Sunday, January 31, 2016

Daddy Daughter Date Night at Chick Fil A Foothill Ranch

Daddy Daughter Date Night at Chick Fil A Foothill Ranch!


We Love Chik Fil A!

Have you ever stopped by Chick Fil A for one of their community events or family nights? If not, I suggest you check one out at your local CFA soon. 

One of our family favorites is the Daddy Daughter Date Night that our local Chick Fil A in Foothill Ranch. My father has taken my daughter as Grandpa standing in and my hubs has taken her int he past as well with other dads as a fun evening out. 

Celebrate Irvine Park RR's 20th Anniversary! GIVEAWAY

Happy 20th Anniversary +IrvineParkRailroad !


Are you ready to celebrate with Irvine Park RR? This year they will be celebrating their 20th anniversary and we will be there to enjoy all the festivities with them. 

Come out and celebrate on Saturday February 20th and Sunday the 21st. That weekend, they will be dropping their prices to the original prices from 1996, just $2 a ticket. 
Get all the details on how many tickets each activity will be HERE.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Opening Locations In South County

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ TO OPEN FIRST LOCATIONS IN CALIFORNIA 

Leading Fast Casual Café Brings Better-for-you Food and Smoothies to Southern California in Mid-January
Sunrise Sunset Smoothie - PC TSC 
ATLANTA (Jan. 5, 2016) – Tropical Smoothie Café, the leading fast casual café concept known for its better-for-you food and smoothies with a tropical twist, announced today it will open its first restaurant in Lake Forest, Calif., in mid-January. This is part of the brand’s aggressive franchise development plans for the state, which includes future locations in Rancho Cucamonga, Foothill Ranch, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch, Fountain Valley, Orange and Rancho Santa Margarita. Over the next five years, the food and smoothie franchise will open nearly two dozen cafés throughout Southern California.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Green Clean Cleaners Door to Door Service is Amazing

Yes please, Do my Laundry for me!

It's the new year and with the new year comes all sorts of new activities, crazy fun schedules and daily challenges with no extra time to fit them all into the day.

Right at the end of the year our washer machine broke and it was not something we could replace so I've been taking loads and washing them and then coming home enjoying them but sometimes you just run out of time for that too especially when its not in one place.

Around that time my kids were also battling that nasty flu that is going around and a few weeks later I myself got sick too. So when Dru from Green Clean Cleaners and I talked about her door-to-door laundry service the timing couldn't have been more perfect for me.

I have never used a cleaning service or been to the cleaners aside from getting my pants hemmed once so this was a totally new experience for me and let me just tell you before I dive into the process how amazing it really was and I'm a first timer sold on this awesome service.

So here's the scoop everything is so personalized with this family that owns this cleaners that we actually became instant friends because of the amazing customer service and just friendly personality that Dru and her family have.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Valentine's Mason Jar Gift Idea

Valentine's Craft Ideas with Mason Jars and some Creativity 

It's always fun to get a little creative with gifts especially around Valentine's!

We love to bake and make so for us these Mason Jars come in handy all year round but are super cute to stuff with fun or yummies.

We got the idea from a craft we were shown at Orchard Supply Hardware last year.

We got all of our supplies at OSH and Michael's. Always download the apps and use the discounts to save.

Here are the steps we took to create these, we will be doing this again this year and filling them with some sweet treats we make!


Stick your stickers on where you want them
When done with stickers, turn upside down and evenly spray with the color of your choice, then let dry.


Thank you! 


Will Need:
Mason Jars
Spray Paint Color of Choice
Stickers of Choice
Ribbon for top decor
and 
Something to set jar on while spraying and drying


Here are a few more to show off some of the fun we had with different stickers and colors! Personalize each Mason Jar with the colors and stickers you know your loved ones will like.

We were having so much fun we made a few extras!

        

 We always have so much fun doing this DIY craft, it will be a favorite of ours forever! I love that it can be changed up with stickers to accommodate any occasion.  

The Cost was under $15 for 10 mason jars, multiple stickers, two colors of paint in small jars and some clearance ribbon. Used coupons on the apps for Michael's.

Another fun time spent with my kiddos making something for someone else... WE LOVE IT!


#Craft #DIY #MasonJar #SprayPaintMasonJars #ThankYouGifts #DoItYourselfAtHome #MasonJarCraft #TeacherGifts  #WeddingDecor #OCMomBlogger #KidsFun #FunAtHomeWithKids #Gifts #HomemadeGifts #madewithMichaels #OrchardSupply 

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Festival Of Whales Coming to Dana Point March 2016

Ahoy! The Dana Point Festival of Whales will be here for two weekends in March!


Thar she blows!!!! Just look for the water spray - that is how to spot a whale out at sea while whale watching. 

On March 5th and 6th and then again on March 12th and 13th Dana Point will host the 45th annual Dan Point Festival of Whales. 

This is so nostalgic for me. As a kid into my teens we would go with my parents to Dana Point to catch as many of the seasonal festivities they put on. This one was not to be missed. 

I can not wait to keep this tradition alive again this year with my own family. 

We love that there is always art, music, entertainment, food and much more to enjoy with our family and friends. You can see all the details of the entertainment line up and more here.

There are even special contests you can enter... ready to make and race your own Dingy... enter here!

Be sure to book your 2 hour Whale Watching tour and you can do that pre event on line here. There is a $15 8am trip special for all 8am trips out! That is a whale of a deal..hehe!

Follow along with the Dana Point Festival of Whales on their social media - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Our Top 5 things not to miss at the Dana Point Festival Of Whales:

* Whale Watching - anytime is awesome but I have always heard earlier the better in the day. 

* Arts and Culture - so many vendors to see that have brought home made and personalized art to Dana Point for years. Each piece of art has a story of Dana Point Whale Festival history and depth. 

* Classic Car Displays - Who doesn't love a classic car?! We sure do. My dad always loved to take us to see and smell the original leather of a classic. He has a Packard so for us this is a sight seeing must do.   

* Music and Food - this goes hand in hand for us, much like the Ships festival and the Blues festival the music and food just pair well together. Take a moment to enjoy the sounds while you fill your belly with seafood and more. 
Dana Point Festival of Whales Parade
* Sand Sculpting and Parade - we usually check out one before the other and work up our appetite for the music and food. 

Two things we want to check out and maybe try out this year:

* Stand up and Paddle boat clinics. I have always wanted to try both. This may just be my opportunity to get a foot out on the water on the stand up paddle board! Exciting!!

* Movie in the Park - March 5th the Dana Point Festival of Whales will show Free Willy - Escape from Pirates Cove. We can not wait to see the movie under the stars with free popcorn too. Details here.

Doheny State Beach has campground and much more all year round to accommodate the festival fun for weekends long. Get more details on the fun you can have all year here and get all the details on the Whale Walk too. The Whale Walk is where a new painting will go up among those already on display. You can help paint it on March 6th from 9am to 2pm. 

What are you most excited about? We can not wait to attend, we just can't decide what weekend to get out there so it may just be all 4 days for us!

The best part about the event... there will be a FREE SHUTTLE to get you from one fun spot to the other, so don't worry about if and how, it will be easy to navigate to everything! 

Follow along on social media for more details as we get closer to the event.

Tag #FestivalOfWhales on social media to show your support and the fun you will have!

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Orange County Welcomes Cavalia Odysseo Equestrian Magnificence

Cavalia Odysseo Brings Equestrian Ballet to Orange County 

 

We have heard that Cavalia Odysseo is like watching horses perform a ballet! 

I have never seen this show but I can not describe how excited I am to take my family and watch in amazement. 

Odysseo is knows as the worlds largest touring production. With a high tech theatrical performance, Odysseo combines stage with equestrian arts for a magnificent performance for all ages to enjoy!

With 65 horses ranging over 12 breeds the show is unique in every way imaginable. Are you ready for an Epic and Soulful experience?! We are and I can not wait to see how my son and daughter both enjoy this in their own special ways. 

Top 5 things we are looking forward to:

* The variety of horse breeds that we will see under one bit white spectacular tent!

* The Equestrian Arts that the horses are able to put on for us all. 

* The theatrical performances of the actors and horses combined.

* How sensory friendly this will be for my son. My daughter will love it since she has been a horse lover since birth and has been talking about this show for weeks. 

* Eager to see the powerful technology that bring human and horse together in a mesmerizing performance. 

The Show will run from opening day February 3rd to closing day February 28th.... you can see all the show times, dates, details and buy tickets here
PC Cavalia Odysseo
Follow along on +Cavalia/ Odysseo social media pages. Instagram Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates and show discounts. 

Come back for our full review of the show after February 6th! 

Friday, January 15, 2016

You Can Win an Invite to see “The LEGO® Movie™ 4D A New Adventure” at Legoland CA

New Lego Movie is coming out - 
“The LEGO® Movie™ 4D A New Adventure”
LEGO_4D_2_1200x900.jpg
PC Legoland Ca
We love Legos, Legoland and all of the fun that comes along with the moves. Why? Cause "Everything is Awesome"

We are so excited for the new Lego movie to come out. Do your kids love Lego too?

You can enter to win an invitation to see the movie at Legoland in California. 

Here are the deets:
* LEGOLAND® California Resort is hosting an exclusive preview to its newest attraction “The LEGO® Movie 4D A New Adventure” on February 4, 2016 for media, special guests, and one lucky family! Enter the video contest “A New Adventure” between January 11 – January 28, 2016 for your chance to be part of the red carpet excitement!

* What to do? Just make a one minute or less video showing Legoland the joy and excitement associated with trying something new – whether it is the first time riding a roller coaster, traveling to a new destination, or eating a new kind of food. 

* How to enter? Have a Facebook or Twitter account? If so, then submitting your video entry is easy! To submit your entry on Facebook, simply post your one minute or less video on the LEGOLAND California Facebook wall and include the tag #My4DAdventure in the status. To submit your entry on Twitter, tweet @LEGOLAND_CA with a link to your video and include the tag #My4DAdventure. Keep in mind, no entries that require download will be accepted.

* Details on winning and all the rules can be found HERE!

* Check out all the fun that goes along with this contest HERE!

We can not wait to see who wins... good luck to all on this awesome adventure!

Before I go, Did you know that Legoland CA offers a disability assistance pass? We have used this and have been so grateful for the ease and comfort it gives my son. It really does help my daughter, husband and I enjoy the fun with him and not spend the day trying to figure out how to keep his autism in line. So grateful for this assistance. Find out all about it HERE on on of our visits. 

Stay tuned for more info hot off the press as I get it!
Master Builder -out...

+legolandcalifornia #Legomovie #Legos #legolandCa #DAS #ANewAdventure

Thursday, January 14, 2016

New Rooftop Lounge at Grand Legacy has been Named....

Excited to share the big news for The Grand Legacy Hotel! 

Not only will this new Rooftop Lounge have the best view of the Disneyland fireworks but, "The Fifth" as it is so freshly named, will offer fabulous food, drinks and lounging!
PC: The Grand Legacy Hotel
This beautiful new rooftop space will be able to host birthdays, weddings and any social occasion you may want to host. 

Get all the details on the spot that has the best Disneyland Fireworks viewing location HERE!

Can not wait to get back to The Grand Legacy Hotel with my family. Read all about our previous stay HERE

Congratulations THE FIFTH, we can not wait to check you out.

UCI National Girls and Women Day in Sports - Register Now

UCI National Girls and Women Day in Sports  -  FREE to girls under 13 Register Now

Camp Date:
Saturday February 20th from 9 to 1:30p at UCI.

We love this event. This will be my daughters 3rd time participating and she loves it. 

UCI brings this fitness clinic to us for free. You can register your girl to participate in a day of trying out many sports. 

Get all the details and register for the Girls in Sports Day HERE!


Knott's Goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

We Love +Knott's Berry Farm but we adore them when they go PINK!
Knott's for the Cure
PC: Knott's Berry Farm
Going Pink for Breast Cancer awareness is not only just "Joe Cool" but it really hits home to a lot of us so it is just simply special!

We have had cancer in our family and we have had dear friends and family fight, win and lose against Breast Cancer. It is a tough fight for anyone and everyone that has to watch someone go through it. 

We are blessed with a community that cares. Since Knott's always does their part to give back they are once again running their Knott's Pink promotion. You can get all the details HERE but here are some of the highlights:


* Now through March 18, Knott’s Berry Farm and Susan G. Komen Orange County are working together for the third year to raise money for breast cancer awareness, services and research by offering special “Pink Tickets” and commemorative Knott's for the Cure t-shirts.
* 75% of the funds raised for Susan G. Komen are used to provide local services throughout Orange County:
  • * Breast cancer detection and treatment education
  • * Information and support for breast cancer survivors and families
  • * Funding for free mammograms for uninsured and underserved women
* 25% of the funds raised for Susan G. Komen support national research to discover the cure for breast cancer.

* Special Merchandise is adorable too!
PC: Knott;s Berry Farm


We attended this awesome event last year and supported our friend Jaime who is in remission! Power of prayer... Read all about that touching day here

Buy tickets on line here

Don't forget to use the hash tag #KnottsPink to show your support when you tag your loved ones on social media too!

Prayers and positive vibes for all those fighting! Praises for all those who have won! Blessings for those who lost and love for all. 

The opinions in this article are my own. I do not work for, or with, any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them.  I have a relationship with GigaSavvy, for whom I create original editorial content.  

Irvine Park Railroad Turns 20 - Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Irvine Park Railroad!

This year +IrvineParkRailroad is celebrating their 20th anniversary.

We are so excited to celebrate with them all and visit as often as we can. 
Irvine Park Railroad

I am sure this year's seasonal activities will be super special. 

There is so much to do at Irvine Park Railroad year round. Get all the details on the special events for Easter, Halloween, Christmas and more HERE!

Make sure you pick up a calendar and get your dates set for all the fun Irvine Park Railroad has to offer this year!

You can always check out our experiences on my blog - HERE.

Best wishes in 2016 everyone. Why not kick off 2016 with a train ride in nature!

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Harbor Breeze Cruises and Aquarium of the Pacific Advise Conservation While Whale Watching!

First Time Whale Watching a Success!

Thank you to the Aquarium of the Pacific for the invite to board the Ocean Breeze Cruise boat Triumph for whale watching yesterday.
I have always wanted to go whale watching but have never had the opportunity to go and yesterday I was able to take my kids as well.

Usually on outings like this I like that my husband comes along but because he was not able to go I decided that it would be worth it because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only see Gray Whales but possibly catch an Orca too!

We were scheduled to leave about 11 and return at 1. I myself could stay out at sea for a half day if not more but I thought this was perfect for family time or even a date.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

2 Easy Dinners for the Same Night!

Two super fast and easy meals for same day dinner!

I know right, what am I even talking about two dinners for one meal but yes that is what I said and did tonight!

Well, because I have a picky eater and someone who will eat anything, tonight I decided to try chicken strips.

I had three strips of chicken, skinless and boneless left in my fridge for my picky eater who is now eating home made chicken nuggets again!!

I also had all the goodies to make a vegetarian chili for the rest of us.

Chicken Strips - Easy Peasy
Toss Chicken Strips into and coat with a bread crumb mix with garlic salt, lemon pepper, salt, pepper and then just toss it into a pot of oil that is going to fry them on the stove top. Make sure the chicken heats to temp and ready to eat. Mine took about 11 mins for three pieces to fry and cook ready to eat. 



Vegetarian Chili - First Time Meatless (serves 6)
1 Large Can of Pinto Beans
1 Large Can of Black Beans
1 Large Can of Crushed Tomatoes 
2 Pieces of fresh garlic chopped 
Half a medium white onion
1 Can of Corn
1 Packet of Chili Seasoning medium and beef up the sauce with:
    * Turmeric (2 table spoons)
    * Cumin (2 table spoons) 
    * Fennel Seed crushed 
    * Cinnamon (a pinch)
    * Adobo Chili (season to heat level preferred) 
    * Fresh Ground Chili (season to heat level preferred)

Let all of this simmer for 25 mins and serve. 

Add a little cheese and sour cream to the top and finish with fresh chopped onion and enjoy! 


Chili is one of my most favorite meals ever. In the winter it becomes one of my most cooked. I love to toss all of this with ground beef into the crock pot too but this time it was vegetarian so it was easy to do stove top and fast!

The best part of tonight's dinner is that the chicken strips turned nuggets are GONE and there is just enough Chili to send my hubs to work with. Chili is always better on the second day!

Night!

#Chili #Vegetarian #Spicy #Loveit #Foodie #Dinner #ChickenStrips #Homemade #FreshandEasy #Dinnerformyfamily #MadeFresh #LiveWell #DinnerIdeas 

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Kicking off 2016 With Some GOALS!

Goals, Resolutions and more for 2016!

Super excited for this year already. There are many things in the works and to work on. 

Today's rain bring me to my desk and with a few moments to reflect on what I want to get done in 2016, short term, long term and NOW. 

I have a lot to catch up on for my blog. I have been wanting to update a few things and also learn a few more things to keep it fresh, organized and up to date. 

I want to updated a daily check off to do chart for my kids. They each have their routines and daily activities and it is getting harder to keep track of it all on my own. With this I hope to teach them that they too can handle a check list and make it happen to help mama! Thanks for the idea Jen over at Balancing the Chaos blog. 

With meal prep I hope to get some new ideas in the mix. I have my favs that the family loves but I need more and I would love it to be multi cultural! Ideas... drop me a comment below and Ill try it out and reply back!

Be more social on Live streaming. I love that my blog is video friendly... I love to snap vids, do live coverage and be goofy all the time. I hope to get the opportunity to do more of this with my daughter Zoe. 

Family time. This is always a priority but with my husband working so much it is totally a hit and miss. Usually I am with the kids and he gets to join us here and there. I want to appreciate those here and there moments more and know that he is doing his best to give us what we need and the moments we are all together are a gift of time to make memories so we will do just that!

Exciting news, we welcomed our new Nephew into the world with my amazingly strong sister in law Miriam. May God bless you and your family of 4 now. 

There is so much more that I hope to add to this list as I figure out what the next step for each challenge or event may be but I am eagerly looking forward to the positive blessings that I will give and that will come within this new year. 

Keep an eye out for my son's +Pretend City Children's Museum Birthday review, we had a blast and are still recovering from all the EduFun that was had for over 4 hours! 

Happy New year and Three Kings Day tomorrow everyone!

#NewYear #Blessings #Goals #Motivation #LetsDoThis #baby #Newborn +Pretend City Children's Museum  #Family #NewYearNewYou #ResolutionsandGoals #makeItHappen