3rd Annual Great Chicago Egg Hunt in Maggie Daley Park 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, April 19, 2019

Chicago Park District and Medieval Times 

Shell Out Festive Fun at 

3rd Annual Great Chicago Egg Hunt in Maggie Daley Park

Everything it’s cracked up to be, this event – now in its third year – just keeps getting bigger and better!

Eggs mark the spot at Maggie Daley Park, as the Chicago Park District and Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament today announced plans for the 3rd annual Great Chicago Egg Hunt. The city-wide event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, April 19, on the park’s central lawn, for children ages 2-12. Check-in for pre-registered families and, pending availability, walk-up registration will begin at 9 a.m.

From hunting for more than 25,000 candy-filled eggs with the assistance of chivalrous Knights in full regalia, to photo opportunities with Medieval Times’ monarch, Queen Maria Isabella, the Great Chicago Egg Hunt is all it’s cracked up to be and more. Outside of four waves of colossal egg-hunting (10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.), families are invited to participate in interactive knights-in-training drills (for children ages 6-12), crafts, including donut decoration with Stan’s Donuts, story time with Big City Readers, entertainment by Mary Macaroni, games and more. Discounted tickets to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament performances will be available on-site for purchase.

In response to growing demand and back-to-back, sold-out egg hunts, this year’s registration cap has been raised to 1,500 children. Advance registration is highly recommended and available at maggiedaleypark.com. The registration fee is $10 per child, when purchased in advance online, and $15 on-site, day-of. Walk-up registration will be limited and cash-only.

“The Chicago Egg Hunt garners massive interest from families throughout the greater Chicago area, with each year building upon the successes of those previous, said Chicago Park District Superintendent and CEO Michael P. Kelly. “We’re thrilled to partner with Medieval Times to transform the park into a truly unique and memorable experience that brings families together.”

For additional information regarding The Great Chicago Egg Hunt, presented by Medieval Times and Maggie Daley Park, visit maggiedaleypark.com or call (312) 552-3000. Maggie Daley Park is located at 337 E. Randolph St., Chicago. Parking is available in the Millennium Lakeside Garage, accessible from South Columbus Drive, or at metered spaces on upper Randolph Street.


About Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is celebrating its 85th year anniversary, and is the 2014 Gold Medal Award winner, recognized for excellence in park and recreation management across the nation. For more information about the Chicago Park District’s more than 8,800 acres of parkland, more than 600 parks, 26 miles of lakefront, 12 museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, nearly 50 nature areas, thousands of special events, sports and entertaining programs, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or contact the Chicago Park District at 312/742.PLAY or 312/747.2001 (TTY). Want to share your talent? Volunteer in the parks by calling, 312/742.PLAY. 

Follow us at facebook/chicagoparkdistrict, on Instagram/chicagoparks and on Twitter @chicagoparks.

About Medieval Times
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament was founded in 1977 in Spain. It launched in North America in 1983 and has since opened nine castles across the United States and in Toronto, Canada, entertaining more than 69 million guests over the past 34 years. Medieval Times’ Schaumburg, Ill., castle, which opened in 1991, is the only entertainment venue of its type in the Midwest. Medieval Times is located at 2001 N. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg, Ill. For tickets, visit www.medievaltimes.com/chicago

20% DISCOUNT CODE: It's PEEPS® Season! Got Yours Yet?

Easter Falls On April Fools Day This Year!

There will be plenty of fun chances to prank your kids with foil wrapped grapes that look like chocolate eggs, and empty egg hunts

When you're done with the tricks, bring on the treats! We've got a great 20% discount on PEEPS® products for our readers, no fooling. ChiIL Mama has partnered up with Peeps on sponsored posts for years now, and we're back at it again. Peeps have evolved into a plethora of flavors and shapes, and even fun merchandise like soft stuffed animal peeps and bunnies or beach towels & beach bags if you're longing for summer.

This year I let my teens get creative with designing Easter Baskets & playful, fun layouts for our Peeps photo shoot. My daughter, Sage (14) did the arranging and my son, Dugan (17) took the photos. Let Peeps products spark your creativity this spring too. 

Peeps are perfect for Pinterest worthy shots. You can personify Peeps so they can make the social media scene scene. 

Float Peeps in cocoa or coffee for a playfully tasty treat. (Blueberry dunked in Chocolate-Mom's fav)

Get beach dreamin' and create a pinwheel with a bunch of bunnies or build a candy sand castle on a Peeps beach town!

You can even use a Peeps beach bag as an Easter basket that can become a favorite reusable bag year round!

Peeps now come in a rainbow of colors, flavors and shapes... Some are even dunked in chocolate. Yum! Show your Peepsonality. 

ChiIL Mama's readers get a discount! Head over to www.Peepsandcompany.com and enter “EASTER18” for a 20% discount on merchandise – pick up fun gifts like the PEEP-On-A-Perch gift set or the new PEEPS® In Pajamas bedtime story!


Thanks to PEEPS® for sending us a plethora PEEPS® treats, all available this Easter from their website at a 20% discount for ChiIL Mama's readers! From PEEPS® to Jelly Beans, they’ve got you covered.

PEEPS® Easter offerings:
·PEEPS® Filled Delights™ Neapolitan Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Delights™ Marshmallow Chicks Dipped in Milk Chocolate
·PEEPS® Delights™ Blueberry Flavored Marshmallow Chicks Dipped in Dark 

Chocolate
·PEEPS® Delights™ Coconut Flavored Marshmallow Chicks Dipped in Dark Chocolate
·PEEPS® Delights™ Strawberry Flavored Marshmallow Chicks Dipped in Crème Flavored Fudge 

·PEEPS® Delights™ Lemon Sherbet Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Delights™ Orange Sherbet Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Sour Cherry Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Fruit Punch Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Sour Watermelon Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Party Cake Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Marshmallow Chicks Rainbow POPs
·PEEPS® Large Marshmallow Bunnies
·PEEPS® Sugar Free Chicks
·PEEPS® Milk Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Giant Pink and White Bunny Marshmallow Pops
·PEEPS® Cotton Candy Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Pancakes & Syrup Flavored Marshmallow Chicks
·PEEPS® Mystery Chicks (#1, #2 and #3)

·MIKE AND IKE® Easter Treats, 5oz Theater Box
·MIKE AND IKE® Assorted Fruits Jelly Beans, 14oz Lay Down Bag

Candy Free Options for Easter and Beyond With Debbie Lynn Inc, Piggy Paint, I See Me, and SafetyTat

ChiIL Mama's ChiIL Picks List for 

Candy Free Fun

Easter is hopping up fast and spring is the biggest birthday party season. Then there are summer parties, road trips and get togethers. Whether your family and friends have food allergies or sensitivities or you just want to limit the sugar laden treats, we have a list of fun, candy free picks. Check these out:

Disclosure: Thanks to Debbie Lynn Inc, Piggy Paint, I See Me, and SafetyTat for providing us samples for our feature. We were not compensated in any other way. As always, all opinions are our own.

Debbie Lynn Inc. products are sure to excite the creative critters in the family! With unique stationery items like silly animal pens, bold markers, fun erasers, and more, these Debbie Lynn items will encourage creativity and make it more fun! http://www.debbielynn.net/

Here at ChiIL Mama we're especially on board with promoting and supporting Debbie Lynn Inc. This is not only a woman owned business, but Debbie also has a toddler, and MS! My sister has MS as well, so I have first hand knowledge of just how tough this disability can be. We're thrilled to spread the word about Debbie's company, and do our part to help her excel in a business venture that enables her to juggle motherhood, making a living, and living with MS.

Piggy Paint makes painting kids’ nails fun without toxic and smelly chemicals. Natural, eco-friendly, and hypoallergenic, the line is available in an assortment of gift sets perfect for Easter, spring and summer parties and other special occasions. www.piggypaint.com 

We've been reading many disturbing articles lately about dangerous nail polish toxins seeping directly into the bloodstream. I have a 12 year old daughter who adores nail polish so this is a huge concern for me as a mother! We were thrilled to be invited to try out and review 5 of these polishes. They come in an impressive range of colors and we adore that they're natural, eco-friendly, and hypoallergenic. They are a bit more watery and less shiny than their toxic cousins, but they're easy to apply and last.

I See Me! personalized books are perfect for Easter, spring dance recitals, and of course birthday gifting! http://www.iseeme.com/

Customizable with a name and phone number, these labels are perfect for clothes, to toys, to containers, and much more! Anywhere Labels are dishwasher and washing machine safe! http://www.safetytat.com/

SafetyTat Anywhere Labels make it easy to keep track of belongings and children too. The SafetyTat Tattoos can contain as much or little info as you want. When my children were little, I had press credentials to cover many large music festivals like Lollapalooza, Riotfest and Summer Camp Music Fest. We always took the kids with us and made sure they had ear protection and were well labeled with their names and our cell phone numbers. I never lost one of them for more than a few minutes, but we had a few scares and near misses. SafetyTat can provide peace of mind when you need to navigate large crowds with small kids. 

Disclosure: Thanks to Debbie Lynn Inc, Piggy Paint, I See Me, and SafetyTat for providing us samples for our feature. We were not compensated in any other way. As always, all opinions are our own.

Easter PEEPS & COMPANY® Giveaway, Coconut Nest Recipe, and Discount Code

Here at ChiIL Mama we've loved partnering up with PEEPS & COMPANY® for Christmas, Valentine's Day and now the holiday that started it all... Easter. We have a sweet recipe below, a great giveaway, and a rockin' discount for all our readers. 

Disclosure: PEEPS & COMPANY® provided us with complimentary products for review and for our givewaway, all information and discount codes. As always, all opinions are our own.

Spring has sprung and that means a plethora of PEEPS & COMPANY® fun for every taste! Easter is early this year, March 27th, so get hopping. 

ENTER HERE  Enter Here through midnight 3/24 for your chance to WIN!
(U.S. residents only, no P.O. boxes) 

One of ChiIL Mama’s lucky readers will receive ALL the PEEPS & COMPANY® candy items listed here to use as Easter goodies!! 

• PEEPS® Orange Delight Flavored Marshmallow Dipped in Orange 

• PEEPS® Marshmallow Chicks

• PEEPS® Marshmallow Bunnies

• PEEPS® Decorated Eggs

• PEEPS® Party Cake Flavored Marshmallow Chicks

• PEEPS® Sour Watermelon Flavored Marshmallow Chicks

• PEEPS® Chocolate Dipped Mousse Flavored Marshmallow Chicks

• PEEPS® Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Chicks

• PEEPS® Rainbow Pop

• MIKE AND IKE® Easter Treats

• MIKE AND IKE® Jellybeans

• HOT TAMALES® Jellybeans

(*NOTE: Pictured PEEPS® PEEPSTERS®, PEEPS® Lime Delight Flavored Marshmallow, PEEPS® Chocolate Mousse Flavored Marshmallow Bunnies, and PEEPS®  Sugar Free Marshmallow Chicks are currently unavailable. Giveaway winners will not receive the 5-inch PEEPS® Plush, PEEPS® earbuds, or PEEPS® luggage tag, though these are available for purchase.)

All of ChiIL Mama's readers are winners with this discount code! 

Discount code: EASTERTREATS

valid for 20% off your purchase at through April 15, 2016 HERE

Want something fun that will outlast the sugar overload? PEEPS & COMPANY® Easter products include earbuds, soft plushies, and even a 
luggage tag! 

PEEPS & COMPANY® challenged ChiIL Mama to design a unique Easter basket, that would playfully display all the tasty treats they sent us. So we bought an adorable PEEPS & COMPANY® bunny bucket at our local Walgreens and multicolored, paper Easter grass to match. Do we know how to rock a theme or what?! I could see this PEEPS & COMPANY® bunny bucket having fun adventures with little ones in the garden this spring, the beach, and beyond, instead of being stored away with the Easter decor!

Peeptacular Toasted Coconut Nests

An original recipe by ChiIL Mama
(makes a dozen nests)

This Easter favorite is simple to DIY and it's extra tasty with PEEPS & COMPANY® jelly beans. 

 

Hot Tamales and Mike and Ike Jelly Beans by PEEPS & COMPANY® 

1 (11.5 oz.) bag of milk chocolate baking chips

2 cups shredded coconut 

1 tablespoon butter

Parchment paper or wax paper

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray and spread coconut in a thin layer. Coconut spray is a healthy alternative that goes great with these treats. Preheat oven to 350°. Place in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until coconut is light brown. Keep an eye on it toward the end of your toasting time and stir it a bit if necessary. Remove from the oven.

Line counter with parchment or wax paper in a square big enough for 10-12 nests. Melt chocolate chips and tablespoon of butter in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds till melted. Do not over cook. Remove from microwave.

Mix toasted coconut into chocolate mixture and spoon onto the parchment or wax paper. Shape it into a nest and press in on the center. Shape and add MIKE AND IKE® jelly beans and/or HOT TAMALES® cinnamon jelly beans (our favorite!!) once all the nests are on your paper. Let them cool down and enjoy!

This was such a tempting treat, I left them to cool down and all the nests vanished before I could snap a shot!  Somehow I don't think the Easter Bunny snuck them into a sack for delivery Sunday. I'm going to try to make more today and get my photo shoot in before the kids appear and these all too tasty nests disappear.

EASTER'S FOR EATING ALL THE PEEPS!!

PEEPS & COMPANY® 2016 Easter Offerings Information

5-inch PEEPS® Plush: Spread the joy of PEEPS® when you give this plush PEEPS® chick as a gift to those of any age (assortment of colors).

PEEPS® earbuds: If you need a sweet bit of time to yourself, let your favorite yellow PEEPS Chick take you away with your favorite music through these PEEPS earbuds. Get a dose of stress relief, in stereo, every time you put them on and crank up the tunes!

PEEPS® luggage tag: From candy to cute accessory, these PEEPS® luggage tags add a pop of color and whimsy to your gear (assortment of colors).

PEEPS® Orange Delight Flavored Marshmallow Dipped in Orange Fudge: These three Chicks are orange delight flavored and dipped in orange fudge to enhance the flavor. Share them with your friends or keep them for yourself!

PEEPS® Marshmallow Chicks: The five and 15 count packages of the iconic PEEPS® Chicks are available in classic Easter colors including yellow, pink, blue, lavender, green, and orange Chicks! The 10 count package of Chicks is available in all of the classic Easter colors as well as white.

PEEPS® Marshmallow Bunnies: The four count bunnies come in classic yellow, pink and blue colors. The 12 count bunnies come in classic colors as well as lavender, white, green and orange. The 16 count are packaged in classic colors plus lavender and green.

Chicks: Back by popular demand, PEEPS® offers a sugar-free Chick! The Chick is perfect as an Easter basket essential and baked good enhancement.

PEEPS® Decorated Eggs: Nine white eggs iced with pastel colors in 3 unique designs, these eggs are great for recipes, crafts and immediate consumption.

PEEPS® Party Cake Flavored Marshmallow Chicks: Ten delicious vanilla cake flavored marshmallow chicks sprinkled with fun rainbow confetti.

PEEPS® Sour Watermelon Flavored Marshmallow Chicks: Sweet and sour flavors collide to create a burst of watermelon in these ten green chicks with a blush pink center.

PEEPS® Chocolate Dipped Mousse Flavored Marshmallow Chicks: Three delectable chocolate mousse-flavored Chicks dipped in either creamy milk or dark chocolate.

PEEPS® PEEPSTERS®: Bite-size combination of delectable chocolate and delicious marshmallow flavored crème. Available in creamy milk chocolate or rich dark chocolate varieties. 

PEEPS® Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Chicks: Individually wrapped marshmallow chicks covered in either milk or dark chocolate.

PEEPS® Rainbow Pop: Four chicks in colors yellow, green, pink and blue marshmallow on a stick- it’s like a colorful PEEPS® lollipop.

MIKE AND IKE® Easter Treats: Bring chewy, fruity goodness this Easter season with a 10 oz. gift bag of MIKE AND IKE® Easter Treats flavors. Filled with grape, pineapple-banana, strawberry, lemon-lime, and cherry-flavored MIKE AND IKE® candies – and all made with real fruit juice – this gift will put a spring in anybody's step as the bright new season gets underway.

MIKE AND IKE® Jellybeans: The Assorted Fruits MIKE AND IKE® JELLY BEANS are a fan favorite. 

HOT TAMALES® Jellybeans:  Celebrate Easter with our cinnamon-flavored jelly beans (14 oz. package)

Disclosure: PEEPS & COMPANY® provided us with complimentary products for review and for our givewaway, all information, and discount codes. As always, all opinions are our own.