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!

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.

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.

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

Easter Egg Hunt!!

If anyone is having a problem finding something to do this Saturday, worry no more! I did a quick Internet search trying to find something for us to do this weekend, that was cheap and different. It came to my attention that just about every city in the area is going to be doing FREE Easter Egg Hunts this Saturday morning. Below are the cities in my area, along with the link for more information on the event. This only happens once a year so I suggest taking advantage of it. If you don't live in our area but are interested, I suggest checking out your city or a near by city's website to see what they offer.

Saturday April 3rd:

Upland, CA: Spring Egg Hunt at Memorial Park (I had Lo's 1st birthday there), at 10:00am SHARP!

Montclair, CA: Easter Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast at Alma Hofman Park. Hunt Begins at 9:00am SHARP! Free egg hunt, prize eggs, and photo with Easter Bunny. $3 for Pancake Breakfast.

Claremont, CA: Spring Celebration at Memorial Park (Indian Hill). Event starts and 9:00am and includes crafts, contests, clowns, games, a petting zoo, and a candy egg hunt. Egg hunt starts at 10:30am SHARP! They will also be holding a Pancake Breakfast from 7 - 11am for $4.00.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA: Easter Celebrations at Bass Pro Shop! Be there at noon to participate in arts & crafts. Their old fashioned egg hunt begins at 2pm SHARP. This will be going on Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the 4th.

Fontana, CA: There are 4 different Egg-citement events going on this Saturday in Fontana. Check out the site to see which one is best for you.

If you are local to any of these I recommend trying it out. Remember, this only happens once a year so get out and enjoy. I'm thinking I will be in Claremont on Saturday. Have a great Easter everyone.

Photo Credit: www.pe.com

Another Park Story - Red Hill Community

Last week a friend of mine came across a very very cool park she had taken her little ones to. She let me know about it and I couldn't wait to take Logan, but day to day things kept getting in the way. Finally yesterday we made it out there. I packed a lunch, a couple of toys, and some bread to feed the ducks.

For those of you who live in the area, we went to Red Hill Park in Rancho Cucamonga. I pass this park ALL the time and never knew it was there. It's sort of hidden if you're driving down Baseline, or I'm just blind. Either way I'm glad she told me about it. It is HUGE!!! There are 2 fully equipped playgrounds, Enormous grassy fields, a trail, a lake, ducks and turtles.

We invited my Mom, Sister and the kiddies for an extra dose of fun. We all arrived at the park around the same time. We laid down the blanket for our picnic area and headed to the playground. This playground is huge. The kids played in the sand and went down the slides. They also enjoyed the swings and a doll house that they had there. Though the boys just loved covering the doll house table with sand, what little boy wouldn't love that? They also had a toy there that I had never seen before. It's this weird square bounching thingy. My sis and and tried it out and it was fun. My son wanted to try but he was too little so I held him there while my sister made it bounce. He looooved that thing!

After the playground the kids wanted to feed the ducks. So we grabbed our bread from the picnic area and headed to the lake. Their were so many ducks and turtles. Logan had never fed the ducks before so we had to explain to him and my nephew that you throw the bread to them. All three of them really seemed to enjoy this, the ducks did too. But eventually the bread was gone, so we went and looked at some turtles. There were so many turtles! I was holding Logan while we got a closer look, he looked so taken back by them. It was quite funny. Right next to the lake is a huge grassy hill which my son had taken off running up to the top. Then decided to lie down and roll down the hill, laughing the entire time. My niece decided to join him so they were both rolling down the hill. Made me dizzy just watching them. Then my nephew decided to join in the fun, but he really didn't understand what the heck they were doing. He took a running start down the hill then jumped, landing face first into the grass. My sister then took him to the top and showed him how to roll. They played and ran forever on that hill. I brought the squirt gun out and they had a ball with that too.

After awhile we got hungry, so we made our way to the picnic area and ate the lunch we brought. My son ignored his sandwich completely, all he wanted was strawberries s that's all he ate. When we were finished eating we went to the stage next to the lake. My niece wanted to do a dance but not all by herself. So we all got into a circle and did the songs she learned in her "class" she goes to once a week. One of them is Ring around the Roses, so we did that. All of the kids loved that. Logan was so excited when we'd go in the circle then drop to our knees. We even did it a few times because the kids loved it so much. After that we took one more trip to the lake before heading home. It was already after one and therefore past Logan's nap time. I could tell he was exhausted.

It just wouldn't a family outing without at least one stop to Starbucks. On the way home I took a glance at Logan and noticed he was almost asleep, but not quite. I decided I needed a little fuel for my fire so we pulled into an Upland Starbucks drive-thru (one I worked at many years ago), and I got a Iced with whip Chai. So refreshing and energizing! We got home, I put Logan to bed and I relaxed. Taking the kids to the park is very rewarding, but requires a lot of energy. Thank God for caffeine!

I totally recommend Red Hill park to anyone in the area. Little kids of all ages would get a kick out of this park. If my son were a little older I would bring a scooter or bike for him to ride along the trail. It's a great place for picnics, birthday parties or just some good 'ol fun. Thanks Cindy for the recommendation.

Striking a Pose - Logan's Photo Shoot

On Weds this last week I had an amazing photographer come to my house and take photos of my little boy. The day was fun, and Logan was...energized. He would be really good for a little while, but then didn't want to have anything to do with it. Then he'd be really good, then over it again. Brian, the photographer, was really good with kids though and Logan liked him from the start.

When Brian first arrived at our place, with his beautiful helper Jennifer, Logan was happy to have visitors. Gives him a reason to show off. While Brian set up, Jennifer played with Logan which helped put him in a good mood for the photo shoot. They brought fake flowers as part of the props, and let Logan play with them. He loved the fake flowers, but insisted on holding just one at a time. We then started the shoot. Brian had lots of great ideas and a great eye for scenery I would have never thought of.

I got to see some of photos this morning on Brian's blog. Please please please go take a look. He is amazing at his job and I highly recommend him. He makes house calls, so if this is something you are interested in, he will come to you. Also, he is affordable, contact him for prices. So please, go check him out.

Work-Out Partner

A little over a year ago I started doing the Biggest Loser work out DVDs. I love them so much, they are short enough so mom's can find the time to work out, but they are tough enough to have you breathless by the end. Last year I was using the Cardio Max video but it was something I could only do after Logan had went to bed. I couldn't do it during his naps because there were chores that had to be done, couldn't do it while he was awake because he didn't understand and would want to crawl or stumble around by my legs and feet. I would get 30 seconds into it and have to give up. So I was content with waiting until bedtime to start my video. After awhile though, you start to think that that's just too late to work out, it's bed time. For about 2-3 months I took a break from my videos and busied my evenings by hanging out with the hubby, reading or doing some cross stitching.

Then Christmas came and I received the new Biggest Loser-Last Chance Work Out DVD. I loved it! So I started at it again after my son went to bed. Then recently I thought I would try it while he was awake, maybe get him involved as well. So I put it on and told him that we're going to work out now. To my surprise the kid is actually very good at it. He loved it. When they're doing jumping jacks he's...well he's trying. But he's laughing and he stays out of my way. When we do push ups, he gets on his hands and knees and bounces. Sometimes he doesn't follow the DVD at all and he'll just twirl in circles. Whatever works!! By the end he's usually over it, luckily I prepare ahead of time and have a snack and water waiting for him on the sidelines. Usually when he's done he'll head that way and play from there, continuing to stay out of my way for the remainder of the video.

The point of this post is to let everyone know that your toddler may enjoy a little work out to0. It's worth a shot. I used to let having him around get in the way of my workout, but I found away to make it enjoyable for him so I can do what I need to do. I dare all you mommy's out there to try it. Couldn't hurt. I also highly recommend the Biggest Loser Last chance workout DVD. It's fantastic. My husband who is pretty fit and can run for days, had a hard time keeping up the first time he did this DVD with us. Also the Cardio Max DVD helped me while I lost 70lbs last year. These DVDs are NO JOKE! And they're pretty cheap too, especially compared to other workout DVDs. Good Luck all!!

- You can purchase these DVDs at Walmart for like 9 or 10 dollars.

Photo Credit: weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/.../blog/fitkids.jpg

For all the Locals...lots of options this weekend

There are many family orientated activities coming to us in the coming weeks. It seems like all of a sudden I am finding new things left and right. Unfortunately a few of them seem to fall on the same day. I figured instead of writing about each one at great length, I would post the links to the activities below and let you check them out for yourself.

March 27TH
Lefty's Family fun day & 5k walk (or run, or roller blade or stroller push...) at the California Speedway. Completely FREE!!! CLICK HERE

March 27Th - April 11TH
Discovery Science Center's Spring Break Bubble Spectacular. Brought to you by Discovery Science Center and the Victoria Gardens. With a special "Mommy & Me Bubble Play Day" on Tuesday March 30Th. Located in Orange County. Click Here for more info.

March 27Th
Victoria Garden's Signiture Event. Chaffey Town Square from 1-6. Experiment with bubbles at the Discovery Science Center booth. Plus lots of extra entertainment. Don't forget to visit the Easter Bunny! Click Here for more info!

March 27Th
Antique Street faire, located at Antique Row in Pomona Ca. If you are at all interested in antiques, you'll love what they have to offer. Click here for more info.

Plan ahead and enjoy. I will be attending for the sure the Lefty's 5k and the antique show.

Antique Shopping with my Boy

Recently my best friend friend of 25 years started planning her wedding. Her idea for the theme is very cute and something I've never heard of before. It requires a lot of antique store shopping. It gets tricky though because she is located in Northern CA and Myself, along with the rest of her bridesmaids are located in Southern CA. She let me know exactly what it is that she needs, so yesterday Logan and I headed to Antique Row, Pomona CA (about a 5 minute drive for me). I forgot how much I love looking at all the stuff they have. I really wanted to buy so much.

The first store we went into had one of the items I was looking for. So I purchased that and decided to look around some more, just for funsies. Logan and had fun too. He would Ooh and Awww at stuff that I would point out to him. He really liked when we looked at the toys. I found a children's book section that had very good prices on books that I had grown up with. Remember a "Little Golden Book" collection? It was the thin cardboard books with the silver on the left. Anyways, they were selling them by the bundles. For $4.25 I was able to get Noah's Arc(2 of those), Old MacDonald Had a Farm, The Musicians of Bremen, Moving Day, When Bunny Grows Up, The Monster at the end of this Book (sesame st.), Winnie the Pooh (Eeyore be happy), and Scuffy the Tug Boat. I was very excited about my find. Not a bad deal at all.

If you are at all interested in antiques, or even on the look out for affordable children stuff, then you should stop by this Saturday, March 27Th. They will have the entire street closed off for an Antique Street Fair. All stores will be open and they will be offering extra discounts. Plus, their will be street vendors their as well. I definitely recommend checking it out. Bring the kids too, Logan had a blast. I thought he'd be bored but he actually ended up enjoying himself. I will likely be there this Saturday trying to find more wedding stuff. Hopefully we'll see you there!

Photo Credit: www.westernu.edu

Saturday Outing

I can't believe Monday is already here. Where did the weekend go? Admittedly, Sunday was a lazy day for us. Went to Church, went to my parent's house for a bit, then home to watch movies and do NOTHING! Which is normally not my style, but the time change had gotten to me. But I think we more then made up for it on Saturday at the Victoria Gardens. We had so much fun! Not just fun, but FREE fun, can't beat that!
On Saturday my mom, my sister, her two kids Emily and Ben, Logan and myself, went to the Victoria Gardens to check out their Saturday fun day. We had a blast from beginning to end. We made our way to the Chaffey Town Square and it was poppin. They had a stage set up, with a lady doing dance instructions for the kids. They had some music playing while she was teaching them(Logan loved that part). They also had a face painting booth set up. Emily, my niece, got a picture of Hello Kitty painted on her cheek. They also had a Ben & Jerry's booth set up, I believe they were charging $2 though. Color Me Mine was there with paints so you can paint your Easter Eggs. The Easter Eggs had to be picked up from the Easter Bunny's house, however they were free. You do not have to sit on the Bunny's lap to get your Easter Eggs or coloring pictures. There was also the VG Kidz booth set up as well, and if you sign up, they give you a free back pack (pink, blue or orange), and some coupons for the Carousel. Oh, I forgot to mention that if your kids participate in dance activities, their ice cream is free.
As my sister and Emily were in line for the face painting, my mom and I had the boys in front of the stage listening to the music while the bigger kids danced. My son, was ALL about the dancing. He was so in his element. I couldn't help but laugh, and there was no off button. He just loved to dance. Shadow(the VG Kidz mascot) came up and gave Logan and Ben high fives while they were getting their moves on. Then we got all the kids signed up for the VG Kidz club. If you aren't already a member, I definitely recommend checking it out. Every time you visit VG just bring your membership card to guest service and your child will receive a free small toy. Bring your receipts to guest service and you earn points. When you reach 1000 points, your child receives a HUGE gift. Most stores also have special deals when you belong to the VG kidz club. For instance, Coffee Bean (often, not always) will give a free child's drink when a regular drink is purchased.
After signing the kids up for the VG kidz club, we went to visit the Easter Bunny and get our free eggs. We went ahead and had a group photo taken with everyone in it. They do not sell regular photo sheets like they do at Christmas, the only option available is a USB drive. We purchased one of course, they run about $21 each. However, we got home and tried to look at the photos, but once we placed the USB drive into the computer, is started to smoke. We quickly removed it and the USB smelled so bad. No way are we trying that again. After Emily insisted on painting every one's eggs, we played a little longer then went home.
It was a great Saturday. I may have to do this again before the Easter Bunny leaves. I hope everyone else gets a chance to join in the festivities, your kids really will enjoy this.

A Random Fun Day

Today's post is a little random for me. So bare with me as there are two things I'd like to talk about, however one has nothing to do with the other. I first have an announcement for the locals, then a giveaway!

For everyone in the inland empire area, with kids, nieces,nephews, or grandkids, I just got an update from the Victoria Gardens that their Easter Bunny will be arriving today, Saturday March 13Th. He will be located in Chaffey Town Square for pictures and meet & greets with the kiddies. Also, they will be holding extra fun activities for the kids every Saturday from March 13Th - April 3rd. Activities will include: Bunny Hop (with the Easter Bunny), Free face painting, and egg coloring (with Color me Mine). For a full list of activities please check out the Victoria Gardens website here. To have a photo taken with the Easter Bunny, he will be available Mon - Sat 11am - 8pm closed 1:15 - 2pm and 5:15 - 5:45pm and open again Sun 12pm - 6pm closed 2:15 - 3pm. Go have a blast! I'll be down there with Logan today to enjoy in the festivities.

Now, for the giveaway. Recently I had talked about the most entertaining movies for my son and I to watch together. Amongst the list was Jonah, A Veggie Tales Movie. Well, it just so happens that I have an extra copy of the movie, still in it's original package. This movie truly is adorable, and sends a great message to your kids about compassion and mercy, while delivering a message from the Bible. The Veggie Tales have many cute, quirky movies with sing alongs and Bible stories. And best of all they are entertaining for everyone. To enter the contest simply leave a comment telling us about your favorite childhood movie. I will pick a winner at random on Friday, March 26Th.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Calling in Sick

Let's face it, when you're a stay at home mom there is no such thing as a sick day. You can't call off, or leave early to catch some shut eye. Nope, you have to figure out a way to keep your child entertained, and safe, while trying to relax and get healthy. The past couple of days I have been under the weather. I've had sore throat, sinus headache and just felt BLAH! For me this was difficult because I hate to be at home. I love to go go go. My son is the same way, he seems to get cabin fever when at home too long. This gave me a bit of a challenge, because all I wanted to do was rest. Then it came to me!

Normally I don't care for my son to watch too much TV, I just don't like the idea of him sitting there all day when he should be outside playing. However, most evenings before bed I'll put a movie in so he can wind down a bit. So the past couple of days I put in some dvd's to watch while I relaxed on the couch. I also brought a lot of toys into the living room to be sure he would not get bored. This "movie day" idea was nice for me too because it seems that the movies he loves the most I also seem to really enjoy.

Number 1 for us is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The most recent one with Johny Depp. I actually purchased this movie about a month ago for only $4.75 at Target. My son, who is only 21 months old, will sit and watch this movie from beginning to end. He even laughs at some of the funny parts. How does a 1 yr old understand the jokes? Beats me. But he loves this movie. Every time the Umpa Lumpas sing, my son hops up and starts dancing. When each song is finished, he completes his dance by applauding himself. I enjoy this movie as well, I mean come on, it's Johny Depp! It's funny, warm, and it teaches our kids not to be spoiled brats, because the spoiled brats never win. I also like the original version, but I have yet to find that one on sale. I would love to own that one, I'm sure my son would love it.

Number 2 for us is The Prince of Egypt. Another musical, what can I say, my son loves to dance. This movie is the story of Moses which we've all learned in Sunday school growing up. The story is put into a nice cartoon musical to entertain children. It's got an all star cast, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Val Kilmer, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Steve Martin and Martin Short. The songs in this movie are beautiful from beginning to end. I absolutely love this movie. This is another one that my son will sit and watch the entire thing without getting bored. It entertains him, he loves to dance to the music, and he's also learning the story of Moses.

To wrap this up I'll just add the last movie we love to watch. Jonah, A Veggie Tales Movie. Veggie Tales of course added their own twist of the biblical story of Jonah, which makes it quiet entertaining for young ones. Again, it incorporates lots of music which my son loves. It starts off with a bunch of kids trying to get to a "Twippo" concert and all goes wrong. They're all arguing and bitter towards each other. Keep in mind that all the characters are some sort of vegetable. Then while at a restaurant to call a tow truck, they sit in a booth next to "the pirates who don't do anything", who hear the arguing and decide to teach these kids a lesson about compassion by telling them the story of Jonah. It's really cute how they set this movie up. My son loves it, and even laughs at their little jokes. Again, I don't understand how he knows what they're talking about, but he does. We have a wide variety of Veggie Tales movies in our home, they are a great "go to" when you need to pop something in that will keep your child entertained.

If you haven't seen any of these movies I definitely recommend renting them. They are great family movies for all ages. My husband even enjoys them, and he's more of the Die Hard kinda movie guy. Thanks for listening. Hopefully I will feel better soon and be able to take my son out to play hard to make up for lost time.

Coming Soon: An Under the Sea Adventure

Boring week for us this week. It's been very busy so unfortunately, not a lot of fun stuff was done. Logan and I didn't have any extra ordinary adventures this week, but we have tons planned. Today I was thinking what I would like to do next week, at least one thing fun and out of the ordinary for us. Then a commercial came while I was in the car.

For a limited time only, The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, is offering $5.00when you purchase your tickets on line. Not a bad deal considering children under 3 are free. So a basic price for us would be $18.95 instead of $23.95. It looks like they also have bundle deals where you can purchase a combo of LA Zoo/Aquarium or Queen Mary/Aquarium for one low price. Not a bad deal at all for anyone who's interested in visiting both places and saving some dough.

I've only been to the Aquarium of the Pacific once, when I was a teenager, and I had a good time. I'm sure small children would love it too! They have something for all ages. The younger kids can enjoy 3D cartoon movies based on turtles and fish. The slightly older ones can enjoy the Shark Exhibits, where they can actually touch a shark. How cool is that?? And they also have learning exhibits where children can learn about different sea animals from all over the world.

I would like to check this out sometime this month. I will definitely keep you all posted on our trip. I'll be sure to let you know if the food was affordable, if it's really worth the money or if we had a great time.

Until then. Have a great day and enjoy your children!

Photo Credit: www.yelp.com

You're Invited!! - Dr. Seuss' Birthday Party

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” - Dr. Suess

On Tuesday, March 9th, The Upland Library will be celebrating the birthday of the one and only Dr. Suess. Of course I am assuming everyone knows of the legendary Dr. Suess, we all grew up reading his books. Or at least having them read to us. I have read some of his books to my son, continuing the tradition. Thanks to Dr. Suess we all know that; Sam I am does not like green eggs and ham. We know that the Grinch's heart grew 3 sizes that day. We know that the sun did not shine, it was too wet to play. I can go on and on, but I won't.

The birthday party will be held at the Upland Library, Carnegie Cultural Center on Tuesday, March 9Th. It's in the evening, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, so it's a perfect after school/work adventure. They will have Dr. Suess stories, and cake!! Plus every kid in attendance will receive a FREE book. This should be so much fun. I can't wait.

Hope to see you all there!!

Photo Credit: fancypantsy.wordpress.com

A Walk in the Park

The weather outside today was just perfect. If it was like this more often I would be the happiest woman ever. I love being outside, especially in the Spring. I wanted to get a nice, brisk walk in today, but I also wanted to let Logan run around and play a bit too. I know he gets bored sitting in the stroller while I walk, I can understand that, he's almost two and he wants to let his legs run wild. Well today, I knew the perfect place that would make us both happy. Central Park, in Rancho Cucamonga has it all, and the scenery is just beautiful!

When we first pulled up, we hit the playground first. That way when it was time for our walk, he could relax in the stroller. The playground there is great for kids. It's a pretty descent size, and has both sand and AstroTurf. It is also surrounded by grassy fields, perfect spot for a picnic. So we get there and I let him run around for a bit, I chase him then he chases me. We go up the jungle gym and we race to the slide...he always wins. The entire time he is laughing, and I am thinking "forget walking, I'm getting enough exercise". So we go and we go until I can't go anymore and I need a break. I convinced him to take a break and let me push him on the swing. He bought it, and he enjoyed the swing for awhile. Until he saw other kids on the slide, then he was done with the swing. After playing a little while longer I could tell he was getting hungry so we set off for our walk.

Central Park is the perfect place for anyone who likes to walk, run or ride bikes. Not only is the scenery nice, but they have a couple different trails you can take. If you walk the main trail, north of the park, their is a cement trail, and a dirt trail that go side by side. With my big stroller, I usually take the dirt one so the bike riders can stay on the cement. The trail extends between Haven and Milliken and then some. It's actually a lot further, but we only go between those two streets. I get tired! There are ALWAYS plenty of people on the trail, so I know I am never alone and that makes me feel more secure.

The second trail, my favorite, is near the park and the senior center. It goes through the grass and the gardens. I love it because it's so soothing and relaxing, but at the same time I'm exercising. On a day like today, where the breeze was just perfect you can smell all of the flowers and plants in bloom. While I did a few laps on the trail, Logan enjoyed the pb&j sandwich I had made for him, and we were both happy. I really wish I had my iPod with me today, it would have been a nice "cherry on top", also it doubles as a pedometer and that would have come in handy today. Unfortunately, my iPod is not working so I sent it to Apple to be replaced. Hopefully I'll get my new one soon.

Anyways, I hear it's supposed to rain tomorrow...I hate the rain. I know we're in a drought, and we NEED it, but I can't help the way I feel. If it rains tomorrow(like it's supposed to), then we'll be heading to Chuck-E-Cheese. So I'll be back to let you know how that goes. Hopefully I'll be able to resist the junk food.

Photo Credit: www.rcpark.com

Child Haircuts: Do it yourself or Go Somewhere?

As an ex-hair stylist turned stay at home mom you would think that haircuts in our house would be cheap, and done...in house. However, that is not the case for our family. I once thought I could cut my son's hair, but what a mistake that turned out to be. He was just a little over a year at the time, and his head turned and he would run away and it was a horrible experience for both of us. After this haircut gone wrong I wised up and took him to someone who specializes in children's haircuts. I went on my computer, entered "child haircuts" in my Google box and I haven't looked back.

I found a place in Rancho Cucamonga called Cool Cuts 4 Kids. They have been amazing! From the moment we walked in, I knew that this was going to be good for both of us. They have a play area where your kids can play while they wait. The stylist are extremely nice, and are very good with children. The patience these woman must have. When it's your turn, your child can sit at a booth of their choice. They have something for everyone. Some booths have video games set up, some have TVs, and some have cars that your child can sit in. My son personally likes the car, which also has a TV in front of it so he can watch a movie.

In the past my son has always been very good while getting his haircut here. But today he was not having it. I guess I should take some blame for that, seeing as he was almost asleep and ready for his nap when I took him in. Our poor stylist Ashley was good about it though, I envied her patience. When he first started throwing his tantrum (screaming bloody murder), Ashley asked if it was ok to give him a lolly pop. Of course my thoughts on this was "anything to shut him up!!!". He was a little better once he had his lolly pop and was watching Wow Wow Wubbzy on the TV. But he was still shaking his head and trying to get away. But with me holding him down and Ashley working her magic hard and fast we were able to accomplish our mission. His haircut was complete.

Of course he was all smiles when we let him down. While I payed he played in the play area. I apologized for my son's tantrum but she explained that it's very common and it doesn't even faze her, she likes what she does. I guess it takes a special kind of person to deal with that all day long. In the end it cost $20 with tip. Not bad, she definitely earned the money. Sure, being an ex stylist I have the "know how" to do it myself and save the $20, but then I'd have to turn around and spend that $20 on liquor just to calm myself down. I think I'll stick Cool Cuts 4 Kids for now. Let them deal with it!

Diaper Shopping - Should it Really Take This Long?

Diapers, diapers, diapers. Why are they so complicated? There are like 50 brands, ranging from all prices, designs, stretch here, leak guards...blah blah blah. Why can't they just say, "Hey, ours works better", and be done with it?! Every time I go to the store to buy diapers, it takes me twenty minutes because I have to look at my favorite brands, then look at the pricing and sales that are going on, then decide which one has more and is it worth it? Is it cheaper if I buy the big box with 46 or if I buy 2 of the smaller ones with 25? Sometimes it's cheaper to buy 2 of the smaller ones. When Logan was in regular diapers it was especially tough because just about any brand would work, so I was comparing prices on the entire aisle. Now he is wearing Pull Ups, and it's been a different experience. We've only found one brand that works great...and no, it's not the cheap one.

When we first made the switch from diapers to pull ups I used my general pricing scale as my purchasing judgement. I bought the Target brand, Up & Up. When Logan wore the Up & Up brand diapers they worked perfectly fine, and they were usually cheaper then the rest. However, their pull ups are a different story, although still cheaper then the leading brands, they don't work quite as well. Logan would wake up every morning soaked. I mean SOAKED!! At first I thought it was him, so I cut off his beverages earlier then usual. But then I noticed we were going through more diapers during the day too. One lil wee wee would make his pants huge. So I started blaming the pull ups. No more Up & Ups for us, time to try something new.

My mom had seen a great deal on Pamper's Easy Ups at Target, where you buy 3 packages, you receive a $5.00 Target gift card. So she bought one for me, one for my sis, and a spare for her house. They were free, so that is always the best! At first they were fine, but he still leaked through pretty easily. I also did not like that you practically had to rip the pull up in half to get it off. The little stickers on the side did not work. Although Pamper's brand did work better for us then the Up & Ups, it still was not working for me. I was beginning to think that all pull-ups were like this and maybe I should switch back to the basic diapers. But I had one more brand that I needed to try before giving up.

Although Huggies is usually one of the more expensive brands, for Pull-Ups, they are the only ones worth buying. Once we've started using Huggies we've had no accidents. His pants don't swell at all, and they have an emblem on the front of the pull-up that fades when the pull-up is wet. The Velcro sides makes it incredibly easy to remove as well.

The fact that I will only purchase Huggies brand Pull-Ups from now on makes my life at Target a little easier now. However, I do still sit and debate with myself which size package is the better buy. At least I'm only comparing prices with one brand now instead of the entire aisle.

Huggies should change their slogan to: Hey, ours work better!

Photo Credit: http://planettran.wordpress.com