2019 Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch + #GIVEAWAY

Disclosure: My family was invited to a media day to explore the Pumpkin Patch.

It might be HOT in Orange County right now, but that isn't stopping Irvine Park Railroad from transforming into its annual Pumpkin Patch - featuring thousands of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes! The 14th Annual Pumpkin Patch is open daily through October 31st. Irvine Park Railroad is tucked back into the foothills of Orange, California and is a beautiful (and fun!) place to spend an afternoon with the family.

This year's activities include:

train rides 

hay rides 

panning for gold 

child friendly haunted house 

hay maze 

moon bounce 

carnival games 

cookie decorating 

John Deere tractor races 

face painting 

picture stands 

yummy food!

Admission to the Pumpkin Patch is FREE and prices for the other activities vary. You can find out more about pricing by visiting the Irvine Park Railroad website. The parking fee for Irvine Regional Park is $3.00 per vehicle on weekdays and $5.00 per vehicle on weekends. As it gets closer to Halloween, the Railroad gets busier! So make plans to arrive early to avoid crowds - especially on the weekends.

We always have a great time at the Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch. The kids start asking in August when it will be time to get their faces painted and pick out the perfect pumpkin from the plethora of pumpkins! JT loves the "haunted house" and Isabella loves playing all the carnival games, and Grace is crazy for the cookie decorating and face painting! I love all the giant pumpkins and the hay ride - such a great Fall activity!

{DATES AND HOURS}

The Pumpkin Patch is open daily September 14th through October 31st.

Weekdays 10am-5pm

Weekends 10am-6pm

Starting October 1st, the Pumpkin Patch will open at 8:00am on weekends!

{Irvine Park Railroad's "Great Pumpkin Weigh Off!"}

This activity will take place on Saturday, September 21st starting at 10:00 am. Come see if local pumpkin growers have what it takes to grow the biggest pumpkin in Orange County. Cash prizes will be awarded and KTLA Channel 5 weatherman Henry DiCarlo will host the event.

{GIVEAWAY}

Our amazing friends at Irvine Park Railroad are offering my readers

the chance to win:

8 tickets 
(can be used for the train or Pumpkin Patch activities)
1 Wheel Fun Rentals paddle boat rental
1 Wheel Fun Rentals at Irvine Park 
4 tickets to the OC Zoo
(an $106 value)

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below!

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Champions of Magic Tour Comes to Los Angeles + #GIVEAWAY

The latest British sensation to hit the US is the Champions of Magic tour and it is coming to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles November 23rd and 24th. The Champions of Magic is compromised of five world-class illusionists to create a mind-bending theatrical production and is coming to Los Angeles for the first time!

The Champions of Magic team presents incredible illusions with supercars, an impossible escape from Houdini's water torture cell, a mind-blowing prediction that has to be seen to be believed, levitation high above the stage and a finale beyond explanation. The show features original magic that you won't see anywhere else!

The Champions of Magic has been seen by tens of thousands across the UK and North America with sell out shows and rave reviews during a run in London's West End. The British Press hails it as a "spectacular family show" and "slick, clever, funny and amazing" and now is your chance to see it here in Southern California.

{TICKETS} 
LOS ANGELES 
Friday, November 23rd at 7:30PM
Saturday, November 24th at 2:00PM and 7:30PM
Microsoft Theater
777 Chick Hearn Ct.
Los Angeles, CA 

{GIVEAWAY}
Enter to win a family 4-pack of tickets to CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC on Friday, November 23rd at 7:30PM at the Microsoft Theater! 

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Panini Kabob Grill at the Kaleidoscope Mission Viejo + #GIVEAWAY

Panini Kabob Grill is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Kaleidoscope in Mission Viejo, and you're going to want to visit soon and try them all! Panini Kabob Grill serves up a fresh, healthy, and high quality Mediterranean menu and we loved everything that we tried on our recent visit for lunch. I love when we find a family friendly restaurant where everyone can find something they like and no one complains! It's every mom's dream!!

We started with the Hummus Trio and just like the menu says - it's a must! I figured that I would have this delicious looking plate all to myself, but the kids went crazy for the warm whole wheat pita bread and the delicious hummus. It comes with a combination of garbanzo, black bean, and edamame hummus and they were all amazing! Our waiter was so kind and brought extra pita bread when the kids finished the bread before all of our hummus was gone.

The restaurant serves a variety of salads, panini sandwiches, and wraps. JT decided to have the Turkey Club and he loved it! He opted for the Caesar salad as his side and loved both the sandwich and the salad. All the sandwiches are served on Tuscan style country bread, except for the Tuna Melt which is served on whole grain bread. All the chicken and turkey they serve at the restaurant are all natural raised without antibiotics and are vegetarian grain fed.

Panini Kabob Grill also has a great Kids Menu and both of my girls ordered the 7" cheese pizza. The menu is for 12 and under and there are breakfast and lunch/dinner options.



I couldn't go to Panini Kabob Grill and not get a kabob! I had the Jumbo Shrimp Kabob and it was amazing! The shrimp were HUGE! I chose the basmati rice and the Mediterranean Greek salad and I thought both choices were perfect with the shrimp kabob. Again, the chicken, beef, and lamb are 100% vegetarian fed and antibiotic and hormone free.

The kabob platters can also be ordered as family combos so that you can share the deliciousness! There are also several vegetarian options and all platters can be split for an additional charge.

Breakfast is served Wednesdays until 11:00am and on weekends until 3:00pm. So it's the perfect weekend brunch spot!

It's located on the side of Kaleidoscope in Mission Viejo and it has it's own small parking lot with about eight spaces in front of the restaurant. For your convenience you can park in that lot or Plaza Level of the parking garage - near Burke Williams Spa - and walk around to the restaurant. It also has great patio seating and excellent service!

Panini Kabob Grill

27741 Crown Valley Parkway, Suite 212

Mission Viejo

HOURS

Daily 8:00am to 9:30pm

http://paninikabobgrill.com/our-locations/mission-viejo/

{GIVEAWAY}

Enter to win a $50 gift card to Panini Kabob Grill in Mission Viejo!

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Summer Adventures with Cubcoats + #GIVEAWAY

The minute that I saw Cubcoats I knew that Grace would love them! Adorable stuffed animal friends with names like Papo the Panda, Kali the Kitty, and Tomo the Tiger - what's not to love?  The amazing thing about Cubcoats is that they aren't just stuffed animals! Cubcoats are a 2-in-1 stuffed animals that transform into a soft hoodie! So, everywhere your favorite little person takes her Cubcoat, she'll always have a hoodie ready to keep her comfy and cozy!



Your chosen Cubcoat friend will arrive a cute little box. Grace was so excited to come home and find two pretty blue boxes waiting for her to open them. She was even more delighted when she opened the boxes to find her new best friends - Tomo the Tiger and Bene the Bunny! I was pleasantly surprised with the softness of the the Soft Touch fleece. Grace was thrilled with how cuddly the Cubcoats are and she took to squeezing them immediately.





We decided to take our Cubcoats friends on their first excursion to the movie theater because it was the perfect summer day. It was starting to warm up outside, but I knew that the theater would be chilly and that within 20 minutes of the movie starting Grace would be complaining that she was cold. But because it's summer and 80 degrees outside I don't carry a jacket or hoodie around with me for her "just in case" like I do in the winter.

I was right - within 15 minutes of being in the the theater she was asking me to unroll Tomo the Tiger and make him into a jacket to keep her warm. The best part about having Bene the Bunny along for the adventure too is that she still had a friend to snuggle during the show. 

It is SUPER easy to change your Cubcoat friend into a hoodie and back again. If I can do it in the dark of the movie theater, then you can do it anywhere!!

Our Cubcoats were totally perfect for our excursion to the movies. I was happy, Grace was happy, and we both enjoyed the movie together! When we got back outside - it was WARM! Grace loved the hoodie so much that she wore it to the car even though she didn't need it.



I mean, come on, look at the cute retractable ears on the hoodie! The hoodie is fully lined and made from premium materials. All of the hoodies are a classic heather grey so they can be worn and enjoyed by all the little people that think certain colors are for one or the other :)

Once we were back in the car, she decided she was warm enough and wanted her friend Bene the Bunny back. So I quickly folded the hoodie back up, tucked in back in and her stuffed animal friend was back and ready for the ride home. She has slept with them every night and wants to take them wherever we go. They are the perfect travel companion and I'm so excited we have them for all of our summer travel plans.

 

All of the Cubcoats are priced at $39.95 and are available at www.cubcoats.com. They come in sizes 2T to 6/7. The 6/7 will fit a child up to 64 pounds and 49 inches tall. We picked the size 5 so that Grace has some room to grow with her Cubcoats.

{GIVEAWAY}

I'm so excited to be giving away a Cubcoat of your choice to one of my readers. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and good luck! If you're ready to buy one for your favorite little person, then head over to www.cubcoats.com and find her new best stuffed animal friend!

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Paw Patrol Live! Bounds into Southern California + #GIVEAWAY

If you have a four-year-old at your house like I do, then you are very familiar with the PAW PATROL gang! My Grace carries her Skye figurine around in her purse wherever she goes! And just like my 4-year-old, I bet your preschooler will be excited to hear that Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubbie, Rocky, Zuma and Everest are coming to town in PAW PATROL LIVE! "Race to the Rescue" at the Microsoft Theater May 5-6, 2018!!

PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” based on the hit preschool series PAW Patrol, which airs on Nickelodeon, bounds into the Microsoft Theater on May 5 & 6, 2018. PAW Patrol Live!, presented by Pedigree, brings everybody’s favorite pups to the stage for an action packed, high-energy, musical adventure. When Mayor Goodway goes missing during the day of The Great Adventure Bay Race, the pups come to the rescue. 

Featuring a cast of everybody’s favorite PAW Patrol characters and presented by VStar Entertainment Group and Nickelodeon, PAW Patrol Live! shows that “no job is too big, no pup is too small,” and shares lessons for all ages about citizenship and problem-solving as the characters each use their unique skills and teamwork. 

The show includes two acts and an intermission, and engages audiences with Bunraku puppetry, an innovative costuming approach that brings the PAW Patrol characters to life on stage with their vehicles and packs.

The performance features up-tempo music and a brand new cleverly written script that is a good introduction to live theater for kids. Classic theatrical scenery along with a high-tech video wall visually transports families to an authentic PAW Patrol environment, including locations from the TV series, like Adventure Bay, The Lookout, Seal Island, Farmer Yumi’s farm and Jake’s Mountain. Special interactive video allows the audience to participate via interviews, solve clues with the Pups, follow Mayor Goodway and much more.

{TICKETS} 
LOS ANGELES 
Saturday, May 5th and Sunday, May 6th
10:00AM and 2:00PM
Microsoft Theater
777 Chick Hearn Ct.
Los Angeles, CA

{GIVEAWAY}
Enter to win a family 4-pack of tickets to PAW PATROL LIVE! on either May 5th or 6th at the Microsoft Theater.
Your choice of shows - May 5th (10am or 2pm) or May 6th (10am or 2pm).
Tickets will come in the form of vouchers and must be redeemed at the box office before the event.

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Celebrate at Glen Ivy Hot Springs + #GIVEAWAY

Ever since I first visited Glen Ivy Hot Springs back when I was teaching second grade and days at the spa were easy to come by, I've wanted to take my mom with me to enjoy all the ammenities Glen Ivy has to offer. However, something always seemed to come up and we never made it . . . until this year!! All the stars aligned and she was able to be in town for my 39th birthday in March and we decided that we needed a day at the spa to celebrate. She had seen my "me party" visit back in November and insisted that we spend a day at Glen Ivy getting pampered.

{TAKING THE WATERS}
Taking the Waters admission gives you full all-day access to Glen Ivy's 19 different pools, Club Mud, steam rooms, outdoor saunas, and use of the Bath House. I love all the different pools and they all offer relaxation and healing properties. I made my mom start the day at my favorite set of pools - the Hydrotherapy Pools!!! Switching between the hot and cold plunge pools (from 102 degrees down to 55 degrees) charges your immune system, flushes out toxins, and reboots your circulation.
It is a must do while you're at Glen Ivy!

{THE MINERAL BATHS}
These five mineral water plunge pools are the therapeutic hot spot of Glen Ivy. The pools hover around 104 degrees and the minerals, along with the heat, relax and ease stiff muscles. If you are visiting The Grotto that day, you will want to visit the Mineral Baths first for a good soak to open up your pores.

{CLUB MUD}

After your soak in the Mineral Baths, but before your visit to The Grotto, you visit Club Mud! You'll want to make sure that you are wearing a dark (or old) swimming suit because the California red clay can stain lighter colored swimming suits. Be sure to bring your camera so you can snap some fun pictures while you're covered from head to toe in red clay!!

The red clay is infused with the Glen Ivy mineral water and creates a silky soft paste. Club Mud is definitely more fun with friends! I totally enjoyed it when I visited by myself back in November, but it was so fun to slather my Mom with mud and bake in the sun together. We also spent a little bit of time in the warm Wafa cave to get extra dry.

Clay is an awesome exfoliator and is known to draw impurities from the body. If you are enjoying Club Mud before your visit to The Grotto, be sure to allow yourself ample time to let your mud dry before you have to wash off. The dried mud is what exfoliates your skin so well! It's also helpful to have a friend to make sure you don't leave any mud in any hard to reach spots!

{THE GROTTO}
After you've opened up your pores in the Mineral Baths and exfoliated in Club Mud, it's time to moisturize at The Grotto. What I love about The Grotto is it's a body treatment you can enjoy with friends! Again, I did this by myself back when I visited in November, but it was a lot more fun with my Mom! 

First, you descend in the elevator down into the subterranean cave and you're painted head to toe with a warm aloe vera, coconut oil, eucalyptus and lavender masque. It smells heavenly! Then, you enter the heated cavern where the silky smooth treatment can further soak into your skin as your body heats up and your pores open. My mom and I had so much fun chatting with one another and with a few of the other guests enjoying The Grotto for the first time. It really is a fun social experience!

{LUNCH AT IVY KITCHEN}
Chef Micah Severeid classifies the Ivy Kitchen's cuisine as "healthy, Mexi-Cali with a coastal twist", but I just classify it as delicious!!! Seriously. If you are spending the day at Glen Ivy you will definitely get hungry and the Ivy Kitchen has so many amazing options to satisfy your hunger. Chef Micah has added 30 new dishes since the chic little restaurant got a make-over and there is something for everyone.

The other thing amazing thing about the cuisine at the Ivy Kitchen is that is beautifully plated and put together. Chef Micah believes that you eat with your eyes before you eat, so he feels passionately that the presentation of each of the Ivy Kitchen's dishes looks as delicious as it tastes. He has even created a whole new Twilight Menu for the weekend summer nights . . . baby back ribs, anyone??

And if you've been to Glen Ivy before and were worried that because the Ivy Kitchen got an upgraded menu that the famous Chicken Nachos disappeared, never fear! The Chicken Nachos are still here!! They got their own upgrade and are just as delicious as ever!! WARNING! The small is HUGE! I shared mine with my mom because I was like, whoa! That's a lot of nachos!

They are literally amazing and they even got their own upgrade! They are now made with organic tortilla chips, locally-farmed chicken, and freshly-prepared melted cheese. There is so much flavor in that nacho bowl that I dream of them at night sometimes.

{THE LOUNGE 1860}

Debuting in January 2018 The Lounge 1860 offers refreshing cocktails and libations under a beautiful open-air wooden gazebo. It's Glen Ivy's new, all-day place to get cocktails, wine or beer. Since I don't drink alchohol, I didn't try anything, but my friends have raved about the Lounge's offerings. Plus, it's a gorgeous place to hang out! It even has a chandelier! I bet it looks gorgeous alll lit up when Glen Ivy is open for Twilight Evenings starting May 3rd

{THE CHILL ZONE}

If you're looking for a little refreshment during your day at Glen Ivy, then you need to pop over to The Chill Zone! They are blending up a wide variety of organic fruit and vegetables into delicious drinks and smoothies.

Look at the color on the Sweet Tart smoothie! It was delicious and it was the perfect thing to sip on and relax in the sun after our pampering in The Grotto. The Chill Zone also has frozen yogurt, so I will be checking that out on my next visit!

{THE END OF AN AMAZING DAY}

Spending my birthday with my mom at Glen Ivy was a dream come true and a long time coming! It was the perfect way to relax and catch up with my mom, who lives out of state. I would highly recommend celebrating any happy event (ie birthday, engagement, wedding, anniversary) at Glen Ivy with your bestie! There's nothing that bonds you better than smothering one another in the red clay mud at Club Mud!

I highly recommend staying until as close to the end of the day as you can. It gets quieter, there are less people and you can soak in the Vista Pool and enjoy the view while you sip on your Chill Zone smoothie. The perfect ending to the perfect day.

{GIVEAWAY}
I am so excited to be able to giveaway a day at Glen Ivy Hot Springs to one lucky reader!!! You will win TWO WEEKDAYS ADMISSIONS for YOU and A FRIEND! Enter below and good luck!
(P.S. I am always glad to be a friend ! Ha! ;)

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