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SoCal Life

Disney Social Media Moms Celebration “On the Road” at Disneyland Resort!

August 27, 2016 / Disney, Disney, SoCal Fun

One of the best ways to end Summer is with some pixie dust in your inbox, inviting you to attend Disney’s Social Media Moms Celebration “On the Road”. I just happened to be out doing to some back to school shopping when the invitation arrived and I’m pretty sure I let out the world’s loudest squeal inside of Nordstrom! This “On the Road” event was brought to the Disneyland Resort and held at Paradise Pier Hotel, which is one of the on-property hotels.

The day of the event, everything began bright and early. Upon check-in, I received the most adorable bag filled with tons of Disney’s 60th Diamond Celebration merchandise. The tables in the ballroom were also set with a pair of light up ears and a “Paintbrush” for each attendee. When I walked into the ballroom, I was wow-ed by the tables which were all glowing with EARs and “Paintbrushes” at every place setting! I couldn’t wait to use them in the Parks, especially during the “Paint The Night” parade. The centerpieces were adorable too, with the Disney Moms logo. Can you spot anything “hidden”?

I enjoyed a delicious breakfast and had the chance to connect with a bunch of other social influencers. It was fun to make some new friends too. I just love to network!

After making the rounds to take photos with many of my lovely influencer mom friends, we sat at the tables, anxious to see which special guests we’d be hearing from.

Leanne Jakubowski O’Regan, Director of Content Relations for Disney Parks, kicked off the festivities and got everyone very excited about what was to come. In my opinion, she has one of the best jobs in the world AND has the best boss!

Our first speaker was Michele Himmelberg, Public Relations Director at The Disneyland Resort. She had a lot to share with us about what’s new at Disney Parks. Michele recently spent an extended amount of time opening Shanghai Disney and basically explained that the feeling of stepping into a Disney Park, no matter which one it is, is universal around the world. Each of the Disney Parks has so many new things to see and do. Here are just some of the recent additions to Disney Parks:

Tree of LIfe Awakening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Frozen at the Hyperion Theater at Disney Callifornia Adventure
Soarin’ Around the World at Disney California Adventure and Epcot
Disney Springs, formerly known as Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World. This new neighborhood has been completely revamped and includes a ton of restaurants and shops.
Elena of Avalor is the first Latin-inspired princess and an elegant warrior. She can be found inside the Magic Kingdom

It’s always an exciting time at a Disney Park because there’s almost always something new in store for guests, just right around the corner. Next, we heard from Erin Glover, Editorial Content Director for the Disneyland Resort. Erin is one of my most favorite people to follow on social media, specifically on the Disney Parks Blog channels. My most favorite video that she ever did was her interview with Harold the Abomindable Snowman inside Matterhorn. If you’ve never watched it, here it is! (It’s SO funny!)

Erin talked to us about The Disney Parks Blog and what it takes to organize the blog, plan the edoritial calendar and everything else that goes into making this 5 year old site a success around the world. The next portion of the program was something top secret! You know they mean business when they bring in security and you’re told to turn off any and all electronic devices. I don’t know that I’ve ever been involved in something so important! What a treat! Amy Smeed was there to share some behind-the-scenes footage and facts about the upcoming feature film “MOANA” from Walt Disney Animation Studios!

Amy Smeed. Photo by Alex Kang. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Amy is the first female co-head animator on a feature film at Walt Disney Animation Studios. You can actually feel her passion about her work when she speaks. I can’t really say much about what we learned or what we saw but I can remind you that “Moana” is due to set sail in theaters on November 23, just in time for Thanksgiving, so go see it! Since everyone in attendance works in social media and/or PR, learning about video and making the most of video on your mobile device was super useful for us. Our next speaker was Victoria Lim, Managing Editor of Content at Walt Disney World. She is so much fun and I’d have to say that I love the fact she isn’t shy about being right up there on the screen while on-camera. Many social influencers already use a lot of video to share their content but there are also others who need help getting started. Victoria literally walked us step-by-step, through some of her favorite apps to make videos including Magisto and Videolicious. When I heard Leanne introduce the next guest as someone who had starred in both “Saved By the Bell” and “Beverly Hills 90210”, my teenage self got ready to “fangirl”. Out on the stage walked Tiffani Thiessen. She seemed just as excited to be at Disneyland as we all were and shared with us about how her daughter loves visiting the Parks a lot more now that she’s getting older. Tiffani shared about her latest ventures which include her own cooking show, “Dinner at Tiffani’s” and publishing her own blog, in addition to being a mom and a wife. She seemed as busy as all of us are, juggling it all. She also shared that she does all of her own recipes and cooking for her show, as well as all of her own photography and writing for the blog. She said that she also runs the social media herself. I appreciated her efforts to stay authentic and connect with fans and readers. I love how real she was when she said:

I don’t succeed every day but I try. I try to balance it all but it doesn’t always happen.

The final speaker of the morning, Ginger Zee, who is also a “working mom” trying to balance it all. Ginger is the Chief Meteorologist for ABC News and Good Morning America. She also recently starred on “Dancing With the Stars” just 7 weeks after having her 2nd child. She is a strong, confident woman who admitted to knowing that you have to give up on perfection. (even though just looking at her and hearing her speak you’d swear she is perfect) Ginger spoke about giving up on perfection, balancing it all, and learning to focus your time. She said it best when she spoke about “living in the moment” and focusing on what’s in front of you. I also admire her statement about being able to do it all and have a child. I sometimes think there are people in this world who think that mothers can’t do it all. It was such a magical morning of learning, It was a chance to be inspired. It was also an opportunity to connect with others like me. I think most of all, attending Disney Social Media Moms Celebration was an opportunity to take some time for me and to be able to do something that makes me happy….which always involves Disney! It was such an honor to be invited!

I was invited as a guest of Disney Parks to attend this conference. I was also provided with admission to enter the Parks afterwards. All opinions are 100% my own. Some images and graphics are property of Disney.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas at Disneyland Resort!

November 3, 2014 / Disney, Disney, Disney, Orange County, Travel, Uncategorized

It’s only November 2nd and Christmas is popping up already, all around Disneyland Resort with a heavy emphasis over in Toontown! Yep! I really couldn’t be happier about it, either!

We ventured into Toontown this morning to ride Gadget’s Go Coaster and I immediately noticed the decorations on the firehouse! As I looked around, I could see that there were beautiful garlands hanging on the boughs of the buildings and houses in Toontown!

I loved the patriotic decorations hanging on Toontown City Hall. I was lucky enough to catch Pluto peeking out of the door when I was standing there! He gave me a big hug and then stopped to take a selfie with me before continuing on his way!

I think my most favorite parts in Toontown were the decorations on Mickey and Minnie’s houses! They’re so lucky that they each get their own Christmas tree in their front yard!

Mickey’s house is all ready for the holidays!

How adorable is Minnie’s house? The CM told us that Minnie was up late last night working on that heart-shaped wreath!

Disneyland Resort is most definitely “My Happy Place” but with Christmas decorations slowly appearing all around the parks, it Just Got Happier! I can’t wait to go back soon and see it when everything is decorated for Christmas!

Do YOU have a favorite part about Christmas time at Disneyland Resort?

Sleeping Beauty is Out of the Disney Vault! Grab This Diamond Edition While You Can! Fun Activities and a Giveaway for Your Own Copy Too!

October 7, 2014 / Disney, Disney, Entertainment, Movies

It’s no surprise that we are BIG Disney lovers in our home! Emi has always loved Sleeping Beauty and used to dress up like her a lot, even when we’d visit Disneyland. She even had one of the reversible blue/pink dresses that came from Disneyland Paris. For Emi’s 3rd birthday, we even hired “Sleeping Beauty” to come to Emi’s party to entertain the kids. I swear she was the real one, too! (She came from Dream Come True Entertainment)

We just love “Sleeping Beauty” and we love this classic Disney movie!

Today is such an extra happy day! It’s the day that Sleeping Beauty is finally releasing from the Disney Vault! Disney’s ultimate princess fairytale classic “Sleeping Beauty” will be available for the first time on Diamond Edition Blu-ray, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere! Creating the ultimate at-home viewing experience, Disney’s 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) contains digitally restored picture and sound, a digital copy of the film, and a variety of magical new bonus features!Additional all-new bonus features include never-before-seen deleted scenes “The Fair” (with Deleted Character The Vulture,) “The Curse is Fulfilled” and “Arrival Of Maleficent,” plus the Beauty-Oke sing-along to “Once Upon A Dream.” The Blu-ray Superset also includes classic DVD bonus features and more!

In honor of this grand occasion of “Sleeping Beauty’ being released from the Disney Vault, I’m also attaching a link to download some fun printables and activities that go along with the movie. They’re perfect for both boys and girls. I think we might even have a movie party at our house with our new DVD! Check them out just by clicking on the image!

Finally, I’m giving away one copy of “Sleeping Beauty: Diamond Edition” to one of my readers. Just enter below in the Rafflecopter. How exciting is that? Good luck everyone!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

We’re Doing CHOC Walk at The Disneyland Resort!

August 23, 2014 / Disney, Lifestyle, Orange County

I’m excited to share with everyone that Emi and I will be doing the CHOC Walk in the Park on October 12th this year for our first time. We’ll be participating as part of the Blogging While Walking Team!

The 23rd Annual CHOC Walk will be held at The Disneyland Resort, and will go through both parks and Downtown Disney. This is a wonderful opportunity for people (like us) to help raise money which goes towards health care programs and medical research for CHOC.

Emi and I would LOVE it if you would consider sponsoring us for the CHOC Walk so we can reach our goal. No donation is too small and every little bit helps. To donate to our team, just click here! We thank you in advance. We’re so excited to be participating in something that benefits such a great cause.

To read more about the 23rd Annual CHOC Walk in the Park, click here.

Let’s Go Back-to-School Shopping at The Shops at Mission Viejo!

August 15, 2014 / OC Events, OC Fun, Orange County, Shopping, SoCal Life, Uncategorized

This is a sponsored post.

Summer is coming to an end and if you haven’t already started your back to school shopping, you should probably get to it soon! I know I need to start mine, so I’ll be heading to The Shops at Mission Viejo…again!

I refer to The Shops at Mission Viejo as “my mall”. Not only do we live close by, but I LOVE this mall because it literally has everything we need in one place and it’s family friendly. We always find the latest fashions there! Emi and I spend a lot of time hanging out together there.

Just making the list of things Emi needs counts as starting Back-to-School prep, right?

Every year, Emi and I make Back-to-School shopping an entire “Girls Day Out”. There are so many stores to shop at in The Shops at Mission Viejo and lots of choices for a stop to lunch, when our feet need a rest.

Here are just some of the stores Emi likes to shop at most for Back-to-School:

Justice
Childrens Place
Nordstrom
Old Navy
Claire’s Boutique
Macy’s
The Disney Store
See’s Candies (you’ve GOTTA bring something for the teacher on the first day!)

Wish me luck with my Back-to-School shopping!

For a complete mall directory of The Shops at Mission Viejo, click here.

Visit The Shops at Mission Viejo on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on the latest events, trends & news.

“You’re Free Now, Genie!” RIP Robin Williams

August 12, 2014 / Disney, Disney, SoCal Life, Uncategorized

The world lost an incredible man yesterday, Mr. Robin Williams. I’m still in shock today and my heart hurts for the loss of this amazing actor, but it mostly hurts for his family. I cannot imagine what they’re going through. He truly must’ve been in so much pain and so tired to do something like that.

“She” rocked our world! (photo credit: @pj_campbell)

I grew up watching Robin Williams and truly admired his talents as an actor. He could take on pretty much about any role. Since I’m a huge Disney lover, his death infiltrates into my Disney Side as well, as he was Peter Pan and Genie. Recently, Emi somehow watched “Mrs. Doubtfire” for the first time and was just enamored by her (him). Although the storyline of the movie is pretty harsh and sad, I think a majority of that goes over her head. She’s just in awe over Mrs. Doubtfire and so I’ve recently found myself watching this old classic quite a bit because it’s on our DVR! We were JUST at Target the other day, looking for movies for our road trip, when Emi pointed at the Jumanji cover and said, “Look it’s Mrs. Doubtfire!” We didn’t buy Jumanji on that shopping trip but now I wish we had. I am so happy that Emi knows who he is and appreciates Mr. Williams as an actor as much as I do.

He starred in so many great kids’ movies. I can’t wait to watch more of them with Emi! (photo credit: @diningindisney)

This loss hits so close to home for me. I, too, lost a very close friend to suicide. It’s been 2 1/2 years now and I think about her all the time. I don’t talk about her loss as much as I think about it because people start to think there’s something wrong with me and that I “need help”. Her death left a hole in my heart and it’s something that never really gets better for me. It feels like a wound that gets reopened every time I hear about another suicide. I cried for her last night as I cried for Robin Williams.

I don’t think that people who don’t suffer from the kind of depression that can lead to suicide, can really understand how and why it happens. How could they? It irritates me when people say things like “Stop feeling sorry for yourself” or “You need to get over it.” to someone who’s suffering. I also believe that using words like “selfish” or “cowardly” when talking about suicide, or to describe someone who committed suicide, also demonstrates a lack of understanding.

I feel so fortunate to be able to say that I don’t suffer from depression, because it seems like such a tough struggle that a person has to battle for their entire life. I know a TON of friends who do suffer from it though. Just because a person suffers from depression doesn’t necessarily mean they’re suicidal, but I feel that there are times that we, as human beings, could be more aware of when others might need help or are having a hard time. Perhaps giving someone words of encouragement, asking them if they want to talk or just being a good listener to another, would be something that we could all go out of our way to do. Most times, people who are suffering the most, will be the ones who are talking about it the least and that’s why we need to keep an eye out for each other. If you see someone is suffering, do something. Be proactive. Even turn to available resources where you can find help for someone. Do what you can to take care of others, even if it’s just something small.

I can’t tell you HOW many times I’ve tried to go back to the time before my friend’s death to question what I could’ve done to help or how I could have helped her know that she, too, was worth something and loved by so many of us here, including her own family. I spoke at her service, I told her that she was beautiful, she was loved, she was GOOD ENOUGH! I just wish I could’ve told her that more often before it was too late.

Robin William’s death is so heartbreaking. I only hope he’s at peace now.

He will be truly missed by his fans. RIP Mr. Williams!

This is the quote I live by. I find that as I get older, I even try to do it more.

The Day We Personally Welcomed Fresh Brothers Pizza to Orange County!

August 4, 2014 / Food, OC Events, Restaurant Reviews, SoCal Life

Disclosure: We were invited to Fresh Brothers to sample menu items in exchange for a review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

When I heard that Fresh Brothers was coming to Orange County, I immediately did a Happy Dance and couldn’t wait for the grand opening celebration!

Our family enjoyed a sampling of some of their most popular menu items. I think it should be mandatory for every guest to start out with an order of Fresh Knots! Their menu describes Fresh Knots as “garlic bread tied in tasty knots, dusted with parmesan and served with a side of pizza sauce“. These were so amazing. Seriously!

We tried The Greek Town Special Salad next which is made with romaine, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, cucumber, pepperoncini, red onions and tomatoes.

I can never get enough feta cheese. I loved the light dressing on this salad too. All of the salads on their menu are handmade, hand chopped and hand tossed. They offer a ton of different ones on the menu and also give guests the option of creating their own salad.

An order of the Meatball Sliders arrived at our table next. They’re served on King’s Hawaiian rolls and topped with mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce. Emi especially LOVED these. If a kid likes something, you know it’s great!

Did I mention that all of the appetizers on their menu are baked and never fried? I like that. I especially liked knowing that the entire order of buffalo wings I devoured, weren’t fried. The sauce was Roasted Garlic BBQ and SO tasty! They have 6 different kinds of sauces to choose from for their buffalo wings, including traditional hot sauce.

I couldn’t stop dipping mine in the blue cheese dressing.

The grand finale of our meal was our delicious pizza! It was a delicious thin crust cheese and pepperoni pizza and it was beautiful. I say WAS because we ate the entire thing! By the way, they have gluten-free and vegan options!

The grand opening celebration of Fresh Brothers’ first Orange County location in Newport Beach had a bunch of fun activities for kids to do. There was face painting, temporary tattoos, pizza dough and cookie cutters to play with, and kids could even make their own pizzas!

It’s also fun just to play with pizza dough and cookie cutters!

Emi was so excited to make her own pizza. Being the artist that she is, she chose to make a perfectly symmetrical pizza with cheese, olives, and pineapple! She was so excited to see her pizza when it came out of the oven!

What a fun thing for kids to do!

Not only is the food at Fresh Brothers delicious, but I love the feeling you get when you’re there. It’s a family run business and you can chat with any of the family members that happen to be at the location and hear about the story of how Fresh Brothers came to be. I think the entire family was present at the grand opening celebration and just watching the way they worked together and reached out to every guest was heartwarming.

I’m so happy we have a Fresh Brothers Pizza near us now! If you haven’t checked them out yet, you need to.

To find a Fresh Brothers location, click here.

Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram too!

Our “Decorate Your Own Cupcake” Party at Casey’s Cupcakes

May 9, 2014 / Celebrations, Food, OC Fun, Over the Top Kid, Parties, SoCal Life

It’s no secret that I love parties. I love throwing parties. I love being invited to parties. I love attending parties that are hosted at a location, especially when they’re done really well. I am always on the lookout for fun & unique places to have parties. For me, it’s not only important that party packages are reasonably priced to fit in my budget, but also that the party itself, be something I’d be proud to invite my guests to. I think we’ve all had at least one disappointing experience at an establishment that promised a good party and delivered the opposite.
Emi and I recently had the opportunity to experience a “Decorate Your Own Cupcake Party” at Casey’s Cupcakes. I can honestly say that I was as excited as Emi was, if not MORE excited, for al the days leading up to the party! I can’t think of a better match for us, since Casey is “The Queen of Cupcakes” and I’ve pretty much titled myself “The Queen of Parties“! Oh I think I forgot to mention that everything in a Casey’s store is pink! Again, it’s a perfect fit for me since my favorite color is pink! For Emi, an extremely pink dress was a necessity for her to wear on this special occasion, as was a pink hair accessory AND some pink lipgloss! She was channeling her “inner Casey“!

Emi was ready to party and came prepared with her Casey’s Cupcakes backpack AND even carried my camera bag!

When we arrived at the Woodbury Town Center location in Irvine, Emily was very excited to see balloons just right inside the store!

As soon as all of the children had arrived for the party, they each got to choose a tiara or a crown to wear for the party, which they also took home as a keepsake after the party.

The children were then led into the Casey’s Cupcakes Party Room.

I loved the way the room was set up. I also LOVED the beautiful chandelier!

The private party room is very pink and was beautifully decorated for our party. There was an elegant cupcake holder in the center of the table, an array of yummy frostings to choose from, and a beautiful assortment of sweets to adorn the cupcakes, including Sixlets, jelly beans, sprinkles and even Peeps bunnies. The Peeps seemed to be an especially big hit with the mommies! (I won’t name any names though.)

Sixlets, jelly beans, Peeps and sprinkles! So many goodies to choose from!

It’s hard to resist licking your fingers when there are yummy frostings on the table!

How adorable are they?

Immediately after this pic was taken, I’ll bet you can guess what I did with that Peep?

We had a choice of pink lemonade or hot chocolate to go with our cupcakes! What a perfect afternoon snack!
Emi and the other kids had so much fun decorating their own cupcakes. Casey’s Cupcakes really went all out to make every detail of the party special, down to the adorable, pink boxes and bags to carry home extra cupcakes in!

When the party was over, Emi was happy to take home one of the Casey’s Cupcakes balloons! She is a HUGE fan of Casey, has many of Casey’s logo items at home AND even has a Casey’s doll.

Before we left, Emi insisted on recreating Casey’s signature pose, featured in the logo. I swear my daughter is the most fun!

What do you think? Did she pull it off?

If you are thinking of throwing a party anytime soon, whether it be for a special occasion, such as a birthday or graduation, or even a girls day out, you should look into one of the party packages that Casey’s Cupcakes offers. They currently have 5 store locations and their Woodbury Town Center location is in Irvine and has a private party room, which is the one pictured in these photos. They offer a couple of different party packages at this location. The “Tea Parties & Tiaras” party is an amazing offering and can easily be adapted to include crowns if you have boys in your group.

Casey’s description of a “Tea Parties & Tiaras” Party:

Aspiring princesses will feel like royalty for a day at Casey’s Cupcakes! Our regal offerings start with a sparkling Apple Cider welcome and a Princess Tea. The lady-in-waiting will enjoy a private party in the party room in a setting inspired by a classic Parisian cafe with a glamorous Hollywood twist.….And what would a princess be without a Tiara?

The Tea Parties & Tiaras party is an all-inclusive package which includes:

*Private Party Room at the Woodbury Town Center store location

*Sparkling Cider Welcome Beverage

*One delicious cupcake per person to decorate (with an option to add a 2nd)

*Choice of Creamy Frostings

*Assortment of decorative toppers

*Choice of Casey’s Cupcakes Fine Teas

*Tea Service per person

*Tiara Keepsake

Casey’s can work with you to tailor a party to fit your occasion and party size. Our party was beautifully done and is something we we’re proud to share about with other friends and family.

It’s also fun to just stop by one of Casey’s location in the afternoon for a cupcake and a drink with your favorite little (or big) person. Casey’s is one of our favorite pastimes!

Casey’s Cupcakes offers “Date Night” during the week! 2 cupcakes and 2 drinks for $10 from 4 p.m.-close!

To inquire about pricing and availability and to make a reservation for one of Casey’s parties, please call 949.424.9250.
To visit the Casey’s Cupcakes website, click here.

A Christmas Fantasy Parade at Disneyland

December 25, 2013 / Disney

A Christmas Fantasy Parade is my favorite parade to watch at The Disneyland Resort. This year, Emi and I had the opportunity to be in the park on one of the days that ABC was filming for their Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade Show! It was so exciting to be able to see things that aren’t normally in the regular Christmas Fantasy Parade.

We loved seeing all of these characters from Toy Story, who normally appear in the Pixar Play Parade at DCA.

It was also fun to see a bit of Cars Land over on The Disneyland Side!

Although we weren’t able to sit in the area where all of the cameras were filming, we did secure a spot on the curb, right in front of Plaza Inn, which is where the floats and characters entered the filming area. This meant that almost all of them had time to look our way and wave prior to entering the main filming area on Main Street, U.S.A.! What a great spot to be seated!

This is one of my favorite pics. It’s just something you never see at Disneyland…Sulley next to The Matterhorn!

It was fun to see all of the little guest dancers that were invited to dance in the Monsters University part of the parade. You can tell how excited they were by their big smiles!

I always get excited for this part, which is the traditional opening of this parade. She’s my favorite dancer in the parade!

More of my fav characters…mainly Wendy! (for obvious reasons)

Look at the giant balloon! So cute! Emi loves these elves because she thinks they know her own elf on the shelf!

So many smiley faces, so many great characters!

The First Lady of the North Pole!
I adore watching this parade and notice something new each time that we do. I love the music, I love the costumes, I love the dancing and I love how much it reminds me of childhood.
What’s YOUR favorite part of a Christmas Fantasy Parade?