My family loves watching movies. I particularly love a good chick flick, the husband loves pretty much all movies, my two boys love anything with action heroes and my daughter loves anything with teen icons. Finding something that we all like can be quite challenging at times — okay, all the time. But we all have one thing in common — we love sitting down as a family with a big bowl (or two) of popcorn.
Spending time together as a family is crucial, so I wanted to share some family movie night tips from Jenn Sbranti, Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Hostess with the Mostess.
A Family Affair: Hosting a movie night at home is such a fun way to get creative and entertain the entire family! Take your viewing party to the next level with cool, affordable entertainment and electronics.
Setting the Mood: Get creative with a few fun (and EASY!) decorations inspired by your feature presentation. For a Star Wars viewing party, turn off all the lights, hang white string lights across the room and scatter some glow-in-the-dark stars around the coffee table to help bring the “galaxy” to life in your own living room. Use a little silver craft paint to transform a black paper lantern into the “Death Star”, and hang some movie posters and metallic paper stars for the finishing touch.
Who’s Thirsty?: Sip creative, themed drinks inspired by the movie of the night, such as “Yoda Soda” (lime sherbet + lemon-lime soda) or “Frozen Jedi Juice” for a screening of Star Wars. To make “Frozen Jedi Juice”, partially freeze your favorite flavor of juice or koolaid and serve it “slushy style” from cups embellished with the phrase “May the Freeze be with you.”
Turn it Up: Great sound is key when it comes to bringing movie magic home. For those times when the mood is more “dance party” than “movie night”, you can utilize a iPod/iPhone and crank up the music instead.
Themed Treats: Think outside the popcorn box and serve up clever treats named after elements of the movie, such as “Darth Cheddars” (grilled cheese sandwiches) or “Storm Trooper Sundaes”. Make edible “Light Sabers” by dipping pretzel rods in colored candy melts or tinted white chocolate. After the candy has dried, wrap one end of the “light saber” with tin foil to create the “handle”.
Keep it Simple: Don’t let confusing settings and “multiple remote syndrome” throw a frustrating glitch in your movie night…try a universal remote to streamline the process so that even the smallest family members can be in the driver’s seat sometimes!
Brand New Stars: Use a home video camera to make your own “movie magic” starring the best cast of all – your very own family members! Have little ones do re-enactments of their favorite scenes from the movie you just watched, or capture clips of the kids doing a craft activity or a recipe inspired by the movie. These are the “films” that you’ll love to watch over & over again – long after the movie-of-the-night credits roll!
Giveaway:
One (1) winner will receive their very own copy of X-Men Blu-ray!
How to Enter:
Simply leave me a comment below letting me know one of your family movie night tips!
Extra Entries Available:
After you have completed the first entry, you are eligible for additional entries. Make sure you leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Each counts as one extra entry unless noted otherwise.
- Follow Simply Being Mommy on Google Friend Connect.
- Subscribe to Simply Being Mommy either by email or RSS.
- “Like” Simply Being Mommy on Facebook.
- Follow Simply Being Mommy on Twitter AND Tweet about the giveaway. Leave the URL to the Tweet in your comment. You can tweet once a day, but remember to leave the URL to each tweet. You must have at least 50 followers for this extra entry. You can tweet ” #Win X-Men on Blu-ray for your next family movie night from @simplybeingmom http://bit.ly/nFebHA #giveaway “
About Crystal
14 Days Left 
13 Days Left 
9 Days Left 
2 Days Left 
http://twitter.com/#!/sunshyne1977/status/122032647504527361
gfc follower Christina Brundick
Um… Napkins are my best tip! When you cuddle in bed with the kids and give them popcorn, they always want to wipe their hands on the sheets! Oh and a little mini vac for crumbs
I “Liked” Simply Being Mommy on Facebook- Debbie Ritenour
When we have family movie night all my kids participate and work together with us to create a fun environment with snacks, pillows, blankets and anything else we can think of….sometimes we even decorate.
https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/122074121692651520
i like to get the kids together and we prepare the nights snacks as a family
We make homemade pizza together before the movie!
10/06 Tweet http://twitter.com/#!/JCHARRIES/status/121952732100837376
daily tweet-http://twitter.com/#!/gummasplace/status/122109126326235136
family movie night tip–order pizza so you don’t get stuck doing the dishes while everyone else watches the movie
kakihararocks@gmail.com
One family movie tip is to make enough popcorn for everyone! I can eat a whole bag by myself!
GFC follower. imaclutz89
subscribed in google reader.
I like your page on FB. Samantha M.
follower on twitter and tweeted.
http://twitter.com/#!/imaclutz89/status/122145977019809793
One tip is to let friends know not to phone you at family night (which can interrupt attention to the movie and the mood of the family)–unless, of course, there is an emergency or a very good reason for the interruption.
movie night tips turn the phone off
Turn the lights down, turn off the phone and get out the snuggie blanket!
Pop lots of popcorn and pick a comfy spot to sit in
gfc follower brittney house
simply being mommy fb fan brittney house
http://twitter.com/#!/sunshyne1977/status/122265361021284353
each person in our house gets to pick a movie we love redbox
google friend klp1965
kathypease(at)gmail(dot)com
rss google feed subscriber
kathypease(at)gmail(dot)com
like you on facebook kathy l pease
kathypease(at)gmail(dot)com
We always get pizza for dinner and rotate taking turns on who picks the movie.
kerrie@mayansfamily.com
I follow you on gfc as degood.
kerrie@mayansfamily.com
I subscribe to your rss feed in google reader.
kerrie@mayansfamily.com
Our kids take turns picking out what movies we will watch
follow via GFC
Like you on FB Susan Smith
Homemade Popcorn with real butter…YUMMMM
My tip is to rotate who gets to pick the movie.
Email subscriber
GFC follower
Like you on FB (Annette E)
Sometimes we have a theme night, like “The Word POP”. We’d eat popcorn and drink pop and watch Mary Poppins! It gets the creative juices going
I like SBM on FB (Brian S)
Following on twitter as happeegirl and tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/happeegirl/status/122342391201013761
daily tweet!
http://twitter.com/#!/imaclutz89/status/122351025083523074
my family movie night tip is to get everything done before you sit down to enjoy the movie, turn off the phone and the lights and enjoy the movie!
Go to the bathroom before the movie starts!
GFC follower.
Google reader subscriber.
Best movie night tip, popcorn and lots of pillows.
GFC follower.
email subscriber
Liked SBM on fb.
tweeted giveaway.
http://twitter.com/#!/nhilleshiem/status/122430805510340609
I let everyone participate in what movies to rent and let everyone fix their own tacos or order their own pizza.
For family movie night we like to have a picnic in the living room
10/07 Tweet http://twitter.com/#!/JCHARRIES/status/122309464144609281
I “Like” Simply Being Mommy on Facebook.
I Subscribe to Simply Being Mommy by RSS.