san diego – Page 31 – Hewes Family Fun

The new Freedom Tower at Legoland California- And a great deal!

July 3, 2016Abby H.

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that Lil’ Man and I hit up the town on Thursday- The Legoland Mini-town that is.

On June 30th, Freedom Tower, the Miniland version of the One World Trade Center was revealed! It’s pretty amazing! It’s built with 250,000 Lego Bricks! It weighs over 1000 pounds, stands over 26 feet tall (that’s the tallest lego structure in the US!), and it took 8 Master Builders 1200 hours to complete. It’s breath taking!

In addition to the Freedom Tower, there are replicas of the 9/11 Memorial’s twin reflecting pools, the grove of memorial trees, and the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

Here are some views from the Coast Cruise ride:

Little Man’s hand at the bottom- practicing his Vanna moves.

If you don’t have plans for the 4th tomorrow, Check out the Legoland Red, White, and Boom!

Don’t miss Fireworks set to a patriotic musical tribute with great viewing in designated locations throughout the Park. Throughout the day, kids of all ages can enjoy performances, meet their favorite LEGO^® Friends and Characters, and participate in all-American family picnic games, like water-balloon tosses, burlap sack races, the Family Build Challenge and LEGO Hamburger relay.

The celebration lasts from 1:00pm to 9:00pm with fireworks at 8:30pm. All Red, White and BOOM! activities are included in the cost of admission to LEGOLAND California.

Speaking of Admission, here is the deal I alluded to earlier… When you buy one Legoland Play pass at regular price, you can come back to play the rest of 2016 FREE! Enjoy unlimited admission now through December 25, 2016 to LEGOLAND California. For details and to purchase, click here.

Our Rockin’ Party at Rockin’ Jump!

June 30, 2016Abby H.

Lil’ Man’s Birthday is in March and Itty Bittums turned one mid-June, but I’m never one to turn down a party! When Rockin’ Jump offered me a party for 10 jumpers in exchange for a review, well, I jumped at the chance!

Screen Shot 2016-06-30 at 4.58.31 PM The party was so much fun! We had 9 jumpers, and we bounced, jumped, and played for 90 minutes. In addition to the Open Bounce area, There is the X-Beam, Dodgeball, basketball, Stunt Bag Arena,Vertical OPS Climbing Wall, and mini golf! Mini Golf wasn’t included in the party package, but you can add it for an extra cost. Screen Shot 2016-06-30 at 5.00.33 PM

Screen Shot 2016-06-30 at 5.06.09 PM

Then we retired to our private party room for pizza and drinks. The parents enjoyed a pitcher of Diet Pepsi, and the kids had Capri Sun’s. You can bring in your own cake, so not one to pass up a chance to eat cake, Lil’ Man asked if I could bring one. So I did. It was soooo good. It was from the nearby Gaemme Bake shop.

The kids had an AMAZING time. I got lots of texts and messages via Facebook afterwards letting me know that the kids took naps in the car or spoke of nothing else but the fun time they had bouncing.

Having done a lot of research for party venues, I am completely impressed with the value that Rockin’ Jump offers! It’s clean, well-maintained, and the party package is perfect for any busy family! You even get an editable email invitation to email out for your party!

No clean up, no food to prepare (other than the cake you bring), no games or prizes to think about, in other words: no hassle! You even get your own party host (ours was Stevie- he was super nice!).

There are discounts off the Ultimate Birthday Package, Jump Time and Jump and Mini-Golf combo’s! Find all the great deals here.

Screen Shot 2016-06-30 at 5.06.28 PM — PIZZA!!! Even Bitty loves it!

I received this party for free from Rockin’ Jump and USFG in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own, and all of the photos are courtesy of Christine Boyce at Clicks by Christine!

Review: Little Red Howse Soaps!

June 9, 2016Abby H.2 Comments

Now we have no excuses- No stinky Hewes Family!

There are few things I love more in this world than helping other women succeed at what they love. And one of my friends has blossomed at what she loves: making natural body care products that are cruelty free, artificial fragrance and dye free, and most of the products are vegan! Little Red Howse is a locally owned, female run company with awesome products!

Chiffon makes a full line of all natural bath and body products for the whole family. This includes handcrafted artisan soap, hand cream, sugar scrub, bath tea & salts & bombs, lip balm, baby soap & bum balm, essential oils (singles + blends), herbal salves.

Chiffon gave me a whole lot of great products to try- The only one not pictured above is the baby soap. I took it into the bathroom and used it in the kids bath as soon as we got home from camping. Those kids were DIRTY! The baby soap is perfect for delicate and sensitive skin! It’s unscented and makes tons of bubbles/lather, which is important when you have a baby who loves to play in the bath!

Henry’s Favorite soap is the “lemon scrubby soap” aka the Loofah soap. It’s got lemon essential oil in it, and a slice of loofah in it. He told me that it makes him feel “Soft and pink”. Little boys have gross elbows and knees and after his bath, both were soft and pink, just like he said! Honestly, I haven’t tried anything I didn’t like.

The baby butt balm is a big hit too- Bitty Bird gets diaper rash if you look at her sideways and most of the creams we had tried didn’t go anything. I’ve stashed the tin in my purse, so it’s always with us!

Little Red Howse can be purchased online through their Facebook page, or events all over San Diego. They always have sales and specials too!

Right now, The specials include 3 Oz bath bombs $3, soaps $5, lip balms 2/$5, hand creams $6. Military Discount 10% off year round. And wholesale pricing available for 25+ bars. Mother’s Milk (breastmilk) Soap 12 bars for $50. Only 15 oz of mother’s milk is needed (you’ve gotta supply that yourself!).

These products make awesome gifts! If you are looking for baby or bridal shower gifts, a bar of soap, a bath balm and a lip balm would be great tucked into a gift bag! A tube of lip balm or a bar of soap would make a great shower favor.

Check out Little Red Howse on Facebook or Instagram!

Talk-Back: What scent helps you relax?

San Diego, CA area Coupon Group looking for new members!

June 5, 2016Abby H.

Are you a new couponer looking for a couponing tribe of friends who “get” your love of saving? Are you an old time couponer who remembers the Good Ol’ Days of Double coupons?

If you live in San Diego and are interested in finding some like minded couponing buddies, check out my new Facebook group here.

We’ll be getting together in East County twice a month to talk strategies, tips, hints, and of course, to share coupons!

In between meetings, we’ll share tips and tricks, hot deals, and share our love of saving!

Jump into Fun at Rockin’ Jump San Diego!

May 10, 2016Abby H.

With summer coming, I know moms and dads will be on the hunt for fun, frugal stuff to do with the kids. I was stoked to learn about Rockin’ Tots at Rockin’ Jump San Diego!

Henry LOVES trampolines! It’s a great way to burn off energy and get some wiggles out. Rockin’ Jump San Diego– is the Ultimate Trampoline Park! Fun for kids of all ages! Rockin Jump has a massive main trampoline jump arena and slam dunk zone. The trampoline dodgeball arena provides something for everyone along with more fun attractions! Rockin Jump also offers the perfect Birthday Party Venue and a healthy family activity! I can’t wait to take him!

Right now there are some special Deals at Rockin’ Jump – Come jump, flip, bounce and climb at Rockin’ Jump, San Diego’s Ultimate Indoor Trampoline park. Not only do they have a huge trampoline arena, we have dodgeball, a stunt air-bag, Joisting, rock climbing, basketball slam-dunk, a tots-only arena, mini-golf and a cafe’. There are discounts off the Ultimate Birthday Package, Jump Time and Jump and Mini-Golf combo’s! Find all the great deals here.

We’ll be visiting soon to check out all of the fun and the party package! I’ll be sure to report back with details and tons of pictures!

@usfg

Rocking out with the Spinjitzu Masters at Legoland California!

May 2, 2016May 2, 2016Abby H.

If you follow me on instagram, you know that Lil’ Man and I got a sneak preview of the new Ninjago World at Legoland California last week.

NINJAGO_THE RIDE_R_BLACK_Original_CMYK

And we had a BLAST! Ninjago the ride is crazy fun! Ninjago World opens officially on May 5th, just in time for summer adventures with your littles!

Rockin' the 3 d glasses! — Rockin’ the 3 d glasses!

LEGO NINJAGO tells the story of four young ninja heroes – Kai, Jay, Cole and Zane – who train under the watchful eye of Master Wu to master an ancient martial art – Spinjitzu. NINJAGO The Ride enables guests to demonstrate their ninja skills without the use of a hand held device and instead, they simply use their hand gestures. Riders collect points for their training and battle efforts throughout the ride and scores are displayed when their quest is completed.

What I love is that the ride isn’t passive, everyone gets involved- and let me tell you, after riding it 3 times, my arms were tired! Everyone in our car got into the action!

In addition to the new Ninjago The Ride, there are tons of fun activities to keep the kiddos entertained. Henry loved Kai’s Spinners, where you test your balance as you stand on one of Kai’s spinning platforms and twirl!

There is also a building stations where guests can tap into their inner imagination and create LEGO models inspired by NINJAGO. If the kids need to get their wiggles out, check out the rock wall! Kids can test their agility as they scale a rock wall. Or, check out the lightening drill! Guests can test their speed by pushing the lit up buttons in the speed cage.

And of course, you can’t go to Legoland without running into a few of your favorite Lego Characters!

In addition to the fun rides and activities, Ninjago World has some tasty treats too. We got to try tasty sandwiches from Ninja Kitchen!

LEGOLAND chefs have put a special twist on Asian street food with Banh Mi Vietnamese sandwiches on fresh baked baguette or steamed Bao Buns with your choice of crispy pork belly, lemongrass chicken or baked sweet chili tofu.

We had a great time! It was fun to check out the sights and sounds of Legoland California.

If you are looking for good deals on admission to Legoland California, here are a few options:

Costco: They frequently have discount tickets available.

Denny’s: Right now, select Denny’s have kids go free coupons available. When you buy an adult ticket, receive a kids ticket free. I’ve only seen this offer in San Diego area locations. I’m not sure if this deal is other places.

Legoland California: Special $35 tickets this weekend only!

April 20, 2016Abby H.

unnamed Community Days This Weekend!
$35 Admission to LEGOLAND

Support our local science, arts and after school programs this Saturday and Sunday!

Specially-priced $35 LEGOLAND tickets include admission with Park hours extended to 8 p.m. for even more family fun!

Buy your tickets online here. You can also get tickets to the SEALife Aquarium at Legoland for just $9!!

This event is very crowded, so please remember to be patient!

Gardening: Fun for the whole Family!

March 17, 2016Abby H.

watering and talking to the bell pepper plant.

Henry loves to garden. He loves planting seeds, watering, talking to the plants , and harvesting the fruits and veggies (even if he isn’t too hip on eating them all-yet!)

I think that it’s because of our heritage. My Maternal Great-Grandfather was a farmer in Minnesota.

Since we live upstairs in a condo, we don’t have 40 acres to plow and sow. So, like many urban farmers, we turn to container gardening. I have a growing Pinterest Board dedicated to container gardening, and I encourage you to join it!

Here are a few ways that we were able to start our garden on a budget:

I kept my eyes peeled on Craigslist free section for pots, I also put feelers out on social media for anyone getting rid of pots. That’s how we scored an awesome clay pot for our wild flowers!
We purchased heavy duty plastic pots at 99 Cents Only. They have a great selection of basic gardening tools, pots, planters, and tomatoes cages- all for $1.49 or less!
I found a great deal on seeds at Dollar Tree. I was able to pick up this box of seeds for only $1.00! I only used part of the box, since we don’t have a lot of room for our flowers. In addition to American Seed brand, they also had some Burpee brand seeds!
Most gardening stores are having sales right now- check out your local shop and see what kind of plants are on sale! We picked up a huge bag of soil, organic tomatoes (complete and in a planter with a cage), Green Bell Pepper, a 6 pack of strawberries, and a lavender bush for less than $50. We opted to purchase some plants in addition to seeds, just so Henry doesn’t lose interest in our garden (waiting for a tomato seed to grow into a bush is mind-numbing).

We are saving money on water too! Whenever it rains, we get out our rain buckets and collect as much as we can. It usually is only a few gallons, but we are able to use that water and not turn on the tap.

If you are new to gardening and aren’t sure what to plant or where to plant, check out Sunset Magazine’s Climate Guide. It will give you the ins and outs of when and what to plant. Luckily here in San Diego, it’s pretty temperate all year, so we can plant a lot of different plants.

Some of you may be wondering why we are growing wild flowers and lavender, since neither will produce any food. Well, no food for us, but food for bees! Without bees to pollinate the flowers on our fruit and veggies plants, there would be no food for us to harvest and enjoy! I try to plant flowers each year to entice the bees to visit our garden!

Last year we hand garden stakes with the names of our crops written on them. The sun faded them in no time. This year, we opted to do garden stones. I found a great project on pinterest and changed it up based on our needs.

We were recently gifted with two HUGE boxes of craft supplies and they contained these really cool wooden Whirligig/spinners (kinda like these). All we had to do was paint them! We quickly painted them up and added them to our planters!

I think gardening is a wonderful project for any family. It can be as small as a tomato plant on your patio, or as big as renovating your backyard to have a mini-farm! Gardening teaches kids about the life cycle of plants, and how to care for something else. I think it’s important that everyone know where food comes from, and how hard it can be at times (especially when you are waiting for it to ripen), so that we don’t take for granted our food.

Talk Back: I’d love to see your gardens too! Please comment with a photo, or let me know what you are growing!

Family Fun this weekend at the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering 2016!

March 3, 2016Abby H.

SDFSE-EXPO-Day-IMG_9641-Photo by Melissa Jacobs Henry informed me the other day that he wants to be a farmer scientist. We’ve started our garden of tomatoes, strawberries, bell peppers, lavender (to encourage bees to visit our garden), wild flowers, and a succulent. Henry really wanted to have a cactus garden, but I worried about Birdie being around pokey plants once she’s a little bigger and able to play outside on the patio.

I am super excited to take him and Bitty Bird to the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering 2016 down at Petco Park on Saturday, March 5th.

The event runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., we’ll be there at 10 on the dot. Henry is excited to get hands on with all kinds of experiments and fun! There are scheduled to be 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.

New EXPO Day Features for 2016:

The Recycle Challenge: Are you familiar with the phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? Are you into technology, creativity and want to help keep our planet green? Well, the blue bin isn’t the only place for your recyclables. With a little imagination and craftiness you can turn your “trash” into awesome works of art! In this Star Wars-themed challenge, students in grades 5 to 12, will convene in teams of four to design, build and present a wearable garment or innovative device out of recycled materials to wear in the Star Wars Universe! Student inventors will then present their creation and explain how they built it and/or where in the Star Wars universe it will be utilized.
K-Zone: Looking for a place where your youngest scientist can unleash their natural creative ability in a setting where they are free to touch, explore, and participate in whatever their developing minds can come up with? The K-Zone is a place where budding tinkerers can come and explore numerous activities guaranteed to nurture and engage their active minds. Go ahead and let them run free, they just might change the world. (this is where we’ll be for most of the day, I’m sure!)
TedXKids@ElCajon Take The Stage: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. This local version will showcase the passion and potential of our children! Organized by the Cajon Valley Union School District, these students offer a unique platform to share their ideas. Connect with our future leaders, and leave inspired. Come see samplings of their talks throughout the day on the Dugout Stage!
Student Designed Merchandise: Come check out the winners of our STEM Design completion. This year we’ve got sizes for the whole family and newly featured women’s racerback tank tops! Pay tribute to our local student artists. The Festival continues to work hard to keep all items very family affordable with nothing over $10! The merchandise tent is located inside Park at the Park – check it out and get your awesome Festival gear to wear all year long!
Star Wars – Steampunk Universe: The two fastest expanding creative universes, Star Wars and Steampunk, will converge at the Star Wars – Steampunk Universe booth, just inside the Gaslamp Gate entrance. Learn how to salvage your everyday watch and bicycle gears, vintage brass plumbing parts, industrial revolution steam era antiques, old leather and lace into personal visual expressions of your love of the Star Wars saga. Come by and take photos with the Star Wars – Steampunk Universe crew. Kids will also be able to participate in a fun coloring activity. Booth attendees will also learn how Star Wars – Steampunk Universe turns “Cosplay into Cause-play,” combining their love of dressing up and participating in charity and community events.
Bright Idea Society Alley – Powered By ViaSat: No need to scour the map, our Bright Idea Society winners this year will all be gathered together in their own row inside park at the park! The three winning schools include Olive Elementary, Feaster Engineering Charter, and Dragons 5229 Boys & Girls Clubs. Come be fascinated by these young minds and let them teach you!

If you are looking for a fun, free event to take your kids to this weekend, check out the Festival! I hope to see you there!

9 Fun, Frugal things to do this Spring Break in San Diego!

March 3, 2016Abby H.

Spring break is just a few weeks away for most of us. We get two weeks, and I know some schools get three (you have my condolences). If you are looking for some fun, frugal stuff to do to pass the time, here are a few adventures we’ll be having:

Santee Lakes Splash Pad should be open. They are re-surfacing the ground there right now! IMG_0931_2

Shell Hunting at the beach: Low tide is the best time to go. Check the tide charts here.

Balboa Park offers Free Tuesdays at various museums in the park.

Hiking and a picnic at Old Mission Dam

Gillespie Field Duck Pond: Located on Billie Mitchell Drive in El Cajon, it’s a great place to stop, check out ducks and turtles and explore a little nature in the big city. Plus afterwards, you can stop by the Aerospace Museum Hangar on Kenney Road. It where the Aerospace museum keeps their place that are off exhibit or are being restored. It’s donation suggested, but you can pop by for free. The guys who work there are excited to have kids stop by. If you are feeling peckish, stop by the Gillespie Cafe and have a bite on the patio and watch the planes take off and land.

Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve: Lots of fun trails and paths, and if you’ve got it in you, there is a trail that leads down to some cool, hidden waterfalls! Don’t forget water and a snack!

The playground and Waterfront Park downtown are always fun. However, the water park area will be closed for maintenance for most of March. However the playground is RAD!!

Looking to enjoy a little bit of history? The Missions in San Diego are fun and educational. There are three in San Diego County: San Diego de Alcala (in Mission Valley), San Luis Rey (in Oceanside), and the Santa Ysabel Asistencia (in Santa Ysabel). If you go up to Santa Ysabel, stop for pie and bread at Dudley’s!

It’s wild Flower season out in Borrego Springs! Head down and check out the flowers, the fun(and free) museum, and don’t forget to check out Galleta Meadows! The awesome metal sculptures in the Borrego Springs area by artist Ricardo Breceda. Check out a printable map here, and here is a video about the awesome sculptures. This is one of Henry’s favorite things to do!

If you are looking for other fun stuff, here is an article I wrote last summer about summer fun!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: