Hot Deal on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 at GameStop Via Retail Me Not Through 1/31 While Supplies Last #coupon

GameStop is currently running an EXCLUSIVE promotion through the popular online coupon site RETAILMENOT.com - to be redeemed ONLY in stores. These great offers allow customers to purchase the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 at the lowest price possible. With a massive catalog of games, these consoles are a great way to introduce gaming to your or someone else’s life.

Disclosure: We have not been compensated for sharing this deal with our readers, although we have partnered up with GameStop on past sponsored posts, giveaways and promotions. As always, all opinions are our own.

Offers include:

- Pre Owned Xbox 360 Original (Wired Models) for $54.99…this is $40 off regular price!

- Pre Owned Xbox 360 Original (Wireless Models) for $74.99…this is up to $55 off regular price!

- Pre Owned Xbox 360 4GB Slim (any Pre Owned 4GB Slim Models) for $99.99…this is $40 off regular price!

- ANY Pre Owned PS3 80GB for $134.99…this is $85 off regular price!

Offers are valid from 1-12 until 01-31 (or while supplies last).

Click here for the coupon.

Disclosure: We have not been compensated for sharing this deal with our readers, although we have partnered up with GameStop on past sponsored posts, giveaways and promotions. As always, all opinions are our own.

FLASH GIVEAWAY: WIN Tickets to Chicago Travel & Adventure Show 1/17 & 18th

JANUARY 17-18 

*Tickets On Sale Now; Kids 16 and Under Free 

with Adult Admission*

ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama THIS weekend at the Travel & Adventure Show in Chi, IL. We're giving away 5 adult tickets and kids 16 and under are FREE with an adult admission! 

ENTER HERE and find out where your next great adventure will be! Quick giveaway ends at midnight TONIGHT 1/15. Winners will be contacted by e-mail and announced on our blog and via social media Friday. 



Disclosure: It's our pleasure to partner up with the Travel & Adventure Show. They have given us review tickets and tickets for our readers. As always, all opinions are our own.

I've always loved to travel, and my husband has also been all over the world for business and pleasure as a location sound guy for film and TV shows. In our past 14 years as parents, we've taken a 3 generation vacation to Sweden, zip lined over a train & a chasm in Vail, bungee jumped on Mt. Hood in Portland, rocked Disney World, Sea World and Universal, and had more great food, fun, and family memories than you can believe. We've seen sled dogs in Alaska over summer solstice, and gotten old school with Old World Wisconsin. Check back with ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Travel Kids in 2015 for more top travel tips, vacation destinations, and get aways that range from international to our own home town, sweet home Chicago.

Follow, friend and like ChiIL Mama on Social Media for hot tips on chill trips! We have loads of original content, photo & video filled features & even travel related giveaways! 

·ChiIL Mama's Facebook  (www.facebook.com/kenazmara/)

·Twitter  (@ChiILMama/@ChiILLiveShows

·YouTube  (www.youtube.com/ChiILMama)

·Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/chiilmama/boards/)

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CHICAGO TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW BRINGS PACKED SCHEDULE OF COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS, CULTURAL PERFORMANCES AND

INTERACTIVE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY EXPERIENCES 

TO ROSEMONT JANUARY 17-18 

Chicago Travel & Adventure Show announces the 2015 show programming with a roster of top chefs, dynamic dance performances and family-friendly activities including camel rides, a Segway track, vintage replica trike rides, Alaskan sled dogs and wild friends from SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. 

Now in its 11^th year, this year’s show will bring top travel experts, travel seminars, thousands of vacation options and more to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center January 17-18. The show is the perfect place to meet with hundreds of travel experts to learn more about planning a dream vacation or a weekend road trip. 

“Traveling is about experiencing a culture with all of the senses. The array of tastes, sights and sounds at this year’s show allows visitors to journey across the globe in one weekend,” said CEO of Unicomm John Golicz.  “Our exhibitors, guest speakers, chefs and performers create a stimulating, inspiring atmosphere for the whole family.” 

TASTE OF TRAVEL 

Nothing connects a traveler more to a destination than food.  At the Taste of Travel Stage, visitors will be transported and discover the unique cultural flavors of global cuisine, and also see how Chicago area chefs transform international cuisine for the contemporary palate. Samples will be served after each demonstration. 



Featured chefs include:

Saturday, January 17 

11:45am – 12:30pm    

Krista Cheeseman, of Wilderness North,  will showcase a Wilderness North Walleye Nuggets recipe

1:15pm – 2:00pm

Judson Todd Allen, of Healthy Infused Cuisine, LLC, will showcase a “Healthy Infused” Flatbread Pizza

3:00pm – 3:45pm
Dwight Evans (2013 ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Chef of The Year), of Covenant Village, will showcase a Pan Seared Sea Scallop with Black Truffle and Saffron Risotto recipe

Sunday, January 18 

11:45am – 12:15pm

Karyn Calabrese, of Karyn’s Raw Bistro, Karyn’s Cooked and Karyn’s of Green will showcase a Party Quinoa Salad and Berry Delight Parfaits recipe

1:00pm – 1:30pm 

Rhonda Russell, of Taste by Chef Rhonda will showcase Louisiana Chicken Étouffée recipe

2:00pm – 2:30pm

Rebecca LaMalfa, of Trenchermen and former Bravo’s “Top Chef” contestant will showcase Sweet& Savory Crepes

3:00pm – 3:30pm

Klaus Lotter, of Hofbräuhaus Chicago will showcase Jägerschnitzel

Click here for a more detailed schedule for TASTE OF TRAVEL 

GLOBAL BEATS STAGE

At the Travel & Adventure Show, attendees will see culturally diverse dance and music performances representing destinations from around the world on the Global Beats Stage. Visitors will also learn a little about the artistic and cultural significance of each performance – and have the opportunity to join the dancers on stage and learn new dance steps. Performances on January 17-18 include Belly dancing, Nordic Folk Dancing, Mexican Folkloric Dancing, Bollywood and Classical Indian Dancing, Native American Dancing, Indonesian Cultural Dancing, Hawaiian Dancing, Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop Dancing, Irish Dancing and Thai Cultural Dancing. 

Click here for a full schedule

FAMILY-FRIENDLY HIGHLIGHTS

Parents can learn about the best destinations and kid-savvy travel tactics at the Chicago Travel & Adventure show through informative booths and experts on family-friendly vacations. Find unique adventures including Key West’s Sunset Key resort’s Tweencation packages, geared towards tweens and their parents, and West Virginia’s New River Gorge whitewater rafting trips, to name a few.

Spanning all 50 states and 150 countries, Road Scholar allows parents and kids to choose from 5,500 educational tours including “A Family Adventure in Magical Oxford: From the Narnia Chronicles to Harry Potter” and “Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Badlands: Expanding Horizons.” For families who want to hit the beach, Sandals & Beaches Resorts offers many exciting adventures like dolphin encounters, catamaran sailing and dune buggy off-roading. Tauck Cruises offers families exotic excursions that include South African safaris, pizza making in Italy, river rafting in Alaska, and South American snorkeling adventures.

Several popular Midwest destinations for families will be included on the show floor this year, including the French Lick Resort, a pair of historic grand hotels nestled in the Hoosier National Forest of Southern Indiana. Named America’s Best Historic Resort by Historic Hotels of America, French Lick Resort has a roster of seasonal kid’s activities including hayrides, crafts, cooking and sports. 

Another one of the Midwest’s hottest vacation spots, Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands provides a mix of historically significant sites, family-fun amusements, gorgeous scenery and outdoor recreation. Double JJ Resort in Wisconsin offers family activities galore, including horseback riding and an indoor water park. Also in Wisconsin, Wildman Adventure Resort creates trips for families ranging from rugged tent sites to decked-out lodges full of kid-friendly adventures and exciting sports such as whitewater rafting, paintball and rock climbing. 

One of our regional favorites here at ChiIL Mama is Old World Wisconsin. Visitors time travel to the late 19th century through sights and sounds of the era with hands-on educational experiences including tending to a chicken coop and riding replica tricycles, also available for a spin at the Travel & Adventure Show. 

ChiIL Mama's Adventures at 

Old World Wisconsin

While at the show, kids can get acquainted with animal friends at the SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment booth, imagine trekking through the Sahara desert while riding a camel and pet real Alaskan Husky sled dogs brought to the show by the Minnesota-based tour company White Wilderness Sled Dog Adventures. 

SCHEDULE AND TICKET INFORMATION

The Chicago Travel & Adventure Show takes place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (5555 N. River Rd, Rosemont, IL) January 17 and 18, 2015. On Saturday, January 17, the show opens at 9:30 a.m. for travel professionals, with general public hours set from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. On Sunday, January 18, the show floor opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. Single and two-day tickets are currently available online for a discounted rate of $11 (single-day) and $17 (two-day) with promo code: CHPR, and are also available on-site for $16/$25. Children 16 and under are admitted for free. For tickets and more information, visit www.TravelShows.com/Chicago. 

In addition to the experiential qualities of the show, attendees can discover more than 300 exhibitors from both international and domestic destinations.  Sponsors for the 2015 Chicago Travel & Adventure Show include Official Travel Agency Partner AAA Travel, Supporting Sponsors Mexico Tourism Board and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Group; and Contributing Sponsors HotelTonight and India Tourism.  The event’s National TV Media Sponsor is Travel Channel.

About Unicomm and the Travel & Adventure Show

Unicomm, LLC is an independent business to business communications company specializing in originating and managing world-class trade shows and conferences. Unicomm’s properties include the Nation’s largest and longest running series of travel events, the Travel & Adventure Show®, in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco/Bay Area, Washington, D.C., San Diego and new for 2015, Philadelphia. 

Click here to order your advanced tickets. 

Disclosure: It's our pleasure to partner up with the Travel & Adventure Show. They have given us review tickets and tickets for our readers. As always, all opinions are our own.

Congrats to Supersonic Sage and The Chicago Comets on The USAG Winter Classic #gymnastics #TBT

After this blog post, I promise I'll lay off on the proud mama posts, at least till the meet next month. Thanks for bearing with me. I know we've been all over social media with the gymnastics pixs since Friday. These kids work SO hard and practice long hours to push their limits, and it's so exciting to see them fly!

FIRST FIRST PLACE #ThrowBackThusday 
Check out the full slide show and feature here. October 11, 2010

ChiIL Mama, Oct 2010

Sagezilla had her first gymnastics meet of the season Sunday. She was worried, anxious and said her stomach was chasing it's tail.We've always told the kids it doesn't matter to us if they win or come in last. It's more important to have fun, make friends, and build up an encouraging team. We tried to reassure Zilla that there's no pressure to score x number of points or outdo anyone. We said as long as she remembered her routine and got out there and did her best, we'd be proud of her, no matter what. The kids have done park gymnastics since they were both 1 year olds, not to win at all costs, but to strengthen their bodies and brains, and increase their flexibility.

She was freaking out too much to eat, but we finally got her to settle down by encouraging big yoga breaths. But it was a stressful morning. In the end, all the fear was for nothing. Sagezilla came home with 5 blue ribbons--first place in vault, bars, beam, floor and all around! Last year, she only did one full blown gymnastics meet where she placed 8th all around and her highest place was 5th in vault. By the end of the day, she was beaming and ecstatic. The same kid who was a ball of nerves in the morning, ended the day saying she loves gymnastics so much she wished she had meets every day!

LAST FIRST PLACE
January 2015, Winter Classic USAG




Check out our full set in the slide show here and favorites embedded below.

We were a bit worried when they put Sage in the senior age group, while her team mates, including a girl who is a mere 5 days younger, were all in the juniors. Sage will still be just 11 till mid May. At the Winter Classic, they split the kids into a field of 12 competitors, so the cut offs weren't by a set age or birth date but by number. Still, she held her own and did a fantastic job against the older, bigger kids in the seniors group taking 1st on bars, 2nd on beam and vault and 3rd all around! The Chicago Comets also took Team 1st!

For weeks, my 11 year old, Sage, has been obsessed with the idea of winning a snow globe trophy, only given to the top 3 athletes in each level. She competed in the Winter Classic two years ago and didn't even place, so she's spent the past two years honing her skills and all the hours of practice and fierce determination paid off!

Go for the Globe Indeed!

We're not hugely competitive as parents and were always the type to encourage our kids to do their best, but not push winning. We always made a point of telling them we're proud of them win or lose, and that learning to lose without tears and win without gloating are as important as the actual sport. 



Sage began gymnastics as a tiny 18 month old in a Moms and Tots class and loved it. By age 7 she was good enough to make the developmental team and begin competing. The past 4 years she's made it to state, and 3 years ago she took first in state in All Around. She's made some great friend on team and lives for gymnastics.


#TBT Meeting Olympic Gymnasts:

At the ripe old age of 9, Sage said her goal was to "get an autograph from at least 1 Olympic Gold Medalist before she reached double digits"! Her words, not mine. Cracked me up, but she did it. We also got to meet Gabby Douglas at a charity breakfast, later the same year! We got to see Cathy Rigby play an awesome Peter Pan via Broadway in Chicago, when the tour came through town in January 2013. And we got autographs from Chicago speed skater Nancy Swider-Peltz jr whose coach/mom was an Olympic speed skater and whose younger brother is also in training, spring 2014. 

Aly Raisman-Olympic Gold Medalist signs photos at American Girl Place, Chicago. Shown with 9 year old Chicago competitive gymnast, Sage. 

Aly says her favorite event is floor (her best event as well--as she took the Olympic Gold for her floor routine!). When she asked Sage what her favorite is Sage replied "I like floor, too, but my very favorite is bars."   Sage will be competing in her first USAG (Jr. Olympics) Meets this January.   She's competed the past two years in the IPDGC meets, going to state both years and taking first in state in 2010!  Like Aly, Sage started gymnastics as a toddler in Moms, Pops and Tots classes and never looked back. At age 9, Sage practices 10 hours a week with her team and does an additional 3 hours a week of circus arts like lyra, Spanish Web, Chinese Pole, acro, unicycle, juggling, trapeze and silks!

Oct 2012 Iglow Mentoring Brunch With Gabby Douglas 

From the very start, back in 1st grade, we told Sage, to just do her best, we were proud of her no matter what, and medals and trophies didn't really matter. Her response, "If I'm gonna to do this thing. I'm gonna win it!"

First meet ever, 2009

Mayor Daley's Winter Sports Fest at Navy Pier, 2009 

2nd in Citywide, 2009 

Miss tiny but mighty goes to state at age 7--1st grade.

2010 Beach Meet, back when big bro competed too. Dugan-2nd place medal, Sage-4th place ribbon (1st meet back after broken ankle cast for 4 weeks).

State 2011

Sage is first in bars, beam & all around, Fox Valley 2013 

Sage is first in beam & brought home 4 medals from The Pineapple Classic, Dec 2014

More Winter Classic 2015 Favorites:

FOODIE TUESDAY: WIN A Red Gold Lasagna Kit Through 2/3 #giveaway #recipe

Here at ChiIL Mama it's Foodie Tuesday where we feature recipes, food related giveaways, tips, and reviews on cookbooks, products and restaurants.

Hot Lasagna is a Great Way To Banish 
The Winter Cold

Disclosure: ChiIL Mama is happy to be an official Red Gold Blogger (and I have the spoon to prove it). We have been sent samples for review purposes, promotional items, and items for our giveaway. It's our pleasure to partner up with Red Gold once again. As always, all opinions are our own.

ENTER HERE 
For Your Chance to WIN 

A Lasagna kit from Red Gold 

The lasagna kit is being provided by the family-owned Red Gold Tomatoes for ChiIL Mama's Readers. Entries open nationwide to anyone in the US and accepted till midnight February 3rd.

**The kit is a gift pack of tomatoes, lasagna noodles, a Red Gold reusable tote, apron, coupons and recipes!**

As family-run company, Red Gold is celebrating the comfort of lasagna this winter and they are encouraging folks to make their own home-made gourmet lasagna just like your family likes it.

Red Gold also will be hosting a promotion starting Jan. 13-Feb. 3 during which twice a week they will give away a Le Creuset Lasagna Pan, a Simple Gourmet Lasagna Kit, Red Gold spatula, Garfield Toy, coupons and an apron. Just go to https://www.facebook.com/RedGold to enter on or after Jan. 13th.

Red Gold’s basic lasagna recipe is a great-tasting lasagna that is layered together in just minutes with Red Gold tomatoes and three cheeses…. And of course you can add all kinds of things to it to make it your own gourmet lasagna — meat, veggies, etc. 

Family-owned, Red Gold has been around since the 1940s focused on growing local in the Midwest (Ohio, Michigan and Indiana), where true seasons positively impact the flavor of tomatoes. 

How do YOU do Lasagna? So many tasty ways and so little time. That's why All In One Lasagna with a quick 20min prep time/60min cook time rocks. Lasagna is a huge hit that's easy to make and bake, freeze for later, or make to share. Here's a great basic recipe you can customize any way your family likes.

ALL IN ONE LASAGNA

Ingredients

1/2 cup water 

1 (28 ounce) can Red Gold® Crushed Tomatoes, or 2 (15 ounce) cans Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes

2 (14.5 ounce) cans Red Gold® Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

Salt to taste 

1 (16 ounce) box traditional lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 (15 ounce) carton low fat ricotta cheese 

3 cups (16 ounce) shredded mozzarella cheese 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350o F. In large mixing bowl combine water, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt.
• Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with 1½ cups of sauce mixture.  Arrange 1/3 of noodles on top of sauce, slightly overlapped.  Top with ½ of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of sauce.  Repeat layers and top with last 1/3 of noodles and the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 to 1½ hours; until noodles are cooked. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
• The recipe makes 12 servings, but you could divide the recipe into two 9x9 inch baking dishes and freeze one for a wintry night supper.

Variations:

1. Add 1 pound ground Italian sausage or lean ground beef, cooked and drained, to the tomato mixture of the basic recipe.
2. For added color, flavor and nutrition add 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and water removed, as another layer after the cheese layers.
3. Add both Italian sausage and spinach for great nutritional value and appearance.  Use each as a layer in the recipe.
4. Add fresh basil to sauce for added color and flavor or sprinkle fresh basil on top as a garnish.
5. Use fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced, as an option to shredded mozzarella cheese.