The Summer Adventures series focuses on affordable summer fun for families in Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley. It’s all about exploring our own backyard and is the perfect resource for planning a killer staycation or finding something awesome to do this weekend. Interested in more local love? Head here.

I’ve been trying to focus on outdoor adventures so far, to keep my kids active and out in the sunshine without electronic devices glued to their palms. But some weeks, it’s just too damn hot and sticky to adventure outside without the fear of heat stroke. So last week, we took our adventure inside to Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers, where we could enjoy lunch and a movie.

If you’ve never been, Alamo Drafthouse is not your typical movie theater. It’s also not just for adults. The theater features comfy chairs with movable armrests (perfect for snuggling kids during scary parts without contorting your body into impossible positions) and a small counter in front of each row. Waiters make their way through the rows with the stealth of ninjas to take orders (written on a piece of paper and left for them so you don’t disrupt the movie) and deliver food. My girls thought this was just about the coolest place ever.

With a new kids menu featuring healthy options and kids’ favorites, even the pickiest kids (cough, mine!) will find something to get excited about. The new menu lets them choose a main dish, a side, and a sweet. There was much excitement over the fact that the cookies arrived fresh from the oven.

My girls also loved the pre-show, which features hilarious, ridiculous shorts that are somehow related to the movie. We saw The Secret Life of Pets, so there were a lot animals in silly situations cracking my kids (and me!) up. Not once did they complain they were bored or ask when the movie would start. That right there is straight up magic.

In addition to new releases, Alamo Drafthouse has a Kids Camp series running throughout the summer, Monday through Friday at 11 am. It features older movies (from The Karate Kid to The LEGO Movie) that screen for a $1-3 donation. 100% of those ticket sales are donated to Hudson Valley Writers’ Center and SPCA of Westchester. And on Tuesdays they offer Baby Day matinees, which gives new parents a chance to get out and enjoy a movie with baby in tow.

We had a great time and totally recommend checking them out for a different kind of movie experience!

Have you ever taken your kids to Alamo Drafthouse?

A few months ago I wrote about our visit to the Jacob Burns Film Center and what an incredible day the girls and I had there. We can’t wait to go back next month to catch Matilda.

Because we love the place so much and I think you will too, I wanted to let you know that JBFC is currently in the midst of their May member drive, where they’re giving new members two extra month’s membership for free!

In case you’re unfamiliar with JBFC, it’s a nonprofit movie house located in Pleasantville, NY that screens new releases, foreign and documentary films, unique series, and special events. Even more exciting, you can meet filmmakers and actors like Richard Linklater, Billy Crystal, Ryan Gosling (!!!), and Meryl Streep, or learn to make movies of your own with classes in animation, screenwriting, and filmmaking at the JBFC Media Arts Lab. They also throw one heck of a party.

A few weeks ago the girls and I were fortunate enough to attend an incredible event at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville. It was a special preview screening of Academy Award-nominated director Mark Osborne’s latest animated film, The Little Prince, followed by an awesome party at the Media Arts Lab. We had the best time!

Before the screening we got to participate in a special meet and greet with Mark (who lives in Hastings and is a refreshingly down-to-earth, kind human). We saw some of the figures that were used in the stop motion portions of the movie as well as the copy of The Little Prince his wife gave him while they were dating, and the César he recently won in France for the film.

Mark told us that the making of this film was more or less a family affair, which got the interest of this momma’s heart right away. The movie is the story of The Little Prince within a story about a little girl, who was inspired by his daughter. And Mark’s son voiced the Little Prince. My girls thought that was so cool.

I hate scary movies. I’m a big old chicken and have absolutely no interest in being kept up all night wondering if someone’s creeping in the bushes. I get too little sleep to begin with, thank you very much. My husband happens to love a good scare, but he’s stuck trying to squeeze in episodes of American Horror Story while I get kids to bed or when I have to work at night.

But I also really don’t like to feel like I’m missing out—which is why when it gets to be Halloween time, I like to have a little arsenal of movies at the ready that won’t make me triple wrap my feet under the blankets and run into the girls’ room to check on them every time the cat moves.

I broke some of my favorites up into three categories…

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I may be thirty years old, but I still love me a good princess movie. I don’t know what it is, but I have a serious soft spot. I’m not generally a big fan of the whole damsel in distress thing (girl power, for the win), but once in a while it’s ok to fantasize about a handsome knight in shining armor or about daydreaming in a gilded castle. I don’t care how old you are.

There are plenty of animated princess classics, but here are five of my favorite live action versions…