Our family loves to go on new adventures and experience all there is to do here in Southern California. We recently took a drive down south for the day to visit SeaWorld San Diego. It’s just about an hour drive from Orange County, where we reside.
I love the fact that you have so many options of things to do at SeaWorld. Not only do they offer a large selection of educational exhibits and shows in the park but there are also a bunch of thrilling attractions to check out. (Manta, the attraction, is a must!)
On our visit, which included tweens, we found that there’s something for everyone in your family to enjoy in the park and on this visit, we were invited to an extra special experience. 
“Dine With Orcas®” is a special ticketed event is an hour long experience where guests get to enjoy a delicious chef-crafted meal, on a private poolside patio, next to Orca whales. It’s an immersive and memorable family dining experience that allows you to discover what makes killer whales so unique from a presentation given by SeaWorld’s behaviorists.
The meal is set up buffet-style, with gourmet offerings for both adults and children. I was elated to have so many wonderful food choices. The culinary team at SeaWorld goes above and beyond with the food. The menu can change seasonally and we got to try the Fall/Winter menu which includes:
- Oven Roasted Turkey – Gravy, Cornbread Stuffing, Cranberry Aioli
- Grown Up Mac and Cheese Bar – With Bacon, Chives & Parmesan Cheese
- Pork Spare Ribs with a Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- Sustainable Salmon made with Lemon Dill Butter Sauce & Tomatoes
- Chicken Tikka with Curry Sauce
- Creamy Polenta with Roasted Corn and Feta
- Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Local Fall & Winter Vegetables
- Charcuterie Display – Salami, Local and Imported Cheeses, Cornichons, Grain Mustard, Breads
- Crisp Romaine Caesar – Croutons, Traditional Dressing & Aged Parmesan
- Greek Kale Salad – Romaine, Kalamata Olives, Pickled Red Onion, Pepperoncini, Tomato, Feta, tossed in a Red Wine Oregano Vinaigrette
- Asparagus with a Pomegranate Orange Vinaigrette
The Kids Menu offerings include:
- Chicken Nuggets with organic ketchup
- Sweet Peas & Carrots
- Cavatappi Pasta
- Meatball Marinara
There was also a Dessert Bar that featured:
- An Ultimate Homemade Cheesecake Display
- Fresh Local Fruit
- Flourless Chocolate Bouchons
- Chocolate Covered Shamu Shortbreads
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Flan
- Chocolate Pudding
- Mini Donut Holes
Dine With Orcas® dining experience features menu items that are sustainable, organic and locally sourced. From fresh California salad greens to locally-grown vegetables, in-season produce is selected straight from regional farmers to ensure that guests are getting the freshest produce available.
There is something fascinating about getting to sit up-close to the Orcas and having the opportunity to learn more about them. What beautiful animals! Our family enjoyed this experience immensely and I’d say it’s a definite “must-do” to add to your day at SeaWorld San Diego.
Dine With Orcas is open 7 days a week. and advance reservations are highly recommended, because some seatings tend to sell out quickly. However, if space is available, “day of” reservations can be made at the ticket booths or Guest Services just inside the park.Book now; this is an exclusive, up close, experience you won’t want to miss!
Here are a couple of “Know Before You Go” tips for you:
- I suggest recommend arriving 15-30 minutes prior to your time to get in line. This may you have the best chance of getting a table closest to the window.
- You can get $5 off the price of an adult ticket for “Dine With Orcas” when you purchase yours online here before your visit.
- The price of your meal includes non-alcoholic drink options. However, beer and wine are available for purchase as well.
- Gratuity is not included in the price of your meal so remember to bring cash tip your server. (Ours worked so hard)
Have you visited SeaWorld San Diego before? If so, share your favorite memory with me in the comments!
For more information about the Dine With Orcas Dining Experience or to plan your own visit to the park, please visit https://seaworld.com/san-diego/.
Connect with SeaWorld San Diego on Facebook and Instagram.
I found a ton of cute, non-sweet treats like tiny notebooks, mini heart erasers, fun pencils, and a bunch of different Valentine’s stickers. (everyone loves stickers!) I love to give my students 
To make the Valentine’s pencils extra fun, I designed a set of purple, hot pink, and red printable “Happy Valentine’s Day” flags to add to them. I printed them on white cardstock so they were sturdy. (You can download these for free at the bottom of this post.)
Fold them flag strips and apply pressure to the crease. Next, trim each one to a flag shape. Use a glue stick to fasten each one securely around the top of each pencil. To print out the FREE printable “Happy Valentine’s Day” flags, go 
I made a non-candy “treat” bag for each of my students that included a Smile Face Valentine pencil with a flag on it, a couple of Mini Valentine Spiral Notebooks, a handful of Mini Smile Face Erasers, a couple sheets of Mini Heart Big Roll Stickers, and a Tic-Tac-Toe Valentine Sticker Card for each student. I stuck everything into a clear cellophane bag. and tied with some ribbon. I can’t wait to pass them out on Valentine’s Day! Do you send anything special for Valentine’s Day for your child’s classmates?
Last week, our Disney-lovin’ family got to take one last ride on California Screamin’. It was the first upside-down attraction my daughter ever rode and although we’ll miss it, we’re super excited to see the transformation of the Paradise Pier area into Pixar Pier. 
The all-new Pixar Pier looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun as it takes on a brand new look and brings more favorite Pixar characters and stories come to life, from The Incredibles, to Inside Out to even more Toy Story. 
Back to talking about how excited our family is for 2018 at Disneyland Resort. There are some great new experiences that are up and coming at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park. Here are 5 things that’ll help you “Get More Happy” in 2018 at Disneyland Resort:
“Get More Adventure’ with Star Wars Experiences at Disneyland
The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival offers unique food and beverage
‘Get More Magic’ at the First-Ever Pixar Fest Celebration
Southern California Resident Ticket Offer
Southern California residents may purchase tickets at 
For restrictions, visit 
Kids can join their favorite NINJAGO heroes at a very special dojo training session exclusively at the family theme park! Guests can become part of the 4D action as Master Wu prepares the ninjas to take on the teachings of the mysterious ‘Scroll of the 4th Dimension’ but disastrous consequences strike and Kai, Nya, Lloyd, Zane and Cole find themselves in a whole heap of trouble for not only them, but the whole universe!
In celebration of the all new 4D animated adventure, the weekend continues with LEGO® NINJAGO® Days Jan. 13 & 14.at LEGOLAND® California Resort. Guests are invited to join in the LEGO NINJAGO fun at the park and meet some of their favorite LEGO NINJAGO Movie characters including Lloyd, Sensei Wu, Kai, Jay and Nya.
Find your inner peace with other fun activities, in the park, throughout the day including:
All activities are included with the price of admission into LEGOLAND California Resort. For more information, visit 
Children can now meet, Luciana, a creative, confident 11-year-old girl and aspiring astronaut who dreams of being the first person to go to Mars. She has the skills and smarts to achieve her goals, she also learns that being a good leader and team player right here on Earth is the best first step.
Luciana’s world comes to life via a beautiful 18-inch Luciana™ doll, featuring warm brown eyes, medium skin, and dark brown hair with a distinctive purple streak to show off her creative side. 
Other STEM-inspired outfits, accessories, and products that reflect her Space Camp® experience include Luciana’s Flight Suit and Space Suit, her Maker Station, and a Mars Habitat loaded with science and research essentials for hours of pretend play. 
For the first time, kids can further engage in Luciana’s world by 
Luciana’s story is chronicled in a chapter book series written by Erin Teagan and published by Scholastic. The first two books, available now, introduce readers to Luciana, a young girl of Chilean descent with a serious science streak, who loves the idea of exploring new territories in space. After winning a scholarship to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, Luciana is thrilled to launch her dream of landing on Mars. But as she ascends from Space Camp kid to youth astronaut trainee, she faces many challenges that test her competitive spirit and self-confidence, and she must find the courage to embrace the unknown with bravery, curiosity, and wonder.
To help ensure the accuracy of Luciana’s story and product line, American Girl worked with the following four-member Advisory Board who were integral to Luciana’s development: Dr. Ellen Stofan, former NASA Chief Scientist; Dr. Deborah Barnhart, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center; Dr. Megan McArthur Behnken, NASA Astronaut; and Maureen O’Brien, Manager of Strategic Alliances at NASA. In addition, a team of American Girl editors and product designers visited Space Camp and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to gain insight into a day in the life of a Space Camp trainee—from putting on space suits and learning about the “right” way to eat in space to conducting a mission in micro-gravity. American Girl’s partnership with NASA was developed through the Space Act Agreement to inform and inspire the wider public (and especially young girls) about the excitement of space and STEM careers.
This year, my nieces and nephews have some fun ZIPIT items listed on their Holiday Wish Lists. Have you seen this adorable line of pencil cases and pouches, storage boxes, backpacks and bags before? They are so cute!
ZIPIT bags stand out in a sea of boring, unoriginal bags and cases. They are a hot item that every kid seems to know about. My daughter was the one who first told me about them and now she has an entire collection of ZIPIT that she uses for school.
Color Boxes Storage Case – Durable pencil box with a hard, protective shell. It holds up to 60 pens and pencils! It can also store your scissors, sharpeners, crayons, markers, and more. I love this bold geometric design.
Talking Monstar Pencil Case – The design features one long zipper that can be fully zipped and unzipped! It’s a cool pencil pouch for boys or girls 
As an added feature, there’s a free Monstar app that goes with this poiuch and is so fun and playful. You can download the free app to your iOS or Android device and your pencil case will come to life with a personality of its own! Play games, take photos and videos, and share them with your friends on social media. Here’s a short video showing how it works:
Monster 3 Ring Binder Pouch – A 3 ring pencil pouch with a playful Monster smile to protect your school supplies and help you stay organized all year long.Trust
Trust me when I say, any ZIPIT product you decide to give as a gift this year will hit it out of the park with the kids on your list! ZIPIT is sold in over 30 countries around the world, the worlds’ major chain stores, and soon in our own specialty retail store and is constantly growing and developing an ever-changing variety of products. To see their full line of products, please visit their site
Many school districts and private schools have already began implementing curriculum and activities in schools that integrate these very necessary subjects into fields of study. Very important to remember is that STEM isn’t aimed at just one gender but rather, includes and encourages both genders.
This holiday season, why not consider giving STEM toys from 
Here are just a few great STEM toys to consider for this year. Lucky for you, they’re all available for purchase on Amazon, with shipping options that’ll get them to your doorstep in time for the holidays.
Well, I think I have the perfect solution! It’s called 
Not only is it easy to put together a Holiday Wish List, it’s also easy to share it with friends and relatives. This definitely makes gift giving way more fun and easy. and will help take the guessing out of your holiday shopping. If you’re the cool aunt, uncle, or grandparent looking to buy the best gift for the little ones in your life, Please keep in mind that Wish Lists aren’t just for kids to create, they also have items for men and women. After all, the holidays aren’t limited to just the children, right?
Here are 4 easy steps to put together a Shareable Wish List on Elfster:
Right now, with all of the season’s hustle and bustle, Brea Mall is a great place to find something for everyone on your holiday shopping list. It’s also a great place to find something for yourself, while you’re there. I absolutely love their holiday decor this year. Everything looks so festive and really gets you in the holiday spirit and excited to shop! 
I was invited to a special Holiday Gift Guide sneak peek event at Brea Mall, to get a closer look at some of the top gifts at Brea Mall this year. There were several retailers there, showcasing some of their most popular gifting items for this year year. It was a fun event and helped me put together this Brea Mall Holiday Gift Guide Light bites and sips for the event, were provided by Nordstrom Cafe and CPK. 
Williams-Sonoma – This is a great place to shop for the gourmet on your list. Offering a selection of professional-quality cookware, small kitchen appliances, cooking utensils, and decor to match your cooking and entertaining style. They also have a great selection of gourmet foods for purchase. I loved all of their holiday place settings and decor. They also offer the Insta-Pot at a great price! It’s the hottest item right now in the cooking world.
Lululemon – As a top brand for workout wear, Lululemon is a “go-to” stop for men and women of all ages. Their workout attire is both quality and fashionable. They also have an entire line of “Athleisure” clothes that allow you to be fashionable and comfy at the same time. If you’re traveling, their new winter pieces, including warm jackets, offer warmth and comfort without being heavy. How perfect would they be for winter travel? 
Swarovski – Nothing shines like Swarovski crystals. They have some beautiful jewelry pieces as well as gifts for friends, colleagues, and teachers on your list. This year they even have several Star Wars-inspired pieces. 
Kiehl’s – This year, Kiehl’s collaborated with Disney to create a collectible and adorable line of products together that you’ll want to get your hands on. This line of skin and body care is for men and women and benefits Feeding America. Together, Kiehl’s and Disney are working to raise 1.1 million meals for those in need through this collaboration. It’s a great line of products that came just in time for the holidays.
Godiva – Chocolate and Christmas go hand in hand and Godiva has treats and gifts perfect for gift giving to family, friends, and colleagues. There are beautifully arranged gift baskets already wrapped up and ready to give. You can also have a hand-selected box of chocolates packed. There are so many beautiful collections in the store, you just have to stop by to see them. Be sure to grab a treat for yourself while you’re there, too. 
Typo – You can find a great range of gifts, stationery, art, craft, decor, cards, decorations, lighting and seasonal gifts and more at Typo. 
Ben Bridge Jewelers – If you’re looking for a special piece of jewelry to give as a holiday gift, there are so many exquisite pieces in the store. Their Toscano Collection of handmade pieces is exclusive to Ben Bridge. In addition to jewelry for all occasions, you can also select from beautiful time pieces by top brands for both men and women. 
BoxLunch -This is another retailer I love because they give back to those in need. BoxLunch is the destination to shop for pop culture-inspired gifts, accessories and apparel for men & women. 
Morphe – One of the Brea Mall’s newest retailers to open is Morphe, If yo haven’t caught wind of Morphe on social media, it’s an amazing cosmetic brand that offers the latest looks in makeup in an affordable price range. They will also help you achieve whatever look you’re envisioning for yourself this holiday season. In addition to the cosmetics, Morphe offers false eyelashes, brush sets, and other gifting options for the beauty lover on your list.
Microsoft Store – Right now, if you stop by the Microsoft Store in the mall, you can tell them your “wish” this holiday season and it might even be selected to come true! While you’re there, you can also check out the full line of products fit for the tech needs in your life.
Be sure to stop by these retailers when you visit Brea Mall, in addition to all of the other specialty shops. I can assure you, you will knock out all of your holiday shopping in this great destination shopping location.
Brea Mall has tons of great gifting options for your holiday needs! You can also purchase Simon gift cards, as well as many other kinds of gift cards at Customer Service, which is located in next to Starbucks. Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? If not, consider stopping by Brea Mall soon.