The Fourth of July is a day that’s filled with fun, fireworks and food for my family, but it doesn’t have to be fattening.

The folks at Frito-Lay sent along some tips for a healthier 4th of July menu that I am taking to heart, and maybe they’ll help you, too:

1. First, lighten up your dips. Sabra Hummus or Tostitos Salsa can be healthier alternatives to many mayo or sour cream-laden recipes. I’m going to try this recipe for Fresh Cucumber Dip, which uses yogurt. Frito-Lay says it’s great with Lays Classic potato chips:

• 1 cucumber, shredded
• 1 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• Salt to taste

• Directions: Mix together in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

BONUS: You can also use these dips as a healthier way to jazz up your burger and brat toppings — great substitutes for mayo and BBQ sauce!

2. Bring whole grains to your holiday table. Here are some easy ways to make whole grain a hit at your party:

• When serving up your dogs and burgers, choose whole grain buns – they’re just as good and a great way to sneak in those whole grains.
• Try a side of SunChips multigrain snacks, with 18 grams of whole grains in every 1-oz. serving.
• If you’re into dipping, try pairing Tostitos Scoops! tortilla chips, which have 8 grams of whole grains in every 1-oz. serving, with this Chipotle Salsa:

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 ½ tbsp chipotle chilies chopped
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 jar Tostitos® Salsa
• Directions: Mix together and chill before serving.

3. Downsize Your Dish – When sitting down to enjoy your barbecue, swap your 12-inch plate for a 10-inch plate—you’ll have less space to pile on the calories. Aim to fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with whole grains and a quarter with lean protein (meat, chicken, fish, shellfish).

Win it!

Frito-Lay is offering one lucky Theme Park Mom winner a patriotic prize pack.

To enter:

Leave a comment here telling me how you eat healthier at family gatherings.

Bonus entries:

You may enter the giveaway multiple times by doing the following. Leave a comment for each:

• Tell me what your favorite Frito-Lay snack is.
• Follow me on Twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway. “Win a Frito-Lay prize pack from @themeparkmom: http://bit.ly/boMuYW “

Prize drawing

This giveaway will end at 9 p.m. Eastern on July 9, 2010. I will use the random number generator at Random.org to draw the winning comment, and announce the winner with an update on this post.

My personal favorite is “I don’t buy green bananas.” It’s her way of saying we don’t know what tomorrow holds, and we don’t know if we’ll be around long enough for the bananas to ripen.

When my daughter was peeing in her pantspotty-training, I heard another “Nana-ism” that she uses on all parents of preschool-age kids: “No kid ever went to kindergarten wearing diapers.”

And she was right. My daughter did eventually learn to use the potty. But during that time, Huggies Pull-Ups became a staple in our house. My daughter could pull them up and down herself when she went to the bathroom, and they kept her clothing dry without leaking when she didn’t make it in time.

This summer, Pull-Ups Learning Designs training pants are featuring some familiar characters to Disney fans – Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story 3 for boys and Tiana from Princess and the Frog for girls. There are some great tools online – like coloring pages, calendars and reward stickers – at Disney.com/BigKid to make starting the potty-training adventure more fun.

And packages of Pull-Ups even have a code that you can enter online to get a phone call from Woody or Tiana.

Giveaway!

Pull-Ups has provided me with a great prize pack for one lucky ThemeParkMom.com reader! Here’s what I have to giveaway:

• $50 AMEX gift card (so you can stock up on new Pull-Ups – while supplies last – and everything else you need to get started)
• Custom CD Rewards Tracker (to help track training progress)
• Big Kid Central Potty Training Success DVD (with techniques, tips, songs and games to help you and your child succeed)
• Toy Story 2 DVD and Princess and the Frog DVD
• Two coupons for FREE Pull-Ups

How to Enter

Leave a comment on this post telling me which of the characters (Toy Story or Princess and the Frog) your kids (or you!) love the best. (This is required to enter the contest.)

Extra Entries

After your initial entries, you can earn extra entries by doing any or all of the following. You must leave a separate comment for each extra entry you do. (These can say things like “I followed Pull-Ups on Twitter” or “I tweeted about this giveaway.”)

• Follow Pull-Ups on Twitter.
• Like Pull-Ups on Facebook.
• Follow ThemeParkMom on Twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway: “Enter to win a Toy Story 3 Pull-Ups prize pack at @themeparkmom’s blog: http://bit.ly/dgBSoC “

Winners

This giveaway will end at 9 p.m. Eastern on Monday, July 5. I will draw the winning comment using the random number generator at Random.org and post the winner as an update to this blog post. I will notify the winner by e-mail.

Pull-Ups® training pants provided me with product coupons to try out the new Learning Designs Pull-Ups® with Toy Story 3/Princess and the Frog characters. However, my opinions are entirely my own, and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards Pull-Ups® products.

That’s why we were so excited to be guests at a private screening of the movie this weekend at Downtown Disney near Orlando.

Our day started bright and early with breakfast at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort. Then, all of the sudden, the place was invaded by Green Army Men.

They divided us into platoons and loaded us onto boats for a short ride to the theaters at Downtown Disney.

On the way there, one Green Army Man treated us to an impromptu dance to Miley Cyrus’s hit “Party in the USA.” When the song started, he announced, “This is my jam,” and here’s what happened next:

Once we arrived at Downtown Disney, we were marched off the boat and into the theater, where all cameras and recording devices had to be checked with a security guard. Security was very tight, we were wanded to be sure we weren’t hiding any cameras.

Finally, we were in and the show started.

The previews were for three upcoming Disney films: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice starring Nicholas Cage, Tron: Legacy (3-D preview) and Tangled (3-D preview).

Then it was on to a new Pixar short called Night & Day. It’s about a couple of very different guys who eventually discover what they have in common and become great friends. Sound familiar? It was a great treat before the movie, as the Pixar shorts always are.

And then, it was time for the main event. I won’t post any spoilers here, but I will say that I think the movie is just about perfect, as far as trilogy endings go.

I was worried that it would not do justice to the Toy Story legacy and that I would be disappointed, but I was not disappointed at all.

There were big laughs and lots of spontaneous applause from the nearly full theater I was in. And everyone in my family was riveted.

Toy Story 3 is true to the original characters, and the new characters who are introduced are terrific. The characterization of Ken as a wardrobe-obsessed metrosexual who doesn’t understand why people think he’s a girl toy is just great. Ken should get his own spin-off movie.

And the ending? The ending was perfect – a twist I didn’t see coming that made it happy and poignant. I will admit to tearing up a little.

Everyone I talked to loved the movie. It was great fun for the whole family, with plenty of giggles for adults and little kids.

Toy Story 3 opens June 18.

The music will last all day on two stages and includes many more acts. Tickets are $15 plus park admission. Discounted admission is available if you buy in advance online, so check out the links to the two park’s Web sites above and get them before you get to the gate.

While you are at the Bamboozle Roadshow, be sure to look for this tent:

That’s the Coke “Swelter Stopper” tent, and it’s going to be a cool respite from the Memorial Day weekend heat at the theme parks.

Inside, you can chill out with ice-cold Coca-Cola and a DJ.

Now, that DJ is key, because throughout the day, concertgoers can win Bamboozle Roadshow meet-and-greet passes by answering random questions the DJ asks. The questions will be based on the info provided by Coca-Cola below, so study it now so that you can win:

Many of the factors that make a summer concert so awesome – the warm weather, bright sun and dancing – can take a lot out of someone. Enter “Swelter Stopper” – one of Coke’s secret ingredients that, when combined with the others, make Coke the uplifting refreshment that it is.

To help concert goers make it from the opening to closing acts, Coke will have the “Swelter Stopper” experience stocked with ice-cold Coca-Cola.  Get refreshed with blasts of frosty air, snow falling, and a delicious Coke from the perfect serve sampling bar, along with uplifting interactive games, a DJ and a photo station.  Once their “Swelter Stopper” experience ends, they’ll be ready for crowd surfing at the main stage.

To give you a better idea about what it’s like inside, you can check out some of the images taken from previous events: http://www.flickr.com/photos/coca-cola/

For more details about Coca-Cola’s Secret Ingredient Formula, please go here: www.MyCoke.com

And TODAY, you can win tickets to the Bamboozle Roadshow right here! Coca-Cola is giving away a pair of tickets to the concert at either Six Flags Over Texas (on Saturday) or Six Flags Fiesta Texas (on Sunday) – your choice!

To enter, just leave a comment below, telling me which act you most want to see at the Bamboozle Roadshow. But hurry! Entries will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern tonight!

Because the concert is happening this weekend, I will be notifying the winner overnight tonight, and you will have to get back to me by noon Eastern on Friday, May 28 to win.

Disclosure notice: This prize was provided by The Coca-Cola Company.  The Coca-Cola Company is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this giveaway.

UPDATE: We have a winner! Comment No. 8 was the winning number, according to Random.org. So, Stephanie Shaffer will be going to see Good Charlotte and all the other bands this weekend!

But if you have kids, you’re probably more interested in family entertainment than in romantic strolls. Fortunately, San Antonio delivers family fun in spades, too.

The San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau has teamed up with local businesses to form the San Antonio Vacation Experience or SAVE. What does SAVE do? Save you money, of course!

Register online with SAVE to get special discount offers from hotels and attractions, as well as updates on all of the happenings around town. Or you can sign up to receive a SAVE brochure and some money-saving coupons.

So, what would my ideal family weekend in San Antonio be like? I would visit all the great theme parks there, of course!

Six Flags Fiesta Texas has Wiggles World for the little ones, plenty of family rides for everyone and Poltergeist and Scream for the real thrillseekers in your family.

SeaWorld San Antonio is known for its animal interaction and family favorite Shamu. But this theme park also provides plenty of thrills with coasters like the Great White and Steel Eel. And be sure to ride the Shamu Express, a junior coaster the whole family can enjoy.

I would definitely pack the family’s swimsuits for our San Antonio weekend, because San Antonio has plenty of water slides and splash playgrounds, too. At Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, there are 40 water rides, including three uphill water coasters. There are seven — that’s right, I said seven — children’s water playgrounds, too.

And those swimsuits would also come in handy at Splashtown San Antonio. Splashtown has more than 50 rides and attractions, and its located just north of downtown.

Wouldn’t you have a fun weekend exploring all those parks? Well, guess what? You can. I have teamed up with SAVE to be a part of their San Antonio SAVE Summer Sweepstakes. One lucky Theme Park Mom reader is going to win a fun family weekend in Texas, with passes for four to ALL of the theme parks and water parks mentioned above, as well as a 2-night stay at the Historic Menger Hotel.

The Menger Hotel was built in 1859. No wonder it has “Historic” in its name. This elegant place is right next to the Alamo, and it has hosted many famous guests including President Theodore Roosevelt, Babe Ruth and Mae West.

Here’s how to enter:

• Just leave a comment on this post telling me which San Antonio theme park mentioned above you would most like to visit.

You can earn 2 extra entries by doing the following (leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

• Tweet about this giveaway.
• Share this blog post on Facebook.

Entries must be received by 9 p.m. on May 31, 2010. The winning entry will be drawn through Random.org. The winner will be notified by e-mail. The winner will have 3 days to respond with contact information, or the prize will be forfeited and another winner will be drawn.

And the fine print: Winners must be at least 21 years old and legal residents of the United States. Residents of the San Antonio Metropolitan Area are not eligible to win.

By the way, several other great family travel blogs are running their own San Antonion SAVE Summer Sweepstakes, each with a different prize. Be sure to enter the rest of the drawings to increase your chances of winning!

UPDATE: We have a winner! The winning comment, chosen at Random.org, was No. 96, Dung Nguyen! Congratulations!

Chubby’s show had lots of audience participation, as he made his way through the crowd, dancing with the audience and inviting folks to join him on stage. The Theme Park Dad and Theme Park Kid got to do the twist with him. How many people can say that?! They were both thrilled.

It’s time to say goodbye to the Flower Power concerts, topiaries and — our family favorite — the playgrounds of the Flower and Garden Festival. At least we have the Sounds Like Summer concerts to look forward to.

Star Wars fans are going to have to say goodbye soon, too, to the original Star Tours storyline at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. Over at Gadling, I wrote about the closing dates and a special party Walt Disney World is throwing:

• Disney announces closing date for Star Wars rides at Disneyland, Walt Disney World

Also at Gadling.com this week:

• Disney’s new Animation-themed resort reflects success of two recent hotel trends
• Grand Ole Opry’s famed circle survives Nashville flooding
• A taste of Cleveland: Shopping the historic West Side Market
• Panama City Beach, Florida, puts a guarantee on fun, despite oil spill
• Cedar Point delays opening of new water coaster Shoot the Rapids
• Luxe savings in Florida: New summer discount packages at One Ocean Resort
• Legoland California Water Park prepares for May 28 opening
• Holiday World “auctions” staff members for charity
• Dream bachelor party trip: Watch Major League Baseball from the FanCave

Have you heard about the San Antonio Vacation Experience giveaways? There are 12 great Texas summer vacations up for grabs this week and next. Head over to Traveling Mamas to enter to win a 2-night stay at San Antonio’s awesome Riverwalk and passes to the San Antonio Botanical Garden, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and several other attractions there.

And be sure to come back here next week, when I will be giving away my own San Antonio vacation package.

After you’ve entered the San Antonio giveaways, check out my post about Traveling Mamas this week. I’m all for fun spa treatments for kids, but I got a press release from a spa that is trying to convince parents that their kids need massage therapy. So, I did a little venting:

• And now, a segment we like to call ‘Really? with ThemeParkMom’

This week is the International Pow Wow in Orlando. It’s a huge convention where International buyers of travel, like travel agents and the folks who arrange guided tours and such, converge on Orlando to learn more about U.S. destinations and, hopefully, make plans to bring folks from around the globe to the United States. I will be there to cover the action and learn as much as I can to share with you.

Rayovac and Disney have teamed up to give away a 5-day, 4-night vacation for four to the winner’s choice of either Walt Disney World or Disneyland. It’s called the Rayovac Powers Your Vacation-Magic Wand sweepstakes, and you can enter online now through July 31.

Rayovac batteries are sold at Disney Parks to power all kinds of vacation necessities, such as digital and video cameras, and even Molly’s Magic Wand:

You can increase your chances of winning a great prize from Rayovac by attending the #Rayovac Powers Your Vacation Twitter event on Wednesday, May 19. The event will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Central time. More than 20 prizes will be awarded, including Disney gift cards and a summer supply of Rayovac batteries.

If you’ve never attended a Twitter event, it’s easy to participate. Just log into your Twitter account during the appointed time and be sure you are following @Rayovac_Battery, @MomTalkRadio and @CirclePRMary. Look for the hashtag #rayovac and be sure to include it in your posts to be eligible for prizes. It is usually easier to follow a Twitter event through a third-party interface, such as Tweetdeck.

Even if you can’t attend the Twitter event, don’t forget to enter the Rayovac Powers Your Vacation-Magic Wand sweepstakes. The prize includes airfare, lodging, Disney Parks tickets and even a gift card for food and souvenirs.

As I learned last summer, real people do win these contests. But you can’t win if you don’t enter!

I was caught on the TV news this week, talking about Busch Gardens’ Sesame Street Safari of Fun with SNN Local News 6 anchor Adrienne Stein:

While I was away from my home state for most of the week, my mind never wandered far from what was happening with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Some of you may be wondering how the oil spill will affect your vacation this summer, and my colleague Shannon Hurst-Lane has some great insights at Traveling Mamas:

• Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill – How it will affect your Gulf Coast beach vacation and ways you can help

Also at Traveling Mamas, I wrote about the new water park resort in Orlando, CoCo Key:

• New family lodging option in Orlando: CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort

And at Gadling:

• Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort to be closed for months after floodwaters rise
• SeaWorld offers $5 admission for kids
• Nashville landmarks remain closed after historic flooding
• Alton Towers theme park offers free mullets and perms for employees
• Riders stuck hanging upside down on U.K. coaster
• Disney Parks testing new, talking Mickey Mouse for character greetings
• Universal Orlando announces summer concert series

I *think* I’m going to be home, catching up on work and writing, all week this week. Have you taken your kids to the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival yet? This is the last week to go. I’ve got some tips here if you’re planning a last-minute trip.

Last year, Macy’s and Disney teamed up to give a mom from every state a dream vacation to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the Macy’s Celebrate Mom sweepstakes. I was privileged to join these moms on the Florida leg of their magical trip. On the final night, Macy’s and Disney threw a Celebration Dinner at the Wonders of Life Pavilion in EPCOT.

The mistress of ceremonies for the evening was Mother Nature, who shared some funny insights into the full-time job we call motherhood. So, in honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to share some of Mother Nature’s wisdom:

Children are a great comfort in your old age, and they help you reach it faster.

A sweater is a garment worn by a child when his mother is chilly.

If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll have to be a horrible warning.

When all else fails, try laughter.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!