LEGOLAND® California Resort unveiled new LEGO models, featuring One World Trade Center, in the New York skyline section of its Miniland U.S.A. with a special ribbon cutting ceremony. Present at the unveiling were some of Carlsbad’s own “Hometown Heroes” from the Carlsbad Police and Fire Departments. 
Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty also joined the festivities and danced up on stilts while a brass band played for guests and red, white, and blue confetti flew in the air at the finale of the ribbon cutting ceremony. Here’s a video recap of the event (courtesy of LEGOLAND):
The new One World Trade Center model at LEGOLAND® California Resort is now North America’s tallest LEGO® model. It stands tall and proud in the center of Miniland U.S.A. and was constructed using over 250,000 LEGO Bricks. The model stands 26 feet tall and weighs more than 1000 pounds. It took 8 Master Model Builders over 1200 hours to complete the model! 
For the first time ever, guests can use a special LEGO tower viewer, giving them a skyscraper view of Miniland U.S.A. The area also features LEGO model replicas of the 9/11 Memorial’s twin reflecting pools, the grove of memorial trees and the impressive World Trade Center Transportation Hub. 
The updated NYC area of Miniland U.S.A. is now open for guests to stop by and pay tribute to. With the upcoming July 4th Holiday, there’s never been a more perfect time to visit the Park. 
The new LEGO models and Independence Day event are included with the price of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort. LEGOLAND® California Resort will be having its annual the Resort’s Red White and Boom! 4th of the July celebration. The family fun event features activities such as water-balloon tosses, burlap sack races, patriotic stroller parade, building activities and a fireworks display at 8:30 p.m. For more information, log onto http://www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).
In this this latest adventure, Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the Ice Age World. To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego, and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters. 
I was more than excited to receive a SwimWays Spring Float Recliner to try out in the pool, With what seems like constant heatwave temperatures, this couldn’t have come at a better time. If you haven’t seen these 
The SwimWays Spring Float Recliner is the only float on the market with the patented Inner Spring Technology, which allows it to be easily inflated, closed and carried. Take a peek at how it came out from the package. 
One of the amazing parts about taking this to our pool was how quickly and easily it inflated. I can’t tell you how many times my daughter has asked me to blow something up at the pool and I’ve literally become winded. This was so easy and when I was finished blowing it up, I wasn’t even light-headed afterwards! (That’s a plus!)
In addition to the cup holder for my drink, one of my other favorite things about the float was not having to humiliate myself to get on it in the pool! I’m sure many others can relate to this situation: You’re gracefully trying to climb onto a pool float and it pops out from underneath you or worse, dumps you into the water! The SwimWays Spring Float Recliner was super easy to climb into and there was no humiliation involved! Also, even with my daughter kind of hanging onto it and pulling me around, it was super stable and never came close to flipping over, which is great because no one wants to spill their drink in the pool! 
On July 16, Rubio’s invites Southern California residents to its 5th annual Rubio’s CoastFest in Oceanside, Calif. One of the largest organized beach cleanups in San Diego, CoastFest includes a celebration of the ocean with live music, complimentary food and drinks, a beer garden, and dozens of activities for guests of all ages.
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, you can register at 
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 Broken Stems, a rock band that seamlessly blends classic rock with blues, soul and reggae. 
Beer Garden – Guests 21+ can enjoy a cold brew at the beer garden featuring local craft selections or sip from a selection of Rubio’s featured wines and Sangria. All proceeds from the beer garden will benefit I Love A Clean San Diego.
Rubio’s works to be a friend to the ocean year-round with a majority of its seafood being sourced from sustainable fisheries, recycling plastic and glass bottles in restaurants whenever possible, using eco-friendly plates and to-go containers, supporting ocean focused causes, and being a member of the Blue Business Council. For more information about the 2016 CoastFest, please visit 
At this event, young artists have the opportunity to hand paint a custom ceramic tile that will be part of a larger mosaic to be displayed between the Downtown Disney® District and the Disneyland® Hotel. Family, friends and thousands of Disneyland® Resort guests will be able to view the complete mosaic for the following year. 
This fun-filled fundraiser is limited to only 191 tiles, so it is important to register early and reserve tiles as soon as possible. A $60 donation is required for each tile, and registrants must sign up for a specific 45-minute session. The first session begins at 9 a.m. with the last session beginning at 2 p.m. Adults accompanying children will be able to watch as children paint. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Disney® District, American Honda Motor Company, Karman’s Art Shoppes, and Color Me Mine, When each session is over, all the food, shopping and fun of Downtown Disney® awaits! 
The Paint Your Way to Miracle and Magic events officially kicks off the 2016 CHOC Walk in the Park fundraising season. The CHOC Walk in the Park is CHOC Children’s Hospital’s annual 5K walk through the Disneyland® Resort. Last year’s Walk raised more than $2.5 million for the hospital’s Kids’ Care Fund. This fund provides 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.
All proceeds benefit CHOC Children’s. For more information about the Paint Your Way to Miracles and Magic event or to register, visit 
I was invited to a media day at Knott’s a couple of weeks ago and I had the opportunity to experience all the fun! I actually can’t wait to go back again with my family! 
I think one of my most favorite parts about Ghost Town right now is the all-new interactive experience called Ghost Town Alive! Park guests get to step inside of this little Old West town and interact with the residents there. Whether it’s the Barbershop, The Sheriff’s Office, The Post Office, The Mayor’s Office at Calico Town Hall, or Goldie’s Place, you’ll be totally engaged with the people of Ghost Town. 
Whether you visit , you’ll feel like you’re “too modern” to even be there. (Ok not really, I’m just kidding). Seriously though, I could’ve spent the entire day in Ghost Town! Some of the Ghost Town Alive! experiences include:
Just inside of Ghost Town, stands the tallest, longest and fastest wooden rollercoaster on the West Coast…GhostRider! GhostRider is a Knott’s fan favorite! After undergoing a recent resoration, GhostRider is now open with a complete wooden re-tracking of the entire 4,533 ft. long track. So, of course, I braved a ride on it myself with 
It was amazing! I mean, it was beyond scary, and she kept her eyes shut the entire time but it’s supposed to be scary right? Let me just add that the new cars and track are so smooth! You’re going to love it!
With Father’s Day just around the corner, on Sunday, June 19, I headed over to The Shops at Mission Viejo to look around and grab something for all of the dads in my life! There was almost too much to choose from! Here are some of the great Father’s Day gift ideas I found. 
You can never go wrong with clothes! These are some of the looks I found at Express Men, Vans, The Gap, and Old Navy. 
For the sports loving men, you’ll find team hats and jerseys and lots of other merchandise at LIDS.
Men always love new sunglasses. Sunglass Hut has hundreds of styles to choose from. 
There’s a Starbucks located inside of the 
If you’re looking to do some last minute Father’s Day shopping of your own, why not check out the 
I’m also hosting a giveaway where one of my lucky readers can win one (1) $100 giftcard! Enter on the Rafflecopter below. Good luck and thanks for reading! Happy Shopping!
I was super excited when I saw the announcement for a new trailer of the all-new, reimagined version of this classic Disney tale. “Pete’s Dragon” is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon. “Pete’s Dragon” stars Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World”), Oakes Fegley (“This is Where I Leave You”), Wes Bentley (“The Hunger Games”), Karl Urban (“Star Trek”), Oona Laurence (“Southpaw”), Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (“Cedar Rapids”) and Oscar® winner Robert Redford (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”). The film, which is directed by David Lowery (“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”), is written by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein and produced by Jim Whitaker (“The Finest Hours,” “Friday Night Lights”), with Barrie M. Osborne (“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Great Gatsby”) serving as executive producer. 
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley).
Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliot. And from Pete’s descriptions, Elliot seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham’s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.