A Double Feature

opThere a few places where a mom can find saving grace nowadays.

Locked up in the bathroom, but really what fun is that, chances are your kids have already violated that place so bad that you don't even want to be holed up in there.
The grocery store maybe, but seriously buying food is more like something you have to do, not really something fun.

We're super lucky where we live, in small town Pennsylvania. A summer tradition of ours is here and its fun for both Mom and Dad and the kiddos at the same time! The drive in movie theatre is open!


Yep, we have a drive in movie theatre, and let me tell you its awesome! For less than the price of an admission at a regular movie theatre we can go and see not one, but two movies, and we're able to take our own drinks and snacks in with us, which saves a ton of money at the concession stand. And the best part of it all is the excitement that going to the drive in seems to bring to the kids. The idea of sitting outside, under the stars, watching a movie in their pajamas is such an adventure to them.

I'm lucky, I have a Jeep. For a movie watching extravaganza all I have to do is pull in backwards, fold the back seats down, make a bed in the back out of a ton of pillows and blankets and shut the tailgate, leaving the glass up, trapping in the kids but still letting them watch the movie, while my husband and I sit in chairs peacefully outside.


Last night was the new Disney movie Up, which in all honesty is probably the best movie that I've seen in a long time, but made me cry like a baby. The kids laid in the Jeep and watched the movie and then during the intermission before the second movie fell sound asleep, which left Land of the Lost for the adults. That movie was funny, but I'm sure some of the hype came from the fact that the boys were zonked out and Mike and I weren't sitting at home in the living room in front of the tv.

So, if by chance you have a drive in movie theatre near you, here are a couple of tricks of the trade. And if you don't have a drive in movie theatre near you, seriously find one and take a day trip to visit one for a double feature!

1. Clean out the car that you will be taking to the drive-in. There can be so much to pack, that you will want to start with an empty vehicle. If nice weather and the family can fit safely in the cab, a truck or an SUV is the best vehicle to take to the Drive In, but any car will do!

2. Plan to be at the drive-in for at least 4 hours. Most theaters still show 2 movies with a short intermission between them. Call first if you need to know exact starting or running times.

3. Pack a cooler with drinks, snacks and plenty of ice. Napkins, plates, pillows, chairs and blankets are also necessities. It is easier and cheaper to bring more stuff than you think you'll need. You can always bring back the extra food and drink. Many moviegoers buy fast food and bring it in with them.

4. Head to the drive-in. You will get a nice surprise when you do not have to pay for the kids. Usually the price of admission is by the carload and not by each person. So take 2 kids or 4, the price of admission is the same.

5. Park the truck or SUV backwards to the screen. You will be able to see much better and be more comfortable once you set up the bed of the truck. Cars are best parked facing forward and then set up outside the car.

6. Lay the blankets in the bed of the truck or on the ground in front of the car. Situate the pillows and seating arrangements. Lawn chairs are great so that you don't have to sit on the hard ground.

7. Play ball, eat or throw a Frisbee while waiting for the show to start. Being outdoors gives the kids an opportunity to get all the wiggles out before the movie starts. Even better, they don't have to be quiet or whisper before or during the movies.


xoxo,