Two Fresh Ideas for an Honest Pick Me Up

I received product to sample in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and I only share products and services I feel will be of value to my readers.

Fall is the season for change, and I have definitely been embracing that idea this year. I'm not sure if its the brisk air or the beautiful fall leaves,but there's something about fall that wakes up our senses. And for me that meant I no longer wanted dull and boring. A couple of weeks ago I decided to be bold and dye my hair. I ended up with a mahogany color which was a drastic change from my somewhat dirty golden blonde hair. And let me tell you the response I've been getting from people is makes me think the change was good!

Here's my before and after:

      

I love the sense of renewal and I definitely don't feel dull and boring now!

For a drastic fall pick me up you might consider dying your hair... but if you're not ready to commit to that, I've got something that is fresh and tasty too. Not too long ago I gave up my daily coffee addiction. It wasn't just the caffeine that had me, it was the sugar rush that held m captive. and I have been trying to find other satisfying drinks that will satisfy the craving for a pick me up in the afternoon. One that is not sugar ridden. I've discovered some of Honest Tea's new fall flavors to be just the thing to fill the gap. 

 Ginger Oasis Herbal Tea

Oops! I was caught chillin' in the hammock while the kids worked on homework.


Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea

Snap! I drank up all the Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea before I snapped a picture - hope Honest Tea is cool with this borrowed image from their Instagram.


Here's what I love about these teas:

• brewed with real ginger or cinnamon (respectively)
• have zero calories, 
• unsweetened and have zero grams of sugar, 
• caffeine free 
• fair trade
• USDA organic so you know it is as clean as it is refreshing. 

The zing from the Ginger Oasis Herbal Tea does more than wake up your taste buds! It's easy to drink and adds a refreshing charge to your afternoon. The Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea may be just the thing you need to wake up first thing in the morning if you're trying to quit coffee. These flavors are spot on with their names and are the perfect thing to celebrate fall.  I know from time to time I'm going to want to grab something besides water but I don't want to drink my calories so this is a perfect find! 

Honest Tea cares about how they brew their tea from start to finish, starting with organic. The next time you want to put a little pep in your step, look for these fun fall flavors in the grocer's cold beverage section. 

Lucky for you I've got a giveaway for 5 readers to try these new Honest Tea fall flavors. Five winners will receive a week's supply of Honest Tea's fall flavors so enter below and get ready to celebrate the season of change! 

Honest Tea Fall Flavors

What to Eat When Mommy's Out of Town

I received product for review in order to facilitate this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own and I only share products and services I know will be useful for my readers.

A few weeks ago I attended ShiftCon, a health and wellness blogger conference..  While I didn't have too travel far, it was just an hour and a half up the freeway in Los Angeles, I wasn't planning to drive back and forth and needed to think ahead on what my family would be eating for dinner while I was away. Any mom who goes away for a few days has probably had the same thought as I did... "I hope they don't eat out for dinner every night." My husband is pretty good with cooking dinner, but it is definitely a tall order to be charged with caring for the kids all day, taking them to all their soccer games and softball practice and finding the energy to put a balanced meal on the table. I mean, it's hard enough when it's both of us here. Well, lucky for me an opportunity to try out Charlie's Classic Cooking came at the right time!

What is Charlie's Classic Cooking you ask? It's a meal plan delivery service prepared by an honest to goodness chef. But, wait. There's more! Cooking classes (for kids and adults), cooking club, catering, fundraising and much more. When Charlie came to deliver our 4 family sized meals and told us a little more about his services my daughter's ears perked up about the kids cooking classes. She is eager to get in the kitchen, but just needs a little more direction than what I can give her to let her budding culinary aspirations take flight.

A Little More About Charlie:

With over 25 years of experience of teaching and providing healthy nutritious meals, Chef Charlie has made it his mission to teach everyone the importance of healthy living. Throughout his career, Chef Charlie has prided himself on creating meals from all natural ingredients with no preservatives or additives and 100% trans-fat free. Every delicious dish, whether it’s from our economical and healthy meal plan or customized cooking classes, is always fresh, using locally grown produce and the finest sustainable ingredients seasonally available.

Our meals were delivered cold and in 4 easy to store containers. I had to move a few things around in the fridge to get everything to fit but really what mom hasn't dealt with rearranging things? There was a sheet with our meals listed and instruction to prepare them. I was excited about not just the ease of having dinners ready to go in our fridge for when I was gone, but that these meals had no preservatives or additives like you would find in most foods in the freezer section of the grocery store. 

Because I didn't want to miss out on the entire experience I actually served up one of the meals before I left for my conference. We had the Fettuccine Alfredo with carrots, broccoli and red peppers.

Side note: I couldn't find the sheet of paper with the cooking instructions! So I tossed together all of the ingredients - which all of the items are already cooked - popped it in the oven and warmed it up for about 25 minutes. It came out great! When I found the instructions it had something quite different detailed but either way it turned out great!

This was restaurant quality but with that home cooked feel, you know where it doesn't taste weighed down by fat in order to add flavor? My kids ate it up and wished I had not added all of the sauce. The sauce came in a ziploc baggie and I should have followed my own advice "start with a little, you can always add more." The good thing is that for those who LOVE alfredo sauce, you know there is plenty! I loved that this was a dish that had veggies already mixed in, of course for the health benefits but it also just made the dish that much more appealing to eat. How often do you get 3 veggies on your kid's dinner plate? Nice work Charlie! 

I was excited to try the Lime and Cumin Grilled Chicken with tomato Corn Relish and fresh green beans when I returned from my conference. No hassle dinner after a full weekend of hustle and bustle... BONUS! 

It was so nice to have not just the main course but a full meal with side dishes easy to prepare and tasty to eat. We ended up eating this meal outdoors on the patio which was perfect for this end of summer meal. 

The menu changes weekly and everything is made with natural and local ingredients. And you save a ton of time in meal planning and grocery shopping and most of the food preparation has been done for you. This is a great resource for San Diego families to give themselves a break from the rigor of fixing dinner every night or to save time during the busy holiday season. 

Charlie's Classic Cooking wants one of my readers (that's YOU!) to experience what it's like to have the night off from worrying about dinner. Enter below to win a delivered meal for a family of 4 valued at $75. 

Charlies Classic Cooking

The food just needed to be reheated and dinner was served! I so appreciate the opportunity to give Charlie's Classic Cooking a try and will remember them for the future.

Eat Your Greens Or Drink Your Greens!

I was provided product as part of a Moms Meet sampling campaign in order to facilitate a review of the product. All opinions are my own. 

Try as I might to keep a variety of fresh produce in the house, it seems that the greens are either never as plentiful or just not the thing that I reach for to make a meal. That means I have thrown away more than my fair share of green vegetables. Isn't that awful? And I know the importance of eating green leafy vegetables! I used to be really good about throwing a cup or two of organic spinach into our smoothies at home but then my kids got hooked on Jamba Juice and the green smoothies at home no longer appealed to them. Damn those finicky taste buds! Lately I've taken to drinking my greens because it is just easier.



So, when I was asked to participate in the Amazing Grass Green Superfood Sample, Sip, Share campaign I thought "why not?" I was delighted to find my shipment included a handy burlap tote bag (that I can totally use as a Signing Story Time book bag!) and  a nifty to go cup stocked with several samples of their wide array of flavors of powdered green drink mix.

It was hard to decide which one to sample first! There were flavors like Pineapple Lemongrass, Orange Dream and Berry... it makes it kind of hard to pick when they all sound so good. The one I ended up sampling first was Pineapple Lemongrass and it surprised me how smooth and easy it was to drink. Because I had tried Amazing Grass (original flavor) in the past I took a closer look at the packets and saw that it had been newly formulated with a finer powder so it didn't have a gritty feel that I remembered from before. This didn't even leave any residue in my cup when I drank it! Plus, it was super easy to shake, no special blender or blender ball needed to ensure all of it was mixed in. Sweet!

I had a chance to sample 7 different flavors and thought it was super fun to share my opinion with the fun hashtags. For the most part I thought they were #AHHmazng. Except for the original. I'm just not keen on the taste of grass. I'm so glad that there are all these other flavors to choose from so I can drink my greens and get all the benefits of the Superfoods and not feel like spitting it out. In fact YOU can sample their products too! Let me know what you think of them. I know I'll be buying more Amazing Grass in the future to keep my family healthy.

When I was browsing their website, I discovered they have awesome holiday flavors and I will be ordering the Pumpkin Spice next in order to make this recipe. Since I quit coffee back in May I am finding it a little difficult at times to stay strong in part because I miss all the amazing flavors that you can add to your cup of joe. So I love it when I find something like the Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie to keep me on the right track and keep working towards a healthy body.

Remember, if you can't eat your greens, you can drink your greens!

Golden Shoes, A Feel Good Soccer Movie About Believing in Goals

DVD and promotional items were provided in order to facilitate this review and giveaway. 

All opinions are my own.

From time to time I am contacted about sharing multi-media entertainment and I don't always have time to share them. However, when I saw this opportunity to share a feel good movie relating to soccer, I jumped at the opportunity because both my boys are big time into soccer.

Golden Shoes is about a boy, Christian Larou, (played by Christian Koza) who loves soccer. and tries to emulate his idol Cristiano Ronaldo. His mother encourages him to work hard and go after his dreams. He's on a soccer team but not seeing a lot of action on the field. His dad is on deployment and he misses him a great deal. Then there's this neighbor who kind of gives him a hard time. After his mother is in an accident and is hospitalized, Christian puts all of his focus on soccer. Throughout the ordeal of staying with his difficult neighbor, Christian is able to stay focused and make the best of the situation. He ends up with some new soccer shoes that have special powers.. Ultimately Christian becomes the star player on his team and is re-united with his mother and father which is all he really wanted.

Here's a preview of Golden Shoes

There were many points in the movie where I saw the choice to not react to negative situations presenting themselves being a good lesson for my boys. Sometimes we are dealt a hand of cards that seem wildly unfair. Owen especially loved the cool foot work that Christian displays in the movie. Staying positive despite what is happening all around you is something kids struggle with and mine maybe even more than others. I was excited to share with Owen that he would be able to talk with the star of the movie and ask him some questions. One of Owen's good friends and former soccer teammate, Jaxon, got to take part in the interview too. It's really fun to watch two six year old boys who are told they are going to talk to a real live movie star get excited and practice their questions.

Here, the boys are studying their questions. And being reminded to speak slowly and clearly on the phone. They picked out which questions they would ask on their own.

I greeted Christian when the phone rang then let the boys take over.

They were excited to take the call and talk to Christian Lazo!

Owen: "How long have you been playing soccer?"

Christian: "Since I was 3 years old."

Jaxon: "Do you have any good soccer tips?"

Christian: "Yes. Practice everyday and always take your ball with you everywhere so you can practice wherever you are."

Sometimes we need a little help from our friends reading a question!

Owen: "What's your favorite post game snack?"

Christian: "Pretty much anything!"

Jaxon: "What did you like most about making this movie?"

Christian: "Getting to play soccer, have fun and work with my dad."

Joann: "Are you working on any other projects right now?"

Christian: "Yes, we're working on a script for Golden Shoes 2."

We wrapped up the call after a few minutes of chatting. Christian asked the boys the names of their soccer team and how long they've been playing. I think these two had quite the kickoff to their weekend hearing from someone twice their age that knows a thing or two about soccer.

Golden Shoes was just released and two readers have an opportunity to win a DVD and soccer ball!

If you are a soccer mom I'm sure you'll find this movie to have some good lessons for your player that transcend over to life.

Here's one those little life lessons Owen wanted to share:

And now for the giveaway! Good luck!

Golden Shoes DVD & Soccer Ball

Disney on Ice - Dare to Dream - Giveaway

Do you love Disney? Do you love watching ice skating? Do you love winning tickets?

Then this is for you! 

Disclosure: Tickets have been provided to me in exchange for sharing the upcoming event.

Disney on Ice Presents Dare to Dream presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt.  I pretty much love it when two of my favorites partner up to bring something magical to kids! The show is coming to town (San Diego) Oct 1st-4th.  Enjoy reliving some of your favorite moments from Disney's most popular features with our favorite princesses, Rapunzel, Snow White, Cinderella and Tiana. Of course some of their side kicks will be skating alongside them and dazzling us with their moves on the ice. My kids love Tangled because there's a character for everyone to identify with!

  

What's your favorite Disney movie?

Here's a little preview to show the kids and get them excited about going to watch their favorite characters take the ice.

I have a family 4 pack of tickets to giveaway for opening night, Thursday Oct 1st 2015! Be sure to scroll down and enter for your chance to win.

The place to be is Valley View Casino Center on Sports Arena Blvd. Kid tickets are just $10 (excluding VIP and Front Row) making it a great family affair! Adult ticket prices range from $15 to $25 and there's VIP seating ($45) and Front Row seating ($60) THOSE tickets go very quickly!

Over a 4 day period there are just 7 shows, and the day time shows go quickly so if you want to buy tickets do it now.

o   Thursday, Oct. 1             7:00 PM

o   Friday, Oct. 2                 7:00 PM

o   Saturday, Oct. 3             11:00 AM, 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM

o   Sunday, Oct. 4               1:00 PM & 5:00 PM

There's so much sparkle and imagination throughout their shows, it's such a great way to share a little magic as a family and create those lifelong memories. I'm looking forward to taking my kids and making it an evening to remember!

Here's your chance to enter the giveaway...


Disney On Ice Dare to Dream Family 4 Pack

Be sure to check their website for the entire tour schedule. There are plenty of stops and likely to be one near you very soon!

Back to School, Glasses are Cool

I received a JCPenney gift card for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

One of the things on our Back to School list each year is an eye exam and new glasses. It is so important to stay on top of this annually because as our kids are developing their eyes may get stronger and their glasses need to adjust for this. Obviously the same is true if their eyes get weaker, but the point is that a current prescription is super important.

Amberly started wearing glasses in 1st grade. At first it wasn't easy for her to transition to wearing glasses and I could relate because I remember getting glasses for the first time in 2nd grade. Luckily these days glasses are so much more stylish that they are seen as a fashion accessory even by elementary aged kids. I try to remind her that wearing her glasses is her responsibility and her choice. Being able to see is an integral part of being a successful student.

Now that Amberly is going into the 5th grade she cares far more about her wardrobe and fashion than she did just a few short years ago. When we arrived at the JCPenney Optical Store she was headed right for the kids frame selection.

As I completed the one page of paper work she tried on several frames. She even learned that they had an entire drawer of additional frames in case she didn't find what she was looking for on the wall.

She is very particular about finding frames that highlight her personality. She absolutely loves purple and gravitated towards all the purple frames. There were plenty to choose from. Comfort is of great consideration too. And of course they have to look good in the reflection!

Because of the great selection at JCPenney it was easy for Amberly to find something that fit her criteria. I just love the flair of color on the side and think she is going to look very smart wearing these on the first day back to school!

In fact there was another frame that she liked so much that I thought about it and told her when we go back to pick up the first pair of glasses that we will get a second pair. The back to school promo running until Sept 15th just makes it easy on the pocketbook. A complete pair of glasses for under $30!

I know a lot of parents do this anyways for kids because, well, they're kids and sometimes things get lost or broken. But they will have their child pick out a really cheap pair of frames that often don't look as nice. It is so nice that I can get Amberly a "back up" pair that will more serve as an interchangeable accessory. She's pretty excited about that!

Because our regular Optometrist was on vacation we chose to see the Optometrist at JCPenney Optical and had the most pleasant experience. Not only was she very thorough in narrating what she observed with the overall health of Amberly's eyes, but she took the time to pause and answer questions I brought up, such as eye patching. She was very encouraging to Amberly and encouraged her to rest her eyes or blink when needed. I felt a lot of anxiety taking Amberly to her very first eye exam because I still remember the frustration of feeling like I couldn't see those tiny little letters on the eye chart. I think we lucked out with seeing a new eye doctor on this trip. One of the most important things for me as a mom is that my kids feel comfortable with the person who is trusted to check on their health and well being and that objective was definitely satisfied.

You can get in on the JCPenney Back to School promotion too! Hurry though, offer ends Sept 15th.

Find a location near you.

PLUS, JCPenney Optical has a really fun social media contest going on that can make getting ready for going back to school a little more fun (my kids like when I'm entering their photo in a contest!)

Glasses 4 Classes Photo Contest:

• Snap a picture of your child getting ready for Back to School
• Share your photo on Instagram, Twitter or the JCPenney Optical Facebook Page
• Use the hashtag #PicMyKidContest with your submitted photo
• Twitter and Instagram accounts must be public for the entry to be official
• 12 winners! Each win a $30 JCPenney gift card to purchase new frames for their child.
• Dates for entry: 7/8 – 8/16

I love seeing kids get excited about preparing for back to school so I plan to follow that hashtag and see what kind of back to school shenanigans you all are posting for the contest. Hey your kid doesn't even have to wear glasses to participate in this contest.

What is your child's favorite part of back to school?

I received a JCPenney gift card for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

10 Need to Know Tips before Visiting LEGOLAND

We have enjoyed Legoland Merlin passes in years past. It is seriously one of our favorite Southern California hot spots. As my kids have gotten older we've become quite busy with their sports commitments so it has been awhile since we've been to Legoland California. When I announced that we received free tickets to go spend the day exploring all that is new with Legoland in order to facilitate this post and giveaway, they were super excited!

The kids really wanted to check out LEGO Chima Water Park, one of the newer and most popular areas at Legoland.

Cragger's Swamp is within LEGO Chima Water Park offers plenty of hands on fun! There are 50 interactive water play features and the water is just one foot deep. 

One of our all time favorite rides is Lost Kingdom Adventure. Laser guns and keeping score make this a fun family competition. It's usually boys in one car and girls in the other and we tease about who's going down!

Our excitement is obvious as we are next to get on the ride!

There's something about boats and Legoland. We kinda dig them!

This is Skipper School. Kids can even take the wheel!

Pirate Reef is a splashing fun time!

Amberly and I got to be in the very back of The Dragon!

The kids got their "drivers license" too! They love driving. I think it has to be with being in control.

Over in Miniland USA we found some fun activities were going on and joined in the fun. Hula hoops and the limbo are some classic summer past times that I loved as a kid.

Amberly happens to love the hula hoop.

Everybody makes it through the first few limbo rounds.

There's so much more we did that I didn't snap a photo of, like go to Castle Ice Cream, take our usual ride on Fairy Tale Brook, explore The Hideaways, ride Knights Tournament and catch a little bit of the Friends Forever show. One day is simply not enough time to do it all! I was looking at their website and am considering a surprise return trip because of the awesome deal they have right now.

Here's a bonus video from Legoland California when Owen was really little! He shows you how to sign HELICOPTER:

As promised, here are 10 HOT TIPS to get the most out of your visit to Legoland California:

1. Wear comfy socks and shoes - you'll be doing a lot of walking! When we visit a theme park I always wear my Ecocise Bamboo socks. Super soft and extra absorbent.

2. Pack your snacks and water. Every theme park varies on it's outside food policy. Legoland specifically states on their website:
Please note that coolers and outside food are not permitted in the Park, however bottled water and any food or beverages required for specific dietary needs are allowed."
Because we try to eat as much organic and GMO free as possible (we follow an 80/20 rule) and know we'll be having a few treats in the park, we always pack some of our staples to take with us. We had no problem bringing them in.

3. Purchase and print your ticket at home. This will help you avoid the ticket booth lines. Plus you can score a really good deal by taking advantage of their online offers!

4. Be the first ones there. SEALIFE Aquarium opens one hour earlier than the rest of the park. This should motivate you to leave the house on time. Note: Entry to SEALIFE requires separate ticket or park hopper ticket for entry.

5. Download the Legoland California App, it's FREE! Quickly check show times and special events, wait times for rides and much more!

6. Check height requirements for rides. When our boys weren't tall enough for some the rides this was critical to plan out which rides we would tackle altogether and which ones my husband would take Amberly on separately.

7. Recharge your phone. Taking a bunch of pictures and videos of your family making memories can drain your phone's battery. Charging stations are located in the Baby Care Center, LEGO Clubhouse and Membership Processing.

8. Check Ride Wait Times. Legoland keeps this updated and it can help you in planning which section of the park to visit next.

9. Parent Swap. No reason you can't both enjoy the ride! Some kids don't do well on roller coasters, or maybe they don't meet the height requirement. Wait in line together, let one parent ride with kids that are going, when they return, just swap parents. This is a great concept and not everyone knows about it.

10. Store your stuff. Don't let lugging your stuff around slow you down. Locker prices range from $3 to $10 depending on size and where you choose to rent a locker. Finding cool souvenirs? No problem! The cashier will often ask if you'd like to pick your purchase up at The Marketplace near the exit at the end of the day. What service!

For more helpful tips see Know before you go.

Before I get to the giveaway, I want to share the current promo going on:
McDonald’s is running a promotion in SoCal restaurants (L.A. and San Diego) from June 29th to July 31 t015ly 31. It is a Kids Go Free offer with any purchase at a participating McDonald’s in the promotional period. Kids Go Free with paid adult ticket to LEGOLAND® California Resort and your choice of LEGOLAND Water Park or SEA LIFE® Aquarium.  It is a $104 value!

Okay, now are you ready to enter and try to win your family 4 pack of Legoland California Park Hopper tickets?

GOOD LUCK!




Legoland Family 4 Pack

Disclaimer: I received tickets in order to facilitate this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Sizzling Summer Blog Hop Cash Giveaway

This summer has been busier than normal! My daughter wrapped up her softball season. The boys are playing competitive soccer. We've been busy exploring San Diego. And we've been creating delicious smoothie recipes. So if you need a way to cool down your sizzling summer be sure to check out these smoothie recipes and PIN THEM. I promise they are really good!

        

Live Randomly Simple is celebrating her one year blogaversary and wanted to do a big cash giveaway to celebrate so of course I wanted in on the fun! Celebrating big milestones like this not only gives readers like you an opportunity to feel appreciated (cuz if we don't have readers, why are we blogging?) but it gives each of our reader base an opportunity to find some other awesome blogs to read and gain new insight and tips. Personally, I love finding new blogs to follow and gain inspiration from. One lucky winner will win $250! What would you do with your cash prize? Meet the lovely ladies hosting and sponsoring this giveaway below.

Take a second to stop by these amazing gals blogs and give them a quick thanks for being awesome!

Live Randomly Simple

Keeping Up With Ashley And Cody

Chemistry Cachet

Painting It Purple

Sparkles Of Sunshine

Yesterfood

Multitasking Maven

Three Kids And A Fish

Casa Watkins

Moms Of Influence

Winks And Eyerolls

Sparky Little Wife

Uncookie Cutter

The Schizo Chef

Finding Magick

Caravan Sonnet

Mommy's Slice Of The Pie

Tabler Party Of Two

Kids Are A Trip

Giveaway will run until the midnight on the 27th (eastern time). Winner will be announced on the 28th. Giveaway open to anyone who can accept a paypal gift card. Winner will have 7 days to claim their prize. If the winner does not claim the prize a new winner will be drawn. Winners are drawn at random by Rafflecopter.

Have fun and Good Luck Everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Save #MoreMinutes During Back to School at Great Clips

Kids seem to go back to school earlier and earlier don't they? Mine return the middle of August. That's like right around the corner! So I'm already trying to figure out how to save more minutes during this back to school season in order to fit it all in.

Good thing there's Great Clips online check in! We gave this a test drive and found it was not just useful, but super easy. Amberly's hair needed a trim, she's been complaining of her bangs falling in her eyes. She was constantly sweeping them to the side. Here's a before picture:

Because of juggling summer schedules I hadn't made an appointment to get it done at the children's salon we typically visit. You know, calling a place to make an appointment can be an unforeseen time suck.... have you ever been put on hold? That is just one reason I liked using the online check in with Great Clips. Plus, I could see there was a zero minute wait time at our nearest salon. Winning! And because Great Clips is everywhere (check store locator) I didn't have to drive across town to get to one. All of those minutes add up quick!

Amberly was all smiles with her new cut:

Amberly got a great cut at a great price (children under 10 are $12 - prices may vary by location). So not only did this save us time, it saved me money too!

The way I see it I could either throw those minutes away doing things the old way or I can bank those minutes and spend them where they count.., on creating family memories. We came up with 10  ideas on what do with our saved minutes:

1. Look up a new smoothie recipe

2. Make s'mores

3. Have family game night

4. Make popcorn for family movie night

5. Pack a picnic dinner to take to the park

6. Make funnel cake

7. Have a water gun fight

8. Walk to our neighborhood Little Free Library

9. Go star gazing

10. Take a hike

We ended up having family game night!

You can join in the fun #MoreMinutes campaign too. Simply find a Great Clips near you, take a selfie and post it on Instagram or Twitter use the #MoreMinutes hashtag sharing what you'd do with a few extra minutes.

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3....

Great Clips will be performing random acts of kindness now through Sept 11 2015. I'm looking forward to following the hashtag and seeing what people come up with and what Great Clips does for its customers! You can learn more about this fun back to school campaign here. 

What would you do with a few more minutes?

Here's what a few kids came up with:

$25 VISA Giftcard

Thanks to Great Clips for sponsoring today's story and encouraging me to try Online Check-In to save my family #MoreMinutes to enjoy the stuff we love!

Slater's 50/50

We stopped at Slater's 50/50 for lunch not too long ago and took the kids. Cory and I had only been once before and I'd been looking forward to going back. I didn't realize another one had opened just up the freeway from us. Since we don't get down to Liberty Station too often this San Marcos location is perfect because it is just a hop, skip and a jump away. Which could pose a problem since I fantasize about this dessert I had once upon a time.

In case you haven't had the pleasure of sinking your teeth into a Slater's 50/50 burger, let me tell you what that 50/50 means.... their burgers are 50% ground bacon and 50% ground beef. You can opt for 100% ground beef, but I don't know why you'd pass on having all that bacon literally fill up your burger! Want to know what else is awesome about the meat here? They get their beef from a local beef supplier that practices humane treatment of animals, practices sustainability and uses no hormones or antibiotics. This is a practice I can only hope will spread! I'm finding that these cool local hipsters are shaking things up with their way of thinking when it comes to serving up natural food choices. Here's one more fun fact that you're going to love.... they weigh the burger after it is cooked. That means you'll be pleasantly surprised by a bigger than usual burger compared to other joints that weigh the burger prior to cooking.


For an appetizer we went with the Fried Bacon Mac N' Cheese Balls. If you pass on these you are making a big mistake. Bacon and Mac N' Cheese together in a ball is a treat to savor! At first the kids didn't want to try them but I convinced them and they were glad. In fact they wanted to order more!

I'm always eager to scout a restaurant for being family friendly. Slater's did not disappoint. They had coloring sheets and crayons for the kids, several choices on their kids' menu and the servers were super accommodating. My daughter was not planning to eat since she lost her appetite on the drive home from an away game. But when the boys' meals arrived, she suddenly found her appetite and when we asked to place an extra order it came out very quickly.


Slater's has a really cool Design It option where you can create the burger of your wildest dreams. And given that kind of freedom was too much to pass up for my husband. I couldn't recall every detail of his burger invention. You will want to put your creativity to the test and develop your own burger anyhow.

I went the traditional route and got the 50/50. It's outstanding! The sunny side up egg not only makes it a mess, it really pulls the whole burger together. The burgers are brought to your table with a knife staked in it. Kind of one of their signature deals there.

We made the mistake of skipping dessert this time. When we went there just the two of us we shared an amazing bacon brownie sundae. The combination made me curious and when I took that first bite I was hooked. And I've been craving it ever since. That just means we have to visit again soon!

The atmosphere is hip and casual. When looking around I thought "I bet this place is the spot on a Friday or Saturday night!"

There are 7 locations throughout SoCal, so find one and sink your teeth in!

You can find this on my Restaurant Reviews Pinterest board. PIN IT now.

KidsFest 2015 Giveaway!

Everyone is talking about it. Everyone with kids in San Diego that is.

KidsFest is BACK! And I have a giveaway for you so be sure to scroll down and enter.

What is KidsFest? Oh, let me tell you....

Image credit KidsFest 

It's family fun at it's finest. Crafts for the kids. Interactive fun for the littles. Tasty treats at every corner. Entertainment for the family. Family focused vendors. Basically, it's education and fun wrapped up in an entire weekend. You can find out even more on their facebook page.  If you want a sure thing, just go ahead and buy tickets here and enter KIDS2015 for your discount.

Kids under 2 are free so this makes a perfect outing for you and a mommy friend to take the tots to and explore all 100,000 square feet of fun!


All eyes on the stage....

Image credit KidsFest Facebook Page

This ball pit was a big hit!

Image credit KidsFest Facebook Page

Kids get their hands dirty....

Image credit KidsFest Facebook Page

Are you ready for the giveaway? Perfect! One lucky someone will win a family 4 pack of tickets... that's an $80 prize! 

KidsFest Family 4 Pack

Disclosure: In exchange for hosting this giveaway I have been given tickets to attend the event. I only share things that I believe to be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are my own.