A Night at the Movies with Gracewell

movies2My family are incredibly important to me and I love the fact that my children are growing up with Grandparents who live close by. Staying in contact and even socialising together is difficult for so many families who are divided by distance and yet the benefits are well documented. Gracewell care homes know just how important these cross generation connections are, so when they asked if we’d like to spend a night at the movies together at home, we jumped at the opportunity.

Gracewell Healthcare are a care home provider who recognise that every individual resident and their wider family have specific care needs to allow them to live life as fully as they would wish. Movie nights are a regular event at their care homes and Gracewell encourage their resident’s families to come along too.

We chose to watch the new Cinderella Movie which we all thoroughly enjoyed. Although how Cinderella managed to dance in that huge expanse of a dress is beyond me (it looked heavy!!) It’s a lovely family movie which seems to suit all generations. It’s quite close to the classic animated movie but being brought to life really grabs your attention.movies

Naturally we needed quite a few snacks to keep everyone happy. Gracewell kindly sent us some extra yummy caramel popcorn, retro sweets and even a cute little popcorn container.

Everyone had a really good time and I think we’ll try to fit in another movie night soon. It would be great if it could become a regular event where we take turns to pick the movie and which snacks everyone fancies.

With Christmas on the horizon everyone seems to be getting really busy but fitting in a family event which allows everyone to relax and enjoy each other’s company is certainly worth it.

Kids Movie Night with Sky Buy & Keep #shop!

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.Movie Night

Sometimes being a child can be a frustrating and challenging time. You’re full of ideas but curtailed by resources and means, full of energy and enthusiasm but forced to fit into a world of rules. Just once in a while wouldn’t it be great if you could take full control? That’s what we offered our three children with their very own movie night using Sky Store and their Sky Buy & Keep service. They could choose the films, the food, the time of day, even the clothing, everything was within their control and this is what we got up too.

Sky Store

Sky Store

First they took a tour of the Sky Store website to research which movies were available to rent/buy. They decided on two new films ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ and ‘Frozen’. Next up the food!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza

My eldest son wanted to make his own pizza with BBQ chicken on top. First he made a yummy BBQ sauce with his Dad and then he loaded up his plain pizza base with tomatoes, cheese and chicken.

Nachos

Nachos

Nachos

We can’t have a movie night without Nachos! Layers of Tortilla crisps smothered in melted cheese, Guacamole, Salsa and Jalapenos on the side. My daughter wanted to make these and she did a fabulous job!

Chocolate Popcorn

The kids didn’t just want popcorn they wanted chocolate popcorn! First the corn is popped in the microwave or on the stove. Next smother the freshly popped corn with melted white and milk chocolate, spread out onto a tray and leave to set. I warn you though it’s very moreish!

Sweet Pizza Making

Sweet Pizza Making

Sweet Pizza!

When I was little I was a huge fan of sweet pizzas and loved making them with my parents. My kids have never been in control of the toppings before and this time they wanted three pizzas all smothered in chocolate, cookies, jelly babies and more! These are so sinful that they’re heavenly.

Sweet Pizza

Sweet Pizza

The Setting

The setting had to be just right and the kids insisted that everyone wore their pyjamas and snuggled up together on the sofa. The lights were turned off and the curtains closed, to give that cinema feel.

The Films

Walking with Dinosaurs was a clever mixture of story and documentary and the children were transfixed. From a parents point of view it’s always nice to think they’ve digested a film and actually learned something in the process.

Frozen was my personal favourite of the two movies. Highly amusing snow bound high jinx and catchy songs, pure Disney delight.

Sky Store

I’d never used Sky Store before and found it extremely easy to navigate on the TV. I set up a pin to prevent accidental purchases and then within about two clicks our films were ready to view. There’s a huge variety of movies starting from just 99p for a 48hr rental, even the more expensive offerings certainly make for an economical night in for the whole family. A trip to the cinema would cost us over £30 so there’s an instant appeal right there.

Plus with the Sky Buy and Keep service you can download your movie permanently to your Sky Box and the DVD is sent out to you seperately, which is brilliant if you want to watch it later in a house that doesn’t have Sky.

Finally…

The kids had a fabulous night and have already asked when we can do it again. They loved taking control of the choices and it forced them to discuss and compromise with each others wishes which can never be a bad lesson to learn. All in all it was a wonderful night of family fun and the kind of stress free occasion that can seem rare when you’re part of a busy modern family.