fun

Tryazon- New Crafting Opportunity with Grabie Art!

Abby H.Leave a comment

I’ve been a fan of Tryazon for about 7 years. It’s an amazing company that works with manufacturers of toys, games, food, and recreational/sporting goods. Manufacturers supply their goods to consumers to try out and review for free.

The kids and I have received toys, games, craft kits, and art supplies to test and have fun with.

Right now, Tryazon has a fun toy sampling opportunity to apply for!

Bring home over $250 worth of art supplies and kits with this Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, from Grabie Art! The idea for Grabie started during the pandemic when they experienced the healing powers of creative expression through art. Grabie is dedicated to creating supplies that are fun, innovative, accessible, and supportive for mental health. This party pack includes a wide variety of engaging art projects with everything needed to create a finished project. Art kits include: Magnet Painting Bundle, Drop to Puff 3D Sponge Kits, Mini Diamond Art Cards, Wood Painting Kits, and Shrink to Sparkles Craft Kits! Get creative with Grabie Art this summer!

Tryazon has 100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack for free with a variety of Grabie Art Kits to share with friends and family!

Learn more and apply here.

Legoland Water Park: Kid Tested, Family Approved!

Abby H.

Last month, Legoland had a summer pass sale, and I took advantage of it, knowing it would be an awesome way for us to spend some time outside having fun this summer.

We used the passes for the first time on Friday to visit the Legoland Water Park.

We’ve never gone to the water park before, and it was pretty fun. Like some parts of Legoland, there are areas of the water park that are great for smaller kids, great for families, and some areas perfect for bigger kids. Here is a map of the park.

We spent a lot of time at the Chima area in the wave pool.

It is a walk-in pool, and the deep end is only 5 feet. The waves come on every 5 minutes, preceded by an alarm. The kids had an amazing time swimming in the waves (yes, we brought their goggles) and lazing in the shallow end.

We rented a locker for $16 and stashed all of our stuff- towels, snacks, dry clothes. We didn’t hunt for pool chairs on the deck because we arrived at 1pm; however, there were tons of chairs still available.  I wanted to splash and play in the water with the kids, not sit and watch!

The water slides were also a hit with the kids- I didn’t go on them because my rash guard has a zipper and you can’t have a zippered suit on the water slides (It can scratch the slides). That was cool with me- I waited below in the pool area.

The park wasn’t overcrowded, and there was plenty of water and space. There are tons of fun little areas to splash, relax, and build!

Both of these posts are full of tips for having the best time at Legoland!

Right now, Legoland California has a decent deal on 1 or 2-day park hopper passes.

Or if you only want to visit Legoland,  1-park passes start at $89!

No pics of the kids this time, but we did spot this Lego Monkey outside the backside of the Lego Hotel!

Remember, parking starts at $35 for the day. For our family, it made the most sense for the kids to get the summer passes and for me to get an annual pass that included parking. Based on how much a 1-day ticket costs and how much we paid, we only have to visit Legoland 4 more times before our passes pay for themselves. We’ve already got plans for our next visit!

2024 Summer Fun on A Budget!

Abby H.2 Comments

Today marks the first day of summer break for my kiddos. I am usually a lot more prepared and would have posted this on the blog already, but… Life happens.

I’ve got some stuff planned for summer, but not as much as I have during previous summers. I’m having surgery next week, so a lot of our activities will be more chill.

But we will be including:

If you are looking to beat the heat and need something free, check out the Waterfront Park downtown. They have a great splash pad area for kids, a really fun playground, and a big grassy area for picnics. The only downside- is no shade trees.

If you are looking for free summer lunches, Feeding America has a great list on its website here. 

And beyond that, if you are looking for free and low-cost food resources, check my page here.

Lyle Lyle Crocodile Review- We danced in our seats!

Abby H.

Earlier this week the kids and I went to a sneak preview of Lyle Lyle Crocodile.

For those not in the know, Lyle Lyle Crocodile started out as a character in a children’s book in the 1960s. The movie follows these same characters, The Primm family, Hector P. Valenti, star of stage and screen, and of course- Lyle, Lyle Crocodile!

My grandmother read me the original book when I was a child, and I’ve always loved it. I was so excited to share Lyle and the Primms with my kiddos.

Lyle doesn’t talk, but he is voiced through song by Shawn Mendes. The movie also stars Constance Wu and Javier Barden as Hector P. Valenti (and is a great singer and dancer).

The kids loved the story and songs. We all danced along in our seats. and I was informed it was “awesome and a good story” by the big kid, and “full of good music- tell the people on the internet to take their kids to see it” by the little kid. So there you go- a solid review from an 11-year-old boy, and a 7-year-old girl.

Check Lyle out online:

Official Film Site (with lots of fun printable coloring pages and activity pages)
Thanks to Boutique Publicity for getting us tickets to the sneak preview! All opinions are my own (and the kids). We received no financial incentive.

Tryazon Telestrations & Blank Slate Game Night

Abby H.


We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food.  You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Telestrations and Blank Slate have teamed up in this new Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, sponsored by The OP! These two award-winning and fan-favorite games have come together for a great party game night for you and your friends! Get everyone together for a night of fun, laughs, and memories!

Tryazon has 400 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack with a copy of Telestrations and Blank Slate to play with friends! Learn more and apply here.

7/15/2022 An All Inclusive Day of Play for Families!

Abby H.

We’ve gone to this event in the past, and it’s always a fun time with great resources.

FREE community event with activities, games, crafts, raffles, shopping, and resource booths for families of all abilities.

Activity Stations for kids including favorites:

  • Light Saber Creation Station
  • Jurassic Photo Op
  • Under-the-Sea Sensory Tent
  • Super Wheelchair Course
  • many more!

Family Resources & Networking  – Resource and service providers will be on-site to speak with parents and offer helpful information. Be sure to pick up a copy of Flourishing Families and San Diego Family at the Special Needs Resource Foundation of San Diego booth.

Sign up for your FREE TICKETS here.

Summer Stuff I love (Grown Up Edition)

Abby H.

Friends- I’ve been working on this post for a few days. I’m not feeling especially summery today (and wasn’t yesterday afternoon either), but I’m hoping to distract you over the weekend, so on Monday we can come together and help our friends and family who will need us in the coming months. I’m spending the afternoon crunching on Sonic ice cubes!

It’s summer, and that means for most parents keeping the kids entertained (or letting them get bored), constantly filling the snack box/drawer, and looking for ways to make sure everyone makes it through the 12 weeks of Summer “vacation” without injury. I use vacation in quotes because it’s not a fun, leisure-filled 12 weeks. Most of us have to work, in addition to balancing all of… this.

BUT- That doesn’t mean that parents can’t have fun or enjoy their time in the summer sun. Here are a few things that I have recently come to love:

Sonic Ice Cubes. They are the little pebble ice cubes. If you don’t have a Sonic near you, or if you are looking for a way to make the perfect Sonic type ice at home, look for a Nugget or Pebble ice maker or ice tray. Walmart has a table top nugget ice maker here.

Electrolyte drinks. Not Gatorade, something better. I know a lot of people like Liquid IV, but this frugal lady likes Hydramate from Dollar Tree and Key Nutrients Lemonade flavor from Amazon. These newer electroylte drinks also have vitamins and other key nutrients that we can sometimes miss out on.

I made a list on Amazon of some of my other favorite things this summer:

  • Good SPF- Gotta take care of your skin. You only get one body!
  • Speaking of SPF, a Long sleeve 1/2 zip swim shirt. They are amazing.
  • Reusable cups with lids – I like the color changing cups.
  • Yoga strap for stretching- especially good after a long day behind the week (or a long day sitting on the floor building legos).
  • After Sun lotion- even if you wear a good SPF, the sun and the sea/pool water can dehydrate your skin.
  • Compression socks- seriously. We walk a lot in the summer, and wearing compression socks has really helped my feet and legs from getting so heavy and tired.
  • These sweet kicks from New Balance. They are my go to shoe for a day full of walking.
  • Beach Towels– JCPenney has a great selection and they are on sale!
  • Cuticle oil. The summer sun is rough on your hands, especially your cuticles. Give them some love.
  • Bermuda Shorts. I’m pale, I’m plus size, and I am not a fan of short shorts. Bermuda shorts cover all of my pale parts. And they make me happy because htey have decent sized pockets.
  • Character popsicles. There are a couiple places in San Diego where you can buy the popsicles that the ice cream man sells in bulk or at a discount. California Ice Cream and Candy in Lakeside (that’s near my house), and Circus Man Ice Cream in National City.  The kids and I hit up our local store each week and drop $20 on Spongebob, TMNT, Tweety Bird, and other popsicles. That’s about 13 or so, and that lasts us about a week! I personally love the Powerpuff Girl ones, they are orange and cherry flavored.

Talk Back: What are your favorite summer essentials?

San Diego International Children’s Film Festival: Aug. 13

Abby H.

The San Diego International Children’s Film Festival is coming up on August 13, 2022. There will be short films from around the world in several categories: animation, narrative, & documentary.

  • 10 am to 5 pm Saturday, 8/13/22
  • Neil Morgan Auditorium at the San Diego Central Library downtown, 330 Park Blvd.
  • Free admission
  • Filmmaker and animator appearances!
  • Film schedule at www.childrensfilmsd.org
  • Register here

Spider-Man: No Way Home | Swings into digital TODAY #SpiderManNoWayHome

Abby H.

The excitement in our house is palpable. Everyone here loves Spidey!

Spiderman No Way Home swings to digital today, March 15, 2022! Available where you buy digital movies.

Available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD April 12, 2022.

For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero’s identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe. Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse.

We’re watching it tonight after the big kid’s birthday (dinner includes a Polar Pizza from Baskin Robbins).

Oh, and the best part:

Find all three Peters and more when you check out Spider-man: No Way Home on social media:

Dinosaurs Invade Miniland USA at Legoland California!

Abby H.

If your kiddos are like mine, they love dinosaurs and Legoland.

Our friends over at LEGOLAND® California Resort have created more than 30 of the massive creatures that have taken over the Big Apple in Miniland U.S.A. Guests can get up close to Stegosauruses, Brachiosauruses, Triceratopses and the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, among others, running rampant through the city. The fun scenes all depict what happens when a science convention has gone wrong and now families can join a LEGO® Mad Scientist in his search to find and identify all the creatures.

Each prehistoric reptile took a team of Master Model Builders more than 60 hours to design and construct. Each dinosaur weighs more than 20lbs and is built out of more than 30 thousand LEGO® bricks. Sharp LEGO® teeth, gigantic claws, and tiny T-rex arms are among the many identifiable characteristics of the carnivorous models. The Model Builders also had some fun creating silly and entertaining scenes in Time Square, Central Park, and high above the city skyline for all to enjoy.

LEGO dinosaurs will be roaming around the city that never sleeps now through summer at the Park… catch them fast before they go extinct!

The kids love Legoland, and they make it fun and easy for all families to enjoy their parks. If you are a family with special needs, check out my post about their Assisted Access Pass. And if you are trying to have fun on a budget- Legoland can be enjoyed on the cheap! Tips and tricks can be found here.

This dinosaur experience is included in the price of admission to LEGOLAND® California Resort. For LEGOLAND® California Resort ticket prices, Spring Break special offers, operating schedule, and additional information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call 760-918-LEGO (5346).