Random Fun Stuff for The Family

Happy Thursday to everyone. Didn't get to do my park review yesterday because I was out doing wedding stuff with my bestie, so I was in wedding mode all day. Today I just wanted to share some random thoughts I thought everyone might enjoy.

Over the weekend I made a fabulous cake that I found from a fellow blogger. I didn't have a chance to take a picture but you can visit Lindsey's Kitchen to view it. I substituted the icing for Cool Whip and the m&m's for Reeses Pieces. Intrigued yet?? Check out her blog and try it for yourself. It was so easy to make and it definitely passed the husband/child test.



I also made an ice cream pie the other night. Very very easy, and also delicious. You simply mix vanilla ice cream with lemonade concentrate. Add the lemonade to the ice cream and stir until smooth. Keep testing the mixture until it's "lemony" enough for you. Once mixed, poor mixture into grahm cracker pie crust then freeze until solid. Then slice and serve. So yummy!

For all of you who love candles please visit KDC Events to enter a Gold Canyone Candle giveaway. I love my gold canyon candles, I usually burn mine about everyday and it keeps my house smelling wonderful for hours. Please check out this giveaway, you won't regret it!

Last but not least. Calling all locals, the Upland Lemon Festival starts tomorrow 4/23/10. If you've never been I recommend going. They have carnival rides, games, boutiques, great food and entertainment. We went last year and had a blast. My hubby won a gold fish for us, which died a week later =( If you're interested, the event is held in Downtown Upland and will last all weekend.


Happy Earth day Everyone!

Tuesday @ Knott's

How we spent our Tuesday =)








I love having annual passes!

Logan's First Disneyland Trip

I love Disneyland, I always have and I probably always will. I remember having the annual passes that I more then got my money's worth out of when I was a bit younger. Oh how I miss those days! But this weekend brought me great joy because I finally got to experience the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH with my son. He had his first trip to Disneyland this week and it was such a great time.



Yes, Disneyland has gotten extremely expensive. If it wasn't for our wonderfull friends who were able to sign us in for free, I don't think we'd be able to spend that much in one day. The cost of tickets, parking, food and gas...yikes!



When we first got there we went into the main park and hit up a couple of rides. We started off with Indiana Jones because there was a very little wait and that line can get way out of hand later on in the day. We used Disneyland's "parent switch pass" for this ride. First the guys (Russ & Elton) went on while Emily and I watched Logan. We parked the stroller and walked around and I gave Logan a sandwich (from our backpack of snacks) to munch on so he'd be nice and full before we got started. When the boys got off the ride they handed us the parent's switch card, allowing Emily and I to use the fast pass line and hop right on the ride. What a brilliant idea. We used the parent's switch pass for 5 rides throughout the day, it was a time saver for sure!



After Indiana Jones we went on a few family rides as well so Logan could have some fun. After his third ride (The Haunted Mansion), he started getting sleepy. We found the stroller and sat him in it while we headed over to California Adventure. He knocked out while the rest of us ate then headed to the adult rides. We used the parent's switch pass for a few rides until Logan woke up then we went on some family rides again. While Emily and Elton headed over to get in line for a big ride, Russ and I took Logan to "It's a Bug's Life" water play area. Logan had a blast in this. He ran through the water screaming and laughing. He had so much fun but was drenched within minutes. We let him play there for awhile before heading to meet the rest of our party. Our next stop however was the restroom to change our son out of his wet clothes and into his dry clothes (yes, we planned for this).



After a few more stops at California Adventure we headed back to the main park and headed towards Tomorrow Land. My husband had never been on Star Tours or Space Mountain so I wanted to be sure we accomplished those two. He loved them both of course. Who wouldn't? I love the way they re-did Space Mountain, Emily and I laughed the entire ride.



We also got to see the Jedi Training Show which was awesome for any Star Wars fan. This was so cute, I can't wait for Logan to be old enough to participate. Then we went into Innovations and watched the Asimo show. Asimo is the most advanced human like robot ever invented. The show was great, even Logan was interested.




After the Asimo show, we stood in line to meet Mickey & Minnie Mouse. They were too sweet, unfortunately Logan did not smile in this picture.



The last ride of the day was Finding Nemo, formally known as the submarines. They re- modeled most of ride to have little Nemo clips that you watch through your submarine windows. What's cool is that you're under water, but that also makes it a little frightening.

We had a blast! We had great company and our son was very well behaved and had a blast himself. I can't wait til we get to go again.

Notes for taking your kids to Disneyland:
Bring extra clothes
Bring snack foods
Bring plenty of water

In Praise of Stay at Home Mom's

It was a year ago this month that I made the huge decision to be a Stay At Home Mom. It was a very tough decision for my husband and myself, but it was definitely the best decision I have ever made.



I worked for 8 months after my son was born. I had a job that I liked, I had co-workers that I loved, and an amazing boss. Who wouldn't want to stay? After about a week of being back at my normal schedule, I realized that I could not work full time and take care of my family at the same time. I brought this to my boss's attention and she was amazing enough to let me cut my hours to part time. So, for the next 8 months I worked Mon-Fri from 8am - noon and it was nice. I had my mom and mom-in-law splitting babysitting duties and I would pick Logan up straight after work then head home.

I was pregnant in this photo!

As great a deal as that was, it eventually started taking a toll on me and my family. I was so tired when I got home from work that I didn't want to do much, I ended up using the evenings and weekends to catch up on chores, and everything became a priority over my poor husband. I started having some what of an attitude problem at home because work started to become stress full for me. My amazing boss had been on maternity leave, and upper management starting making un wanted changes to our department while she was gone. This was no fun, and made me wonder why I was still there. Still loved my co-workers, but without our boss there defending us, was it really worth it? Bringing that stress home with me everyday was very hard on everyone around me. We had talked about me quitting, but I just didn't see how we would make it.



Then, as an early Easter gift last year, my mom bought me Dr. Laura's "In Praise of Stay at Home Mom's". I read this book, and would share what I've read with my husband. I noticed that as I was reading the book, I started looking at myself and my attitude from the outside in. My husband and I had a huge talk, went over a budget, and made the gut wrenching decision, I put in my two weeks notice. Before doing so I let my boss (who was on maternity leave) know via facebook. I didn't want her to be the last to know. She completely understood that I had to do this, and she remains to be a good friend of mine.

Me and my two bosses.

What's great about Dr. Laura's book is that it taught me what being a mom is really about. Staying home with them isn't just enough. She talks about spending time with them, teaching them, and how important it is to make time for yourself and also your husband. She talks about putting on the smiley face before your husband gets home because the last thing he needs to hear, while being the sole income, is what a stress full day you've had. Also, how important it is to show your appreciation for what he does, so I can stay home. She talks about how important it is to look good for your man when he comes home. Sometimes if I've been too busy to "pretty up" all day, I'll apply some makeup and do my hair just before he gets home.



Since reading this book, and becoming my son's mom, this home has been a happy one. Sometimes it's stress full to be home all day, or to not be able to do the fun expensive stuff others can do. It's totally worth it though, because I have the best job in the world. The pay is little, the hours are long, I'm always on call, and I get no sick days. But when my son wakes up in the morning and wraps his arms around me so tight, all is perfect. I love being able to see him grow up. I love spending time in the morning trying to teach him stuff, I love our morning workouts, I love our trips and adventures, and I love playing with him out front waiting for daddy to come home and the look on his face when he sees daddy rounding the corner. I don't have to miss any of that! I am truly blessed.



If you have not yet read "In Praise of Stay at Home Mom's" by Dr. Laura I highly recommend it. It is so well written and she knows exactly what to say to us mom's.

Happy 1 year anniversary to me!

Photo Credit: photo #1 www.drlaura.com
all other photos: mine

Wednesday: Fontana Park Review

Today was a beautiful day to go to the park. I don't like going to the same park over and over again, I wanted to try something new so that's just what I did. I called my sister and we decided to go to a fairly new park in Fontana called "Fontana Park".

This park is amazing. Though it has NO jungle gym, it is still one of the best parks we've been to. They have so many things for kids to play with and gives them great ways to use their imagination. For example there is a huge ship for them to play on, so cute! Next to which there is a huge plaster dolphin and fish. My niece was telling me how the fish was going to get them, and they were pirates and my son needed to take the wheel and get them out of their. My son didn't really understand his cousin's ramblings, he just had a good time exploring the ins and outs of the ship.



They had lots of other stuff too like massive block platforms of different colors, which my niece insisted this was her stage. They had a castle tower, big plaster lady bugs, caterpillars and frogs to climb on. Lots of open field for the kids to run and roll down hills. A big water fountain which of course grabbed their attention for a majority of the time spent there.



Other features of the park include:

• A year round aquatic center
  
• Fully managed Skate & BMX park
  
• Sports Pavilion
  
• Dog Park
  

If you live in the area I suggest bringing your young ones here sometime. It really is a very nice, open park that doesn't seem to get overcrowded like other parks. For more information on the park click here.

Me!

Recently I was tagged by 2 fabulous bloggers Join The Gossip and KDC Events, but I seriously have not had enough time. This past week has just cruised on past and I'm trying to catch up. I finally have a moment to sit back, relax and enjoy this fun post. While reading the answers of these two ladies, I was thinking how great it is that we get to use fun games like this to get to know each other even more then what we read in a normal day to day post. So, with no further adue, lets get started.



Rules:
1. Click on the above image and paste onto your blog/website
2. Answer the below questions
3. Pass onto 10 bloggers that you Love, go to their blog and let them know they've been tagged


1. Who is your style icon?
Hmm...I don't really know. I always just wear what makes me comfortable. I did however find this photo of Jessica Alba that I loved, this is something I would totally sport.


2. What is your favorite socialite lit book?
Ummmm, I've never read one. I love to read, I've just never found myself interested in anything like that. If any of you would like to recommend one to me, I'd love to check it out.

3. Favorite party theme?
I went to a "Hollywood" themed party once (for fellow blogger Good Girl Gone Shopping) that was awesome. Everyone dressed up real nice, and there were celebrity wall hangings that you could pose with. Lots of fun.

4. Go to Halloween costume?
The easiest for me is a pink lady or a 50's girl. I already have the polka dot dress and the glasses, I also have a pink lady jacket I keep on hand for "just in case". Easy and cheap!


5. Extravagance you cannot live without?
You know, I really had to step back and think about this one. I am going to have to go with my Starbucks. I am a SAHM now and it isn't cheap. But I am an addict, and sometimes when I'm at my breaking point, I take a sip of my yummy drink and I am in heaven for a second. I need my fix!!


6. Living person you admire?
My mother. She has A MILLION balls up in there air at any given time. Yet, she manages to keep herself together, always has a smile on her face and ALWAYS comes through when we need her. She would give you the shirt off of her back if you asked her to. She is a great daughter, daughter in-law, sister/sister in-law, aunt, wife, mother, and grandmother.


7. Greatest fear?
Spiders/bees/wasps,snakes or ANY rodent. I hate them. I don't care if they aren't hurting anyone I want them dead!


8. Trait you deplore in yourself?
I am too nice. This is something I have been working on because I hate being a pushover. I usually will put my own happiness aside to make sure I can make someone else happy, but then I am the one left unhappy.

9. Which talent would you most like to have?
Crochet or Sewing. I love cross stitching. I have actually gotten quite good at it, but I can not crochet or sew to save my life.

10. Greatest achievement?
A happy family!


Now for the tagging. Have fun with this, I found it enjoyable.

Jennifer: A Stylists Tip Jar
Jennifer: I'm Such a Girl!
Debi: Go Explore Nature
Carissa: lower case letters by carissa graham
Steph: Thoughts from Cali
Erin: Live Laugh Love...with The Souza's

Bubble Fest @ Discover Science Center

Had an amazingly crazy busy weekend this week. We started the weekend on Friday by visiting Bubble Fest at the Discovery Science Center in Orange County. We had so much fun. We had a car load including myself, my mother, my aunt, my sister, and all 3 kids, Emily, Logan and Ben. It's a good thing my mom has an Expedition.

Waiting for the Bubble Show to start

As we headed towards the Science Center I had no idea what to expect. We got there about 20 minutes after it had opened and it was already PACKED! Seriously, the parking lot was already full. We had to park across the street at the mall, which was fine for me, I enjoy the walk. We got in and went straight to the show. It was AMAZING. It was held under a tent outside and they had bubble scientist, Fan Yang, there doing amazing bubble tricks. They had a huge spot on the floor in front of the stage for the kiddies to sit, although mine sat on my lap. They would blow bubbles over the kiddies for them to pop. The stuff this guy did was so amazing. He had brought two kids up on the stage and put them in a bubble. I can't even describe here all the cool stuff we saw, you'd have to see it for yourself. They also gave us fun facts about bubbles that most kids don't even think about. My 3 yr old niece was telling my husband later on "did you know that bubbles are made of mostly water? the lady in the white coat told us that". She is so cute.

Everyone playing in the sand water exhibit

After the show was over we decided to stick around and explore the Discovery Science Center. This place is awesome! I can't believe I've never been there. All of there stuff is interactive so it's a fun way for kids to learn about science. They have an earthquake stimulator, which is very informative for our part of the country. They had a tornado stimulator, a wave stimulator, you name it, they had it. They even had a room (telephone booth size), that you can stand in and the wind turns on. It gets up to 100mph to show you what it feels like. So crazy! It was very very crowded this day, so I'd really like to go back when it's less busy. But we had so much fun exploring both floors of science fun.

The kids learning about earthquakes

They also had a toddler area for kids 5 and under. This was nice because it gave the kids a chance to run around and climb on things. The toddler area had little computer games, and building blocks, foam gym equipment, a slide and all sorts of stuff. Aside from the toddler area there is also a Taco Bell located inside. This would have hit the spot if the line was not a mile long, we were starving! But seriously, this place was so crowded, it was impossible to even move by the time we left. I had overheard someone saying that it is never this crowded, but it was the Bubble Fest that caused the big turn out.

Emily and Logan playing with one of the exhibits

All in all, even though it was crowded and we had to park down the street, it was a great time. I would love to go back on a less busy day and let the kids spend a little more time there. If the Bubble Fest ever happens again, I would love to take my son back. He really enjoyed the bubble show and he loves the bubble gun we took home as a souvenir.

Park Review - Fun Wednesday

Today we (my mom, sis and I) took the kids to Memorial Park in Claremont CA. I love taking my son to parks because it really allows him to release all of his toddler energy. He's a grump when he is indoors too long. I had often wished Claremont had a park, because I live so close. But I recently found out that they do have one. When we went to Claremont for their Spring Celebration, it was held at Memorial Park in Claremont. I was excited to see what this park had to offer. The day we went to the Spring Celebration, I was taken back by how big this park is. Very shaded, lots of green grass to run on, and a playground for the kiddies. It also had tennis courts and a basefall field. Perfect for a birthday party celebration or even a picnic with the kiddies. They had picnic areas you can rent out for the day too, which is what I'll likely do for my son's 2ND birthday.




We took the kids there today, because the Santa Ana's were amongst us today and we wanted somewhere that was wind free. For those of you who are not familiar with Santa Ana winds you are lucky. Claremont is usually wind free so it was a perfect opportunity to give this park a test run. It passed!! The weather was nice, the kids enjoyed it, we adults enjoyed it. The restrooms were close enough to the playground so if a kids gotta go, it's not a hike to the potty. The playground was a bit smaller then a lot of the newer parks, but it had all the necessities. This park also has a nice big open field which would be perfect for flying kites. I'll have to remember that for next time. This is also a sand playground, which my son loves! He loves to pick up the sand and cover the slide with it. He'll also sit and cover his feet, note to self to remember the sand toys next time.




If you live in the area, I recommend checking it out. It's located a couple blocks north of the Claremont Village. Have a great Wednesday everyone.

Just the Boys! Logan and Ben

Today I spent the day with my son, Logan, and my nephew Ben. The ladies in my family wanted to take my niece to her first movie theatre experience. So of course I offered to watch my only nephew (my son’s best friend), while they went. They had such a good time playing and eating lots of left over Easter Candy.





Unfortunately Southern California did not get the memo that Spring has arrived, so it rained practically the entire time. They spent a good portion of the day inside, I put on a movie and the two of them just enjoyed being boys. They snuggled together to watch movies, they rough housed and laughed. Good times! I made some cheesy pasta with some stuff I happened to have around the kitchen. They enjoyed it, I really enjoyed it. I LOOOOVE pasta!!!

When the rain let up and the sun came out I let them play outside. My son has a water toy that was outside and got filled with rain water. They played with that thing forever. They were both drenched within seconds of being out there. They took turns going down the slide, and of course my son always let his GI Joe's go first. He'd slide them down, then be right behind them. Luckily I had plenty of extra clothes that my nephew could fit into, since he is only a short 5 months behind Logan. When they were done outside(it got really cold), I brought them in, got them dressed in some dry clothes, and put in another movie. They both got candy and cuddled some more before I son went to sleep.



Definitely a different experience for me taking care of two kids instead of my usual ONE. But it was nice. Nothing got done around my house, it was a disaster and I was ok with that. I just enjoyed being fun auntie and fun mommy for the afternoon.

Tomorrow I'll try to talk to my niece to learn about her exciting first trip to the movies. I'll be sure to share with you all.

Fun Filled Easter Weekend!

Easter is literally right around the corner. And today we were revving up our engines getting ready for the fun filled Holiday tomorrow. Our family decided to make it a weekend of celebration rather then just the one day.

This morning when Logan woke up I put the Prince of Egypt on for him while I got ready. Normally no TV in the morning, but since this is the story of Moses, and perfect for the Holiday, I thought "why not?". He was totally into the movie, and I got us all packed up for the Claremont Spring Celebration.

I knew that the Easter egg hunt started at 10:30, but I wanted to get there early so we could join in all the other activities. We got there about 9:30sh...and it was PACKED. So many people. When we first got there, we stood by the stage and watched the magician. Very entertaining, even for my one year old. We then went to visit the Easter Bunny. We only waved and blew kisses to him though, because we(my son) only love him from a distance! After that we went to the police cars, and Logan got to sit in the back of one. He loved it, all the kids seemed to love it!.

My mom, Sis and her kiddies finally got there to join us. We took them to the petting zoo. By this time it was getting close to 10:30 so we didn't have time to get in line to play with the animals. But the kids still loved putting there fingers through the fence and watching them. After the petting zoo we all walked to the egg hunt area. They had it divided into three sections, 0-3, 4-6, and 7-10 yr olds. Luckily our kids were all 3 and under so we stayed together. Then the police sirens started and the hunt began. For the ages 4 and up, it was crazy!! Those kids were vultures. I was sooo happy my son is still in the toddler age group. Remind me to teach him to fight before he is 4. For the little ones they did things a little different, they handed out a bag of eggs and candy to each of them. Each kid walked up with their basket and got it filled. Not as much fun, but perfect for the age group.

When all was said and done we let the kids run around some more. Eat a little candy and then run some more. I chased my son around a bit and we played a fake shooting game using our fingers as guns. Then it was time to go home. He fell asleep on the way home! I was happy because I knew I had a lot of cleaning to do today...but then I got home and realized my AMAZING husband already did all the cleaning for me. I'm so lucky!!

I would also like to recommend a couple of other blogs, if you are looking for some fun activities to do with your kids. I was reading some blogs that I follow this morning and found some very cute, fun ideas to prepare for tomorrow. I hope everyone gets a chance to take a look. Happy Easter!!

Join the Gossip: A Martha Stewart Easter

Maman A Droit: Nest Cookies