FTC Disclaimer: As a Central Arkansas McDonald’s ambassador, posts like this are sponsored. However, opinions are 100% my own.
Here’s one thing you may not know about me: I have hypothyroidism. Actually, I don’t have a thyroid at all. I had it removed back in January of 2009. Just a few short days before Obama’s inauguration (I actually have a pretty hilarious story about that time period – I may share it one day). Prior to the treatment, I was always hot. I LOVED the cold. I always had the thermostat set as high as it could go and could go out in the middle of winter with no coat on whatsoever. I never really thought much of it. Didn’t realize it was a symptom of something that was wrong with my body. I just thought that was the way I was. But it turns out it was related to having an overactive thyroid.
Once I had my thyroid removed, the tables turned completely. Over time, I became more and more sensitive to the cold. Now I can’t stand it! Winter, for me, is unbearable and I hate stepping foot outside for longer than a few minutes.
The thing is, I have a son who is VERY active. His occupational therapist says that he has a very high energy threshold and needs a way to burn a lot of energy every single day. So a lot of the time, I have to suck it up and go in the backyard with him and Luna Lovegood (our puppy), so that they can run around for a while. However, some days, it is just way too cold to do even that.
But Christian still needs to burn energy. Trust me, if he doesn’t get the opportunity, he becomes super antsy, lol.
Fortunately, we live right down the street from McDonald’s and it has a Play Place. It’s our go-to spot for those days when the weather doesn’t really permit us to stay outside for too long (we also go in the dead of summer when it gets in the 90’s because, ironically, he overheats quickly).
The reasons we love going to McDonald’s are:
The food is affordable
I feel a bit weird going into a business to utilize their premises without buying something from them, so I always end up buying at least one thing for us to eat. With prices as low as $1, they have options that fit any budget. I can always find something for us while feeling like I’m not breaking the bank.
We like the food
Christian’s favorite meal is a Happy Meal with a cheeseburger, fries, Gogurt, and juice box. His favorite snack is the Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait. For me, I am happy with pretty much anything, but I love sitting down with a hot cup of coffee- any time of day. But mostly, I like that I can get a tiny break from cooking. I enjoy cooking most days. It’s a hobby of mine. But sometimes it’s nice for someone else to do the cooking for you.
The Play Place is enclosed
Personally, I like that the play place is enclosed. There are only two exits. One leads into the main part of the restaurant and the other is an emergency exit. This means that the possibilities of a child wandering out of the building without being noticed is not very likely. I don’t think Christian would ever do that, but the mom in me still appreciates those safety measures.
There are always other kids there
Apparently, I am not the only person who loves the Play Place because I can’t think of a single time we have gone when there wasn’t at least one other family there. This means that Christian, who is an only child, always ends up finding someone to play with when we go there. He’s made a few friends that way.
They have free wi-fi
Another reason I love going is that McDonald’s has free wi-fi, so I can pack up my laptop and bring it with me so that I can get a little work done while Christian plays. I like to call these my “McDonald’s Work Days”.
So, the next time you guys are stuck in the house because it’s just too cold outside, but the kids need to burn off some energy, pile them in the car, and drive to your nearest McDonald’s Play Place. If you live in Central Arkansas, you might just run into me, lol.
Use our location finder to see if there’s a Play Place near you!
