family

Whale Watching Adventure in Dana Point Harbor with Dana Wharf

April 26, 2013 By Heather 2 Comments

Review: Whale Watching Adventure in Dana Point Pictures courtesy of Dana Wharf A couple weekends ago we set off on another So Cal adventure when the Dana Wharf invited us on a whale watching cruise! We got to experience some first hand sightings of magnificent ocean creatures and a boat ride too! We bundled up and set sail {okay so there was no actual sail involved but doesn't "set sale" sound cool?}! We were hoping to see a whale. One whale. We ended up seeing Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Common Dolphins and Seal Lions! It was nonstop fun! A couple days before they even saw an Orca aka a Killer Whale! Dana Wharf runs multiple 2 hour whale watching trips each day so we watched the previous guest come in and then we were loaded onto the boat. The toddler was beyond ready! She's also back to doing some strange poses when I try to take her picture. She used to do that a lot when she was 1. Three is such an fun age and perfect for this kind of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, local, parenting, review, SoCal Locals, travel

Have a great weekend!

April 13, 2013 By Heather 3 Comments

It's another lovely So Cal weekend... just a bit on the cool side! We live 15 minutes to the ocean and I'm dreaming of a mid summer beach day like this one {picture taken a few months back when it was the perfect bit of warm and breezy}! We are heading out on an adventure this afternoon... Whale Watching! I can't wait to share it all with you! Tomorrow is going to be one of the biggest in our household ever! I'll officially be the mom of a TEENAGER! My sweet oldest is turning 13! We plan to party hard the next couple days to celebrate! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, fun, local, parenting, SoCal Locals, travel

So Cal Family Fun at Medieval Times in Buena Park

April 12, 2013 By Heather 3 Comments

Last weekend Medieval Times invited us to review their current dinner and show! The older girls had been before but this was a whole new experience for the little one. Before we went I did my usual prepping for her by showing her the pictures online so she had an idea of what we were going to see and do. Three year olds love routine and to feel in control of their surroundings and this three year old is no different. Doing a little prep work first and talking them through the adventure can be the difference between total fun and a not so fun adjustment period. She knew before hand that she would be getting a crown from a princess and that we would be going to have dinner in a castle. She wore her princess Brave shirt to celebrate. I thought about letting her wear one of her princess dresses but I opted for a comfy outfit for her instead. There were tons of little girls attending in full medieval dress so if you and your little ones want to get dressed up totally … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, fun, local, parenting, restaurant reviews, SoCal Locals, travel

Legoland California Hotel Review

April 9, 2013 By Heather Leave a Comment

Last week we had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of the Legoland Hotel in Carlsbad California! We were so excited to have been invited to stay at the hotel and share this review with you all! If you are local to So cal this would make a really awesome overnight vacation... if you are out of area add this to your must stay at hotel list! When we first arrived at the new Legoland Hotel we were greeted with this cool Lego dragon! The kids marveled at the details! If you have a Lego fan {and who doesn't} in your family they will shriek with joy when they see this friendly guy! He is guarding the dial to the Lego pipe that is pouring out rainbow Legos! One of our absolute favorite parts of the hotel is the elevator. Legoland Hotel thought of everything to wow the kids {and parents, just being honest :-)} You get inside and it's all decorated like a disco... and then the doors close and it BECOMES A DISCO ELEVATOR! Like, with strobe light, disco music and dimmed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, fun, holiday, local, parenting, SoCal Locals

San Diego Family Fun at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Butterfly Jungle {Review}

April 4, 2013 By Heather 5 Comments

Yesterday we ventured out to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to see the amazing Butterfly Jungle! Thank you so much to the Safari Park for providing us entry into the park! We were a little late to the party because the exhibit only goes till Sunday the 7th of April... but boy am I happy we were able to squeeze it into the girls spring break! To say it is magical is a huge understatement! Right before you enter into the butterfly rain forest you travel through a cave decorated with bright colored butterflies and caverns of snakes! We could have stayed the whole day just looking at the exotic snakes and cockroaches... did I mention the HUGE cockroaches? Yep... fascinating! I'm just thankful they live here where they can be appreciated because they would not be welcome in my home! As we walked into the aviary that was bursting with vibrant colored butterflies we stood in awe and just took it all in. Living on over 4 acres we get plenty of wildlife and butterflies but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, local, parenting, review, SoCal Locals, travel

Why date nights are so important…

March 20, 2013 By Heather 13 Comments

After 13 years of marriage I finally realized that all the advise I was given about going on a date with your husband is really important. For years I blew it off. For years I laughed off the thought of dating my husband. I thought... Sure, "when we get some spare time". Sure, "when the kids are older". Sure, "when we win the lottery". I wasn't sure if all these people who told me to date my husband knew the cost of a babysitter for 3 kids and the price of a decent meal out. Regardless, life kept getting in the way. I got sick and then better. Pete got busier at work and we had a new baby. Just when the big girls were okay with us leaving for a few hours every once in a while, we started over again. We were totally okay with not going out together because we finally had our much awaited baby girl. Life was good. But people still told me to go on dates with my husband. And then that little baby girls started to grow up. She turned three and we couldn't believe that we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, local, parenting, SoCal Locals, travel

Healthy and Easy, Street Stand Potato Tacos with white sauce and avocado.

March 15, 2013 By Heather 62 Comments

There is a little taco stand here in San Diego called Pedro's Tacos. They only have 4 locations and they are the ultimate fast and cheap Mexican food joint. Being a vegetarian I get a little tired of the old bean and cheese burrito and I got daring one day and tried a potato taco. I fell in love. The only problem is that they can be a bit high in calories with deep fried hash brown wedges, white sauce and tortilla. I knew I could make a really good replica that was a whole lot healthier. And I did! These are so easy to make and taste fantastic. When I shared on my Facebook Page that we were having "Potato Tacos" for dinner I got lots of "what are those" comments and I knew I needed to share these with you all right away! How to make these awesome tacos: I started with some low-carb tortillas that were warmed in the oven... just till they got a bit soft. While your tortilla is warming up place frozen hash brown wedges onto a baking sheet. Spray the sheet and the wedges with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, food, groceries, Yummy!

Banning Cupcakes! Have schools gone too far?

March 10, 2013 By Heather 64 Comments

When my older two started elementary school a few years back the birthday celebrations were like I remembered them from my youth. The birthday kid's parents sent in homemade cookies or cupcakes and the last few minutes of the day we had a little party. We sang happy birthday and ate a couple bites of the treat. <--- yep we didn't scarf the whole thing down because we were excited to get out and play! Fast forward a couple years and birthday celebrations have been banned {if they involves food} at my daughters school. You can still bring a pencil for everyone and hand that out as a celebration. The ban on cupcakes was an evolution and went something like this. It started with no homemade foods. Then it evolved into only allowing store bought foods that were "healthy" but by healthy I mean they fit within some hastily put together food percentages. Like, no more than 50% fat, and 40% sugar etc. But high sodium and white flour is a-okay. Then it turned into no food at all. I am … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, natural living, parenting

Do you ask your husband for permission to spend money?

January 21, 2013 By Heather 5 Comments

{Taken on New Years Eve 2012} As the holidays draw to a close {I know, I know, they are over... but I like to stall as I love them all so much!} I'm thinking more and more about this past Christmas... Christmas spending to be exact. I had a well thought out list with details on what I wanted to spend... a budget if you will... and then I remember adding it up, gasp! It was a chunk of money, but reasonable for the amount of people I was shopping for. Before I started to spend any money I ran it by my husband. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, money saving tidbit

Happy New Year! 10 things to make 2013 the best year yet!

January 2, 2013 By Heather Leave a Comment

After a little too much sparking apple cider the younger two were well on their way to a crazy New Years Eve! I had to capture the moment since it really visually explains what I want from 2013! More fun! I made this little list of what I'm going to do to make 2013 the best year yet! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family