Our Winter Family Adventure with Fruit Shoot and Pizza Hut + 10 Questions To Ask Your Kids Today

This time of year is so blah. The holidays are over, the weather is cold, and many families are cooped up indoors with nothing to do. It's easy to understand why so many people dislike the winter months. This is definitely true for my family!

We spend so much time together during the holidays, and in January, it comes to an abrupt end. Everyone is busy with their own activities, and we are rarely together. When we are in the same place at the same time, it's usually because the weather has us trapped indoors.

Sometimes my entire family just needs to escape for a little adventure and reconnect! 

It's easy to fall into the hibernation trap, but it's so important to get out of the house before the winter blues strike! Since our time together is limited, we usually opt to go out to eat. A simple change of scenery can easily improve our mood, and an hour spent reconnecting is often exactly what we need!

My family of six usually heads to our local Pizza Hut. It's family friendly, we all love their pizza, and they have quick service, which is a must for our busy lifestyle. An added bonus is that they serve my kids' favorite drink: Fruit Shoot! 

My kids fell in love with Fruit Shoot the moment they first tasted it! This No High Fructose Corn Syrup/No Artificial Flavors juice drink comes in popular flavors such as Berry Burst, Apple and Strawberry & Raspberry. It is available in both no added sugar and made with real sugar varieties. My kids love the flavors and I love the fact that they are a much healthier option at 100 calories or less per bottle. Fruit Shoot can be hard to find, so my kids are always so excited when they find out we are heading to Pizza Hut!

What makes delicious food and treasured family time even better? The ability to give back while we eat! Until April 30th, 2017,  five cents of every bottle of Fruit Shoot purchased will be donated to the First Book literacy program. Not only do we love to give back, but we also believe in the importance of reading, so my family happily supports this great cause.

We usually purchase additional Fruit Shoot drinks on the way out the door. The sports cap makes it a great choice for kids of all ages, and thanks to the lid, it's the perfect on-the-go option!

When my family goes out to eat together, it's always an adventure! With four kids, there's literally never a dull moment. Even if it's loud and chaotic, we treasure those moments. Taking the time to reconnect during the busyness of everyday life is incredibly important for my family. Sometimes the simple act of going out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants can bring us together and make us forget all about those winter blues!

 

My husband and I believe in making family a priority and we are working hard to pass on those values to our children. We believe in the importance of making each of them feel special and loved every single day, so we make it a point to ask our children the same 10 questions each day.  

1. What made you feel happy today?
2. What made you feel sad today?
3. What made you laugh today?
4. What could you have done better today?
5. Who did you play with today?
6. Who did you sit with at lunch today?
7. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
8. What are you dreading tomorrow?
9.  What was one important lesson you learned today?
10. What was the best moment of the day?

As many parents know, most kids aren't very open about their day, especially if they go to school. The details are often few and far between. Asking these questions each night gives valuable insight into your child's thoughts and feelings and a glimpse into the aspect of their life that you don't get to see!

My family loves to go on adventures together, even if it's just the simple act of going out to eat! Go on your own adventure and support the First Book literacy project by purchasing a Fruit Shoot product at your local Pizza Hut!

Find more information about Fruit Shoot HERE and HERE.
Learn more about the First Book literacy project HERE.

Thank you to Fruit Shoot for sponsoring today's post and inspiring us to step out of winter hibernation to go on a family adventure!

Top Ten Favorite Family Activities

Life for a family of six can be incredibly busy. As our kids get older, their lives get busier. Sometimes it feels like there's no time to breathe, let alone reconnect!

One thing Grant and I firmly believe in is the importance of spending time together as a family. We may not have much extra time, but when we do, we do our best to come together for a family adventure! 

{ONE} Set aside one day each week for Family Movie Night. Grab some snacks and drinks, or even eat an easy dinner together while watching a movie. Rotate through the family each week so each family member gets the chance to choose a movie. When there's a holiday approaching, break out those seasonal favorites!

{TWO} Go for a walk or a hike. Regular exercise is so important and exercising together is much more fun! Teach them those healthy habits while they're young and it will become a lifestyle!

{THREE} Have a picnic at the park. Pack an easy lunch, grab a picnic blanket and head to your local park. Enjoy a meal outdoors and have fun playing! For a fun twist, make it an under-the-stars picnic or in an unusual location like near an airport.

{FOUR} Head to your local zoo or museum or participate in activities at your local library. Have fun exploring, reading and learning together!

{FIVE} Play a game of basketball, kickball, soccer or baseball. Forget the rules and just focus on having fun!

{SIX} Have a family game night. Just like family movie night, make this a regular event and let each family member have a turn choosing the game. Sit around the table with the game and some snacks, and enjoy your time together!

{SEVEN} Get cultural.  See a musical, go to the symphony, watch a ballet or explore an art museum or gallery. Exposing kids to the arts is so important!

{EIGHT} Branch out and try something new.  Be a tourist in a nearby city. Go for a trail ride on horseback. Take in a sporting event that you've never gone to. Volunteer together for a cause. Figure out something that you've never done together as a family and make time to try something new or learn a new skill! You just might discover a new favorite along the way!

{NINE} Gather for a family meal as often as possible and aim for one signature meal each week. For our family, it's Sunday brunch. Sunday is the one day each week that we're all usually home and we love to go all out: hot drinks, juice, eggs, bacon or sausage, toast, pancakes and even cinnamon rolls!

{TEN}  Go out to eat together. If it doesn't happen often, it's an exciting treat. Sometimes it's fun to just focus on being together instead of preparing a meal and worrying about cleaning up!

Right now, Fruit Shoot® and Pizza Hut® are joining together to promote family adventures while giving back! Every time  Fruit Shoot® is bought at Pizza Hut® from Nov 10, 2016 – April 30, 2017, 5 cents per bottle will be donated to First Book. First book is a non profit organization that provides books and other educational resources to educators serving children in need. 

As a family who loves to read and loves to give back, this is the perfect family adventure for us! We took a little break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and headed to Pizza Hut® over the weekend. After weeks of dealing with a chaotic schedule and barely seeing each other, it was so nice to reconnect!

After ordering our favorite pizzas and breadsticks, we added Fruit Shoot® to our order! Although my husband and I got a much needed caffeine fix from soda, I felt much better about giving my kids a delicious juice drink that is made with real sugar (or no added sugar depending on the flavor). There are also no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup in the drinks!

My four kids fell in love with Fruit Shoot® during our last Fruit Shoot® campaign and they were so excited to see it in the cooler at our local Pizza Hut®! Fruit Shoot® is #MadeForAdventures and my family is always up for an adventure!

 

 

It was so great to end our weekend by reconnecting as a family!  We talked about things that happened over the past week and discussed our upcoming adventures. Our waitress, who has been working at that Pizza Hut® since I was a child, was amazing and so friendly, which added to the enjoyment of the evening.

Before long, our favorite pizza was devoured and our drinks were nearly empty. Although we wished the fun could continue, it was evident that our kids were getting tired after a weekend full of adventures!

We headed home with just a few leftovers (I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow) and prepared ourselves for the busy week ahead. A certain toddler just might have hidden his leftover Fruit Shoot® in his crib and he almost got away with it!

We'll be heading back to Pizza Hut® in a few weeks and we'll certainly be purchasing Fruit Shoot® again! Not only do my kids love it, but we'll also be supporting The Literacy Project! 

You, too, can support this incredible cause! Simply visit your local Pizza Hut®, purchase a product from Fruit Shoot® and give the gift of reading to children in need!

Thank you to Fruit Shoot® for sponsoring today's post and encouraging us to take time out of our busy schedule to enjoy a family activity! 

To learn more about Fruit Shoot®, you can visit their website or Facebook page.  To learn more about First Book and The Literacy Project, you can visit them HERE.