Choc Walk 2016!

It's time to walk for CHOC!

Every year Disneyland partners with Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) 

to raise money for kids in need of medical care.

Last year the CHOC walk brought in over $2.5 million dollars!

This year the goal is $2.7 million and I am so excited to be part of this great effort!

CHOC has been an important part of my life for many years, 

beginning with the NICU for my niece born two months early, 

to dear friends who rely on CHOC for specialty care, 

to their recent groundbreaking for the first pediatric mental health center in Orange County!

I love having CHOC close by for all these reasons!

But this kind of care is not free, and so many times there are children in need of care without insurance.

That's where you can help, by supporting CHOC Walk in the Park at Disneyland!

From the very beginning, Walt Disney himself was an advocate of CHOC.

He served on the very first board of directors over 50 years ago 

and provided initial support for the creation of CHOC.

Today Disneyland continues that great relationship by putting on the annual CHOC Walk in the Park!

This year the walk will be on Halloween weekend, so look out for some spooky surprises!

We are always on the lookout for ways to teach our kids to give back,

and the CHOC Walk is the perfect way to do just that!

And how much more fun can it get than a 5K through the happiest place on earth?!

I am so excited to make memories with my daughter while raising money and awareness for a great cause!

CHOC Walk participants can even win prizes by fundraising!

When you raise between $375 and $599, you earn one 1-Day Disneyland  Resort Park Hopper  Ticket. 

Raise $600 or more and you earn two 1-Day Disneyland  Resort Park Hopper Tickets!

There are also other discounts available in Downtown Disney on the day of the CHOC Walk!

Please join us on October 30th at Disneyland for the annual CHOC Walk in the Park 

and make a difference to children in need!

Hope to see you there!

chocwalk.org

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Knott's Spooky Farm - Halloween Family Fun!

What's black and white with pumpkins all over??

Knott's Spooky Farm!!!

This family friendly Halloween event is happening from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

every weekend in October and on Halloween!

Come see your favorite Peanuts characters all dressed up in their costumes

and have fun throughout the park with special Halloween activities, 
all included with regular park admission!

As you enter the park, your child will receive a trick-or-treat bag 

to collect candy at special stops all through Ghost Town!

And while you're there, meet all the spooky citizens,

totally kid-friendly and super fun to talk to!

Linus' Great Pumpkin Patch is in the barn with tons of activities for the kids!

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of our favorite Peanuts movies, The Great Pumpkin!

Linus will be there for photo ops, and if you're lucky, 

a little snuggle with his blanket!

You can also color a picture, decorate a pumpkin, 

play bean bag toss and watch The Great Pumpkin!

This is a great place to relax for a little bit between rides 

and cool off from our warm California fall weather!

We always like to end our trip to Knott's with loaded funnel cake, 

topped with boysenberries and ice cream!

Don't miss all the fun at Knott's Spooky Farm this month!

1. Ghost Town Treat Stops - Ghost Town

Grab your trick-or-treat bag and search the streets of Ghost Town 

for friendly ghosts and delicious treats!

2. Linus' Great Pumpkin Patch - Craft Barn

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the classic Peanuts animated TV special, 

"It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!"

3. Ghastly Gallery - Boardwalk Ballroom

A monsterous museum where you can sample spooky culture

 and visit the "Monsterpiece Theatre."

4. Dia de los Muertos - Fiesta Village

A daytime, fun, non-scary, kid friendly, educational celebration of the season.

5. Spooky Hollow Maze - Camp Snoopy

Travel through a hay bale maze that takes you 

into a spooky forest surrounded by giant jack-o-lanterns. 

Keep an eye out for the elusive headless horseman.

6. Pumpkin Patch Costume Contest and Dance Party - Camp Snoopy Theatre

Come to Camp Snoopy Theatre to show off your best Halloween costume. 

After the contest, additional Peanuts characters 

join the cast to participate in a Peanuts Dance Party!

Check out Knott's on social media for more fun!

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2017 Knott's Season Passes are here!

Purchase one today and get a free visit in 2016!

See you at Knott's Berry Farm!

Disclosure: We received tickets to Knott's Berry Farm for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

GIVEAWAY: Knott's Berry Farm Celebrates Ghost Town's 75th Anniversary!

Have you been to Knott's this summer??

They have all sorts of fun going on with summertime and the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town!

Plus with longer hours and special online ticket deals, this is the time to go!

If you haven't been on Ghost Rider lately, you're missing out!

As the fastest, tallest and longest wooden roller coaster on the West Coast,

and with a drop of 108 feet and speeds up to 55 miles per hour, it is a sight to behold!

It reopened this summer with all 4,533 feet of track brand new for the smoothest ride possible!

Next, step onto the Main Street of Ghost Town and meet the Sheriff and his posse,

the Mayor and his family, and all the other characters roaming about!

They all have a story to tell and are anxious to share.

It's great fun to step back in time and become a part of the story!

Be sure to stop by at the end of the day for a hoedown, 

and you just might find yourself dancing with the Mayor's wife or the town crier!

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is cool down 

in the Charles M. Schulz Theatre for Blockbuster Beagle on Ice!

Watch Snoopy and the gang take the stage along with some very talented ice skaters 

for a show you won't want to miss!

And that's not all!

In addition there is also a brand new Wild West Stunt Show: Frontier Feats of Wonder in the Wagon Camp Theatre!

The brand new Calico Mine Stage features a nightly Circus of Wonders acrobatics show!

Calico Saloon received a complete makeover! Stop by for sarsaparilla and a show!

Other returning favorites include: 

Native American Dancer - Indian Trails Stage

Big Fat Steve Band - Boardwalk Stage

Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies - Birdcage Theatre

Marshall Purdy - Birdcage Theatre

Charlie Brown’s Happy Campers - Camp Snoopy Theatre

Salsa Dancing - Fiesta Plaza Stage

Ready to go to Knott's???

Hurry! Visit Knott's before September 5th for all the Summer Fun!

Enter below for your chance to win a family 4-pack of tickets!!!

Good Luck!

Disclosure: I was given tickets to visit Knott's Berry Farm in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

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What's New at Knott's Berry Farm Summer 2016!

Come with us to Knott's Ghost Town this summer!

There's lots of fun new features to keep your whole family entertained!

Ghost Town is home to the fastest, tallest and longest 

wooden roller coaster on the West Coast, Ghostrider!

 

All 4,533 feet of track have been replaced for the smoothest ride ever!

I was so excited to ride it, since it used to be too rough for my husband and I.

It was so fun; I laughed the whole way through, and went on it 5 times in a row!

Walking into Ghost Town, you will be greeted on every side 

by characters come to life from the Old West!

You might find yourself delivering a telegram, being sworn in by the mayor,

or even in the middle of a bank robbery attempt!

I was thrown into jail by the sheriff 

and could only get out by singing I'm A Little Teapot!

I could spend all day talking to the Ghost Town folks!

They all had life stories and parts to play; 

we were thoroughly entertained and amused by their personalities!

One of my favorite changes to Ghost Town was the old barn.

It has been converted from a retail space into a livery stable,

 where you can interact with the horses who pull the stagecoach.

They were so sweet and I even got a smile and snuggle from Lucky!

End your day with a hoedown in front of the Bird Cage Theatre

with all the fun characters from Ghost Town!

You might find yourself dancing with the mayor's wife, or the barber!

And don't forget to stop by the newly remodeled Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant!

Every inch of the restaurant has been redone, and it is gorgeous!

Every room is lovely and decorated in a different theme.

You'll feel just as welcome as the first patrons did 75 years ago 

eating fried chicken off Mrs. Knott's wedding china!

My favorite spot is in the back where you can eat outside on the deck with Ghostrider in the background.

A little boysenberry punch on a summer evening is my love language.

And let's talk about those hot buttered biscuits 

dripping with boysenberry jam...heaven!!

I always have to take an extra order of those home with me;

BEST SOUVENIR EVER!!

Hope to see you at Knott's this summer!

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Knott's Boysenberry Festival Tasting Card!

My favorite season at Knott's Berry Farm has arrived!

Knott's Boysenberry Festival is the most delicious, 

and I wait all year for this delicious event!

With over 70 boysenberry inspired dishes to try, where do you start??

Knott's has a great deal to help you try a few favorites...the tasting card!

For $25 you can sample 6 Boysenberry Festival specialties!

First on the list are the Boysenberry BBQ Short Ribs, served on a bed of rice. 

Covered in Boysenberry BBQ sauce, this dish was one of my husband's favorites!

Second is Knott's Spicy Boysenberry BBQ Wings!

These are tender and juicy with a little kick to them!

Make sure to have a little boysenberry punch on hand!

Third are the Fried Alligator Bites served with fries and boysenberry aioli dipping sauce.

These are my son's favorite! I'm not sure if it's the taste or the novelty of eating alligator, but he loves them!

To me, they taste kind of like chicken, and you can't go wrong with the fries or sauce either!

Fourth are the Boysenberry BBQ Meatballs, our family's universal favorite!

The boysenberry BBQ sauce pairs perfectly with these meatballs, and we could have eaten a dozen!

Fifth is the Boysenberry Panna Cotta, the perfect creamy treat to eat after all those savory dishes.

It is cool and refreshing, with a little dollop of boysenberry and granola on top, and we loved it!

Last, but not least, is my personal favorite!

The Boysenberry Flautas have me craving them day and night!

Fried dough with warm boysenberry filling inside and topped with powdered sugar!!

Oh my...this is heaven in every bite!

Be sure to stop by Knott's Berry Farm now through April 3rd 

for all of the boysenberry tastiness you can eat and plenty of entertainment!

Check out the Peanuts characters in Camp Snoopy during the day 

and Jammin' in the Dark, the nighttime dance party, when the sun goes down!

Get your tickets at knotts.com!

Hope to see you at Knott's Berry Farm!

Check out Knott's on social media for more fun updates!

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Discovery Science Center: Dora and Diego, Let's Explore!

Discovery Science Center has a new adventure for your little ones!

Come explore with Dora and Diego in an interactive exhibit available until May 22, 2016!

This exhibit is included in the regular admission price.

Your explorer can pretend they're playing with all the characters 

from the popular hit shows, Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go!

This exhibit is hands on and full of opportunities to engage children's minds and bodies

as they climb and play and learn about animals in the jungle!

Children can even dress up like one of the creatures Diego loves to learn about!

I love the imagination and pretend play that this exhibit fosters in kids!

My daughter loved exploring with Dora and Diego!

I recommend taking children 2-8 to this exhibit.

It is a great addition to the Discovery Science Center this Spring!

Bubblefest is coming this weekend!

Hope to see you at the Cube!

Discovery Science Center

2500 N Main Street

Santa Ana CA 92705

General Admission:

Adults $17.95

Kids 3-14 $12.95

12 month Membership:

Single $60

Family $99

Giveaway: Irvine Park Railroad Easter Eggstravaganza 2016!

My favorite season of the year is Spring, 

and it's especially fun at the Irvine Park Railroad!

In one month, the Easter Bunny arrives at your house, 

but you can find him March 5th - 26th at the Irvine Park Railroad Easter Eggstravaganza!

 Along with coming to see the Easter Bunny, there are also lots of other things to do, 

like getting your face painted, hay rides, bounce houses, 

cookie decorating, carnival games and the Easter Egg Hunt!

You can bring your own basket or purchase one when you get there!

No matter how old my kids get, they always look forward to riding the train!

It is a tradition that they will always remember.

Hope to see you and your family at the Irvine Park Railroad!

Enter the GIVEAWAY below for FREE tickets!

Easter Eggstravaganza

March 5th - 26th

10AM - 4PM

Park Entrance Fee:

$3 on Weekdays

$5 on Weekends

Easter Egg Hunts begin at 10AM daily!

Pictures with the Easter Bunny only $10!

Please visit the Irvine Park Railroad website for complete Easter Eggstravaganza details!

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Bubble Gum Valentines!

Valentine's Day parties are upon us this week,

and as usual, I am getting mine done just in the nick of time!

My kids are totally into bubble gum right now,

so these bubble gum valentines are perfect for them!

They are super simple to make too if you've got a camera and photoshop!

First I took a side view of my daughter blowing.

Then I cropped it so her head was in the left half of the photo 

and there was space on the right.

I added a big pink circle for the bubble and put the message inside.

I am in LOVE with how they turned out!!

I think they're super cute, and I can't wait for her to give them to her friends!

They were fairly inexpensive too, with prints at Costco,

and mega packs of bubble gum I found on Amazon!

I attached the gum with double sided tape and they are ready to go!

My son is older, so we made his different without a photo.

Who knows what middle schoolers think is cool, but hopefully they'll like it!

You can download the file HERE and make your own bubble gum valentines!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

XO

Jaime