Reel Babies - A Real Nice Time & A Giveaway!

by Carly

When the Little Man (now 5.5 years old) was well, little, I desperately wanted to do all the typical mommy things with him.  Playgroups, meeting friends for tea, visits to the park, and trips to the movies for those specific parent and baby screening things.  In the end, he had some health issues that directly impacted his sleep (and mine!) so I ended up giving most of those things a pass because we needed to nap . . . a lot.

Fast forward five years and I still love the movies, but knew the husband and I wouldn't be spending many weekends at the flicks - at least not at first - now that we had two children, one of them being an infant.

This time around, with the Baby Man (now 4 months old), I'd really hoped to be able to get to at least a few of the parent and baby showings.  There's a new theatre just up the road from us here in Orleans, with just such a program.  The Baby Man contracted a nasty case of pneumonia in early February, but I did make it out to Empire Theatre's REEL BABIES program to see "The Vow" toward the end of the month.  I was very pleasantly surprised with what I found when I arrived at the theatre.

The service was great, right from the start.  The staff were super helpful, offering to carry snacks and drinks for moms with babies in car seats and strollers.  The theatre was pleasantly dimmed, but not completely dark and the set up was fantastic.  Play mats, exersaucers, swings and bouncy chairs were readily available, right inside the theatre itself.  They were impeccably clean, even up to my high standards.  Parents were able to bring their strollers right into the theatre, something which wasn't an option when I went to check out a similar program at another theatre chain.

Also right inside the theatre was a proper change table, again scrupulously clean, and a microwave and bottle warmers.  Again, at another chain the change table option was found only in the lady's washroom and the microwave was outside the theatre doors.

Empire had some issues with the sound when the previews started rolling - it was on "full blast", but as soon as we let a staff member know, it was remedied right away.

My only complaint was that the sound was turned down a little too much, making the movie hard to hear over the noise of the wee babes from time to time.  And while I understand that the theatre wants to run their Reel Babies program when the theatre is already open for regular matinee showings, the timing can be a bit tricky if you've got to get home to meet an older child off the bus or at school.  The movies don't begin until 1 pm, which means having to make alternate arrangements for your other children if they get home anytime before 3/3:30 pm.  Fortunately that's not an issue for me, but I can see it being a stumbling block for other parents.

Overall, it was a really wonderful way to while away the afternoon, and I was very impressed with the set up at my local Empire Theatre.

If you go . . .

- Although there are a few Empire Theatres across Ottawa, the one in Orleans is the only one with the Reel Babies program.

- Matinees are just $8.99 per person and the baby is of course free.

- The Reel Babies program runs every two weeks, on Wednesday afternoons, at 1 pm.

- You can create an account on the Reel Babies website and then be eligible to vote for which movie they'll show at their next event!

The Giveaway We have two free passes for any Reel Babies showing across Canada, valid until December 31, 2012.  Along with that, two $3 off coupons that can be used for future ticket purchases to a Reel Babies showing.Please note that in order for the winner to claim their prize, they must be willing to either pick up the passes and coupons from my home in Orleans, or share their mailing address with me (Carly) so they can be mailed to you.

To enter, just leave a comment!  Although the Reel Babies showings are geared toward parents and their wee ones, you don't actually have to bring a child with you to the show - the matinees are open to anyone and the passes are good whether you come with child or without.

We'll do a random draw for one winner on Monday, April 2nd at noon!

Going to the movies

by Amanda Ever since I was a child, movies have been a big part of my life. Friday or Saturday nights as a family we would sit down, pop some corn and enjoy a movie together.  The TV's back then were a lot smaller, rounded at the edges, and we watched tapes in the VCR, not Blu-Ray or DVD,  but the point was we were doing something together that we all enjoyed.  Going to the theatre was an even bigger thrill.  We would get there early, get a good set of seats and wait for the moment when the lights would go down and the reel would begin.  We also, almost always, sneaked in our own snacks, sodas and all.  It was a time to bring out the big purse!  When I was a child movies were not digital and while 3D has existed for a long time, it was not commonplace.  My dad, to this day, still calls it "Going to the show".   I love that expression.

I am so thrilled that my son has now reached an age where we can share that experience.  Our first movie outing was to see the Smurfs 3D, he loved it so much we decided to go to another one this past weekend Puss in Boots 3D.  He is 4 1/2 and can sit through an entire movie happily enjoying what's happening on the screen and munching some treats.  He was also really attracted by the arcade but most of the games are too difficult for him.  I found myself watching his face quite a bit during the film to see his reactions both to the story itself and to the special effects.  He finds so much joy in new experiences that I find myself re-living my childhood through him.  Every giggle, every laugh, every "o" his mouth made were like music for my eyes and ears.  He's not so great at the not talking during the movie, but most of the kids in the place were the same way.  I also really enjoy how kids movies nowadays are just as enjoyable for the adults as well.  There is always some subtle content meant to keep the adults engaged in the film as well as the kids.    As for hubby and I, well we are giant kids at heart, we enjoy almost every kind of movie, cartoons included.  I will keep bringing my little man to the movies because it is as much fun for us as it is for him!

Amanda was born and raised in Ottawa where she continues to live with her husband and son “J”. Amanda is bilingual and interests include reading, blogging, socializing, and advocacy on children and teen issues.

Ever since I was a child, movies have been a big part of my life.
Friday or Saturday nights as a family we would sit down, pop some corn
and enjoy a movie together.  The TV's back then were a lot smaller,
rounded at the edges, and we watched tapes in the VCR, not Blu-Ray or
DVD,  but the point was we were doing something together that we all
enjoyed.  Going to the theatre was an even bigger thrill.  We would get
there early, get a good set of seats and wait for the moment when the
lights would go down and the reel would begin.  We also, almost always,
sneaked in our own snacks, sodas and all.  It was a time to bring out
the big purse!  When I was a child movies were not digital and while 3D
has existed for a long time, it was not commonplace.  My dad, to this
day, still calls it "Going to the show".   I love that expression.

I am so thrilled that my son has now reached an age where we can share
that experience.  Our first movie outing was to see the Smurfs 3D, he
loved it so much we decided to go to another one this past weekend Puss
in Boots 3D.  He is 4 1/2 and can sit through an entire movie happily
enjoying what's happening on the screen and munching some treats.  He
was also really attracted by the arcade but most of the games are too
difficult for him.  I found myself watching his face quite a bit during
the film to see his reactions both to the story itself and to the
special effects.  He finds so much joy in new experiences that I find
myself re-living my childhood through him.  Every giggle, every laugh,
every "o" his mouth made were like music for my eyes and ears.  He's not
so great at the not talking during the movie, but most of the kids in
the place were the same way.  I also really enjoy how kids movies
nowadays are just as enjoyable for the adults as well.  There is always
some subtle content meant to keep the adults engaged in the film as well
as the kids.    As for hubby and I, well we are giant kids at heart, we
enjoy almost every kind of movie, cartoons included.  I will keep
bringing my little man to the movies because it is as much fun for us as
it is for him!