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.

Park Review - Fun Wednesday

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




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




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

Just the Boys! Logan and Ben

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





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

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



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

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

Fun Filled Easter Weekend!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Join the Gossip: A Martha Stewart Easter

Maman A Droit: Nest Cookies

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.

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.

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.

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

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?