What is Shelf Safe Milk? Dairy Month - June #Review @milkunleashed #MilkUnleashed

Ever see milk boxes just sitting in the middle of the grocery stores wondering, "Why aren't they in the coolers? Is it safe??" Well, June is Dairy Month, and I received some samples of Tetra Pak's shelf safe milk to try with my family. You might want to also enter the photo contest below for a chance to win a month's supply.

Milk Unleashed Cow. Photo by LetsPlayOC.com

I was really surprised to learn that they carry so many brands that we already love and no refrigeration is needed until it's open.

How is it possible? Keep reading...

If you feel it's important to offer milk in your child's lunch boxes, now you can. The milk is flash-heated at high temperatures (ultra-pasteurization) to eliminate bacteria and then put into Tetra Pak shelf safe cartons aka UHT or Ultra High Temperature milk. This protects the milk from air, light and other contaminants. It's Grade A milk that doesn’t require refrigeration until it’s opened (no preservatives added). Single-serving milk boxes (similar to juice boxes) can be stored in the pantry for six months to nine months without refrigeration. Note: the UHT process is also used for fruit juice boxes, cream, soy milk, wine, soups and broths.

Movie on the Lawn Schedule at #OC Great Park |@OCGreatPark #FREE

Movie on the Lawn at Orange County Great Park features nine feature film screenings beginning Friday, May 31 and continues through June 29.

Movie on the Lawn. Photo Courtesy of Orange County Great Park.

Classic Movie Fridays will take place on the Back 40 behind Historic Hangar 244 near the Great Park Balloon. Family Blockbuster Saturdays will be located on the Terraced Lawn.

Admission and parking are free. 

30th Annual Temecula Valley's Balloon & Wine Fest May 31-June 2 |@TemeculaVBWine @SocalWineCntry

The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival celebrates 30 years this weekend starting Friday with more than 20 Temecula Valley wineries and over 40 hot air balloons!

Photo Courtesy of TemeculaCalifornia.com

This exhilarating Southern California Wine Country event lifts spirits and people with plenty of tasty sensations, hot air balloon flights at dawn, evening picnicking beneath the towering colorful orbs as they illuminate during the balloon glow, top entertainment in concert, and an acclaimed freestyle motocross (FMX) show with gravity-defying stunts.

A three-day showcase of the Temecula Valley Wine Country's greatest assets,  the Festival greets 40,000 guests annually.

HIGHLIGHTS:

YMCA's Autism Family Fun & Fitness Fair June 1st #MissionViejo

Come learn, play games, and have fun at this FREE fitness fair. Join Autism Speaks, Pretend City, Help Me Grow, Community Autism Now, YMCA Community Services, Us Too Gymnastics, OC Fire Authority, local athletes and other community partners!

June 1st , 2013
1:30-4:30pm

Mission Viejo Family YMCA Facility
27341 Trabuco Circle
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 859-9622
ymcaoc.org/mv


The Autism Family Fun & Fitness Fair was designed as a Girl Scout Gold Award Project to promote fun and fitness to children with autism. 

Download and printer flyer here:

World Oceans Day Beach Clean-up Event June 8th #Carlsbad PLUS FREE TIX @SEALIFEAquarium

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

SEA LIFE Aquarium are looking for families to volunteer for their Beach Clean Up Event on World Oceans Day, June 8th in Carlsbad. All volunteers will get a FREE ticket to SEA LIFE Aquarium at LEGOLAND California Resort!

Beach Clean Up Day in Carlsbad. Photo Courtesy of SEA LIFE Aquarium.

We are looking for volunteers to come down with their families, help us clean our beach, and educate kids that it’s everyone’s responsibility to be kind to our oceans.

Coupon: 10th Annual Pacific Islander Festival at Aquarium Pacific 2013

Aloha! The 10th Annual Pacific Islander Festival is this weekend, June 1st - 2nd at the Aquarium of the Pacific. I have a printable coupon below if you're planning to go.

Experience traditional dance, music, cuisine, and cultural artifacts of the Pacific Islands on Saturday and Sunday.

The 10th annual Pacific Islander Festival will feature various cultures, including Hawaiian, Marshallese, Chamoru, Tahitian, Samoan, Maori, Tokelauan, and Tongan.

NEW Egg White Delight @McDonalds_SoCal #FlipYourMorning #Review (Giveaway ends 6/9)

GIVEAWAY UPDATE: First five names that I pull will also get a bonus FREE Small McCafe Beverage.

I was invited to attend a Blogger Breakfast the other day to try the new Egg White Delight McMuffin. I'll tell you all about it, and you'll want to enter below to try it for FREE too.

Free Summer Movie Mondays at Segerstrom Center |@SegerstromArts #OC

I just got the line-up for the Summer Movie Mondays at Segerstrom Center and they're pretty good.  The screening is free and Patina Catering have special themed menu items for each movie. Check it out below...

Photo Courtesy of Segerstrom Center for the Arts

2013 summer movie line-up includes:

Red Carpet Launch Party at Sky High Sports |@SkyHighSportsOC #RockinLaunch #OC

Last month we were at Sky High Sports celebrating our friends' launch party, and it was pretty fun.

Private Trampoline Area at Sky High Sports OC (c) Let's Play OC!

Jill and Angela, from The Rockin' Boys Club, are so creative - they had everything from a red carpet with photo screen (like the real deal), a fashion show, a dessert cart by Meringue Bake Shop to crafts and giveaways. We also had our own private trampoline party area (see picture above) with lots of space. What's there not to like?  PLUS I got to hang out with some of my blogging buddies.

Here are some of the highlights:

FREE Gas Memorial Day Weekend for SoCal Honda Owners #HelpfulHonda PLUS #Giveaway ends 5/27

Attention SoCal Honda Owners!

SoCal Honda Dealers want to reward you with a FREE tank of gas on Memorial Day (5/27) throughout Memorial Day Weekend! You'll want to enter for a chance to win the prizes below too.

The Helpful Honda guys in their blue shirts (pictured) will be out at gas stations all over SoCal giving away free tanks of gas, pumping gas, washing windows and being "Helpful." 

Tandem Cell Phone Cases #Review | @ShopTandem #ShopTandem #Giveaway ends 6/2

You must know I love photography and love looking at beautiful pictures so when I was offered to review a phone case of my choice from Tandem, I was really excited.

Licensed Tandem Shop Phone Cases: Roses by photographer Hannah Thomas

Tandem is a company created by photographers for photographers and art buyers alike. Tandem offers cell phone cases utilizing unique collection of images from the world's top photographers.

With so many beautiful covers to choose from, the hardest part was narrowing it down to only ONE. This is what came in the mail, but I must say it was really hard to decide. (The one on the bottom is for my husband and he loves it).

Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel @SegerstromArts #Ad

Alright Comic-Book Lovers, The Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel is coming to both LA and OC!

(I'm trying to make arrangements for babysitting as we speak).

Audiences attending Segerstrom Center’s Family Series presentation of can expect a one-of-a-kind whirlwind theatrical experience where radio drama and comic books collide.

Michael Trejo, Shana Merlin, Chris Gibson, Buzz Moran and Graham Reynolds in The Intergalactic Nemesis
© Sarah Bork Hamilton

STORY-LINE:
Set in 1933, Pulitzer-winning reporter Molly Sloan, her intrepid assistant Timmy Mendez and a mysterious librarian named Ben Wilcott face the most serious threat Earth has ever known – an impending invasion of sludge monsters from the planet Zygon.



The storytelling method is what makes the experience of The Intergalactic Nemesis so incredibly unique and mesmerizing. 

OC Parks 2013 Summer Concert Series @OCParks

OC Parks just announced their FREE Summer Concert Series for 2013. It's really fun if you plan ahead. Just pack a picnic, some lounge chairs, bring your family and friends, and rock out to LIVE music paying tribute to some of your favorite bands.

There are thirteen concerts to choose from located at one of the parks below:

• Craig Regional Park, 
• Mason Regional Park, 
• Mile Square Regional Park, 
• Irvine Regional Park and 
• Bluff Park at Salt Creek Beach 

Featuring Southern California artists Thursday evenings JUNE through AUGUST.

Here's their schedule:

Pretend City's May Madness Highlights @PretendCity

Please note: Pretend City will be open all day for Memorial Day on May 27. Due to the timing of Memorial Day, there will be no Family Autism event this month.

May Madness at Pretend City spotlights sports and the competitive spirit that drives us all. This month’s activities highlight your child’s social, emotional, and physical development along with the fierce independence and teamwork that sports foster. Sports fans and spectators alike will enjoy a deeper understanding of the games that children relish.

In addition to the sports activities this month, Pretend City is a Mother’s Day Celebration!

Highlights for May include: 

Annual Spring Rail Fest at Orange Empire Railway Museum

Photo Courtesy of Orange Empire Railway Museum

Come celebrate the Spring Rail Festival and Southern California's railway heritage on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris. I'm sending two lucky Let's Play OC! families to this event for free (enter below).

The annual festival will offer families and rail enthusiasts plenty to do and see at the 100-acre railway park in the heart of Southern California.    

• Ride trolleys, electric-powered locomotives and steam trains all day. 
• Get behind the throttle of a railroad locomotive under an instructor's supervision. 
• Enjoy live bluegrass music, food vendors and special train exhibits. 
• Take the kids for a ride on a hand car. 
• See a railroad exhibit presented by Knott's Berry Farm.  
• Crown Fire Coach Enthusiasts will display vintage fire engines. 
• Join your children and "pump" the trucks! 

Koala Kid DVD Review @FoxHomeEnt #KoalaKidLA #AntiBullying

We received a DVD copy of  Koala Kid to watch and share a review with our readers. 

Well of course it has to take place in Australia, after all, koalas are natives there. Celebrity voice actors include Rob Schneider, Tim Curry, Alan Cumming and Jenni Pulos.

Johnny (Schneider) is a rare white koala bear who just doesn't fit in. His sidekicks include a  Tasmanian devil, a lizard and a boomerang-flinging female koala. Fun right? Johnny has to overcome obstacles throughout the movie and eventually gains the confidence to stand up to his enemies and save his friends.

Photo Courtesy of Eric Charbonneau, Le Studio Photography

A few weeks ago (April 26) Fox Home Entertainment hosted a kid-friendly Koala Kid Media Day at the LA Zoo featuring Jenni Pulos. It included a pre-screening of the movie, informative tour of the Koala exhibit, and a roundtable talk about anti-bullying with messages like these:

Disney on Ice's Treasure Trove Highlights @DisneyonIce #Ad

My family and I were invited to attend opening night of Disney on Ice presents Treasure Trove in Long Beach last week. It showcased many of our favorites (new and old). The stories are just as magical and it's all on ice.

Exterior Long Beach Arena (c) Let's Play OC!

Our Finds @ChildrensPlace Summer Collection #PLACESummer #Ad (Giveaway ends 5/19)

We were invited to shop the Summer Collection at THE CHILDREN'S PLACE. Check out what we found, and you'll want to enter the giveaway below too.

Cute rompers for the girls.

 

Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is May 24-27th! @GGStrawberryFst

We try to go to this every year. For some, it's a tradition.

The 55th Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for the community. This annual event has brought in over $6 million for local charities since its inception in 1958. In 2012, thirteen non-profits received a combined total of over $122,581.00. This year’s theme is:

Celebrating 55 Years of Helping Local Kids.


The event will contribute funds to youth-oriented charities, and the festival board also permits many of them to sell food and hold games at the event where they raise thousands of dollars for their organizations. The board also awards scholarships to local school students and underwrites parade participation for high school bands. And annually, the festival treats over 2,000 special needs kids to a day of free rides and food.

Adorn Me Accessories Giveaway for Mother's Day! (ends 5/12)

Mother's Day this year is Sunday, May 12th. We're gifting one lucky lady with the necklace set from Adorn Me below. Adorn Me sisters - Melynda and Elizabeth aims to turn ordinary looks into extraordinary fashion with affordable pieces.

Don't all these women look beautiful? Celebrate the special women in our lives with something that they will love to wear. They will feel glamorous.

Photo Courtesy of AdornMe.storenvy.com.

Clear Alternative to Braces @Invisalign #INVStraightTalk #Ad

Invisalign Teen (c) Let's Play OC!

A few weeks ago, I was invited to learn about the new alternative to braces in an info session with Invisalign. All three of my siblings had to wear braces as teenagers, and I remember them complaining how uncomfortable it was to have a mouth full of metal. Looking back they really didn't show too much teeth in our pictures, and you know as adults, we're much more comfortable with our smiles - you gotta show teeth!

"It kept you from smiling especially after you eat," says my sibling.

Do you know about Invisalign Teen?

It has cool new features such as an indicator that reminds them it's time to switch out. See picture. Pretty awesome right?

In the short time that we were there, we listened to a short presentation from one of their doctors, had dinner, met some teenagers that used the product, and listened to a Q&A. They had some users in the audience, and they have beautiful smiles, too.