourage individuals and families to get involved and serve others.

This year’s commemoration of the MLK Day of Service coincides with the 57th Presidential Inauguration, which includes a National Day of Service on January 19, 2013.

Ideas for families serving together: 
  • Donate gently used clothing, books, or toys
  • Prepare a meal or dessert and deliver to a local shelter or Ronald McDonald House
  • Decorate cards or placemats and deliver to a nursing home
  • Purchase food together and donate to a food bank
  • For a birthday party, invite guests to bring gifts or donations for a designated charity
  • Project Linus: Make blankets to provide love, security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill or traumatized.
  • Write a letter to US Military Men and Women thanking them for their service through A Million Thanks
  • Commit to practicing random acts of kindness regularly
Other Helpful Resources:

Make this MLK Day the beginning of a family tradition to giving to others.  Together, we can all make a difference!

“Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.”  ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Do you volunteer with your family?  Please share in the comments below!

CC image courtesy of Artotem

Free Family Flicks at Aksarben Cinema!

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Aksarben Cinema is once again offering Free Family Flicks this Winter!  Starting January 26th, enjoy free movies on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 11am with ticket.

Free tickets will be available at these sponsors: Enterprise Bank, Learning HQ, Ponzu Sushi and Grill, Jones Bros. Cupcakes, and Together, starting the Monday of the week of each screening.  Doors will open at 10:30am and seating will be offered on a first come, first served basis.  Note: It is a good idea to arrive early, as having a ticket does not guarantee a seat.

Guests are also asked to bring one non-perishable food item to donate to Together.  Enjoy!

  • Jan 26-27: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
  • Feb 2-3: Ice Age: Continental Drift
  • Feb 9-10: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
  • Feb 16-17: Hotel Transylvania
  • Feb 23-24: The Lorax

Enjoy $2 Movies at Marcus Theatres this Winter, too!

See more Upcoming Free and Inexpensive Family Events here and in the Event Calendar!  Plus, enjoy 80+ Things to Do in Omaha this Winter (Many Free!)!

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Family Fun in Omaha is your local resource for family-friendly activities and events in Omaha! Created by a local Mom who loves finding new adventures with her family and wants to help you enjoy all that Omaha has to offer. We recommend starting here. Thank you for visiting!

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