Reel Babies Go To The Movies*

This giveaway is now closed, Scroll down to view the winners! Somehow, despite having two older children, I'd missed out on taking advantage of the various "movies for moms" programs at the different theatres in town, so when I was given the opportunity to go check out Empire Theatres Reel Babies I jumped on it! I called up a friend and we trucked over to see Brad Pitt in "Moneyball" with my 17mos old and her 9mos old. I wasn't sure what to expect, but certainly had few hopes of actually watching the movie.

I saw a handful of other parents wandering toward the theatre doors, so I decided to surprise one young couple with a pair of free passes -- I love RAOK and this really seemed to take them by surprise. And, really, the only thing better than a date is a free date, right? ;)

What appealed to me most about Reel Babies was how they understand that parents like to go to the movies, too, and that it isn't always possible to find a babysitter. They provide change tables and activity centers to amuse cranky babies, the lights are dimmed instead of off, and the volume is turned down to a reasonable level. I joked with my friend that they could run a parallel program called "Movies For Old People" with similar features and it would be a huge hit with me, at least, as one of the biggest reasons I don't go to the movies often is the headache I leave with afterwards.

Boy#3 was a bit drowsy and I'd hopes he would just fall asleep but it wasn't to be. Fortunately he discovered movie popcorn (a first for him) and was quite content through most of the movie to cheer the good guys ("YAY!"), warn of danger ("Uh oh!"), and force feed me popcorn one kernel at a time. (As an aside, can I mention that Brad Pitt is aging in much the same way as Robert Redford did -- like good cheddar, or a fine wine? Yum. I had no idea I could enjoy watching a movie about baseball quite that much! ;))

I managed to see as much of the movie as I would have had I been watching it at home, which says a lot, and was impressed by the overall experience. I look forward to going back one more time before my husband starts back to work (thus requiring me to be home at movie time to get the older boys from school). I wish there was a location a bit closer to my house -- the only one in my area is clear across the city. ;)

To share the love, I have some free passes to giveaway. Since movies are more fun with friends, I'm bundling them into 4 pairs!

To win, tell me what upcoming movie you'd like to see at Reel Babies! Comment below with your answer -- be sure to leave me your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Rules:

Contest closes on November 4th, 2011. One entry per person. Open to Canadian residents. Void where prohibited. Winners must have a valid mailing address. Winners will be chosen via Random.org on November 5th, 2011.

*Disclosure – I am participating in the Empire Reel Babies program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Empire Theatres. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Winners are: oOBubbles21 (@oOBubbles21), aussie monica, James McCrea, and Pam P! Congratulations! I will get in touch with you via email to confirm mailing addresses for your passes. :)