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There’s a NEW Smashburger in Katy, TX!

June 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment

smashburger

I have been hearing great things about Smashburger for a few years now, but there were no locations near me, so I hadn’t ever checked them out!  When I was given the opportunity to attend a Smashburger VIP party at the new Katy, TX location that opens today, I jumped on it!

THE SMASHBURGER MENU

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We were given the opportunity to try ANYTHING on the menu! There were SO many options on the menu and I was completely overwhelmed!  The salads looked amazing, and there were some great chicken sandwich options, too, but when I go to a burger place, especially for the first time, I want to try a burger!  I settled on the Truffle Mushroom Swiss burger because I love mushrooms!  I have also heard that the sweet potato fries are awesome, so I had to try them!  It was a tough call, though, because the Smashfries, which are tossed with rosemary, olive oil, and garlic, also sounded AWESOME.

My kids didn’t have any trouble making a choice!  They both wanted cheeseburgers and fries!

SMASHBURGER REVIEW

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We were not disappointed!  My son, who is 6, loudly proclaimed that his burger was “The BEST BURGER EVER!”  He went a step further and said he loves it more than a local sandwich place, which has been his favorite place to eat out for awhile now.  I guess he really enjoyed his burger!  He also loved the chocolate and strawberry milkshakes that we got to try and he enjoyed the iPad that was rolling around on a scooter!

I loved my mushroom burger!  It was so much better than traditional “fast food” and also better than mushroom burgers I have had at casual dining locations, and the pricing is a lot better, too!  The sweet potato fries were great, too, and I loved the strawberry shake with real chunks of strawberries!

If you’re in the area, make sure you check out the NEW Smashburger in Katy, TX!  It’s located off Pin Oak in the shopping center on the left just before I-10.  If you’re not in the area, but you have a Smashburger near you, definitely check it out!

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Make sure you also sign up for money-saving coupons!  Join the Smash Club to get the heads up on promotions and coupons by e-mail!  You can also text SMASH to 21333 to get a free shake on your birthday and the heads up on other offers!

DISCLOSURE:  I attended the Smashburger VIP party and my family and I were allowed to try free food to spread the word about the new Smashburger!  All opinions are 100% mine!  Please refer to my disclosure policy for additional information.

 

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LEGO® KidsFest is fun for the entire family!

May 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

LEGO-kids-fest-HoustonMy son LOVES LEGOs® and I had been planning to take him to LEGOLAND® Discovery Center in Dallas this summer, so when the opportunity presented itself for us to attend LEGO® KidsFest in Houston, (especially since we were getting free tickets) I couldn’t turn it down!

I honestly didn’t know what to expect, especially since my husband wasn’t going to be able to go with us.  I guess I viewed LEGOs® as more of a “guy” thing and figured I’d just be along for the ride.  One of the things that impressed me right from the start was that this is definitely a family experience!  I loved seeing big kids and little kids, moms and dads, and even in some cases grandmas and grandpas working together on different activities!  The entire experience is interactive and I think I had as much fun as the kids did!  Families participated in challenges together, played LEGO® games together, and built together!  In a time where I most often see parents entertaining themselves on their cell phones or tablets at kid friendly places, I can honestly say that the only time I saw parents on their phones here was to take pictures of their kids having fun!

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I LOVED seeing my two kids work together to help each other on different activities!  They were so proud of themselves when they finished making these LEGO® keys (and I think my little guy was especially proud because he helped his big sister finish hers) and they loved being able to use them to “open” the treasure chest to get their own special surprise!

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One of the things my kids loved was being able to see some of their favorite characters larger than life!  The detail of the displays in the LEGO® Model Museum area was INCREDIBLE!  They had Marvel action heroes, characters from Toy Story, Star Wars favorites, and even characters from Harry Potter!

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Making LEGO® “snow angels” was fun, but the kids decided that being buried in LEGOs® was even MORE fun!  The LEGO® Brick Pile was a favorite with MANY kids!

I wasn’t familiar with LEGO® Chima, but my kids had a blast with them and my son informed me that some of his birthday money will be used to purchase some!  If you’re brave enough to wait out the lines at the  LEGO® Chima Arena, you have the opportunity to show off your skills and compete against others and I noticed they were giving away free sets to people as they were leaving!   My son was also fascinated by the LEGO® Master Builders and informed me that he was going to be one when he grows up!  My daughter loved the LEGO® Friends building area (my son even enjoyed that because the LEGO® Friends have so many tiny accessories and other options that other LEGO® sets don’t have!)  They also loved being able to add their creations to the LEGO® Art Gallery!

If you haven’t been to LEGO® KidsFest before, here are some tips:

  • Buy your tickets in advance:  The Houston event was sold out before it even started!  If you procrastinate, most likely you won’t get tickets!
  • Arrive early:  There is SO much to see and each area takes time!  We were there for 3 hours and still didn’t see everything we would have liked to.
  • Feed your kids before you go:  There is food available there, but who wants to stop and spend time eating when there is so much to see and do?  Plus, if your kids are fed, you’re less likely to have whining and meltdowns!
  • Watch your kids:  There are a LOT of people and it only takes a second to lose track of your kid.  There are Lost Parents Meeting Spots, but you really don’t want to have to use them!
  • Have a game plan before you go:  You can view a map and a list of activities online before you go.  Try to prioritize your activities because you probably won’t have time to see and do everything.

If you have a LEGO® KidsFest coming to your area, it’s DEFINITELY worth checking out!  If you have a LEGOLAND® or LEGOLAND® Discovery Center in your area or an area that you will be visiting, I’d say that’s worth checking out, too!  Our trip to  LEGO® KidsFest earned me the “best Mom EVER” title for the night at least and we made some great memories together!  This has been my favorite interactive kid experience since we went to Disney World as a family last summer!

*DISCLOSURE:  I was provided with a family pack of tickets to attend LEGO® KidsFest, but all opinions and experiences are 100% mine!  Please refer to my disclosure policy for additional information!

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Campbell's Skillet Sauces: Tasty Meals in Minutes!

November 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Growing up, we always had dinner as a family.  Now that I have my own family, I continue to believe in the importance of eating dinner as a family, but sometimes between work and two kids, by the time we get home, it’s hard to find the energy to cook.  Campbell’s Skillet Sauces makes it easy to throw together a “home cooked” meal in about 20 minutes!

I recently had the opportunity to try Campbell’s Skillet Sauces!  I was provided with four different sauces to try and I chose the Marsala for my family because I love Chicken  Marsala, but I don’t get it often because we don’t eat out very often these days and I haven’t found a recipe that I’ve really been impressed with to try to make it myself.

You literally can throw together a meal in minutes!  All you have to do is cook the chicken and then add the sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes!  It only took about 20 minutes to make everything and it gave me just enough time to cook some pasta to serve as a side!  The packets say that they contain two servings and I have a family of four, so I decided to cut up my chicken to stretch it further.  We actually had leftovers!

I was impressed by the rich, tangy taste and I love that they had generous-sized mushrooms, too.  It was hard to believe that this meal had come from a pouch!  My kids, who are usually picky eaters (including my son who doesn’t even like mushrooms) ate everything without complaint and my daughter said she loved it.

Campbell’s Skillet Sauces are available in the following flavors:

  • Creamy Chipotle
  • Fire Roasted Tomato
  • Marsala
  • Scampi
  • Thai Green Curry
  • Toasted Sesame

If you’re always on the go, but want to have dinner with your family, these Campbell’s Skillet Sauces are a great quick fix choice!  I want to try the Toasted Sesame next, but my husband really wants to try the Thai Green Curry.

These sauces are available at your local grocery store and they retail for about $2.49 each.  Right now, you can get a coupon for $1 off here–> $1 off Campbell’s Skillet Sauces printable coupon  

Which Campbell’s Skillet sauces would you like to try?  If you tried them already, let me know what you thought!

DISCLOSURE:  This is a sponsored post.  Campbell’s supplied me with the Campbell’s Skillet Sauces so I could post about my experience.  All opinions are my own.  Please refer to my disclosure policy for additional information.

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