Kids Save the Beach- Family Cleanup Day

Are you looking for something  to do with the kids tomorrow that is not only fun but good for the environment and community? Look no further!"Kid's Save The Beach" . It is a family beach clean-up morning made possible by Kim of  saveourbeach.org in cooperation with one of my favorite gals and websites,  Kelly & Colleen of Just Spotted - The Orange County Family Guide & Carrie of This is Me - A Kid's First Keepsake Journal". The beach clean up will take place from 10am to noon.

No need to bring anything unless you want to stay at the beach after the cleanup.  They will be providing  all day parking passes ($10 value), garbage bags, protective gloves and community service certificates. All kids 12 & under will receive a coupon for a free meal at Ruby's in Seal Beach. All kids over 12 will receive a coupon for a free slice of pizza at ZPizza and adults will receive coupon for a free dinner at Finbars with purchase of a dinner ($10 value), free shake coupon at Ruby's in Seal Beach and Free coffee or $1 off any beverage at Bogart's Coffee House.

They will also have a raffle. One prize is  a free ticket to Aquarium of the Pacific.

To learn more about the event head over to Just Spotted or here

Kids Save The Beach Family Clean up
Wed November 25th
10am to noon

15 1st St Seal Beach, CA 90740 Get Directions * approximate times  -  Area served: - Show Category: Unverified listing

Street view

The Santa Ana Zoo

My kiddos love animals and we are lucky enough to live in Southern California and be surrounded by fantastic zoos and botanical gardens. Have you been to the Santa Ana Zoo? We love this little zoo and had been members for a couple of years. Last year I did not renew my membership and boy did we miss this great place. I decided to take the kiddos over yesterday afternoon and we had a wonderful time.


I like heading to the zoo in the afternoon when there are not many people around. We arrived at 1pm and by the time we left at 3pm, it seemed that we were the only ones left.

There are many reasons why we love this little zoo. First off because parking is convenient and FREE. You cant' beat FREE! We also love the zoo because membership and admission is extremely reasonable. A family membership for two adults and up to four children is $55 and includes member appreciation days, discounts and my favorite part- they participate in a reciprocal admission program with over 150 zoos and gardens throughout the country. That means that you could get into the Santa Barabara Zoo for free and also receive 50%off admission at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Our family also loves the playground area. It is shaded and there is plenty of seating for parents to watch and have their kids play to their hearts desire. My kiddos love this area and could stay for hours. There is so much to love, from their aviary to the monkey exhibits and farm area, this is the place to have a nice and relaxing time with your kiddos.

For additional info head over here.
Santa Ana Zoo

1801 East Chestnut Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92701
The zoo is open every day except Christmas Day and New Year's Day

Family Holiday Hike

Thanksgiving is only a few days away and that means delicious food and plenty of seconds and thirds. To help with the feeling the day after your Thanksgiving feast, the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center  in the Newport Back Bay are holding a fun family hike. After a day of feasting and  shopping, you can take the kiddos for a fun, scenic and family friendly hike along the bay. Discover the unique attributes of the wetland and create a holiday keepsake to take home! Trails are narrow and steep. Dress accordingly for an exciting outdoor experience. Strollers may not be suitable for the walk – baby carriers  are highly recommended. This hike is for all ages and the best part is that it is absolutely FREE! 

Pre-Registration is required. You can  Call (949) 923-2275 or mailto:unbic@ocparks.com. For all programs space is limited and confirmation number may be required.

For additional info and to learn more about the Interpretive Center head here.

Holiday Season at the Dinseyland Resort

I think if you have read this blog for some time you know hat my family loves Disneyland. We live about 20 minutes away from the park and it is one of our favorite destinations. I think my favorite time to visit Disneyland has to be the holidays. There are so many reasons why I love Disneyland during the Holidays. I love the firework show, snow falling on Main Street, the beautiful decorations, Small World Holiday and sipping on some delish hot chocolate. The official season kicked off on the 13th of November and will continue until January 3rd, 2010.

This past Saturday  bloggers were invited to experience the Magic that Disneyland presents for the Holiday. I was able to round up my family for an incredible night. We try to head out  weekly but had not been able to catch the firework show and snow until Saturday. I still get goosebumps thinking about Saturday evening. The firework show is just beautiful and Sleeping Beauty's Castle is breathtaking lit up. We also had the opportunity to experience Small World Holiday. It was just beautiful and my family loved it. I think my kidlets are at the age where they are really starting to understand Christmas and they were in awe. They have been singing Christmas songs and "it's a small world" for the past day.  Although it tends to be busy around this time of year, I would definitely recommend making a visit or two. Disneyland  is truly a magical place.

Our Fun and Free Picks for this weekend

The weekend is upon us and here are some fun and Free events/places to visit this weekend.

Friday November 20th
1. Shark Lagoon Nights

Saturday, November 21st
1. Orange County Model Engineers - 10am to 3:30pm
2. Lowe's Build and Grow Free Clinics- Snowman  Free Projects- 10am to 11am
3. Griffith Park Observatory- Star Party- 2pm to 10pm

Sunday November 22nd
1. Los Angeles Live Steamers Museum and Walt's Barn
2. Orange County Model Engineers- 10am to 3:30pm
3. Free Target Family  Sunday's at the MOLAA

Our visit to Konami and Giveaway

Last week my kiddos and I had the opportunity to visit Konami Games. We had the opportunity to check out some fun games like Dance Dance Revolution, which can now be played on the Wii Fit Balance Board,(click here to enter our giveaway), an updated Frogger (which I absolutely loved playing!), a fun game for the Wii fit called Walk it out which was way fun and our absolute favorite as a family, Storybook Workshop, which is perfect for your preschool or early reader.

My kiddos absolutely were mesmerized by this game. It allows them to participate in their favorite story and play their favorite character. My daughter and son were giggling every time they repeated a word in Little Red Riding Hood and their voice was transformed into either Little Red Riding Hood or the Big Bad Wolf. It is a fun game to play as a family  and it encourages reading.

Now here is the fun part. Giveaway time! I have a Wii /Nintendo DS 2000 Points Gift card to give away along with a Mario Bros DS Game. All you have to do is leave a comment. Any Comment will do. You have until Next Friday November 27th to enter. Good luck!
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Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

Orange County isn't the only home to free train rides on the weekends. The Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum offers fun and free train rides to the public.  It's located in Griffith Park and is a must if you have little railroad enthusiasts. There are train exhibits that everyone will enjoy and every Sunday the museum operates 7½" gauge model trains for the general public free of charge from 11 am - 3 pm (weather permitting). except for the Sunday before Memorial Day and the first Sunday in October. The gate is open from 10:45 am to 3 pm. Train rides begin at 11 am. The museum is home to Walt Disney's Barn. It's the actual barn that was in Mr. Disney's backyard in Holmby Hills, California. The barn is where Walt , who was a member of the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum had his workshop and ran the switches for his home railroad. The barn is open on the third Sunday of each month and features displays of Disney, LALS and railroad related memorabilia. Guided tours are provided by members of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society. The museum and railroad are open every Sunday weather permitting from 11am to 3pm and admission and train rides are FREE of charge. For additional information click here.

Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum
 5202 Zoo Drive
 Los Angeles, California 90027

Orange County Model Engineers- Free Train Rides the 3rd weekend of the month.

If you are looking for something fun to do with the kiddos that won't cost you a penny and provide plenty of fun, check out the Orange County Model Engineers public train rides. Public ride days are the highlight for the club. They are conducted on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday of each month from 10 am until 3:30 pm. The club has a variety of engines and riding cars. Trains on public ride days are made up of 5 to 6 bench cars that seat 5 to 6 adults and children. Rides are free however, donations are welcome and help with the upkeep of the railroad.



A typical trip takes about 12 minutes and covers two loops of the park. Bridges and terrain variations are just part of the scenery as is the back end of the Costa Mesa Golf Course.

for directions and additional info head over here.

Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian DVD and Giveaway

Last week, I had the opportunity to take my hubby and daughter to the Fox Studios in LA for a preview of the Night of the Museum, Battle of the Smithsonian DVD. It was fun to hear the director, Shawn Levy, talk about the fun extras (including a fun Jonas Brothers cherub boot camp extra- so funny!) included in the Night of the Museum DVD which will be in stores December 1st. We also were able to take pictures with the monkey from the movie. It was hilarious! I wish I could post the pictures but my scanner isn't working. We had an unbelievable time.

I think if you've read my blog for some time now, know that I love a day at the museum. I loved the first movie and I actually think that the Battle of the Smithsonian is even better! It's cute, funny and my daughter and I laughed throughout the entire movie. It's a fun family movie that your entire family will enjoy.

There is an amazing deal going on at Walmart.com. . Basically, if you pre-order the DVD on walmart .com it’s only $9.98 AND there is FREE shipping. Since the retail value is $29.98 – it’s 20 bucks off and you don’t even have to step into a store. It would be a great Christmas present!

I also have 5 copies to giveaway! All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know your favorite museum and you are entered to win. You have until next Friday 11/27 to enter.

From A to Zoo at The Santa Ana Zoo

Here is a fun event that your little ones will enjoy

On Friday, November 20th, from 10am to 2pm, kids and their families will go “wild” for books at the Santa Ana Zoo as the Children and Family Commission hosts “From A-to-Zoo” in honor of Child Literacy Month. The special one-day event hosted by the Children and Families Commission will feature the Commission’s Big Books Booth – giant children’s books flanked by colorful beanbag seats and shelves of classic page-turners – located in the Zoo’s Amphitheatre Park.

Commission staff will lead story time readings and distribute free books to children age 5 and younger, as well as parent resources, and library card applications. Admission to the Santa Ana Zoo is free for children age 3 and younger, $5 for children from 4-12 years old, and $8 for adults (ages 13+).

This looks like a super fun event for the little ones and well it's inside the Santa Ana Zoo. We love heading there, walking around, playing in the farm area and then getting the wiggles out in the play area. It's an event that your kiddos will love and you can make a day of , pack a lunch and have fun exploring the zoo!





 Santa Ana Zoo
Amphitheatre Park
1801 East Chestnut Avenue
Santa Ana, CA 92701