Take a step back in time at Coasters Drive In Diner.

Walking past Coasters Drive In and the classic cars parked around it piqued my son’s interest immediately — he’s a cars kid (although more of a Disney Pixar-type “Cars” kid, not classic cars, per se), so when he saw the Be-Bop Blvd. ride, he zoomed toward it.

Be-Bop Blvd. here we come!

He and I climbed the stairs and waited in line a few minutes before he was able to get into a car and ride the ride. (He insisted on riding by himself.)

Cruising the Be-Bop Blvd.

Can he even see over the steering wheel?

After cruising a few more times, we made our way to the nearby Speed Splashers ride, one of several rides clustered together that were approved for all height levels. I was pleased with how many rides were geared toward younger kids, and it was convenient to have them close together. What’s more, there were few lines for any of the rides. Perhaps because Michigan schools had not yet let out for summer vacation, there were fewer families in the park when we visited.

Splashing around on the Michigan’s Adventure Speed Splashers ride.

After a few more rides, we were all ready for lunch. The park provided us with four passes to the Family Grill, an all-you-can-eat-buffet-style restaurant with plenty of picnic tables for outdoor seating. While the lines didn’t move very quickly (we probably stood in line for 10 minutes), the food was kid-pleasing — hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and corn dogs, with side dishes including potato salad and baked beans.

Kid-pleasing fare at the Family Grill.

For dessert, a self-serve cooler was filled with individual cups of vanilla ice cream.

There’s always room for ice cream.

With our bellies full, we were ready to explore the rest of the park. The kids loved the tipsy-turvy-turny Trabant ride and — thanks to no lines — actually rode it several times in a row.

The tipsy-turvy Trabant.

While my son and husband got splashed on the Logger’s Run ride, I stood aside and took photos of my daughter and mother in law on the Bumper Boats. The line for this ride was a little slow (they waited about 10 minutes), but after the ride, they both said it was well worth it.

Getting ready to bump some boats.

Ready to sit down and relax for a bit, we walked toward the back of the park to the Timbertown Railway, where a replica steam engine train takes passengers around on a peaceful loop.

Riding the rails on a replica steam engine at Michigan’s Adventure.

My family and I had a great time at Michigan’s Adventure. We opted out of the water rides in the park (admission to the park includes access to the water park) and still spent a very enjoyable day riding the “dry” rides.

Looking across the lake at Michigan’s Adventure.

The post Family Fun at Michigan’s Adventure Amusement Park appeared first on Working Traveling Mom.

On my last run, it was 70 degrees with a little light rain. On a warm day, I love running in the rain. This time, it was more of a sneeze than real rain falling down. Still, I prepared ahead of time and have these tips to share for running in the rain.

1. Wear a hat or visor. Keeps the rain out of your face and helps to be able to see.
2. Dress for the rain. Wear moisture-wicking clothes (especially socks) so you don’t end up soaked. Then change into dry clothes as soon as possible after your run.
3. Bag it. Stick your iPod/iPhone or other devices in a zip-top sandwich bag to protect them from the rain. The touchscreen will still work through the plastic.
4. Be aware of changing weather conditions. Remove one earbud or turn down your music to be more aware of your surroundings — and especially to listen for any rumbles of thunder.
5. Dry shoes out after running, Stuff newspaper in the shoes or place them near a fan to allow them to dry.

Do you run in the rain? What are your favorite weather conditions for a run?

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Hello, Hello Kitty (who, oddly, was wearing her bow on the wrong side of her head).

It’s Kitty, Hello Kitty. My mom and I brought her on a secret trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan, to meet the cat at a Hello Kitty Tea organized by the Bavarian Inn. The event included lunch and dessert, as well as a keepsake tea cup and saucer with a viola plant inside, balloon animals, and glitter tattoos. My daughter would have been happy just with meeting Hello Kitty. In fact, I think she was too excited to do much of anything else — especially eat lunch. (Don’t worry, she made up for it by eating her dessert — and mine. Ice cream counts as dairy, right?)

Hello Kitty coloring page, along with a keepsake teacup and saucer and a cute little plant.

After lunch, we waited in line for a few minutes for my daughter to get a glitter tattoo.

Getting a glitter Hello Kitty tattoo.

The two-hour event was more than enough time to eat and take part in the activities — in fact, some of the little girls attending (and it was all little girls and their moms/grandmoms, except for four or five dads) were able to get some extra hugs from Hello Kitty. Plus, it appeared that the strolling balloon artists finished up early so they started taking requests, and my daughter was able to snag a blue balloon dog to bring home to her little brother.

Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth Michigan.

Note: The tea wasn’t heavily publicized — my husband reached out to the Bavarian Inn after seeing an outdated listing for the tea on their  Events page. If you want to go to the tea, I suggest watching the page or contacting the restaurant directly for dates and times.

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Happiness is a warm Migun Thermal Automatic Far Infrared massage bed.

On the second floor of an unassuming office building in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is an oasis of natural healing. Natural Recharge Center offers services to reduce pain, stress, and inflammation, and to promote health and wellness for the body. I recently had the chance to meet its owners, David Sherman, Amy Wellein and Brad Kegebein, and undergo a Functional Movement Screening (FMS) test as part of my pre-half-marathon training.

What is a Functional Movement Screening? It’s a ranking and grading system that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function and finds weaknesses that might be making you overcompensate in other areas, thus causing pain or discomfort. Since I was feeling little discomfort at the time, save for a little soreness from the previous day’s run, I was fairly confident that I’d ace this test.

Here, Brad makes the hurdle step over test look easy.

I met Brad, Functional Movement Specialist, for the hour-long session at the newly expanded Natural Recharge Center (formerly MigunLiving) on West Maple near Telegraph Road. Brad took me back to the Functional Movement area, where we chatted about my current running regiment, the shoes I run in and how I refuel. He gave me a few tips about the Detroit Half-Marathon, having run it himself in the past (no passport required on the day of the race—phew!).

Then he led me through the FMS test, in which I performed three deep squats while holding a long measuring stick. Despite the soreness in my legs, the squats were easy enough. Next in the screening was the hurdle step-over task, in which I had to hold the stick behind my shoulders and step forward over a rubber band and back. This one was a little trickier and I found myself turning out my hip on one side, a telltale sign of tightness on that side.

Next came lunges, then a shoulder mobility screening that measured the distance between my fists when I put my arms behind my back, one over my shoulder and the other under. My low score couldn’t hide the shoulder tightness I’ve been having lately.

I did better on the straight leg raises, although not great – my hamstrings have been tight lately, too. Finally, it was time for one of my least-favorite exercises: push ups. I did two, a sign that my core strength could use some improvement.

Brad demonstrates high pulley exercise to loosen up my shoulders.

In all, I received a passing grade on the Functional Movement screen – and plenty of advice on how to strengthen my weaker areas (yes, this test came with homework!). Brad walked me through a few exercises that can help to loosen up the sore or tight spots and restore more mechanically sound movement,thus decreasing pain or avoiding injuries and improving my running. While the screening can be an analysis of movement, it can also be used to track progress and improvement. Brad can also monitor FMS scores and track progress of individuals as they do the exercises he suggests to build strength and restore proper movement.

Exterior of the Natural Recharge Center in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

After the FMS screening, I was ready to relax. I was led to the Migun Thermal Automatic Far Infrared massage beds, which provide gentle rolling pressure from head to toe. It took a few minutes to get used to the feeling, but I found my tension and stress melting away as I lay on the warm bed.

Special Offer and Grand Opening at Natural Recharge Center
The Natural Recharge Center is hosting a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony on May 14 from 4-7pm.

What’s more, they’re offering an exclusive offer to my readers, valid through May 31:

• Migun Bed Packages – An additional session added for each 5 sessions purchased. For example, purchase a 10 pack and get 2 free ($40 value).
• 10% off the purchase of a Massage Bed or Migun Mat.
• A Functional Movement Evaluation and training can be purchased for $45 (half off the $90 value).
• Laser LiteCure Packages – Any package purchased that was referred through this site can get an additional session for free ($85 value).

Disclosure: The Natural Recharge Center hosted me and provided services to me as a TweetTeam.com member. All opinions are my own.

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Exterior of the 2013 Chevy Malibu.

This is the Chevy Malibu. It isn’t really a mom car. I recently got to test drive it as part of a retreat I attended (Chevy was a sponsor) and found that it’s more of a comfortable-for-grown-ups car that has plenty of safety features and cool extras.

Getting in the car, I noticed how roomy the interior felt, both in the front for the driver and passenger and in the back. There’s room enough inside for a comfortable road trip, and the leather seats were comfortable without being too stiff.

Everything from the stereo controls to the cruise control is within easy reach – including my favorite feature, the MyLink panel.

Everything in easy reach including the Chevrolet MyLink panel.

The Chevrolet MyLink panel is a touch-screen display that lets the driver and passenger get directions, check the weather, and even make or answer calls if a smartphone is plugged in. An MP3 player or a flash drive loaded with music can also be plugged and played over the stereo system. And better yet, there’s a secret storage compartment behind the touch-screen where you can stash your sunglasses or wallet out of sight.

The interactive Chevrolet MyPanel has a secret storage compartment behind the 7-inch screen.

The MyPanel navigation can even find the cheapest gas – and tell you how to get there.

The Chevy Malibu has plenty of safety features, including the StabiliTrak^® Electronic Stability Control System to help with directional control in difficult driving conditions. Sensors continually monitor the path being steered and the direction the vehicle is actually turning. If StabiliTrak detects a difference, it applies pressure to the brakes of the appropriate wheel to help pull the vehicle back to the path being steered. The car also comes with six standard air bags.

The Malibu gets an EPA-estimated 34 miles per gallon.

Plenty of room for golf clubs – or strollers and kid gear – in the trunk.

But do all these safety features, roominess and a cool interactive touchscreen panel make it a “Mom car”? Or just a fun car to drive? I think it might be both!

The post Test Driving the Chevy Malibu appeared first on Working Traveling Mom.

But as soon as I start feeling better, I get this overwhelming need to cook for my family again. But instead of our usual semi-vegetarian, mostly organic, clean eating diet, I want something easy — but with a big payoff. Roasted chicken with smashed potatoes and broccoli was just the ticket — comfort food without the discomfort of standing around cooking all darn day.

Oven-Ready roast chicken after baking.

This wasn’t just any roasted chicken. As a BzzAgent, I get to sample new products in exchange for spreading the word about them — good or bad. This time around, I had a chance to try out Perdue’s Oven-Ready Roast Chicken, described as “Deliciously seasoned and ready to cook perfectly in a convenient cook-in bag, every PERDUE^® OVEN READY Roast is designed for no prep, no mess and easy clean-up.”

It was pretty darn easy — the chicken is already seasoned and ready to pop into the oven (just cut a small slit in the inner plastic bag to keep it from exploding) and, about two hours later, it was done.

Unfortunately, the sides of the chicken were a little too close to the bag, so the wings ended up stuck to the inside of the bag.

The cooked chicken in the bag.

The people at Purdue must know that, if you’re baking a chicken in a bag, you probably don’t make homemade gravy very often. And it’s true, I don’t (just ask my husband). The instructions on the side of the bag to make gravy were surprisingly easy to follow and made a deliciously seasoned gravy to go with the chicken.

Homemade chicken gravy – success!

Although I’m not a big fan of cooking meat in a bag, this chicken turned out tender and moist (even the white meat was moist), and the six-pound bird provided more than enough food for our family of four. Tomorrow night I’ll be making leftovers and then chicken stock with the bones.

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Disney World Yacht Club Resort exterior.

Guest rooms at the Yacht Club:

Disney World Yacht Club Resort guest room.

Yacht Club guest room bathroom.

My 6-year-old daughter would love the Tinkerbell shampoo and lotion.

I loved that my room — at the end of a hallway — had two side windows (as well as a balcony) and this cozy window seat.

My cozy window seat at the Yacht Club Resort.

The weather wasn’t quite warm enough to spend much time on the balcony.

Disney World Yacht Club Resort balconies.

Even the lamp has a nautical theme in the Yacht Club Resort guest room.

The resort has plenty of indoor and outdoor spots to sit and lounge, including patio chairs with designated smoking and nonsmoking areas.

Patio chairs at the Disney World Yacht Club Resort.

The back entrance of the hotel opens out to a walkway to the boardwalk, where guests can catch the boat to the other side of the lake, including Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Disney World Yacht Club Resort boardwalk.

Looking up through the slatted roof on Yacht Club patio.

Disclosure: I was hosted at the Yacht Club resort as part of a blogger retreat for TravelingMom. All opinions are my own.

The post Yacht Club Disney World Resort appeared first on Working Traveling Mom.

In Orlando, Fla., the flowers bloom every April and May at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. As part of a TravelingMom blogger retreat, I had the opportunity to wander the festival and was amazed by the topiaries that were both out in the open and tucked away into corners for visitors to find. Here are some of my favorites:

Mike and Sully of Disney Pixar’s “Monsters Inc.” bring Monsters University to Epcot.

Cinderella and Prince Charming dance at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Lady and the Tramp at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Simba of “The Lion King” is introduced at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Tow Mater brings Radiator Springs to the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Ca-chow! Lightning McQueen of Radiator Springs comes to the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Which one is your favorite? Thanks to my four-year-old, Lightning McQueen was the one I wanted to find the most – and was (of course) the hardest one to find.

This post is part of a promotion where goods or services were provided by Walt Disney World.

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No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Energy Bars

1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chia or flax seed
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Line the bottom and sides of a 9×9 or 11×7 baking dish with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan on low heat, melt the coconut oil, peanut butter and honey until smooth, stirring occasionally. Fold in remaining ingredients.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm. Remove parchment from pan and cut into bars.

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