event

Legoland California Treats Kids to a Bricktacular Halloween in Miniland USA!

Abby H.

Fall is a time for costumes, treats, and family fun, and even though LEGOLAND® California is still awaiting approval to open, the Resort is joining in the festivities with an outdoor experience of its own…Introducing: Halloween in Miniland! Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during October (Oct. 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, 30 & 31) the Park’s Miniland U.S.A  becomes a not-so-spooky Halloween destination filled with activities, tasty treats, and one of a kind LEGO® Halloween décor inviting families to wear their favorite costumes and have safe fun.

Halloween in Miniland features character meet and greets, virtual costume contests, a Miniland scavenger hunt, LEGO building activities, and, of course, a goody bag filled with candy and a LEGO surprise! Families can enjoy savory food options at Smoke House BBQ and NINJA Kitchen and satisfy sweet cravings with LEGOLAND California’s world-famous Granny’s Apple Fries. The treats don’t stop there as families can also take a stroll through The Big Shop to find the latest must-have LEGO sets.

LEGOLAND® Hotel and LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel will also join in on the Halloween fun with festive décor throughout the fall season! Guests visiting SEA LIFE® aquarium will be treated to special Halloween decorations and LEGO models that will be on display underwater in the aquarium’s tanks.

Halloween in Miniland is a special outdoor experience and admission can be purchased online for as low as $12.99. Guests are required to purchase tickets online in advance to reserve access to Miniland for their desired dates and time to visit. As guests and employees’ health and safety remain the top priority at LEGOLAND California Resort, guests will experience some differences in Miniland including reduced capacity, cashless payments, social distancing practices, and enhanced cleaning regimes. Face coverings (PPE) will be required for all guests three years old and up as well as for staff members. Guests are highly encouraged to visit the Resort’s website for further guest experience and visiting details. For more information, and to purchase tickets to Halloween at Miniland or SEA LIFE aquarium, visit www.legoland.com/california.

WHEN: Oct. 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, 30 &31

  • Friday: 3- 7pm
  • Saturday: 10am-2pm or 3pm-7pm
  • Sunday: 11am-3pm

October is Kids Go Free Month!

Abby H.

October is a great time to be a kid in San Diego!

This October 1-31, kids 12 and under receive free admission at many art, cultural, and science museums and historical sites in San Diego County. This year may be a little different with closures due to COVID-19, so please call each attraction prior to visiting.

For those of us with curious kids, this is perfect! Kids can get into over 40 museums in the San Diego area free with paying adults (all the info can be found here).

Some of the participating organizations include:

Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Fleet Science Center (Galleries only)
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
Heritage of the Americas Museum
Japanese Friendship Garden
Living Coast Discovery Center
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Marston House Museum & Gardens
Mingei International Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Making Music
Museum of Photographic Arts
San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Automotive Museum
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego History Center
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)
Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center
Timken Museum of Art (it’s always free for everyone FYI)
Women’s Museum of California

A full list can be found here. Oh, and as part of free October, Kids can get into the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park free when accompanied by a paying adult!  Other Kids go free attractions include: Legoland, Sea World, and the USS Midway!!

*Some museums charge fees for special exhibitions, programs or films. Some museums may limit offer use to once per month per guest. Purchase of a Balboa Park Explorer Pass does not qualify as a paid adult admission for the Kids Free in October program. Purchase of a Go San Diego Pass or card does not qualify as a paid adult admission for the Kids Free in October program at most museums; call museum(s) before visiting to enquire. 

FREE Virtual All-Inclusive READ 3X3 Literacy Event (San Diego and Imperial Counties)

Abby H.

 

This FREE virtual event on Saturday Sept. 12, is hosted by the Special Needs Resource Foundation of San Diego and San Diego Family Magazine.

Three local authors, Henry Herz, Margarita Elizondo and Cindy Jenson-Elliott, will entertain children with a virtual book reading and craft.

Each child that registers for the event will receive a free book and craft supplies, donated by the Special Needs Resource Foundation of San Diego and San Diego Family Magazine.

Families who register will pick up their FREE event book and craft supplies bags* through a contactless drive-by pick up. Details will be sent after registration is complete.

Sign up on Eventbrite today! Please register for the county you live in.

San Diego County: www.eventbrite.com/e/all-inclusive-read-3×3-literacy-event-san-diego-county-tickets-115791719149

Imperial County: www.eventbrite.com/e/all-inclusive-read-3×3-literacy-event-imperial-county-tickets-117657008279

*Tickets are limited.

A big thank you to our event sponsors!

Free Backpacks and School Supplies for 2020!

Abby H.

10997200_1551314338450648_5653174165881717305_nThis article contains location specific giveaways- for nationwide info, scroll to the bottom of the article.

For the past few years the great folks over at SMOAC have been doing an incredible service to the Eastern San Diego County school kids by offering free backpacks and school supplies.

And this year is no different! This year, they are hosting a drive-thru style event at two locations:

  • Rio Seco School 9545 Cuyamaca Street or Pride Academy 9303 Prospect Ave (Both in Santee)
  • August 16, 2020
  • 10AM until supplies run out
  • Kids must be present in the car
  • 1 backpack per child
  • This will be a contactless delivery event- Please Print the form here and complete it per the directions.

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And for those of you not in the immediate area, there are all sorts of other free school supply and backpack giveaways going on.

Boost Mobile is giving away backpacks and school supplies. More info is here. In San Diego County, there is 1 Boost Mobile in Oceanside that is participating.

Operation Homefront is having giveaways for military families on bases all over the US. Here is a list for 2020.

Rentacalc does free giveaways for backpacks, graphing calculators and protractors! You can learn more and enter to win here.

3/6/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesThis weekend we’re doing prep for Big Kid’s 9th Birthday Party. I’m looking forward to some tasty Ice Cream Cake next Saturday!

I’m stoked to get this weekend kicked off with a grip of freebies and cool deals.

 

 

In-Store/Events:

Deals:

 

 

BLOOM: An Event for New and Expecting Moms

Abby H.
close up of hands holding baby feet
Photo by Rene Asmussen on Pexels.com

Are you currently expecting a baby? Have you had a baby within the past year? Are you planning to grow your family soon? If so, this BLOOM event is for YOU!

In partnership with their national network, City Mom Collective, they will be hosting BLOOM: an event for new and expecting moms on Sunday, April 26th from 9am-12pm at the beautiful Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Bay.  This exclusive event is designed to bring new and expecting moms the latest must-have products as well as the newest information possible from local experts.  BLOOM is presented by Children’s Primary Care Medical Group, the largest pediatric primary care group in San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties.

I really wish there were more events like this when I was still having babies! I love the camaraderie and friendship that these types of events have. It’s so empowering to meet other moms and learn and grow. And also have brunch without having to share! Today until NOON, there is a 40% off sale!

FLASH SALE 40% OFF Tickets
BLOOM: An Event for New and Expecting Moms!
Sunday, April 26th from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
at the beautiful Bahia Resort Hotel

Code FLASH40 (Sale ends TODAY at NOON)

Early Bird BLOOM VIP Ticket
40% OFF – $58  (Regular Price $95)
Includes a VIP swag bag {valued at $400+}, a welcome mimosa or mocktail, Access to VIP brunch and lounge, refreshments, early entrance from 9am-10am and your choice of a mini maternity or mommy & me session with a professional photographer and 2 digital photographs {valued at $200+}, with the option to purchase additional photos at a discounted rate.  A total value of $600+. VIP ticket holders will receive 12 raffle tickets.

Early Bird BLOOM Premier Ticket
40% OFF – $24 (Regular Price – $40)
Includes a swag bag with high quality product samples {valued at $100+}, a welcome mimosa or mocktail, light brunch, refreshments and access to all vendors and special speakers from 10am-12pm. Premier ticket holders will receive 6 raffle tickets.

Put the FUN in Fundraising with Uptown Jungle!

Abby H.

86723436_2767364806686857_2639936442016464896_o.jpgWhen you’ve got kids, fundraising is part of life. Wrapping paper, candy, cookie dough are just a few of the things that kids have to peddle these days.

If you are looking for a new fundraiser, check out Uptown Jungle!

Uptown Jungle provides a fast and easy way for groups, schools, churches, teams, and nonprofit organizations to raise some serious cash, just for playing around and having fun.

You keep 35% of your group’s admissions! Having done a lot of fundraising in my time, that is a great return.

There are two ways to fundraise:

Screen Shot 2019-06-21 at 9.05.16 AM

Uptown Jungle is a great place for kids of all ages to play! With a special tots area for littler kiddos, you can rest assured that your littles will be safe and have fun. Bigger kids can bounce, run, climb and explore safely. And parents who don’t want to play can chill in the parents lounge. Oh yeah, there is free WiFi.

2/28/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesIt’s Friday, and a leap year, so there is another excuse to celebrate. Also, leap year means some cool free offers too!

If you haven’t checked out my birthday freebies list, what are you waiting for? I updated it for 2020-Everyone has a birthday, go sign up for some freebies!

Let’s dive into the pile of freebies and deals and see what’s cool…

Freebies:

Magazine Subscriptions:

Events:

 

Deals:

 

Leap Year Freebies and Deals:

Olive Garden: Take Home entrees will be $2.29 Saturday. Entrees include choice of Fettuccine Alfredo, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. There’s also a birthday deal!

Del Taco: To mark the limited return of its crispy Jumbo Shrimp Taco, get a coupon on the Del Taco app for a free shrimp taco with any purchase to redeem Leap Day weekend.

Stella Artois: The beer brand has a Leap Day fund with $366,000 until it runs out. Get a rebate for a six-pack, 12-pack or 24-pack. of beer purchased through Saturday and apply for the rebate by March 6 by tweeting @StellaArtois or posting on its Facebook page and using #UnCancelPromo this #LeapDay. Learn more at www.stellaartois.com/LeapDayFund.

 

 

Parents Helping Parents: Behavior Training 3/10/2020

Abby H.

download.jpgOn Tuesday, March 10, 2020, the Santee School district is presenting a behavior training with a “Make it, Take it” for behavior resources at home.

Visual Schedules: Children benefit from increased structure and predictability. Help take the stress out of your daily routine by providing
your child with a visual schedule.

Behavior Contracts: Contracts help keep kids on track and reduce family battles. Let us help you create one for your home!

Zones of Regulation: Help teach your child how to identify how they’re feeling and then utilize a co teach them about self-control.

Positive Reinforcement: Learn how to shape your child’s behavior with positive discipline. This will help to reinforce behaviors we want to increase in the home.

Santee’s Behavior Team Come meet Santee’s behavior team and find helpful strategies to implement at home. You’ll leave with individualized strategies and resources that you can begin implementing right away. You’ll have access to three team members to help you create individualized systems for your child! Listed above are just a few of the strategies you’ll go home with!

 

This event is free- If you have any questions, or wish to RSVP, contact the school district office at: (619) 258-2300

Date & Time: 3/10/2020 9:30am-11am
Location: Santee School District 9625 Cuyamaca. Santee, CA 92071

San Diego STEM Expo 3/7/2020!

Abby H.

unnamed.jpgWe are more of a STEAM house, because you have to have ART, but I’ll let it slide in this case because the San Diego STEM Expo is coming to PetCo Park on 3/7/2020 and it’s going to be an awesome day full of all kinds of cool kid-friendly fun and learning!

The San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering kicks off with its largest event EXPO DAY, a daylong celebration at PETCO Park on Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 10am to 5pm. EXPO DAY is the Festival’s signature event, with more than 130 local businesses, corporations, and organizations providing interactive, hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math exhibits and activities to budding K-12 science lovers.

And to make sure that no kiddo is left out of the fun, there will be a PRE-K ZONE!
Location: Between Park at the Park and the Tot Lot.

There will be STEAM activities for children under 5 at EXPO Day! Visit the pre-k zone to excite your tiny future innovators. All activities are for children under 5 years of age. I know that the big kid can’t wait to introduce little sister to the joys of science!

I’m most excited about the fireside chats: A mini version of the TED Talk. Join industry professionals for an engaging 10-15 minute discussion in an intimate setting! Learn about their careers and what sparked them to the world of science, technology, engineering, and math! Following the discussion, there will be time for the audience to participate in extended conversations and Q&A.

We’ll be packing snacks, riding the trolley, and making an entire day of it!