- Julianne 63 Comments

Galentine’s, Gilmore Girls & a Giveaway

….and Ghiradelli. There will be Josh Cellars wine as well, but it just didn’t fit with the alliteration. As Paris Gellar said, “Never underestimate the power of alliteration, my friend.”

This post is sponsored by Ghirardelli Chocolate and Josh Cellars wine in conjunction with their #asweetpairing campaign. All words (except a smattering of Gilmore Girls quotes) and opinions are my own.

One of my best gals is going to be in town for Galentine’s Day and I just can’t wait. I have been thinking and planning and scheming (and wishin’ and hopin’) ever since I got the text confirming her visit. What should we do? Where should we go? Can we do all of the things? If not, how many of the things can we squeeze into this one visit? Then, after seeing the news of the confirmed revival of Gilmore Girls on Netflix, it hit me. We should must have a girls’ night in a la Gilmore Girls, complete with ordering in way too much takeout and a themed movie marathon. Should we have pizza? Chinese (including one of each item on the menu, of course)? Burgers with fries? All of the above? What am I thinking? Definitely all of the above. Okay, okay. We probably shouldn’t have all of the above. As Lorelai said, “People don’t realize it takes years of training to eat the way we do.” And even then, it can still make you queasy. Takeout is imperative though, I mean, you don’t want to risk going to a restaurant and getting a “urine mint.”

Once the food is selected, the next question is what movie theme do we commit to watching? Just a few of the many, many movies referenced on the show include The Godfather (I, II, and III with extra showings of the Sofia death over and over), Pulp Fiction (remember the Quentin Tarantino themed party?), Lord of the Rings, Duck Soup, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pippi Longstocking, The 2000 Year Old Man, American Gigolo, Bringing Up Baby, Brigadoon, Casablanca, Cocktail, and The Yearling….okay, I’ll stop now.

As you can tell, there is really no limit to the film and food choices if you stick strictly to those featured on the show. If fact, those choices can become quite overwhelming so I’ve narrowed them down for you. Presenting a Gilmore Girls movie playlist for your own girls night in, including the perfect junk food/takeout pairings.


1. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory + Pizza and an assortment of Ghirardelli chocolates
Season 1, Episode 7: Rory’s Birthday Parties
A classic film paired with a classic takeout food. Don’t even think about ordering salad. And chocolate is just a given. I personally prefer the Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares with sea salt caramel.

2. Godfather I, II, III + Chinese food, Mallomars and biscotti
Season 4, Episode 1: Ballroom & Biscotti
This is really an all day event, but you could definitely squeeze in at least 2 Godfather’s and a Sofia dying.

3. The 2000 Year Old Man and Silent Movie + Tator tots, pizza rolls, and rocky road hot fudge sundaes with whipped cream & maraschino cherries
Season 2, Episode 15: Lost & Found (references both the films and the sundaes)
Mel Brooks is a favorite of the Gilmore Girls. Lorelai even claimed to want a tattoo of Brooks on her butt.

4. Grey Gardens (the original & the HBO remake) + Hot dogs, Beefaroni and Pop-Tarts
Season 3, Episode 9: A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving
A documentary about Big Edie and Little Edie, a mother and daughter who were once a part of high society (relatives of Jackie O., no less) and are now living removed from the life they once lived. Sound a bit familiar? Even Lorelai and Rory make the sobering connection. “Add a few years and that’s us.”-Rory Gilmore

5. Casablanca + Burgers, fries and pumpkin pie with a side of Chinese food
Season 4, Episode 5: The Fundamental Things Apply (Also the episode that references “urine mints”)
When Lorelai learns that Luke has never seen any film Casablanca, she invites him over to watch it and another classic…Hardbodies. Spoiler Alert: He makes it through Casablanca and falls asleep during Hardbodies.

6. Funny Face and Sabrina + Mac & Cheese, Twizzlers and brownies
Season 7, Episode 4: ‘S Wonderful, ‘S Marvelous; Season 3, Episode 21: Here Comes the Son; Season 5, Episode 10: But Not as Cute as Pushkin
During an on-again edition of Chris + Lorelai, Chris sets up a private drive-in screening of one of Lorelai’s favorite films, Funny Face. If you’re going to watch one film starring Rory’s doppleganger  (according to Miss Celine), then you might as well make a night of it and watch another Audrey Hepburn film mentioned on the show.

“Since I just ate, uh, half a bag of marshmallows, 6 poptarts , 4 bagel dogs, and a really stale cheese nip…yep, it’s brownie time.” -Lorelai

It pretty much goes without saying, but the food goes down best with copious amounts of coffee. Since I have a toddler who wakes me up early in the morning, I’ll probably end up switching to a glass of Josh Cellars merlot (aka chef’s juice) once the evening begins! A meme-worthy wine quote from Gilmore Girls:

Lorelai: Would you like some more chef’s juice?
Rory: More wine would be great. 

There are many meme-worthy quotes about coffee on Gilmore Girls. So many that I could do a whole other post on them, but I will share this one. This exchange between Lorelai and Christopher sums it up pretty well:

Lorelai: Do you want some coffee?
Chris : I’ll get it.
Lorelai: Do you know how to make coffee?
Chris: Yes, I do.
Lorelai: My coffee?
Chris: One bag of coffee per cup of water, right?
Lorelai: Perfect. 

And, without further ado, here’s where you enter to win a $75 American Express gift card. Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram! I’ll be giving away another gift card there.

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- Julianne 11 Comments

Imagine: A Child’s Adventureworld {Giveaway}

This post was compensated by Imagine: A Child’s Adventureworld. All thoughts are honest and my own. 

Imagine a place where you can take your child on a playdate and sit chatting with other moms while still being able to watch your children play. Now imagine that place as a bright, fun, engaging play space with predominantly wooden toys separated by half walls into areas that let their imaginations run wild–a veterinarian clinic, a fire station, a market, a cottage, a train depot and more. This is the dream that Orie and Amanda Quinn have made into reality at Imagine: A Child’s Adventureworld in Fayetteville. Just as important as the things that they have included in the space are the things that they have left out of it, including screens, coin-operated games and to the best of their ability, germs. Rule number one when coming into Imagine is that everyone must wash their hands before any play begins. That, along with a strict sanitation policy goes a long way in easing my mind about taking my son into a place where toys are played with by many children throughout the day.

 
When the Quinns were unable to find the kind of play space that they wanted for their kids in the Fayetteville area they began to dream up plans for a theme park based on imaginative play. The themed areas in Imagine were modeled after the way the Quinns facilitated play for their own sons, Aiden, 5, and Spencer, 3, in their home. They would transform their spaces into themed areas to play and interact in, implementing various challenges and scavenger hunts within those themes. Once they scaled down their ideas to something that would work here in Northwest Arkansas, they brought in James and Brittany Flammer as partners. James was able to take their ideas and make them into reality by building out the space into the separate areas, and even building some of the playscapes, such as the train that captured my son’s attention the moment we walked in.

You really have to see it yourself to appreciate all of the wonderful detail that was put into the play areas, from the walls painted by artist Jason Jones, to the toys chosen, to the woodwork, but here is a virtual tour of the space. 

Isn’t it a fun space? This place is the the stuff of kids’ dreams, well, at least for my kid. I love watching my son so engaged in play and really using his imagination and creativity. The separate areas help to capture a child’s attention and keep them occupied with an activity for longer than if there were in a wide open space with lots of different options. If you’ve ever taken your child to play in an open concept play area, you may have noticed them jump from one activity to another to another without spending much time with any one activity.  It’s exhausting to watch and overwhelming for the children. The first time we visited Imagine, my son spent all of his time in the first 3 play sections. Each time we have returned, he has discovered a new area to play in. I can definitely see his appreciation for some of the different toys/play areas growing as he grows up.
If you live in Northwest Arkansas and haven’t already visited Imagine with your children, I highly recommend it! The other parents I chatted with seemed to really love the seating in the middle of the space that allows them to keep an eye on their kids while still enjoying the company of other adults. They also appreciate the idea of having everyone wash their hands first thing, especially now that we’re entering cold and flu season.  
The Details:
  • Open Monday-Saturday from 9-5
  • Admission for adults: $4 flat fee
  • Admission for children 1-8: $4/hour with an hour minimum, then $1 for every 15 minutes thereafter. So if you play for and hour and a half, it would be $6. 
  • Monthly passes are $35 for one child and one adult
  • Yearly passes are $150 for one child and one adult
  • Located at 3801 Johnson Mill Blvd in Fayetteville
  • Kids and adults must remove their shoes before playing so make sure you bring socks!
  • Healthy snacks are available for purchase, and you can even buy the toys you find in the play center

Imagine also offer birthday party packages starting at $200. There is a separate birthday room, or you can reserve the entire space if you choose their after-hours package. You can view the different packages offered on their website.

Now for the really fun part, I’m giving away a one month pass to Imagine-A Child’s Adventureworld! Open to readers in the Fayetteville, AR and surrounding areas only. Good luck!

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