For Valentine’s Day, we decided to do something special for our kids.  The last 6 weeks have been more difficult since mommy is on bed rest.  They do not quite understand it and so anything we can do to make this time special is what we are trying to do.  What I thought was simple became a huge deal to my kids.  Dylan and I decided that we would set up Tony’s Restaurant from the love scene in Lady and the Tramp.  (I can’t take credit for this idea because a PR rep actually pitched it to me.)

I was suppose to receive a Lady and the Tramp kit with paper products, the lantern that you see above, and some coloring pages.  These didn’t arrive in time for Valentine’s Day so we decided to create it ourselves.  The adorable lantern above can be found at DisneyFamily.com.  I printed it and it took me about 5 minutes to put together.

I also printed out this fun coloring page and maze for a place mat and added a few crayons to the side.  I turned off the lights and lit a candle.  The mood was set.

The kids immediately went to their chairs and began coloring.  Gracie just kept saying “This is for us?  We have never done this before.  Can we do it again?”  This little 4 year old babbled the whole dinner time about how much she liked it.  Gabriel took some time getting used to the candle and no light over ahead (he liked predictable).

Dinner was brought out and it was just a simple spaghetti and meatballs that I helped my husband create from my chair.  It literally took us 5 minutes to throw the sauce, seasonings, and frozen meatballs in the crock pot to simmer all day.  Both my kids ate all their dinner with no complaint – in fact, with much more gusto than normal.  If I had known that all it took was a candle, a few crayons, and a few simple decorations to make my kids night – I would have done before.  My husband even commented on how special this small dinner had made him feel.  It was very much like having a restaurant in our home.  We finished the night off with watching just the spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp and the kids loved it.  My kids aren’t quite ready for the full movie but this small scene was so fun for them.

If you would like to create this same meal for your family, you can find the Lady and the Tramp downloads here.

Win It!!

One Empowering Mommy is able to win their own copy of the new Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition blu ray and DVD combo!

1.  Leave me a comment telling me your favorite dinner with your family.  Do this one first.

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This giveaway ends February 25, 2012 at 12:oopm PST and is open to the US only. Make sure that you leave your email address in each comment. Leave a separate comment for every entry that you make so that these will count for you! Have fun and I look forward to announcing the winners of this great giveaway!

Disclosure:  I was sent a product free of charge for this review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the sponsor.