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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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

Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch Giveaway!

Happy Fall Y'all!

We're pretty excited around here!

It's finally time for one of our favorite events of the year...

the Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch!

My daughter has been asking for months if it was time to go!

There are so many things we love to do there!

My son loves decorating the cookies!

Who wouldn't love a giant cookie with as much frosting and sprinkles as you want??

They always have the best face painting artists there,

ready to create whatever you want!

I love measuring the kids against the giant ruler to see how much they've grown!

How Tall This Fall??

The carnival games are a favorite as well!

The kids love the activities and prizes!

We all have a great time on the hay ride!

It's the perfect way to see the park and relax a little.

In addition they also have bounce houses, panning for gold, a hay maze,

tractor races, great food and a kid-friendly haunted house!

The Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch is open daily from

September 19th through October 31st

Weekdays 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Weekends 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

The parking fee for Irvine Regional Park is $3.00 per vehicle on weekdays and $5.00 per vehicle on weekends. Important parking information: As Halloween nears, we encourage visitors to plan to arrive early to help avoid crowds, particularly on the weekend.

Would you like to go??

How about some FREE tickets??

Enter below and GOOD LUCK!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Date Night at Savannah Chop House

At our house, date nights are few and far between.

So my husband was so excited when I told him we were invited 

for a night out at Savannah Chop House!

Located in Laguna Niguel, Savannah Chop House is getting 

a menu makeover from executive chef Chris Tzorin!

Chef Tzorin inherited his love for cooking from his father, who was also a chef.

He went from washing dishes all the way up to executive chef!

His specialty is contemporary coastal cuisine.

We were treated to several tasty dishes.

Here are some of our favorites!

We started with Savannah's signature bruschetta recipe.

It was perfection with a tangy bite to it!

The smoked salmon on crostini with a creamy spread was another favorite!

The watermelon beet salad was a delicious mix of flavors, with candied pecans and goat cheese.

The filet medallion melted in our mouths with creamy mashed potatoes.

The brussel sprouts were so tasty and left us wanting more!

Dessert is always a favorite and did not disappoint!

The little vanilla cakes with whipped cream and strawberries was amazing!

But the flourless chocolate cake topped with vanilla bean ice cream 

and chocolate sauce had to be our favorite!

The crunchy edges and fudgy middle was perfection!

Thank you Savannah Chop House for a delicious evening!

There are so many other things on the menu 

I can't wait to taste on our next visit!

Check out Savannah Chop House on your next date night!

Savannah Chop House

32441 Golden Lantern St

Laguna Niguel CA 

949-493-7107

Christ Tzorin - Executive Chef

Philip Roberson - General Manager

Twitter - @savchophouse

Instagram - savannahchophouse

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SavannahLagunaNiguel

Chef Tzorin Twitter - @cheftzorin

Chef Tzorin Instagram - cheftzorin

#SavannahChopHouse

CHOC Children's Mental Health Center

Recently I was blessed to be able to go to a press conference at CHOC 

for the new pediatric mental health center they're building.

I was particularly excited to be asked to attend 

because of the mental health issues I struggled with as a child. 

I inherited anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder from my parents,

and was always trying to hide it and control it.

Mental health awareness was not big in those days.

When I grew up and got the courage to receive treatment,
I decided that it would not be a shameful thing.
I set about sharing my story in an attempt to reduce the stigma of mental illness 
and encourage others to seek treatment for their own benefit and those around them.
Each life is so valuable, and so is each person's gifts they have to share with the world.
If we could be as proactive at treating mental illness as we are at treating physical illness, 
think of the lives we could save and the good that would come out of them!

The CHOC Children's Mental Health Center is coming to fruition 

because of the efforts of many dedicated individuals, including Pastor Rick and Kay Warren. 

They lost their son to his own struggles with depression and were anxious that other children 

would have better resources than were available to them in Orange County.

One in five children experience a diagnosable mental health condition during childhood, 

yet there are no psychiatric inpatient beds for patients under 12 

and insufficient inpatient beds for adolescents in Orange County hospitals.

The center will cost $11 million to build and $16 million to keep it running.

Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, managing partner, C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, 

has donated a $5 million lead gift to help establish CHOC Children's Mental Health Inpatient Center!

The center will house 18 beds in a secure environment with an outdoor area as well.

Plans are for construction to be completed in late 2017.

CHOC Children's President and CEO Kimberly Chavalas Cripe 

wants to make this center a model for other hospitals all over to duplicate.

"We want to promote honest dialog about children suffering from mental illness, 

helping to remove the social stigma. By inspiring others to share their stories, 

we hope to help them to heal and help others on their paths toward recovery and healing. 

We know our plans are ambitious, but they are critical and life-saving. 

The vision begins with establishing a caring home at CHOC Children's 

for children and their families to turn to for help," Cripe said.

To learn more about ways to give to CHOC Children's mental health campaign, 

call the CHOC Children's Foundation at 714-509-8690 or visit www.choc.org/mentalhealthgiving.

Happy Hooves - Petting Zoo and Pony Rides

One of our favorite memories is when the Happy Hooves ponies came to Kelsey's party!

It was her wish to have a pony party, and we couldn't have asked for sweeter ponies!

I searched for ponies in Orange County and found Happy Hooves!

They are a family fun business and offer a petting farm and/or pony rides.

 The ponies are perfect for girls or boys and are a great party attraction.

The kids all lined up and waited to ride over and over again!

Check out Happy Hooves for your next party!

Let them know I sent you!

PETTING FARM Animals May Include: Miniature pot belly pig, Goats, a Duck, Assorted Chickens, Bunnies and other seasonal baby farm animals. 1 Hour of petting ............................. $225.00 2 Hours of petting ........................... $275.00 Add a mini cow................ additional $50.00

PONY RIDES Includes: 1 pony that is hand led and rides given to all the young guests. (weight restrictions apply) Available themes include: Cowboy, Cowgirl, Princess (colors available to match your party) 1 Hour, 1 Pony ......................................... $225.00 1 Hour, 2 Ponies ..................................... $275.00 2 Hours, 1 Pony ...................................... $275.00 2 Hours, 2 Ponies .................................. $300.00 ** Add a pony for an addition $50 per hour

PETTING FARM & PONY COMBO 1 Hour Zoo & 1 Pony ....................... $300.00 1 Hour Zoo & 2 Ponies ................... $350.00 2 Hour Zoo & 1 Pony ...................... $350.00 2 Hour Zoo & 2 Ponies ................... $375.00 Add a Mini cow .................additional $25.00

For those guests above the weight restrictions, they are allowed to hand lead the pony instead of ride.