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Family Fun

LEGOLAND® California Resort is Adding a New LEGO® Ninjago™ Area and Ride for 2016!

July 28, 2015 / Family Fun, LEGOLAND, Lifestyle, San Diego

Have you heard thee latest news coming out of the LEGOLAND® California Resort? Well, they just announced that they’re adding a new expansion for 2016….a New LEGO® Ninjago™ Area and Ride is scheduled to open in spring 2016! Such exciting news for LEGO fans of all ages! I know WE can’t wait!

LEGO NINJAGO tells the story of four young Ninja heroes – Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane – who train under the watchful eye of Sensei Wu to master an ancient martial art – Spinjitzu.

LEGO® NINJAGO fans had 22 new building sets loaded with features and functions to choose from that were released this year. There have also been brand new episodes of the popular series, NINJAGO: Masters of Spinjitzu aired on Cartoon Network. Now with this new LEGO NINJAGO being added inside of LEGOLAND California Resort, fans of all ages will be able to have hands-on experiences with interactive elements and a new ride featuring the key characters from the NINJAGO universe.

The new NINJAGO area will be included in the cost of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort. To find more information and tickets prices, click here.

Connect with LEGOLAND California Resort on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own. Images property of LEGOLAND California Resort and LEGO®.

LEGOLAND’s Limited Time Ticket Offer (Save Up to $20 PLUS 2nd Day FREE) and New Reserve ‘N’ Ride!

July 23, 2015 / Family Fun, LEGOLAND, Lifestyle, San Diego

Have you heard the latest exciting news coming from the LEGOLAND® California Resort? For a limited time only, they’re offering $20 off a Resort Hopper ticket, PLUS a 2nd day free, when you reserve 7+ days in advance. (Save $5 PLUS a 2nd day FREE when you book 2-6 days in advance.)

This special pricing is offered exclusively online to guests.

The Resort Hopper includes admission to:

LEGOLAND® California
SEA LIFE®Aquarium
LEGOLAND Water Park

Hurry up and grab this offer though, before time runs out! Click here to purchase your Resort Hoppers!

Note: Date of visit must be selected in order to receive savings. Ticket must be used on date selected at time of purchase. Discount varies by date selected. 2nd day free valid only when pre-purchasing this offer online. 2nd visit must occur within 9 days of 1st visit.

There’s something else cool happening at LEGOLAND® California called Reserve ‘N’ Ride service! It allows you to reserve your seats on 12 of the Park’s most popular rides. It can either cut down or even completely eliminate waiting in line, depending on what level of device you opt for.

With Reserve ‘N’ Ride you can make one ride reservation at a time and the device will let you know when it’s your turn to ride! Reserve ‘N’ Ride is waiting in line FOR you, so you can come back sooner. Plus, depending on the level of device you choose, it’s actually cutting down that wait time – Express by 25%, Deluxe by 50%, and Ultimate by 90%. The three levels of service vary in price range. This means you can get on more rides with less waiting! Awesome!

Here’s how Reserve ‘N’ Ride Works:

Choose your ride from the attractions list on the device and confirm your reservation.
Receive your ride time on the Reserve ‘N’ Ride device screen.
Explore all the Resort has to offer while the Reserve ‘N’ Ride device counts down for you.
When your device beeps and vibrates, it’s your turn to ride!
Go to the special Reserve ‘N’ Ride entrance at your time or any time after.
Show your device to the attendant to be validated.
Enjoy your ride!
Repeat these steps to enjoy your next ride.

Here are some other things you’ll want to know about Reserve “N” Ride:

Each Reserve “N” Ride device is good for up to 6 people
You can buy your device online
When you hear a buzz, you can head to your ride anytime after that
Pass Members get 10% off

For more information about Reserve ‘N’ Ride, click here.

These are some great savings and options to consider on your next visit! Connect with LEGOLAND® California on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post. Some images are property of LEGOLAND California.

Calling All LEGOLAND Heartlake City Fans! Take This Fun Quiz to See Which LEGO Friend You Are!

July 16, 2015 / Family Fun, LEGOLAND, Lifestyle, San Diego

Have YOU had the chance to visit LEGO Friends Heartlake City at LEGOLAND California Resort yet? We are big fans of the entire resort but after visiting Heartlake City on our last visit, it instantly became our favorite area in the park! It’s absolutely adorable and you are made to feel like you’ve stepped right into one of the Heartlake City LEGO sets.

I also love visiting because you have the chance to see the Heartlake City LEGO friends sing and dance and you can also interact with them!

My daughter actually started building with LEGO when she was around 3 when she was given about 5 tubs of original LEGO bricks that were her dad’s when he was a boy. She played with those LEGO bricks, which included some of the original Star Wars sets, without thinking twice about the fact that there were no pink ones in the tubs. I’ve never believed in “boy” vs. “girl” toys and taught her to appreciate all toys equally. However, when the first Heartlake City LEGO sets showed up at the LEGO Store with a whole bunch of pink and purple, we were excited to get our hands on those!

As a mom, I adore the Heartlake City LEGO friends! You can find Andrea, Emma, Mia, Olivia and Stephanie all hanging out in Heartlake City when you visit LEGOLAND. I appreciate most that they each have a distinct personality and different interests but all encourage each other and have a very strong friendship!

Now YOU can find out which LEGO Heartlake City Friend YOU are by taking this fun quiz! It said I’m most like “Mia”. You can take the quiz too by clicking here! Don’t forget to come back here after you take it and comment which friend you’re most like! Have fun!

Connect with LEGOLAND California Resort on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post.

Rubio’s® Invites Southern Californians to Celebrate the Ocean with 4th Annual CoastFest on July 18!

July 8, 2015 / Family Fun, Lifestyle, San Diego

Rubio’s® Restaurants has counted the ocean as a source of inspiration since its founding more than 30 years ago and remains committed to helping protect it.

Here are just some of the ways that Rubio’s® is a friend to the ocean:

Most of the seafood they serve is sustainable.
They celebrate World Oceans Day each year in June and have given away over 60,000 reusable tote bags to help prevent plastic from ending up in our ocean.
They use compostable packaging.
They recycle plastic and glass bottles in their restaurants when infrastructure exists.

On July 18, Rubio’s is inviting Southern California residents to its 4th annual Rubio’s CoastFest in Oceanside, Calif. One of the largest organized beach cleanups in San Diego, the clean up includes a celebration of the ocean with live music, complimentary food and drinks, a beer garden, and dozens of activities for kids of all ages including a mobile ocean education center, surf lessons, disc golf, surf-shaped corn-hole and more.

Rubio’s CoastFest has continued to grow year after year, with a record turnout of more than 2,000 attendees and over 400 pounds of trash removed from the coastline in 2014. This year’s event is gearing up to be even bigger with the addition of performances by one of Billboard magazine’s chart-ranking artists, The Mowgli’s, as well as popular children’s band Hullaballo.

Additional experiences include an exhibit from the California Surf Museum, pop-up gardens featuring fresh ingredients used in Rubio’s dishes, an outdoor cinema provided by Cox Media and photo booth provided by Cox Communications.

The festivities at the Oceanside Pier will kick off at 10 a.m. with community members going the extra nautical mile at a beach cleanup hosted by I Love a Clean San Diego.

To get in on the cleanup action, participants should plan to bring a reusable bucket, gloves, comfortable clothing, sun protection and a reusable water bottle. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to participate. A signed waiver (available for download here) is required for each participant. The check-in process will be more streamlined if you bring a waiver that is already signed, especially if you are part of a large group. For beach cleanup participants that are looking for community service credit, volunteer verification forms will be available on site. Simply ask a CoastFest representative for a verification form when you are done with the cleanup.

Following the beach cleanup, the CoastFest celebration includes:

Complimentary food and drinks – Attendees will get to sample the Santa Fe Crusted Tilapia Taco that’s not yet on the menu, in addition to enjoying handmade guacamole and chips, freshly prepared salsa, beverages and more.
Music festival – Guests are invited to visit the main stage throughout the celebration for free live music from a collection of local Southern California bands, as well as giveaways from 94.9 FM and KSON 97.3. Standout musical acts include The Mowgli’s, a Los Angeles-based group incorporating rock n’ roll, indie-folk and heartfelt ballads to create a quintessential California sound, and Max and the Moon, an alternative rock band with sounds that resemble the classic harmonies of the Beach Boys and early Coldplay.
Beer Garden – Guests 21+ can enjoy a cold brew at the beer garden featuring local craft selections. All proceeds from the beer garden will benefit I Love A Clean San Diego.
Kids’ Zone – To help ensure a love of the ocean is passed down to future generations, there will be several educational and experiential activities for children that teach kids about different aspects of the ocean. These include a mobile learning center courtesy of the Wyland Foundation®, San Diego County Office of Education Splash Van, Rubio’s prize wheel and performances by popular children’s bands Hullabaloo and Clint Perry & the BooHoo Crew.
Activities and Games – Guests of all ages can enjoy free onsite surf lessons from Surfin’ Fire and a sea of other activities including face painting, corn-hole, disc golf and more.

This year’s on-site event partners include: I Love a Clean San Diego, Cox Communications, Motts®, Wyland Foundation, Honest Kids, Regal Springs® Tilapia, Trident Seafoods, Dasani®, Spy, Fiat, San Diego County Water Authority, San Diego County Office of Education, San Diego Credit Union, Surfin’ Fire and more.

For directions to CoastFest, click here. For other info about the 2015 CoastFest, click here.

I Shopped ’til I Dropped at The Carlsbad Premium Outlets®!

April 17, 2015 / Family Fun, Lifestyle, San Diego, The Carlsbad Premium Outlets

Carlsbad has become one of my favorite places to visit. It’s a beautiful city by the sea, just south of where we live in Orange County, and has a lot to offer its visitors. Some of the fun day trips we’ve taken there recently were to visit LEGOLAND California and The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch.

On my last trip down to Carlsbad, I spent the morning touring The Flower Fields. Afterwards, I walked next door to The Carlsbad Premium Outlets for some lunch and shopping. (It’s literally next door as you can see in the picture) There are 90 outlet stores from the world’s largest leading designers and name brands there. It’s an outdoor shopping center, where you stroll through the sunny corridors, that are lined with palm trees. Among the shoppers, you’ll also find families with children at the play area, guests walking their dogs, and others taking a break, seated next to a fountain. I loved the vibe this center had.

Before I started my shopping, I grabbed some lunch at Ruby’s Diner. (Did I mention that The Carlsbad Premium Outlets also have a ton of food options?) As I was eating, I was also glancing over the store listings and center map, and began to create a list of stores I wanted to shop at. Since I’d already spent a good part of the morning roaming around The Flower Fields, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to shop at ALL of the stores, which was fine because it just meant I’d need a return trip, right?

I headed over to Nike first. There’s always something about that store that draws me in first. There were so many different shoes I wanted in there and they were offered at great prices too. They also had a ton of workout and active wear for the entire family.

Next, my eye caught the Sunglass Hut sign. I don’t think anyone can ever have enough pairs of sunglasses.

It seemed like every pair in the store was being offered at a sale price on top of the outlet prices.The girls working there were very helpful and made sure I picked out a pair that “made me look like a total rockstar“! (that was how they worded it)

I practically skipped across the way from Sunglass Hut to Converse when I saw that sign! I’d been wanting to get myself a pair of Converse to go with all of my jeans but just hadn’t gotten around to it. Here was my chance!

Little did I know I’d spend over an hour and a half in that store! Not only were their regular outlet prices great, but they also had a huge sale rack in the back with so many adorable pairs of Converse. There were way too many to choose from and my “try-on pile” grew even larger when the guy working there pointed out that I could also fit into kids’ sizes for the girls section! So many Converse, so little time!

I kind of ran out of time shopping and had to head back home to pick up my daughter from school that day, but I love that I’ve now found a fun place to shop in Carlsbad! Have you been to The Carlsbad Premium Outlets yet? If not, I suggest you do. I also suggest signing up for the VIP Shopper Club before you go, which will give you exclusive access to the online VIP Lounge with member benefits such as exclusive online coupons, a voucher for a free VIP Coupon Book, and other perks! Just stop by the Information Center when you get there. They can answer any questions you may have.

Carlsbad Premium Outlets® are located at:

5620 Paseo del Norte, Suite 100
Carlsbad, CA 92008

Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!

Thank you to The Carlsbad Premium Outlets who provided me with lunch and a gift card towards my shopping purchases. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.