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.

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.

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.

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

The Victoia Gardens - Fun For Everyone

I love living in Southern California. Mainly because I love that we are experiencing Spring weather in the middle of February. Yesterday was such a beautiful day, I just wanted to spend the entire day outside. I texted my friend, Jennifer, yesterday morning to see if she and her daughter, Julia, would like to accompany myself and my son to the Victoria Gardens to go for a walk.

We arrived at the Victoria Gardens, an outside shopping mall in our area, as the stores were opening. Even though it was only 10:00am, it was already extremely warm outside. Gotta love the I.E.. First thing was first though, we had to stop by their playground so the kids could play a little before we started our walk. Their playground is very cute, it consists of a little doll house, a jungle gym, and a couple of other little misc. things. The only problem with their playground is, on a hot day, the slide is entirely too warm to slide down. Julia was lucky though, she wore jeans so she could slide down. Unfortunately Logan was wearing shorts and refused to go down that thing. There is also a little water fountain by the playground that spills water over the sides. Kids are allowed to lean up against it, and splash the water. This is something Logan usually does, but yesterday he didn't seem interested.

After we left the playground we decided to walk off some calories. But of course, being 2 ex-Starbucks Batista's, we had to stop in and get our fix first. Lucky for us, and all parents, the Starbucks at Victoria Gardens is located right next to the park. I wonder if that was planned?? Once we got our drinks, and the kids snacks, we were on our way. We walked around the mall a few times. It was so nice just soaking up the sun. We had plenty of girl talk, but then we could tell the kids were getting bored being pushed around in strollers. We decided to stop in the quad area to let the kids play in the big fountain.

Every time that I go to Victoria Gardens, it is essential that I bring a change of clothes for my son. Unless it's freezing outside, he never leaves this place dry. The Victoria Gardens has a huge fountain in their quad that spits water up from the ground. In the middle of summer there are usually swarms of kids hovering in the water. Luckily, yesterday was a school day so there were only a few toddlers out there. Logan and Julia had a blast out there playing in the water, while Jen and I stayed off to the side and watched and took pictures. The kids splashed in the water, stomped in the water, chased each other; it was a good time. We let them play in the water for a long while, but eventually it was time to go, although the kids could have stayed all day.

At the Victoria Gardens, they also have a train, The Choo Choo Monga Express, that you and your kids can ride around the quad. It only cost $3.00, and although we've never gone on, it always looks fun. Logan loves to wave at the kids as they pass by.

If you live in the I.E., and you want a cheap, fun play date with your kids, I recommend bringing them to The Victoria Gardens' mall. There is something for everyone. Just pack a lunch and head over, just make sure to bring your young ones a change of clothes, or a bathing suit, You'll likely need it.

Photo Credit: My Camera

Indoor Picnicing at the Mall

Welcome to another gloomy day in the Inland Empire. I heard on the news that we were supposed to have "terrible thunder storms" all day, so I planned a fun, indoor picnic at The Montclair Plaza. When I got up this morning, I was shocked that it was not raining(though this would not be the first time the weather man was wrong), so I did my normal mom stuff, made lunches, packed the diaper bag and got us both dressed and ready to go. Still, NO RAIN!! Whatever, I already had it planned, so I stuck to it.

We got to the Montclair Plaza, where I walked a lap before heading to their play area. This way I could stretch my legs some too. We finally arrived at the play area and Logan was so excited to get out of his stroller and play. There were a few other kids there, about his age so it was nice. He always enjoys playing at this playground. It's perfect for toddlers, and young kids. I've been taking my son there since he was crawling, and it's interesting to see how far he's come. Now he can climb up the slides, and crawl all over everything, when just 6 months ago he had a hard time with a lot of it. Logan will usually play with other kids; or follow them, ultimately annoying them, while I mingle with other moms, grandmas, or dads. It's especially nice because it's located right next to the Barnes & Noble, so every once in awhile, I'll stop in and get myself some Starbucks. But on the flip side, it's also next to a Cinnabon, so if you're dieting(like I usually am), then this definitely becomes a challenge for your willpower.

Today, he played in their forever. I have so much fun watching him be a little boy. Running, climbing, jumping, and sliding. His pants were a little big for him, so I often saw his butt crack, so I'd have to make my way over to him, pulling up those pants.

Once he was done at the playground, I brought out the goodies I had packed for us. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He had water to drink, while I drank my sugar free Amp. After our lunch, we strolled into Barnes & Noble to look at their children's section. I attempted to read to him, but he apparently still had some energy to burn off. I wish he loved books as much as I do. They have a wonderful children's corner, that I hope someday he learns to like.

The mall is a great place to take your young ins, it's great for all ages. Today's journey was especially great because it didn't cost me anything. Admission to mall: Free, Admission to playground: Free, Sack Lunch: Free, Reading a Book in Barnes & Noble: Free. Everyone wins!

I have a question though for you mom's. I love packing a lunch when we go places because it saves money, it's usually healthier, and it's quick. What are some HEALTHY snacks that your kids enjoy? Please share, I could use some ideas.

Thanks for listening!


Photo Credit: My Camera