Science Experiments with Fantastic Four In-The-Lab Kits | #Fantastic4Science #FantasticInsiders

Disclosure: We are Fox Home Ent Insiders.

While the kids are out of school this week, Fox Home Ent sent us some fun science kits to work on in conjunction with the movie release of Fantastic Four on Blu-ray and DVD. Reed Richards as “MR. FANTASTIC”, Sue Storm as the “INVISIBLE WOMAN”, Johnny Storm as “THE HUMAN TORCH”, and Ben Grimm as “THE THING” received their unusual powers after they teleported themselves to an alternate universe. Our themed kits included something featuring each Scientist. See below how our projects came out "In The Lab".

RIVERDANCE Returns @SegerstromArts Jan 1-3, 2016! #SCFTA

RIVERDANCE – The 20th Anniversary World Tour makes its way to Segerstrom Center for the Arts January 1 - 3, 2016. Composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty, and directed by John McColgan, RIVERDANCE will feature new costumes, new lighting, new projections and the addition of a brand new number, “Anna Livia,” which includes the female members of the Irish dance troupe in an acapella hard-shoe number.

Sneak Peek: MTV's #TeenWolf Season 5 Part B @FHEInsiders

This is written by Angela Camacho for MTV's Teen Wolf.  All opinions are our own.

There is much to look forward to in MTV's Teen Wolf Season 5 Part B. The drama continues to unfold in the suspenseful teen saga. Fans can expect new genetically modified monsters, romance, and even more terror. My daughter, Clarissa, and I were ecstatic to be on set of MTV’s Teen Wolf to chat with the talented cast and get the behind scenes scoop for Season 5B.

Dole Family Day Celebrates Their 2016 Rose Parade Participation with Special Tribute to Raul R. Rodriguez #DoleRose

DOLE celebrates another year of their participation in the Tournament of the Roses with Family Day! This year they are paying a special tribute to their float designer, Raul R. Rodriguez. Volunteers and their families were seen crushing coconuts that will go on the floats in this year's Rose Parade competition. Families not only came to volunteer but enjoyed a fun-filled day with facepainting, rock climbing, balloon twisting, photos with Santa and the Rose Court, lunch from food trucks, and sampled DOLE treats like chocolate covered frozen bananas and pineapples.

Movie Giveaway: #Fantastic4 on Blu-ray/DVD! #FantasticInsiders

Disclosure: We are Fox Home Ent Insiders. 

Marvel's FANTASTIC FOUR are brought together to work on a breakthrough teleport machine. After teleporting themselves to an alternate universe, their lives change forever. Reed Richards as “MR. FANTASTIC”, Sue Storm as the “INVISIBLE WOMAN”, Johnny Storm as “THE HUMAN TORCH”, and Ben Grimm as “THE THING” must learn how to accept their new powers and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy - DR. DOOM. See the trailer below and enter for a chance to win a Blu-ray/DVD of your own!

We like this version!

WinterFest OC Brings Winter to Orange County! #WinterFestOC

Disclosure: We attended as media.

Orange County has a ton of fun family-friendly things to do over the holidays this year. Here is one more! WinterFest OC brings winter to us! Ice skate to a holiday movie in The Hangar, go tubing down a 130-ft ice slide, play carnival games and rides, watch live performances on the Rockin' Christmas Stage, watch a Christmas Tree Lighting with snowfall, visit with Santa, and more!

Snow Falling Zone at WinterFest by the Train Stop. Photo by Mary @LetsPlayOC. 

Ice Skating in The Hangar

Ice skating in The Hangar to a holiday film was fun and festive, but I was too busy worrying about not falling. Frozen was a fun sing-along around the rink, and Elf was a crack-up. Ice rink admissions are $15 per person for a one hour session which includes skate rental. Need ice assists? They're available for $5 each. Can't decide which night to go? Maybe the movie schedule will help: 

• 12/18-12/25: Elf, Frozen, The Santa Clause
• 12/26-1/3: The Polar Express, Inside Out, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Making the Nice List with Santa's Little Helper

Now that the kids are out of school and home for the next two weeks, I need them to stay out of trouble until Christmas, so Fox Home Ent Insiders sent us a Santa's "Nice" List Kit to help us get through the next few days. It included Santa's Little Helper shirts, Santa hats, check lists, and a certificate of completion. The ideal helpers will possess the 5 Sugarplum Virtues: A Cool Head Under Pressure, Humility, A Cooperative Nature, Inspirational Spirit, and A Kind Spirit.

Making a Good Deed List!

My kids and I came up with a list together and listed 3 ways they can help out around the holidays. They helped hang stockings, clean up, and hang up ornaments on our Christmas Tree. Other ideas are donate toys or a coat to the needy, help out at your local shelter, or whatever you want.

LEGOLAND's Holiday Snow Days and Winter Nights #LegolandCA

If you're planning to take the family to LEGOLAND California Resort over Winter Break, be sure to make your way to Heartlake City for live performances, and then to FUN TOWN for Snow Play and Winter Nights with nightly tree lighting now through January 3, 2016!

Snow Days and Winter Nights

Anyone want to build a snowman with LEGO pieces, throw snowballs at targets, or go sledding? You can do all this and more in FUN TOWN! In Winter Nights, they have extended park hours so you can enjoy nightly tree lighting through 12/25 and a light show. (12/19-12/24 and 12/26-12/30). After these dates, there are Holiday Fireworks 12/26-12/30 at Park Closing! (TIP: See below for a special offer!)

Show Review: Disney On Ice FROZEN at Honda Center | #disneyonice

Disclosure: We attended as media.

Disney On Ice presents Frozen brings a family favorite to the ice! This weekend, Disney Frozen fans of all ages came all dressed up, brought their favorite Frozen dolls (Elsa, Anna, Olaf, etc.), and their best singing voice to a classic performance of Elsa, Anna, and the Frozen gang as they retell their story on ice skates.

We sang along to favorites like: Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, Fixer Upper, In Summer, For the First Time in Forever, Let It Go!, and more! It is finally performing here in Orange County, and will be at the Honda Center until Monday, December 21st. If you miss can't make it, they're headed next to Ontario then Long Beach. (See schedule below). Don't miss a wonderful performance of Disney On Ice presents Frozen this holiday! More photos and short video clips below!

Make-and-Take Santa Barbara Wreath Class @ArmstrongGarden #ArmstrongGarden

Do you love how festive a Holiday Wreath is but not sure how to make one? If you're looking for something fun to do with friends or by yourself, look into making a Christmas Wreath. Lately, Armstrong Garden have been sending me newsletters to try one of their classes and write about my experience so I registered for their Santa Barbara Wreath Make-and-Take Class, and now want to do it every year. They provided all the materials, and I took home my very own custom-made Holiday Wreath!

A Santa Barbara Wreath just means we're using California native plants. The class was $30 which included the materials we needed to build a wreath. Our class size was five. Two of the ladies came together, and one of them attended the Succulent Pumpkin class in October and loved it. A table was set up to seat six. It was designed to be socially interactive, and we were encouraged to bring plants from our garden to share.

Spiked Coffee Break @IslandsBurgers PLUS a Giveaway! #IslandsBurgers

Can you believe it! We have less than 10 days left for Holiday Shopping! If you need a break and happen to be shopping next to an Island's Burgers, stop in to warm up to one of their new Spiked Coffees - Calypso Coffee, Irish Coffee, or Cocomo Coffee (pictured below). I went in for a tasting and saw that right now if you purchase a $25 Island's Burger gift card, you get a bonus $5 gift card for free! Keep reading, because you'll want to enter for a chance to win a $50 gift card to dine at Island's Burgers below!

CosmetiCare: Is MedSpa TruSculpt for You?

This is a sponsored post. #CosmetiCareMoms 

Do you have stubborn pockets of fat or cellulite that's really hard to get rid of? Have you tried everything from exercising and dieting but still have problems with that area? If you have been wondering if there is another alternative out there to burn fat, then TruSculpt might be for you. TruSculpt is a non-invasive MedSpa procedure offered at CosmetiCare that shrinks tissues and burns fat using therapeutic heat in targeted areas which over time shrinks the fat cells that later passes through our lymphatic system. As one of the services I really wanted to try as being a CosmetiCare Mom, I used TruSculpt to target one of my problematic areas - abdominal. Other areas that you can treat is back fat, thighs, arms, and sides.

Easy Minute® Rice Holiday Recipes

This is a sponsored post. #MinuteMeals

Are you looking for easy holiday recipes for your next event? Last week a group of bloggers and I got together for a festive Ugly Sweater Holiday Party and shared easy Minute® Rice recipes for the holidays. Our host, Cheryl, made three dishes which tasted great! She made a banana bread, honey nut dressing, and cheesy chicken rice bake using  Minute® Rice. After tasting them all, my absolute favorite were the cheesy rice with chicken. I looked at the recipe, and it looks easy to make!

After we filled ourselves with great food and conversation, we played fun games like decorating rice treats and a friendly game of wrapping gifts blindfolded! It was hilarious! As a parting gift, we each received some samples of Minute® Rice to try at home. Lucky for me I had a family Christmas party this past weekend, and it was the perfect opportunity for me to use it. Get the recipes below!

Winter Wonderfest Preview PLUS Annual Membership Giveaway @DiscoveryCubeOC! #DiscoveryCubeMoms AD

This is a sponsored post. #DiscoveryCubeMoms

You don't have to drive outside of Orange County to see snow, because winter is coming to us thanks to Discovery Cube OC! We were there for Winter Wonderfest's preview weekend and had a blast! For only $5 plus general admissions, we went down inner tubes, snow sledding, played in the snow and, and built mini-ski ramps. 

There are several different ramps for every level and every age group to enjoy. For the inner tubes, there are two levels. You'll have to carry your own tube up the stairs, and sliding down will have your kids wanting to do it over and over again, but you'll also want to try snow sledding too!

Theater Review: ABT's Nutcracker at Segerstrom Center #ABTNutcracker #SCFTA

Disclosure: We attended a media preview.

The holiday season is here and a tradition has returned to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The Nutcracker is back in Orange County and even better than before. This Ballet in two acts, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky with music by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, gives a new fresh take on a classic. I was surprised by how many funny scenes there were from the mischievous mice scurrying about looking for pieces of food in the kitchen to one of the guests making a cloud every time he sneezed. The costumes are superbly crafted with vibrant colors especially the fairies and the Arabian, Spanish, Chinese and Russian Dolls. The dancers are extremely talented. The young cast was truly impressive. Claudia Schuman and Justin Souriau-Levine are terrific as Clara and Fritz. My absolute favorite part of the ballet was watching graceful Gillian Murphy dance her solo as the Princess. She was mesmerizing. I could not keep my eyes off of her. Her pointe technique is exceptional.

Hollywood Christmas Parade Package at Hollywood Hotel #HollywoodHotel #TheHCP2015

You may have noticed that we were at the Hollywood Christmas Parade over Thanksgiving Weekend as Balloon Wranglers! If you are wondering, "Well how did that happen?" and "How do I sign up for next year?", it was something that is available to everyone that purchased a Hollywood Christmas Parade Package at the Hollywood Hotel!

The Hotel of Hollywood invited their hotel guests to walk the red carpet on Sunday, November 29th for 3.5 miles along Hollywood Blvd, Sunset Blvd, and Vine in the 84th annual Hollywood Christmas Parade. Representing the hotel, we "wrangled" a giant elf and giant lollipop balloons. It was truly a team effort, and it felt great doing it together. The parade featured Toys for Tots and this year's Grand Marshals are Penn and Teller and guest co-hosts include Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Dean Cain and Montel Williams! We walked it, and want to tell you all about it!

Automotive: Toyota Prius Test Drive #LetsGoPlaces

For the longest time, my family have been big on Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and sports cars. My brother-in-law started this trend in our family when he became a Toyota Prius-owner. We were not convinced when he took it camping and was doubtful when he didn't get a bigger car for their baby stroller. We resisted a long time to switch over, but sure enough he converted us one-by-one. All the siblings now have at least one hybrid or electrical car. We all went green, and it's the preferred car to do our daily runs! 

Over Thanksgiving week, we borrowed a Toyota Prius Five to test drive around town. We took it everywhere - holiday shopping, coastal scenic drive along the beach, down to San Clemente, up to North Hollywood, down to Carlsbad, and then back to Orange County in that order. We normally do not do that much driving, but we were on a holiday break and had no schedule to follow. We are already Prius owners, but wanted to check out the features on their higher end models.

That's me overlooking Los Angeles from Mulholland Drive!
You can also see the Hollywood Sign and Hollywood Bowl from here! ~Mary

It's Gas Efficient! 

One of the most obvious reasons why we love our hybrid is it's gas efficient, and we save money. One full tank generally costs us about $25 on average to fill up our 10-12 gallon tank. (Gas prices currently averages at $2.50/gal unleaded). One tank will last about two weeks when driven locally. If you know Los Angeles traffic, it's not much different in Orange County. Unless we avoid peak hours, we're going to be going super slow for a while. My hybrid uses both gasoline and electric. The 2015 model offers an estimated 51 mpg city/48 mpg highway/50 mpg combined. The Prius offers four modes: EV, ECO, NORMAL and POWER.

• EV Mode will allow the car to run on battery power alone for up to one mile.
• ECO Mode is best for stop and go traffic.
• NORMAL Mode is best for suburban driving with less traffic and stop and go situtations.
• POWER Mode will give you more pick up if you're trying to merge into traffic without stomping down on the pedal.

You can turn these modes off and on with a touch of a button.

Science of Gingerbread and NEW Winter Wonderland at Discovery Cube OC!

This is a sponsored post. #DiscoveryCubeMoms

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my boys and I were at Discovery Cube OC's Annual Science of Gingerbread. It was not only fun to check out the competition, but also educational! We learned about the ingredients that go into making gingerbread, compared rocks to candies, watched a 3D printing of a Gingerbread House, raced our gingerbread car with candy parts, and Santa was there too! 

Gingerbread Competition

Everyone went all out and got really creative! Even the team from Bean Sprouts Cafe got in on the action and called theirs "Santa and the Beanstalk." We saw everything from Minions to castles, Minecraft, candy factories, Gummy Bear Land and more using all fun themes. Some used candy, brownie bites, girl scout cookies, gum drops, colored waffles, Nightmare Before Christmas used red licorice, and everything you can imagine. Watch the short video below for a peek!

How We Family This Holiday Season

Disclosure: I have received information from the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post. #HowWeFamily

Holidays are a wonderful time of year, and even though we all live busy lives, we always make time to spend it with loved ones. It's hard to remember what our lives were without our children, because now it's all about celebrating their innocence, creating lasting memories, and teaching them the true meaning of Christmas. Sharing traditions from generations before and creating new ones, that's what the holidays are for me and my family. It's the little things that are forever cherished. How does your family Holiday?

TYLENOL® is celebrating how families come together during this most special time of the year with the #HowWeFamily program. Believing that is not only who you love but how you love. I love this video! I love how it features real families, real joy, and real moments spent together. Every moment is precious. Watch it!

Mary's Holiday Finds at Brea Mall PLUS $100 Gift Card Giveaway!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

This weekend I have a Holiday Party with some close family friends whom I've known for a very long time. I'm pretty lucky that my sisters and I have a lot in common, and we also have mutual friends. Some of them were in my wedding as bridesmaids and were later in my sister's wedding. We don't see each other as often, but when we do, we pick right up where we left off. Once a year we try to meet up around the holidays with or without our families. I had to run out this week to find some gifts for all six girls as well as a gift exchange for the kids without going over budget. Brea Mall asked me to do a holiday shopping story about my finds at their mall, and I had a couple of hours in the morning so here goes...

I stopped into Macy's and found a cute outfit for the holiday party. They have a great selection in a wide price range from generics to well known designer brands. They had a 25% sale that day so it was a total win. I also found some non-ugly Christmas sweaters. Here are some bold styles with holiday leggings.

The next store I stopped in was Bath and Body Works. Back in our college days, we used to give each other lots of body washes and lotions, because it came in pretty packaging and who doesn't want to smell great? We don't do it as often anymore, but I like that you can exchange the scent easily if someone gifts it to you even without a receipt. There are some fun holiday sets that are pre-made, but you can also build-your-own. I must admit I was in this store for a while looking for gift sets under $20, and well, the possibilities are endless here with candles, hand soap, lotions, body creams, hand sanitizers, etc. I found the gifts for my girlfriends though!

ABT Alexei Ratmansky's THE NUTCRACKER at Segerstrom Center 12/10-12/20!

It has been announced that beginning this year Segertrom Center for the Arts and American Ballet Theatre (ABT) will co-present annual productions of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker!  This month there will be 14 performances starting December 10th through December 20th - What a wonderful annual holiday tradition to have in Orange County! 

“Our tours to Orange County over the last 28 years have been an important part of ABT’s role as America’s National Ballet Company,” said Moore. "With these annual performances of The Nutcracker, we look forward to solidifying a permanent partnership with Segerstrom Center for the Arts." Terrence W. Dwyer said, "Segerstrom Center for the Arts is very pleased to continue its relationship with American Ballet Theatre by co-presenting ABT's critically acclaimed production of The Nutcracker. This will be a wonderful addition to the holiday season and, with other collaborative projects, we will be able to expand the Center's reach and connection to dance audiences throughout Southern California.”

CosmetiCare MedSpa: HydraFacial and Anti-Aging Preventative Care Services

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. #CosmeticCareMoms

Lately I have been wondering if I'm aging well. I will soon be forty, and I want to look youthful as long as possible. Most recently, CosmetiCare offered to provide some MedSpa services to a select group of mom bloggers, and I am one of those lucky moms. All it means is we get to try some of their services, and then share about our experiences. Fortunately for me, I didn't have apparent fine lines, wrinkles or sun damage to be concerned about at the moment, but I know it's not always going to be the case. I will need to take preventative measures and make sure I'm not doing anything that will permanently damage my skin.

During my consultation, they asked me where my areas of concern were, and I appreciated that they told me I didn't need Botox or fillers. I was really interested in their TruSculpt for fat burning which I will talk about in detail in another post. The other service I wanted to try was their HydraFacial, because who doesn't want to hydrate their skin?

Ticket Giveaway: Queen Mary's CHILL Plus My Top 7 Things to Do!

Disclosure: We attended as media.

The holidays are upon us! If you've been dying to pull out those winter boots and winter clothing for some fun family activities, The Queen Mary's CHILL is a full day of winter-ful fun! This year tickets to CHILL also gives you access to The Queen Mary. There are more than 15 things you can do this year including writing a letter to Santa and mailing it, running through the Enchanted Garden Maze, take a photo with Santa, story time with Mrs. Claus, ride the largest rocking horse, get caught in a bubble blizzard in Candy Cane lane, build gingerbread houses, go shopping at Illumination Candle Shoppe and Holiday Market Place, watch a live show at the Holly Grove Stage, face painting, reindeer games, and more! Here are my top 7 things to do at CHILL!

Ticket Giveaway: New WinterFest Coming to Orange County (12/18-1/3/16)!

Disclosure: We are attending a media preview.

There's a new family holiday experience coming to Orange County, and we cannot wait! WinterFest, produced by Absolute Event Solutions (AES), is casting an icy spell over the OC Fair & Event Center for seventeen days and nights starting December 18th and bringing the spirit of the winter season to Us! Imagine ice-skating to a theater-sized screen playing holiday films inside The Hangar, ice tubing down a 130-foot six-lane ice slide, nightly snowfall and tree lighting, reindeer graham cracker feedings, rides on the North Pole LTD trackless train, festive live entertainment, over 30 carnival rides and games, seasonal food, craft cocktails, magical lights, VIP private cabanas, and more! Come check out the holiday decor including the world's largest walk-through ornament! Guests are encouraged to arrive early forWinter Fest’s opening moment each day, and stay throughout the night to enjoy all of the festival’s attractions.

Coming Soon! @DisneyOnIce #FROZEN Debuts in SoCal 12/9-1/4/16! #DisneyOnIce

The much anticipated Disney On Ice presents FROZEN is finally debuting in Southern California this month, and we cannot wait! With shows in Anaheim, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Ontario, everyone will get a chance to see it on ice for the holidays starting December 9, 2015 through January 4, 2016!

Hosted by Mickey and Minnie, there will be special guest appearances by Disney Princesses and characters from Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Disney’s The Lion King. You'll want to arrive early to get warmed up for the show and learn the snowman dance at the Stonyfield YoKids and Disney Magic of Healthy Living Dance-Along Preshow!

New Cantina Plates Menu at El Torito Grill in Irvine #CantinaPlates

If you're looking for a place to meet friends for drinks and appetizers, you might like The Cantina at El Torito Grill in Irvine! A few weeks ago, I went to a tasting of the new Cantina Plates featured menu by Chef Johannes Bernau. Everything was delicious and great to share! For example, their APPLE & BRIE QUESADILLA comes with melted brie, sliced granny smith apples, toasted walnuts, wild arugula, and fig jam. They were my favorite!

Their CHARCUTERIE was a beautiful arrangement of cured chorizo, aged manchego cheese, tortilla crisps, pumpkin seeds, green apple slices, pickled red onions, and a spreadable fig jam. If you like ceviche, they have a trio - TRES CEVICHE which includes salmon, shrimp, and mahi mahi.

Tips for Enjoying Christmas Train @IrvineParkRR #irvineparkrailroad

Disclosure: We attended as media. 

Christmas is coming and one of my favorite things to do is take my family to Irvine Park Railroad to ride the Christmas Train, visit Santa's Village, and the North Pole. Santa's Village is the perfect place to take many pictures. Whether you want to use the cutouts to pretend to be an elf or take pictures in front of beautiful lights and scenery, you are sure to get many picture opportunities.

Santa's Village

The children have many choices of activities. Free activities include coloring, writing a wish list for Santa, running in the maze, listening to a story read by none other than Mrs. Claus... For the price of one ticket children can decorate and eat a cookie, play carnival games, go ice fishing OR jump in a bounce house.

Healthy Meals During the Busy Holidays @DennysDiner #DennysDiners AD

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are our own. #DennysDiners

The holidays are upon us! There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day or days in the week for that matter to get it all done. Between rushing around seeing family and friends, and all the shopping, I find it hard to make a healthy meal for my family. At Denny's, they offer healthy choices that won't break the bank, giving us a quick and affordable way to keep us fueled and running.

Here are just a few of the Healthy Choices featured at Denny's.

Many may be surprised that Denny's offer Wild-Caught Alaska Salmon which are wild, natural and sustainable Salmon, and it can be ordered as a Fit Fare® item with steamed vegetables. If you're looking for a healthy side instead of fries for you and your kids, seasonal fruit sides are completely fresh fruit, rotating seasonal options based on the time of year. Nothing is from a can!