The Disneyland Resort is a magical place to make special memories with family and friends no matter what time of year you visit. However, one of my most favorite times to visit is during the holidays. With the Resort in full swing for Halloween Time right now, that means the Holidays are just around the corner. This year, Holidays at Disneyland Resort will begin on November 10 and run through January 8, 2017. We visited last year and our family cannot wait to return! 
Along with some of the beloved Holiday traditions you’ll find at the Resort, such as snowfall on Main Street U.S.A., the beautiful decor throughout the Parks, and Disney-themed holiday treats and entertainment, guests are in for a treat with some new surprises in store. There’s just nothing like visiting during “the most wonderful time of the year“! 
Holiday Offerings At Disneyland Park
Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle returns for the first time since 2014, with magical
nighttime snowfall moments that conclude with “Believe … in Holiday Magic”
fireworks and its stirring snowfall finale.
Guests will be enchanted by the soaring Christmas tree in Town Square, Main Street,
U.S.A. It’s 60 feet tall and filled with nearly 1,800 ornaments. This festive backdrop is a
popular location for holiday photos.
Disney characters celebrate the season in “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, a daily
procession with floats, music, marching “tin soldiers” and holiday cheer. Santa, who
makes a jolly appearance in the parade, also will be found welcoming guests at his
special location in Critter Country. 
Disneyland guests definitely will want to experience the popular seasonal
transformations of these park attractions:
“it’s a small world” becomes “it’s a small world” Holiday with children around
the world enjoying the distinctive holiday traditions of their countries. 
Haunted Mansion becomes Haunted Mansion Holiday, with Jack Skellington
and his friends from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” causing a
collision between Christmas and Halloween.
Jungle Cruise is transformed into Jingle Cruise, as the jungle skippers gather
jettisoned holiday gifts and decorations to brighten the rugged landscapes
surrounding their riverboats. 
Holiday Offerings At Disney California Adventure Park
The all-new nighttime spectacular, “World of Color – Season of Light” celebrates the
warm and heartfelt spirit of the holidays, with powerful water fountains telling the story.
“World of Color – Season of Light” will take guests through a sparkling winter fantasy,
combining classic holiday songs with memorable moments from treasured Disney
animated films to create an experience filled with magic. 
The new “Festival of Holidays” celebrates time-honored traditions and heartwarming
experiences inspired by holiday festivals around the world. Guests at the “Festival of
Holidays” will enjoy delicious internationally inspired food and beverages at 14 themed
festival marketplaces, and participate in diverse cultural holiday celebrations, including
the popular Disney ¡Viva Navidad! The global sounds of special guest musical groups
will ring throughout the festival, and the young and young-at-heart will celebrate with
some of their favorite Disney characters. 
Princess Elena, from the Disney Channel series “Elena of Avalor,” will make her
Disneyland Resort debut as part of the “Festival of Holidays.” She is the first Disney
Princess inspired by diverse Latin American cultures. After Holidays at the Disneyland
Resort conclude Jan. 8, Princess Elena will remain at Disney California Adventure to
continue visiting with guests. 
Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes) returns as the finale of “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” in
the “Festival of Holidays.” The special four-day celebration of Three Kings Day will run
Jan. 5-8, 2016, in Paradise Garden. Treats for this holiday will include traditional Rosca
de Reyes bread.
New location for Santa This Year
Santa Claus, with a sleigh full of mischievous elves, appears at Redwood Creek
Challenge Trail, where guests of all ages will join the festive fun with a series of holiday-themed activities along the trail.
The residents of Cars Land also decorate for the holidays, beginning with a whimsical
“snowcar” that greets guests on the road to Radiator Springs. Each address along Route
66–Flo’s V-8 Café, Fillmore’s, Cozy Cone Motel, Luigi’s Casa della Tires and more–
features holiday décor that reflects the personality of the “Cars” character who lives
there. 
“a bug’s land” transforms for the holidays, too, as Flik and his bug friends deck their
land with over-sized lights and ornaments.
A dazzling, 50-foot Christmas tree adorns Carthay Circle along Buena Vista Street.
The tree and surrounding buildings, inspired by Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt
Disney arrived in the 1920s, are decorated with vintage-style ornaments.The Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment district and the Hotels of the
Disneyland Resort also join in the holiday festivities with twinkling lights and ornaments, holiday displays, special entertainment and holiday dining with themed menus.
What are you most excited for during the Holidays at the Disneyland Resort? Have you had the chance to experience this magical season yet?
I think for the most part, I’ve been pretty lucky in the sense that others always think I’m younger than I really am. However, I recently started to see more lines on my face over the past couple of years. I think they’re called “wrinkles”? Well, I’m here to just say “NO” to wrinkles! 
I was excited and anxious to try the some RoC® RETINOL CORREXION products I received in the mail as part of an anti-aging solution. I’m all about using quality skincare products that work. Have you heard of RoC® Skincare before? It’s been a leading French skincare brand for more than 50 years. They are devoted to developing anti-aging products that guarantee visible and lasting results for healthier skin. RoC® Skincare is considered “a pioneer” in visibly reducing the appearance of wrinkles, the brand was the first to stabilize and patent pure retinol in a cosmetic product and has continued to improve its aesthetics, tolerance and efficacy over the past 25 years.
Here’s something else interesting about RoC® Skincare. This past year, they partnered with Sperling’s Best Places and performed a meta-analysis called the RoC® Wrinkle Ranking. It’s a study that determines which metropolitan areas in the U.S. have residents’ whose skin is most at risk from damage by their lifestyle and environment in the year 2040. Look at this map! Is your area on it? For more information about the 2016 RoC® Wrinkle Ranking
This year they’ll host their 11th annual Pumpkin Patch, which will be open beginning September 17th! The family friendly event, located just inside of Irvine Regional Park, includes fun activities for all ages. 
The Pumpkin Patch is located in Locomotive Loop and Miner’s Meadow just behind the train station. Thousands of pumpkins, in all shapes and sizes, fill the areas behind the train station. All visitors are sure to find the perfect pumpkin! 
This year’s Pumpkin Patch activities will include:
Admission into the Pumpkin Patch is free. Prices for all other activities vary; please visit 
The Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch is open daily from September 17th through October 31st.
Visit Irvine Regional Park’s other activities including Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park — fun and unique bike rentals that can be enjoyed by single riders or an entire family — paddle boat rentals, the Orange County Zoo and pony rides. Bike and paddle boat rentals are open daily at 10:00 am.
I’m excited to announce that Irvine Park Railroad is providing a prize package for one of my readers! The package includes 6 activity tickets, 1 Wheel Fun Rentals at Irvine Park Bike Double Surrey Rental, and 1 Paddle boat rental. To enter, go to the Rafflecopter below. Good luck and thanks for reading!
Then Robinson Crusoe, a marooned human, arrives in the midst of a furious storm, and their lives are forever changed by this bewildering new “creature.” No matter their differences, castaway human and quirky animals embark on an hilarious new adventure, building the island’s first tree-house and surviving together. 
But when two conniving members of the animal kingdom — the savage cats Mal & May – pounce into a battle for control of the island, Crusoe and his animal posse must uncover the true power of friendship against all odds (even savage cats). 
So who are you going to go see The Wild Life with? 
What’s New This Year for Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort?
Spooky Halloween Traditions at Disneyland Park
Mickey’s Halloween Party
As my daughter gets older, she seems to have gotten pickier about foods that she’ll eat. It seems like she’ll gobble down any vegetable on the planet (even Brussels sprouts) but fights me when it comes to fruit. It’s so strange. 
As a mother, I’m always concerned about my daughter’s eating, mostly concerned about her nutrition. I also feel like lack of nutrition affects learning and education is something we place a high priority on. 
Have you seen tried these with your kids yet? I found them when I was shopping at Target, near the pharmacy and healthcare section. They are definitely kid-friendly and she loves taking hers every morning before school. 
Nature Made® KIDS FIRST Multivitamin with Omega-3 Gummies provide 3 key nutrients, plus the essential omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. I worry about artificial colors but their colors are actually derived from natural sources and don’t contain any synthetic dyes.
I feel confident that we’re starting the new school year on track with healthy habits. Choosing high-quality vitamins and supplements from Nature Made® makes it easier. It also doesn’t hurt that I remind my daughter each morning before school that you can learn something new every day if…you take your vitamins! 
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.
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:
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!) 
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!
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 
The final speaker of the morning, Ginger Zee, who is also a “working mom” trying to balance it all. Ginger is the 
What to expect as a new member
As a new member in a network, health care can sometimes seem hard to navigate, especially when it’s new-to-you health care. There are often different offices or labs to visit. Even having to drive to a pharmacy after an appointment can be another task. Did you know that most Kaiser Permanente Orange County locations include a pharmacy, a lab, X-ray services and more? During my visit, they literally walked me through everything and were so happy to answer any questions I had.
I was quickly checked in at the main desk but I also learned you can access all of it on their app as well. (continue reading to learn more about their app) After I was called into the office, I first sat to chat with the nurse while she took my vitals. They take the utmost precautions to preserve patient confidentiality. I like that you’re not just sitting out in the open, answering private questions about your healthy history, for all to hear.
Once I was placed in the room, my doctor came in promptly and introduced herself. As a new patient, this first visit is done with the doctor that’s going to be your primary care doctor. I loved how thorough my doctor she was and I never felt rushed during my visit.
Did you know that at Kaiser Permanente Orange County, you can actually choose your own doctor? I think sometimes people have the wrong perception and think that you must stay with the primary care doctor they’re assigned to initially, but that’s not true. You can go to KP.org and search the doctors according to their personality and experience to find the best fit for you.
Ontario Mills® is California’s largest outlet and value retail shopping destination. Set in an indoor climate-controlled mall, it provides the ultimate shopping experience for visitors and has the biggest names in men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, jewelry, sporting goods, footwear and more. There are over 200 stores to choose from there plus a variety of eateries. 
Here are just some of the stores you’ll find at Ontario Mills®:
Since I have a daughter who loves shopping, she kept me on my toes by wanting to stop and shop in all of her favorite places. I now know what they mean when they say “Shop ’til you drop”! 
You’re guaranteed to work up an appetite while you’re there. If you’re interested in full-service restaurants, you’ll find Market Broiler and Rainforest Cafe. There’s also a giant big food court area where you can grab something a little quicker and sit down to enjoy it.
With the way that styles and trends change so quickly, I’m grateful to have a center like Ontario Mills which offers fashion at great prices. Then it doesn’t seem so devastating when something goes out of style after only a few months, and you need to go buy new things. 
I highly suggest you set aside an entire day when you visit Ontario Mills because you’ll probably want to spend an entire day there like we did. I wasn’t sure where to start so we just started on one end and worked our way through the stores. There’s also a Dave & Buster’s and a GameWorks inside, as well as the Improv Comedy Club & Dinner Theatre and an AMC 30 Theatres. See? I told you they have everything at Ontario Mills®!