The Ride that was 2015 and Forecasting 2016

I have loved reflecting on the past year ever since I was a kid. It feels like since becoming a mom and starting a business that it has been more difficult to look at my own personal growth and development because in the big picture so much is about the ones we care about. Right, mamas? Well, one of the premises of me starting this blog was to take back my identity as a person and I'm committed to continuing that. My husband will tell you that the person I am today is completely different from the person he married. We all change, hopefully for the better! If we're not growing, we're not living.

At the beginning of 2015 I was working part time as a teacher at a charter school and loved it! That school faced a legal battle and was subsequently closed. However, I think that job that serendipitously found me in 2014 affirmed my conviction that I am meant to teach. While it was frustrating to not begin the new school year with a new job I continued to be deliberate in my intentions to the Universe. There were only about 5 or 6 schools I had researched that would really be a match for what I offer. Through networking and amazing friends who wholeheartedly believe in what I do I have found myself fortunate to be at another amazing school and begin right after winter break! The power of our thoughts is pretty amazing. Innovations Academy was the school I was most drawn to when I first sought out to seek another ASL teaching position. The philosophy that the school is founded on is aligned with what I believe is key to successful learning and growth. Of course none of the other charter schools had this position - it was a matter of putting the possibility out there and creating a position specifically to use my skill and talent. This is proof to me that what I want can manifest itself in 2016 and beyond. Hooray for a new job!

Just as I've been setting the intention of wanting to be back in the classroom the Universe aka my network has been presenting opportunities in the last couple of weeks for my Sign4Baby classes. Funny how that works. I really didn't market my classes over the past year and a half because I was teaching and then summer and being home with the kids and then blogging and then being out of the routine of marketing.... so it was really like starting over to get the word out on my private classes again. Again, this is such a passion for me that I accepted that despite my practically non existent marketing my classes would be found by the right type of new moms.... and I have continued to meet moms who find me organically - which is really amazing. With the conversations I've had over the past month I may be adding as many as 3 new class locations in 2016 which would be a great balance to the new part time teaching position.  I'm so eager to be touching the lives of new moms and their babies in the coming year.

While away at a conference I colored my hair red. It was something I'd been thinking about doing for over a year and had the box sitting in my bathroom but didn't feel compelled to make the change. I learned my hair doesn't hold color as well as I'd like and it fades, quickly. Even a professional coloring I did a couple weeks later faded too quickly. I'm not sure what I'll do about my hair just yet. I'm in limbo on whether I want to dedicate the time to the constant visit to the stylist. And I'm a bit concerned about the harsh chemicals drying out my scalp. It made me wonder what I was after with the color change.... I just wanted something different in part. But, I also wanted to draw attention away from the other outward appearances I've been struggling with. Namely my weight. I remember that when I was think I had zero desire to change my hair color. Totally happy with how I looked. Well, what I have come to realize is I've got to pee or get off the potty. Either be accepting and happy with how I look or do something to change it. Both are fine choices and I'm happy for anyone who has the ability to love the body they're in.... but I haven't been able to. So for me, the choice is to change it. As luck would have it our neighbor was looking to give away their eliptical and we picked it up yesterday! Actions speak louder than words so if you're friends with me on facebook get ready for some posts on my progress towards the healthy me. Your likes and comments will be signs of encouragement. It is not lost on me that this realization comes right before my 20th high school reunion.

Earlier this year I planned on becoming a surrogate. I applied with an agency. The agency and I did not see eye to eye on how the communication was supposed to work and I decided this was a signal that it was not the right time to pursue surrogacy. But I still think this is on the horizon for me. Perhaps right after my high school reunion? Even before I had kids I thought this was something I would do for another couple. There was a fear I had that I wouldn't have an easy time conceiving myself since I had been on birth control for so long. Well, that turned out to be a completely unfounded fear as I have yet to meet someone else as fertile. I have this deep seated feeling that I am to connect with another hopeful mama to help her fulfill that strong desire to nurture and raise a child. Being that the clock is ticking on my age I know that it has to be sooner, not later. I'm also of the mindset that it is probably through someone I know that I will be connected to the right couple.  Just another reason why I'm focused on my health in the coming year.

2015 was the year I gave up coffee. But that was for a little over 6 months. The road trip to the Grand Canyon and the cold weather of late has me sipping warm beverages every other day. I don't have the same craving for it that I once did so that's an improvement. It was twice a day I was filling the sugar/caffeine void. Giving it up didn't affect my waistline so that was discouraging, but now I'm ready to let the sweet holiday indulgence be behind me. I'm still debating if I could tolerate a sugar detox. I keep reading about it. My mom has type 2 diabetes and my aunt recently shared with me that she has it too. That might be the thing that pushes me over the edge! If you've recently given up sugar and have kids, I'd love to know how you did it. I think if I were making meals just for me it would be less of a challenge because I could simply not have any of the processed foods in the house that have the extra sugar. We've been changing our eating habits slowly over the last 5 years - but to get the whole family to do a sugar detox is a bigger challenge than I can face right now. One of the other things holding me back is the cost of a very specific diet. Cost being both time and money. I've already got 2 things in the works for next year to help and will be sharing the success and pitfalls so stay tuned.

A few years ago date nights became a top priority for us and this year we fell way behind! I'm thinking we maybe had 5 or 6 this year. We don't have babies anymore so that number should be much higher! I can see how it affects our relationship when we don't take time to go out and enjoy ourselves as adults. We are not immune to the struggles of any marriage. When you don't make the time to enjoy life together as a unit it makes the daily burdens of life bigger.... totally a fail this year and I own it. We don't even have an excuse to speak of. We haven't been completely broke the whole year. We have at least 3 baby sitters to call on. We even have friends that we could do date night swaps with but we just fail to plan! UGH. Along with health, dating my husband is a top priority in 2016.

In addition to alone time with my husband that was lacking, so was alone time with each of the kids. They are totally at an age where we need to carve out more individual attention. As much as they have going on with sports it just becomes difficult at times. Again, though, a total lack of planning! There's plenty that we can do that doesn't cost a bunch. We'll spend some time brainstorming ideas tomorrow to set the stage for the new year - I'm sure they will love creating their intentions for a year of dates with either mom or dad. Each of our kids has amazing qualities that I love and I struggle with those feelings of guilt like any mother in not creating moments to let those qualities shine through. Despite my intention at the beginning of this post to honor the reclaiming of my personal identity, let's face it, the relationship I have with each of my kids is a big piece of my identity and these years are fleeting.... FAST! More fun in the coming year through GEMs = Genuine Encounter Moments. Something I learned from Redirecting Children's Behavior. I'll be totally honest, part of this is my selfish attempt at self improvement and cut down on yelling at my kids. Secretly I always think I'm screwing up and not being the parent I set out to be. It's way fucking harder than I thought and no matter how many times I try to be forgiving of myself I waiver on the border of does that mean I'm giving myself a pass to not be the kindest most gentle parent I could be? It sucks feeling like this and the problem isn't my kids. It's me. Whew. Writing that kinda hurts. But now it is written in black and white and I can own it. I have said out loud more than once that I was practically the perfect mom up until they hit age 3. No, maybe age 2. Maybe age 1? Never mind, I was never the perfect parent! Surrendering the idea of perfect mom halo that is still hanging over me from a conversation I had in my college days and all my judgement against my own mother will need to be things I reconcile to manifest the thing I truly desire.

Gratitude is a muscle. In our house it is clearly a muscle that needs some work. We almost threw Christmas down the toilet because of some incessant whining about plenty of things, but namely the new/used van we got just before Christmas.  Our 2006 Nissan Quest's transmission wasn't shifting into 3rd gear and it couldn't have come at a worse time, less than 2 weeks before Christmas! Managing how to save Christmas and replace our car (which was economically a better choice than replacing the transmission) was tricky. There was the potential to surrender the big Christmas gift we had intended to do and it would break my heart. Because Cory's parents are awesome we didn't have to forfeit the big gift. The kids didn't know any of this yet. The 2nd day we had the new car there was one of those family moments that you want to erase from your kids' memories. It started with the kids complaining about leg room in the car, about the seat not being comfortable because it reclined back too far.... just nitpicking in general. The boys had been with us at Carmax and seen some of the other car options that were a few thousand dollars more meaning a bigger monthly payment. My husband and I had already agreed to choose something within our means regardless of what we were approved for so it would not be a stretch to make the payment. Just taking on a new car payment is a stretch when we haven't had one for so many years! So the exposure to higher end vehicles with all the bells and whistles was probably a bad idea.  Looking back at the ugly mess that was that night with the threat of becoming a one car family (no idea how we would pull that off BTW) and returning all the Christmas presents - I think will be a mix of both yuck and remorse and even enlightenment. I've still been hearing the kids complain about they don't have. I simply remind them of that ugly night and they instantly recall what was almost lost. It's hard to show kids how fortunate they are when they have friends who have things they want. Heck, I have friends who have kitchens I am envious of and more.... so I get it. We will be looking for ways to get the kids doing things in the community that can help flex that muscle of gratitude and giving. I will be carefully cultivating this intention with them so it comes from their heart and is something they can stick with and be joyful about instead of it turning into a chore. If you've been down this road and have suggestions I am open to hearing them!

Helping moms navigate the new motherhood journey has always been part of my Sign4Baby programs. But in the past few months I've been able to go one step beyond that by becoming a MomCo Ambassador. My friend Jillian had a vision to create an app to help moms connect, share great resources, share their must haves, seek advice and find amazing giveaways PLUS fun events. It is something we will be continuing to grow in 2016 and I'm grateful for being one of the moms that helps put together the play dates and other surprises coming! Every mom needs a few nearby friends she can rely on and getting women out in their community to form those friendships is rewarding. I was lucky to live in a neighborhood where there were lots of new moms and we easily found one another by virtue of living in a condo community and forming a playgroup. When I moved I never quite got the feeling that I belonged to any circle of moms in my community and being that my kids were in school it was a little more difficult for me to connect. Shopping for mom friends shouldn't be so hard. Every year when it's my birthday I think about what I want to do and who I'd invite - but I feel like I haven't invested enough time in my friendships since moving 5 years ago to even know who my core friends would be. It makes me kinda sad.  I don't know exactly how it is that I let the ball drop on prioritizing time with friends but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that I'm more of an introvert and most of what I do professionally forces me to be an extrovert.... it just means something had to give. Well, I'm not going to have a pity party. I'm just getting committed to having time to connecting with women in my life. My husband has a weekly lunch date with his friends and I think to myself "why don't I do that?" And I so miss having Mom's Night Out! So, to remedy this I am soliciting my friends to have lunch with me. Or grab a drink. Or walk. Or get our nails done. Communicating with people online is no longer enough. Seeing people in passing at events no longer suffices.

Family experiences. Generally speaking we have felt either strapped for cash or strapped for time when it comes to family trips. After going to visit my husband's grandma in Arizona for Thanksgiving we are realizing we need more of these mini family adventures, getting away, exploring nature, making memories. It won't be easy to pull off but anything worth doing is usually not easy, right? We've already decided another trip to the Grand Canyon is in order, but this time in the spring. I see Big Bear on the horizon. We're going to figure out what other national parks are within driving distance that we can make into 1 to 3 day trips. You gotta start small and go from there, right?

The best laid plans are those that are committed to a calendar. So I'll be spending the better part of this first week calendaring the year I want. 2016 is the year I take the reigns. How about you?

Happy Holidays! Our 2015 Christmas Letter

This was my favorite photo from our Thanksgiving trip to the Grand Canyon. We went to the snow in January but that did not prepare us for the cold that is the Arizona desert! 2015 was the year we took our first road trip. The kids saw their first snow falling.  They learned how to play Chicken Foot. We started a practice of family game night but then slacked off. We'll  have to get back into that in the new year with some novel games, send ideas our way! Our family movie night practice is still going strong as Cory always likes to get the newest release on dvd and pop the best popcorn and force me to close the laptop and enjoy this simple yet delightful family togetherness. Knott's Berry Farm passes were the big Christmas present last year and we made several trips to enjoy quality family time and spend time with friends.

Cory continued to dedicate himself to sports but it is clear that his new favorite teams are whichever ones his kids are playing on as he helped coach Amberly's  softball and took on the role of team manager for Kyle's soccer team and coached Owen in baseball. He is so dedicated that he volunteered to coach Kyle's basketball team this winter! Oh and I almost forgot, he is also on the board for PQ rec softball as Special Events coordinator. He plays softball one night a week, goes to school one night a week and still takes on all those other roles. It's pretty amazing to see how he finds that family / work life balance, always putting the kids and me first.  He is the one always keeping us busy and striving for us to create those family experiences.

Amberly continues to surpass all expectations academically. She is in her 3rd year of chorus and asks to change the radio station in the car to find a song suitable to sing along to. She plays the flute in 5th grade band and is playing so well after working to overcome the beginning challenges, which will be a great life lesson on not giving up and taking challenges as opportunities for growth. This year she has participated in GATE activities after school and has discovered coding. Her love of helping and being a leader is demonstrated by being part of Safety Patrol, a job she takes very seriously. Her love of arts and crafts has only grown, which is proven by the fact that it at times can take over her room. We had her 10th birthday party at Color Me Mine and started a new tradition of having a birthday breakfast with friends. She has an adventurous spirit as she discovered more roller coasters to push her limits at Knott's Berry Farm. This year she has had a few bumps and bruises with a Sever's Disease diagnosis and a sprained left arm, but she is a trooper and strives to rest when needed so she can be an asset to whatever team needs her. Sometimes it's okay to slow down and it has been a lesson in listening to what her body is telling her. We were so thrilled to support Amberly in her campaign for Student Council President. Her ability to follow through on commitment, convey her qualifications and share her vision with her peers had Cory and I beaming from ear to ear.  I love that she thinks of others and can see the bigger picture.

Kyle has found his love for reading! We joke that we can't really be mad at him when he is up late sitting by the hall light to read his book. We are so glad to see him turn a corner with this area. I'm so grateful for the Magic Tree House Series as this seemed to be the thing that flipped a switch. Math however is his jam. We hear him all the time quizzing Owen with math problems. I'm thinking it might be the LEGOS he plays with all the time. He questions things to try to figure them out, not taking anything at face value, a true thinker. Kyle went to his very first Charger game this year! He really wants to play football. This year Kyle decided he wanted to try out for club soccer and he made the team. His skills and circle of friends grew as a result.  It has been a test of commitment and understanding that we don't always play to win but rather to grow and have fun, which it is clear he did. This year Kyle was able to join chorus and it will be the one year he and his sister get to do performances together. He's very into video games, especially Minecraft and Star Wars. He has been making sure that we watch all 6 episodes before we go to see episode 7 on Friday when it opens. Kyle is a loyal friend and watching his friendships develop and stay true from Kindergarten warms my heart. He would prefer to be behind the camera instead of in front of it. He's always wanting to negotiate about taking pictures with one of our phones. Like his dad, Kyle loves to eat out, one of his favorite places is Wings N Things and the other is Souplantation which makes me a happy camper! He does love a good salad and prefer broccoli over several other vegetables, a testament to the idea of repetition and serving up foods in different ways. He's not nearly the picky eater that he once was so I'm happy to see him expand his taste buds often by his own choice. Because Boy Scouts changed their policy I finally said "Okay" when Kyle asked if he could join Cub Scouts. He loves getting to go and do "boy" things. Kyle is forever teaching me about pushing limits and being an independent thinker, I think it is no coincidence that he came along right when he did.

Owen has been loving first grade! He's already reading chapter books and always wants to make sure his homework is done. He cares very much whether he turns in his best work and cheerfully comes home to share what he has learned. He is at that precious stage where he just loves to learn for the sake of learning. This year Owen showed us that he can hit the ball, quite well, no more hitting off the tee for this guy. When Kyle went out for Club Soccer of course Owen wanted to as well. He went from the little field to the big field and managed to do great in this huge leap. He seems to always have energy to spare, both on and off the field. His coach would have him fall back to play defense and push up to play offense to help wherever it was needed. I don't know where he gets this boundless energy from! His smile and infectious laugh have earned him many friends, his circle is always expanding. Like Kyle, this is his first year in Cub Scouts and he's getting to try new things and build more skills. I think so far this school year Owen has won the title for most trips to the Nurse's office. Just proof that he plays hard as most of these trips have come during recess and it's not from being clumsy, it's from a play hard or go home mentality. Owen has adopted a "Go BLUE" mentality too. Any chance he gets to mention Michigan he will drop that line in. He's not afraid of the spotlight and likes to make sure we don't forget our dinner ritual of "Favorite Part of the Day" where he always has more than one thing to share. His tendency to be positive and eagerness to help will continue to serve him.

There's much on the horizon for 2016! The Woolley family is looking forward to more travel, more adventure, learning life lessons, time together and time apart, focusing on gratitude and helping others. Happiness is a Habit and we are sure going to cultivate it!

The App that's got ALL the Moms Talking

Disclosure: I am a brand ambassador for the MomCo App. I only share products and services I value. When you download the app be sure to say JoannW referred you! 

Moms are always sharing cool things they find, from the deals they get online, the new class they just discovered or the latest kitchen hack.  As moms, we love finding ways to make our lives easier and then sharing it with our friends. Well, the app that is all a buzz among moms right now is the MomCo App, because it's making moms' lives easier. What makes this app so awesome? Easy. It is the one stop shop for moms to connect with one another. What exactly can you do on this app?

Meet new moms. Check.
Find and schedule play dates. Check.
Ask questions and share. Check.
Find services. Check.
Get local deals. Check.
Discover local events. Check.
Win FREE stuff. Check.

It's bringing the best from all the other platforms moms love and combining them into one beautiful, easy to navigate app.

It's been featured on the Today Show, in news media publications everywhere and it's making the tour of all the hot mom events nationwide. All the big brands are chomping at the bit to be part of their newest section... giveaways! The founders wished something like this had existed when they became moms to make the work of creating their village easier. Jillian was on Tinder one day and had an epiphany. This geo location technology on smartphones is exactly what moms needed to easily connect with other moms.




Think about when you were a new mom. Unless you were the last one of your friends to have a baby it really takes some effort to find other moms who live close by, have similar interests and children that are the same age... and that just click with you. It take months, even years to cultivate the friendships moms are looking for. The MomCo app cuts all that investment time down to nearly nothing. You're so busy taking care of your new baby, you barely have time to shower let alone doing the "mom dating scene". The app just makes it EASY.

But, here's the thing.... it's not just for new moms. If you've ever moved then you know that it can be difficult to try and find new friends. I know this because that was my experience. We didn't move across country or even out of state, in fact we just moved to a different part of the city. But driving 25 minutes to hang out with our old neighborhood crew a few times a week just wasn't feasible. In my old neighborhood we had created a tight knit playgroup and we not only had a monthly calendar of regular activities, but we connected for impromptu play dates and just to chat. We had built our little village of moms to reach out to and it was awesome. When I moved I had 3 kids and didn't have it in me to create a playgroup like that within my new neighborhood. I missed the support system and friendships that I had left behind. If only the MomCo app had existed back then!



That original neighborhood playgroup is how I met Jillian, the mastermind behind the MomCo App. We met when my second child was just a year old and her son was just a baby, so we go way back!

Jillian was always happy to help a mama out and quickly established herself as one of the core members of our playgroup. Having been there since the beginning, I feel awe-inspired to watch what she has taken from her personal, real-life experience and created out of her passion to really help moms.

The MomCo App helps moms just like you:

I also love reading the MomCo blog! You'll find they share the best stuff from all over the mom centered internet. 

The best part? MomCo partners are making it possible to make it completely free for you. The app is free. Their play dates are free. And did I mention their giveaways!? You can download it on the App Store or Get it on Google Play. 

Like them on Facebook

Follow them on Twitter

Heart their Instagram photos

...but mot importantly

....download it today!

(Psst! Pin this so your friends can find it too!)

Disclosure: I am a brand ambassador for the MomCo App. I only share products and services I value. When you download the app be sure to say JoannW referred you! 

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!

Minions Movie Party at the Drive In

We were looking forward to the release of the Minions Movie since the first preview last summer when we were at the drive-in so it was only fitting that we go to see it at the drive-in. The bonus is that you are totally allowed to bring your own snacks to the drive in. And if you're kids are talkers, you don't have to worry too much about disturbing the other movie goers.

Getting to the drive in early is imperative if you want to be front and center. And especially if you go with friends like we did. Our friends joined us at the drive in a few weeks ago and the kids had a blast! Since they have 3 kids too, things just balance out. 

No matter how well we feed the kids before going to a movie, the kids always want to snack. I planned ahead this time! It had been on our Summer Bucket List to try this S'mores Trail mix and when I sent my husband to the store to pick up the necessary items I had to give him a high five for making an audible and grabbing these Minion graham crackers! Minions are the hot thing right now, so they're everywhere.

Minion S'mores Trail Mix Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups Minion graham crackers

3 cups mini pretzels

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix everything in a bowl and viola! It's done. 

Nothing could be easier, right? 

Next I wanted to make sure the kids' thirst would be quenched. Lemonade sounded perfect and I'd been wanting to experiment with different fruits in our lemonade so of course.... blueberries! I called this Minion Punch and it was a hit. I don't let the kids have straight lemonade so this time was no different. And I debated about mashing the blueberries or leaving them whole. After thinking about it I decided mashed blueberries would turn the whole drink more of a purple color and that would not fit our Minion theme. 

Minion Punch Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups Organic Lemonade

3 cups water

2 cups Organic blueberries

1 can of pineapple tidbits (juice and all)

Ice (optional)

Directions:

Pour liquid ingredients into a large pitcher. Pineapple will fall to bottom. Add blueberries, they will float on top. We chilled ours in the fridge for an hour before departing to the drive in and didn't need ice... plus my pitcher couldn't hold anymore!

To get the kids uber excited about the movie, I asked Amberly if she would be able to come up with some type of Minion hat. She's my crafter and if you give her any kind of project, she will create something. 

She made hats for 5 of the 6 kids.  What I have learned is that if a kid really doesn't want to participate in something it is best not to make them and make it no big deal that they are choosing their own path. So even though I really wanted to get all 6 kids wearing Minion Party Hats for a photo it really was not the end of the world to have one kiddo opt out. Plus, Amberly was glad to have one less to make!

DIY Minion Party Hats:

Materials:

Yellow construction paper (extra long size to fit around the head)

Blue construction paper

White paper

Black marker

Tape or glue

Scissors

Instructions:

The yellow construction paper served as the Minion body and head of course.

Cut out the shape of the Minion overalls out of the blue construction paper. 

Tape the overalls to the yellow construction paper

Cut circles for eyes out of white paper and use black marker for pupils and goggles if so desired.

Tape the eyes towards the top of the hat.

Draw mouth with black marker.

Size the Minion Hat around child's head and cut to size in the back of the hat.

Use tape to secure complete circle hat.

After making her first hat Amberly realized that the eyes need to be right next to each other rather than set apart.

The kids sure had a lot of fun with our Minion Movie Drive In party! Here are the pictures to prove it:

As we pulled up to the drive-in theater

There's always a double feature but we don't make it through two movies.

Owen and his buddy hiding under their Minion hats.

Amberly and her friend turn their stuffed bears into Minions.

The Minion S'mores Trail Mix was a hit!

A quick Minion Movie selfie before sunset!

We will have to make this drive in movie party a new tradition! It really wasn't too much effort and everyone loved it! What kind of fun family traditions have you created this summer? Share your fun ideas in the comments! 

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.

Antique Engine & Tractor Show

What started off as a lazy Saturday picked up steam when I saw that my friend the Lovely Lysa had tickets to share for the Antique Engine & Tractor show in Vista. I asked my husband if he thought it would be fun and he said "Sure!" We grew up in Vista and his mom was pretty good about taking the kids to explore different things so he had been to the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum before. In fact he had taken the kids there before on a weekday when not much was going on. We figured this was a good way to have them get a glimpse of what life was like 100 years ago.

It took us about 30 minutes to head up the freeway and we still had 2 hours to walk around and explore. I must have taken 100 pictures! Good thing I had made room on my iPhone just the other day. 

As we entered the grounds I could already hear the muttering from the kids. They didn't think it was going to be any fun. My husband reminded them to have an open mind and to be appreciative of the fact that we had an opportunity to do something different. As you can see from the pictures, they ended up having a lot of fun! 

Now onto pictures...

Honking horns is great fun! Especially tractor horns.

We saw a water wagon that brought water in for the orchards.

Model T Fords were on display to see up up close.

The kids were drawn to the various water pumps. 

  

And when I saw this purple contraption of course I had to stop and gawk at it for a minute.

Who knew there were such a variety of corn huskers? It looks like we missed the demonstration.

 

There was an exhibitor with tables full of old fashioned kitchen gadgets

There was more to look at and touch...

I love thinking that about 100 years ago a father rigged up a small tractor and wagon for his son to help him around the farm.

And then we saw the playground.... and get this.... there was a Merry-Go-Round!

I didn't know if I was going to be able to pull them away from it! Since these things don't exist on San Diego playgrounds I had to let them take a spin. And the kicker is we almost walked by and missed it! I think we'll have to go back here in the not too distant future because I want to get some more pictures of them spinning. I did take some video and post it on instagram. I tend to post live from there as we explore San Diego so be sure to follow me there.

When we saw there was a train, the kids wanted to do that too! What's awesome is you pay just $1 and you can ride several times on the same day. Gotta love that!

I couldn't resist getting the kids fudge bars. They were only a dollar apiece. This place definitely makes it affordable for families. I was lucky to be get in under the wire and buy these fudge bars just as the sandwich shop was closing shop. 

The kids went to ride the train again and we listened to a banjo jam session.

Cory found the best seat for listening to the banjo jam session... The young man who was driving the train approached us and said he owned it and they started chatting about how Cory's grandpa used to own a tractor like this and the memories it brought back from being a kid and riding in his grandpa's lap while he drove it.

We were getting ready to head out.... but whenever I see vendors I have to go take a look-see and it is a good thing I did. I found this perfect blanket for the 4th of July. Guess how much I paid for it.... TWO DOLLARS. Okay, I am just loving this blanket! And I had a great conversation with the woman who sold it to me about how she hosted foreign exchange students a few years back. 

Then the same woman who sold me the blanket encouraged us to go over and see about building some rockets with one of the other vendors. Well, you can't say no to that! You'll have to check back when I share about that.

It was 4:30 pm and time for the show to shut down for the evening. Over the loud speaker we heard that the vendors and exhibitors or anyone staying overnight at the campgrounds was invited to partake in a tractor parade at 8 pm. Now that has got to be a cool thing to see!

Walking back to the car I saw these signs and knew we had more to come back and see. We didn't make it to the gift shop or the bake shop or the workshop! 

This event rolls back around in October and I am marking my calendar for it.

It ended up being a really fun outing for everyone. The next time an opportunity pops up for you to do something out of the ordinary, I hope you'll think back to this post and take advantage. Thank you again to the Lovely Lysa and North County Deals for this fun, educational experience.