If you have ever participated in CHOC Walk at Disneyland Resort, you already how amazing it is. An experience that’s all for the kids! We’ve had the opportunity to participate in this annual event for a few years now and it’s something you don’t want to miss out on.
This year, the walk will take place on Sunday, October 30. Beginning at 6:15 a.m. on October 30, an estimated 14,000 walkers from across the U.S. and around the world, including Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan will walk approximately 3 miles through the Disneyland Resort to celebrate the life-saving, compassionate care CHOC provides Southern California’s children. The event culminates in the resort’s Downtown Disney® District where sponsors, hospital support groups, shops and restaurants have special offers for participants at the CHOC Festival. It is CHOC Children’s largest fundraiser of the year. 
The walk route is filled with Disney magic, including entertainment and the world-famous characters and gives you the opportunity to experience the magic of being in the Parks before they’re open to regular guests. 
As the largest and most unique single fundraising pediatric walk event in the nation, last year’s walk raised more than $2.5 million dollars for the hospital’s KidsCare Fund bringing the quarter-century total to over $26 million. Now in its 26th year, the 2016 walk promises to be extra “spooktacular” as it occurs on Halloween weekend this year and will be packed with fun for the whole family! 
This year’s CHOC Walk goal is to raise 2.7 million dollars. All monies raised provide funding to the programs and services in the greatest need both at the hospital and in the community, from mental health services to an expanded neonatal intensive care unit to care for children and families who cannot afford to pay. Every dollar counts for Southern California’s kids!
With your help, this goal can definitely by made and hopefully surpassed! There are a few different ways that YOU can help! First of all, you, yourself, can participate in the CHOC Walk. (Register here.) Also, grab your friends, your family, even grab some of your Instagram followers if possible, and join in! There are few things that can drag an adult out of bed this early on a weekend but I can guarantee that you’ll be beyond touched when you are surrounded by this crowd. I shed quite a few tears during the event. It’s beautiful to see all of the families participating, who have received amazing care over the years from CHOC Children’s Hospital. 
CHOC Walk participants also have the opportunity to attend the 2nd annual CHOC Walk Ambassadors’ Luau, the afternoon before the walk, on Saturday, October 29 at at the Disneyland® Hotel’s Adventure Lawn. The luau is hosted by CHOC Walk Ambassadors, past and present, as a way to raise additional funds for the CHOC Walk in the Park and celebrate the courage and strength that they, and thousands of other CHOC patients and families, have shown during their medical journeys. 
This special Polynesian-themed event for the whole family will be the perfect way to celebrate the day before the CHOC Walk. The event will feature activities for attendees of all ages, including: special photographs with Disney® characters; tattoos by Kaman’s Art Shoppe; Ambassadors’ silent auction; delicious luau-inspired dinner; authentic Polynesian entertainment with special appearances by Tupua Productions, Loa Greyson, Jerome Grey, Halau Hula Lani Ola and “Auntie” and an exciting finale featuring world-famous Polynesian fire dancers! Guests will also enjoy a dash of Disney magic with a special visit from artist Jimmy Mulligan. This year’s master of ceremony will be KTLA’s Henry DiCarlo. To purchase tickets for the luau, visit here. 
So, won’t you consider helping the kids of Southern California! Join in on the fun by registering for the 2016 CHOC Walk! For more information about the 2016 CHOC Walk and to register, visit http://www.chocwalk.org, Event information can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Join in on the conversation by following #chocwalk.
This year, Knott’s Spooky Farm is a limited-time weekend event perfect for families and is open on weekend days during October, as well as Halloween day. All of the fun included in the price of a regular park ticket. (pumpkin and cookie decorating are available for a nominal fee.) Whether they choose to wear a costume or not, guests visiting the park are welcome to join in on all the fun Halloween activities. 
Here are the fun experiences you won’t want to miss out on this year:
Linus’ Great Pumpkin Patch
This year at Knott’s Spooky Farm, you’ll find
There are some fun activities to do inside like Peanuts coloring, games, decorating your very own pumpkin
Also, don’t forget to catch a performance of “Monsters Are Coming Charlie Brown!” in the Camp “Spooky” Theater, while you’re in Camp Snoopy. 
For only $31.99 (plus tax) you can enjoy up to seven different dining locations 
Don’t miss out on all the daytime family friendly fun at Knott’s Spooky Farm this year! You won’t find any tricks, just treats!
Residents of Rancho Mission Viejo are lucky to be the first in the area to have access to Cox’s G1GABLAST service, which is 100 times faster than the average U.S. Internet service! Since 
Getting back to the Smart Home though…it was beyond cool to see the demonstrations they had going on, showcasing the capability of the home’s high speed internet and how it can handle more than 10 interactive, visually stimulating demonstrations at once.Some of what was going on included a Wi-Fi cooking with a food blogger, telehealthy sessions with CHOC Childrens (via InTouch mobile robot), online music lessons that were streaming, a Wi-Fi pet and Wi-Fi pet feeder, virtual educational instruction, and more! With everything happening at once in the home, the heavy bandwidth was really put to the test! 
Here are some of my favorite features from that day: 
For someone who relies on the internet for her job, having super fast speeds and capabilities within her home is essential. Whitney also showed us how she controls the slow cooker from her smart phone using the free WeMo app, even when away from home.
This could be a game changer for a working mom like me who spends time driving to and from sports practices, but somehow needs to prepare a meal that’s ready immediately after practice, when I have a starving kid! Having the ability to adjust cooking time and temperature from the and and a smart device delivers the ultimate convenience and peace of mind.
Dr. Winkle was speaking from the In-Touch Express Robot because he was off-site at the time.. The capabilities of telemedicine are amazing, allowing the doctor-patient connection at any time to be possible. It’s basically going to be the house calls of the future! 
His student was actually in Canada and Jason explained that he relies on Cox G1GABLAST to provide him with the necessary bandwidth to stream while he’s working.
My experience inside the Cox Smart Home was nothing short of amazing! To learn more about Cox Communications and the services it offers, visit 
I’m always on the lookout for alternatives to edible Halloween “treats” to give to my students. With all of the other Halloween activities going on, kids get plenty of sugar already. I know other moms appreciate it when their children receive non-sugary treats, especially with general concerns about sugar intake and food allergies
I found so many cute things to use on Oriental Trading Company’s site. Have you seen 
It’s hard for anyone to resist stuffed animals, so I ordered a bunch of Plush Halloween Mini Characters for my students, which come in owl, cat, and mummy. I love that they’re Halloween-y but not scary. They’ll be perfect for kids to hug or hang onto. I know my own daughter used to have plush with her when she was afraid of the dark. I also think I’ll let my students read with their animals in the classroom if they choose to do so.
I attached a “Happy Halloween” tag to each one using a printable I made, and used orange and black bakers twine to tie it on.
You can download my FREE printable
I cannot wait to to give these to my students. They are going to be so excited! Do you have alternatives to sweets that you like to give to kids at Halloween time?
The newly opened location is beautiful and is the 11th location in Orange County! In addition to indoor seating and a full 600 square foot bar area, the location also features an outdoor, open air, wrap-around patio for outdoor dining. Amongst the surf-inspired décor, you have a grand view of the 14 huge wall-mounted TVs, from wherever you are seated and will feel like you’re on the beaches of Hawaii as surf videos play on some of the screens. Sports fans won’t miss a play during their favorite games as they dine, with some of the other screens showing “the game” when it’s on.
Islands offers an extensive menu with a full bar so I decided to have a fun drink to start off with. I ordered The Islands Mai Tai. Made with a marriage of two exotic rums, tropical fruit & essence of the islands, this is literally “Paradise in a Glass”! Have you checked out Islands NFL Happy Hour yet? Right now, football fans can enjoy extended happy hour from 
Kids dining at Islands have quite a few choices on the “Gremmie” menu. I appreciate that they can choose from applesauce, carrots and ranch, carrots, or fries. Kids like to be able to make choices on what they’re going to eat.
I tend to be a creature of habit when I visit and usually end up ordering the Chicken Club Wrap which has grilled & chilled sliced chicken breast, Applewood smoked bacon, avocado, cheddar, jack, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing & bbq sauce and is served in a flour tortilla. It’s so delicious that it’s difficult for me to want to order anything else. Mmm, BBQ sauce! I didn’t realize they had sweet potato fries on the menu so I had to try them and they were yummy!
Bacon lovers dining at Islands will be happy to know Islands includes a BLT on the menu called “The Wedge“. It’s made with Applewood Bacon, cheddar, jack, lettuce, tomato & mayo, served on an Islands white or whole wheat bun. It’s also served with Fresh Cut Island Fries. Yum!
Although we were pretty full at this point, there’s no denying dessert at Islands. It’s hard to choose between Kona Pie and the Fudge Brownie, so we splurged and ordered one of each. 
Islands’ Kona Pie is made with Mocha Almond Fudge, ice cream & cookie crust topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, roasted nuts, and a cherry. Their Fudge Brownie is made with a rich fudge brownie served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. 
They’re both perfect for sharing. Have you had either? Oh goodness, they’re both delicious and I had to stop myself from finishing them all by mysefl!
Now through January 16, when you visit the Discovery Cube, these four heroic ninjas-in-training will show you how to leap to the rescue and learn teamwork, collaboration, and problem-solving as you work your way through puzzles, mazes and obstacles. Guests can explore the turtles’ sewer-like lair, where good guys win and bad guys lose!
Since 1984, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have rocked it with their talent and teamwork, inspiring and teaching generations of fans that being part of team lets us discover and exercise our own hidden strengths and those of our teammates. Together we can achieve more than we can on our own. 
Now you can join the pizza-eating, crime-fighting “Heroes in a Half Shell” to hone your own ninja skills and problem solving intellect while learning the secrets of the sewer!
The exhibit includes:
The Common Room
Donatello’s Workshop and Lab
New York City Streets
For more information about the Discovery Cube Orange County, go 
The new location will open at 5 a.m. at 26722 Portola Parkway. It’ll offer a full array of both Dunkin’ Donuts’ freshly brewed coffee and delicious baked goods and Baskin-Robbins’ premium ice cream and frozen treats. It’s like a foodie’s dream come true! 
The Foothill Ranch Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant is also the brand’s 100th DD Green™ Achievement location which means it was designed with energy efficient and sustainable elements. A milestone originally planned for the end of 2016, Dunkin’ Donuts is ahead of schedule with integrating this program into its new restaurants nationwide. The Foothill Ranch establishment will feature specialty lighting to reduce energy use, high-efficiency mechanical units, water reduction features and more. 
The first person in both the drive-thru and walk-in line on October 4 will earn a $250 gift card, and the first 200 people in both the lobby and drive-thru will receive a free Dunkin’ Donuts tumbler or a Baskin-Robbins campfire mug. Throughout the day, customers can collect a branded keychain by signing up for DD Perks®, Dunkin’ Donuts’ guest rewards program.
Today I’m sharing 10 things you should check out while you’re at Disneyland Resort during Halloween Time!
Since the majority of the Halloween Time fun is inside Disneyland Park, that’s where we actually spent our day. You should definitely take a photo in front of the giant Mickey Mouse Pumpkin, which is located in Town Square. 
As you skip down Main Street, you’ll see the Main Street Pumpkin Festival. where you’ll find so many adorable and unique, hand-carved jack-o-lanterns. They’re up on the rooftops, inside store windows, and hidden in places you’d never expect. You should definitely find the “Elvis” jack-o-lantern. It’s my favorite one this year!
At the end of Main Street, U.S.A., you’ll find the Partners Statue, featuring Walt and Mickey Mouse. Right now, it’s so festive as it’s surrounded by jack-o-lanterns carved with characters in them. Each one is themed to represent a different “land”. I just love the one with Woody on it!
During Halloween Time, you can find several of the characters dressed in their spooktacular Halloween attire. Don’t forget to grab some pics with them and utilize the Resort’s PhotoPass services. The PhotoPass Photographers have ability to capture your magical memories perfectly and they make for great keepsakes of your trip.
I highly recommend grabbing a FASTPASS® early in the day for Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. It’s located in Tomorrowland and doing so will allow you to have at least one ride secured for the day on one of the most popular attractions.
Over in Frontierland, just next to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, you’ll find a special area set up as a tribute to “Dia de los Muertos“. Although this traditional festive celebration for the “Day of the Dead” isn’t something “Halloween” and is more of a celebration honoring those loved ones who have passed away, the Resort includes “Zocalo Park” in the Halloween Time features in Disneyland Park since it’s celebrated immediately after Halloween. The area is absolutely beautiful to visit. . 
The special area has a beautiful display of some cultural art, “calacas” or skeletons, authentic decor, and even face painting. (free of charge.) You can also enjoy special seasonal food offerings at Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante.
Another extra popular attraction this time of year is Haunted Mansion Holiday featuring “A Nightmare Before Christmas”. It’s one of the specially transformed attractions during Halloween Time. (It actually stays up through Christmas as well for obvious reasons). 
There’s an exciting addition this year, too. Sally! (Spoiler alert: You can find her in the graveyard scene inside.) I always enjoy seeing the gingerbread house and checking to see if my name is on the “naughty list” inside this spooky adventure.
There are so many special Halloween Time treats and food offerings this time of year, that it would be impossible to try them all. Well, at least to try them all in just one visit. 
The different collectable popcorn buckets that you’ll find at different locations throughout the Parks are one of the more popular keepsakes, as are the travel mugs.
The Jolly Holiday Bakery is a great place to find a bunch of different sweets, as are several other places at the Resort. For a complete list of Halloween Time food offerings, check out what the Disney Parks Blog says
I think the only thing we didn’t really get to conquer was a ride on The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror over in Disney’s California Adventure. I’m dying to ride on it after dark because they offer “Late Check-Out”, an experience guests have never experienced before and a must-do before The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror approaches its final check-out date on January 2, 2017! Late Check-Out is a chance to venture beyond the fifth dimension into complete darkness! It entails free-falling in the attraction’s haunted elevator shaft with all the lights out! You should definitely try to experience this before it goes away forever! 
All of the previous Halloween Time offerings can be experienced during regular park operating hours. The 10th thing I highly suggest you check out though is 