Los Angeles Boat Show - One Show, Two Locations! February 25-28 #LABoatShow

Coming to Los Angeles, the 2016 Progressive Insurance Los Angeles Boat Show will be at two locations: the Los Angeles Convention Center and Burton W. Chace Park in Marina del Rey. The four-day event will showcase hundreds of vessels from entry-level family cruisers to million dollar yachts, plus the latest in boating, outdoors, and marine accessories. Activities will include a high-energy kids’ zone, educational seminars from industry experts, on-the-water boating lessons and maritime fun for all-ages.

Ticket Giveaway: Knott's Berry Farm for the Cure Now through March 18th! #KnottsPink

This is a post written by me for GigaSavvy. #KnottsPink

Knott’s Berry Farm for the Cure raises money for breast cancer research in partnership with Susan G. Komen Orange County, January 4 - March 18.

Knott’s Berry Farm once again partnered up with Susan G. Komen Orange County for the THIRD year to help raise money for breast cancer research and awareness in Orange County. A portion of the proceeds from merchandise and specially discounted “pink” tickets will benefit Susan G. Komen Orange County! 

More and more we all know someone affected by breast cancer. A woman’s chances of getting breast cancer increases with age, but we are all at risk. Regular screening and detection is key, but it may not be available for uninsured women. During the promotion, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy Knott's Berry Farm with "pink" decor and a specially priced "Pink Ticket" ($40 admissions purchased online) to support a great cause. There are also commemorative Knott's for the Cure t-shirts available for purchase. Here is an idea where they will allocate the funds raised... 

ODYSSEO by Cavalia Comes to Irvine February 3 - 14! #OdysseoOC

Standing 125-feet tall and covering a surface area of 58,397 square feet, the enormous white tent on the 405 fwy in Irvine, California will be the future home to the show ODYSSEO, a new show by Cavalia! This magnificent show made up of 65 horses and 45 humans is a story about the relationship between human and horse.

Assembly of the White Big Top:

A few weeks ago, I had chance to watch the crew of ODYSSEO raise the tent from the ground up, and I was amazed at just how much time and detail goes into creating a show like this. 

• The ODYSSEO village comprises of five tents: White Big Top, the stable tent, the exclusive Rendez-Vous VIP tent, the warm-up & artistic tent, and the kitchen tent for the 200 employees.
• There are three arches that support the White Big Top. Each arch consists of eight sections that are 8 feet wide by 29 feet long. Once assembled, each arch is 88 feet high by 203 feet long.
• The canvas is held in place by 1,310 three-foot long stakes holding down the 250 anchor plates. When it is rolled out, the canvas would cover four Hollywood Signs!
• 26 motors are needed to raise the canvas onto the structure, resulting in the White Big Top.
• The length of all the steel cable used to attach the structure to the ground is equal to 3.6 miles. This length represents more than twice the perimeter around the Irvine Spectrum and its parking lots!

After School Treat: Customize Your Donut Bar at Poqet Donuts #PoqetDonuts

Looking for a fun after school treat to do with the kids? Poqet Donuts in Irvine has a donut bar! What does this mean exactly? Imagine building a donut in 2-3 easy steps with no rules. You pick the donut (white or chocolate), the icing (several flavors to choose from like strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, or vanilla), toppings (fresh fruit, nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc), and Viola! - a customized donut masterpiece made just for you by you!

Giveaway: Irvine Park Railroad Celebrates 20 Years! #IrvineParkRailroad

It's Irvine Park Railroad's 20th Anniversary! Come celebrate this milestone on Saturday, February 20th and Sunday, February 21st. To thank everyone for visiting over the years, they're rolling back prices to their original 1996 prices including $2.00 train rides!

Irvine Park Railroad is located inside Irvine Regional Park and is open year round (excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). The train ride is about 12 minutes around the park and goes through a tunnel. It's our favorite thing to do at the park! Their annual events include the Easter Eggstravaganza, Anniversary Celebration, Pumpkin Patch, Fourth Grade California History Education Program, Christmas Tree Ranch, and Christmas Train.

Free Event: Annual Monarch Butterfly Day at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley

Photo Courtesy of OC Parks.

Join OC Parks at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, February 6, from 10 am to 2 pm for their 7th Annual Monarch Butterfly Day. Get an up-close look at the beautiful butterflies as they flutter inside a netted butterfly enclosure in the park's Forest Shelter!

• Children can help the Butterfly Garden continue to grow by registering to plant one of three different types of milkweed in the garden to attract Monarch Butterflies. 

• Butterfly experts will also be on-site to provide educational information and answer questions.

Additional event activities include three different children’s crafts, face painting, balloon twisters, and an inflatable obstacle course. Each family in attendance will receive a book by a local author (while supplies last). Come learn more about Monarch Butterflies!

Show Review: IF/THEN The New Musical @SegerstromArts #IFTHENtour #SCFTA

Opening night of the new musical IF/THEN at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in OC was a night to remember...This contemporary musical is profound and a reflection of the lives we lead. IF/ THEN is about taking chances, fate, and the pivotal moments in life. This story poses many what ifs like...What if I had chosen a different path? Would my life be different? What if I had taken that job or made a different career choice? We can all relate to these questions at some point in our lives.


Directed by Michael Greif, IF/THEN is a brilliant Broadway musical about living in New York today and all the possibilities of tomorrow.  Elizabeth (Idina Menzel) is a 39-year-old woman looking for love and moves to New York City for a fresh start. IF/THEN is edgy, romantic, funny and full of surprises!  

Cuties are back at McDonald’s PLUS a Giveaway! #HappyFamilyMoments

This is a sponsored post.

Cuties are back at McDonald’s! Now our Littles can enjoy their favorite source of Vitamin C with every Happy Meal! From November 2014 to March 2015, 38 million Cuties were served in Happy meals and a la' carte, and now they are back again! McDonald's and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation have a global partnership to increase families' access to fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy. Now we can select from Cuties, Sliced Apples, or Go-GURT.

You're Invited! My Gym Yorba Linda's Winter Enrollment Event Jan 29 (5-8pm) AD

This is a sponsored post.

If you've been wondering what My Gym Children's Fitness Center is all about, come to My Gym Yorba Linda's Winter Enrollment Event on Friday, January 29th (5 pm to 8 pm) and let your children be the judge! My Gym is best known for their programs and facility designed to help children ages 6 weeks to 8 years of age develop physically, cognitively, and emotionally. With hundreds of locations in more than 30 countries, they offer structured, age-appropriate, weekly classes that incorporate music, dance, games, gymnastics, and more. It's great exercise for the kids!






Come meet My Gym Yorba Linda's staff, play in their bright, clean & safe facility, and learn about their special winter class offers. They will be showcasing gymnastic elements and stations, providing snacks and refreshments for all attendees, and leading fun games and activities. It's a great way to tour the facility and check out their program.

Lift Tickets Giveaway at Mt High Ski Resort PLUS Other Specials! #MtHigh

Everyone in SoCal is excited to see snow! We have all been snow deprived, but lucky for us Mountain High Ski Resort is only a 90-minute drive away from Orange County! The family and I were all just up there getting snowboarding lessons and playing in the snow. January is also National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month!

This year we finally had the children take lessons, and they are loving it! At Mt High, the children's lessons are for ages 4-12 and are available in Full-Day and Half-Day sessions. The lessons come with equipment rental, boots, and lift tickets. For Full-Day sessions, the children receive two-1 hour and 45 minute group lessons and a snack or lunch. For Children's lessons, you'll want to arrive early to check in, register your child, and help them with their gear. The Children's Sports Center is located at the top of the pathway. You'll want to dress the children in waterproof snow gear, and they will need gloves. They all start out in their own little area away from the adults. At the end of the lessons, we were given progress reports. The Children's Sport Center at the West Resort and is open daily from 8:45 am to 3:15 pm.

Travel Tuesday: Big Bus Tours San Francisco #TT #TravelTuesday

If you're ever in town for a day and want to see San Francisco and don't have a lot of time, look into taking a hop-on, hop-off tour with Big Bus Tours! It's a great option for both large groups and small. We hit all the major landmarks, can get off whenever we wanted, didn't have to do a lot of walking, and if we got off, we could easily catch another bus as the bus runs every 10-20 minutes.

Getting there, we had to park our car at Fisherman's Wharf and then walked about a block to find the bus station. The top level of the bus is open. There were about 20 stops on the route, but the bus doesn't stop unless someone notifies them or if there are passengers waiting to get picked up. Our tour guide announced the stop ahead of time and asked if anyone wanted to stop. If you didn't get off the bus, it would take about 2.5 hours (depending on traffic) to complete the route.

Click to download a map. Photo Courtesy of Big Bus Tours. 

10th Annual Newport Beach Restaurant Week: January 18-31 | Participating Restaurants @DineNewport #nbrw #dinenb

Macaroon with Foie Gras and Huckleberry at Waterline Newport Beach. 

We were just at the preview of Newport Beach Restaurant Week and excited for it to start! It's the longest standing Orange County restaurant week which runs for 14 days and has a record breaking 60+ participating restaurants. Diners will have an opportunity to try two- or three-course, prix fixe lunch and dinner menus at a special price. Presented by Dine Newport Beach and Newport Beach Restaurant Association, the 10th Annual Newport Beach Restaurant Week starts Monday, January 18th and runs through January 31st. See a list of participating restaurants below!

Family Movie Night with Kung Fu Panda PLUS Movie Giveaway!

For Family Movie Night this month, we're celebrating the release of DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 3 by rewatching the first two movies. As a Fox Home Ent Insider, we had a little help and received a themed party kit with Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2 on DVD, Po plushes, a tablecloth, favor bags, cupcake holders, sticker sheets, bamboo straws, fortune cookies, napkins, themed animal masks, plates, and printouts to enjoy. The party kit was pretty awesome, and the kids were in for a fun treat.

The first Kung Fu Panda was about accepting your fate, because nothing is an accident and everything happens for a reason. Kung Fu Panda 2 was about finding inner peace.

"Your mind is like this water, my friend. When it is agitated it becomes difficult to see, but if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear." - Master Ooglay

Staycation Giveaway! Great Wolf Lodge Opening Soon in Garden Grove! #GWLSoCal

Grand Opening Deal Special: Book by March 6, and save up to 20% on stays through December 30, 2016. Details below!

 

The 105,000-square-foot waterpark at the Great Wolf Lodge Southern California resort adds more slides and attractions during construction in early December. The resort is slated to open in late February 2016.

We're all anticipating the Grand Opening of Great Wolf Lodge in Garden Grove! It will be here soon enough, because it's due to open early March 2016! Last month they shared some updates with us. The 105,000-square-foot waterpark is coming to life as they installed more slides and attractions, poured cement throughout the park, and hung antler chandeliers in the Grand Lobby where the daily Story Time with Great Wolf Kids will take place by the fireplace. Looking for something to do over Spring Break? Save money on airfare and stay local this year. One lucky reader will win a two-night stay in a family suite at Great Wolf Lodge SoCal! (Valued at $500 includes water park passes for 3 days for the entire family). Also, check out the special 20% discount offer below!

Monster Jam Trucks Return! (Angels Stadium Jan 16 - Feb 13)

Monster Jam is coming back to rock the Angels Stadium once again, and we can't wait to see our favorite Monster Trucks battle it out! With more trucks than ever before and four new trucks this year, the heat is on! Who will take home the trophy as they compete in demolitions, race for the best time, and complete the hardest stunts? This is our third year attending the show, and we became instant fans. The show is not only fun and high-energy, you never know what you're going to see. Sometimes they flip over and don't stay down, climb walls, and jump over huge obstacles. These drivers are crazy, and we love it!

Monster Jam® Returns to Angels Stadium of Anaheim January 16 – February 13, 2016!

Musical Theater: IF/THEN @SegerstromArts January 19th - 24th! #ifthentour #scfta

New Broadway Musical coming to Segerstrom Center January 19th - 24th!

IF/THEN is a musical about a city planner named Elizabeth who moved back to New York to start a life in the city. When carefully calculated plans collide with fate, her life splits up into two parallel paths where she faces the intersection of choice and chance. 

“THE BEST MUSICAL OF THE YEAR! In its formal daring, and in the intelligence of its execution, IF/THEN moves into new territory with intense and thrilling results. Every single thing in this show is new – you absolutely never know what is going to happen, right up to the last, powerfully moving beat.” - New York Magazine

2016 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Release Schedule!

Most recently Walt Disney Studios released their movie schedule. It's going to be a great year to go to the movies! Every year I look for the schedule so I can budget for it. There are some that I really want to see like Captain America: Civil War (my boys love all things super heroes), the remake of The Jungle Book (the graphics look amazing, and I can't wait to reintroduce this classic to my boys), Finding Dory (love Ellen DeGeneres, the first movie, and Pixar Movies), Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (huge fan). The others look promising too, but we'll have to wait until more trailers of the movies come out. See the release dates below! Which one do you want to see?

January 29, 2016

The Finest Hours

March 4, 2016

Zootopia

Blackmarket Bakery: NEW Santa Ana Location Opens Sat, Jan 9th! #blackmarketonbroadway

Blackmarket Bakery's new Santa Ana location opens this Saturday, January 9th!

Blackmarket Bakery's baking fundamentals are butter, flour, sugar and eggs (all "blackmarket" goods during WWII). Chef Rachel Klemek focuses on delivering a culinary experience using natural ingredients, complex textures, and global flavors. After three years of success from their Costa Mesa location, they are now expanding to Artists Village in Downtown Santa Ana in the Santora building on Broadway.

Local Party Venues, Entertainers, and Rentals @BirthdayMasters #BirthdayMasters AD

This is a sponsored post. #BirthdayMasters

We have a big birthday week coming up in our family! I have four nieces and nephews with birthdays within the same week - one celebrating his big 1st Birthday, and three celebrating their 2nd birthday. I used to know all the places in Orange County to host a super fun birthday party from all our play date outings, but since my boys (now age 6 and 8) are in school, it's hard to remember exactly where they all are and where the new ones are. Introducing BirthdayMasters.com. If you don't have a lot of time to do research, check them out!

I was just on their website and was amazed by their collection of venues, entertainers, and party rentals near me. They had everything, and it was user-friendly. Here are a few I found within 10 minutes of browsing:

• Traveling Tea Parties by Traveling Tea, 
• Freshly-spun cotton candy from a mobile cart by Love Swirls, 
• Soccer Parties by Super Soccer Stars, 
• Glam Parties on wheels by My Beauty Parties,
• Singing Telegrams from Party Creations, 
• Princesses for hire from The Princess Party, and
• Party package rates at Pretend City, Discovery Cube, and K1 Speed, etc.

World's Largest Ski and Snowboarding Lesson Day Attempt @MtHigh January 8! #LargestSkiLesson

It's Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month at Mountain High, and they're attempting to break the world record for World's Largest Ski and Snowboarding Lesson Day with Guinness World Records on Friday, January 8, 2016!

Photos courtesy of Mountain High.

The current record for world’s largest ski lesson (both single and multiple venue) is 594, and the world’s largest snowboard lesson (both single and multiple venue) is 500. Lesson participants will be introduced to basic skiing and snowboarding skills including safety, how to properly use equipment, types of terrain, demonstrate and be evaluated on what they learned during the 90 minute class. All attendees will receive an official certificate of completion upon finishing the lesson. World’s Largest Ski and Snowboard Lesson Day results will be certified by appropriate Mountain High personnel and sent to industry and Guinness World Records for verification and approval.

Paint and Drink Class at Pinot's Palette in Tustin #PinotsPalette @PinotTustin

If you've been looking for something fun to do with your friends or a date night, look into a paint and drink class like they have at Pinot's Palette in Tustin. The way it is set up, it can accommodate a large group or private parties, and it's designed to be social. 

You'll want to arrive early so you can pick out your seats, grab an apron, and visit the wine bar, because the class started promptly on time. I was slightly late getting their because I didn't know exactly where it was and parking was scarce at the time. (It's located right in the heart of The District.)

Show Review: Riverdance - 20 Years! Now at Segerstrom Center #Riverdance20

Post written by Kim Meredith. 

After two children, we finally had our first date night in four years to see Riverdance. We were stoked to be out and about even if it meant glancing at our cell phones every 10 minutes to check on the kids. We were immediately wow-ed as we walked across the bridge from the parking structure to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Greeted by super friendly staff in a jam packed arts center, we were off to a terrific date night.

With drinks in hand (several bar setups on the first, second, and third floor), we wandered around aimlessly. On the second floor, we found a magical outdoor balcony. On the third floor, we discovered a cute little winter photo setup - even helped a few strangers take photos with their smartphones. We headed to our seats as the show was about to begin with a gentle warning of small ringing of intercom bells.