See: The Secret Life of Pets

Combining some of our favorite cereals with a new fun summer movie about what our pets would say if they could talk….? COUNT US IN.

If you’re a regular reader, you’ve no doubt heard me mention that breakfasts are usually a challenge, as I’m sure it is in many households as well. Our breakfast is usually something that is grab-and-go (that I have undoubtedly prepared over the weekend), or something that is super simple. Like cereal.

Because although we might hit the snooze button a few too many times … and might race around the house looking for last minute items as we dash out the door … we can almost always eeek out a few minutes for a small bowl of cereal.

Both of my kids like cereal, but, of course, not the same kinds. Madeline likes Lucky Charms, but lets me eat the marshmallows, and Cheerios. Nick likes Cheerios as well, but a different kind than Madeline, and he also loves the occasional bowl of Cocoa Puffs.

Thank goodness for variety.

And now that select General Mills Big G cereals, namely Honey Nut Cheerios, Cheerios Multi Grain, Lucky Charms, Trix and Cocoa Puffs, are all carrying a special collectible character from the summer hit movie The Secret Life of Pets … well, it’s possible we’re going through cereal at a slightly faster pace than usual.

Because OF COURSE we need to collect all the different characters.

It’s quite possible I’ve caught Madeline acting out some of the funnier parts of the movie with her characters while downing her cereal.

Quite possible.

She’s already attached her favorite character, Max, onto her new school backpack already.

We love #BigGPets.

The folks at General Mills sent along cereal, and a cute little doghouse for Madeline to decorate, which was a fun activity on a rainy summer afternoon. Of which we’ve had more than a few of. Madeline went with the minimalist route with the paint, but went to town with metallic embellishments. Because tweens + gold = heaven.

Have you seen the movie yet? If so, you might have gotten attached to a character or two yourself.

Nick goes to the movies with his friends.

I take Maddie to the movies with her friends.

I go to the movies with my friends.

But it is rare that the three of us go to the movies together.

Mostly because to find a movie that isn’t too young for a teenager, yet isn’t too mature for an eight-year-old, and that isn’t insufferable for the parent… well, it’s like a unicorn.

So when a preview for The Secret Life of Pets flashed across the screen and both kids said they wanted to see it, we, of course, wasted no time getting tickets.

As long-time pet owners, we frequently wonder what our cats and dogs are thinking, and what they do when we’re not at home. The Secret Life of Pets movie brings all that to life.

The story is about city dweller, Max, who enjoys his life with his owner, Katie. His solo life, that is. And everything is fine until Duke gets added to the home. Max and Duke don’t get along at all, and Max does his best to get Duke in trouble. Unfortunately one thing leads to another and both dogs find themselves out on the street, fighting for their way home. Between trying to avoid over-zealous dog catchers and some less than nice other animals in the neighborhood, you’ll find yourself watching a cute and fun story that captures the attention of your whole family. There are many celebrity voices for the cast of characters – listen closely for Eric Stonestreet, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Dana Carvey, Albert Brooks, Lake Bell, and more luminaries.

Knowing that movie-goers would fall in love with Max, Duke, Gidget, and the rest of the gang, General Mills has created a collection of exclusive character collectibles, and you can find them in specially marked boxes of cereal. Cheerios and Lucky Charms are two stand-bys on our grocery list, so it was easy to add to our collection, and collecting each character from the cereal boxes is a sweet remembrance of a family afternoon at the movies.

You can check out this short little clip to see the characters in action, and see which collectibles are available.

All three of us enjoyed the movie, and it was a perfect summer outing.

PS For super fans, be sure to check out this fun celebrity dog video of one of the cast members.

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by General Mills via MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are all mine. Thank you for supporting the brands that support my family.