My Photo Gallery: Hoag 552 Club's Summer Movie Classic #HoagSummerMovieClassic #CharityEvent

Last week we were invited to attend a Hoag Hospital Foundation’s 552 Club Summer Movie Classic's fundraising event.  Wow! What a fun event! Great food, drinks and entertainment! We saw a lot of locals came out to support Hoag Hospital. We not only enjoyed a private screening of a Hollywood Classic Film - Casablanca, we enjoyed tastings from more than 30 of Orange County’s finest restaurants!

You're invited to My Blogiversary Party! 12 Days of #Giveaways July1-12! #LPOCanni

July 12th is my one year Blogiversary! Can you believe it? It started out as a resource to get families to try new things in and around Orange County - I was sharing tips, deals, and events. My favorite part? Sending families to try it too. We've come a long way together and I'm happy to take you all with me on all my adventures.

I'm excited to announce something special I put together for you to thank you all for staying with me and being so supportive.

Simon Kidgits Club Safe Summer Event @ShopsMV July 13 #MissionViejo

First off, are you familiar with Kidgits Club? For new parents looking for an inexpensive way to entertain your kids with crafts and monthly seasonal themed events, Kidgits Club memberships are only $5 per child per year!

Benefits:

• Free t-shirt upon signing up (if you sign up online just print it out and bring it to the mall).
• Free goodie bags at every event. 
• Spin the prize wheel anytime you visit the mall.
• Birthday Gift
• Special offers and discounts.
• VIP treatment at various mall functions.

Movies on the Beach Lineup @NewportDunes #newportbeach @AlfredosLB #longbeach

There are Free Concerts in the Park and Free Movies in the Park, but did you know about Free Movies on the Beach? Here are three:

• Newport Dunes in Newport Beach, 
• Granada's Beach in Long Beach, and
• Mother's Beach in Long Beach. 

Movies on the Beach. Photo courtesy of Newport Dunes.

Check out the movie schedules below:

IT'S BACK! Shredded Pork Carnitas @DelTaco #DelTaco #Coupon #Ad Giveaway ends 7/8

Photo courtesy of Del Taco.

It's Back!
For a limited time beginning today, June 26, shredded pork carnitas are back at Del Taco! Tender, slow braised and full of flavor, carnitas products include Carnitas Taco al Carbon, Carnitas Combo Burrito and – new this summer – Carnitas Loaded Fries.

“With a great taste at a great value, these delicious carnitas menu items are unlike anything available in the quick-service category and they are a perfect fit with Del Taco’s strategy of emphasizing the lengths that we go to deliver quality on our menu,” said John Cappasola, Chief Brand Officer at Del Taco.

Shredded Pork Carnitas provide customers the savory taste of tender, slow-braised pork that is simmered in small batch kettles as found in the cooking methods of a traditional Mexican kitchen.

REVIEW: "Catch Me If You Can" Musical @SegerstromArts #CatchMeOC #SCFTA

 "Catch Me If You Can" was truly an enjoyable experience!  I was skeptical at first and unsure of how this amazing story could transform on stage into a Broadway hit, but I must admit that this musical adaptation from the storyline was impressive, and I liked it better than the movie (2002 Steven Spielberg movie adaptation).  The show was able to capture the true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., who, all before his 21st birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars through writing fraudulent checks, by posing as a Pan American World Airways jet pilot, a Georgia pediatric doctor, and a Louisiana attorney.  Everything was amazing - acting, vocal, costume, dance, music, and overall staging.  From start to finish, the cast delivered an incredibly high energy Broadway performance.  It was definitely very fun and entertaining to watch!      

Karate for a Cause July 28th @CommunityAutism Giveaway ends 7/14

Want your kids to try Karate but not sure if they will like it? Check out this Karate workshop while supporting a great cause. The American Martial Arts Academy and Community Autism Now teamed up to provide an afternoon of Karate classes, activities, and pizza for only $5 per child! There will also be a jumper and raffle for prizes. Enter below for a chance to win a Family Four Pack (karate and pizza).

DEAL for Ringling Bros: Built to Amaze! #Ad | @RinglingBros #Circus #Printables

Need tickets to the circus and want a deal? First, enter my giveaway for two tickets and then check out the deal below.

Disclosure: I will receive tickets to attend media night with my family. All opinions are my own. All  Ringling Bros images are copyrighted and used with permission.  

Preview: @DisneyPIXAR "The Blue Umbrella" (Short Film) #MonstersU

The much anticipated MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is now playing in theaters everywhere.

What's also new is a PIXAR short film called "The Blue Umbrella."

Imagine the gloomiest day walking around in the rain, then by surprise a beautiful bright blue umbrella turn frowns upside down. It's also a love story (thus the pretty red umbrella). So come early, find a good seat, and don't miss the new PIXAR short film, "The Blue Umbrella".

Get the 411 @HoagHealth 552 Club's Summer Movie Classic - June 26th! #hoagsummermovieclassic

Love a good classic movie with great food? This annual fundraising event is not only for a great cause, but it will leave your taste buds happy.

Hoag Hospital Foundation’s 552 Club just announced their 26th annual Summer Movie Classic event to be held at a new location this year - The Hangar at the OC Fairgrounds. The event will feature tastings from more than 30 of Orange County’s finest restaurants alongside a private screening of the Hollywood classic, Casablanca. (See sample list below) Proceeds benefit Hoag Hospital Newport Beach & Hoag Hospital Irvine.



"This Hoag 552 Club event has been one of Orange County’s largest and most anticipated community events each summer, thanks in large part to dedicated supporters including long-time hosts Jim and Patti Edwards,” Sheri Horn said, event co-chair with her husband Brian.

FOOD: Macarons @BouchonBakeryBH Which one do you want? #BeverlyHills

Words cannot describe my love of macarons. The first time I had them was when I was in Paris, France two years ago. My sister had them as her wedding favors - Delish! I found some locally this Sunday in Beverly Hills at Bouchon Bakery walking distance from the car show - Happy!! Strawberry, green tea, pistachio, caramel, Earl Grey (my new fav) and many more. Did you know they come in two different sizes? We actually went back twice!

Car Enthusiasts will love Rodeo Drive Concours @RodeoDriveBH @LoveBevHills #RodeoConcours

My boys love fancy cars and car shows. Last Sunday on Father's Day, we went to the 20th Anniversary of Rodeo Drive Concours D'Elegance! This annual very festive family car show was free and open to the public.  If you've never been to this part of town, it's a beautiful walk on the Walk of Style boulevard with high-end shopping, dining, and hotels - well it's Rodeo Drive, of course!

"The Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance is an exclusive display of luxury automobiles set against the backdrop of world class Rodeo Drive boutiques. Celebrating the unique relationship between the automotive, fashion and entertainment industries, the spectacular car show is free and open to the public."

We used to live in LA and always wanted to check it out. This year was the perfect year to go with our boys, and we witnessed some major milestones.

• First ever jet on Rodeo Drive!
• Rodeo Drive Concours celebrates 20 years! (interesting facts below)
• Learjet celebrates their 50th Anniversary (it's also the centerpiece of this year's concours)
• Porsche 911 also celebrates their 50th anniversary! (interesting facts below)

Life Lessons in Disney PIXAR's Monsters Univeristy #MonstersU #Printables

Last week we previewed Disney•PIXAR’s “Monsters University”. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I must say - we loved it!

Monsters University. Photo Courtesy of Disney PIXAR.

It was not only vibrantly colorful and beautifully animated, it had some life-lessons we might have forgotten:

• Being popular or being born privileged doesn't mean you're going to graduate. You'll need to study and make good grades!
• You make life long friends in college - Network!
• Sometimes you have to work hard from the bottom up - That's life!
• Never give up on your life dream. Where there's a will, there's a way!
• Don't let negativity get you down.
• When you lift your team members up, you'll succeed as a Team.
• Haters will always hate, but you can prove them wrong by succeeding.

Ok I'll stop there, but check out the printables (make your own MU id) and watch a short movie trailer. >>

GIVEAWAY: Ringling Bros BUILT TO AMAZE! Tickets (ends 6/30)| @RinglingBros #Circus

Who wants to win tickets to the circus?? I have two tickets to giveaway. Enter below.

Tickets for Built To Amaze! are on sale now! For more info, please visit my previous post here:
http://www.letsplayoc.com/2013/06/ringling-bros-built-to-amaze-circus.html.


WIN THIS! 

Enter for a chance to win two tickets to see RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY presents Built to Amaze! (a $52 value). Not sure how to enter? Check out my tutorial here.

Happy Father's Day! @DisneyPixar's #MonstersU #Funny

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY releases in theaters on June 21st!

Happy Father's Day Weekend! Spend the Day with Dad #DisneyPlanes #Printables @DisneyPictures

Happy Father's Day Weekend! 

Spend the Day with Dad with these fun activity sheets by Disney Planes.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT OUT ACTIVITY SHEETS:

Check Out the #Endeavour @CAScienceCenter (IMAX Theater Tix Giveaway ends 6/30)

We recently visited the Endeavour Space Shuttle at the California Science Center.  
It was amazing. 



Did you know that admissions to the California Science Center is Free?? I didn't, but now you do. All you do is pay for parking, and if you want to see an IMAX movie, a special traveling exhibit, or ride an attraction, that's extra. TIP: Even though seeing the Endeavour Exhibit is FREE, you'll want to reserve your "timed ticket" online before you go. Follow along as I highlight some of my findings. Prepare to be amazed.

BUILT TO AMAZE! Circus Spectacular is Coming to SoCal! @RinglingBros #Ad

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus is coming and they're Built to Amaze!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents Built To Amaze! is an extraordinarily engineered circus experience where Children Of All Ages® find out what it takes to build The Greatest Show On Earth®.




"Andre McClain, Ringmaster and America’s favorite cowboy takes the Ringling Bros. reins and accompanied by his horse Comanche, leads his Built To Amaze! funny and mischievous super circus supervisors, to construct The Greatest Show On Earth. A fantastic design with more than 110 of the world’s best performers representing 17 countries along with 95 exotic and domestic animals will be assembled, creating never-before-seen heart pounding performances."

My Son's EASY Angry Bird-day Party @BoomersFV! #Birthday

Lately, my family and I have enjoyed miniature golfing together. We played on Catalina Island and again when our nieces and nephews were in town. My kids don't necessarily understand the rules, but we have fun nonetheless. Last month, my son turned six and so it was no surprise that he picked Boomers! to have his party (PLUS we've been wanting the aunts and uncles to see why we like it too.)



BOOKING IT
Booking the party was easy breezy. I wanted somewhere I didn't have to pick up a bunch of food or clean up after. They have a ton of options and they do everything. All you have to do is bring a cake and just show up.

All-American 4th of July @QueenMary FREE for Active Duty Military #4thofJuly

Looking for something to do on the 4th of July? Celebrate an All-American 4th of July with The Queen Mary!

Photo Courtesy of The Queen Mary.

The Queen Mary will celebrate America with a unique take on the classic July 4th holiday by highlighting the best of traditional American entertainment decade by decade. Throughout the day, the air will fill with the sounds of Big Band, Swing, Pop and Rock while the decks become alive with vintage style entertainment, live performance acts and summer games. In honor of Independence Day, uniformed Active Duty Military men and women will be admitted free of charge.

“We’re transforming all decks of the ship in to a ‘time machine,’ with each new era marked by a change in music and programming,” said Steve Shelton, Queen Mary Director of Entertainment Events. “Guests will reminisce Independence Day in bygone eras while still being able to enjoy today’s popular music and entertainment. There’s something for the whole family.”

Life-Size Replica of LEGO® Star Wars™ X-Wing Starfighter @LEGOLAND_CA

Just in case you missed the announcements, the largest LEGO model ever built is landing at LEGOLAND California!


After making its grand debut in New York’s Times Square, the world’s largest LEGO® model, a 1:1 replica of the LEGO Star Wars™ X-wing starfighter is landing at LEGOLAND® California Resort. 

Photo Courtesy of LEGOLAND.

FUN  FACTS. The massive replica took:

• 32 Master Model Builders, 
• Five million LEGO bricks,
• More than 17,000 hours to complete,
• weighs nearly 46,000 pounds, 
• stands 11 feet tall and 43 feet long, with a wingspan of 44 feet.

FREE Car Washes Father's Day weekend via @HelpfulHonda (+Giveaways end 6/23) #HelpfulHonda

During Father¹s Day weekend (6/15 & 6/16), the Helpful Honda guys in blue are taking over 7 different car washes all over SoCal and will be treating Honda drivers to a free car wash courtesy of the SoCal Honda Dealers. (You'll want to win the prizes below too).

Just one more way SoCal Honda is being helpful.

Photo Courtesy of Helpful Honda.

The event starts at 10am at each of the select car washes and the first 60 Hondas will get a standard wash and vacuum.

My Gym Celebrates 30: Fit & Healthy Family Sweepstakes #ad @MyGymEnt @usfg

* Advertising *

Throughout 2013, My Gym locations across North America will celebrate thirty years of providing fitness and fun to families by offering money saving membership and class discounts, conducting a search to crown My Gym’s Fit & Healthy Family and hosting fun and fitness - filled My Gym 30th Birthday party/ Open Houses.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
In August, participating My Gym locations throughout the North America will open their doors for free-to-the-public 30th birthday party/open houses – My Gym style.

Get FREE Membership* and 30% OFF 4 weeks of Classes:

Offered April 1 through June 30, the My Gym promotion includes free membership to families signing on for the first time and 30% off for four weeks of classes at participating locations.  Get the coupon info below. (Expires June 30, 2013)

RECIPE: Fries Au Gratin @CravOnFries with Leyna's Kitchen | @LeynasKitchen #CravOnFries #Recipe

For this project, I partnered up with my Chef sister from Leyna's Kitchen. This is what she came up with. Enjoy!

_________________________________________

You know I love a good food challenge. For this project, I was given some frozen "CravOn Never Fried French Fries" to come up with a simple recipe for families to enjoy. Here is my dish: 

Fries Au Gratin 

- a simple recipe by Leyna's Kitchen.

Art & Archaeology SUMMER CAMP at KIDSEUM| @BowersMuseum

Want your kids to explore artwork, ancient history, and a new culture every week? The Bowers Kidseum might have the summer camp for you.

Photo Courtesy of The Bowers Museum

A journey around the world in eight weeks will take place June 17 through August 9, 2013. Each week will focus on a culture where children will explore the history behind the art and geography of each region, plus cooking ethnic dishes for “A Taste of…” twice a week.

Please see the camp schedule and features below.

TRANSFORMERS @BotCon 2013 is June 27th - 30th in #SanDiego!

BotCon 2013 is in San Diego, California this year! Who's going??

With so many amazing special guests and artists appearing at BotCon 2013 fans from around the world are in for one amazing convention!

Family Autism Night at Scooter's Jungle is July 9th | #AlisoViejo @scootersjungle

Scooter's Jungle has an Autism Night! 

Remember last year we shared a play date at Scooter's Jungle? (You can read about it here). They want to try something new for the special needs families. If it goes well, there will be more of these.

Autism Family Night will not be open to the public and the environment will be adjusted to make it comfortable for the children that attend. Please RSVP below.

NEW @Target Beauty Concierge is Here to Help #BeautyConcierge

We visited TARGET the other day to check out their NEW Beauty Concierge.

TARGET wants to bring "department store quality" at "drug store prices" and become our destination beauty store. Their Beauty Concierge are trained to answer any of our questions in cosmetics, hair and skin care, hair color matching, salon tools and products, product look-ups, and will show us where to go, etc. They also carry around a mini-ipad to check inventory and quickly locate the items whether in-store, online, or other locations.

I don't always wear make-up, but I use cleansers and moisturizers daily so asked Alex what they carried.

Here's what I found out: 

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - June Highlights @PretendCity

Transportation is the theme for June at Pretend City. Bring the kids in and explore the many different ways we travel - by land, sea, and air. They will learn the different modes of transportation and explain how each mode of transportation is different.

This complex thinking skill will help your child make the correlation between each of the different ways to get around.  

The Automobile Club of Southern California serves as a community partner and will be hosting two AAA Safety Days with us this month.  In addition, they will provide grown-ups the proper knowledge of car seat safety, proper tire inflation, and other road safety tips!

San Diego International Boat Show @SDIntlBoatShow (Ticket Giveaway ends 6/15)

Need tickets to see the San Diego International Boat Show? I have tickets up for grabs. Enter below.
__________________________________

The Progressive Insurance San Diego International Boat Show, formerly the San Diego Yacht & Boat Show, cruises into Harbor Island June 20-23, 2013 for four days of fun on the water. 

Photo Courtesy of Progressive Insurance® San Diego International Boat Show

The 2013 boat show provides attendees an all-access pass to discover the boating lifestyle and a chance to shop the newest boats and marine accessories. More than 100 vessels, from entry-level family cruisers and personal watercraft to luxury motor and sailing yachts, plus a new selection of superyachts, will be docked in the marina and parked on land for visitors to browse, board and buy.

Pacific Electric Railway Weekend @OrangEmpireRail #FathersDay (Ticket giveaway ends 6/11)

"A shared love of trains bring out a unique bond between a father and his children."

Photo Courtesy of Orange Empire Railway Museum.

The Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA will be rolling out the Big Red Cars for Pacific Electric Weekend on June 15 and June 16.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO:

• attend a parade,
• visit a display of the railway heritage museum's vintage collection of Pacific Electric Railway Company cars,
• ride trains and trolleys all day,
• photograph and view the restored LA-area trolley cars that once traversed a 1,000-mile interurban electric railway system (the largest in America), and
• see a special display at the museum Town Hall of a wonderfully detailed HO model trolley layout presented by the Southern California Traction Club.

NEW Giant Lever Exhibit @CAScienceCenter #TundraEndeavour | @ToyotaTundra

Last week we were invited to a "Tundra Endeavour" event to check out the unveiling of the NEW Giant Lever Exhibit which features the actual Tundra that towed Space Shuttle Endeavour through the streets of Los Angeles. We also got to meet and take pictures with Former NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman (who flew aboard the Endeavour and rode in the Tundra at the time of the Endeavour Tow).

Toyota's Commitment to Science and CA Science Center:

Toyota has a 20-year partnership with the California Science Center in support of science learning for everyone through educational programs and world-class exhibits like Space Shuttle Endeavour. Last year during the tow, Toyota did a Tweet Drive to raise funds for the Endeavour's new home at the CA Science Center. For each tweet with hashtag #TundraEndeavour (during the tow and thru November 30, 2012), Toyota donated $50 with their goal of $500,000. They collected $401,300!!

Chill and Relax Foot Spa #Review #Fullerton

Remember Chill and Relax from the Mother's Day promo? I was invited back to check it out.

Upon entering, I noticed right away the small lounge area and it was quite inviting.  Good for also hosting small events like bridal showers, birthdays, baby showers, and girls night out (GNO). What a great idea!

FREE Rubio’s World Oceans Day Tote Bag Giveaway (with coupon) @RubiosTweets #WorldOceansDay

Rubio’s World Oceans Day Tote Bag Giveaway (with coupon)

Join Rubio’s in its World Oceans Day celebration. Stop by your local restaurant on June 7 or June 8 to receive a free reusable tote bag with coupon from www.rubios.com/WorldOceansDay – no purchase necessary. 

Date: June 7 and 8
Time: All day
Price: Free (please bring coupon from link)
Location: All Rubio’s locations

RECAP: Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel @SegerstromArts @IntNemesis

Last night was date night at the Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center. We were invited to experience a performance of the  Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel. My husband is a big comic-book fan so I thought he'd enjoy this performance, and he did.

In the introductions before they began, they explain to us that everything from the sound effects, background noise, the music, and the voice-overs are all done on stage. Audience interaction is encouraged. Even though the performers did the voice-overs, they were equally entertaining to watch. We enjoyed watching them all and my favorite is the gal creating all the sounds-effects. She had us laughing and amazed. Love how creative and talented they all are.

The Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel is a family-friendly performance that both children and adult will enjoy.

Hurry! They're only in OC for another day - tomorrrow.