2015 - Page 6 of 23 - Over The Top Mommy

Year: 2015

Kidgits Boo Bash on 10/24 and Trick or Treating on Halloween at The Shops at Mission Viejo! @ShopsMV

October 21, 2015 / Celebrations, Family Fun, Holiday Fun, Lifestyle, Orange County, The Shops at Mission Viejo

Spiders, bats, black cats and more… Let’s see what Halloween has in store! Your favorite little ghosts and goblins are invited to The Shops at Mission Viejo for a fun and safe event at the Boo Bash on Saturday, October 24. Children of all ages are encouraged to sport their best Halloween costume to haunt The Shops at Mission Viejo in search of Halloween fun.

The Shops at Mission Viejo Halloween event, presented by the Simon Kidgits Club, takes place from 10a.m. to noon on the Lower Level, near H&M and Old Navy. You can join in on Halloween themed crafts, giveaways, and more. Get ready for spells and potions at an entertaining magic show from magicIAN, which starts at 10:30 a.m.

Families are also invited to return to The Shops at Mission Viejo for trick-or-treating at participating retailers on Saturday, October 31 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., though hours vary by retailer. Here is a list of participating retailers:
Mall Trick or Treating is from 10am to 7pm, on October 31. Here is a list of participating Retailers:

APEX by SUNGLASS HUT—- Candy

BANDEX WATCHES—- Candy

BEAUTY POINT—- Hair Serum

BRIGHTON COLLECTABLES—- Candy

BUILD-A-BEAR—- Candy

CARLTON HAIR—- Candy

THE CHILDREN”S PLACE—- Tattoos and Stickers

DESTINATION MATERNITY—- Candy

FARRELL’S ICE CREAM PARLOUR—- Candy

FAST FIX JEWELRY AND WATCH REPAIR—- Candy

FASHION NAILS—- Candy

FIRST CUTS 4 KIDS—- Candy

FRANCESCA’S COLLECTIONS—- Candy

GYMBOREE—- Stickers

IRENE’S STORY—- Candy

JANIE & JACK—- Stickers

LONDON COIN GALLERIES—- Foreign Coins and Candy

LUCKY BRAND CLOTHING—- Candy

LULU BELLA BOUTIQUE—- Candy

MICROSOFT—- Candy

MUSCLE BEACH—- Candy

OPTIMUS TOYS—- Candy

OPTOMETRY AT THE SHOPS—- Candy

RUBY’S DINER—- Candy

POTTERY BARN KIDS—- Goodies

SEE’S CANDY—- Candy

SKETCHERS—- Candy

SKIN 63—- Candy

STARBUCKS—- Candy

SWEET FACTORY—- Candy

TEAVANA—- Tea if in Costume

TOMMY BAHAMA—- Candy

TRUFFLE CAKE CO. —- Candy

THE WALKING COMPANY—- Candy
Guests can stop by Guest Services to pick up a flyer with specific store participation and information on candy distribution times of retailers.

Note: Toy weapons and costumes should be worn only during event hours and masks are allowed only on children 12 years old and younger.

Connect with The Shops at Mission Viejo on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

About Simon Kidgits Club:

The Simon Kidgits Club is a fun and informative program that focuses on health, wellness, education, safety and entertainment for children ages 3-8. The Simon Kidgits Club has kept children and parents alike amused for over a decade with various events and activities while providing incentives for club members, such as special offers, rewards and games.

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

{Giveaway} “Minions” Available on Digital HD 11/24 & DVD/Blu-ray and On Demand 12/8! Enter to Win A Copy! #Minions

October 20, 2015 / Entertainment, Movies

In case you missed them in theaters, the Minions have their own movie! Minions will be available on Digital HD November 24 and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand on December 8 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. A much anticipated prequel to the unprecedented worldwide blockbusters Despicable Me and the beloved sequel Despicable Me 2, Minions is an extremely entertaining and hilarious film for all audiences!

Watch the trailer here:

Here’s a synopsis of the film:
Since the dawn of time, Minions have served (and accidentally eliminated) history’s most despicable villains. After their latest explosive mistake leaves them without an evil leader, the Minions fall into a deep depression. With the tribe on the brink of collapse, three unlikely heroes–Kevin, Stuart, and Bob—embark on a journey to find a new big boss. When their quest leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award® winner Sandra Bullock), our three heroes must face their biggest challenge yet: saving all of Minionkind…from annihilation!

The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and Digital HD also come with three all-new mini-movies which means even more Minions! Everyone will want to watch again and again especially during the busy holiday season. Minions will be available on Blu-ray™ with DIGITAL HD and UltraViolet™ and the DVD

Blu-ray™ will unleash the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home and will feature 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY^TMAND DIGITAL HD:

THREE ALL NEW ORIGINAL MINI-MOVIES:
- Cro Minion
- Competition
- Binky Nelson Unpacified
DELETED SCENE – ME, MYSELF AND STUART
AROUND THE WORLD INTERACTIVE MAP – Explore the world of the Minions with this interactive map featuring a collection of games, trivia, featurettes, storyboards, and more all themed to movie locations.
BEHIND THE GOGGLES – THE ILLUMINATION STORY OF THE MINIONS – Get a “behind the googles” look at the history and evolution of everyone’s favorite yellow henchmen.
- WRITER – See how the Minions evolve throughout the different time periods. Writer, Brian Lynch discusses creating distinctive personalities for the three main Minions, his VillainCon idea, and the Minion family.
- BOSS’ OFFICE – Illumination Entertainment CEO and founder and Minions producer, Chris Meledandri discusses the origins of Illumination Entertainment and the genesis of both Despicable Me and the Minions.
- ART DEPARTMENT – See how the Minions came to life, from the original art concept of the henchmen to the final creation of the Minions and how to differentiate them between new time periods. Also, see how the idea of Herb and Scarlett Overkill’s characters came to be.
- GALLERY – CONCEPT ART (stills)
- GALLERY – COLOR SCRIPT (stills)
- COMPOSER – Listen to how composer Heitor Pereira creates the sound of the Minions and what it takes to create big music for small characters.
- ACTORS STUDIO – Listen to the actors’ experiences being part of the Minions movie, who their favorite Minionsare, and why they love them so much
- NOTICE BOARD (stills)
- SAFETY VIDEO

ILLUMINATION MACGUFF ANIMATION
- ANIMATION – Go behind the scenes and hear about the challenges and excitement behind the Minion characters and bringing them alive through animation in the movie

LIGHTING, LAYOUT AND EFFECTS – A look at the ways in which layout and lighting plays a big role in the emotion and motivation in the movie. Also see the ways in which they try to keep the 60’s vintage look and the challenges they face with very technical shots, where one shot can take weeks.

3D MODELS GALLERY (stills)
DIRECTORS – Directors Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda discuss the unique challenges of creating distinctive personalities for the Minions
PRODUCERS – Producers Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and Executive Producer Chris Renaud discuss the three main characters – Kevin, Stuart, and Bob – little family in the movie and the goal of creating a special bond between them and the audience when they leave the theater.
EDITORIAL – Editor Claire Dodgson discusses the distinctive editing style of the Despicable Me franchise and the three-year process it takes to make these movies from the original storyboards to cutting scenes with Miniondialogue.
STORYBOARD ARTIST – Learn how the actions of the words of the script turn into visual drawings and how much work is put in from the rough sketches to the final cut of the movie.
GALLERY – STUART HOT TUB STORYBOARD (stills)

JINGLE BELLS MINION STYLE – This holiday favorite is brought to life in a merry-Minion way. Now you get to sing along to the beloved video that was the most shared piece of content on Facebook in 2014.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS THEATRICAL TRAILER

DVD BONUS FEATURES

DELETED SCENE – ME, MYSELF AND STUART

JINGLE BELLS MINION STYLE – This holiday favorite is brought to life in a merry-Minion way. Now you get to sing along to the beloved video that was the most shared piece of content on Facebook in 2014.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS THEATRICAL TRAILER

I’m also hosting a giveaway for one of my lucky readers to win their own copy of “Minions” on DVD! Ener below in the rafflecopter! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find Minions on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post. Some images property of Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Adorable CHARM IT! Friendship Bracelets (and Necklaces) Allow Girls To Express Individuality!

October 19, 2015 / Uncategorized

Friendship is a complex thing, even for young girls. I’ve learned a lot about it over the years and what I’ve come to realize is that friends aren’t always exactly alike. In fact, friends can be quite the opposite, as far as their tastes and favorites, but what they share in common is spending time together having fun.

Sometimes it seems like kids place too much importance on trying to be like others, and not enough of themselves. It’s OK to have individual tastes and be different from your friends. I’ve worked hard to teach this to my daughter.

This is why I love CHARM IT! necklaces, bracelets, and charms! Have you seen them before? It’s a premier brand that’s available worldwide and sold exclusively at independent specialty retailers and premium department stores. When CHARM IT! recently sent me some gift packs of bracelets, I was excited for my daughter to give them to her little circle of friends!

CHARM IT has 100’s of different charms to choose from that you can purchase to attach to a chain necklace or bracelet. Here are just some of the categories girls can choose charms from:

With so many different charms to choose from, friends can build a necklace or bracelet that best fits their individual personalities, while still being able to attach some charms that are the same as their friends’ charms. Each of the charms has adorable details (some are even blingy), they’re sturdy and easily clasp on.

My daughter and her circle of friends each have a pink chain bracelet with 3 charms attached: a cupcake, a blinged out high top tennis shoe and a “friends” charm. There is still plenty of room for each of them to add additional charms that have to do with their own personalities.

I think these are some of the cutest things I’ve seen for girls and am excited for the girls to continue to build up their collection of charms on their own bracelets. What do YOU do to encourage your own daughter’s individuality?

To locate a store that sells CHARM IT!, click here. Connect with CHARM IT! on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post. I received products in order to faciliate this post. All opinions are 100% my own. Some images and logos property of CHARM IT!

7 Reasons YOU Should Go To Brick-or-Treat Party Nights At LEGOLAND® California Resort

October 15, 2015 / Family Fun, LEGOLAND, Lifestyle, San Diego

LEGOLAND® California’s Brick-or-Treat Party Nights are well under way and we’ve already been two weekends in a row! Yep, we loved it so much the opening weekend that we returned last weekend for a 2nd time! The not-too-spooky Halloween party in the park welcomes guests of all ages to enjoy extra special time in the park, from 5 to 9 p.m. but guests who purchased wristbands, can actually enter the park starting at 4 p.m. LEGOLAND is only a hop, skip & a jump from Orange County and Los Angeles, so it’s not a bad drive at all!

Brick-or-Treat Party Nights tickets are offered at a great price!

For being the biggest kids’ Halloween celebration in San Diego , Brick-or-Treat Party Nights ticket is offered at a great price! If you just want to attend the event, itself, from 5 to 9 p.m., it’s $45 per person if you buy it that day at LEGOLAND. However, you can also buy tickets online and in advance for $35, which is highly recommended.

If you are already visiting the park for the day, you to add the event to your ticket, at Guest Services, for just $20. more ticket to yours for just
Passholders are also offered Brick-or-Treat ticktets at a discount. California Annual Pass and Merlin Annual Pass Standard Members can upgrade to purchase a Brick-or-Treat Party Nights event ticket at a discounted price, while event admission is free for Merlin Annual Pass Premium Members, Ambassador and Ambassador Resort Members.

Everyone is welcome to dress up AND there’s a COOL costume contest with prizes!

It’s fun to have the option of dressing up for the occasion with the entire family! I saw all kinds of costumes in the park, ranging from really intricate ones to simple costumes. I also saw people in regular clothes or just wearing a Halloween shirt. Overall, it’s a fun and casual environment and because it’s in Southern California & it’s beautiful weather regardless. (I recommend bringing a light jacket.)

The Costume Contest is open to children 12 and under. Guests must be present at the Miniland Stage at the scheduled time for your registered costume contest category. A new contest for each of the three category themes will be held each Brick-or-Treat Party Night in October 3,10, 17, 24, 30 from 5pm-9pm. Participants must sign up at the registration table in the Model Shop Alcove no later than 15 minutes before each contest starts.

There’s REALLY GOOD trick-or-treating and an all-new Candy Quest interactive adventure!

You can grab an empty bag at one of the candy stations and fill it up! There are stations located throughout the park, as well as 2 BONUS treat stations inside SEA LIFE® Aquarium, which is also part of this event. Look for the “Boo Crew” as they will be handing out treats to guests including: a Brick-or-Treat Commemorative Brick, a Brick-or-Treat Hat, a LEGO® Magazine, a LEGO® City Collector Magazine, Clif Kids, Clif Kid Z-Bar, and a Shutterfly^®promotional card.

You also won’t want to miss the all-new Candy Quest, which is located inside of Adventurers Club! It’s an interactive walk through where kids will meet characters and receive more treats for their trick or treat bags!

This year there are new roaming candy carts this year, where kids can gather treats and other surprises from trail partners: Shutterfly^®, LEGO®, Clif Kids™, Honest Kids^®, Red Vines^®, SMARTCANDY^® and and Airheads^®.

Trick or Treat Tip: We spent the last 20 minutes just going from station to station and filling up our bags because by that time, there weren’t many people in lines!

You can still access all of the regular attractions!

Guests can enjoy all of the regular attractions during Brick-or-Treat Party Nights because they’re all open. There’s even a special Halloween version of “Coast Cruise” as it’s transformed into “Ghost Cruise” just for the event. Note: Splash Battle, Pirate Reef and Soak ~N~ Sail will be close at 6:00 pm each evening. (Some rides subject to ride closure)

LEGO^®Friends Heartlake City has a special Fall Festival!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit LEGOLAND California’s newest themed area, it’s called ” LEGO^®Friends Heartlake City” and it’s adorable! Young guests will find that some of their favorite LEGO sets have come to life!

For Brick-or-Treat Party Nights, Heartlake City is having a Fall Festival where you can enjoy a Bluegrass Band, LEGO Friends Meet and Greets, interactive, Not-So-Scary Storytelling at Village Theater, and a LEGO Pumpkin Patch Free Build inside Heartlake City Stables

There’s a TON of live entertainment and shows at Brick-or-Treat Party Nights!

Guests in the park can enjoy a special shows, hands on activities, and live entertainment during Brick-or-Treat Party Nights! There are two fun shows in the Courtyard Theater Stage on Castle Hill. “Mail Order Monsters” and “The Witchettes” have several shows each night. (see guide for times) Also enjoy “Monster Fighter Mash” and the Ultimate Dance Party over on Miniland Stage. Continue dancing the night away at Hubble Bubble’s Dance Party AND at Wanda’s Jellyfish Disco inside Sea Life Aquarium.

Throughout the park, there are roaming entertainers including stilt walkers, ball walkers, and even unicyclists.

It’s a chance to create more family memories together!

For me, the most important reason why I think you should attend Brick-or-Treat Party Nights this weekend is because it’s another chance for you to create more family memories together! I am all about making memories that will last a lifetime! Don’t forget to bring your camera because there are lots of photo opportunities in the park for your memory books!

There’s so much to see and do at LEGOLAND^® California Resort’s Brick-or-Treat Party Nights! Will YOU be attending this weekend? For more information and to purchase your tickets, click here.

Come Meet Olivia Rodrigo, star of the American Girl Movie, Saturday, 10/17, at Williams-Sonoma South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa!

October 14, 2015 / Family Fun, Lifestyle, Orange County, South Coast Plaza

Meet Olivia Rodrigo, star of the American Girl movie, “Grace Stirs Up Success” and Chef Amanda Haas, Williams-Sonoma’s Director of Culinary this Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Williams-Sonoma South Coast Plaza!

Williams-Sonoma is introducing a line of exclusive, branded products as part of the partnership the brand launched in June with American Girl. The new line includes a dedicated, hardcover cookbook, now available, called Baking-Recipes for Cookies, Cupcakes & More.

The illustrated book is 90 pages and contains 40 images with 30 recipes that complement the American Girl cooking classes Williams-Sonoma introduced this summer. The American Girl by Williams-Sonoma line ranges in price from $9.95 to $59.95 with products available at Williams-Sonoma. American Girl stores will also carry all non-food products from the line and at its retail stores nationwide, starting October 8.

In “Grace Stirs Up Success”, Grace has a special talent for baking and a passion for making delicious dreams come true and Williams-Sonoma aims to inspire cooks of all ages. Williams-Sonoma President, Janet Hayes comments, According to Williams-Sonoma President, Janet Hayes, the partnership between Williams-Sonoma and American Girl and the development of the product line is another exciting way that aims to engage the entire family in the kitchen.

At the in-store event, Amanda and Olivia will bake together and take questions from the audience with cookbook signing to follow. This fun baking demo and signing celebrates the product launch of Williams-Sonoma for American Girl.

This is a ticketed event. Secure a ticket by visiting Eventbrite or contacting the hosting store to purchase a ticket. Ticket price includes the new Williams-Sonoma cookbook, Baking-Recipes for Cookies, Cupcakes & More. All guests will also receive a copy of the American Girl DVD “Grace Stirs Up Success” as a bonus!

Williams-Sonoma South Coast Plaza is located inside at:
3333 Bear Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 540-1397

*Proof of purchase required. Returns prohibited. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Images property of Williams-Sonoma and American Girl.

GOOSEBUMPS Scholastic Educational Program – Unlock the Adventure! Download FREE Activities! #GOOSEBUMPS

October 12, 2015 / Entertainment, Movies

GOOSEBUMPS fans of all ages are getting excited in anticipation of the film’s release in theaters October 16! I loved reading the GOOSEBUMPS books and now my own daughter does too!

If you haven’t watched the official GOOSEBUMPS trailer yet, here it is:

Here’s a synopsis of the film:

Upset about moving from a big city to a small town, teenager Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) finds a silver lining when he meets the beautiful girl, Hannah (Odeya Rush), living right next door, and makes a quick friend in Champ (Ryan Lee). But every silver lining has a cloud, and Zach’s comes when he learns that Hannah’s mysterious dad is in fact R.L. Stine (Jack Black), the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series. As Zach starts learning about the strange family next door, he soon discovers that Stine holds a dangerous secret: the creatures that his stories made famous are real, and Stine protects his readers by keeping them locked up in their books. When Stine’s creations are unintentionally released from their manuscripts, Zach’s life takes a turn for the weird. In a crazy night of adventure, it’s up to Zach, Hannah, Champ, and Stine to team up and get all of these figments of Stine’s imagination – including Slappy the Dummy, the girl with the haunted mask, the gnomes and many more – back in the books where they belong to save the town.

There’s also a GOOSEBUMPS Scholastic Educational Program where you can download creepy classroom activities, writing programs, a digital flipbook, monster masks and many other activities. How cool is that? It’s a great resource for parents AND teachers! To learn more about the activities, click here.

With GOOSEBUMPS coming to theaters October 16th what are YOU most anticipating in the film? Are you ready to see the GOOSEBUMPS stories come to life on the big screen? I know I am!

Don’t forget to find GOOSEBUMPS on Facebook and Twitter!

Southern California Great Wolf Lodge® Set to Open in February 2016! #GWLSoCal

October 11, 2015 / California, Family Fun, Great Wolf Lodge, Lifestyle, Orange County, Travel

Great Wolf Lodge® is opening in Southern California and our family is ecstatic! I was invited to take a hard hat tour of the newest location, which is currently under construction in Garden Grove and I’ve never seen anything like it! Great Wolf Lodge refers to themselves as the ultimate family vacation destination and I can see why! They pride themselves on providing quality accommodations, exceptional services, and a variety of amenities and entertainment all under one roof. The 603-room all-suite resort is going to WOW when they walk in!

At the start of the facility tour, I got to meet Wiley the Wolf, who is the official Great Wolf Lodge mascot. As I was During my hard hat tour, I felt like my mouth kept dropped open around every new corner! Seriously, I cannot wait for it to open!

The GIANT 105,000 square-foot indoor water park at Great Wolf Lodge is the most popular amenity for resort guests. Water park passes are already included in the cost of your stay and are exclusive for the guests staying at Great Wolf Lodge.

The water park itself is maintained at 84 degrees which means that weather will never affect your stay. Unique water slides and attractions will offer something for everyone.

The Howlin’ Tornado is the water park’s signature ride and is six stories tall! It sends riders swooshing up and down its enormous funnel before the final splash into the catch pool! I can’t wait to get on it!

Let’s talk about the accommodations! There are more than a handful of different suite options to choose from at Great Wolf. Each suite offers a complimentary coffee pot, microwave, and refrigerator. Families have plenty of room to spread out and relax and can choose the accommodations that best fit the size of their family.

Double Queen Suite – Features two queen beds and sleeps up to 4 guests.
Family Suite – Features two queen beds and a full sofa sleeper and sleeps up to 6 guests.
Wolf Den Suite – Features a queen bed, full sofa sleeper and a themed Wolf Den, complete with a set of bunk beds. Sleeps up to 6 guests.
KidCabin Suite – Features a queen bed, full sofa sleeper and a Great Wolf Kids-themed KidCabin complete with bunk beds and a twin bed. Sleeps up to 7 guests.
Grand Bear Suite – Features a private master bedroom with a king bed and a full bathroom. The main area includes two queen beds, a full sleeper sofa and a second bathroom. Sleeps up to 8 guests.
Great Bear Suite – Features two queen beds and a semi-private living room, complete with a private master bedroom with queen bed. Sleeps up to 6 guests.
Great Bear King – Features two queen beds and a semi-private living room, complete with a private master bedroom with king bed. Sleeps up to 6 guests.

The dining options at Great Wolf provide something for everyone in the family to enjoy. I like that Great Wolf not only acknowledges kids can be picky eaters but also offers options for guests with food allergies and have special dietary needs ,such as a gluten free diet. It’s something that moms can really appreciate as it isn’t often easy to dine out when your child has those kinds of needs.

Lodge Wood Fired Grill – A full serve a la carte restaurant open for lunch and dinner, with delectable shareables and unique signature items to create the perfect place to eat.
Hungry as a Wolf – Family meals on the go for lunch and dinner featuring fresh made pizza, sandwiches, salads, and pasta.
Bear Paw Sweets & Eats – A confectionary that offers a variety of treats, such as fresh-baked pastries, ice cream, lodge-made fudge and more.
Buckets Incredible Craveables – Located inside the water park, the casual menu offers burgers, hot dogs, french fries, cold beverages, ice cream, and more.
Loose Moose Family Kitchen – A buffet style restaurant, open for breakfast and dinner, that has options for the entire family.
Grizzly Jack’s Bar and Grill – Located by the outdoor water park, this is the place to refuel for more fun in the sun, offering a variety of food and drinks to choose from.
Dunkin’ Donuts – Located right inside the resort, this is America’s favorite all-day stop for coffee and baked goods.

Although most people are going to spend a lot of time at the water park, there are a ton of other attractions and entertainment to enjoy during a stay at Great Wolf Lodge including:

Character Appearances – Daily appearances with Wiley the Wolf and Violet the Wolf.
Story Time – The entire family can gather in the Grand Lobby each evening to hear a story about the Great Wolf Kids characters before bedtime.
Wolf Walk – Learn about the many animals and wildlife living in the Northwoods and make an origami wolf to take home.
MagiQuest – Battle dragons, befriend a pixie and wave a magic wand in this live-action adventure game throughout the resort. The games feature three unique chapters, each with their own challenges and quests.
The Great Wolf Kids Program – Daily activities for kids that take place around the resort, including dance parties, face painting, and games such as Wiley Bingo, Character Floor Memory, and Character Trivia.
Howly Wood XD Theater – This motion thrill ride transports riders directly into the movie action with every effect amplified, creating an unforgettable experience.
Howl at the Moon Mini Golf – 9-hole themed indoor miniature golf course.
Northern Lights Arcade – More than 100 interactive video and redemption games that allow guests to redeem points for prizes.
Scooops Kid Spa – A unique spa created for kids, complete with ice cream-themed manicures, pedicures, and more. Each service includes a real ice cream treat.
Ten Paw Alley – Family-style bowling with pint-sized bowling balls.
Clubhouse Crew – Interactive Scavenger hunt through the resort starring the Great Wolf Kids characters. It’s the perfect experience for the resort’s youngest guests.
Laser Frenzy – An exciting arcade-style game with the latest in touch and LED technology. Players can see who is fastest as they dart between the “laser beams”.

The Great Wolf Lodge Southern California also features over 20,000 sq. feet of meeting and banquet space. It’s the ideal location to host corporate meetings, youth excursions, family reunions, special occasions or more. With 12 separate and configurable meeting rooms, the resort’s team of experienced meeting professionals can create the perfect space to your needs.

Great Wolf Lodge Southern California is now accepting reservations for its newest location. You can book reservations for March 2016 through December 2016 by visiting http://www.greatwolf.com or calling 1-888-960-WOLF (9653).

So what are YOU most excited for at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California? My answer to that is “all of it!“

Connect with Great Wolf Lodge Southern California on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

{Giveaway} 5th Annual EEK! At The Greek! Presented By Children’s Hospital Los Angeles! 10/24 at The Greek Theatre, L.A.!

October 9, 2015 / Entertainment, Greek Theatre

The 5th annual EEK! At The Greek! event will take place this year on Saturday, October 24 at the Greek Theatre,
LA. Presented by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, this family-friendly event will, once again, feature the 60-piece Symphony In The Glen with Maestro Arthur B. Rubinstein and will present a creepy collection of frightening favorites.

EEK! At The Greek! will also feature a “Trick-or-Treat Village“, in the Greek’s plaza welcoming families to bring their children for safe trick-or-treating and Halloween activities from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, including:

arts & crafts
face painting
a costume contest

The costume contest will begin at 4:30 PM in the front plaza, with the finale taking place during intermission on The Greek Theatre’s main stage which will b emceed by the popular Doug Kolk, entertainment reporter for KTLA, and self-proclaimed “concert-going fool,” who reports on all the amazing live music venues throughout Los Angeles.

The Main Stage performance begins at 7:00 PM. This year’s musical program includes Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” “Ghost Riders in The Sky” with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, the premiere live-to-film performance of the classic Disney cartoon “Hell’s Bells,” John Williams’s “The Devil’s Dance” from The Witches of Eastwick and actor, Armin Shimerman (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) narrating Edgar Allen Poe’s Gothic masterpiece, “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

As you can see, EEK! At the Greek! is a wonderful event that you should take your entire family to. For many Southern California families, it’s become an annual Fall tradition. Tickets for the event are on sale now and available at GreekTheatreLA.com and AXS.com. All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. A service charge is added to each ticket price.

I’m also giving away a family 4-pack of tickets to EEK! at the Greek! You can enter to win below on the Rafflecopter. Don’t forget to read the instructions carefully. Good luck everyone! Happy Fall!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Symphony In The Glen is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization with the mission of cultivating new generations of classical music lovers. The orchestra comprises professional musicians whose talents and skills grace the premier orchestras of Los Angeles.

This is not a sponsored post. I was provided with information in order to facilitate this post. Images and logos property of EEK! at the Greek! and The Greek Theatre, L.A. All opinions are 100% my own.

Friendly Ghosts, Delicious Treats and Tons of Not-So-Spooky Halloween Fun at Knott’s Spooky Farm! #KnottsSpookyFarm

October 7, 2015 / Knott's, Orange County, SoCal Fun

I was invited to attend a media day at Knott’s . No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Have you had a chance to check out Knott’s Spooky Farm yet? This year you can enjoy not-so-spooky daytime Halloween fun, throughout the park, every weekend in October! There are so many things to see and do and it’s all focused on Halloween cheer rather than fear! Activities are geared towards children ages 3-11 but I’m *29 and had the best time there last weekend!

Here are some of the cool things you’ll find at Knott’s Spooky Farm this year:

Ghost Town Trick or Treating – Kids will have so much fun trick or treating in Calico Ghost Town. They’ll encounter a different friendly ghost at each station and receive a special treat from them! Be sure to bring a trick or treat bag or bucket!

Creepy Crawler Cabin – Explore creepy crawlers and other things that’ll make your skin crawl in the Creepy Crawler Cabin, located inside the Pony Express Outpost in Ghost Town. There are even opportunities to touch some of them if you’re extra nice to the resident there…a witch!

“The Monster Are Coming, Charlie Brown!” Show – Over in the Camp Spooky Theater, located inside Camp Snoopy, you can catch one of the daily shows of this musical production, starring some of your favorite Peanuts characters. Snoopy’s Costume Contest and Dance Party – Sign up to enter the costume contest held in the Camp Spooky Theater. Guests (under age 12) in costumes who enter have the chance to win fun prizes. Note: Adults are not permitted to wear costumes in the park.

Spooky Hollow Maze – Travel through a spooky forest with gigantic jack-o-lanterns and you might even encounter the Headless Horseman. For a nominal fee, you can decorate your own pumpkin after you exit the maze. Monster Masquerade Ball – Join in on some karaoke fun at the Monster Masquerade Ball! Kids can sing along with their favorite songs and also choose a Halloween mask to color and decorate and take home.

See? I told you there’s a ton of stuff to see and do at Knott’s Spooky Farm! I love that they’ve made this family friendly Halloween celebration a park-wide event this year because we also spent time going on all of our favorite attractions, too! All of the Knott’s Spooky Farm fun is already included in the price of your regular park ticket! Why not consider getting a Knott’s 2016 Season Pass? Right now it includes one 2015 visit, which you could use for a day at Knott’s Spooky Farm! For more information about Season Passes, click here. You can also purchase your Knott’s tickets online at a discount. To purchase yours, click here.

A very special thank you to Knott’s for hosting us for a very fun day in the park.