Sporty Dad takes on the Spartan Stadion at Wrigley Field

A few weeks ago my children and I ran the inaugural Spartan Stadion at Wrigley Field and had a blast. What makes a Stadion race different from a regular Spartan Race? Well let me tell you about it and our day in the "Friendly Confines". 

Ways to give on Giving Tuesday with Disney

Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with content for this post. Some links in this post are affiliate links. 

Giving Tuesday is a day that encourages people to do good and Disney has some awesome gift ideas that each purchase gives back to those in need. If you are looking to buy some Christmas gifts and help some great causes continue reading below. 

Black Friday Deals from Nintendo

As the holiday season approaches, families are looking for ways to spend more time together – shared experiences that create long-lasting memories. This Black Friday, Nintendo is offering a bundle that will provide those memories right out of the box! Starting on Nov. 28, select retailers will offer the bundle, which includes a Nintendo Switch system and a download code for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game, at a suggested retail price of only $299.99*. That’s the price of a Nintendo Switch system with a game for no extra cost!

With the multiplayer fun of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and two Joy-Con controllers included with the Nintendo Switch system, families can open the bundle and start playing together right away.

In addition to the bundle, several Nintendo Switch games will be available at a suggested retail price of only $39.99 each – that’s $20 off their regular suggested price. This software offer begins on Nov. 27 at participating retailers. Players looking to explore fantastic worlds or engage in some friendly competition with family and friends can take advantage of the $20 discount on games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Party, Splatoon 2, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Tennis Aces and Kirby Star Allies, among others.

“With Nintendo Switch, parents are not just giving a gift to their kids – they are providing fun for the whole family who loves to play together,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Families who have been waiting to pick up a Nintendo Switch system have the perfect opportunity on Black Friday to take advantage of one of our many offers and add some Nintendo fun to their holiday plans.”

Additional Black Friday offers include a pair of Joy-Con controllers (Gray or Neon Red & Neon Blue) at a suggested retail price of $59.99 ($20 off), and the Poké Ball Plus accessory to use with the Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! games (sold separately) at a suggested retail price of only $19.99 ($30 off). The Joy-Con offer starts on Nov. 27, with the Poké Ball Plus promotion beginning on Nov. 28 at participating retailers. For a full list of offers and participating retailers, visit https://happyholidays.nintendo.com/deals/.

With Nintendo Switch, anyone in the family can find something they are looking for – from traversing the beautiful island and trap-ridden dungeons of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, to embarking on a fantasy adventure that’s powered by real-life movements and exercise in Ring Fit Adventure, to exploring a haunted hotel and solving puzzles in Luigi’s Mansion 3.

And coming soon, Nintendo Switch owners can experience a new generation of Pokémon with the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games, launching on Nov. 15. Families can also fill their holiday season with some family-friendly fun by checking out the colorful adventure New Super Lucky’s Tale (read our review here) as well as the ultimate dance game Just Dance 2020 and sports party game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, both available now.

Nintendo Switch is also home to well-received games like Super Mario Maker 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, all of which can be enjoyed together with the entire family. And any game that is compatible with Handheld mode can also be played on the recently released Nintendo Switch Lite system. Nintendo Switch Lite is a dedicated handheld system that’s ideal for people who have lots of opportunities to play on the go. It’s also a great option for families who want a choice of a Nintendo Switch system that fits their play styles.

To see what Nintendo has to offer this holiday season, visit the Nintendo Holiday Gift Guide at https://happyholidays.nintendo.com/deals/.

Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/.

BLUE MAN GROUP & ANDY WARHOL — FROM A TO B AND BACK AGAIN Ticket Package now Available

Blue Man Group is thrilled to debut a new ticket package in partnership with Andy Warhol – From A to B and Back Again, on view now through January 26, 2020 at the Art Institute of Chicago. The special ticket package is $79 and includes a main floor seat to Blue Man Group at Chicago’s Briar Street Theatre and a FastPass admission ticket to the Art Institute including a pass to the Warhol exhibition. New Limited-Time-Only Package Available Through January 23, 2020.

Andy Warhol – From A to B and Back Again is a penetrating and panoramic look at an artist whose "15 minutes" endure. This major retrospective--the first to be organized by a US institution (Whitney Museum of American Art) in 30 years--builds on the wealth of new research, scholarship, and perspectives that has emerged since Andy Warhol's early death at age 58 in 1987. More than 400 works on view offer a new view of the beloved and iconic American Pop artist, not only illuminating the breadth, depth, and interconnectedness of Warhol's production across the entirety of his career but also highlighting the ways that he anticipated the issues, effects, and pace of today’s digital age.

Blue Man Group ticket buyers are invited to use code WARHOL when purchasing full price Blue Man Group Chicago tickets to receive an equal number of FastPass admission and Andy Warhol – From A to B and Back Again exhibition passes at the Art Institute of Chicago.  Art Institute tickets must be picked up at the Briar Street Theatre box office and do not need to be used on the same day as the Blue Man Group performance.

Make way for The Peanut Butter Falcon

Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with a review copy of The Peanut Butter Falcon for this post. All thoughts, opinions, and attempted wrestling moves are our own. 

There is a scene in The Peanut Butter Falcon where Shia LeBeouf's character is talking to Zach Gottsagen about good guys and bad guys. Zach thinks he is a bad guy and that he can not be a hero because he has Downs Syndrome, but Shia's character Tyler tells him. "What's that have to do with your heart? You have a good guy heart." This might seem like just a conversation between two "road dogs" on the run, but it shows that Tyler doesn't see Zach as a Downs Syndrome person, he sees him as a person. 

Chill out with the arrival of Angry Birds 2

Disclaimer: The Fandads received a review copy of Angry Birds 2 in exchange for a review. All thoughts, opinions, and tears of laughter are our own. 

Angry Birds was one of the many movies that we planned to see in the theaters but never had the chance to go see it. The movie slipped our radar when it was released on home video and next thing we knew part two was released. Thanks to our friends from Sony we received a review copy of the movie and my children and I really enjoyed it.

Are you ready for Battle...Death Battle!, that is!

Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with a review copy of Death Battle! in exchange for a review. All thoughts, opinions, and hours of laughter and being defeated by my daughter are our own. 

At Fandads HQ were are always looking for fun games to play as a family or games that we can play one-on-one with our children. Lately, we have been playing a lot of classic family games and I wanted to delve into a new category of games to play. Fandad Gil plays Magic: the Gathering and always wanted me to join him, but card games were not really my thing.

Nowadays, tabletop card games are huge and I do play a few of them, but we were giving the opportunity to try something new based on a Youtube series that we have watched and enjoyed a few times: Death Battle!.