Giveaway: Enter to Win Two LegoLand California Park Hopper Tickets!

img_9875I am so excited to share these tickets! As a LegoLand Blogger, I am given two free Park Hopper tickets each year. I can use them myself, or give them away.

I’ve decided to give them away. I want one of you to experience the fun of Legoland! This pair of tickets expires 12/31/16, so you still have a while to go and experience the fun of Legoland California!

If you haven’t been to Legoland, it’s a great way to spend a day! There are tons of fun things to do: Rides, Shows, and of course, stations to build and play! We love the build and play area next to Heartlake City. It has a Duplo Theme. There is a playground, and in the playground you will find various stations where kids (and grown ups) can build whatever you’d like!

If you are looking to save some money, I recommend that you take a bottle of water (at least one). All of the snack stations/restaurants will refill your empty bottles. We take our Camelback bottles. The kids have these smaller bottles, and hubs and I have these larger bottles.  We also take snacks to munch on throughout the day. Family favs include: Apples, orange slices, fruit snacks, crackers and seed butter, protein bars (we are currently digging on Balance Bars). However, we do splurge on the Apple Fries- They are sooooo good!

To enter to win the pair of Legoland California Park Hopper ticket, please use the Rafflecopter widget below (or visit here). Please note that it is not mobile friendly, you need to enter from a desktop!

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Two free offers at San Diego area McDonald’s!

Right now there are two great free offers at McDonald’s! Both of which are on the healthy side.

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-9-50-19-amThis week, Sept. 8-10 from 7 to 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visit a participating San Diego County McDonald’s restaurant to sample a Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait made with nonfat vanilla Chobani® Greek Yogurt.

Combined with the sweet taste of strawberries and blueberries, and topped with granola, Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfaits are perfect for breakfast, as a side, or a mid-day snack – especially with the classic vanilla taste of Chobani® Greek Yogurt.  YUM! I think Bitty Bird and I will hit up our local McDo’s after the Y today and get a coffee and free Parfait!

And offer #2 is a favorite around these parts!

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On Tuesday, Sept. 13, participating restaurants will offer free breakfast from 6:30-9:30 a.m. to students in kindergarten through eighth grade when an accompanying adult uses the McDonald’s App. In San Diego County, students can enjoy an Egg McMuffin or Egg White Delight, apple slices and milk.

To redeem this offer, an adult must download or have already downloaded the McDonald’s App, present the offer to the cashier and ask the cashier for the free back-to-school breakfast. Students younger than 13 years of age are required to be accompanied by a parent/adult to redeem this offer at participating McDonald’s restaurants. This offer may vary throughout the state and only one breakfast is allowed per student.

The MCDonald’s App is pretty cool. You can earn free McCafe Beverages, and there are coupons that are only available on the app (like BOGO happy meals and free upgrades!).

So there you go! Two tasty deals. Thanks to my Friend Su for the heads up on the second offer!

San Diego Fire Rescue 5K & Kids Run October 8!

SDFRF_5K_medal_finalI am so excited to share this great event with you all!

Fire danger is real here in San Diego, and as a result, San Diegans have a special affinity for Firefighters and other emergency workers. To help these firefighters train and continue to hone their skills, The San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation is proud to sponsor the San Diego 5K & Kids Run.

The event is on October 8, 2016- It’s also a great way to kick off Fire Prevention Week!

The San Diego Fire Rescue 5K & Kids Run is for everyone and offers several divisions including:

  • 5K Run/Walk,
  • 5K Run/Walk Stroller Division,
  • 5K Public Safety Division,
  • 1-mile Kids Run and a 100 meter Sparky Sprint

Firefighters will run along with participants and meet them at the finish line to hand out finisher’s medals.

Families, the community and race participants can also enjoy the interactive Fire Safety Expo. The Expo features firefighter demonstrations, SDFD specialty divisions including Bomb Squad, Hazmat and Heavy Rescue. Also present will be Sparky the Fire Dog, San Diego Project Heart Beat, CERT San Diego, San Diego Lifeguards, SDG&E Fire Safety House and more.

Race Details:

When:  Saturday, October 8, 2016   First Race Start: 8:30 am

Where:  Embarcadero Marina Park South 200 Marina Park Way San Diego, CA 92101

Admission:      Entrants may sign up online hereI have a special for my readers,  Save $5 off your entry fee with coupon code: SDFIRE5K 

  • $40 – July 1 through September 11
  • $45 – September 12 through October 1
  • $50 – October 2 through October 7
  • $25 – 1 Mile (Kids ages 6 – 12)
  • $10 – Sparky Sprint (Kids ages 3 – 5)

Entry fee includes: race shirt, drawstring goodie bag, custom finisher’s medal, access to the safety expo and beer garden (21+). Individuals, families, and kids are welcomed participants. Awards will be presented for first place male and female in each division!

As the course is very flat and stroller friendly, we’ll be walking as a family, and I’d love to see readers out there as well! If you participate, please let me know!

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Daniel Tigers Neighborhood – LIVE is coming to San Diego!!

Lil’ Man is stoked! Daniel Tiger and all of his friends are coming to town!!

The legacy of the beloved “Mister Rogers” lives on with the hit television series, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, from The Fred Rogers Company and airing daily on PBS KIDS. Now, Daniel and all of his friends are hopping aboard Trolley to delight live audiences with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! coming to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Friday, October 28th at 6:30pm. Tickets at artcenter.org, 800.98.TICKETS, or the California Center for the Arts Escondido Box Office.

Donning his iconic red sweater, Daniel invites the audience on an interactive musical adventure as he and his friends explore the vibrant world of their much-loved Neighborhood of Make-Believe, sharing stories of friendship, helping others, and celebrating new experiences. This live theatrical production filled with singing, dancing, laughter and “grr-ific” surprises will warm the hearts of multiple generations.

And to make this show even more affordable, my readers can Save $5 on Daniel Tiger tickets in Escondido!

@usfg

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

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.

Screen Shot 2016-07-03 at 9.01.31 AMOn 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:

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Little Man’s hand at the bottom- practicing his Vanna moves.
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Awesome panoramic photo of MiniLand!

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!

Me and Bitty Bird getting our jump on!
Me and Bitty Bird getting our jump on!

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 PMThe 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

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YUM!!
YUM!!

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.

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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!

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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.

Screen Shot 2016-06-09 at 7.31.00 PMThe 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!).

Screen Shot 2016-06-09 at 7.48.36 PMThese 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!

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?deals_and_Coupons_version_2

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!

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!

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.

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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!

 

Our chariot awaits!
Our chariot awaits!

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.

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Look at those fierce skills!

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

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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.IMG_5049IMG_5050IMG_5051

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.