Monday, July 6, 2015

Irvine Park Summer Fun Perfect for Play-dates too

Irvine Park Summer Fun Perfect for Play-dates too

Have some summer fun at +IrvineParkRailroad with lot's of fun, activities and scenery to enjoy!

We attended our friends +So Cal Pocket Memories Irvine Park Play Date and had a blast. It was nice to meet a few new moms and watch my kiddo play with new friends.










We had a great time and can't wait to get back for more fun. Thanks for the fun day!

Have you signed up for their email club yet? If not, do it... they send out coupons and newsletters with updates and all sorts of fun to come. Just a few days ago they sent out an email with Free Ice Cream and Summer Activities.

To celebrate SUMMER fun in OC, we are doing a giveaway for some Irvine Park Fun - Thank you to Irvine Park Rail Road for the Giveaway opportunity! We can't get enough of the things to do that you offer all year long. For more info on yearly fun check out one of my past posts on my blog - just search Irvine Park and any Season or Holiday!

Up Next - October Festivities

Enter my SUMMER IS HERE giveaway now:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter for a chance to win one of two prize packs! Each prize pack will include
* 1 deuce coupe bike rental and 1 paddle boat rental from Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park Bike and Paddle Boat Rentals

Check out this video of the fun you can have anytime! 

I have a special spot for Irvine Park RR in my heart. It's where I had my first birthday and where I celebrate memories of my mom too.


Thanks you Irvine Park RR for the opportunity to share fun with others!
Happy Summer,
OnTheGoOC & OnTheGoOCKid


#Irvine #IrvinePark #IrvineParkRR #TrainRides #BikeRentals #FunInOC #OCFun #SummerFun #ThingsToDo #ThingsToDoInOC #LoveIrivnePark #SummerThingsToDoInOrangeCounty #SoCalFun #PaddleBoats #PonyRides #FamilyFun #Hikes #Nature #PlayAtIrvinePark #Giveaway #EnterNow

All opinions are my own. I was given the opportunity to giveaway two prize packs from Irvine Park. 

Camp Scherman Weekend

Camp Scherman Weekend Rocked our Stars!

Were you a Girl Scout? Do you have a Girl Scout in your family? Have you ever bought Girl Scout cookies?

I was NOT a girl scout, I have one in my family and yes, I have bought them for years. I never realized all the hard work and dedication that goes into Girl Scouts as a whole.

"On their honor" these girls serve in many ways, to show what they are learning and how it can apply to daily life. Service hours, donations collected, animals saved, trips, journeys, camps, cookie selling and much more. These girls put a lot of effort into all that they do with the support of their amazing troop leaders, it seems like the possibilities are endless.

This is our 3rd year in Girl Scouts and my daughter loves it. She is proud to be a Girl Scout and be part of a troop that promotes the Girl Scout way or code if you will.

These girls have donated cookies to our Troops and delivered them personally, collected socks for abandoned felines to help make toys or cat nip filled treats, collected cans for food drives, donated their earned cookie money to Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach and a lot more in just the 3 years these little girls have been a troop. They started out as Daisys and are on to their 4th year or second year as brownies. So proud of their leaders and all of the girls.

This year we were able to attend Camp Scherman - Zoe and I have looked at the fun that all of the camps have to offer, but she just hasn't been totally ready until this summer.

I was privileged enough to be able to attend the Camp Scherman weekend too. I was not sure what to totally expect so I packed up as much nausea meds and inflammation meds I could and said a prayer for the best.
We left last Friday around 2:30pm and thought we would miss a bit of traffic but, if you live out here, you know the 91fwy held us up a bit. It took us almost 3 hours to get there and we passed a lot of cool sights on the way. It's like your taking the route to Julian for apples towards San Jacinto mountains.

Arriving at Camp Scherman on Friday at 5:30pm was perfect. We were able to check in and check out our cabin. It was much better than I expected. I was a bit worried we would have to creep through the woods and fight off woodland animals in the middle of the night as we made our way to the restroom... but... that wasn't totally the case.
Yes we had to walk out of our cabin to get to the restroom but it was literally around the corner of our door, attached to our structure. We also had picnic tables all around us and our cabin happen to have lights and a fridge. Looks like it was a good thing our total number of girls and parents was 10 so we were able to be in the bigger open cabin together. Other troops were in other cabins that had no electricity and were a further walk to the restroom. I was grateful!
Night one was good overall. We were asked to share our cabin with a troop that had a mom that wasn't able to walk as far, so we said of course, cause that is the Girl Scout way! It would have been awesome if they didn't allow their girls to double up on cots and maybe left that for just the moms since there was not enough for our girls to do that as well but hey all good there, no need to be petty, when our girls asked why and what we just said we are trying to do camping as much as we can in the camping fashion. We set up the cots and the girls went to bed fairly easy with a little bit of chatter but hey it's Girl Scout camp and it's exciting.
Night 1 Sunset - #Beautiful #Sunset

Next morning there was a Flag ceremony. LOVED IT! I can't express enough how the Girl Scouts motto has pressed itself into my kiddo but their routine respect for our country and to honor one another is top notch! A troop did the Flag ceremony every morning and every evening. It was awesome to see.

The day itself was filled with so much fun. First up we headed to crafts. Here the girls were able to work on whatever craft they wanted since there were 4 crafts they could do. Our girls had a blast making lanyards, making sun catchers with beads, painting a starry night (the theme of the camp) and helping each other! Not going to lie, I was able to re learn the art of lanyard making and starting, a nostalgic feeling for me for sure.

After crafts we had the opportunity to head over to archery! So many first for us this weekend. This was one of the best  moments spent with my girl at her camp. We were able to learn how to hold and shoot the bow and arrow. It was the best. I totally loved Archery and will most def do it again soon. So Disney Brave like in our fierce GIRL Power of shooting the bow - Loved it!
Loved this so much! Yes I know, we are twins and I love it!
Lunch time! We had lunch served out on the grass. Sandwiches and fruit with chips. Filling and enough to get you through the day to dinner. I mean there is not much time for anything else... these Camp leaders fill the day!

After lunch we were so excited to head over to canoeing! Oh My! Talk about fun. It was our firs time and will not be our last. There were 3 girls and I in the canoe and we toured the lake and had fun re capturing one of our girls hats that fell off and started to float away. So fun. I can not wait to do this again . Being out on the lake was beautiful and the scenery was just surreal. Nature can be so calming when you take a moment to enjoy it.
              
Can NOT wait to do this again!
We took a hike up to the top of a hill and looked down. WHAT?! There was the lake we were just canoeing in... oh wow.. the beautiful water, trees, rocks where Indians used to crush acorns, all of it was just amazing. Oh, I should mention that, I got service on my phone on that hill at the tippy top... just enough to send my hubby a photo of us girls loving the camp life. I did not have service long enough to get a reply lol haaa.
View of the Lake we did Canoeing in.
Where the Indians of the area used to crush acorns. 
To end the activities it was our troops turn to take a dip in the pool. So refreshing and cool. The girls playing, swimming and laughing. That really is the best noise EVER! Right before we called the girls out for showers one of our troop leaders noticed a small frog in the pool. The girls thought it was so cool to see the frog swimming. We helped it out and saved it's non loving chlorine self  - so cute, so little, so camping!
Do you see what I see!? Our little Froggie!

That's a wrap, the day's activities were done and we headed back to evening Flag ceremony and dinner. All meals also have hoppers. A hopper (not to be confused with Hopper in Disney's Bug's Life) is one girl scout at each table that makes the food runs, sets the table and leads the way in service at each meal. Once again teaching honor, respect, patience, service to others and working together. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Our girls were hoppers on Sunday morning for breakfast.
Every meal was amazing! Shout out to the Kitchen staff at Camp Scherman!
After dinner we gathered for a camp fire with lights (since it is fire season, dry and warm) and watched all the troops perform skits or songs. So much fun and loved seeing all the Camp leaders full of Camp Scherman spirit all weekend long. They never stopped singing or smiling and that made us all feel welcome and willing to do the same in return.
These Camp Leaders really know how to have fun!
Our troops skit song - Hug a Polar Bear - So Cute!

The night was getting dark and with that we were able to take a night hike. Those who wanted to were take on a night hike to see stars. It was super overcast and cloudy while we were there so we did not see any stars but we got a few stories told and we were also told that in the summer when it's clear up at Camp Scherman you can see a shooting star every 15 minutes! We tried but it just was not clear enough but I guess that's all the more reason to get back up to Camp Scherman asap. Hint Hint.
We tucked in for the last night there at camp and got rest for our morning hike to red rock!
At 6am we were up and getting ready for our hike. The amazing camp leaders led us up and over and through to the bottom of red rock. The rock itself is beautiful and so large! It was a semi rock climb and we were told to keep 3 point of contact on the rock at all times. The girls went up ahead of us with a few of the leaders and I hung back at the bottom since I knew I would not be able to make it all the way up. My left side just isn't what it used to be and I cant take the weight and strength needed since my right side is much stronger than my left side.
View From Red Rock - Rock Climb
The girls made it to the top and around. We were all enjoying the view. It was a bit intimidating to see how high up we were and how far back we had to go down!
We started our decline and had to be very careful not to slip and slide down the rock.
We DID it! It was a huge accomplishment and the Camp Leaders were motivating and always happy to help or make you feel good about what you had just done! Seriously the best Camp Leaders that we could have been blessed to have leading us all weekend!
The girls on the way down - slowly but surely 
We walked down and back to camp where our troop was setting up the tables for breakfast and learning what it means to be the hopper. Remember I told you before that each troop does it's part to serve others...We were up. The girls handled being hoppers like champs and rocked it!

After breakfast we all got together and did a final camp closing with "Scouts Own".... a reflective few moments that allow us all to see the beauty of the weekend inside out. It was beautiful to hear the troop that led the "Scouts Own" share their most memorable moments. I know that the girls had so much fun cause Zoe did not want to leave.
Breakfast is served.. thanks Hoppers!

Thank you Camp Scherman, Erin and ALL OF the girls. I have to say that they all rocked it and made our girls feel so comfortable and at ease with all the new things they tried and experienced over the weekend!
A shout out to FLO and all the Camp Leaders - want to say that all the leaders had a great attitude, always smiled and were so kind to the girls and us moms. I love how all of the leaders really loved what they were there for. They ALL showed our girls not only is Camp Scherman amazing but being a leader and a voice to be heard with respect and dignity is brilliantly welcome! THANK YOU LEADERS!
Best CAMP Leaders EVER!
So after much dancing, singing, star gazing, eating, hiking, teamwork, crafts, activities and much more, we did not want to leave and WILL BE BACK for more.

Top 3 things my Girl Scout loved about Camp Scherman:
* The Outdoor Activities - She is now asking to go camping and is on a mission to get us outdoors in the wilderness more often. I'm okay with that too! She loved the different rocks she was able to find too.

* The Archery - she had so much fun learning how to use and correctly shoot the bow and arrow that I myself want to find a place where we can do this mom and me style! We love archery!

* The whole troop in one cabin sharing everything. She said "mom, were together and have a buddy and the buddy changes but we always stick with our troop and help one another" PRICELESS lesson learned and told by my 7yo. Teamwork makes the Dream Work!
Something that I loved about the weekend. TIME WITH MY DAUGHTER THAT WE WILL REMEMBER FOR OUR LIFETIME!
We shared a lot of firsts over the weekend - Archery, Canoeing and rock climbing, among others and I am grateful and very thankful for all of them!

For more information on the Camp itself please visit HERE .

Thank you Kelly, Vanessa, our troop girls and the Camp Scherman TEAM for all the efforts put in and done to make such an amazing weekend unforgettable! See you soon!
OnTheGoOC & OnTheGoOCKid
Vanessa and Kelly our Amazing Troop Leaders!

#CampScherman #GirlScoutCamp #GirlScouts #GirlScoutandProud #LovedIt #Camping #Camp #Canoes #Archery #Outdoors #RockClimbing #Julian #SoCal #CampingFun #SanJacinto #Mountains #BestCampinSoCal #LovedIt #SpotsToCamp #PlacesToCamp #BestCamp #FamilyFun #GirlTime +Girl Scouts +GirlScoutsOC #Carpooltocamp #SummerCamp #summerishere #WhereToCampInSoCal

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Pixar Animation to Celebrate 20 years of Toy Story at D23 Expo!

Pixar Animation to Celebrate 20 years of Toy Story at D23 Expo!


PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS TO HIT D23 EXPO 2015 AUG. 14–16
                      PIXAR TO SHARE NEW FOOTAGE FROM UPCOMING FILMS,                    
EXCITING SECRETS AND LARGER-THAN-LIFE BUZZ LIGHTYEAR HELIUM BALLOON AS IT OFFICIALLY MARKS TWO DECADES OF FEATURE FILMMAKING

Pixar Presents Its First-Ever D23 EXPO Booth, Plus Provocative Panels
and a One-of-a-Kind John Lasseter Hawaiian-Shirt Exhibit

BURBANK, Calif. – June 25, 2015 – Buzz Lightyear will welcome visitors to D23 EXPO 2015 as Pixar Animation Studios celebrates the 20-year anniversary of Toy Story, among a host of exciting presentations, demonstrations and panels that pay homage to Pixar’s past while looking ahead to its roster of exciting new films. The fearless space ranger, who appeared in Pixar’s groundbreaking CG-animated feature-film debut Toy Story in 1995, as well as Toy Story 2(1999) and Toy Story 3 (2010), has taken flight in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® six times as a giant character helium balloon, measuring 67.7-feet long, 39.9-feet wide and 34.3-feet tall. This summer, the Disney•Pixar Buzz Lightyear balloon travels to the West Coast for the first time ever, welcoming guests to D23 EXPO 2015 as it soars outside the Anaheim Convention Center on Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. D23 EXPO 2015 takes place through August 16. 

CALENDAR OF KEY PRESENTATIONS/ PANELS/ EVENTS:

Every Story Is a Journey: The Upcoming Films of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios
Friday, August 14, 3:00 pm  – Hall D23
After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to “let it go,” come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents “Every Story is a Journey.” Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent. Cell phones, cameras and all recording devices will be checked for this presentation.

In Conversation with the Filmmakers and the Emotions Behind Inside Out
Friday, August 14, 2015, 11:30 am – Stage 28
Get the inside story on the making of Pixar’s latest summer release Inside Out. Hear from Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc.) and producer Jonas Rivera (Up) as they reminisce and share their personal stories of creating a world that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen.

Pixar Secrets Revealed! Hear the Stories They Didn’t Want You to Know!
Saturday, August 15, 2015, 3:00 pm – Stage 28
Ever wonder where your favorite Pixar stories began? Hear the stories you don’t know about the classic films that you love. Pixar senior development executive Mary Coleman hosts this experience, welcoming the storytellers behind some of Pixar’s most successful films, including Darla K. Anderson (A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., Cars, Toy Story 3), Mark Andrews (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Brave), Ronnie del Carmen (Up, Inside Out) and Dan Scanlon (Cars, Toy Story 3, Monsters University), as they talk about the twists and turns of crafting a narrative and share some of the crazy story ideas that didn’t make the final cut.

Toy Story: 20 Years Later, the Original Crew Looks Back
Saturday, August 15, 2015, 4:30 pm – Stage 23
From flipbooks to feature films, animation has taken audiences to fantastical new worlds, far beyond the limits of any real-world setting. Pixar Animation Studios has been at the forefront of this evolution, blurring the line between art and technology and bringing beloved characters to life with heart and humor. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of 1995’sToy Story, the first computer-animated feature film, join members of the original crew, including filmmakers John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, Galyn Susman, Ralph Eggleston, Sharon Calahan, Eben Ostby, Bob Pauley and Bill Reeves as they share their stories and the challenges they faced along the way.


ON THE EXPO SHOW FLOOR:

Animation – Show Floor Exhibition
For the first time ever, Pixar Animation Studios is creating a show-floor experience at D23 EXPO. Pixar teams up with Walt Disney Animation Studios for an unforgettable adventure that showcases magic from both animation studios, featuring live demonstrations, presentations and autograph signings with top filmmakers, free giveaways and interactive displays. With highlights from films like Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Zootopia, Finding Dory and Moana, animation fans will get the inside scoop on their favorite films and characters.

Say Aloha to John Lasseter’s Film-Themed Hawaiian Shirts
Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter takes Disney and Pixar animation to heart—literally. For nearly every film—from Finding Nemo and Wreck-It Ralph to Frozen and Inside Out, Lasseter has commissioned an exclusive movie-themed Hawaiian shirt. And those who know the Oscar®-winning storyteller know that he loves his Hawaiian shirts—and dons one for almost every occasion. Animation fans will see their favorite film characters “materialize” before their eyes in this colorful collection, which will be exhibited on the show floor.

Fans can take home their own shirt, thanks to Disney Store at D23 EXPO. This D23-exclusive Reyn Spooner-design features characters from all the feature films produced under the creative guidance of Lasseter. The simple, appealing collage joins many of Disney’s and Pixar’s most beloved recent characters on one wearable canvas. The shirt will retail for $99.95.  


Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are available at a discounted price for a limited time. Through June 30, 2015, tickets are $67 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $58 for a one-day adult admission and $42 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $188 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.

About D23 EXPO 2015
D23 EXPO—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. For the latest D23 EXPO 2015 news, visit D23EXPO.com. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 EXPO conversation, make sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23EXPO.

About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication,Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.

Fans can join D23 at Gold and General Membership levels at D23.com and at DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

About Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative, and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. Creator of some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including the Toy Story and Cars films, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL•E and Up, the Northern California studio has won 30 Academy Awards and eight Golden Globes®, and its 14 feature films have grossed more than $8.5 billion at the worldwide box office. Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out is in theaters nationwide; next up for the studio are The Good Dinosaur on Nov. 25, 2015, and Finding Dory on June 17, 2016.

We can NOT wait to attend the Expo!
OnTheGoOC & OnTheGoOCKid

#D23 #D23Expo #D23Expo2015 #SummerFun #DisneySummerToDo

OC Fair Updates - We Can't Wait!

OC Fair Updates - We Can't Wait!

2015 OC Fair - July 17-August 16 "One Big Party"

Fair Food & Culinary Events Take Center Stage at the 2015 OC Fair
Featuring 23 Days of Food & Fun with Classic & Unique Tastes,
Craft Beer and Culinary Competitions & Exhibits
Costa Mesa, Calif. (June 24, 2015) – The OC Fair is hosting “One Big Party” from July 17-August 16 in celebration of its 125th anniversary with culinary creations to suit all palates. Foodies can enjoy wild and unique new fare mixed in with the traditional fair food while culinary enthusiasts can enjoy a variety of competitions and exhibits highlighting baking, preserving and cocktail-making. Food-related features include:
  • 125 Ways to Graze celebrates the OC Fair’s 125th anniversary with a variety of new options inspired by the number “125” including $1.25 combo add-ons or value-sized portions of menu items at reduced prices. Additionally, select vendors will offer a just-for-2015 luxury menu item for $125 including caviar-topped Deep Fried Twinkie and the Chuckwagon BBQ Feast with enough barbecued fare to feed the whole family.
  • New Fried Food Items include Deep-Fried Starbucks from Bacon A-Fair; Deep Fried Slim Fast Bar and Fried Peanut Butter Pickle Dog from Chicken Charlie’s; and Deep-Fried Birthday Cake and Deep-Fried Pizza from Apple Fries.
  • New Unique Food Items include Fireball Donut and Samoa Donut from Texas Donuts; Chocolate-Covered Pork Rinds and Wasabi Bacon Bombs from Bacon A-Fair; $125 Caviar Twinkie from Chicken Charlie’s; Cuban Fusion Burger from Grant’s Tasti Burgers; and Frosted Flake Chicken Fingers from Pickle O’Pete’s.
  • $2 Taste of Fair Food, held every Friday from Noon-4 p.m., offers Fairgoers the chance to taste Fair food for $2 per item. Fun-sized samples include funnel cake, tri-tip, lemonade, cinnamon rolls, corn dogs, gelato, and more. Fair admission required.
  • OC Brew Hee Haw, a craft beer roundup, is July 18-19 and will bring some of the best local craft beers to OC Fairgoers for three sessions of beer tastings, demonstrations and exhibits. Visit ocbrewheehaw.com for details and tickets. Separate ticket required.
  • Chef Challenge will put talented culinary professionals in competition against each other with a themed cook-off every Thursday at 5 p.m.: July 23 (Earth), July 30 (Water), August 6 (Air) and August 13 (Fire). Free with Fair admission.
  • Special Culinary Contests include Salad Daze (July 25), Dip Into Fun (August 1) and Ultimate Tailgate Dish (August 8). It is free to compete and participants who register by the Wednesday before the contest will receive free Fair admission to watch the live judging. For a complete list, visit ocfair.com/competitions.
  • Daily Culinary Demonstrations can be enjoyed for free in the OC Promenade throughout the run of Fair. Featured demonstrators include Blackmarket Bakery, Chef Ray Duey (food sculptor), Chef Ernest Miller (food preservation  and beer making), Greggy Soriano (cake decorator) and Shaile’s Edible Art (sugar art.)
  • Featured Culinary Exhibits will look at the best parts of a party: Cake & Cocktails. In the new Cakeology exhibit, Fairgoers can learn the origins and history of cake from baking to decorating. This creative and interactive exhibit will offer the essentials of cake-making with fun historical facts. The new SIP – Raise Your Spirits Exhibit looks at the history of alcoholic beverage and barware from punch to cocktails. Gabrielle Dion and her staff from The Mixing Glass will show tips and tricks on craft cocktails during daily demonstrations.
  • Award-Winning Wines are available by the taste or the glass in the Wine Courtyard throughout Fair and on weekends wine-lovers can learn more about the various varietals of wine during the Orange County Wine Society’s Wine Seminars (most require an additional fee).
  • One Big Party Eating Contests are held daily in the Explorium: Destination Kids tent at 6:30 p.m. Participation is free with Fair admission.
It’s “One Big Party” for the 2015 OC Fair, July 17-August 16, as it celebrates its 125th anniversary with 23 days of food, rides, shopping, exhibits and animals. Enjoy world-renowned performers in the Pacific Amphitheatre and exciting events in The Hangar and Action Sports Arena. The Fair is open Wednesday-Sunday. Concert tickets, action sports reserved seats, single-day general admission and the popular Super Pass are available for purchase online at ocfair.com or from the on-site Box Office. Free parking and shuttle service are available on Saturdays and Sundays from the Experian parking structure located off the Bristol St. exit of the 405 freeway. Also, download the free OC Fair iPhone and Android apps available this summer.

Hope to see you there!
OnTheGoOC & OnTheGoOCKid

OC Fair & Event Center - Costa Mesa, CA

#OCFair #SummerFun #OCSummer #ThiungsToDo #Summer2015 

Pretend City - Perfect for Everyone

Pretend City - Perfect for Sensory, ASD and everyone!

We are all aware of the importance of pretend play. We all want the best for our kids. As parents we look for things to do with our children that help them learn and play in an educational yet fun way.

Most kids can do this kind of play anywhere at any time. Other kids can not. Some kids that are on the spectrum or have sensory needs have a harder time with crowds, noise, patience, listening, behavior, routine, instant gratification and much much more.

Last Wednesday, I was blessed to be gifted a Preschool party for my sons early start preschool class, by +Pretend City Children's Museum . There really are no words that I can type to express my thanks and gratitude. Seeing these kids who have worked so hard all year (hey and their parents too), smile ear to ear, made my heart as full as one can get! Thank you Jonathan, Julianne and Bianca - You and your Pretend City team are amazing - I am beyond grateful for all the kindness and top notch customer service that is always provided.

Since I was blessed with some things that were not used at our first DisneySide preschool party, I saved them and planned on using them again for more kids. This was the perfect opportunity to use the gifts of DisneySide and share them with more families. Thanks +Maria Bailey and team for an abundance that has now gone over well with two parties for many kids!

We arrived a little late - are you surprised?! It was the first day of summer and my kids totally knew it. The PC Team helped me set up super fast and the families arrived.

We had games, crafts, coloring sheets, decor for photo booth style photos with funny faces and all. There was food, snacks, drinks and even cars gummies to eat. Mickey was there - well his face was and missing was his smile so the kids could try their best to stick it on the closest!
Veggies, Fruit, Snack and Fun for everyone!
Goodies out of our DisneySide Box of Preschool Party Fun
(Round 2)


The room was ours for an hour (even though we stayed much longer since no one was booked and that was a blessing since our kids need some quiet time here and there to reel it back in lol), and we kept the kids occupied for just about that. I mean, it is a bit harsh and hard to keep these kids in that room when they see and know what fun awaits them out the door.....

So maybe my son brought in a few cars and proceeded to run them like on a race course around the tables and chairs, and we may or may not have brought some of the toys from the plat area into the party room. BUT - guess what?! IT WAS OK - No one yelled at all the kids, no one was impatient with their behaviors, no one made us feel like our kids were out of line, no one made a big deal out of anything like that. It was refreshing! It was beyond nice to be able to know I did not have to say sorry every 5 minutes for my son running wild. Now, he was NOT breaking any rules and or causing any harm he was just being Mikey and loving it. It was awesome!
 

 Disney Cootie Catchers, Disney Cars Coloring, Frame Making and more - It's Cars everywhere! 

The team was amazing. There were headphones set up in a corner and ready if needed. There were decorations that were safe and no balloons for popping hazards. The party was perfect and by the time the kids were ready to cut loose and head into fierce Pretend Play, we were ready too!

BAM - It took two minutes or less and all the kids were running around loving it all. I was able to clean up a bit and keep it tidy so that if anyone wanted to rest up or take a break - they were able to. That was so nice.

I walked around just saying HELLO to all the parents and thanking them for coming to celebrate our kids accomplishments together. They were all so grateful for the party and wanted to know who to thank, so from all of the parents THANK YOU SO MUCH Pretend City!!

From Fishing, to painting and rocking out on stage there is so much to do that we always spend hours with our Edufun hats on.

Did you know there are baby chicks you can see and just go gaga over? Yup, I know right!

Did you know that if you want to taste a Korean soup or snack you can head up to the front by the entrance and grab one on the house.. well courtesy of Nongshim and their newest exhibit that I just can't get enough of.

Did you know that if you book a party you also get return visits for your guests. Win Win :) So CALL up your friends and get playing!


After a snack I watched the kids run around the grocery store, one was filing the basket and the other was the cashier. It is always interesting to see what my kids do and what role they play while there together since they are 4 years apart. Always find something to do together or apart meeting new friends.
Around 2pm most of our party was ready to head out - Pretend Play really does wear you out.

The kids ALL had the best time and I did not see one melt down so that is a bonus! Job well done friends - really well done.
This was so much more than special for the kids and families. It was something deeper for me. One of the family members that brought one of the kids to the party looked so familiar to me. She just had that face I knew I had seen before and knew well. I could not put my finger on it. After a little while as the party went on, we talked and her accent made me think even harder about where I knew this lady. She said her grandson rode the bus to school and her grad daughter attended another school so that is why I had not met them at the boys school yet. She said to me that I looked familiar too. She said she lived in the city I grew up in and gave the cross streets of where I lived with my parents. IT CLICKED! Her grandson is in my sons class and we grew up playing soccer with her own kids. We chatted about old times, and my mom, bless her and much more. It was such a nice run down memory lane that I wanted to tell you how special little things like that are to me! Reconnecting and having something in common now as we did then. What we have in common may not be the soccer this time but it's our boys... thanks for the reconnect Pretend City!

Pretend City Children's Museum is open from 10am until 5 every day (except on Monday they close at 1pm see more info HERE) and have monthly events - sign up for their newsletter to get info monthly and also follow along on my blog. We always post about what is going on at our favorite indoor edufun play place!

We attend often so please watch out on our social media and if you see we are there, come day HI and chat while our kids are learning while playing.

Thank you to all the parents who made the effort to come out on the first day of summer to meet, greet and enjoy our families. Thank you one more time to Pretend City for the best kids party ever.
The Best Kind of Friends -
Those Who LOVE us For US!

Really this was the best kick off to summer ever and the faces of the kids said it all!

Hope you get a chance to check out some of the exciting EduFun that Pretend City has going on always and some special events all summer long.
OnTheGoOC


Thank you to Maria and her team over at Mom Talk Radio for so much fun, we used it for two parties. Thank you to those who contributed to the kids and parent swag bags - Renaissance Club Sport Aliso Viejo , +Pirate's Booty , BarkThins , +Boudin Bakery , +Brothers-All-Natural , CrunchPak , @ChickFilA , +Spa Gregorie's Day Spa & Salon and Disney,

 
 
 


#PretendCity #PretendPlay #SummerFun #SummerIsHere #Imagination #PretendPlayAllSummerLong #SummerFunInOC #ThingsToDo #EduFun #Irvine #OCFun #PlayTime #PlayDates #KidsFun #LovePretendCity , #Sensory #ASD #DisneySide #DisneySideCelebration #DisneySMMoms #CarsParty #DisneySidePreschoolParty #Boudin #ChickFilA #SpaGregories
*All opinions are my own. Special thank you to Pretend City for their courtesy and kindness*