Irvine Park Christmas Train and Giveaway

Our family loves Irvine Park and although it is only the first week of November, we are super excited about Irvine Park's Annual Christmas Time. The train will depart from the brightly-lit Train Station and drop passengers off at Santa’s Village.Christmas Train tickets may be purchased to board the train between 5:00 - 6:00, 6:00 - 7:00 or 7:00 - 8:00 PM -- get in line when it is your time to board the train. Tickets may be purchased online beginning Monday, November 2rd. Visit http://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/ for details. The Christmas Train begins Friday, November 27th.



While waiting to board the train, there are many activities for the kiddos to enjoy in Santa’s Village located next to the train station.



 Story Time with Mrs. Claus

 Christmas Cookie Decorating

 Carnival Games

 Santa Claus Moon Bounce

 Christmas Coloring Corner

 Picture Stands

You can take your own pictures with Santa or you can purchase a picture taken by Irvine Park Railroad. When visiting the Christmas Train, remember to dress warmly, bring a camera and arrive early to avoid crowds.

The Irvine Park Railroad Christmas Train is open from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on the following dates:
November 27th, 28th and 29th
December 4th, 5th and 6th
December 11th – `8th
December 19 and December 20- 2-8pm
December 21st, 22nd and 23rd -5pm to 8pm



The cost to ride the Christmas Train is $8.00 per person. Children younger than 24 months ride free.
The parking for Irvine Regional Park is $3.00 per vehicle on weekdays and $5.00 per vehicle on weekends. Parking for the Christmas Train is free after 5:00 PM.

It's giveaway time! Leave a comment sharing what you are looking forward to this Holiday Season and you are automatically entered to win a family pack of tickets. Here is what you will win - 6 train tickets ($8 each) and 12 activity tickets($4each )= ($98 value!). You have until Sunday November 15 to enter. Good luck!

Discovery Science Center's Science of Gingerbread Competition- Fun for the Family and Free to enter!

I have to share with you something super fun that I plan to enter with my family. The Discovery Science Center is hosting their annual Science of Gingerbread Competition.  The Discovery Science Center is seeking out creativity from children, adults, businesses, and organizations. All participants will be invited to an exclusive Gingerbread party on Dec 2 to kick off the festivities. You also have the opportunity to display your creation at the DSC for 6 weeks! You also could win cash prizes. I  think it would be fun for the kiddos or a  family to create something and enter it.

The categories are

• Most Realistic 
• Best by a Corporation 
• Best Toy Replica
• Best Youth (under 15) 
• Most Festive/Holiday Themed 
• Most Original 
• Best by Youth Group 
• People's Choice
• President's Award

Bring Your Entry to Discovery Science Center: November 23 - 30, 2009; 11am - 4pm
Gingerbread Houses will be on Display: November 23, 2009 - January 3, 2010
Judging and Winner Announcement: December 2 & 3, 2009
 
To enter or learn about this very fun competition head here.
You have until Nov 30th  to enter but the earlier you do it the better!

Noche De Altares- A celebration of Day of the Dead/Dia De Los Muertos

If you are looking for something a little different to do this Saturday, you should check out the 7th Annual Noche de Altares. The

Celebration will be the largest Day of the Dead Celebration in Orange County. The event will

take place on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 from 2:00pm to 10:00pm at Fiesta Marketplace

in the City of Santa Ana (3rd and Bush Streets).

Organized by non-profit organization El Centro Cultural de México and local business

Calacas Inc., Noche de Altares is a free, family-friendly community event. Throughout the

day there will be arts and crafts workshops, face painting, local artists selling their wares, and

delicious food from local restaurants and vendors. There will also be live music and

entertainment from local and international musicians

 

You can make it a day by doing the Santa Ana Artists village Art Walk. Artists through the Village open the doors to their studios and you

 

can admire their work in a very carefree enviroment. It's a perfect event for older kids or as a date night. My husband and I have had some

 

great date nights at Art Walk.

 

For additional info head over here.

Reminder of First Tuesday of the month and Free admission to many museums Today!

Good morning! Today is the first Tuesday of the month and below is a list of Museums that offer Free Admission today. Enjoy!



•Natural History Museum- Los Angeles (make a full day of it by visiting their next door neighbor- the California Science Center, which offers FREE Admission every day)

•Autry National Center- Los Angeles

•George C Page Museum and the La Brea Tarpits- Los Angeles

•Kidspace Museum - Pasadena- 4pm to 8pm.

These are perfect outings if your kiddos are home schooled, as an after school activity or if you have preschoolers. Happy Exploring!

Fun Orange County Parks

If you live in Orange County and are looking to find a fun park to play in, you have to check out Fun Orange County Parks. Michele, the creator of the site, has just recently revamped the website and it is amazing! It is a great resource for Orange County parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and those that take care of children.

Fun Orange County Parks features play areas throughout the county and also unstructured play ideas which are necessary for the kiddos! Every week, Michele, features various parks and gives you the rundown on each one. I can't rave enough about this fantastic site. The site thrives on recommendations and if you have a favorite park that is not featured you can recommend a park through an easy form. It is an easy to navigate site that is a valuable resource. You will love it, I promise!

I hope you can all check it out.
Head over here to discover this fun and fabulous site.

Family Night Hikes in the OC

I received an email about a fun program that is perfect for families and wanted to share. Enjoy an educational night and fun night out with the family.

The Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center, a one-of-a-kind themed outdoor learning facility in Orange adjacent to Irvine Regional Park, is pleased to invite families to Experience the Night Life.


Families can enjoy an evening of discovery during guided night hikes to see the diverse and interesting Orange County environment after dark. Participants (ages 6 and older) will be led by trained naturalists at an easy pace on previously inaccessible hiking trails. Guides will share interesting facts on nocturnal and crepuscular animals, adaptations of nocturnal versus diurnal animals and constellations. Registration is required. Fee is $5 per person.

Upcoming dates November 12, November 19, December 3, December 10. The hikes are from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.


LOCATION:

Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center

2 Irvine Park Rd.

Orange , CA 92867

(714) 923-3191


REGISTRATION:

The fee is $5 per person and includes refreshments. To register call 800-436-2119. This sounds like the perfect family night. I can't wait until my kids are a little older to participate in fun activities like this one. This  would be a great Family night out!

Aliens in the Attic Giveaway

If you are looking for a fun flick to check out with the older kiddos check out Aliens in the Attic.It's a fun movie and will be released on Tuesday November 3rd on DVD and Blu-Ray. To celebrate the release I'm giving away one copy.

The movie centers around the Pearson Family.  It’s summer vacation, but the Pearson family kids are stuck at a boring lake house with their nerdy parents. That is until feisty, little, green aliens crash-land on the roof, with plans to conquer the house AND Earth! Using only their wits, courage and video game-playing skills, the youngsters must band together to defeat the aliens and save the world -- but the toughest part might be keeping the whole thing a secret from their parents! Featuring an all-star cast including Ashley Tisdale, Andy Richter, Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows, Aliens In The Attic is the most fun you can have on this planet!

I have one copy to giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment to enter and that's it! You have until Sunday November 8th to enter. Good luck!

Winners of Ice Age DVD's

Happy Monday. I am so excited to announce the winners of the Ice Age DVD. Winners were chosen randomly by a hat this time. I think I'm going to tape it next time- my kids participated and had a blast..




Danielle  who said... My 3 year old would love this movie. and

denkers  who said...

Okay with the first one Tyler sat there and made us replay the little cartoon short with Scrat over and over and over again. We never had the opportunity to see this one maybe we can borrow yours to watch if we don't win! and

Autie  who said...

woohoo! can't wait to see this one! My little guy loves Ice Age..and Dinosaurs, what could be better! enter me, enter me!

Email me at mom@daytrippingmom.com with your info. 

Last Tuesday, 20th Century Fox broke the Guinness World Record for the tallest Ice Sculpture in celebration of the release of Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs. The event took place at ICE Santa Monica rink. 


It really is  a cute and funny movie. If you did not win, I really recommend checking out  this flick. My kiddos have watched it over and over again. 


Thank you for participating and stay tuned later on today for another fun giveaway.

OC Family , Kids and Mice and a $50 Disney Dollar Giveaway

Happy Sunday! I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween filled with many fun treats! I just wanted to share with you something that I am very excited to be a part of. I will be blogging with 18 amazing Orange County moms at OCFamily.com. If you are a mom in Orange County you definitely have to check OCFamily out. You will be able to connect with other moms who will be writing  about everything you could possibly imagine about  living and raising a family in Orange County. You can find me blogging about my addiction to the Dsneyland Resort and  the adventures of being an AP'er (Annual Passholder).

  The other exciting news is that I have decided to launch a new website, called Kids and Mice. You will be able to read about the latest info at the Happiest Place on Earth, as well as discussing attractions, restaurants and other Disney fun.  To celebrate the launch, I'm hosting a giveaway at Kids and Mice for $50 in Disney Dollars. All you have to do is head over to KidsandMice.com and leave a comment under the post. You can also gain additional entries by becoming a fan on Facebook(1 additional entry) or becoming a follower(1 additional entry) of Kids and Mice. The contest will end next Sunday the 8th. Good luck and thank you for reading my site and your wonderful tips!

Day of the Dead Family Festival at the Bowers Museum/Kidseum and yes it is FREE!

The Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertes is an important celebration in Mexican culture. My parents came to the United States when they were very young, and el Dia de los Muertos, is a very special day in our family. Dia de los Muertos is a day of remembering your loved ones, who have passed away. I remember my mom making calabasa (sweet pumpkin), the day after Halloween, because it was one of my grandfather's favorite dishes. He had passed away when she was a young girl and would honor him by lighting candles for him and making his favorite dishes.

I want to keep the tradition alive with my children and plan on taking them to one of the best festivals in the area, The Day of the Dead Festival at the Bowers Museum.

I am always on the lookout for cultural events for my children, and this is one that we will most certainly be attending. The Day of the Dead Family Festival takes place on Sunday, November 1st from noon until 4pm. You can revel in one of Mexico's oldest traditions by honoring the spirits of our loved ones. Dia de los muertos is a celebration of life through music, dance, food and art.

The festival which is held in the Bowers' courtyard, will feature art projects, face painting, Mariachi Kids, folclorico dancers, Aztec dancers, and free admission to the Kidseum. If you have yet to visit the Kidseum, this would be the perfect day to attend. Your kiddos can make day of the dead puppets and masks.

Day of the Dead festival is a great family festival and one that you are sure to enjoy. It is a fantastic cultural experience for the entire family. The best part is that the festival and admission to both the Bowers and Kidseum are free of charge. Enjoy!

For additional info head here.

Bowers Kidseum

1802 N Main Street

Santa Ana

Bowers Museum

2002 N Main Street

Santa Ana