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

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.

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.

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!

A Day in Camp Snoopy

As you all know, So Cal experienced beautiful spring weather this week. Today starts the downward spiral of cold, wet weather. But I enjoyed the sun while it lasted, and took advantage of it while I could. I love spending the day in the sun, with my son.

On Wednesday we had the ultimate outdoor adventure, we went to Knott's Berry Farm! It was myself, Logan, my mother, my sister, and my sister's two kids, Emily and Ben. We all piled into my mom's Excursion and off we went. Of course, knowing my family we had to stop by Starbucks on the way, otherwise it's just not a good start. My sister had packed plenty of snacks for the day, Uncrustables, Gold Fishes, Capri Suns, you name it, Every kid's dream!

When we arrived at Knott's we were able to bypass the ticket line and head straight for the gate. We are all season passes holders, and we have all gotten our money's worth and then some. Because we live so close, and we go so often it makes sense for us to have the season passes. However, they do have great deals going on right now for non-passport holders. Upon walking in to the park, they stop you to check your bag. Typically you're "not allowed" to bring in food from home, but I always just explain that I brought some snacks for the kids and they always let us bring them in.

The first place we always head to is Camp Snoopy. Camp Snoopy is all about kids. They have hours worth of kid-tastic fun. Each ride in Camp Snoopy is rated on a "thrill scale" from 1 to 3. If your child isn't quite ready for the 3 ride, I recommend sticking to the 1's and 2's. Logan's favorite ride at Knott's is the trucks. He loves to steer the heck out of the steering wheel and honk the horn. He is too little to go on any of the rides by himself still, so yours truly has to ride with him. Keep in mind that these rides were not made for adults, so be prepared for a tight squeeze.

After a couple hours in Camp Snoopy we headed toward the Log Ride. Every time that we had gone to Knott's prior to Wednesday, I would chicken out on the Log Ride. Don't get me wrong, I personally love that ride. I was always just too scared to take my son on. I never thought he'd understand it, I thought he would constantly be trying to stand up or stick his hands in the water, and I was afraid he'd go flying out on the big drop. But this time, I felt at ease, so we went for it. My sister has been taking her son on this ride since he was born, so that helped put me at ease a bit. At first Logan seemed to love it, when we were in the light I could see an ear to ear grin on his face. Then after the first, smaller drop, he grabbed on tight to my arm and didn't let go. The smile went away and was replaced by a look of terror, but he never cried or even whined. Then we hit the last, big drop...well, the photo says it all. But I would definitely take him again next time.


Lunch time came and we headed back to Camp Snoopy to dine at Lucy's Lunchbox. Usually when I go to Knott's I'll pack a lunch for us. But Wednesday, my mom insisted on buying us all lunch. Once I saw the prices I remembered why I always bring a lunch. I recommend you do the same! Lunch was good though, and we sat at a table that over looked Grizzly Creak Falls, and Logan enjoyed eating while watching the water.

It was a beautiful day to spend at Knott's, I can't wait for Spring to really kick in so we can go again and again. If this is something that you think you and your family would really enjoy, you should check out their website for current deals. Kids and adults of all ages really enjoy this place. If you go on a weekday, it's really not crowded at all. We didn't wait in any lines really.

Oh, a little last note before I end this. If you do end up going, there is a Drive Thru Starbucks just down the street from Knott's. A nice way to end the day don't you think?